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
superfluity and increasing of it the growing and increasing of wealth the leaves of it your children tenants and followers the shadow your repose and contentment that you take in your wealth the worme that biteth this Ivie is Death the fading of this Ivie is the decay of your estate the wind that smote Ionas his head is the misfortune that may blow upon you No man can promise himselfe to bee wealthy till night one coale of fire one unadvised word two false oathes of two false villaines may make thee a Begger and a Prisoner all at once or if not so yet thy wealth may goe from thee in a moment as it did from that rich man of whom Christ speakes in the Gospell saying Thou foole this night shall they fetch thy soule from thee For as wee came naked out of our mothers Luk. 12. Wombe so naked shall wee returne thither againe If Riches therefore Iob 1. 2. increase let us not set our hearts upon them nor be carryed away by the deceit of Balaams wages As riches are uncertaine so secondly are they unprofitable if it bee more than for things necessary and maintenance competent And therefore the Scripture cals gold and silver lands and livings riches and possessions a shadow Man walketh Psal 39. 6. in a vaine shadow hee disquieteth himselfe in vaine hee heapeth up riches and cannot tell who shall gather them Againe the Scripture calleth them a flower All flesh is grasse and all the glorie as the flower of grasse Againe the Scripture calleth them 1 Pet. 1. 24. Liers The chiefe men are Liers And further the Scripture calleth Psal 62. 9. them vanity All is vanity And lastly nothing Wilt thou set thine eyes uponit and it is not it hath no being Indeed Eccles 1. wealth if it bee for more than things necessarie and maintenance competent is unprofitable for it will doe no good either to soule or body or name or state For first what is good for the Soule but Faith Repentance the Spirit of God Prayer Pardon of sinnes and eternall Life But riches and wealth can purchase none of these things neither gold noâ— precious stones can buy Repentance the holy Ghost the Spirit Pardon of sinnes and eternall Life therefore riches are unprofitable for the foule Againe riches are unprofitable for the Body for can riches buy health purchase ease or a good nights rest or an houres sleepe or a good stomake No no and what is the body the better for it then Againe riches profit not a mans Name For they can not win him any credit For what is credit to have a cap or knee or a few complements given him to be crowched unto as a little curre to a mastiffe dogge to bee soothed up and to bee sprinkled with a little Court holy-water No no but credit is to bee Wealth cannot preserve from temporall or spirituall evils well esteemed of in the hearts of men to find reverence in their soules and to bee placed in a good roome of their affections but wealth cannot doe this but grace and vertue A poore man that lives vertuously shall be more respected in the soules and consciences of men than the richest man under Heaven wanting these things as for example Iohn had more reverence in Herods heart than Herod among all his Courtiers Mat. 14. Lastly wealth wil not profit a mans Estate For it cannot free us from evill nor procure us any good it cannot free us from evill For all evils are either spirituall or temporall ghostly or bodily The ghostly evils are our sinnes as superstition and idolatry swearing and blasphemy profaning of the Sabbath and neglecting of the Word contempt of lawfull authorities murthers and cruell hatred chambering and wantonnesse c. And will a golden plaister heale these diseases No no. A man shall not leave his sinnes the sooner for that hee is rich and hath his purse full with Dives his coffers full with Croesus his grounds full of cattell with Iob his barnes full of corne with the Epulo it is not wealth that wil make him leave his sins but weeping mourning praying and crying to God for mercy this is the plaister that must heale the soule And as wealth cannot preserve us from Ghostly no more can it from temporall evils for can it drive away the gout the stone the collicke the feaver the plague the head-ach the tooth-ach yea a fellon or a white-loe or any greater or lesser disease whatsoever No no the frogges of Egypt entered into the rich Exod. 9. mens houses of Egypt as well as the poore so diseases and other evils into rich mens bodies as soone as into poore mens carkasses Nay I will adde one thing more which perhaps you will thinke strange wealth cannot keepe a man from poverty because I know yee will deny this I will bring in seventy Kings at a time to take their oathes upon it Looke into the booke of the Iudges and yee shall find seventy Kings with their fingers and toes cut off glad like whelpes to licke up crummes under another Kings table And then a little while after yee shal Iudg. 1. 6. see that the same King that made all of them so poore is used in the same sort himselfe What beggers brat could come to more need Now deny if yee can but that a rich man may dye a begger as well as hee that is so borne I have knowne many that from great wealth have come to a morsell of bread whose youth swimming in dainties in old age were glad to snap at a crust Againe for inward troubles riches cannot free us of them Nay as cobwebs breed sooner in Wainescot faire hangings than upon a plaine wall so those that are rich are more clogged Riches hurtfull to the outward and inward man with these things than the poore When a rich man lyes sicke of any disease hath he one pang the lesse or is hee able to beare one fit more patiently because hee can make a greater inventory than his neighbour No rather it makes his crosse heavyer Yee see then wealth connot profit a mans estate Why should wee then gape after it as Ravens for heate and bee carried away with the deceit of Balaams wages Last of all wealth is hurtfull and dangerous and yet the hurt proceeds not from the nature of wealth but from the corruption of men as cold drinke in it selfe is good but to him that hath an Ague hurtfull and as bad as poyson Wealth is like an Hartichoake a little picking meate there is not so wholesome as delicious and nothing to that it shewes for more than the tenth part is unprofitable leaves and besides there is a coare in the middest of it that will strangle you if yee take not heed such a thing is wealth that men so covetously desire it is like some kind of fishes so full of bones and unseene that no man can eate of it without great
earthly If wee doe beleeve that God doth forbeare and forgive us our sinnes and not deale with us according to our deservings if he sanctify us with his spirit and make our bodies temples of the Holy Ghost if he turne us unto himselfe working our conversion which is as great a worke as at the first to create us we may bee well assured that he will deliver our soules from death and preserve us from famine For if he spared not his owne Sonne but hath given him Psal 33. 19. Rom. 8. 32. Luk. 12. 32. for us all to death how shall he not with him give us all things also Murmure not then for the want of outward things which perish with their use For it is your Fathers pleasure to give you a Kingdome This is the way to represse murmuring Yet men many times are murmurers yea Gods children themselves sometime fall into this sinne but this is to let us see our infirmity and Gods mercy not to excuse this sinne True it is that Iob did passe the bounds Iob 3. 3 4 5. 11 12. of patience saying Let the day perish wherein I was borne and the night wherein it was said that a man child is conceived let the day bee darkenesse Let not God regard it from above that is let it be put out of the number of dayes Neither let the light shine upon it but let darkenesse and the shadow of death sustaine it and let the clouds remaine upon it Let them make it fearefull as a bitter day Why died I not in the byrth and why died I not when I came out of the wombe Why did the knees prevent me and why did I sucke the brests And so Ieremy Cursed be the day wherein I was borne and let not the day wherein my Ier. 20. 14 15 16. mother bare me be blessed Cursed be the man that shewed my father saying A man child is borne unto thee and comforted him and let that man be as the Cities which the Lord hath overturned and repented not and let them he are the cry in the morning and the shouting at noone day The Ion. 4. 8. like may be said of Ionas who wished in his heart to die and said It is better to die then to live And the same may also be said of Elias It God never failes the faithfull is enough Lord take away my life I am no better then my Fathers These are examples to make us beware not to bee followed In multis peccavimus omnes in many things we sinne all when the water is Iam. 3. troubled it is not cleare nor good to drinke of When mens minds are troubled their speeches are passionate and grievous but God shall strengthen them if they pertaine to him premimur sed non opprimimur We are pressed but not oppressed wee 2 Cor. 4. 8. fall but we rise againe Let us chide our soules as David did Why art thou so heavy ô my soule why art thou so disquieted within me Waite Psal 42. 14. on God relent not murmure not though troubles bee long and great dic animae tuae Quid tumultuaris say unto thy soule Why doest thou make tumult why doest thou fret and storme Art thou hungry God will feed thee as he did Elias by Ravens that brought him meate morning and evening Art thou weake God will strengthen thee as he did Shamgar with his Oxe goad Art thou shut up close in prison God will deliver thee as hee did Peter the brazen gates of their own accord shall open unto thee Pharao may pursue Israel but he shall be drowned in the red Sea Ieroboam may stretch out his hand but it shall wither Abraham may lift up his hand to smite Isaac but Gods Angell shall stay him and a ramme in a bush shall be present to bee sacrificed in the roome and stead of him The Arrians may lie in waite for Ambrose but he shall passe thorow the middest of them without hurt A lion shall feed Macarius A Hart shall bring meate to Aegidius A wild Asse shall carry Haebaenus over the sea A whale shall receive Ionas safely The Duke of Savoy may besiege Geneva sed providebit Deus quoth Beza God shall provide Ne desis Deo in fide non deerit tibi in ope Be not wanting to God in faith and hee will not bee wanting unto thee in help Trust thou in the Lord and doe good dwell in the land and thou shalt bee fed assuredly Psal 137. 3 4 5. and delight thy selfe in the Lord and he shall give thee thy hearts desire Commit thy way unto the Lord and trust in him and he shall bring it to passe Sed hoc facile dictu sed arduum factis This is soone spoken but not so soone done few will in patience possesse their soules scarce one of a thousand will beare his Crosse patiently without murmuring Let us but want any corporall food by and by wee breake out What meanes the Lord to kil us with famine What greater sinners are we then such and such that have the world at will Would God hee would either amend these things or make an end of us who can endure such an hard time better to dye any way then to dye of Famine But away with this murmuring and let us rely upon God and say with Iob Though hee killme yet will I put my trust in him There is murmuring also against man grudging either at their wealth or at their love and favour or at the credit and preferment wherein they goe before other men So the Pharises murmured against Iesus and against his Disciples because the One man repines ordinarily against another people followed them and thus the Grecians murmured against the Disciples of Christ because their widowes were neglected in their daily ministring a fault whether more bad or common Act. 6. 1. among us it is hard to say For what more ordinary among men than murmuring If he be our superiour in wealth or in honour or in credit wee murmure against him as too great to dwell so neere us and if he bee our equall wee grudge that hee should thrive and prosper aswell as wee if he be our inferiour wee disdaine him Thus among all sorts there is murmuring so that whereas all things should bee done without murmuring nothing is done without murmuring one man repines against another We say as Peter said Lord what shall this man doe We grudge like the men of the vineyard Nemo sua sorte contentus Iohn 21 21. Mat. 21. No man resteth contented with his lot It was wont to be a proverbe Homo homini Deus One man is a God unto another but now Homo homini Daemon One man is a Divell to another to repine disdaine and hurt another yet are wee commanded to bee patient and to settle our hearts not to grudge one against another Iam. 5. 8 9. lest we be condemned The people murmure
naturam in his quae verbo Dei prohibentur Bridle and restraine nature in those things that are forbidden in the Word O Ierusalem saith God wash thy heart from wickednesse that thou maiest be saved how long shall thy wicked Ier. 4. 14. thoughts remaine within thee A naturall man through sinne is like the man that travelled from Ierusalem to Iericho and fell among theeves and was robbed of his rayment wounded c. So the Luk. 10. naturall man is spoyled of all his goods of grace wounded in all the goods of nature his understanding is blinded his will is weake his memory wandring his imagination restlesse his appetite rebellious his senses curious his flesh inclined to all filthinesse What good is to be expected of an Infant sitting upon an untamed horse holding weake reines in his hand in an hilly way full of breaknecks In the same state and condition abideth man destitute of the grace of the Spirit of the Word of God his appetite is as an untamed horse his reason which should rule his appetite is weake and the world is full of breake-necks and snares how miserable therfore is our nature which is carried Lust stirreth to all sinnes head long into wrath envy pride covetousnes whoredome and all uncleannesse Our owne will doth oppugne and fight against God spoileth Paradise enricheth hell evacuateth the blood of Christ subjects the world unto the Divell in this part of the soule is the shop of sinne out of which Satan draweth all his sorce and armour to wound us this is the vineyard in which we ought to labour in this garden let us alwayes walke having the hooke in our hand whereby we may cut off all these noisome Mat. 20. plants if they happen to increase and grow Thy will saith Vlciscere invide extolle teipsum Revenge envy extoll thy selfe noli pacem quaerere seeke not peace iura periura ede bibe lude sweare forsweare eate drinke play But let the Word of God rule thee Put off the old man which is corrupt with his deceiuable lusts and put Ephes 4. 23. on the new man which after God is shapen in righteousnesse and true holynesse Mortify your earthly members fornication uncleanesse unnaturall lusts and covetousnesse which is Idolatry crucify the flesh with the affections Col. 3. 3. Gal. 5. 24. and lusts The Fowler knoweth with what lure to take hawkes the fisher knoweth with what baite to catch the fishes and the Divell knoweth to what sinnes and vices we incline and leane unto and thither he carrieth us headlong whither our lusts carry us Vince ergo libidinem vicisti diabolum Vanquish thy lusts and thou hast vanquished the Divell Herupon saith Iohn I write unto you yong men because yee are strong and the Word of God 1 Iohn 2. 14. abideth in you and yee have overcome the wicked Such yong men God send us many they shall be like little David to overthrow Goliah like the three Worthies that brake thorow the hoast of the Philistines like Gedeons pitcher that drave backe the Madianites Fraena libidinem aliter ingratus es Bridle thy lusts otherwise thou art unthankefull to God which hath given thee so many weapons dedit legem per quam vivis hee hath given thee his Law by which thou livest he hath given grace to performe it he hath given Doctours to instruct us he hath given Sacraments to increase our faith hee hath given inspirations by his Spirit Doe not therefore quench them he hath given us himselfe give then therefore thy selfe and offer thy body and soule a quicke an holy and acceptable sacrifice unto him and walke not after thine owne lusts For lust is the mother of all wickednesse if it bee not betimes killed in the conception The Apostle shewes that lust will bee quickly enticed and being inticed it will conceive and being conceived it will bring forth the birth of some notable evill action and when it is gone so farre like an impudent beldame it will egge on still to the finishing of sinne that so it may bring us to death and destruction But it will be said that the best men have their lusts and sometimes follow them It is true so the brightest fire hath some smoake the soundest oake his sap the purest gold his drosse the fairest body his fleame choller and excrements yet is Lust brings forth sinne and sinne destruction there difference between all smoake and some smoake all drosse and some drosse all evill some evill the evill are notably evill For as they regard not to know God even so God delivereth them up to a reprobate minde to doe those things which are not convenient being Rom. 1. 28 29. full of all unrighteousnes fornication wickednesse covetousnesse maliciousnesse full of envy of murther of debate of deceit c. but good men they are evill onely in part the spirit of Sanctification is sometimes interrupted in the regenerate but never quite abolished while lusts beare sway in the heart it is hindred but not extinguished For the seede of God abideth in them even as madnesse 1 Iohn 3. interrupteth reason sunt enim lucida intervalla as drunkennesse doth not take away the minde it selfe but the use of the minde for a time so doth our lusts yet wee returne as David 1 Sam. 12. Iohn 21. to his chastity as Peter to the confession of Christ for he which thrice together denied him thrice together did confesse him as he fell he rose he fell thrice together and thrice together rose againe The Iebusite did dwell in Ierusalem but he did not dominiere nor rule in Ierusalme So lust dwelleth in the godly but it raigneth not in them He that wanteth all affections is either Rom. 6 a God or a stone and hee that obeyeth all is either damned or a Divell cut them off therefore though they be as an eye or an hand unto thee yet plucke out that eye smite off that hand Mat. 18. that thou mayest enter into Heaven come unto Christ that hee may ease thee of the burthen of thine affections Mundus clamat Ego deficiam te the World cryeth I will faile thee For the World passeth away and the lusts thereof Caro clamat Ego inficiam 1 Iohn 2. 17. te the flesh cryeth I will infect thee Fulfill not therefore the lusts of the flesh diabolus clamat Ego decipiam te the Divell cryeth I will Gal. 5. 16. 1 Pet. 5. deceive thee For hee goeth about like a roaring Lion seeking not onely to deceive but to devoure At Christus clamat Ego reficiam te but Christ cryeth I will refresh thee Come to mee all that travell Mat. 11. 29. and are heavy loden and I will refresh you Vtrum sequi sequi vis Whether of these wilt thou follow the World failing the flesh infecting or the Divell deceiving or Christ refreshing Satan requireth no more of thee but to follow
read the ancient Fathers to prove and trie every thing and Sectaries seek novelties and admire them to hold that which is good and not to depart from the faith of the Catholicke Church For there is but one dove one spouse one body of Christ Of this sinne the Apostle giveth the Church warning saying Let us consider one another and provoke unto love Hebr. 10. 24 25. and unto good Workes not forsaking the fellowship that we have among our selves as is the manner of some It is the manner of some to turne with the spiders breath the sweet iuyce of flowers into poison to seeke knots in bulrushes to stumble at every straw that stoppeth the course of their eager spirit to breake the bonds of peace to forsake this fellowship that wee should have among ourselves and to single and sever themselves by themselves they busie their braines about Pythagoras numbers Plato's Idea and Aristotles commonwealth they see not at Damascus a strange 2 Reg. 16. 10 11 Altar with Ahaz but they strait-way get the patterne and Vrias the Priest must make them the like at home But what saith Paul concerning these Sectaries I beseech you brethren saith he marke them diligently which cause division and offences contrary to the Rom. 16 17 18. doctrine which yee have learned and avoid them for they that are such serve not the Lord Iesus Christ but their owne bellies and with faire speeches and flattering deceive the heart of the simple The Prophet David saith Ierusalem a figure of the Church is built as a City that is at unity in it selfe and when the Holy Ghost Psal 122. 3. Act. 2. 1. Act. 4. 32. Iudg. 20. 1. came downe in visible signes upon the Apōstles They were all with one accord in one place and it is said that the whole multitude of them that beleeved in the first times had but one heart and one Soule It is said of Israel that they came together as it had beene one man with the same mind and intent not with as many opinions as persons The Iewes had but one kind of worship prescribed and 2 Chro. 30. 12. that in one only Temple And it is said of Iuda that the hand of the Lord was in Iuda so that he gave them one heart to do the commandement of the King and of the rulers according to the Word of the Lord So if we will become a spirituall building unto God if wee will receive the promise of the Holy Ghost if we will worship God in Spirit and truth if we will have the hand of the Lord upon us we must be at unity and concord with our selves we must abide with one accord and one mind in an house wee must have one heart to doe the commandement of the King and of the rulers we must not leave the Temple to follow every opinion but we must be no makers of Sects but must keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace S. Peter prophesied and foretold of these Sectaries Ephes 4. 3. which privily should bring in damnable heresies even denying the 2 Pet. 2. 1 2 3. Lord that hath bought them and bring upon thmselves swift damnation and that many should follow their damnable wayes by whom the way of truth saith he shall be evill spoken of and through covetousnesse shall they with fained words make marchandize of you c. There is in a naturall body a quicking soule a radicall humour and a naturall heate and there is in the spirituall body Division sometime more dangerous than Idolatry of the Church the Holy Ghost to give life to it Faith is the radicall humour to continue it and charity as the naturall heate or vitall Spirit carried throughout the Arteries or parts of the Church For All things must be done in love Division and discord 1 Cor. 10. 14. Sects and Schismes are the cause of all evill of all mischiefe this is that Pandoras boxe that Trojane horse from whom all evill and mischiefe doe proceed Example among many other may be the Church of Corinth who beginning about matters of ceremonies and policie proceeded first to division and separation some holding of Paul some of Apollo some of Cephas and some of Christ and so to false doctrine denying the Resurrection 1 Cor. 1. 12. and therefore by the Canon of the Apostle to be avoided and Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria told Novatus that it was Euseb de vit Const 2. more grievous to breake the unity of the Church then to commit Idolatry For this saith hee was punished but with the sword but the other with the opening gulfe of the earth swallowing up the Authors and confederates thereof Et non dubitabitur sceleratius esse commissum quod gravius erat vindicatum And there is no doubt but that was more haynously committed which was more sharply and severely punished If yee have bitter Iam. 3. 14 16. envying and strife in your hearts saith the Holy Ghost reioyce not for where envying and strife is there is sedition and all manner of evill wayes There be three Furies in Hell Heresy Schisme Apostacy Saith a learned man Haeresis errorem fundamentalem in side tuetur Heresy defendeth some fundamentall error in the faith Schisma unitatem Ecclesiae ob minuta discindit Schisme cutteth in sunder the unity of the Church for small and trifling things Apostasia rectam fidem religionem penitùs abdicat Apostasie utterly rejecteth and forsaketh the right Faith Religion of God and turneth from the holy Commandements given of God For heresy is occupied about dogmaticall conclusions concerning Faith and beliefe Schisme about rites and ceremonies and other things of no moment For whosoever shall obstinately defend any perverse corrupt opinion is an Hereticke whosoever shall divide himselfe from the Church for manners and rites is a Schismaticke Againe one and the selfe-same errour in divers men hath divers names For a false opinion of God is in a Iew Infidelity in an Ethnike Paganisme in a Christian heresy in a Turke Ignorancy Heresy is only in such as are baptized even as Schisme is Finely said Bibliander that one sinne according to divers effects hath divers names For to doe any thing against the Scriptures saith hee it is sinne or rebellion rather to thinke any thing contrary to the Scriptures it is foolishnesse to contradict them is error to forsake them Apostacy Pride the cause of heresy schisme All these are pardonable if they be not wilfull we must therefore be very watchfull that Satan possesseth not our mind heart or life our mind with perverse doctrine our heart with wicked affections our life with evill manners Study therefore day and night to keep the mind in purity and in the knowledge Hemming of the trueth the heart with pious and holy cogitations and thy life with chast manners and good examples Cyprian saith Vnum tentat diabolus tentat ut
of his little Mat. 18. 10. ones saith The Angels of his little ones doe alwaies behold the face of his Father which is in Heaven Miraculously doth hee keepe us untill the day of our death Therefore saith David Thou hast shewed mee great troubles and adversities but Psal 71. 18. thou wilt returne and revive mee and wilt come againe and take mee from the depth of the earth Miraculously doth he continue his benefits towards us Therefore saith the sweet Singer of Israel Cast me not away in the time of my age forsake me not when my strength Psal 71. 8. faileth me let it be our Prayer If God had not aswell preserved us and kept us it had beene to small purpose to call us and sanctifie us This Doctrine then is a Doctrine of comfort that God preserveth us it is as Davids Harpe which rejoyced Saul in his melancholy God hath not onely made us but also preserved us in a wonderfull mercy He telleth all our steps He numbreth Iob 14. Psal 56. Psal 38. Psal 139. Psal 34. Mat. 10. our teares He counteth our dayes and times He telleth our members He reckoneth our bones Yea he telleth our haires Our steps our teares our dayes our members our bones our hayres are told and yet all these are but little a steppe is but a little space a teare is but a little water a member is but a little flesh a bone a little substance our dayes a little time our haire a little exerement yet all these are kept of God he that keepeth these little things will keepe our bodies and soules As Paul prayed for Thessalonica Now the very God of peace sanctifie you throughout and I pray God that your whole spirit soule and body may 1 Thes 5. 23. bee kept blamelesse untill the comming of our Lord and Saviour â—esus Christ. God therefore is continually to be praised quoth Ambrose The Saints though afflicted yet delivered In prosperis quia consolamnur in adversis quia corrigimur in prosperity because we are comforted in adversity because we are corrected before we were borne because he made us after we were borne because he saveth us in our sinnes because hee Ambr. in ora fu nebri in Theodosium Apoc. 2. 10. pardoneth us in our conversion because hee helpeth us in our preservation because he keepeth us and crowneth us But some will say doe we not see good men take harme sometime breake an arme a legge yea and sometime their necke Where is Gods providence how are they preserved I say that GOD sometime throwes them down and leaveth them to themselves that they may the better see their weakenesse and Gods power and being delivered glorifie him in it according to that precept of the Almighty call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie mee Hereof come all those tragicall Psal 50. 15. speeches of the Saints that God maketh them as Buts and all his arrowes sticke deepe in them that hee feareth them with Iob 7. 12. 14 19. dreames and astonisheth them with visions and will not give them so much rest as to swallow their spettle that their heart panteth that their strength faileth the light of their eyes is Psal 38. 5. 8. 10. gone that their wounds are putrified and corrupt that they are weakened and sore broken and doe rore for the very disquietnesse of their hearts that they are as water powred out that all their bones be out of ioynt that their heart is as waxe melted Psal 22. 14. in the middest of their bowels that God bruiseth them as a Lion like a Crane or Swallow so God maketh them to chatter and to mourne like Doves True it is that they bee often Esay 38. 12 13. 14. in perill for a time Iacob lyeth in the Fields Gen. 30. 1 Sam. 24. Psal 125. Ier. 20. Dan. 3. David in the Wildernesse Ioseph in Prison Ieremy in the Dungeon The Three Children in the Oven Iohn in the hot Oyle at Ephesus Elias among Crowes Moses among Sheepe 1 Reg. 17. Exod. 2. Mat. 12. Dan. 6. Luke 16. Acts 27. Ionas among Fishes Daniel among Lions Lazarus among Dogges Paul among Snakes But at last commeth the yeere of Iubile and they are freed the cloud is dispersed and the Sunne shineth the clay is removed and the water runneth the ashes is scattered and the fire burneth the snare is broken and the Birds are delivered It is God that preserveth all things that he may have the glory Psal 174. 7. He kept the old world many yeeres from perishing and when it was destroyed he reserved a seed of 8. persons He will keep Gen. 8. this new World in the great burning For there shall bee a new God hath preserved his Scriptures God preserves Bodies and Soules Heaven and a new Earth Hee kept the primitive Church from ten great persecutours when the rivers were dyed with bloud when five thousand died every day except the Calends of Ianuarie hee kept the Scriptures from Antiochus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Dioclesian the one made monthly Inquisition for the Bibles and 2 Pet. 3. beheaded them that kept them the other commanded all to bee burnt yet Ezra and they continue to our good hee kept the knowledge of his Name in all the darkenesse of the World For as Iosephus saith Adam made two tables of stone or pillars Euseb lib. 1. in the one hee wrote Hominis lapsum Mans fall In the other Promissionem de Messia the promise of the Messiah and so that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 continueth to this day hee kept the Religion in the dayes of Queene Mary as hee kept the Law in the dayes of Manasses and Amon two or three Berries were left on the top of the tree some grapes after the vintage some eares of corne after the gleaning Hee kept our late blessed Queene when Stephen Gardiner bad Hew at the roote and when some others used her roughly when the plot of her death was layd Let our Soules praise the Lord and Psal 103. all that is within us praise his holy name God preserved the Fathers Aegypt received Athanasius from exile having beene seven yeeres in a Cisterne at Treveris France received Hilary returning from battell Antioch received Chrysostome from the malice of Arcadius and Eudoxia Italy welcomed Eusebius from exile and Millaine entertained Ambrose from the rage of Valentinian and Iustina God preserveth the World and all men in it and this preservation of the World is greater than the Creation of the World greater than the Ios 10. Iohn 2. John 6. drying up of the redde Sea greater than the standing of the Sunne and Moone in Aialon greater than the turning of Water into Wine greater than the feeding of five thousand men with five loaves and two fishes Et tamen haec omnes mirantur non quia majora sed quia rariora Vilescunt miracula
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
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
were all damned for so must they bee if they savour not of Gods Spirit For the Wisdome of the flesh is death the Wisdome of the Spirit is life and Rom. 8. 6 8 13. peace and againe They that are in the flesh cannot please God and againe If yee live after the flesh yee shall dye but if yee mortify the deeds of the body by the Spirit yee shall live and againe Whatsoever a man soweth that shall hee reape hee that soweth Gal. 6. 7 8. to his flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption and hee that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reape life everlasting Now temporall and eternall are opposite The things that are seene are temporall but the things which are not seene are eternall But not 2 Cor. 4. 18. Temporall and Spirituall But this was the policy of the Papists to name themselves spirituall that they might withdraw themselves from the Magistrate as though they pertained to God only not to Caesar Secondly they called their The regenerate onely have the Spirit of God in them lands and livings spirituall to exempt them also from the Magistrate and yet Paul calleth all these earthly commodities carnall as in his Epistle to the Corinthians If wee have sowne unto you spirituall things is it a great thing if wee reape 1 Cor. 9. 11. your carnall things And againe If the Gentiles bee made partakers Rom. 15. 27. of their spirituall things their duty is also to minister unto them in carnall things And to the end to defeate Caesar they set the Image of the Church upon their Coyne not Caesars Image Thirdly to make the more gaine they tooke to the punishment of Adultery Incest Drunkennesse Vsury Perjury Simony Sorcery under the colour of spirituall things and so they caught Testaments Legacies Marriages Dowries Ierome calleth the people Secular men but Temporall no man calleth them as though their hope reached but unto this life only whereas they are to bee saved aswell as Church-men To whom wrote Paul but unto the people For whom else prayed hee His words are plaine Brethren my hearts desire for Israel is that they might bee saved Well They have not the Spirit not the Spirit of Regeneration and sanctification but they have the Spirit of illumination but Gods children they have Gods Spirit of regeneration they are led by Gods Spirit and the Spirit of God certifieth Rom. 8. 16. their Spirits that they are the sonnes of God and he that hath not the Spirit of God is none of Gods it is the Spirit of God that worketh in us all in all The bath of regeneration and the renovation of the Spirit saveth us Wee are justified sanctified and Tit. 3. 1 Cor. 6. Gal. 5. 22. washed by the Spirit All good works are the fruits of the Spirit untill Gods Spirit hath renewed us wee are stables for the Divell Si durus sit hic sermo as the Disciples said Iohn 6. Luk 11. 21. blame him that spake it O there is No medium betwixt these two either Gods Spirit dwelleth in us or Satan Know yee 1 Cor. 6. 16. not that yee are the Temple of God and the Spirit of God dwelleth in you The Spirit is the same in the Church as the soule in the body it is it that quickneth us hee leadeth us into all Iohn 16. 3. truth hee sealeth up all graces in our hearts hee applieth all the mercies of God all the merits of Christ Iesus unto us hee worketh all graces and giveth all spirituall gifts unto us The Apostle making the comparison betweene the 1 Cor. 6. 11. 1 Cor. 13. 3. 8. Gal. 5. 2. flesh and the Spirit resembleth it to a tree that yeeldeth all manner of good fruits like the apple-tree of Persia or like the Tree of life Let us then intertaine Gods Spirit make much of him nourish every good motion that is wrought in us by him and every sparke will bee a fire flaming out of us every drop will bee a river issuing out of us to eternall life if wee nourish it but let us not quench the Spirit All grace and goodnesse flowes from Gods Spirit nor grieve the Spirit lest Saint Iude his Prophesy bee verified of us that wee are naturall men fleshly not having the Spirit but let us stirre up the gift of God in us blow at the coale and put spurres to this horse 1 Thess 5. 19. THE ONE AND THIRTIETH SERMON VERS XX. But yee beloved edifie your selves in your most holy faith praying in the holy Ghost The godly and the wicked every way opposite STill hee proceedeth in the comparison betwixt the godly and ungodly the elect and the reprobate the lambes on the right hand and the goates on the left hand of the Lord Iesus noting that the godly remember the words of the Lord they are peaceable without sects spirituall they increase in faith they pray in the Holy Ghost they keepe themselves in the love of God they looke for eternall life but on the contrary the wicked remember nothing they scoffe at Religion they be scorners they bee unquiet they be meere naturall men they decrease in goodnesse they pray not they love not God they cannot looke for life but death and destruction Tribulation and anguish shall bee upon the soules of them Vpon Rom. 9. Psal 11. 6 7. them God will raine snares fire and brimstone storme and tempest this shall be their portion to drinke A Lion out of the forrest shall slay them and a Woolfe in the wildernesse shall destroy them a Ier. 1. 5 6. Leopard shall watch over their Cities every one that goeth out shall bee torne in pieces because their trespasses are many and The Church and Saints as houses must be edified or builded dayly their rebellions are increased Sed but yee beloved but this Conjunction discretive here is emphaticall Sed vos autem dilecti but you beloved as if hee should have said You must not be like the wicked they be mockers they walke after their ungodly lusts they are makers of sects fleshly having not the Spirit but you must not doe so but you must turne over another leafe learne a new lesson This teacheth all Christians to live like Christians not as miscreants the true Christian turnes away his eyes from vanity as Iob the miscreant applies his senses to folly as Holofernes The Iob. Iudith 10. true Christian setteth a watch before his mouth and keepeth the doore of his lips the miscreant gives liberty to his tongue to speake evill and raile like Rabshakeh the true Christian is alwayes doing good as Abraham the miscreant alwayes doing 2 Reg. 18. evill as Achab the one loveth goodnesse the other badnesse the one setteth Gods judgements before his face the other puts them from his sight the one kils sinne in the thought the other suffers it to raigne in the heart the one knowes the end of his sinne
answere that prayer hindereth no labour it is opus animi non corporis a worke of the mind not of the body for why the husband-man at the plough the pilot at the helme the mariner at the oares the coblar at his Last the weaver at his Loomes the woman at her rock may pray and yet lose no time the heart may bee occupied as was Moses heart at the red Sea Epiphanius calleth Christians Bees that have Exod. 14. wax in their hands their clawes to note their worke and hony in their mouthes that is Hymnes Psalmes prayers to glorify God as is said of the Primitive Church These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication c. One calleth prayers Gods Grashoppers Gods Nightingales Onuphrius who praise him in the day and pray in the night and good men will pray alway with all manner of prayers and supplications in the spirit Ephes 6. 18. 2 Tim. 1. 6. and watch thereunto with all perseverancy c. O stirre up thy heart that is dull rowze it up to God blow the coale but spit not upon it Benajah is said to kill a Lion in the snow It is a great glory to kill a Lion greater to kill him in the snow when the hands are 2 Sam. 23. 20. cold and the body frozen that a man cannot draw his sword so the soule is cold congealed the spirit is dull the mind languishing in good things but if thou canst then put heate unto it to wrastle with the Divell that roaring Lion in prayer and meditation 1 Pet. 5. 8. it is thy glory with God men Angels In other vertues thou overcommest another in this thou overcommest thy selfe This world is a sea our soules are as vessels tossed on it our vertues Apoc. 15. as wares to be transported to the Haven prayer is as a prosperous wind to carry them forward Now as in the straites of Magellane of three shippes scarce one is saved so in the sea of this world of an hundred scarce one is saved for why Men pray not The Lord looked downe from Heaven upon the children of men to see Psal 14. 2 3 4. if there were any that would understand and seeke after God all are gone out of the way they are all corrupt there is none that doth good no not one doe not all the workers of iniquity know that they eate up my people as they eate bread they call not upon the Lord. On these God powreth out wrath For so the Prophet prayed saying Powre out thy wrath upon the Heathen that know thee not and upon the families that call not Ier. 10. 25. upon thy name Prayer is as a spirituall chaire wherein the soule sitteth downe at the feet of the Lord to receive the influences of his graces est porta regalis per quam Dominus in cor intrat prayer is the regall gate by which the Lord entreth into the heart the first fruits of future glory Manna that had in it Omne delectamentum the delicacy and taste of every sweet the Ladder of Iacob by which we must ascend into heaven By this note God distinguisheth his house from all houses My house shall bee called an house of prayer and his people from all Prayer comforteth in all estates the people of the world they are a people that delight in prayer and the praises of God are ever in their mouth others are houses Mat. 21. 12. of banqueting as the houses of Iobs sonnes or houses of sporting as the houses of the Philistins where Samson plaied or Iob. 1. 1 Reg. 16. Iudg. 16. Mich 3. Luk. 12. houses of cruelty as were the houses of the Iewes or houses of receit as the barnes of the foole or houses of destruction as those of Ieroboams and Baasha but Gods house is an house of prayer all other came to nought the houses of Iobs sonnes were blowne down with the winde the houses of the Philistins fell upon their heads and slew them the houses of the Iewes were turned into a field the barnes of the foole came to a strange heire the Palaces of Ieroboam and Baasha became a proverbe Prayer is a conjoyning of God and man together in doctrine God speaketh unto us and therefore the Word is called The Spirit 2 Thess 2. 8. of Gods mouth and in prayer wee speake to God and powre out our griefes into his lap Call upon mee in the time of trouble and I will heare thee and thou shalt glorifie mee Oratio est Deo sacrificium Psal 50. 15. Prayer is a sacrifice to God musicke unto the Angels a banket to the Saints an helpe to them that pray a remedy for the penitent a weapon against their enemies Te orante fugit daemon When thou prayest the Divell takes him to his heeles and is gone Resist the Divell by prayer and hee will flye from you Vis omnia patienter ferre sis homo precum Wilt thou carry all things patiently Iam. 4. 7. be a man of prayers Pray continually in all things give thanks Wilt thou roote up vices and be inriched with vertues Bee a 1 Thess 5. 17 18 man of prayers Cease not to pray to be filled with the knowledge of Gods will in all Wisedome and spiritual Vnderstanding Wilt thou overcome Col. 1. 9. troubles bee a man of prayer for Saint Iames will have thee troubled and afflicted to pray Wilt thou know the subtilty of Iam 5. 13. Satan and vanquish his temptations Bee a man of prayers Pray with all manner of prayer and supplications and then neither rule nor power nor worldly rulers nor the governours of the darkenesse of this world shall cause thee to fall Wilt thou trample under-feet thy corrupt and evill affections Bee a man of prayers Watch and pray that yee enter not into temptation I never knew a man of much praying a man of much sinne no not of the superstitious Mat. 26. 41. sort touching the grosse sinnes of the world Per preces charitas pascitur fides augetur spes corroboratur spiritus exhilaratur cor pacatur detegitur veritas vincitur tentotio renovantur sensus totus homo immutatur fit melior by prayer Charity is fed Faith increased Hop strengthened the Spirit exhilarated the Heart pacified Verity discovered temptation vanquished the Senses renewed and the whole man is altered and bettered Paul prayed and God answered him My grace is sufficient for Prayer the food of the soule thee The Philosophers affirme God to bee the perfection of all creatures the creature then is so much the more perfect by how much he is neerer unto God in prayers and supplications 2 Cor. 12. 8 9. wee draw neerer unto God then at other times therefore the perfecter for we draw neere unto God not in walking but in loving not with the feete of our bodies but with the affections of our hearts Let us draw neere saith the Apostle
must bee unto us dearer than thousands of silver and gold more precious than the gold of Ophir sweeter than the Honey or the Hony-combe For albeit God can onely by the inward motion of his blessed Spirit worke out make-sure and perfect our salvation yet it pleaseth him in his eternall wisedome to use the word as an ordinary meanes of our vocation and salvation As then God giveth learning by study wisedome by experience riches by travell and like things by like meanes so he maketh perfect the calling of his Saints by the preaching of the Word which Rom. 1. 16. is the power of God to salvation to every man that beleeveth The second title of honour given here to the Saints is Sanctification he calleth them sanctified of God the Father this is the next grace wherewith he adorneth them For God continueth his graces as Iacob continued his wrastling as Peter continued his knocking till they let him in and God will not leave calling and working till hee hath sanctified and perfected his graces like the Sunne that never leaveth shining but commeth Psal 19. Exod. 17. forth as a Bridegroome out of his Chamber and rejoyceth as a Giant to runne his course Like the Fountaine of Elim and waters of Shilo that never leave running The calling of God is without repentance Rom. 11. 29. For God is not a man that hee should lye neither as the Sonne of man Numb 23. 19. that he should repent as Balaam though a false Prophet said most truely Whom God calleth them he justifieth whom hee justifieth he sanctifieth and whom he sanctifieth he glorifieth The learned call this Text in Rom. 8. Auream catenam a golden Rom. 8. 29 30. Chaine hee that draweth one linke draweth all the Chaine For as hee that hath one damnable sinne hath all sinne and is guilty of all so hee that hath one grace effectually hath all God perfects his Workes God is not like a stepmother that putteth out her child to nurse he is not as the Partridge or Bird that forsaketh her nests nor Ier. 1. 17. Iob 29. 1 Reg. 3. like the Ostrich that leaveth her egs in the dust like Salomons Harlot that exposed her child to the sword But he is as the Eagle that carrieth her yong in her wings till they can flie as the Pelicane that feedeth her yong ones with her heart-bloud till they can feed themselves He blesseth us untill he hath brought us into his Kingdome of blisse where wee shall never hunger nor thirst any more For Hee will destroy Death for ever and the Lord God will wipe away teares from all faces and the rebuke of his Esa 25. 8 9. people will hee take away out of all the Earth for the Lord hath spoken it and in that day men shal say Loe this is our God We have waited for him and hee will save us this is the Lord wee have waited for him we will rejoyce and bee joyfull in his Salvation So the Lord Iesus hath perfected the worke of our Redemption hee was borne for us he lived hee died he rose againe he ascended hee maketh intercession for us and hee will glorifie us so saith our Saviour Father I will that they which thou hast given me bee with mee even where I am that they may behold my glory that is that they may enjoy the Iohn 17. 24. eternall glory with mee This is a Doctrine of singular comfort like the wine and oyle that revived the wounded man like the news of Iosephs honour Luke 10. Gen. 45. 28. Luke 2. that comforted old Iacob like the song of the heavenly souldiers that rejoyced the Sheepheards like Davids Harpe to drive away Sauls melancholy Hath God begun with thee hath he called thee hast thou felt the motions of his Spirit in thy heart Noli timere bee not afraid hee will end with thee and accomplish all his graces in thee I meane not in perfection Nam sanctitas tribus gradibus perficitur Holinesse consisteth in three degrees In this life while we are regenerate by water and the holy Spirit after this life while the Soule enjoyeth the presence of God after the day of Iudgement when in Soule and body wee shall bee united to our head Christ Iesus In this life there is a threefold Sanctification 1 Imputed unto us 2 Wrought in us 3 Wrought by us Imputed Sanctification is when God imputeth unto us the sanctification of Christ Who is made to us Wisedome Righteousnes 1 Cor. 1. 30. Sanctification and Redemption By this wee are said to bee sanctified when the vertue of Christs Passion the fruit of his Death the power of his Resurrection is applied unto us and Christs Sanctification made ours by imputation Therefore the Apostle saith That Iesus Christ to the end that hee may sanctifie his people with his owne bloud suffered without the gate Heb. 13. 12. Sanctification wrought within us is the inward change of a man iustified whereby the image of God is restored in him a Protestants Religion teach Sanctity change not a non esse ad esse from a not being to a being for the faculties of the soule were before not ab esse ad non esse from a being to a not being for the faculties of the soule remaine still but ab esse ad esse from an ill being to a good being not abolishing the will minde and affections but rectifying and renuing them a change of a man iustified for we are iustified before we are sanctified Iustification is actus individuus Sanctification is actus dividuus we are iustified at once we are sanctified by degrees wee are iustified when our sinnes are not imputed unto us we are sanctified when a cleane heart is created and a right spirit renued in us Sanctification wrought by us is that whereby wee sanctifie and make holy the outward works and actions of our life This the Lord requireth Be ye holy for I am holy To this Saint Paul Levit. 11. 44. exhorteth let us cleanse our selves from all silthinesse of the flesh and 2 Cor. 7. 1. of the spirit and grow up to full holinesse in the feare of God The righteousnesse of Justification is by faith without works the righousnesse of Sanctification is by workes and by faith justifying righteousnesse is perfect but not inherent sanctifying righteousnesse is imperfect but inherent glorifying righteousnesse is perfect and inherent neverthelesse we must confesse that all our sanctification is from God Here the slander of the Papists is answered for Justification for whom God calleth he justifieth and whom hee iustifieth he sanctifieth We preach not an idle faith as they say opening windowes and doores to all wickednesse by a Solifidian error and an imputative Iustice A late Papist in his Treatise of the Eucharist saith We preach liberty we hinder good workes we teach a naked faith No no wee teach sanctity holinesse more than they who with Alexander the third
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
combined together therfore live wee well but if there bee a jarre among them that one overcome another the body then perisheth by and by What shall I say then of these brawling sewing wrangling spirits they are like the Salt pillar that Lots wife was turned Gen. 45. unto they bee of a salt and fierie humor like the seven blasted Motive to true Peace eares that consumed the full eares like the seven leane kine that eate up the fat like the worme that smote Ionas wilde gourd they hurt themselves and others also they strive in the law like the mouse and the frogge for the marish ground till the kite sweeâ—s them both away till the Lawyer eate them both up they are like Fooles that bore holes in shippes to let out the water and to let in the whole Sea so to gaine six pence they will spend six pounds and at last die beggars As the Friers of old lived of the ignorance of the people so the Lawyers now live of the sinne and malice of the people they as the Locusts eate up all Wherfore if yee love your wealth Seeke peace and insue Psal 34. 14. Rom. 12. 18. it and if it be possible as much as in you lyeth have peace with all men Remember that our God is the God of peace Christ the Prince of peace Angels the messengers of peace the Ministers the preachers of peace the Magistrates defenders of peace and that we are the children of the God of peace Let us have therefore peace amongst our selves not polluted peace such as was anong Davids enemies which laide waite for his soule and tooke Psal 71. 10. 2 Sam. 13. 28. counsell together against him nor counterfeite peace as was betweene Absalom and Ammon for Absalom prepared a feast for Ammon his brother but caused him to be murthered in the middest of the banket So the Spaniards in 88. treated of peace but prepared themselves to warre nor inordinate peace for of this peace saith our Saviour I came not to bring peace into the world but a sword nor peace with sinne the world and the flesh For this is the Divels peace Of every of these kindes of peace I say with a Father Melior est talis pugna quae proximum facit Deo quam illa pax quae separat a Greg. Nazian Deo Better is that fight and conflict which maketh a man draw neere to God than that peace which separates a man from God such agreement is not union but conspiracie Our peace therefore must bee a Christian peace and this peace hath for her elder sister Righteousnesse So saith David Iustitia pax osculatae sunt Righteousnesse and peace have kissed each other Psal 85. 10. As Augustine upon the place fiat justitia habebis pacem if thou wilt have peace worke righteousnesse so peace shall be within thy walls and plenteousnesse within thy palaces Secondly peace is taken for the quietnesse and peace of conscience betwixt God and man and of this peace the Apostle speaketh thus Being justified by Faith wee have peace with God This Rom. 5. 1. peace passeth all understanding the tongues of men and Angels cannot utter it the goodnesse of this peace cannot be perceived by the eye nor received by the eare nor conceived by the heart yet the eare can heare much as Saul asleepe heard David and 2 Sam. 24. Sap. 1. 10. The eare of Iealousie heareth all things The eye can see further for Moses saw Canaan from the top of Pisgah The tongue can utter more than the eye can see so Achitophels mouth was as an Oracle Peace of conscience most excellent of God The heart can conceive more than the tongue can utter so Salomons heart is said to be large like the sands of the Sea yet cannot our eyes nor eares nor hearts comprehend this peace It passeth all understanding It is nothing to have all peace and to Phil. 4. 7. want the peace of God the peace of conscience It is nothing to have 900. chariots of Iron with Sisera to have stately buildings Iudg. 4. Dan. 4. Act. 4. with Nabuchadonezer to have the applause of the people with Herod to plant orchardes to digge fountaines to water gardens to heape and gather gold to provide men singers with Salomon to have all pleasures with Xerxes and to want this peace For Sisera died miserably Nabuchadonezer was turned into a beast Herod was eaten of lice Salomon called all delights vanities and Xerxes promised reward to him that could finde him out a new pleasure Quá tum inventâ non fuit contentus Which being invented yet he was not contented Hath God given thee house and lands wife and children men-servants and maid-servants Hast thou thy coffers full with Croesus thy purse full with Dives thy barnes full with the Epulo thy grounds full with Iob thy stable full with Salomon and thy table full with Balthazar yet all is nothing without this peace and therefore looke into thy heart Is there peace betweene God and thee as he said finely Is it peace Iehu is there not Intus vermis a worme within byting thy conscience if there 1 Reg. be looke to thy selfe suffer not thine eyes to sleepe nor thy eye-liddes to take any rest untill thy peace be made with God and thy pardon sealed O pray pray that thou maist have this peace it is the peace of peace and without it there can be no peace The name of peace between man and man is sweet like the precious oyntment upon the head of Aaron that ranne downe unto his beard and from his beard unto the skirts of his clothing but this peace of conscience is farre sweeter Iuge Convivium a continuall Pro. 15. 15. Feast a daily Christmas unto a good man This peace the godly seeke so saith David marke the upright man and behold the just for the end of that man is peace but the transgressors shall be destroyed Psal 37. 37 38. together and the end of the wicked shal be cut off The comparison is inter pium impium between the godly and the ungodly man the end of the godly man is peace when he goeth to bed he saith I will lay mee downe in peace and take my reste When he Esa 4. 2 Pet. 3. 14. Luke 2. riseth He is carefull to be found in peace When he is sicke he saith Lord let thy servant depart in peace Let us then be diligent to be found in peace then shall we see hell abolished death troden under feete the first sorrow cast out into shame immortalitie shall lengthen our dayes and the glorie of God shal be before us as in a glasse This testimonie is true the Heavens have sealed unto it and the living God hath spoken it of the Sons of men and blessed are we if we doe beleeve it There is more happinesse in one day in Gods service than in tenne thousand dayes of vanities
Soule wee shall be glorified and when as wee shall sing the songs of triumph such as none can understand save the hundred and forty foure thousand which are Apoc. 14. 3. brought from the Earth Let us therefore pray for grace to increase in us and say with Augustine Si quando steti per Dominum steti si quando cecidi per me cecidi c. If at any time I stood I stood by the Lord if at any time I fell I fell of my selfe his Grace did prevent me saving me from evils past preserving me from evils present and defending me from evils to come But I will follow this point no further but as Iude prayed that Mercy Grace and Love might be multiplied So shall I pray Mercy Peace and Love bee unto you Mercie from God the Father the Father of Mercies Peace from God the Sonne the Prince of Peace Love from God the holy Ghost the Love of the Father and the Sonne Mercy unto you releasing your sinnes Peace unto you quieting your consciences Love unto you joyning you to God and one unto another Now the very God of Mercy Peace and Love give you Mercy Peace and Love Amen THE SIXTH SERMON VERS III. Beloved when I gave c. Faith and Gods worship must be maintained HAving spoken of the Title or Inscription of this Epistle I am now come unto the second part thereof namely the Proposition which is a stirring of them up to maintaine the Faith worship and religion of God which was now at an ebbe like the Sea and eclipsed like the Sunne with false Apostles had shaken her leaves like a tree in winter Where note two things 1 That they must labour for Faith 2 The reasons why they must so labour The Reasons be three The first taken from the person of the Apostle The second from the person of God The third from the person of the Adversaries From the person of the Apostle three wayes From 1 His love 2 His paines 3 His mildnesse The second reason is taken from the person of God in that he gave this Faith where note three things The necessitie and excellencie of Faith That it is 1 His gift 2 Once given 3 Given to the Saints The last reason is taken from the Adversarie where note two things 1 The qualities 2 The end of the Adversarie But first for Faith all men must labour for it that they may say on their death-beds with Paul I have fought a good fight I 2 Tim. 7 8. have finished my course I have kept the faith from hence-forth there is laid up for me a Crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Iudge will give me at that day and not to me onely but unto them also that love his appearing None can speake of a Crowne of glorie but he that can say that he hath kept the Faith For without Faith it is impossible to please God Wilt thou please God as Enoch did and Hebr. 11. 6. not grieve God like Israel then get faith Quod enim non est a fide peccatum est whatsoever is not of faith is sinne Paul describing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christiani the armour of a Christian compareth faith unto a shield all armour is necessarie but specially a shield Therefore saith the Apostle Above all things take the shield of faith Ephes 6. 17. wherewith we shall bee able to 〈◊〉 all â—he 〈…〉 of the wicked Where note that the Apostle contenteth not himselfe with a bare exhortation to stirre us up to labour for faith but with weighty reasons presseth his exhortation before and behind before comparatively preferring it before all other graces Above all behind simply declaring the vertue and efficacie of it Wherby yee shall bee able to quench c. By the first hee maketh way to his exhortation by the last he knocketh it downe fast even to the head as wee use for to say And the Apostle writing to Timothie willeth him to get faith 1 Tim. 1. 19. and a good conscience naming two fearefull examples One of Hymenaeus another of Alexander who had made shipwracke of faith and a good conscience And therefore Paul delivereth them up to Satan That they might learne not to blaspheme that is he did excommunicate them Faith is the vertue of all vertues As all rivers runne into the Sea so all vertues come of faith It giveth light to all vertues as the Sunne doth to all planets therefore the Apostle is so prolix in it Faith maketh us the sonnes of God else are we bastards illegitimate So many as received him to them gave he power to be the Hebr. 11. 4 5. Iohn 1. 12. Epist ad Adimanth Gen. 26. 2 Tim. 1 Cor. 4. 15. Gal. 4. Sonnes of God even to them that beleeve in his name Augustine distinguisheth of Sonnes that they are threefold sonnes by Nature so Esau was the sonne of Isaak sonnes by doctrine or imitation so Timothie was Pauls sonne so he begat the Corinths so hee travelled of Galatia Lastly sonnes by inspiration or faith so are we the sonnes of God Christ is the naturall wee the adopted sonnes of the Almightie The third is best for well is hee that hath God to his Father for the Sonne abideth in the house for Faith must be striven and laboured for ever Faith is the life of the soule as the soule is the life of the body Quod carni esca hoc animae fides what food is to the flesh the same is Faith to the soule quod cibus corpori hoc verbum spiritui what meat is to the body the same is the word to the Spirit Iohn 8. 35. To stirre us up to strive for this Faith the Holy Ghost adorneth it with many Epithetes he calleth it Rich faith 1 Pet. 1. Holy faith Iude vers 20. strong faith 1 pet 5. 8. a saving faith Ephes 2. 8. a pure faith Act. 15. 9. a precious faith 1 Pet. 1. 7. If their we regard riches strength holinesse salvation puritie let us maintaine Faith which hath all graces in it as Paradise had all fruites in it as Lapis Indicus hath all cures in it And note that they must contend strive for faith for all they are accursed that doe the worke of the Lord negligently and all Ier. 48. they shall be spued out of Gods mouth who are key-cold luke-warme and not fervent in the faith Most men therefore shall Apoc. 3. 15. goe unto the Divell and be vomited out of Gods mouth for they are Tepidi in Fide they care not what become of faith and religion so they may prosper in the world they say unto God Ioh 21. 14 15. Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes Who is the Almightie that we should serve him and what profit shall we have if we should pray unto him they say with Alexander Borgia Da mihi divitias caetera tolle tibi fidem spem charitatem
say I this saiest thou but this saith the Lord. Christ entring into his glory could have said much of the traditions of the Prophets yet notwithstanding he alledgeth only those things that are written Luk 24. 44 45. Thus it is written and thus it behoved Christ to suffer c. Traditions and leaving the written word is the originall of all mischiefe Hence came the Iewish Cabal and Thalmud the Turks Alcoran the Russian tales of S. Nicholas the Irish fables of S. Patricke the Romish traditions of their new Saints hence come the horrible opinions of Ebion and Cerinthus de regno Christi terreno of the earthly Kingdome of Christ and of the Leviticall observations under Milde exhortations more powerfull than menaces colour or pretext of Apostolicall traditions And the Apostles being all dead Sua dogma vocarunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as though it contained the most deep knowledge of heavenly things but was indeed drawne out of the dungeon of hell Thus as Midas had power to turne all he touched into gold so these men have power to turne all they touch into lyes and all under colour of traditions The Apostles dehortation therefore is to bee embraced Beware lest there be any man that spoile you through Philosophie and vaine deceit Col. 2. 8. through the traditions of men according to the rudiments of the world and not after Christ The third reason taken from the Person of the Apostle is from the mildnesse manner of his doctrine For he exhorted them he intreated them as if a man should lay his hands under their feet he came not in the Imperative but in the Optative mood hee came not like Tyrants or great men with Sic volo sic jubeo For meÌ„ will rather be drawne with lenitie than driven by extremitie He came not with a searing iron not with vinegar to ulcerate but with oyle to mollifie he came not with a rod as Paul to the Corinthians sedspiritu lenitatis with the spirit of gentlenesse 1 Cor. 4. Exhortation is Gods whetstone to â—et an edge of our zeale it is Gods spurre to make us runne faster in Religion it is Gods milke to nourish us What face of flint or heart of Adamant but will be moved with exhortation The three thousand Iewes though vile men were moved by it it pricked their hearts and made them crie out Men and brethren what shall we doe It moved Valentinian much when Ambrose said Rogamus Augustum non Act. 2. 46. pugnamus we pray Augustus we fight not Arma nostra sunt preces lachrimae our weapons are prayers and teares And it moved Arcadius much when Chrysostome wished that the Emperor might see his heart as he saw his face that he might see his care to doe him good The Minister must learne here to be diligent in exhorting So saith the Apostle Preach the Word be fervent in season and out of season improve rebuke exhort with all long suffering and doctrine and 2 Tim. 4. 2. as Paul commanded it so he practised it You know saith Paul how we exhorted you and comforted you and besought every one of you as 1 Thess 2. 11. a father his Children The shepheard hath his whistle and his dog and the Minister hath exhortation and reprehension witnesse the Apostle These things speake and exhort and rebuke with all authoritie And as the Minister must exhort so you the people must suffer the word of exhortation I beseech you brethren saith the Author to the Hebrewes suffer the word of exhortation The wounded man must suffer the Surgeon to lanche to seare his wounds The Hebr. 13. 22. sicke man must suffer the Physitian to prescribe sweet or bitter potions unto him and the ignorant man of a dull spirit must suffer the Minister to exhort him So God cried unto Ierusalem As Ministers must exhort so the people must suffer the word of exhortation Be you instructed ô Ierusalem lest my soule depart from you lest I make you desolate as a land not inhabited So wee cry to you to bee instructed O England bee instructed O Norfolke bee instructed O Northwalsham bee instructed lest the soule of the Lord depart from you and the rather because we have cried long like Cocks that crow at midnight and againe at three of the clocke but Ier. 6. 8. longest and loudest towards day The ministers are Gods Cocks they crowed in King Edwards dayes and in Queene Elizabeths days but longest and lowdest in King Iames his dayes As Peter therefore wept at the crowing of the Cocke so let us weep and wake at the crowing of these cocks For now considering the season it is high time for us to wake out of sleep for our salvation is neerer than Rom. 13. 11. when wee beleeved the night is past the day is at hand let us cast away the works of darknesse and put upon us the armour of light Bee awake therefore and strengthen the things which remaine and are ready to dye Even so awake England thou hast slept fifty yeares like Endimion like the seven boyes of Ephesus mentiond by Nicephorus like Abner that would not be awaked The cruellest Lion is tamed 1 Sam. 28. 15. by long art the stiffest yce is thawed with long heate the hardest marble is pierced with continuall dropping and let us be pierced with continuall exhorting We teach and exhort you from yeare to yeare from thursday to thursday let us not rolle Sisyphus stone nor reach for Tantalus apples let us not cast pearles before swine nor give holy things to dogs Mat. 7. 2 Cor. 5. 20. We intreate you as Paul did the Corinthians That yee will be reconciled unto God wee pray you to heare the word not to sweare we pray you to sanctifie the Sabboth to be chast liberall mercifull c. The unrighteous Iudge though a vile man was overcome with importunity and let our importunity overcome you Suk 18. and be you moved with continuall exhortation Let not God say of us as he did of the Iewes I have spread only my hand all the day unto a rebellious people which walked in a way that was not good even after their owne imaginations a people that provoked me ever to my face Esa 1. c. But let us be warned by the admonition of the Prophets for by these God exhorteth continually and stretcheth out his hand to draw us THE SEVENTH SERMON VERS III. For the maintenance of the faith which was once given to the Saints Faith a gift of God a fruit of the spirit THE second reason is taken from the person of God that he gave Faith Now every man must maintaine the ordinance of God For we can doe nothing against the truth but for the truth So reasoned Ambrose with Valentinian when hee commanded him to give up his 2 Cor. 13. 8. Church to the Arrians Si Naboth vineam patrum tradere noluit c. If
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
divine power have yee not heard it hath it not beene told you from the beginning have yee not understood it by the foundation of the Earth Hee sitteth upon the circle of the Earth and the inhabitants thereof are as Grasse-hoppers he stretcheth out the Heavens as a curtaine and spreadeth them out as a Tent to dwell in And Salomon reasoneth thus Who hath ascended up to Heaven and descended who hath gathered the Wind in his Prov. 30. 4. fist who hath bound the Waters in a garment who hath established all the ends of the World what is his name or his Sonnes name if thou canst tell And God reasoning with Iob saith Where wast thou when Job 38. 4 5 6. 8. I layd the foundations of the Earth declare if thou hast understanding who hath layd the measures thereof if thou knowest or who hath stretched the line over it whereupon are the foundations thereof set or who hath layd the corner-stone thereof or who hath shut up the Sea with doores When it issued and come forth out of the Wombe c. The world is Schola Dei the Heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy worke And the Apostle affirmeth Psal 19. 1. that God left not himselfe without witnesse in that hee did good and gave us raine from Heaven and fruitfull seasons filling our hearts with food and gladnesse O every showre of raine is a Preacher and tels us there is a God Note this that nothing was made of it selfe nor for it selfe but for another The Heavens we see doe serve the Ayre the Ayre serveth the Earth the Earth the Beasts the Beasts serve Man Man therefore not made of himselfe was made to serve another which can bee no other but God The Lord hath made all things for his owne sake If all things therefore Man which Pro. 16. 4. confuteth Atheisme Againe it is an arrow yea a hammer against Atheisme that all men have a conscience of sinne and are affraid of it Conscience is a witnesse either with us or against us either to excuse us or accuse us It beareth witnesse of what of secret particular actions Against whom against thy selfe To whom to God seeing neither men nor Angels know the secrets of thy heart Let all Atheists barke against the God-head as long as they will Intùs est vermis qui illos mordet within there is a worme that gnaweth them In that men are afraid and ashamed of sinne it argueth that there is a God we see that all creatures purge themselves of their corruption The Sea her froth the water her skumme the earth her vapours the birds their feathers the wine his lees the fire his smoke the oile his some Man therfore that would avoid his sinne and be rid of it hath a conscience of God and proveth there is a God But alas Religion beggeth in these dayes Probitas laudatur alget our religion is in imagination not in faith in opinion not in judgement in the braine not in the heart in word not in deed and effect They professe they know God but inwardly in their works they doe denie him being abominable disobedient and unto every Few truly religious but many Epicures and Atheists good worke reprobate they have a shew of godlinesse but have denyed the power thereof O vile times the worst that have beene ever since the creation of the world and if these dayes should not be shortned no flesh should be saved but for the Elects sake God hath shortned them We Tit. 1. 16. 2 Tim. 3. 5. Mat. 24. 22. Esa 58. 1. 1 Reg. 19. Mar. 3. had need crie aloud and not spare lift up our voices like trumpets For ordinary speaking hath no proportion with extraordinary sinning We cannot come to you as God came to Elias in a still wind in a soft voice we must have Stentors voice be like Iames and Iohn the sonnes of thunder The Heathen said of their infidels Plus amant bovem quā Iovem they love the oxe more than Iupiter we may say of many Christians Plus amant coenam quam coelum cibum quam Christum they love more their supper than heaven more their meat than Christ they be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like lapwings that delight in dung like Vespatian who took a tribute of urine Many nations have lived without cloaths without King without armour but never any without God as Tullie said Nulla gens tamfera tamimmanis c. never nation was so wilde so cruell so barbarous but have acknowledged and confessed that there was a God Neere the river Ganges in India be men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without mouthes that live by the sent of flowers among us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men without hearts that beleeve nothing Socrates said Hoc scio quod nihil scio I know this that I know nothing and they hoc credo quod nihil credo I beleeve this that I beleeve nothing they have set downe their rest Non esse Deum non esse daemonem non esse coelum non esse infernum there is no God there is no divell there is no heaven there is no hell and therefore they say Our life is short and tedious and in the death of a man there is no recovery neither was any knowne that have returned Wisd 2. 1 2 3. 4 5. from the grave wee are borne at all adventure and wee shall be hereafter as though we had never beene for the breath is as smoake in our nosthrills and the words as a sparke raised out of the heart which being extinguished the body is turned to ashes and the spirit vanisheth as in the soft ayre c. Come therefore let us enjoy the pleasures that are present c. These wilde Bores roote up the Lords vineyard these Foxes destroy the grapes these Ionas's trouble the ship of England For Christs Psal 80. 13 14. Church is Christs ship tossed with waves but let us runne with the Apostles and awake our Saviour that hee may hurle out Mat. 14. these Ionas's Thirdly the wicked are here described by their carnalitie and libertie they turne grace into wantonnesse for ungodlinesse hath two branches iniquitie in life and manners and impuritie in religion of the first he saith They turne grace into wantonnesse of the second it is said that they denied God and Christ Iesus Of the Act. 6. Rom. 8. first sort were the Libertines that disputed with Steven Paul had to doe with such hereticks vile men that said faciamus mala ut inde veniat bonum Let us doe evill that good may good come thereof Gods grace ought to lead to repentance Or let us be evill that God may be good let us commit iniquitie that Gods glorie may bee revealed let sinne abound that grace may superabound But their judgement is just and their damnation sleepeth not such are all presumptuous sinners Rom. 6. 1. that will sinne of purpose
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
the old world there were but eight beleevers but two Iosua and Caleb and in Christs time we read but of an hundred and twenty beleevers As Aegypt was full of lice Nilus full of Crocodyles Golgotha full of dead mens skulls so is the world full of Infidells He destroyed them that beleeved not And hence commeth it to passe that so many are damned even because they want faith Perditio tua ex te ô Israel thy destruction commeth of thy selfe ô Israel Ex nobis quod damnamur It is of our selves that wee bee damned blame not God but thine owne infidelity For all things Hos 13. Man 5. are possible to them that doe beleeve And therefore Hemingius in his Enchiridion distinguisheth of the word that There is Duplex verbum Damnans Salvans That there is a double word a Damning and a Saving word The damning word is the Law the saving word is the Gospell The Law offereth grace to them that doe it Yee shall keepe therefore Deut. 2. 27. Gen. 3. 5. Levit. 18. 5. Rom. 10. 4. 9. my statutes and my iudgements which if a man doe he shall live in them But the Gospell offereth grace to the beleevers For Christ is the end of the Law unto every one that beleeve For if thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and beleeve in thy heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved Faith is ever a chiefe doer in matters of salvation and therefore said Hemingius in his Enchiridion that Causa imperans salutis est pater the Iohn 3. 16. commanding cause of our salvation is God For God so loved the world that hee gave his only begotten Sonne to save the world Causa obsequens est filius the obedient pliant cause is the Psal 40. 7. Sonne In the volume of thy booke it is written of me that I should doe thy will I am content to doe it thy Law is written in my heart Causa consummans est Spiritus Sanctus the consummating cause is the holy Ghost so saith the Apostle But yee are washed but yee are sanctified 1 Cor. 6. 11. but yee are iustified by the grace of the Lord Iesus and by the spirit of God The instrumentall cause is double Exhibens Recipiens Rom. 1. 18. The exhibiting Cause is the word the receiving cause Faith as therefore a Smith worketh not in cold iron so a preacher worketh not on an Infidell There is no life of God in us till we beleeve Ephes 4. 18. till then our cogitation is darkened and we are strangers from the life of God He that beleeveth in him shall not be condemned but hee that Iohn 3. 18. beleeveth not is condemned already because he beleeveth not in the name of the only begotten Sonne of God A tree liveth not without moisture Without faith no accesse to God nor a bird without aire nor a fish without water nor a Salamander without fire So the soule liveth not without faith The just doth live by his faith this is the spirit and soule of the inward man we Hab. 2. have a name to live yet are we dead if we want faith I live by faith in the Sonne of God saith Paul who loved me and gave himselfe for Gal. 2. 20. me Infidels therefore are dead men What is the cause that wee profit no more by the word wee beleeve not the preacher that may bee verified of our people which God said to Ezechiel concerning the Iewes They come unto Ezech. 33. 31 32. thee saith God as people useth to come and my people sit before thee and he are thy words but they will not doe them For with their mouthes they make jests and their heart goeth after their covetousnesse and loe thou art unto them as a jesting song of one that hath a pleasant voice and can sing well for they heare thy words but doe them not So we come to the Sermon heare the preacher but we doe not heare him with such zeale and affection as we should wee beleeve not but abuse the word to our owne condemnation why care wee no more for heaven but are so worldly truely we beleeve not God what is the cause that wee live in sinne seeing it is damnable For the wayes of it is death wee beleeve not the Scriptures what is the Rom. 6. 23. 2 Cor. 4. 4. cause of all disorder even infidelity The God of this world hath blinded their eyes our eares are open to heare but not our hearts to beleeve Satan stealeth away the word lest we should beleeve and so be saved But let us make much of the word that wee may Mat. 13. 19. have faith to beleeve For faith nay one dramme of faith is of more worth than all the treasure in the world This that good merchant well knew that sold all to buy it For hee that beleeveth shall not be condemned for every beleevers cause is removed Mat. 13. 24. from the Court of Gods justice into the Court of Gods mercy where hee that beleeveth is not condemned Therefore our care must be with S. Paul that we may be found having the righteousnesse of Christ by faith For there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Phil. 3. 9. Rom. 1. Iesus as all beleevers are and untill thou beest a beleever thou belongest not to God For as the Eagle refuseth her birds till they can mount and soare to the Sunne and as the Raven acknowledgeth not her young ones till they be blacke So God rejecteth the infidels and receiveth none till they beleeve None are the Sonnes of God but the faithfull the rest are bastards I confesse there be degrees in faith The first is a rudiment or entrance Gal. 3. Mat. 12. 20. Rom. 14. 1. Hebr. 10. 22. Rom. 4. 18. which Christ calleth Smoking flaxe The second is a weake faith Him that is weake in faith saith Paul receive unto you The third is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 assurance of Faith Such a faith was in Abraham who above hope beleeved under hope But no faith is abominable and may easily be discerned from a weake faith As a sicke man is knowne from a dead man So a weake faith from no faith Even a desire of Faith is a token of faith For Gods spirit worketh God giues grace according to the measure of Faith that but no faith is accursed For he that beleeveth not is còndemned already There be degrees in faith three examples we have The first of the Ruler of the Synagogue who beleeved that his daughter should revive if Christ would but touch her But the Iohn 3. 18. Iohn 4. woman with the bloody issue beleeved that she should be whole if she touched but the hemme of his vesture But the Centurion beleeved that his servant should doe well if Christ spake but the Luk. 8. Mat. 8. word here is Gradus positivus the positive degree the
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
Church For they are appointed for the punishment of evildoers And he is the minister of God To take vengeance of them that doe evil Even so they deny all use of weapon and all warre Nam arma nostra inquiunt illi sunt praeces lachrimae our weapons are prayers and teares They alleadged the words of our Saviour By your patience Luk. 21. 19 possesse your soules And the words of Paul Bee not overcome of evill but overcome evill with goodnesse And againe they alledged the The Pope depose some rayle on others and despise all Magistrates words of the Prophet of God Esay They shall breake their swords into mattockes and their speares into Sithes Nation shall not lift up a sword against nation neither shall they learne to fight any more At Magistratus gerit gladium saith Paul the Magistrate beareth the sword And Saint Iohn biddeth not souldiers deponere gladios to lay away Rom. 12. 21. Esa 2. 4. Rom. 13. 4. Luk. 3. 14. Acts 10. their swords but to doe violence to no man neither to accuse any falsely and to be content with their wages Neither did Peter bid Cornelius leave his warring Other vile heresies they have they deem it to be a Church without excommunication they deny all use of an oath which heresies first spread by Coppine and Quintinus in France and Persevallus and Pocquinus in Germany have infected many as Monsieur Iohannes Lidencis Kinperdoline who raised wars wherein perished 100000. men in Germany Secondly the Papists clip the wings of all Magistracy subjecting them to the Italian Priest making him the Ministeriall head of the Church calling him Deum terrenum an earthly God Harding Qui ligat Regis in catenis which bindeth Kings in chaines and Nobles in linkes of iron as it is in the Psalme 149. 8. Who justifieth the dealing of Innocentius the third against King Iohn and that of Alexander the third against Fredricke the second and that of Clemens the seventh against Henry the eighth and that of Pius Quintus against our Queene Now Allen compareth the Priesthood to the Sunne the Princedome to the Moone that receiveth light from the Sunne the Priesthood to the soule the other to the body which is quickned of the soule the one to gold the other to lead a course metall Pighius dat principibus potestatem facti non juris power to see Lawes executed not to make them All late Papists have railed on the Queene in the spirit of Shemei their tongues cut like rasors their words are as the coales of Iuniper for Bristowe in his sixth motive calleth the Queene a Schismaticke her Nobles Heretickes her peoâ—â—e Apostataes Sanders saith that Haeretica princeps non est â—â—â—nceps Libro 2. cap. 4. de visibili monarchia an Hereticall Prince is no Prince to which he addeth â—â—e Minor that the Queene is hereticall now then ye can â—â—t to the Conclusion Marke the feature of this Cub looke upon the face of this Babe and tell me who is his Syre did ever any Protestant hold the like Rebellion is not a fruit of the Gospell as saith Staphilus but a whelpe of that popish litter an egge of that Cockatrices nest the most treasons and rebellions have sprung from Papists upon this ground that the Pope may depose Princes ad placitum at his pleasure Thus Henry the second was made a private man and restored to the Crowne by the Popes Legat Pandulphus King Iohn was deposed and at the last poysoned Cardinall Poole stirred up the Emperour and French King against Henry the eighth Anselme â—he Archbishop of Canturbury set himselfe against King William Thomas Arundell Archbishop set himselfe against Henry the second Popish Bishops have deposed Princes Richard Scroope Archbishop of Yorke was in field against Henry the fourth Stephen Lancton Archbishop of Canturbury interdicted the whole Land and made the King become the Popes tenant I need not to speake of Parrie Somervile Ardington Babington No treason in this Queenes dayes but hath issued from Popery as from the Trojane horse Let the Prince of Orange speake let Condie speake let Henry the third the French King speake murdered of a Iacobine let Henry the fourth speake murdered by Raviliacke let all the world speake and they will say that all these late troubles for five hundred yeeres past since the dayes of Hildebrand may be ascribed to Popes and Papists All Graecia yet rueth it all Africa the mother of Martyrs feeleth it the Germane Emperours with foule treading upon their neckes may not forget it the Kings of France felt it till pragmatica sanctio was made the States of Italy have bin shaken with it the Kings of England have been poysoned whipped murdered did Gardiner Tonstall Bonner who forswore the Pope in Henry 8. dayes shew any truth in Queene Maries dayes Remember the massacre in France and the late murders in Cleveland and Germany and the Low-Countries since Gregory the 13. daies This Axiom is holden Da mihi cor tuum fili give me thy heart my son and the Papists reserved for a further mischiefe Yet Stapleton is not ashamed to charge Luther that he said That a good Prince was Rara avis a seldome bird that most of them are either principall fooles or the most wicked knaves on the earth but this is proper to Papists to speake thus But it is worth your noting that Iude saith not they deny authority and government as the Anabaptists doe as you have heard but they despise it they shal put it out of his place and they shall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 take away even government it selfe challenging it to themselves And hath not the man of sinne and sonne of 〈◊〉 done thus Gregory the 7. excommunicated Henry the 4. â—â—imated his Subjects to rebellion and when as by these meanes â—e could not prevaile he went about secretly to murder him and â—o that end hired one to let a stone fall from the top of the Church upon the Emperours head as he was a praying but God prevented the practice by punishing the murderer who was crushed in pieces with the same stone Paschalis the 2. raged in the same manner against the said Emperour and in the end caused his owne sonne to rebell against him Clemens the 5. excommunicated Francis Dandalus Duke of Venice tied him like a dog about the neck with a coller to gather crums under his table Vrbane the 4. dispossessed Conrade sonne to Conrade the Emperour of the Kingdome of Sicilia and gave it to Charles Earle of Anjou Boniface the 8. of whom it is said Intravit ut vulpes regnavit ut Leo mortuus est ut Canis that he entred like a Fox reigned like a Lion and dyed like a dog offered the French King Philips Where no government is there is confusion kingdome to Albertus the Emperour Zachary deposed Childerick the French King and placed Pipine Celestine crowned the Emperour Henry the 6. with his foot
and with his foot pusht it off againe Hildebrand caused Henry the 4. to stand three dayes at his gates bare-footed and bare-legged before hee would open his gates unto him Thus have they tossed government up and downe and have put them out of their places Chrysostome and Tertullian call them the chiefe men of the earth and next to God and Saint Peter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the most excellent Our latter Papists 1 Pet. 2. 13. call civill Magistrates carnall Lords humane creatures and is not this to take away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 soveraigne and supreme authority from them that ought to have it which Iesus Christ denyed to his Ministers and servants saying The Kings of the Gentiles Luke 22. 25. beare rule over them and they that beare rule over them are called gratious Lords but you shall not so Let us therefore Brethren be subject to the higher power and never despise government Let us subject our selves to every ordinance of Ro◠13. 1. man for the Lords sake For by them we reape much good for governours are appointed of God For the punishment of evill doers but 1 Tim. 2. for the laud of them that doe well under them we lead a quiet and a godly life and where as there is no government there is no order and whereas there is no order Ibi ruinae ostium patet the doore is open to ruine and destruction Hereupon saith a Father Malum quidem est ubi est nullus principatus c. It is a passing evill whereas there is no government for take from the Quier the Chanter and the Song will neither be in good tune nor in good order take from the Souldiers the Captaine and the same cannot march on either in due number or decent manner take from the Ship the Pilote and it must needs miscarry take from the flocke the Shepheard and they must needs be scattered and so take from the people Governours and they must come to destruction ye see therefore the good of Government And to disobey oras Iude speaketh To despise Government it is dangerous Paul saith They that resist shall receive to themselves Rom. 13. damnation And he reckoneth up disobedient persons among those that shall not come into the Kingdome of God I will conclude Gal. 5. with the admonition of Salomon My sonne feare the Lord and the King and meddle not on any pretence with them that are seditious Prov. 24. 21. and despise not government If Governours be impious pray for their piety if tyrannous pray to God to inspire them with clemency Pray for Kings saith Paul yea though they were such as Gentiliter vixerunt lived Heathenishly saith Optatus Milenitanus THE EIGHTEENTH SERMON VERS IX Yet Michael the Archangel when hee strove against the Divell and disputed about the body of Moses durst not blame him with cursed speaking but said the Lord rebuke thee Raylers confuted by Michael the archangels example THese words containe the confutation of those heady and unruly spirits that despise government and hee confuteth them two waies first Michaell the Archangell would not raile in a dispute betweene him and Satan how dare then these pesants base and vile men take upon them to speake evill for there is no comparison betweene men and Angels for God hath made men lower than the Angels indeed in the last day our Psal 8. 5. Mat. 22. honour shall be like unto them but not till then Secondly Michael and the Angels durst not rayle on the Divell that cursed creature how dare then these chips and draine of the people and skum of the world raile on Rulers and dignities ordained of God Or the reason may thus be contracted An Archangell would not give judgement these men judge and censure all estates an Archangell dispute these condemne hearing no cause an Archangell durst not raile these dare speake all evill for Pride is a chaine unto them and cruelty covereth them as a garment They are Ps 73. 6. 8 9. licentious and speake wickedly they talke presumptuously They set No Scripture lost that is necessary for salvation their mouth against Heaven and their tongue walketh thorow the earth This History Totidem syllabis is not recorded in the Bible and yet we must not thinke that Iude fained it but rather that there is much Scripture lost which we have not seeing that Antiochus in the Law and Dioclesian in the Primitive Church burned the Scriptures and all Libraries we want the Booke of the battels of the Lord mentioned by Moses the Booke of the righteous Numb 21. 14. cited by Iosua and we want much of the Chronicles of Israel Ios 10. 13. 2 Reg. 16. and Iuda we have not the Bookes of Shemaiah the Prophet and Iddo the Seer the Booke of Nathan the Prophet and the Booke 2 Chron. 12. 15. of the Prophecie of Ahiah wee want many of Salomons Bookes who wrote of beasts stones herbes trees from the Cedar of Lebanon to the Hysope on the wall as you may read 1 Reg. 4. Origen 1 Reg. 4. Origine lib. ◠de principiis saith that this Text was taken from a Booke called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Ascention of Moses so say Clemens Alexandrinus Didimus and Athanasius For so say they Paul alledged Epimenides Aratus and Menander why might he not then quote this saying Others saw that it was delivered by tradition from hand to hand Tit. 1. 12. Act. 17. 29. 1 Cor. 15. 23. 2 Tim. 3. 8. So Iannes and Iambres are named and that speech uttered by the Apostle Remember the words of the Lord Iesus how that he said It is a blessed thing to give rather than to receive It is not orderly so written in any place of Scripture yet it is gathered by divers places Acts. 20. 35. in effect Papists here cry out that Iude alledged some prophane Author or some tradition ergo non solum haerendum est Scripturis therefore we must not onely cleave unto the Scriptures I confesse Paul cited some things from prophane Writers but it was not to confirme any dogmaticall conclusion concerning faith and beleefe for as touching these things they cited only the Scriptures but when they came to intreat of manners then they borrowed some things of the Ethnicke and Heathen and that to this end to shame Christians But Christ said Scriptum est it is written non traditum est not is it a tradition Thus Sadnele answered Turrianus and so I in this cause answer Stapleton Staphilus and the Iesuites Michael is here named who is also named by Daniel and by Dan. 12. 2. Apoc. 12. 7. Saint Iohn this Michael is here called an Archangell but I will first speake concisely of Angels then of Archangels In the Scripture five good Angels are onely named The first is Michael as here in this my Text and also by the Prophet Daniel the Dan. 10. 13. Dan. 8. 16. Luk. 1. Esdr
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.
treacherous domesticall enemy and not only so but also a tyrannicall enemy it will not be pleased except it raigne a most secret enemy for she sits at the fountaine and poy soneth all she lets in the Divell and suffers him to set up his holds and fortifications in us and is never quiet till it bring the soule into actuall high treason against God snibbe her punish her chastise her tame her therefore lead all thy thoughts into captivity and bring them to the obedience of Christ The Iewes would not listen to the Prophets but walked after their owne fleshly 2 Cor. 10. lusts and therefore saith God unto his Prophet Speake thou now unto the men of Iudah and to the Inhabitants of Ierusalem saying Ier. 18. 11 12. Thus saith the Lord Behold I prepare a plague for you and purpose a thing against you returne you therefore every one from his evill way and make your wayes and your works good But they said desperately as men that had no remorse but were altogether bent to rebellion and to walke after their fleshly lusts Surely we will walke after our owne imaginations and doe every man after the stubbornesse of his own wicked heart This is our case thus wee say Let them teach let them preach their bellies full it is but one Doctours opinion The Iewes for all Ezechiel followed their covetousnesse They come unto you saith God as a people useth to come and my people sit before thee and heare thy words but they will not doe them for with their Bad thoughts must be banished mouthes they make iests and their heart goeth after their covetousnesse and lo thou art unto them as a iesting song of one that hath a pleasant voice and can sing well for they heare thy words but do them not This English people in the like sort giveth us the hearing but not the doing they are covetous still bribers oppressours usurers and still they follow their lusts c. Quid odit Deus nisi propriam voluntatem What doth God hate but our owne proper will What doth God punish but our will Let thy will cease and Hell shall cease Non erit tibi infernus Thou shalt feele no hell for if thou turne away thy foote from the Sabbath from doing thy will refraine from wicked workes and honour thy God not doing thine owne wayes nor seeking thine owne will nor speaking a vaine word I will cause thee to mount upon thâ— high places of the earth and feed thee with the heritage of Iacob c. The heart is warily to be kept from two things A vanis cogitationibus inordinatis affectibus from vaine cogitations and inordinate affections or wandrâ—ng lusts From these two let thy heart bee free wherein the Spirit dwelleth As Painters use to blanch and make white their tables wherein they doe paint and to draw out the shape and forme of any thing so make thou cleane and expunge the tables of thy soule thy understanding and will as touching thy desires and lusts that is as touching thy thoughts and cogitations that the finger of God that is the Holy Ghost may paint good things in thy heart The heart of the evill is as an high-way continually trampled upon worne with their affections by the instigation of Satan For what affection doe the wicked represse What lust doe they resist What did they ever deny the flesh that it longed for or desired God may now complaine of us as hee did of his owne people Wherefore is this people of Ierusalem turned backe with a perpetuall rebellion they gave themselves to deceit and would not returne I harkened Ier. 8. 5 6. and heard but none spake aright none repented him of his wickednesse saying What have I done every one turned to his race as the horse rusheth into the battell drawing iniquity with cordes of vanity and sinne like Esay 5. 18. cart-ropes they use allurements occasions and excuses to harden their hearts in sinne and as the Apostle speaketh They are past feeling and have given themselves to wantonnesse to worke all uncleannesse Ephes 4. 19. with greedinesse The malicious pursue their revenge the drunkard his cups the whoremonger his pleasures the covetous their gaine Sed aequum est ut qui nunquam voluit carere vitio nunquam careret supplicio It is meete and right that he that would never want sinne should never want punishment but that God should raine upon them snares and fire and brimstone storme and tempest evermore To these men it shall be said as unto Babylon Reward her even as she rewarded you and give her double according Psal 11. Apoc. 18. 8. to her workes and in the câ—p that shee hath filled to you fill her the double in asmuch as she glorified her selfe and lived in pleasure so The Word of God the chiefest meanes to restraine lusts much give you to her torment and sorrow Cor verò bonorum est ut hortus conclusus the heart of good men is as a garden shut up and as a fountain sealed whereof no man must taste no man must drinke Cant. 3. 7. but God as the bed of Salomon that had threescore strong men round about it of the valiant men of Israel but the heart of the wicked is as a vessell withour a cover ad accipiendam omnem spurcitiem to receave all filthinesse all uncleannesse as Paul speaketh of the Gentiles They kept not their vessels in holinesse but in the lust of concupiscence 1 Thess 4. 5. It intertaineth any sin whatsoever Againe Let thy heart be free and at liberty from affections there is nothing that troubleth and disquieteth the heart so much as our naturall affections and passions as are love and hatred joy and sorrow hope and feare anger and desire c. These are the winds which vehemently tosse and trouble this sea these are the clouds which darken this Heaven these are the weights which doe depresse the spirit Let us therefore cast away every thing that presseth downe Hebr. 12. 1. and the sinne that hangeth on so fast As our bodily eyes cannot behold the Sunne and the starres in cloudy and darke weather so our spirituall eyes the eyes of our soule cannot see God nor heaven the seate of God when they are obscured and darkened with the clouds of lusts passions As in a cleere pure water all things are seene even unto the least sand which in a troubled foule water cannot bee so the soule is blind and seeth not when passions and lusts obscure her Beware therefore lest the two wings of thy soule understanding and will bee not defiled with the bird-lime of earthly things that is to say wicked affections Rule therefore thine affections by the Word of God Let this Word be a lanterne unto thy feet and a light unto thy pathes For Psal 119. 105. of our selves we are but darkenesse and cannot see except we bee lightened with Gods Word Refraena
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
the beginning and abode not in the truth but now they abound like Bees in Hibla like Serpents in Iohn 8. 44. Sinai like lice in Aegypt Cornelius Agrippa derided Moses calling him a coozener and said that the sea dried not up but that hee marked the tides and course of the Moone that hee drew no water out of the rocke but marked the haunts of the wild beasts The Philosophers called Christ a Magician that hee did all by Necromancie The Libertines contemne all the Apostles they call Mathew an usurer Peter an Apostata Luke a pelting physician Paul vas confractum a broken vessell Iohn adolescentem stolidum a foolish yong man The Novatians called Cyprianus Caprianus the Arrians called Athanasius Sathanasius but all this is nothing to the contempt of these dogs We may say now as the Prophet said The children shall presume against the ancient and the vile against Esay 3. 3. 2 Reg. 2. the honorable The boyes of Bethel scorned Elisha and the sawcy boyes of England scorne at all doctrine Veni Domine Iesu Come Lord Iesus come quickly O beloved our time is now to bee wise To kisse the Sonne if we do not Mercy passeth and Iudgement Psal 2. commeth and warned men must die in their sinnes and their bloud be upon them Lastly he noteth in these mockers that they live at randon They walke after their lusts like beasts they fulfill their sensuall appetites they doe what seemeth good in their owne eyes They make provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts of it All their care is for Rom. 13. 14. the flesh none for the spirit all for the body little or none for 2 Cor. 10. 3. the soule all for earth little for heaven they walke after the flesh and they warre after the flesh For so doth Paul distinguish Rom. 16. 18. them these men are the slaves of the flesh they serve not the Lord but their belly they thinke themselves the only men of the world and count their life the happiest promise to themselves liberty yet are they worse then gally-slaves the vilest prisoners in the world other prisoners have mē to be their Iaylers these have 2 Tim. 2. 26. Mat. 22. 13. divels For they are in the snare of the Divell and are taken of him at his will Others have chaines of iron these have chaines of darkenes others are for a time these for ever Thou shalt not come out thence Mat. 5. 26. till thou hast paid the utmost farthing but that will never be now that 2 Pet. 2. 19. they are prisoners Note Peters reason Of whomsoever a man is overcome even unto the same is he in bondage but their malice their envy their pride overcommeth them therfore be they in bondage to them Pius etsi serviat liber est a godly man though he serveth yet is he a free man I will walke at libertie saith David for I seeke thy precepts Malus etiamsi regnat seruus est a bad man although he ruleth yet is he a servant et tot dominorum quot vitiorum and that of so many masters as he hath vices Hereupō saith our Saviour Iohn 8. 34 35. Whosoever committeth sinne is the servant of sinne and the servant abideth not in the house for ever His leachery envy malice covetousnesse The Vnderstanding and Will the subiects of Wisedome mastereth him Be not therefore overcome of evill but overcome evill with goodnesse Vincimur non vincimus wee are not overcome wee not overcome Let not sinne therefore raigne in your mortall bodies that yee should obey it in the lusts thereof And againe Rom. 6. 12. 21. Rom. 12. 14. Let not sinne have dominion over you In these men all the members of their body are defiled they bee arma injustiviae weapons of unrighteousnesse and all the powers of their soule are corrupted peccati enim sedes est anima the soule is the seate of sinne the two powers of the soule are Vnderstanding and Will either wee know not that which is good or wee cannot performe it for the weakenesse of our understanding The naturall wise man 1 Cor. 2. 14. whose knowledge is not cleered by Gods Spirit perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned And further the Apostle saith that the wisedome of the Flesh is death and the reason hee rendreth after in the next verse saying Because Rom. ◠6 7. the wisedome of the flesh is enmity against God for it is not subject unto the Law of God neither can be Naturally our cogitations are darkened and wee strangers from the life of God through the ignorance that is in Ephes 4. 18. us Thus wee either know not that which is good or wee doe it not by reason of the weakenesse of our understanding Or otherwise wee know Gods Commandements and doe them not ob voluntatis defectum because our wils are defective our wils are readily carried unto lusts to fulfill them not to the commandements of God to obey them Video meliora proboque I see better Ovid. things ct I allow them quoth Medea We fulfill the lusts of the flesh and of the minde serving lusts and divers pleasures Vnderstanding Ephes 2. Tit. 33. and Will are the two subjects of true Wisedome in the one Knowledge in the other Affection cleaveth and sticketh and both are to be holpen by Grace the Vnderstanding without the Will is weake and profiteth not and the Will without it is blinde To know God and not to love him is very little and who can love him except hee know him Knowledge and Vnderstanding is the gate by which things at pleasure enter but wee must not stand in the gate wee must goe further for God respecteth not how much a man understandeth but how much hee loveth affectus subiugat and how much he subdueth his affections The Vnderstanding is to be enlightned the Will to be moved the Vnderstanding to be instructed the Will to be defended the Vnderstanding to be lightned by Faith the Will to be inflamed with love to trample tread all lust under the feete Hee that can overcome his lusts as Samson the Philistines with the jaw-bone of an Asse as David did Goliah Iudg. 13. 1 Sam. 18. with a sling he that can overcome this tower of Babylon pull downe these walles of Iericho hee shall see the goodnesse of the Lord Psal 27. in the land of the Living We talke of Christianity but it is true in the Land of the living wee talke of Christianity but it is true Mortification a signe of Iustification Christianity true manhood to master thy lusts For they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts This is Christianity indeed this is to professe to know God both in Gad. 5. 24. Tit. 1. 15. 2
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
lupus ovem à grege The Divell tempteth Cypri and assaieth one thing as a Woolfe he tempteth the sheep from the flocke as an hawke hee tempteth to sever the flying Dove from her company as a sword-player hee proveth to divide and cut the member from the body And so the Divell tempteth to sever and divide a Christian from the Church than which nothing is more dangerous Hilary saith Periculosum est atque etiam maximè miserabile tot nunc fides existere quot volunt ates Hil. lib. ad Constan tot nobis doctrinas esse quot mores tot causas blasphemiarum pullulare quot vitia sunt dum aut fides scribuntur ut volumus aut ita ut volumus intelliguntur It is most dangerous and very miserable that there are so many faiths as wills and so many doctrines as manners of men and thereby so many causes of blasphemy should spring up as there are private faults and vices in men whilest either we set downe and penne our faith as we will or els expound and understand it as wee lust and like of And indeed for Sects and Schismes we abound Omnes volunt esse Apostolos Cypr. lib. 1. ep 1. All would be Apostles all Prophets all Doctors Pastoris officium oves vendicant The sheep doe vendicate and challenge the office of the shepheard the foote contendeth to bee the head the souldier striveth to be the Captaine every member would usurpe anothers office and be in others place hinc Schismata hence spring Schismes and Sects et radix eorum superbia and the Nazianz. roote of them is pride The Sects in Christs time among the Mat. 22. 1 Cor. 1. 10. 2 Pet. 2. 1. Pharises Sadduces Essenes the Sects that sprung up in Corinth those in Rome where of yee may read Rom. 16. and the Sects Schismes that are this day in our Church rose either of pride or of covetousnes As a member cut from the body dieth as a branch cut from the vine whithereth as a river cut and divided into many parts drieth up so if we be cut and divided from the Church wee perish utterly For what concord hath Christ with Belial or what part hath the beleever with the Infidell or what agreement hath the Temple of 2 Cor. 6. 15. God with Idols Yet this I note withall that these Sects hinder not the Church forever God by them revealeth his truth Si hostes Ecclesiam gladio persequuntur exercent ejus patientiam If enemies August de civit Dei lib. 18. cap. 51. persecute the Church with the sword they doe exercise her patience sin malè sentiunt exercent ejus sapientiam but if they imagine evill against the Church they do exercise her wisdome There must needs be offences aswell in doctrine as in manners God turnes the malice of hereticks to the good of his Church oportet esse haereses there must be heresies That they which are approved among you might be knowne For Gods Church is not only subject to dissention as touching orders and manners but also to heresies as touching doctrine Per haec otium torporem Ecclesiae discutit Deus By these things God shaketh off the idlenesse Mat. 18. 1 Cor. 11. 19. or slothfull heavinesse or dulnesse of his Church and wipeth away the rust thereof and maketh the Church people of God carefull and diligent to search the Scriptures whereby all heresy and schismes might be destroied and so avoided But you will say that these hereticks and Sectaries quote Scriptures and what shall the simple doe I answere that wee must deale with them as Christ did with Satan returne Scripture upon them For the Divell having taken Christ into the holy City and set him on the pinacle of the Temple said unto him If thou be the Sonne of God cast thy selfe downe For it is written He will give his Angels charge over thee and with their hands they shall Mat. 4 5 6 7. lift thee up lest at any time thou shouldest dash thy foote against a stone But Christ our Saviour retorted Scripture upon him againe and said It is written Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God The Pelagians to prove Gods grace is not sufficient without our will alledge these words of the Almighty If yee consent and obey yee shall eate the good things of the land The Anabaptists to overthrow Esay 1. 19. Magistracie quote the words of Paul Standfast in the libertie wherwith Christ hath made us free and be not intangled againe with the yoke Gal. 5. 1. of bondage The Donatists to prove a perfection quote the saying of the Apostle Now the God of peace sanctifio you throughout and I Gal. 5. pray God that your whole Spirit soule and body may bee kept blamelesse unto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ. The Anthropomorphites to prove God like a man quote the saying of the Psalmist The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and his eares are open to their prayers Psal 34. 15. The Familists to prove that wee are co-deified with God and God co-hominified with us alledge the saying of the Apostle Whosoever is borne of God sinneth not the seed of God abideth in him neither 1 Iohn 3. 9. can he sinne for he is borne of God The Papists to prove the primacy of the Pope alledge God made two lights the greater Light to Gen. 1. 16. rule the Day and the lesser the Night meaning say they the Pope and the Emperour the Pope to rule the Clergy and the Emperour the Laity To prove Purgatory they quote the 8. Psalme Thou hast put all things under his feete all sheep and oxen yea Psal 8. 8. and the beasts of the field the fowles of the ayre and the fishes of the sea per pisces animas in Purgatorio intelligunt by fishes they understand the soules in Purgatory as by the birds the Angels and by beasts men The Brownists to prove that no good can be done by a Parliament quote these words of the Holy Ghost Neither by an army Zacha 4. 6. or strength but by my Spirit saith the Lord. To prove that Kings have no authority in the Church they alledge this text To bind their Kings in chaines and their Nobles with linkes of iron To prove that we have in our Church no Word preached no Sacraments The Papists charging us with Sects have more themselves rightly ministred no Minister lawfully called of God they alledge this Scripture How shall they preach except they bee sent To all which we must be able to say Rursus scriptum est as Christ did we must have judgement We must abound in knowledge Psal 149. Rom. 10. 15. Mat. 4. 7. Phil. 1. 9. Hebr. 13. 9. 1 Cor. 14. 20. and in judgement The heart must be established with grace we must not be children in understanding as concerning maliciousnesse wee must bee children but in understanding we must
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
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
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
the heart of man conceive Even for thousands and thousand yeeres What Arts and Sciences have beene found out by man yet cannot the eye see nor the eare heare nor the tongue utter nor the heart conceive of Life eternall The Apostle maketh a glorious comparison and yet speaketh but of an earthly building and of earthly and corruptible things So the Prophet Esay describeth the Church militant and triumphant but yet by earthly things For it passeth his skill and cunning to set out the perfect beauty and glorie of it God is infinite so the reward layd up for the just is infinite like unto himselfe the infinite God giveth infinite paines to sinners and infinite joyes unto the just Peter having but a glimmering of Heaven was ravished and cryed out Master here is good being let us build Tabernacles one for thee another for Moses and another for Elias How great then is Mat. 17. 4. the full sight of Heaven There bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such joyes as are not possible for a man to utter Mount Thabor was a goodly 2 Cor. 12. 4. Mount but in the celestiall Mount in Heaven you shall see that that eye never saw riches without measure glorie without comparison life without death day without night solace without ceasing joy without ending a land that floweth with milke and hony there wee shall see the City of the living God the celestiall Ierusalem a company of innumerable Angels the congregation of the Hebr. 12. 22. first borne which are written in Heaven the Spirits of just and perfect men Iesus the Mediator of the new Testament and the bloud of sprinkling speaking better things than the bloud of Abel But to reason from the lesse to the greater If here in an Inne bee so many pleasures what are in our owne home For whiles wee are strangers in the body wee are absent from the Lord but when wee 2 Cor. 5. 6. shall remove out of the body wee shall ever dwell with the Lord and abide in Heaven which is our home If in a prison our senses are filled with so many delights what shall bee in a Palace There shall bee fulnesse of joy and pleasures for evermore If here in a Iayle there bee so many pleasures to entertaine us such variety Psal 16. 11. of colours for the eye such melody and sweete sounds for the eare such fragrant odors for the nose such multitude of dishes for the taste if in Mount Horeb are so many things What are in Mount Sion in our owne Countrey For here wee are but strangers and pilgrimes but wee seeke another Countrey and wee desire a Hebr. 11 13 16. better that is to say an Heavenly If a corruptible body feele Our glorified boâ—y shall have Spirituall and Heavenly qualities such great sweetnesse what shall a glorified body feele For our bodies shall one day bee glorified Though they be sowne in dishonour they shall bee raised in glory though sowne in weakenesse they shall be raised in power though sowne a naturall body it shall be raised a spirituall body There is no comparison betweene Light and Hebr. 11. 13 16. 1 Cor. 15. 42 43. Darkenesse Gold and Lead Glasse and Pearle Men and Angels Heaven and Earth Corruption and Glory Weakenesse and Power Honour and Dishonour Our life is hid with Christ in Col. 3. 3. God and when Christ which is our life shall appeare then shall wee also appeare with him in Glory For life is threefold Of Nature Grace and Glory The life of Nature is sweete the life of Grace sweeter and the life of Glory sweetest of all and this life of Glory is hid with Christ in God and in this life of Glory there shall bee in our bodies first Claritas beauty and cleerenesse in so much that as Saint Chrysostome saith that the bodies of the Saints shall bee septies clariora Sole seven times brighter than the Sunne Secondly in this life of Glory there shall bee in our bodies spirituall agility and hence is it that some ascribe the activity and quicknesse of our soule spirit to a glorified body saying that such bodies are not spirits but spiritualized bodies Thirdly in this life of Glory there shall be in our bodies Impassibility For though here we suffer of every thing yet there wee shall bee subject to no corruptible passion or suffering Lastly in this life of Glory there shall bee in our bodies Immortality here indeed orimur morimur at our byrth wee beginne to dye accedimus wee enter into the world succedimus wee succeede one another in the world and last of all decedimus wee depart all out of the world but in this life of Glory wee shall have immortall bodies And as the body so the soule in this life of Glory shall bee glorified and this her glory consisteth of two things in her union with God and in our vision of God both of these may be gathered out of that of Saint Iohn When hee shall appeare we shall bee like him and see him as hee is wee shall be like unto him there 1 Iohn 3. is our union we shall see him as hee is there is our vision Others adde to the beatitude of the soule two other actions one the fruition the other the eternall retention of God and it is a question among the Learned in which of these foure the felicity of the soule doth consist some in her vision of God some in her fruition of God some in her retention of God I will not determine onely I say that in this life of Glory both soules and bodies shall have triumphum gaudium triumph and joy they shall triumph over Death for Death shall bee no more over him that hath the Lordship of Death the Divell for hee shall never bee able to hurt him Againe they shall have joy God all in all to the glorified Saints first in the Majestie of God secondly in the humanity of Christ thirdly in the society of Angels and Saints Vide intùs extrà suprà infrà circumcircà ubique gaudium Looke Aug. within thee and without thee above thee and beneath thee about thee and every-where there is joy Nay Gaudium super gaudium joy above joy joy surmounting all joy and without the which there can be no joy within thee shall bee joy in the glorification of body and soule without thee in the company of the blessed Saints and Angels above thee in the sight of God beneath thee in the beauty of the Heaven and Earth For there shall bee a new Heaven and a new Earth wherein dwelleth 2 Pet. 3. righteousnesse round about us in the delight of all our senses for God himselfe shall bee the object of all our senses Erit enim speculum visui Hee shall bee a glasse to our eyes musicke to our eares hony to our mouthes a flowre to our hands balme to our nose Ibi erit candor Aestatis
Is this to celebrate the Nativity of the Lord Iesus Erubescat Sol confundatur Luna Let the Sunne blush and let the Moone bee ashamed Did the Heavenly souldiers thus did the shepheards thus did Mary thus We make melodie Luk. 2. Ephes 5. 19. but not to the Lord our rejoycing is not good God will turne our feasts into mournings 1 Cor. 5. 6. Amos. 8. To this riotous time God fitted this earth-quake a rare worke of God the earth being seventeen hundred miles thick odde it being 800. miles and odde to the Center as saith Munster what a work of God is it to shake the whole Globe the whole wombe of the earth being so mighty A great earth-quake there was in the raigne of King Henry the sixth thorow the world in the even of S. Michael which continued two houres with thunder and lightning so that the beasts rored and the fowles of the ayre cryed out but in this Queenes time there have beene two earth-quakes a thing not observed in the raigne of one Prince of this Land this five hundred yeeres A new starre appeared in Heaven in this Queenes raigne Anno. 15. that was never seene before 26. acres of ground removed in Hartfordshire and three acres at another time in Devonshire strange monsters have appeared strange Comets have beene seene Hate your sinnes the Iudge is at the doore THE EIGHT AND THIRTIETH SERMON VERS XXIIII Now unto him that is able to keepe you that yee fall not c. We can neither stand nor rise being fallen without Christ THis is the Epilogue the conclusion the last part of this Epistle and it containeth two things First A commending them to God and his Grace And secondly A celebration of the name and praises of God The first is double for hee commendeth them two wayes to God for this life and the life to come Againe for this life two wayes first that they fall not but persist and stand in the grace begun Secondly that they may bee pure perfect absolute untill the day of Christ Lastly for the other life that they may bee glorious lambs and not goats sonnes and not bastards citizens and not strangers built on the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Iesus Christ Ephes 2. 20. himselfe being the chiefe corner stone that they may follow the Lambe on mount Sion and there sing the songs of their joy Apoc. 14. 3. which none can understand save the hundred forty and foure thousand which were bought from the earth Now in the first part of this prayer Saint Iude noteth two things First the weaknesse of man ready to fall All our sufficiencie is of God Secondly the power of God able to keepe us Touching our weakenesse we neither rise when wee are fallen nor stand when wee are risen of our selves all is of God for we are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency 2 Cor. 3. 5. is of God Cum Christo nil nobis deficit With Christ nothing is wanting unto us for as Paul saith I am able to do al things through the Phil. 4. 13. helpe of Christ which strengtheneth me Sine Christo nil nobis sufficit and without Christ nothing is sufficient for us For as the branch cannot Iohn 15. 4 5. beare fruit of it selfe except it abide in the vine no more can yee except yee abide in mee I am the vine yee are the branches hee that abideth in mee and I in him the same bringeth foorth much fruit In eo omnia possumus absque eo nil possumus in him we can doe all things without him we can doe nothing And therefore Paul willeth us to be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might for all our sufficiencie Ephes 6. 10. Iohn 15. 5. Psal 18. 1 2. is of God Hence is it that David saith unto God I love thee dearely oh Lord my Strength the Lord is my Rocke and my Fortresse c. Wee can neither beginne nor continue nor make an end of our selves but by God therefore Paul commendeth the Churches to God ever as hee onely that keepeth them that the whole worke of our salvation may bee ascribed unto him Initium incrementum finis the beginning the increase and the end Wee are of him in Christ Iesus who of God is made unto us Wisedome 1 Cor. 1. 30 31. and Righteousnesse and Sanctification and Redemption that according as it is written He that rejoyceth let him rejoyce in the Lord. Wherein hee noteth three things What wee are of our selves what in God and the end of all that God may have the glory Thus Paul commendeth the Church of Thessalonica to God saying Now the very God of Peace sanctifie you throughout and I 1 Thess 5. 23. pray God that your whole spirit and soule and body may bee kept blamelesse unto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ and thus he commended the Church of Ephesus at Miletum to God saying Now brethren I commend you to God and the Word of his Grace which is Act. 20. 32. able to build further and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified And thus hee commended the Church of Rome to God To him now that is of power to stablish you according to Rom. 16. 25. my Gospell and preaching of Iesus Christ by the revelation of the mystery which was kept secret since the world beganne c. And thus did the Apostle commend the Church of the Iewes to God whether it was Paul or Luke or Barnabas it skilleth not The God of peace saith hee which brought againe from the dead our Lord Iesus the great Heb. 13. 20 21. Shepheard of the sheepe through the bloud of the everlasting Covenant make you perfect in all good workes to doe his Will working in you that which is pleasant in his sight through Iesus Christ Here by the way let mee answere one cavill in Popery they urge that wee are bidden to stand fast to grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Iesus to goe forward to Wee cannot but fall except we bee preserved continue I answere that all those places are meant conditionally if God doth assist us with his Spirit Sit unus contextus instar mille Let one context bee in stead of a thousand as namely that of Pauls to the Thessalonians where hee telleth them that it is God which worketh in us both the will and the deed even of his good pleasure 2 Thes 1. Psal 4. 1. He biddeth them worke yet he explaneth it by and by that it is God that worketh Agimus passivè quatenus è coelis suggeritur facultas Calvin agis ageris tunc bene agis cum à bono ageris Spiritu Wee worke passively because wee are holpen from Heaven power is ministred unto thee thou workest and art wrought and then thou workest well when thou
perseverance trust not to thy selfe bee not proud of thy continuance in the faith thou mayest fall when thou seest so many fall suspect thy selfe insult not over them but follow the advice of the Apostle Brethren if any of you bee overtaken with any fault you that Gal. 6. 1. are spirituall helpe to restore him in the spirit of meekenesse considering thy selfe lest thou also bee tempted Noli superbire sed time Bee not Rom. 11. Phil. 12. proud but feare as hee said unto the Romanes yea Let us worke out our salvation with trembling and with feare O tremble tremble tremble thou mayest fall O double and redouble and triple and multiply thy prayers unto God for his assistance when thou seest the dragons tayle cast downe so many starres so many learned Apoc. 12. 5. teachers rare men in Church and commonwealth say to thy selfe Am I better than all these am I wiser than Salomon meeker than Moses patienter than Iob zealouser than Elias godlier than David humbler than Paul yet Salomon was deceived Moses spake unadvisedly Iob cursed the day wherin he was borne 1 Reg. 11. Psal 106. Iob 3. and the night wherin it was said A man child is conceived Elias was almost desperate It is enough Lord take away my life Paul was proud of his revelations and besought God thrice David fell by 1 Reg. 17. 2 Cor. 12. 2 Sam. 12. Bathsheba Have all these fallen and shall I stand for ever Hath God made me a lease a grant of his grace without impeachment of waste No I am weake like a broken hedge like a tortering wall Immo in hac carne non habitat bonum Yea in this flesh of mine Rom. 7. 18. there dwelleth no good thing Beda Venerable Beda maketh mention of foure effects of sinne that is of our originall fall in Adam Infirmity Ignorance Malice Concupiscence Infirmity or weakenes is in the body Ignorance in the minde Malice in the will Concupiscence in the liver or in the affections of the sensitive Our pronenes to fall comes from our originall corruption soule Vndique ergo labimur nusquam tuti sumus we fall therefore every way and we are safe no way Augustine said of himselfe and the rest of the godly Quid sum ego sine te Domine What am I without thee ô Lord And againe Aug. lib. 4. confess in his Soliloquies Quod cecidi fuit in me That I fell it was of my selfe quod surrexi steti ex te fuit Domine That I rose and stood this came from thee ô Lord thou hast opened mine eyes and I see that a temptation and a warfare is the life of man upon the earth no man living is justified in thy sight for if there bee any good thing in us great or small it is of thee and it is thy gift none of ours if any evill it is of our selves For no evill dwelleth with thee Psal 5. hee therefore that seeketh glory to him of that which is thine fur est latro hee is a theefe and a robber similis diabolo qui invidit gloriae tuae and like unto the Divell which envied thy glory If at any time I have stood I have stood by thee if at any time I have fallen I have fallen of my selfe and alwayes should have beene in the dirt and mire haddest thou not raised mee alwayes thy grace prevented mee delivering me from all evils saving mee from evils past raising mee from evils present defending mee from evils to come cutting off before mee all the snares of sinne which if thou haddest not done I had beene a theefe a murderer an adulterer a drunkard an vsurer and there is no sinne or kind of sinne that ever mand idd but I might have done it so farre Augustine for the seeds of the same sinnes that bee in others bee in us and would grow if grace cut them not downe For there is an infusing grace and a restraining grace Granatensis in his meditations confesseth that God working in us by grace doth as a man that kindleth greene wood he blowes often but it burneth not so God sendeth many good inspirations into the heart but wee stifle them For the flesh lusteth against Gal. 5. 16. Mat. 26. Rom. 7. 24. the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh the flesh is weake and there is a Law in our members rebelling against the Law of our minde and leading us captive into the law of sinne This Popish Frier disableth nature and yet ascribeth unto it a power an ability to receive grace and to stand in it Herein we and the Romanists differ in that they say grace helpeth nature wee say that it wholy frameth nature that there is no more goodnesse in our nature then there is water in a flint stone Hereupon saith God I will put a new spirit within their Ezech. 11. 19. bowels and I will take the stony heart out of their bodies and will give them an heart of flesh that they may walke in my statutes And the same thing hee promiseth afterward that is to give them a Ezech. 37. 26 27. new heart and a new spirit to take away their stony heart out of their bodies to give them an heart of flesh and to put his spirit within them to cause them to walke in his statutes and to keepe his judgements to doe them and Paul saith I know that Rom. 7. 18. in mee that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing Non dicit exiguum sed No goodnesse in us but that which is infused by grace nullum bonum in nobis hee doth not say a little good but there dwelleth no good thing in us the allurements of the world the temptations of the flesh the suggestions of Satan are so many that if the grace of God did not keepe us wee should fall every houre yea if it were possible the very elect of God should not Mat. 24. bee saved Laquei sunt in senectute juuentute divitijs honoribus cibo somno there be snares in old age in youth in riches in honours meate drinke sleepe Saint Anthony saw the ayre full of snares of tenne shippes which saile in the sea scarce one is drowned and of tenne soules that flote in the seas of this world scarce one is saved Ablata gratia Dei the grace of God being taken away what can a weake man doe among so many strong a dwarfe Bern. among so many Giants a traveller among so many theeves and robbers a naked man among so many armed enemies not men but divels God would have us to live both lives the naturall and supernaturall from the soule which is the naturall forme the powers and senses doe proceed from grace which is the supernaturall forme the vertues and the gifts of the spirit do proceed Let us not despaire therefore There bee more with us than against 2 Reg. 2. us as Elisha said unto his
Ioram fell to idolatry Hilary did beleeve the Church rather hidde for hee could not see it flourishing and he said that the mountaines the woods the prisons and the whirlepooles were safer than the temples for these are his owne words Montes lucus carceres voragines sunt tutiores quà m templa Arrianisme so prevailed at that time Hierome said Ingemuit totus mundus Arrianum se esse miratus est That 〈◊〉 the whole world wept and wondred that it was become an Arrian Peters little ship was now indangered the windes tost her the waves beat her on the sides little hope but was at the point of sinking but at the last the Lord did arise commanded the winds and the tempest ceased and a calme succeeded and all the Bishops which were exiled were called home againe then Aegypt received his Athanasius triumphing then France embraced Hilary returning from warre then was Antioch gladde at the returne of Chrysostome and Italy threw off her mourning garments at the returne of Eusebius I know that Canus calleth these speeches hyperbolicall of Hilary and Hierome but that is but his hyperbolicall lye This is the common Inne wherein the Papists lodge most of our objections but I reason thus Eadem est ratio totius quae est singulornus membrorum At singula membra possunt cadere Ergo totum corpus The same reason is of the whole which is of every particular member But every particular member may fall The Pope may erre Therefore the whole body The epistles of the Bishops were corrected by Councels provinciall and the Provinciall Councels by the generall and the former generall Councels by those that came afterward saith Augustine Ecclesiam Dei finaliter errare nego that the Church of Aug. lib. 2. de Baptism 1. Iohn 3. God can finally erre I deny for hee that is of God sinneth not and Christ telleth us that there shall arise false Christs and false prophets and shall shew great signes and wonders so that if it were possible they should deceive the very elect if it were possible but unpossible that they should finally be deceived Here the great question is decided Num Papa potest in fide deficere whether the Pope can faile in faith because hee is the whole Church Virtualiter To this wee object Pope Iohn the 22. That hee erred because hee affirmed and held that the soules of the righteous did not see God till the day of judgement which heresy of his was condemned at Paris with the blast of trumpers and we say that Câ—lestine erred when hee held that marriage was dissolved if either of them meaning the man or wife fell into heresy and Gregory when writing to Augustine of Canterbury he said that the husband might marry another wife Si mulier non possit debitum maâ—iâ—o reddere Saint Ambrose in a certaine Sermon of his dicit Petrum fidem sum perdidisse saith Ambr. ser 47. that Saint Peter lost his faith If Peter failed certenly his successors may faile To these Canus answereth that Iohn the 22. and the rest erred personally not judicially to Ambrose his speech hee saith Fides capitur pro fidelitate that faith is there taken for fidelity illam ergo non fidem amisit it was that hee lost namely his fidelity not his faith and he further addeth Papam haeredem esse Petri privilegiorum non culparum that the Pope was the heire of Peters priviledges not of his offences To conclude with Canus all come to this point Bishops Fathers Councels The Popes Legates in Councels may erre for Christ prayed not for Peters Legates but for Peter himselfe quoth the Cardinall of Ture Immo Papam errare posse sed moribus yea the Pope may erre but yet in manners not in faith yea the Pope may erre in faith personaliter non judicialiter personally not judicially quoad factum non quoad fidem as touching facts not as touching faith as Sixtus 4. which taught Catherinam Senensem stigmata non habuisse where hee erred as touching the history not as touching faith and they all affirme that the Pope may erre in his gallery not in his Consistory which is a monstrous answere as though Christ had prayed for the place the walles not for the person as if faith were in the walles not in the heart But if the Pope dye in an heresy though never holden in his Consistory as Iohn the two and twentieth did let them tell mee in what state hee dieth Corde creditur ad justitiam With Rom. 10. the heart man beleeveth unto righteousnesse shall they give The Papists distinctions how the Pope may erre and not erre nice and frivolous us such drosse for gold such chaffe for corne suth lees for wine Shall they build such stubble upon the foundation Ignis probabit the fire shall trie it Let God and man judge of this answere 1 Cor. 3. THE NINE AND THIRTIETH SERMON VERS XXIIII And to present you faultlesse before the presence of his glory with ioy Wee must bee presented blamelesse before God THis is the second thing hee prayeth for as touching this life that God shall present them faultlesse Wee shall bee pure and perfect without fault without spot or wrinkle Nam nil Apot. 21. 27. immundum intrabit c. No uncleane thing shall passe thorow the gates of the new Ierusalem To this end God hath elected us before the foundation of the World That wee should bee holy Ephes 1. 4. and without blame before him in love Hitherto tendeth Pauls prayer Now the very God of Peace sanctifie you throughout and I pray God that your whole spirit soule and body 1 Thess 5. 23. may bee kept blamelesse untill the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ Wee are said to be faultlesse blamelesse and without spot not that wee are without sinne but because God imputes not our sinnes unto us So Saint Paul would have a Bishop sine crimine without fault non dicit sine peccate hee doth not say without sinne for no man is sine peccato without fault though many be sine crimine without offensive fault and yet sine peccate sumus wee are without sinne without fault quia non imputatur nothis because it is not imputed to us Whereupon David Blessed is Psal 32. 2. the man to whom the Lord imputeth not sinne If therefore the Papists should cry all the day long and all their life long Beatus qui Wee are righteous by imputation of Christs righteousnesse timet Deum Blessed is he that feareth God Beatus qui miseretur pauperibus Blessed is hee that considereth the poore and needie Beatus qui operatur justitiam Blessed is he that worketh righteousnesse Beatus qui loquitur verè Blessed is he that speaketh truly for Psal 112. 1. Psal 42. 1. Psal 119. Esa 33. 15. he shall dwell on high his defence shal be the munitions of the rockes bread shall bee given him
was not deceived 1 Tim. 2. 14. Gen. 3. Cap. 12. 13. but the woman was deceived and was in the transgression yet Adam sinned and God condemned him but hee sinned not as Eve sinned so Abraham sinned in willing Sara his wife to say that shee was his sister and not only so but hee himselfe said that she was his sister Abraham had now twice fallen into one fault into one Cap. 20. 2. sinne except Canisius will now say that lying is no fault no sinne and excuse in Abraham as they doe theft murder and whoredome in the Pope by the example of Israel who spoiled the Aegyptians of their Iewels of silver and Iewels of gold and raiment and by the example of Samson Who with the jaw bone of an Asse killed Exod. 12. 35. Iudg. 15. 25. a thousand men And by the example of Iacobs polygamie it is said Qui ex Deo est non peccat Hee that is of God sinneth not 1 Iohn 3. 9. â— Iohn 1. 10. and yet the same beloved disciple saith If wee say wee have not sinned wee make God a lier and his word is not in us Canisius therefore hath frontem meretricâ—â—m an harlots forhead and a brow of brasse and carrieth his face in his fist These last Papists have exceeded all their fathers in impudency Ierusalem justified Sodom and Canisius Andradius Ganus Genebrard Bellarmine Ezech. 16. Turrian Stapleton have justified Thomas Aquinas Holcot Briccot Dorbell Duns c. The Locusts be crept out of the bottomlesse pit Apoc. 9. 3. Apoc. 16. cap. 20. these croking frogges are crept out of the mouth of the dragon Satan is let loose to deceive the world spirits of error are gone abroad which speake lies through Hypocrisie and have their 1 Tim. 4. 2. consciences burned with an hote iron and the last error in popery is worse than the first as the Pharises said to Pilate concerning Mat. 27. 64. Christ Sadeele calleth the Iesuites now postremum Satanae anhelantis crepitum as Munster said of the men of India Habent capita canina they have heads like dogges non loquuntur sed latrant they speake not but barke against all trueth like the dogges of the Capitall who left barking at theeves and barked at true men but God shall confound them spiritu oris sui with the breath of 2 Thess 2. his mouth Quod nominamur perfecti inculpati immaculati in that wee are called perfect blamelesse immaculate and without spotte this The Church unperfect in it selfe perfect in Christ commeth to passe non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wee are called perfect blamelesse immaculate not in respect of God but of man comparatione quadam by a certaine comparison for not the Angels are like unto Gods righteousnesse for hee found folly in his Angels our righteousnesse is in part not absolute For hee Iob 4. 18. Iam. 2. 10. that faileth in one point is guilty of all Et in uno omnes labimur but in one point wee faile all You can now put to the conclusion easily Fortasse vivimus sine crimine coram hominibus Peradventure wee live without crime before men Non sine peccato coram Deo not without sinne before God which is Pauls distinction The Church sometimes is called pure perfect blamelesse But it is one thing to consider the Church in it selfe another thing to consider it in Christ the Church in it selfe whether wee consider each member of it severally or all the members of it jointly hath many spottes or wrinkles or else how should it bee said to bee saved by the grace of our Lord Iesus The Church considered Act. 15. 11. in Christ may bee said to bee without spotte because it is washed in the blood of Christ and it may be said to bee without wrinkle because Apoc. 1. 5. it is clad with the righteousnesse of Christ for Christ is the white rayment wherewith wee being clothed our filthy nakednesse Apoc. 13. 18. shall not appeare The Church militant is holy in affection for shee fulfilleth not the lusts of the flesh the Church Gal. 6. 16. triumphant is holier in perfection for long white robes are given to every one of them both the militant and triumphant Church is most holy by the grace of redemption in the fruition of glory but the militant spe in hope the triumphant re indeed For unto her was granted that shee should bee arayed with pure fine linnen Apoc. 19. 8. and shining for the fine linnen is the righteousnesse of the Saints for our blessednesse is perfected in three degrees Per spem fidem 2 Thess 1. quotidie crescentem in hac vita by hope and faith continually growing and increasing in this life after this life while the spirit injoyes Eccles 12. 7. the presence of God after the resurrection when wee shall bee glorified in body and in spirit when the Lord Iesus shall change Phil. 3. 20. 1 Cor. 13. our vile body and make it like his glorious body when God shall bee unto us all in all things Gods will is done two wayes sincerely and perfectly againe sincerely onely but imperfectly the former is naturall to the Sonne of God for God giveth not him the spirit by Iohn 3. 34. measure the latter to the adopted Sonnes of God for in many Iam. 3. things wee offend all wee have the spirit by measure and that a little measure In the old Testament who were more holy among all the people then the Priests and yet God commanded them to offer sacrifice first for their owne sinnes then for the Levit. 4. peoples and in the new Testament among all the people under grace who more holy than the Apostles themselves yet Christ commanded them to pray daily and to say Dimitte nobis debita nostra Forgive us our trespasses this therefore is the hope of the Mat. 6. penitent sinners that they have an Advocate with the Father I conclude Our righteousnes is in the remission of sinnes therefore with Aug. Multum eum profecisse qui se parùm profecisse sentit perfectum esse qui se imperfectum esse novit tamen aspirare ad perfectionem that hee hath profited much which thinketh that hee hath profited but a little and that hee is perfect 1 Iohn 2. 2. which knoweth himselfe to bee unperfect and yet aspireth to perfection For God measureth us by our will not by our power For if there bee first a willing minde it is accepted according to 2 Cor. 8. 12. that a man hath and not according to that he hath not This doctrine will give light and open a window to the doctrine now in controversy Whether faith or works justify Bellarmine saith the word Imputation is the opinion of a thing done in deed not in shew only and this is true in a godly sense for they are truly righteous to whom
condemnation in the second Councell of Ephesus his members consumed and his tongue rotted in his mouth The like the tripartite History reporteth of Nicasius the Donatist and the Eumenians who eate up Cyrillus liver or heart with salt The toungs of the wicked shall rot in this life or burne in hell fire that give God no glory T is not enough to meditate of Gods goodnesse in thy heart but thou must also proclaime it with thy tongue Noli nimis vultum seu oculos meditationis intueri nam meliora sunt ubera gratiarum actionis Doe not behold the countenance or eyes of meditation too much better are the brests of prayses and thankesgivings David said I will alwaies give thankes unto the Lord Psal 34. 1 2. his praise shall bee in my mouth continually my soule shall glory in the Lord c. So let us alwayes praise our God and never rob him of his glory There bee two sorts of theeves that robbe God the proud man and the envious the proud man robbes him of his glory the envious of his Iustice these bee greater robbers than the Sabeans Iob 1. 14 17. who carried away Iobs Oxen and Asses then the Caldeans who carried away his Camels then Achan who stole the wedge Wee should exercise our selves to this duty of thankfulnes of gold then Barrabas for all these robbed but from men but these from God and that not the least thing but the greatest his glory When we should sound our praises and glory to God we are silent like Pythagoras Schollers who spake not in five yeeres like the dumbe man in the Gospell who spake not at all Ios 7. Mat. 27. I appeale to your consciences whether for fourty requests made to God we have given him one thanks No no shame may cover our faces wee may hang downe our heads with the Publican and say Lord be mercifull unto us ingratefull unkind forgetfull Luk. 38. and vile men The Father of all mercies and the God of all consolation give us eyes to see and hearts to feele so great unkindnes Let us awake our tongues our hearts as David did and let us say My heart is fixed ô God my heart is fixed I will sing Psal 57. 7 8 9. and give praise awake my tongue awake viole and harpe I will awake earely I will praise thee ô Lord among the people and I will sing unto thee among the nations There is a spirituall palsy in our tongue that wee cannot praise God a vaile is over our eyes that wee see not Gods glory an impostumation is in our eares that wee heare not his Word a Cardiaca passio hath covered over our hearts that wee thinke not of his blessings a lethargy in the whole man that we give him not glory say therefore with David Awake ô my tongue awake viole and harpe I will awake earely Psal 103. 1 2. I will praise thee ô Lord among the people and I will sing unto thee among the nations Speake unto thy soule chide it and say My soule praise thou the Lord and all that is within me praise his holy name My soule praise thou the Lord and forget not all his benefits Vow to God as the Prophet did that thou wilt praise the Lord during thy life Yea as long as thou hast any being to sing unto God and fulfill his desire I meane Davids ô sing praises sing praises unto Psal 146. 1. our God sing praises sing praises unto our King for God is the King of the whole earth sing yee praises with understanding Marke how hee doubleth redoubleth his words as Roscius did his gestures as the Nightingale doth her notes as the Camelion doth her colors When the people would not praise and glorify God hee spake to the Heavens Heare ô Heavens and harken ô earth And Esa 1. 3. Ier. 9. 22. hee spake unto the earth O earth earth earth heare the Word of the Lord. And hee spake unto the mountaines Heare ô mountaines the Mich. 6. Lord his quarrell and yee mighty foundations of the earth He may do so now this English people will give him no glory yet all that we have our wit our wisdome our riches our honour our authority we should use these to his glory this is the right end why God hath given them wee must not seeke our owne glory in them but Gods when Herod was magnified of the people for his eloquence and honored as a God Immediatly the Angell of Act. 12. 23. the Lord smote him because he gave not the glory to God and so hee was eaten of wormes and gave up the Ghost O brethren it is wonderfull that the Heavens raine not downe fire and brimstone upon us Our unthankfulnes deserveth Gods vengeance as upon Sodom that the ayre infect us not as it did Iuda that the earth openeth not and swallow us quicke to hell as it did Corah and his company that the fire burne us not as it did Sodom For that which Christ objecteth to the Iewes may be verified of Gen. 19. 2 Sam. 24. Numb 6. 16. us How can yee beleeve which receive honour one of another and seeke not the honour that commeth from God alone In all things that wee doe wee must seeke to set forth the glory of God If any man Minister saith Saint Peter let him doe it as of the ability which God ministreth that God in all things may bee glorified Iohn 5. 44. 1 Pet. 4. 11. through Iesus Christ Say to God as Aeschines said to Socrates when others gave him gold silver Iewels Aeschines gave himselfe like the poore widow who cast into the treasury two mites even all her substance So give God all thine eyes to see his glory thine eares to heare his Word thine heart to beleeve in him thy tongue to praise him thy foote to follow him and thy hand to serve him and let the saying of the Apostle bee never forgotten Yee are bought with a price therefore glorify God in 1 Cor. 6. 20. your bodies and in your spirits which are Gods stirre up thy tongue therefore to speake of God and his works plentifully shall thy bow and thine arrowes thy hawke and thy hound thy cart and thy plough have thy tongue tied to them to delite in their talke And shall not the Minister in Christ Iesus Hath thy tongue no portion in such heavenly things Or if it it bee in thy heart will it not fill thy mouth with praise Sermo index animi thy speech is a messenger of thy minde an Heavenly heart will use Heavenly talke and an earthly heart sendeth out vaine and earthly words deceive not thy selfe such as thy speeches are such is thy heart if thou canst eate drinke ride play journey with men and seldome or never talke of God it argueth a barren heart If there bee no meate in the dresser there is little in the kitchin the mouth is as the dresser the
the highest degree as God complaineth I have nourished and brought up Children but they have rebelled against mee The Oxe doth know his owner the Asse his masters crib but Israel Esa 1. 2 3 4. hath not knowne my people hath not understood We are a sinfull nation a people loden with iniquity a seed of the wicked corrupt children We have forsaken the Lord and provoked the Holy one of Israel to anger We professe to serve God but in works wee deny God we have a shew of godlines but inwardly wee deny the power of it our profession Tit. 1. 16. 2 Tim. 3. is like the apples and grapes of Sodom faire to the sight but if you touch them they vanish to smoke so all our profession standeth in words not in works as Iames said Ostende mihi fidem per opera Shew mee thy faith by thy works so Ostende Iam. 2. mihi regnum Dei per subjectionem tuam Shew mee the Kingdome of God by thy subjection by thy obedience which is due to his Word apply thy heart to keepe his statutes alwayes unto the end Bee not deceived God will not thus bee mocked in fine wee shall receive the reward of Rebels Quid dicta audiam cùm facta videam What should I heare words when I should see deeds as Moses said to Israeel laying out their severall rebellions So might I lay out the rebellions of England 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 egge and bird all naught our Fathers naught and wee also our Fathers have forsaken God and kept not his Law and we have Notorious sinners Satans subjects done worse than our Fathers and walke every one after the stubbornesse of his heart As well may wee spit on Christ Iesus buffet and beate him with a reed and cry with the mockers Haile King of the Iewes as kneele in the Church and say Thy Kingdome come Lord and yet in our deeds promote the kingdome of Satan disobey and not receive the Word which is the power of God Rom. 1. 16. to salvation to every one that beleeveth Therefore hee so highly extolleth it saying The weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty through God to cast downe holdes casting downe the imaginations 2 Cor. 10. 5. and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ Wee pray to be like the Angels we must strive then to come neere Mat. 6. them in obedience Three properties are noted in the Angels Obediunt Libentissimè Citissimè Fidelissimè most Willingly Speedily Faithfully They are willing to obey and so wee read that one Angell with speed killed an hundred fourescore and five thousand of the Assyrians in one night We must be like Angels if we looke Esa 37. to live with Angels they praise God day and night so must we Esa 6. But it may bee said of most of us that which Vivaldus said of Corasius Erat foris Cato intus Noro he was a Cato without a Nero within foris Angelus intus Diabolus an Angell without a Divell within foris Agnus intus Lupus a Lambe without a Wolfe within Deum ore laudabat corde factis negabat hee praised God with his mouth but denied him in heart in deeds tales sunt mancipia Diaboli such are the slaves of Satan God doth not raigne as a King in them his grace hath no dominion over them they are in the snare of the Divell and are taken of him at his will In this sence Christ called the Iewes the sonnes of the Divell Yee are of your father the Divell and the lusts of your father will yee doe so 2 Tim. 2. 26. Iohn 8. 44. 1 Iohn 2. 14. Iohn saith in the contrary I write unto you babes because yee have knowne the father Impij servi sunt tot daemoniorum quot vitiorum the wicked are the servants of so many divels as they have sinnes and transgressions it is the divell that hath dominion over them not God by his grace As there is in the body a palsy that striketh the one halfe and an Apoplexy that striketh the whole body so there is in our soules a spirituall palsy if not an Apoplexy our understanding is not lightned with the doctrine of God and our will is not enflamed with the Love of God to doe his will as it becommeth us Hereupon Saint Augustine crieth out Augusta foeda est domus Aug. animae meae Straight and filthy is the house of my soule but when thou commest vnto it ô Lord it shall bee enlarged and mundified of thee it is ruinous Lord repaire and amend it it is filthy Lord clense it and wash it there be many things in this Christ will dwell and raigne in a pure soule house of my soule which may offend thy sacred eyes but who shall purge it and purify it or unto whom shall I cry but unto thee Ab ocultis meis purga me Clense mee from my secret sinnes Let this bee our prayer and pray with that spirit wherewith Augustine prayed it and no doubt God will heare thee and have a Kingdom in thy soule This testimony is true the Heavens have sealed unto it and the living God hath spoken it of the children of men and blessed are wee if wee beleeve it there is more happinesse in one day of Gods service and under his Dominion then in ten thousand dayes of vanity in which Satan hath dominion and wee fall from the Lord of life The sixth and last attribute is Power wherein the excellent praise of God consisteth which is the ability in God to do what hee listeth like unto the former attributes but not all one with them haec enim magis conjungi quà m confundi velim I had rather conjoine these things than confound them as Calvin said in another case Of this power speaketh David O Lord my God thou art Psal 104. 1. exceeding great thou art clothed with glory and Majesty And of this power speaketh Esay Who hath measured the waters in his fist and counted Heaven with a spanne and comprehended the dust of the earth in Esa 40. 12. a measure and weighted the mountaines in a weight and the hilles in a balance And of this power of God speaketh Salomon Who hath Prov. 30. 4. ascended up to Heaven or descended Who hath gathered the Wind in his fist Who hath bound the Waters in a garment Who hath established all the ends of the world What is his Name or his Sonnes Name if thou canst tell And in respect of this power Christ said Ecce vobiscum sum Behold I am with you to the end of the world whereupon Mat. 28. 20. Aug. Augustine finely Iturus erat Christus ad dextram Patris per mortem praesentia Corporali In regard of his Corporall presence he was by death to goe to the right hand of his Father and in regard of his
as hee is righteous yea perfect as hee is perfect For wee must bee followers of God as deare children and walke in Love as he loved Ephes 6. us So much for Gods Love towards us And now to speake of our love to God and that the love whereby wee love God is a worke of Gods Love whereby hee loves man Causa diligendi Deum Deus est modus sine modo The Bern cause that wee love God is God himselfe the measure without measure And Saint Iohn saith We loved him because hee loved us first For our love springs out of his as the rivers from the Sea 1 Iohn 4. 19. his Love drawing our hearts to him as the Loadstone doth iron to it or as the Sardius doth wood our love answering to his Love as an Eccho to a mans voice and as one candle doth light another so the consideration of his Love to us doth cause a reflexion of our love to him And there bee many reasons to move us to keep our selves in the Love of God The first is his Commandement Thou shalt Deut. 6. 5. Deut. 10. 12. love the Lord thy God And againe What doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to feare and love him This our Saviour calleth The great Commandement The Commander is great the Object is great the use of the duty is great and their reward is great that take care to doe it and though there were no other reason to move us to love God but his bare Commandement yet were that reason strong enough to bind us the power of a King the authority of a Father the place of a master requireth obedience of a subject child and servant but God is our King our Father and Master and therefore his bare command is sufficient to bind us to love We must love God because he commands it and equity requires it him A second reason to move us to keep our selves in the Love of God is in regard of equity For seeing Almighty God doth love us it is a matter of equity that wee should requite love with love againe For though wee cannot love him as wee ought and as hee loveth us yet must wee love for ours is an ascending his a descending love and love descending is more naturall more fervent and vehement than love ascending as wee see in parents who love their children better then their children love them besides God loved us when wee were his enemies Ephes 2. Aug. Durus est animus qui si dilectionem nolebat impendere nolet rependere His heart is oke not flesh but flint that though hee will not beginne to love yet finding love will shew no love God doth love us out of his Love hee sent his Sonne his onely Sonne the Sonne of his Love into the world to save us hee giveth for us the earely and latter raine and reserveth Ier. 5. for us the appointed weekes of harvest yeerely Hee anointeth our head with oyle and our cuppe runneth over wee should bee Psal 23. 5. very unjust and injurious unto our selves if wee will not love him For all things worke for the best to them that love God Rom. 8. 28. Thirdly Commodity should move us to keepe our selves in the Love of God For first by this Love our faith produceth those good duties which wee owe unto God For faith is as one hand receiving love as the other giving For Faith worketh by Gal. 5. 6. Love And as Augustine saith Our life and all our conversation is named of our love Nec faciunt bonos vel malos mores nisi boni vel mali amores which being good or bad make our manners to bee thereafter such as our love is such is our life an holy Love an holy life an earthly love an earthly life if a mans love bee set on God his life must needs bee good and though this bee certaine That a man is justified by Faith yet this is as certaine that the life of a man is justified by love Rom. 3. Againe by the Love of God wee may know in what estate wee are in Saint Augustine saith Duas Civitates duo faciunt amores Aug. in Psal 64. Hierusalem facit amor Dei Babyloniam amor saeculi Interroget ergo se quisque quid amat inveniet unde sit Civis Two loves make two Citties the Love of God maketh Ierusalem the love of the world Babylon therefore let every man but examine himselfe what hee loves and hee shall see in what estate hee is and to what City hee belongs As a man by looking upon a diall may know the motion of the Sunne in heaven so by looking upon the thing hee loveth hee may know in what estate hee standeth whether hee belong to Babylon or Ierusalem to Hell or Heaven to God or the Divell Againe the Love of God ingenders in us the love of the We must love God because duty requires it godly for God for as hee that loves the Father cannot but love his children and as hee that loves his friend will not misvse his picture so hee that truly loves God will love Gods children which are the lively pictures of God this love is comfortable because it assureth us that wee are Christs disciples and by this wee know that wee are translated from death to Ioh. 13. 1 Iohn 3. 14. life Againe from the Love of God ariseth much grace and goodnesse as much water from one spring Non habet viriditatem ramus boni operis nisi manserit in radice charitatis Good works wither except they bee nourished by this Love As the love of mony is the root and nourisher of all evill so the Love of God is the mother and nurse of all good of all pious offices to God and Christian duties to man To conclude this point the Love of God is as strong as death for as death doth kill the body so our love to God doth mortify our love to the world and dispels rancour wrath malice and as the rising of the Sunne doth chase away the darkenesse of the night so the Love of God doth drive away the inordinate love of worldly vanities and thus yee see the utility of the Love of God 4. Wee ought to keep our selves in the Love of God because hee is our gtacious Father and of his owne good will begate he us through the Word of truth Now if a child must love his father Iam. 1. 18. of whom hee hath received a part of his body how much more ought wee to love God qui animam suam infundendo creavit creando infudit of whom hee hath received his soule and unto whose goodnesse hee stands obliged both for soule and body Hereupon saith Iob Thine hands have made mee and fashioned mee Iob 10. 8 11 11. wholly round about thou hast cloathed mee with skinne and flesh and joined mee with bones and sinewes Thou hast given mee
life and grace and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit For these causes ought wee to keep our selves in the Love of God These among many are reasons most sorcible to keep our selves in the Love of God How our God is to bee loved our Saviour sheweth Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart with all thy soule and with all thy mind But first wee must love Mat. 22 37. him with all our heart that is with all our affections joying and delighting in none but in him For he loves not God that delights in any thing more than God as Augustine saith truly Minus te amat qui aliquid tecum amat quod non propter te amat He loves thee not who loves any thing with thee which he loves Aug. not for thee 2. Wee must love him with all our soule induring rather a separation of the soule from the body than that our soule should bee separated from God who is the Soule of the soule and the comsort both of soule and body How we are to love God 3. Wee must love him with all our mind so that our cogitations must bee fixed upon him and ruled by him his Word should direct our reason our reason rule our wills that so wee may say with the Apostle wee live not but God doth live within us Our chiefest care should bee how to performe this duty to God how to love him as the Church said I am full of love I am sicke of love All owe this duty to God but few pay it or if they Cant. 5. 8. doe it is with crackt money not currant in Gods Exchequer for our love to God is cold yea plaine dead and that appeareth in the breach of the first Table wee are bankrupts both in piety towards God and charity towards men we love the world and our pleasures more than God wee worshippe not God in Spirit and in truth wee sweare and blaspheme the name of God wee prophane and pollute the Sabbaths of God wee come seldome to the house of God how can wee say that we love God The Love of God standeth in the keeping of his Commandements So saith our Saviour Hee that hath my Commandements Iohn 14. 21 23 24. and keepeth them is he that loves mee And againe If any man love me hee will keep my Word and my Father will love him and wee will come unto him and dwell with him And againe Hee that loveth mee not keepeth not my words c. Hee speaketh positively and privatively The blessed and undivided Trinity will dwell with that man who loveth God truely but till wee serve God in holinesse and righteousnesse till wee pray diligently heare his Word attentively receive the Sacraments penitently keepe the Sabbaths religiously use his name reverently let us be ashamed to say that wee love God Nam Regnum Dei non est in verbis 1 Cor. 4. 20. sed in virtute The Kingdome of God is not in word but in power Many Christians are mutilated and lame either they want an eare and cannot heare God or they want a tongue and cannot praise God or they want an heart and cannot love God These Atheists are a disgrace to Religion a Moth in the garment of the Church Monsters in nature Divels in shape of men as Christ said of Iudas hollow trees not holy trees these men are reprived till the last Sessions a gibbet is built in hell for them and all the gold in the world cannot purchase their pardon this is durus sermo sed verus sermo an hard saying but a true saying Wee talke of the love of men and say Charity is waxed cold but as touching the Love of God there is altum silentium not a word wee are like unslaked lime hot in the water cold in the Sunne as the stone of Thracia which burneth in the river but is quenched with hot oyle wee are pennie-wise and pound-foolish like the Pharises which did tithe Mint and Rew and all manner Luk. 11. 42. of hearbes and passed over judgement and the Love of God And yet if we loved God an ell where wee love him an inch it were but due debt O it is a most honorable thing to bee a lover of God! it was one of Abrahams greatest titles of honour to bee called the friend The hope of eternall life makes Gods precepts seeme easy of God it is a most blessed thing to bee a lover of God They that love the Lord shall be as the Sunne that riseth in his strength And it is a most miserable thing not to love God for Maranatha Anathema to them that love not the Lord Iesus Therefore as Paul prayed for the Thessalonians that God would guide their hearts in his Love and this Iudg. 5. 31. 1 Cor. 16. ought to bee thy prayer and my prayer and all our prayers that God would guide our hearts in his Love And God guide our hearts in his Love evermore THE FOVRE AND THIRTIETH SERMON VERS XXI Looking for the mercy of our Lord Iesus Christ unto eternall Life The hope of eternall life makes Gods precepts seem easie YEE have heard before that Iude gave the Saints many precepts now to mitigate the rigour of those precepts hee biddeth them looke for eternall life as if hee should say If it bee grievous to remember the words of the Lord to heare it to get faith to pray to keep themselves in the Love of God if nature if flesh and bloud wil hardly take out these lessons yet comfort your selves with the hope of eternall life there will bee an end of all troubles Salomon hath told you this long agoe saying Surely there is an end and thy hope shall not bee cut off Prov. 23. 18. all teares shall bee wiped from your eyes and yee shall bee filled with perfect joy after this iron world there is a golden world Esa 25. 8. there is a better life prepared for them in Gods house there are many dwellings as Christ said In my Fathers house there bee many mansions the time of refreshing will come as Peter said Act. Iohn 14. 1. 3. 19. And this is all joy and there is no joy but this I will give you Luk. 10. 19 20. power saith our Saviour to his disciples to treade on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall hurt you Neverthelesse in this rejoice not but rather rejoice because your names are written in Heaven Let not the rich man rejoice in his riches nor the Hope of reward makes all labours light wiseman in his wisdom nor the strong man in his strength as Ieremy speaketh but let us rejoice that our names are written in heaven Shal the souldier in the wars the mariner in the boistrous Ier. 9. waves the husbandman in the cloddy lands the prentice in a hard service undergoe great paines in hope and shal not we For what