SAINT PAVLES AGONIE A SERMON PREACHED at LEICESTER at the Ordinary Monthly Lecture Specially touching the Motions of Sinne remaining in the Regenerate BY A. CADE BACHELER in Diuinity and of Bilsdon in Leycester-shire GAL. 5.17 The Flesh lusteth against the Spirite and the Spirite against the Flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that yee cannot doe the things that ye would LONDON Imprinted by Bernard Alsop and are to be solde at his house by Saint Annes Church neere Aldersgate 1618. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE THE Lord Marquesse of Buckingham Right Honourable YOur goodnesse continually practised in your greatnesse to the benefit of many bindes all highly to honour you and account you as a Conduit ordayned of God to conueigh many benefites from his Royall Maiesty vpon inferiours Among which your Honourable kindnesse to me in prouiding for me without my sute or knowledge a right famous and noble place to rayse my fortunes and exercise my Ministery in the like whereof many haue sought with great sute cost and labor and haue not found deserueth all thankefulnesse that can bee imagined much more then can bee performed But feeling my selfe too weake for the greatnesse of that place not for my doctrine the soundnesse wholesomnesse whereof I am ready to testifie and iustifie if need require with my bloud but by the weaknesse of my voyce not able to reach the halfe of that spatious Church and numerous people I humbly pray your Honour to take without offence my Refusall and my harty desire that that great and worthy Congregation may be furnished with a man of a stronger voyce and better sides who may doe there much more good then my selfe who in my declining yeares must rather affect a more retired life and a charge more possible to be performed with better satisfaction to my selfe and to Gods people I shall euermore honour your goodnesse and your Greatnesse for this fauour which I publikely protest by the Dedication of this Sermon in Stile simple but in matter sound and substantiall which hauing lately preached I thought good to publish at the request of many my good friends of religious hearts the rather to oppose the spreading of those opinionate fansifull younglings who drawing bad iuyce from Arminius and Vorstius beginne to bud and blossome in our Academie whence nothing but good and wholesome food should be brought into the Country To shew how firmely our doctrine in these points is founded vpon the Scriptures and consenting with the Fathers of the Primitiue and all succeeding ages and what exceeding good vse and profite it yeeldeth and how farre these men swerue from it and from al true experience of Gods Saints in the state of Grace and Regeneration I haue penned published this Sermon and wish all good men to put to their hands to represse all such hurtfull growing innouations disquieting distracting and disgracing the peace and beauty of our Church to the offence and hazarding of many Soules And so I cease to trouble your Honour but shall neuer cease praying for you and honouring you as fitteth Your Honours most humble and thankefull Chaplen Anthony Cade An admonition to the Reader CHristian Reader the Concourse of many learned Ministers at our Ordinary Monthly Lecture lately before intermitted whereunto now also resorted by occasion many learned Iuditious Gentlemen required matter of more then ordinary worth and learning To satisfie whom If I haue layd the grounds of my Sermon more Schoole-like then thou thinkest fitte for the Country beare with mee now thou knowest the occasion Know also that I haue more enlarged those pointes to ground men more strongly against Innouators for that I hope this little Booke may come and be read where greater will not The other points thence deducted are plaine enough for the simplest Hearers and applyed to theyr profite Paul may plant Apollo water The Lord giue a blessed encrease A. C SAINT PAVLES AGONIE ROM VII XXIIII O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death THese wordes are the shutting vp of the discourse of that troublous Combat which Saint Paul describeth from the 13. Verse betwixt the Flesh and the Spirite that is betwixt our naturall corruption lusting one way and Gods holy Spirite mouing vs another way For as in this life our vnderstanding is enlightned but in part now wee see but as through a Glasse darkely a 1 Cor. 13.12 So our Wils and Affections are reformed but in part very weakely to follow that little which wee see Wee cannot doe the things that wee would b Gal. 5.17 Our corruptions though abated yet are not extinguished by Regeneration but our Mind and Will continue still partly flesh and partly spirite that is partly grace and partly corruption A reformation begunne but not finished like the Ayre in the dawning of the day Sanctificatio inchoata non consummata neyther wholy yet enlightned nor wholly remayning darke c Yet shineth more and more vntill the perfect day Pro. 4.1 8 or water blood-warme neyther perfectly hore nor perfectly cold but the light and darkenesse of the minde the heate and cold of the Will so mixed and intermedled together throughout that there is a continuall strise betwixt them which shall ouercome the other and ouerrunne the Soule This Combat the Apostle describeth most mouingly and feelingly in his owne person finding his own soule as it were distracted into two contrary factions and subiect to two contrary Rulers and guided by two contrary lawes as a shippe tossed by two contrary winds or tides The inner man or part Regenerate euer eying the law of God striuing for perfection but hindred by another Law in his Members the part vnregenerate rebelling against the Law of his mind and striuing both against his will Vers 15 and against his knowledge Verse 16. to carry him away to sinne Vers 17 so hindring the good which hee would doe verse 18. and drawing him to the euill which he would not doe ver 19. which again he repeateth in the verses following as a thing neuer enough obserued at the last as one amazed and much astonished to find in himselfe so much imperfection hee breaketh out into this passionate exclamation O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer mee from the body of this death In the words I obserue fiue things 1 The Matter that Saint Paul here complaines of Sinne which he cals the body of Death 2 The Subiect or party that he finds it in In himselfe Wretched man that I am Who shall deliuer me 3 That he is exceeding sensible of it feeles the mouing and stirring of it as appeares by the discourse and here it driues him into a passion 4 It is the onely thing that grieues him Hee accounts himselfe wretched by it O wretched man that I am 5 The sight and feeling of his sin makes him earnestly seeke for a remedy Who shall deliuer me Or to ascend from the
to helpe thee that they were not sufficient to saue themselues their workes still needing Gods mercy to forgiue and still sauouring of some imperfections of right and infection of sinne Saint Paul here disableth himselfe and Rom. 3.19.23 concludeth all men within sinne that God might haue mercy vpon all It is a fine Dreame of the Papists that the superaboundant merits and sufferings of holy men more then needed for themselues are to be dispensed and disposed of by the great husband of the Church the Pope and imputed to other men that will giue well for them whereupon is grounded that Great trading of Pardons wherby the merites of Saintes are often solde but neuer deliuered to men that need and these merits are called the Treasures of the Church and so they are indeed as our excellēt King noteth in his Preface to Christian Princes for they bring great treasures to the Popes coffers I can but wonder that waking men will be deluded by such dreames Vse 4 4 Beare charitable conceites of those that are ouertaken with sinne that haue made a good profession and yet sometimes are foiled as Lot Noah Dauid Peter as sometimes a word may escape euen a wiseman which he wisheth were vnspoken so somtimes sin may escape a wary man which he is sorry for surely temptations are so great and our natural power so little that without Gods grace continually supporting vs we cannot stand but should doubtlesse often fall into many sins Prayse we God for giuing such measure of grace vnto frayle men and feare wee him for withdrawing it sometimes to let them see theyr weakenesse pitty them and pray for them vse Saint Paules counsell Gal. 6.1 If any fall by occasion into any fault you that are spirituall restore such a one with the Spirit of Meekenesse considering thy selfe least thou also be tempted Vse 2 Lastly hunger thirst and long for that time when all imperfection shall cease and be abolished when this corruptible shall put on incorruption and this mortall shall put on immortality this Naturall body shall become spirituall and this body of death shall bee done away when we shall dwell in the Lande of promise without these Cananites prickes goades in our sides and thornes in our eyes and when wee shall not cry out O wretched men who shall deliuer vs but ioyfully sing O happy men that are so graciously deliuered from this body of death So much for the second point the thirde followeth Doc. 3 The Regenerate doe see and feele their sinnes more then other men So it appeares S. Paul did when so feelingly and mouingly he spake of this Law in his members rebelling and so passionately cryed out O Wretched mā that I am Reason I Surely the Regenerate haue lesse sins then other but they see them more for seeing The reason is twofold First their true iudging what sinne is 2. Their due and vnpartiall looking into themselues for they are alwayes reading on 2 Bookes the Booke of Gods Law teaching what they should doe and the booke of their owne conscience registring what they doe They attend hearken to the Law of God and by it frame theyr iudgement of sinne not like vaine men iudging only that good that agrees to their corrupt and mishapen reason that only evill that dislikes theyr fancy and so make themselues Iudges of the law Iam. 4.11 but humbly reforming their iudgements and by the Dictates of the Law which is the perfect rule of righteousnesse they come to the true knowledge of sinne as Saint Paul sayeth here I had not knowne that Concupiscence was sinne but that the Law sayth Thou shalt not lust Rom. 7.7 So they haue Lumen internum externum Externall of the Word which is a light and a lantherne Internal of the Spirit which enlightneth the eyes of their vnderstanding Psal 119.105 Ioh. 16.13 and leades them into all Truth And by this Spirit also their selfe-loue is diminished and swalowed vp in their loue of God so that they looke into themselues more vnpartially as a man therefore walking in darkenesse or neuer looking vpon himselfe sees no spots durt deformities vpon him but thinks all is well but comming to the light and viewing himselfe well hee sees many things vnthought of before and is much abashed so it is with the Naturall man he perceyueth nothing but thinks all is well for he walks in darkenesse and wanteth light or list to looke into himselfe but the Regenerate man spyes all and whatsoeuer he findes comparing it with the Rule he iudgeth rightly of it The Spirituall man discerneth all things 1. Cor. 2.15 Reason 2 Againe as he hath light beyond that of Nature to see for Feeling so hee hath life and quicknesse of the Spirite to feele the skinne of his conscience is tender and easily offended which in others is hard and brawny and hath lost his feeling And therefore whereas others at horrible abominable and odious sins are nothing moved as being dead in sin 1. Tim. 4.2 their consciences feared and past feeling S. Paul at the smallest sins that can be felt euen at the first motions of sinne which stirre within him is offended and grieued and cryeth out as at deadly wounds of his soule O wretched man that I am c. Vse 1 Here is a Comfort for Gods children That wheras some count it a heauy case for a man to see and feele his sinnes to haue grieuous pangs for them and thinke it neere vnto despayre and reprobation Let them know that to be sensible of a mans sins is a signe of Grace Regeneration and of a tender conscience that he hath light to see and life to feele that which by Nature he could neyther see nor feele such a heart is now prepared for comfort Vse 2 And here is a corsiue for wicked men past feeling their state is wofull for it argueth that they haue not attended to the law of God to come by the true knowledge of sinne or haue not vsed to turn their eyes to looke into themselues Happily they haue oft looked on other mens Dyals but neuer marked how the clocke strikes in their owne bosome wildly passing on and thinking all well or grosly iudging of sinne by their owne corrupt reason and so blind to see and sencelesse to feele theyr owne euils and therfore know not what neede they haue of Christ and consequently neuer seeke after him This sencelesnesse is a signe of no regeneration no-inhabiting of Gods Spirit no life or light of grace which is the fore-runner of glory and happinesse That wound sayth S. Austen is not best to be liked that feeles least paine for that may proceed of dead flesh within it but rather that which is quick of sence and feeleth the least touch so for the soule for corruption is not felt by corruption but by grace and the more grace a man hath the tenderer is his conscience and the more
his sinne and his wrong vnto the Innocent cast downe the Money but finding no comfort went and hanged himselfe But to his Children God sendeth a comfort in due season when it is truely and faithfully sought which is to them the welcomest and gladsommest thing in the world Therefore the Law was profitably giuen vt sit Pedagogus ad Christum Gal. 3.24 to be our Schoolmaster vnto CHRIST non vt sanet sed vt aegrotum te esse doceat not to heale thee but to shew thee thy sicknes and make thee seeke to the Physition for that makes vs finde what neede we haue of Christ A man neuer knowes the worth of Christ till hee see his owne vnworthinesse and danger neuer seekes for ease and comfort till hee feele the loade and burthen of his sinnes and is grieued at the loathsomnes of his corruptions and foresees the misery they bring vpon him But when his eyes are once opened to see this doubtlesse hee will seeke to be deliuered and the wiser hee is the sooner Vse 1 And therefore me thinks I may make this vse of this Doctrine To stirre vp men to seeke remedie for their sinne that hee that seekes not for deliuerie from this body of death eyther he feeles it not or is exceedingly besotted in loue with his owne sicknes eyther he is blinde and sees not his estate or seeing it is madde that seekes not to relieue it Choose all you impenitent sinners in whether of these ranks you wil be placed amongst blinde men or mad men that will not see or seeing will not seeke Deliuerance from this bodie of death For it is not possible that a man fallen into a pit should not desire to be helped out that a man dangerously sicke should not desire to recouer that a man grieuously wounded should not desire to be cured that a man in Prison and durance should not desire libertie at least if hee feele his euill and the danger of it eyther blindnesse or madnesse possesseth him But indeede no man can be so madde except he be first blinde blinded with the custome of sinne that makes vs vnsensible or with the prince of darkenesse that luls men a sleepe with the pleasures of sinne 2. Cor. 4 4. to forget their estate or blinded with some Pharisaicall opinion of their owne righteousnes like the Laodiceans that sayd they were rich and had need of nothing and knew not they were wretched and miserable Rev. 3.17 and poore and blind and naked for if they had the true eye-salue and that their eies were opened to see their wofull estate by sinne this should be the first thing they would goe about the greatest businesse they would intend to seeke some deliuery and to com to some comfortable assurance of Gods fauour Vse 2 Luk. 10.42 Matth 13.46 Phil. 3.8 This should be the vnum necessarium the pretious pearle that the Marchant would sell all that euer he had to purchase and they would with Saint Paul count all other things all honour wealth pleasure worldly contentments but losse and dung in respect of it Highly to esteeme of this Remedie So sweete and ioyfull would it bee vnto theyr soules Saint Paul seemes to insinuate so much by the very marshalling of his wordes and phrases in deliuering this doctrine When he looked vpon his sinnes though they were as small as possibly could bee in any man they seemed so foule in his eyes so grieuous to his conscience so contrary to his cleane desires that he counted himselfe wretched for them and passionately seeketh for deliuerance but finding no meanes in himselfe but a plaine impossibility by reason of his deplored imperfections hee goeth out of himselfe and asketh Who shall deliuer me and vpon asking the question presently giues the solution not in plaine termes for the fulnesse of his heart and the greatnes of his ioy would not let him but in a dutifull protestation of thankefulnesse I thanke God through Iesus Christ our Lord as if he should say It is the mercy of God that hath sent his sonne Iesus Christ to redeem vs by whome wee are deliuered from this body of death by him wee are iustified from our sinnes and sanctified by his Grace to represse sinne and though sinne still dwell in vs Yet there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus Rom. 8.1 that walke not after the flesh but after the Spirit that haue not the flesh but the Spirite for their guid and though they walke weakely and faintingly after it yet still they follow it as their desired guid as wel as the weakenesse of their nature will suffer This seemed so worthy a benefite in Saint Paules eyes vpon the thought of his sinnefull vncomfortable estate on the one side and that most gladdsome deliuerie on the other side that hee cannot without an eiaculation of thankefulnesse expresse it I thanke God through Iesus Christ our Lord. Which wordes I cannot stand vpon onely I note Saint Pauls Phraze teacheth vs that this worthy benefite of our deliuery of our Redemption and Saluation is neuer to be spoken of without thanksgiuing neuer to be thought of without a gratefull lifting vp of our hearts vnto God neuer to be named without great admiration and reuerence Conclusion with a recapitulation of the first Doctrine and vses And therefore wee thanke thee O Lord for this amongst all other benefites for this aboue all other benefites and we beseech thee to giue vs grace to looke into our selues light to see our sinnes and life to feele them that we may be humbled by them and seeke to mortifie them The second that we may know see feele what vnperfect state we liue in here in this flesh wherein thy dearest children feele these prickes in the flesh these Cananites and Iebusites as prickes and goades in theyr sides and thornes in theyr eyes these messengers of Sathan to buffet them that therby With the Vses we may bee out of conceyte with our own righteousnesse and all humane merites as not able to satisfie thy iustice and cleaue the more stedfastly to thy mercy and to the merites of thy sonne our Sauiour and yet be not cleane deiected as men vtterly secluded from thy fauour by means of our vnperfect sanctification since such thou wilt haue the state of thy children here vpon earth but that wee may labour to ouercome all temptations and be examples of all holy vertues to others walke before thee in feare and trembling euermore hungring and thirsting after that heauenly life wherein all those imperfections shall be done away Lord make vs sensible of all our wants corruptions that there be no sinne in vs which wee doe not see and feele by thy light and grace and labour to mortifie it and to hate it as the greatest euil in the world that it may bee as vnpleasant vnto vs as it is vnto thee and that we may heartily seeke a remedy and with all thankefulnesse embrace it and growe dayly in grace and all holy vertues till we become perfect men in Iesus Christ to the glory of thy great name the assurante of our adoption the adorning of our profession the good and comfort of others and the eternall comfort of our owne soules FINIS