of Austria It is true that in Electiue States men are absurd that make choyce of a woman but in States that are inherited Municipall Lawes she was ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in the transgression she past the bounds which GOD set her and broke a Law which was ordained to be a rule of her life Ioyne she was deceiued with she was in the transgression and then you shall see how the Serpent instils sinne into man we are not constrayned but allured to doe ill we swallow euill that is branched with the shew of good so did Eue and so doe all But how doth the Apostle deny that Adam was guiltie as well as Eue We must obserue that he doth not deny that Adam was in the transgression for then he should contradict himselfe who saith elsewhere that by man came sinne into the world yea he should contradict Adams owne confession Rom. 5. who acknowledged to GOD that his wife gaue him and he had eaten of the forbidden fruit Some therefore answer that not Adam but Eue was first in the transgression posterior in factura prior in culpa saith St HIEROME and because she was so forward not he but she was to beare the blame Some cleare the place by vnderstanding the words comparatiuely as if Eues sinne were so much greater then Adams that Adams deserued not the name of sinne in comparison of hers she was deceiued by the Serpent he by his Wife by how much more vnreasonable it is for a woman to be guided by a Serpent then for a man to be guided by his wife by so much was her sinne more soule then his But neither of these two answers fits the argument It lyeth rather in ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Eue was deceiued and not Adam she made tryall of her wisedome in reasoning with the Serpent Adam did not she deceiued Adam Adam did not deceiue her consider her passiuely consider her actiuely she shewes her selfe vnfit to be a teacher wherefore she must be contented to be a scholler Semel docuit saith St Chrysostome omnia perturbauit she taught once and disordered all the world let her neuer be allowed to teach againe And indeed GOD so doomes her Gen. 3. Thy desire shall be to thy husband and he shall rule ouer thee If this subordination be not kept the course of nature will be depraued saith St HIEROMI and faults will be multiplyed in the world But we may not mistake and thinke that sinne was the first cause of womans subiection and that she was made inferiour quia abusâ est parilitate because she abused that coequalitie which she had with man which was the opinion of some ancient and moderne Diuines that conce it is refuted by the first Reason But as man before the Fall was to husband the ground which after the Fall was imposed vpon him to be done with the sweat of his browes so women were to obey before but after the Fall their obedience was made more harsh and vnpleasant yea and a verball ordination is added to the reall But I will conclude with reference of all this vnto our present occasion Adam and Eue liue still their weaknesse liues in their posteritie if you doubt it behold here spectacles of it I mistake Eue is away but here are many of Adams children Eue shewed the frailtie of the whole nature of her sexe and if her daughter were here I would let her see how like she is to such a mother but because she is not I will direct the rest of my speech vnto these sonnes of Adam Those that are blind seeke such guids as can see and they will be sure they haue better sight then themselues before they will commit themselues vnto them we chuse the best Lawyers for our Cases the best Physitians for our Bodyes but to supply the defect of our Soules to guid our Iudgement and our conscience in Religion we trust we know not whom certainly you haue and shewed your selues vnworthy to be men that could be so weake as to become Schollers to a woman I cannot tell how better to resemble your humor then to the distemperate appetite of girls that haue the Greene-sicknesse their Parents prouide for them wholsome food and they get into a corner and eat chalke and coales and such like trash so you that may in the CHVRCH haue graue and sound instructions for the comfort of your Soule in Conuenticles feed vpon the raw and vndigested meditations of an ignorant vsurping Prophetesse You may happily thinke that your fault is but small but it is no small fault to violate the orders set down by GOD for women to lift themselues aboue their ranke or men to fall below theirs it is lesse lawfull to doe so then for men to weare womens apparell or women to weare mens Put you on their Vaile and be you their glorie and let them put it off and be the glorie of GOD contrarie to St PAVLS rule or if you be loath to make such an exchange hence-forward let euerie man keepe his ranke and be forrie that you haue broken it yea be sorrie that you haue raised a scandall against your Soueraigne and your Pastors Conuenticles make shew that you haue not freedome of Religion and thereby you derogate from the honour of his most Christian gouernment and you haue wronged your Pastor by your Conuenticle casting an imputation vpon him that he cannot or he will not instruct you as he ought These things are included in your fault and you are to be sensible of these things confesse them and aske GOD and his CHVRCH forgiuenesse for them And God grant that you and we all may remember that it is our greatest honour to obserue Gods Order and that no woman presume to be an Eue no man abase himselfe to be an Adam to imitate either of them in that wherein they inuerted their ranke but that euerie one may abide in that whereunto he is called of God Amen A SERMON PREACHED AT St ANDREVVS IN WELLES WHEN ONE DID PENANCE FOR BLASPHEMIE LEVIT 24. VERSE 15 16. 15 And thou shalt speake vnto the children of Jsrael saying Whosoeuer curseth his God shall beare his sume 16 And he that blasphemeth the Name of the LORD he shall surely be put to death and all the Congregation shall certainly stone him as well the stranger as he that is borne in the Land when he blasphemeth the Name of the LORD shall be put to death COmmon-weales are gouerned by two kind of Lawes fundamentall and occasionall Fundamentall I call those by which the Common-weale was first framed Occasionall such as are from time to time added vpon emergent occasions you may resemble them by our Common and our Statute Lawes If men did liue as they ought according to the former I meane the fundamentall Lawes there would be no great need of the Lawes which I called occasionall But because they doe not Ex malis moribus bonae leges the enormous behauiour of some
is not the first time that we are beholding to Gods grace the very word Regeneration may teach we had this cleane heart and right spirit when we were first created for wee were created after Gods image sinne lost it grace restored it now you know that if a Tenant forfeit his Lease and a Land-lord after re-entry restore it to him againe this is a worke of his goodnesse which is more then a worke of his ability for many are able and doe it not therefore if any being able doe it the inducement is not his ability but his goodnesse the like must we conceiue of God it was his pittying mercie that imployed his almighty power to repaire what we had ruined to recouer what we had lost to restore what we had forfeited a cleane heart and a right spirit Finally both the creating and the renewing are actus continui workes that God neuer intermitteth otherwise we should quickly come to nothing or rather which is worse then nothing become fire-brands of hell for wee dayly forfeit by sin and God may daily take aduantage of our breach of his Couenant Adde hereunto that our Regeneration is not in facto but in fieri and therefore needeth a perpetuall influence and supportance for this cause though Dauid were now in the state of grace yet doth he begge grace of God though God had created in him a cleane heart yet doth he desire that God would create a cleane heart in him and though he bad renewed in him a right Spirit yet doth he pray that God would renew a right Spirit within him so doth he wisely prouide against forfeitures and religiously beg the increase of that which he had receiued But I conclude sicut rogauit Dauid it a debet vnusquisque nostrûm saith S. Hierom Dauids prayer is a praier that beseems vs all we all beare about vs a body of sin and we should all desire that it might be abolished We should indeed but who doth who doth enquire into the vncleannesse of his heart and the crookednesse of his spirit or who taketh notice whether there be in him at all any part of Regeneration nay who doth shew that there is any Nazianzene Oratione 43. writing de Encaeâijs doth giue a good obseruation how a man should know whether his heart haue any part in this Creation or his spirit in this Renouation yesterday thou wert a time seruer to day thou art not ashamed of thy Sauiour Christ yesterday thou didst affect the praise of men to day thou settest more by an honest life yesterday thou wert delighted with vain spectacles to day thou art giuen to diuine meditations c. if thou find such a change Haec mutatio dextrae excelsi God hath put to his mercifull power to make thee a new man if it be otherwise with thee and the day following find thee as bad as thou wert the day before thou hast no part in Regeneration A fearfull case because the Psalmist mouing the question to God Psal 24. Who shall ascend into the mountaine of the Lord who shall stand in his holy place answers Euen he that hath innocent hands and a pure heart Wherfore be ye renewed in the spirit of your minds put on the New-Man Eph. 4.25 which after God is created in righteousnes true holines or because this is a worke too hard for any one of vs Let vs euery one pray with K. Dauid in this place Create in me a clean heart ô God renew a right spirit within me AMEN PSAL. 51. VERS 11. Cast mee not away from thy presence and take not thy holy Spirit from mee KIng Dauids desire set forth in the first part of this Psalme is that hee may be restored vnto and preserued in the state of grace How he desires to bee restored you haue hitherto seene you haue seene how hee sueth first in generall that Gods Mercie would relieue his Miserie Gods great mercy his deepe miserie Secondly in speciall how hee brancheth his owne sinne and Gods grace hee confesseth sinne which himselfe committed and that which he inherited from his parents and hee beggeth a two-fold grace that the cure may be proper to each kind of sinne finally he would not haue a plaister narrower then his sore nor a medicine that could not throughly remedy his disease Thus he desires to be restored But to be restored is not enough a Penitents desire must carrie him farther for how shall it appeare that hee doth vnfainedly sorrow for sinne and affect goodnesse except he be as desirous to continue in as to bee brought vnto the state of grace ãâã Pet. 2. Nay Saint Peter will tell vs that it were better neuer to haue knowne the way of righteousnesse then after wee haue knowne it to returne like dogges to our vomit and like swine to our wallowing in the myre Wherefore the second desire was necessarie for King Dauid and must bee exemplarie vnto vs. Let vs come then to it It is set downe in this and the following Verse and conceiued in a double prayer first in deprecation and secondly in supplication a prayer against that which King Dauid deserued and a prayer for that without which King Dauid could not perseuere we will meddle now onely with the former prayer But in the passage I may not forget a good note of Saint Bernards where he commends King Dauids method Serm. 3. de Penticost and obserues that after hee hath prayed Create in me a cleane heart O Lord renew a right spirit within me he prayeth seasonably Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy spirit from me When we offend we fall into sinne and out of fauour and when we repent wee must not desire to be receiued into fauour vntill we are first acquitted from sinne otherwise wee shall betray that we wish there were no Sanction of the Law but as for the transgression of the Law we are not much moued therwith wheras the least sinne must be more irkesome to a repenting soule then the most grieuous punishment But let vs breake vp this prayer wherein I will note two things 1. the Manner and 2. the Matter the manner is a prayer against the matter is that which King Dauid deserued Now that which he deserued comprehends two fearefull iudgements 1. Reiection and 2. Depriuation I will cleare these two tearmes vnto you While we are in the state of grace wee haue communion with God and God hath communion with vs God receiueth vs into his family and we attend him we weare his liuerie and are knowne to belong vnto him the first giueth vs free accesse vnto his presence and the second is a participation of his holy spirit Sinne as much as lieth in it dissolues both these communions for we deserue by it first that God discharge vs of his seruice giue vs no longer place in his family which is that which I called Reiection Secondly we deserue that God take from
see what feeling we haue of dreadfull obiects You haue a prouer be touching the eare ãâã 5. which the holy Ghost vseth more then once I will doe a thing which whosoeuer heareth both his eares shall tingle Experience doth discouer this that hideous noyses worke a commotion in our spirits and make them flie vp into the head ring there as it were an amazed alarum and that in diuers formes which are better discerned by our feeling then I can expresse in words And as for our eye such spectacles how doe they fixe them as if they could not moue dazell them as if they had no sight melt them as if they were a fountaine of water God could not present these Obiects to such eyes such eares but they will be confest to be dreadfull Dreadfull in their owne nature for so are flashes of lightning huge duskie flames of fire great claps of Thunder the sound of such a Trumpet whose loud sound might be heard of so many hundred thousand people And if they were dreadfull in their owne nature as experience teacheth how much more when they are cloathed with such circumstances as these were The circumstance of Place for these meteors were wrought in the lower Region of the Ayre whereas the middle Region is their naturall place In the Deserts of Arabia a drie parched Countrie which yeeldeth no exhalations no vapours which are the matter of these meteors Adde hereunto the season of the yeare for it was now the moneth of Iune ãâ¦ã ãâ¦ã ãâã 3 2â.4 a time wherein these Meteors are not vsuall But specially obserue out of Nyssen that as at the destruction of Sodome so now the skie was cleare there was no prognostication in the Ayre of such an imminent storme So that it could not be imputed vnto nature it must needs bee confest that the finger of God was there Iob 38 And God whom the Booke of Iob doth set forth as the father and treasurer of Raine of Winds of Thunder of Lightning can at his pleasure immediately by his word or else if it please him by his Ministring spirits the bad Angels as it appeares Iob 1. how much more by the good who attend his Throne and whom he vsed at this time produce such Meteors when and where hee he will But the more vnexspectedly hee produceth them the more dreadfull they are and were at this Time and Place I am not yet come to the quicke It is a good rule in Diuinitie that these harbingers or attendants vpon Gods apparitions are an Image not onely of his greatnesse but of his prouidence also In them as in a looking Glasse you may behold the worke which he hath in hand I will shew it you in this present one you may make vse of the rule in vnderstanding other of Gods workes God was now about to deliuer his Law and these harbingers represent the dreadfulnesse thereof The dreadfulnesse of the precept that is noted first by the lightning and then by the thunder By the lightning for the precepts of God are like sire they search and discouer the duetie of a man It is a shallow conceite that the naturall man hath of his duetie to God or to his Neighbour Rom. 7. Saint Paul confesseth what a stranger hee was in it till hee was better nurtured by the Law and giueth this for a generall rule By the Law commeth the knowledge of sinne So that the Law suffereth not a man to be ignorant of his Obligation but setteth it most legible before his eyes This is the Lightning of the precept of the Law And this lightning commeth not without a clappe of Thunder for when a man from the Law reflecteth vpon himselfe and seeth how short he commeth of fulfilling the Law what perplexing terrours will arise in his thoughts what vnquietnesse will distresse his soule His spirit within him will bee ouerwhelmed and the tumult of his Conscience will drowne the sound of all consolation that shall be ministred vnto it many haue had wofull experience hereof As you haue seene the Image of the precept of the Law so must you also behold the Image of the Sanction For the Trumpet calleth to iudgment the flaming fire is an Image of the doome the wicked shall bee summoned with much terrour and they shall bee sent into endlesse torments For the summons shall be by the Trumpet and the wicked shall goe into euerlasting fire I cannot stand to amplifie these things onely take these few obseruations that if this high Parliament of God bee kept with so great terrour how dreadfull shall the grand Assises bee Our Sauiour Christ in the Gospell hath set it forth by three Euangelisls Matth. 24. whom you may paralell with Marke and Luke where you shall find that if this be terrible that is much more terrible Secondly obserue that things corporall come short of things spirituall and no words can fully expresse those things which are here meant for much more is meant then can be said and according to the meaning doth the terrour arise Gods Motto may well be Nemo me impunè lacesset Thirdly we must consider the wonderfull patience of God and stupiditie of men God sheweth vs in this spectacle of Thunder Lightning c. what he can doe what we deserue But what sometimes Caesar said to the Questor who would haue hindred him from entring into the Treasurie at Rome shaking his sword It is easier for my Power to dispatch thee then for the goodnesse of my Nature to bee willing to strike thee may much more truely bee said of God His Power maketh him Mercifull and his Mercie doth manage his Power The Author of the Booke of Wisdome openeth this at large Chap. 11. c. But what stupiditie is there in the meane time in men in prouoking of God that is armed with such power and hath in readinesse such instruments of death Yea which giueth such euidence of them to the intent that they may feare before him It is true that mocking Atheists aske 2. ãâã 3. Where is the promise of his comming But this is vox coeci surdi they doe winke with their eyes and stop their eares other wise there is no man but in all ages God hath discouered vnto him the Ensignes of his reuenging power For haue we not Thundring and Lightning in all ages You will say they are but ordinary Meteors no more is a Rainbow And yet that Meteor hath a mysterie in it and that Bow of Heauen is called Gods Bow because it containeth a perpetuall Prophesie that the world shall be no more destroyed with water Gen. 9. Numb 10. And are not the Thunder and Lightnings called Gods voice And why because they signifie that God will come to iudgement with a tempestuous fire Wee may also make the same vse of the Trumpets Sure Saint Hierome had a good meditation when he said That whether he did eat or drinke or whatsoeuer hee did hee heard
that we should bow before him the knees of our hearts no lesse then the knees of our bodies when we lift vp our hands vnto GOD we should lift vp our Soules also and our eyes should not behold Heauen but our faith should pierce vnto the Throne of GOD. Finally there is no Ceremoniall Law which should not attend some Morall as the shadow doth the body or the body should the soule the Sonne of SYRACH hath made a whole Chapter that teacheth this Lesson But the Iewes put a sunder what GOD had conioyned Cap. 35 they shewed much zeale for the Ceremoniall but were carelesse of the Morall Law expressed much submission of their bodyes but little deuotion of their Soules and drew neere with their lips but their hearts were farre from God Of this GOD complaineth ESAY 1. and doth passionately vary tearmes to expresse his dislike thereof they solemnized their Feasts and offered Sacrifices and assembled themselues in his House Esay 1 But what saith GOD To what purpose is the multitude of your Sacrifices Who required your presence to tread in my Courts I hate your solemne Feasts The cause of all is Your hands are full of blood In the last of ESAY GOD is much sharper He that killeth an oxe is as if he slew a man Cap. 66. he that sacrificeth a lambe as if he cut off a dogs necke he that offereth an oblation is as if he offered swines blood he that burneth Incense as if he blessed an Idol Marke the Reason They haue chosen their owne wayes and their soule delighted in their owne abominations You see then that in seruing GOD we may offend him grieuously if we seuer those things which he hath coupled for our seruice then will be plaine hypocrisie and Hypocrifie is by a Prouerbe noted to be double iniquitie And iustly is it so noted for therein we do first Interpretatiuè deny that GOD is the Searcher of the heart in that we doe not approue our heart to him Secondly we doe expresly preferre the Diuell before GOD in that we giue the better part I meane our Soule to the Diuell and reserue onely the worser part that is our bodyes for GOD. This should all that present themselues in GODS House seriously thinke on especially you that make shew of a solemne Penitent but such a shew as betrayeth that there is no broken heart within you nor contrite spirit seeing there appeareth so little euidence thereof in the outward man Be you assured that so repenting for sinne you doe but add vnto your sinne you are a transgressor of the Law in regard of your Separation of the Ceremoniall from the Morall Law But there is an other transgression of the Law which is the direct and immediate violation of the Morall part thereof This is the greater sinne and doth more apparently deserue such a name for the former though it be a sinne yet it is a cloaked sinne it maketh some faire shew in the eyes of men how vgly soeuer it is in the eyes of GOD but this walketh vnmasked and appeareth as it is Secondly the former is Malum quia prohibitum euill vpon no other ground but because by a positiue Law it is forbidden it is onely extrinsically euil the other is prohibitum quia malum by no meanes to be done though there were no positiue Law that did forbid it the euill thereof is intrinsicall for it is the violation of the Image of GOD according to which man was made and according to which he should liue In the particular Case that concernes this Penitent GOD that gaue a rationall facultie vnto the soule of man whereby he should order the sensitiue in the vse thereof would haue a man shew himselfe to be better then a beast And how doth a man differ from a beast that hath vnbridled lusts and neglect not onely sacred wedlocke but the degrees of Affinitie and Consanguinitie within which GOD and Nature require that his lusts be stinted This should you that are the Penetent seriously thinke on and measure the grieuousnesse of your sinne by this these things as well the transgression of the Morall as the seperation thereof from the Ceremoniall But the grieuousnesse of sinne is argued not only from what is done but also from the doing of the same Aliud est peccare aliud peccatum facere saith St AVGVSTINE It is one thing to sinne another thing to be giuen ouer to sinne and his distinction is not idle for it is grounded not onely vpon St IOHNS phrase 1 Iohn 3. but also vpon St IAMES his gradation Men are first inticed by their lusts Cap. 1. then lust conceaueth and brings forth sinne and sinne being perfected brings forth death and this perfecting of sinne is properly the doing of sinne All men sinne but they that haue grace take heed of doing sinne feare and shame are both shaken off by those that goe so farre they endeauour not so much as to hide their sinnes Of these Iewes our Psalme saith They sate they spake they ran they wrought euill they consented one with another and were professors of a wicked life And little better is the case of this Penitent who for many yeeres hath openly in the eyes of the world notwithstanding the clamor of many that iustly did detest it liued in abominable Incest which doth much aggrauate his sinne There is a third Aggrauation in my Text taken from the Person that doth commit the sinne Thou hast done these things And the circumstance of the Person doth much improue the foulenesse of a fault No man should sinne against GOD but they that are most bound should forbeare most Now the Iewes had a double Obligation one by Nature the other by the Couenant They were GODS Creatures and GOD vouchsafed to contract with them Not to performe the dutie which we owe especially when we haue solemnly vowed it maketh vs guiltie in a high degree And euerie one within the Church if he doe sinne is so farre guiltie his Vow in Baptisme will presse him no lesse then the Condition of his Nature And this must you that are the Penitent ponder in your Soule that you may answerably hereunto feele the burden of your sinne I doe not amplifie these things without Cause they must be the rather marked because the deeper the Iewe was in guilt the greater was GODS Patience Notwithstanding their double offence their Seperation and Transgression their double Obligation of Nature and Vow their double sinning in that they did not onely act but professe sin yet did GOD hold his peace he proceeded not against them but with great Patience GODS Patience is noted by his Silence the word signifieth to be deafe and dumbe and putteth vs in mind of a double voyce a voyce of sinne and a voyce of Iudgement That sinnes haue a Voyce you may read Gen. 4. where ABELS blood doth cry and in the Storie of Sodome Gen. 18. the voyce of whose sin came vp to
our choyce that we pitch vpon a good guide wherein the Scripture bids vs take heed of two Rockes the one is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the other is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã we must neither our selues forge a Religion neither receiue any that is forged by others for guiding of our conscience as we must not be without Law so must we take heed what Law we vse And indeed we may vse none safely but The Law of God in such cases Lanes 4.12 that of the Apostle is true There is but one Lawgiuer no Law but his bindes vnto that for performance whereof we may securely expect that he will performe what in the Couenant for his part hee hath promised vnto vs. Many commendations wee read in prophane Writers of the the Lawes of Solon Lycurgus Zaleuchus and others but these must all be as imperfect as the Law-giuers whether we respect the Precepts or the Sanctions none comprehending exactly the Dutie of Man and therefore not being able to set Man in the way to the attaining of his Soueraigne Good This is peculiar to the Law of God But what is meant by the Law of God Surely the Law deliuered by Moses whereof the Prophets were but Interpreters and their Interpretation shewes the largenesse of the Text namely That the Gospell is included in the Law for the Decalogue cloathed with the Ceremonies what is it but Implicitum Euangelium The substance of the Gospell which is Saluation by Repentance and Faith in Christ And so must we vnderstand not onely Moses his commendations of the Law Deut. 4. but King Dauids also Psal 19. and 119 the truth whereof cannot be acknowledged if the Law and the Gospell be taken Oppositè and not Compositè if we oppose the one to the other and doe not by the one put comfort into the other Certainely in this place we must so vnderstand the Law because it is made the Way to Blisse And marke that here One Law of God is opposed vnto the three degrees of Sinne The Counsell of the wicked The way of Sinners and The Seat of the Scorners one to three to giue vs to vnderstand that what those three promise is performed in this One no true Counsell but in this Law no good Course but that whereinto wee are set by this Law and if we will be Doctors and despise the folly of others we must sit in Moses Chaire we must professe no other but the Law of God And thus much of that Whereunto we must be dedicated Let vs uow see How Wee must first receiue it in the Inward Man the word vsed by the Psalmist is Chephetz which signifies Voluntatem and Voluptatem and notes where and what entertainment wee must first giue vnto The Law Where in our Will so we finde in the tenour of the Couenant This shall be my Couenant Iere. 31.33 which I will make with the House of Israel saith the Lord I will write my Lawes in their Hearts c. God will not haue a seruile Dedication hee will not bee serued by compulsion and therefore those that serue him are called Psal 110. A willing People Neither can the seruice be reasonable wherein the Will is wanting for the Actions are not counted ours wherein the Will hath no part seeing it is by vertue of the Will that a Man is Dominus actionum suarum a free Agent neither is any Action free but that which is done willingly though we cannot partake of the Law but by our Vnderstanding yet is the principall obiect of the Law our Will for Theologia is Scientia not Theoretica but Practica wee learne not the Law for to know it but to doe it Adde hereunto that Inclinatio voluntatis is Inclinatio totius suppositi it is not without cause that God requires the Will seeing the Will hath power to sway the whole Man especially if the Will be Chephetz ioyned with Delight for so God doth require the Heart hee will haue it seasoned with Loue Deut. 6.5 Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart and Loue is the fulfilling of the Law King Dauid opens this Delight 1. Tim. 1.5 Psal 19. when he tels vs that the Law was sweeter than Honey and the Honey-combe the meaning of it is we must not be mercenarie but the pleasure we take in it must-be the cause why we entertaine it And marke the phrase His delight is in the Law Multi habent Legem in Corde sed non Cor in Lege saith Hugo de S. Victore Many treasure vp the Law in their hearts that doe not solace their hearts in the Law they only know it these also delight in it Saint Austin obserues a Distinction betweene In Lege and Sub Lege Qui est in Lege secundum Legem agit He whose heart is in the Law followes the direction of the Law Qui est sub Lege à Lege agitur he whose heart is vnder the Law Rom. 7.22 entertaines it rather of constraint then with a willing minde but wee must Delight in the Law of God in the Inward man as the Apostle speaketh For as ground is fruitfull not by receiuing but by liking of the seed Euen so man becomes not Religious by knowing but by affecting of the Law Amor est virtus Vniens by Loue doth a man become one with the Law yea himselfe is turned into a liuing Law for men are alwayes busie about that wherein they take Delight and the Law being receiued into the inwaâd man will ouer-spread the whole man which is implyed in the next branch He meditates on that Law To Meditate on the Law is First to ruminate on the Scripture and sound the depth of it for the Law is deliuered in few words wherein there are contained great Riches of sense which by Meditation we must worke out Christ hath giuen vs a patterne Mat. 5. Where he vnwraps the sense of seuerall Commandements of Murder of Adulterie of Diuorce In the sixth of Saint Iohn how much matter doth he draw out of the Storie of Manna And what mysteries doth Saint Paul in the Epistle to the Hebrewes find in the Ceremonies of Moses This is the first branch of Meditating the vnfolding of the Riches of that sense which God hath treasured vp in his Law This is the worke of our vnderstanding But the vnderstanding doth but prepare matter for the Affections There is a second branch therefore of Meditating which is the seasoning of our Affections with that which we know And as the vnderstanding prepares matter for the Affections so what vse of our Affections but to quicken our Actions Therfore as a man which takes into his mouth a morsell of good meate chewes it and by chewing doth discouer the sweetnesse and kindly nourishment that is in it and hauing rellisht it swallowes it downe and by meane conueiances disperseth it into euerie part of his body that euery part may be made more vigorous and Actiue thereby So
of a Contracter it is plaine that wee may not neglect the Regard which wee must haue vnto the Articles of his Contract especially seeing the Contract is founded in Christ whose Merit ouer and aboue Gods word doth embolden vs to relie thereon But yet this Rule we must hold We must obey Quia bona Lex prius quam quod Nobis commoda our first respect must be vnto the Precept of the Law and then to the Sanction and we must obserue the Precept absolutely and for it selfe but the Sanction onely conditionally and because God is pleased to adde it and being conscious to our selues of our owne defect we must presume not vpon our own performances but vpon Christs and claime not for our owne Merits but for His in whom we are vouchsafed an interest But to leaue the Partie and come to his Article The Article is in effect this If a man be dutifull in performing his Vow God will be gracious in giuing a Reward Touching this Reward we are here taught what it is and what is the euidence of it It is set downe in one word Blessed And indeed Blessednesse containes the whole substance of our Reward But how shall it be knowne who is Blessed Surely here are euidences by which it may bee proued and the euidences are as many as there are degrees of Blessednesse thereof there are two degrees for men are Blessed either in this life or that which is to come How it may bee knowne whether a man is Blessed in this life wee are taught in the third and fourth Verses where we are taught the difference betweene Good and Bad men in this world Good men are compared to a Tree whereof wee haue here set downe the Kind and the Vertue the Kind it is not a Natiue but a Satiue Tree Planted by the Riuers of Waters And the vertue therof is double it is profitable it is acceptable profitable for it brings forth its fruit in due season and his Leafe neuer failes acceptable Looke whatsoeuer he doth it prospers As for the Wicked Non sic wee must remoue all this from them the Kind and the Vertue of the Plant. And what are they then Nothing else but winnowed Chaffe Chaffe which the wind driues too and fro This is the first euidence the euidence of Blessednesse in this world The second is the euidence of Blessednesse in the world to come In the world to come two speciall times are obseruable the beginning and the continuance thereof The Godly differ from the wicked in both in the beginning that is the time of the generall Iudgement for then the Righteous shall stand the wicked flie in the continuance the Righteous shall be of a Congregation whereunto the wicked shall not come Now this double difference proceedes from a double Act of Gods Prouidence an Act of his wisdome which doth distinguish these persons Hee knoweth the wayes of the righteous and an Act of his power The way of the wicked shall perish but wee must marke that the first of these Verbes that expresseth Wisdome includes Power and the second that expresseth Power includes Wisdome These be the particulars which are to be obserued concerning the Reward the Nature the Euidence of it whereof I shall now onely vnfold that word which expresseth the Nature and that word is Blessed Ashre This word in the Originall respects our steps and touching them obserues two things their praise and their Comfort their praise is to be straight and that the word signifieth primarily their comfort is to be happie and that the word signifieth secondarily Heb. 13.14 Wee haue here no abiding place but are wayfaring men we may not we cannot stand still wee shall be euer in our way onely our care must be what steps we tread and this word implies the two Characters whereby wee may discerne such steps as we should chuse they must be straight and happie first straight then happie What a straight step is we may learne of the Harbinger of Christ who doth not onely call vpon the people to prepare the way of the Lord Esay 40 3 â and make his path straight but also shewes what is opposite to straight if there be any Hils they must be taken downe if there be any Vallies they must be filled vp if there bee any crookednesse declining to the one side or the other it must be set euen These are shadowes of better things That which maketh a man goe out of the wayes of God is either Presumption which maketh him to swell like a Hill or Desperation that maketh him to sinke like a Vallie or else he is too much besotted with Prosperitie which is leaning to the right hand or else murmureth in Aduersitie which is leaning to the left hand So many wayes to say nothing of the particulars contained vnder these seuerall wayes may wee decline from straight steps There is both a Variation and Declination of the compasse of our life A second thing that we must marke is That whereas the wayes of God lie straight and Recta linea est breuissima inter eosdem terminos that God doth not toyle vs out but setteth vs in the next way to Heauen if we fetch a compasse and trauell by the crooked line the fault is our owne that will goe aside when wee might keepe forth right as the Prodigall Childe Luke 15. that might haue stayed at home with his Father who would needs try the world and come after a long time home to that Father from whom he went The third thing that we must marke is that Rectum is index sui obliqui we must ghesse how farre we are out of the way by comparing our course to the straight way Looke how farre we are distant from that so farre we are out Here Praeter and Contra which the Church of Rome distinguisheth concurre in one that which is Praeter viam is Contra viam because we should keepe in the right way and what more vsuall in the Scripture then to charge vs not to decline either to the right hand or to the left as if so to decline were a sinne and a violation of the Law and a doing contrarie to that which the Law commands for the Law commands vs not to decline The patronage of Veniall sinne then which it borroweth from the preposition Praeter is but weake for to goe Praeter viam is to doe Contra Legem As our steps must be straight so if they be straight they will be happie for Holinesse and Happinesse concurre in God and by his Ordinance they concurre in man Gen. 1. When God made his Creatures hee beheld them and saw they were all good and because good therefore hee blessed them and euer since hath Blessing been an inseparable companion from Good In the Law God by Moses telleth the Iewes Deut. 28. that if they hearken to his voice and keepe his lawes they shall be blessed the like doth God pronounce by
Causes of flight together and then learne from Saint Iohn Iohn 1.3 20. If our conscience doe accuse vs God is greater then our Conscience and knoweth all things And yet Saint Basil maketh such a liuely Description of the worke of Conscience in Iudgement that a man would thinke nothing could be added to the terrour thereof ãâ¦ã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã c. The Conscience will so limme out our Liues and be such a Looking Glasse of all our deeds that by an vnspeakable power in a moment of time as we would thinke nothing can better represent our selues to our selues But for all that the Heart of a man is an intricate Labyrinth none knoweth it but God only as God himselfe teacheth in Ieremie ãâã 17 1â ãâã 4. ãâã 4. As all things are naked before his eyes so will he then bring many things to light which are hid in darknesse When then both these terrours concurre whereof the one so much increaseth the other you will not wonder that the wicked vpon the apprehension thereof betake themselues to flight Flying is their shift but it is a vaine one for whether should they flie when euery creature which at the Creation was made a Souldier in Gods Hoast shall at the last Day become a Iaylour to arrest prisoners and present them at his Assizes What remayneth then but that they that cannot shrinke from the Iudgement âisdome 17. sinke vnder it For wickednesse condemned by her owne witnesse is very timerous and being prest with Conscience alwayes forecasteth terrible things The man that was but questioned for wanting his Wedding Garment at the Marriage Matth. 2â grew presently speechlesse Our Sauiour Luke 21. saith that their Iudgement shall come like a snare and indeed in the Psalme we reade that God shall raine vpon the wicked Psal 11. Snares Fire and Brimstone Storme and Tempest this is their partion to drinke Now we know that a Snare doth not only take but ouer-turne the wild beast that is taken therein But if the terrour of the Iudge doe not ãâã 19.12 Vnder whom the mightiest Helpes doe stoope as it is in Iob nor the inextricable suddaines of his Iudgement yet the weight of sinne will crush and beare a Sinner to the ground Dauid in his owne person and conflicts with a guiltie Conscience out of which notwithstanding by Gods mercie he did finally rise yet confesseth that the sense of guilt is like a drowning Floud like a crushing Burden a Burden too Heauie for man to beare and if the righteous that Man after Gods owne Heart when he sell as a man were scarcely saued where shall the Vngodly 1. ãâã â and the vnrighteous appeare You see then how true it is that The Vngodly shall not stand in Iudgement Causâ cadent cadent persond themselues with their Cause shall fall to the ground they shall both sinke as low as the Chambers of death But Bonâ concessum quod impijs negatum as Bede noteth though They shall not yet shall The Righteous stand And no maruell for they shall bee free both from the guilt of Conscience and the terrour of the Iudge And why Their hearts are purified by Faith yea purified from dead workes whatsoeuer is mortall is taken from them for Christ Iesus of God is made vnto them Wisdome Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption ãâ¦ã the Law of Life which is in Iesus Christ freeth them from sinne and death so that Rom. 8. Matth. 24. there is no condemnation vnto them which are so in Christ And if there bee no Condemnation then may they Lift vp their heads with ioy when Christ commeth 1. Iohn 3. Luke 21 knowing that their Redemption draweth neere If their Conscience doe not accuse them they may haue boldnesse in the Day of Iudgement they shall stand before the Sonne of Man and his Throne shall be vnto them a Throne of Grace But more distinctly The Standing of the Righteous is opposed to the Flying from and Sinking vnder Iudgement if Adam did flie only because hee was Naked that which remedieth the Nakednesse stayeth the flight now Nakednesse stood in Sinne and Mortalitie both these are remedied in the Resurrection of the Iust The Sinne is all taken away by the Imputation of Christs Righteousnesse and Sanctification of his Spirit The Mortalitie because as they are quickened by Grace in their Soules so their Bodies of Naturall become Spirituall 1. Cor. 15. and their Corruptible puts on Incorruption their Mortall Immortalitie so then there being no part of Nakednesse left there can remayne no cause of Flying And if not of Flying from then not of Sinking vnder Iudgement for that which is the Cause of Flying is the cause of Sinking also but the state of their Person doth deny al possibility of Sinking the Spiritin their Soule is the Pledge of their Inheritance in Heauen and their Bodies which they shall then receiue are not only Houses from Heauen 2. Cor. 5. but such as are fitted for Heauen both carrie vpward and not downward But marke more particularly 1. Thes 4.16 what the Scripture saith of the Resurrection of the iust The Dead in Christ shall Rise first Yea they onely shall Rise from death for the Resurrection of the wicked is not from but vnto Death from one Death vnto another And therefore in Saint Luke onely the Righteous are called Filij Resurrectionis Luke 20.36 because their Resurrection is vnto Life which is properly a Standing the wicked doe but Rise to take a greater fall they fall from a Temporall to an Eternall Death Secondly As the Righteous shall Rife first so being raysed 1. Thes 4.17 Rapientur in occursum They shall be taken vp into the ayre to meete Christ and so shall euer be with him So that except He fall they shall neuer fall they shall be remoued from the Earth which is the place of falling Thirdly they shall be placed at the right Hand of Christ to be taken vp vnto him is to be admitted to a Beatificall Vision Psal 16. for what is our happinesse but to see Him as He is For in his presence there is fulnesse of ioy and if we be placed at His right Hand there is pleasure for euer more secure Honour and endlesse Life if that support vs no feare of falling we shall certainely stand But to put it out of all doubt When we come to the right Hand Matth 9. we shall be set vpon Thrones and shall with Christ iudge the twelue Tribes of Israel 1. Cor. 6 yea the Angels also so farre shall we be from being wofully Passiue that wee shall bee gloriously Actiue in that Iudgement How we shall Iudge is a curious question I will not now vndertake to resolue it it sufficeth to my purpose that howsoeuer we shall Iudge as many as are honoured with that function may well be held Standers they shall neither Shrinke nor Sinke But we may not forget
of his owne strength Happy shall we be if other mens Harmes make vs beware And indeed To beware is the true vse that wee must make of their Harmes They grossly abuse such Histories which by them countenance and excuse their sinne Dauid fecit cur non ego the Drunkard the Adulterer the Murtherer Atheistically pretendes though he hath not a good Rule yet he hath a good Example for his doing some Patriarch did that which he doth Non est hoc tollere sed geminare Peccatum this doth not mend but marre the matter such Apologies are worse then the Sinne. Saint Austin and others haue at large replyed vnto them I will onely giue two Animaduersions and so dismisse them The first is As in good deedes he that followeth another deserues lesse prayse because he doth but exemplifie an other mans fact so of ill doers the latter deserues more blame then the former because hee is so desperate as to venture where he seeth a likelier man then himselfe hath taken a fall This first Animaduersion we learne from Reason And from Religion wee must learne a second Animaduersion It is grosse Blasphemie so to peruert the meaning of the Scripture and make the Holy Ghost an Aduocate for sinne what neede such fuell for lust which hath the whole world continually to feede it and Selfe-loue will not want an Apologie though the Holy Ghost doe not penne one Certainely this fall was neuer penned for so wicked a purpose That will appeare in the next Branch of the Text or in the second state wherein King Dauid doth set forth himselfe There you shall finde that the former state was not set forth Propter se but Propter aliud he tooke no pleasure to blaze his state as a sinner but that we may thereby perceiue his other state as he was a Penitent Let vs looke now into that and we shall finde that these few words doe summe vp a good part of a whole Chapter the 12. of the 2. of Sam. wherin we are to obserue the Meanes that brought him to Repentance and the Successe of those Meanes The Meanes are Nathan the Prophet one Man but sustayning two Persons the person of a Subiect vnto King Dauid as hee was Nathan the person of an Embassador from God as he was a Prophet And indeed Though a Soueraigne haue a Command ouer all his Subiects yet is Hee himselfe a Subiect vnto God and therefore hath God his Lidgers resident about him to let him from time to time know his Sacred pleasure whose office it is to hold their Master in or call him backe when he forgets or neglects the King of Kinges that is in Heauen But this present * The Ordination of Ministers Occasion calls vpon me to enlarge this poynt and I may doe it fitly to the Occasion and not stray a whit from my Text not from the Storie of Nathan the Prophet intimated in this place You then that are to take Sacred Orders must obserue that in the Function of a Prophet there was some thing Common and something Proper it was Proper to them to foretell things to come the diuine determination of Euents which in humane iudgement were contingent But Morrall instructions and Corrections were Common to them with the Preists And indeede God did but supply the negligence of the Preist by this Ministrie of the Prophets The Ministrie of Nathan here touched though it hath something of that which is Proper vnto a Prophet yet the most part of it is Common and so concernes you You then must learne of the Prophet Nathan what Furniture a Minister must haue and How he must vse his furniture His furniture must be Lex et Euangelium both these appeare in Nathans Message the Law by that hee layd open King Dauids Sinne the Gospell by that hee absolued him from the Guilt thereof There is no Censure of Sinne but from the Law and onely from the Gospell is the Propitiation thereof therefore must you be well studied in both of them and hold your selues to be but imperfect Ministers if you be ignorant of either As you must learne of Nathan the Prophet to haue this Furniture so from him also must you learne How to vse it as you haue a Tallent so must you employ it The steward of the Lord must bring forth to his Familie things both old and new We are called Builders and the Scripture is called a Canon or a Rule all the spirituall Stones which bee laid in the Temple of God must be squared by this spirituall Rule neither without this Rule must we worke any Neither is it enough to know that wee must vse our Furniture wee must know also When it must bee vsed and How and you shall learne both of the Prophet Nathan When Praeuenienter and Subuenienter if we can we must preuent the Sinnes of our flocke Magister Historiae Ecclesiasticae obserues out of Epiphanius that Nathan would so haue preuented Dauids Fall for hearing that the Kings affection was bending towards Bathsheba he made hast towards him but was hindred by Belial Whatsoeuer is to be thought of that Narration of this we may bee sure that the Prophet would not haue been wanting to the King with a Ghostly preseruatiue if he had seene his pronenes to that Fall and a Minister if he see the signes of an imminent spirituall danger must arme his people against Temptation and asmuch as in him lieth preuent their Falls But if he cannot be so timely he must not leaue them when they are downe Qui non potuit praeuenire debet subuenire wee must lend him a Hand to rise whom we could not keepe from Falling so did Nathan the Prophet raise King Dauid But as you must learne of him When so must you also learne of him How he did it ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Vnpartially but Discreetly Vnpartially he was the Embassadour of God and therefore hee spake with the libertie of an Embassadour And we must not derogate froÌ the Authoritie of our Master to whose Tribunall all persons are Subiect euen the greatest Monarches of the World as a great Monarch Nebuchadnezzar confest in a Proclamation registred Dan. 4. But there is an Vnpartialnesse Diuine which is enioyned of God and there is an Humane one which is but a fiction of Mans braine The Humane dreames of faults which are not and taketh vp rumors vpon trust and rashly vents them to the disgrace of the innocent headie and fierie Spirits offend too often this way and in stead of Preachers turne Libellers vnder pretence of freedome of Spirit and vnpartiall Reprehension But we must not reproue That which is not a fault nor Those which are not faultie Secondly Humane Vnpartialnesse doth season Reproofe with vnmannerly language whereas Saint Paul hath taught Ministers in reprouing to giue euery man his due respect Rebuke the elder men as Fathers the younger as Brethren 1 Tim. 5. the elder woemen as Mothers
the younger as Sisters the higher Persons are in degree with the more respect must wee temper our Reproofe This is the generall Rule that we must follow particular instances of some Prophets who brought speciall Messages from God must not be drawne by vs into Example God will not haue Theologie to confound Policie Add hereunto that Nathan told his Message to Dauid in priuate because Dauid committed the Sinne priuately personall and priuate Sinnes must not haue a publike Reproofe except they haue vndergone first a iudiciall Censure where publike Authoritie hath not gone before the Reproofe of Personall faults must be priuate These Rockes being heeded our Vnpartialnes will be Diuine we may freely deliuer what difference there is betweene mens liues and Gods Lawes and set the Peoples danger before their eies yea touching Sin we may tell them that Omne animi vitium tanto conspectius in se Crimen habet quanto maior qui peccat habetur answerable to the Dignitie which God vouchsafeth vs are the Sinnes improued by which we offend him Secondly ãâ¦ã Touching danger wee may let them know that Potentes potenter punientur Mercie will soone pardon the meanest but mighty men shall be mightily tormented This wee may tell them and tell them that they must expect this from God From God I say and not from Vs for we haue only ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã we are only Referendaries of Gods Will wee acknowledge ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to be the peculiar of God if any corporall chastisement bee to bee laid vpon a Soueraigne a Subiect must not draw the sword God onely hath power to vse it and they into whose hands he is pleased to put it which certainely is not the Pope nor his Assigne whether hee claime it Directly or Indirectly hee doth it Contra Ius sine Exemplo he hath no good either Rule or Example for it either in Gods word or in the writings of the Primitiue Church neither is it the People who must take Law from not giue Law to their Soueraigne both in Precept and in Sanction As Nathan did vse his Ministrie Vnpartially so did hee vse it Discreetly also ãâã de ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã hee handled the King so artificially that he made him giue sentence against himselfe before he was aware That seemes a Beame in our Brothers eye Mat 7. which in our owne seemes scarse a Moate as Christ teacheth in the Gospell therefore our iudgement is best tried in another Mans Case for therein wee will see with the most if it be a fault and if it be a good deede we will see with the least Therefore hee that will handle a Mans Conscience with spirituall Wisedome must first worke vpon ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã see what good Rules he hath to guide Conscience withall and exercise them with some abstracted Case and if he find that it passeth an vpright iudgement then come on to ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã His Conscience and if euer you shall then make him sensible of his owne Case Certainely he must either condemne himselfe which is a signe of Grace or else contradict himselfe which will argue him to be voide of Reason Neither is this the onely poynt of spirituall wisedome which a Pastour must haue he must also vse a good method in dispensing the parts of his Ministrie Nathan will teach him asmuch who comming to Dauid furnished with the Law and the Gospell first humbled him with the Law then raised him with the Gospell first told him Thou art the Man and then when Dauid acknowledged it Nathan added The Lord hath remoued thy sinne thou shalt not die And you may not peruert this Order you may not applie a Salue before you haue vented the Corruption of a wound you may not power Oyle into it before you haue scoured it with Wine finally You may not absolue a sinner before you haue made him penitent Hauing sufficiently vnfolded the Meanes I must now let you see that these Meanes are Needfull and Powerfull Needfull that is intimated in this word Venit Nathan came to Dauid Of himselfe Dauid sinned but when hee was left vnto himselfe there appeared in him no disposition to repent To manifest this God did let him alone by the space of a whole yeare and during that time hee seemeth to haue beene senselesse of his state Mortifera securitas Austin Sermon de Temp. 51. he seemed to bee as it were dead in that sinne It was a strange thing that such a Man should take such a Fall but more stange that in so many Moneths hee should not recouer out of it What was the Cause was it because hee did not know the difference betweene good and euill it were absurd so to thinke but it was because hee did not make vse of his knowledge in weighing his owne Actions whether they were good or euill wherefore had not Nathan come to Dauid it is to be doubted Dauid would neuer haue returned vnto God It is to be doubted the rather because if you looke to the first sinne of Man you shall finde that after he had eaten of the forbidden Fruit he hid himselfe from God no mention of his returne vntill God sought and found him out And who may hope to bee better then our Father Adam surely the continuall storie of the Church shewes that we are herein all too like vnto him looke vpon all the restitutions that are recorded and you shall finde in them all the preuenting Grace of God and that saying of God is of a perpetuall truth I am found of them that sought me not and made manifest to them that inquired not after me But what shall I neede Examples of that Truth which euery man that hath grace may reade in himselfe The Conclusion is Repentance springs not Naturally from vs it is an effect of Gods word reclayming vs of our selues we are as vnapt to Rise as we are apt to Fall Wherefore we cannot too much magnifie the goodnesse of God that vouchsafeth vnto vs the Ministrie of his Word it is a great Grace that God is not wanting vnto vs when we are wanting vnto our selues wanting not only to instruct our selues but also to make vse of our knowledge for the Scripture is vsefull not only to informe but also to remember vs. Needfull then the Ministrie is It is not onely so but Powerfull also The word of God is sharper then any two-edged sword Heb. 4. it is liuely it is mighty in operation it enters through euen to the diuiding asunder of the soule spirit ioynts and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the Heart The weapons of the Ministers warfare are mighty through God to cast downe Holds 2 Cor. 10. to cast downe Imaginations and euery high thing which is exalted against the knowledge of God and to bring into captiuitie euery thought to the obedience of Christ. And it had neede be so it hath to doe with so
senselesse a subiect Lib. 22. Moral Cap. 13. Gregorie the Great parallels Dauid in his Sinne with Lazarus in his Graue Christ cried with a loude voyce Lazarus come forth and it was not a weake voyce that could rouse Dauid out of his so dead a Sleepe and it is the common disease of all sinners nothing lesse then Gods Spirit can worke a spirituall remorse in them But the power of the Ministrie will appeare better in the successe wherefore I come vnto that The Successe was a speedie and a Sollemne Conuersion a Speedie he did not outface the Prophet he did neither denie nor extenuate his fault but presently acknowledged it and desired to bee vnburdened of it In Psal 37. gustauit tantùm peccatum saith Saint Ambrose vt ostenderet quomodo posset aboleri he tasted of the poyson but did not digest it he did not so take in sinne Dedoct Christian Iab 3. Cap. 21. but he could vomit it vp againe Saint Austin wittily obserues the word Hospes in Nathans Parable and shewes that sinne in the Children of God is but a stranger well may it be entertayned it cannot haue in them any perpetuall abode because it is not of the Houshould yea seeing they accompt this stranger to be an enemie they make hast to be rid of him we see this in Dauid and we must learne by him when we are roused to see that we are out of the way to make hast and not deferre the time to turne our feete into the way of Gods Commandements Psal 119. As Dauids Conuersion is Speedie so it is Solemne it appeares in two points in that hee penned this Psalme and that hee committed it vnto the Chiefe Musician Iames 5.13 First he penned the Psalme Saint Iames his Rule If any man bee merry let him sing holds not backward therefore euery man that singes is merrie There are mournefull aswell as there are ioyfull songs Gracelesse persons when they haue sinned are so shamelesse as to make ioyfull songes thereof witnes the impure Sonets whereof euery Age hath vented some none more then this our sinfull Age and they are accompted the fittest Musicke for their most riotous Feasts But Dauids Song made of his sinne is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã adolefull Elegie a verie Lamentation But what needed this after Nathan had absolued him yes there was great neede of it first His Confession to Nathan was very succinct and though praematura venia arguebat profundam Poenitentiam God knew he repented heartily whom hee forgaue so speeedily yet so short a Text needed a larger Commentarie least men should conceaue too shallowly of Repentance and performe it perfunctorily Secondly the Conscience is not so soone quieted as it is pardoned though our Faith doe rest vpon Gods Truth yet desire we to haue it confirmed by a liuely sense therefore a godly man newly recouered though he be safe is not secure which maketh him plie God with his prayers vntill he haue recouered againe his former Peace Finally God released all the punishment of sinne vnto Dauid but not all the Chastisement as it appeares by Nathans Absolution Dauid might desire to bee eased of that also and to that end hee might importune God with his passionate Prayer And it beseemes vs well when wee are free from the Flames of Hell to deprecate the calamities wherewith God may iustly visit vs in this life I come to the last note This Psalme when Dauid had penned it was deliuered to the chiefe Musician or Master of the Quire not onely to bee kept but also to be sung hee would haue the Church to witnesse to his Conuersion and take a good Patterne from him yea so it was made a part of the Cation and is to goe for a Rule amongst vs The Septuagint intimate as much when they translate ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã they intimate thereby that not onely Dauids Case must bee remembred therein but others also must be conformed thereto But I must end 1. As Nathan was sent to Dauid saith Saint Austin so is Dauid sent vnto vs we may nay we doe goe in to our Bath-sheba commit spirituall corporall fornication and God knowes we haue litle sense of our sinne As we tread Dauids steps in sinninge so in Dauids senselesnes let vs reade our owne 2. God doth not forsake vs when wee will not we cannot helpe our selues we haue many Nathans that are neither vnlearned nor idle they deale as discreetly as vnpartially it were to bee wished that as they are Needefull and Powerfull so they might speede with vs as Nathan did with Dauid and worke in vs a Speedie and a Solemne Repentance 3. If King Dauid were not ashamed so to humble so to afflict his Soule which of vs should be ashamed wee should not but as Saint Ambrose in his dayes Apolog. Dauid 1 c. 2. wee so may wee complaine in ours there are fewe men bee they but of meane substance that doe not thinke themselues too good to be so abased yet he that will not submit himselfe to this painfull impression of the Law shall neuer feele that more comfortable that springs from the Gospell GOd grant that seeing the best of vs shall euer carrie about vs a Bodie of sinne we may neuer want Nathans if it may be to prevent at least to make vs see our slips and that wee may bee as tractable as King Dauid submitting our selues to the voyce of the Law that wee may haue the benefite of the Gospell so may Pastors and People haue mutuall Comfort in the Church Militant and in the Triumphant be ioyntly blest for Euermore Amen PSAL. 51. VERS 1.2 1. Haue mercy vpon me O God according to thy louing kindnesse according vnto the multitude of thy tender Mercies blot out my transgressions 2. Wash mee thoroughly from mine iniquitie and cleanse mee from my sinne THis Penetentiall doth teach vs touching Repentance whence it springs and what it is Whence in the Title and What in the Psalme Of the Title I haue alreadie spoken It followeth that I now come on to the Psalme which when I haue ript vp and laid open before you you will haue iust Cause to say that it is the goodliest Picture of true Repentance that euer was drawne by the pen of the Holy Ghost The whole is a Prayer but of that kind which we call a Vow And as King Dauid did sustayne a double Person so is his Vow double Hee was a Child of God a deare one Hee was a Member of the kingdome the cheifest one he was a man after Gods owne Heart and hee was the King of Israel therefore he vowes not onely for himselfe but his Kingdome also But in setting downe his Vowes he obserues a good Order the first is for Himselfe the second for the Kingdome And why The Kingdome was wounded by his Fall and the Cure thereof depended vpon his Recouerie therefore doth he first take care of the Head from whom the same health was
to streame afterwards into all the Body For though the Vowes be two yet are they both resolued into the same parts there are in effect the same Contents in either votiue Prayer Let vs take them asunder and see it In that either is a vow you must find in either the parts of a vow they are a Desire and a Promise you may see them euidently in either Vow First in the Vow that King Dauid maketh for Himselfe hee doth expresse a desire to be restored vnto and preserued in the state of Grace and if he speede hee doth Promise a religious Seruice vnto God These two Poynts are enlarged in the seauenteene first verses in the personall Case of King Dauid and being contracted are repeated againe with a speciall Application to his kingdome in the two last You see the breife of the whole Psalme but it is too scant it will not yeeld you a full view let vs then goe backe againe and vnwrap these particulars that we may take more feeling notice of the spirituall riches that are contayned therein The first Vow is made for King Dauid the first branch of that Vow is his Desire and the first Petition in that Desire is That he may be restored vnto Grace In this Petition there are two remarkable things the Matter which hee presents vnto God and the Manner wherewith hee doth ingeminate the same Matter and presse God with it The Matter is contained in these two first verses which in effect sound onely this Miserable King Dauid desires reliefe from the effectuall Mercie of God in Iesus Christ. Where there is Sinne there is Miserie behold here varietie of Sinne Transgressions Iniquities Distortions all cleauing to Dauid for Mee and Mine confirme asmuch and make him a Wretch though hee were a King Now what is the Remedie of such Miserie but effectuall Mercie and this we finde here Mercy by Name in the entrance of the Prayer Haue Mercie But whereas there is Mercy in Affectu or in Effectu Mercy in God or Mercy from God King Dauid doth desire not onely that God would bee gratiously affected towards him but also that hee would worke powerfully vpon him 1. Vpon the Guilt of his Sinne Dele quit me thereof 2. vpon the Corruption of his Sinne Laua wash me therefrom Yea because Guilt is sooner remoued then Corruption clensed keeping correspondencie with Gods Course in working therein he adds Multùm laua Munda neuer giue ouer washing vntill thou hast made mee throughly cleane thus doth Miserie seeke vnto Mercy But where is Mercy to be found surely in God to Him he directs his Prayer Haue Mercy vpon me O God There is no remedie for a sinfull Man but in God whom he hath offended with his sinne and therefore hee saith Secundum Tuam Misericordiam according to Thy Mercy It is Gods propertie to haue Mercy but it is Gods in Christ so much is meant by the next words according to thy louing kindnesse according to thy tender Mercies God shines Graciously to none but in the Face of Iesus Christ and in him is God become a tender harted Father to all penitent Sinners To all I say for hee hath not onely tender Mercies but there is also in them to bee considered the Measure Rob is the Hebrew word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã wee translate it Multitude but it signifies also Magnitude and giueth vs to vnderstand that bee our sinfull Miserie neuer so great neuer so diuerse wee shall not want releife in Mercy which is more great and manifold Finally the Text doth tell vs that as our Miserie must seeke for Mercie in God onely in whom it may be found so we must not dreame that any thing without God can obtaine this at Gods hands therefore wee must pray Secundum according to thy louing kindnesse O Lord let that be not onely the Measure of the Mercy which I seeke but the inducement thereto also And so haue you the Contents of that portion of King Dauids Desire which I haue read vnto you I will now resume them and to your and my farther edification enlarge the exposition of them First then though Mercy stand formost in the Text yet I will begin with the Miserie for Miserie is first in Nature and were it not for that there were no neede of Mercie add hereunto that the sense of Miserie sets the best edge vpon the desire of Mercie and he wil more eagerly long after it that perceiueth throughly in what need hee stands of it I told you that Dauid was miserable though he were a King were there no other proofe there is enough implyed in the first word hee that cryeth Miserere haue mercy doth plainly confesse that he is in Miserie for one Correlatiue caÌnot subsist without the other But to put it out of al doubt here is enough exprest to proue him a Wretch Pro. 14. Peccatum facit populos miseros wheresoeuer there is Sinne there is Miserie yea and there only for sinne only is simply Euill Malum Paenae Calamitie and Woe though we call them Euills yet indeed they are not so simply but onely ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã as the Person is and as God intends for that otherwise they are good it is plaine by two vndoubted grounds the Efficient and the Finall Cause That which is Properly Euill hath onely Causam deficientem it springs from the fayling of a reasonable Creature but Woe hath Causam Efficientem it springs from the almighty Hand of God Hee is the Creator of this Darkenesse aswell as the opposite Light As it hath an Efficient so hath it a Final Cause that is the Recouerie of a sinner God iudgeth vs temporally that he may not iudge vs eternally therfore Dauid saith Pal. 119.71 Bonum est Domine quod humiliasti me it is good for me Lord that I haue bin in trouble but that which is truly Euill is destitute of a Finall cause aswel as it was of an Efficient as it comes from weak enes so it ends in vanitie It is true that God doth often times draw light out of darkenesse Good out of that which is simply Euill but that is don by his Transcendent Prouidence it will neuer proue that that which is truly Good truly Euill can haue any naturall habitude the one to the other or that they haue any Cognation betweene themselues Wherefore onely Sinne being simply Euill is that which properly maketh a Wretch And verily wee that beholding Beggers Lazars men any waies afflicted confesse them miserable si adspici possint lanitatus if we had eies to see the spirituall wounds and sores the wantes and the Woes of Adulterers Murderers Blasphemers any other wicked liuers wee would confesse them to be much more miserable My Text doth occasion me to giue you a tast thereof by opening the three words wherewith Dauid doth expresse his sinne The first is Peshang ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which is well rendred a Transgression that is
a passing of our bounds Our lusts are apt to range and exceed God sets bounds vnto them by his Law hee would hold them in but it will not be we are Sonnes of Belial we will beare no yoake we breake Gods bands and cast his cordes from vs. Psal 2. The first euill of sinne is it maketh a lawles man and who doth not know that liueth in a society what an vnhappie libertie the lawles haue But why will man be lawles forsooth he thinkes that the more hee hath his will the more hee shall compasse his owne ends he thinks so but it proues not so that appeares in the next name of sinne that is Chata ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and noteth a shooting cleane besides the Marke When wee become Masterles the vpshot of our endeauour is to mistake euill for good and reape woe where wee looked for rest The wicked Wisd 5. confesse this truth and all Histories are but Chronicles of it they testifie that lawlesse men haue finally missed of that whereat they aymed yea that they haue therein bin deceiued most wherein they seemed vnto themselues to haue succeeded best And doth not this Name of Sinne then argue a sinner to be a Wretch But that which is the height of Euill in Sinne is noted in the third word Gnaon Peruersenesse ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã And indeed Sin is nothing but the peruerting of a Creature God made the Great and the little World to set forth his owne Glorie but sinne turneth both to his dishonour God made the little World to be Lord ouer the great and Sinne turneth the Lord into the Seruant and the Seruant into the Lord God made Man a Consort for Angels Sin doth range Man with the Feinds of Hell Finally God made Man after his owne Image Sin doth change him into the Image of the Diuell most wretched peruersnesse Now seeing this threefold Euill is found in sinne as the Names thereof giue vs to vnderstand we cannot doubt but Sinne doth make a Miserable Man hee that is infected with it will confesse it though he be a King Certainely King Dauid doth He was at this time a King a victorious a glorious King obeyed by many Nations abounding in al kind of worldly prosperity Add thereunto that same gracious Entaile of his Crowne sent vnto him from God 2. Sam. 7. the verie crowne of blessings But see being stung with the Conscience of Sinne hee is sensible of none of these neither doth hee finde Comfort in any of them notwithstanding all these he confesseth himselfe a Wretch Wherein wee may obserue by the way the difference betweene the iudgement of flesh and blood and of a Child of God concerning that which maketh Happie the one placeth it in the Things of this life the other in the Peace of God And indeede so long as it is not well betweene God and vs all the World can giue vs no Content the consciousnes of sinne if we haue as feeling hearts as King Dauid had feeling the mischieuous nature of sinne wee will account our selues but Wretches and wee will with him fall to our Miserere mei Haue Mercie vpon me c. which is the second part of my Text. The Correlatiue of Miserie is Mercy as there were no neede of Mercy were there no Misery so because there is Miserie there is a remedie prouided for it and that is Mercy The Verbe doth properly signifie Be gracious to mee Grace is free loue so teacheth Saint Austin Non est gratia vllo modo si non sit omni modo gratuita that fauour deserueth not the name of Grace that can be either merited or requited But yet there are two sorts of this Grace one Quae datur non merenti another Quae datur immerenti The first was the Grace of Creation it proceeded from the free Goodnes of God for there was no possibilitie of Mans Deseruing before hee had his Being therefore was his Being a guift of Grace The second is the Grace of Redemption this proceeds also from Gods free Goodnesse this was vouchsafed to Man when he deserued the contrary he deserued eternall Death but God vouchsafed him eternall Life This speciall kind of Grace is called Mercy Therefore considering the Argument the Translator did not amisse in restrayning the amplitude of the words and rendring it Haue Mercy for Euangelicall Grace is Mercy and it is such Grace that is meant in this place But this Mercy is considered either in Affectu or Effectu as it is in God or as it manifests it selfe vpon Man The Remedy of Misery is Mercie but that Mercy must containe not only a Gracious disposition towards man but a powerfull operation vpon him God must be well affected so as that Mans state also may be altered In Miseries plea for Mercie these two cannot be seuered without Impietie or Blasphemie 1. Blasphemie for Sin Compassion are incoÌpatible if the one be not conceiued as the remouer of the other but he doth not so conceiue them that looks only to the Affection looketh not also for the Action of Mercy therefore he blasphemes the Author thereof Secondly there is Impietie in it for it argueth that a Man would be free from Gods displeasure but he would not part with that which offends his pure eyes Hee loueth to be a sinner And this is plaine Impietie But what are the effects of Mercy euen as many as are the euills of Sin In sin then there are two Euills the Guilt and the Corruption thereof the Guilt is resembled to a Debt ãâã 1â indeed it is a plaine Debt a double Debt for in euery sinne that wee commit we grow in arrerages vnto God in regard of the duty which wee owe him and God growes in Arrerages vnto vs in regard of the punishment that is due vnto vs. Now of these debts God keepeth a Booke all our misdeeds are recorded before him ãâã 5. and of these Bookes there is mention made in the Reuel where the Soone of Man is represented vpon his Tribunall iudging all the World according to those things that are found in the Bookes that are open before him As in regard of the Guilt Sinnes are compared to Debt so in regard of the Corruption they are compared vnto Staines Staines of all sorts to Froth to Foame to Scumme to Drosse to Mire to all sorts of diseases and impurities of the flesh And indeed how can they bee other seeing they are the insection that wee receiue from the vncleane Spirit This being briefly obserued Let vs now consider of Dauids Prayer his Prayer for the Affection and Operation of Mercy First for the Affection in these Words Miserere Haue Mercy The Affection is the Roote from whence springs the Operation wee learne it in another Psalme Psal 80. Cause thy face to shine and we shall be saued therefore he doth well to make sure of that first because no hope of the other if hee speede not
vnto vs confusion of faces to our God also belonge Mercies and forgiuenesse though we bee plunged deepe in Miserte and Sinnes Cause thy face O Lord to shine vpon vs thy seruants and let not our sinnes seperate betweene thee and vs remit the Guilt purge the Corruption of vs miserable sinners which doe not present our supplications before thee for our owne Righteousnesse but for thy great Mercies though our sinnes witnesse against vs yet deale with vs according to thy Name for great are thy Mercies AMEN PSAL. 51. ver 3. For I acknowledge my transgressions and my sinne is euer before mee THis Psalme as heretofore you haue heard consists of two Vowes both were made by King Dauid one for himselfe another for his Kingdome the first doth expresse his Desire and his Promise his Desire to bee restored vnto and preserued in the state of Grace his Promise if hee speede hereof to performe religious seruice vnto God In the former Petition of his Desire there are two remarkeable things the Matter contained in it and the Manner of King Dauids redoubling it of the Matter I haue already spoken wherefore I now come on vnto the Manner And herein we must obserue first the Inference then the Amplification that is how that which followeth is brought in vpon that which goeth before and how King Dauid enlargeth himselfe in vnfolding the Confession of his owne Miserie and Petition for Gods Mercy In the Inference we shall learne that as God hath Mercy so it is for such as are sensible of their Miserie in the Amplification we shall learne that hee which is sensible must shew himselfe not onely ingenious in displaying his owne wretchednesse but bee assured also of the Remedie which is prouided by Gods Goodnesse But to looke more particularly into the former branch of the Amplification behold therein how King Dauid doth rip vp his sinnes the Branches the Root thereof the sinne which himselfe hath committed and the sinne which hee hath deriued from his Parents hee layeth open both both the Debt and the Vsury so Saint Chrysostom calls them Homil. ad Neophytos Hee beginneth at the sinne which himselfe hath committed he vseth not the querulous Prouerbe of the Iewes the fathers haue eaten sowre Grapes Ier. 34.29 and the Childrens teeth are set onedge the remembrance of his wofull Inheritance doth not make him forget his owne graceles Purchase no hee mindes this first hee first amplifieth the Debt which himselfe hath contracted In laying open this he obserueth two things the naturall Properties thereof and the supernaturall Euent which followeth thereupon the naturall Properties are two a Malignity and an Impiety he handles the Impietie in the next verse the Malignitie in this that I haue now read vnto you Malignity is a vexing euill first there is euill in his sinne hee toucheth a double euill euill of the Heart and euill of the Head of the Heart noted by the word Peshang which signifieth a rebellious inordinatnes of the will of the Head noted by Chata which noteth an erring Iudgement or misleading aduise these two euills are in sinne enormous sinne and where they are there they vexe for they are Coram or Contra before vs or Against vs the word beareth both significations and therefore it is translated both wayes and if we couple them as well we may then you shall finde that enormous sinne committed doth haunt our thoughts and afflict our wills Neither onely doe they so but they doe so incessantly so saith the Text they are Semper Coram Semper Contra Alwaies before vs and Against vs alwaies vexing both our Head and our Heart Of this King Dauid is ingeniously feeling and testifieth the truth of it in his owne Case in his owne Case I say for the sinne which he remembreth is his owne My transgressions My sinnes the disease of mine owne Head and mine owne Heart therefore saith King Dauid I am feeling feeling in my Head and feeling in my Heart for Agnosco I Acknowledge it Acknowledging importeth a worke of the Head which is Noscere to know and a worke of the Heart which is Agnoscere to Acknowledge the vse of knowledge the applying of it to our Liues Neither is King Dauid only feeling hereof but ingenious also in publishing the same for he did Acknowledge it in this Psalme These bee the particulars which offer themselues in this Text and whereunto God willing I shall now speake more fully and answerably vnto this * The ãâã of ãâã ãâ¦ã ãâ¦ã ãâ¦ã ãâã of Welles Occasion But I must first touch at the Inference and shew you how these and the following words are brought in vpon those that goe before Haue mercy vpon me O Lord c. saith King Dauid for I acknowledge my transgressions c. Obserue then Mans deuotion must follow Gods direction neither may we hope otherwise to speede then we are waranted by his Promise Now God doth not promise Mercy but to those that are feeling of their Miserie in the beginning of the Leiturgie we heare daily out of Ezek. Eâc 18.21.22 At what time soeuer a sinner doth repent him of his sinne from the bottome of his Heart I will put al His wickednesse out of my remembrance saith the Lord Ioel. 2.13 and therefore out of Ioel we are called vpon to Rent our Hearts and not our Garments and turne vnto the Lord our God because hee is gentle and mercifull patient and of much mercy and such an one as is sorric for our Afflictions Mât. 5.6 to this purpose doth our Sauiour Christ in the Gospell pronounce them Blessed that hunger and thirst after righteousnes saying Mââ 11. â they shall be satisfied and inuiteth those that Labour and are heauie laden saying he will refresh them Although then wee doe yeeld that the Mercy of God is infinite and that it is readie to releiue all wretches yet wee may not forget that in obtayning it there are Partes nostrae as Chrysostom speaketh there is some thing that God requires on our part hee requires that we approue vnto him our Repentance Saint Austin sets it forth in a prettie Dialogue betweene God and King Dauid Quidergo quaeris miserecordiam pecatum impunitum remanebit what saith God vnto King Dauid doest thou seeke for mercy so that thy sinne may remaine vnpunished Respondet Dauid respondeant Lapsi King Dauid replied and all sinners must ioyne in this answer with King Dauid Non Domine Nay Lord my sinne shall not bee vnpunished I know his Iustice whose mercy I implore my sinne shall not passe vnpunished but therefore would not I haue thee punish it because I doe punish it my selfe and so Chrysostome I see my sinne O Lord therefore doe not thou see it I register it in this Psalme therefore doe thou blot it out of thy Booke Agnosco ignoscas therefore pardon because I am penitent 1. Cor. 11. And indeed it is the Apostles Rule That if we would
the partie offended must not bee omitted certainely King Dauid in his Exemplarie Confession doth not omit him hee doth not forget to expresse whom hee had wronged Against thee onely haue I sinned and which is more whom he had contemned I haue done this euill in thy sight But more distinctly In the Confession that concerneth the partie wronged you shall find something that is common to all sinners Tibi peccaui I haue sinned against thee must euery one say for whosoeuer sinneth sinneth Against God but here is some thing also proper Tibi solj peccauj Against thee onely haue I sinned can none say but a King because there is none aboue him but onely God and therefore none but God can challenge him As this must bee obserued in the Confession of the partie wronged So in the Confession of the same partie contemned we must obserue first what contempt is in generall it is Malum facere coram oculis not onely to wrong a partie but to wrong him to his face Secondly how this contempt in speciall is aggrauated two wayes 1. by the eye of the partie offended Oculis tuis for Gods is no ordinarie eye 2. by the sinne wherewith that eye was prouoked Malum hoc the sinne committed was no ordinarie sinne These are the particulars which I meane to handle on this Text wherfore I resume them that I may runne them ouer briefly and in their order First then the whole Text is an amplification of sinne in regard of the partie offended and the partie offended maketh it plaine that there is Impietie in the sinne Persons with whom we conuerse are some our equalls some our superiours if equalls and we offend them the offence is properly called Iniquitie as taxing the vnequall dealing of equall persons But if the persons be superiours and be offended then the offence is properly called Impietie because all superiours are instar parentum either they are or they are vnto vs instead of our Parents Now the vertue which must moderate our carriage towards our Parents is called Pietie and therefore is our misbehauiour towards them no lesse then Impiety And if they deserue this Censure that offend the Fathers of their flesh how much more is it due to them that offend the Father of their Spirits Hâb 1â Seeing the fathers of our flesh challenge our Pietie in regard that they represent vnto vs the Father of our Spirits therefore it belongeth much more vnto him whom they represent whereupon it followeth that to offend him can be no lesse then Impietie and Impietie will proue a naturall propertie of sinne But let vs come to the Branches of the Confession The first is that which toucheth the Person as he is wronged and here I told you wee finde some thing that is common to all sinners Tibi peccaui all sinners must say that when they sinne against whomsoeuer they doe sinne they sinne against God I will make it plaine by foure euident Reasons The first is taken from that which we abuse in sinne All Creatures as they are made by God so doe they still belong vnto him so that wee cannot abuse them but in them we abuse him Euery man may perceiue this in his one familie he that wrongeth a wife in the wife wrongeth the husband the abuse offered to a child redoundeth to his Father yea a Master an owner is feeling of whatsoeuer hurt is done either to the Seruant or else to his goods And shall we thinke then that any creature can be violated the Creator not touched therewith all Adulterers Murderers whatsoeuer Malefactors must remember they abuse the Creator while they vse his Creature amisse A second Reason is this that wee cannot abuse nor wong others but withall we abuse our selues much more that which we do to them is but Iniurie but that which we doe to our selues is Deprauation wee corrupt our selues with sinne when wee doe vnto them onely a wrong Now the reference which our selues haue vnto God maketh the deprauing of our selues an offence against him we are not our owne 1. Cor. 6. Psal 100. 1. Cor. 6. 1. Pet. 1. 1. Cor. 6. Psal 132.14 God hath made vs and not we our selues yea we are bought with a price euen the precious bloud of our Sauiour Christ yea the Holy Ghost by Christ hath made vs a Temple vnto himselfe and we are vouchsafed to bee his resting place for euer Looke how many references we haue vnto God so many waies doe wee offend him when wee imploy our selues in sinne By Creation we should beare the image of God and what an abuse is it of his Image by sinne to transforme it into the Image of the Diuel By Redemption we become the members of Christ and how doe we vilifie him when we make them members of an Harlot we are vouchsafed to be temples of the Holy Ghost was Christ so offended with the abuse of the materiall Temple when the House of Prayer was made a Denn of Theenes Mat. 21.13 and thinke you that the abuse of the Spirituall doth nothing concerne him Certainely his Spirit must needs be grieued therewith A third Reason is this The naturall duties that we owe man to man and Creature vnto Creature are imposed vpon vs by a Law and that Law is Gods we swarue not from our duties but we breake his law And if we breake his Law how can we but offend him especially seeing his Law is the Image of himselfe of his Being and of his Doing in it wee haue a tast of his Holy Nature and of that which is remarkable in his owne workes Now what Lawmaker will endure that his Law shall be broken especially whereas he imposeth no other Law on his Subiects then on himselfe and that Law requireth nothing but an outward Resplendencie of an inward Glory that we should let our light shine before men Mot. 5 that they may see our good workes and glorifie our Father which is in Heauen the breaking of such a Law must needs offend the Sacred Lawmaker A fourth Reason is the Blasphemie of the wicked occasioned by sin They that know not the true God measure him by that which they see in his Seruants thinke that as they are so is he impotent in Affections impure in Conuersation hereupon do they open their mouthes against Heauen Nathan toucheth this in his reproofe of Dauid the Iewes are often by the Prophets taxed for giuing this occasion of Blasphemie and the Christians had wofull proofe of it in the Primitiue Church witnes the strange imputatioÌs that the Heathen did cast vpon the Christian Religion whereof a man may finde more then enough in the Heathenish writings of those times Neither do we want proofe in these daies the barbarous crueltie of the first Inuaders of the Indies how did it cause those Infidels to blaspheme the name of Christ what infamie is dayly cast vpon the Reformed Religion by the aduerse party whose chiefe
Gods Word which is the first Branch of Iustice The second is Integritie Integritie I told you is Iustitia in facto when iust deeds are squared by iust wordes The Deed heere is Iudging and this word must lead vs to another Chapter the 12. of the 2. of Sam. Where the same Nathan commeth vnto Dauid with a second Message a Message that containeth a performance of that which God promised in the former Message hee promised that if he did sinne hee should smart and there hee maketh him smart hee promised that hee should not so smart but hee should haue good proofe of Gods greater Mercie and there he feeleth it in the Absolution from his sinne So that Gods Deeds in Iudging keepe good correspondencie with his Wordes therefore is Integritie ascribed vnto them for what is the integrity of a Iudge but the true temper of Seuerity and Mercy if God be Iudge the gracious mixture of the Law and the Gospel where both these are put in practice and put in practice as they ought there is Integrity so much is wanting of Integritie as is wanting of these if Seuerity bee administred without Mercy or if Mercy haue not the vpper hand of Seuerity there wanteth Integritie in the gouerment of the Common-weale because he is commanded of God so to temper his Iudgement And God may seeme to come short of his Integritie if hee did not mixe and mixe so his Law with his Gospell as he himselfe being otherwise free hath by promise laid a tie vpon himselfe Hee couenanted with Dauid to administer the Law vnto him and chastise his sinnes but citra condignum with the rod of a Man and not of God He couenanted with him to administer vnto him the Gospell but vltra condignum not after the manner of Men but after the manner of God Thus to administer both Law and Gospell so to dispence Mercy and Seuerity is Gods clearing himselfe in Iudgement I called it his Integritie Ioyne these now together Promissionem et Praestationem the 7. and the 12. of the 2. of Sam. whereof one containeth the promising Word the other the performing Iudgement and couple the Integrity of the Performance with the Fidelity of the Promise and you haue an excellent Picture or Representation of the Iustice wherewith God doth gouerne his Church Now this Iustice must haue its Praise As God is Iust in speaking so must hee bee Iustified as hee is cleare in Iudging so must hee be clarified that I may so say that is glorified These two Verbes doe not import that the Creature can infuse any perfection into the Creator will wee nill wee these things are in him Fidelitie is inseperable from his wordes and Integrity from his Iudgements all that can be done by vs is Cognitio Recognitio we are bound to take notice of them and not to smother our knowledge but yeeld God the glory that is due vnto them To this end doth God manifest his perfections vnto the reasonable Creature and in their owne Cases doe they feele and see in other Mens Cases the experience of them Saint Paul seemeth to read the latter part of the Text otherwise then here is exprest for hee hath Rom. 3.4 that thou mightest ouercome when thou art iudged whereas heere it is that thou mightest be cleare when thou iudgest They are not words of a contrary meaning but Saint Pauls Text which followeth the Septuagint doth adde an obseruation ouer and aboue that which you haue heard that is Though God be Iudge of all the world yet worldly men sticke not to take vpon them to iudge God yea and God is pleased to put his Iustice vpon tryall as wee read Esay 1. Micah 6. and elsewhere so carefull is hee that not onely his proceedings be iust but his Iustice euident also so euident as that whosoeuer shall contend with him in Iudgement shall bee driuen to yeeld The best haue oftentimes doubts and disputes they question Gods Integritie how the Gospell and the Law can stand together and God at the same time condemne and absolue and yet bee iust God would settle their consciences Vnbeleeuers not onely quarrell with but deny also Gods Integritie but the Mouthes of all gainsayers shall bee stopped they shall bee forced to subscribe to confesse that God is cleare in Iudging free from all drosse of contradiction that Mercy and Truth may kisse each other and the Law goe hand in hand with the Gospell as after appeares And so haue I declared vnto you the praise of Gods Iustice I come now to shew you the reference that it hath vnto K. Dauids sin which that I may the better do you must obserue that the former words Against thee against thee onely haue I sinned and done this euill in thy sight may be vnderstood either Materialiter or Formaliter as a Description of sinne or a Supplication of a sinner Some vnderstand them after the latter fashion and so King Dauid Non not at finem peccati sed precationis hee noteth not the end of his Sinning but the end of his Praying Non dicit quo fine fecerit Malum sed quo fine nunc faciat bonum hee doth not shew vs whereat he aymed when he sinned but what he desireth now heeprayeth Hee desireth that as in amplifying of his sinne hee doth by a Comparison amplifie Gods Iustice for Contraria iuxta posita magis elucescunt Vertue neuer shineth more gloriously then when vice is made a foile vnto it so his recouery may bee a Monument of Gods Mercy And we may well propose vnto our selues in our confession the setting forth of Gods glory and this may be the end of it yea comfortles were our Confession if it were not for this end God would not accept it neither should wee haue good of it the more we humble our selues to magnifie God the more wee doe our duty and the more wee shall tast of his Mercy To make good this sense some take in some of the former words I acknowledge my sinnes yea goe backe as farre as the beginning of the Psalme Haue Mercy vpon me O Lord. And indeed those two must concurre the humble Repentance of a sinner and the gracious Indulgence of a good God that God may be iustified in his sayings and cleare when he his iudged O Lord saith Gregorie if thou doe not forgiue the Penitent thou wilt haue none to whom thon mayst performe thy Couenant Ruffinus and diuers other Fathers doe amplifie this sense and restraine it to the particular Case of King Danid as if the gracious promise in the 7th of the the 2. of Sam must needs fall to the ground if the indulgence specified in the 12th of the 2. of Sam. had not released the forfeiture which God might haue taken for King Dauids sinne Though this be a religious and a true sense of the word yet hath Saint Paul taught vs another that doth better fit the Contexture Rom. 3.4 wherefore Saint Chrysostome and
other Fathers tell vs that the particle vt noteth not Causam but Consecutionem not the end but the euent of sin I called it a supernaturall Euent An Euent is that which followeth vpon a former thing Accidentally though naturally it cannot flow from it Sinne is destructiue of good and therefore cannot aduance the Prayse of God wee see it in euery particular for what are they but breaches of that Law in the performance where of standeth Gods honour But what neede I vse any proofe I the last Sabaoth day shewed you that Impiety is one of the Natural properties of sinne It cannot be expected then that so great a good should naturally spring therfrom as is the the Praise of God Therefore though old impure Hereticks and the latter Familists that turne the grace of God into wantonnesse that vse Christian Liberty as a cloake of their Maliciousnesse that hold let vs doe ill that good may come thereof blaspheme Gods holy Truth Row 3.8 and their Condemnation is iust no man may pretend a good intent for his doing ill nor compasse a good end by ill meanes except he meane to goe for a Libertine But though Gods Prayse doe not naturally flow from sinne and so be the proper end thereof yet an Euent it may bee and follow thereupon But this Euent cannot be Naturall for the Creature that is mutable may ruine it selfe of it selfe and of it selfe dishonor God but hauing ruined it selfe and dishonored him it cannot of it selfe repaire either its owne state or His honour it is onely God can doe this this is a worke of diuine prouidence it doth exercise al the Branches therof Gods Wisdome to contriue it Gods Goodnes to affect it and finally it cannot be effected without his power The mixture of the Law and the Gospell is such a secret of Gods wisdome as could neuer haue entred into the heart of a creature that the fall of man should be foelix culpa produce a more glorious raising of him who could euer haue dreamd or to keepe my selfe to my text may not we all stand amazed when we read that such a son as Solomon should be born of Bathsheba with whom K. Dauid had committed so foule an offence But as we must admire Gods wisdome in such works so must we much more his goodnes that testifieth his loue to sinfull man in being willing that his wisdome shall yeeld such remedy to mans distresse But God is pleased to let the world see in the freedom of his loue quod dare non dignis res mage digna Deo such goodnes can be found no where out of God Finally the power of God shined herein which was to encounter with so many difficulties we hold God omnipoteÌt because he made heauen earth of nothing but the Fathers hold that the restitution is a greater worke then the creation if the former need an omnipotent power much more the later The reason is because as there was nothing to help so there was nothing to hinder in the creation but in the restitution God was encountred ab intra ab extra froÌ within and from without From within by his own Iustice he was faine to ouermaster it with his Mercy from without by the powers of darknes who stroue to keep possession of man yea by mans own peruersenes who is too willingly a slaue to sin Satan Gene. 50. but of Satans Temptation we may vse the words of Ioseph to his Brethren Vos cogitastis malè Deus autem bene Ye thought euill against vs but God meant it vnto good and concerning our owne peruersenes wee may vse the words of the Psalme As a Father pitieth his Children Psal 103. so the Lord pitieth vs marke the reason for he knoweth our frailty he remembreth that we are but dust It is God only God that can cause such Euents And miserable were the state of the world if he did not cause them for else the Church had long since come to nothing How quickly had Adam dissolued the Couenant and when God had restored it by such a supernaturall Euent the Sonnes of God dissolued it againe God was faine to redouble the Euentin Noah in his posterity it fayled the third time and a third time was God faine to renew the Euent in Abraham And thus hath it gon on in all ages of the world God hath bin faine to shew that the Infidelity of Man cannot euacuate the fidelity of God that hee will be true though all the world be liars Rom. 3.4 2. Cor. 4.6 that hee can draw light out of darkenesse when darkenesse hath extinguished Light Such is his Omniscient Wisedome and Omnipotent Goodnesse The ground of all which proceeding is the freedome of Gods loue that had no Cause without him when it first began it is continued by no Cause besides himselfe for those duties the performance whereof doe seeme to entertaine Gods Loue what are they but the influences of his free Grace Wherefore I conclude with Saint Bernard Maior est Dei pietas quam quaeuis iniquitas or rather with Gods own words Ego Deus et non mutor I am the Lord which change not Malac. 3.6 therefore you Sonnes of Iacob are not consumed it is of the Lords morcy that we are not consumed Iament 3 2â because his Compassions faile not they are renewed euery morning great is thy faithfulnesse the same God that told Noah Gen. 8. I will not againe curse the ground for Mans sake and giueth this for a reason for the Imagination of Mans Heart is euill from his youth doth implie that we must seeke for the cause of this strange Euent not on Earth but in Heauen wee must hold it to bee not an Earthly but an Heauenly Euent and so to be not Naturall but Supernaturall as at first I told you And this refutes all Manichees who dreame of two Gods a Good and a Bad and will haue the Good only to intermeddle with things that are good and the Bad with the things that are bad but here we may learne that there is but one God and that one God is good though good yet intermedling with that which is bad intermedling with it out of bad to draw that which is good and so to make it matter of his Glory for Malum non quâ malum sed quâ ordinatum as Saint Austin teacheth cedit in Gloriam Dei In Enchyr. And so haue I opened vnto you the meaning of this Text so farre as I finde it in this Psalme that is in Hypothesi applied to King Dauids Case And there is no doubt but King Dauid in speaking of them had an Eye to himselfe and in reference to himselfe did penitentially vtter them But Saint Paul hath taught vs in the Epistle to the Romans to turne this Hypothesis into a Thesis Chap. 3. and apply this Text to the whole Church And indeed if you remember that I told you
that the speaking here meant is Verbum Mysticum though the letter immediately note Dauid and his Posteritie yet in them the Holy Ghost representeth Christ and his Church here can be no question but the promise that in Christ is made to the Church hath a temper of the Law the Gospell the Church in all Ages doth experience the truth thereof Wherefore we must take the Text vnto our selues and make vse of it in our owne Case we haue no more promised then Dauid had nor shall we feele lesse then he did as his so ours both Verbum Iudicium Promise and Performance are mixt of the Law and the Gospell but so that the Gospell hath the vpper hand of the Law Deus vincit malum bono God doth euer ouer come euill with Good Non ex merito Peccati sed ex beneficio Misericordiae Non ex dignitate nostra sed dignatione suâ Not that sinne deserueth this at his hands but God is pleased to shew the goodnesse of his Nature and to be gracious vnto vs when we carrie our selues gracelesly towards him And indeed it argueth wonderfull Goodnes when it is vouchsafed to such as are so vnworthy thereof The vse of all that you haue heard serueth first to direct our faith vnto its true obiect which I told you is Verbum mixtum we must so apprehend a Mercifull God as that we forget not that hee is Iust and so remember that he is iust that we forget not that he is Mercifull we cannot omit eyther of these but we shall either presume or despaire if wee forget him to be iust we will bee apt to presume and bee apt to despaire if we forget him to be Mercifull But we must add a Cautionarie Rule in this limitation of the Obiect of our Faith and that is wee must not apprehend Gods Mercy and his Iustice as Coordinata but as Subordinata I speake not of them as these things are in God for so they are more then Coordinata they are in his simple nature all one but as they shine in the effects which are produced by him for so they are alwaies Subordinate In those that are Vasaira we may perceiue that Mercy is subordinate to Iustice for the fauours that they receiue out of Gods Mercy through their abuse of them serue but to set a sharper edge vpon the sword of Gods Iustice But in those that are Vasa Misericordiae the Iustice of God is subordinate vnto his Mercy and his strokes on them worke such a godly sorrow and good amendment that Gods mercies are thereby redoubled vpon them Thus must wee learne to conceiue of the true Obiect of our Faith And our Faith so informed will add sinnewes to our Hope For what better support can our Hope haue then VerbuÌ Mixtum to conceiue that God will not suffer vs to runne wild though our Nature bee luxuriant but will timely vse the Law and represse the breaking forth of sinne and correct what is awrie within vs. And when wee smart is it not a comfortable support of Hope that God cannot forget to bee mercifull nor shut vp his louing kindnesse for euer in displeasure He will supple that wound with Oyle which he scoureth with wine and the sweetnes of the Gospell timely administred shall make vs forget all the sowernes that we felt in the Law Finally as this Text serueth to direct our Faith support our Hope so doth it to inflame our Loue for can there bee a greater motiue vnto loue then this Mixtum Verbum for therein we haue reall proofe of Gods Loue therein we finde that hee loueth vs Verè though seuerè though with Correction yet to Saluation And can wee doe lesse then requite loue with loue loue him dutifully that loueth vs so mercifully Neither are we only taught that we must loue God but how we must loue our Neighbour also our Charitie to our Brother must imitate Gods Charity towards vs wee must ioyne therein the Law with the Gospell first humble then comfort them that goe astray so shall wee neither cherish sinne nor yet destroy a sinner And if wee haue the like proofe of this Verbum Mixtum as King Danid had we must giue glory vnto God as Dauid did There is none of vs but sinneth and expecteth fauour let vs not bee Libertines and make Gods fauour the end of our sinne as it is to bee feared ouer many doe but let vs repent and when we repent let vs admire and adore that Diuine Prouidence that with a spirituall indignation doth breake the Serpents Head that bruised our Heele and tread Satan vnder our feete that made vs tread awry let vs consider the reason why the hainousnesse of our sinne doth not depriue vs of Heauen which is onely this that God will be good vnto vs for his owne Name sake 1. Sam. 12. because he hath chosen vs to bee his Children and therefore let vs say Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs Psal 115.2 but vnto thy Name giue the prayse In a word Let Gods dealing with vs teach vs how we should deale with others wee must doe them good notwithstanding they deserue euill Let vs not suffer our selues to be ouercome with euill Rom. 12 2â but ouercome euill with good PSAL. 51. VERSE 5. Behold I was shapen in iniquitie and in sinne did my mother conceiue mee THe sinne which King Dauid confesseth in this Psalme is partly that which himselfe Committed partly that which he Inherited from his parents of that which himselfe Committed I haue already spoken whrefore I must now come on and open vnto you that which he Inherited It is exprest in these words which now I haue read vnto you here King Dauid doth Acknowledge and Plead it hee acknowledgeth 1. what this sinne is and 2. that himselfe is taynted with it hee pleades it in great humility the strongest motiue to worke Gods pitty These poynts offer themselues in this Text and of these will I now speake briefely and in their order I beginne at his Acknowledgement whereof the first branch teacheth vs what Sinne inherited is But before I open it vnto you I may not omit a good Obseruation of Gregorie the Great which sheweth vs how this point of confessing Sin inherited In Psal 5. springeth from the confession of other sinnes which our selues haue Contracted Saepe dùm quaedam malè gesta plangimus ipsa vi amaritudinis ad discutiendos nos excitati alia nobis plangenda inuenimus c. He that is seriously penitent for one sinne is rowsed by godly sorrow to make a farther inquirie into himselfe which leades him to a discouerie of many other sinnes which his memorie or his Conscience passed by vnregarded but whereof hee then becomes so sensible that he thinkes theÌ worthy to be repented of heartily Certainely Dauid did so he is not only pressed and burthened with the conscience of Adulterie and of his Murder but he is pained also
with an old disease a disease which hee brought from his Parents loines and cannot be quiet except he be eased of that except that be healed also And our euill Deeds when wee bethinke our selues of them wil discouer their fountaine which is our euill nature neither haue we sufficiently searched into our selues vntill wee finde the euill Tree that beareth euill fruite the root of bitternes that fructifieth in all our euill Deeds This we must obserue by the way as a fit preface shewing the reason of this branch of King Dauids Confession Let vs now come closer to the Text and see what this sinne is which he acknowledged and that is a Natiue Corruption Iniquitie wherein man is shapen Sinne wherein his Mother conceiues him That you may the better conceiue this I must first remember you of certaine grounded truthes which giue light hereunto without which it cannot be easily conceiued The first is that in the Creation God put this difference betweene Angels and Men that Angels had their seuerall Creations not so Men but as Saint Paul teacheth Acts 17.26 God of one blood made all the nations of men that were vpon all the face of the whole earth he would haue them all propagated from one Secondly as all mankind is deriued from One so with that One God was pleased to enter into a couenant for All and All were liable vnto and to communicate in that which befell that One this is cleare in the Comparison which Saint Paul maketh betweene the First and Second Adam Rom. 5. Thirdly the first Adam failed in his obedience so forfeited that which was couenanted on Gods part was subiect vnto that which was deserued on his owne no man can doubt of this that reades the third of Genesis Fourthly by the tenour of the Couenant man failing wrapt all his Posterity in his transgression and condemnation Rom. 5.12 the Apostle is cleare for this also By one man Sin entred into the world and death by Sin so that by the Fall all mankind becomes first guiltie then punishable both these Euils doth Adam communicate vnto his Posteritie I must open the latter branch a little farther because it is most proper to my Text. The punishment then of Adams Guilt was the losse of Holinesse and Happinesse Holinesse wherein and Happinesse whereunto hee was created in the losse of Holines stands so much of Original sin as my Text doth occasion me to speake of The Fathers vse to expresse it by the Parable of the Man that passing froÌ Ierusalem to Iericho fell amongst theeues Luk. 10.30 who robbed him and wounding him left him halfe dead The Schooles abridge it thus Supernaturalia sunt ablata Naturalia sunt corrupta both which being discreetly vnderstood containe a sound truth which I expresse more plainely thus The losse of concreated Holinesse consisteth in a Priuation and a Deprauation Adam was depriued of the Image of God according to which hee was created they call it vsually Original Righteousnes and the Powers that remained after he was thus stript were miserably peruerted he became not only auerse from God but aduerse to him also Sinne is an Auersion from God and a Conuersion to the world or a forsaking of God and things eternall to imbrace the world and things temporall God left Adam in the hands of his owne councell to chuse whether hee would follow Rationem Superiorem or Inferiorem as the Schooles speake that is cleaue to God or to the World but with this condition that which way soeuer hee bent thither should his inclination bee for euer after he preferred Earth before Heauen and so his propension hath been euer since out of loue of this earth to make head against God and goodnesse so that his Deprauation is not only Physicall but Morall not only an Impotency vnto Good but an Opposition to it also his vnderstanding is not only blind but a Sophister his owne Iudgement is a snare whereby he entangleth himselfe in error his will is so farre from making a good choice Ambros. Gen. 6.7 Gen. 8.21 Rom 7.18 Ier. 17.9 Rom 6 6. Rom. 7.24 that it commands alwaies for that which is worst all his Affections distast and abhorre the good which they cannot rellish and therefore not ensue Finally the Flesh is become Illecebra peccati sinne needes no other bait then mans senfualitie All the frame of the Imaginations of the Heart of Man are euill only continually from his youth and in his flesh dwelles no good thing the hearâ is deceitfull aboue all things and hee beareth about him a Body of sinne and death And this is that Massa Corruptionis and Perditionis that woefull Being whereunto sinne brought Adam Whereby you may perceiue that though he hath lost his Goodnes hee hath not lost his Actiuenes and though sinne be Non ens a Priuation yet it is in ente a Dreprauation also by reason wherof men that were reasonable Creatures by Nature yea and Spirituall also 1. Cur. 3.1 1. Cââ 2.14 are vouchsafed no better names in the state of Corruption then those of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Sensuall and fleshly Men. Hauing thus opened the miserable case whereunto Adam brought himselfe it wil not be hard for you to vnderstand the words of my Text and acknowledge with King Dauid the Natiue Corruption of mankind or the Originall Sinne meant in this place First then the want of Originall Holinesse is in the Text called Iniquitie or Sinne and well may it so bee called for what is Sinne but ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã an Vnconformitie to Gods Lawes and how vnanswerable is his being herein vnto that state wherein he was made were he only vnanswerable it were Sinne how much more when he is opposite thereunto and is become a rebell vnto God can any thing in the reasonable soule be lesse then Sinne âon 7. that tempts vnto sinne but Concupiscence is Domesticus Hostis a traitour in our bosome that doth seduce vs and whose Lusts doe sight against the Soule 1. Vet. 2.11 Neither only doth it tempt to sinne but produce sinne also Iam. 1.15 et simile producit sibi simile wee must needs make the Tree Euill that beareth such euill fruit Neither can it be excused seeing the Leauen of Concupiscence hath seasoned all the powers of the soule euen of the Reasonable soule and so maketh the whole man come short of fulfilling the Law Deut. 6.5 Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy Heart with all thy minde with all thy strength c. Ioyne that generall Precept Exod. 20.17 with the generall Prohibition Non Concupisces thou shalt not lust and by them measure the state of a naturall man and he must be verie senslesse that doth not acknowledge sin in this Corruption he must needs make the Habits of no other nature then are the Actions which proceed therefrom They that yeeld it to be Vitium but not
Peccatum if they meane Vitium morale as they must needs in this Argument grant what they deny though they would shift it by acknowledging nothing to bee sinne but that which hath a concurrencie of our will which is too scant a Desinition if it be admitted will excuse not only habituall corruption but our Ignorances also and Omissions from being sinne But enough of this poynt A second thing that is to be obserued in the name giuen to this Corruption is that it is called Sinne in the singular number And indeed that which is Originall is but One euen the first One that was committed by Adam only that and the euill of that is propagated to Posteritie The difference betweene the Couenant of the Creation and the Euangelicall Couenant stands in this that without any imitation of ours or sinning after the example of Adam wee are guiltie of his first transgression and the consequents thereof fall vpon vs whereas hee communicates no other of his sinnes and all other successiue Parents vntill the time of our birth communicate no sinnes of theirs but such as we imitate and make our owne by imitation and in this sense must we vnderstand the 18. of Ezekiel where it is said Vers 20. that the Children shall not beare the iniquitie of their Fathers the second Commandement must haue the same interpretation Although we may not deny that temporally God doth visit the sinnes of the fathers vpon the children to the terror and example of others whom Magistrates in their Politicke Lawes imitate herein for the good of their State Therefore that extension of punishment must be vnderstood Non absolutè but Secundum quid not of Originall but of Actuall sinnes and those not propagated but imitated The Sinne then is but One but yet that One is such a One as is Vniuersall and Seminall Vniuersall if you looke to the Act which Adam committed for it was an Vniuersall Apostasie and the Diuines which looke curiously into it doe finde in it all kinde of sinnes both of the first and of the second Table But time will not suffer me to particularize As it is Vniuersall in regard of Adams Act so in regard of the corrupt Habit that followed thereupon and is an expresse image thereof it is Seminall it containeth the Seede of all kinds of Sinne so that there is no kind of Sinne whereunto the nature of man is not prone Saint Iohn reduceth all that is in the world to three Heads 1. 1. Ep. 2.6 The lust of the flesh 2. the lust of the eyes 3. the pride of life that is Couetousnes Voluptuousnes and Hautinesse and who is there in whom this seede is not found and from whom doth it not fructisie more or lesse as men haue more or lesse of the grace of God Saint Paul speaketh significantly when he sayeth that it is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a sinning sinne Rom. 7.13 and that operatur omnem concupiscentiam it worketh all kind of lusts in man Rom. 7.8 and the Septuagint whom the Vulgar imitates may happily meane the compound nature of this sinne when it rendreth the word in the plurall number which the Originall hath in the singular These properties must be obserued because by them we may stop the mouthes of all profane persons that extenuate the greiuousnesse of Originall Sinne. As that which hath befallen our nature by Adams Fall may iustly bee called Sinne so is this Sinne fitly called Natiue or Originall for as the text teacheth Man is shapen therein and therein doth his Mother conceiue Him it is such a sinne as wee deriue from our Parents But our Parents are of two sorts earthly and heauenly wee haue our being principally from God so saith Iob vnto him thy hands haue made mee Iob. 10. vers 10. c. and fashioned me together round about thou hast powred me out as milke crudled me like Cheese thou hast cloathed me with skin and flesh and fenced me with benes and sinewes thou hast granted me life c. Vers 15. Vers 3. 1. Ep. Ioh. 2.16 Gen. 1.31 Iam. 1. Feelesias 15.10.11 c. Ecclesias 25.24 Rom. 5.12 DAVID obserues the very same Psal 139. and Psal 127. Lo saith hee children are an Heritage of the Lord and the fruââ of the wombe is his reward But Concupiscence is not of that father for All that he made was good and only Euery good and perfect guift commeth from him Therefore must we fetch this from other Parents our Parents that are below from the wombe that bare vs and the paps that gaue vs sucke The Mother is here named and indeed from the woman was the beginning of sinne and in her we all die but not in her only for the Apostle tells vs that By one Man sinne came into the world and that Man was Adam Philosophie teacheth that in generation the man is Principium Actiuum he is the principall cause of our Being and therefore of our being Corrupted And indeed the woman could not conceiue which is a passiue action except a man did infuse the seede therefore is he implied in this Text though he be not exprest And as wee receitie from both our Parents our being so doe wee our being Corrupt Serm. de Excell Eatust Apolog. Dauid c. 11. What Saint Bernard sayd of Adam and Eue is true Prius peremptores quà m parentes they had first murdered before they ingendered their Children and what of successiue generations Ambrose Ante vsuram lucis originis excipimus iniuriam et antequam nascimur maculamur contagio our parents beget Children after their owne Image Ephe. 2.3 dead in sinne and by nature children of wrath And how can it bee otherwise 1. Pet. 1.23 Iohn 3.6 the seed whereof wee are made is Corruptible seede so that that which is borne of flesh must needs bee flesh neither can any man draw that which is cleane Ioh 14.4 ãâ¦ã 8. Psal 58.3 out of a nature which is vncleane Therefore seeing old Adam is propagated in all All must bee called transgessors from their youth But there is a curious Question how this Sinne is conueyed from the Parents to the Child from the dayes of Pelagius it hath much troubled the Church argued by the Fathers by the schoolemen by the Reformed Diuines yet so as that the most iudicious haue beene most sober and least aduenturous to define the manner I will not trouble you with that altercation Saint Austine hath said enough for the Pulpit in those few words The propagation is continued iusto but occulto Dei indicio God in so punishing hath done no more then he threatned in the Couenant although how he doth execute this Iudgement hee is not pleased to reueale but leaueth men rather to adore such secrets then to prie too farre into them Especially if their curiositie proue so vaine as to denie that which is euident because they cannot finde out that which is hidden as Hereticks haue
Gal. 5.16 the flesh and the lusts therof disobedient to Gods Law and resisting his spirit Saint Paul cals it ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Heb. 12.1 Sinne that cleaues so fast so fast that it cannot be loosed from vs a conceptione ad funus saith Saint Bernard though we bee working on it and weeding out of it from the beginning to the end of our life Epiphanius hath an excellent resemblance of a Fig-tree getting into a Wall Heres 64. and spreading his rootes therein which well may it bee pruned yet can it not be vtterly kild except the stones bee taken asunder and the Wall new built againe Euen so is this natiue corruption rooted in vs that vntill our dissolution we shall not be rid of it The same God that left the Canaanites in the Holy-land to exercise the Israelites leaueth also Originall sinne in vs thereby to trie how we will serue and obey him vntill death we shall haue some thing which we must alwayes watch resist keepe downe mortifie if we doe not God will humble vs therewith and wee shall receiue many a foyle thereby Dauid had triall hereof and so haue others had also euen all the sonnes of men more or lesse I except not Ieremie nor Iohn the Baptist though the Aduocates of Rome confounding the gifts of Edification with the gifts of Adoption would priuiledge them from the common condition of the sonnes of Adam But let vs not forget no more then King Dauid doth this fountaine of temptation which in those that are of age will neuer bee idle it will find vs worke either of triumph if we get the vpper hand of it or of complaint with Saint Paul Rom. 7. if it proue too hard for vs. Verse â You haue heard King Dauids acknowledgement I come now in a word to speake of his Plea His Plea is for Pitie but he maketh the motiue thereunto to be the displaying of his Miserie and this he doth in the first word Behold wherein he doth not so much informe God as humble himselfe God cannot be ignorant of that which man knowes but he is pleased that man should in his deuotion expresse vnto him how feeling he is and how desirous to bee vnburdened of that which brought him to offend God But we must obserue that there is a double Ecce or Behold a Carnall or a Penitentiall whereof the one extenuates the other aggrauateth the sinne The Carnall mans Ecce Behold commeth out thus I haue done ill what then Vitijs nemo sine nascitur what needeth so sharpe a reproofe All men are ill by nature if all what blame deserue I Wee would detest a debter who by his vnthriftinesse hath brought ineuitable beggerie vpon himselfe or a diseased person that by ryot hath ouerthrowne his body if either of them should bee so senselesse of his woefull case as not to blame himselfe and deplore his state with a longing desire and earnest endeauour to be rid therof And may we then brooke such Apologies of prophane men that haue runne so farre in debt vnto God and haue made themselues such spirituall Lazars through sinne Farre be it from vs to thinke that Dauid did so excuse himselfe to God No but as a discreet Patient who throughly had searched into his own disease and desired to bee wholy cured he openeth his sore to the bottome and concealeth nothing from his Physician He that desires to be freed from his Actuall but to continue his Originall sinne desireth onely to put off one punishment that he might deserue another But a true Penitent desireth so to be forgiuen that he may bee preserued from offending againe We commend Prisoners for their wisdome who knowing they are guiltie more wayes then one desire that all the Indictments may bee brought in against them before the Verdict passe vpon them that so they may be throughly discharged And hee that Arraigneth himselfe before the barre of God should not leaue any thing vnrepented of whereof he knoweth himselfe guiltie nor conceale any part of his miserie that needeth the helpe of Gods mercie the rather because wee need not doubt least the multitude of our miseries should tire or ouerburthen Gods mercie happily it may bee so with men he that will forgiue seauen will hardly be brought to forgiue Seuentie times seauen faults but with God it is farre otherwise in whom the sight of miserie especially if it bee presented with Penitencie the greater it is the more compassion it moues What a miserable case was Adam in Euen in that woefull case which I haue described vnto you in this Text yet no sooner came he into Gods sight but God was so moued that he was pardoned before he was doomed and the iust doome was made very tolerable by the mercifull pardon After God had drowned the old World what moued him to be more tender towards the new Gene. 8.21 but the pitie that hee tooke vpon this natiue corruption The euill frame of the Heart of man Excellent is the place of Ezekiel where the Church is represented weltring in her Bloud when no eye did pitie her God said that then was the time of his loue hee said vnto her liue Verse 13. yea he said vnto her when shee was in her bloud liue Ezek. 16. King Dauid Psal 103. Like as a father pitieth his children so the Lord pitieth them that feare him Verse 14. but marke what a reason he giueth Hee knoweth our frame he remembreth that we bee but dust Doth God pitie the miserie of man when there appeareth no Penitencie in him and will hee reiect him when it doth appeare No penitencie maketh miserie to pierce more deepely the tender bowels and compassions of God Wherefore let our Behold be exprest by the sorrow which we conceiue for our sinfull corruption and wee shall find that nothing can more effectually moue commiseration But I must end We are at length come to the depth of King Dauids ingenuitie and certainely in repentance a man can goe no farther The first confusion whereunto a penitent sinner may put himselfe is to bring his sinne before the eye of his owne conscience Dauid did so vers 3. The second is to haue it published before men as in the solemne Satisfactions made to the Church Dauid did so as appeares in the Title of the Psalme The last is to present it before God to draw Gods eyes to behold as well our Originall as our Actuall sinne In the first selfe-loue will diminish much of the shame and our communion in the same corruption doth much impaire the second but there is nothing can lessen the third so pure so vnpartiall are the sacred eyes of God so that Dauid could not be more humble more could not bee expected vnto a full Repentance Saint Ambrose vpon this Consideration hereof breaketh out into these words quis tanto affectu agit paenitentiam where shall a man finde his parallell suscepit personam generis humani sayth Saint Austin
of Death secluded from the Liuing Skin for skin and all that euer a man hath he will giue for his Life though it be but his naturall Life which is temporall how much more would be giue for his better Life if hee knew it I meane his spirituall Life which is Eternall If it bee a thing desireable to hold our soule in our body how much more desireable is it to enioy God in our soule Especially seeing the soule may bee in the body and afflict it with hearts griefe but no soule enioyeth God that is not filled with vnspeakeable ioy But Life is not the vttermost of our desire we are by nature sociable and solitarines is a kind of Death it is so if we be only excluded from the societie of men Psal 42. Psal â4 how much more if we be debarred the Communion of Saints King Dauids Psalmes shew how passionate he was when hee was debarred the visible Communion by banishment how much more passionate thinke you was he when he apprehended his exclusion from the inuisible through the deadlinesse of his sinne These things out of the Moralized Ceremonies must we set before vs as the Motiues vnto this Petition Purge me wash me me that haue lost the comfortable presence of my God the life of my soule and haue contracted the contagion of Death by my sinne and for this contagion am vnworthy to haue accesse vnto thy House in the companie of thy Saints the loue of that life maketh me abhorre the state of this Death the desire that I haue to that societie maketh this spirituall excommunication tedious vnto me and giue mee no rest breake my silence make me importune thee O God with Purge mee Wash mee expiate this impurity that hath so wofully distressed me These two words Purge and Wash looke to two parts of the Ceremony Vos 18.19 In the aforenamed 19. of Numbers you shall sinde that hee that had touched the dead was first sprinkled with the holy water and then was to haue his whole body bathed incleane water These two acts Ceremoniall looke to the two parts of spirituall Purification In Sin there are two things the Guilt and the Corruption the taking away of the Guilt was signified by the aspersion or sprinkling of holy water and the Corruption by washing in cleane water God that hath giuen his Law for vs to obey hath added a Sanction vnto it to hold vs in that wee should not dare to transgresse for feare of wrath and ordained that a deformity should accompany sinne and make it more odious vnto vs out of the loue that we beare to our selues When wee enter into consideration of our sinne the first thing that we should apprehend is the Guilt the danger that we stand in to God ward wee should set him before vs as a seuere Iudge armed with vengeance ready to lay on vs deadly strokes this should make vs breake into the first Petition Purge mee O Lord free me from Guilt let mee stand on good termes with my God But when wee haue made our peace with him and all is safe from without selfe-loue religious selfe-loue must make vs looke home suruey our selues fixe our eyes vpon our soules and take care to remedy the blemishes thereof Deformity in our outward man wee cannot endure I would we could endure it as little in our inward wee desire the exactest proportion the fairest complexion and where Nature faileth wee helpe it by Art and thinke no paines too great no cost too deare that is bestowed that way Our better part deserueth the greater regard by how much wee should desire more to recommend our selues to the eyes of God and Angels then to the eyes of mortall men yea to the eyes of our owne soules rather then to the eyes of our bodyes for that these are truer Iudges and Iudges of the best things Certainly King Dauid thought so who knowing that sinne carrieth with it not only a guilt but a staine also prayed no lesse Wash me then Purge me free mee O God both from staine and guilt But the Consequence must not be forgotten the staine and the guilt themselues desire this fauour were there no euill beyond them how much more when as I shewed you in the Ceremonie they are necessarily accompanied with an Excommunication so that purge me and wash me must imply a desire of restitution also a restitution into the Church and into the Communion of Saints a blessing that followed vpon King Dauids person being purified from his guilt and staine and King Dauid must bee thought to haue correspondently to the Law aymed at that blessing And let this suffice touching that for which King Dauid prayeth I come now to consider the Person of whom hee beggeth it in his Prayer The Person is God for it is to him to whom hee directs the whole Psalme And indeed none but God can doe this that hee prayeth for for who can free from guilt but hee to whom a sinner stands obliged by his guilt hee that set the Sanction to the Law must quit vs from the danger that is due from that Sanction and who is that but God And as God onely can purge the guilt so hee onely can wash away the staine hee onely that made vs can new make vs and hee reformeth man to his Image that first made him after his Image This is the worke only of God But see here is a limitation of Gods power hee would haue God to purge him but doe it with Hysop as if without Hysop hee could not doe it shall I say God forbid hee can doe more then wee can conceiue they are too presumptuous that set such bounds vnto God Faustus Socin that is a most absolute Lord no doubt hee might haue saued vs otherwise then he did This wee may boldly say hee would not doe it without Hysop and his will is that which doth menage his power what he hath freely decreed out of his good will that hee bringeth to passe by his vnresistable power Hee spake the word and made vs but he was pleased that the redeeming of vs should cost him more paines hee would vse the helpe of Hysop Hysop is literally vnderstood in the Ceremonie so wee finde it in that often cited 19. of Numbers but spiritually by Hysop the Fathers vnderstand Christ and make a correspondencie betweene him and that herbe in two respects in regard of the smalnes of the herbe and in regard of the vertue thereof the smalnes representing Christs Humility that vouchsafed to take vpon him the forme of a seruant the vertue noting Christs efficacie for as that Herbe worketh vpon our Inwards De doctr Chrisâ lib. 2. c. 16. so saith Saint Austin doth Christ worke vpon the Inward man Hysop worketh principally vpon the lungs say the Fathers which are the bellowes of our body and are an excellent Embleme of Pride and it was Pride wherby we lifted our selues vp against God that Christ came
to cure with his Humility when he stooped vnto the ignominious death of the Crosse But it was not Hysop alone wherewith hee desired to be purged but Hysop dipt in the holy water and this doth intimate yet more fully that the expiation was to be made by Christ for to say nothing that the red Cow slaine whose blood was sprinkled directly before the Tabernacle was as all other sacrifices a Type of Christ those things that are principally to be marked in Christ were most liucly represented in the things that were burnt with the Cowe For there were to bee cast in Cedar wood Hysop and Scarlet The Cedar is the highest of all trees and well representeth the Deity of Christ ãâã 4.33 Hysop in the History of Solomons knowledge in naturall things is opposed vnto the Cedar as the lowest of plants and may well note Christs Manhood the Scarlet is an excellent representation of his bloody death according to that in the Prophet Esay ãâã 63.1 2. who is this that commeth from Edom with died garments from Bozra wherefore art thou red in thy apparell c. And indeed Christs blood is the Bath of purification it clenseth from all our sinnes if wee haue our hearts sprinkled therewith wee shall bee free from euill consciences Heb. 10.22 9 14 Zach. 13.1 our consciences shall bee freed from dead workes to serue the liuing God Finally his Spirit is that fountaine that is opened vnto the house of Israel Eâek 36.25 and the cleane waters that in Ezekiel God promised to poure vpon his Church without Christ the vertue of his death and worke of his Spirit God purifieth no man The Heathen had their Aquam lustralem their holy water and so hath the Church of Rome also but the Heathen holy water had no respect vnto Christs blood the Romish would seeme to haue but sanctifying Ceremonies without Gods warrant are fruitles not only so but spirituall vsurpations If we expect purification from sinne wee must tye our selues vnto Christs death and not looke to partake the benefit of it but by such meanes as are ordained of God Mat. 15 9. for the Spirit breatheth where it will not where wee will so that in vaine shall we serue God if therein wee follow no better guide then the commandements of men And let this suffice touching the Person to whom King Dauid directs his Prayer Hauing thus seuerally considered What King Danid begs and Of whom by ioyning the points together wee must see with what confidence hee expects the successe of his Prayer The first point of confidence is implyed in the words purge wash for the Original hath it thou shalt purge thou shalt wash And indeed such future tenses are Propheticall wishes and why Faith in prayer hath an eye to Gods promise and therefore a hope of his performance 2 ââmoth 2.12 and why God cannot deny himselfe hee euer will be as good as his word Numbers 19 hee commands the carnall purifying and promiseth the successe and shall hee deny successe vnto the spirituall if wee obserue it Certainly hee will not A second branch of Considence appeareth in the resolute affirmations I shall bee cleane I shall bee whiter then snow which import that as God will bee constant in keeping his word so hee will bee powerfull in accomplishing the deed no doubt of the Effect when hee is pleased to bee the Efficient ãâã 19. Vos 1â A cleane person saith the Ceremonie shall purge him that is vncleane and hee shall bee purified And who so cleane as God in comparison of whom the best of his creatures are vncleane If the carnall purification may be expected from a mortall man how much more may we expect the spirituall from our immortall God But marke here is not onely expected a freedome from sinne but also a furniture of grace not only innocency spirituall but Beauty also so saith Dauid I shall be cleane that is innocent yea I shall be white that is beautifull Parum est mundari a sordibus peccatorum Ruffin in huâ locum nisi contingat decorari candore virtutum it is a cold comfort to bee freed from impurity except wee be beautified with sanctitie But where sinne abounded Rom. â 20 grace abounded much more sinne stripped vs of our originall Righteousnes and wounded vs in our naturall power and grace doth not only heale vs againe but restore vs also to whatsoeuer we lost The same God that in the Law commanded that when a captiue Israelite was set free he should not goe away empty Detr 15.13 â but be furnished liberally with whatsoeuer God had blest his Master is not fast handed towards vs when hee freeth vs from the death of sinne but adornes vs as beseemes the spouse of Christ White is the colour of Saints Mark 9.3 it appeares in the Transfiguration of Christ and in the apparitions of Angels in the Reuelation of Saint Iohn more then once as likewise in Daniel so that that phrase implyeth that the effect of Christs purifying is not onely Grace but Glory also yea vnspeakable Glory so the comparison will haue vs vnderstand it when Dauid saith that he shall be whiter then sâow It was a gracious promise that was made Psal 68. though yee haue hen amongst the pots Vers 13. yet shall ye be as the wings of a Doue couered with siluer and her feathers with yellow gold yea when the Almighty scattered Kings for his Church shee was as white as snow in Salmon here Dauid goeth a step farther Vers 14. whiter then snow And indeed well may wee resemble spirituall things by corporall and eternall by temporall for that the one doth somewhat resemble the other but equall them we cannot we may not by reason of the many degrees wherby the corporall is exceeded by the spirituall and the temporall by the eternall I conclude Who can say I haue made my heart cleane I am free from sin Prou. 20. Lib. 1. c. 5. No man for Habet cor vniuscuiusque saith S. Austin in his Confessions quod offendat oculos Dominisscio fateor there is not the best of vs that hath not touched the dead that is not infected with dead works it beseemeth the best of vs to say with S. Austin scio fateor I know I acknowledge it but we must go on with S. Austin quis mundabit who shall make me cleane and resolue with him cui alteri praeter te Domine clamabo ab occultis munda me Domine Psal 19 12. O Lord I haue none to whom I may hopefully call but to thee Lord clense me from my secret faults or in the words of my Text Purge me with Hysop and I shall be cleane wash me and I shall bee whiter then snow AMEN GOd grant we may all so wash our garments white in the blood of the Lamb during these dayes of Grace that we may hereafter walk with him in white robes when we shal
18.14 and it is worth you reading that you may clearely see the truth of that saying of Salomon A wounded spirit who can beare What body can choose but languish that is possest by a languishing Soule A man cannot be so wounded in the Inward man but you may read it plainely in the Outward The Fathers doe Allegorize the Phrase and by the Bones vnderstand Vertues Vertues that are to the Soule as Bones to the body for a man as hee is a reasonable creature doth subsist in them euen as the body is borne vp by the bones as it is a liuing creature the Cardinall vertues the Theologicall are our supporters those as we are men these as wee are Christian men The conscience of Sinne shiuers these figuratiue Bones also for looke vpon a man distressed by a guiltie conscience what Prudence in him that can giue no good counsell to himselfe And as for Iustice he cannot haue that for he is vnsociable his Temperance is to starue himselfe and his Fortitude to sinke vnder his griefe there is not a Cardinall vertue that hath place in him as a Man and as a Christian man Theologicall vertues haue as little place hee maketh no vse of his Faith to sustaine himselfe with the promises of God his Hope is heartlesse for he forecasts onely fearefull things and little sense hath he either of Gods loue to him or his loue to God Not one of these Bones continueth sound all of them sinke and are crusht vnder the burthen of sinne A pitifull case and yet such is the case of euery one that secleth the worme of Conscience of euery one that is stricken with the sting of that Serpent But whence hath sin this power who giueth this wounding strength to sinne Surely God the Text saith so Tufregisti thou hast broken my bones Vose 2. and so in the 38. Psalme Thy arrowes sticke fast in me thy hand presseth me sore It is true that God vseth meanes our Conscience within vs and Satan without vs to afflict vs for sinne but both worke vpon his command and according to the measure which he prescribes touching Conscience ãâã â Saint Austins Rule is very true Iussisti Domine factum est vt omnis anima inordinata sibi ipsi esset paena God to hold vs in from sinne hath placed in vs a Conscience whose office amongst other things is this to torture vs for sinne and as for Satan we see in Iob that hee is but Gods Executioner and stirreth not but when and as farre as hee hath leaue leaue giuen vnto him of God but whether it be Conscience or Satan that which they harrow vs with is the arraigning of vs before Gods Tribunall setting him forth in the dreadfull Maiestie of a Iudge and amplifying our vilenesse that cannot denie the Indictment that is brought against vs These be the Engines wherewith they set vpon vs this is the painefull racke wherewith they torture vs. And no wonder if such a spectacle distresse them who are guiltie of some enârmous sinne that hath distressed the most Religious seruants of God Cap. 6. v. 1. â Esay saw God sitting vpon his Throne of iudgement high and lifted vp his traine filled the Temple c. Then said he Woe is me for I am vndone because I am a man of vncleane lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of vncleane lips for mine eyes haue seene the King the Lord of Hosts Habakkuk had the like vision and what saith he When I heard Cap. 3.16 my belly trembled my lips quincred at the voice rottennesse entred into my bones Cap. 10. Daniel that is called Vir desideriorum when a Vision was presented vnto him being in the companie of others obserueth that a great quaking fell vpon them and they fled to hide themselues as for himselfe hee saith that his comelinesse was turned in him into corruption and that he had no strength in himselfe Moses that had his prerogatiue to talke with God face to face yet when God appeared in his Maiestie to deliuer the Law when he beheld the flaming fire heard the sound of the Trumpet and felt the Earth trembling vnder him Saint Paul hath obserued Heb. 12. That he said I exceedingly feare and quake But what doe I instance in these Our Sauiour Christ who knew no sinne but yet put on such affections as belong to a sinner when our sinne was imputed vnto him presenting himselfe in the Garden before God and apprehending his Maiestie armed with vengeance to repay the sinnes of the world how was he afflicted into what an Agonie was hee cast The Gospell doth tell vs that hee sweate great drops of bloud If the Prophets if Moses which were not priuie to themselues of any enormous sinne if Christ himselfe that was free from all sinne was so affected and distressed at the sight of Gods iudgements if their Bones were so broken how shall they be ground into pouder that come before him laden with enormous with crying sinnes 1. Pet. 4.18 If the righteous scarcely be saued where shall the vngodly and sinner appeare Surely when God with rebukes doth correct such men for their iniquitie hee shall make their beautie to consume away like a Moth Psal 39.11 Psal 90.6 Psal 68.2 they shall be like the withered grasse when he consumes them in his anger As smoake is driuen away before the Wind and as Waxe melteth before the fire so shall the wicked perish at the presence of the Lord. And thus much of the punishing power of sinne what it is whence wherein you may behold two things most liuely set forth before vs the true nature of griefe and the cause that it hath such a nature The Philosophers teach that Dolor is solutio continui the renting in sunder of that whose content stands in vnion and the breaking of bones what is it but a rent the soule denyeth succour to the body the parts of the body each denieth his seruice to the other yea the powers of the soule grow strangers betweene themselues and vertue it selfe is bereft of vertue he cannot want woe thathath such a distraction in his little common-weale Griefe there is then Aug. de verâ Relig. and that hath a cause Saint Austin shall tell you what it is fluendo deserit amatoreÌ suum corpus quia ille hoc amando deseruit Deum your bones are broken and you are payned therewith will you know why the body breaketh with the soule because the soule first brake with God if your soule doe rend it selfe from God by sinne it shall find litle rest in that house of clay whereon it doteth this will make hast to returne to dust when our better part giueth it selfe ouer vnto vanity And let this suffice touching the disease Let vs now come on vnto the Cure That is exprest in two words Ioy and Gladnesse although the words may note one the selfesame thing yet may we
a booke of record Now then in ore duorum aut trium testium stabit omne verbum if so be doubt should be made of the first booke the booke that is in Heauen it must needs bee put out of all doubt by the threefold booke or record of our sin which God hath prouided here on earth Now wee throughly know the bookes let vs come to King Dauids dele the blotting out of that which is in the book or rather the Record or bill of indictment for as such must we apprehend these bookes There is no doubt but Dauid is primarily sollicitous of the first booke and indeed that is the ground of all the rest and the rest are but imperfect exemplifications of that and if the booke bee cancelled that is in Heauen these on earth will be of no validitie God will not leaue them longer vncancelled if God raze our sinnes out of the booke of his Memorie hee will giue an acquittance also to our Conscience hee will plucke out the tongue of the staines that are in our Bodies and Soules and put to silence the clamours of those Creatures which wee haue abused all those records shall be cancelled and it is for the cancelling of them all that King Dauid doth pray But marke that Hide thy face is not enough except blot out be added God may dissemble the sinnes of men for a time and punish them at length ãâã 32. Moses is taught as much when hauing prayed that God would forgiue the Israelites Idolatrie committed with the golden calfe God was intreated so farre as to hide his face to forbeare them but not to blot out Vos 34. that is to forgiue them for he addeth Neuerthelsse in the day when I visit I will visit their sinnes vpon them the like is to bee obserued in the case of Solomon Ahab Manasses and others Dauid prouideth better for himselfe then so he ioyneth both in his desire and prayeth not onely hide thy face but blot out also and so must we when we seeke forgiuenesse of sinnes It is a cold comfort to a debtor to obtaine of his creditor that he will not looke vpon his obligations hee is not secure except he haue them cancelled neither is a prisoner without feare that is onely repriued and why he may be hanged when he little looketh for it a sinners case is no better then this prisoners or that debtors except God be pleased as well to blot the record as to hide his face But in the petition I obserued that King Dauid doth not only expresse what workes he expects from God but he sheweth withall Whereto and How farre he would haue these works extend 1. Whereto not to his person but to his sinnes hide thy face not from me but from my sinnes for if God should withdraw his countenance from vs destruction and annihilation must needes fall vpon vs our being and our liuing depend vpon the influence of his countenance and indeed our being and our liuing they are his workmanship and to pray God to hide his face from his owne workmanship must needes imply that we would haue God hate what himselfe hath made but God delights to behold that which is of him because it is like him neither doth it feare or blush to come before him It is that which we haue patcht vnto his workmanship which he abhorres to see and which abhorreth to bee seene of him Therefore King Dauid discreetly limiteth the obiect of Gods workes and will haue them worke not vpon his person but vpon his sinne and we may not in our petitions confound these things that are so different wherof the one may endure the other may not these acts of the Prouidence of God what so euer we haue which is of God may without dis-comfort endure his all-seeing Eye and all recording hand therefore wee may not craue in regard of them either hide thy face or blot out both these desires must be restrained to our sinnes And to them all As Dauid doth wisely restraine the acts to his sinne so doth he as wisely extend them to all his sinnes Hee was not ignorant of that Maxime of law Maledictus qui non permanserit in omnibus Deut. 27.26 Cursed is he that abideth not in all that is written in the Law for to doe it ill doth the Shipwright prouide who stopping all other leakes leaues but one for the water may enter thereat and drowne the whole ship euen so seeing euery sinne is mortall wee may not looke for lesse wages for any one sinne then eternall death yea Saint Iames his rule is Reus vnius omnium guiltie of one and guiltie of all And why Cap. 2.10 though in conuersion to the world sinners doe differ yet in auersion from God they all agree he that setteth light by God in breaking one coÌmandement doth not out of the feare of God keepe any one happily it is because he is not so prone to or gaineth not so much by other sinnes or some other carnal reason there is but certainly out of the feare of God he doth not forbeare them Therefore King Dauid would haue his sinne pluckt vp by the roots not one sprigge left in him as before hee confest them all ingenuously so doth he here desire that they may all gratiously be pardoned as in the 1. verse he begged great mercy so doth he here expresse how great he would haue it The last thing that I obserued vnto you was the possibilitie that King Dauid should speed in this petition for it may seeme strange that such indulgence should stand with the diuine prouidence that God should See all and yet not See something and Gods Memorie to be a record of all and yet to haue something blotted out Notwithstanding that this is a truth we learne of God himselfe in Esay Ego sum qui deleo iniquitates I am he that blotteth out sinnes and remember them no more the like doth God affirme in Ieremie Cap. 43.25 yea that which the heathen Orator spake flatteringly of Iulius Caesar Cap. 31.34 is most true of God Nihil obliuisci solet nisi iniurias he forgets nothing but the sinnes of penitent suppliants Wherefore to cleare this doubt we must call to mind what I told you before touching Gods face that it signifies not onely his knowledge but also the consequent thereupon his answerable affection now his knowledge is necessarie his affection voluntarie so that though it be impossible that God should be ignorant of any thing yet he may be affected as pleaseth himselfe haue mercie on whom hee will haue mercie and harden whom he will as Saint Paul affirmeth out of Moses When as then hee is moued in pittie towards any whom he is not ignorant to be sinners âom 9.18 hee is said to turne his face from their sinnes Non aduertit saith Saint Austine in quod non animaduertit his indisposition to punish it is ment by his hiding his face
to Regeneration we must conceiue of it as of a cure that worketh out a deep rooted Corruption yea the termes of cleannes and rightnes must so be conceiued as that the cure doth not only worke out corruption but work in the contrary perfection as we see that the Eclipse of the moone is remedied by the imparting vnto it the brightnes of the sunne and the darkenes of the night by the succeeding of the day-light the winterly hue of the earth is exchanged for the flourishing of the spring and the weaknesse that wee seele being sicke by the vigour that we haue from health Euen so fareth it with our soules we put off the Old man by putting on the New and the root of Originall sin by being indued with Originall Righteousnes This being obserued concerning Regeneration in generall wee must now descend to the Regeneration of the parts in particular the first of which is the regeneration of the Heart it is here called Cleannesse I will not fall into the common place of the defiling Nature of sin I haue touched at it more then once on the former words of this Psalme I will keepe my selfe to that which is peculiar to this part I told you it is the soueraigne power of the reasonable soule and the first point wherein the soueraigntie appeares is that it doth Command now the blemishes of a commander are two 1. Folly and 2. Impotencie either he knoweth not what directions to giue them that are vnder him or else contrarie to his iudgement he is ouer-borne by his affections take an example of Solomon the father and Rehoboam the sonne Solomon was wise the wisest King that euer was and no wise King was euer more impotent in his affections as appeareth by his so doting on his heathenish wiues that to content them he entertained all kind of Idolatry the son of Solomon Rehoboam went as far in folly as his father in impotency the son of Syrach calls him the very foolishnesse of the people Ecclies 51. and well he deserued to be so called that forsooke the counsell of the Sages and listned vnto brainsicke youths and so lost ten Tribes of twelue In these two Kings we may behold the defects of our commanding parts for somtimes the iudgment of it is so weak that it misdeemes good for euill and euill for good light for darknesse and darkenesse for light and this error is predominant in those that are without the Church for of Infidels it is most true that they haue a foolish Heart Rom. 1. yea when they thinke they be most wise in their reasoning they shew themselues most foolish it were endlesse to descend to particulars if I should reckon no more then those which are toucht in the Scripture how much more if I should discouer it out of there owne writings there speculatiue learning their practicke their theologie their policy their ethicks their oeconomicks all are spiced with folly Though this folly be predominant in those without the Church yet is there more then a good deale of it within the Church also were there no other proofe contentious writings proclaime to the world that many beleeuers cum ratione insaniunt haue a crackt braine and weake iudgement working vpon false principles or working out such conclusions as will neuer spring from truth Folly is one defect of the commanding part but not the onely it hath another which is Impotencie though the iudgement doe not faile in setting the heart right yet the affections doe transport it that it cannot resolue right Video meliora proboque deterior a sequor wee know our duety oftner then wee can bee perswaded to doe it And this disease though it be in Infidels as the former verse doth witnesse and Saint Paul much more Rom. 1. saying that They detaine the truth of God in vnrighteousnesse and that though they haue no Law they are a Law vnto themselues yet is this disease more common in the Church whose sins spring more commonly from the impotency of their affections then from the ignorance of their iudgement as it is plaine by those that teach others but teach not themselues and commit those faults themselues which they condemne in others there are few reasonably bred that know not their Creed and the ten Commandements yet when they are put to a reall maintenance of their faith or obseruance of the Law who is hee that staggers not that yeelds not to his affections Well seeing these are the defects of the heart as it is a commanding part you easily conceiue what the cure thereof must be and what is the first property of a cleane heart it is the rectifying of it in regard of folly and impotencie the making of it first wise and vnderstanding the furnishing of it with good and sound Principles the knowledge of the good and acceptable will of God in a word a right iudgement in all things this S. Paul meaneth ãâã 2.16 when hee saith We haue the mind of Christ so that bee the Scrpent neuer so crafty bee sinne neuer so sweetly sugered euill neuer so curiously blancht be the suggestions of our aduersary neuer so sophisticall yet shall wee not bee circumuented wee shall not be deceiued by it That our commanding part be so freed from folly is not enough it must bee freed from impotencie also wee must haue obedient and religious hearts Mat. 10.37 be as ready to doe as to know loue nothing in comparison of God and doing our duety not father mother brother sister wife c. yea we must deny them all Lâke 14 16. I say too little Christ goeth farther we must hate them all if they be an impediment to our following of God and keeping of his commandements if we are so far masters of our selues as to make our affections conforme themselues vnto our iudgement then is the commanding part cured in regard of impotencie and so the commanding part so farre as it is rid of folly and impotencie is truely regenerate But there is in the soueraigne part besides the commanding power a seasoning power also and that must bee regenerated It seasons all our actions with vertue or vice according as it is good or ill As the knowledge of God is the regeneration of it as it is the commanding part so is the loue of God the regeneration of it as it is the seasoning part or rather the coniunction of the loue of God to the knowledge of God So that for a vertuous action wee must bee sani boni viri it must bee the worke of a well aduised and a well-affected man so that the latter part of regeneration is but a consequent vpon the former and the heart if it command well seasoneth well and seasoneth ill if it command ill according to the Commandement our workes doe proue either Vertues or Vices You haue heard what is the regeneration of the soueraigne power here is another power specified which is the actiue Nazianzene
dung whose labour is only to make themselues euerlasting fuell for hell God regardeth them accordingly and they receiue as little of this ioy of saluation as they would seeme to want it But if wee meane to receiue wee must first feele that we doe want and our want must be declared as King Dauids was in this supplication restore For God then begins to take pittie when men are brought to the knowledge of their wants yea he giueth men a sense of their want before he vouchsafeth a supply thereof But redde doth not only imply a sense of want but a remembrance also of that which sometimes we had It is a good thing for a man to bee feeling of his want but there is no small accesse made vnto that gracious sense if we apprehend withall that our want proceeds from our owne vnthristinesse that what wee want wee had and that it is through our owne fault that we are brought vnto this want And indeed if euer wee be in want we want through our owne default for God made vs perfect and we became not naked but by eating the forbidden fruit and since that time men haue beene more or lesse vnthriftie and haue mispent the portion which God hath giuen them Therefore wee must not come to God with the simple Verbe da that imports only that we are in want we must vse the compound redde we must confesse our selues Prodigals that is the right voice of a Christian Penitent But whereto shall we apply this restore To the saluation Or to the ioy Distinguish Quod fieri debet quod fit our deseruing and Gods dealing and the answere is plaine no doubt wee forfeit our saluation God might strip vs of it if hee did reward vs according to our sinnes Gods Couenant is like a lease that hath a clause of re-entrie but leaueth a power in the Land-lord to vse extremitie or deale mercifully with his Tenant God is vnto his children as a kind Land-lord vnto bad Tenants he doth not take forfeits as often as we make them hee doth not re-enter vpon our Tenement nor strip vs of our saluation we are often damnable yet we are not damned Notwithstanding hee doth not suffer vs to scape scot-free when he doth not take the forfeiture hee taketh à nomine poenae he doth inflict some penaltie yea and that a sharpe one too for he taketh euen from his dearest children the ioy of their saluation hee casteth them into sad moodes hee afflicteth them with heauie hearts when they looke vpwards they see cloudes cast ouer Gods countenance and cannot but sorrow for it when they looke downe they see Hels mouth gaping for them they cannot but tremble at it such agonies ouertake them and make them smart for their sinnes wherewith they offend God agonies I say of sorrow and feare Take a similitude from the Sunne which may make a day or a Sunshine day while it is aboue our Horizon it is often day when the Sunne doth not shine but thicke clouds breathed from the earth make a sad skie as if it were night yet cannot we say the Sunne is gone downe euen so many times are we in the state of saluation the Sunne is with vs wee are children of the day yet haue wee no ioy of our saluation our Sunne doth not shine wee haue no cleere day But from King Dauid you may learne that to bee sure of saluation will not content a religious heart except hee may haue the ioy thereof also I conclude this point let vs take heed that pleasure strip vs not of pleasure worldly of heauenly let vs not grieue God lest he grieue vs grieue him with sinne lest he grieue vs with sorrow for we see in King Dauids example that God inflicts such penalties and if at any time we suffer so for our desert let vs not continue stupidly in this distressing want but importune him with King Dauids Restore Restore mee to the ioy of thy saluation And so much of the first part of the supplication I come now to the second from the Restitution to the Confirmation Stablish me with a free spirit Where first we must see what spirit is here meant There is a spirit in man and there is a spirit of God some vnderstand the one some vnderstand the other I wil ioyne both together For indeed the attribute belongs to both Gods spirit is free and so is mans but Gods by nature mans by grace couple Gods Spirit vnto mans and then you shal find the saying of the Apostle true Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is libertie 2. Cor. 3. Rom. 8. Iohn 8. for it is the Spirit of adoption and if thereby the Sonne of God make vs free then are we free indeed Therefore I told you that here by the Spirit I vnderstand our disposition But this disposition of ours must bee considered as it is by nature so it is seruile as it becomes by grace so it is free I called it a generous disposition and indeed so the word signifieth But to open it a little more fully Iohn 8. ver 34 we learne of Christ that sinne maketh a slaue it appeareth plainly in that which we call free will and the attendants thereon Freewill is resolued into the iudgement wee passe vpon things and the choice wee make according to the iudgement now no man hath a more slauish iudgement then a wicked man for sin blindeth his eyes what he doth not desire he doth not beleeue and you shall seldome see a man possest with any enormous sinne in whom affected ignorance is not euident yea sinne maketh him put that out of all question which if he would vse his owne iudgement hee would find had no credibilitie Had it not beene for this seruilitie of iudgement Pharaoh could neuer so long haue held out against Moses Israel haue murmured so often against God Scribes and Pharisees haue so fearefully blasphemed our Sauiour Christ the Church of Rome so shamefully withstand the truth and Atheists so prophanely scoffe at the reproofe of their sinnes not one of these many leud ones which hath not a seruile iudgement Neither hath seruilitie taken possession only of our iudgement but of our will also wee can make no better choice then our iudgement will giue vs leaue if that be seruile this cannot be free Not free Nay it were well if it were no more seruile then our iudgement but indeed it is much more for how often doe we see what we should doe and yet to please sinne chuse to doe the contrarie Whether we be regenerate or whether we be vnregenerate for the text is vnderstood of both by seuerall Diuines we may say with the Apostle Rom. 7. I see a Law in my members rebelling against the Law of my mind and carrying me captiue vnto sinne we haue vncircumcised hearts and doe resist the Spirit of God Take an example or two the Pharisees could not denie the Resurrection of Christ the
conuerted thereby and let vs each hasten other in our returne toward thee Let vs be carefull to saue not our selues onely but others also that each may bee the others ioy when we shall both be presented spotlesse and blamelesse at the appearing of Christ. PSAL. 51. VERSE 14. Deliuer me from bloud guiltinesse O God thou God of my saluation and my tongue shall sing aloude of thy righteousnesse THe religious seruice which King Dauid vowed is the Edifying of others and the gâârifying of God how he will edifie others you haue heard and are to heare how he will glosie God God may be glorified either in regard of the particular sauom hâ sheweth vs or the generall worth that is in himselfe Dauid promiseth to glorifie God in both respects At this time my Text doth occasion me to speake of the former wherein I will obserue first a spirituall Pange haâouer taketh his Deuotion and then the Deuotion it selfe In the Pange we shall see what he seeleth and to whom he slieth he feeleth a sting of Conscience a remorse of Bloud-guiltinesse and being pained herewith he seeketh for ease he crieth Deliuer But he seeketh discretly and ardently discretly for he seeketh to him that can Deliuer to the Lord who is interested in the consciences of his creatures and as he can so he will he is the God of his childrens saluation This is his discretion which he warmeth with Zeale hee is earnest in his petition which you may gather out of the doubling of the name of God Deus Deus salutis meae Hauing thus ouercome the spirituall Pange that interrupted him hee falleth to his Deuotion wherein you must marke first the argument that he insisteth vpon and that is God Righteousnesse Secondly the manner how he doth extoll it which is publike and cheerefull publike for hee will vtter it by his tongue cheerefull for his tongue shall sing aloude These bee the particulars which wee must now looke into farther and in their order And first of spirituall Pangs in generall King Dauid had a pardon of this sinne particularly besides a generall promise that God would neuer withdraw his grace from him and yet we find him here perplext and distrest in conscience Though I did on a former Verse touch at the reasons hereof yet will it not be amisse that I a little farther enlarge this point There can be no doubt but Gods truth is infallible he cannot denie himselfe hee will neuer recall his word but yet Quicquid recipitur recipitur ad modum recipientis the vertues wherewith we entertaine Gods promises are as wee are imperfect because we art partly flesh and partly spirit our faith is not without doubting if their be imperfection in our faith which is the foundation of our spirituall life our Hope will be answerable it will not be without distrusting neither will our Charitie be better we cannot so loue but we will feare And why Could we cast our eyes onely vpon God his goodnesse must needes appeare wonderfull and so leaue a kind of amazednesse in vs neither can we easily beleeue that he should vouchsafe such fauor vnto man but we more often cast our eyes vpon our selues vpon our wickednesse whereby we haue broken Gods lawes vpon our vnthankfulnesse which haue set light by Gods blessings and this is able to stagger our faith much more especially when the Serpent shall plie vs with the representation of Gods iustice thereby indeauouring to ouer-whelme our Meditations vpon his mercies and shall presse vnto our conscience the imperfection of our faith hope and charitie so farre as to perswade vs that they haue no truth at all Here-hence spring those spirituall pangs in so much that euen in those which by grace haue giuen sinne a deadly wound you shall perceiue many pangs as it were of spirituall death and as men that are recouered out of an Ague haue many troublesome grudgings thereof that disquiet them not a little euen so Penitents aster enormous sinnes must looke for many a smarting twitch of the worme of conscience But to leaue spirituall Pangs in generall and come to that which in particular is toucht here in my Text he feeles are morse of bloud-guilâinesse the euill he feeles is exprest by the name of blouds so the word is in the originall and is vsed to note either our originall corruption or actuall sinne King Dauid in the former part of this Psalme confesseth both that sinne that he inherited from his Parents and that which hee contracted himselfe therefore of the Interpreters some pitch vpon the former and some the later Saint Austin pitcheth vpon the originall sinne and supposeth that Dauid was moued with remorse of his corrupt nature which is the cause of all sinne and indeede they that are borne in Concupiscence are said to be borne of flesh and bloud 1. Cor. 15. and Saint Paul meaneth that wee must put off that before we can be fully blest when he saith that flesh and bloud cannot inherit the Kingdome of heauen Finally it is that where at God pointeth Ezek. 16. when he speaketh thus to the Church When I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine owne bloud I said vnto thee in thy bloud Liue. The reason of the phrase is because Vitaest in sanguine as the law speaketh the animall life subsisteth in the bloud and the abundance of bloud is the fuell of concupiscence whereupon some coniecture not improbably that to note this the legall expiation of sinne was made by the effusion of bloud Some goe not so farre as originall sinne but vnderstand the word of actuall which is the fruit of originall and because of actuall sins some are by Diuines called spirituall some carnall spirituall such as mooue from and are transacted principally by the reasonable faculties of the soule and haue but sequelam a concomitancie of animall carnall those that are suggested from and acted by the animall soule principally and haue but a concomitancie of the rationall by blouds they vnderstand that later kind of sinne And indeede such were the sinnes whereof King Dauid had now remorse his Adulterie his Murder both sprang from bloud adulterie from bloud luxuriant which made him transgresse in his concupiscible facultie murder from bloud ebullient which made him transgresse in his Irascible facultie The word Sanguines being plurall is by the Fathers obserued to note plentie and varietie of sinne some in one word parallell it with the first verse of this Psalme where Dauid mencioneth all his Iniquities and then there is a Synecdoche in the word species progenere the carnall sinnes put for all kind of sinnes which some resolue into sinnes past present and to come But it is best to keepe our selues vnto the Argument of that storie whereunto this Psalme alludes and then Varietie shall note Adulterie and Murder and Plentie shall consist in the many murders that followed the adultery Vriah was treacherously slaine and that he might be slaine treacherously many others
desire as if he meant that he would not any longer be flesh and bloud hee would be rid of that which is the nurserie of sinne which slakes his life in grace and disheartens his hope of glorie And it is likely King Dauid did not call onely for subuention against guilt contracted but preuention that he might contract no more he looketh backward and forward and it beseemeth vs all to pray against originall sinne ãâã 7. O wretch that I am who shall deliuer me from this body of sinne Finally as Bloud signifieth not onely Sinne but the punishment thereof also Gene. 4. so much the Prayer be vnderstood to deprecate not onely sinne but the punishment also Dauid heard ringing in his eares Caines doome Maledictus because thou hast shed bloud therefore thou art accursed the doome against murder Gene. 9. which God denounced by Noah thundered in his eare 2 ãâã 12. He that sheddeth mans bloud by man shall his bloud be shed againe he could not forget that dreadfull voice which Nathan vttered vnto him The sword shall neuer depart from thy house and out of sense of all these as if he were euen presently ready to perish fall vpon this supplication Deliuer his Penitertials doe shew what deepe impression the terrour of Gods iudgements made vpon his soule and also vpon his body and no wonder if he that so felt them did pray to bee released from them But marke how he Prayeth first how discreetly then how zealously Very discreetly for he maketh choice of a person that can and will deliuer Can for he is Deus salutis it is his proper title to be a Sauiour In creatures you may find vanitie that will delude you or infirmitie that will faile you euen of Kings themselues it is said that their breath is in their nostrels and that they are not saued themselues by their much strength Dauid himselfe who so often deliuered Ismel and was attended with so many Worthies yet could hee not expect saluation from himselfe the Prophet Ieremies rule is peremptorie Chap. 17. Cursed is hee that maketh flesh his arme c. We must therefore resolue that saluation belongeth vnto the Lord especially when wee speake of spirituall saluation such as that is wherewith wee haue now to doe which standeth in the remission of sinnes the peace of conscience and freedome from death for who can remit sinnes but God onely And except he iustifie vs how should we haue the peace of conscience God vseth Ministers to worke these effects but they flow from grace not inherent in them but assistant to them and so they are the effects of Gods hand And to him also belongeth the issues of death for as it is his iustice that inflicteth it so except he release none can free from it But marke the phrase the God of saluation 1 Iohn 1â is it not a periphrasis of the name of Iesus And then behold a mysterie sanguis liberat a sanguine the bloud of Iesus clenseth from all sinne and so deliuereth vs from bloud bloud whereof we are guiltie and rising againe he receiued the keyes both of death and hell and so can deliuer vs from the bloud whereunto wee are endangered As Dauid is discreet in seeking to a person that can so is he also discreet in seeking to a person that will deliuer for he calleth vpon him not only as a God of saluation but as a God of His saluation God is a God of saluation as he is the Sauiour of all men but no man can cal him the God of his saluation except he bee a faithfull man so that there are two remarkable things in the Pronoune for it is verbum faederis Euangelici fi et specââlis Dauid sheweth thereby that he is in Couenant with God euen in the Couenant of grace for no man can vse that word except he bee in so blessed a state no man can call God His except God haue appropriated himselfe vnto him and appropriate himseâfe he doth not but by the words of the Couenant Ero Deus tuus I will be thy God And when God doth so appropriate himself we must keepe the âitle of the Conenant in our Prayers and direct our words vnto him as he is ours this is the exercise of a speciall saith and it is the greatest comfort of our prayer it is most likely that he shall speede that hath so neere reference vnto God he that can will helpe And marke that though he were put to the conflict yet was hee not without Armour of proofe he saw whence saluation might be had and commeth with boldnesse to the Throne of grace more doe conflict with the horrour of conscience and terrours of death then preuaile against them to conflict is common vnto all sinners but to preuaile is the prerogatâue of the children of God the God ossaluation doth ease doth vnburden onely those that can truely say he is the God of their saluation Dauid prayed Discreetly and he prayed zealously also for marke how he doubles the word O God thou God Nota in repititione magnum corâââ affectum saith Gregorie such ingemminations proceed not but from ardent affections they importune God and they will take no deniall And indeede God doth not like cold suitors for that betrayech cold defires which in one that is at Gods mercie hath grieuously offended lyeth open vnto the sharpest wrath can find no fauour can promise it selfe no mercie we must therefore wrestle with God as âacob did replie as the woman of Canaan did treble our petition as did Saint Paul if we meane that our Prayers shall pierce the cloudes climbe vp into the Heauens and enter into the eares of God Neither sacrifice nor frankincense were offered without fire vpon the one Altar or the other no more must any Prayer come from vs which is not warmed by zeale quickning it and giuing it speedie wings to flie from earth to heauen and make our words a liuely representation of those desires that are conceiued in our hearts And let this suffice for Dauids spirituall Pange I come now to the Deuotion the argument whereof is the righteousnesse of God But there is a double righteousnesse of God the one is legall the other Euangelicall The legall is that which dealeth with men according to their workes the Euangelicall is that which dealeth with men according to their faith the latter is here meant and not the former from the former a sinner can expect nothing but condemnation because this is the tenour of it Cursea is he that abideth not in cuerie point of the Law to dâe it from the later we may expect saluation because it stands in the renussion of sinnes therefore wee must ioyne Libera that is gone before with Iuditâa and so you will find that it is Iustitta liberans it is such Iustice a freeth vs from Iustice and therefore Symachus translates it not amisle Misericordia this Iustice is nothing but plaine Mercie mercie
2. the Method There is a Mystery in either of them Rom. 6. In the Sacrifice That teacheth that the wages of sinne is death the innocent beast was slaine but the sinner first put his hands vpon him to note what we deserue and Christ endured for vs from the guilt of our sinnes we are not freed but by the vertue of his death The Mysterie of the Burnt offering is wee owe our selues wholly vnto God and to him must wee giue our selues but first wee must be mortified we cannot ascend in our thoughts vnto Heauen except we mortifie our carnall lusts that grouell vpon the earth To note this mortification and viuification of our selues intire mortification intire viuification which leaueth no hold vnto sinne in any part of our body or power of our soule and which withholds no part or power of either from the seruice of God and which withholds no part or power of either from the seruice of God was the Holocaust soe handled as wee read in the Law first slaine then wholly consumed by fire Besides the Mysterie there is a Method to be obserued in these words K. Dauid doth not only expresse them but digest them digest them according to the prescript of the Law when they were both offered the Sacrifice was presented before the Burnt offering The Morall thereof is very good Wee cannot haue the honour to serue God Prouerb 31.27 except wee first find fauour to be discharged of our sinnes the Sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination vnto the Lord and without holinesse it is impossible for a man to please God therefore we must offer our expiatory Sacrifice before our Dedicatory burnt offering wee must make our peace with God before we presume to come into his presence Finally we must take good heed that wee neither maine the parts of our Reconciliation nor peruert their order Maine them we doe if we offer the Sacrifice but withhold the burnt offering desire remission of our sinnes and take no care to become the seruants of God Or if wee offer the burnt offering and withhold the Sacrifice put our selues into the seruice of God but yet doe cherish a root of bitternesse in our hearts doe not vnburthen our consciences of sinne And how few are there that thus fully reconcile themselues to God and ioyne together both these Offerings Some can be contented to be rid of the vncleane Spirit and haue their house swept and garnished but they keepe it emptie and vnimployed entertaine not God neither doe they deuote themselues vnto his seruice Othersome are contented that God shall dwell in them and they will be his Temple but they will haue this Temple to bee also an House of Merchandise a Denne of thieues a very Synagogue of Satan So doe men maime their Reconciliation they are loath to be wholly reconciled vnto God As we must not maime our Reconciliation so we must not peruert the parts thereof the burnt offering must not goe before the Sacrifice neither must wee dedicate our selues to God before wee are cleansed from our sinnes that were to put new wine into old bottels Marke 2 2â new cloth into an old garment which if we doe Christ tels vs in the Gospell what will become of it the bottels will breake and the garment will rent and grace will neuer abide in a sinfull soule hee will quickly returne like a dogge to his vomit and a Swine to wallow in the myre We must be new creatures or else neuer let vs offer to be the seruants of God And let this suffice for opening of the two branches of the ceremoniall worships I come now to consider Gods disposition towards them and that is twofold He doth not desire them he doth not delight in them Of the words Desire and Delight though one bee ioyned to Sacrifice and the other to Burnt offering yet doe they both reach either of them and doe oftentimes signifie the same thing but yet here they doe not so I difference them and I did it by warrant of the Scripture which obserues two parts of Gods disposition before these things are offered God doth not desire them that is he hath giuen no precept concerning them God speaketh it plaine in Ieremy Chap 7 2. Put your burnt offering vnto your sacrifice and eat flesh for I spake not vnto your fathers nor commanded them in the day when I brought them out of the Land of Egypt concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices Psal 40 And the Psalmist Sacrifice and offerings thou diddest not desire burnt offerings and sinne-offerings hast thou not required In the fiftieth Psalme there is a plaine deniall of them I will not reproue thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings because they haue not beene before me I will take no bullocke out of thy house nor hee goate out of thy fold These places doe iustifie the words of my text and shew plainly that God did not desire them before they were offered hee gaue no precept concerning them And as no Precept so no Promise hee did as little delight in them after they were offered as he did desire them before they were offered reade it in Ieremie Chap. 6. To what purpose commeth there vnto mee Incense from Saba and the sweet Cane from a farre country your burnt offerings are not acceptable Chap. 10. c. In Esay God doth passionately amplifie this poynt Heare the Word of the Lord yee Rulers of Sodome giue eare vnto the Law of our God yee people of Gomorrah to what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices vnto me saith the Lord I am full of the burnt offerings of Rams and the fat of fed beasts I delight not in the blood of bullocks of lambs Chap. 66. and of the goats c. and elsewhere He that killeth an Oxe is as if he slew a man he that sacrificeth a lamb is as if he cut off a dogs necke he that offereth an oblation as if he offered Swines blood he that offereth incense is as if he blest an Idoll Chap 5. Chap. 5. You may reade the like in Micah and Amos so that bee they part sacrifices be they whole sacrifices be they Expiatory or be they dedicatory God doth not require them God delighteth not in them there is no precept that requireth their performance there is no promise that doth warrant their acceptance And indeed though Desire and Delight or Precept and Promise are differenced as I haue shewed you yet haue they a dependencie the one vpon the other for therefore doth not God delight in these things when they are offered because he did not desire that they should be offered vnto him for promise of acceptance depends vpon the precept of offering whereof there is a precept thereunto there is anext a promise and a promise doth presuppose a precept in all the seruice of God proue one and conclude both and you ouerthrow both if you can iustly denie either So that
sacrificium visibile fuit inuisibilis sacramentum Sacrifices were but shadowes of good things to come as S. Paul speaketh to the Hebrewes There was in them a signe and a thing signified and the signe was commanded not for it selfe but for the thing signified to represent our Ransome or to testifie our Homage Seperate or oppose the signe and the thing signified and presently you corrupt Gods ordinance and then God doth not desire God doth not delight in such Sacrifices For in the case of our Ransome if you separate what doe you but transferre the price of Christs sauing blood vnto the contemptible blood of bulles and goates the legall Sacrifices did purifie the flesh Acts 13. and made men sit for the visible congregation not for the inuisible without their reference to the death of Christ and therefore doth Saint Paul say that by him all that beleeue are iustified from all those things from which they could not be iustified by the Law of Moses And what wonder seeing our Ethicks or Oeconomicks or Politicks whatsoeuer vertue we haue priuate or publike if it find any grace in the eyes of God it is commended by the death by the Obedience of Christ If wee may not seperate much lesse may wee oppose the signe to the thing signified set Moses against Christ and in defence of his sacrifices vilifie the sacrifice of Christ And yet such blind zeale transported many of the Iewes who so became guilty of sacrilegious blasphemie That which is true concerning our Ransome holds also concerning our Homage wee may not separate wee may not oppose the signe and the thing signified If wee separate what doe wee but giue a beast vnto God and a man vnto the Diuell and seeing the gift measureth the respect to whom we giue the best it is an argument that wee loue him most Hee that so sacrificeth in stead of honouring doth dishonour God Oppose the signe to the thing signified and then wee doe plainly dishonour our selues for if wee offer what wee thinke best then in our iudgement wee are not so good as a beast and hee that iudgeth so deserueth rather to goe for a beast then a man And how should God accept any thing from him that doth so basely vnderualew himselfe Certainly when such persons come with such Sacrifices it may truely then be said God doth not desire them God doth not delight in them Greg. Mag. The rather because as I told you God in his Ordinance did prescribe as well opus operantis as opus operatum Attendit Deus saith S. Gregory ad affectum magis quà m ad censum nec animaduertit quantum in eius sacrificio sed ex quanto proficiscatur Sacrifices passe with God not according to the worth of the offering but the good will of the offerer if that bee wanting the rest findeth no acceptance Out of this which you haue heard you may learne why the Prophets doe so declaime against the Ceremoniall worship and why they speake so contemptibly of it they are not to be vnderstood absolutely but relatiuely relatiuely to the Cautions of the Law which are two first a sound opinion of the Offering and secondly a religious deuotion in the Offerer When mens opinions did not conioyne orderly the signe with the thing signified or when they came not piously affected to the seruice of God then God did not desire their Sacrifice he did not delight in their burnt offerings In a word in their Ceremoniall worship there was Aliquid Primarium and Aliquid Secundarium there was something to haue the preheminence and something that was but to attend that when two such things meet Math. 23.23 then Christs rule is good Hoc opportet facere illud non omittere we must spend our greatest deuotion vpon the Principall but not neglect the Secundarie Had the Iewes kept themselues within these bounds God would neuer haue derogated from that which they did by his owne Ordinance And if for our abuse God so dis-regard what himselfe commands how vile will corporall worship which man doth iustitute bee in his eyes when it is soured with the same leauen Which yeeldeth a good Item to the Church of Rome whose deuotion is most changeable in this kind But all this while I haue taken the words Sacrifice and burnt offering at large I told you that the Argument of the Psalme draweth them into a narrower roome In relation to King Dauids case they note vnto vs the two parts of the Reconciliatory Offerings the Sinne offering and the Holocaust and then my Text is not only true in relation to the opinion and deuotion of men but absolutely true according to the tenor of the Law For sinnes for which a man may be reconciled vnto God by Legall sacrifices are either only Ceremoniall pollutions or if morall defects then they were onely such as came from ignorance or infirmitie as you may read in the fourth fifth and sixth Chapters of Leuiticus touching the latter and touching the former in the 12.14 and 15. Chapters But if a man sinned with an high hand if that which hee committed were a crying sinne God left the malefactors to the sword of the Magistrate there was no Sacrifice appointed to discharge him from such kind of guilt as God teacheth Numb 15. and in this sense God sent Eli word 1. Sam. 13.4 that the iniquity of his house should not be purged with sacrifice nor offerings for euer Vers 14. And to that purpose speaketh God also Esay 22. of the enormous sinnes of the Iewes Surely this iniquity shall not bee purged from you Quaest ad Gentil proaspos quaest 97. till you die saith the Lord of Hoasts stoning heading hanging were the expiation of such sinnes as Iustin Martyr teacheth But wee may not mistake when God visited such enormous sinnes with corporall plagues then to stay his punishing hand from proceeding Num 16.46 Sacrifice might be offered Aaron with incense stood betweene the dead and the liuing when the plague of God was vpon Israel and staid his wrath ãâ¦ã Dauid sheathed the sword of the punishing Angel with a Sacrifice on the threshing floore of Araunah Hezechias expiated the Idolatry of his Fathers time yea and by Iob it seemeth that the wrath of ãâã may be preuented too for he sacrficed lest peraduenture his sonnes ãâ¦ã Hasphemed But God would not exempt them by any Sacrifice ãâã the Magistrate he left their soules to take benefit of the dayly ãâ¦ã and their bodies to publike iustice who were disturbers of the ââââlike peace either of Church or Common-weale Where by the way you may learne how holy God would haue his people that in cases where the Magistrate could not touch them would haue them touched in conscience and by Sacrifice seeke their peace with God and not giue the same priuiledge to their heauenly estate as he did vnto the worldly But to apply this vnto King Dauids case and therein to see the
when two or three are gathered together in my name I am a mongst them Wee pray that wee may receiue grace and when wee haue receiued grace what temaineth but that we giue glorieâ and wee shall giue glorie as we receiued grace imperfectly here on earth because our grace is imperfect but when our grace is perfect then shall wee giue glorie perfectly to God in the Kingdome of Heauen and of that glory which is giuen in the Church Triumphant doe many of the Fathers vnderstand this place Finally marke a blessed accord betweene Gods acceptance and mans thankfulnesse it is an vncomfortable thing to serue and not to be regarded but if any thing will encourage it is this Math. 25. that we shall heare Euge serue bone well done seruant faithfull and true enter into thy Masters ioy Wherefore let vs hearten our selues that God will accept and knowing that let vs doe our best to please I am come to the end of of my Text and withall to the end of the Psalme but God forbid your profit should end with my paines S. Austin thought that euery man should sing ouer this Psalme euery day and act a penitent as King Dauid did And indeed which of vs may presume better of himselfe then King Dauid had cause and who may not desire if he be so bad to speed as well as King Dauid did Hee began at Miserere fell as low in his humiliation as a mortall man can doe but you see how hee endeth his humiliation was not so low but his exaltation was as high and his ioy proued as great as euer his sorrow was It is a witty obseruation which Saint Ambrose hath hee maketh this Psalme a Psalme of Iubile hee gathers his note from the number In the Septuagint which most of the Ancients follow this is accounted the fiftieth Psalme therefore doth that Father parallel it to the fiftieth yeare The fiftieth yeare was the yeare of Iubile to the Israelites wherein all debts were released bondslaues were set at liberty and hee that had sold it was repossest againe of his Inheritance And doth not that befall a man spiritually if he be penitent which the Israelites enioyed corporally yea verily He that was by sinne a slaue vnto Sathan by repentance is mad a free-man of God vpon our repentance are all our debt-obligations cancelled which wee haue either inherited or contracted Finally it returnes vs againe to Paradise out of which wee were cast for sinne a blessed comfort of Repentance and therfore a blessed vse may we make of this Psalme the Contents whereof is this vertue of Repentance And what can I wish you yea and my selfe also but that from the misery of sinners wee may ascend to to the glory of Saints and WEe thy humble Seruants beseech thee our Lord Iesu Christ Hieroms Prayer that thou wilt be indulgent to our grieuous sinnes and grant that being humbled by true contrition of heart and hauing mortified all our corrupt lusts we may be prepared as an acceptable Holocaust vn to thee and with the Angels sing for euer Haleluiah Haleluiah So the Arabiâ ends this Psalme Haleluiah in the Kingdome of Heauen ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã NINE SERMONS On the two and twentith CHAPTER of the Gospell according to S. MATHEW The 34 35 36 37 38 39 40. VERSES BY The Right Reuerend Father in God ARTHVRE LAKE late Bishop of that See LONDON Printed by W. S. for Nathaniel Butter 1629. NINE SERMONS ON THE TWO AND TWENTITH Chapter of the Gospell according to Saint MATTHEW the 34 35 36 37 38 39 40. VERSES THE TEXT 34. But when the Pharisees had heard that Iesus had put the Sadduces to silence they were gathered together 35. Then one of them which was a Lawyer asked him a Question tempting him and saying 36. Master What is the great Commandement 37. Iesus said vnto him Thou shalt Loue the Lord thy God with all thy Heart and with all thy Soule and with all thy Minde c. The first Sermon NO sooner had I ended the Doctrine of Repentance which I set before you in the example of King Dauid but it came into my mind that the next way to perswade any man to follow it was to teach him how he might best bee acquainted with his owne state For though it be true that euery man that knoweth himselfe to bee guiltie doth not repent yet it is as true that no man doth repent except he know himselfe to bee guiltie Now the Apostles rule is Rom 7 verââ Iam. 1. ver 23. that The knowledge of Sinne commeth by the Law the Law is a looking glasse wherein we may see what manner of Persons we are Whereupon I resolued to make the Law my next Text. Not that Law which was proper to the Iewes and was abolished by the Crosse of Christ the Ceremoniall and Politique But that Law which is common to all the World and shall neuer haue an end I meane the Morall Law which is contained in the ten Commandements And indeed they are the great store-house of cases of Conscience If euer a man be desirous to make a through inquirie into himselfe and giue vp against himselfe a true verdict they will set his Sinne most clearely before his eyes and lay it most powerfully to his charge They will But not so well except a man be first prepared you must first learne a lesson that containeth the Beginning and the Ending of the Decalogue and that is Charitie all the ten Commandements spring from this roote and this is the fruit that we must reape from them all they begin from and they end in Charitie this Charitie is the Argument of those words that now I haue read vnto you and the Text is nothing but a Preparatiue to the ten Commandements Let vs come then to it The whole doth containe a Conference betweene our Sauiour Christ and a Pharisee wherein it was to appeare whether of the two had more skill in Gods Law In breaking it vp I will consider the Occasion and the Argument The Occasion as giuen was Christs conquest of the Sadduces he had put them to silence as taken was the malice of the Pharisees they were so vexed therewith that they no sooner heard it but Conuenerunt they conspired to set vpon Christ this was the occasion Thus farre the Pharisee goeth I meane to goe no farther at this time in vnfolding the Text I will begin then with the occasion first as it was giuen Christ in a dispute had foyled the Sadduces the Text saith Hee had put the Sadduces to silence Here we must learne first what these Sadduces were they were a Sect sprung vp amongst the Iewes I will briefely relate their originall as the Hebrew storie hath it Antigonus Sochaeus not long after the dayes of Nehemiah was the chiefe Rabbin in the great Synagogue at Ierusalem Drusius de tribus sectis Iudaeorum who grauely instructing his Disciples is said amongst other words to
parts which are the two Commandements of Loue. Then ioyntly we will see how these contents can be so fully inlarged as to take vp those parts the two Commandements all the Law and the Prophets and those two parts so contracted as not to exceed these contents all the Law and the Prophets not to exceed the two Commandements for the Text saith they doe all hang vpon the Commandements These be the particulars which I shall now God willing inlarge and apply briefly and in their order The first is the parts of the Bible When I speake of the Bible I meane the old Testament there was no more extant when Christ conuersed here on earth the rest was added after his Ascension Now you shall find all the Bookes of the old Testament concluded sometimes vnder one name that is either the Law or the Law of Moses or the Prophets and as Saint Peter speaketh the sure word of the Prophets Sometimes the Bookes are diuided Christ diuideth them two wayes Once into three parts the Law the Prophets the Psalmes often into two Luke 24. in the Parable of Diues and Lazarus Luke 16. They haue Moses and the Prophets and in his commendations of Saint Iohn the Baptist The Law and the Prophets prophesied vntill Iohn which is also found Luke 24. Where it is said that Christ taught the two Disciples that were going to Emmaus out of the Law and the Prophets and this diuision so familiar to Christ is vsed in this place I am not ignorant that there are many other diuisions collected by the learned out of Iewish and Christian Writers but I will not trouble you with them I haue shewed you those that are in the new Testament and of them I will open this vnto you The first branch is the Law By a Law is vnderstood that obligation vnto dutie which is laid by those that haue autoritie vpon reasonable creatures Of Lawes there are two sorts that which is called the Law of Nature and that which is called positiue Law The Law of Nature was concreated with a reasonable Soule and was to be in her the nursery of all kind of vertues or honestie of life it is that which is commonly knowne by the name of the Morall Law And the things that are prescribed therein are Praecepta quia bona they are commanded because they are good good in their owne Nature they are properly called Vertues Therefore is this Law immutable vndispensable it binds all Nations and in all Ages It is true that sinne hath much impaired our knowledge of and obedience to it yet there remayneth enough in the ruines of our Nature to make euen Infidels vnexcusable at the Day of Iudgement as Saint Paul teacheth Rom 2. The second kind of Law is called Positiue this is made vpon such things as are in their owne nature indifferent the vse whereof notwithstanding is fit to be ordered by the wisdome of the Law-giuer as is most expedient for the State Now a State doth vndergoe a double consideration of a Church and of a Common Weale therefore the Lawes are of two sorts those that concerne the Church are called Ecclesiasticall and those are called Ciuill which concerne the Common Weale These Lawes containe Bona quia praecepta being in their owne Nature indifferent they are made vnto those that are subiect to the Iurisdiction not indifferent in their vse by reason that that is limited by a Law So that although if there were no Law a thing indifferent might be done or left vndone might be done this way or that way yet the libertie is taken away when a restraint is laid vpon vs by those that haue Authoritie Notwithstanding this kind of Law whether Ecclesiasticall or Ciuill is mutable is dispensable yet so that none can change it none can dispense with it but hee that maketh it according to the rule of the Law Eius est destruere cuius est construere none can abrogate but he that doth enact except he haue some lawfull superiour What you haue heard of Law is most true of Moses Law with which we haue now to doe for that is the most exact Sampler of all Lawes I meane Lawes of publike Gouernments of States for wee haue nothing to doe now with the Lawes of Arts Sciences and of Tradesmens Corporations In Moses Law then you shall find first the Law of Nature that is in the Decalogue or the ten Commandements the exactest Morall Law that euer was penned for neuer did any so strictly as that doth search into man and commend the perfection of vertue vnto him yea command his conformitie vnto it As for Positiue Lawes Moses hath deliuered both sorts The Ecclesiasticall or those that frame the Israelites to an outward deuotion beseeming that Church in the religious worship of God commonly called the Ceremoniall Law Besides which he hath also deliuered Ciuill Lawes such as were fit to order the Common Weale of the Israelites commonly called his Politique Lawes Though we may not denie that there bee in him some Ceremoniall Lawes that haue reference to the Ciuill Policie or the second Table of the Decalogue and some Politique Lawes that haue reference to the first Table and worship of God Neither may we forget touching Positiue Lawes that they are all attendant vpon the Law of Nature the Ecclesiasticall or Ceremoniall vpon the first Table the Politique or Ciuill attend vpon the Second And let this suffice concerning the first Branch The Law The second Branch is the Prophets The originall of a Prophet amongst the Israelites you shall find in Moses to haue beene this Deut. 17. When God had deliuered the Law by his owne mouth the people were so affrighted with the Maiestie of his presence that they desired they might not heare God speake any more thereupon God promised that he would rayse vnto them a Prophet of their Brethren whom they should heare His Office was to supply the defects and defaults of the Priest For the Priests lips were to preserue knowledge and the people were to aske the Law at his mouth moreouer in the difficulties and distresses of the Church they were to consult God by the Vrim and Thummin and deliuer his Oracles But the Priests did quickly degenerate they intended principally the beneficiall part of their seruice which were Sacrifices as for the doctrinall they cared not much for that Wherefore God raysed vp Prophets and by them refresht the peoples memories concerning his Lawes and though they had some thing answerable to the Vrim and Thummin that is they did deliuer diuine Oracles yet if you marke them well those Oracles doe containe little besides the gracious promises that are made vnto them that obserue the Law and serue to encourage them to doe well or the Iudgements that are threatned to the transgressors of the Law and serue to deterre them from doing euill Although wee may not denie that the corporall blessings and curses were shadowes of spirituall and the
what these two Commandements enioyned vs is by Christ fulfilled for vs. Saint Pauls wordes sound that way Rom. 8. That which was impossible for the Law by reason of the weaknesse of our flesh God sending his Sonne in the similitude of sinfull flesh and for sin condemed sin in the flesh Math. 5.17 Rom 10.4 Gal. 3 2â that the righteousnesse of the Law might be fulfilled in vs and Christ saith I came not to abolish the Law but to fulfill it and he is the end of the Law and the Law a Pedagogue to Christ But Hilarie hath a good Rule Sensus dictorum sumendus est ex causis dicendorum Christs words are an Answere and therefore must bee vnderstood sutably to the Question Now the Question was touching that which was enioyned vs therefore the Answere is not to bee thought to extend farther And doubtlesse the Questionist thought nothing of the Gospell for how should hee thinke vpon that whereof he had no knowledge Wherefore in contracting of those parts wee must include no more then that dutie which is enioyned vs by the Law as it is contradistinct to the Gospell and all that is contained herein Yea Saint Austin was conceited that not only God did worke the Law and the Prophets out of this ground but that the very Heathen also wrought all their allowable Moralitie and Policie out of it Neither is there any point of this kinde in Christian Religion which may not bee fetched out of Heathen Writers Not that any one of them hath all the Rules but that there is no Rule which may not bee found in some one of them I except alwayes the Rules of the Gospell Whereupon it followeth that Reason it selfe acknowledgeth the truth of all those Rules I will not be so confident as to affirme that the Heathens did euer acknowledge all that I haue opened on these two Commandements a glimpse they had of most of it the writings of Plato Seneca others doe testifie as much the fragments of the twelue Tables which are the foundation of the Ciuill Law and the bodie thereof testifie how farre Reason hath gone But I hasten to an end You haue heard a Lesson which is recommended vnto vs in Christs Answere I told you it is a briefe of the Bible the whole is no more in effect then Loue God aboue all things and thy Neighbour as thy selfe a short lesson you would thinke but it is a very hard one whether you respect the proper worke of Loue or the workes which it commands The reason is partly in our Ignorance which doth not easily learne our dutie and partly in our Concupiscence which hinders vs from doing that which we know from these two impediments no meere man euer was free De perfect Iustit ad Coelest 1. Cor 13. since the fall of Adam neither is it likely any man shall bee vntill the end of the World Wherefore Saint Austin is of opinion that our intire obedience is reserued for our state in Heauen When that which is perfect is come then shall that which is imperfect be done away Saint Paul speaketh it of Charitie which shall not be abolished in Heauen but consummated where wee shall loue God though not quantum diligibilis in se yet quantum ab homine and our Neighbour as our selfe But Saint Austin giueth a good Rule why these Commandements were giuen I am ante praecipitur quia non recte curritur si quo currendum nescitur quomodo autem sciretur si nullis praeceptis ostenderetur Therefore wee must vnderstand the Commandements aright wee are wayfaring men and these Lawes trace out the way which we must goe to Heauen Wee I meane as many as are faithfull For to vs is the Law giuen and some steps must we make herein euery day that wee may bee the forwarder to our iournies end So all our worke should proceed from it and the Loue of God should order our life especially with that we should be principally affected and coldly with other things in comparison of that 1. Cor. 7. v. 31. Vse the world as if we vsed it not If a man bee perplext in his deliberation how hee should carrie himselfe because the profound disputes of Moralitie exceed his capacitie let him hearken to the good counsell of an ancient Father Noli per multa tre nec discendi terreat te ramorum diffusio radicem tene de magnitudine arboris noli cogitare A man may rid himselfe of much trouble in resoluing his conscience what to doe if hee season his Heart well with the Loue of God and of his Neighbour I meane not that he should refuse other helpes if hee may haue them but the more hee hath of this the lesse he will need other ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that makes vs obey out of feare this out of goodnesse The Papists abuse this Text for they say this is one of the directories of the Church whereby shee may supply her Traditions but it warrants no supply of the Morall Law much lesse of Articles of Faith though if it be reasonably vsed it may extend to positiue Lawes Lastly seeing all hang on these two Commandements none can crie nesciebam I knew not what to doe But I draw to an end In the Hebrew Bibles the first Characters of these two Commandements are extraordinary great whether by the appointment of Esdras when he digested the Bible or by the Authours of the Mazoreth when they set downe the various lections I will not dispute of this wee may bee sure that whosoeuer was the Authour hee meant we should take notice of these as most remarkable Commandements Not such notice as the Iewes take who write them in schedules and weare and reade them as Amulets to keepe from them all euill which superstition diuers Christians did imitate in Saint Hieromes dayes hanging about their neckes little Gospels In Matth. c ââ But that Father saith well that caskets and closets may hold our Bibles and be neuer the better for them they are the better for Scripture who lay it vp in their hearts and this God meant the Iewes should dâe when he bade them bind his Lawes as frontlets about their heads Deut. 6. and bracelets about their armes hee would haue them in all their wayes thinke vpon them and be euer exercising themselues in them and not to vse the ceremonie only forgetting the substance And I pray God these Commandements may be such frontlets on our eyes as God meant and not such as the Iewes vsed Charitie is the end of the Law the fulfilling of the Law 1 Tim 1.5 Rom 13.10 Col. 3.14 as Saint Paul speakes in imitation of Christ the bond of perfection the way of life yea the superexcellent way all these commendations the Scripture giueth it But beyond all commendations goeth that which Christ giueth it in my text Vpon it hang all the Law and the Prophets Wherefore owe nothing to any but this
the Israelites abound both with meate and drinke there that wildernesse was to them as commodious as a paradise they had showres of bread from heauen and streames of water from the rocke God that prouided so for their bodies in so desolate a place prouided no worse for their Soules whose condition was by nature as barren as the wildernesse They were to conceiue that his Law was to bee vnto them a spirituall Manna and a spirituall Drinke that streamed from the rocke Christ they were to repute it the bread and water of life Learne the Allegorie out of Esay The wildernesse and the solitarie place shall be glad for them Cap 35. v. 172. the Desert shall reioyce and blossome as the Rose it shall blossome abundantly and reioyce euen with ioy and singing the glorie of Lebanon shall be giuen vnto it the excellencie of Carmell and Sharon Cap. 44. ver 3. they shall see the glorie of the Lord and the excellencie of our God And againe more plainely I will powre out water vpon him that is thirstie and flouds vpon the drie ground I will powre my spirit vpon thy seed and my blessing vpon thine off-spring I will adde one reason more Reuel 12. Heb. 11. the Church is oftentimes by Tyrants driuen to flee into the wildernesse Gods children are made to wander in Deserts and in Dennes and Caues of the earth but God giuing his Law in the wildernesse biddeth vs bee of good courage for there is no place so desolate in worldly respects but God will not onely be there with his but will there also open vnto them the treasures of his wisedome and receiue their Deuotions Wherefore though I walke in the middest of the valley of the shadow of death I will feare no euill thou O Lord wilt be with me thy rod and thy staffe shall comfort me Psal 23. It was not onely a wildernesse wherein God gaue his Law but the wildernesse of Sinai there were more wildernesses then one through which they passed all the countrie from the Red-Sea to the Holy-land is wildernesse therefore in their Trauels wee read of the wildernesse of Sur of Sin of Pharan and here of Sinai which was in Madian for there Moses dwelt and fed his Father in-lawes sheepe when God first appeared vnto him Gal. 4. ver 25. But more distinctly we learne of Saint Paul that Sinai is a Mountaine in Arabia And whereas there are three Arabia's Felix Deserta and Petraea this was the last of the three and it was through that their way lay into Canaan that compasseth the South and South-east part of the Holy-land Sinai a Mountaine in this Arabia did denominate the wildernesse that lay about it But whence was it denominated it selfe Surely the word in the originall signifieth a bramble bush Some histories report that there are such brambles there that a Bird cannot light on them but hee will loose all his feathers I leaue the truth of that to the reporter Of this we are sure that there was a Bush there wherein God appeared to Moses in a flame of fire and from that bush it is most likely that this hill was named as all the rest of their stations beare Hebrew names For from whom should they learne how to call them that had no body there besides themselues But God was pleased that that hill should keepe a perpetuall remembrance of his apparition in the bush because the bush was such an excellent embleme of his Church A double embleme First noting that though we by nature are as fruitlesse and hurtfull as brambles Heb. 12.19 and God is a consuming fire Yet that consuming fire can bee so gracious as to abide in this vnworthy plant of the wildernesse and not to consume it Secondly what himselfe will not consume abiding in it that no fierie triall shall consume be the wicke I neuer so much enraged against it I will not trouble you with the tradition that you shall read in some that there are stones to be found about this Hill which if you breake in memorie of this bush you shall find in them the print of a bush Of this we are sure Exed 3 ver 4. Antiq lib. 2. that in honour of this bush Moses calleth the Hill though vnder another name Horeb which was a part of Sinai Montem Domini in honour I say of this bush Although Iosephus saith that before God appeared there to Moses vulgari rumore creditum numen ibi habitare it was commonly reported that God frequented that place and so was it inâââ ssâââlis propter Religionem men durst not ascend into the top of it not onely because it was an exceeding high mountaine so high that men could not see to the top of it but also for the reuerence that men did beare to some Diuine power that was thought to abide there This conceit though it may haue some colour from the third of Exodus because it is called the Hill of God before the storie is reported of Gods appearing in the bush yet we must know that anticipations in giuing names are vsuall in Scripture especially where stories are written long after the euents are past and Moses seemeth to controule that conceite of Iosephus in the blessing which he giueth to the Tribe of Ioseph Deut. 33. ver 16 for the good will of him that dwelt in the bush let the blessing come vpon the head of Ioseph dwelt he saith not dwelleth teaching vs that it was a transient not a permââent abode Exod. 2 5. And God meaneth no more when he biddeth Moses put off his shoes because the ground whereon he ââood was holy ground Holy when God was present but when God departed the holinesse ceased although the title continued euen in the dayes of Elias but that was in a mysterie that God 1. Reg. 19. âer 8 would in the very same place haue the Prophet report the foule breach of his couenant where his couenant was first made with Israel This maketh little for any countenance of pilgrimage to the Holy-land for God himselfe said that of an holy he would make it a prophane place because the Israelites had polluted it with their sinne But I will not trouble you with that point This I may not omit that God gaue his Law vpon a Hill As Hell was shadowed in the valley of Hinnom which was a very deepe place so heauen is vsually figured by hils places lifted vp high aboue the earth And such places were anciently designed for sacred vses whether God reuealed himselfe to men or men performed their deuotions to God The places are obuious in the Old Testament and in the New Sion Gibeon in the old the mount where Christ made his Sermon where he was transfigured in the New Testament c. To speake a little to the day Christ ascended this day in his Person and we in good time shall ascend in ours But there is an ascension which must goe
God many enormous sinnes had neuer beene committed neither would the people so familiarly shift their Religion at the becke of their superiour But aboue all vsurpations of Gods glorie in this kind take notice of the Votiue blind obedience of the Religious Romanists especially of the Iesuites they make it a part of their solemne profession and put it in practise impiously and mischieuously as the world hath palpaple and woful proofe True it is that they pretend good limitations set to their Vow as that the superiour must not be obeyed against Gods Law and the law of Nature but while they make the superiour the interpreter of both these Lawes and that they must rest in their superiours Voice as in the Voice of Christ what they abhorre in words that they commit in deeds they commit many things both against the Law of God and nature And in generall all Papists that hold the Popes infallabilitie taking from him the resolution of our faith and manners how doe they serue God against Gods will and massacre Gods seruants out of an erroneous zeale for Gods glorie Let the conclusion then of this point be that no man may dispute or resist any voice of God but withall he doth challenge Gods Truth and his Power and whosoeuer requires absolute credit and obedience to all his words he vsurpes Gods Attributes which are incommunicable that is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Vnerring Truth and Vncontrowable Power And so haue you the first of those things which God doth require which is Obedience The second followeth which is Fidelitie Israel must keepe the Couenant of God a Couenant is a solemne contract made betweene diuers persons and Gods Couenant is the contract that is made betweene him and his Church in those termes I will bee your God and you shall be my people But of Couenants there are two sorts Foedus aequum and Faedus iniquum as the Ciuilians speake Foedus aequum is that which is made betweene persons that are of equall ranke whereof one is not superiour to the other Foedus iniquum is that which is made betweene persons that are impari iure of vnequall ranke whereof the one is superiour to the other When we speake of Gods Couenant made with man wee must not conceiue that that the persons are equall they are very vnequall there is no proportion betweene them neither can there be betweene an infinite and a finite person this must be obserued in the very first Couenant that euer God made the Couenant of the Creation for then the Persons differed as the Creator and Creature there was oddes betweene them Secondly as there may bee oddes betweene the persons that enter into a Couenant so there may haue beene before they enter into the Couenant no enmitie or no great enmitie betweene them Nations that neuer were at warre may enter into Couenant one to strengthen himselfe by the other or one to haue the freer commerce with the other but oftentimes it fals out that Leagues put an end vnto quarrels and Couenants are the securitie of a reconciliation and open the intercourse of mutuall good offices which war shut vp Though the Couenant of the Creation had no precedent enmitie yet that of the Redemption had and therefore it is called not only ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a Couenant but also ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a Reconciliation when we were enemies Christ died for vs and by his bloud was the New Testament ratified Thirdly the Couenant primarily here meant is the Decalogue on those Ten Words did God make a Couenant with Israel and the Tables wherein they were written were called the Tables of the Couenant 1 eut 9 11. the Arke wherein the Tables were put is called the Arke of the Couenant 1. Reg 8.1 and the Tabernacle wherein the Arke was was called the Tabernacle of the Couenant But this Couenant of the Decalogue hath a double consideration whereof the one is Intrinsicall the other is Extrinsicall the Intrinsicall is that which looketh to the naturall power of the Law which is to discouer sinne to conuict a sinner and to doome him according to his desert the Extrinsicall consideration is that which looketh to the supernaturall power of the Law and that is to be a Schoolemaster to bring vs vnto Christ who is the end of the Law and came to fulfill it To shadow this double consideration the Decalogue was cloathed with the Ceremoniall Law wherein the offerer imposing hands vpon the Sacrifice did confesse himselfe guiltie and the slaying of the Beast shewed the desert of a sinner thus there appeared what is the naturall power of the Law The supernaturall power also appeared in the ceremonies in that the offerer vnburthened himselfe vpon the Sacrifice as a sinner doth vpon our Sauiour Christ and that by the death of the beast the offerer was exempted from death as men are deliuered from death by the death and passion of our Sauiour Christ Wherefore though the Couenant of the Redemption bee but one yet in regard of the shadow it is called the Old and in regard of the substance the New You haue seene what is the Couenant of God you must now learne what it is to keepe it First wee must learne to obserue our distance though God doe vs the honour to contract with vs yet must not we presume to equall our selues to God for so shall wee betray our ignorance that we know not of what kind the Couenant is we must therefore discerne the inequalitie of the Persons that haue contracted and wee must confesse how low God hath descended that hath vouchsafed to take vs into so neere a reference As in keeping the Couenant wee must obserue our distance so must we not be vnmindfull of the danger which we haue escaped thereby he that considereth not that he stood at Gods mercie when hee was receiued to grace that he was by merit a firebrand of Hell when by mercie he was designed to be a Saint in Heauen cannot as he ought keepe the Couenant of God Now the Decalogue wherein this Couenant standeth hath a double consideration therefore he that will keepe Gods Couenant must make vse of both First he must make vse of the Intrinsecall consideration and of euery branch thereof by the Law commeth the knowledge of sinne therefore that he may haue a true iudgemement of the nature differences and degrees of sinnes he must be well conuersant in the Decalogue he must not trust to Morall Philosophie to Ciuill Constitutions and Customes to Pharisaicall or Papisticall Traditions these are but imperfect guides in such inquiries Only Gods Couenant can tell what is and what is not finne Moses is the best Casuist Secondly he must often suruey himselfe at this glasse of the Law and there find the excesses and defects of his life no other thing can represent them so truly as this will doe this Glasse will neither flatter nor deforme vs our consciences
directed hereby will returne a true verdict and indict vs of no lesse sinne then we haue committed Thirdly as a man must conuict himselfe according to the Law so according to the Law must hee doome himselfe acknowledge whatsoeuer is due to a wretched sinner what place what state what worme what fire what losse what paine that all these are due vnto himselfe this Intrinsecall consideration of the Law must euery one haue that will obserue Gods Couenant But he must not rest here he must come on to the Extrinsecall the supernaturall Power of the Law whereat the Lawgiuer did finally aime man finding no innocencie in himselfe must seeke it in Christ hee must vnload his conscience vpon the propitiatorie Sacrifice and wash his garments white in the bloud of that Lambe through confidence in Christs death hee must insult against that death which is the wages of his sinne Rom 6. Finally what was impossible for the Law by reason of the weaknesse of his flesh Rom. 8. this must be his comfort that God sending his owne Sonne in the likenesse of sinfull flesh and for sinne condemned sinne in the flesh that the righteousnesse of the Law might bee fulfilled in vs who walke not after the flesh but after the spirit You see what it is to keepe the Couenant of God I may not omit the reason why God calleth it his Couenant and the reason is twofold First because we being inferiours and enemies could not prescribe any Articles to God but were to take such as he was pleased to prescribe both to himselfe and vs so that though there be two parties to the Conenant yet is there but one that proscribes And we may well be content with it for being in that case that we were in wee could not haue wisht for so much as God hath done for vs. A second Reason is because in point of Religion couenanting with any other is forbidden God brooketh not that he hauing appropriated himselfe as it were vnto vs wee should communicate vnto others the honour that is due to him The Couenant of God is of the nature of those leagues which require intire offensiue and defensiue seruice we must haue to doe with no others but for the Lord and in the Lord. I draw to an end Let vs lay together the two parts of the Text and so you may learne two good lessons That which in the former part is called Gods voice is in the later part called Gods Couenant the later name sweetens the former the first is imperious the second is gratious and who would not heare that voice the argument whereof is nothing but Gods wonderfull fauour though the pride of our nature be impatient to be commanded yet can it not chuse but take it for a great honour that wee are contracted with by the Soueraigne Lord of Heauen and Earth that we are contracted with about our heauenly aduancement and our euerlasting emolument Our second Lesson is That seeing to heare Gods Voice is to keepe his Couenant the breach of our dutie is not only Sin but Persidiousnesse our euill deseruing of God is aggrauated by Gods well deseruing of vs which we should well obserue for if we haue not lost all ingenuitie the due consideration hereof will worke in vs the deeper remorse for sinne past and be vnto vs the stronger preseruatiue against sinne to come Adde a third Lesson that hearing the Voice is put before keeping the Couenant because that is a meanes vnto this for we cannot keepe Gods Couenant but by the grace which we receiue by hearing his Voice I will end with the Prayer of King Dauid TEach me Psal 119 33 34 O Lord the way of thy statutes and I shall keep it vnto the end giue me vnderstanding and I shall keepe thy Law yea I shall obserue it with my whole heart The fourth Sermon EXODVS 19. VERS 5 6. Then shall yee be a peculiar treasure vnto mee aboue all people for all the earth is mine And yee shall be vnto me a Kingdome of Priests and an holy Nation IN the message which God sent by Moses to Israel testifying vpon what tearmes he would couenant with them there are as heretofore I haue obserued two remarkabe points the first teaching What God doth require the second What God doth offer And these points must be considered first in themselues wee must see what they meane then betweene themselues we must see how the one depends vpon the other I haue handled the first of these points I haue shewed you what God requires of Israel he requires their absolute obedience and their constant fidelitie that they heare his voice indeed and that they keepe his Couenant It followeth that I now come on to the second point that I shew you what God offers and that which he offers vnto Israel is a gracious Prerogatiue A Prerogatiue is some great good vouchsafed vs wherein wee exceed others and in Gods offer there is a manifold good contained This good is first specified then it is amplified In specifying it God doth first resemble it he telleth the Israelites they shall bee a pecullar treasure Then he brancheth it into a double blessing an eminencie of their state They shall be a Kingdome of Priests and a Sanctitie of their persons They shall be an holy Nation These blessings so specified are also amplified in the words Eritis mihi yee shall be to me It is a great blessing to be a peculiar treasure to be a royall Priesthood to be an holy Nation but to he any of these how much more to bee all these vnto God doth not a little improue our blessing You see the Good is great which they are vouchsafed But wee doe not yet see that the hauing of it is a Prerogatiue It becomes then such if it be not a common good and if therein wee goe beyond others and such is Israels blessing that which God will vouchsafe them to be they shall be aboue all other Nations The offer you see doth containe a Prerogatiue But this Prerogatiue is moreouer Gracious gracious whether you respect the Receiuer or the Giuer the receiuer vos yee persons of no worth the giuer God that hath no want all the earth is mine in so litle worth of theirs and lesse want of Gods to honour them so farre must needs be a worke of Grace I haue laid before you Gods offer All Saints day it deserues your attentiue listning vnto it the day which we solemnize putteth vs in mind of our interest therein and wee may become all Saints because this gracious Prerogatiue is offered to vs all Wherefore that we may partake it let our diligent eares quicken the desire of our hearts to entertaine these particulars which I shall now vnfold vnto you briefly and in their order I begin with the Prerogatiue The Good therein offered is first resembled vnto a peculiar treasure Of the goods which a man hath if a man haue much goods
sight of the eye is the sight of the whole bodie but ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in possession it was neuer Basil lib â de Baptismo Aug de Ciuit Deiliâ 20 cap. 10. Leo de anniuersaria assumptione Serm. 3. no more then the whole bodie could euer see Wee must not then confound the Hierarchicall and the Mysticall Priesthood no more then we may the externall and the internall Kingdome each must keepe within his bounds And as we must in our priuate be religious as Priests in seruing God so wee must not without a lawfull calling and a mans lawfull calling is not as Anabaptists dreame his owne conceited abilitie but a Mission and Commission from lawfull Superiours without such a Calling I say we may not intermeddle with Pastorall Functions Finally the publike Kings and Priests must neither of them abuse these titles neither of them must wrest this place The Romanists are carefull to remember Kings that they play not Priests they amplifie Vzziahs example that was stricken with Leprosie for being so presumptuous I would they did aswell remember Christs speech whose Vicar the Pope claymes to be Iohn 18.36 Luke 12.14 My kingdome is not of this world and that Man who made me a Iudge to diuide inheritances they would not so often being Priests vsurpe vpon the sword But let them take heed Christ told Saint Peter Math. 26.52 and they will find it one day true The Priest that medleth with the sword shall perish by the sword the Kings ouer whom the Pope hath long tyrannized shall one day worke his ruine And thus much of the Eminencie of the Churches state I come now to the Sanctitie of their persons Israel shall be an holy nation and indeed Kings who are Priests such as you haue heard described how can they chuse but bee Holy especially seeing the persons that communicate in those titles are the First-borne Exod. 13. for the First-borne by the Law were holy to the Lord. And what is the oyle wherewith they were anointed Exod 30. Cap. 2 Cap. 1 18. but oleum sanctitatis holy oyle what are their persons but Temples of the Holy Ghost Ieremie calleth them Gods first-fruits and Saint Iames telleth vs that all Christians are a kind of first-fruits to God 2 Cor. 11.2 Ephes 5 27. The Church is by the Apostle said to be a chast virgin without spot or wrinkle in the Reuelation the Spouse is clothed in fine white linnen Reuel 19 8. Esay 26. which is the righteousnesse of Saints in the Prophet she is called The land of righteousnesse finally in our Creed the holy Catholike Church âsal 101. King Dauid required vertue in his seruants He that walketh in a perfect way he shall serue mee how much more God To whom the Psalmist speaketh thus Lord who shall dwell in thy Tabernacle who shall abide vpon thy holy hill God answereth Hee that leadeth an vncorrupt life c. But what is Holinesse Origen will teach vs the holinesse of a man must be conceiued as the holinesse of a beast a vessell a vestment now those things were separated from prophane vses and dedicated to sacred so must a man be first seperated from earth and earthly things he must not set his affections vpon them though he be in the world Col. 3.2 Iohn 17. yet hee must not be of the world hee must not loue the world nor the things in the world the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life 1. Iohn 2.15 Ephes 5.11 he must haue no fellowship with the vnfruitfull workes of darknesse This is his separation the first branch of Holinesse The second is Dedication his life must be deuoted vnto God Christianitie is an imitation of the Diuine Nature a reducing of himselfe to the Image of God in which he was created 2. Pet. 1. Ephes 4. 1. Pet. 2. to righteousnesse and holines of truth a shewing forth of the vertues of him that hath called vs into his maruellous light If a man professe himselfe to be a Painter and take vpon him to make the picture of a King and mis-shape him doth hee not deserue iust blame yes surely for hee occasioneth strangers to thinke meanly of the Kings person because of his ill fauoured portraiture and shall a Christian escape punishment whose life is to be a visible representation of Christ if Infidels blaspheme Christ while they iudge of him according to his counterfeit hee shall not Wherefore faciamus de terra coelum faith Saint Chrysostome In Matth. 12. Tem. 2 p. 332. let vs represent Heauen in earth let vs so liue as that men may say that God is in vs of a truth Let our light so shine before men that they may see our good workes and glorisie our Father which is in Heauen Holinesse is the true characterizing qualitie of a Christian it distinguisheth betweene the faithfull Iust Martyr ad Diognât p. â97 ãâã in Apolog. p. 61. and infidell they differ not in place in apparell in diet c. but in charitie in pietie in obedience in patience in euery Christian vertue whatsoeuer shew a man make if he want these vertues he is but like the Iuglers Ape which being attired like a reasonable creature and dancing curiously to his Masters instrument deceiued the people of Alexandria vntill one espying the fraud threw a few Dates vpon the Stage which the Ape no sooner espied but he tore all his vizard and fell to bis victuals to the scorne of his Master which gaue occasion to the Prouerbe An Ape is an Ape though hee bee clad neuer so gaily Nyssen applies it vnto men that call themselues Christians professe that they know God Tom. 2. de professione Christiana and that their hope is in Heauen but no sooner doth any vanitie come in their way but their heart doth betray where there treasure is but let them remember the Prouerbe It is a snare for a man to deuoure that which is holy Origen applies it to the sacriledge that a man committeth that vowed himselfe in Baptisme to the Lord and giueth himselfe vnto the World I conclude this point with Gods words in the Law Lenit 11.44 Math. 5 4â Be yee holy for I am holy and with Christs words in the Gospell Bee yee perfect as your Father in Heauen is perfect sinne must not raigne in our mortall bodies because we are an holy Nation You see how the Good which God offereth to Israel is specified you must next heare how it is amplified that appeares in the words Eritis mihi As the Proprietarie is so doth the value of a thing rise hee addeth to the worth at least to the esteeme thereof though man only to the esteeme yet God also to the worth for hee can proportion the creatures worth answerable to his esteeme he whose glorie shineth in the heauens and handie worke in the firmament doth declare his glorie much more in the
quaerenda in hac vita what God is is a lesson for the life to come in this life it is enough for vs to learne what Gods will is A second mysterie in the Cloud is that it agreeth well with the reuelations of the Old Testament Gal. 4. for God appeared then in shadowes and figures there was a vaile cast ouer the Law which was figured in the vaile wherewith Moses couered his face 2. Cor. 3. So that though the Church in the Old Testament had much more knowledge then the rest of the world for they had sauing knowledge as appeareth Heb. 11. Yet he that is least in the Kingdome of God saith Christ is greater then Iohn Baptist notwithstanding that he was greater then any Prophet of the Old Testament A third mysterie is the condition of the Law Chap. 33. which in Deuteronomic is called a fierie Law very piercing and very scorching it enters farre in searching of a mans conscience it is a discerner of the thoughts I had neuer knowne Heb. 4.12 Rom. 7.7 saith Saint Paul that lust is sinne had not the Law said thou shalt not lust As the Law is piercing because fierie so is it scorching also it vexeth and tormenteth their consciences whom it findeth guiltie it is a burden too heauie for the best of vs to beare Acts 15. Saint Austine obserues well Breuis differentia Legis Euangelij timor amor although both these affections beseeme both Testaments and he that loueth must feare and he that feareth must loue yet Feare was preualent in the Old Testament and Loue is in the New We haue not saith Saint Paul receiued the spirit of bondage to feare Rom 8.15 which was the state of man vnder the Old Testament but we haue receiued the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father which is the libertie of the New Testament The same Apostle resembleth the different conditions of the Church vnder the two Testaments to the different conditions of a child when he is in nonage and when he is come to his full age Gal 4. while he is in his nonage though he be heire yet is he kept in awe and vnder a Pedagogue but when he commeth to full age his Father affords him a more chearefull countenance and more liberall maintenance Euen so vnder the Law the Church was kept vnder and scanted of grace but vnder the Gospel shee is more free and indued with a more plentifull measure of Gods holy Spirit Finally hereunto looketh the difference that Saint Paul maketh betweene Mount Sinai and Mount Sion Heb. 12. the terriblenesse of the one and the sweetnesse of the other I shall haue occasion to compare them before I come to the end of the Chapter By the mixture of the Cloud and of the Fire you may also conceiue a mixture of our knowledge of God as the light of the fire signifieth that he is in some good sort manifested vnto vs 1. Cor. 13 1â so doth the Cloud signifie that out knowledge is very imperfect wee see but as through a glasse darkly that which we know not of God is much more then that which we doe know Let this suffice for the manner I come now to the End which is twofold for God came first to grace Moses whom he designed Lawgiuer to Israel or rather Referendarie of that Law which himselfe would giue vnto them And hee graced him two wayes First in comming to him and not vnto them so saith the Text I will come to thee Moses was vpon the hill the people in the bottome now the Cloud came downe but to the top of the hill not into the bottome wherein there was no small grace done to the person of Moses in the sight of all the people God vouchsafed his presence only to him and not to the people The second grace is yet greater that in the hearing of the people God would speake with him for it is not here said that God did speake with them But that wee mistake not this grace which is done to Moses and giue him more honour then hereby was by God intended towards him we must obserue that though here we find no mention of Gods speaking with the people but only of his speaking with Moses yet Deut. 5. verse 5. Moses himselfe saith that God talked also with them and here we reade that God so talked with Moses as that he talked in the hearing of the people When here wee reade of Gods talking with Moses only without any mention of Gods talking with the people hereby the Holy Ghost intends to honour him with the Mediatour ship of the Old Testament that honour which Saint Paul giueth him when hee saith The Law was giuen by Angels in the band of a Mediatour But where Moses saith Deut. 5. that God talked with the people there the Holy Ghost would teach vs that God intended the Law to the people And out of both places compared together it followeth that the Law was committed to Moses to the end that the people might receiue it from him not only as hee should deliuer it in the two Tables but also as he should report vnto them by word of mouth And because they were to receiue Gods Law as he should report it that they might be sure hee brought them nothing but that which hee receiued from God therefore God vttered the Law to him in their hearing Whatsoeuer commeth from a man as a meere man will hardly worke vpon the conscience because of that knowne principle Omnis homo mendax men haue their errors and their priuate ends therefore their proiects are entertained with iealousie that they mistake or intend their owne good but if a Law be once knowne to be Gods pleasure we readily submit because we know he is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã hee can neither deceiue nor bee deceiued and hee hath absolute power to command Vpon this principle those famous Lawgiuers amongst the Heathen did make it their first labour to perswade their people that they had familiar colloquies with some diuine power by whom they were directed in their Law-giuing Minos with Iupiter Lycurgus with Apollo Numa with Aegeria c. Mahomet could neuer haue made his Alcoran so currant but by that notorious imposture of a Doue which had beene taught to come familiarly to his eare and which to the people hee pretended to bee the Holy Ghost Heretikes old and new haue had their Enthusiasticall guides Papisticall pretended apparitions and reuelations are much of this kind abuses of that sacred principle But to the point when God would establish the Canon both of the Old and New Testaments by two demonstrations hee shewed that they came from him the one of Miracle the other of Oracle So did hee establish that which the Church receiued by Moses First hee gaue him power to worke many Miracles which was a second proofe that he came from God for no man could doe
shewed whensoeuer wee approach God or haue to doe with sacred things That we may learne and practice it Let vs in the feare of God listen to that which I shall further say of these points briefly and in their order The first is Moses charge He must make a fence betweene the people and the Hill set bounds round about the People or as it is in the 23. verse He must sanctifie the Mountaine and make of it a Sanctuarie And indeed well might it so be reputed when it was couered with all the visible tokens of Gods maiesticall presence and if it be sanctified hereunto then it followeth it must be reuerend in our eyes and inuiolable by vs wee must not esteeme it as common ground nor make bold with it as if it were such Euerie man should know his distance and obserue it but ignorance in some and negligence in others are the causes why men left to themselues either know not what they should doe or doe not what they know God therefore in pitie of our ignorance and to hold in our vnrulinesse hath appointed those that shall set vs our bounds especially in things indifferent wherein presuming of lawfulnesse few will haue an eye to expediences The vulgar eye is not sharpe enough to discerne it neither is the vulgar heart plyable to the obseruance of it It is the worke of the Gouernour to remedie both these defects Neither onely in things indifferent but also in moralities for they are to make Lawes euen vpon the Law of nature and keepe vs to the doing of that which we would not doe though our Conscience suffer vs not to bee ignorant thereof because the morall Law is written in our hearts What man that hath not put off a man knoweth not that murder adulterie theft are sinnes And yet what more common in mens liues The commonnesse hath made it necessarie for all States to set bounds vnto their people in regard of these things And if in regard of Ciuill how much more of Ecclesiasticall things Men are neuer more lawlesse then in those things wherein you would exspect that euery man should especially bee a Law vnto himselfe that is in keeping his distance from God But herein also we need a Boundarie and God hath appointed those that must set it And who are they but such as Moses those that are set ouer vs For Moses must be considered here not onely as a messenger from God but also as a Ruler of the Israelites neither were they to heare him onely as a Counselour but as a commander his words did more then informe they did order their liues And in a word this is a principall branch of Magistracie to take away the common excuse of offenders which is Non putaram I wist not that this was my dutie and to direct them by Lawes before they call them to an account for their liues I will not here fall vpon the question which is much debated at this day whether Magistrates may set bounds vnto the people in causes Ecclesiasticall as well as Ciuill Onely take notice that here by an example we are taught that they may And let this suffice for Moses charge The Israelites charge is They must not presume to goe vp vnto the Mount And indeed a Boundarie were no Boundarie if it might bee passed You know by your ground that an Inclosure is no Inclosure if it may bee common how much more must this be conceiued of the Inclosure of God that Ground which he hath fenced vnto himselfe for a Sanctuarie If it be a trespasse to breake through your neighbours fence how much more through the fence of God This is Transgression indeed it is indeed Peccatum for that is quasi pecuatum playing the vnruly sheepe that will not be kept within his penne or to speake plainely with S. Iohn 1 Iohn 3 4. it is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the Transgression of Gods Law But God will not haue his people Sonnes of Belial such as cannot indure his yoake Psal 2. hee will not haue them like those insolent ones that say Let vs breake his bonds and cast his cords from vs. God hath giuen a Law to the sea saying Iob. 38. Hitherto shalt thou come and here thou shalt stay thy proud waues and the Sea passeth not the bounds which God hath set it How much lesse should we presume notwithstanding the swelling of our nature and the impetuous affections thereof God exspecteth we should checke the presumption of our nature But about all presumption we should take heed of that which is the highest going vp into the Mount prophaning of the Sanctuarie of God and ventring in sacred things farther then he giueth vs leaue Curiositie in this kind hath beene the mother of Heresies when men haue beene busily wittie in searching into rather then belieuing of that profound Article of the Trinitie Man that is not able to vnderstand his owne nature Dauid confesseth such knowledge is too wonderfull for him dreameth that hee can comprehend the nature of God ãâã 39. Others haue lost themselues while they haue diued into the mysteries of the Incarnation who are not able to vnderstand their owne regeneration Some ouer-studie themselues in the Booke of Gods prouidence and would know more then is possible for man to conceiue of Gods counsell in Predestination of the cooperation of grace in free-will c. Others climbe not so high but yet they goe to farre in determining the manner of the mysticall Vnion in the Sacrament and discouering of mysticall senses in many passages of the Scriptures To say nothing of the Iewish Cabalists of Astrologian diuinations of hereticall Reuelations and heathenish mysteries It is too cleare that what with the curious Cur Why of some and quomodo How of others there hath beene manifold passing the Bounds climbing the Mount and intrusions vpon God and the things of God It is naturall to a man to desire knowledge but since wee did eate of the forbidden fruit we haue beene very peruerse in that desire we that haue no mind to know God as we ought are very eager to know him as we ought not In this world Non Deum scrutari sedam are debemus we should rather desire to loue God then to know him whereas wee desire rather to know him then to loue him and as our first parents desire rather to eate of the tree of knowledge of good and euill then of the tree of life And we need as a spurre vnto good and sauing knowledge so a bridle to restraine vs from that knowledge which is curious and presumptuous ãâã 12. wherefore blessed is that discretion which maketh vs wise vnto sobrietie I will conclude this point with a good admonition of the Sonne of Syrach ãâã 3. Seeke not out the things that are too hard for thee neither search the things that are aboue thy strength but what is commanded thee thinke therevpon with reuerence The ground of that good
sensible of it But if we be not assure our selues that not only Papists but Iewes Turkes and Infidels will rise in Iudgement against vs who indure no such brutish prophanenesse of holy places I might tell you of your children also if the time would giue mee leaue whom you bring hither but no otherwise then as to a market place to pipe and dance to crie or to mourne Matth. 1â to doe any thing sauing that which beseemes a Christian and the reuerence that they should shew here Whereas you should inure them to heare to bow their knees hold vp their hands and eyes and testifie that they honour God euen before that they haue discretion to know him But I will take some other time for this now I goe on in my text The next point herein is the strictnesse wherewith this prohibition is to be obserued The Israelites must not transgresse their bounds either Cominùs or Eminùs at hand or aloofe by but touching so much as the border of the Mountaine or gazing vpon that representation of Gods presence which was vpon the Mountaine As God doth honour Kings by giuing them the title of Gods so doth he vse to resemble the state of earthly Kings when he representeth himselfe vnto the world Now the Easterne Kings to whose state the Scripture doth commonly allude when it setteth forth God vsed to require two Ceremonies of their subiects The one that they should not presse into their presence vncalled that you shall read Ester 4. the other they neuer looked their King in the face but euer demissely fixt their eyes vpon the ground while they were in his presence Alluding to these Ceremonies of state doth God here require that the Israelites be not too forward with their feet nor misplace their eyes And indeed if we may not without vnmannerlinesse presse into the presence of a mortall King how much lesse into the presence of the King of Kings If earthly maiestie is thought to bee vnderualued if it be made the obiect of a subiects eye what disrespect is done vnto the glorie of God if it become a familiar spectacle of a creature Esay 6. Surely the Angels vaile their eyes with two of their wings when they attend the presence of God and in the most holy place the Cherubins were made with their eyes looking downe vnto the Mercie seate not vpward to the Cloud the Type of Gods presence 1. Pet. 1. v. 1â Whereunto Saint Peter alludeth when he saith that into the mysteries of the Gospel the Angels themselues desire ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã with bowed heads to peepe If there be such modestie in the Angels eyes that are such glorious creatures how much modestie should there bee in our eyes that are but mortall men most weake and wicked creatures And if euer God may expect reuerence from vs certainly then when he sitteth as it were in Parliament and giueth Lawes vnto his people Yea verily God doth vs a fauour in that he doth prohibit our presumption For our abilities are nothing proportioned to that obiect and our neare approach without extraordinarie support would but worke our confusion as they haue confessed that haue made triall of it And it is the maxime of Philosophie Excellens sensibile corrumpit sensum God as the Sunne is not comfortable but in a reasonable distance Marke moreouer that both the first In-let and the first Out-let of Sinne are restrained by this prohibition The first In-let is by the eye by that the tempting obiect entreth vs so it entred Eue the sonnes of God Achan and Dauid all of them were taken by gazing Adde hereunto that there was another euill that might bee feared from the eye they were called now to vse their eares and not eyes to heare God not to see him In Heauen wee shall see God here we must heare him here we must liue by faith there we shall liue by sight Therefore God will not haue our eyes to hinder our eares our gazing on the Mount to hinder our listning to his Law Not that it is an euill thing to see God but it is euill to see with curiositie when we are forbidden as it was for Lots wife to behold Sodome after the Angell had bid her not to looke backe Therefore is this first In-let of sinne forbidden the rather because it will easily set on worke the first Out-let of sinne and whether the eye goeth before the foot will be readie to follow after if we gaze vpon the mountaine it will not be long before we touch the border And touching is a kind of tasting and a taste doth but set an edge vpon our appetite he that doth once rellish any sinne will neuer leaue till he be glutted with it giue your appetite an inch and it will take an ell Where fore God cutteth off all occasion of presumption as in the twelâth of this Booke he tooke order lest the Israelites should eate leauen in the prohibited time that they might haue no leauen in their houses Euen so here lest the Israelites should venter vp the hill hee forbiddeth them so much as to touch the border thereof or gaze on that which appeared thereon And we must make a couenant with our eyes and with our feet that neither of them come within the lists of sinne and so we shall be sure to sinne with neither You haue seene how strict the charge is Now you must heare how sharpe the punishment will be if they breake their bounds The punishment is death You may thinke this very rigid Iustice no lesse then death for violating a Ceremonie For it was but a Ceremonie to hold backe the foot and withold the eye from that sacred place the accesse whereunto was not in its owne nature vnlawfull for others without blame went vnto it But Gods Ceremonies containe Moralities and we must not looke so much vpon the outward as the inward action which of this Ceremonie was modest Reuerence or reuerent Modestie Secondly our eye must not bee so much vpon the matter wherein we offend as the person against whom we offend though the matter commanded be but small yet it is no small matter to despise him that commandeth And how shall it appeare that we surrender our sclues absolutely to his pleasure if our obedience bee not at his command when his command doth limit our vse of things indifferent Yea the lighter the thing wherein he doth trie vs the greater our contempt if we disobey By these rules must you take the scantling of Adams sinne which was much greater indeed then in shew neither was his doom more grieuous then his sinne was hainous The like must you iudge of this doome And this will stay your wondring when you reade the storie of Vzza in the second of Samuel Chap 6 who was stricken dead when he offered to doe as he thought a good office to stay the Arke when it was readie to fall but the Arke was not made to bee
the Trumpet sounding in his eare Surgite mortui venite ad iudicium I will not stand to allegorize the two siluer Trumpets still sounded while the Sacrifice was burning at the Altar Verse 7. I will only bid you remember Saint Iudes note of Sodome and Gomorrah whose perpetuall burning God hath left as a remembrance of the euerlasting fire of Hell Some are yet more desperate and call for the Day of the Lord Let it come Let vs see it as you may read in the Prophets Foole hardie wretches that desire that which they will neuer be able to endure Luke 23.30 Vpon the first ouerture of it their hearts will faile them they will bee at their wits end they will call to the Hils and Rockes to couer them The Kings of the earth the great men the mightie men bond and free all sorts of men shall then crie out The great day of the Lambes wrath is come Reue. 6 1 Pet. 4.18 and who is able to stand And indeed If the righteous scarcely be saued where shall the wicked and vngodly appeare But to leaue them The last obseruation that I will giue vpon this dreadfull state shall be That wee are much bound vnto God that wee liue not vnder the Old Testament but vnder the New that God hath brought vs not vnto Mount Sinai but vnto Mount Sion Where God appeares in our nature and commeth meeke and in the forme of a seruant so sensible of our infirmities that hee cryeth not Esay 42.2 his voice is not heard in the street hee will not breake a bruised reed nor quench smoking flaxe He putteth vpon vs a light yoke and an easie burden his doctrine is a Gospel their feet are beautifull that bring it Esay 52 â 7 this yeara is an yeare of Iubile his Trumpet soundeth nothing but deliuerance his Light is comfortable like the Sunne Psal 45.2 Cant. 5. v. 16 for he is the Sonne of Righteousnesse his lips are full of Grace his Mouth is most sweet In this Hill all things are louely there is nothing dreadfull at all And why God hath giuen vs the Spirit of Adoption which is the Spirit of Loue Rom 6 2. Tim 1. and of a sound minde so that wee can indure the very top of Mount Ston whereas they could not endure the bottome of Mount Sinai Time will not giue me leaue to pursue this comparison you may amplifie it out of Saint Paul 2. Cor. 3. Heb. 12. And if you will haue it to the full you must paralell the whole Oeconomic of the New Testament with that of the Old Only let me giue you this note for a farewell to this point That as the Patriarkes that were brought vnto Mount Sinai did beare themselues out vnder those terrors by casting their eyes forward vnto Mount Sion the place of comfort So wee lest we grow carnally secure during our abode at Mount Sion and surfet vpon the comforts thereof must cast our eyes backward vpon Mount Sinai and rowse our selues with the terrours thereof The solace of Sion is to none so pleasant as to him that commeth newly from Sinai their soules doe best rellish the Gospel whose consciences haue first sinarted from the Law or that haue beene exercised by that hopefull feare the point that commeth next to be handled in my text Hopefull feare then is the impression that was made on the Israelites by the dreadfull Harbingers of God First Feare Feare is argued from quaking For wee vsually say that men quake for feare And indeed what is quaking of the bodie but a consequent of feare in the soule For the spirits are conueyed by the arteries the sinewes and the veines into the outward parts to sustaine confirme them inable them to their functions and the vitall parts send them forth abundantly while themselues are secure But while we are or suppose our selues to be in any great danger all those forces repaire vnto and endeuour to safegard those principall inward fortresses especially the heart Whereupon the outward parts being vnfurnished fall as it were into a shaking Palsie and so Quaking is a consequent of feare But let vs fit this impression vnto the apparition and so you shall find that it followeth thereupon If there were nothing in these Harbingers but an Image of Gods Maiestie yet you shall not find in all the Bible that euer any man had any extraordinarie glimpse of Gods glory that did not vpon the apprehension thereof become as it were dead and giue himselfe ouer for a dead man Reade the storie of Gedeon and Maneah in the Booke of Iudges and of the Prophets whose inspirations were accompanied with Visions Ezechiel Daniel others the generall rule is Si te nouerim Domine me ipsum nouerim I shall neuer know how vile how fraile I am by any thing so well as by presenting my selfe before the glorious Maiestie of God Let vs descend to the second Image that is to bee beheld in these dreadfull Harbingers the Image of the Law and let vs see how that worketh feare The Image of the Precept I told you it is scarching and you cannot therewith search a man but you make him feare Aske Saint Paul he tried it and will tell you so he found by surueying himselfe That the Law was spirituall and hee was carnall and out of a sensible acknowledgement that his strength was nothing proportionable to the Law ãâã 7. ãâã 19. he brake out into those passionate words O wretch that I am who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death King Dauid surueyed the Law and the excellent properties of the Law but what is the vpshot of his meditation Euen this Who knoweth how oft he offendeth Lord cleanse me from my secret faults keepe thy seruant from presumptuous sinnes lest they haue dominion ouer me And verily no man can behold himselfe in that glasse and consider what manner of person he is but hee will bee driuen to that prayer in the last Penitentiall ãâã 143 Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant O Lord for in thy sight shall no flesh liuing be iustified The Precept then maketh afraid And doth not the Sanction also Certainly it doth The Prophets that had a sight of God armed with vengeance against sinners how doe we find them affected and affrighted Câap 6. Esay saw the Lord sitting vpon a Throne high and lifted vp his traine filled the Temple aboue it stood the six winged Seraphins c. it is a Vision of iudgement and it made Esay crie out Woe is me for I am vndone ãâã 3.2.16 c. Habakuk had a Vision of the like argument which he describeth more at large and heare what was the effect When I heard it my belly trembled my lips quiuered at the voice rottennesse entred into my bones Psal 119 Dauid confesseth of himselfe My flesh trembleth for feare of thee O Lord and I am afraid of thy iudgements But you will say
Apud Photium in Bibliotheca after the ouerthrow of Hierusalem should haue beene crowned by his Souldiers as a Conquerour hee refused it and gaue this answere This worke is none of mine I lent my hand but God gaue the strooke You see a very heathen did confesse the birth of Iezreel But Iezreel was not the onely child Lo-ruhama was borne also God gaue the stroke and it was a Mercilesse stroke Theodoret obserueth well in comparing the many iudgments that besell the Iewes that they were vindemiati defoliati at other times their enemies had fruit gatherings vpon them and they had fals of the leafe they were made very bare and brought very low butyet neuer so low as now when they became as the Fig-tree which Christ cursed in those words neuer fruit grow on thee any more when they became not onely a naked but also a withered Tree Mal. 1. â when the habitation of Iacob became like the habitation of Esau a border of wickednesse and the Iewes as the Edomites a people with whom God is effended for euer Tertullian in his Apologie describes their wofull state Caeli soli extorres sine Deo sine homine Rege they may neither breath in their owne ayre nor tread on their owne ground they haue helpe neither from God nor man as if they were the brood of Caine continuall vagabonds semper noui vbique alieni neuer suffered long in any one plaââ neither entertained otherwise then as meere strangers whatsoeuer liberââ they haue they pay for it to the vttermost Saint âânard goeth farther in an Epistle of his saying Neuer was there such a ãâã as God hath brought vpon the Iewes who are Catholike slaues slaues in ãâã the world I will not rip vp stories to proue this euen this yeare God hath made vs see the truth hereof Germanie hath yeelded a spectacle of their slauerie In the Citie of Frankford which was inhabited with many thousinds of them when they were preparing themselues to solemnize that day wherein they bewaile the destruction of Hierusalem the Inhabitants otherwise exasperated against them wreakt their displeasure vpon them and hazarding many of their liues rifled most of their goods and forced them out of their Citie There is yet a third child the worst of the three Lo-ansmi the heauiest calamitie that euer befell the Iewes God oftentimes afflicted them and the affliction was very sharpe but he neuer before dissolued the bond whereby Israel was knit vnto him and was by Couenant his peculiar people but now that which Theodoret would haue the world to wonder at silij facti sunt canes canes filij We that at the plauting of the Gospell were no better then Dogs haue now the honour to bee children of God and they that then were children what are they now but Dogs Dogs not vouchsafed so much as the crummes that fall from their masters table At first their Kingdome failed then failed the Prophesie and now the Priesthood faileth also there is no bond of Commerce left betweene them and God such was the destruction of Hierusalem But this was but a Type we were in this to behold a greater euill the eternall damnation of the Iew. Non aliquid vsitatum dicit saith Chrysostome it is no vsuall matter that Iohn Baptist meaneth by the wrath to come it is not the sword or pestilence or famine that he terrifieth them with he puereth them in mind of some other iudgement such as they had neuer heard before Wee are then from the Type to come to the truth from the destruction to the damnation which is here called wrath to come And the first thing that this phrase putteth vs in mind of is the difference that God hath made betweene Angels and men both sinned and were sentenced but the stroke of Iustice was respited vnto man which on the Angels was inflicted presently no space left vnto the Angels to be reconciled vnto God but God hath giuen a space vnto man Saint Chrysostome obserueth well there vpon If thou sinne and God doe not presently strike thinke not that he doth it out of Impotencie hee doth it out of Patience it cannot be Impotencie for he presently did strike the Angels that are greater then men it is Patience then which argueth Gods wonder full mercie towards man Yea and thereupon it followeth vndoubtedly that during this space which God granteth for repentance no man need to despaire Lib. 2. de Panitentiá or to be despaired of Saint Ambrose is confident herein I am perswaded saith he that if Iudas Iudas that betraied Christ had spoken vnto Christ that which he spake vnto the high Priest I haue sinned in that I haue shed innocent bloud he might haue beene saued if Iudas who not Man is not doomed definitely in this life But I must remoue a stumbling blocke for restraining Wrath to that punishment which is to come I may bee thought to denie it in any of those punishments which we feele in this life and indeed I doe denie it For whatsoeuer is inflicted here is improperly Wrath and in comparison deserueth not the name of Wrath you may call it Wrath materially but formally it is no Wrath. I will shew it by a three fold difference which is betweene the punishments of this life and those of the life to come The first is in their Originall the second in their Measure the third in their End For the Originall we must learne that wrath is no immediat affection there is something else that commeth betweene it and the Will and that is Loue and Hatred the Will is prepossest by one of them before it bringeth forth Wrath and Wrath is the immediate fruit either of Loue or Hatred we learne it out of Gods message sent by Nathan to King Dauid 1. Sam. 7.14 15. If thy children breake my Lawes and walke not in my statutes I will visit their sinnes with the rod and their offences with scourges but my Mercie I will not take from them as I did from Saul Dauids house felt stripes and so did Sauls but mercie laid on those and hatred these The very same may you gather out of Gods words in the first of Malachi Iacob haue I loued Esau haue I hated and these two God exprest in punishing them both as it followeth in that Text. Now all punishments in this life they are effects of Loue that Loue which fixed a space betweene our sinnes and the receite of our wages But when the space is ended the Loue doth end whatsoeuer we feele after it is the stroake of hatred Psal 88. God forgetteth then to be mercifull and shutteth vp his louing kindnes in displeasure So that as this stroake is properly Wrath so the other cannot be but improperly so called seeing thereby God so chastiseth vs not because he hateth vs but because he loueth vs Castigo te non quod odio habeam sed quod amem is in this life much more truely said of
it quickeneth a bodie consisting of many different members all which it setteth on worke the eye to see the eare to heare the foot to goe c. euen so though the grace of God which is the soule of the soule of man be but one yet doth it animate the whole man and doth as truly communicate good manners to the parts as the Soule doth Life Titus 2. The grace of God which bringeth saluation vnto all mân teacheth vs to denie all vngodlinesse and worldly lusts and to liue soberly righteously and godly in this present world Ephes 6. hereupon Saint Paul biddeth vs put on the whole armour of God and to cast away all workes of darknesse and in another place Whatsoeuer things are iust whatsoeuer things are holy Rom. 13. Philip. ãâã whatsoeuer things are true whatsoeuer things are of good report thinke vpon these things Wee must haue not only a disposition to doe well but remember that wee are to doe well more wayes then one The same God that commandeth one vertue commandeth all and he will not haue any part or power of man exempted from his seruice Which must bee heeded by vs because there are few that are of Saint Pauls minde Philip. 3 13. to forget those things that are behind and make forward no sooner haue wee brought forth one good worke but we fall in loue with that and there take vp our rest and thinke that may serue insteed of all suffering Gods graces to be idle which are aswell able to make a chastâcie as a sober tongue and an obedient eare as a diligent hand Much more good might come from euery man if he did not thinke hee did good enough therefore let vs remember that nothing must bee accounted enough that is lesse then all and that wee set not straighter bounds to our duties then those which are in Gods Law But we haue not now to doe in generall with good workes my text restraineth me to workes of repentance I come then nearer to those And although I hane alreadie opened vnto you the nature of repentance yet must I wade a little farther in it and branch it as it were into its kinds The Law of God hath two parts the Precept and the Sanction The Sanction sheweth vnto vs the danger of sinne obliging vnto punishment from which wee are not free but by Iustification and this Iustification is attended with Repentance Repentance that looketh vnto the guilt of sinne which cleaueth vnto the Act thereof This Repentance is that which is practised in the times of Humiliation when we deprecate Gods wrath which is vpon vs or hangeth ouer vs by reason of enormous sinnes of the whole state and of particular persons ãâã 2. Ionah 3. such is that which is called for in Ioel and whereof wee haue the practice in Ionah The Primitiue Church was well acquainted with it as appeareth by the Ecclesiasticall storie the Canons of the first Councels the writings of Tertullian Origen Cyprian and others our Church taketh notice of it in a part of the Liturgie and wisheth the publike restitution of it Tantae seueritati non sumus pares But it is rather to bee wished then hoped for Notwithstanding what is not done in publike by malefactors should be supplied by better obseruance of those dayes which are appointed weekly and of those weeks which are appointed yearely to be Poenitentiall to be dayes and weekes of Fasting and Praying Wee cannot denie but crying sinnes are daily committed and therefore Gods wrath might daily bee inflicted The way to stay it is to shew that wee are not guiltie thereof and as he is not guiltie by the Law of man which had no hand in sinne so by the Law of God none goe for not guiltie except they doe expresse a penitent sorrow that any should bee so wretched as to commit the sinne You remember how one Achan troubled all Israel and his sinne is layed to all their charge Ioshua the seuenth and they were all made to sanctifie themselues from that sinne and how the vnknowne murder was expiated wee reade Deut. 21. there must bee a feeling in vs of other mens sinnes a religious feeling seeing thereby they put not only themselues but vs to in danger of Gods wrath and therefore though our conscience haue no speciall burden of its owne yet must it haue of others and endeuour to ease both it selfe and the whole state thereof And how may priuate men better doe this then by those solemne acts of Humiliation the only attonement which by faith in Christ we can make with God But Saint Pauls complaint may be renewed 1. Cor. 5. It is reported commonly that there is fornication wee may adde Murder Adulterie and any other enormeous sinne the seates of Iudgement can witnesse that our Land is fertile of all sorts but as Saint Paul said so will I all men are puffed vp and who doth sorrow The emptinesse of our Churches vpon Fridayes and Wednesdayes and other Fasting dayes sheweth how litle feeling there is in vs of the crying sinnes of our State It were well if we had some feeling of our owne But where is that Drunkard where is that Adulterer where is that Murderer where is that Blasphemer that Vsurer that Oppressor that commeth into Gods House bathed in his teares broken in his heart stript of his pride humbled in his bodie and making a reall crie for mercie in the eares of God No wee come not so farre as a vocall our tongues crie not God bee mercifull to mee a Sinner which is but the voice of man much lesse doe our sighes doe it which are the voice of Gods Spirit we shame not to sinne Regis admirabilem virtutem fecit multò splendidiorem c. but to repent wee are ashamed Ashamed of that whereof we should glorie surely Theodoret thought better of King Dauids repentance when he pronounced of it There were many Heroicall vertues in King Dauid but for none is he so illustrious as for his repentance so much more illustrious by how much it is a rarer thing to see a King come from his Throne clothed in sackcloth sitting in dust and ashes feeding vpon the bread of sorrow and mingling his drinke with his teares then to see him in state either vttering Prouerbs like a Solomon or triumphing ouer his foes as at other times he also did Stultum est iâe eo statu viuere in quo non audet quis Mori or doing any other act in the maiestie of a King But most men are ashamed of this glorie and chose rather to glorie in their shame vnto whom I will vse Saint Austines words It is grosse folly to liue in that state in which a man would bee loth that death should take him hee addeth That the man which dareth goe to bed with a conscience charged with the guilt of one enormous sinne is much more desperate then he that dareth lie vnarmed with seuen
armed men that are his deadly foes for a sinner is lesse sure of his life then the other And yet how many such desperate ones are there in the world that sleepe securely vpon the brinke of Hell Yea how many that inuring not themselues daily to reconcile themselues to God make a comfortlesse end and are taken before euer they haue thought of making their peace My exhortation is that we presume not so farre vpon Gods patience as to neglect this kind of repentance But this is not an euery dayes repentance It hath his times appointed by the Church if it be publike or if it bee priuate the times are assigned by a mans owne conscience There is another Repentance which attendeth Sanctification inioyned by the precept of the Law vnto Sanctification wee make way by Mortification and this is an euery dayes Repentance which doth not looke to the Act of sinne as the former but to the Habit. Were it possible that there were no Act of sinne committed then we should not need the first kind of Repentance but yet this second we should need because the best beare about them a habit of sinne Cecidimus super aceruum lapidum in luto Bern. Serm. de Coena Domini Saint Bernard setteth it thus before our eyes When Adam fell and when euerie one of vs doth fall be may be compared vnto a man that falleth not only into the mire but also vpon a heape of stones hee may quickly be washed but not so quickly healed there is great time spent therein euen the whole time of our life we must begin our Repentance at Baptisme which we must continue vntill our death As there bee many other reasons why the Church is compared to the Moone and Christ to the Sunne so one may bee The oddes betweene Iustification and Sanctification Iustification maketh Christs righteousnesse ours and it is from the first moment at the full not capable of any increase but Sanctification is Righteousnesse in vs which if it haue not his waines certainly it hath its waxings and will not be at the full till the day of our death This fruit is nothing else but the putting off the old man ãâã 4 â2 Gââ 5 24. Rom. 6 6. the crucifying of the flesh with the lusts thereof the casting away of the sinne which cleaueth on so fast the abolishing of the whole bodie of sinne Hee that neglecteth this Rom 12.1 forgetteth that a Christian must offer vp his bodie a liuing sacrifice holy acceptable vnto God that the name of a Christian is the name of Iustice Goodnesse Sinceritie Chastitie Humilitie for what else are these but drops of that Oile wherewith hee is anointed I might amplifie this point Rom 8 22. but I hasten to that which followeth only obseruing that of Saint Paul Euery creature groaneth desiring the libertie of the Sonnes of God and therefore it is a shame for the sonnes of God not to beare a part in this mourning but to stand still as if they made no haste to Heauen and had no desire to be that whereunto they are called It was not so with Christians of old I report mee to the Character of the Church as Epiphanius calleth it and describeth it in the last Chapter of his third Booke but specially to Gregorie Nyssenes Oration of Baptisme where he bringeth in a baptized Christian thus resisting the temptations of the Deuill A vaunt thou wicked fiend I am dead and can a dead man be moued with those things which hee affected when he was aliue When I was aliue I could riot I couldlie c. can a dead man doe these things Certainly when wee looke vpon our selues and see how common sinnes are amongst vs the ranknesse the plentie of the fruit that we beare sheweth that the sinfull root is not dead in vs and the scarcitie of good fruit sheweth that the root of grace is not aliue So that our Abrenunciation was but in word that it was not indeed it appeareth by the raritie of our Mortification I conclude with the exhortation of Saint Paul Cââos 3.5 Let vs therefore mortifie our mâmbers which are vpon the earth formication vncleanesse inordinate affection Rom 13.14 euill concupiscence and couetousnesse which is Idolatrie and let vs take no more care for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof You haue heard what is our worke There remaine two things yet The one is the Commandement to doe it the other is the degree in which wee must performe it Men doe not light a Candle to put it vnder a bushell neither doth God giue grace but for the vse But the phrase in English is scant it seemeth only to call for workeâ in the sight of men but the Greeke ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is of a larger extent and may reach those things which can bee discerned only by the sight of God And indeed the Fruits are inward or outward for there is a worke-house in the inward Closet of our heart where wee must fructifie and lay the foundation of those workes which wee doe in the outward man all our outward deeds should be but deeds of deeds the deeds outward haue no more value then they receiue from the inward Quâsaluâ mente peecat âa ãâã venââ in Ghânoam deâââdetur Tertullian Oâât de Baptismo But wee must not bee contented only with the inward wee must bring forth the outward also Hee that hath an inside for God and an outside for the Deuill may with his pardon be cast into Hell wee must therfore shew some outward euidence of the efficacie of grace Gregorie Nyssen setteth it forth excellently Come on you saith he which glorie in your Baptisme how shall it appeare that the mysticall grace hath altered you In your countenance there appeareth no change nor in your outward lineaments how then shall your friends perceiue that you are not the same I suppose no other way but by your manners they must shew that you are not what you were when you are tempted with the same sinnes whereunto before you were subiect and yet forbeare them It is reported of one of the worthiest of the Ancients that before his conuersion had kept companie with a strumpet when after his conuersion she came towards him he sted she calleth after him Whither flyest thou ãâ¦ã 2.10 It is ãâã his answere was But I am not I And indeed euerie one should say with Saint Paul I line yet not I now but Iesus Christ liueth in mee and let euery one that is in Iesus Christ become a new creature And so I come from the Commandement to the degree There must bee an answerablenesse betweene Gods worke and ours It is not enough to bring forth fruits they must be worthy of Repentance ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã saith a learned Interpreter hath his name from ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and is a Metaphor taken from ballances when one seale doth counterpoize another the Syriacke word seemeth to
will not punish if we doe the second And indeed this being a Sermon of the Gospel supposeth vs to want the first good fruit and challengeth vs that we doe not supply the second The world is very busie in seeking out the cause why so many run heâdlong into Hell I doubt not but they which with sobrietie enter the Sanctuarie of God may discerne a higher ground of Gods Iudgements But let no wicked man deceiue himselfe if hee will take the paines but to studie himselfe he shall find that himselfe is the cause of his owne ruine wittingly and willingly refusing to beare that good fruit that should grow vpon such a tree as he is vouchsafed to be barren not only according to the Law but also to the Gospel and then what remaineth but if the cause bee found in him the Iudgement one day light on him And so from the Cause I come to the Iudgement whereof I told you there are two parts As our sinnes are compounded of Omissions and Commissions so is our Iudgement either priuatiue or positiue there is some good which we should doe but we doe not and therefore there is some good which we might haue whereof we misse there is some euill we should not doe but we doe it and therefore there is some euill which we might scape and yet we shall feele it the Omission goeth before the Commission in sinne so doth the priuatiue before the positiue part in Iudgement I begin therefore with the priuatiue figured by the laying of the axe vnto the root and cutting vp of the tree What is the axe ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Nazian Tom. 1. pag. 633. saith Nazianzene hee answereth that which cutteth off an vncurable person though God hath done what was fit for his recouerte which you may expound by that of the Poet Cuncta prius tentanda sed immedicabile vnlnus Ense recidendum est When milder Physicke will doe no good we must come to searing and cutting off a rotten member After Gods complaint What could I haue done for my Vine which I haue not done the next newes we heare is the desolution of the Vine and the instrument of desolation is the Axe By the Axe some vnderstand Gods owne hand some the Armie of the Romans both say true for both did concurre Gods hand intelligibly and the Romans sensibly but if we parallel this place with that in Esay Chap. 14. it seemeth more proper to vnderstand the Romans here For the Axe is an instrument and the instrument is distinct from the efficient But howsoeuer the word giueth vs to vnderstand that God wanteth not meanes to execute his vengeance the Scripture obserueth varietie of them sometimes his Bow and Arrowes sometimes his Sword sometimes his Hammer but here his Axe as best fitting an Husbandman that hath to doe with barren trees the axe is laid to the root of such trees What is meant by the root there is some question To passe by the tropologicall interpretations of the word the literall is vnderstood by some to note Abraham by other some Christ And indeed Abraham is immediatly meant as you may gather out of Saint Paul Rom. 1â If the root bee holy c. and hee is tearmed The Father of the faithfull but mediately Christ is meant who is the root of that root and therefore doth he make all the faithfull branches of himselfe who is their Vine But wherefore is the Axe layed to this root to cut it vp The Axe hath two vses the one to prune the other to cut vp if a tree beare not so much fruit as it should then it is enough to prune away the rotten the watrie branches but if it beare none then cut it vp for the tree that doth no good will doe a great deale of hurt it maketh the ground barren ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Luke 13.7 not only by taking vp the roome of a fruitfull tree but by hurting aboue ground and hurting vnder ground it keepeth off the comfortable Sunne from better plants that is the mischiefe that commeth from the barren trees boughes besides which there is another mischiefe that commeth from his roots for they sucke away the iuice that should feed better trees therefore must the Axe be put to them not only to the branch but also to the root Behold the Image of Gods lesser his greater Iudgments if our deuotion be cold God correcteth vs by restrayning our luxuriant affections and cutting off our wastfull lusts hee pincheth vs in things temporall that wee may haue the more appetite to things eternall but if our deuotion be none at all he will no longer indure vs to be the bane of others But wee must not mistake it is not meant that the root shall bee cut vp but the Tree shall bee cut from the root the fruitlesse branches should bee cut off from the cognation which they haue with Abraham Rami iudigni excidentur à cognatione Abrahae Theoph. Iohn 15. Abraham shall continue a root still you heard that proued in my last Sermon much more shall Christ continue a root without whom no tree can bee But the wicked shall take no root in them they shall not be partakers of these roots either sweetnesse or fatnesse they were trees planted in Gods Orchard the choicest of grounds the best manured on which the Husbandman bestoweth his greatest care but they are not suffered to abide there any longer To speake it plainly see what they were and iudge thereby what it is to bee cut off Rom 3.9 Ephes 3. Heb. 12. it is to be depriued of God our Father Christ our Sauiour the Holy Ghost our Comforter the protection of Angels the Communion of Saints the inheritance of heauen a wofull case to indure such losse And yet this is the losse which they endure which haue beene members of the Church and are cut off Infidels as well as Christians are shut out of Heauen yet they that had meanes shall bee more afflicted with the losse then they which neuer had meanes shall bee afflicted with the want of Heauen for Miserum est fuisse foelicem it is a double woe to haue beene happie Hee that is borne poore is not so sensible of pouertie as he that of rich is become poore neither is he so sensible of sicknesse that was neuer well as hee that hath long enioyed his health want is not so bitter as losse This we must consider as the chiefest part of the trees punishment which beareth not good fruit It is the chiefest but not the only part one mischiefe commeth not alone there is another part which is more feared before hand though when wee are in it it is lesse felt and yet the sense thereof must needs be very painfull the word importeth as much the word is fire The curious wits of the Schoolemen misled by their bad Geographie Deigne inferni ca usmodi fit vel in qua mundi vel terrae plaga suturuâ
imaginations of my heart the Lord will not spare that man c. You see then that an inordinate good bringeth no true peace And it is as true that a perfect peace cannot spring from a scant good By a scant good I meane that good which belongs onely vnto a ciuill morall life Many keepe themselues within the bounds of naturall reason they exceede not in meates and drinkes neyther in thriuing nor aspiring are they scandalous or iniurious in their carriage towards men In so doing they doe well but they doe not well enough they haue a peace but it is onely humane and not diuine it might suffice were they onely men but beeing called to bee Christian men it should not content them Religion must carry them farther than they can reach by reason Abraham Isaac Iacob c. were Worthies of a higher pitch than Socrates Arisâides Plato Aug. c. could be Pecistinos Domine propterâte irrequietum est cor nostrum donee quiescat in te The full rest of our soules cannot be attained by Reason onely Religion must bring vs to it And yet when wee looke abroad in the world how many shall we find that thinke they haue done enough if they goe so farre as they are ledde by Reason but care little for Religion which is the life of a Christian These forget the double communion which they must haue the one in things of this life the other in things of the life to come the first worketh peace on earth a ciuill peace but it is the later that worketh the heauenly peace which we should principally affect the good which will not reach so farre is a scant good therefore the peace that attends it must needs be imperfect peace Seeing then neyther the inordinate nor the scant good can worke that peace which our Prophet speaketh of we must seeke out a good which is ordinate and full the enioying whereof is the peace here meant Now such a good both ordinate and full is onely God and the participation of him is the peace noted in my Text. But this exposition is yet too short and too darke though I neede speake no more of the good for that is the glory which before I opened and the desire of all Nations yet of the enioying thereof which is the peace I must speake more Obserue then that as God is but one so did he make all at one and at one they were by communion with him that is but one Separate them from God and by and by they fall at odds they fall one from another yea and one vpon another vntill they are consumed So that there is no coniunction lasting no comfortable vnion which is not consolldated and souldered with and in God Apply this in speciall to men Gods image in vs is the ground of our vnion with him for where there is no similitude there can bee no vnion therefore the losse of Gods image was the cause of our rent from him and as the Prophet speaketh finne separateth betweene God and vs. And this separation interrupted the peace wherein wee were created by a foure fold Warre First it armes Gods iustice against vs who prouoke him by sinne hee whets his sword he bends his bow prepares the instruments of death against such rebels he hath his full vials of wrath ready to bee poured out against the vngodly Vpon this followes a second warre a warre in our bosomes for seiudice nemo nocens absoluitur a mans conscience is a thousand witnesses against him yea and iudges also it vexeth him with accusation with condemnation yea and execution also caeco verbere pulsat it is a hell that goeth before hell a neuer-dying worme Besides this we haue another ciuill warre the law of our members rebels against the law of our mindes and carrieth vs captiues vnto sinne We are full of fleshly lusts that fight against our soule 1 Pet. 2.11 yea that are such weapons of vnrighteousnesse as fight against God against our Neighbours Which is a fourth warre springing from this third So St. Iames cap. 4. teacheth from whence come warres and fightings amongst you come they not hence euen of your lusts that warre in your members Men that haue vnruly affections within them will suffer none to be at quiet that come neare them the couetous will dispoyle other men of their goods the malicious will bereaue them of their liues the ambitious will supplant them the crafty defraud them there is not an euill roote within vs from whence our Neighbour shall not gather some cuill fruite This foure-fold warre sprang out of our first separation from God and our true and full peace must put an end vnto this foure-fold warre First it must take away the guilt of our sinne and propitiate God it must make an attonement for vs and free vs from the curse for if thou O Lord Psal 130.3 marke what is done amisse O Lord who is able to abide it if hee enter into iudgement no flesh can be righteous in his sight Psal 143.2 But the first degree of our peace is that which turneth our Iudge into our Father and maketh the eies wherewith hee beholdeth vs no lesse gracious than pure The second degree of peace is that which killeth the worme and quieteth our conscience making it of an accuser to become an excuser of a condemner an absoluer and of a tormenter a comforter being no longer priuie to our selues of the guilt of sinne we feele not the horrours of hell in our soules A blessing to bee highly esteemed because fearefull are the examples of those who hauing felt the sharpenesse of such horrours haue beene so disconsolate notwithstanding all worldly comfort that they haue beene driuen to seeke a release of their paine by butchering themselues The third degree of peace is the purging of the corruption of our nature that the conflict betweene the worser and the better part may cease So that though sinne remaine yet it raigneth no longer in vs all our powers and parts are brought in subiection vnto Christ and we yeeld vp our members as weapons of righteousnesse vnto holinesse Rom. 6.19 Whereupon followeth the fourth degree of peace which abolisheth all dissention between men and men it maketh them all of one minde of one heart to loue together as brethren and as to haue a fellow-feeling one of anothers state so likewise a louing disposition to aduance each the others good neither couetousnesse nor malice nor any other wicked affection shall disturbe the common good as much as lyeth in vs we will haue peace with all men These bee the foure degrees of peace which must concurre to make vp Shalom which is peace in the Hebrew tongue but such peace as is intire and perfect and we vnderstand it too shallowly if we doe not comprehend these foure degrees in it Hauing found out what the peace is we must in the next place see where it shall rest the place is
Zorobabels Temple But that place must be considered not in its meanenesse as it was built by the Iewes but as it was furnished with that glorie whereof heretofore you haue heard that house so adorned was to bee the place of peace Salomons Temple was a place of peace but his peace was but a type it was a worldly peace Zorobabels Temple is also a place of peace but his peace is the truth that answered the former type the peace thereof is heauenly that Temple which had but the type of the glorie had no more but the type of the peace and the truth of the peace rested there where the truth of the glorie was So that there is an emphasis in the words this place the holy Ghost giueth thereby the Iewes to vnderstand that it was not the former but the later Temple whereunto God intended the peace which he promised to Dauid 2 Sam. 7. 2 Chro. 22. Isay 25. 26. and all the promises of peace in the Prophets were to be referred thither this Ierusalem was to answer vnto her name and to be indeed the vision of peace But I told you heretofore that Zorobabels Temple was to be vnderstood not only literally but mystically and so it signifieth not onely that materiall house but also the Christian Church peace is annext vnto this peace Extra Ecclesiam non est salus No saluation without the Church and therefore no peace he shall neuer haue God for his Father that hath not the Church for his Mother In our Creed wee place the holy Catholicke Church and Communion of Saints before the remission of sinnes and life euerlasting As the soule doth not quicken other parts than those that are vnited to the body no more doth the spirit of God giue his blessing of peace to any that are distracted from the body of the Church This must be obserued against all Schismaticks that doe excommunicate them selues and disorderly persons that are iustly excommunicated by the censure of the Church all these while they continue in that state though they doe not lose ius ad pacem yet they doe lose ius in pace though they doe not lose their interest in yet they suspend the benefit of that peace and their state is vncomfortable though it be not irrecouerable And they which follow negligently the assemblies of the Church doe not a little defraud themselues of this peace for they must seeke it chiefly by prayer in Gods house and there doth God dispence it by the mouth of his Ministers I will giue you only two proofes the one our of the Old Testament when the sacrifices were ended which were typicall prayers Num 6.25 Aaron is willed to dismisse the people with these words The Lord blesse thee and keepe thee the Lord make his face shine vpon thee and be gracious vnto thee the Lord lift vp the light of his countenance vpon thee and giue thee peace A second proofe wee haue in the New Testament where the Church doth solemnely vse those words of the Apostle when after the Liturgie it dismisseth the people The peace of God which passeth all vnder standing keep your hearts and mindes c. And what better inuitation can wee haue to repaire often to the Church than this blessing of peaceâ foure-fold peace which is there daily offered vnto vs and may bee receiued if we come and come prepared for it I say prepared Before you heard that the peace commeth to the house but as it is furnished with the glorie where there is none of the glorie there can be none of the peace therefore wee must prepare these Temples of our bodies and soules by entertainement of the glory that they may be made capable of the peace The Apostle speaketh plainely Rom. 5. Wee must bee iustified by faith before we can haue peace with God Esay 32. If iudgement dwell in the wildernesse and righteousnesse remaine in the fruitfull fielde the worke of righteousnesse shall bee peace 1 Cor. 2. and the effect of righteousnesse quietnesse and assurance for euer God doth annoint vs before he doth establish vs. St. Austin hath a witty conceit vpon the words of the 85. Psalme Righteousnesse and Peace haue kissed each other Duae sunt amicae Iustitia Pax c. Righteousnesse and Peace are two fast friends happely thou wouldest gladly enioy the one but thou wilt not bee perswaded to performe the other for there is no man that would not willingly haue peace but all are not willing to worke righteteousnesse yet be thou assured that if thou dost not loue peace's friend which is righteousnesse peace will neuer loue thee for righteousnesse and peace doe kisse each the other 2 King 9. You know what Iehu answered the King of Israel when he asked him Is it peace Iehu what peace can there bee so long as the whoredomes and witchcrafts of thy mother are so many So may we reply to euery soule vnquiet soule that enquireth after peace Looke for none where there is sinne Well may there bee the enemie assaulting and daily sounding alarums but this securing peace which is Gods garrison cannot bee there So long as the Iewes serued God their enemies could not inuade their borders Exod 34. but then the Temple was exposed to the enemie when the Prophets could not reclaime them from sin It is a good conscience that is a continuall feast You haue heard seuerally of the Peace and the Place you must now heare ioyntly of their knitting together who knits them and How He that knitteth them is God in Christ God is the God of peace so the Apostle calleth him Phil. 4.19 and the Prophet tels vs that he creates light as well as darkenesse and Elihu is so bold as to say Iob 34. that if God giue peace none can hinder it But as God giueth it so hee giueth it in Christ for it is his worke to make peace the Prophet Esay cap. 9. vers 6. calleth him the Prince of peace his true members are Sonnes of peace his Apostles Messengers of peace and his doctrine is the Gospell of peace all the foure specified degrees of peace were wrought by him First he tooke away the guilt of our sinne Esay 53. The chastisement of our peace was layd vpon him For he that knew no sinne was made sinne for vs that wee might be made the righteousnesse of God in him 2 Cor. 5. Secondly hee hath kild the worme for being iustified by faith in him our heart condemnes vs not and we haue confidence towards God so that we can come with boldnesse vnto the throne of grace Thirdly the Law of the spirit of life that is in Iesus Christ doth free vs from the Law of sinne and death Rom. 8. It mortifieth it subdueth the old man and maketh vs walke not according to the flesh but according to the spirit Finally he putteth an end to that discord that is betweene man and man The Prophets foretold that when hee
came the Nations should beat their swords into plough-shares Esay 21 and their speares into pruning hookes Nation shall not lift vp sword against Nation neyther shall they learne warre any more cap. 11. the same Prophet by an allegorie doth elsewhere teach that where Christ commeth and is entertained he doth ciuilize the most barbarous Nations The Wolfe shall dwell with the Lambe the Leopard lye downe with the Kid the sucking childe shall play on the hole of the aspe and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice denne they shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountaine for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters couer the sea Worthily therfore doth the Apostle call Christ our peace whose kingdome is righteousnes Ephes 2.14 Rom. 14.17 peace and ioy in the holy Ghost Moreouer obserue that to whom we owe our glorie to him wee owe our peace the blessings of God doe much affect vs as being good but except we haue securitie in the possession of them wee lose most of our content for it is a great accession to miserie once to haue been happy and plus refert vndè quà m quò cadas he that taketh a downe-fall from an high place is more sensible of that which he hath lost than of that which he suffers Therefore the addition of peace vnto glory doth import no small comfort which Esay also foretold cap. 4. Vpon all the glory shall be a defence The Apostle speaketh significantly Phil. 4.7 The peace of God ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã shall bee as a Court of guard to keep our hearts and mindes in the state of grace whereunto we are brought by Christ They that are rich and are to conuey their goods by sea or land haunted with theeues pyrants doe thinke themselues to be so much more or lesse bound to those that will secure their passage as their goods are more or lesse precious Goods of greater price than is the glorie of the house before specified there cannot be how great then is our debt vnto Christ who safe conducts vs with our glorie through the wildernesse of this world maugre the might and malice of the Serpent and the Lion of all our deadly foes You haue heard who settleth the peace in the place you must now heare how Hee giueth it And it is truly tearmed a gift for whereas there are two kindes of peace one made betweene parties whereof each is able to make good his quarrell against the other yet they are contented to auoyde trouble to agree vpon reasonable conditions the other kinde of peace is that which a conqueror out of his goodnesse vouchsafeth to persons subdued which are at his mercie and whom by the law of armes he might make slaues Our peace is of this later sort we all deserued to bee captiues to the diuell for wee were all become children of wrath by Adams sinne Ephes 2.3 When we lay thus weltring in our bloud no other eye pitying vs then God said vnto man Thou shalt liue Ezech. 16. Hee gaue him this peace therefore is peace a free gift Neyther a free gift onely but a stable also they are not induciae but pax not a cessation from armes for a time that admitteth a returne to warre againe but a reconciliation for euer a couenant of salt Gods mercie shall not depart and this couenant shall not be remoued Esay 54.10 Ezech. 37. Prou. 1. v. vlt. You haue heard what the peace is the place where it resteth by whom and how they are ioyned together what remaineth but that euery man enquire whether he haue this peace or not in this enquirie we must proceede ascendendo not descendendo the lower must assure vs of the vpper degree The abolishing of the guilt of our sinne is the darkest branch of our peace which wee know onely by faith But for the triall of this point of faith we must haue recourse to our conscience and inquire what peace we find there For the peace of our conscience is the looking glasse of that peace which we haue with God if we finde none there we haue none with God and we may be sure we haue it with God if we finde it truly there Truely I say for a man may be deceiued in the triall of his conscience many haue quiet consciences but it is because they are seared Wherefore we must looke one steppe lower and iudge of the second degree of our peace by that which we finde in the third we must see it in our mortification and subiection of the flesh to the spirit for iustification which doth quiet the conscience is inseparable from sanctification which doth reforme our nature Finally to remoue all doubt concerning sanctification we must looke to the effects thereof for a good tree bringeth forth good fruit and our conuersation will testifie our sanctification if our deeds be seasoned with charitie the spirit of God doth rest in our soules This inquirie is most behoofe full in these daies wherein more talke of peace than doe partake thereof partake I say of that true and full peace which here is meant by Haggai Yet lest men stumble by ouer great curiosity and dis-hearten themselues for the diuell is apt to make men as well despaire that they haue not peace when they haue it as to presume that they haue it when they haue it not wee must distinguish inter pacem viatoris and comprehensoris the peace of the Church militant and that of the Church triumphant Touching the Church militant it hath outward crosses and inward conflicts We doe not alwaies apprehend the light of Gods countenance it is often ouercast and hee is despleased with vs but it is as a father with his childe of whom the Poet Sit licet in natos facies austera parentum Aequa tamen semper mens est amica voluntas Therefore the cloud will dissolue and the light will cheere vs againe The worme is not so dead but if we sinne it will giue vs a remembrance a happy remembrance for it awakeneth vs to repent and beleeue which so soone as we doe the smart is at an end The law of our members will often times rebell against the law of our mindes and carrying vs captiue vnto sin will make vs cry out with St. Paul Rom. 7. O wretch that I am who shall deliuer mee front this body of death but the conclusion is comfortable Thanks be to God through Iesus Christ our Lord. Finally very often when we speak vnto men of peace they will prepare themselues to war for except we will riot communicate with them in their sin they will hate vs so that we must redeeme our inward peace with an outward war In this case let it be our comfort that much happier is the war that keeps vs close to God than that peace which will separate vs from him Psal 23. Though I walke in the middest of the valley of
we exceed a proportion stinted vnto vs in the vse of the Creatures so they disproportion the harmonie of our bodies that are guiltie of this abuse and God doth in the end separate vs from them because wee for them separated our selues from God And this death we call the giuing vp of the Ghost But after these parts are dissolued there should seize on eyther of them a penall condition On the body for the graue is not only Sheol but also Shacath it doth not onely couetously swallow but digest it also verè ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã therein death gnaweth vpon this ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã this rotten mouldring house this earthly Tabernacle of ours The Reason of it is because sinne is inherent and this leprous house cannot be purged except it be dissolued dust it is and to dust it must returne againe This is the penall condition of our body And as corruption seazeth on our body so should torments on the soule there is a worme to bite it a fire to scorch it vtter darkenesse to distresse it finally fiends that execute Gods vengeance on it being exiled from the ioyes of Heauen whereunto it was created and adiudged to the paines of hell which it hath deserued This is the penall condition of the soule Of these two penall conditions consists the second death for sinne By that which you haue heard concerning death you may easily ghesse what is Resurrection it is nothing but a recouerie from death for this is an infallible principle What riseth that dyed Resurrection then is as manifold as Death to the double death the Scripture opposeth a double resurrection The first Resurrection is from death in sinne and it is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Nyssen when Grace quickens the soule and the soule is transformed formed into the Image of God the Image of being and doing good which the Scripture cals the Life of God and the partakers thereof new men The second Resurrection is from death for sin whether it be the dissolution or the penall condition Whatsoeuer the Heathen thought it is plaine that after the dissolution there is an habitude in the soule towards the body and a naturall desire againe to inhabit it yea it doth ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã as it were trauaile with that appetite appetitus non est frustra Rom. 8. such a desire is an euidence of Gods purpose The soule shall againe bee re-vnited to the body But to bee free from the Dissolution is not the vttermost of mans desire he desires also to be free from the Penall condition Non est viuere sed valere vita better these parts neuer meete than not meete to their mutuall comfort and therefore the last branch of the Resurrection is the endlesse vnion of body and soule in beatitudine plenâ securâ in qua nihil concupiscet nihil metuet so throughly so vnchangeably blessed that they shall haue their hearts desire and bee free from all feare of euill I insist no longer hereon because this point must be resumed againe Let vs come on then and apply what hath beene said to the different subiects And here first wee must take for our guide a receiued rule Talia sunt praedicata qualia permittuntur esse à subiectis suis Death and Resurrection must be limited differently according to their different subiects And the first subiect is Christ Death in sinne would not agree with Him it will not stand with the grace of his holy vnction much lesse of his personall vnion he was the Holy one of God Luke 1. yea the Holy of Holies Dan. 9. Adde hereunto that a sinner implies a contradiction to a Mediatour neyther can they both consist in one for such a high Priest it behoued vs to haue that was holy harmelesse vndefiled separate from sinners Hebr. 7. therefore could he not dye that death As he could not dye the death in sinne no more could hee vndergoe all the death for sinne hee could not vndergoe either part of the penall condition Not that of the Graue his body saw no corruption and why though it had sinne imputed yet had it none inherent and it is only sinne inherent that subiects vs to that part of death And if his body were free from corruption much more was his soule from torment it left the body to take possession of Heauen purchased and Hell conquered vpon the Crosse therein his meritorious power after conflict brake the knot wherewith the dissolution of body and soule came fast clasped with the penall condition and this he proclaimed in his last speech Iohn 19. Consummatumest the passion is now at a full end There remaines then no part of death for Christ to suffer but onely the dissolution the separation of his soule and body and to that he yeelded himselfe as an Offerer that could not be inforced as a Sufferer When hee had triumphed ouer principalities and powers the fiends of Hell and shewed his murdering crucifiers by the supernaturall Earth-quake and Eclipse how hee could rescue himselfe from death he laid downe his life in testimony of his loue to vs and presented that sacrifice of a sweete smell to God which only was able to redeeme vs. This being the limitation of his death the limitation of his Resurrection must needes be answerable it must be restrained to the re-vnion of his body and soule ãâã Serm. 1. de Resurrect and it is no more in effect than Quod potestate diuisit potestate copulauit with what power he laid downe his life with the same he tooke it againe Though the soule were seuered from the body yet was the God-head from neither the hypostaticall vnion persisted still his body continued vitae sacrarium Ambros Rom. 1. he declared himselfe mightily to be the Sonne of God by the Resurrection from the dead But farther to open the Resurrection of Christ These words seeme to be a bare assertion and indeed a bare assertion vttered by them that are witnesses ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and therefore ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã were enough to warrant an Article of Faith But the words imply a manifold proofe and the proofe lyes in the word CHRIST Acts 10. For Christ signifieth Annointed annointed as the Scripture speakes with the Holy Ghost and with power This vnction is with grace and that eyther gratis data or gratum faciens of Edification or Adoption The grace of Edification designed Christ to a threefold office to be a Prophet a Priest and a King and euery one of these implies a proofe of his Resurrection His Prophesie for his Resurrection was a principall argument of that whether you looke vpon the types prefiguring or the words foretelling it he was to make both good or else his Prophesie were liable to exception As the Prophesie so the Priesthood inforceth the Resurrection How could it appeare that the obligation was cancelled the Law fulfilled God pacified sinne purged if hee had not risen from the dead
more tentations no more foyles no more reproches euea when we shall fall asleepe we may lay our selues downe in peace and take our rest for Christ which only can will make vs dwell in safety As securely as himselfe rested in the graue so shall our flesh rest in hope there is the first taste of our victorie But when wee awake wee shall drinke our fill of it and shall with the Saints in the Reuelation yea in this Chapter insult and say O death where is thy sting O graue where is thy victorie Thankes bee vnto God which hath giuen vs victory through Iesus Christ our Lord. But he is Typus not only victoriae but vitae also and that of grace and glorie Fulgent p. 714. Of grace in Baptisme and of glorie at the last day so the Fathers distinguish Resurrectio carnis Christi gratiam nobis corporalis spiritualis resurrectionis attribuit it raiseth out of both sleepes the spirituall and corporall and they doe it by the direction of St. Paul for he makes him a Type of both but in a different fashion Of the first he is Typus analogicus of the second exemplaris Wee are buried with Christ in Baptisme that as Christ dyed and rose againe from the dead so should we walke in newnesse of life Rom. 6.3 Christ then in his Resurrection doth first preach vnto vs rising from sinne And indeed if the name Christus did imply the cause of his Resurrection the name of Christians must imply the cause of ours no hope of an answerable resurrection if we haue not a part in the vnction for the first resurrection doth fit vs for the second If we haue saith St. Paul Phil. 3 our conuersation in heauen we may looke for our Sauiour which shall change our vile bodies and make them like vnto his glorious body This all should thinke vpon that little intend the first and yet looke for the second Resurrection whereas a spirituall body can be the Tabernacle of none but a spirituall soule and wee must feele the answer of a good conscience to Godward before we can bee begotten to a liuely hope by the Resurrection of Iesus Christ Nyssen de opif. hom c. 22. yea wee must ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã foretaste glorie by the vse of grace And if a man haue the Spirit of grace Theophylact comforts him well Ne angaris animo quod mort ali corpore cinctus sis c. bee not disheartned when thou lookest vpon thy house of clay the Spirit of life that is in Iesus freeth vs from the Law as of sinne so of death for if the spirit of him that raised Iesus from the dead dwell in thy mortall body he that raised Iesus from the dead will also quicken thy mortall body by the spirit that dwelleth in thee Rom 8. There is one thing more noted by the first fruits Leuit. 1. they were put on the Altar but not burnt to note that they were ready for God without fire The Crosse of Christ hath made an end of all affliction there remaines nothing for vs but acceptation that wee bee presented vnto God in his Temple and receiued into those heauenly Tabernacles These be the things that the First fruits doe teach and whereof we may not doubt for therefore the Fathers tell vs that Christs resurrection is not only Auspex and Examplar but also fidei iussor Theodoret. yea chirographum nostrae resurrectionis they make a faire demonstration of it Primitiae habent cognationem cum vniuerso eo cuius sunt Primitiae the first fruits and that whose first fruits they are must needes be of the same kinde The cognation then is betweene Christs manhood and ours in that he opened vnto vs the new and liuing way Heb. 9. Non est dubit andum de consortio gloriae sicut non est dubit andum de consortio naturae And therefore the Fathers in the Primitiue Church testified their faith by standing vpright this day and many following daies while they prayed not onely to remember themselues whither their desires should tend but also to testifie that this day is quodammodo imagoventuri saeculi a representation of our blessed rising from the dead It is true that as the Easter first fruits were presented before those at Whitsontide so God hath put a distance between Christs resurrection ours we must stay our time yet the first fruits wils vs to be ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to bee as sure as if wee were already risen The last note that I will giue vpon Primitiae is that they are Primitia dormientium the first fruits of them that slept the same flesh awakes which slept that first slept in sinne and then for sinne And is not this a wonderfull mercie This flesh if you looke to the basenesse of it how much more if to the sinnefulnesse may seeme vnworthy of so great glorie but God doth vouchsafe it and leaues vs to stand and wonder at it He that could haue created new bodies chooseth rather to repaire our old that this our vnworthinesse might the more commend his goodnesse hee will make these quondam Iustfull eyes itching eares bloudy hands c. fit to doe him seruice in the kingdome of Heauen But it is time to conclude I will shut vp all with a few admonitions that spring from the Text. There is in euery man ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a naturall querulousnesse against death This Text will silence it for the remembrance of the Resurrection ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã as Athanasius speakes furnisheth vs with a shield to quench that fiery dart it will make vs resolue that death is better than life because the passage to a better life For the Resurrection is Pascha Transitus death is not meta but via not our iournies end but the passage thereunto but it is to them that are Christians that are according to the inner man Temples of the holy Ghost for where grace is Leo de Pasch Serm. 13. there is the passage vnto glorie Quare appareant nunâ quoque in Ciuitate sancta i.e. in Ecclesia Dei futurae Resurrectionis indicia quod gerendum est in corporibus fiat in cordibus Let our renued hearts bee vnto vs a pledge that our bodies shall be renued But grace must be Paschall transitus sine reditu wee must so rise from sinne that we returne not like dogges to our vomit 1 Pet. 2. and like swine to our wallowing in the myre Serm 10. de Pasch St. Bernard complained of many in his dayes Qui sacram Domini Resurrectionem Paschae priuabant nomine to whom it was not Transitus but Reditus that though they kept the Feast for a day and did partake the Sacrament also yet after all this turned as good fellowes as euer they were before I would it were not so with vs also That it is so with the vulgar people the Tauernes can witnesse that are neuer better furnisht
onely knowledge but acknowledgement Knowledge without acknowledgement is of little regard with God auailes vs but little he knoweth his wounds as a penitent that by searching sindeth what cuill he hath done and though to his owne confusion yet layeth it open before the tender eyes of God and so qui addit scientiae addit dolori Eccles 1. the penitents knowledge is the fountaine of his forrow Saint Austin wittily wresteth those words of the Preacher to this purpose Marke moreouer the word his owne for men are most willing to know and make knowne other mens wounds but vt nemo in sese tentat descendere nemo Men loue not to bee knowne to themselues yet many a man hath inward plagues which none knowes but God and himselfe But it is an absurd thing to passe ouer our owne wounds and inquire into other mens It is much to be wisht therefore that we would translate this scrutinie and spend it vpon our selues take pity vpon our owne selues Nazianz Orat. 26. and let the sense of our owne ill deseruings open a passage to the relieuing bowels of our most mercifull Father who relieueth none but those which know the euill which they haue done and suffer Esay 26. When wee come according to the Ordinance of the Church to make confession either at the entrance to common Prayer or the Eucharist euery man should haue premeditated his owne sinnes and acknowledge them vnto God in the secret of his heart and craue pardon for them But though a man must haue this passion in regard of his owne case yet must he not be without compassion toward the ill case of others If it be but a priuate mans case we must be compassionate towards him because he is a member of the same body We know the Parable of the man that went from Ierusalem to Ierico and fell amongst Theeues who stript him and wounded him the Priest and the Leuite are taxed for want of compassion towards him as the Samaritane is commended for hauing it And if we must shew compassion towards priuate mens cases how much more towards the publicke It is a grieuous complaint that God maketh against the great men of Israel Amos 6. who stretch themselues vpon Iuorie beds eate the Lambes of the flocke c. but were not grieued for the affliction of Ioseph if the whole feele the distresses of euery part of our body should any part be so senslesse as not to suffer for the whole especially seeing if the whole perish euery part perisheth whereas the whole may subsist though this or that part doe perish and fall away The miserable estate of Christendome especially the Orthodoxe Church and our own generall calamities importune mee to recommend this compassion vnto you and beseech you to include it in this dayes Humiliation and to let the one be as long liued as the other to let neither of them decay much lesse dye till God returne to his Church and this State in his wonted mercy and with his wonted blessing You haue heard the first inward act of a Penitent There is another act here specified which is outward Penitent Deuotion must be accompanied with conuenient ceremonies here are two mentioned one of the hands they must be stretcht out this is a naturall ceremony for marke a childe when he hath offended his parents as hee falleth vpon his knees so he lifteth vp his hands so doth a seruant to his master a subiect to his Soueraigne and the conquered to the Conquerour and it importeth as much as Do victas in tua vincla manus Sir I am at your mercy The word Supplicium hath its name hence because it humbleth the weaker vnder the hand of the stronger the inferiour to the superiour and maketh him supplicare submit vnto him From hence it is translated vnto Praier and made a ceremony thereof both in the Old Testament let the lifting vp of my hands bee as an euening Sacrifice Psal 141. and in the New Testament I will that men pray in all places lifting vp pure hands 1. Tim. 2. This is the first meaning of this ceremony when it is applyed to penitency As God stretcheth out his hand to strike so the Penitent stretcheth out his hand for mercy Though I am not ignorant that it may also signifie the correspondency of the inward to the outward man that as the heart lifteth it selfe vp to God so must the body also by the hands This is excellently set forth in the Psalme I stretch forth my hands to thee my heart thirsteth for thee as a thirsty Land Psal 143. and in this sense Moses in the warre against Amalecke Salomon in this Dedicatory and others may bee thought in their prayers to haue stretcht forth their hands vnto God The former sense doth not exclude this The second ceremony is of the Eye that is mysticall the Eye must look towards the Temple of Salomon that is the place where God put his Name and where the cloud representing God resided betweene the Cherubins vpon the Mercy seate This brings it home to that which before I told you was to be done by the Suppliant who hath recourse to the Throne of Grace and as Tephillah the prayer made vnto the Iudge did require a ceremony of submissiue stretching out of the hand so Techinnah the prayer of Mercy requires a cast of our eye vpon the Mercy seate the ceremonies fit well the Deuotion The riches of Gods nature are infinite but wee vse to single out such of Gods Attributes as are most fit for our Deuotion to behold not excluding the rest but desiring that the rest may not hinder but further rather that Attribute vpon which wee lay hold Salomons Temple is long since ruined there is now no typicall Mercy seate whereunto wee should looke according to the example of Daniel and others But the truth abideth for euer God that was in Christ reconciling the world doth accept our prayers if wee offer them though Iesus Christ where Christ then is thither must we bend our eyes euen to the right hand of God whereat he sitteth to make intercession for vs. Out of both ceremonies ioyntly gather that the place whither we direct our Deuotion sheweth from whom the plagues come and that is from God and he sendeth them for sinne the confession thereof is plain in the acts of the Deuotion the plagues come not by chance neither are they sent without a cause The Heathen did acknowledge the Author and therefore pacified God with their solemne Supplications Christians knew him and propitiated him much better as appeares by the ancient Letanies To say nothing of the Law and the Prophets which are plentifull in teaching that all plagues come from God As God sendeth them so he sendeth plagues for sinnes being offended with our crying sinnes he poureth vpon the world grieuous plagues Maledicta terra propter te the first Curse was for mans sinne The Law runnes in the same tenour
in Baptisme which is a conformitie to Christ dying and rising from the dead In a word all Christs commandements are eyther affirmatiue or negatiue In regard of the affirmatiue wee must imitate Dauid a man after Gods owne heart Acts 13. who did facere omnes voluntates Dei doe all that which God would haue him doe And touching the negatiue wee must imitate the same Dauid who saith of himselfe that All wicked wayes he did vtterly abhorre Psal 119. If thus we liue we shall doe as we pray Gods will in earth as it is done in heauen But who can doe so it is more than is possible for this fraile life wherefore we may vnderstand All two manner of wayes secundum partes and secundum gradus According to the parts of our duety wee must omit no part but must exercise our selues in euery thing which Christ requires As for the degrees though we must striue to attaine the highest yet if we reach not so farre we must not despaire Austin Quisquis non potest implere quod iubet Christus amet eum qui impleuit in illo implet that which was impossible for the Law by reason of the weaknesse of our flesh Rom. 8. God sending his sonne in the similitude of our flesh for sinne condemned sinne in the flesh that the righteousnesse of the Law might bee fulfilled in vs Cap. 19. which walke not according to the flesh but according to the spirit Hitherto you haue seene how the Minister must praeire praecepto lead the people by good Instruction now see in a word how hee must lead them by good Example The commandements that Christ gaue he gaue to the Apostles meaning that they should make vse of them themselues as well as perswade the people to it St. Paul vnderstood it so who saith of himselfe 1 Cor. 9. I beate downe my body and bring it vnder lest when I preach vnto others my selfe become a Reprobate and biddeth Timothie bee an example to his flocke we must not be like Scribes and Pharisees Mat. 23. that bound heauie burdens and layd them vpon the peoples shoulders whereat they would not lift with one of their fingers It is too foule a reproach for a Minister so by his liuing to contradict his preaching as to deserue to be replyed vnto in that Prouerbe Medice cura teipsum and so destroy more than he can build This dishonour I wish you to auoyd And so at length I haue done with the Charge come we now to the Comfort That I told you standeth in the powerfull and perpetuall presence and assistance of Christ Christs presence is noted by Ego vobiscum I am with you which doth shew vs the truth of Christs name Immanuel God with vs Mat. 1. Esay 8. the Holy Land was called Terra Immanuel the Land of God is with vs and because that was but a Type look into the place where God put his name Ezekiel in the vision of the new Hierusalem telleth vs that the name of that Citie is Iehoua shamma Cap. 48. Dominus ibi the Lord is there both in the new Testament and in the old that saying of Wisedome in the Prouerbs cap. 8. is receiued My delight is to be with the sonnes of men But how can Christ which is ascended into heauen be with them vpon earth the name of Christ containeth the Manhood as well as the Godhead now the Manhood is finite therfore cannot be both in Heauen Earth True the Manhood cannot but the Man may No man saith Christ Iohn 3. ascendeth vnto heauen but hee that descended from heauen the sonne of man which is in heauen this Christ spake when he was vpon the earth If the sonne of man could bee in heauen while Christ was on the earth surely the sonne of man may bee on the earth while Christ is in heauen We must vnderstand it of the Person which is but one though two Natures subsist therein and both natures concurre in the production of the seuerall workes of the Mediator in a manner which wee cannot conceiue But we must take heede of the Lutherans racking of this conceipt who would make the Humanitie of Christ to haue a double existence one finite which they call Physicall the other infinite which they call Hyperphysicall which distinction is such as I thinke themselues doe not vnderstand I am sure they doe not expresse it so that it may bee conceiued no more doe Papists that to beare out Transubstantiation haue coined the like But to leaue them Christ that is man is present euery where though not in his Manhood yet in his Godhead If this bee too obscure take a plainer manner his Presence by his Holy Spirit Misit Vicarium spiritum sanctum as Tertullian speaketh If I go not away saith Christ the Comforter will not come Iohn 14. but if I goe I will send him to you from my Father and where the Spirit is there is Christ St. Iohn teacheth vs so By this wee know that he abideth in vs by the Spirit that he hath giuen vnto vs. 1 Epist 3. But it is not a bare presence that we haue to doe withall I told you it is a powerfull presence the word Ego I must bee vnderstood with an Emphasis I that haue all power giuen mee both in heauen and earth that haue ouercome the world in my owne person and in my own person cast out the Prince of this world that haue all iudgement giuen vnto me from the Father whom all the Angels doe worship And indeede the Presence of such a person was behoofefull whether you respect those to whom they were sent or that which they were to doe the Apostles though they carried heauenly treasures it was but in earthen vessels themselues were but plain men of no great parts nor parentage in outward shew likely not only to be scorned but also to be persecuted when they had deliuered their message the Dragon and all his Angels were like fiercely to oppose them ea Christ told them that he sent them as sheepe amongst wolues And how vnlikely might they thinke themselues to preuaile with all sorts of men and perswade them to forsake their Idolatry and turne to God to beleeue in Christ crucified take vp their crosse and follow him The vndergoing of such a danger the compassing of such a designe require a powerfull Presence without which the Apostles would neuer haue ventared to vndertake their charge When God bid Moses goe to Pharaoh and command him to let Israel goe out of Captiuitie how doth he excase himselfe dis-inable himselfe what adoe hath God with him nothing could put him in heart but Ero tecum I will be with thee Exod. 3.12 that so emboldned him that being but a single and a silly man at least the companie that hee tooke with him were of no great regard yet they ventured into Pharaohs Court into his presence and without feare of him or his greatnesse deliuered
auenged himselfe of the heathen This I presse the rather because ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã as Nazianzene speakes It is a very dangerous thing to be ouer prodigall of mercie for it is nothing else but an occasion of crueltie when rancke sinnes will not be cured without letting of great quantitie of blood a little seuerity in time would preuent a great deale of crueltie I will not say but somewhat that will resemble it which the iniquitie of the times doth hasten to wrest from you or which is worse to bring vpon the State You see the admonition that ariseth from this place is that your feet bee not nimium lanei lest your hands proue nimium ferreae you must strike soone that you may not strike too often or too deepe But it is not enough that you proceede timely except you proceede vnpartially you must proceede against whomsoeuer Gods Law is Deut. 1. Leuit. 19. Iââ magnum paruum iudicabis Thou shalt not regard the poore because hee is poore nor the rich because he is rich there is no respect of persons in God neither should there be in his Lieutenants A Iudges sentence must be like a true looking glasse it must represent euerie mans case as the glasse doth his countenance neyther embellishing nor deforming it And no maruell for seeing they are Physitians of the State and sinnes are the diseases of it what skils it whether a gangrene beginne at the head or the heele seeing both wayes it will kill if the part that is diseased be not cut off Except this be the difference that the head being nearer the heart a gangrene in the head will kill sooner than that which is in the heele euen so will the sinnes of great ones ouerthrow a State sooner than those of the little ones But yet I know not how wee are more prouident for our naturall body than wee are for the politique curing in that first the principall parts and in this the lesse principall if wee cure them The vanity of which course Sigismund the Emperour well obserued in the generall Councell when vpon the motion that it was fit to reforme the whole Church one said Then let vs begin at the Minorites nay rather saith the Emperour at the Maiorites for if the great ones be good the mean ones cannot easily be ill but be the meane ones neuer so good the great will be nothing the better Iohn 7. I end this point with the saying of Christ Nolite iudicare secundum faciem sed iustum iudicium iudicate and I wish you the zeale of Phyneas Numb 25. that spared not Zimri or Cosbi though the one were a Princes sonne of Simeon and the other a Princes daughter of Madian so may it be imputed to you for righteousnesse and to your seed after you And thus leauing the conditions to bee obserued in the vse of your power I come to the limitations of the power it selfe The limitations are two first of the lawes There are diuine and humane lawes the Magistrate must proceed against the violaters of both against them that will not doe the law of God against them that will not do the law of the King Prou. 24. he must be Custos vtriusque Tabulae look to the obseruing of Salomons Feare God the King or Christs a greater than Salomons Giue vnto Caesar the things that are Caesars Matth. 24. and vnto God the things that are Gods he must conioyne both and acknowledge Dominum Dominum my Lord God and my Lord the King But with this difference that the one is an absolute Lord the other but subordinate the one commands as in his owne right the other but in the right of God Secondly as are the Lords so are their lawes Gods must haue the first place the Kings but the second And no maruell seeing Gods lawes are primitiue the Kings but deriuatiue nay the substance of euery law is from God it is but the determination of some circumstance that is left vnto the power of the King In lawes meerly morall Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not steale c. the King hath power onely in regard of the Sanction not that God hath left it in his choice whether these sinnes shall or shall not be punished but to his discretion hee hath left it how and how farre the good of the State requires to haue them punished In things meerly indifferent because many things are lawfull in regard of that liberty which we haue from God which are not expedient in that society whereof we are parts with other men the Kings lawes may impose precepts and that vnder paines but still prouiding that the law of nature yea and of grace too may stand with them and be not impaired by them nay nature and grace must in a Christian Common-weale giue the first light vnto them Adde hereunto that Gods lawes binde the conscience immediately as hauing power in themselues to make things good or euill but the Kings lawes binde but mediately as the King hath authority from God and is in the promulging of his lawes the Minister of God So that although you must looke to both yet must not your care be of both alike for both are not of like worth there must be an eminency in the care of Gods lawes aboue the care of the Kings Yea there is a necessity too for as Nazianzene speakes of Iouinian the Emperour ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã It was Princely wisedome in him to protect the truth because the truth could best support him Kings lawes are neuer so readily obeyed as where the people are religiously disposed and Magistrates which neglect the care of Gods lawes doe but teach the people how to vilifie theirs But you must be sure that the God be the God of Ezra the true God this is the first caution so were these Iudges and so must you be you must not maintaine false religion or persecute the true vnto the seruice of this true God you may lawfully compell St. Augustine obserues it in the Parable of the Marriage Feast And that it is profitable you may perceiue also in the same Parable for of many that were compelled wee finde but one that came without his wedding garment the rest had their part in the Feast God himselfe in Osea saith Cap. 2. That he will hedge the Iewes way with thornes so that they should not breake through to follow their spirituall fornication but withall pricke themselues and marke what followes the Iewes bethought themselues thereupon and said I will returne to my first husband and that was God for it was then better with me than it is now Nazianzene a man of a meeke spirit as appeareth in his writings had obtained some patience to be vsed toward the Apollinarists but when hee saw how ill it succeeded hee wrote backe to the President of the Countrey ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã My intercession was vnseasonable for these wicked men will not make so
good vse of your indulgence as to be ashamed and reclaimed Wherefore as St. Iude obserues you must saue some with feare and plucke them out of the fire wherein they would burne themselues you must compell them to learn and obey the law of the God of Ezra the true God whereupon followeth also the next point which is they will the more easily be brought to doe the Kings law Of obseruing lawes in generall I need say no more than I haue but the iniquity of the times wills mee to remember you that lawes must bee obeyed though they be the lawes of the King of Persia this is the second caution The Proctors of Rome though they dare not flatly deny it yet so sophystically handle it that what with subiecting the scepter of Kings to the command of Popes and exempting of such persons and cases as seeme good vnto him they vndermine what they would seeme to yeeld and the most they grant is no more nor no longer than their Holy Father doth that 's too much or hereafter will allow them If hee will abrogate all they must acknowledge none no lawes of a King of Persia a King that is not of their religion Others haue learnedly and sufficiently shaken their grounds and my Text is an argument of no small force to resolue the consciences of such as doubt whether a different religion doth euacuate the power of a lawfull Soueraigne It doth not though it be a false religion how much more when it is the true and the King our King commands onely for the God of Ezra the true God and enioynes no other worship of him than according to his owne lawes the vndoubted register whereof is the sacred Word of God Wherefore you must bee as the earth mentioned in the Reuelation cap. 12. and swallow all those waters that the dragon casts forth to drowne the woman you must crush these seedes of rebellion which ayme at nothing but the ouerthrow of true Religion And how must you crush it euen by punishment And so I come to the second worke of iudgement from the precept to the sanction which containes the second limitation of the power Wherein I obserue first how farre the Magistrate may draw his sword Looke how farre his prouidence doth reach so farre may his vengeance reach also The reward of sinne is death eternall death to violate Gods Lawes or the Kings is no lesse than sinne it should therefore be reuenged with eternall death But behold here vnspeakeable mercie God would haue vs iudged here by men that we be not condemned hereafter by him This is the proper end of the keyes and the sword of the power that is in the Prince and the Pastor The occasion draweth mee to speake of the Sword yet let me giue you this Item touching the Keyes that malefactors must remember that for euerie of their offences challengable by the Law of man they owe a repentance vnto God and the greater their offence the deeper should be their repentance Which I the rather note because there are too many of them that scarce giue glorie vnto God when they suffer by the Law and if they escape make no conscience at all of their sin as if how soeuer they speed at the iudgement seat of men they were not to take heed that they be not cast at the barre of God which the first Councell of Nice well corrected when imitating Gods law without preiudice to the ciuill sword it appointed sundrie yeares penance according to the grieuousnesse of sinne Sed pristino rigori non sumus pares the Liturgie of our Church saith that it were to bee wished but the iniquitie of the times that it is not to be hoped Secondly seeing your power should touch men with a losse temporall to keepe them from a losse eternall you see what wrong you doe them when you suffer them to spend their dayes in loosenesse and in a moment as Iob speaketh though from their beds they goe quicke down into hell how much better were it for them if with one hand or one eye they might goe into heauen than hauing both to bee cast into hell O then let the righteous rebuke them yea smite them rather than that your precious balmes should breake their heads yea slay their soules spare nothing that is temporall so you may preserue them from the paine which is eternall You see how farre you may draw the sword But when you strike your strokes must bee proportionable to their sinnes but the proportion must not be Arithmeticall but Geometricall they must be secundum merita but not aequalia meritis you may punish intra but not vltra medum so doth God who notwithstanding doth punish in number weight and measure Semper aliquid detrahit de poenae atrocitate as Nazianzene speaketh ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã he doth temper mercie with iudgement In the hand of the Lord there is a cup the wine thereof is red and it is full mixt whereof though his children offending drinke yet only the incorrigible wicked drinke the dregs thereof And the same Father writing to the Emperours Deputie reckoning vp his vertues demands this ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã what shall I say of your clemencie ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã here you decline something but he addes ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã I cannot much blame you you haue God for your patterne who in Hosea speakes thus of himselfe How shall I giue thee vp O Ephraim how shall I deliuer thee O Israel how shall I make thee as Admah how shall I set thee as Seboim my heart is turned within mee my repentings are rouled together I will not execute the fiercenesse of my wrath c. You must wisely then temper iudgement and mercie but so that mercie doe not hinder iudgement and yet that of the two mercie reioyce against iudgement And thus haue you heard what a Iudge may and must doe he may take the sword and must vse it against malefactors but with the conditions of the vse and limitations of the power specified in my text The conditions are two he must vse it timely and indifferently the limitations also two he must extend it to all transgressions of both Tables and intend it according to their transgressions And the end of all must bee by a temporall punishment to saue the wicked from eternall paine or if that will not bee that the blood of all cursing Shimei's and factious Ioabs and irreligious Abiathars also may bee vpon their head and the head of their seed but vpon Dauid our Dauid vpon his house and vpon his throne vpon this whole Church and Common weale may bee peace for euer from the Lord. MOst mighty most mercifull Lord who to preserue sincere pietie and secure peace in the Church and Common weale hast put the sword into the hands of mortall men and for the vse thereof hast aduanced them aboue their Brethren we humbly beseech thee so to sanctifie them with thy grace whom
generunt or genera singulorum it cannot bee vnderstood of singula generum God neuer suffered sinne so farre to preuaile but hee euer had a Church in the world and some true children the world could not continue if it were so bad as to haue none Though the times when Dauid came to the Crowne were verie bad yet not so bad there liued Nathan and Gad and Sadoc and manie thousands too no doubt were there in the dayes of Saul as in the dayes of Ahab which liued in the feare of God and as orderly members of the State but denominatio sequitur maiorem partem the greater part was the worser part and therefore the complaint is bent against the whole A complaint which may well fit our dayes wherein though GOD hath preserued manie as liuing members of CHRIST and profitable inhabitants of this Land yet can it not bee denyed that all sorts of sinnes doe raigne in all sorts of persons Wee may renew Esayes complaint Chapt. 1. From the sole of the foote vnto the head there is nothing whole therein And Chapt. 3. The people are oppressed one of another euery man by his neighbour the children presume against the ancient the vile against the Honourable what State is there that is not dissolued Honourable and Beloued I will not wrong your wisedomes so farre as to particularize onely this I obserue that when you giue your charge you doe nothing but relate the liues of the people they yeeld instances of all those sinnes which you so profitably disswade and I would the Grand-Iurie that haue their eares open to heare your charge would haue their eyes open also to behold the peoples liues and make a conscience to present what if they winke not they cannot choose but see and if they present there remaines nothing but that you Honourable and Beloued doe your part as carefully as they performe theirs faithfully And your part is set downe in the next point of the text in these wordes of King Dauid I beare vp the Pillars thereof This is the second reason the reason why you must iudge vprightly because when things are amisse the redresse of them lieth in you you beare vp the pillars thereof The Pillars of a State are good Lawes and good men good Lawes are the Pillars that beare vp men and men beeing so borne vp by good Lawes doe beare vp the whole state of the Land The reason why this title is giuen vnto Lawes is eyther historicall or morall The historicall is the ancient custome of ingrauing Lawes in brasse and fastening of them to pillars in publique places as wee vse now the Kings Proclamations it were not hard out of diuers Authors to confirme this custome I will alledge but two and they are two feeling authorities the one to bee heeded by a Iudge which is the saying of a Poet Fixit Leges pretio atque refixit the other is also the saying of a Poet but it lookes vnto the common people Hae he meaneth Lawes miserae ad parietem sunt fixae clauis ferreis vbi malos mores affigi nimio fuerat aequius Saint Paul seemeth to allude to this custome when hee calleth the Church The pillar and ground of truth 1 Tim. 3. But to leaue the historicall reason there is a morall reason of it also Our wits and our wills doe both stay themselues vpon the Lawes while wee reade Philosophers writings de aeque bono what is meete to bee done and what is not meete our iudgements doe wauer through vnresolued discourse so soone as a Law hath defined men cease to dispute wee captiuate our iudgment to the wisedome of the State and hold their resolution not to bee excepted against As a Law fixeth our iudgement so doth it settle our will also though good bee louely yet the loue of good is but weake in vs and were there not a Law that threatens the transgressors how little wee loue good it would too soone appeare When our affections would melt with sinne they are held together and held vnto their duetie by the bridle of the law the law stayes the law holds and therefore Saint Basil doth well vnderstand by these Pillars ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã those Lawes which with power and authoritie settle euerie man in his orderly course of life Lycinius the Emperour spake barbarously when as Eusebius reports hee said that Iuris cognitio was virus pestis Reipublicae and the Iewes who as Ambrose obserues said that Leges were Crimina spake but as Iewes that is as a rebellious people And the Anabaptists that hold Lawes to bee contrarie to Christian libertie doe but by their doctrine giue vs to vnderstand the qualities of their liues which is Epicuricall licentiousnesse But Christians must giue Lawes their right and repute them as they are the Pillars of the State They are immediately the Pillars of the inhabitants and the inhabitants beeing qualified by them become Pillars of the State Therefore good men are a second kinde of Pillars and indeede so they are called St. Paul giues that name to Peter Iames and Iohn Galathians 2. Nazianzene saith of Athanasius that he was ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and of Attalus Nicephorus saith that hee was ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Neither is this true onely of the Worthies of the Church but of the Common weale also Ioseph is called not onely Pastor but Petra Israelis as much is to bee vnderstood of Eliakim the sonne of Helchia of whom God saith in Esay cap. 22. I will fasten him as a naile in a sure place and he shall bee for a glorious throne to his fathers house and they shall hang vpon him all the glorie of his fathers house c. the meaning is they shall all rest vpon him And indeede there is no good man vpon whom the Land doth not rest for as the world was made for them so they beare it vp and when GOD remooues them the world groweth so much the weaker yea the wicked themselues doe grow the weaker for that they doe enioye their states they are beholding to the good they thinke when they breake Lawes and persecute good men themselues fare the better and their posteritie is the greater but fooles they are and therein proue their owne foes for they ouerturne the Pillars whereupon both themselues and the whole State doe leane There is that care in vnreasonable Creatures of the preseruation of the whole that euerie part will hazzard it selfe to preuent the common ruine onely men forgetting that themselues must perish when the Common weale goeth to wracke to satisfie their own lusts continually push at and would ouerturne both kind of Pillars and Sampson-like though not with so good a minde as Sampson nor in so good a cause for themselues are more like Philistines endeauour the ruine both of others and themselues What is the remedie surely the remedie lyeth in you in you that are the Pillars of the Pillars In vos domus omnis inclinata recumbit
Confession the Aduisers shew how little grace there is in that Sect how vnlikely they are vnto King Dauid and vnto Iames and Iohn Howsoeuer they did let vs be of the old Patriarke Iacobs minde and say of them as he sayd of his sonnes Simeon and Leui they were Brethren in iniquity My glory enter not into their secret and my honour be thou not vnited to their Assembly Let vs not auenge our selues but giue place vnto wrath knowing that vengeance belongeth vnto God and hee will repay But if wee haue bitter zeale let vs not boast Wee lie against the truth as Saint Iames speaketh Hoc nomine ijs à quibus iniurias accepimus sublimiores simus ostendamus quid illos daemones doceant quid Christus nos erudiat In a word Nazianâââ Let euery man be slow to wrath seeing the wrath of man doth not accomplish the righteousnes of God And thus much of the Case of Conscience A second vse that we should all make of this Storie thus applied is to be stirred vp hereby vnto heartie thankfulnesse for our Deliuerance If wee did congratulate our first restitution to the Gospel by Queene Elizabeth how must we also our continuation thereof and preseruation therein in the dayes of King Iames that hee hath not suffered the Destroyer to haue his will against vs he hath saued our soules and saued our bodies the Destroyer aimed at the ruine of both Their first intent was to make vs drinke of their golden cup of poyson to make vs fall downe and worship their Idoll But not speeding of that because it pleased God to continue our Soueraigne a constant Defender of the Truth they attemped a second ruine the ruine of our bodies But Iesus hath Saued vs from both he hath saued vs from being corrupted with their Heresies he hath saued vs from being Destroyed by their malice So that wee may say Blessed be the Lord which hath not giuiug vs as a prey vnto their teeth Wee can neuer more feelingly receiue the Eucharist then vpon this occasion there is present our Iesus he inuiteth vs to partake of him And wee that haue Seene let vs also taste how good the Lord is and praise him because wee finde that all are so blest that put their trust in him I end The summe of all is The Church is subiect to the Crosse and Christians must looke to suffer and must not be ashamed to suffer for Christ But in suffering they must remember not to recompence euill for euill but to ouercome euill with good So did Christ so must Christians both in Word and Deed. O Lord that by thy Words and by thy Deeds hast taught vs to spend the heate of our zeale in the constant profession of thy Truth not in the bloody persecution of our foes giue vs grace to possesse our soules in patience and let the bloud of our deadliest enemies be precious in our sight So shall we beare the character not of the Destroyer but of the Deliuerer and hauing happily escaped all plots of our destruction in thy House with songs of prayse blesse thee O Iesu the only constant Author no lesse of our temporall then of our eternall Saluation A SERMON PREACHED AT St ANDREWES IN WELLES ONE DOING PENANCE FOR JNCEST PSALME 50. VERSE 21. These things hast thou done and J kept silence thou thoughtest that J was altogether such a one as thy selfe but J will reproue thee and set them in order before thine eyes THE Argument of this Psalme is an heauenly Assises whereof we haue here the Apparance and the Indictment the apparance made at it and the indictment read in it The Apparance is great whether we respect the Iudge or the iudged the Iudge GOD the iudged the Church of the Iewes both are set forth GOD in Maiesty whether you respect his owne Person or Attendants the Church with her prerogatiues as she is consecrated to GOD and hath couenanted with him And the conclusion is that this Church notwithstanding yea the rather for her prerogatiues shall be arraigned before that Iudge But what is her Arraignment Surely the transgression of the Law so much of the Law as containeth GODS seruice for this she shall be arraigned and receiue iudgement also as we are taught in my Text. In my Text then we are to obserue two things First how farre the Iewes are guiltie Secondly how GOD proceedeth against them How farre they are guilty appeares in the first words These things c. which are relatiue and repeat the enormous sinnes that are distinctly specified in the words that goe before For these sinnes GOD proceeds against them after much Patience which the Iewes abused vnto such Vengance as against which they shall haue nothing to except GODS Patience is gathered out of his silence I held my tongue the Iewes abuse hereof GOD testifieth to their face thou thoughtest that I am altogether such a one as thou art This abuse is insufferable therefore GOD threatneth Vengance I will reproue thee such Vengance as against which they shall not be able to except I will set thy sinnes in order before thine eyes You haue heard the substance of these words which I must now enlarge and apply as this present occasion doth require The first point then is the Indictment which sheweth how farre the Iewes were guiltie it is expressed in the first words These things hast thou done whereof euerie one is remarkable These things are relative words and repeat the Challenge that is made vnto the Iewes in sundry former verses the summe whereof is That they were guiltie of transgressing the Law The Law so farre as we haue to doe with it is partly Ceremoniall and partly Morall within these two is concluded the seruice of GOD. The Ceremoniall cherisheth the Morall and the Morall quickneth the Ceremoniall yea the Ceremoniall is a sensible description of the Morall and the Morall is a discreet limitation of the Ceremoniall when they goe together they worke both a sincere and a sober seruice of GOD sober in regard of the Ceremonie sincere in regard of the Moralitie But we must marke that the Ceremoniall and the Morall Law differ as the Soule and Body of man the body is of small vse if it be seuered from the Soule so is the Ceremoniall Law if it be seuered from the Morall Secondly the body is inferiour to the Soule euen so is the Ceremoniall Law inferiour to the Morall so that if it be a fault to neglect the Ceremoniall it is a much greater to breake the Morall Law Lo then the Indictment stands vpon two Branches a Seperation and a Transgression a Seperation of the Ceremoniall Law from the Morall and which is worse a manifold Transgression of the Morall with these two sinnes GOD chargeth the Iewes Both are great sinnes The Seperation is for GOD in his seruice commanded that our Soules should concurre with our bodies that our Affections should speake vnto him as well as our tongue
may read enough in the life of SOLOMON to iustifie this point But this was not the sinne onely of the Old Testament it quickly entred vpon the New no sooner had the Apostles planted the Christian Faith but impure Heretickes poysoned the Religion at the root and by wicked notions of God and Goodnesse seduced many simple ones vnto all dissolutenesse of life as we read in IRENIE and EPIPHANIVS Yea no sooner was the Gospel restored in these latter dayes but Anabaptists and Libertines trod the very same steps and turned Heauen into Hell and God into the Diuell As for our selues Beloued our Positions are sound and good but our Conuersation should be answerable otherwise the Apostle will tell vs That we denie God euen when we professe him deny him in deeds when we professe him in word yea whereas GODS Image is not Verball but Reall if we will goe for GODS Children and doe the workes of the Diuel how farre are we from this sinne of the Iewes You that are the Penitent should especially lay this to your heart for this brings your sinne vnto his heighth and if you thinke how prophane it is to beare our Incest with Periurie you may haue grace to acknowledge your guilt guilt of supposing GOD to be like vnto your selfe for such doing can hardly goe without such thinking especially if a man continue long therein When a sinner is come to this passe GOD can hold no longer he ceaseth his patience which the Iewes abuse and proceedeth to vengance against which they cannot except He that toucheth GOD in his Wisedome as doth the first kind of Atheist toucheth him neare but GOD beares it He that toucheth him in his Prouidence as doth the second kind of Atheist toucheth him nearer yet can GOD endure that also But he that toucheth him in his Holinesse as doth the third kind of Atheist toucheth him nearest his wrath for such a touch must needs breake out As the Will is the supremest facultie of the reasonable Soule so Holinesse the perfection of the Will is the chiefest of vertues therefore man should be certainly GOD is most tender of it if any impeach that he will certainly reproue them Reprofe is either verball or reall GOD reproues verbally or in word by his Ministers of that we heare as often as we heare from them the doome of sinne for it is Praeiudicium ante iudicium they tell vs what we are and how we shall faire and GOD will make good their words when he entreth into Iudgement But when we are not the better for the Verball then GOD commeth to the reall Ps 29. and then we shall find that Dei dicere is facere The voyce of the Lord is a glorious voyce mightie in operation it breaketh the Cedars of Libanus Hebr. 4. and diuideth betweene the sinnewes and the marrow it not onely rips a man vp to the verie heart root but is able to crush him all to pieces King DAVID describeth the effects of it Psal 39. When thou ô Lord with rebukes doest chasten man for sinne thou as a moath makest his beautie to consume This he vttereth more at large in the 90 Psalme yea read all the Psalmes that are Penitentiall and you shall find vpon the rebuke of GOD what a comfortlesse Soule what a healthlesse Body King DAVID had And if the Children of GOD feele such effects at GODS rebuke which notwithstanding haue euer some sparkes of comfort how doth it crush nay grind forlorne wicked ones If the voyce of Sion the rod of a man the correction of a father be so terrible that DAVID cryeth out O Lord rebuke me not in thine anger âs 6. neither chasten me in thy heauy displeasure how dreadfull is the voyce of Sina the iron rod the destructiue wrath of GOD to whom shall wretched man flye what shelter shall he take there is no vmpier to qualifie the doome nor any defender to beare off the stroake certainly it is a fearefull thing so to fall into the hands of the liuing God You that are the Penitent are yet but vnder the verball you are not come to the reall reproofe happy shall you be if you make so good vse of this as to preuent that But be sure that the neglect of correction doth vndoubtedly prognosticate destruction to a sinner such destruction as shall not onely be iust but also take away whatsoeuer exception for God will set mans sinnes before his eyes The Hebrew hath nothing but I will order or marshall before thy face the Septuagint supply out of the first clause These things hast thou done ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã thy sinnes St HIEROME out of the second clause thou thoughtest me like vnto thy selfe supplyes Thy selfe Proponam tibi te I will set Thee before thy selfe they are easily reconciled for the person is vnderstood in regard of his sin so that Thee and thine iniquitie is all one In professed wicked men there is not the distinction that is in the Regenerate of Ego Rom â Peccatum the Old and the New man such a one is not a double but a single man But to come to the point the word ordering or marshalling doth giue vs to vnderstand that we delight in doing of sinne but not in beholding of it behold we can the seeming profit and pleasure that doth accompanie it but the breach of the Law or wound of our Soule we endure not to behold because there is pleasure in the act and remorse in the remembrance thereof But what we cast behind vs GOD will set before vs. The word marshalling importeth two things First that the sinnes are many but confused so that we doe not discerne either the great number or the vnequall measure of them whereupon it followeth that we cannot iudge either how grieuous or how vgly they are but GOD will so dispose them that we shall take notice of euerie one and euerie one according to his pitch Good things well digested are the better discerned and yeeld the more content and euill things displayed will the more vndeniably conuict vs of folly and more vncomfortably distresse vs with our want of grace These two conuiction and confusion doe necessarily accompanie the marshalling of our sinnes and if one sinne of murder wrought so vpon CAIN one sinne of treason vpon IVDAS that the one could not rest the other hanged himselfe in what case thinke we shall the wicked be when GOD shall set all their sinnes before them It is good then for men to vnburden themselues as neare as they can of all sinne seeing there is so much euill in the sight of any one sinne and we cannot auoid the fight of any especially if it be such as this Penitents sinne an enormous sinne and a crying sinne See it therefore now and let repentant teares wash out the characters thereof least remaining of record you be forced to see it when there will be no meanes of blotting it out A second thing that
vntill the tenth Generation but against Incest he is more seuere Deut. 271 for he would not onely haue a generall curse pronounced against it whereunto he commanded all the people to say Amen but touching the Moabites and Ammonites the first spawne of Incest that we find in the Scripture though they were the posteritie of LOT whom GOD loued for AERAHAM's sake Deut 23. yet doth he command that they shall not enter into the Congregation of Israel for euer Israel is forbidden to seeke their peace at any time RVBEN is a second example marke what his owne Father IACOB said of him when he blest the Patriarkes Ruben thou art my first borne my might Gen. 49. the beginning of my strength the excellencie of digniâââ and the excellencie of power these were the preeminences of his birth-right but he forfeited them all for Incest as appeares in the verie next words of his Father Vnstable as water thou shalt not excell because thou wentest vp to thy Fathers bed then defiledst thou it He went vp into my couch A third example is ABSALON he abused his Fathers Concubines therefore he came to an infamous end he was hanged by the haire of his owne head he dyed childlesse and so his name did rot Leu. 8. The Land of Canaan spued out the old Inhabitants for Incest and GOD threatneth the destruction of Israel for that a man and his sonne would goe in to one maid Amos 2. By GODS Law no lesse then death was the punishment of Incest Leu. 10. The Lawes of the Land are more mercifull vnto you the Penitent that suffer you to breathe and leaue you to the censure of the CHVRCH But if you mind what you haue heard touching that censure and drinke in St AVSTINS conceipt therof you shall find cause enough to feare and freedome from death may seeme vnto you worse then death But yet your case is not desperate for there yet remaines one point in the Text which may yeeld a mitigation to your feares and a consolation to your Soule The censure is not mortall but medicinall as appeares in the end whereunto the censure serues Now a medicine you know doth first paine then it doth ease yea it doth therfore paine that it may ease so doth this ghostly censure it serues for the destruction of the flesh there is the paine but there followeth ease vpon it the spirit shaâ be saued First of the paine As the flesh signifieth sometimes the substance sometimes the corruption of the outward man so may the destruction signifie either the mortalitie or the mortification thereof mortalitie if the censure proceed from the power which is proper to an Apostle but if it signifie the power which is common to Bishops with the Apostles it noteth mortification it signifieth the crucifying of the flesh with the lusts thereof the putting off the old man and the dying vnto sinne And indeed this we intend by our Ecclesiasticall censures We intend that you should root out the sinne for which you doe penance and so destroy your flesh This is painfull to flesh and blood but vt valeas multa dolenda feres you must brooke the paine that you may enioy the ease that followeth thereupon the spirit shall be saued The spirit noteth the soule or the grace thereof the sauing of the soule is the preseruing of grace therein if the soule loose grace it looseth it selfe in regard of all well-being and it were much better for it not to be at all then to be without grace so that the saluation of our spirit is no small part of our happinesse Which must the rather be esteemed because if our spirit fare well it will make euen the flesh that is destroyed in regard of the corruption to be farre better in regard of the substance for it shall be purged from dead works to serue the liuing GOD. But when shall we reape this easâ out of paine In the day of our Lord Iesus Christ Though a peniten euen in this life shall find some case in his Conscience yet the full benefit of Ecclesiasticall censure is reserued to the day of the Lord because all this life we must be mortifying our flesh especially enormous sinners must be so imployed the greatest of their ease in this world must haue a mixture of paine but in the day of the Lord they shall haue ease without all delay But what day of the Lord is meant here Euerie mans particular day of death or the generall doomes day An account must be made at both and if we vse the Ecclesiasticall censure well we shall find that this Iudgment preuents that this temporall the eternall For as CHRIST at his first comming came not to destroy but to saue so his Ministers that dispense the Gospel vse their power not to destruction but to edification But I thinke the day of the Lord signifieth properly the last day CHRIST will publikely manifest before the CHVRCH tryumphant the effect of the Keyes which he hath committed to his Ministers to be exercised publikely in the CHVRCH militant he will then reueale how all stand bound in Heauen which were neuer loosed on Earth and all whom the CHVRCH hath loosed in Earth shall then appeare to be loosed in Heauen I end The successe which St PAVL had when he inflicted this sentence was that the Corinthians became verie sensible of their fault and the Incestuous person of his St PAVL himselfe doth witnesse this 2 Cor. 7. where he amplyfieth both their godly sorrowes and his congratulating indulgence towards them both Oh that like successe might blesse my paines that I may giue as good a testimonie to this Congregation for their hatred of sinne as St PAVL gaue to the Corinthians and to this Penitent the like mittigation of his Censure as St PAVL to that Incestuous person So may this penitentiall sheet of his be turned into a white robe of righteousnesse his teares into ioy and all we that are humbled for him in the Church militant be with him exalted in the Church tryumphant Amen A SERMON PREACHED IN THE CATHEDRAL CHVRCH OF WELS AT WHAT TIME TWO DID PENANCE FOR INCEST A MAN AND HIS WIVES DAVGHTER LEVIT 20. VERSE 14. Likewise if a man taketh a wife and her mother this is wickednesse they shall burne him and them with fire and there shall be no wickednesse amongst you NO sooner doe you heare this Text but I am ure you vnderstand this spectacle you vnderstand what sinners these persons are what doome this Law doth passe vpon them And indeed their sinne and Gods doome are the maine parts of my Text. But more distinctly In the sinne we must note first the fact then the haynousnesse thereof The fact is vnnaturall adulterie Adulterie because one man taketh more women then one that is plaine adulterie And this adulterie is vnnaturall because there is the neerest reference betweene the women the one a Mother the other her Daughter to take two
GOD is grounded vpon it and affinitie doth in some sort equall consanguinitie as grafted branches doe those that are naturall But because where consanguinitie is a good ground of charitie there needeth no repaire neither will GOD haue any therefore hath he forbidden mariage within certaine degrees some collaterall more in the right line and they that match within these degrees are said to commit Incest Adde hereunto that GOD would haue a distinction kept between persons he would not haue the same person a Father and a Sonne an Husband and a Brother c. in regard of the same persons such peruersenesse in matches can neuer be approued of reason much lesse of GOD. See then your fault you that are the incestuous persons you haue first gone against GODS Ordinance which prouided for the propagating of charity and your sinne is iniurious to the societie of mankind and if it might preuaile Families must needs continue strangers each to the other and they must confine their wealth and their loue euerie one to their owne Howse Secondly In confounding Consanguinitie and Affinitie you haue made a peruerse confusion of a Father and an Husband and of a Daughter you haue made a Wife at least a Strumpet And this is your second sinne and of this and the former consisteth your sinfull fact and haynous sinne It is wickednesse Wickednesse is a word common to all sinnes but it must be here vnderstood in a speciall sense as the word sinner is often in the Scripture in the Old Testament the Amalekites those sinners 1 Sam. 15.18 in the New Testament the Gentiles are also called sinners as also Publicans Harlots not so much because they had sinne in them as for that their sinnes were enormous All Incontinencie is wicked but Incest is wicked ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in the highest degree But to open the word here vsed by the Holy Ghost a little more fully The word is Zimmah which signifieth any act of our mind or thought of our heart but because the thoughts of the imaginations of our hearts are commonly euill therefore an euill thought or purpose is often intimated vnto vs thereby Thirdly Because he that is a slaue to his affections can hardly be master of his actions for ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã out of the abundance of the heart the mouth will speake therefore it signifieth a reuealed thought a thought reuealed in our actions Finally the word being put without any limitation doth signifie an execrable an intollerable wicked both thought and act and so it is here to be vnderstood But marke that though the sinne be an act yet it is denominated from the thought And why The principall part thereof lyeth in the purpose of the heart not in the outward performance by our body which may also be obserued in the storie of the Deluge all flesh had then corrupted his way but GOD pointeth at the fountaine of this corruption in these words Gou. 6. euerie imagination of the thoughts of mans heart were euill Act. 8. and that continually SIMON MAGVS offered money to the Apostles that he might by them be inabled to giue the Holy Ghost to whom soeuer he layd his hands vpon but marke what St PETER saith to him Pray that the thought of thy heart may be forgiuen thee for I perceiue thou art in the gall of bitternesse and the bond of iniquitie Men that doe that which is right in their owne eyes are commonly drawne thereunto by following the counsell of their owne heart we must therefore listen to the aduise of SOLOMON Prâu 4.23 Keepe thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life and death A second note that this word doth yeeld is that we must be so farre from acting that we must not so much as purpose sinne not suffer our selues so farre to be baited by our owne lusts Athanas as to conceiue sinne in the inward man ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã sinne in the priuie closet of our soule Excellently NAZIANZENE to this purpose ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã let no man set vp Idols of wickednesse in his soule ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã nor carrie about him pictures of wickednesse in his heart for ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the inward lust is the greatest part of fornication and incest and therefore doth the Holy Ghost so often forbid the lust of concupiscence In a word laudantur homines vituperantur ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã as men are inwardly disposed so are they morally reputed good or bad and herein doth morallitie differ from policie But I haue not yet touched at the haynousnesse of this sinne Incest then must be reputed in the number of the most enormous sinnes a sinne that hath his originall from the impure Spirit which is antiquus adulter the ancientest Adulterer not onely spirituall but corporall also and taketh delight no lesse in the corruption of our bodyes then of our soules you may see it in the confessions of sundry Witches who report the manner of their festiuitie at their impious meetings and read it in the description of their Mysteries wherein they doe initiate their followers TERTVLLIAN in his Apologie and other Fathers make mention of it And how many impure Hereticks did he rayse in the Primitiue CHVRCH This and the 18 Chapter doth tell vs that the Aegyptians from whom the Israelites came and the Canaanites into whose Countrey they were to goe were Nations ouergrowne with this haynous sinne but marke what it addeth God did detest them for it and the Land did spue them out And no maruell âozomene for it is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a man that is giuen ouer to this degree of lust hath lost all soueraigntie of reason and is become a verie beast yea worse then a beast for beasts abhorre this coniunction as heretofore vpon a like occasion I shewed you out of ARISTOTLE And therefore although these extrauagant lusts did raigne in the Heathen who learned them of their impure gods yet was not the light of reason so farre exstinguished in all of them Ouid. but that many acknowledged the haynousnesse of them the Poet did Dira canam procul hinc natae procul este parentes said one of them Lab 8. De Legibus when he was to speake of a Daughters lying with her owne Father The Philosophers did PLATO saith that by an inward vnwritten Law the sacred Law of Conscience men doe abhorre these vnnaturall mixtures of mankind The Ciuill Law calleth it a funestation of a mans selfe and indeed the persons are dead in sinnes and trespasses that make such a coniunction And how can that be but abominable in GODS iudgement which the blind reason of vnregenerate man hath acknowledged to be so abominable I will conclude this point with two aggrauations of the sinne which arise from the persons of these offendors The man is a Father and a father should be a good example to his children and by
you that are the Penitents that it doth not you should not be here to doe penance if you had such doome as GODS Law requireth you are therefore bound to thanke GOD for the clemencie of the State and make good vse of this time of grace remembring that though you scape the corporall fire there is another fire which you haue cause to feare which St IVDE telleth vs was figured out in the perpetuall burning of Sodome and Gomorrha the fire of Hell and assure your selues that if the Land of Canaan spued out those impure persons Heauen will receiue no such and if they that transgressed MOSES Law perished ciuilly without all mercie most wofull shall their destruction be that are reserued for that fire which shall deuour the aduersaries the fire of Hell You shall doe well therefore to quench that fire before you come at it and there are three waters with which you must quench it The first is the water of your teares you must imitate King DAVID who all the night long washt his bed watered his couch with his teares there he sinned and there he bathed himselfe so must you But mans teares are too weake a water to wash away either the guilt or staine of sinne which are the fewell of that fire you must therefore moreouer vse two other waters the water of CHRISTS blood to wash away the guilt and the water of his Spirit to purge out the corruption of your sinne If you make good vse of these three waters that fire will neuer seize on you otherwise assure your selues that though we spare you GOD will not spare you he will one day punish you most seuerely And it were good that our Law did not spare so much as it doth considering the growth and ouer-spreading of impuritie It were to be wisht that our temporall Sword did strike as deepe as the Sword of MOSES did it may when it pleaseth the State and it shall not doe it without example of other Countreys Or if that may not be obtained at least it were to be wisht that the old Canons of the CHVRCH were reuiued and ghostly discipline exercised more seuerely for certainly the scandall is great which such sinnes bring vpon the CHVRCH and they that slander vs without a cause when they haue iust cause how will they open their mouthes against vs Our care then should be to stop their mouthes but principally we should prouide that there be no wickednesse amongst vs which is the end of the doome and the last point of my Text. I will touch it briefly The Iudgement was seuere but it was necessarie Necessarie for the State which is to preserue it selfe free from guilt there must no wickednesse be amongst you No wickednesse that is impossible in this world for viuitur non cum perfectis hominibus they that haue most of the Spirit haue some-what of the Flesh and the Field of GOD till haruest will haue Tares as well as good Eares and the good eares will haue chaffe as well as good graine and the good graine will haue bran as well as flower We may not looke then for any State wherein there is no wickednesse The Law therefore requireth onely that there be Nullum scelus no haynous wickeduesse no tantum scelus as the Vulgar speaketh enormous transgressions there must be no crying sinnes the State must haue a vigilant eye vpon such sinnes and execute vengeance vpon notorious sinners they must not be amongst vs. But they will the Serpent will be in Paradise yea Lucifer was in Heauen the Arke had a CHAM and amongst CHRISTS Disciples there was a IVDAS Be then they will amongst vs. But the meaning of the Law is they must not be indured by vs they must not scape vnpunished if they doe they will proue contagious such sinnes are like fretting Gangreenes they are like vnto Leauen they infect all about them and if they doe not infect they will make guiltie and for sparing such a one GOD will not spare a whole State And there is good reason for Qui non vetat cum potest iubet GOD taketh them for abettors that will not when they may reforme inordinate liuers Therefore the State must put away from amongst them such inordinate liuers 1 Cor. 5. Hierusalem below must as neere as may be be like vnto Hierusalem aboue Apoc. 22. of that aboue St IOHN saith Extracanes impudici no vncleane person commeth thither neither must any be indured here so soone as they appeare they must be made expiatorie Sacrifices and their death must free the State from guilt But I draw to an end A word to you that are the Malefactors Origen Ad paenitentiae remedium confugite qui praeuenti estis tam graui peccato Seeing you haue beene ouertaken with so foule a fault neglect not the remedy which GOD hath left you heartie and vnfained repentance for your sinne the rather because you haue to do with a most mercifull Iudge who doth not onely moderate the punishment but commute it also commute the punishment which you should suffer in Hell with a punishment which the CHVRCH inflicteth here on Earth Consider the qualitie consider the quantitie of these different punishments and you will confesse that it is a most mercifull commutation Cast then your eyes backe and consider what you haue done how haynous your offence hath beene and cast your eyes forwards likewise and consider what you haue deserued how great a danger you haue incurred by inioying a short and beastly pleasure Thinke vpon both these often and thinke vpon them seriously so shall you yeeld GOD the greater glorie for the mercie which he vouchsafeth you and he shall worke the greater comfort in your soules by assuring you of the remission of that sinne wherewith you haue so greatly prouoked him And to vs all this I say Eligamus priùs affectus castigare quà m propter ipsos castigemur Let vs plucke out our eyes cut off our hands rather then by retayning them to be cast into Hell-fire Let this spectacle remember vs often to set before vs the shame of the world and the horror of a guiltie conscience which befall enormous sinners in this life And if that will not hold in our corrupt nature let vs set before vs the neuer-dying Worme the euer-burning Fier Or rather ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Let vs begin here our life in chastitie Nazian that we may one day be in the number of those Virgins that follow the Lambe whether soeuer he goeth Reuel 14. And let Magistrates and Ministers both be iealous ouer the State with a godly iealousie that as by the Ministry of the Word and Sacraments it is espowsed to one Husband 2 Cor. 11. so it may be presented as a chast Virgin vnto CHRIST when those heauenly Nuptials shall be solemnized wherein standeth our euerlasting happinesse This God grant for Jesus Christs sake by the operation of the Holy Spirit To which one
God in three Persons be rendred all honour and glorie now and for euer Amen Marriage is honourable amongst all men and the bed vndefiled but fornicators and adulterers God will iudge A SERMON PREACHED IN THE CATHE DRAL CHVRCH OF WELS AT WHAT TIME FOVRE PERSONS DID PENANCE FOR INCEST COMMITTED BY ONE MAN WITH HIS WIVES DAVGHTER BY THE OTHER MAN WITH HIS WIVES SISTER DEVT. 27. VERSE 22 23. 22 Cursed is he that lyeth with his sister the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother and all the people shall say Amen 23 Cursed is he that lyeth with his mother-in-law and all the people shall say Amen WHEN GOD had deliuered the Children of Israel out of Aegypt he was pleased to enter into a Couenant with them at Mount Sinai the manner of it is set downe Exod. 24. But the Israelites quickly brake with GOD and GOD entred into iudgment with them he made them for the space of fortie yeeres to wander in the Wildernesse and in that space he so consumed them that of 600000 men remained aliue onely IOSVA and CALEB After so long displeasure GOD returned againe in mercie to them he vouchsafed to haue his Couenant renewed againe the forme of the renuing he prescribeth in this 27 of Deut. A most solemne forme for therein were to concurre three remarkable acts First The Law was to be fairly written vpon great plaistred Stones that the people before-hand might see whereunto they were to bind themselues for GOD would haue them enter into his Couenant aduisedly Secondly there was an Altar to be erected and thereon they were to offer whole burnt offerings and sacrifices of thankes-giuing which were to be reall acknowledgments that they did wholly deuote themselues to GOD and giue thankes for that GOD of his goodnesse would againe renue his Couenant GOD would haue them enter into his Couenant religiously Thirdly GOD commanded that the twelue Tribes should sort themselues into two diuisions sixe should stand vpon the descent of Mount Gerezzim and sixe vpon the descent of Mount Ebal both diuisions with their faces towards the mid Valley where the Arke of GOD the Type of his visible residence amongst the Israelites was borne vp by the Priests In this Theater as it were did GOD require that the Israelites should heare the Articles of Agreement betweene GOD and them both blessings and cursings and professe their conformitie thereunto GOD would haue them professe themselues party to his Couenant openly in the sight both of GOD and Men. In this third act you shall find a rehearfall of sinnes first in particular then ingenerall and a doome pronounced against the committers of those sinnes both by Priest and People Of the particular sinnes my Text specifieth two and specifieth withall the doome that belongeth to either of them The sinnes are vnlawfull matches one collaterall a brothers lying with his sister and because a woman may be sister more wayes then one here is an exegesis the word is expounded whether she be daughter of the mans father or daughter of his mother The second vnlawfull match is in the right line a mans lying with his mother-in law Of these matches you haue these penitent spectacles here presented before you The Text goeth on and tels these Penitents and whosoeuer else shall presume to be like vnto them what is their doome it is set downe in one word but that is a sharpe one they are cursed But farther obserue concerning this doome who doth pronounce it and who doth approue it They that pronounce it are the Leuites so we read verse 14 and they are willed to pronounce it with an audible voyce so audible that all Israel may heare They that approue it are the people they are required to say Amen in token that they all assent to that which they heare all the people must say Amen You haue the briefe of my Text I purpose GOD willing now to enlarge it I pray GOD I may so doe it as that we that stand may take heed least we fall and these that are fallen may learne to rise againe I begin with the sinne wherein we are first to make you see that the Text doth fit this occasion For neither of the matches therein specified seemeth to agree with theirs that are vnder the present Censure Not the collaterall for my Text speaketh of a sister by consanguinitie and these Penitents were brother and sister onely by affinitie not that in the right line for my Text speaketh of a mans lying with his mother in-in-Law or his wiues mother but this man here is censured for lying with his wiues daughter And so you may thinke that neither of these couples come within the compasse of my Text and therefore are neither of them guiltie of the sinne neither need feare the doome To take away this doubt you must take notice of two rules in Diuinitie The first is that affinitie makes persons as neere in the Law as consanguinitie doth The reason whereof is plaine Affinitie is grounded vpon mariage and by mariage two become one flesh and consequently their kinted whether ascendent or descendent or collaterall become alike neere on each side to the other Your wiues father and mother brethren and sisters sonnes and daughters are vnto you by her as neere as if they were of your owne blood This being true you perceiue that it was no lesse vnlawfull for this man to couple with his wiues sister then with his owne sister the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother The other rule is That more then is exprest in GODS Law is to be vnderstood when by analogie it may fairly be deduced there-from GOD himselfe is our direction to take notice of such analogie for if you compare this Chapter with the 18 of Leuit. you shall find that this verie instance of a man lying with his mother-in-law which is mentioned here is omitted there whereupon you may well conclude that some particulars which GOD forbids are not named in the Letter though they are within the meaning of the Law and that the meaning is as wide as analogie will suffer I will shew you in a word what this analogie is it is that persons which are not forbidden expresly and in the letter of the Law are there forbidden implicitely and in the meaning of the Law where others in the same distance of Consanguinitie or Affinitie are expresly forbidden As for example the Law forbids expresly a nephew to marrie with his aunt it saith nothing of an vnckles marrying with his neece yet these being as neere in degree as the other we may of them reasonably conclude that they also are forbidden in the meaning of the Law the exception of the Romanists is friuolous To our purpose by the letter of my Text a man may not marrie with his mother-in-law which may be either his wiues mother or his fathers wife if not with his mother-in-law which is his fathers wife then in the
make merchandize of good manners Whether the prohibitions in Leuiticus be a part of MOSES Iudicials and so determined with the policie of the Iewes or part of his Morals that ought to bind all Nations and that in all Ages They cannot deny but the prohibition of some degrees is Iuris naturalis and therefore forcible to bind others besides the Iewes But that the prohibition of some other is not so they thinke First because God hath dispensed with the Collaterall degrees which he could not doe if they were Iuris naturalis The ignorance of the distinction which before I gaue you of euill absolutely and euill in reference vnto Gods end maketh them so thinke For God may dispense with the latter euill with the former he cannot except he will deny himselfe Another argument of their conceit they draw from examples of the Patriarks that haue made such matches and haue not beene reproued But viuendum est non exemplis sed legibus their examples shew the permissiue not the preceptiue will of God but we must liue by the preceptiue not by the permissiue otherwise we shall make the Patriarks patrons of all kind of sinnes Wherefore in this point I resolue non est distinguendum vbi Lex non distinguit all must be conceiued as Iuris naturalis where the Law exempts none And that all are so I proue by this reason taken out of the 18 of Leuit. God saith there that the sinnes for which the Land spued out the Canaanites amongst others were these vnlawfull matches to the Canaanites these matches had beene no sinnes if they be sinnes onely by the Iudiciall Law of MOSES for the Canaanites were not tyed to that Law and therefore did not sinne in transgressing it it was some other Law that made them guiltie and what could that be but the Law of Nature Adde hereunto that in the Ciuill Law you shall find the same sinnes forbidden euen before the Romane State was Christian Forbidden therefore out of the light of naturall reason which is the Law of Nature It is no impeachment to this truth that in the 20 Chapter of Leuit. these sinnes haue a ciuill sanction annext to the Law which forbiddeth them for Theft is in the 20 of Exodus forbidden by the morall Law and in the 21 Chapter is punished by a politike Law so in the 20 of Leutie these matches are punished by a politike Law which in the 18 are forbidden by a Morall Let therefore the CHVRCH of Rome to multiply her gainfull dispensations let carnall persons to excuse their vnruly lusts pretend that many of these prohibited matches are restrained only by MOSES his Iudiciall Law and are free for Christians yet all the authorities and seeming reasons wherewith they labour to maintaine this their conceit will not be able to counteruaile the reasons alleaged Except they can shew a dispensation from God whosoeuer so ioyne together cannot excuse themselues from sinne if not from sinne then not from the doome thereof which in my Text is a Curse Cursed be he that lyeth with c. Cursed be he that lyeth here I must shew you Gods method First he doth onely forbid these sinnes Leuit. 18. then because he knew that few are so well disposed as to abstaine from that which is forbidden them therefore in the 20 of Leuiticus he armeth the Magistrate with the Sword against them he will haue all those that presume against this Commandement to be punished with temporall death certainly those that offend as two of these Penitents that haue matcht in the right line haue done As for the other two the phrase that is varied maketh some to cauill though it be but a cauill that they stand vpon âut though they were not to dye by the Sword yet the Rabbins confesse they were to be whipt and certainly the current of the Chapter sheweth that some temporall punishment was inflicted we cannot not thinke lesse of those phrases they shall be cut off in the sight of their people and cut off from amongst their people they shall beare their iniquitie they shall dye childlesse But because many by their greatnesse or by their close carriage may scape the Magistrates Sword though they commit these sinnes therefore in this Chapter there is a worse doome pronounced against them from him whom they can neither illude nor escape that is from God and his doome is exprest in this word Cursed A curse is the reward of sinne now sinne is punished by God either in this world or in the world to come In this world we find in the next Chapter how many wayes God doth vse to curse man curse him in his person curse him in his posteritie in his cattell in his corne abroad at home c. And indeed there is nothing whereunto a man can put his hand wherein God may not yea often doth not lay a curse vpon a sinner yea and maketh many of them prouerbiall curses as he threatneth the Iewes and others in the Scriptures Were there no more euill to be expected then this you that are the Penitents should thinke your case bad in that your Conscience can prognosticate you no good successe all the dayes of your life no not in your worldly affaires so long as you stand charged with this guilt But there is a farre greater curse and that is to be indured in the world to come Math. 25. when CHRIST shall say Goe ye cursed into euerlasting fire prowded for the Diuel and his Angels And indeed the Diuel is the first person vpon whom God pronounced a curse and his ease is the sampler of the curse which is eternall Else-where the Scripture expresseth it thus take the vnprofitable seruant bind him hand and foot cast him into vtter darknesse Other-where we are told that men shall be infected with a worme that neuer dyeth Marke â Esay 66. and afflicted with fire that neuer goeth out Finally they shall be an abhorring to all flesh And we see in the Reuelations how Angels and Saints congratulate the torments inflicted vpon them by Gods Iustice I say nothing all this while of their losse of the light libertie comfort companie of Angels and Saints and which is beyond all of the blessed sight of God When you hearâ this you that are the Penitents you may conceiue what terrible words are these which DAVID speaketh Ps 11 â Ps 37. Cursed are all those which erre from thy Commandements they that are cursed of God shall be rooted out But least you mistake you must conceiue that this word doth signifie meritum and iudicium the merit of sinne and the paine which shall befall an irrepentant sinner Gods first intention is in this word onely to lay before our eyes what he may in iustice inflict vpon vs if he should enter into iudgement with vs so soone as we prouoke him that so he may strike a terror into our Consciences and timely humble vs that we may seeke a remedy euen
that remedy which he hath prouided for vs. And what is that By Faith to lay hold vpon CHRIST who to keepe off the curse from vs Gal 3. was pleased himselfe to become a curse You that are the Penitents shall doe well to make your benefit of this day of grace and so tremble at the consideration of that which you haue deserued as to shelter your selfes vnder the comfortable wings of your blessed Sauiour before the stroake of GODS vengeance light vpon you For as the word cursed doth import the merit of a sinner so doth it also his Iudgement if he continue irrepentant If repentance preuent not GOD will reward euerie man according as he deserues Rom. â anguish tribulation and wrath shall be vpon euerie one that doth ill which CHRIST setteth forth in a liuely embleme when he cursed the Fig. tree in the Gospel Remember also that GODS curse is an vnresistable curse you may learne that of BALAAM Num. 22. he assured BALAK that none can alter it when it is gone out of GODS mouth and be you sure it is as vnchangable as it is intollerable There is much cursing in the world there be many whose mouthes are full of cursing and bitternrsse Ps 10. Iob 2. Some are so impious as to curse GOD himselfe as IOES wife would haue had her husband haue done and as that wicked one did Leuit. 24. and others mentioned Reuel 16. Some are so monstrous as to curse though not GOD yet men Cap. 3. euen with the same tongue where-with they blesse GOD St IAMES wisheth them to consider how much woâse they are then senselesse Creatures because out of the same Fountaine there commeth not sweet water and bitter also But of these curses we must hold these two rules to be true the one is SOLOMONS a causelesse curse shall not come Prou. 26. yea GOD will blesse them whom the vniust doth curse The second rule is that they that delight in cursing shall haue enough of it Ps 10 9. He that cloatheth himselfe with cursing as with a garment at shall run like water into his flesh and like oyle into his benes he shall be thorowly drencht with it But we must not conceiue so when a man is curst of GOD for as his curse commeth not without a cause so it will vndoubtedly sort its effect And though our cursing of him sheweth but our vneffectuall malice yet his cursing of vs will make vs see his effectuall Iustice Finally for these two causes are maledictions added to the transgressions of the Law First that we might acknowledge that it belongeth to GODS Iustice to see sinne punished Secondly that when we feele any calamities we may know from whom they come and why Hauing shewed you what the curse is that belongeth to your sinne you must now see by whom it must be pronounced and at the 14 verse we find that it was to be pronounced by the Leuites And indeed the act being not Politike but Ecclesiasticall as you may gather out of that which I haue obserued before the person must be suitable But whereas the name of Leuite comprehends the Priest also we must vnderstand here the Priest and not the ordinarie Leuite For vnto the Priest belonged the office of blessing and cursing in the Name of the Lord it is not for euerie one to intermeddle with that worke It is true Ecclesiasticall that if the oppressed curse the oppressor in the bitternesse of his Soule his prayer shall be heard of him that made him Math. â But yet mens patience should be such as to blesse them of whom they are cursed and to doe good to them of whom they receiue hurt To curse GOD rather permits then commands them as he doth parents except they be led by the Spirit of Prophesie as NOAH and others for Prophets had this power by an extraordinarie vocation But the Priest onely hath it ordinarily by the power of his Orders as by the termes of blessing cursing planting building rooting vp destroying it is exprest in the Old Testament and it is expressed in the New by those of opening and shutting Heauen binding and loosing mens Soules remitting and retayning mens Sinnes in a word it is that which we call the Power of the Keyes So that the Minister doth no more then he hath good warrant for when he doth exercise this Iurisdiction and the people should feare it because he doth it in the Name of the Lord no lesse assured that GOD will confirme it then he is assured that GOD doth command him to doe it Although we doe not deny but our first intention should be to blesse Numb 6. and our power is giuen vs for edification and our desire is to be vnto you the sauor of life vnto life Yet when the peoples sinnes call for it importuning vs then we must come to the curse vse our weapons of destruction and be vnto the people the sauor of death vnto death For seeing we are not onely slow vnto obedience and need the spurres of GODS alluring blessings but also refractarie and inordinate we need the strong bridle of GODS curses to hold vs in when the World the Diuel and the Flesh carrie vs headlong vnto perdition Were it not so that men are headstrong to their own peril we shold not need to deliuer vnto them the terrors of the Law but onely the glad tydings of the Gospel but sinne sorceth vs to subordinate the curse to the blessing that by the terrors of the curse we may remoue from you the impediments of the blessing And happy shall you be if you make such a vse of it As the Priest is commanded to pronounce the curse so is he commanded to pronounce it with a lowd voyce he must not be afraid to vtter it and his voyce must be so lowd as that all Israel may heare the must not suffer any to be ignorant of it that which concernes all must be made knowne vnto all and the greater things are the more ââânestly they must be prest We cannot doe you greater wrong then conceale from you that which concernes you so neere and if we doe not worke powerfully into your Consciences the terror of this curse we should bring a curse vpon our selues Ser. 48.10 for cursed is he that doeth the worke of the Lord negligently But I hasten to the last point that will tell vs who is to approue this curse that is pronounced by the Priest and there we find that they are the people All the people shall say Amen Amen to the Curse If it were the blessing no doubt but all would say Amen but all must say Amen to the Curse also GOD will haue vs set our seale as well to his Iustice as to his Mercie and confesse that we subscribe to both We that is Prince Priest and People all must shew their loue vnto that which is good and detestation of that which is ill It is true
because as the Apostle teacheth she is of him and for him and therefore is called ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 1 Cor. 7. yet in coniugall power they are equall Man hath no power ouer his body no more hath the woman ouer hers each is in the others power and that in solidum they haue coequall command each ouer the other So likewise their coniugall affections should be coequall they should embrace each the other with entire and vndeuided loue no reseruation of that kind may be endured by the bond of wedlocke on either side the mans or the womans It is true that Licentiousnesse hath distinguished where the Law hath not distinguished and libertie hath beene granted to men to share their bodyes and their affections amongst many women but women are denyed that libertie and haue euer beene required to confine their affections to one man and communicate their bodyes to no more then one which distinction of licentiousnesse hath specious grounds First they say the ends of marriage are lesse preiudiced if the libertie be granted vnto men then if it should be granted vnto women Are they preiudiced Then preiudiced But nothing should be granted that doth preiudice those ends Away then with that Apologie for Lust There is another taken from the example of the Patriarkes and indeed so the Iewes vnderstand this Text as if it were an allegation of the Fathers to proue Polygamie and read it thus An non vnus fecit Did not our father Abraham take many wiues And yet he had aboundance of Spirit i. aboundance of the spirit and grace of GOD he know what he did and he did nothing amisse Why should not we imitate him But supposing that reading to this obiection in the next words the Prophet shapes an answer he sought an holy seed that is as the Fathers say non fecit propter libidinem sed propter orbitatem he did it not to satissie his lust but that he might haue an heire according to GODS Promise And if you looke vpon the storie of the Patriarkes ABRAHAM and IACOB you shall find that though they had more wiues then one yet neuer had they them out of lust no nor out of their owne choyce ABRAHAM tooke HAGAR but he was importuned to doe it by his wife SARA yea and SARA too would haue the child reputed hers as borne vpon her knees IACOB chose but one wife and that was RACHEL LEAH was put vpon him by deceipt and the two Mayds by the opportunitie of his wiues The after times were worse and of all the Kings of Israel were most licentious they tooke too much after the Heathen Kings but their fact can be no good president because expresly forbidden by a speciall Law Deut. 17. Some excuse them by a dispensation as likewise the Patriarkes but being vrged to shew it they are saine to supply the silence of the Bible with a conceipt that the first that swarued from the Law had his warrant by inspiration and that others tooke their allowance from his example But the excuse is dangerous and vngrounded we may not make so bold with GODS Law rather may we thinke that the best of the Patriarkes were but men and that they were carryed away with the error of their times and that GOD in mercie bore with that as with other their imperfections but we may not venter to say his Iustice did allow it A dispensation is an allowance of Iustice notwithstanding the Law but a permission is a forbearance of mercie which doth not proceed against sinne according to the rigour of the Law either to checke or to correct it We may grant the Patriarkes the benefit of such a mercifull permission but a legall dispensation we cannot grant them without better proofe As for GODS giuing of SAVLS wiues into DAVIDS bosome 2 Sam. 12.8 we are to vnderstand NATHAN of those whom SAVL neuer knew otherwise they will iustifie Incest in the right line which DAVID so abhorred that he would neuer keep companie with those Concubines which ABSALON had abused much lesse would he admit into his bosome any woman which his father-in-law had knowne Vnto this principall onenesse we must adde the accessorie of honor and concord Onenesse of honor for Vxor fulget radijs mariti vt luna solis when a man marryeth a woman with his body he doth worship her and endow her with all his worldly goods that is she becomes as noble and as rich as he is reseruing alwayes the supremacie vnto man I meane reuerence to his person which is the fountaine of her honor and obedience to his command in dispencing the goods which she holdeth from him in chiefe Onenesse of concord is a like affection and disposition in prosperitie and aduersitie which can neuer stand with Polygamie the mother of iealousie and iealousie is the mother of discord as you may gather out of the storie of SARA and HAGAR RACHEL and LEAH and the wiues of ELCANAH SAMVELS father the best mens Families haue not auoyded it All this while that I haue spoken of the onenesse in marryage you must not mistake as some haue done for there are two kinds of Polygamie Simultanea and Successiua the hauing of more wiues successiuely or at one time Some haue ouer-rackt chastitie as some haue shrunke it Hist Fab. lib. 1 The Montanists as appeares by TERTVLLIAN in his Booke de ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and the Nouatians as we learne out of THEODORET held that if a man buried one wife he might not marrie an other And the CHVRCH of Rome cannot excuse it selfe from this error in that it forbiddeth the blessing of second marriages in the CHVRCH and suffereth not any that hath had a second wife to enter into holy orders or that hath married a widow which is interpreted Polygamie But this kind of Polygamie was neuer forbidden by any Law it is not onely allowed Rom. 7. but commanded also 1 Tim. 5.14 Canin 8. Amb. de vidâââ The Councell of Nice hath made a Canon in defence of it and the Fathers iustifie it It is then onely Polygamia simultanea the hauing of many wiues together that is condemned by my Text by the Old Testament Austin de bono viduit c. 11. Cap. a. Cap. 19. by the New and by the Fathers as they haue occasion to speake either of the institution of marriage deliuered in Genesis or the interpretation of our Sauiour CHRIST in St MATHEW which Polygamie had its originall from LAMECH one of CAINES posteritie And this must you the Penitent obserue as that which giueth the first light vnto you of your sinne you haue offended against the onenesse of marriage As you haue offended against the onenesse the Worke so haue you against the Workemaster he is the second part that I pointed out in the Text of the Law for he is the cause of this onenesse In wedlocke there are three persons to be obserued first the Male secondly the Female and thirdly GOD that
ioyneth them together looke vpon the storie in Genesis there you shall find that ADAM non arripuit Euam sed expectauit Deum adducentem he did not carue for himselfe Math. 19. but stayed for GODS consent and therefore our Sauiour CHRIST saith Prou. 2.17 that GOD conioyned in marriage and SOLOMON saith that it is pactum Dei the couenant of God so that the lawfull coniunction of man and wife is not onely Gods ordinance but Gods act also he doth it by himselfe or his Minister the verie Heathen thought so that had a seuerall God president not onely of the substantiall parts but also of euerie circumstance of their marriage I will not trouble you with enumeration of them Obserue then the interueniencie of God in wedlocke which doth improue it though not to the state of a Romish Sacrament yet to the condition of a sacred thing and so we should esteeme it And the act of God in ioyning ADAM and EVE must be accounted a reall Law the sampler whereunto all other wedlockes were to conforme themselues as exemplysications our Sauiour CHRIST teacheth vs so to vnderstand it Math. 1â and our Prophet doth here worke vpon it as being such But why doe I call to witnesse these sacred Authors The light of Reason taught it the Philosopher Aristotle giueth it for a Law in his Politicks and in his Oeconomicks the Romane Emperour a Deijs qui infamiae notantur Legâ in his Digests b De intest nuptiâs ad Legem Iust de Adulterijs in the Code thought it reasonable to put it into their Lawes c Gratiam causa 24. quest 3. de diuortijs the Canonists make it their ground against marriage after diuorce and our Law hath prouided for it Seeing so many Lawes attend Gods legall fact it cannot be denyed but that Polygamie is a sinne against this Worke-master it cannot be denyed but that Polygamie is a sinne against the Law-giuer as well as against his Law Whence you the Penitent may make a farther discouerie of your sinne you haue offended against the onenesse in marriage not onely that which God hath commanded but also that onenesse which God himselfe by his owne act hath made And if this Anabaptisticall libertie of hauing many wiues so offend for Anabaptists in this dotage of the world and their abettors haue beene the Authours and practisers of these masterlesse lusts how odious is the communitie of wiues and the Familists worke of darkenesse Surely 1 Cor. 6. though he that is ioyned to a Harlot as the Apostle speaketh be one flesh yet that onenesse is not of Gods making for he maketh none one but according to the Law before specified And let this suffice for the matter of the Text I come now to the manner The manner is powerfull for MALACHI deliuereth it in forme of a question which layeth the matter close to the conscience Did he not make one is as much as can you deny it Doth not the Law expresly say it This is an vndeniable truth so that he worketh vpon a known principle and giueth vs to vnderstand that principles of faith and good manners should be familiarly knowne the Catechisticall points should be euerie bodyes study and they should be ready with vs vpon all occasions to resolue our Consciences they are the best guid of our Iudgements when we come to try the conclusions that learned men deduce from them yea if we hold them we need not be perplexed in conscience if we haue not skill enough to iudge of the controuersies that doe arise concerning those conclusions It is true that CHRIST biddeth vs search the Scripture Iohn 5. Col. 8. Hebr. 5. and St PAVL willeth vs to let the Word of God dwell richly in vs and those that are of full age should by reason of vse haue their senses exercised to discerne good and euill But if our breeding haue not beene so good nor our capacitie so great we must be sure to hold the foundation the Principles of Religion must not be strange vnto vs if we take not so much paines as to be well skild in them our state to God-ward is but comfortlesse This I would haue them take notice of who neither themselues know their Catechisme nor take care that their children and seruants according to the Law be bred vp therein the Prophets Sermon could little haue profited these Iewes had they not been acquainted with his sext and because the common people know not much of their Catechisme they profit little by our Sermons for the truth hereof I report me to your owne consciences as the Prophet here doth for the vndoubtednesse of his Text. I haue done with the Text of the Law I come now to the Sermon of the Prophet I told you it is short but full for it hath the two parts of a Sermon whereof the first is doctrine and here is a indicious one To make it plaine you must conceiue that the Prophet argues vpon his Text thus God made but one was it because he could make no more or because he would not It was not because he could not for he had aboundance of spirit or as some read Excellencie ioyne them together and the sense will be full anoundance of excellent Spirit The words may point out either Gods power or his store and signifie that neither his power was enfeebled by the creation of one nor his store exhausted And indeed touching his power how should that be enfeebled which is infinite Sine numero sine mensura as St BERNARD speaketh it is not restrayned with any bounds it is true that his Will doth not alwayes extend as farre as his power but his power neuer commeth short of his Will Ps 135.6 Luke 1.37 for he doth whatsoeuer he will both in Heauen and in earth neither is any thing impossible vnto him Neither is the abundance of his excellent store any whit lesse consider but the infinite number of Angels which he made before he made man DANIEL saith that thousand thousands ministred vnto him Dan. 7. Ps 68. and ten thousand times ten thousands stood before him Or looke to that which was done after he made that one looke how many millions of men there haue beene since he created that one Hebr. 12. so many Spirits hath he created for he is the Father of our Spirits Eccl. 12. and when we dye the Preacher saith they returne to God that gaue them vs. Obserue that whereas man consisteth of a body and a soule there could be no question but God had stuffe enough to make more bodyes all the doubt was of the soule therefore the Prophet toucheth at that and not at the other and giues vs to vnderstand that it was as easie to Gods power to breathe more Spirits of life as of the dust of the earth or ribbe of man to make more bodyes Obserue secondly that the addition of Excellencie is ioyned with Spirit to
one hath occasioned many a wholsome Law to hold in others that would sall into the like sinne And GOD by MOSES giues an excellent patterne to all good Gouernours of making such occasionall Lawes in cases Ecclesiasticall Ciuill and Criminall Ecclesiasticall Numb 9. Ciuill Numb 27.36 Criminall Numb 15. and in this Chapter We haue now to doe with a criminall case the case of Blasphemie concerning which we find reported in this Chapter an haynous fact seuerely punished by GODS Commandement and an excellent prouisionall Law grounded thereupon to preuent the like sinne The fact with the punishment thereof you may read in the verses that goe immediately before the Law is set downe in these that now I haue read vnto you Wherein we will consider two things first what this Law contayneth secondly to whom it was giuen It contaynes the two maine parts of a Law for it opens the sinne and prouides a punishment In opening the sinne it sheweth vs against whom and how it is committed The person against whom is GOD. But the name of GOD is taken either for one that though he be not yet is reputed to be such or for him which is GOD indeed which is the true GOD. Both are here mentioned the reputed GOD in these words his God the true in those other the Name of the Lord. The sinne against either of these persons is committed by mentioning and vilifying them those two things must be vnderstood in either of these words curse and blaspheme If this sinne be committed here is a punishment prouided for it the Text will teach vs what it is and vpon whom it must be inflicted What it is we learne here first in generall he must beare his sinne by sinne is meant punishment the offender must beare it the Gouernour must put it vpon him least the State suffer for him In speciall the punishment is here set downe that it must be Ecclesiasticall and Ciuill Ecclesiasticall for he must be cast out of the Tents which was a kind of Excommunication Ciuill it must be vltimum and ignominiosissimum it must be no lesse then death he shall dye and that death must be most ignominious two wayes ignominious first for that he was stoned to death which is mors eminùs illata they that executed him stood a sarre off as if they did abhorre him Secondly he was to haue no eye to pittie him for euery one was to be his Executioner All the Congregation shall stone him This is the punishment And this punishment must be inflicted vpon all without any indulgence no person must be excepted quicunque whosoeuer doth blaspheme must suffer And because amongst the Israelites there were natiues and aliens both are giuen to vnderstand as well he that is borne in the Land as the stranger that the Law concernes them if they presume to blaspheme they must suffer yea and suffer so they must surely dye certainly be stoned they must looke for no commutation no mitigation of their punishment This is the Law And this Law was giuen to the children of Israel so saith the entrance into my Text Thou shalt speake vnto the children of Israel Israel was GODS peculiar people and it beseemed them to be the more zealous for his glorie I haue broken vp the Text that this Penitent may be made sensible of his grieuous sinne and we may be warned to take heed of the like man reaped where he did not sowe gathered where he did not scatter These are affirmatiue blasphemies And vnto these you may referre false Prophets false Apostles Hereticks yea and Schismaticks too which come vnsent speake vnwarranted make GOD the Author of their owne deuices these are all more or lesse affirmatiue blasphemers yea and they also that without warrant curse in the Name of GOD or by GOD any other person or thing Besides these there are negatiue and they are those which either wholy deny or much lessen the perfections of GOD. Ps 94. Some put out the eye of his Wisedome they say Tush the Lord doth not see and is there any vnderstanding in the Highest Some bridle his Power 2 Kings ââ What God is he that can deliuer out of my hand saith the proud Sennacherib God is the God onely of the Hils say the King of Syria's Captaines Epicures strip him of his Prouidence Scilicet is superis labor est ca cura quietos Sollicitat God will doe neither good nor euill These and such like Chryfoct we may call negatiue Blasphemers and the rule is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã they that would be bad would haue nothing good in GOD. Vnto these you may referre them that giue to the creature that which is proper to the Creator that implyes a denyall for if they be common to others they are not onely his it is blasphemie to auer it And such Blasphemers are all that make and worship false Gods yea and Christs also Finally by reason of Reference vnto GOD sacred Persons and Things are exposed to both kinds of blasphemie the affirmatiue and the negatiue Wherefore the Dragon is said to blaspheme not onely the Name of GOD but also his Tabernacle that is his CHVRCH and the Inhabitants of Heauen Well whether the blasphemie be affirmatiue or negatiue by this time I thinke you conceiue that it is a fearfull thing and if you doe not certainly you will if you take notice of these three points which issue all of them out of that which you haue heard First Whereas sinne may be committed either onely against the Law or also against the Law-giuer this is committed immediately against the Law-giuer and you know that though he make bold which breaketh the Law of the Prince yet his presumption is most intolerable that layeth hands vpon his Person And what thinke you then of him that dares set himselfe against him that is King of Kings and Lord of Lords Secondly A mans tongue was made to glorifie GOD therefore DAVID cals it his glorie and the best member that he hath And how intolerable is it for a man to abuse that to GODS dishonor which was giuen him to set forth his prayse Not his tongue onely but any part of his body for a man may blaspheme by writing by painting by caruing sundry other wayes whereas man whole man and onely man of all creatures in this visible world was made to vnderstand GODS Word and his Workes that as he had the benefit of them so he might giue him the glorie of them both Thirdly the mischiefe that man doth himselfe by this spirituall folly Cap. 27. He that casts a stone vp saith the sonne of Sirach it will fall downe vpon his owne head Cap 35 Our sinnes our righteousnesse neither helpe nor hurt GOD as speaketh Elihu in Iob if we reuerence GOD the comfort is not his but ours as the discomfort is not his but ours if we dishonour him Doe we blaspheme affirmatiuely GOD will vindicate his owne glorie Ps 50. and
make vs see how much better he is then we dreame of him Looke vpon the fore-cited places the wicked thinke that God is like vnto them Mal. 3. What saith GOD there I will reproue thee and set thy sinne before thee So likewise in Malachy they thought that GOD fauoured men the more the worse they liued but GOD tels them that in the day when he made vp his Iewels they should returne and see the difference betweene them that feare God Math. 25. and them that feared him not And the vnthriftie seruant was refuted before his face for his Master gaue to the thriftie seruants each what he had gayned vpon his Masters goods But as GOD doth thus refute affirmatiue blasphemies so may you perceiue in the verie same places that the Blasphemer doth defraud himselfe of that which GOD proues to be his perfection and leaues him to be more vile then he thinketh GOD to be So likewise what gayneth the negatiue Blasphemer but this that he putteth himselfe out of the protection of those Attributes whereof he would but cannot rob GOD. GOD will euer haue an vnderstanding eye though not to watch ouer him but to enquire into him he will haue a hand of power not to relieue but to plague him and he will neuer cease to be prouident but the Blasphemer shall neuer be the better for it What shall we say then to these things Surely considering our duty considering our danger we must thinke better vpon and take more care to fulfill that Petition of the Lords Prayer Hallowed be thy Name That we may performe our dutie that we may auoid the danger let vs all and you especially that are the Penitent daily ioyne with the Angels ãâ¦ã and beare a part in their Hymne singing Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Hosts Heauen and Earth are full of thy glorie For shall not mortall man adore that Name which is so reuerenced by Cherubins and Seraphins It is his honor to be admitted to it and a horrible contempt if he doe it not yea doe the contrarie The kind of blasphemie is not here exprest neither doe I thinke it sit to enquire into it seeing the Holy Ghost is silent such sinnes are better concealed then reuealed therefore doe not I publish this Blasphemers sinne And I wish you not to be inquisitiue after it Our concupiscence is like tinder it will quickly take fire especially the catching fire of Hell St Paul hath a good rule Such things should not so much as be named amongst Christians Yea blasphemie was so detested of old that whereas it had a name yet they did expresse it by an Antiphrasis and vsed the word blessing in stead of cursing I would our tast of words were as good as theirs was I haue done with the proper blasphemie Tract 27. in Ioh. I come now to speake a word of the occasionall Here take St Austins rule Rarò inueniuntur qui blasphemant lingua multi qui vita few haue gone so farre as this Penitent who hath properly and directly blasphemed GOD. But there are more then a good many that haue obliquely and occasionally blasphemed yea and doe daily euen all those whose conuersation is not answerable to their profession For they without the CHVRCH who heare vs professe that we are the children of GOD and haue for our guid the Word of GOD when then they see vs doe that which common reason doth condemne as wicked they conclude Like children like âather like liues like Lawes they open their mouthes against GOD and against his holy Word Wherefore we must by well-doing stop the mouthes of gaine-sayers and let our light so shine besore men that they may see our good workes and glorifie our Pather which is in Heauen or else we shall goe for occasionall Blasphemers as did Dauid and also did the Iewes 2 Sam. 12. Rom. 2. And let this suffice for the sinne I come now to the punishment And here we must see first What it is and then On whom it is inflicted The punishment is set downe here first in generall he shall beare his sinne By sinne is meant punishment the Holy Ghost by so speaking intimates the knot that in Iustice should be betweene them none should be punished but for sinne and no sinne should be vnpunished Which is also true when this word signisieth a Sacrifice for the originall of a Sacrifice was sinne and sinne in the Old Testament was not expiated but by a Sacrifice As you must obserue these two things in the word sinne so are there two like things a ceremoniall and a morall in those words he shall beare his sinne for thereby in this place the Holy Ghost signifieth that a Blasphemer may not redeeme himselfe from punishment by any ceremoniall Sacrifice the Law hath prouided no Sacrifice for so crying a sinne whereas pettie sinners might be ransomed by Sacrifice a Blasphemer may not so vnburden himselfe he must beare his owne sinne Num. 15. for Blasphemie is one of those sinnes which are committed with a high hand As the phrase doth debarre the Blasphemer of this ceremoniall reliefe so doth it put him ouer to the Ciuill Magistrate and yeelds a good morall Note which is that we must vnburden the State vpon the malefactor for sinne committed by one that is a member of the Common-weale by reason of the Communion that is betweene the parts of the politique Body maketh all the Body guiltie Nouel Constiâ 77. if it be haynous which Iustinian the Emperour obserued well in his Preface to the Law which he made against this sinne for this sinne saith he doth God send Famine Pestilence the Sword vpon a Common-weale neither can it put off the guilt and preuent the punishment but by laying them vpon the malefactor making him to beare his owne sinne lest they also beare a part of it A good remembrance for Magistrates to quicken their iustice in such cases and teach them that they cannot be mercifull to a Blasphemer except they will be cruell to their Countrey But I shall touch at this point againe before I end and therefore I will goe on The Punishment is not onely set downe in generall but in speciall also the speciall punishment is two-fold First It is Ecclesiasticall for the malefactor must be carried out of the Tents so GOD commanded a little before my Text and in the end of this Chapter it was so practised And when in the Holy Land they dwelt in Cities in stead of Tents which they vsed in the Wildernesse they obserued the same course for they cast Blasphemers out of the Citie as appeares in the storie of Naboth 1 King 21. and of St Stephen Act. 7. who were calumniated for Blasphemers 1 Tim 1.20 Now this was a kind of Excommunication and so vile persons were cast out De Malâdie c. Statuimus to note that they were vnworthy not onely to liue but euen to dye also amongst the people of GOD
lest the place of their habitation should be polluted by them The same GOD that would not indure that persons though but ceremonially polluted should abide in the Campe could much lesse endure the flagitious amongst his people Num. 5. his Tents are holy and onely for holy persons And we that beleeue in our Creed that the CHVRCH is holy should remoue from amongst vs all profane all blaspheming persons Whereby you the Penitent must vnderstand what you deserue at the hands of the CHVRCH And let this suffice for the spirituall punishment I come now to the Temporall And that I told you is vltimum and ignominiosissimum supplicium Vltimum for it is no lesse then death the partie must be put to death GOD held him vnworthy to breathe whose impious mouth breathed out such hellish contumelies against GOD. By GODS Law seuerall sinnes haue seuerall punishments and the punishments are proportioned to the sinnes we may argue strongly when GOD is the Law-giuer that if the punishment be great vndoubtedly the sinne is haynous GOD doth often punish citra but neuer vltra condignum Blasphemie therefore is indeed a deadly sinne that must be so accounted by GODS Iudgements not onely in foro poli in case of conscience but also in foro soli at the Tribunall of a mortall Iudge whose eye cannot discerne as doth the eye of GOD surely that must needs be verie foule which must be so foule in his eye Euen in this also may you the Penitent take the scantling of your sinne The punishment is not onely vltimum but ignominiosissimum most ignominious and that whether you looke vpon the Execution or the Executioners The Execution for the malefactor was to be stoned to death and that was mors not cominus but eminus illata the Executioners stood aloofe as if they did abhorre to touch the person with their hands and therefore pursued him with stones Adde hereunto the circumstances wherewith they were to doe it no sooner did they heare the Blasphemie but they rent their cloathes stopt their eares gnashed with their teeth threw dust in the ayre cryed out with their voyces and ran against the malefactor with a kind of furie yea and they afflicted their soules with fasting also these circumstances shall you find in the execution of St Stephen and Naboth misaplyed indeed but yet I suppose they set forth the right manner of proceeding because we find some of them in the storie of Hezekiah Ier. 36. when he heard the blasphemie of Rabsache and the Princes of Iudah are taxed for that they neither sorrowed nor rent their cloathes when Iehoiakim the King burnt the Prophesie of Ieremie In the storie of Naboth it appeares that if the Father were stoned for blasphemie all his children also dyed with him But that seemeth to be a straine beyond the Law because by the politike Law of the Iewes the child was not to dye for the sinne of his father and yet in the storie of Achan you haue a precedent of a larger extent for his sacriledge was punished not onely in his owne person but also in his whole Family all the liuing were stoned to death and their dead bodyes with all their goods were afterward consumed by fire A fearefull Iudgement and yet was his sinne lesse then Blasphemie for Blasphemie is the highest degree of Sacriledge There is no proportion betweene earthly things consecrated to GOD and the Nature the Attributes the Workes of GOD of how much sorer punishment then is he worthy that robbeth GOD of the latter then he that robbs him of the former Heare this and tremble you that stand here guiltie of that great Sacriledge Surely if the Execution doe not make you tremble at the ignominie that is due vnto you the Executioners may Let vs come then to them And who are they We haue here set downe their number all the Congregation Prince and people none must thinke himselfe too good when the case so neerely concernes GOD not onely the most but euen the best also must stoope to that which is otherwise thought to be base as it is but an ignoble profession to be an Executioner when GODS glorie must be vindicated and the wrong done thereunto must be reuenged all must shew that they are sensible of GODS dishonor GODS did I say yea their owne which is enwrapt in GODS for all are wronged by a Blasphemer because GOD which is reproacht is honoured by them all And can any man be patient to heare him so blasphemed whom himselfe doth honour Adde hereunto that this multitude of Executioners was to strike the greater horror and confusion into the Blasphemer for when he saw himselfe conuicted of all iudged of all how could he but giue glorie vnto GOD and confesse that his sinne was most haynous of a truth Finally the number was to be a bridle vnto all GOD would haue euerie one really obliged neuer to dare to commit the same sin for which he had so publikely punished another and that with his owne hand Out of all that hath beene said concerning the number of the Executioners we learne this good lesson That though it be a pious thing for a man to forgiue his owne disgraces and reproaches yet it is impious to forgiue GODS GOD is well pleased with the former because he can make vs amends for our patience and is able to blesse when others curse vs but patience in GODS wrongs can haue no excuse for what amends can be made him or what Superiour is there that can counteruaile that wrong Though this be an vndoubted truth see notwithstanding the peruerse disposition of the world how sensible are we of our owne wrongs how eagerly doe we endeauour to right our selues and our reputation by Law yea and against Law pretending the Lawes of honour we pursue euen but seeming yea and oftentimes fained disgraces with duels vnto death to the vtter ruine of those which haue disgraced vs But of GODS honour we are most senselesse let Varlets and miscreants for they deserue no better name that haue such foule mouthes profane the sacred Name of GOD hellishly rent in pieces as a vile thing the precious ransome of the CHVRCH the sacred person and parts of our Sauiour CHRIST how many be there that laugh at them but as mad fellowes and where is he that thinketh that the reuenge of this doth concerne him Certainly farre off is our Congregation from ioyning altogether to stone him But lest you should thinke that this was a tumultuary proceeding I must supply out of former words the order which was obserued therein For the witnesses that heard the Blasphemie were to be Leaders in this proceeding they were first to impose their hands vpon him and set their hands against him This ceremonie though practised in other Iudgements as appeares in the 13 and 17 Chapters of Deuteronomie yet seemeth to haue its originall here and imports two things first the truth of their testimonie so that if the
man dyed innocently not the whole Congregation which followed but they which led the Congregation were to be guiltie of his death Secondly The imposing of hands vpon the Malefactor was the making of him as it were a politicke Sacrifice for mundi expiatio est malorum occisio as the Priest so the Prince hath his Sacrifice to offer as the CHVRCH so the Common weale the execution of Malefactors is a propitiating of GOD. And GOD in the Common-weale of Israel in cases wherein he refused the Ceremoniall was well pleased to haue this Sacrifice and to admit it as expiatorie of the Common-weale I told you of the thing before but of the deuoting of the person to pacifie GOD I could not speake till I came to this place You the Penitent may hereby see how zealously the State should be bent against you and how much it concernes vs to see Iustice done vpon you Hauing thus sufficiently opened the punishment I come now to shew you vpon whom it must be executed Quicunque vpon him whosoeuer he be that curseth or blasphemeth here must be no respect of persons high or low rich or poore be he what he may be he is liable to punishment if he curse his God Though it be a false-one yet if it be his the Law saith plainly he shall beare his sinne The words may be vnderstood either as a relation or as a commandement As a relation what other Nations doe how zealous they are for the honour of their Gods In the Storie of the wonders which GOD wrought in deliuering the children of Israel out of Aegypt we find that when Pharaoh would haue the Israelites sacrifice to their GOD in the Land of Aegypt Exod. 8. Loe said Moses shall we sacrifice the abhomination of the Aegyptians before their eyes and will they not stone vs How did Nebuchadnezzar cause the Furnace to be heated to consume those that would not worship his golden Image What a doe kept Demetrius the Siluer-Smith when St Paul was thought to blaspheme Diana Protagoras was banished Socrates was put to death for disgracing the gods of Athens The Mahumetans lay on many stripes vpon them that disgrace their Alearon I will omit the solemne Bellum sacrum of the Graecians Thus the words may be conceiued by way of relation and then see how GOD argues Doe the Heathen punish those who dishonour or curse those that are onely gods in their erroneous reputation Much more then ought he to be punished that blasphemes the true GOD. Thus doth GOD oftentimes shame his owne people for their Impieties by setting before their face the Pietie that is in Infidels Hath a Nation changed their Gods which yet are no Gods Ier. 2. But my people hath changed their glorie for that which doth not profit And againe Mal. 3. Will a man rob God Yet ye haue robbed me So that the punishment cannot be denied to be iust by true Religion which is held most iust by the glimmering light of Reason But the words may haue in them more then a bare Relation they may containe a commandement also a commandement that whosoeuer curseth God though it be but his God that is a false God shall be punished for conscientia erronea ligat so long as any man in his conscience is perswaded that he is the true God he must worship him as if he were such It is true that when he commeth to the knowledge of his error Esay 8. Esay 2. he may then curse his false gods he may cast them to the Bats and to the Moles But so long as his vnderstanding is clouded with error his Reuerence must follow the Rule of his Conscience It is good Diuinitie that is deliuered in the Booke of Wisdome touching Idolatrous periured persons They shall be iustly punished Cap. 14. both because they thought not well of God giuing heed vnto Idols and also vniustly swore in deceit despising holinesse âor it is not the power of them by whom they sweare but it is the iust vengeance of sinners that punisheth alwayes the offence of the vngodly And no maruell for were it a true GOD they would vse him so their ignorance is not antecedent but concomitant and such ignorance doth not excuse the quantitie much lesse doth it excuse the qualitie of sinne But to leaue his God and come to the Name of the Lord. Here Quicunque must be repeated againe we may lesse admit exception of persons amongst them that blaspheme the Name of the Lord then amongst them that curse their God But here we meet with a markable distribution of quicunque whosoeuer Whether saith the Text he be a Stranger or borne in the Land Though morally all men are bound and may be perswaded by Ministers and others to acknowledge and worship the true GOD yet politickly Infidels cannot be compeld And why It is a worke that needeth the assistance of supernaturall grace which is not annext vnto the Sword Notwithstanding the Ciuill Sword may take vengeance vpon all euen Strangers Infidels that openly blaspheme the Name of the Lord though they may be tollerated in their false yet may they not open their mouthes against the true Religion Quicunque whatsoeuer Stranger doth so he must be stoned And if a Stranger much more he that is borne in the Land for he is tyed to honour GOD by a double obligation a natiue a votiue as a man as a member of the Church Now the more obligations the more guilt the more guilt the more iust the punishment therefore Quicunque whosoeuer borne in the Land blasphemeth the Name of the Lord he must be stoned to death I must carrie Quicunque a little farther the root of Blasphemie may be without vs or within vs Without vs the Diuel who may suggest it and then it is no sinne of ours though a sinne except we consent vnto it and delight in it Within vs it may be three-fold First Ignorance Secondly Infirmitie Thirdly Malice There is great odds betweene these to GOD-ward St Paul blasphemed but he did it ignorantly he did not beleeue that IESVS was the CHRIST St Peter blasphemed but he did it of infirmie he did it being ouertaken with feare of death The Pharisees they also blasphemed but they did it out of malice they did it against their owne conscience Now of these three Rootes the two first leaue place for repentance St Peter and St Paul are ensamples thereof Math. 12. Not so the third it is the sinne against the Holy Ghost not to be forgiuen in this world nor in that which is to come But howsoeuer there is this odds to GOD-ward yet in regard of the Magistrates sword there is no difference Quicunque be the root ignorance be it infirmitie be it malice he must be stoned to death his body must be made an expiatorie Anathema or Sacrifice by the State whose Soule notwithstanding vpon repentance may be saued in the day of the Lord. And verily the Blasphemer
his Successe is a performance so much is GODS mercie more forward then mans dutie And is not this a remarkable Successe Surely it is and so much is signified by Selah for Selah interpreted morally is a note of some great and some constant truth and such is that which is contained in my Text. You see the particulars whereof this holy Scripture doth occasion me to speake that we may all be the better for that which shall be spoken let vs by GODS assistance with Christian audience listen againe vnto them as they shall now be vnfolded briefly and in their order I begin at King Dauids Practise wherein the first thing obserued was the matter confessed and that is Sinne. Peccatum confitetur vt Publicanus non iustitias vt Pharisaeus he appeares befor GOD in the humilitie of the Publican not in the pride of the Pharisee He had many Prerogatiues for he was a man after GODS owne heart the Father of faithfull Kings the sweet Singer of Israel a liuely Type of our Sauiour CHRIST but he fixed his eyes vpon none of these neither came any of these into his mind he remembreth nothing but sinne And what doth this intimate but that his guid was not nature but grace For by nature we not onely desire to heare from others but also our selues would be Heralds of our owne vertues yea and are contentedly deceiued by setting and seeing them in a false light to haue others admire them but specially our selues to dote vpon them Euerie man naturally is a Laodicean and thinkes himselfe rich and increased in goods and in regard of his spirituall estate to want nothing But what our Sauiour CHRIST replyed to that Church is spoken to vs all Thou doest not know that thou art poore wretched blind and naked No man doth thinke on these things by nature and therefore when any man doth it is a signe of grace as it was in K. Dauid that thought rather what he wanted then what he had rather how vile then how good he was And indeed where grace is it fareth with our soules as it doth with our bodies If a man be sicke haue he neuer so stately reabes they cannot shelter haue he neuer so daintie fare it cannot rellish haue he neuer so soft a bed yet cannot rest his diseased body feeles nothing but the afflicting peccant humour Euen so when the remorse of conscience workes all our guifts be they neuer so great they appeare not they cannot couer our nakednesse they cannot satisfie our haunger and thirst neither doe they ease our torture though we haue them yet for the time we haue no vse of them we see we heare we feele nothing but sinne as experience teacheth them that haue beene assistants to soules distressed in this kind But it is not onely Sinne but Pâshang haynous and ennormous sinne that is here remembred King Dauid is as ambitious to amplyâie his sinne as others are to amplysie their vertues for this word sigâifieth Reuolt and Rebellion the highest improuements that can be of sinne You will acknowledge it if you distinguish inter Legemet Legis latorem euerie trespasse is a violating of the Law but to set at nought the Law-giuer and set our selues against him what is it but High-treason If men satisfie particular lusts they commit but particular sinnes as in Theft Adulterie Murder but Treason is vniuersâlis iniustitia it includes all kind of ennormities What then could King Dauid say more against sinne then to make it the character of the sonne of Belial that breakes GODS bonds and casts his cords from him peruersè imitatur Createrem suum vt sibi ipsi lex sit vsurps the Throne of GOD Yea because there is no neutralitie in this case for he that is not with GOD is against him and auersenesse from GOD is attended with aduersenesse to him for rebellion is that whereat the Diuel aymeth in reuolt Sinne doth muster vs in the Armie of the Dragon and ranketh vs with the malignant brood of the Serpent so much doth King Dauid signifie by this word and by so amplifying teacheth vs that we may noâ mince sin but as we consider the Law which we transgresse so must we also the Law-giuer to whom our sinne doth reserre and we shall find that commonly it is of a higher nature then we suppose and is a plaine spirituall Treason Oh that all Adulterers and Murderers would herein be Dauids Schollers and then no doubt but out of that detestation which they haue of Treason they would profitably conclude how odious they deferue to be in the eyes of GOD themselues deserue to be for the sin which King Dauid amplyfieth is his owne he makes bold in this case with none but himselfe It is a strange peruersenesse of our conscience to be sharpe sighted a farre off when we view others but to be purblind at hand when we looke on our selues our perspectiues multiply the motes that are in other mens eyes and make them appeare as great as beames but the beames that are in our owne eyes they so diminish that they scarce ââpeare so bigge as moates How doe we detest that in others which we suffer in our own brests And how many would we send to Hell for that where-with our selues hope to climbe to Heauen Sic nemo in sese tentat descendere nemo selfe-loue is perswaded that all is well at home But euerie man is best knowne to himselfe and therefore euerie man should study himselfe most and if he doe though haply others be bad yet will he find himselfe to be worse and confesse with St Paul 1 Tim. 1â ãâã Sam. 24. Peccatorum ego primus and say as this King doth in another place I haue sinned I haue done wickedly but what haue these sheepe done No mans sinne will appeare greater then our owne And so much of the matter confessed I come now to the manner of confessing The word vsed by the Psalmist is borrowed out of the Law Leuit. 5. and Numb 5. and so alludes to the Ceremoniall Sacrifice wherein the offerer was to lay his hand vpon the Sacrifice in acknowledgement of what he deserued and wherewith he was to be relieued The words of my Text containe the Morall of that Ceremonie which teacheth that we must manifest a sense of our sinne and in that manifestation must first lay the blame where it is deserued and then seeke onely to him in whom we may find succour Confesse we must that is the manifestation but the confession must be made against our selues who onely are blame-worthy and we must present our confession vnto the Lord from whom onely we may expect succour But a little more fully to rip vp these points The Septuagint hath ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which sheweth that in Confession there must be a concurrencie both of soule and body and both must arraigne vs at the Barre for it is verbum forense If it were onely ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the
therefore hath in the Liturgie restored it to its natiue puritie Onely it were to be wished that so farre as the Church allowes it we would practise it for I am perswaded that many liue and dye in enormous sinnes that neuer made any vse of it nor receiued any comfort from the power of the Keyes The confessing to the Lord doth not exclude confessing vnto man so the due limitation be obserued But enough of the Confession There is one point more to be obserued before we come to the Successe and that is that this confession of King Dauid was onely in purpose he was come no farther then dixi a sense he had of his sinne but he was not yet come so farre as to vtter it though he was disposing himselfe thereunto But dixit was not onely verbum oris but cordis also promptitudinem alacritatem hoc verbo notat saith St Bernard he was willing and ready to make his confession he adds Saul dixit peccaui sed quia non dixit antequam diceret corde priusquam ore as King Dauid did non audiuit Deus transtulit pecâatum tuum he heard not so good newes from Samuel as King Dauid did from Nathan The Lord hath put away thy sinne The lesson rising hence is pij non trahuntur ad Tribunal Dei sed sponte accedunt knowing that there is no shelter against GOD but onely in GOD we must preuent our summons and resolue vpon a voluntarie apparance Finally putting the Purpose to the Confession we see that the children of GOD vse not to continue in their sinnes but so soone as they are roused the principles of grace doe worke and they humbly shreeue themselues to GOD. And so haue you the first maine point in this Text which openeth vnto vs King Dauids Practise I come now to the Successe thereof which is the forgiuenesse of the sinne Where we may first see the difference betweene Triâunals on Earth and the Tribunall of Heauen On Earth Non est confessi causa tuenda rei Confession is the cause of condemnation it is not so at the Tribunall of GOD there though it be not the cause as Papists straine it yet it is the meanes of absolution Whereby you may perceiue that the word here vsed is a phrase of the Gospell and not of the Law For iudgements of men tread the steps of the Law of GOD ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã there is no reliefe for a poore sinner to be found in the Law he that will haue it must seeke iâ in the Gospel And yet the word here vsed is borrowed out of the Law but it is the Ceremoniall Law and the Ceremoniall Law is if not wholly yet for the most part Gospel But more distinctly to handle this point We must obserue the Matter forgiuen and the Manner of forgiuing The matter forgiuen is the Iniquitie of his sinne It is disputed what is meant here by âââquitie whether culpa or poena Some vnderstand poenam and thinke that an allusion is made in this word vnto the message of Nathan wherein GOD doth remit the heauiest stroke of his wrath but yet retaines some part in punishing the child and permitting Absolon to rebell and abuse king Dauids concubines so Theodoret Deus non condigna poena Dauideni puniuit Some vnderstand culpam and will haue this phrase to be an amplification of that as if Superbia defendens or Taciturnitas celans or Impietas contra Deum assurgens or some such great guilt were meant by this phrase But as I doe not censure these opinions which may well stand So I thinke the phrase lookes backe vnto that word which was in the Confession The sinne confessed was Peshang and this is but an analysis of this word for Gnaon Catai what is it word for word but the peruersenesse of my aberration Catah is an aberration from the Scope or Marke whereat we ayme all men ayme at felicitie but most men stray from it because they are not led by that Law that guides vnto it the violating whereof is called Catah But some doe stray out of meere ignorance and they onely breake the Law some out of stubbornnesse which will not submit themselues to the Law-giuer these mens sinne is called peruersenesse which GOD is said here to forgiue So that Dauid did not confesse more against himselfe then GOD includes in his pardon well may GOD exceed our desire he neuer doth come short thereof if it doe concerne our spirituall our eternall good as he doth exclude no sinner that doth confesse so doth he except against no sinne that is confessed You haue heard the Matter of the pardon now heare the Manner And the manner makes the Remission answerable to the Confession The Confession had an inward sense and an outward euidence so hath the Remission For GOD spake the word by Nathan to resolue king Dauids faith but he also gaue a tast of his truth by working ease in King Dauids heart Both are included in the word but specially the latter for Nasa signifieth to vnburden as if the soule were burdened with sinne And indeed sinne is a burden a burden as King Dauid else-where speakes too heauie for him to beare ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã heauier saith Chrysostome then any lead And no wonder For if euerie euill doe make a heauie heart much more spirituall euill cloggeth the Spirits makes a man sincke inwardly and bow outwardly you can haue no better character of such a deiected soule then that which we find in the penitentiall Psalmes It is verie true that many walke lightly and skip frolickly as if they bare no weight though they be fraught with sinne but the answer is plaine Nihil ponderat in loco suo while sinne resides in that part which commits the sinne it giues such content to the concupiscence that dwels therein as being the desired obiect thereof that it presseth not at all neither is it euer burdenous till it be brought vnto the conscience which onely hath an eye to discerne it a scale to weigh it and a sense wherewith to iudge of that weight and when GOD inhibendo with-holding those vanities which hinder the conscience from weighing and exhibendo putting the whole measure of sinne into the scales doth rouse vs then the most carelesse and the most senslesse shall be driuen to acknowledge that indeed it is a great burden But the penitents comfort is this that as he feeles it so he hath one by whom he may be eased of it the putting on the hands vpon the Sacrifice did ceremonially testifie as much but the morall thereof is in St Iohn Behold the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world Qui tollit a plaine translation of Nasa But CHRIST speakes it more plainly Mat. 11. Come to me all ye that labour and are heauie loaden and I will ease you Where also we find that it is the Lord onely that forgiueth sinnes They spake truly in the Gospel that excluded all
others Lib. 5. cap. 1â saying Who can forgiue linnes but God onely St Irenie giues the reason Quomodo rectè remissa peccata nisi ille ipse in quem peccauimus donet remissionem He is the only I egislator as St Iames speaks and concludes that he onely hath power to condemne and absolue Therefore doth GOD Esay 43 and 44 claime this as his peculiar it is the peculiar of his Word to acertaine our Faith and of his Spirit to vnburden our Soules and insteed of the heauinesse that did oppresse to cheare vs vp with spirituall ioy Hitherto you haue seene a good correspondencie betweene the Co fession and the Remission but now you must heare of a great difference for Dauid was come no farther then Dixi he had a good purpose to confesse but of GOD which is the searcher of the heart he witnesseth that he was come to Remisisti granted the parden before it was asked so doth St Austin paraphrase these words Vox mea in ore nondum erat sed auris Dei iam in corde erat And what is this but a proofe of that gratious promise which GOD himselfe hath made in the Prophet Esay ãâã 6 5. Oâat â Orat. 15. before they call I will answer and while they speake I will heare ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã cryed out Nazianzene when he conâdered this But else-where he giues the reason of this celeritie âra est opus alienum when GOD is angry he goes against his owne natuâe but eius proprium est misereri it is as it were naturall to him to do good vnto men You need no better proofe then the parable of the proâigall child man cannot be so forward to receiue good but GOD is much more forward to bestow it and what greater incouragement to confesse most humbly then to obserue that GOD deales with a confessing sinner most gratiously And indeed we ought to obserue it for which was the last point to be handled on the Text the successe is remarkable It is signed with Selah Not to trouble you with the vse of this word in Musicke The learned make hereof a double morall vse for it is either a note of so âe great thing and then they render it by the superlatiue degree or of some constant thing and so the Caldee rendreth it in aeternum Both these morall vses sit our purpose for the two maine branches of my Text are great and constant truthes What is there in the Confession that is not great Is it not a great thing to see a man so to put off selfe-loue and pride the properties of his corrupt nature and not onely acknowledge himselfe to be but also to humble himselfe as being a sinfull wretch To vse that rhetoricke wherewith he was wont to shift off his blame in amplyfying of his owne sinne In being so charitable as to eâcuse all the more to accuse himselfe and the more to set forth GODS glorie not to sticke euen in the hearing of men to be the publisher of his owne miserie This is great but due But how much more great is it to see GOD the Iudge of man so little to be moued with the heynousnesse of sinne as to send a Prophet to comfort an humble sinner yea to send his Spirit to ease the broken heart to take off the load from his Rebels and lay it vpon his deare Sonne And herein to preuent him who might well thinke himselfe happy if he spead after long attendance Certainly these things are great the more great because not due But as they are great so they are constant also for what king Dauid did must be done by all and all in so doing may looke for the same successâ Salomon hath a generall rule Proâ 28. He that hides his sinne shall not prosper but he that confesseth them and forsaheth them shall find mercie The Apostles confirme it If we confesse our sinnes God is faithfull to forgiue saith St Iohn and St Paul If we would iudge our selues we should not be iudged of the Lord. But the more is the pittie ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã there are many as Tertullian speakes which either deferre Nazianz. or abhorre this worke of Confession vt publicationem sui as if they should be too well knowne thereby either to GOD or men praesumo pudoris magis memores quam salutis more respectiue of a little false credit then of eternall life whereby you may perceiue the truth of St Chrysostomes note Inuertunt homines Dei ordinem Diaboli instinctu Deus enim pudorem dedit peccato confessioni siduciam but Diabolus peccato sidââiam confessioni pudorem the world hath too many spectacles of this peruerse dealing to whom we may vse the words of Tertullian Ne tu verecunde bonus qui ad delinquendum exporrigis frontem ad confitendum contrahis Is it not forsâoth a goodly modestie to be impudent in sinne and shamefast in the censure thereof But to what end doth man auoid this shame Surely to fall into a worse for he that will not be ashamed voluntarily shall against his will be put to shame Certainly the shall at the last day when GOD shall reueale all secrets in the sight of Angels and men Yea haply GOD will bring it to light in this world for some men haue their maske taken off here and their nakednesse discouered before they dye so that it is ill prouidence è malis maximum when we must chooâe one of two euils to reserue our selues vnto the worst And whereas he which accuseth himselfe need feare no accuser to spare himselfe that he may haue many and those that are much worse to accuse him But if a man be senslesse that he will not prouide what is best for himselfe yet let him not be so gracelesse as to doe wrong vnto GOD Peccator cum sis Nazianz. accede vt glorifices Deum occasionem praebeas ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã â Si dubitas accedere inhibuisti bonitatem and we shall find that GOD can worse brooke the contempt of the Gospel then the breach of the Law Wherefore let vs listen to the Sonne of Syrach Cap. 4 and not be ashamed to confesse our sinne let vs sowe in teares that we may reape in ioy for blessed are they which now mourne for they shall be comforted Let euerie one of vs haue that good testimonie of our conscience which Iob had I haue not hid my sinne Cap. 31 as Adam conceiuing iniquitie in my bosome and we shall be able with King Dauid to pray and pray with hope Lord haue mercie vpon me heale my soule for I haue sinned against thee If we follow Dauids practise and say as he did we will confesse our sinnes against our selues vnto the Lord we shall be able vpon our owne experience euerie man to boast of King Dauids successe and to say Lord thou hast forgiuen the iniquitie of my sinnes A SERMON PREACHED AT WHITE-HALL
which might be done but also out of hatred of that which he had done he cannot be said truly to repent that continueth on his enter-medling with that which caused his sinne whereof he doth repent Godly sorrow for what we doe amisse is ioyned with a perfect hatred of that which did seduce vs otherwise we should wash our selues that we may be defiled againe and that we might surfet againe ease our stomaches of that which did surcharge them and so as it is in the Prouerb returne like Dogges to our vomit and like washt Swine to our wallowing againe in the mire Peter did not so he went out in detestation of his sinne he abandoned the place that gaue occasion thereof Neither did he onely goe out but he hastened out so some interpret the word in St Marke And indeed feare and hatred adde wings vnto our feet and will turne our going into flying and he that is slow paced doth betray his good-will towards sinne and that he doth neither hate or feare it as he ought And verily such Snailes are all vnwilling Penitents they thinke there is no reason why they should make speed yea why they should stirie at all most are like vnto Lot's sonnes-in-sonnes-in-law who when they were wisht to be gone because GOD would destroy Sodome thought that Lot did mocke them And we are thought oftentimes to be but merrie-men when we tell you that GODS Iudgement hangs ouer you and therefore it is high time for you to forsake your sinnes They that are not so bad as Lot's sonnes-in-sonnes-in-law yet will be as vnconstant as Lot's wife who went out indeed but yet looked backe to Sodome so doe they giue ouer their sinnes but as those that are sorrie for that they haue parted companie with them You haue an excellent proofe hereof in the 18 Chapter of the Reuelations where the destruction of spirituall Babylon is related The Kings that had committed fornication with her the Merchants that had bought of her commodities the Mariners that had made long voyages to her all went out but being out they looked on not reioycing as the Saints there doe but lamenting and mourning and crying out Alas alas for that great Citie Where sinne is there is Babel For what is Babel but confusion And what doth more confound then sinne And yet doe we no more willingly part from sinne then those persons did from Babel There is one cause more of Saint Peters going out and that was that he might haue more libertie to performe the second Act of Repentance and weepe bitterly Theophylact doth interpret the word in Saint Marke Obuelauit se he couered his head And indeed so were malefactors vsed in the Easterne Countreys you read it in the storie of Haman and haply so much is meant in this Chapter where our Sauiours face is said to haue beene couered In the West-Countrey they had also the like custome as appeares by that clause in the capitall Sentence Caput obnubito vaile his head so that Saint Peter did iudge himselfe by that Ceremonie to be a sonne of death and as a sonne of death did he bewayle himselfe Adde hereunto that solitarinesse doth argue sinceritie in our Repentance for Ille dolet verè qui sine teste dolet he cannot be thought to dissemble that calleth no witnesses of his griefe but onely GOD and his holy Angels Finally He that is solitarie will mourne not onely more sincerely but more freely also he that is alone hath nothing to restraine him but if euer he will then poure forth his soule before GOD grouell in dust and ashes bathe himselfe in his owne teares and with sighes and groanes that cannot be exprest often interrupt his penitentiall prayers In a word he will in the best fashion performe the last Act which here we read of in St Peters Repentance he will weepe bitterly Percussit Petram effluxerunt aquae Peters heart in the heat of his denying seemed to be as hard as a rocke but when CHRIST with his Spirit toucht Peters heart it melted into teares as the rocke did into waters when Moses strucke it with the rod of GOD. But in this Act of weeping bitterly we must obserue that the bitternesse was in the soule the teares came from the body No doubt but Peters heart was ouer-whelmed with sorrow while he was in the High Priests Palace and you know that Strangulat inclusue dolor atque exaestuat intus and it cannot be eased except the heart be vnburdened by teares But we must take heed that we doe not seuer the soule from the body when we bewayle our sinnes yea the heart must begin to the eyes the bitternesse of the heart must goe before the weeping of the eyes otherwise we know that of teares the Poet hath long since noted Hae simulare docentur hae quoque habent artes many shed Crocodile teares and hypocriticall which cannot be reckoned amongst true Penitents Often-times the body cannot weepe though we would neuer so faine the reason may be in the temper thereof but if there be a rationall sorrow in the heart GOD accepts the will insteed of the act and will impute teares vnto vs though we neuer shed them This act of weeping bitterly is no indifferent thing but a prouident rather for weepe and sorrow we must for sinne either here or hereafter Luke 1â Math. 33. and that we may not weepe hereafter either in Iudgement when we shall be reiected or in Hell when we shall be tormented we must weepe here and let the bitternesse of sorrow succeed in the place of the sweet fruit of sinne The last note therefore that I will giue vpon this Act is the Effect hereof For there are comfortable and vncomfortable Teares Esau did weepe when he had sold his Birth-right but he found no place for repentance though he sought it with teares but St Peters had a happier issue Aust Cons l. 3. Filius tantarum lachrymarum perire not potuit he that wept so bitterly did not faile to speed of grace his teares did wash away his sinnes The Fathers compare them to a Baptisme not meaning that they restore our adoption againe but onely that they release the suspension thereof neither meane they to preiudice the worke of faith which must goe before but to shew what GOD moreouer expects of vs and what he accepts in vertue of our faith And verily the CHVRCH hath euer held that the lesse excuse we haue for our sinne after Baptisme the more humiliation is expected from vs and vpon our humiliation In Ps â1 if we be faithfull we may promise our selues restitution into the fauour of GOD. Thy sinnes saith St Chrysostome are written in a Booke and thy teares are as a spunge weepe and thy sinnes will be blotted out and there will no record Remaine extant against thee Were it not for this reliefe the Nouatians opinion would hold current and there would be few that could haue hope that after their fall they
rules of life of which there are two sorts As there is the Heart of a naturall and the Heart of a Christian man so these rules are either Naturall or Supernaturall The Naturall are those which are inborne and ingrauen in the hearts of all men the reliques of that Image which in the Creation wee receiued from GOD these informe the naturall man though weakely of Pietie Equitie Sobrietie and concerning all these the very Heathen haue deliuered many memorable sentences But besides these a Christian hath other rules his Heart is new written with the Spirit of GOD Cap. 31. according to the promise made in Ieremie I will put my Lawes into their inward parts and in their Hearts will I write them and wee finde the performance thereof in the New Testament preached by St. Peter Act. 2. and St. Paul Corinth 3. and to the Hebr. cap. 8. Yea euery Christian man feeleth the trueth of it in his owne soule hee feeleth those Naturall Principles rectified by Grace and much higher superadded to them so that the Christian man discernes much better then a naturall man can what is good and euill This is the furniture of the Directory power The Conscience hath besides this a Iudicatorie power and there is furniture for that also which is nothing else but a skill how to trie mens liues by those former rules and doome them as it findeth them And this skill is aswell in the Conscience of a naturall man as of a Christian man though it be of much greater perfection in the latter then in the former But wee must know that it is not the hauing but the vsing of these rules is properly meant by our Conscience For as the Schooles note well Conscientia neque potentia naturalis neque habitus it is neither a natiue nor an acquired abilitie sed est Actus Conscience is a Worke and indeed it is a worke which my Text speaketh of and whereas Conscience hath two workes the one going before our morall works the other following after though for your better vnderstanding I will touch at the former yet keeping my selfe to my Text I will insist vpon the latter These principles then whether Naturall or Supernaturall were bestowed vpon vs perpetually to assist and guide vs in our wayes One of the Heathen well resembled Conscience to a Paedagogue Epictetuâ for as the Paedagogue by the appointment of parents is alwayes at hand with a childe to direct and restraine him who otherwise through impotency of affection would goe astray euen so is our Conscience appointed ouer vs to hold the raines to guide and hold in our wilde and headstrong nature And surely wee are bound to acknowledge the mercifulnesse of GOD manifested herein hee hath graciously prouided for the preuenting of sinne who is pleased not onely to giue vs a Law but also to place in vs a perpetuall remembrance thereof vnto vs. And the reason why men sinne must needes be either because they doe not consult or doe contemne this guide so that either their sinnes are wilfull if they contemne or their ignorance is affected if they neglect this preuenting meanes afforded of GOD. But I haue not now to doe with the Consciences worke of Direction that worke of hers that goeth before our worke but I haue to doe with the worke of Iudicature the worke that followeth our workes GOD hath left it in some sort in our power whether we will or will not make vse of the former worke of Conscience and some by his grace vse it some for want of grace vse it not but GOD hath appointed Conscience a second worke which it is not in any mans power to put off the worke of Iudicature wherein GOD doeth let vs see what it is to vse or not to vse the former worke And here we must marke that as the Law which is contained in the Directory work of Conscience hath two parts a Precept and a Sanction so the Iudicatorie worke of Conscience doeth two things it playeth the Iury to arraigne vs and the Iudge to doome vs. First it testifieth whether wee haue or haue not obserued the precepts of GOD. In that respect it is resembled to a Registrie or an exact Record exhibited at an Assizes if wee doe not take notice of the counsell which our Conscience giueth vs before hand wee shall finde that our Conscience taketh notice of all that is done by vs and will make a perfect presentment thereof it will truely relate how farre we haue or haue not suffered our selues to bee led by her aduice and we shall not be able to except against the Verdict of this Iury. As it maketh a true Presentment in regard of the Precept so doeth it pronounce a iust Doome in regard of the Sanction for it pronounceth what is our due and therein wee shall finde it a Iudge not onely putting vs in minde of life and death but also sentencing vs thereunto And indeed this is the last and the highest worke of Conscience and for this cause Nazianzene doeth fitly tearme it ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã an inward and vpright Tribunall But to open this Iudicatorie work of Conscience a little more fully we must obserue that she dealeth not alike with al because she findeth not all alike The Physicians acknowledge Corpus neutrum a body that is neither sicke nor whole but the Conscience doeth not acknowledge any neutrall man that is neither good nor bad Non liquets and speciall Verdicts are not knowne to the Conscience it findeth euery man either guiltie or not guiltie Secondly it confoundeth not Tares with Wheate nor Sheepe with Goates in the Presentment not in the Doome doeth it confound the right hand with the lest Hell and Heauen Death and Life It hath an accusing and excusing Voyce a condemning and an absoluing Voyce these two sorts of Voyces it hath and no more Finally we must expect no shift no delay in the worke of our Conscience whether it play the Iury or the Iudge But let vs take these workes a little a sunder And first see that which is against vs the Apostle vseth a significant word which is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a compound word which sheweth that Conscience doeth first ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã know throughly before it doeth ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã offer to condemne vs the very word importeth an orderly course of proceeding it doeth not goe against vs without a iust ground and so is free from the corruption which is in too many worldly Iudges that resolue vpon a mans execution before they haue heard his cause But our Conscience is priuie to all our doings an eye-witnesse of all that passeth from vs ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã it knoweth and proceedeth vpon certaine knowledge Yea it will present it so to the eyes of our soule that it will not suffer vs to be ignorant of that which it knoweth it will make vs Confitentes reos we shall plead guiltie against our owne selues And here
hoped for all are not so prouident as to let their Conscience preuent sinne Well howsoeuer wee neglect the first worke of Conscience wee cannot auoid the second if wee will not take notice of it it will take notice of Vs it taketh notice of all our doings whether they be good or bad proueth a comfortable or vncomfortable Iury vnto vs. Neither is this all Our selues are trusted not onely to giue in the verdict but also to take it whether it bee against vs or for vs. And as our Conscience will not spare to doome vs according to the Law if wee bee guiltie our selues shall pronounce what our sinnes deserue So will it not faile to assure vs of all the Blessings of the Gospel if it finde vs innocent and we shall rest assured of the trueth of our owne Iudgement And why GOD will second our Heart his worke will keepe correspondencie with ours whether it condemne or absolue Onely for the greater terrour of the wicked and comfort of the godly let vs not forget the inequalitie if wee sincke vnder our owne Iudgement we shall sincke more vnder GODS and if our owne doe yeeld boldnesse GODS will yeeld much more Wherefore redde te tibi forget not the preuenting worke of thy Conscience to bee ruled by it Bernard Meditat. neglect not the enquiring worke of thy Conscience to prognosticate of thy future state according to it Let euery one of vs endeauour with St. Paul to haue an vnoffensiue Conscience toward God and men that he may solace himselfe in that true peace thereof in this world and haue the consummation thereof with Aeternall Blisse in the world to come Amen ΠάνÏοÏε δÏξα Îηῶ. FINIS A Meditation vpon Psalme 19. VERSE 14. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart bee acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength and my Redeemer FAst and Pray Lord I doe fast and I would pray for to what end doe I with-hold sustenance from my body if it be not the more to cheere vp my Soule my hungrie my thirstie Soule But the Bread the Water of life both which I find no where but in thy word I partake not but by exercising my selfe therein This I begin to doe and faine would I doe it well but in vaine shall I attempt except thou doe blesse blesse me then O Lord blesse either part of me both are thine and I would withhold neither part from thee Not my body I would set my tongue on worke to speake of thee not my Soule I would exercise my heart in thinking on thee I would ioyne them in Deuotion whom thou hast ioyned in Creation Yea Lord as they haue conspired to sinne against thee so doe they now consort to doe their duetie to thee my tongue is ready my heart is ready I would thinke I would speake thinke vpon thee speake to thee But Lord what are my words What are my thoughts Thou knowest the thoughts of men that they are altogether vanitie and our words are but the blast of such thoughts both are vile It were well it were no worse both are wicked my heart a corrupt fountaine and my tongue an vncleane streame and shall I bring such a sacrifice to God The halt the lame the blind the sicke though otherwise the beasts be cleane yet are they sacrifices abominable to God how much more if we offer those beasts which are vncleane And yet Lord my sacrifice is no better faultring words wandring thoughts are neither of them presentable to thee how much lesse euill thoughts and idle words Yet such are mine the best of mine they are such I cannot denie it but grieue at it I should I doe that hauing nothing else to offer God hauing nothing that is required of him this that I haue should be such as he cannot like What remedie None for me if any it is in thee O Lord that I must find it and for it now doe I seeke vnto thee Thou onely O Lord canst hallow my tongue and hallow my heart that my tongue may speake and my heart thinke that which may be acceptable vnto thee yea that which may bee thy delight Doe not I lauish Were it not enough that God should beare with that hee should not punish the defects of my words of my thoughts May I presume that God shall accept of me Nay delight in me Forget I who the Lord is Of what Maiestie Of what felicitie Can it stand with his Maiestie to vouchsafe acceptance VVith his felicitie to take content in the words of a worme in the thoughts of a wretch And Lord I am too proud that vilifie my selfe so little and magnifie thee no more But see whether the desire of thy seruant doth carrie him how wishing to please I consider not how hard it is for dust and ashes to please God to doe that wherein God should take content But Lord here is my comfort that I may set God to giue content vnto God God is mine and I cannot want accesse vnto God if God may approach himselfe Let me be weake yet God is strong O Lord thou art my strength Let me bee a slaue to sinne God is a Sauâour O Lord thou art my Sauiour thou hast redeemed me from all that wofull state whereunto Adam cast me yea thou hast built me vpon a Rocke strong and sure that the gates of Hell might neuer preuaile against me These two things hast thou done for me O Lord and what may not hee presume of for whom thou hast done these things I feare not to come before thee I presume my Deuotion shall content thee bee thy eyes neuer such all-seeing eyes I will bee bold to present my inward my outward man before thee be thy eyes neuer so holy eyes I will not flie with Adam to hide my nakednesse from thee for I am able to keepe my ground seeing I am supported by my Lord I doubt not but to prooue a true Israelite and to preuaile with God For all my Woe for all my sinne I will not shrinke nay I will approach approach to thee for thou art my Redeemer The neerer I come to thee the freer shall I bee both from sinne and woe O blessed state of man who is so weake so strong so wretched and so happie weake in himselfe strong in God most happie in God though in himselfe a sinfull wretch And now my Soule thou wouldest be deuout thou mayst be what thou wouldest sacrifice to God thy words sacrifice to God thy thoughts make thy selfe an Holocaust doubt not but thou shalt be accepted thou shalt content euen the most glorious the most holy eyes of God Onely presume not of thy selfe presume on him build thy words build thy thoughts vpon thy Rocke they shall not be shaken free thy words free thy thoughts thoughts and words enthrauled to sinne by thy Sauiour and thy sacrifice shall be accepted So let me build on thee so let me be enlarged by thee in soule in
Therein what dost thou shew Lord but how powerfull thy grace is and what an alteration it can worke in me I acknowledge this and Lord let me feele that truth which I acknowledge make hast to moisten him that early seeketh to thee I should haue sought vnto thee in the morning of my age and happie had I beene if I had so timely sought vnto thee I had not so long continued in the wildernesse Yea the trees which now scarce blossome would then haue beene loaden with ripe fruit the seed which is now scarce in the blade would haue shot an eare and beene white for haruest But Lord I that neglected that morning to testifie my griefe therefore take holdfast of another morning as much as I can I redeeme the time the day hath dawned I suffer not the Sunne to shine in vaine so soone as I can see my way I take my way to thee I come earely I would speed betimes See Lord my desire in my haste and Lord let thy grace hasten like my desire yea preuent my desire who cannot desire so timely as I would Onely O Lord I take notice of my Day and would not haue it spent in vaine Turne my morning into high-noone let the Sunne of righteousnesse ascend vnto his greatest highth but proportion my desire to thy light and let mee so beginne betimes as that I perseuere vnto the ende let my later workes bee better then my first let my motions bee not violent which slacken as they goe on and are weakest in in the end but let them be naturall yea supernaturall motions let them increase as they goe on and the neerer my race draweth to an end the hotter let my zeale bee towards God Let me thirst the more let me the more desire those waters that moysten my drougth and refresh my wearinesse so let me appeare before thee But where art thou In thy Sanctuarie thy holy place How reuerent is that place And how vnfit am I to bee seene there Is that a place for a wildernesse Paradise is a better obiect of the eyes of God where God may see all that he hath made and see it good and blesse it being so but sinne hath no place in Paradise Gods eyes cannot endure it yea therefore were the Cherubins set with the flaming sword that sinners might not approach the place of God How senslesse then am I that being such as I am dare approach the place of God being such as it is True Lord I am senslesse indeed if I come onely as a drie as a thirstie land such an obiect is not for the holy eyes of God it is not to approach his presence But if the drie land bee also thirstie then thou callest Ho all yee that thirst come yee to the waters and he that hath no money buy and eat yea come buy wine and milke without money and without price If the barren land be wearie thou callest O Lord Come vnto mee all that labour and are heauie loaden I will ease you I will giue you rest Seeing this thirst this desire is acceptable vnto God euen where there wanteth the fatnesse and fruitfulnesse of good workes and God whose Throne is heauen and whose footestoole is the earth will looke to that man euen to him that is poore and of a contrite heart though I want righteousnesse yet because I hunger and thirst after it I am not afraid to be seene in the Sanctuarie of God yea in the Sanctuarie to looke vpon God For I know what he will shew vnto me euen his Power and Glorie hee will shew them both to me nay he will shew them both on me His power that shall worke on me and his glorie that shall crowne me He will make me as a water garden and plant me with most generous plants by his power that so I may flourish and bee comly in the eyes both of Angels and men Yea God will shew his power and God will giue me glorie that my eyes beholding them my mouth may speake of them speake of the workes of God and tell what he hath done for my bodie and for my soule O Lord other creatures partake thy Power partake thy Glorie but all doe not see it wee that are indued with reason not onely haue them but perceiue them and it is our happinesse that we know what blessings wee haue Lord let me neuer be so stupid as not to behold thy Mercies and when I doe behold them let mee also feele how blessed I am whom thou vouchsafest to possesse them so shall I more and more confesse that thou O Lord art my God and being my God I shall make haste to thee my Soule shall make haste and so shall my bodie also my drie and wearie bodie and soule shall goe out of this world wherein there are no springs of life and thirstie and longing as they are they shall approach thy Sanctuarie and there Lord let them see not onely feele thy Power thy Glorie quenching my thirst and satisfying my Desire Amen A Meditation vpon Psalme 90. VERSES 11 12. 11. Who knoweth the power of thine anger euen according to thy feare so is thy wrath 12. So teach vs to number our dayes that wee may applie our hearts vnto wisedome THE FIRST PART SInne and wrath by nature should go hand in hand and as deepe as we plunge our selues in to sin so deepe should we sinke in wrath Wee should if Iustice measured vnto vs as we deserue but mercie hath prouided better for vs and God is pleased to proportion the smart of stripes to the feare which we haue of them the lesse feare the more smart and the lesse smart the more we feare Thou hast left it O Lord in the power of a sinner how farre thou shalt take vengeance of his sinne Let the Law speake neuer so terribly let sinne offend neuer so grieuously let the curses be neuer so many let the plagues be neuer so manifold yea let thy countenance be ouer-cast with neuer so thicke a cloud let the burning coales that are kindled by thy wrath be neuer so scorching rore the waues of thy ouer-flowing indignation neuer so hideously and bee the whirle-wind of thy wrath neuer so tempestuous feare onely feare the feare of a penitent Soule that trembles at the voice of thy Law that melteth at the sight of thy Iudgements that accuseth it selfe that condemeth it selfe that is readie to ioyne with God to doe Iustice vpon its sinfull selfe this feare I say that least armeth it selfe against God is best armed and preuailes best by stooping most And this is powerfull weakenesse a conquering captiuitie a match ouer-matching that for which we can otherwise find no match This power O Lord hast thou giuen to repentant feare a blessed power and yet there are few that vse it though all doe stand in neede of it And why Who armes himselfe against that whereof he hath no regard Men sinne but little doe they thinke that
done which haue denied Originall Sinne. Their Sobrietie is tolerable who supposing the vndeniable truth of that Radicall sinne seeke only the waies of clearing Gods Iustice in this propagation wherein as in such darke and doubtfull cases it often falls out Saluà fide holding the fundamentall point they differ about that which is not necessarie vnto Saluation That which is most vsefull for vs is to know rather how we may be rid of it De Moribus ãâã c. â 1. c. 22. âpis 29. then how we doe contract it which Saint Austin expresseth in a fit Parable of a man fallen into a ditch to whom hee that findeth him there should rather lende a hand to helpe him out then tire him with inquiries how he came in Wee see that our ground is ouergrowne with briars thornes yet we know that God made the earth to beare better fruits doe good husbands mispend their time in reasoning how they came there or doe they not rather with their plough and other instruments seeke to rid them thence surely they doe and we in the case of our soules should imitate them so doing That Originall Sinne is in vs no man can doubt that seeth how children die euen in their mothers wombe or so soone as they come out of it and the wages of sinne is death in them of Actuall it cannot be Rom. 6.23 it must bee then of Originall if they liue wee make hast to baptize them and what doth Baptisme implie but that they need a new Birth vnto life seeing their first was no better then a Birth vnto death Add hereunto that our Sauiour Christs Conception had not needed to be by the Holy Ghost if so bee naturall generation did not enforce necessarily the propagation of Originall Sinne which they should consider that magnifie ouer much the Conception of the blessed mother of Christ Let it suffice vs that the Church Catholique of old and the Reformed Churches haue resolued vniformly that we are sinners so soone as we begin to bee and this Leprosie is hereditarie to vs all that our worser part hath gotten the vpper hand of our better and we are by nature no better then a masse of Corruption and the Serpents brood the sense whereof should make vs all cry out with the Apostle O wretch that I am Rom. 7.24 who shall deliuer mee from this Body of Death King Dauid doth not onely confesse that there is such a Sinne but also that himselfe is tainted therewith I was shapen in iniquitie and in sinne my mother conceiued me The words must not be wrested some haue mistaken them as if Sinne were the cause of Generation That opinion though it bee found in some Ancients yet it is so grosse that it is not worth the refuting for we reade Gen. 1. Multiplie and increase Vers 28. spoken to mankind before euer Adam and Eue committed sinne except happily this were their meaning that before the Fall the lust of generation was in the power of man to fulfill or restraine it as reason saw fit but after the Fall reason became subiect vnto lust and man fulfilled it not when reason would but when lust vrged him and this opinion is not improbable A second mistake is that Dauid should lay the blame of his Sinne vpon his Parents and taxe their sinfull lusts in the act of generation but besides that he could not conceiue so ill of his vertuous and chast Parents this were to make Dauid a Cham and so to deserue a Curse while hee seeketh a Pardon for his Sinne. The Father 's abhorred this sense and obserue that King Dauid here speaketh not of the personall sinne of his Parents but the naturall which deriued from them he had in-herent in himselfe and that he was in the state of sinne before he saw light But this is strange his Parents were members of the Church circumcised not onely outwardly which is most certaine but inwardly also which is very probable and if circumcised then discharged from Originall Sin and in the state of Grace how commeth it about then that they should engender Children in the state of Corruption Saint Austin answereth briefly Parentes non ex principijs nouitatis De. Peecata Merit Remis L. 2. C. 2. sed ex reliquijs vetustatis generant liberos they that are regenerated doe beget Children not according to the new Adam but according to the old not according to Grace but according to nature for Grace is personall the corruption is naturall and God will that they shall only communicate their nature and leaue the dispensation of Grace vnto himselfe Saint Austin illustrateth it by those who being circumcised begat Children vncircumcised and Corne which being winnowed from Chaffe brings forth eares full of Chaffe And yet notwithstanding a Prerogatiue the Children of the faithfull haue Verse 16. which Saint Paul toucheth at Rom. 11. If the Roote be holy so are the branches But this Holinesse is in possibilitie rather then in possession and there is a distance betweene naturall Generation and spirituall Regeneration though by their naturall birth-right the Children of the faithfull haue a right vnto the blessings of Gods Couenant yet doe they not partake them but by their new birth which ordinarily they receiue in Baptisme âit 3.5 which is therefore called the Bath of Regeneration Where hence we may gather the truth of Saint Hieromes saying Christiani non nascuntur sed siunt wee may not vainely boast with the Iewes we haue Abraham to our Father Ioh. 8.39 as if hee could not beget children in iniquitie but it must be our comfort that God corrects Nature by Grace and thereby maketh vs liuing members of the Church whereas such the best of naturall Parents cannot make vs to bee Wee owe this blessing to our Father in Heauen who conueieth it vnto vs by our Mother the Church our naturall Parents can yeeld no such benefit they yeeld the contrarie rather as is cleare in this Text. Ruffinvs giueth another good note hereof Qui ad munditiae locum iam peruenit c. He that is in the state of Grace must not forget the state of Nature if we remember whence we come we shall the better esteeme the estate whereunto we are brought No man can be so proud as to arrogate vnto himselfe the praise of that which he is if hee mind well what without Gods grace he was But King Dauid was long before Regenerated how comes he now to make mention of Originall sinne How comes hee now to lay the blame of his Actuall vpon that Surely not without good cause Circumcision in the Iew as Baptisme in the Christian did absolue from all the guilt of Originall sinne by meanes of Iustification and by meanes of Sanctification did impaire much of the strength thereof Much I say but not all there are still in vs reliques of the Old man a Law in our members rebelling against the Law of our mind Rom. 7.23
his libertie out of the Loue hee bare to his Master and his Wife and Children Christ in his owne person maketh the allusion and we may accommodate it to our owne persons In a word a man doth heare Theologically when the Law which is perfect conuerteth his Soule the testimonie of the Lord that is sure Psal 19. maketh him wise of simple the statutes of the Lord that are right reioyce his heart and the commandement of the Lord that is pure doth illighten his eyes so that this hearing-eare is of God Deut 29. as also the Voice is and therefore Moses tels the Israelites that God hath not giuen them eares to heare and Christ in the Gospell saith qui habet aures ad audiendum audiat for vobis datum est it is not to euery body giuen to heare but of them to whom it is giuen Christ hath pronounced Blesse are the eares that heare that which you heare Hauing heard what the Voice is and what it is to Heare we must now ioyne them together and indeed speaking is for hearing in ciuill societie neither would God euer haue giuen men tongues if hee had not giuen them eares And if for this life hee so prouideth how much more doth he prouide so for the life to come Surely S. Paul saith that he receiued grace and apostleship ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Rom 1 5. 1. Thes 2 13. that men might heare him with faith and he calleth the word of God ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a word of hearing that is a word which must be heard Esay goeth a step farther and calleth the word of God Cap 53 1. Rom 10 16. Schemugnah Saint Paul rendreth it ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã hearing who hath belieued our hearing So it is in the originall the meaning is who hath belieued the word that we Preach to the end that men might heare it The word of God is still to sound in mens eares and men are still to heare the sound thereof How iniurious then is the Romane discipline Luke 11. Matth. 23. which like the Iewish Lawyers takes away from people the Key of knowledge and shut vp the kingdome of heauen against men Which heretofore made it a mortall sinne to read Gods word And now clogs the libertie it grants with such cautions that very few especially of those that are with in the reach of the Inquisition dare bee acquainted with it yea and those clogs content not but now it is thought fitter vtterly to denie libertie As such teachers are iniurious so are there some schollars impious that may but will not heare whether out of contempt or neglect they are impious murtherers of their owne Soules for this Voice onely is the Voice of life and it quickneth by the eare although wee must not so limit the conueiance thereof by the corporall eare that wee exclude the eye for our eye also since Gods word is written by reading may conuey Gods Voice vnto the eare of our Soule and men by this second meanes are not a little edified in Gods truth the Fathers especially Chrysostome doth commend reading earnestly to the people yea the Law hath commanded it long since when it willed the Iewes to write the Law vpon their doore posts certainely the Iewes euen at this day inure their children to a daily reading of the Law so soone as they come to yeeres of discretion and it were to be wisht that Christians did imitate them therein But marke that as the Israelites must heare Gods Voice so they must heare it absolutely for God doth not yet acquaint them with the contents of his Voice he speaketh indifinitely hee requires obedience not to this or that Commandement not to this or that Article of faith but to whatsoeuer he shall purpose And well may God require such obedience for he is first ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Truth of himselfe yea Truth it selfe so that a man need not feare that at any time or in any thing God can bee deceiued or will deceiue vs neither can agree with the Omniscience and Holinesse of his nature Secondly God is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Almightie and the soueraigne commander of man so that his word is not onely Truth but a Law where the word of this King goeth there goeth power it admitteth no disputing no resisting As he is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Truth so we may safely captiuate our wits vnto his wisedome as he is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã so we must dutifully submit our wils vnto his commands vpon these two foundations are built our absolute obedience vnto Gods indefinite Voice The word my voice is a word of limitation Ioh. 10. Christs sheepe heare his voice the voice of a stranger they will not heare Gods voice must bee reputed obiectum adaequatum of his people hearing wee must neither stretch nor shrinke it neither adde thereto nor take there-from These two Attributes of Truth and Power are so proper vnto God that they are not communicable to any creature Omnis homo mendax Psal 116. euerie man may deceiue or be deceiued and Omne sub regno graniore regnum est the greatest Soueraignes vnto men are subiect vnto God therefore mens words must be tried before they must be belieued wee must not credit all their words and we must yeeld obedience vnto men no farther then may stand with our obedience to God This must be obserued because the glorie that is due onely to God is too often communicated to men so Disciples take their masters instructions as Diuine oracles and follow them in errour out of a preconceipt that they are not men likely to erre But Saint Pauls rule is Omnia probate 1. Thes 5 1. Iob. 4. quod bonum est tenete proue all things but hold that which is best and Saint Iohn trie the spirits whether they be of God or no for many false Prophets are gone out into the world Amicus Plato magis amica veritas we must neuer dote so vpon any man as to forget that he is a man that is a creature subiect vnto errour If this caution had beene obserued and the Disciples had in all ages examined their masters Doctrine by his word that is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã neither should the Church heretofore haue beene neither would it now be pestered with those many Sects that dictract the same As Disciples haue their caution so haue Subiects also they must dutifully obey their superiours but alwayes with a sauing sauing the Allegiance which they owe vnto the Superiour of Superiours that is vnto God so long as there is no contradiction betweene the commandements of God and superiour men subiects must obey though the obedience be vnsauorie and the command rigid but so soone as there appeares a contradiction endure they must patiently the Sanction of the Law but perform the Precept they must not Were this caution obserued by Subiects did they consider the subordination of all earthly Powers to the power of
GODS not onely all-seeing Psal 13â but also fore-seeing Eye GOD himselfe answereth the question in Ieremie concerning mans Heart Who can search that intricate and wicked labyrinth I the Lord. The LORD onely is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the searcher of the Heart and we are much better knowne to him then we are to our selues This Inequalitie being obserued marke now the Apostles Inference Is our Heart condemne vs God is greater then our Heart and knoweth all things If we regard the Iudge in our bosome how much more must wee regard the Iudge of Heauen and earth if we stand in awe of the knowledge which wee haue of our selues how much more must wee reuerence the piercing eye of GOD Nay if Cain and Iudas and such other wretches were so distressed and perplexed when they were but ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã onely condemned by themselues and it is so fearefull a thing for wickednesse to bee condemned by its owne Testimonie Wisd ââ How will they bee at their wits end when they shall bee ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã arraigned before CHRIST comming in the glory of his FATHER and all his holy Angels with him when the Bookes shall be opened and the lury giue euidence vnto the Iudge according to those things that are written in those Bookes The miserie must needes be answerable and it is fit that our feare bee answerable to the miserie Certainely it is the drift of the Apostle to worke an Affection in vs sutable to the obiect that he setteth before vs. And we shall doe well to make that vse of it vse of the Inference which he maketh arguing from a condemning Conscience vnto a Condemning God whom no Iudge can equall in Omnipotencie no Iury in Omnisciencie My Text intreateth not onely of a Condemning but also of an Absoluing Conscience and it maketh a comfortable Inference thereupon And here we are first to obserue the absolute comfort of a good Conscience that from thence we may ascend vnto the Comparatiue The absolute is Boldnesse boldnesse in Iudgement for so you must vnderstand it sutably to the Argument The word is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã freedome of speech A guiltie man is tongue tied as you may perceiue in the Parable of the Marriage Feast the man that wanted a wedding garment was no sooner asked Friend how camest thou in hither but he was euen speechlesse The eloquentest man will become mute out of the guilt of his Conscience It is no small comfort that a seruant can vtter his owne defence in the presence of his Lord. The Syriacke Paraphrase rendreth the word by Reuelationem faciei a guiltie man hangeth downe his head hee hideth his face so the Scripture describeth Cain And indeed confusion is inseparable from guilt The Philosopher can tell vs that Blushing in children is nothing but the vaile of Consciousnesse and men that doe not easily blush supply that defect by hiding their face But Innocencie needeth no such couert it shameth not to bee seene the cheerefulnesse of the countenance doeth speake vnto the world the guiltlesnesse of the Conscience St. â Corinth 1. Paul calleth this boldnesse ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a Gloriation because it is the onely thing wherein a man may glory yea and ioy too for A good Conscience is a continuall feast Preâ 25. Whatsoeuer mans state is in this world he can neuer be defrauded of this glorious ioy Hee that hath a good Conscience hath more comfort vnder the Crosse then hee that hath an ill Conscience can finde in the middest of all his pleasures for Conscientiam malam non sanat preconium laudantis nec bonam vulnerat conuitiantis opprobrium This is the generall comfort and therefore it is found aswell in the Iudgement of the Heart as of God But from the absolute consideration hereof let vs come to the Comparatiue If we feele this boldnesse in the inward Iudgement we shall feele it much more in the outward if the imperfect verdict of our owne Heart so cheere vs what cheere shall wee conceiue out of the perfect verdict of GOD But the boldnesse that we haue to God-ward doeth appeare specially in three things First in Prayer in that a good Heart bringeth vs to GOD Hebr. 10. in full assurance of Faith and the answere of a good Conscience maketh intercession for vs to God 1 Pet. 3. Secondly at the day of Iudgement when a man of good Conscience will not feare the wicked nor bee troubled hee standeth confident like a Lyon while the other flie A good Conscience is that same Oyle which the wise Virgines had to trimme their Lampes when they met the Bridegroome which made them stand with boldnesse before the Sonne of man Thirdly in Heauen when they shall appeare before the Throne of GOD there to attend with Angels and Saints Blessed are the pure in heart saith CHRIST for they shall see God Argue then thus If it bee comfort to behold GOD by Faith what comfort will it be to behold him by sight If it bee comfort to finde a Quietus est when we call our selues to an account what comfort will it bee to receiue our discharge from GOD if it be comfort to mee to talke familiarly with my owne Soule what comfort will it be for me to talke familiarly with GOD We must argue from the one to the other as from a finite vnto an infinite thing and so conclude the greatnesse of the one from the little taste that we haue of the other To draw towards an end The scope of this Scripture is to teach vs what vse we must make of our Conscience We should consult it before we set our selues about any morall worke and assure our selues that it is a more faithfull Counseller then are our lusts they draw vs whither themselues incline and what themselues abhorre from that they withdraw vs but the Conscience will deale most faithfully with vs it will diswade vs from nothing but that which is euill and perswade vs to nothing but that which is good And happy were wee if we would make it our guide Naturall men were lesse vnhappy if they did so for they would lesse offend GOD and should bee lesse punished Christian men were much more happy for their guide would teach them more to please GOD that they might bee more blest But if this doe not mooue vs let vs feare the aggrauating of sinne the more meanes the more guilt the more guilt the more stripes And what vse will a man make of other meanes that neglecteth this domesticke that sitteth so close to him as his owne Heart And yet see I report mee to euery mans owne Conscience whether he bee ruled lesse by aime then hee is by his owne Heart Our Conscience is furnished both with the Law and with the Gospel and how could we so enormously violate either if we would hearken vnto her if we would suffer her to direct our actions But this is rather to bee wished then