from it so likewise his blotting out is not Gods hauing no record of our sinne but not to vse it as an indictment against vs in iudgement and so because in law Idem est non esse non apparere that whereof no vse is made is figuratiuely said to be blotted out so that the words are not to bee vnderstood absolutely but metonymically and Ruffinus doth well qualifie them with a quasi quasi abscondit faciem suam and quasi delet God so dealeth with a penitent as if his face were hid and as if his booke were razed in regard of the sinfulnesse of his person A second proofe of the possibilitie of King Dauids speeding in his petition may be taken from the ceremoniall Law of Moses wherein Gods presence was figured in the Cloud so Moses calleth it in Exodus now betweene that and the place where the Israelites did sacrifice vnto God there hung a double vaile Cap. 13.21 Cap. 16.10 c. whereby Gods countenance was hid from seeing their imperfections when they humbled themselues penitently at his altar Adde hereunto that the Propitiatorie was betweene Gods face and the Tables of the Couenant which the Israelites entred into with God and by which in iustice God might measure all the passages of their life These are types of greater things Saint Paul calleth Christs flesh a vaile and hee cals him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Propitiatorie Rom. 3.25 And indeed so it is Heb. 10.20 God doth not behold vs but in Christ through the vaile of that flesh that suffered for vs in him that hath cancelled the obligation that was against vs not with the eyes of a righteous Iudge but of a mercifull father And this sense must bee added to the former to make the defence compleate and a Penitent hopefull that hee shall speed of such a prayer I conclude all with a good note of Theodoret who layeth this verse to a former I know mine owne wickednesse my sinne is euer before me thereupon saith hee it followeth well Turnethy face away from my sinne c. if wee fixe our eyes feelingly vpon our sinnes God will turne his eyes from them and God will not keepe them in his booke if Wee record them penitently Wherefore that God may looke off let vs looke on our sinfull selues let vs booke all our misdeeds that God may blot them out so shall we finde him in Christ not a Iudge but a Father his loue shall not suffer him to see that whereof hee cannot be ignorant neither will hee euer indict vs though the Record bee neuer so faire and full that hee hath against vs whereupon wee may with King Dauid pray no lesse hopefully then humbly Turne thy face from our sinnes O Lord and blot out all our offences If thou Lord marke what is done amisse who is able to abide it PSAL. 51. VERS 10. Create in mee a cleane heart O God and renew a right spirit within mee OVr naturall corruption is cured by Grace and grace doth cure it partly by forgining and partly by regenerating of the forgiuenesse you haue heard on the former verse and on this verse you are to heare of the Regeneration And that which you shall heare is first What then Whence it is In opening What it is the Text will leade me to shew you first in what part wee must haue it and secondly of what guifts it consists the part is set downe first in generall it is our inwards wee must haue it within but within wee haue many inwards whereof here are two distinctly exprest and they are two principall ones the Heart and the Spirit whereof the one noteth the soueraigne and the other the actiue power of our soule these are the parts that are to bee regenerated Now the guifts whereof this Regeneration consists are Holinesse and Stayednesse Holinesse of the soueraigne power and of the actiue Stayednesse the first wee haue if our Heart be cleane and the other if our Spirit be right This is Regeneration But whence is it surely from God to him King Dauid seeketh for it Create in me a cleane heart O God As it is fom him so it is no ordinary guift of his it is a Worke of his great Might for it is a Creation Create in mee and of his great Mercy for it is a Renouation Renew in mee our forfeiture maketh vs indebted vnto Gods Mercy renewing not onely to his creating Power These be the particulars which this Text doth occasion me to consider in Regeneration what remaineth but that our Regeneration may be furthered by them wee listen vnto them with a religious eare as they shall be further vnfolded briefly and in their order The first point then is the part wherein wee must haue Regeneration the text saith wee must haue it within S. Ambrose lest we should grossly mistake our corporall inwards for our spirituall tels vs that the inwards here vnderstood are Intelligibilia viscera the reasonable powers of our soule and of them our Sauiour Christ saith in the Gospel â—â—at 15.11 Not that which goeth in but that which commeth out defileth a man now where sinne first began there must Regeneration begin also but sinne began in the inwards Psal 49.20 for Man being in honour had no vnderstanding yea were it not for the vnderstanding a man could not sinne for it is an vndoubted Maxime Bruta non peccant no creature that is deuoid of conscience can contract guilt and it is as true that in whom there is no Reason there can be no Vertue for Reason is the proper subiect of Vertue and because of Vertue therefore of Regeneration which is the roote of all heauenly Vertues see then why King Dauid desireth Regeneration within because there is the proper seate of it And indeed except it begin there well may a man bee an hypocrite Religious he cannot be Mat. 23 27. he will be but like a painted Sepulchre as Christ speaketh that within is full of dead mens bones Liuing Temples of the holy Ghost must bee like the materiall temple of Salomon whereof the the innermost part was the place of Gods residence and therefore was Sanctum Sanctorum the most holy place the next place was Sanctum holy and the rest Sanctuarium partaking of holines though in a lower degree so much lower as it was farther from the place of Gods residence euen so though Regeneration must sanctifie our bodies yet more our soules though it must sanctifie our Vnderstanding yet must it sanctifie our Will much more and that which is most inward must bee sanctified first I conclude this point with Christs admonition giuen to the Pharisees Mundate quod intus â—â—t 23 26. when we desire Regeneration let vs desire to haue it specially in the inward man to haue our reasonable inwards new moulded by grace But what inwards here are two mentioned the Heart and the Spirit these words are often vsed the one for the other
calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is that which executeth what the commanding part resolueth The word in the Originall signifieth either Directum or Erectum that which keepeth right forward or standeth vpright The actiue power of our soule is subiect to two defects it may straggle out of the way through rashnes or stagger in the way through faintnes while we are in the way allurements of diuers kinds draw vs into by-pathes we are set vpon by the crafty serpent and if that succeed not then with terrors wee are startled and made either to come to a stand or else to march cowardly The cure of all this is a right Spirit when God is pleased by grace to set strait steps vnto our feete and strengthen our feeble knees so that wee step not aside out of the way nor halt in the way our Spirit is directus it keepes good correspondency with our iudgement and executeth no more then it hath in charge and it is also erectus it bends no more then our affections doeâ— whether it pursue or encounter any thing resolued vpon by the soueraigne part it sheweth continually a religious stayednesse Finally whereas grace maketh a double cure one on our Heart and another on our Spirit and the regeneration of our Spirit is but an attendant vpon the regeneration of our Heart wee may not diminish the number of the parts nor inuert the order but when wee will trie our selues whether and how farre wee are regenerated wee must looke into our inwards see how we finde our selues there but specially to these fountaines of life the Heart and the Spirit see whether grace command in the Heart before the Heart command and that it may season our workes well whether it selfe bee seasoned first with grace and hauing taken this suruey of the Heart wee must come on to the Spirit and see whether our execution be as holy as our resolution if grace preserue vs from mis-guiding allurements and support vs against disheartning affrightments then is our Spirit as right as our Heart is cleane both are regenerated by the Spirit of grace The Fathers vnderstand here a double grace not onely the grace of Regeneration whereof you haue heard but the grace of Prophesie also wherewith King Dauid was endued as appeare in his Psalmes wherein are many excellent Prophesies It was no small griefe vnto him to haue that diuine influence suspended and to haue withdrawne from him those heauenly Reuelations therfore they conceiue the words thus Dauid desired a cleane Heart that so hee might haue a right Spirit for Blessed are the pure in heart they shall see God saith Christ Mat. 5.8 Wis 1.1.5 and the holy spirit of discipline will not abide in a soule when vnrighteousnesse commeth in The holy spirit of Prophesie is long since ceased and wee cannot be depriued of that which we neuer had but of this we may be sure that sin in our heart doth not a little bleare our eyes when we come to consider of Gods truth in his word and endeauour though not our selues to be yet to vnderstand those that were vndoubted Prophets But enough of Regeneration so farre as this Text doth teach vs what it is I come on to shew you briefly the last point of the Text which is Whence it proceeds It proceeds from God of him King Dauid beggeth it Create in me a cleane heart O God and well may he aske it of him for God doth promise the gift of this grace A new heart will I giue you and a new spirit will I put into you saith God Eze. cap. 36. and S. Paul in his Epistles doth often direct his prayers for these vnto God â—t how then doth Eze. c. 18. bid vs make vnto our selues new hearts and new spirits and Moses in the Law Deut. 10. bids vs circumcise the fore-skin of our hearts Surely not to note our power but our want that out of the conscience thereof we should seeke vnto the father of Lights from whom commeth euery good and perfect gift Iam. 1.17 Or if it be to note any power of ours it is but power to vse the outward meanes but the effect wished hath a higher cause which is the Spirit of God And indeed the true cause why the Holy Ghost speaketh so differenly sometimes calling vpon vs and sometimes willing vs to call vpon God is because Gods inward worke is seldome without our outward though the honour which God doth to the vse of the meanes must not derogate ought from Gods totall producing of the effects The more to be blamed is the Church of Rome who by aduancing the meanes impaire that honour which is due vnto God Let it stand then for a grounded Truth that Regeneration is the gift of God As it is Gods gift so it is no ordinary gift of his it is a worke of his great might and of his great mercy of his great might for it is a Creation Creation is either to make something of nothing or at least if that whereof it is made be something yet that thing hath no disposition to become that which it is made if you looke to the gift that is giuen by Regeneration surely that is made simply of nothing it is an effect that proceeds immediately from the Spirit who hath nothing out of which to worke that effect but his owne almighty power for non educiturè potentia naturae nature sendeth forth no such fruit If you looke vpon the Person that receiueth the grace then also Regeneration will proue to be a Creation for so farre is he from being disposed fitly to receiue grace Rom 8.7 Is 11.6 that hee is naturally opposite vnto it the wisedome of the flesh is enmity against God so saith the Apostle and the Prophet will tell vs that regenerating is like the changing of the nature of Tygers Lyons and Wolues c. a hard worke Saint Austin goeth so farre that hee thinketh it a harder matter to bring a sinner accustomed to an euill course into a right way then to create a world especially to bring him to entertaine the Christian faith which is foolishnes to the Gentile and a stumbling blocke to the Iew. The more absurd is the patronage of free will in the case of new birth the very word Creation doth refute it 1. Cor. 1.23 2. Cor. 5. Eph. 4. which Saint Paul vseth more then once and thereby both Testaments put vs in mind that wee can doe as little towards our spirituall creation as we could towards our naturall in regard of both we may vse that of the Psalm It is God that hath made vs and not we our selues both waies made vs by the power of a God Neither is it onely a worke of great power but of great mercy also that is intimated by the word Renew pulchre dixit innoua saith S. Chrysostome it is well said renew the house was built before which sinne ruined and grace doth re-edifie and indeed that this
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 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 17 1◠〈◊〉 4. 〈◊〉 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 â—isdome 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 〈◊〉 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. 〈◊〉 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 〈…〉 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 that No hope that the Beames will euer warme our Land if the Sunne haue no aspect vnto our Horizon neither is there any Hope that wee shall euer seele Gods comforts if Gods countenance bee not propitious yea the influēce is too scant to support our drooping soules did not they first lay hold vpon the abundance that they beleeue to bee in the Fountaine of Grace But what our Faith is assured of in God wee must desire to feele in our Soules our desire that first craues Gods good Affection must goe on and desire Gods good Action also certainely Dauid did so it appeares in Dele and Laua blot out wash cleane Two Petitions made for two Blessings Innocencie and Sanctitie Innocencie for he desires to be acquitted of his Debt he would haue his name blotted out of the Obligation that God had against him And no wonder We know the perplexities of Debters if the Debt be only pecuniary and may be redeemed by a Freind how much more if it be Capitall and can bee answered by none but our owne Person in such a Case how doth feare haunt vs and anguish distresse vs neither night nor day at boord or in bed alone or with Friends can we be quiet vntill wee are free from such an Obligation And can a Man priuie vnto himselfe in what danger he stands to God-ward finde any rest vntill he haue made his peace can hee chuse but bee ouerwhelmed with sorrow except he can put off the storme that hangeth ouer him Can hee forbeare to importune God for a pardon knowing how obnoxious he is to the stroke of his vengance doubtlesse hee cannot bee hee as great as good as King Dauid he will fall to Dele Lord doe away mine offences for there is no securitie but only in Innocencie Innocencie is not enough it is enough to free vs from feare but it is not enough to cure our Miserie without Sanctitie it is not fully cured for though when we looke without vs being innocent we haue nothing to dismay vs yet when we looke into our selues if wee be without Sanctitie how ougly shall we appeare Grego Mag. Quid prodest malorum quae feci impunitas nisi etiam bene agendi sequatur facultas as good haue no Innocencie as not to haue it ioyned with Sanctitie We naturally delight in neatnesse in our persons our cloathes our diet and what not and how much cost doe we bestow in Cookerie Taylerie Cosmetrie to remoue any vncomlinesse or vndecencie that may offend though it bee but the eye of vanitie We that so care to haue a faire outside what a foule inside doe we endure if we endure the Corruption of sinne No sluttishnes in diet comparable hereunto 2. Pet. 2. the Scripture resembleth it to a dogges feeding vpon his vomit Reuel 3. No slouenrie in Apparrell to bee matched herewith the Scripture calleth it Nakednesse such Nakednesse as discouers our Filthinesse Finally no sores come neare the spirituall ones in ouglinesse the Scripture doth parallell the deformitie thereof with the disease of Leaprosie Can a man being such endure himselfe can he chuse but fall vnto Laua be earnest with God to wash him from his filthinesse Certainely he cannot a sensible sinner cannot and such a one was King Dauid he Prayeth Laua wash me O Lord. Neither Laua only but Multùm Laua the Originall hath multiplie to wash When he prayed for Innocencie it was only Dele put a way my sinnes but when he commeth to pray for Sanctitie hee is not contented with Laua wash me he will haue his washing renued againe and againe What is the reason Surely there are many Reasons for it The first is the difference that God puts betweene Iustification and Sanctification it is his pleasure that the one should be Actio indiuisibilis the other diuisibilis as the Diuines speake the first he consummates at once in the other he proceeds by degrees hee is pleased that our whole life should be an exercise of mortifying the Old Man and quickening the New As when a Garment hath taken a deepe staine it must haue more scouring and spungings then one before we can get it out euen so the Corruption of sin sinks so deepe that it asketh a great deale of paynes to worke it out therefore Multùm laua is very necessarie in regard of Mortification And it is as necessarie also in regard of Viuisication Saint Ambrose represents it in a fine Similie Hee that will die a purple in graine doth giue his cloath inferiour colours first and after many dippings in many preparatiue liquours he doth at length perfect the colour and giue it its full luster euen so the splendour of Sanctitie is not attained in the first moment of our Conuersion many a line must bee drawne in our Soules by the Spirit of God before wee can fully recouer his Image Not that there is any inability in God so that hee cannot in a moment make vs both innocent and holy as he did in the Creation but he is pleased in the difficulty of the recouerie on our part to make vs mindfull of our former vnthristinesse and carefull to husband Grace better when God doth vouchsafe it Besides these Reasons there is a speciall one which concernes King Dauids Case You haue heard that he committed more Sinnes then one whereof euerie one was verie hainous now a single cleansing doth not suffice for many enormous sinnes though for our secret sinnes it is enough to say Psal 1◠Munda me Domine clense me O Lord from my secret faults and for ordinarie slips Austin Dimitte nobis debita our dayly Prayer forgine vs our trespasses may suffice yet when we multiply sinnes haynous sinnes we must haue Washing vpon Washing many Washings for many sinnes It is a perfunctorie Repentance that wraps all such sinnes in one and thinkes that one washing wil cleanse a sinner from them all And yet God knoweth there is two much of this kind of Repentance in the World but to such Penetentiaries I will vse the words of Salomon There is a generation that are pure in their owne eyes Pro. 30. and yet is not washed from their filthinesse they will vnhappily be found in the state of Coruption at that day when there will be no comfort but for thorough or perfect Sanctification Thorough or perfect Sanctification was it that King Dauid sought as you may perceiue by the next word Munda This noteth the end for which Dauid desireth the multiplied washing he would so be washed that he might be cleane he would not haue God Laterem lauare take much paines and leaue him neuer a whit the better It is true that God complaines of some Ierem. 13. that they are washed in vaine can a Leopard change his spots or a Blackamoore his skinne if they can then there is hope that you will be the better but little hope of the one and as little of the other But King Dauid would
are forfeited but he to whom they are forfeited the Author of Nature must bee the Author of Grace And hee is so abundantly in our Sauiour Christ for in Him are all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge hid Colloss 2.3 in making him knowne hee maketh true Wisedome to bee knowne vnto vs. It is not in vaine that Dauid saith Thou Shalt make me know wisedome for though in Gods acts the Holy Ghost doth indifferently vse all times past present and to come because they are continuall yet it is not amisse to obserue that in this life we cannot haue so much grace but wee still want more therefore wee should not rest in the first fruits of the Spirit but bee still hungring and thirsting after righteousnes Mat. 5. and forgetting those things which are behinde bee still pressing forward in wisedome that we may be forward in Sincerity Marke that if you lay both these parts together the meanes of getting Sincerity to the regard that God yeelds to it it followeth fairely that whatsoeuer in vs pleaseth God is a guift that God bestoweth vpon vs neither indeed can any thing that commeth not from him bee acceptable vnto him so that wee may well pray with Saint Austin Da Domiue quodiubes iube quod vis Let it bee thy good pleasure O Lord by grace to enable me and then bee thy Commandement what it will it shall most readily be obserued by me Secondly Sincerity is not immediately from God hee worketh it by heauenly Wisedome neither may wee euer hope to be Sincere except wee first be wise if the Heart be nor first qualified the Reines will not be reformed The world hath yeelded too many smatterers in either of these but because they put asunder what God conioyned they haue beene good in neither Our Ancestours that liued vnder Poperie were good meaning men as they say of them and the Church of Rome did cherish in them good intentions but good indeed they could not be because they were misguided Wee are very inquisitiue after our Guide and God be thanked wee haue a good one and happily wee conferre often with him about a good course but here is our fault wee doe but conferre with him commit our selues to his guidance wee doe not wee entertaine not wisedome into the inward part therefore haue our inward parts little truth we are as foolishly wise as our Ancestours were falsly sincere It were to bee wished that we would ioyne both as King Dauid doth to be wise in the Hidden part that so our inward parts may be true especially when wee make our Atonement with God and humble our selues before him if euer then beg wisedome the wisedome of the heart which may wholy order our affections that our Repentance and our Confidence may both testifie that there is Truth in the inward parts The last thing that I obserued is that this Sincerity is remarkable wee are taught it in the first word Behold which word noteth both Veritatem Diuinam and Vtilitatem nostram the vndoubtednesse of these rules and the vse which we must make of them Ecce hoc patens est saith Ruffinus this is as cleare as the noone none but those that are blind can denie that God loueth Sincerity and that he giueth that wisedome from whence sincerity streams And as no man can doubt it so euery man must make vse of it euery man must desire this sincerity that so he may be acceptable to God euery man must desire to be furnished with wisedome from Heauen that he may be furnished with Sincerity We are by nature full of vanity and hypocrisie our corruption was displayed in the verse that goeth before but Contraria contrarijs illustrantur we cannot so well conceiue how bad we are as if we clearely see how good we should be when we obserue that God requireth Truth in our inward parts then may we perceiue how miserable wee are in being conceiued and borne in Sinne so the Ecce here giueth light to the Ecce that goeth before As this giueth light to that so that must be a whetstone to make vs to affect this And seeing God taketh all excuse from vs by making vs to know wisedome we must receiue wisedome into its proper seate that from thence it may produce this acceptable worke We must with Dauid be able to say Ecce Behold thou hast made mee to know wisedome in my hidden part that wee may also say Ecce Behold O Lord that Truth which thou desirest in my inward parts I conclude all Behold here the Doue and the Serpent which Christ commends for patterns to his Disciples wee must haue the simplicitie of the Doue and the wisedome of the Serpent Hee that can mixe the wisedome of the Serpent with the simplicitie of the Doue shall neither be sottishly sincere nor deceitfulluy wise GOD that searcheth the Hearts and Reines so qualifie both by his grace that being guided by him wee may be accepted of him accepted for wise sincerity and sincere Wisedome in the whole course of our life but specially when we turne to Him and turne from sinne with vnfained Repentance and assured Confidence AMEN PSAL. 51. VERS 7. Purge me with Hysope and I shall bee cleane Washmee and I shall bee whiter then snow KIng Dauid desirous to be restored vnto the state of Grace doth first lay open his owne wickednesse sincerely and then doth he sincerely lay hold vpon Gods goodnes Of the former you haue hitherto heard and are to heare of the latter hereafter In opening whereof you are to obserue how aptly the Remedy doth answer the Disease In the Disease wee found a double wickednesse one which King Dauid committed himselfe another which hee inherited from his Parents The Remedy cures both it cureth the wickednesse which King Dauid committed the Malignity the Impiety thereof the Impiety by Expiation in this seuenth Verse the Malignity by Consolation in the eight As it cureth the wickednesse which himselfe committed so doth it that which he inherited from his Parents that was a natiue Euill and the Remedie doth cure it as it is an euill in the ninth verse by forgiuing and as that euill commeth by nature the Remedie cureth it by Regeneration as we shall learne verse the tenth At this time I shall handle onely the first branch of the Cure the cure of the Impiety of that sinne which King Dauid himselfe contracted This I told you was done by Expiation or Purification for the better vnderstanding wherof we must guide our selues by a good rule of Saint Ambrose Benè Veteris Testamenti Sacramenta non euacuat et Mysteria Euangelica praeferenda docet These words are typicall therefore they haue a compound sense a Ceremoniall and a Morall Dauid acknowledgeth both true but withall teacheth in which standeth the greatest comfort The Ceremonial was not to be omitted because of Gods Ordinance but the Morall was principally to bee intended because that contained the Body whereof the
other was but a shadow Which must the rather be noted because the Holy Ghost doth often times taxe the Iewes for either wholy diuorcing the Morals from the Ceremonialls or for that they were at least preposterously zealous preferring the Ceremonials before the Morals but our rule must bee to obserue whatsoeuer God commands but so that we value euery thing according to the rate which God sets vpon it we are freed from the Ceremoniall Law of Moses yet are we not left altogether without Ceremonies for we haue Sacraments in participating whereof we must obserue Saint Ambrose his rule We must not neglect the visible Signes wherewith God sustaynes our Faith yet must we pierce farther into the inuisible grace and that must be the principall comfort of our Soules So likewise in prayer we must fall low with our bodies but much lower with our Hearts lift vp our eyes but soare higher with our Affections in a word Hoc oportet facere illud non omittere neglect not Ceremonies but intend Moralities chiefly in all the seruice of God But whereas I told you that the sense of these words is double Ceremoniall and Morall before I can informe you in the Morall I must first resolue you what is the Ceremoniall sense And here wee find not all agreed some finde the Ceremonie in the booke of Exodus some in Leuiticus C. 12.22 some in Numbers In Exodus we read that the Children of Israel were commanded to sprinkle their dore-posts with the blood of the Paschall Lambe that so when the punishing Angel came to destroy the first borne of Egypt he might passe by them Chrysostome apprehends that King Dauid in these words prayeth against Gods wrath and desireth by such a sprinkling to bee sheltered from that And indeed though God forgaue Dauids sinne yet did hee by Nathan foretell That the sword should neuer depart from his House 2. Sam. 12.10 therefore well might he deprecate plagues But though wee find mention of Hysope in that Law yet none of sprinckling the person but the dore-postes nor finally any mention of purifying but of preseruing Therefore other of the Fathers find this Ceremony in Leuiticus 14.4 in the Law of clensing the Leper And surely the words of my Text speaking rather de malo culpae then poenae as appeareth by those Phrases I shall bee cleane I shall be whiter then snow may haue good cognation with that Ceremony the rather because the Fathers not vnfitly make Leprosie a liuely representation of the nature of sin But in that Ceremony though Hysop were vsed for clensing of the Leper yet the clensing of the Leper there was declaratory rather then operatory wherupon S. Hierome doth parallel it with the absolution of the Priest who doth not remit sin but declare that it is remitted of God As the Priest saith he did not make the Leper cleane but vpon examination pronounce him to be cleane But my Text speaketh not of a Declaratorie onely but an operatorie Purification Ciâ—â—l 〈◊〉 wherfore we must seeke farther into the booke of Numbers in the 19. thereof wee shall sinde a Ceremonie that exactly sitteth my Text sitteth it in the phrase as they that are skild in the Originall doe know and sitteth it in the matter as you may perceiue if you reade the Chapter there God commandeth the burning of a red Cow slaine by the Priest Vâ—â— 6. with which was to be burnt Scarlet Cedar wood and Hysop and of the ashes which came hereof and running water was to be made a holy water wherewith hee was to be purisied that touched the dead Vâ—â— 18. a clean person taking Hysop dipping it in the water and sprinkling it vpon the vncleane C. 9.13 Saint Paule to the Hebrewes moralizing that Ceremonie speaketh thus if the bloud of bulls and goates and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the vnclean sanctified to the purifying of the flesh how much more shall the bloud of Christ who through the Eternall Spirit offered himselfe without spot to God purge your Consciences from dead works to serue the liuing God Out of which words we may learne to giue a true Commentary vnto this Text and obserue a good correspondency betweene the Ceremoniall and the Morall part thereof Which that we may the better do obserue that the whole Text is a Petition wherein wee must obserue first seuerally what King Dauid beggeth and of whom then ioyntly how confident hee is of the successe of his Petition which he maketh to that person That which he beggeth is Purge Wash the person to whom he directeth this Petition is God for to him he praieth but he would haue him doe this through Christ for Christ is meant by Hysop If God grant this request as he doubteth not but that hee will grant it for it is Prophetica or atio he prophesieth in praying he then vndoubtedly assures himselfe of a double effect that shall be wrought vpon him Innocencie I shall be cleane and Beautie incomparable Beautie I shall bee whiter then Snow Let vs looke into these particulars and carrie along the Ceremoniall with the Morall First then see what he beggeth purge wash but these words presuppose some thing that is not here exprest and that is from what he would be purged and cleansed Read the 19. of Numbers there you shall see the Ceremonie it was from the impuritie that was contracted from touching the dead and this impurity did exclude them from accesse vnto the Tabernacle Saint Paul Heb. 9. teacheth vs the Moral of this Ceremonie Vers 14. and that the touching of the dead did figure our intermedling with dead workes that is sinnes for they that are infected with them are sayd Ephesians 2.5 to bee dead in them and our Sauiour meaneth as much by the Prouerbe Let the dead burie their dead Mat. 8.22 And indeed Sinnes are fitly termed dead workes Iâ—b 1. for they had their originall from him that hath the power of death that is the Diuel Heb. 2.14 and they are in vs the sting of death so venoming our vnderstanding 1. Cor. 15.16 and our wil that they bereaue vs of the Life of God to whom we liue only by the true knowing of him and louing him as we ought finally Rom. 9.23 the wages of Sinne is death and death in sinne bringeth vpon vs death for sinne the spirituall death in this world an euerlasting in the world to come As hee that hath to doe with sinne hath to doe with Death so hee that hath the contagion of Death cleauing to him is vnfit for the House of the liuing God for that is the House of the liuing for God by Couenant is not the God of the Dead but of the Liuing Mat. 22.32 they that are planted in the House of the Lord saith the Psalmist shall flourish in the courts of our God Marke then in what case a sinner is Psal 92.13 Iob. 2.4 in the state
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 Encaeâ—ijs 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 〈◊〉 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
a drudge Miserum est fuisse foelicem the memory of a better doubleth the misery of a worse estate it doth so corporally and it will doe so spiritually if euer we be put to the triall of it yea we shall find it will doe it so much the more by how much the touch of conscience is more tender then any other sense and the gift which we lose is infinitely more precious then any other gift The taking backe doth much amplifie the depriuation but how much more doth it amplifie that nothing is left behind Though the haruest be caried away yet if there be some gleaning behind though a Tree be cut downe yet if there bee a roote left in the ground though the Sunne goe downe yet if it be twilight these small remainders of greater goods are no small refreshings to a loser It doth a man some good to keepe some monuments of his better estate especially when they are pledges of some sparkle of good will towards vs continuing in him vpon whose iust displeasure we forfeited all As God in fauour giueth the holy spirit so in displeasure doth hee take him away and we cannot guesse better at the measure of his displeasure then by the measure of the depriuation If he take it but in part then mercy tempers iudgement but if he leaue no sparkles of grace that may be kindled again then we become Loruhama Hose 1. we are cleane shut out of the bowels of his compassion And this is that which King Dauids trembling conscience doth deprecate in these words Ne auferas Take not away I haue opened vnto you the nature of spirituall Reiection and Depriuation and I doubt not but by that which you haue heard you conceiue that they are grieuous iudgements but the bottomes of them are not sounded except we also take notice of the Consequents two wofull consequents The first if man be reiected of God as before you heard hee must looke for a cleane opposite condition hee loseth the place of Gods presence and whether shall he goe but euen to the pit of hell Hee loseth the state of that blessed place and hee shall fall into the state of the cursed God doth disgrace him dares any creature yeeld a good looke vnto him God layeth him open to danger and whose indignation then will not burne against him Whose hand will spare him vpon whom God layeth his heauie hand Guesse what will become of them that are reiected by the King of heauen by that which you see befall them who are reiected by Kings on earth The first consequent of reiestion is bad neither is the first consequent vpon depriuation better he that loseth the holy Spirit shall be possessed by an vncleane Spirit 1. Sam. 16. it was Sauls case the Text is plaine The Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul and an euill Spirit troubled him where God is not Satan will be Some would bee Neutrals in the World but indeed none are Man is either a Temple of God or a Synagogue of Satan yea and looke how much God taketh from vs of his Spirit so much wee shall be sure to haue of the vncleane Spirit as Darknesse taketh vp all the roome that is not filled with Light if we haue no portion of Gods Spirit those vncleane Spirits will possesse vs wholy A miserable exchange and yet is this the inâ—uitable consequent of depriuation You would thinke I had brought the iudgement to the height but I haue not there is another consequent a consequent worse then the former Omnis spes veniae tollitur so sayth Gregorie the Great the case is not only very bad but it is past all recouery and why Is a man reiected No other man may intercede for him See this in the case of a King How long saith God vnto Samuel wilt thou mourne for Saul seeing I haue reiected him from raigning ouer Israel See it in the case of a Kingdome I will cast you out of my sight saith God as I haue cast out all your brethren euen the whole seed of Ephraim he speaketh of the Kingdome of Iudah and therefore pray not thou Ieremie 1. Sam. 16. Ieremy 7. for this people neither lift vp crie nor Prayer for them neither make intercession to me for I will not heare thee A pittifull case a man may haue no Mediator if he be reiected How much more miserable is his case if he be depriued for then he cannot pray for himselfe it is Saint Pauls doctrine We know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit maketh intercession for vs with groanes which cannot be vttered and he that searcheth the heart knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit because he maketh intercession for the Saints according to the will of God You see there is no Prayer can be made hopefully but must be endited by the Spirit and the Spirit prayeth in none but in those that are Saints therefore they that are depriued of the Spirit are depriued of the grace of Prayer as Zacharie also witnesseth which ioyneth them both together Zach. c. 12. When a man is brought to this case that hee hath no friend to stand vp for him and he cannot be a friend vnto himselfe how desperate is his case What remayneth then but that hee betake himselfe vnto a wretched course Surely Cain did so when hee was reiected hee became the Father of such Giants whom nothing could mend but the generall Deluge and what a life led Saul after hee was depriued So ill a life that his owne death could not make amends for it but many of his children were faine to be hanged vp long after to pacifie the wrath of God Yea the Parable of the vncleane Spirit witnesseth that they that haue beene in the state of grace and by reiection and depriuation are fallen from it are much worse vpon the relapse then euer they were before they first began to be good No wonder then that Dauid conceiued this deprecation against so fearefull iudgements Yea most gracious was God vnto him that gaue him time for to deprecate that put a distance inter meritum iudicium betweene his ill deseruing and Gods iust reuenge he deserued to be cast out but continued still in Gods presence he deserued to be depriued but he retayned still Gods holy Spirit See what good vse hee maketh of Gods patience while hee is in the presence hee preuenteth the casting out and preuenteth the taking away of the Spirit while yet the Spirit abode within him and his preuenting is nothing but deprecating And while we haue the like time we must vse no other meanes how long doth God forbeare vs when wee grieuously prouoke him Were we better aduised we would be more prouident and not ouer-slip the time allowed vs for deprecation lest to our endlesse griefe we find that when we are vnder these iudgements our state is past recouerie I should here end but I must speake a little of
will not despise that in the word there is a Litote there is more meant then is exprest for the Holy Ghost meaneth that this morall seruice doth speed of both the effects of Sacrifices it yeeldeth a sweet sauour vnto God and he doth gratiously accept it it proueth a sauour of rest into man and his soule doth feele the comfort of it Finally out of the maine branches of the text wee will draw two Paradoxes First A broken and contrite heart are Gods Sacrifices therfore this is a Religious man-slaughter Secondly God doth not despise a broken and a contrite heart therefore God is neuer better pleased with vs then when we are least pleased with our selues You heare whereof I shall speake that you may learne to serue God truely by that which shall bee spoken listen to it diligently and with a religious eare Before I fall vpon the particulars I may not omit to shew you the coherence of this verse to the former the former did shew of how little worth Ceremoniall worship is this sheweth the great worth of the morall And well is this clause added vnto that for it is not enough to know what we must not doe in Gods seruice our chiefe care must be to know what we must doe what good will it doe mee to know that Turkes Iewes Infidels worship they know not what they know not how it must be my comfort to know the true God to know how to worship him as I ought The ground is cleare Negatiues are but to attend Affirmatiues and God doth not reward the forbearance of euill but the doing of Good forbearance doth hold backe the impediments that would hinder vs in our way but wee must not only auoid them but also goe the right way if wee will come to our iourneys end In a word our abilities are bestowed vpon vs not only to decline euill but also to doe good But to the Text. The first thing that I obserued was wherin morall seruice stands it stands in the humiliation of the inward man the inward man is here pointed out by two names the spirit and the heart How these words differ all are not agreed vpon a former verse I haue said something of them but in this place I thinke they note one and the selfe same reasonable soule as it vndergoeth a diuers consideration It hath a prerogatiue aboue the soule of a beast in that it can subsist though it be seuered from the body and so it commeth neere vnto the nature of Angels and with them communicateth in the name of Spirit which is a substance endued with vnderstanding and will But besides this separate Being it hath another which you may call coniunct it inhabiteth in and manifesteth it selfe by the body quickning and guiding our senses and our affections hence it is denominated from the body from the principall parts wherein it doth reside from none so often and so aptly as from the Heart which is the the principall seate thereof Neither is it without cause that the reasonable soule is remembred vnder both these names the Holy Ghost thereby giuing vs to vnderstand that whether we consider the powers of the soule inorganically as vnder the name of Spirit or else Organically as vnder the name of Heart either way considered they must be humbled wee must humble no lesse the superiour then the inferiour faculties of our soule for sinne hath infected both A second thing that wee must marke is that in our seruice God calleth not for Nostra but Nos not our Goods but our selues and to this end did hee command the people to put their hands vpon the Sacrifices to signifie whom it did represent and to accompany the Offering of the sacrifice with a zealous deuotion to testifie that themselues were to haue a feeling of that for which the beast was offered And indeed it was fit that he should offer himselfe that had offended that hee might feare to offend when hee saw that hee must smart if a beast onely should die and the paine there of might rid a sinner of his guilt few would forbeare sinne if any thing make them feare it is this that they must beare the burden of sinne themselues Secondly as wee must offer our selues so that which of our selues wee must offer is the better part our Spirit our Heart In all the Legall Sacrifices God reserued the Inwards to himselfe his meaning was to point out the parts which he desireth in vs hee desireth our Inwards they must be presented in our Sacrifice 1 Tim. 4.8 the Apostles rule is bodily exercise profiteth litle certainly very litle of it selfe it hath all his commendations from the Heart and the Spirit But there are two distinct reasons why these parts are principally required in morall seruice the first is because they are freest from hypocrisie Ier. 3.10 God cannot endure that we should turne vnto him in mendacio dissemblingly Now Simulation and Dissimulation are manifest in our body for we can personate therein whom we will we may so bee mask't as that no body shal know who we are but in the inward man we are our selues wee can there seeme no better nor no worse then we are there doth God behold vs and hee doth iudge of vs thereby A Second reason is the preualencie of those parts they haue the greatest hand in our sinne and must beare the greatest part in our repentance other parts and powers partake of sinne but by contagion which they contract by their attendance vpon the Spirit and the Heart attend then they must in repentance but the principall penitents must be the Heart and the Spirit vpon whom they attend But enough of the parts which must bee humbled Let vs now come to the humiliation of those parts they must be broken they must be contrite Betweene these wordes there is no great difference for Contrition is a breaking very small and the breaking here meant is a shiuering the English to shiuer commeth from the Hebrew here vsed which is Shauar and you know that to shiuer a thing is to breake it all to pieces Or if you will put a difference betweene the wordes then the first may note the beginning and the other the consummating of this humiliation as you know a thing may be first grosse bruised and that is breaking and then it may bee pounded all to pouder and that is the contrition of it But how doe these words agree with the former by the Heart and the Spirit you vnderstood the reasonable soule and hath the soule any parts can that bee turned into dust Surely no therefore these words are figuratiue they are resemblances borrowed from corporall things which doe most liuely set before vs the humiliation that is spirituall But it is a question whence these wordes are borrowed some fetch them from husbandry some from masonry either of them hath a faire ground in the Scripture They that fetch it from Husbandry for Ieremie and Hosea speake of
breaking vp the fallow ground of our hearts Ier. 4.3 Hosea 10.12 that they may bee sowen Now you know that they that breake vp their grounds vse the Plough and the Harrow the Plough turneth vp the ground in great clods that is the first breaking of it then commeth the Harrow and turneth those clods into dust that is the second breaking of it and so these two breakings represent corporally what you must spiritually obserue in a broken and contrite heart The very same may fitly bee represented by the second resemblance that is taken from Masonry the Scripture doth often tell vs that sinners haue stony hearts and therefore they must be broken that they may be made fleshy hearts as tender and soft as flesh Now you know that when a Mason or Plaisterer will worke a rough stone into all kinde of shapes at his pleasure he first breaketh him being calcined or otherwise prepared all to pieces and then those pieces he poundeth into dust then that dust with liquor he can worke into a soft substance which will receiue any shape according to the fancy of the Plaisterer Euen so must the Heart and Spirit of a man be hammered by Gods Word Ierem. 23.9 broken and broken againe that so it may be made plyable vnto the wil of God These be faire resemblances and I might insist vpon them and by them illustrate the humiliation of a sinner but I choose rather the resemblance that offereth it selfe in my Text and that is contained in the word Sacrifices In the Temple or Tabernacle there were two Altars one of burnt sacrifice another of Incense the sacrifice of either will fit our purpose That of incense Exod. 30. where God telleth expresly of what spices the perfume should be made he addeth these wordes thou shalt beate some of it very small and put it before the testimony in the Tabernacle of the congregation where I will meete with thee The resemblance is very fit But it is fitter if we take it from the other Altar and indeed it is fit we take it thence for though my text be true of all morall seruice God requireth it God delighteth in it as might bee shewed at large if the time would permit and it were to my purpose yet now haue I to doe with no more then concerneth King Dauids case the reconciliation of a Penitent so much morall worship as answereth to burnt offering and sacrifice whereof you heard in the verse going before now they did belong to the Altar of burnt offerings wherefore there will wee seâ—ke and wee shall find our resemblance For the sacrifices were first cut in pieces that was their breaking secondly being so broken they were burnt into ashes that was a contrition of them a contrition and a breaking which doth most liuely represent the breaking and contrition required in Repentance Looke backe vpon them The Priest that did cut the sacrifice in pieces did as the Iewish Rituals obserue not mangle but ioynt the parts and what should wee doe in our Repentance but orderly take asunder and in our meditations view apart the seuerall powers that are in our soule and not mingle the vnderstanding and the will but seeing each hath his owne defects we must feelingly consider the seuerall defects that are in each power And this is the breaking of the Heart and the Spirit But the parts of the Sacrifice were not onely broken but they were brought to the fire and there they were burnt to ashes and it is not enough for vs in grosse to obserue the defects of the seuerall powers that are in our soule we shall find them intricate and a very Labyrinth wee must hunt out euery lurking sinne and euery particle must beare a part in this humiliation the fire of spirituall affliction must pierce euen vnto the least iot of that which doth partake of corruption otherwise our Heart and Spirit are not as they ought broken and contrite Saint Ambrose conceiueth that these words are meant of Christ And indeed he that doth but read the 53. of Esay which is often alleadged by the Apostles especially Saint Peter shall finde that Christ had a broken and contrite Heart and Spirit indeed the Euangelists doe expresse it in significant words Luke 22 44. Math. 26.38 Mark 14.33 hee was in an agony his soule was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on euery side encompassed with heauinesse euen vnto death he began 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be euen astonished 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to droope to become euen heartlesse the Sacrament what is it but a representation of the humiliation of our Sauiour Christ not in conscience of his owne sinne but for expiation of our pride was Christ pleased to be humbled not onely in body but in soule also And to him must we be conformed for he is the best patterne of a broken and contrite Spirit But marke in these words broken and contrite that euery kind of concussion is not a poenitentiall humiliation Iam 2.19 for the Diuels they feare and tremble when they remember in what case they stand Act. 24.25 and so did Felix tremble when Saint Paul preached of the iudgement to come and how was Pharaoh shaken when he was vnder the plagues of Egypt Daniel 5. Baltazar quiuered and his knees smote together when he saw the hand-writing but their hearts and spirits were made of tough mettall not one of them brake or was contrite but after Gods hand was off they continued whole and wholly the same persons And so if wee doe and it is too common for vs to doe so crie we out neuer so much I haue sinned and God be mercifull vnto me in our danger be it what it may be wee are not humbled as the morall seruice of God requireth As we wound our soules so must we be contented to search those wounds and least they fester Ier. 23.9 Habak 3 16. search them to the bottome we must be contented as throughly to grieue for sinne as to take delight therein But a little farther to wade into this point There are two kinds of Griefe that the Schooles speake of Appretiativus and Intensivus they apply it somwhat vntowardly but here wee may make a good vse of it for our spirituall humiliation must testistifie first at what rate wee doe set the fauour of God and hauing no better thing to wreck our displeasure vpon for the losse therof then our Heart and Spirit we vse them so roughly and choose them for the subiect of humiliation Secondly the breaking and contrition of heart and spirit doe shew that our sorrow is as intensiue as it is appretiatiue as the thing is most deare vnto vs which we afflict so there can be no deeper wounds giuen then those wherwith we afflict it But sorrow is not enough vnto humiliation there are two other things that must goe therewith and are very clearly insinuated in this manner of breaking and contriting our Heart The first is
so doth it heare and speake it performeth all its naturall actions And so doth it its Morall also more heauily in some then in other some by reason of the temper doth the body in morall actions follow the Soule but yet it followeth And this may be a good reason why God rememiâ—reth here the powers of our Soule and not the parts of our Body But there is a better and that is deliuered by S. Paul The Law is spirituall Christ layeth the ground of that God is a Spirit Ioh. 4. and hee that worshippeth him must worship him in spirit and in truth Now we are sure that there is no hypocrisie in our Charitie if the seate of it bee the powers of our Soule there may be if it bee the parts of our body witnesse the Pharisee to whom Christ not onely directs but fitteth his speech also who made some shew of Charitie to the world but his inwards were full of Hatred in the sight of God for hee was a Tempter And this doth Christ perstringe or strike at in pressing these words of the Law and shewes that God doth not esteeme the outward deede without the inward affection And the Lesson whch wee must all draw from the seate of Charity is this that our outwarid charitable conuersation must bee rooted in our like inward disposition I should now if time would giue leaue carry euery mans eye into his owne bosome there to take a view whether this vertue bee Catholique and Transcendent or no and if hee find any part vnpossest or not improued as farre as it should bee I should perswade him to see it presently amended Nay I should tell you from that which all the world seeth outwardly that few haue Charitie inwardly for if they had how could their eyes bee so full of Adulterie their eares so set open to entertaine slanders and vntruths their mouthes so ouer-flowe with blasphemie and ribaldrie their hands be so exercised with extortion and cruelty Certainely these things could not bee without if Charitie were within And if Charitie bee not a Catholique and Transcendent vertue in vs no hope that it is either Ordinate or Imperatiue these are perfections whereupon the other are raysed as on a foundation But I cannot stand to take this view and quicken your eare onely remember this that if Loue doe not Hatred will take vp this full Soule GOd that hath commanded this extent of Charitie giue vs eyes to see our want and grace whereby to supply the same that so this vertue may be excluded out of no power that hath right vnto them all and the parts of our Body may bee conformable to the powers of our Soule That so no power nor part may appeare deuoyd of Charitie whether in the eyes of God or man AMEN The fourth Sermon MATT. 22. VERSE 37. The Lord thy God THe Scripture that doth commaund Charitie doth withall teach Where it must be seated and vpon whom it must bee bestowed Where it must be seated you haue already heard you are next to heare vpon whom it must bee bestowed And here we find two kinds of persons both capable of our Charitie because they can returne Loue for Loue and it is the propertie of Loue to be mutuall Of these two persons the names are exprest the first is the Lord thy God the second is thy Neighbour But we must farther obserue What is included in these Names the Cause why they must be beloued and Who are excluded by them They are not capable of the Loue due to the Lord our God that come not vnder his name neither are they capable of the Loue due to our Neighbour that are not contained vnder his name Secondly though the Persons onely are named yet are there things also comprehended vnder the names euen such things as haue reference to the Persons and whatsoeuer things are opposite are excluded thereby Touching the first person onely shall I handle these points at this time First then of his name He is called the Lord our God euerie word hath some remarkable thing in it That which is here rendred Lord is in Moses Iehoua but the Septuagint partly because the Greeke tongue hath no Characters wherewith to expresse that word and partly because the signification of it cannot be fully exprest in any Language by any one word vse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the fittest which they could light vpon the Euangelist doth follow them and so doe the vulgar translations But when you heare this word you must not vnderstand it in a popular but in a mysticall sense I will open the mystery vnto you It noteth then two things the one is absolute in God the other is relatiue to his creatures In God it noteth the prerogatiue of his nature which standeth in two things the singularitie and the eternitie thereof Touching the singularity When Moses asked God What is thy name Exod. 3 14. God answered him I am that I am The Scripture calleth him by diuers names sometimes True sometimes Iust sometimes Holy sometimes Mighty c. Wee must no otherwise conceiue of these Names then as being his very Nature Wee call him True and what is his Nature but Truth and Holinesse is his Nature whom wee call Holy the like must bee obserued in his other Attributes they are all his Nature and and therefore inseparable from him hee must cease to be before hee can cease to bee that which hee is properly called And herein hee differeth from his Creatures whose Vertues are a distinct thing from their Nature and therefore they may bee stript of them and yet continue themselues still a man may cease to be holy iust true and yet bee neuerthelesse a man The reason is plaine hee cannot say as God doth I am that I am his Attributes and his Nature are not all one But this singularitie of Gods Nature doth appeare specially in two compositions with the Attributes whereof none are capable but be The first of which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. looke whatsoeuer perfection hee hath hee hath it of himselfe and is not beholding to any other for it hee is his owne Originall and therefore his is the perfection it selfe he that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Good of himselfe is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Goodnesse it selfe the like may you say of the rest of the Attributes The second Composition is with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all the treasures of wisedome are hid in him hee is Almighty Coloss 2 3. the fulnesse of all perfection is in him In regard of these Compositions it is Iude 15. that the Scripture vseth these Phrases God onely is wise Math. 19 17. 1 Timoth. 6 1â— there is none good but God God dwelleth in light which no man can attaine vnto And indeed no Creaâ—â—â—e hath any perfection which is not giuen it from aboue which commeth not downe from the Father of Lights and that perfection which
preserued by that Kings daughter and bred as if hee had beene her sonne There was a mysterie in it God typed out in his person the condition of his people whose deliuerer he was then designed to be Hee was vnexpectedly to set them free when in their owne eyes their case was most desperate Neither was his person only typicall his qualities also were heroicall Acts 7.22 first his Intellectuall skilfull in all the learning of the Egyptians to say nothing of his fortie yeares contemplation in Midian of which Philo Iudaeus there are foure morall vertues which they call Cardinall he had them all in a high degree Prudence God gaue him the spirit of Policie Numb 11. as it appeares by the storie of the seuentie Elders to whom God gaue part of his Spirit when they were made his assistants in the gouernment Iustice the apologie which he maketh vpon the rebellion of Korah Dathan and Abiram witnesseth that I haue not taken one Asse from them Numb 10. neither haue I hurt one of them the Holy Ghost giueth him this testimonie Heb 3.2 that hee was faithfull in all Gods house Temperance how little was hee transported with the loue of profit Heb. 11. or pleasure that thought the rebuke of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Egypt and chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to enioy the pleasure of sinne for a season Fortitude no man can doubt of that who considereth that being a single man in shew a meane man hee should aduenture to goe to so mightie a King in so vnpleasing an errand not fearing the Kings wrath when hee had exasperated him nor desisting from vrging what hee had in charge though hee were threatned by him certainly God that sent him on that message indued him with an extraordinarie courage Besides these Morall he was renowmed for his Theologicall vertues his Faith and his Hope Saint Paul hath chronicled Heb. 11. and ranged him with the most famous Worthies And in Charitie hee did exceed them all hee is not only commended for the meekest man that liued Numb 12 3. but so indulgent were his bowels towards his vngracious charge that hee desired rather to be blotted out of Gods Booke of Life Exod 32 v. 3â— then they should be punisht as they deserued Finally no Nationall Gouernour of the Israelites besides Moses did euer communicate as a type in the threefold honour of Christ Moses was a Prophet Deut. 34. and there neuer liued such a Prophet as Moses was for his Bookes containe the foundation of all prophesie therefore doe the Fathers call him Oceanum Theologiae the great Sea of Diuinitie He was a Priest yea Sacerdos Sacerdotum Nazian hee did not only act the function but also consecrated Aaron and his sonnes therevnto Finally hee was a King a mightie King not only ruling the twelue Tribes but also conquering their enemies the Amalekites the Midianites the Ammonites the Bashanites but aboue all the Egyptians and also he sacred his successor Iosuah giuing him part of his glorie I haue insisted the longer in this delineation of Moses perfections to the end that you might perceiue that though God Almightie can compasse his will by the weakest of meanes yet he vseth to endow men proportionably to that wherein he meaneth to employ them he doth performe waightie workes by worthy men such a one was Abraham the Father of faithfull men Dauid the Father of faithfull Kings and our Moses called to be the Law giuer of Israel This Person so eminent a person went betweene the parties to the Couenant The Parties are two each called by two names The first is called the Lord God Lord that is the name of his nature Iehouah hee is of none and all things are of him God that is the name of the persons subsisting in the nature or in whom the nature doth subsist Elohim signifieth all three so that we haue here Trinitie in Vnitie and Vnitie in Trinitie euen the true God and such a one is he that is the first partie to the Couenant Neither is it enough to conceiue of God in grosse wee must so as it were resolue him We must behold God the Father that becommeth our Father God the Sonne that maketh vs sonnes and God the Holy Ghost that vouchsafeth vs to be his Temple all three persons act their part in the Couenant Notwithstanding all three concurre yet must wee take speciall notice of the second Person Verbum Dei as the Chalde Paraphrase calleth him here Esay 63 v 9. Mal 31. Acts 7. and throughout this Chapter The Angell of Gods presence the Angell of the Couenant that is Christ he was the Angell that conuersed with Israel in the Wildernesse And indeed it was hee that in this Couenant became the Bridegroome of the Church for the day of the Couenant was a wedding day as anon I shall shew you more at large The true knowledge of this first partie maketh much to the Dignitie the Commoditie the Constancie of the Couenant Dignitie for with whom can wee contract more honourably then with our Lord God The higher he is aboue vs the more honour in the contract is done vnto vs. And this Partie maketh the Contract as Profitable as it is honorable 〈◊〉 2. Ezâ—k 16. not only because he can doe vs good that is the Lord God but also because he will doe it because his contract maketh vp a marriage knot Finally a Couenant made with such a partie is a Couenant of salt Iames 1.17 an vncorruptible Couenant there is no variablenesse nor shadow of change with him and therefore in regard of him we need not feare any diuorce The second Partie is also set forth by two names the house of Iacob the children of Israel which yeild vs a Ciuill and a Mysticall Obseruation The Ciuill is in the first name therefore are they called the house of Iacob because they were his ofspring Reade Genesis the tenth and you shall finde that all Nations in the beginning of the World did this honour to their first Ancestours they were called by their name after this patterne were the Edomites Moabites Ammonites Ismaelites distinguished by the stocke from whence euery one sprang Conquests and Colonies haue long since altered this fashion neither can wee now tell the true originall of any Nation vnder the Sunne except that of the vagrant Iewes who by Gods special prouidence remaine yet vnconfounded with other Nations The mysticall obseruation is in the second name the same people are also called children of Israel Israel was a second name giuen to Iacob signifying that hee had preuailed with God and his Enemies should not preuaile against him Now because that blessing was to be not only Personall but Nationall his posteritie communicated in his second name and Iacob confirmed it vnto them in the benediction which he gaue to the twelue Patriarches In these two names then we are
these good precedents they that are honoured to bee Gods messengers must learne that it beseemes Referendaries to keepe themselues to their instructions and deliuer so much as and no more then they haue receiued in charge But to speak a litle more distinctly to this point The message did consist of two branches First That which God required Secondly That which God offred Moses that did deliueral Gods Cōmandements deliuered both these branches he informed them of their dutie aswell as of Gods mercy and of Gods mercy no lesse then of their dutie And indeed both are requisite to be taught our dutie that wee doe not presume Gods mercie that we doe not despaire omit either and you may me the doctrine of Gods Couenant There is also committed vnto vs the Law and the Gospel the one to humble the other to comfort men we ought to conioyne both and you must be content to heare of your dutie aswell as of Gods mercie We preach them both to our people the Papists charge vs with taking from the doctrine of the Couenant but the bookes of our Confession the Articles and Catechismes and the booke of our Deuotion our publike Lyturgie and finally the Homilies which are appointed to be read vnto the people refute this slander But wee iustly charge them with adding to the doctrine of the Couenant the bookes Apochryphall and their vngrounded Traditions and wee remember them of that saying of Salomon Pro◠30 v. 6. adde not to Gods Word lest he reprooue thee and thou be found a liar And what wee haue censured in them are nothing else but the forgeries of mens braines which may not bee reputed the Oracles of God Therefore though we call vpon you dutifully to heare and receiue aswell what God requires as what hee promiseth yet as necessarily to saluation wee doe not wee should not call vpon you to heare more then he requires or to beleeue more then he promiseth But enough of Moses Fidelitie Let vs now see his Wisdome As hee dischargeth himselfe fully so doth hee discharge himselfe clearely also For he laid all that God commanded him before the faces of the Elders Nec incautis nec nescientibus ingeritur Lex Here first we meete with a strange phrase for can words bee laid before mens faces you would expect that the Text should haue said Moses spake that which God commanded in the eares of the people and here wee find their eares turned into eyes When the Holy Ghost meaneth euidence of speech it vseth to expresse it in such significant tearmes Saint Paul telling the Galathians of his perspicuous preaching the Gospell vnto them 〈◊〉 3. v 1. saith that Iesus Christ was described in their sight and crucified before them Although the Holy Ghost doe speake to some in Parables Mat 13. that in hearing they may heare and not vnderstand which he doth in punishment of their contempt of euident truth which hath beene laid before them Mat. 6. because as the Prouerbe is Pearles are not to bee cast vnto swine nor holy things vnto dogs yet to those that heare with a reuerent and an obedient eare Mat. 13. ◠11. Datum est nosse mysteria regnicoelorum the Parables are vnfolded the mysteries of the Kingdome of heauen are laid before their face To open this point a little better We must distinguish the Couenant of God from the Illustrations and Amplifications thereof The Couenant it selfe both Old and New is plainly deliuered whether you respect that which God requires or that which Godoffers aswel in this chapter as in other parts of the Bible But there are many Illustrations and Amplifications of either of these Typicall Mysticall darke and hard to be vnderstood which the people cannot vnderstand without an Interpreter ea which the Interpreter himselfe cannot vnderstand without manifold helpe helpe of Deuotion that Gods Spirit may inlighten him and helpe of Meditation painfully scanning and comparing the branches of the Text with other places finally helpe of Varietie of humane literature which giueth great light sometimes to the phrase sometimes to the matter in hand But aboue al in matters necessarie to saluation we follow Catholike Tradition This we say And yet the wrangling Romanists beare the World in hand that wee say there is no difficultie in the Scriptures and that for their guide wee referre the people only to their priuate Spirit which are grosse vntruths We encourage the people to read the Scripture and tell them that though there bee some depths therein wherein an Elephant may swimme yet there are some such shallowes wherein a Lambe may wade The simplest may meete there with all parts of their Catechisme the ten Commandements the Articles of their Creed the Lords Prayer the Sacraments These points containe the substance of the Couenant and they are plainly deliuered there And more then these are not necessarie to saluation Some may haue more some lesse vnderstanding of these according to their breeding yet all should vnderstand these And for this purpose did Moses and the Prophets Christ and his Apostles and the Fathers of the Primitiue Church commend vnto the people the reading of the Scriptures But we aduise them to leaue vnto the learned at least to learne of them to vnderstand those things that are vailed and soberly to edifie their pietie with these things which they shall find there vnuailed or laid before their faces I haue done with the deliuerie of the Message I come now to the Answere that is made thereunto And here we are to take notice first Who maketh it the whole Congregation The people answered But doe not you remember that the Message was deliuered to the Elders why then doe the People answere Surely because the Elders receiued it to deliuer it to the people and therefore not only the Elders but the people also were to make an answere Some are of opinion that the Elders were the representatiue bodie of all the people and that their consent was the consent of all and that all were bound by that which they did as in Parliaments the chosen Knights and Burgesses in Synods the chosen Proctors of the Clergie haue such obliging voices Which conceit the Romanists wrest so farre as therupon to make the tenents of the Elders of the Church the ground of the peoples faith to which purpose they also abuse the maxime of Cyprian Ecclesia est in Episcopo The Church subsisteth in the Bishop vbi non sunt Sacerdotes Ecclesia non est The same premises serue aswell to conclude for the Lyturgie in an vnknowne tongue and for their priuate Masse For if the people may beleeue because their Bishops beleeue they may aswell as indeed they doe serue God in the Priest and in the Priest they may communicate without any their priuitie to what hee doth or any their cooperation with him from which they are necessarily excluded by priuate Masses and vnknowne Prayers But the reason why the people are said to
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 〈◊〉 7. 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 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 Câ—ap 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 〈◊〉 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
whereof wee are taught First what is the remedie flying and Secondly that these Iewes wanted that remedie for Who hath forewarned you to flie from the wrath to come I begin at the euill wrath to come few words but a full definition of the wages of sinne for they consist of wrath and that wrath hath his note of difference It is wrath to come I will not enter into any subtile dispute how wrath is incident to the impassible nature of God only lest you should with Marcion dreame of an euill or with the Epipicure of an idle God I must put you in minde of Athanasius his rule The speeches wherein we talke of God are borrowed from men but wee must so conceiue them as is befitting God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iames 1. â—â— Now the oddes that is betweene God and men wee may learne of Saint Iames who giueth vs to vnderstand that there is the same oddes as is betweene the Sunne and the Moone hee compareth God vnto the Sunne when he calleth him the Father of Lighss but remoueth from him the properties of the Moone which is the Image of man namely variablenesse and shadow of change The Sunne and the Moone both worke vpon the earth but the Moone altereth nothing but she is first altered her selfe if she cause a flux and refluxe of humours below she waxeth and waineth in her light aboue but the Sunne that so turneth and windeth the hue of all this lower world continueth still the same and when it scorcheth most is neuer a whit the warmer Euen so men cannot disquiet others but they are first disquieted themselues whereas God changeth his creatures continuing himselfe vnchangeable The skie of God is euer cleere Nazian orat 19 raise he neuer so many stormes on earth This being heeded that we fasten nothing vpon God vnbeseeming his Maiestie neither turne the Suune into the Moone or God into man I will now plainly let you see what the Holy Ghost meaneth by Gods wrath God giueth his Law and expecteth obedience thereto and if wee faile two things follow vpon our transgression God is displeased and wee shall smart both these doth the Holy Ghost vsually vnderstand by Gods wrath Wrath then noteth not only a bare act of Gods will but it signifieth moreouer two effects that are ioyned therewith the effect of sinne which offends Gods holinesse and the effect of Gods Iustice that taketh vengeance on sinne the first may be called wrath in God the second wrath from God But to cleere this a little farther All our actions should haue a double end a direct a reflected end the direct is to please God the reflected is to procure our owne good they were both shadowed in the Sacrifices Sacrifices should all our actions be Now the Sacrifices were of a sweet smell they gaue content vnto God and also of rest they procured peace vnto men and it is Gods pleasure that his honour and our welfare should both goe together and when we would diuide them Hab. 1 13. then ariseth Wrath. First Wrath in God for God is a God of pure eyes he can abide no iniquitie so saith the Prophet and the Psalmist that such as be wicked shall not stand in his sight he hateth he lotheth Esay chap 〈◊〉 he abhorres sinne stoppeth his eares turneth away his eyes and shrinketh in his hand at the presence of sinners nay his spirit wrastles is grieued despited and quenched with and by the vngodlinesse of men these be all Scripture phrases to set forth the first wrath which floweth from the neglect of the first end whereat wee should aime in our workes But this wrath goeth not alone the other wrath doth still attend it wrath from God attends wrath in God and therefore sinnes are vsually called prouocations a commentarie vpon which word we haue in the seuenth of Ieremie doe they prouoke mee to anger saith the Lord and not rather their owne selues to the confusion of their faces Though God be patient yet will he not suffer the wicked vnpunished Exod. 34. If men will not turne he will what his sword he hath bent his Bow and prepared the instruments of death Psal 7. No man euer discontenteth God but he doth it to his owne woe Thus haue I so farre as was requisite to my present purpose shewed what the holy Ghost doth vnderstand by Gods wrath I must now seuer so much as doth not belong to my Text. Whereas then there is wrath in God and wrath from God my Text hath to doe with the latter and whereas that also is either in this World or in that which is to come the note of difference which is here put vnto Wrath sheweth of which of these Wraths we are to speake no present Wrath but Wrath that is to come 〈◊〉 Caianos com 3. p 85. And first Epiphanius scanneth this word To come and telleth that it argueth the impassibilitie of the nature of God affectus exortem se probat deus praeuaticinatus futurum iudicium If a man doubt whether the Wrath in God be a Passion he may saith Epiphanius be resolued that it is not in that it is foretold for Passions are wrought by present obiects but here the effect is foretold before the working of the obiect which is an argument that Wrath is no perturbation in God but a mature resolution This by the way Let vs come to the point Punishment is meant by the Wrath to come but what punishment Whether the destruction of Ierusalem or the damnation of these Iewes Surely both both doe communicate in this name Wrath to come compare Matth. 21. with Matth. 23. as all other things so this Wrath to come came to them in a Type and therefore Christ ioyneth the destruction of Hierusalem with the desolation of the World in one Sermon prophecying of both Immediately then Saint Iohn meaneth the destruction of Hierusalem but mediately the last iudgement day I will touch at both First at the destruction of Hierusalem To open which briefely and yet competently I might relate Christs prophesie and referre you to the Commentarie that sheweth the euent thereof Flauius Iosephus his Historie But I choose rather to present vnto you Hosea's three children that were borne therein you haue them in the first of his Prophesie and they are these Iezreel Loruhama Lo-ammi which intimate the three degrees obserueable in that Wrath. The first noteth that Gods arme acted it though we hold truely that there is no penall euill in the Citie which God hath not made and that it is he which createth all light and darknesse yet extraordinarie plagues are especially ascribed vnto him when these fall vpon men his Axe his Sword are said then to be working the very Magicians will confesse the finger of God is in them Iob 32 13. and who will not vse the words of Elihu It is God that hath cast him downe and not man Philostratus reporteth that when Titus the Emperour
temporall Iurisdiction should be swallowed vp in the Ecclesiastical State sauour not of the things of God but of the things of this world yea they sow dangerous seeds of discord betweene Princes and Pastors and seeke to breed iealousies vpon which what will follow but that the one will seeke to ruinate the other Christs Kingdome then is of his Church and it is a spirituall Gouernment of his Church Notwithstanding these words must not bee vnderstood exclusiuely as if Christ were so confined to his Church as that he had nothing to doe with those that were without the Church As King Dauid ruled in Israel but so that the Philistines Ammoniâ—es Moabites and all the bordering Countries were subiect vnto his Scepter and hee layd tribute vpon them and commanded them at his pleasure Euen so our Sauiour Christ not only ruleth in his Church but commandeth them also that are without it not onely men but euen the powers of Hell also He hath the keyes both of death and hell and euery knee boweth to him at of things in heauen and of things in earth so euen of things vnder the earth also And it is our comfort that hee which is our King hath so great a Power ouer our Foes the more power hee hath ouer them the lesse wee neede to stand in feare of them the more securely may wee obey him And so haue you heard of what sort Christs Gouernment is The next Point is Wherewith he sustaines this Gouernment it is here said that it shall be vpon his shoulders Morall Princes vnburden themselues vpon the shoulders of others the wits the power of their Officers in peace and warre doe beare vp the greatest part of their state It is not so with our King he beareth all himselfe euen when hee vseth meanes those meanes are but Instruments whose abilitie and efficacie are both from him The Minister speaketh words and dispenseth Elements but in vaine doth he both except Christ bee with him and his spirit make effectuall that which is done by him if there bee not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it will be indeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And what likelihood was there that a few Fishermen and those vnlearned should euer haue subiected the crownes of Princes the wits of Philosophers the stomacks of the Mighty the desires of the Ambitious finally all kinde of dispositions vnto the Scepter of Christ had not Christs spirit wrought with them A second thing that is to bee obserued in this Word is that as Christ is highest in degree so is hee deepest in care and so should Kings bee The Great world the Little world both preach this Lesson vnto temporal Kings The Great World hath many parts whereof it doth consist and of them one is placed aboue another The higher any part is placed the more it laboureth for the rest by motion and influence Witnesse the Sun the Moone the Starres compared to the inferiour Bodies all which labour for the Earth the basest of all In the Little World of our Body is not our Head set aboue our Hands and our Feete And how painefully doth the Eye watch the Eare heare and euery sense employ it selfe for the direction and preseruation of the Hands and Feete If it bee so in the Creatures that are destitute of Reason betweene reasonable Creatures it should bee much more so The Gouernour must lesse take his ease and lesse be idle than those which are gouerned nay his care his paine must farre exceede theirs he must partake of euery one of theirs Doe wee not see it so in our Body The hand hath his peculiar worke so hath the foote and euery other in feriour part employes it selfe about some particular function but the directiue and commanding parts in man are Architectonicall they resemble the Master of the works in a Building whose presence and guidance runneth through all the seuerall kinde of Labourers appointing what they must doe and caring that they doe it well whether they hew stones or lay them square timber or coâ—ple it whatsoeuer other worke is to bee done the Master hath though not his hand yet his head working with them No otherwise should the Magistrate carry himselfe in his charge nor be lesse prouident in the Common-weale the influence of his care must quicken must order must further whatsouer functions of the people and make them tend to the common good The 72. Psalme compares our Gouernour I meane Christ of whom this Text speaketh vnto a showre of raine and wee see that a showre of raine waters carefully all the plants of the fields the rose the lilly the violet the cedar and the pine all of them do fare the better for the watering of the raine And the grace of Christs spirit is no otherwise showred downe vpon euery member of the Church euery one is nourished therewith Malachie compares him to the Sunne he calleth him The Sun of Righteousnesse And who knoweth not how common the warmth of the Sunne is and how effectuall it is also The Raine yeelds matter to the earth but that it may become prouing matter the earth is beholding to the Sunne which workes the moisture and distributeth it through the whole body of the herbs and plants Christs grace supplyeth both Rain and Sunne from him wee haue both Posse and Velle nay the Apostle saith He worketh in vs both to will and to doe euen of his own good pleasure So that we may well say The Gouernment lyeth vpon his shoulders Vpon his shoulders Princes on earth beare the Ensignes of their Gouernment some in their hands as Scepters some on their heads as Crownes but Christ weareth his on his shoulders The Fathers generally vnderstand this of Christs Crosse some looking to the History related in the Gospell that Christ was made to bear his own Crosse vpon his shoulders when he went vnto his death which they say was prophesied of in the 95. Psalme Dicite in gentibus quia Dominus regnauit à ligno So saith St. Austin it was anciently read though it be not found so read now ordinarily in the Septuagint The Iewes in malice razed it out as hee thinkes But because the Hebrew Text hath it not wee neede not stand vpon so vncertaine a ground Wee may take a better eyther from the type of Aaron bearing the twelue Tribes ingrauen vpon his shoulders when he went into the Temple or from Eliakim Esay 22. vpon whose shoulders the key of the house of Dauid was layd or from the shepheard bearing the lost sheepe vpon his shoulders or if you will haue it of the Crosse take it from Christ himselfe speaking to the Disciples that went to Emmaus Ought not Christ to haue suffered these things and so to enter into his glory or from St. Paul also Christ triumphed ouer Powers and Principalities in his person but then when this Person suffered vpon the Crosse So that Christ reigned in his passion and because in his passion therefore had he his Gouernment
vpon his shouldeas And indeede our Faith in him must begin at that which was endured by him and therein must wee imitate him and write Cedendo vincimus The Church neuer triumphed so much ouer the world as when it did most resolutely sustaine the bloudy malice of the world The last thing that is to be noted on these words is the exchanging of the yoke mentioned before and rod of the oppressor which lay vpon the shoulders of the People into this Royalty and Gouernment which lyeth vpon the shoulders of the King Great odds there was betweene the People and the King the enemies had to do with the People they imposed their persecutions as a yoke vpon them but when they come to deale with the King this yoke is turned into a gouernment The same God that commanded light to shine out of darkenesse so altered the Crosse of Christ that it became to him the Chaire of Triumph And this is the cause why Princes weare it in their Crownes in token that they are subiect to it and why it was of old set vp where triumphall Arches were wont to stand that the world might haue so many witnesses as it were of the Triumph of it Which superstition at length abused and therefore haue they in many places iustly been abolished though the originall of the erection of those Crosses deserued rather praise than blame But we may not omit to obserue the seeming Contradiction that is in the Prophets words At first it is said The Gouernment shall be vpon his shoulders as if hee did beare it afterward it is said that Hee shall sit vpon the Throne and the Kingdome as if it did beare him The reconciliation is easie The body politicke is like the body naturall the foundation of it stands vppermost the head stands aboue the feete and a man would thinke that the feet did beare the head but indeede the head beareth the feete For were it not for the influence of sense and motion which the head deriues vnto the feete the feete could not sustaine themselues much lesse could they beare the body Wee see it in a dead palsie that intercepts the intercourse of the spirits betweene the head and feet We haue another Simile also of our Soules and our Bodies We would think that our Body did containe our Soule but indeed it is the Soule that containes the Body For no sooner doth the Soule part from the Body but the heterogeneous parts fall asunder and this goodly frame commeth to nothing Euen so fareth it betweene the Prince and the People he seemeth to rest vpon the people as the head vpon the body but indeed the people doe rest vpon him and therefore in Greek a King is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a phrase borrowed from a Building whereunto the Common-wealth is compared and whereof the King is said to be the Foundation For a wise King as it is Wisd 6. is the vpholding of the People and King Dauid Psal 75. The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolued I beare vp the Pillars thereof And indeede the parts of euery State were they not vnited and supported by the Soueraignty of the Prince would sooner moulder and come to nought than doe the parts of our Naturall body when it wants a soule for there is not so much nor so eager naturall ambition and coueteousnesse in the elements whereof our bodies consist whereby they striue to gaine the one vpon the other and to tyrannize the one ouer the other vntill the one hath wrought the others bane as there is ciuill both ambition and coueteousnesse in the Members of euery State whereby the one striueth to get the vpperhand of the other and each man would denour his brother Ephraim against Manasses and Manasses against Ephraim and both against Iuda as the Prophet speaketh in this Chapter vntill the Kindome of Israel be layd waste Whereas then in euery State there are rich and poore that the rich doe not deuoure the poore crafty and simple that the crafty doe not circumuent the simple strong and weak that the strong doe not offer violence to the weake the reason is There is a King Rege incolumimens omnibus vna The King maintaines the Concord By him it commeth to passe that euery man sitteth quietly vnder his own vine and dwelleth safely vnder his owne roofe Mutiners and Murmurers are therefore iustly to be abhorred who speake euill of Authority and would withdraw their necks from obedience vpon this ground That superiours liue by the sweat of the inferiours browes being themselues deuoyd of care Their quarrell is like that which in Menius Agrippaes Apologue the outward members of the body had against the stomacke They complained of his lazinesse and their owne painfulnesse and therfore conspired to starue him and ease themselues They euen discouered their folly for soone after the hands began to faint and the leggs to faulter and the whole body to pine Then they perceiued that the stomacke which they condemned as lazie laboured for them and that they were beholding to the labour of the stomacke that themselues had any strength to labour So is it in the body politicke though the State of the Prince is supported by the Commons yet the spring of the Commons wealth is the prouidence of the Prince and soone would these streames dye if that fountaine were dammed vp It is so in a ciuill state but in the spirituall state it is much more so If a mortall Prince bee so beneficiall vnto a temporall State much more is the immortall King of heauen and earth beneficiall to the state of his Church sustaining and supporting the same That which you haue heard of mortall Princes sheweth rather what they should doe than what vsually they doe But this immortall King doth what he should hee is not so much aduanced aboue his people as his people are eased by him He beareth them vp on his wings as an Eagle doth her yongue ones as it is Deut. 32. but more amply Esay 36. his care his prouidence and the efficacie thereof are most aptly most significantly set downe there But because of this we shall speake more hereafter when wee come to entreate of his excellent managing of his State wee will pursue that Point no further nor trouble you further at this time O Lord who art high in place and great in care in thy Person and by vertue of thy bitter Passion exercising thy prouidence which guides and supports the whole frame of and euery member in thy Church Lord wee beseech thee to guide vs that wee bee not mis-led and that wee faile not to sustaine vs. So shall we neuer repine at thy sitting vpon vs thy Kingdome seeing wee rest more vpon thee that art our King And euer good Lord so rule vs from Heauen that wee may rest on thee in Earth So shall wee beeing translated from Earth vnto Heauen fully rest and reigne with thee
which are stampt vpon true being the one is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the other is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a being from it selfe and so is being it selfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a being all that which hath being and so stands in neede of nothing besides it selfe All creatures as they are from God so are they no longer nor no otherwise than it pleaseth him and it pleaseth not him that any one creature should haue all the parts much lesse the degrees of all his perfections The King of heauen deales as kings on earth Kings on the earth reserue in themselues the fulnesse of regall poweâ— whereof they doe impart but some branches and those limited to their subordinate officers after the same manner doth the Lord dispence of his infinite power to Angels to Men to other Creatures Therefore the name Iehouah is by the Wise man truly called Gods incommunicable name it noteth that internall power in God which is found in no other and which giueth whatsoeuer power any other haue For from this inward proceeds an outward and hee that is Lord is also Lord of Hostes. It is not Gods pleasure that we should pry too farre into his inward power and if we would we cannot he directeth vs therefore to his outward which is more fitting to our capacitie and may sufficiently resolue vs that he is very powerfull though he were no more powerfull than as hee appeares in his creatures in regard of whom he is termed The Lord of Hostes Let vs leaue then his inward and come to his outward power In the second of Genesis Vers 1. where the Creation is recapitulated we finde mention but of one Host of God the Text is plaine God made heauen and earth and all the host thereof and yet it is vsuall in the Scripture to call God the Lord of hostes as if there were many Surely it is cleare that God made but one but Apostasie of that one hath made many First Apostasie in heauen hath made two hostes of spirits Reu. 12. Michael and his Angels the Dragon and his then an Apostasie in Paradise beganne the distinction of the seede of the woman Gen. 3. and the seede of the serpent and of mankinde part is fallen to the Dragon and part is preserued and cleaueth to Michael the truth whereof appeared presently in Abel and Cain and although Cain by murder of Abel killed and destroyed one of the hostes yet God renewed it againe in Seth and the Armies went on again in the Children of God and the children of men Gen. 4. A man would haue thought the stoud had swept away all the seed of the serpent but it reuiued againe in cursed Cham and the Citie of God and the Citie of Babel will bee and be opposite vntill the end of the world But touching these Apostasies the first of Angels the second of men we must hold this true rule Summonere se potuêrunt saeliettuti coelestâ— non potuêrunt se eximerâ— porestati diuinae they might defraud themselues of their blessed communion with God but free themselues from his power they could not God hath set his hooke in their nostrils and his bit in their mouthes so that they cannot stirre without nor beyond his leâ—ue It is plaine in the story of Iob cap. 1. and of Ahab 1 Reg. 22. But there is an effectiue and a permissiue power of God God is Lord of both hostes but he worketh in them differently his worke in Michaels host and the seede of the woman is properly effectiue For though sometimes to make them sensible of their frailtie and to make them cleaue faster vnto him he leaueth them for a time vnto themselues yet ordinarily the influence of his grace doth direct and support them vnto and in good workes and they sight his battels But as for the Dragons host and host of the Serpents broode Gods power in them is properly permissiue he leaueth them to their owne corrupt iudgements and affections to follow and to execute them but he doth not communicate in their corruptions eyther as author or abettor of the roote or fruite thereof Yet this soueraignty God hath ouer the most wicked that they cannot breake out according to their owne disposition but where and when God will and when they breake out by his leaue they stop when he checketh and giue ouer when he saith it is enough So that Gods permissiue power is alwaies accompanied with his effectiue which doth stint the wicked in their workes maugre their gracelessenesse and without their priuitie directs their endeauours to his ends so that euen then they fulfill his will when transgressing his commandements they seeme to be most contrary to his will And this is no small comfort to Michaels host and the host of the womans seede that the host of the Dragon and the broode of the Serpent must not be feared according to their own malice but according to Gods leaue And this is the reason why Christ taught vs to pray daily Lead vs not into temptation but deliuer vs from euill and this we doe or should meane when wee speake these or the like words Our Enemies cannot assaile vs except thou O Lord permit them and if thou O Lord assist vs they shall assault in vaine Seeing all the world is compared vnto Hostes howsoeuer wee apprehend confusion in the world yet may wee not thinke but that all things are well disposed because these Hostes are the Lords he is the common Generall and he directs the conflicts neyther are any put to try masteries but by his speciall appointment and for the accomplishment of his ends But it befalleth vs as it doth them which stand in the same leuell wherein two huge Armies are pitched they conceiue them to be a disordered multitude whom notwithstanding if they behold from a high hill they will discerne that they are artificially ranged they will see how euery one serueth vnder his owne colours Euen so wee which behold the state of the world with the eyes of flesh and bloud dimme by reason of the weakenesse of our iudgement and wickednesse of our affections thinke all things are out of tune bonis malè malis benè that the worse men are the better they fare and they fare the worse the better they are But we must ascend into the sanctuarie of God and iudge of occurrents by heauenly principles if we do so then we will confesse that no armie on earth can bee better marshalled than is the great armie of all creatures of heauen and earth yea and hell also and notwithstanding all apparencies to the contrarie queniam bonus mundum Rector temperat â—mnia rectè fieri ne dubites doubt not but that all is well and shall end well because God is Lord of Hostes Againe seeing God is Lord of Hostes wee must make no worse conclusion than the Centurion did in the Gospell when Christ promised to come to his house and cure his feruant
with it And indeed they may easily ouercharge vs as appeareth in the next reason the reason of our prayer The spirit is wilâ—ing but the flesh is weake I will not trouble you with the diuers sense that is put vpon these words the best and the most agree that these two words note the two parts of a regenerate man the spirit noting the New and the flesh the Old man and so this passage agreeth with the like Rom. 7. the phrases themselues doe giue vs to vnderstand that our willingnesse to serue God is not from Nature but from Grace and our backwardnesse is not from Grace but from Nature If these two parts do not concurre the spirit the flesh the flesh may plucke backe as much as the spirit putteth forward yea and though they doe concurre yet the spirit is too quicke for the flesh and will venture farther than flesh dares to follow Tertullians rule is true that these words import Quid eui subijci debeat whether of the parts should haue the command but all goeth not as it should because one part is inabled to will but the other is not inabled to obey therefore St. Hierome saith well Quantum de ardore mentis confidimus tantum de fragilitate carnis metuamus we must not suppose we can doe all we would but we must pray that the spirit that is well disposed may also bee strong to subdue the flesh as by watching the flesh is dis-inabled to sinne so by praying is the spirit inabled to rule But more distinctly First touching the willingnesse of the spirit there is great difference betweene the habit of grace and the vse thereof though wee be well qualified with the habit yet except God excite and assist wee make little vse thereof Now the willingnesse of the spirit here meant is the ability of a regenerate man without the assistance of God and we must pray for the latter because without it the former will auaile but little As for the weaknesse of the flesh it must be vnderstood with a restraint ad bonum for to resist it is strong enough strong enough to resist the spirit but weake to resist temptation And why the Tempter offereth to the flesh if it yeeld that which the flesh naturally desireth and if it yeeld not he threatneth what the flesh naturally abhorres corporall comfort is that whereafter the body doth long by nature as by nature it doth Ioath the losse thereof The Tempter therefore hath an easie conquest vpon the flesh except Gods hand goe with it in vaine is it countermanded by the spirit many wofull examples haue the Primitiue Churches of this frailty of our nature and euery day is too fertill in spectacles hereof if the Tempter set vpon the flesh he will easily carry vs away though not without some contradiction of the spirit And here we see the fountaine of all our sinnes of infirmity the roote of them is this oddes betweene the flesh and the spirit and this is the whetstone of Prayer the best men if they be buffeted with the messenger of Sathan as Saint Paul was their best remedy is that which Saint Paul vsed Prayer vnto God whose Grace onely can be sufficient for vs 2. Cor. 12. â— and whose strength is made perfect in our weaknesse If this lesson be necessary for those that haue some inward alacrity how much more for them that are altogether drowsie if the best must pray in conscience of their infirmity how feruent in prayer should they be that feele not in themselues that forwardnesse of grace how earnestly should they pray O God make speed to saue vs O Lord make haste to helpe vs I conclude all This whole Text is a lesson of modesty and calleth vpon vs to worke out our saluation in feare and trembling seeing it is God that worketh in vs both to will and to doe not that wee should wauer in our faith but that we should not presume vpon our owne strength remembring that it is an easie matter to vow much while we are on the shore whereof we will be little mindfull when wee be ouertaken at sea Many faire flowers shoote forth when the Sunne shineth which come to nought if they be nipt with a Frost we may not presume that we will be more constant than the Apostles let their weaknesse teach vs to be humble lest if wee promise more than we performe Christ taxe our pride and vpbraid our weaknesse the Tempter will euer set on vs therefore let vs neuer cease to Watch. But the more wee finde out our danger by Watching the more let vs flye to God in Praying that the same God which hath giuen vs a willing spirit may also giue vs obedient flesh that both may hold out in the day of Temptation so shall they both reioyce in the liuing God reioyce here while they sticke fast vnto Christ notwithstanding the Crosse and reioyce hereafter when both comming out of all tribulation shall from Christ receiue an immarcescible Crowne THE SECOND SERMON On Good-Friday MARKE 14.35.36 And he went forward a little and fell on the ground and prayed that if it were possible the houre might passe from him And hee said Abba Father all things are possible vnto thee take away this Cup from mee neuerthelesse not that I will but what thou wilt IN the history of Christs Crosse which wee commemorate this day there are two remarkable parts first a feeling representation thereof which Christ made vnto himselfe and secondly a constant perpession thereof when it was imposed by others The first may bee called Propassio and the second Passio there went a Crosse before the Crosse a fore-Crosse before the after-Crosse a rationall before the sensitiue Christ wrought a smart in himselfe before hee was stricken by others This feeling representation this fore-hand Crosse this selfe-affliction is the argument of those words that now I haue read vnto you The whole Tract is conceiued in forme of a prayer and indeed it is an Offertory prayer Christ by prayer sets the stampe of a sacrifice vpon his death and turneth his suffering into an offering In this Prayer wee are to obserue the circumstances that attend it and the substance of it The circumstances are two when and where when he prayed timely he prayed before he suffered he armed himselfe before he came vnto the conflict But where in a priuate place that hee might more freely poure forth his soule to God he withdrew himselfe from all company of men In the substance of the Prayer wee must see first to Whom it is directed and secondly What is expressed in it It is directed vnto the Father and there is reason it should be so directed by him was the Crosse ordained therefore a prayer against the Crosse must be directed vnto him But as he to whom Christ directed his prayer is his Father so in directing of it he doth expresse the behauiour of a Childe The behauiour of a childe is
finde wee haue not lighted vpon that which should giue vs content as we may gather out of the Preachers censure Vanitie of vanities and all is but vanity when wee come to grace there wee rest St. Austine giues the reason of it Fecisti nos Domine propter te irrequietum est cor nostrum donec requiescat in te and K. Dauid expresseth it most passionately Psal 73. Whom haue I in heauen but thee and there is none vpon earth that I desire besides thee my flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for euer And no wonder for nothing can giue constant content but that which is verum and summum bonum that which is good indeed and is our soueraigne good these are found only in God none finde them but they that partake of him Secondly the same grace that doth sistere appetitum doth also explere as it doth giue vs content in that we desire no other thing so of that only we may haue our fill Other things are not onely worse than that wee principally desire but they are lesse and we therefore doe loath them not because they are not good at all for they are the creatures of God and they are made for our vse but because they beare not proportion vnto our desire when we haue them we finde a great want of something else besides them let a man haue all the riches in the world all the honour yea all the wisedome they will not satisfie him yea let euery power haue his distinct obiect yet they will not satisfie him There is a common obiect that they all desire and which onely can fill them the desire of them all and that is Grace Grace is the fulnesse of God as the Apostle cals it Ephes 3.19 and the Prophesies of grace doe promise fulnesse Ieremie 21. God will not onely prepare a table for vs but our cup shall ouerflow Psal 23. here we hunger and thirst for a time but if grace be our portion we shall be satisfied and we shall be admitted to the tree of life and drinke our fill of the riuers of Gods pleasure But I told you that this which you haue heard is nothing else but a Periphrasis of the Spirit for the filling grace is nothing else but the Holy Ghost This day as we read Acts 2. when hee came he filled and filled not only with the Type but also with the Truth That you may vnderstand this you must obserue that as Christ our Passeouer was sacrificed iust at the time of the legall Passeouer and as he became the first fruits of them that stept rising that very day that the first fruits were offered euen so the Spirit was giuen vpon the very same day when God with his owne mouth pronounced the Law in the hearing of the People the mysterie whereof was this that man can neuer haue the benefit of the Law but by the grace of the Spirit iustifying him by faith and making him a new man But by the Spirit we must vnderstand not only the grace but the person also or else it will neuer fill For as the corne that is sowne is but a small graine but being watered with the dewe of Heauen and comforted with the Sunne it comes to a full eare euen so grace when it beginnes in man it is very scant there must bee some bodie to foster and cherish it that it may come to perfection and that is the Spirit And herein appeares a difference betweene Adam created and Adam restored Adam created was furnished with grace and being so furnished was left to himselfe whereupon he quickely became an vnthrift and brought to nought that portion which he receiued of his heauenly Father but being restored he is better prouided for hee hath the person of the Spirit bestowed vpon him as a liuing roote so that although hee haue his Winters and his Autumne he doth not alwaies spring nor is alwaies loaden with good fruit yet he hath life in the roote which will shute forth againe and he that seemes to be dead will reuiue and like corne that stockes better when it is nipt with frost will afterward beare the more fruit You haue heard the Gift what it is now heare of the Giuer and the Giuer is Christ Christ is the Giuer of the Spirit duplici iure originis meriti in that the Spirit doth proceede from him so he is said to bestow him because ordo ad extra is answerable vnto ordo ad intra He hath also a right by merit he deserued in doing the worke of a Redeemer to haue the bestowing of the Spirit in this later sense must wee vnderstand it in this place and of this sense in the next part of the text And here we must consider the difference betweene the Hebrew of the old Testament and the Greek of the new Accepit dona saith the Psalmist Dedit dona saith the Apostle They are easily reconciled if you marke Christs second power of giuing the Holy Ghost for Accepit quae daret accepit ex merito quae daret ex arbitrio therefore St. Austine saith well Vtroque verbo altero Prophetico Apostolico altero plenissimus sensus redditur The Apostles are the best Commentators vpon the Prophets and when we parallel texts that are found in both wee must not oppose the one to the other but expound the one by the other which we may safely doe because in vtroque est diuini sermonis auctoritas as the same Father speaketh Seeing then Christ receiueth what he giues receiues of his Father what he giues to vs these words must be vnderstood of Christ incarnate as God he could not receiue because he had all things wherefore if he receiue it must be as he became man so indeed he was Christus anointed and his name was as an oyntment poured out Cant. 1. the precious oyntment poured on his head ran downe vnto the very skirts of his cloathing hee was made the Sonne of righteousnesse and became the father of lights precious promises are giuen vnto vs by him and of his fulnesse we all receiue grace for grace Finally we must marke that though hee receiued as he was Incarnate yet he giues as he is God for though Accipere be meriti humani yet Dare is potestatis diuinae though in neither giuing nor taking wee must seuer the person yet must wee in eyther obserue which nature is principally respected As Christ is the giuer of the Spirit so doth he giue him discreetly and vniuersally discreetly for he giues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee keepes a measure in his giuing There is this difference betweene the Head and the Body of the Church the Head hath the Spirit without all measure but the members of the Body haue it in measure neither doth this argue any impotency in Christ the Giuer but his wisedome It is true that as it is in Christs power to giue or not
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
thou hast armed with thy power that with a watchfull and single eye they may obserue and represse with a seuere yet a tender hand all vnsound Beleeuers and inordinate liuers that Church and Common weale may blesse them as happy Supporters of this Christian State and themselues may with comfort make their last account to the vnpartiall ludge of quicke and dead and now and euer both of vs may giue glory vnto thee that art our most mighty and most mercifull Lord. Amen Blessed are they that keep iudgement and doe righteousnesse euermore Psalme 106. יהוה A SERMON PREACHED IN OXFORD AT AN ASSIZES 1613. PSAL. 75. Vers 2 3. When I shall receiue the Congregation I will iudge vprightly The earth and all the inhabitants are dissolued I beare vp the Pillars of it Selah THis Psalme was penned if not by surely in the name of some worthy Iudge the people blesse God for the comfort they receiued by him and hee promiseth to redresse the disorders of the people put both their speeches together and you haue a good Commentary vpon the title of this Psalme The title is Ne perdas or rather Non perdes the Hebrew Al-tasheth will beare both and it imports That a good Iudge yeelds the best hope that a disordered State may recouer although it be farre gone Who this Iudge is all are not agreed some ghesse at him by one part of the Psalme some by another and according to their different apprehension giue the Psalme some a mysticall some an historicall interpretation both may stand true as elsewhere so here But being to fit this present occasion my purpose is to passe by the mysticall and insist only vpon that sense which is historicall According to the history the person that speakes seemeth to bee the king of Israel and that king as it is most likely is king Dauid He speaks here first of his owne Tribunall the Tribunall of a king but because that was set at naught by many insolent ones hee calleth them to an higher Tribunall the Tribunall of God and telleth them that it is God which from time to time appoints those that shall iudge here on earth till by Christ he call that great Assizes and fit Iudge of all the world This is the effect of the whole Psalme my Text containes so much thereof as concernes the Tribunall of the king the Dignity the Necessity the Vtility thereof To vnfold it I beseech you to marke therein The person and His work the person is the king whose worke is to iudge I will iudge But of the iudgement wee are farther taught When it shall be executed and How The time is at an Assizes When I shall receiue the Congregation The manner is according to the law to try the vprightnesse of mens liues I will iudge vprightly and that of mens vprightnesse the word Mesharim reacheth so farre As if this were not enough here is a seuerall reason added to each of these branches a reason of calling an Assizes It is no more than needeth there is much amisse in the people The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolued And a reason there is why the king must iudge vprightly and of vprightnesse because if any goe awry if any swerue hee must set and keepe them strait so saith the king I beare vp the pillars of it These be the points that are to bee considered on this Text and that they are to be considered seriously you may gather by the last word Selah the character of a remarkable sentence it signifieth an extraordinary eleuation of the speakers voice which calleth for a more than ordinary attention of the hearers eare Consider then I beseech you in the feare of God the particulars that I shall deliuer thereon and God grant you a fruitfull vnderstanding of them all The first is the Person and this person is the King to Iudge is his work At Ierusalem are Thrones set for iudgement saith another Psalme and those thrones belong to the house of Dauid therefore in the Scripture is the kings throne called not onely the throne of Glory but of Iudgement also yea therefore of Glory because of Iudgement the Glory is giuen to countenance the Iudgement So that the plaintiffes speech was though not very courtly yet very true which hee vttered to a king denying him iustice Si non vis iudicare noli regnare implying that it is the proper worke of a king to be a Iudge And indeed God commits the power of iudgement immediately to the king and to that end setteth him vpon his owne Throne But you know what Iethro obserued to Moses Exod 18. and what Moses himselfe in his complaint to God confessed to be true A king in his owne person cannot beare all this burthen if he attempt it hee vainely tireth out both himselfe and his people wherefore it is Gods pleasure that so much as he cannot doe by himselfe he shall doe by his officers Whereupon ariseth a good distinction of a kings person It is either naturall or politique and vnder the politique are contained the Iudges This is cleare by Gods owne fact for when he called the 70. to bee assistants vnto Moses and to that end did qualifie them he saith not that hee will take of his owne spirit though that which hee tooke was the spirit of God but God is pleased to call that the spirit of Moses which he tooke and gaue to the 70. Numb 11. giuing vs to vnderstand that they were alwayes to bee reputed a part of Moses Yea and they communicate also in the same diuine title for I haue said yee are Gods containes not the peculiar title of a king it extends to euery Iudge as Moses teacheth in the Law if it be not plaine enough in that 82. Psalme So then when a king sendeth Iudges hee sendeth his owne eares to heare the complaints of his people his owne eyes to looke into their causes and his owne mouth to pronounce according to that which is heard and seen The person then in my Text though at first sight it seeme to bee onely the king yet now appeares to bee moreouer the Iudge and by I it is most plaine Honourable and Beloued that you are vnderstood The Vse of this point for the people is made by St. Peter 1. Pet. 2. Wee must be subiect to euery ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be vnto the King as supreame or to Gouernours sent from him such as are the Iudges the improuement of their persons must make them reuerend in our eyes But there is a Vse also which Honourable and Beloued must be made by you you may not mistake your eares your eyes your mouth you haue of two sorts priuate and publike the priuate you may vse about your domesticall affaires but to the Bench you may bring none but the publicke you must heare there with none but the kings eares and you know that a king is Abimelec my Father the king
the Sunne a God and giue the price of the Creatour vnto his creature whereas they should haue argued from it vnto him and conceiued the eminencie of his goodnesse from whom such good things did proceed And wee shall not be farre from Idolatrie if the comfort of peace and Religion affecting vs our hearts ascend no higher then the immediat cause thereof which is our King and wee doe not giue glorie vnto God which out of his loue to vs hath set him vpon the Throne if we doe not discerne that The Lord hath made our Day What our sinnes were that might haue hindered it I need not tell you the Pestilence that did attend the dawning of the Day was an intimation from God how vnworthie wee were but his pleasure was that we should fall into his hands not into the hands of our enemies For as we were vnworthie so they were inraged witnesse their treason that immediatly was discouered manifold plots of treason but all defeated by the prouidence of God Wherefore we must say not only that wee haue a Day but also that the Day which we haue was made by the Lord and conclude Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs but vnto thy name be prayse Deus fecit is not enough to the making of a Festiuall the Church must come in with Haec est dies when God goeth before in working something in the Time the Church must not bee behind in giuing the due estimate to the time we must not esteeme all dayes alike when God doth not worke alike vpon all But nothing is required of vs to the making of a Festiuall but only acknowledgment of Gods Worke take a view of all the Festiuals of the Iewes you shall find that they did no more no more then commemorate that on such a day God did doe such a worke And the Christian Church hath trod the very same steps and hath not thought it fit to suffer any of the remarkable workes of God to passe vnregarded whether they concerne the whole Church or any particular State they haue stamped vpon the time of those workes Haec est Dies This is not a day to bee forgotten and therefore haue enioyned the Anniuersarie Commemoration thereof Yea and euery priuate Family and person that hath receiued any extraordinarie blessing from God may make vnto himselfe such an Aniuersarie and refresh the memorie of that time wherein God hath done him some great good And let this suffice for the discreet distinction of times Let vs now see how religiously we must solemnize them Though to the making of the Day no more be required of vs then this acknowledgement Haec est Dies This is the Day yet to the vsing of it more is required here wee must consider What must be done and How That which must be done I reduced to two Heads First we must take full comfort in the Day and secondly pray for the happie continuance thereof In expressing the comfort the Psalmist vseth two words which are fitted to the two principall parts of man his bodie and his soule so the vse of them in the Originall Language teacheth and Venerable bede doth so distinguish them Exultemus corpore laetemur animo let the bodie as it were dance for ioy and the soule reioyce Both partake of the Day the bodie principally of the Ciuill Day and of the Spirituall Day the Soule is the principall partaker yet so as that each in either doth congratulate the other if the Day bee Ciuill the soule congratulates the bodie the bodie which is exultant for his day if the day be spirituall then the bodie congratulateth the soule the soule that is gladded at the heart for her Day So then the bodie cannot exult but the Soule will bee glad neither can the soule be glad but the bodie will exult there is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the word Nos let Vs Exulte let Vs reioyce noteth that what is proper to either part redounds to the whole person And the Holy Ghost in coupling of both these words doth put vs in minde that neither part must be wanting in performing of this worke because either part doth share in the Day and so you shall find that King Dauid doth oftentimes rowse his soule and rowse his bodie also to performe this Eucharisticall Sacrifice he remembreth Carnem Cor his flesh and his spirit his glorie that is his tongue and all that is within him And no maruell for he would recommend himselfe as well to God as to men and wee must thinke that our workes of Pietie are imperfect if either part be wanting But as when the Moone and the Sunne doe meet aboue the Horizon and each doth contribute his light to the making of a Day the light of the Moone is not sensible in comparison of the light of the Sunne so should the impression which is made by worldly things which are as changeable as the Moone be dimme or darkened as it were by the impression made by spirituall things which are more constant then the Sunne And the ioy of our bodies must so be tempered as may not hinder the predominant gladnesse of our soule all the world must see that though wee prize both the Dayes the ciuill and the spirituall yet the rate which we set vpon the spirituall doth infinitely exceed that which wee set vpon the Ciuill If this lesson were well learned the world should not haue so many wofull experiments of those who being put to their choice whether they will lose had rather enioy the ciuill day with the losse of the spirituall then by sticking to the spirituall hazard the ciuill but we must chuse rather to be glad in soule then exult in bodie if we cannot doe both together But whether we doe expresse our comfort by one only by the bodie or also by the soule we must keepe both parts vnto their proper Obiect that is to the Day though wee expresse our affections by meats drinkes triumphs and other solemnities yet may we not while we signifie our ioy by them exulte or ioy in them And yet behold the most part of men little thinke on the Day their thoughts and senses are taken vp for the most part with the Accessories eating drinking c. they doe these things more freely and are more frolicke then ordinarie the state of the Common-Weale or of the Church commeth little into their thoughts it is not much remembred at their Feasts To remedie this the Church hath appointed that we should begin this solemnitie in the Church there first heare in how good case we are and breake forth there into spirituall prayses and thankesgiuings and make a religious acknowledgment of our blessed Day Of our blessed Day but not forgetting the Author thereof God that hath made vs such a Day No hee must bee the principall Obiect of our reioycing If wee exclude him or giue him not the first place we shall not be farre from the sinne of the
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 digniâ—â—â— 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
into the Congregation of Israel vnto the third generation Cap. 3. The Booke of Wisedome amplyfieth this point the children of Adulterers shall not come to perfection and the seed of the vnrighteous bed shall be rooted out the like you may read Eccl. 23. but because those Bookes are Apochryphall Cap. 31. ◠here what IOB saith of Adulterie It is a sinne to be condemned it will deuour vnto destruction and it would root out all my posteritie And no wonder that GOD dealeth so with Bastards for which of vs if he haue Land entailed entailes it otherwise then vpon heires lawfully begotten If we thinke Bastards vnworthy to inherite our Lands here on Earth shall GOD thinke them worthy to be heires of the Kingdome of Heauen I will not condemne all Bastards to Hell I know IEPHTA found fauour with GOD and so no doubt haue many others but that commeth to passe by GODS extraordinarie mercie ordinarie Promise we haue none that they shall doe well Yea obserue and you shall find that they seldome keepe a meane if good verie good and if they be bad they are verie bad and parents of such children haue reason rather to feare the worst then hope the best for though GOD at after-hand doth often pardon sinnes yet before-hand he giues no encouragement to sinners You that are the Penitent take this to heart your second match being plaine Adulterie the children borne in such wedlocke must needs be bastards and being Bastards they are not the holy seed yea they are a seed that is cursed so cursed for your fault that as much as in you lyeth you strip them of all blessings on Earth and in Heauen they are fauoured by the Law neither of God nor men And so great wrong done to them should goe to your verie heart you haue sinned against your children not onely against your owne body And let this suffice concerning the doctrine that is in the Prophets Sermon I come now to the exhortation which he deduceth therefrom The exhortation is double according to the double respect which we owe. The first is to our selues keepe your selues in your Spirit or take heed to your Spirit We must take care of our whole man the outward and inward for touching the outward the Apostles rule is 1 Thes 4.4 1 Cor. 3. 1 Cor. 6. We must keepe our vessels in honour we may not defile the Temples of God We may not take the Members of Christ and make them the Members of an Harlot we must be chast propter carnem Christi as IGNATIVS speaketh because we are bone of Christs bone and flesh of his flesh But as we must take care of our bodyes so must we much more take care of our soules for it is in vaine to keepe the body chast and to retaine an adulterous heart for an adulterous heart though it be peccatum sine teste it hath no man to witnesse it yet is it peccatum Athanasius God will doome it for sinne Yea if a man stop not lust in his heart Math. 15. he will not be master of it in his body for ex abundantia cordis out of the aboundance of the heart the mouth speaketh out of that commeth Adulteries and Fornications But qui adinngit Spiritui adimit carni the better the Soule is the better will the body be therefore is temperance properly called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a keeping of a man in his right wits because so long as a man hath his wits about him he is master of his lusts but no sooner hath Dalilah brought that Sampson asleepe but the Philistims will be vpon him and depriue him of his strength he will be ouertaken with this lustfull Epilepsie and prophane the Temple of the Lord. But to open this point a little farther we must obserue that as we haue sensuall and reasonable faculties so it was Gods pleasure that those actions which are Elicitae or come naturally from the sensuall faculties should also be imperatae ordered and limited by the rationall therefore is the rationall facultie called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the guid and gouernour of our life and he deserues not the name of a man whose sense is not subiect vnto reason But the Spirit doth not onely note the reasonable soule but in an argument concerning the CHVRCH it meaneth that Soule as it is regenerated by Grace and then it putteth vs in mind that the care of our Soules must be more then reasonable it must be spirituall and not onely the best wit of man which is corrupt as appeares in the vnchast chastitie of the Heathen but the sanctifying Grace of God must set bounds to our lusts which will suffer them to passe no farther then they are allowed by Gods Law A man is an excellent creature if he be but a man if he keepe his reasonable Spirit how much more excellent would a Christian man be if he could continue a Christian and preserue in himselfe the Spirit of Grace I may not omit the word keepe it willeth vs to set a watch because we are apt to run riot whether the Spirit signifie Reason or Grace we must watch If reason we must watch that we admit not into our imaginations nor suffer our wits to discourse vpon lustfull fancies we liue in the middest of temptations and none are more insinuating then those that are pleasurable we must take heed therefore that our reason be not betwitched by them they will cunningly euchant vs and transforme vs into beasts before we are aware wherefore we must keepe a watch ouer our Reason and not onely ouer Reason but ouer Grace also that we grieue not the Holy Spirit that we quench him not that we doe not dispite him Ephes 4.30 ◠Thes 5.19 for the Holy Spirit of discipline will not abide in a Soule that is disposed vnto sinne Adspicis vt veniant ad candida tect a columbae the doue-like spirit delighteth to dwell in doue-like persons himselfe being chast in those that are chast Wherefore we must keepe our spirits that for our vnchastitie the Spirit of God forsake vs not You haue the first branch of the exhortation the second followeth This biddeth vs be carefull of that respect which we owe vnto our mate Let no man deale treacherously with his wife A wife a little before my Text is called a mans companion and the wife of his couenant Now you know that fraud in fellowship is abominable especially if that fellowship be established by couenant as wedsocke is and no fellowship vpon straiter couenants then wedlocke for therein there is a double couenant pactum hominis and pactum Dei the persons contracting doe plight their faith each to other that is pactum hominis Then God he commeth in as a partie to knit the knot and will haue this mutuall stipulation made in his sight and in his name so that both stand bound to God not onely to themselues neuer to loose this knot till death them
saith the Apostle that you are the Temple of God speaking of our whole person But lest question should be made of any part in the sixth Chapter he distinctly expresseth both Body and Soule He that is ioyned vnto the Lord is one Spirit with him that is cleere for our soule And lest we should vnder-value our worser part Know you not saith he that your bodyes are the Temples of the Holy Ghost So that no question can be made of either part of our person both are liuing stones 1 Pet. 2. and built vp into a Spirituall House And if we be Spirituall Houses then God is in vs of a truth 2 Cor. 6. for so the Apostle collecteth Ye are the Temples of the liuing God saith GOD and I will dwell in them and walke in them St Peter is not afraid to say 2 Pet. 1. We are made partakers of the Diuine nature and the Fathers that we are deified Although there be no personall vnion betweene vs and GOD as there is in CHRIST yet such a mysticall one there is that Philo Iudaeus his words are verie true Deus est animae bonorum incola malorum tantum accola though GODS generall influence be wanting to no Creature yet his gratious inhabitance is the prerogatiue of the Church And all they to whom GOD commeth so neere haue presently erected in them an Oracle and an Altar the Spirit by the Word reuealeth their eyes to see the maruailous things of GODS Law they are all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They haue an vnction that teacheth them all things 1 Iohn 2. 1 Cor. 2. yea they haue the verie mind of Christ yea the same Spirit that erecteth the Oracle erects an Altar also an Altar of Incense in their hearts which sendeth forth Prayers intelligibiliter suaueolentes Spirituall but acceptable vnto GOD. as Origen answereth Celsu◠obiecting to the Christians that they had no Altars And how can we want an Altar of burnt sacrifice when our broken and contrite hearts offer vp our bodies a liuing sacrifice holy and acceptable to GOD which is our reasonable seruice of him This is enough to let you vnderstand that we are if we are Christians Houses of God answerable vnto Christ I would it were enough also to perswade vs so to esteeme our selues as such grace requireth at our hands for what an improuement is this to our persons and what a remembrance should this be to euerie one to keepe his Vessell in honour but more of that anon I must first speake a little of the description of the Market it is in my Text called an House of Merchandize GOD that made vs Men made vs also sociable and vsed our wants as a Whetstone to set an edge vpon that propension but we should liue together as Merchants ordered by commutatiue Iustice whose Standard is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it requireth that men barter vpon euen tearmes otherwise one man will deuour another and the Common weale cannot continue To preuent this mischiefe GOD hath appointed distributiue Iustice the vertue of the Magistrate who dispencing praemium poenam Reward and Punishment should set euerie man a thriuing but suffer no man to thriue to the preiudice of others The euill of the dayes wherein we liue doe giue me occasion to complaine not onely that there is varietie of corruption in Trades dangerous because some are ouer-thriuing but also of the decay of Trades no lesse dangerous because there are so many thousands that haue no meanes to thriue at all Gouernours giue order for Houses of Correction and no doubt but if they were better vsed vagrants might be restrayned thereby but there must be moreouer an increase of Trades that must employ the Common-people multiplying as they doe in this blessed time of peace while the Gentleman depopulates the Countrey and the Vsurer and Victualer are become the chiefe Trades-men of Incorporations what wonder if contrarie to GODS Law and the Kings the whole Land be filled with miserable poore There is no true at least no full remedy for this euill but they to whom the care of distributiue Iustice is committed must reuiue and quicken the Commutatiue and make our Land according vnto that good opportunitie which GOD hath giuen vs an House of Merchandize This by the way vpon occasion of the phrase where out you may gather that in the Market the world taketh vp most of our thoughts and our dealing there is for worldly things Hauing sufficiently opened the description of the Temple and the Market The difference betweene them is euident to a meane conceit he will easily apprehend that the one place is Heauenly the other Earthly the one for the Communion of Saints the other for the Common-weale in the one place we need be no more then Men in the other we must shew our selues to be the Children of God And is it not a great fault to confound these things which GOD hath so distinguished Surely it is and it was the Iewes fault CHRIST doth open it as he doth forbid it for if we may beleeue the Rabbines the Law was pronounced in the eares of Malefactors while stripes were layed vpon their backes and it is most likely that while CHRIST expelled the Merchants with his whip he spake these words vnto them Make not my Fathers House an house of Merchandize Let vs come then to this Prohibition The best places are subiect to abuse Heauen was and so was Paradise no wonder then if the Temple be And seeing abuse can be excluded no where we must be watchfull euerie-where yea the better a place is the more doth the Diuel solicit vs to abuse it because he will doe GOD the more despite and worke man the more mischiefe Therefore the better the place is the more circumspect must we be It is a soule fault to dishonour GOD any where but specially in his owne House In estimating our owne wrongs we aggrauate them by this circumstance Esay 26 Ier. 11. and shall we neglect it when we ponder the sinnes we commit against GOD Nay rather the greatnesse of our contempt ariseth with the greatnesse of his Maiestie which appeareth in that place and the more gratious he sheweth himselfe there the more gracelesse are we if we yeeld him not a due regard Now what doth that due regard require at our hands Surely that we bring not so much as the world into the Temple we may not doe legitima in illegitimo loco saith St Austin we may not doe lawfull things in a place appointed for better vses Caelum est Caelum ingrederis Nilus the Temple is Heauen as you are taught before when thou entrest the Temple thou must suppose thou art entering into the Kingdome of Heauen Now in Heauen there is neither eating nor drinking marrying nor giuing in marriage buying nor selling therefore we must neither thinke of nor meddle with these things while we enter into that place 1 Cor. 11 Haue you not
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 Epictetu◠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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a compound word which sheweth that Conscience doeth first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 know throughly before it doeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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
not to them or stoppes their eares that they heare it not But this doeth rather suspend the worke then alter the nature of their Conscience it doeth not make it a not-condemning Conscience of a condemning one How many theiues and murderers are very frolicke not only when they act their wickednesse but when they are in the Gaile when they are brought to the Barre yea when they are casting off the Gallowes But wise men that see them in this humour censure it for vnreasonable stupiditie and desperatenesse they hold it not to be comfortable securitie No more is that which wee see in sinners who while they drinke in iniquitie with greedinesse haue stonie hearts and brasen foreheads If in the dayes of grace wee make vnto our selues the dayes of Iudgement and sift our selues vnpartially according vnto GODS word before we bee tried at GODS Barre and finde our selues discharged with a not guiltie and an Euge Serue bone well done seruant faithfull and true enter into thy Masters ioy this is indeed a not-condemning Conscience The second Rocke is that many confound a tender Conscience with a guiltie Conscience and plod more vpon the Heart of a man then they doe vpon the Heart of a Christian man they consider not the prerogatiue that the Elect haue by being in CHRIST into whom when they were ingrafted they were iustified from all sinne So that though afterwards they may become damnable through their fall yet damned they cannot be because their repentance and saith cannot bee in vaine neither must they measure the trueth of their state by their sense GOD is pleased often times to humble his children by suspending the sense of their state but he doeth not alter their state because his guifts are without Repentance and vpon their teares sighes and prayers wherewith GOD is pleased to be importuned he restoreth vnto them the sense of their state againe their eyes are opened to see that their obligation is cancelled and the booke crost wherein all their debtes were entred and that the blood of Christ hath cleansed them from all sinne You haue heard many things concerning Conscience all which though they bee of good regard yet they containe not all that which wee must heede For the worke of Conscience is rather Praeiudicium then Iudicium it is but a reall Prophecie informing vs how GOD will hereafter deale with vs. Therefore Saint Iohn carrieth our thoughts from our Hearts vnto God and will haue vs expect from GOD what wee finde in our owne Hearts And indeed our Heart is nothing else but GODS Apostle whose message is the Iudgement to come St. Ieromes Trumpet that sounded still in his eares Surgite mortui venite ad iudicium Besides our inward we haue an outward Iudge besides the present there is a future Iudgement And verily it is a wonder that any man should doubt of a future Iudgement that hath a Conscience seeing the vse of the Conscience is to forewarne vs of it the Iudgement in our bosome must bee vnto vs a Remembrancer of another Iudgement that is to come and wee must the rather be mooued with the former because of the reference it hath vnto the latter Reference nay Resemblance which is more for in the present Iudgement wee haue a liuely representation of the Iudgement to come GOD will deale with vs no otherwise then our Heart doâ—th the Iury at his Barre will exhibite no other presentment neither shall wee heare any other Sentence from that Iudge the Booke of GODS Prouidence will agree with the Booke of our Conscience and the Doome of our Conscience shall be ratified by GODS Doome And this representatiue qualitie that is in our Conscience must make vs the more to regard the absolute qualitie thereof For though it bee much to feele the force of Conscience without this Reference yet is it much more if the Reference bee included in our feeling thereof it will make vs more carefull to prepare our selues for GOD when wee are remembred so to doe by our owne Heart God then and our Heart agree in one worke their worke is like Like it is but not equall you may perceiue it in St. Iohns Inference that hee maketh according to the difference of the worke of Conscience One worke of the Conscience is to condemne thereupon St. Iohn maketh an Inference If our Heart condemne vs God is greater then our Heart and knoweth all things Wherein appeares a double inequalitie The first is of Authoritie Our Heart is great it is King in this little world of ours for it doeth season all that commeth from vs our workes are good or euill so farre as our Conscience is a partie to them they are good if she be good and if she be euill they are euill The inclination of the Heart is the inclination of the whole man so that no power of the soule or part of the body will hold backe if our Heart or Conscience doe set forward Our Heart then is great great within the Spheare of this little World But God is greater then our Heart who commandeth both ours and the great World GOD is said to be greater not so much in regard of his Eminencie aboue vs as his Soueraignetie ouer vs in which sense the Psalme saith that our God is a great God and a great King aboue all Gods And indeed Power belongeth onely vnto him Creatuâ—es are tearmed Powers rather Propter Ministerium then Dominium they can doe nothing beyond the influence they haue from GOD But GODS power is absolute and the Sentence hee pronounceth vnresistable whereas he can checke the sentence which our Heart pronounceth But to fit this point of Gods power to that which wee said before of the power of our Heart GODS power doeth season all the afflictions that come vpon vs and the apprehension that they come from him maketh them much more grieuous then they would be in themselues Secondly if GOD bee bent against vs no creature will stand for vs. You see wherein standeth the first inequalitie betweene GOD and our Heart The second Inequalitie standeth in Omnisciencie It is true that our Heart knoweth much 1 Corinth 2. and as the Apostle saith No man knoweth the things in man but the Spirit of man But that is as true which Salomon saith Prou. 20. The spirit of man is as the candle of the Lord searching the inward parts of man it is but a Candle and that is a dimme light a Candle of the Lord and that is a Ministeriall light Two wayes is our knowledge dimme through Ignâ—rance and Selfe-loue Ignorance is the cause that we cannot know our selues if wee would Selfe-loue is the cause that we will not know our selues so well as we can therefore Dauid prayed and wee must pray Ab occultis munda me domine O Lord cleanse me from my secret faults As for GOD his eyes are ten thousand times brighter then the Sunne Eccles 23. Dauid hath made a whole Psalme of