Christ as though God did beseech you through us wee pray you in Christs stead that ye be reconciled unto God For hee hath made himselfe Iustification upon remission of sinnes and Christs righteousnesse imputed sinne for us that we might be made the righteousnesse of God through him Remission of sinne is the first part of Reconciliation whereby the guiltinesse and punishment of our sinnes is removed from us by Christs sufferings For thus it is written and thus it behooved Christ to suffer and to rise againe the third day that Repentance and Remission of sinnes might bee preached in his name to all nations And Hee through Death hath destroyed him that had the power of Death that is the Divell and that hee might deliver all them which for feare of Death Hebr. 2. 14 15. were all their life time subject to bondage Yea it is Christ alone That Apoc. 1. 5. hath washed us from our sinnes with his bloud Yea His bloud it is that cleanseth us from all sinne 1 Iohn 1. 7. Imputation of righteousnesse is the other part of Reconciliation whereby by Christs righteousnesse being imputed unto us we appeare just and blamelesse before God our Father For by him wee have received the attonement And as by the offence of Rom. 5. 11 16. one the fault came on all men to condemnation So by the justifying of one the benefit abounded towards all men to the justification of life And Hee hath now reconciled us in the body of Col. 1. 22. his flesh through Death to make us holy and unblameable and without fault in the sight of God his Father Now againe of Remission and Imputation spring Iustification and Adoption For Being justified by Faith wee have Peace Rom. 5. 1. towards God through our Lord Iesus Christ For when the fulnesse of time was come God sent foorth his Sonne made of a woman and made under the Law that hee might redeeme them which were under the Law that wee might receive the adoption of Sonnes Iustification is that wherby we being delivered before God of the guiltinesse of sin are accounted just For Who shall lay any thing Rom. 8. 33. to the charge of Gods chosen It is God that justifieth who shall condemne As by one mans disobedience many are made sinners so by the obedience Rom. 5. 19. of one shall many also bee made righteous Adoption is that whereby wee are accounted Sonnes and heires of God For yee have not saith Paul received the spirit of Rom. 8. 15. bondage to feare againe but yee have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we crie Abba Father And hee further affirmeth That we are all the Sonnes of God by Faith in Christ Iesus From these two wee obtaine these two blessings First that all crosses turne to us to the best so saith the Apostle All Rom. 8. 28 things worke together for the best â—o them even them that are called of purpose For though hee visit 〈◊〉 sinnes with rods and our offences with scourges yet his loving kindnesse will hee never take from us nor suffer his truth to faile Secondly by Iustification and Adoption wee obtaine a chiefety or rule over all Creatures except Angels For so saith David Thou hast made him little lower than Angels and crowned him Psal 8. 5 6. with glory and worship Thou hast made him to have dominion in the Workes of thy hands thou hast put all things under his feete And the Sanctification in Mortification and viyification Sanctification imperfect in this life same also the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrewes affirmeth Now for Sanctification whereby God beginneth in us holinesse that hath two members Mortification to sinne and Resurrection to righteousnesse Mortification is the first part whereby the power of sinne is killed in us and of this Mortification Paul speaketh thus Our old man is crucified within that the body of sinne might bee destroyed that henceforth wee should not serve sinne And againe That Rom. 6. 6. Gal. 2. 19. I might live unto God I am crucified with Christ Resurrection unto righteousnesse is whereby sanctity holinesse is really inherent and begun in us and is increased dayly more and more For Wee are buried with Christ by Baptisme unto his death that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of his Rom. 6. 4. Father So wee also should walke in newnesse of life These parts of Sanctification referred unto the Soule are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but referred to the Body they are called frustus seu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fruits This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a renewing of all the faculties of the Soule a converting them from evill to good A bringing foorth of fruits worthy amendment of life And Luke 3. 8. this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath his Initium beginning comitem and his companion His beginning is is godly sorrow for whose heart Gods spirit doth touch is sorry for his sinnes committed against so mercifull a Father His Companion is a spirituall combate for the Flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh Gal. 5. 17. This Sanctification being the second principall part of our Redemption is the quallity whereby Gods spirit doth renew us and begin in us newnesse of life but it is not perfect absolute in us Paenitentia amor sequuntur noticiam nostram Repentance and Love follow our Knowledge but our knowledge is 1 Cor. 13. 9. but in part And this I note against the blasphemy of Osiander who saith that the essentiall righteousnesse of Christ is in us but the righteousnesse of Christ is without us not within us and is apprehended by Faith And therefore Pauls care was to bee found in him that is in Christ Not having saith Paul mine Phil. 3. 9. own righteousnes which is of the Law but that which is through the Faith of Christ even the righteousnesse which is of God through Faith For the righteousnesse whereby wee are justified is the meere imputation of Christs worke unto us and therefore this word Imputation is tenne times recited in one Chapter When a friend Rom. 5. of his owne goods and not of mine payeth debt that I owe that payment or satisfaction is mine it is imputed to mee when as yet it is the worke of my friend and none of mine After the same manner the righteousnesse of Christ is ours This righteousnesse therefore whereby wee are justified is Grace and not Nature Imputation not Essence it is a Communication of the benefit of Christ not a commixion of essence it is Holinesse is said in diverse senses an effect of the proper worke of Christ non substantia ipsa Christi not the very substance of Christ The other righteousnesse wherewith he sanctifieth us is but begun onely it is not absolute For as the Sunne shineth and as the fire warmeth us and yet doe not transferre their essence into us
heart knoweth what is the meaning of the Spirit for hee maketh requests for the Saints according to the Will of God The fire which God would have continually to burne upon his Altar came out from the Lord. Levit. 9. 24. If sacrifices were offered up with any other fire the fire was counted strange and the sacrifices no whit acceptable but abominable Cap. 10. 1 c. to the Lord. The Heavenly fire whereby our spirituall sacrifices of prayer must be offered up is that holy Spirit which commeth out from God we must therefore pray in the Spirit yea all good gifts proceede from the Spirit so saith the Apostle The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit 1 Cor. 12 7 8 9 10 11. withall for to one is given by the Spirit the word of Wisedome to another the word of Knowledge by the same Spirit to another is given Faith by the same Spirit to another the gift of healing by the same Spirit to another operations of great workes to another Prophecy to another discerning of spirits and to another diversity of tongues to another interpretation of tongues and all these worketh even the selfe-same Spirit distributing to every man severally as hee will So Christ told his Apostles that they spake not but the Spirit of his Father It is not you saith he that speake but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you Paul compareth the Spirit of God to a tree that like the Tree of life yeeldeth all graces The fruit of the Spirit Ephes 1. 18. is Love Ioy Peace Long-suffering Gentlenesse Goodnesse Faith Meeknesse Temperance against such there is no Law for they are under the Spirit of grace The Antithesis is betweene the flesh and the Spirit Paul calleth it the Spirit of Wisdome And Esay nameth it The Spirit of Wisdome Counsell Power Strength Because all these are the effects of it for Bezaliel Esay 11. 2. Exod. 31. 3. and Aholiab had their knowledge from Gods Spirit in the works of brasse and silver how much more have we in heavenly things There is no Art no cunning no science but from the Spirit even in the most wicked If you say Quid Spiritui Sancto impys What have the wicked to doe with the Spirit I can answere it thus The wicked have the spirit of illumination as had Achitophel 2 Sam. 16. Mat. 18. Act. 23. and Iudas and Tertullus but not the Spirit of Sanctification and adoption It is said of all the Iudges and Kings The Holy Ghost the Author of all excellent gifts in any that the Spirit of God came upon them so it is said that the Spirit of God came upon Gedeon so it is said of Saul that the Spirit of the Lord should come upon him and he should prophesy and of David that the Spirit of the Lord came upon him from that day forward Iudg. 6. 34. 1 Sam. 10. 6. 1 Sam. 10. 13. Al the rare excellent things of God are judged by the Spirit The naturall wise man perceiveth not the things that are of the Spirit of God But he that is spirituall judgeth all things It is Gods Spirit that frameth all our actions and works and all good things 1 Cor. 14. 15. in us Hitherto tendeth the ceremony used in the Law that in the sacrifices things without life were consecrated with oyle which thing had a double reference first to Christ to note that hee was anointed with the gifts of the Spirit to performe his three offices for so we read The Spirit of the Lord God is upon mee therefore hath the Lord anointed mee a. And againe Thou hast loved Esay 61. 1. Heb. 1. 9. righteousnesse and hated iniquity wherefore God even thy God hath anointed thee with the oyle of gladnesse above thy fellowes Secondly it had reference unto us to note that all our duties are accepted of God as they are wrought in us by the Spirit but nothing no not prayer is accepted otherwise then it is a worke of the Spirit and commeth from his motion For this purpose note what the Prophet saith in the person of God to Ierusalem I will powre upon them the Spirit of supplications He calleth the gift of prayer the Spirit Zach. 12. 10. of supplications because it is Gods Spirit which worketh in us this gift and maketh us to call upon God but more directly is this point proved by that phrase which Saint Iude here useth praying in the Holy Ghost And this yet farther confirmed in that it is said The Spirit in our hearts crieth Abba Father And Paul layeth downe this point first Affirmatively saying The Spirit helpeth Gal. 4. 6. Rom. 8. 16 27. our infirmities and maketh intercession for us then Negatively Wee know not what to pray yet must wee not thinke that the Holy Ghost doth indeed pray for us as Christ doth or as one of us doth for another For then should the Holy Ghost bee our Mediator which was one of Arrius his heresies but the meaning is that the Holy Ghost stirreth us up to pray and putteth life into our dead and dull spirits to make our prayers fervent Well then prayer is a gift of the Spirit not common to all but proper and peculiar to Gods elect who have the Spirit of God if no man can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost Surely no 1 Cor. 12. 3. man can pray and call upon God but by the Spirit of God Let us then labour for Gods sanctifying Spirit and having it Let us goe along with him and follow his motions powring forth those prayers which he suggesteth unto us and let us take heed that we grieve not the Holy Spirit of God which is done by quenching the good motions thereof through our carelesnes or by Ephes 4. 36. 1 Thess 5. 19. resisting the Spirit through our rebellion But yet note further that howsoever prayer is attributed to the Spirit yet it is a worke of the whole Trinity the Holy Trinity hath a hand in this holy exercise of prayer The holy Ghost The whole Trinity concurres in prayer frameth our requests the Son offreth them to his Father the Father accepteth them thus framed and offered up For the works of the Trinity are invisible yet distinguished so that unto the Father is ascribed the originall beginning of all actions Ille agit Hebr. 11. a se per Filium Spiritum he worketh of himselfe by the Son and the Spirit to the Sonne is ascribed the disposing of the action Iob. 26. 7 8 9. from the Father by the Spirit to the Holy Ghost is attributed the consummating and as it were perfecting of things seeing he worketh from the Father and the Sonne Pater agit ase Filius per se Spiritus Sanctus à Patre Filio The Father worketh by himselfe 1 Cor. 12. 11. the Sonne by him the Holy Ghost from the
us unto an holy calling Not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose and grace which was given us through Christ Iesus before the World was It is true of all men that Christ said of his disciples non vos me elegistis yee have not chosen mee but I have chosen you yea God so preventeth us with his grace that hee findeth nothing past or to come whereby God chose us and bee reconciled unto us For who hath given unto him first that is provoked him by his good workes A lively example wee have in these two brethren Esau and Iacob both twinnes both inclosed in one wombe yet hee rejected the one and chose the other Non ex operibus not by workes but by him that calleth Deus coronat opera Rom. 9. 11. sua non merita nostra God crowneth his gifts not our merits Cui daret justus judex coronâ—â—â— nisi cui dedisset pater misericors indebitam gratiam To whom should the just Iudge give the crowne but unto whom the Father of Mercy giveth undeserved Grace And he addeth Ne dicas ideo electus sum quia credebam Aug. tract 86. in Iob. si enim credebas jam cum elegeras non ipse te sic judicium esset penos lutum non penes figulum Doe not say I am elected because I did beleeve for if thou diddest beleeve thou haddest now chosen him and not hee thee and so the Iudgement had beene in the power of the clay and not of the potter But heare what Christ saith Yee have not chosen mee but I have chosen you I say therefore with Saint Ambrose Iustitia nostra magis constat remissione peccatorum quam perfectione virtutum our righteousnesse consisteth more in the remission of our sinnes than in the perfection of our vertues Even as David declareth the blessednesse of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousnesse without workes saying Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose Psal 32. 1 2. sin is covered blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne One Father saith thus when wee were not God made us when wee were sinners hee Iustified us when we were in prison hee freed us when wee were mortall hee glorified us Another Rom. 5. 1. Luke 4. 18. Rom. 8. 30. Father saith God by his Wisedome hath foreknowne us by his Gospell hee calleth us by his Faith hee justifieth us by his Iustice hee damneth us by his Grace he saveth us So that all is of his meere goodnesse and no cause to expostulate with God His Iudgements are just but yet secret Secret things saith Deut. 29. 29. Moses belong to the Lord our God but the things revealed belong unto Five signes of Election two internall us But if the Heavens declare the glory of God let us speake to his glory Secreta Dei sunt adoranda non scrutanda Secret things are to bee adored not searched It is not good to eate too Prov. 25. 27. much Hony so to search their owne glory is not glory It is reported of Augustine that being about to write his bookes of the Trinity hee was taught by a childe who laded the Sea into a little spoone to whom Augustine said that hee laboured in vaine for his little spoone could not containe the Sea To whom the child replied that his little Wisedome his shallow braine could not containe the depth of the Trinity But you will say how shall wee know our election that wee may bee comforted against all the assaults of Satan that wee may say with the sweet singer of Israel Though I should walke through the valley of the shadow of death I will feare no evill for thou art Psal 23. with mee thy rod and thy staffe shall comfort mee And with Paul I 2 Tim. 4. 6 7. 8 have fought a good fight I have kept the Faith I have finished my course from hence forward there is laid up for mee a crowne of glory which the Lord will give mee at that day and not to mee onely but unto all them also that love his appearing I answere that no man can bee deceived in the state of his election but hee that deceiveth himselfe for wee may know whether wee stand in the state of Grace or no. Danaeus maketh Danaeus in Isagog five signes of election As the comming of the Swallow is a signe of the Spring as the putting forth of the figge-tree is a signe of Summer as the whitenesse of the region is a signe of Harvest So there bee many undoubted signes of our election 1 The first is the inward testimony of Gods Spirit the seale and earnest-penny of our Salvation For it is God that hath Sealed us and hath given us the Earnest of his Spirit in our 2 Cor. 1. 22. hearts The Apostle compareth the Word to a writing the Spirit to a seale that ratifieth all Clamat in nobis Abba the same Rom. 8. 16. Gal. 4. 6. Luke 11. 11. Spirit beareth witnesse to our Spirit that wee are the children of God And because wee are Sonnes God hath sent the Spirit of his Sonne into your hearts which cryeth Abba Father And if God be our Father how can wee doubt of our inheritance If wee aske Fish he will not give us a Serpent If Heaven he will not give us Hell 2 The second signe is our faith which is knowne by the effects as the Eagle by her feathers as the tree of Life by the fruits of it Thus Paul bade the Corinths try their faith Prove your selves whether yee are in the Faith examine your selves c. Qui 2 Cor. 13. 5. credit salvabitur he that beleeveth shall bee saved and this faith may be knowne to us if wee will search our selves Christ asked Mar. 16. 16. Iohn 8. the woman taken in Adultery where her accusers were So aske thy heart where thy sinnes are and if thou doest beleeve it will say with the woman that they are all gone Qui enim credit transit Three externall signes of Election a morte ad vitam Hee that beleeveth in him is passed from death to life for all that are borne of God overcommeth the World And this is the victory that overcommeth the World even our Faith Iohn 3. 1 Iohn 5. 4. Hereupon Paul triumpheth over Death Hell Hunger Cold Nakednesse Perill Sword and concludeth That neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Power nor Things present nor Things to come nor Height nor Depth nor any other Creature Rom. 8. 38 39. shall bee able to separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. 3 The third signe is the conformity of our will to Gods will to love that which God loveth and to hate that which God hateth therefore wee pray that Gods will may bee done on Earth as it is in Heaven He that doth the will of God shall abide Mat. 6. for ever
Father and the Sonne so that prayer is a worke of the Trinity as are all good works O noble worke ad quod tanti artifices concurrunt to Visinu◠the performing whereof so many Artisans doe concurre and meet the Omnipotency of the Father the wisdome of the Son and goodnesse of the Holy Ghost where goodnesse willeth wisdom disposeth Omnipotency performeth potens est sapiens est bonus est tamen unus Deus est qui omnia in omnibus operatur hee is mighty hee is wise hee is good and yet but one God that worketh all in all Or these words Orate in spiritu Pray in the spirit may bee meant of the quality of prayer that it must be spirituall not carnall proceed from the heart not from the lippes from the soule 1 Sam. 1. 15. not the mouth only Hence is it that they which pray in the Spirit are said to powre out their soules and their heart unto God The Virgin Mary who without all question praised God in the Spirit saith My soule magnifieth the Lord my Spirit rejoiceth in God Luk. 1. 46. Rom. 8. 26. And Paul telleth us that the Spirit maketh intercession with groanes Now groanes proceed from the heart and Spirit not from the tongue and lippes And the Apostle telleth us that the Spirit which crieth Abba Father is sent into our hearts The Iewes prayed with their lippes but not with their hearts therefore God complaineth of them saying This people draw neere unto mee Esay 29. 13. with their lippes but their hearts are farre from me Our prayers must be fervent like the spirit Be fervent in spirit saith the Apostle our hearts in prayer must be lifted up to God the heart of man is as it were Gods chaire of estate whereunto no creature can come it is proper to God alone it is his Palace wherein hee most delighteth wherfore Gods Spirit maketh his abode there and stirreth it up to pray The prayer that commeth not from the heart and spirit it is a key cold prayer it is frozen before it commeth half-way to heaven David to note his earnestnes in prayer said that he rored he spake not but rored cried out and indeed Psal 38. the Spirit of God is a crying Spirit not a cold spirit Hereby then may wee judge whether the Spirit of God bee Rom. 8. 15. in us and move us to pray or no If thy prayer come but from Fervent prayer prevailes with God the teeth though it be never so well framed in regard of words and though thy gestures bee never so reverent and humble yet all is nothing the Spirit of God hath no part in this worke if thy spirit pray not thou doest but babble a kind of praying condemned by our Saviour Paul would have us to pray in the Spirit Mat. 6. 7. 1 Cor. 14. and to pray with the understanding that is earnestly from the heart and yet intelligibly of the Church and congregation he had reference to this when writing to the Saints of Ephesus he biddeth them to be filled with the Spirit speaking unto your selves saith hee in Psalmes and Hymnes and spirituall songs singing and making melody Ephes 5. 18 19. to God in your hearts Hearty singing hearty praying hearty speaking unto God is the thing that God accepteth My Sonne saith Prov. 23. hee give mee thy heart It is of the essence of prayer to be hearty spirituall and servent As a painted fire is no fire a dead man no man so a cold lip-labour prayer no prayer in a painted fire there is no heate in a dead man no life in a cold prayer no devotion no blessing The prayer of the righteous availeth much if it bee Iam. 5. 16 17 18. fervent it is that that makes and marres all And he exemplifieth this by the prayer of Elias hee prayed that it might not raine and it rained not on the earth for three yeeres and six moneths and he prayed againe Heaven gave rayne the earth brought forth her fruit A cold prayer could not have locked up heaven three yeeres nor opened heaven such a prayer made Hanna 1. Sam. 2. her lippes went yet spake nothing Loquebatur non voce sed corde prece occulta sed manifesta fide She spake not with the mouth but with the heart Aug. her prayer was hid her faith made manifest such a prayer made Moses yet spake not a word with his mouth his heart spake but his tongue was silent such must our prayers bee or els they rebound Exod. 14. backe againe as a tennis ball yea they turne to bee sinne Psal 109. 7. unto us What Is hony turned into gall And balme into wormewood Is treakle become poyson is prayer become sin Yea a plaine sinne a notable sinne if wee doe it not rightly quot preces tot peccata As physicke killeth the body if it worke not in the body so prayer killeth the soule if it proceed not aright from the soule For we have two Axiomes in Divinity 1. That God regardeth not only the matter but the manner 2. Quod non actibus sed finibus pensantur officia That duties are esteemed not by their acts but by their ends The manner must be good and the end good The Church of Rome saith that virtualis intentio nonex necessitate requiritur in precibus sed actualis intentio a vertuous intent is not of necessity required in prayer but an actuall But better said the Papist Criton who said that God loved better Adverbes then Nownes not to pray only but to praywell Non bonum sed bene agere Not to doe good but to doe it well for wee may doe bona good things and yet goe to hell as did the Pharises Oratio nec timida nec temeraria Mat. 23. nec tepida sit Prayer must be neither false-hearted nor They that call upon God must depart from iniquity foole-hardy nor luke-warme Oratio timida coelos non penetrat A false-hearted prayer cannot pierce the Heavens temeraria resilet ut pila palmaria a foole-hardy a rash prayer reboundeth backe againe like an hand-ball tepida frigescit conglaciatur priusquam coelos ascendit the luke-warme prayer is cooled and frozen up before it can get heaven In prayer two things are required Tempus cor time and the heart much businesse steales away the time and a multitude of cogitations the heart so that we cannot conferre quietly with God Here therefore the prayers of the wicked are rejected I will saith Paul that men pray every where lifting up pure hands to God 1 Tim. 2. 8. without wrath or doubting but the hands which they lift up in prayer are impure hands and so are the hearts also Pretily said Bias to the Grecians in a naufrage in a ship-wracke when they prayed and cried out to their gods Silete ne orate ne dij vos nebulones hîc navigantes sentiant Be silent pray not that the
he proceeds to the other three Attributes viz. Majesty Dominion and Power and sheweth what it is first to ascribe Majesty to God that it is to acknowledge his Majesty and Greatnesse in all his Workes and reprooves our dulnesse that admire onely his Miracles when all his Workes declare his Majestie Many regard not his Miracles nor signes of his wrath He proceeds to the fifth namely Dominion and sheweth that to consist in that authority whereby he commands in all Kingdomes Places Persons and he distinguisheth these into three kinds viz. his kingdome of 1 Power 2 Grace 3 Glory and describes them But insisteth in his Kingdome of Grace within us and reprooves our rebellions and trecheries that yeeld subjection to sinne and Satan and set up our owne wills and lusts to beare rule in us and so make a mocke of Christs Kingdome and that wee ought to subject as the Angels and doe his will as they most willingly speedily and faithfully And to this end to have our soules and bodies purified that hee may dwell and rule in us He proceeds to the sixth and lost Attribute of Power and sheweth that this consisteth in that he doth whatsoever he pleaseth in all places and persons being present in all places by his power though not in body and that this is an ascribing Power to him to depend upon his Power and to trust to his Strength being all-sufficient after that hee observeth all the sixe Attributes to belong to the whole Trinity and that for ever Lastly hee sheweth the divers significations of Amen and therewith how powerfull a conclusion it is in all prayers implying in it faith and zeale in him that prayeth Laus Deo The Analysis of the Epistle of Saint IVDE The Epistle hath five parts 1 Saluation in it three 1 The person saluting described by three 1 His name IVDE 2 His calling a Servant of Iesus Christ 3 His kindred or alliance the brother of Iames. 2 The persons saluted and they are all that are called and sanctified of God the Father reserved to Iesus Christ Verse 1. 3 The matter of the salutation wherein he wisheth to them three things Verse 2. 1 Mercy 2 Peace 3 Love 2 Exordium or entrance wherein he expresseth his purpose in this Epistle which was to write to them concerning salvation and here he testifies 1 His love to them by his kinde compellation Beloved 2 His desire and earnest endeavour to further them in the way of salvation in that he gave all diligence to write of the common salvation 3 Proposition the maine meanes to further you in the way of salvation Verse 3. The maintenance of the true Faith Not acquired by the power of Nature But given once to the Saints 4 Illustration and enforcement by Exhortation Verse 3. that contend earnestly for the maintenance of faith and use motives 1 In respect of God giving because given to the Saints and to neglect it is to neglect Gods grace giving meanes of salvation 2 In respect of some wicked Apostates whom hee describes 1 Generally by their Verse 4. 1 Subtilty crept in 2 Sinne turne the grace of God into wantonnesse and deny God 3 Iudgement ordained of old to this condemnation Admonishing them to whom hee writ to take heede both of their sinne and iudgement by the examples of the Israelites both their Sinne unbeliefe Iudgement destruction Verse 5. Angels both their Sinne pride Iudgement everlasting chaines c. Vers 6. Sodomites and Gomorrheans both their Sinne uncleannesse Iudgement eternall fire Ver. 7 2 Particularly calling them dreamers and describe 1 Their sinnes ranged into two heads 1 Vncleannesse defile the flesh 2 Rebellion in two things 1 Despising Government Verse 8. 2 Railing on This latter aggravated V. 9 10 He parallels them by their patternes Verse 11. Cain for envy Balaam for counselling to vncleannes Corah for contempt of government Hee sets them out by godly resemblances Verse 12. 1 Spots in regard of their defiling staining 2 Dry Clouds Barren Trees in respect of hypocrisie Verse 13. 3 Raging foming waves in respect of their pride and vaine glory 4 Wandring Starres in respect of their errour and ignorance 2 Iudgement the blacknesse of darknesse for ever this hee confirmes out of the prophesie of Enoch wherein two things 1 Prophet by two 1 His name Enoch 2 Order of descent from Adam the seventh from Adam Verse 14. 2 Prophesie the matter of it Verse 14 15. 3 Their properties Verse 16. 1 Murmuring 2 Repining 3 Licenciousnesse 4 Boasting 5 Flattery Direction for maintenance of true faith in three things 1 How to avoid these impious Apostates which draw from the faith which is 1 By remembring the predictions of the Apostles that forewarned of such Mockers and lustfull livers Verse 17 18. 2 Observing their practice answerable to the Apostles prediction making sects being not spirituall but carnall Verse 19. 2 How to preserve themselves in the faith and this by foure meanes Verse 20 21. 1 Mutuall edification 2 Zealous and spirituall invocation 3 Keeping themselves in the love of God 4 Constant expectation of eternall life by the mercy and meanes of our Lord Iesus Christ 3 How to preserve others in the faith 1 The weake by compassion Verse 22. 2 The obstinate by feare Verse 23. 5 Conclusion with prayer and praise to God wherein hee insinuates 1 What they are to expect and desire at Gods hand and their ground because he is able being Verse 24 25. 1 To keepe 2 To present blamelesse c. 1 Onely wise 2 And Sauiour 2 What is to be ascribed to him 1. Glory 2 Maiesty 3 Dominion AN EXPOSITION VPON THE whole Epistle of Saint Iude. VERSE 1. The Author and Pen-man of this Epistle Iude the servant of Iesus Christ c. BEfore I enter upon the handling of this Epistle I will speake briefly first of the Author 2. of the Penman 3. of the Argument 4. of the Occasion of this Epistle For I cannot dilate at large as Salomon did of trees from the Cedar to the Isop nor as Pliny did of beasts frō the Elephant to the Pismeire nor as Lactantius did of Fishes from the Whale to the Lamprey And first for the Author of this booke it is the holy Ghost For all Scripture is given by inspiration from God and Prophecie came 1 Tim. 3 16. 2. Pet. 1. 20. Luke 1. not in old time by the Will of man but holy men spake as they were moved by the spirit of God and it was God that spake by the mouth of all his Prophets which have been since the World began And as he directed the tongues of Holy men to speake and therfore saith our Saviour It is not yee that speake but the spirit of my father in you so he directed Mat. 10. 20. their pens to write so that it was not they that wrote but the holy Ghost by them By this therefore it evidently appeareth of what reverent account this Epistle ought for
with God God is no accepter of persons but in every nation hee that feareth him and worketh righteousnes Act. 10. 34 35. is accepted with him Many will glory of their alliance and kindred and albeit they haue neither Learning nor Living nor Wisedome nor Civility nor Honesty nor Piety at all yet if they can fetch their Pedigree from some Noble or Worshipfull House they boast thereof and hold themselves worthy of reverence and honour The Iewes gloried that Abraham was their Father but what gained they by it When Christ told them Vos estis ex patre Iohn 8. 44. diabolo You are of your Father the devill and his workes yee doe 2 Reg. 21. 2. Reg. 20. David had Absolom Salomon Rehoboham Amon a wicked Father had Iosiah to his sonne a good man and Ezekiah a good father had Manasses to his sonne a vile man Ismaell had Isaac to his brother so had Esau Iacob Caine had Abell Absolom had Salomon But Caine was a Vagabond Ismaell a persecutor Absolom a Rebell Esau a Reprobate 'T is follie in men to glory in Gen. 4. Gal. 4. stocke or kindred If they will glory let them glorie in this that they are the servants of Iesus Christ for outward titles without inward vertues availe nothing for what shall it profit Not to glory in Alliance and Kindred us to bee intituled Christians and yet live as prophanely as Infidels to be called the Church of God and yet in conversation to resemble the Synagogue of Satan to bee counted the children of God and yet spend our times like the sonnes of Belial to bee reputed the servants of Christ Iesus and serve the World the Flesh and the Divell to descend of noble godly Parents and yet degenerate from their noble godly wayes God is not pleased with shadowes but with substance not with outward titles but with truth in the inward parts If then Psal 51. thou wilt boast of thine honourable Kindred labour strive endevour that thou mayest glory and say That God is thy Father the Church thy Mother Christ Iesus thy elder Brother that is most High Holy Honourable Kindred Thus much for the Person writing his Name his Calling his Kindred THE SECOND SERMON VERS I. To them which are Called and Sanctified c. Vocation the beginning of Salvation I Am now come to the persons to whom he wrote this Epistle and they are described three wayes 1 By their Calling 2 By their Sanctification 3 By their Preservation But first they are described by their calling To them that are called saith hee The beginning of our Salvation is that wee are first called of God wee come not of our selves God calleth us Nemo venit ad Christum nisi pater traxerit Iohn 6. 44. No man commeth unto Christ except the Father draw him Et ista attractio est nostra vocatio per Evangelium Spiritum sanctum and this drawing is our calling by the Gospel and holy Spirit Caro sanguis non revelat c. Flesh and Bloud doe not reveale these Mat. 16. 17. things but God our Father by our calling in the Gospel As the Sheepheard with his whistle calleth his sheepe as the two silver trumpets called Israel to warre as the master-Bee calleth the Num. 10. whole hyve together with his humming So God calleth his Church running from him by his Word and Spirit Wisedome saith Salomon cryeth without shee uttereth her voyce in Prov. 1. 20. the streets shee calleth in the high street among the prease in the entrings of the gates and uttereth her words in the City And againe he saith Wisedome hath built her house and hewen out her seven Pillars she hath killed her Victuals drawne her Wine and prepared her Table she hath Prov. 9. 1 c. sent forth her Maidens and cryeth in the highest places of the City saying Whoso is simple let him come hither and to him that is destitute of Wisedome shee saith Come and eate of my Meat and drinke of the Christ profitable to none but to them that are called Wine that I have drawne Wisedome there is Christ Iesus who calleth us by his Gospel The lowest staffe or step of Salvation is Vocation the highest is Glorification For whom hee predestinated them also hee called and whom hee called them also hee justified and whom he justified Rom. 8. 30. them also hee glorified I speake in respect of men For with God praescientia his prescience is the first step of salvation For those which he knew before he predestinated Wee runne from God but he Rom. 8. 29. calleth us and cryeth after us as the Canaanite did after Christ hee seeketh us being lost hee calleth us being deafe he lighteneth Luke 4. 18. 1 Sam. 26. 14. us being blind hee freeth us being slaves hee healeth us being lame he quickeneth us being dead he awaketh us by his Gospell as David did Abner with his showting The top the roote the foundation and the roofe the beginning increasing and finishing of our salvation is of God Coepit perficiet Hee hath begunne and he will finish it So saith the Apostle Hee that hath begun this good worke in you will performe it untill the day of Iesus Christ Paul arrogateth nothing to himselfe but placeth himselfe in the ranck of the Wicked till God called him his words are We are by nature the children of wrath as well as others And to the Ephes 2. 3. Gal. 1. 13. 15. Galathians hee writeth thus Yee have heard of my conversation in times past in the Iewish Religion how that I persecuted the Church of God extreamely and wasted it But when it had pleased God which had separated me from my mothers womb called me by his Grace c. The Galathians were Idolaters knew not God til God called them The Ephesians were darkenesse but being called they were lux Gal. 4. 8. Ephes 5. 9. in Domino Light in the Lord The same is said of the Corinthians But what doe I light a candle at noone-day or adde legges 1 Cor. 12. to the Dromedarie who runneth most swiftly or powre water into the Sea which overfloweth or prove a knowne truth received of all men But to proceede Christ is not profitable but unto them that are called otherwise hee is as a Medicine not taken as a Plaister not applied as Meate not eaten as Light to them that are in a dungeon Hereupon saith Paul Wee preach Christ crucified to the Iewes a stumbling-blocke to the Gentiles foolishnesse but to them that are called of God the Wisedome of God and the Power of God Persius wept when he saw a Toade that hee had not given thanks to God who made him not a Toade but a Man Socrates thanked Nature that had made him a reasonable creature and not a Beast and among them a Man and not a Woman and among men an Athenian not a Thebane Philip rejoyced that
with the milke of wilde beasts If Iacob sorrowed so for Ioseph if David would have dyed for Absalom if Rachel wept for her children and would not be comforted because they were not Let the death of Christ Gen. 37. 35. 2 Sam. 17. Mat. 2. Luke 1. 75. Luke 7. Mat. 26. Psal 51. pierce our hearts and move us to holinesse and let us serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life The Lord sustaine our hearts that with Mary we may wash his feet with our teares and with Peter wee may weepe bitterly Create in us Lord a cleane heart and renue in us a right spirit Another reason is taken from our Salvation for without holinesse we cannot be saved For though wee be not saved for it yet we are not saved without it Hereupon saith the Apostle Follow peace with holinesse without the which yee cannot bee saved A Heb. 12. 14. sore a fearefull speech like the thunder in Mount Horeb which I adde the rather because men mocke at holinesse Oh say they you are holy men you are men of the Spirit you are Saints you are Sermon-men The Bastard Ismael flowted at Isaac Gal. 5. 29. 2 Sam. 6. Ier. 18. Michol skorneth at Davids dancing before the Arke the men of Anathoth did smite Ieremy with their tongue the Adversaries of Iuda jested at the people But if thou beest not holy if thou beest not a Saint thou art a divell and know that if ye Esra 4. Rom. 8. 13. Gal. 6. 8. live after the flesh ye shall dye for he that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption As Naomi said Call me not Naomi but Mara So call not these men Christians Gospellers but call them swine dogges that tread pearles under their feet call them Adders that will not be charmed call them Wolves that heare Mat. 7. Psal 58. Iohn 10. Hebr. 12. Iohn 6. not their shepheard call them Bastards and not sonnes yea call them divels as Christ called Iudas and say unto them as Christ said to Peter Come behind me Satan thou understandest not the things that bee of God but of man I marvell that the Sunne that is witnesse of these villanies standeth in the heavens that the heavens raine not downe fire and Brimstone as Gen. 19. 23. that the earth swallow them not up as Numb 16. that the creatures put not on their harnesse as Ioel 1. Lastly wee are sanctified wee must therefore be holy that our names and our natures our calling and conversation may be correspondent if then we will have part with Christ we must live after the example of Christ if wee will have Communion Causes of Sanctification The whole Trinity sanctifie with the Saints on Earth wee must bee Saints on Earth if wee will have the company of Saints in Heaven our conversation on Earth must bee heavenly Partly Wee are chosen in Christ that wee should bee holy and without blame before him and partly because the heavenly Court receiveth none but such as are pure Ephes 7. 4. Apoc. 21. 27. holy innocent David saith holinesse becommeth thy house for ever If holinesse become Gods house much more us which are the servants of his house Wel the God of peace sanctifie you throughout and I pray God that your Spirits Soules and Bodies may bee holy and harmelesse untill the comming of the Lord Iesus For all our sanctification and holinesse is from the Lord as it appeareth plainely by the words of my Text Sanctified of God the Father Causa efficiens sanctitatis the efficient cause of holinesse is God the Father Instrumentalis causa fides the instrumentall cause is Faith for Fides cor purificat Faith purifieth the heart Materialis causa the materiall cause est energia sanctitatis quae est in Act. 15. 9. Iohn 1. 16. Christo for of his fulnes we have all received even grace for grace Formalis causa the formall cause est nostra renovatio ab impuris qualitatibus ad puras integras is our renewing from impure qualities to pure and sound Finalis Dei cultus the final Gods worship to the honour of God and the edifying of our neighbour But yet observe with mee that though sanctification bee attributed to the Father yet the Sonne and the holy Ghost are not excluded for wee hold the principle of the Schoolemen Opera Trinitatis quoad extra sunt indivisa the outward workes of God are common to the whole Trinity and so are we sanctified by Father Sonne and holy Ghost yet sanctification is here ascribed to the Father as being the ground and first author thereof For the Son ne sanctifieth by meriting sanctification the holy Ghost sanctifieth by working it but the Father sanctifieth both by sending his Sonne to merit it and also by giving the holy Spirit to worke Thus Opera Trinitatis the outward workes of God are common to the whole Trinitie Sed opera Trinitatis quoad intus esse singularia the inward workes of God are singular and proper to some persons of the Trinitie Vt patri potentia filio redemptio spiritu sanctificatio tribuitur as power is ascribed to the Father redemption to the Sonne sanctification to the holy Ghost and yet these three now and then bee attributed to all the three persons Quod Vrsinus servato ordine agendi for as the Father and the holy Ghost doe redeeme and yet mediately by the Sonne so the Father and the Sonne doe sanctifie yet mediately by the Holy Ghost The proper or incommunicable workes of the Trinity are the inward eternall and hypostaticall properties as thus Pater generat the Father begetteth the Sonne is begotten and the holy Ghost proceedeth Distinction of persons in the Trinitie and yet the Father is not the Sonne nor the Sonne the Father nor the holy Ghost either Father or Sonne The other workes of the Trinity are indivisible how soever sometimes distinct as Creation to the Father Redemption to the Sonne Sanctification to the holy Ghost Peter Martyr sayth thus Pater ut fons filius ut flumen spiritus ut rivus ab utroque procedens The Father as the Fountaine the Sonne as the flood the Spirit as the River proceeding from them both The fountaine is not the flood nor the flood the fountaine nor the river either fountaine or flood and yet all these bee one water So the Father is not the Sonne nor the Sonne the Father nor the Spirit either Father or Sonne and yet but one God Et hi tres sanctificant and all these three sanctifie quoth Lactantius Ab uno omnia per unum omnia in uno omnia a quo per quem in quo omnia unus a se unus ab uno unus ab ambobus una tamen eadem operatio All things from one all things by one all things in one from whom by whom and in whom are all things one of himselfe one from one one from both and yet one
of their cruell affections are called by the name of beasts but Christ by his Spirit shal so reforme them and work in them such mutuall peace and unity that they shall bee as Lambes favouring and loving one another and cast away all their cruell affections And againe the Prophet speaking of the Kingdome of Christ saith They shall breake their swords into mattocks and their speares into sithes Nation shall not lift up a sword against Nation neither Mich. 4. 3 4. shall they learne to fight any more but they shall sit every man under his Peace both good and pleasant Vine and under his Fig-tree and none shall make them afraid meaning that peace and unity shall flourish among them and division and dissention shall be utterly banished Our God is the God of peace the Divell on the contrary is Heb. 13. 20. the Author of all dissention it was he that caused division between Abimelech and the men of Sichem Hee was a murtherer Ind. 9. 23. from the beginning But God is the Author of peace Litigiosi Iohn 6. 44. ergo non sunt ex Deo Contentious persons therefore are not of God For God is not the author of confusion but of peace Peace is one fruit of the Spirit so saith the Apostle The fruits of the Spirit 1 Cor. 14. 33. are love joy peace c. but no peace no Spirit of God Paul is not earnester in any thing than in moving men to imbrace peace Writing to the Philippians he saith thus If there be any Phil. 2. 1 2. consolation in Christ if any comfort of Love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any compassion and mercy fulfill my joy that ye be like minded having the same love being of one accord and of one judgement that nothing bee done through contention or vaine-glory c. And againe I pray Phil. 4. 2. Evodias and beseech Syntiches that they bee of one accord in the Lord. This was Christs Ave and Vale ever Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you Dulce nomen pacis res ipsa tum jucunda tum salutaris the very name of peace is sweet and comfortable the fruit and effect thereof pleasant and profitable Innumeris potior triumphis more to bee desired than innumerable Triumphes This blessed peace is the language of heaven the Angels brought it from heaven Glory in the highest heavens to God in earth peace towards Luke 2. men good will This is the Legacy which Christ bequeathed to his Disciples Pacem meam do vobis My peace I give unto Iohn 20. 19. you this was the usuall salutation of the Iewes Shenim Vbenim peace be unto you this is one of those speciall blessings which all the Apostles in all their salutations pray for Grace bee with you and peace this David commendeth O quà m bonum quà m Gal. 1. 9. jucundum O how good and pleasant a thing it is for Brethren to dwell together in unity it is not bonum non jucundum good Psal 133. 1. and not pleasant or jucundum non bonum pleasant and not good but bonum jucundum good and pleasant There bee some things that be bona sed non jucunda good and not pleasant as patience and discipline some things be jucunda sed non bona pleasant but not good as voluptuousnesse carnall pleasure some things are nec bona nec jucunda neither good nor pleasant as envie worldly sorrow c. and there be some things bona iucunda which are both good and pleasant as peace honesty charity This peace Christ commendeth to his Disciples Have salt in your selves and have peace one with another this was a Mar. 13. peece of the blessing which God taught the high Priest that God would grant them his peace When GOD would have a Numb 6. 6. Temple builded for his worship he would not have it in Davids 2 Sam. 7. 5. time because it was troublesome and full of Warre but in the Contention cause of Destruction dayes of Salomon who is interpreted Rex pacis the King of Peace When Christ came into the World it was in the dayes of Augustus when the whole World was at Peace and Christ is the corner Luke 2. stone making peace among men Tale bonum est bonum pacis Aug. ut in rebus creatis nihil gratiosius soleat audiri nihil delectabilius concupisci nihil utilius possideri such and so great a good is the good of Peace that among al the things created nothing is heard of more acceptable nothing desired which is more delectable nothing possessed more profitable Peace is the sweetest harmony that ever sounded the strongest bond that ever united politicall bodies together the chiefest prop pillar preservative of common wealths Cum alii sunt pacem recipientes alii retinentes alii facientes when some embrace Peace others retaine it others make it Let us therefore Brethren Bee diligent to keepe the unity of the Ephes 4. 3 4 5. spirit in the bond of peace being one body and one spirit even as wee are called into one hope of our calling For there is but one Faith one Baptisme one God and Father over all which is above all through all and in us all For contention breedeth division and division is the mother of destruction here and ever hereafter here it impoverisheth us so saith the Apostle If yee barke one at another and bite one another yee shall at last bee devoured one of another the end of Gal. 5. 15. barking is biting the end of contention is consumption the end of dissention destruction This Christ layeth out by two similitudes saying Every Kingdome divided against it selfe shall be Mat. 12. 25. brought to nought and every Citie or House divided against it selfe cannot stand hereafter it damneth us For unto them that are contentious and disobey the truth and obey unrighteousnesse shall bee Indignation and Wrath Tribulation and Anguish c. Herein the Divels are wiser than Men Est Daemonum legio concors there is an agreement among Aug. the Divels In Mary Magdalen of seven in another of a whole leagion and Christ saith That if Sathan cast out Sathan hee is divided against himselfe and how shall his Kingdome indure The Divels Mat. 12. 26. Luke 11. 15. agree in mischiefe and they all obey one head to do a mischiefe Conyes are but small things yet joyning together they overthrow the Isles of Anaph Maiorica and Minorica The Cranes are not great but being conjoyned they beate the Pigmae Herrings are but little yet their forces being put together overturne a great ship Gnats are but small creatures yet many being united together drave backe Iulian the Apostata Rats are not great yet many of them together devoured Hatto of Moguncia Hist. tripart Our bodies stand of foure contrary Elements Fire Water Ayre Earth but because they are
Naboth wold not deliver up the vineyard of his fathers he must not deliver up the vineyard of the Lord. 1 Reg. 21. Here note three things 1 That Faith is a gift 2 That it is once given 3 That it is given unto the Saints And first that faith is a gift it is evident by the Apostles owne words where he calleth Christ The author and finisher of our faith as the Athenians were called Inventrices perfectrices omnium doctrinarum the inventers and perfecters of all good learning The Hebr. 12. 2. Romanes had their learning from the Grecians the Grecians from the Aegyptians and the Aegyptians from the Chaldees and they from Adam Seth Noah the old Patriarchs but the Church 1 Cor. 2. 22. Act. 7. 222. hath all her learning religion faith from God he gave it at the first and he confirmed it at the least He gave some to be Apostles some Prophets and some Evangelists some Pastours and teachers for gathering together of the Saints for the worke of the ministerie and for the edification Faith diversly taken of the body of Christ till wee meete together in the unitie of faith and knowledge of the Sonne of God c. Luke having spoken of Stephens faith noteth the cause of it that is that Stephen was full of the Spirit Ephes 4. 11. Act. 7. 55. Gal. 5. 22. 1 Cor. 12. 9. Rom. 3. 3. For God worketh it by his Spirit All good workes are the fruits of the Spirit therefore faith The fruits of the spirit are love ioy peace long-suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith c. and it is reckoned up among the gifts of the spirit To another is given faith saith the Apostle by the same spirit But faith is in the Scriptures diversly taken sometimes it is given to God and it signifieth his faithfulnesse in his promises In this sense the Apostle useth the word saying Shall their unbeleefe make the faith of God of none effect when it is given to man it is taken seven manner of wayes First it is taken for Fidelity as it is a vertue in the second Mat. 23. 23. table So Christ useth the word where speaking to the Pharisees he saith Yee tythe Mint Anise and Commin and leave the weightie matters of the Law as iudgement and mercie and faith Secondly It is taken for the doctrine of faith and Christian Religion so it is said Many were added unto the faith that is to Act. 6. 7. Christian Religion And againe God opened the doore of faith unto the Gentiles that is of Religion Act. 14. 27. Thirdly It is taken for profession of religion thus Elimas is Act. 13. 8. charged To turne the Deputie from the Faith that is to make no more profession of Religion Fourthly It is taken for Christ himselfe by a Metonymie who is both the object and cause of faith So the Apostle useth the word saying But after that faith is come wee are no longer under a Gal. 325. schoole-master Fifthly It is taken for knowledge only and thus the Divels are said to beleeve Sixthly It is taken for the gift of working miracles If I had 1 Cor. 13. 2. all faith so that I could move mountaines c. Lastly It is taken for that grace by which felicity and the chiefe good is applied and thus it is taken in my Text. And this the Apostle Paul cals the faith of Gods elect For none but the elect have it al the elect have it at one time or another and once had it can never be finally and totally lost but it continueth with them till they come to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the living then they shall have no more need of it It is therfore called Saving faith because it brings us to salvation Ephes 2. 8. And Iustifying faith because it is that meanes or instrument which Gods spirit worketh in us whereby wee apply unto our selves Christ Iesus in and by whom wee are iustified And Sanctifying faith because by it God purifieth our hearts This saving iustifying sanctifying faith is Gods gift for hee is the Authour of this faith From whom every good gift and every perfect gift commeth And that which is said of Lydia is true The meanes to beget faith of all the faithfull That the Lord opened the heart of Lydia so that shee beleeved And Christ saith This is the worke of God that yee beleeve not the worke of the Father alone or of the Sonne alone Iam. 1. 17. Iohn 6. 29. or of the Holy Ghost alone but of the whole Trinity For this is one of the workes of God which are said to bee Ad extra and therefore attributed to all the three persons To the first where Christ saith No man can come unto me that is beleeve except the Iohn 6. 44. Father draw him to the second where the Apostle calleth Iesus The author and finisher of our faith to the third where the Apostle reckoneth faith amongst the fruits of the spirit And the onely Hebr. 12. 2. thing that moved God to worke this precious gift in us is his meere good will So saith our Saviour It is so Father because thy good pleasure was such And the end at which he aymed in working Mat. 11. 26. this grace is first the setting forth of his owne glory secondly the salvation of mankinde and therefore S. Peter calleth salvation The end of our Faith 1 Pet. 1. 9. This doctrine serveth to humble us to let us see that it is not in our power that faith is not hereditary God beginneth it and increaseth it and finisheth it The Apostles prayed Lord increase Luk. 17. our faith The meanes to get this â—aith is double Outward Inward The outward meane is the word hereupon saith the Apostle How shall they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard Rom. 10. 14. Rom. 10. 8. and thereupon thus concludeth faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the Word of God and hereupon it is called The Word of faith And Paul saith of the Ephesians that they beleeved After they Ephes 1. 13. heard the Gospell And finely saith Chrysostome Accenditur fidei lampas igne divini verbi the lampe of our faith is lighted by the fire of the divine word And this faith is wrought in us both by reading and preaching of the word and both are commended and ordeined of God and first for reading God himselfe commandeth it and by reading S. Augustine was converted for he confesseth Deut. 3. 1. 9. of himselfe that being inclined to the heresie of the Manichees he heard a voyce saying Tolle lege take up and read meaning the booke of God which he presently did and so by reading was converted for surely the reading of the word is a meanes appointed of God to the begetting of faith and raising up the Kingdome of God in the hearts of men And to
Sabboth the Sacrifice and after tooke them away againe yee shall understand that hee gave them as figures and shadowes and therefore no mutability in the Lord The shadow must give place to the body the figure to the truth the greene blossome to the ripe fruit the seed time to the harvest So reasoneth Paul Let no man condemne you in meate and drinke or in respect of an Holy day or of the new Moone or of the Sabboths which are but a shadow of things to come but the bodie is in Christ The day-starre must give place to the Sunne-rising and that to the Sunne at Noone-day Chrysostome compareth Though types cease yet truth and substance remain ever the same the Iewes to a candle the Christians to the brightnesse of the Sunne The Iewes to the first draught of an Image in bare lines the Christians to the same Image filled up with all due proportion and furniture of colours the one to the seed-time Hom. 10. in Mat. Gal. 4. the other to the harvest and reaping of the Corne So Paul compareth the Iewes to a Child the Christians to a perfect man the same light though not in the same quantitie the same Image though not with like furniture the same corne though not growne to the like ripenesse the same person though not in the like perfection of age The Iewes note five things wanting in the Gospell and in the latter Temple that were in the first to disprove this that I have said First the fire that came downe from heaven to burne the Holocausts Secondly the glory of the Angells appearing among the Cherubins Thirdly the inspiration of Gods spirit speaking in the Prophets Fourthly the prefence of the Arke Lastly Vrim and Thummim But all this is nothing for there is now a fuller knowledge of God and greater liberty to the conscience yet the same faith still For the Fathers and we have all Col. 2. Ier. 23. 5. but one faith they beleeved that Christ should come according to Ieremies prophecie Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will raise unto David a righteous branch and a King shall raigne and prosper and shall execute iudgement and iustice in the earth We beleeve that he is come and that Christ our Passeover is sacrified for us 1 Cor. 5. 7. Esa 7. They said Virgo concipiet a maid shall conceive and bring forth a Sonne we say Virgo concepit a maide hath brought forth her Sâ—â—ne For when the dayes were accomplished that she should be delivered Luk. 2. 7. she brought forth her first begotten Sonne and wrapped him in swadling clothes and laid him in a Cratch They had sacrifices that prefigured his comming we have Sacraments that represent his comming Heb. 9. and being with us they and wee had but one light they had Lucem matutinam the moning light wee Lucem meridianam the light at noone-day Wee differ but In plus minus therefore saith Christ Blessed are the eyes that see the things that yee see Mat. 10. 24. For I tell you that many Prophets and Kings have desired to see the things that yee see and have not seene them and to heare those things that yee heare and have not heard them If any object that God giveth us daily new Paith new graces I answere that God giveth not a new a strange faith but addeth to our old faith to our old graces God increaseth faith and his graces in us but not a new a diverse faith like the Arrians that had Fidem annuam menstruam a yeerely and a monthly The Gospell immutable Traditions uncertain Faith For whom God loves hee loves to the end This also commendeth unto us the Gospell that whereas other Lawes and Doctrines are changed altered augmented and diminished Gods Law is not The Law of the Lord is perfect Iohn 13. 1. Psal 19. The Lawes of the Romanes written by Numa Pompilius in Gold The Lawes of the Athenians written by Draco in Bloud the Lawes of the Persians written in Brasse The Lawes of the Lacedemonians written in Milke were altered but Gods Lawes are not Quoad substantiam as concerning their substance Sed quoad maledictionem as concerning the curse 2 Cor. 3. All traditions therefore all Gospels of Thomas Nicodemus Thaddeus and the eternall Gospell invented in Saint Cyrils time by abusing the place in the Revelation which runneth thus I saw another Angel flying in the middest of Heaven having an Apoc. 14. 6. everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the Earth c. must fall to the ground like the house built upon the sand as also all those Revelations of the Paraclete devised by Montanus together with all those that came after the giving of the Gospell which is perfect for ever and so perfect that If any man shall adde unto it God shall adde to him the plagues that are written in Apoc. 22. 18 19. the Booke and if any man shall diminish from the words of the Prophecie of Gods Booke God shall take away his part out of the Booke of Life and out of the holy Citie c. Let us not then adde nor diminish from the Gospell being so perfect for there is but one God one Faith one Baptisme one Christian Hope once revealed Ephes 4. for all But of the late Romish traditions which have entred long since the Gospell entred one may say to Rome as Esay said to Ierusalem Thy Gold is turned into Drosse thy Wine is mixed with Water thy Seede with Cockle thou wert sometime a faithfull Esay 1. City but now become an Harlot thou wert once the house of God but now turned into a cave of theeves Thou sayest that thou art rich and increased in wealth and standest in neede of nothing Apoc. 3. 17. but thou art poore and blind and naked as God said to the Church of Laodice poore and blind and naked indeed God give them hearts to understand and eyes to see their poverty and nakednesse But to passe with this heavenly Scripture as Moses did with the people to the land of Canaan Thirdly this Faith is given to the Saints By Saints hee meaneth the children of God truely converted not because they are perfectly holy and without sinne but in these foure respects First in respect of Separation for they they are elected and gathered out of this world and joyned to Gods people and dedicated to holy services and uses Secondly In respect of Vocation and therefore the Apostle The Saints the subiects of Faith and all Graces when hee said they were sanctified he said by explication that they were Saints by calling Thirdly In respect of Regeneration because they are now new creatures 1 Cor. 1. 2. And lastly In respect of Iustification or imputation because the holinesse and sanctity of Christ is imputed unto them For men may be Saints in this life For there are Saints in Earth as well as in Heaven
Et ecce mactant boves oves They fall to killing of sheepe and Esa 22. 12 13. slaying of oxen eating flesh and drinking wine eating and drinking for to morrow we shall dye They turne praying into playing fasting into feasting mourning into mumming almesdeeds into misdeeds As Xerxes being weary of all pleasures promised rewards to the inventers of new pleasures which being invented Ipse tamen non fuit contentus he himselfe was not satisfied was not content The word here is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is derived from a towne in Pisidia called Selge built by the Lacedaemonians where all were temperate and not one drunkard the contrary whereof is named 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lasciousnesse such men sinne with an high hand All sin but these men sinne presumptuously they never pray with David Keepe thy servant from presumptuous sinnes Sinne in them raigneth Psal 19. not dwelleth contrary to the rule of the Apostle Let not sinne Rom. 6. 12. 2 Cor. 10. Ephes 4. 19. Esa 5. raigne in your mortall bodie that yee should obey it in the lusts thereof they walke not after the spirit but after the flesh they commit sinne with greedinesse they draw iniquity with cords of vanity and sinne as it were with cartropes But man with man will not reason so the sonne with his Fathers the servant with his master the subject with his Prince will the servant be vile and unfaithfull because his master is courteous unto him Absit God forbid Here I must answer one slander or challenge of the Papists they call us Libertines as Howlet and others but they take upon them to iudge betwixt us and the Libertines as the Asse tooke upon him to judge between the Cuckow the Nightingale of all others the Asse might worst doe it and of all others they may worst do it seeing most of their doctrines tend to libertie proving all men to sinne by their pardons and indulgences saying that holy water doth take away sinne that the signe of the Crosse driveth away the Divell calling with Alexander whordome adulterie incest Peccadilla little sinnes excusing the Popes theft as the theft of Israel his drunkennesse as that of Exod. 11. Gen. 9. Iudg. 15. Noah his murders as those of Samsons All their doctrines tend to libertie as their doctrine of ignorance to be the mother of devotion the doctrine of auricular confession which some learned call the Popes fishing net the doctrine of Purgatorie which Popish Doctrine tend to liberty others call the Popes milch Cow or the soule or panche of the Masse their doctrine of satisfactions that a man may be delivered out of hell by the satisfaction of others as was Traian the Pagane Emperor by the prayer and almes of Gregory What naturall man under heaven would not sinne if hee knew that the Pope could give him pardon that hee could free him from hell and purgatory So that truly if I were not a Protestant I would be a Papist if I respected the pleasure of the flesh THE NINTH SERMON VERS IV. And deny God the onely Lord and our Lord Iesus God is denyed many wayes SAint Iude having described the wicked by their hypocrisie that They creepe into the Church and by their Atheisme For hee saith they were Vngodly men and by their Licenciousnesse saying They turne the grace of God into wantonnesse hee commeth now fourthly to describe them by their Blasphemy That they deny God the onely Lord and our Lord Iesus Christ Now there bee many wayes to deny God as to deny his Attributes his Power Providence Iustice Mercy Truth Strength Eternity for these be the names of God and of the essence of God and these are denyed in the lives of most men Some deny his Power as the Proud do some his Providence as the Infidels some his Iustice as the Impenitent some his Mercy as the Desperate some his Truth as Lyars and perjured men some his Strength as the Fearefull doe Of the first sort was Pharaoh of the second sort were the Israelites of the third sort were the Libertines of the fourth was Caine the fifth were Zedeohia and the house of Saul of the last were the Iewes Pharaoh asked Who is God that Exod. 5. 2. Psal 78. 19 20 21. I should let Israel goe The Israelites distrusted God for bread Can God quoth they prepare a Table in the Wildernesse behold hee smote the Rock that the water gushed out the streames overflowed Can hee give bread also and prepare flesh for his people Of the third sort Outward professiō nothing without inward integritie were the Libertines Which turne the grace of God into wantonnesse Of the fourth sort was Cain my sin is greater than can bee forgiven Vpon whom Augustine replyeth finely Mentiris Cain mentiris in gutture major est Dei misericordia Cain thou lyest thou lyest in thy Iude 4. Gen. 4. Aug. throat greater is Gods Mercy than any mans Iniquity of the fifth was Zedechias who forswore himselfe and had therfore first his children slaine before his Face then his own eyes put out and lastly he was carryed away prisoner into Babylon of the last sort were the Iews who relyed upon the Egyptians Now who offendeth 2 Reg. 25. Esa 31. not in one of these or most of these But especially wee deny God in our lives in our deeds thus the Cretians deny him They professed they knew God but by workes they did deny him and were abominable disobedient and unto every Tit. 1. 16. Tit. 2. 3. 5. good worke reprobate and so are we wee have a shew of Godlinesse but wee have denyed the Power thereof I say of Professors as Paul said of the Iewes He is not a Iew that is one outward neither is that Circumcision which is outward in the Flesh but hee is a Iew that is Rom. 2. 28. 29. one within and the Circumcision of the heart is the true Circumcision So hee is not a Christian that is one outward but hee is a Christian that is one within that serveth God in Spirit and in Truth And if wee will serve God truly these Divels must be cast out of us that are in us and wee must say unto them as Christ said to Peter Come behinde me Sathan videl the Divels of Avarice Pride Envie Malice c. Which have filled our hearts Mat. 16. 23 as they filled the heart of Andnias The profession of God is knowne by the fruits of it as fire is discerned by the smoke that commeth out of the Chimney as life is discerned by the motion of Man On the contrary if a man would perswade us Act. 5. 3. that there is fire where as there is no heat or that there were life in a carcasse that never moved wee would not beleeve him so beleeve not him that speaketh of God and liveth not in God This is an Axiom in Divinitie that all Adulterers Swearers Theeves Vsurers deny God
whatsoever they pretend in words Quid dicta audiam cum facta videam what doe I heare thee talke when I see thy deeds Not every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdome of Heaven saith Christ but he that Mat. 7. 23. doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven Those men are come to the height of sin For there be sixe degrees of sin first Neglectus Ephes 4. 2 Thes 2. Rom. 1. Esa 40. notitiae Dei the neglect of the knowledge of God the second is Execatio execation blindnesse the third is Idolatry a fruit of execation of blindnesse the fourth outragious wickednesse the effect of idolatry the fifth a reprobate mind the sixth the fruits of a reprobate mind that is an universall injustice in all their workes for they deny God in every worke The wicked deny God and yet all his creatues declare him and Psal 19. 1. that foure wayes saith Hemingius in his Enchiridion First In the Varietie of them They that here feele not Gods graces shall feele his power Secondly In the Vtility of them Thirdly In the Order of Creation And fourthly In the End of their Creation The first declareth his Power The second his Iustice The third his Wisedome The last his Glory Seeing all things are made for man it cannot bee but man is made for another and that is God onely but the wicked shall find God and feele God when it is too late though here they doe deny him Therefore Hemingius distinguisheth of Gods presence that it is fourefold A presence of Power in all men even in the Reprobate a presence of Grace even in the Elect only a presence of glory in the Angels Saints departed and an hypostaticall presence of the Father with the Sonne Quoad essentiam as touching his essence The wicked that deny God here shall feele his power one day and say Wee have erred from the way of Truth the light of Righteousnesse hath not shined unto us Wis 5 6. 7. and the Sunne of Vnderstanding rose not upon us We have wearied our selves in the wayes of wickednesse and destruction and wee have gone through dangerous wayes but wee have not knowne the wayes of the Lord c. Thus God complained of Israel and Iuda saying They have grievosly trespassed against me saith the Lord they have denyed the Lord and said It is not hee c. Thus may wee complaine Therefore Ier. 5. 11. 12. I say to England as hee said to Iuda O daughter of my people gird thee with Sackcloth and wallow thy selfe in the ashes make lamentation and bitter mourning as for thine onely sonne for the destroyer shall suddenly come upon us They deny the onely God c. God here is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the onely God to note the Trinity in Vnity there is one God one Essence of the three persons Deus unus trinus unus Essentia trinus Hierom. personis God is one and three one in Essence and three in persons Thus Moses taught Israel The Lord our God is Lord onely Deut. 6. 4. Malachi asketh the Iewes if one God hath not created them As if hee should say yee know well enough for the question Mal. 2. 10. is more Emphaticall than a simple proposition In this point Paul noteth a great difference betwixt the Christians and the Heathen saying Though there be many that are called gods in Heaven or in Earth as there bee many gods and many Lords yet unto us 1 Cor. 8. 6 7. there is but one God which is the Father of whom are all things and wee in him and one Lord Iesus Christ by whom are all things and wee by him Againe hee speaketh of the Deitie as of the Mediatorship Vnus Deus unus Mediator c. There is one God and one Mediator 1 Tim. 6. betweene God and Man even the Man Christ Iesus And a number of vnities he commendeth to the Ephesians There is one Body andone Spirit one hope of your Vocation there is one Lord one Faith Ephes 4. 4 5 6. one Baptisme one God and Father over all c. We must neither confound Many resemblances to illustrate the Vnity and Trinitie the persons nor divide the Essence but hold the plurality of persons and the unity of the Essence The Heathen thought it impossible for one God to governe this great world therefore they made one God for Heaven as Iupiter another for Hell as Pluto one for Bread as Ceres another for Wine as Bacchus one for the Sea as Neptune another for the Winde as Aeolus one for Learning as Minerva another for Merchandize as Mercury Thus the Heathen vowed Tenths to Hercules that they might be rich they killed a Cock to Aesculapius that they might recover their health they sacrificed a Bull to Neptune that they might saile prosperously But what doe I name the Heathen when the Papists multiplied to themselves many gods they prayed to Sebastian for helpe from the Plague to Anthony for the Gangrene to Patronilla for Agues to Apolonia for the Touth ache to Benedict for the Stone to Hubert for the biting of a madde Dog yea they have made a severall God for every Countrey as Saint George for England Saint Iaques for Spaine Saint Dennis for France Saint Patricke for Ireland Saint Palladius for Scotland Yea for every beast a severall God as Loye for Horses Anthony for Pigges Wendeline for Sheepe But their madnesse is evident to all 2 Tim. 3. 9. men If they say they make not these Gods I aske why pray they unto them How shall they call on him in whom they have not beleeved But wee beleeve in God alone therefore must we pray to Rom. 10. 14. him alone There is but one Sunne in the Heavens one Phaenix in Arabia one master-Bee in an Hyve one Pilot in a Ship one God in the World The Trinity of Persons the Fathers have shadowed forth unto us by divers similitudes as in the Rainebow in which is one substance namely the cloud and yet three differences which thou art not able to discerne In the Fountain where there is Scaturigo the boyling or rising up of the water out of the Spring Rivus the River Stagnum and the Poole In the Minde where there is Intellectus Vnderstanding Voluntas the Will Memoria and the Memory In the Soule where there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Soule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Minde and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Spirit and yet there bee not three Mindes nor three Soules but one Minde and one Soule but three powers in the Minde and Soule In the Sun where there is Corpus the Body Calor Heate Splendor Light or Brightnesse and yet not three Sunnes but three distinct things in the Sunne The Orthodoxe Fathers said truely and wisely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One Godhead and one God in Trinity and Trinity in Vnity And God is
three not by composition of parts but by coexistence of persons The Iewes also note in the verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bara the mysterie of the Trinity by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beth the Sonne by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Resh Ruah the Spirit by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aleph Ab the Father Christ is many wayes divided But this holy mystery is more clearely taught by Moses Gen. 3. 22. Againe They deny Christ of which sort there bee many The Iewes deny that he is come the Pagans deny that ever he will come the Turkes confesse that hee is come but yet as a man not as a God inferiour to their Mahomet the Papists confesse in words that hee is come but in truth denying the person of Christ making his body every where that is no where yea many have denyed Christ and robbed the Creator to give to the Creature the Italians ascribe all to the Pope the Irish to Saint Patrick the Scots to Palladius the Russians to Saint Nicholas Munster in Cosmog and the Calicutes to the Divell But to speake orderly men deny Christ many wayes Some deny his Divinity as the Arrians some his Humanitie as the Vbiquetaries some his Natures by renting them a sunder as the Nestorians who make two Christs one the sonne of God another the sonne of Mary some deny them by confounding them as Eutiches Qui dixit humanitatem a divinitate absorptam esse which said that his Humanity was swallowed up of his Divinity some deny him by concealing him in time of persecution as the Nichodemites doe A Sect against which we are to lift up our voyces like Trumpets for He that denyeth Christ in Earth Mat. 10. 33. before men shall be denyed in Heaven before Angels For this cause they of Ephesus are said not to have denyed Christ but to have suffered for his sake and to have laboured without fainting And Apoc. 2. 3. they of Pergamos are said not to have denyed Christ For though their habitation was where Sathans throne is yet they professed his name and not denyed the faith Remember that the fearefull are placed with Vriah in the forefront in the vauntguard Apoc. 2. 13. of the damned so saith Saint Iohn The fearefull and unbeleeving and the abominable and murtherers and whoremongers and sorcerers and Idolaters and all lyars shall have their part Apoc. 21. 8. in the Lake that burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second Death On the contrary Righteous men are compared to Lions which feare no colours so saith Salomon The wicked flee when Prov. 28. 1. Luke 8. 1 Pet. 1. none pursueth him but the Righteous are as bold as a Lion on the other side its naughty ground that will be scorched with heat it is drosse not gold that will bee melted in the fire it is counterfeit not right Balme that will not abide the water it is a bastard Eagle that soareth not to the Sunne Hee is a Coward Exod. 19. not a Souldier that shrinketh in the battell Hee is an Infidell and not a Christian that denyeth Christ in persecution For one Faith is named one Profession Hold fast saith the Apostle the Profession of your hope without wavering And againe Heb. 10. 23. Heb. 3. 1. Consider the Apostle and high Priest of your Profession Christ Iesus Much Profession much Faith no profession no Faith Christ is denied when the efficacie of his death is denied But chiefely we deny the Lord Iesus two wayes First by denying the sufficiencie of his death as the Galathians did and as the Iews did and as our Papists now who will not let Christ be a Saviour alone but they joyne workes with him but all workes are accursed so saith the Apostle As many as are of the workes Gal. 2. Rom. 10. Gal. 3. 10. of the Law that is thinke to bee justified by them are under the Curse Secondly wee deny the Lord Iesus by denying the efficacie or vertue of his Death not dying unto sinne Therefore Awake thou that sleepest and stand up from Death that Christ may give thee Ephes 5. 14. Light For as the Sunne doth not warme all whom it lighteneth as the people under the North Pole who have the Sun sixe moneths together and yet freeze so the Spirit of God doth not cause all to feele the vertue of his Death whom hee illuminateth with the knowledge of his death Such are our Atheists the former are Papists the later are Atheists and both deny Christ The profession of Christ standeth not in words but in deeds not in tongue but in heart not in opinion but in life The Apostle nameth a true Knowledge for many know not God truely Saint Peter calleth it an Idle knowledge distinguishing of knowledge that it is Operans otiosa a working and an idle 2 Pet. 2. 8. knowledge for some carrie Christ in their mouth and braine as perfume in a Pomander without smell as a sword in a scabbard without cutting as fire in a flint without heat But this I will say to thee in the sight of God and his Angels that if thou doest not dye to sinne and rise againe by a new life if thou doest not kill sinne in thee as Murder Whoredome Malice covetousnesse Vsury Pride Drunkennesse c. thou doest neither beleeve the Death nor the Resurrection of Iesus Christ So saith Paul Know yee not that all wee which have beene baptized into Iesus Christ have beene baptized into his Death And againe If wee Rom. 6. 3 5 6. be grafted with him to the similitude of his Death even so shall wee be to the similitude of his Resurrection Knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sinne might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sinne And Saint Iohn the disciple whom Iesus loved and which leaned on his breast at supper saith Hereby are wee sure that wee know him if wee keepe his Commandements hee that saith hee knoweth him and keepeth not his Commandements is a 1 Iohn 2. 4 5. Lyar and the Truth is not in him This Death unto sinne and Resurrection to newnesse of life Paul calleth it the vertue of his Death The vertue of his Resurrection The stone Dioscorides is nothing Phil. 3. 10. in the mouth of a dead man And all knowledge of Christ is nothing in a carnall man The death of Christ truely beleeved will cause thee to dye unto sinne and the Resurrection of Christ will cause the dead body to rise unto eternall life and the dead minde to an holy life So saith the Apostle If yee The Papists deny the offices of Christ by consequence bee risen with Christ seeke the things that are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God set your affections upon Heavenly things and not upon Earthly for yee are dead and your life is hid in God c. The Iewes know Christ but not truly
fell from Angels to Divels For their sinne of Apostacy was great it cryed to God for vengeance The Lord Iesus noteth this Apostacy in them to shew that their sinne was not by creation but by wilfull corruption Hereupon saith our Saviour to the Iewes You are of your father the divell and the lusts of your father doe yee he abode not in the truth It followeth then that Iohn 8 44. he was once in the truth and that he was not created evill This Apostacy in some case joyned with wilfulnesse and malice is not to be prayed for So saith Saint Iohn the Disciple whom Iesus loved If any man see his brother sin a sinne that is not unto death let him aske and he shall give life for them that sinne not to death There 1 Iohn 5. 16. is a sinne unto death I say not that thou shouldst pray for it Some Apostacies cannot be renewed For it is impossible that they which have been once lightned and have tasted of the heavenly gift and were Heb. 6. 4 5 6. made partakers of the holy Ghost and have tasted of the good Word of God and of the powers of the world to come If they fall away should be renewed by repentance seeing they crucifie againe to themselves the Sonne of God and make a mocke of him For certainely they that are Apostataes and sinne against the Holy Ghost hate Christ crucifie and mocke him but to their owne destruction and therefore fall into desperation and cannot repent Indeed there is no sin but by repentance may be forgiven but they that sinne against the Holy Ghost which some affirme to be Apostasia aut negatio Christi Apostacy or the denying of Christ it shall not be forgiven â—â—â—lla in Luc. 12. 10. Quia directè obviant principio per quod fit remissio peccatorum because they are directly and plainely opposite and contrary to that whereby remission of sinnes is obtained that is unto repentance And this is the cause saith Augustine why God hath redeemed men and not Angels for that they sinned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from within and of themselves maliciously and rebelliously man sinned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from without and by provocation And this is Christs death saves only men not Angels the cause saith Augustine why Moses wrote nothing of the fall of Angels he named not their wound because he would not name their medicine Sed hominis vulnus medicinam narravit but he hath shewed man his wound and medicine also for that Aug. lib. de mirab Script cap. 2. God would restore him againe Humanam ergo naturam non Angelicam sumpsit Christus quoth Athanasius therefore he tooke the nature of man not the nature of Angels according to that of Athanasius the Apostle He in no sort tooke the Angels but hee tooke the seed of Abraham Quia Angeli per se defecerunt à Deo because the Angels of themselves fell from God Therefore the promise of the Messiah was made onely to man not to Angels The grace of GOD that Tit. 2. 11. bringeth salvation to all men hath appeared Grace saveth men not Angels For these Angels that fell have no benefit by Christs death he came not to save them for their sinnes are not pardonable But the cause of mercy I leave to God onely the father of mercies These are but conjectures of Augustine and Athanasius In the meane time Dorbels reasons are too weake to prove that men shall bee punished in hell more deeply than these Angels that fell His first reason is Quia Deus nunquam pro illis passus est ut pro nobis that God never suffered so much for them as for us His second reason is Quia Angeli pro uno tantum peccato puniuntur nos saepe deliquimus the Angels fell by one sinne only man by many sinnes hee offendeth oft His third reason is Quia daemones sunt spiritus tantum nos autem corpore anima peccamus that the bad Angels the Divels be spirits onely but men have both bodies and spirits But these reasons are vanishing as the untimely dew unsavoury as the white of an egge brittle as the webbe of a spider Hee spake as Phormio spake before Hannibal Rem magis delirantem nunquam legi I never read a more doating thing But to proceed my meaning is not that all Apostacy is sinne against the Holy Ghost for every Apostacy is not uncurable every fall of man is not damnable as the fall of Angels yet it is dangerous for he that settetb his hand to the plough and looketh back Luke 9. 62. is not fit for the Kingdome of God And Christ said to the sicke man Behold thou art made whole sinne no more lest a worse thing happen unto Iohn 5. 14. thee Thus all Apostacy is dangerous though not damnable for if damnable what shall become of the godly themselves for they often fall from the Lord slide backe and decrease in the graces of God They keepe not their first estate which was the sinne of the Angels Ephesus lost her first love but I would our Church were like it for Ephesus hated the evil wee hate the good Apoc. 2. 4. they examined the false Apostles wee examine none they suffered Luke 12. 45. persecution we persecute others we smite our fellow servants Iulian the Christian is become Iulian the Apostata and Simon Peter is become Simon Magus Ioseph is become Pharoah grapes are turned into thornes figs into thistles Lambes into Lions and Doves There must be a perpetuall growth in grace and goodnesse into Serpents We are fallen from our first love every day lesse and lesse zealous lesse and lesse loving lesse and lesse religious than heretofore we have been Memento Anglia memento Norfolcia unde excideris Remember England remember Norfolke whence thou art fallen Revertere revertere Returne returne saith the Lord Ier. 3. 14. for I am your Lord and will bring you to Sion Let us follow the counsell of the Wise man In the morning sow thy seed and in the evening Eccles 11. 6. let not thine hand rest that is increase in goodnesse doe good in Gal. 6. 6. thy youth doe good in thine age yea doe good at all times be not weary of sowing be not weary of working the seed-time is nothing the harvest is all in all To doe good in youth is nothing to doe well in middle age is nothing but to continue in old age to the last gaspe is piety indeed When a righteous man saith the Prophet turneth away from his righteousnesse and committeth Ezech. 18. 26. iniquity he shall even dye for the same hee shall even die for his iniquity that he hath committed aswell may we drowne in the Havens mouth as in the middest of the boisterous Sea aswell may wee fall through the peevishnesse of age as through the lusts and concupiscence of youth Of many it may be
alike in all fulnesse of light and glory immortall spirits glorious creatures The Angels being chiefe of all creatures as the Sunne among Planets as the Eagle among Fowles and the Lion among Beasts the Whale among Fishes Angels are the first and Men Psal 8. 5. Mat. 22. 30. are next in glory Hee made Man a little lower than the Angels and Christ saith that wee shall bee like them in the last day like them being exempted from the infirmities of this present life The second time is the constancy of the good and the fall of the bad Angels from this time there hath beene diversitie among them The good abide in their first estate of Innocency serving God day and night according to that of Daniel A thousand Dan. 7. 10. Heb. 1. 14. Mat. 18. Psa 34. 1 Pet. 1. 12. 2 Pet. 2. 4. thousand minister unto him And the Apostle calleth them ministring spirits They see the face of their heavenly Father They keepe good men as David saith The Angels of the Lord pitch their tents round about them that feare him they rejoyce in the Church meetings On the contrary the evill Angels suffer paines they are cast downe from their state and are thrust downe into Hell and are tyed in chaines of darkenesse to be kept unto damnation they are deprived of the sight of God and of Christ and if at any time they Iob 1. 2 Cor. 18. stand appeare before God they stand appeare before an angry Iudge not a milde merciful Father And thirdly they are sent about sordid foule workes as to hurt destroy the Vessels of wrath Whereupon saith David He cast upon them the furiousnesse Psal 78. 49. of his wrath and vexation by sending out of evill Angels and his captives hee detaineth in their malice so that they cannot come out of the snare of the Devil but are holden of him at his wil Divers appellations of Angels they hinder the good what they can as they hindred Pauls journy to Rome Fourthly they are obdurate so hardned as they have no hope of instauration or repairing those gifts which they had 2 Tim. 2. 26. Rom. 1. 13. by nature they doe abuse to the dishonour of God and hurt of man seeking continually to devour him The third time is of the last Iudgement For then the joy of 1 Pet. 3. 8. the good shall bee more full for the glorie of Christ unto whom all things shall be subject and the judgement of the evill Hos 13. Luke 4. 34. more grievous and therefore the devils cried out in the Gospel Art thou come to torment us before our time These times doe agree and accord to us The first time of the Angels agreeth to Mans nativity the second time to Mans Iustification the third to his Glorification And note here that Angels were not evill by creation but by transgression therefore there are many names given them in the Scripture to shew and declare their depravation their corruption they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 accusers for their calumnies and Ephes 6. Mat. 6. 1 Thes 3. 1 Pet. 5. Apoc. 12. slanders and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 evill ones for their malice Tempters for their suggestion Lions for their ferity in devouring Dragons for their cruelty Some say they were called Devils A scientia from their knowledge and understanding Others say they were so called ob naturae excellentiam for the excellency of their nature The Maniches and Priscillianists An. Dom. 200. and Anno 209. did very strongly maintaine that the Devils were created of an evill God but Christ confuteth them when hee said unto the Iewes You are of your father the Devill and the Iohn 8. 44. Workes of your father will ye doe he hath been a murtherer from the beginning and abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him Fuit in veritate sed non fletit in ea hee was in the truth but hee abode not in it As for their names Iude calleth them Angels The countrey men call them Satyres The women call them fairies The Poets call them Dryades and Hamadryades The nobles call them familiars The Phylosophers call them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but all these names note but one thing By their fall they are Devils full of malice This state that Iude here nameth is the state of Grace by grace they stood from grace they fell They kept not their first estate By the way observe with mee that the good Angels are not said to bee justified or reconciled unto God because they sinne not but they are called Elect Angels I charge thee before God 1 Tim. 5. 21. and the Lord Iesus Christ and the elect Angels saith Paul to Timothy Now election is by grace because that by the grace of God they are which they are The place therefore in the Epistle of Paul to the Colossians where hee saith For it pleased the father that in him that is Christ all fulnesse should dwell and by him to reconcile Col. 1. 19 20. all things unto himselfe and to set at peace through the blood of his Crosse both the things on earth and the things in heaven Bona cum Christ is not the Redeemer of Angels but their head Calvini pace by master Calvins good leave is not referred to the Angels but to the soules of the Saints which then were in heaven Christ is said to be the head of the Angels but not the Redeemer of them nor the husband of them To speake properly The marriage in the Revelation is betwixt Christ and man not Apoc. 19. betweene CHRIST and Angels for hee tooke not their nature neither can it be said of Christ and Angels that they are two in one flesh Yet are they one with Christ in another respect for hee is the head of Angels and Christ giveth unto them life Heb. 2. 16. Ephes 1. 22. grace and wisdome as to all the faithful and so are Membra Christi ecclesiae nobiscum Yet Calvin thinketh otherwise of the aforenamed place to the Colossians using these two reasons Angeli inquit non erant extra periculum lapsus The Angels saith he Col. 1. 20. were not without danger of falling And furthermore he saith that the justice of Angels was not answerable to the justice of God to satisfie it fully Behold saith Iob he found no stedfastnesse in Iob 4. 18. his servants and laid folly upon his angels But to expound this place of the divell saith he frigidum est it hath so cold a sent that it cannot be perceived As for the time of the fall of these Angels as I will not bee curious so it is like that they fell betwixt the creation of the second day and the seventh day quoth Fenner their fall could not be long after the creation because Heva espied not the serpents Fenner method in methodum Theolog. lib. 3. cap.
like a Serpent and hurt like a Cockatrice Thine eyes shall looke upon strange Women and thy heart shall speake lewde things c. Fulnesse of bread that is Epicurisme was one of the sinnes of Sodom and no doubt it was a hand to pull uncleanenesse the sooner upon them Raine engendreth Ezech. 16. Snow so Epicurisme engendreth whoredom Paul exhorting to a Christian life beginneth with sobriety as the first staffe of the Tit. 2. 12. ladder for hee that liveth not soberly to himselfe will not live righteously with men nor holily with God Saint Peter speaking of the last day beginneth with sobriety as an helpe to prayer and to all Christian vertues This hee learned of his 1 Pet. 4. 7. Master who gave this covenant to all To take heede to your selves Luke 21. 34. lest at any time your hearts bee not overcome with surfeiting and drunkennesse Paul reckoneth drunkennesse among the workes of the flesh which exclude us out of the Kingdome of Heaven As no Gal. 5. 20. Numb 5. Iudg. 12. Iudg. 7. Deut. 23. Aug. 1 Tim. 5. Leper might bee in the campe of Israel as no Gileadite might passe over Iordan as no fearefull man might enter into the warres of Madian as no bastard might enter into the Sanctuarie so no Drunkard no Epicure shall enter into Heaven A Drunkard an Epicure is Dead being alive as Paul said of the wanton Widowes a voluntary divell and uncurable disease a breach unrepairable a common opprobrie of mankinde of all sinners wee see fewest drunkards reformed the Adulterer may become chaste a thiefe a true man the swearer have a sanctified tongue but these come seldome to Repentance Wee should eate to live and live to praise the Lord but wee live to eate and drinke Sardanapalus his Epitaph might bee graven on our tombes Haec habeo quae edi quaeque exaturata libido hausit c. for our belly is our God our kitchen our Religion Phil. 3. 18. our altar our dresser our Minister our Cooke our whole felicitie in eating and drinking most mens bodies are as spunges to receive all liquor their throats open sepulchres their bellies graves to burie all Gods creatures there is not that bird that flyeth that fish that swimmeth that beast that moveth that is not buried in their bodies the earth is weary of such unprofitable burdens the creatures by them abused will bee a witnesse against them as Saint Iames speaketh in another case from the French the Spaniards and Turke wee have Iam. 5. 1 2. Soph. 1. 9. learned strange attire from the Italians wee have learned pride and Atheisme and wantonnesse from the Dutch wee have learned to drinke we never learne from any nation any good thing Nature teacheth sobriety and temperance And it is a wonder that wee should bee such Epicures for among all the creatures God hath given to none so little a mouth as he doth to man according to his proportion which argueth that man should be more temperate in meat and drinke than other creatures and not to be spots in feasts Well noteth Augustine that God hath not given to man talons Aug. and clawes to rent and teare in pieces as to Beares and Leopards nor hornes to push as to Bulls and Vnicornes nor a sting to pricke as to Waspes and Bees and Serpents nor a bill to strike as to Eagles and Ostriches nor a wide mouth to devoure as to Dogges and Lions Againe the mouth of man is not bent to the earth as the mouth of other creatures os homini sublime dedit to note that he must not eate and drinke as other Ovid. creatures I say of meate as Paul said of fornication Meat for the belly and the belly for meat but God shall destroy both it and them 1 Cor. 6. 13. Fire is to warme us not to burne us water is to wash us not to drowne us weapons are to defend us not to kill us so meats and drinkes are to refresh us not to oppresse the body and vitall spirits If ever Satan hath the vantage of us it is in our fulnesse for then eyes eares tongue heart and all members are out of frame then we forget God Christ Heaven Hell and all This is the Caveat that God gave his people When thou hast eaten and filled thy selfe thou shalt blesse the Lord thy God for the good land which Deut. 8. 10 11 12. he hath given thee lest when thou hast eaten and filled thy selfe thou forget the Lord c. Israel sate downe to eate and to drinke and rose up to 1 Cor. 10. 7. play So we at our feasts handle nothing but cards dice bowles c. The false witnesses are noted to be Sonnes of Belial such are 1 Reg. 21. meetest for villany Gods Spirit and drinke are set as opposite by the Apostle Be not drunken with wine saith he wherein is excesse Ephes 5. 18. but bee filled with the Spirit When wine is in wit is out and where drinke is in Gods Spirit is out we cannot be full of them both at one time and if Gods Spirit be not in us the uncleane spirit is in us God will have the hand of the Father to be first Deut. 21. 21. on the riotous child O that we had the Spirit of zeale O that one Epicurish drunkard were so served O that the streets of this Towne were sanctified that all England might heare it and tremble at it It was a good argument in the Primitive Church against drunkards that it was but the third houre of the day that is Act. 2. 15. nine of the clocke but it is not so now for our men beginne at Sun-rising and continue to Sun-setting and often call for a candle because the day is too little for them The Idolaters served god Bel in the day and god Belly in the night we serve god Dan. 14. Belly day and night The Holy Ghost maketh mention of a great cup belike great Iudg. 5. 25. men drunke in great cups Amos reproveth them for drinking in bowles but we I thinke shall drinke in Troughes and eate in Amos 6. 6. Chargers not in platters It may be said of many that was said God punisheth drunkennesse and gluttony of Bonosus the Emperour that wee are borne not to live but to eate and drinke to feast and banquet wee strive to match with Heliogabalus who at one supper was served with sixe hundred Ostriches and to match Vitellius who had at one feast two thousand fishes and seven thousand birds This Epicurisme of ours God will punish and hath punished it with three yeeres dearth when did God smite the Amalekites he did it in the middest of 1 Sam. 30. 16 17. their glossing as in a time wherein their sinne was ripe When came God to Balthazar but in his cups and banquets and when did God strike downe the chosen men of Israel but then for Dan. 5.
At the first he came as a Lambe now shall he come as a Lion Venit tunc salvare nunc iudicare he came then to save us now he shall come to judge us And yet to speake fully his first comming was not without glory two contraries were conjoyned Summa humilitas summa sublimitas the deepest humility and the highest sublimity Aug. he lay among the beasts yet praised of Angels which sung Gloria in excelsis Glory bee to God on high What is hee Luk 2. that is so base and so glorious so little and so great so poore and so rich poore in the flesh poore in the manger poore in the stable but great and rich and glorious in heaven whom the starres obey great and glorious in the aire Mat. 2. where the Angels sing great and glorious in earth for Herod and all Ierusalem were moved at the tidings of him It is the greatest basenesse Luk 2. for God to bee conceived and the greatest glory to bee conceived by the Holy Ghost the greatest basenesse to be borne Esay 7. of a Woman and the greatest glory to be borne of a Virgin the greatest basenesse to be borne in a stable and the greatest glory to shine in the Heavens the greatest basenesse to deplore among beasts and the greatest glory to be sung of Angels the greatest basenesse to be baptized among sinners and the greatest glory to have the heavens open the spirit to descend and to heare the Father of heaven speaking from heaven This is my beloved Sonne Mat. 3. 16. in whom I am well pleased It is the greatest basenesse to suffer death upon the Crosse and the greatest glory to rise againe from the dead formosus erat in Coelis formosus erat in terra he was faire and beautifull in heaven faire and beautifull in earth faire and beautifull in his throne of glory faire and beautifull in the manger faire and beautifull among the Angels faire and beautifull among the beasts Quid facitis ô Magi puerum ne adoratis What doe yee ô yee Wise-men doe yee worship the child Is he not therefore a King I but where is the Kings Court Where is his Throne Where the continuall resort and haunt of this Court Is not his Court the stable his Throne the Manger They that resort and haunt this Court the Oxe and the Asse Yet vndique formosus est on every side he was faire and glorious The Lords two Courts one of Mercy the other of Iustice For when he spake the sea was calme when he commanded the windes were whist when he called the dead did rise and when he died the Sunne was eclipsed when he rose the earth trembled when he ascended the heavens opened so farre Augustine Thus his first comming was not without glory but his second shall be glorious indeed He shall come in the glory of his Father with Mat. 24. all the holy Angels One speaking of this comming of Christ to iudgement saith Posterior Christi adventus non erit mitis sed terribilis Christs latter comming shall not bee gentle but terrible and fearefull For measure me the greatnesse of one arme by the quantity of another the Iustice of God by the mercy of God If he was so mercifull in his first comming as to take our flesh and to suffer death upon the Crosse for us and how iust how severe will hee bee in his second comming to all those that have either contemned or abused his mercy Quam facilis fuit in primo adventu Looke how facile gentle and propice he was in his first comming tam difficilis erit in secundo adventu so hard so uneasy to bee intreated will he be in his second comming infinit in mercy infinit in Iustice ready to pardon and ready to punish God shall arise and his enemies shall be scattered they also that hate him shall fly before him As Psal 88. 1 2. the smoke vanisheth so shalt thou drive them away and as Wax melteth before the fire so shall the wicked perish at the presence of God And as the Prophet saith God is jealous and the Lord revengeth even the Lord of anger the Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries and he reserveth Nahum 1. 1 2. wrath for his enemies the Lord is slow to anger but great in power and will not surely cleere the wicked As we treasure up our sinnes so hee treasureth up his wrath Indies crescunt peccata indies crescit ira our sinnes increase daily and his wrath daily Bernard saith that the Lord hath two Courts the one of mercy the other of iustice the one in this life the other in the life to come when he shall come with thousands of his Saints to judgement Here is forum miscricordiae the Court of mercy there shall be forum Iustitiae the Court of Iustice for there he will reward every man according to his Works Augustine bringeth in Christ thus Rom. 2. 6. speaking at the last day Ecce fabri Filium quem irrisistis Behold the Carpenters Sonne whom yee have derided Ecce eum in quem non credidistis Behold him in whom yee have not beleeved behold the wounds which yee have made in my hands and feet behold the side which yee have pierced behold the face which you have beraide with your spittle Behold the glory that shall presse and overwhelme you and the Majesty that shall breake and bruise you For our Iudge will iudge righteously and iustly Hee will reward every man according to his worke that is to them which by continuance Rom. 2. 6 7. in well doing seeke glory and honour and immortality eternall life but unto them that are contentious and disobey the truth and obey Wee must meditate as well on the Iustice of God as on his mercy unrighteousnesse shall be indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish shall be upon the soule of every man that doth evill And here note the blindnesse of the World All men prate of mercy but few talke of Iustice like the Benjamites we cast stones with one hand like Iudg. 19. Mat. 26. Polipheme we see but with one eye with Malchus wee heare but with one eare like the Vnicorne we defend our selves with one horne from God like the Amazones many brethren give sucke to the Church with one pap delivering but one doctrine namely that of mercy But let me speake familiarly If a fellon will not trust only on the mercy of the Iudge at the Assise Let us not deceive our selves against that great Assise day Whatsoever Gal. 6 7 8. a man soweth that shall he reape for he that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption but he that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reape life everlasting In quo statu novissimus vitae dies relinquet in eo resurrectionis primus dies inveniet qualis in isto die quisque moritur talis in die illo iudicabitur In
thy lusts Sequere carnem ducet te adinteritum Follow the flesh and it will lead thee to destruction For if yee live after the flesh yee shall dye Now to live Rom. 8. 13. after the flesh is to commit the workes of the flesh and the Gal. 5. 19 20 21. workes of the flesh are first Adultery secondly Fornication thirdly Vncleanenesse fourthly Wantonnesse fifthly Idolatrie sixthly Witch-craft seventhly Hatred eighthly Debate ninthly Emulations tenthly Wrath eleventhly Contentions twelfthly Seditions thirteenthly Here sies fourteenthly Envy fifteenthly Murders sixteenthly Drunkennesse last of all Gluttony and they that doe these things shall not inherit the Kingdome of God Divide the World into an hundred parts and scarce one is Christian and among a hundred Lust promiseth pleasure but brings damnation that are called Christians scarce one can say with Paul Miserable man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of sinne The flesh speaketh guilefully to the Spirit that hath left her with her lusts as Laban did to Iacob to cause him to retire and goe Rom. 7. 24. home againe with him so saith the flesh to the spirit and body I would have filled thine eyes with goodly sights thine eares with sweete musicke thy palat with dainty dishes thy appetite with all lusts and pleasures So Augustine bringeth in his affections lusts and concupiscences thus speaking unto him and crying Dimittes ne nos nunc Wilt thou leave us now and shall we not be with thee for ever The flesh fighteth against the spirit herein it resembleth Eva alluring Adam to the forbidden fruit like Gal. 5. 16. Gen. 3. Gen. 39. Iudg. 4. Iudg. 16. Putiphars wife solliciting Ioseph to all filthinesse like Iael who slew Sisera under the shew of love like Dalila who delivered Samson sleeping in her lap into the hands of the Philistians Sed opera carnis damnabilia the workes of the flesh are damnable Gal. 5. â—2 If wee live after the flesh wee shall dye Seneca a Gentile could say Major sum ad majora natus quà m ut carnis mancipium fiam I am greater and borne to greater things than to bee a slave unto the flesh So must a Christian say I am borne to greater things than to serve the flesh which yeeldeth nothing but corruption For hee that soweth in the flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption I Gal. 6. 8. Gen. 2. 1 Pet. 1. 18. 1 Cor. 6. 11. Ephes 4. 1 Cor. 10. 3. Phil. 3. 21. am created after Gods image redeemed with his Bloud sanctified by his Spirit instructed by his Word fed by his Sacraments appointed to be glorified that I may live to God here in Heaven hereafter What man having two servants the one wise the other foolish wold have the foole to over-rule the wiseman So we let the flesh over-ruel the Spirit Our lusts are as fire unquenchable as a devouring beast that is not satisfied as the horse-leech which sucketh till she burst Quod solatiuÌ„ habere potest pater What coÌ„fort or joy can a Father have that having 10 or 12 hungry sons ready to starve for want heare them cry out for food succor hath not wherwith to feed still them So what quiet can a man have whose appetites desires cry out yet caÌ„not satisfie nor suffice theÌ„ Clamat luxuria Leachery crieth Give me women yet thy strength caÌ„not performe that thou lustest after Clamat superbia Pride cryeth Be liberall a good companion Tuae tamen facultates hoc negant Thy wealth denyeth this Clamat invidia Envy cryeth Revenge thy selfe of such such injury yet thy weakenesse will not suffer thee to bee revenged Clamat voluptas Pleasure cryeth Ede bibe Eate drinke fish fowle hunt hawke rush ride reclamat tamen senectus but old age cryeth againe Desunt vires Strength is wanting to performe these things hee must sit coughing in his chaire and grunting in his bed his will is good to follow these delights but poore man he wanteth strenght Miserè torquentur isti libidinosi nunquam explentur these libidinous men are miserably tormented but never filled like the horse-leech daughters they are never satiate quot sensus tot arma so Lust poysons all the powers of the soule many senses so many weapons our words blow our works wound our eyes and eares open gates for the Divell to send loads of sinne into our mind our taste and senses and feeling are Prov. 30. 15. Rom 6. 1 Cor. 6. tinder and fewell to feed the fire of our concupiscence our bodies which should have beene Templum Spiritus Sancti the Temple of the Holy Ghost a haunt of Divels and a sepulcher of a corrupted soule the soule betrothed to Christ in Baptisme a 1 Cor. 2. 14. riotous disloyall losell our understanding darkened our will with her affections a common Curtisan lusting after every offer Ephes 2. 3. of the flesh in so much as one Father bringeth in the Divel speaking thus to Christ I have more right to this man than thou Iudge him to be mine I never loved him and yet he served me I never did him good yet hath he obeyed me what I suggested he performed what I proffered he imbraced Meus est per naturam tuus est per gratiam he is mine by nature he should have been thine by grace mine he is by transgression but thine he should have been by redemption but he gave himselfe to lust and lust being conceived brought forth sin therefore he is mine mine mine An elegant Prosopopeia without us are our affections to seduce us within our conscience to accuse us above us Gods justice beneath us hell fire Let us not therefore lust after evill things but crucify the flesh with the affections and lusts Where lust is there is no mortification and where no mortification is there is no rising againe with Christ where there is no rising againe with Christ there is no salvation For Peter Martyr devided mortification into two members patience in bearing aduersity and temperancy in brideling the lusts of the flesh Now measure our Christianity by this and Lord how little would be found in the world as one said Call on houses and chambers under which thou hast lived aske the fields gardens where thou hast walked summon seates whereon thou hast sitten examine thy pillowes upon which thy head hath rested all these will cry with one mouth that we have walked after our lusts that we have lived at randon that wee have followed our pleasures that we have lived in gluttony in chambring and wantonnesse that we take no thought but for the flesh To fulfill the lusts of it this is not to walke honestly as in the day time The Image of God is not restored in us till our lusts be subdued and we cease to walke after our lusts Imaginis Dei duae sunt partes sanctitas intellectus sanctitas voluntatis
Tim 3. Mar. 10. Iohn 8. Iudg. 3. Iudg 15. words and in workes this is both to have a shew of godlinesse the power of godlines this is to have both leaves fruit this is to be a true child of Abraham We read of the strength of Shamgar who slew six hundred men with an Oxe goad of Samson who slew a whole Army of the Philistines with a jaw bone of David who smote down a Giant with a pibble stone of Hercules 1 Sam. 17. who overcame a Lion and a Beare and threw downe the birds of Stinphalida and put downe an Amazon a mighty warrior and cut off the head of Hydra but as Lactantius said Lib. 1. cap. 9. these are nothing hee is a stronger man who overcommeth his wrath than hee that overcommeth a Lion he that treadeth under his desires than hee that casteth downe Birds and ravenous fowles he that suppresseth his lust than he that suppresseth the Amazons Hercules for all his strength was a slave to Omphale and sate spinning in a womans attire at her feete with a Rocke and a Distaffe He that is slow to anger is better than a mighty man and hee that ruleth his owne minde is better than hee that winneth a Prov. 16. 32. Citie We are desirous to know the state of our Salvation our Election and Glorification Let us then beginne where God beginneth at the renouncing of our lusts For the grace of God that bringeth Salvation to all men teacheth us to deny ungodlinesse and Tit. 2. 12. worldly lusts None can looke for the blessed hope but they that have denyed ungodlinesse worldly lusts None can say There is layd up for mee a crowne of righteousnesse but such as can say I have fought a good fight except they have striven against 2 Tim. 4. 7. their lusts Election is a thing revealed by steps As therefore it is madnesse to a man that climbeth a ladder to labour to set his foot at the first step on the highest step of the Ladder but to beginne at the lowest and so goe to the highest Paul maketh these steps Vocation Iustification Sanctification Glorification Rom. 8. so that if I would come to Glorification the highest step and is in Heaven with God then must I beginne at the lowest step But to prosecute this worthy point farther If I be called of God then am I justified if justified then am I sanctified if sanctified now then shall I be glorified hereafter Paul saith There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus Yea but who Rom. 8. are those Which walke not after the flesh but after the Spirit So then if I would know whether I be in Christ Iesus or no I must looke how I walke how I tame the flesh and the lusts of it If I finde that God in mercy hath wrought in me a change a hatred of sinne a love of vertue a zeale to his Gospell a care of his Glory a quenching of my lusts and concupiscence then is the conclusion inferred I am in Christ Iesus I am elected Thus wee If no sanctification no assurance of glorification make our election sure to our selves as the Apostle counselleth us Make your election and calling sure by good works it is known to God before the foundations of the World were laid but it is knowne to us by the effect of it so that still our rule holdeth Rom. 8. 2. 2 Pet. 1. 10. If we will know whether wee bee elected to live in Heaven with God we must ever looke how we lead our lives in earth with men Wee must give all diligence joyne vertue godly manners with our Faith and with Vertue Knowledge and with Knowledge 2 Pet. 1. 5 6 7 8. Temperance and with Temperance Patience and with Patience Godlinesse with Godlinesse Brotherly kindnesse and with Brotherly kindnesse Love For if these things be among us and abound they will make that wee shall not bee idle nor unfruitfull in the knewledge of our Lord Iesus Christ If these things bee then are wee happy if God hath changed us from carelesse to careful men and women from drinking riot whoredome prophanenesse to holinesse of life then are wee Gods then Heaven is ours Now live like a Christian among men and ever live like a Saint among the Angels of Heaven But now live in sinne in lusts and pleasures follow the flesh and then rot in the reward of it goe to the Divell and his angels the end of these thing is death I pray you Rom. 6. therefore as you love your life with God another day and assurance of it to your soules in this world Give your bodies a living sacrifice holy and acceptable to God and fashion not your selves according Rom. 12. 1 2. to this World but bee yee changed by the renewing of your minde and whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whosoever things are pure whatsoever things pertaine to Phil. 4. 8. love whatsoever things are of good report if there be any vertue or if there bee any praise thinke on these things This desire is the fruit of our life and there is not in the world a better portion This we have chosen and in this we will dwell untill the fulnesse of time that we shall say in our course Nunc dimittis Lord now let thy servant depart in peace These shall assure us that we are the Lords cared Luk. 2. for heere and elected else-where to live with him for ever THE THIRTIETH SERMON VERS XIX These are makers of Sects naturall men having not the Spirit Sectaries cause division in the Church AS before in the former verse he called them Mockers walkâ—ng after their owne ungodly lusts so here he calleth them Sectaries not keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace not remembring that there is Ephes 4. 3 4. but one body one Spirit one faith one God and Father over all which is above all and in us all But these Sectaries set Altar against Altar and cut in sunder Christs seamelesse coate they divide Christ Such were the Corinthians one said I am Pauls another I am Apollos a third I am Cephas a fourth I am Christs Is Christ divided This dividing of Christ 1 Cor. 1. 12. is a signe that men are carnall unregenerate so reasoneth the Apostle Yee are carnall for whereas there is among you envying and 1 Cor. 3. 3 5. strife and divisions are yee not carnall and walke as men Who is Paul And who is Apollos but ministers by whom yee beleeved There was a rough Altar in Ierusalem to note the imperfection of the law and there was but one Altar to note the unity of the Church Well Exod. 27. said Ierome Meum propositum est antiquos legere singula probare tenere Iorome quae bona sunt à fide Ecclesiae Catholicae non recedere My purpose is to
be adulti of ripe age But alas our English people want judgement therefore all Sects bud in our age The Papists charge us with Sects and variety of opinions that we have Brownists Barrowists Separatists that some will weare Cap and Surplesse some will not they derive twenty Sects from Luther as Anabaptists Adiaphorists Sacramentaries Zwinglians Calvinists c. But we may retort it upon them For they swarme in Staphilus Sects and multitude of opinions as Nominals Reals Augustins Dominicans Franciscans Benedictins as Thâ—mists against Scotists and Canonists against Schoolemen and one against another and God against them all I might speake of Pope against Pope as Stephanus against Formosus one digging vp the grave of another cutting off of their fingers thrusting â—hem into a sack and throwing them into Tyber Councell against Councell as that of Arimine against the Councell of Nice and the two Nicene Councels under Irene against that of Frankford the whole Vniversity of Paris against Iohn 22. Denying the immortality of the soule an opinion condemned there with the blast of trumpets I might name Sir Thomas Moore and Fisher of Rochester striving about Purgatory the one to prove no water in it alledging the place of Zacharie I have loosed the prisoners out of the pit where is no water the other Zach. 9. 11. to prove both fire water in it alledge the saying of the Psalme We went thorow fire and water but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy Psal 66. 12. place I might name Howlet lately condemning all our English Papists for comming to the Church of which mind is Dowanus a late Papist I passe over the stirres between Cardinall Caietane and Cardinall Turrecremata so that if we differ in the shell they in the kernell if wee in the bone they in the marrow if wee in ceremonies they in matters of substance if our contentions be motes theirs bee beames if ours mole-hils theirs bee mountaines Turpe est doctori cum culpa red arguit ipsum it is a shame to rebuke being guilty of the same fault They name us Sectaries for leaving Rome commended so by the Apostle Their faith was published thorowout the world But wee have not left old Rome but Rom. 1. 8. this new Rome the mother of whoredomes as the Spirit of God cals her the denne of theeves as the Prophet speaketh Non Apoc. 18. 2 3. Esay 1. 21. à civitate sed à peste wee are departed not from the City but from the plague in the City not from Rome but from the heresy of Rome Daemonum paschua quoth Bernard Satans chiefe enemis to overthrow the Church division and dissentiori But to leave this Let not us be of the number of these wicked ones which are makers of Sects For a Christian must be carefull to keep three things His heart His minde and conversation His heart from infidelity His minde from false opinions and his conversation from Schisme and scandall By Sects and divisions the Communion of Saints the society of Christians the fellowship and unity that wee should have among our selves is quite overthrowne When God would confound their proud attempt in building Babel He devided their language Gen. 11. 8. and so scattered them abroad into all places of the earth So the Divell knowing unity to be the overthrow of his Kingdome soweth the tares of Sects of Schismes and Heresies amongst us that so he may scatter the workemen that should pull downe his kingdome and set up the kingdome of Christ When King Cyrus would passe over to conquer Scythia as saith Herodotus comming to a great and broad River which hindered his journey his policy was this to cut it and divide it in many armes sluces and so made it passable for all his Army This policy is most ready and common with the Divell also who bringing his power of darkenesse to invade us and overrunne us and finding his passage stopped by the flowing streames of Love and concord hath put in execution his wonted meane practice to separate us divide us into many parts factions For as S. August saith CoÌ„cordes nos scit quòd sic possidere non potest he knoweth August ser 16. de util Ieiâ—nij that being at concord and unity together he canot possesse us he cannot now divide one true God among us he can no more inforce false gods upon us Well he hath yet another way sentit vitam nostram esse charitatem mortem dissentionem hee seeth that love and charity is our life and discord and diffention our death and destruction and therefore lites immisit inter Christianâ—s hee hath sent strife and debate among Christians and because hee cannot frame us to many gods hee laboureth to multiply and distract our opinions and soweth tares of Sects and errors in the Lords field Salomon inhibiteth us to meddle with these men Prov. 24. â—1 Keep no company with the seditious Sedition is moved either for matters Ecclesiasticall or Temporall When for matters Ecclesiasticall it is called Schisme which signifieth a rent a division or a cutting asunder and thereupon comes the word Schismaticks or Sectaries dividers hewers cutters asunder For they divide the body of Christ breake the unity of the Church which is an haynous sinne Hemingius saith Qui violat Ecclesiastic ampolitiam multis modis peccat he that violateth Ecclesiasticall policy offendeth many wayes yet some like Naturall men n either relish grace nor discerne spirituall things Diotrephes because they cannot have the chiefe place in the Church Ideirco illam scindunt vel ab eo deficiunt either they will cut the Church in pieces or forsake it These Sects and Schismes among us have done much hurt as they of Athens said of their dissentions Auximus Phillippum nostris dissentionibus We have augmented and strengthened Philip by our dissentions so wee the Pope and his favourites Remember that it is a mans honour to cease from strife but every foole will bee meddling Remember Prov. 20. 3. that there is but one body and one spirit one hope of your calling one faith one baptisme one God and Father over all for his Ephes 4. 4. bloud that died for us Let all these ones make us one indeavouring to our dying day to avoid these makers of sects and to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace Thirdly he calleth them naturall men No marvell though they jest and mocke at all Religion with Michol flout and fleere with the adversaries of Iude and Beniamin deride and raile with the 2 Sam. 6. Esdr 4. Esa 28. scorners of Ierusalem for why they are meere naturall men and such savour not the things of God as Christ said to Peter Come behinde me Satan thou savourest not the things that are of God but the things that are of men for their understanding is as the Mat. 16. 23. Sunne under a cloud not lightned and their
will not rectified Deest enim intellectus voluntatis consiliariâ—s for understanding is wanting which is the Counseller of the soule The naturall man perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse 1 Cor. 2. 14. unto him neither can hee know them because they are spiritually discerned at spiritus non natura sed gratia the spirit is not of nature but of grace So said Christ of the whole world O righteous Father Iohn 17. 25. the World hath not knowne thee but I have knowne thee and these have knowne c. therefore hee prayed for his Apostles and in them for us all I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the World but that thou keepe them from evill And againe Sanctifie them Iohn 17. 15 17. with thy truth by nature wee are the children of wrath by grace we are Gods adopted Sonnes Hereupon saith the Apostle In times past we walked according to the course of the World and after the spirit that ruleth in the Ayre and that now worketh in the children of disobedience among whome also wee had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh and fulfilling the will of the flesh and of the minde Ephes 2. 3 4 5. and were by nature the children of Wrath nor by creation but by Adams transgression and so by birth as well as others But God which is rich in mercy through the great love wherewith he loved us when wee were dead by sinnes hath quickned us together in Christ by whose grace we are saved There are but two things in us either nature or grace either flesh or spirit Now in the state of nature al are accursed in the state of grace we are blessed For by grace wee beleeve and faith Act. 18. 27. Iohn 1. 12 13. maketh us the sonnes of God for as many as received him to them he gave power to be the Sonnes of God even to them that beleeve in his name which are borne not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh nor of the No true good in us by nature till regenerate will of man but of God Where he distinguisheth of two births the one naturall and the other spirituall a birth from men a birth from God a generation by nature a regeneration by the Spirit as he doth againe to Nicodemus Except a man be borne of Water and of the Spirit hee cannot enter the Kingdome of God and againe Yee Cap. 3. 5 6. Psal 2. 7. must be borne againe there is no naturall Sonne of God but the Lord Iesus we are all the adopted Sonnes of God in Christ and by Christ by his meanes we are raised up together and made to sit together Ephes 2. 6. Rom. 8. 17. in Heavenly places For saith the Apostle If we be children wee are also heires even the heires of God and heires annexed with Christ c. we bring nothing from our mothers wombe but death and damnation every one must say with David I was shapen in wickednes Psal 51. 5. and in sinne hath my mother conceived me Quis dabit mundum de immundo Who can bring a cleane thing out of filthinesse What Iob 14. 4. can be had from the egge of a Cockatrice but a Serpent From a spider but venome from the Taxus tree in India but poyson from the bitter poole Exanthus but bitter water Wee have not Math. 7. Lambes from Woolves no grapes from thornes nor figges from thistles Well said the Schooleman Quòd dona naturalia in Adamo sunt corrupta supernaturalia ablata ille ut radix nos ut rami radix est venenata ergo rami Our naturall gifts in Adam were corrupt our supernaturall taken away he as the roote we as the boughes the root is poisoned therefore the boughes like the waters of Mara untill Moses put in the sweet wood untill God Exod. 17. infuse grace for by grace we are saved and where sinne abounded there grace abounded much more that as sinne had raigned unto death so Ephes 2. 8. Rom. 5. 20 21. might grace also raigne by righteousnesse unto eternall life The Pelagians held that sinne came by imitation not by propagation but Paul confuteth them saying As by one man sinne entred into the world and death by sinne and so death went over all men forasmuch as Rom. 5. 12. all men have sinned c. These men quoth Iude walke as Naturall men that is in all sinne and vanity as is said of the Gentiles That they walked in the vanity of their minde having their cogitations darkened being strangers from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the hardnesse of their hearts So Paul reasoned with the Corinths Are yee not carnall For whereas there is among you envying and strife and divisions 1 Cor. 3. 3. are yee not carnall and walke as men even so reason wee with you When malice envy rancour whoredome covetousnesse pride raigneth among us are wee not naturall men For God would cut downe these sinnes as a sickle If yee live after the flesh yee shal dye but if yee through the Spirit mortify the deeds of the flesh Rom. 8. 13. yee shall live Yea many naturall men goe before us in brideling their lusts and affections Aristides being by the unjust Law of Ostracisme in Athens banished and being asked what hee would to Athens answered Se nihil velle quin tantam rerum prosperitatem ut illis nunquam in mentem veniat Aristides hee desired nothing We should strive to exceed naturall men but so much prosperity to Athens as that they might never remember Aristides The like is said of Phocion condemned to drink hemlocke the juce whereof through extreme cold is poison Being asked what he would unto his Sons said Nothing sed ne hujus unquam iniuriae velint meminisse but that they should never remeÌ„ber this injury Socrates by Philosophie brideled whoredome in himselfe and Telamon by it bare the death of his sonne patiently saying Sciebam me genuisse mortalem I did know that I begat a mortall man I take no pleasure in these prophane examples save only to ashame us as Paul did the Athenians by Aratus and the Cretians by Epimenides and the Corinths by Menander Let our righteousnesse exceed theirs else there is no roome for us in Gods Kingdome our life must have all vertues in it such a life led the Christians they could be touched with no open crime or notorious fault but that they sung Psalmes to Iesus before day as Plinius secundus writeth of them to the Emperour our Saviour Christ told his disciples that their justice must exceed the justice Mat. 5. 20. of the Scribes and Pharises and so must wee tell all Christians that they must exceed Turkes and Pagans or else they shall never see the goodnesse of the Lord in the Land of the liuing yet it is reported
did undoe in the night so wee learne and unlearne whatsoever wee learne on the Sunday wee forget in the weeke day we may say of our comming to Church as Peter said of his fishing Master wee have Luke 5. 5. travelled all night and have taken nothing So wee have come to the Church twenty thirty forty fifty sixty yeeres some more and have gotten nothing have learned nothing got no Faith no Zeale no Knowledge But to proceed As they must edifie themselves increase and goe forward so the thing that they must increase and goe forward in is Faith for that is the foundation of all Christian Vertues it is Alpha and O mega absque ea nemo potest placere Deo Heb. 11. 6. Rom. 14. 23. Without it no man can please God for whatsoever is not of faith is sinne Omnia ergo splendida opera Paganorum Infidelium sant splendida peccata all the glistering workes of Pagans and Infidels bee glistering sinnes their prayers almes fastings the patience of Socrates the justice of Aristides the piety of Epaminondas Faith the originall of all good workes the constancie of Phocion they were but bastard-workes not right workes they are begotten of Hagar not of Sara the free-woman they spring from the waters of Marah not of Siloh from the bitter poole Exanthe not the sweet flood of Hispanis they proceed from feare or vaineglory not from faith For as unto the Tit. 1. 15. pure all things are pure so unto them that are defiled and unbeleeving is nothing pure but their mindes and consciences are defiled It is true in all workes that Paul said of prayer How shall they call on him in whom Rom. 10. 14. they have not beleeved Even so how can they glorifie God or love God or serve God in whom they never beleeved Paul making a Catalogue of good men beginneth with Faith and saith By faith Abel offered to God a greater sacrifice than Cain Heb. 11. 4 5 7. 8 20 21 33-34 By faith Enoch was taken away that hee should not see death c. By Faith Noah being warned of God of the things which were not yet seene moved with reverence prepared the Arke c. By Faith Abraham when hee was called obeyed God offered Isaac c. By Faith Isaac blessed Iacob and Esau By Faith Iacob when hee was a dying blessed the sonnes of Ioseph and thus hee goeth on and at the last concludeth that by faith they subdued Kingdomes wrought righteousnesse obtained the promises stopped the mouthes of Lions quenched the violence of fire escaped the edge of the sword of weake were made strong waxed valiant in battell turned to flight the armies of the Aliants c. In every good worke three things are to be considered Origo Finis Vsus The beginning The end and Vse The originall or beginning of every good worke is faith faith is as the Mother and the holy Ghost the Father of all good workes Faith begetteth Love and Love blossometh forth in Vertue and Vertue buddeth foorth in good Workes whereupon Saint Peter inferreth this exhortation Ioyne moreover Vertue with your Faith and with Vertue Knowledge and with Knowledge 2 Pet. 1. 5 7 8. Temperance and with Temperance Patience and with Patience Godlinesse and with Godlinesse Brotherly-kindnesse and with Brotherly-kindnesse Love Secondly the end is the glory of God Hereupon saith the Apostle Whether yee eate or drinke or whatsoever yee doe doe all to the glory of God 1 Cor. 1 3â— Thirdly the use is manifold First they are unto us signes of our election and therefore Saint Peter would have us to make our election calling sure by them Indeed our election is sure in it selfe 2 Pet. 1. 10. for God cannot change yet we must confirme it in our selves by the fruits of the Spirit Secondly they edifie others Hereupon saith our Saviour Let your light so shine before men that they may see No life of grace without Faith your good works and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven Thirdly that they may stop the mouth of the Adversary For which cause we are willed to have honest conversation among the Gentiles that wheras they doe backbite us as evill doers they may see our good works and glorify Mat. 5. 16. 1 Pet. 2. 12. our Father which is in Heaven Here is the triall of a Christian that proveth us either sonnes or bastards this proveth us dead or alive by Faith wee live this is the spirit and soule of the inner man wee have a name to live yet are wee dead if wee want Iohn 1. 12. Faith There is a double life of grace and of nature Infidels Vnbeleevers are strangers from the life of grace As a tree liveth not without Ephes 4. 18. moysture nor a bird without aire nor the fish without water nor a body without a soule so neither the soule without faith For in that wee live now in the flesh wee live by the Faith of the Sonne of God who hath loved us and gave himselfe for us Yee see Infidels eating Gal. 2. 20. drinking sporting playing yet are they dead they are alive to the world but dead unto God but the faithfull they are dead with Christ unto the world but their life is hid with Christ with God and when Christ which is their life shall appeare then shall they Col. 2 3 4. also appeare with him in glory Pandora carried deadly poyson in a painted boxe and Lusimachus the cutter a leaden sword in a golden sheath and many men a dead soule in a living body the body is alive but the soule is dead as Paul said of the voluptuous widow But shee that liveth in pleasure is dead while shee liveth To conclude faith joyneth us to Christ For Christ dwelleth in 1 Tim. 5. 6. our hearts by Faith Christ uniteth us to God 1 Iohn 5. God assureth Ephes 3. 17. us of life For in him wee live and move and have our being So that no faith no Christ no Christ no God no God no life God Act. 17. 28. so loved the world that hee gave his only be gotten Sonne that whosoever Iohn 3. 16 18. beleeveth in him should not perish but have life everlasting hee that beleeveth in him shall not bee condemned but hee that beleeveth not is condemned already because hee beleeveth not in the name of the only begotten Sonne of God Knowledge is the fountaine of all vertue and Faith is the sea in which they all runne and where they jointly end their course But it is to bee observed that hee calleth it not simply Faith but holy Faith yea most holy Faith he riseth to the superlative degree as David extolled Bashan above all mountaines saying The mountaine of God is like the mountaine of Bashan it is a high mountaine Psal 68. 15. as the mount Bashan As Salomon extolled his huswife above all women saying Many daughters
Wisedome let him aske of God Iam. 1. 5. who giveth to all men liberally and reprocheth no man and it shall be given him Ieremie speaketh generally Every man is a beast in his owne Ier. 10. 14. knowledge not some but all not a few men but every man So saith David The Lord looked downe from Heaven upon the children of Psal 14. 2. men to see if there were any that would understand and seeke after God but all are gone out of the way all are corrupt c. Paul calleth the Ephesians darkenesse not darke but darkenesse night it selfe Yee Ephes 5. 8. were sometime darkenesse quoth hee and hee prayeth God to lighten them The God of our Lord Iesus Christ and Father of Glory give unto yo◠the Spirit of Wisedome and Revelation through the knowledge Ephes 1. 17. of him And let this be our prayer that the God of our Lord Iesus Christ and Father of Glory would give us the Spirit of Wisedome and he give us all the Spirit of Wisedome that wee may bee wise unto Salvation for that which Christ said of Laodicea is true of all Thou saiest thou art rich and increased in Apoc. 13. 17 18. goodnesse and hast neede of nothing and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poore and blinde and naked I counsell thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire that thou mayest be made rich and white raiment that thou maiest bee cloathed and that thy filthy nakednesse doe not appeare and anoint thine eyes with eye-salve that thou maiest see that is suffer the eyes of thy understanding to be opened We are blind not as whelpes that see after nine dayes not as the man in the Gospell who saw men walke like trees but wee be as blind as beetles as blind as the men of Sodom who groped for Lots doore for what see wee that the Gentiles saw not And Gen. 19. yet saw they nothing for the Apostle affirmeth that they walked Ephes 4. 17 18. in the vanity of their minde having their cogitation darkened and being strangers from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them and because of the hardnesse of their hearts God by the Gospel openeth our eyes that wee may turne from darkenesse to light and from Act. 26. 18. Col. 2. 3. the power of Satan unto God All the treasures of Wisedome and Knowledge are in Christ Wisedome and Knowledge are in Angels and in No true wisedome in man till God infuse it men as well as in Christ how can then all Wisedome and Knowledge bee hid in him Yes they have it from Christ for Wisedome and Knowledge is in Angels by Vision in Men by Revelation Col. 2. 3. 1 Cor. 1. 22. Prov. 9. 1. but in Christ by union for hee is the Power and Wisedome of his Father he is Wisedome and the Church and House Wisedome wherein all must learne Wisedome wee know not all things that appertaine to God nor are we ignorant of all things which are proper to beasts but we know some things and are ignorant of others which are peculiar to men and so far we see as God hath illuminated us and no further for as all fountaines come from the Sea and all lights from the Sun so all Wisedome from God there may bee Science in the wicked but not Sapience Scientia est rerum humanarum Sapientia rerum divinarum Aug Science is of humane and earthly things Sapience of divine and heavenly things there is in the wicked Wit but not Wisedome or if there bee any Wisedome it is the wisedome of the world and of the flesh but the Wisedome of the Spirit they have it not They that are of the flesh saith the Apostle savour Rom. 8. 5 6 7. the things of the flesh but they that are of the Spirit savour the things of the Spirit for the Wisedome of the flesh is Death but the Wisedome of the Spirit is Life and Peace because the Wisedome of the flesh is enmitie to God Achitophel was wise but not in God nor for God the Grecians were wise but not spiritually the Philosophers 2 Sam. 17. 1 Cor. 1. 22. 1 Cor. 2. 14. were wise but yet in part and in the least part for from whence commeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence came this division of the gods into majores minores into greater and lesser gods from whence came the furies of Epicures with their Attomies which cannot bee divided from whence the fate of Stoickes bending fast and tying straight Iehova himselfe from the doting of Aristotle dreaming of the Worlds eternity which of these knew the World to be made of nothing the Word to bee made flesh Christ to be borne of a virgin the righteousnesse of one man to be conferred to another to make him righteous in three substāces or parts to be but one God For all Wisedome Religion flow from one fountaine that is God Quem qui nescit licèt videat caecus Lactantius est licet audiat surdus est licet loquitur mutus est licet vivat mortuus est Whom whoso knoweth not though he seeth yet is he blind though he heareth yet hee is deafe though he speaketh yet is he dumbe though he liveth yet is he dead for this is life nay life eternal To know God to be the only very God Iesus Christ whom he hath Iohn 17. 3 25. sent The World knowes not God saith our Saviour But I have knowne you and these have known me Seneca the Philosophers said Fortunam à Deo petendum sapientia à nobis Fortune is to be begged and craved of God Wisedome of our selves Nemo inquit Deo ob sapientiam gratias egit No man hath thanked God for Wisedome But there was no grace in these lips they spake proudly The Philosophers affirme reason to be seated in the head as in a Tower and from thence as a lampe to shine unto our counsels God saves by Christ and as a Queene to moderate the will Well it is God that is onely Wise and his Wisedome appeareth in the creation in disposing so orderly and placing so seemely all things in their place and degree as is most wonderfull to behold with such beautie and proportion in every creature that unlesse wee bee too too blockish wee may cry out with David O Lord how wonderfull are thy workes in Wisedome hast Psal 8. thou made them all And again Great is our Lord and great is his power yea his Wisedome is infinite To see the goodly order of Heaven it will make a man to be astonished at the Wisedome of God more than the Queen of Saba was at the wisedom of Salomon to see how God preserveth his Church by his power and knowes wayes and meanes by his Wisedome to deliver it might ravish us with the consideration of his wisedome to cry out with Paul O the depth Rom. 11.
Non tamen pugnat ejus potentia cum voluntate his power fighteth Tart. adversus Prax. not with his will Lay thy hand on thy mouth with Iob reason not against God Quis es qui litigas cum Deo Who art thou that strivest with God so much for the attributes Wisdome Salvation Glory Majesty Dominion and Power But it is further to bee noted that in naming God To God only wise c. Hee comprehendeth the three persons for these attributes are due to all the whole Trinity Wisdome Salvation Glory Majesty Power and Dominion The Scripture speaketh diversly of the Trinity sometime ascribing things to one person sometime to another sometimes to all joyntly as power to the Father wisdome to the Sonne goodnesse to the Holy Ghost Psal 104. 1. Prov. 14. Greeve not the good Spirit of God saith the Apostle Yet power wisdome goodnes are due to all the persons of the whole Trinity in a Gods glory dominion power is eternall more strict sence signification Againe yee shall see the creation of all things ascribed to the omnipotency of the Father the administration of all ascribed to the Sonne the sanctification Ephes 4. 30. Gen. 1. Prov. 9. 1. 1 Cor. 6. â—1 of all ascribed to the Holy Ghost yet all three create preserve and sanctify the Church Pater à se Filius per se Sanctus Spiritus à Patre Filio The Father of himselfe the Sonne by him and the Holy Ghost from the Father and the Sonne Augustine speaketh Aug. thus Sicut ex intellectu generatur voluntas ex his ambobus procedit memoria in anima ipsa As the will springing from the understanding and from them both the memory in the soule it selfe so the Sonne is begotten of the Father and from both these proceedeth the Holy Ghost This causeth the Scriptures to speake so diversly of the Trinity Power is attributed to the Father but not exclusivè exclusively quoth Vrsinus in his Catechisme sed inclusivè but inclusively for all three are of equall power sed Patri potentia tribuitur Vrsinus quia est fons origo but power is given to the Father because hee is the fountaine the originall the rest of the persons are from him but not as touching their essence but person and manner of existing To conclude the works of the Trinity quoad extra are indivisible but quoad intus they bee singuler as the Father begetteth the Sonne is begotten the Holy Ghost proceedeth from them both hold this Axiome in divinity and learne to speake wisely and soberly of the Trinity Well this glory Majesty dominion and power must be yeelded now and ever for the glory of God endeth not with the end of the world it is for ever here and in heaven the continuance of this world before God is but as a day the Morning of this day was the creation of the Heaven and of Adam untill the flood the Noone of this day was the comming of Christ the Evening is the end of the world a thousand and six hundred yeeres S. Iohn cals but one yeere A thousand and six hundred yeeres are past as 1 Iohn 2. an houre but the glory of the Lord is from eternity to eternity from everlasting to everlasting from eternity as touching election quae est sine principio to eternity quoad reprobationem as touching reprobation for it shall abide without end but in that hee saith both now and for ever this teacheth us that there must be no end of praising God his praises must bee ever in our mouth First for spirituall blessings bestowed here in earth in Heaven as Election Redemption Adoption Vocation Iustification Sanctification Psal 86. Glorification for every one of these commeth from God therefore hee is to be praised both now and for ever Now in this life wee must sing Hosanna to the Sonne of David and hereafter we shall sing Allelujah in Heaven with all the Saints For all spirituall blessings wee must say with the Apostle Blessed be God which hath blessed us with all spirituall blessings For temporall blessings Ephes 1. 3. glory and praise is to bee given to God Christ gave thanks for God is to bee prayed to and praysed for all things food Anna for a child Iacob for riches Abrahams servant for prospering his journey and in a word for all other temporall blessings as health wealth peace prosperity God is to be praised now and ever As there is no end of his benefits towards us Iohn 6. 12. 2 Sam. 2. 1. Gen. 32. 10. Gen. 24. 48. so there should bee no end of our praises towards him but wee must praise him both now and ever To conclude this point here is a secret comparison betweene the glory of man and the glory dominion and power of God mans glory is as a flowre All flesh is grasse and all the glory thereof as the flowre of grasse for so Esay was willed to cry but though hee Esa 40. 6. cry it few will beleeve it wee trust not the Lord one speaketh of an Epitaph graven in the tombe of a great man Hic fuit hic fecit pugnavit vicit amauit Composuis libros gentes populósque subegit Quid mihi cum fuit aut erit est valet vnum He was he did he fought he conquer'd lov'd Wrote books nations and people hee subdu'd But what have I to do with was or Shall With me the Present only is worth all Things past bee gone things to come are uncerten that which is and is for ever goeth for all glory present will bee past and glory future will bee for ever haec vita haec gloria non est vita non est gloria this life this glory is neither life nor glory for wee are dead and our life is hid with Christ in God and when Christ which is our life shall appeare then shall we appeare with him in glory AMEN This word is an Hebrew word and it is taken in the Scriptures three manner of wayes sometime as a Nowne signifying Christ himselfe sometime as an Adverbe so Christ useth the word saying Amen Amen that is Verily Verily I say unto you and sometime as a Verbe as in this place signifying So be it or be it so So that this word Amen contayneth more than the prayer it Apoc. 1. Iohn 3. selfe For in the prayer wee testify our desire how that wee desire Glory Majesty Dominion and Power to bee given unto God but in this word Amen wee witnes our faith that wee believe Glory and Majesty Dominion and Power to bee his So that from hence wee have to observe to pray with faith to beleeve we shall receive those things wee have prayed for This appeareth in the Prophet Praised bee the Lord for evermore so bee it even so be it And Christ hath taught us thus to shut up our prayers Psal 89. 52. Mat. 6. 13. and the Apostle closeth
comparative and the superlative and all good Accedens ad flumen tantum haurit quantum urna capere potest A man comming unto the river or fountaine he draweth as much as his vessell will hold the defect or want is not in the flood or fountaine but in the vessell so draw from Christ from his word and Sacraments as Rebecca out of the well of Iacob there is no defect in Christ or in the word and Sacraments but in the vessell the heart that doth not beleeve Accede aegrotus sanaberis debilis confortaberis famelicus satiaberis Come thou sicke man and thou shalt bee healed Esa 55. thou weake one and thou shalt be strengthened thou hungry one and thou shalt be satisfyed But come Non pedibus corporis sed cordis not with the feet of thy body but of thy heart Non ambulando sed credendo not in walking but in beleeving Faith is Illuminatio mentis the light of the minde Infidells are blind and shall not see heaven they are filii irae children of Luk 15. Act. 15. wrath and they that beleeve not cannot be saved Faith is Gods gate whereby God enters into our soule the light that found the lost groate the purifier of our heart the conqueror in the race the pole-starre for the sayler the life of the soule and by Faith Christ dwells in our hearts O help us Lord wee beleeve ô help our unbeleefe he must beleeve that comes to God and as is our faith so is our blessing faith is the victory that overcometh the world O Lord increase our faith The second example used for Confirmation of his former proposition That we must strive for faith is taken from Gods vengeance upon the Angels who because they kept not their estate but left their habitation he hath reserved in everlasting chaines of darkenesse to the Iudgement of the great day So that here in these Angels Observe First Their sinne Secondly Their punishment Thy sinne of these Angels I will not precisely discusse their sinne like Adams sinne was not alone but many First there was pride in them as it appeareth by Pauls words to Timothie where handling the office of a Minister among other 2 Tim. 3. 6. things he would not have him to bee a young scholler Lest hee being puffed up fall into the condemnation of the Divell that is lest being proud of his degree hee bee likewise condemned as the Divell was for lifting up himselfe by pride so that it is manifest What was the Angels sinne that pride was the sinne of the Angels But besides pride there were many other sinnes in them as Infidelity Ingratitude Envy and Rebellion Denique quid non to conclude what not not one vice but many even a troope an armie of sinnes For sinnes are like Pismires in a moll-hill like Bees in an hive like Motes in the Sunne there are many ever together not one sinne alone they grow like clusters of grapes sinne is like the linke of a chaine take hold of one linke and draw the whole chaine so take hold of one sinne and draw a number Other things concerning Angels as their names their number their orders I dare not define 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let us bee Rom. 12. 3. Iob 4. 18. 1 Tim. 3. 6. 2 Pet. 2. 4. Psal 78. 49. Iohn 8. 44. Wisd 2. 24. wise unto sobriety Iob nameth folly or pravity in the Angels as if that were their sinne Paul nameth pride Peter onely calleth it their sinne Asaph calleth them evill but noteth not the kindes of of their evill what the evill or sinne was which they committed Christ nameth murther to be their sinne and saith That the Divell was a murtherer from the beginning The Wise man nameth envie Iude here nameth Apostasie but the time the manner and the circumstance of their fall is not plainely expressed in the Scripture and in that they are not it teacheth us Sapere ad sabrietatem not to presume to understand above that which is meete to understand but Rom. 12. 3. Pro. 25. 27. Ro. 11. 33. Col. 1. 18. that we understand according to sobriety Too much honie is not good who hath knowne the minde of the Lord Many are puffed up with a fleshly minde as though with Moses God had revealed to them the Creation of the world as though with Stephen they had seene Gen. 1. Act. 6. 2 Cor. 12. Apoc. 1. Ezra 4. the heavens open as though with Paul they had beene lifted up to the third Paradise as if the Angell had talked with them as he did with Iohn in Pathmos and with Ezras in Ierusalem Such are Holcot Briccot Dionysius Areopagita whom they call Aquilam seu volucrem Coeli the Eagle or bird of heaven and make nine orders of Angels but no man hath so tasted Ionathans honie combe but he may see and oversee many things in this and in all other questions If any man aske what Angels be I say that they be spirits of essence but having neither body nor soule For they differ from bodies in that they have no flesh from soules in perspicuity understanding what the soule cannot Indeed they sometimes take bodies unto them as the Angell that appeared to Abraham Mat. 22. 30. Gen. 18. Iudg. 13. Mat. 26. to Manoahs wife to Marie So that in respect of their essence they are called spirits and as the Apostle speaketh Ministring spirits but in respect of their office they are called Angels Wherupon David He shall give his Angels charge over thee to keepe thee in all thy wayes Angell is a name of office not of nature Some make them of a fiery nature as Hemingius in his Enchiridion I see no soundnesse in it For sometime they have their denomination from heat as the Seraphins sometime for knowledge and brightnesse The Apostacy of the Angels irrecoverable as the Cherubins sometime they have appeared in a firy nature so they appeared to Elisha and his servant for the mountaine was full of Chariots and horses of fire that is Angels to defend them from the Syrians And so againe while Elias and Elisha Esay 6. 2 Reg. 6. 17. 2 Reg. 2. 11. Psal 114. went walking and talking together Behold there appeared a Chariot of fire and horses of fire and did separate them twaine And David saith He maketh his spirits his Messengers and a flaming fire his Ministers And as they have appeared in these formes so have they appeared in other formes also as pleaseth the Creator but to leave this The sinne of Angels is notorious and their punishment is as famous they are falne from light to darkenesse from Heaven to hell from felicity to misery Valerian fell from a golden chaire to a cage of iron Dionysius fell from a King to a Schoolemaster Alexander the third fell from being Pope to be a Gardener in Venice Nabuchadnezzar fell from a man to a beast but the celestiall Dan. 4. spirits