for the sinne of man yet like the Sheepe before the Shearer hee opened not his month and how then dwels the patience of CHRIST in us Lastly if wee put off the chiefe care of our Soule till the last houre our prayer our repentance and strict examination of our wayes and thinke in the meane while that a Lord Lord a formall devotion will suffice we know that CHRIST spent whole nights in prayer and in the anguish of his soule and that for the sense of our sinnes sweat even drops of blood and how then dwelleth the devotion of CHRIST in us Those are quaeres able to startle a good soule and surely would we let passe those deceivable examples which from the frailties of men too indulgently oft-times we propose unto our selves this man will doe thus and that man thus and strive more nearly to square our actions according to this infallible patterne in my Text a world of sinnes there are wherewith the World through custome is now almost uncontroullably full fraught which we should then be as farre from any desire to commit as now I feare we are from any intent to amend and having receiv'd at first though but a sparke of grace wee should in time so kindle and inflame it as that like IOHN Baptist it might prove a burning and a shining light by which light we might then easily discover our owne happinesse and say with IOB Now I know that my Redeemer liveth But some men perhaps will heere reply as the Patient once did to the Physitian prescribing him to keepe a good dyet if I had meant saith hee to keepe a good dyet I should never have need to come to you for Physicke pray tell me how I may keepe an ill dyet and not bee sicke so you will say perhaps wee al know already what good wee must doe and what grace we must have that we may be saved but pray tell us what evils we may doe and what grace wee may want and yet bee saved May we not sweare a little ryot a little and if our beloved sinne bee but little one may not our soule flye thither and yet live But first I pray tell mee what sinne is there which any man dareth cal little which without repentāce is great heavie and enough to weigh him down to Hell Indeed so great is the mercy of God as that we finde a pardon oft times given to great sinnes but where ever doe wee finde before-hand a dispensation given to the least God sometime upon the fore-sight of our repentance antedates his pardon Thy sinne is forgiven thee saith Nathan unto DAVID though it is thought the solemne repentance for this sinne was afterwards perform'd but shall we therefore upon the fore-intendment of our repentance antedate our sin Surely if you would give me a house full of gold I dare not tell you so For this quaere is as if a man should aske how high may I fall downe headlong before I breake nay necke or how often may I stabbe my self before I be wounded unto death Surely because a little wound oftimes proveth dangerous or at leastwise full of paine a wise man will not rashly cut his skin and if skin for skin and all that a man hath hee will give for his life how diligent and tender ought to bee every mans care for his owne soule Quae insania est Salvian ad Eccles Cathol lib. 2. ut non quanta potes omnino facias cum ignores penitus quid tibi competat ad salutem What madnesse is it for a man not to take the best care he can for his soule when as he knowes that after all the care which he can take even the Righteous shall scarce bee saved Let us not then presume to inquire how farre we may suffer sin to abound Be we never so carefull to suppresse it sinne will abound too farre but aske rather how farre must grace more abound to obteyne the forgivenesse of our sinne and when we see what high patternes of obedience are every where in holy Scripture propos'd unto our imitation the perfection of the Father the grace of the Sonne the fellowship of the Holy Ghost the Communion of Saints and Angels may these great examples dayly inlarge our indeavours and as long as wee can never hope to doe what wee ought let us never cease to doe what we may Now then to draw all to a conclusion We reade in this Chapter of a two fold fulnesse in CHRIST there is a fulnesse of truth and a fulnesse of grace fulnesse of truth wee have reveal'd in holy Scripture and from hence truth for truth wee are able to communicate each to others but fulnesse of grace this is Gods praerogative which he reserves onely to himselfe and grace for grace what man ever durst take upon him to bestow Fulnesse of truth is the religion of the soule furnisheth the eye the eare the tongue the head but fulnesse of grace this is the soule of our religion and drawes all unto the heart fulnesse of truth it is a diligent MARTHA and provideth many commendable things but fulnesse of grace this is the devout MARY and bringeth the maine necessary part this is the pearle which though wee should sell all that we have to buy will buy a thousand times more then wee can sell this is the oyle which cheereth the countenance the wine which makes glad the heart of man and with a good conscience keepeth a continuall feast This is comes in via pro vehiculo the most gentile and faithfull companion in the world which whē wealth when honor whē strength when wit when speech when sense when life it selfe shall faile will yet never leave us nor forsake us I beseech you then as wee cannot but all thankfully acknowledge that we have already receiv'd the religion of the soule truth for truth let us dayly implore from Heaven the soule of our Religion grace for grace grace upon grace even the grace of our Lord IESVS CHRIST that having given us an understanding head hee would bee pleas'd to create in us a new heart and renew a right spirit within us that when with the sighes and groanes of this spirit from the bottome of this heart we shall call and cry unto him Abba Father hee may graciously make answer from Heaven I will be unto thee a Father and thou shalt bee to me a Sonne Amen Serm. IV THE FOVRTH SERMON ECCLES 12.1 Remember now thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth WHen I read the saying of St. IOHN My little Children this is the last time the time saith St. PAVL even of the end of the world consider withal that it is now neare 1600 yeares ago since this caveat was first given surely me thinks wee that live at the end of this end at the last period of this last time have now great cause together with the end of the world evē daily to bethink our selves of our own end and
l. 8. Epist 22. qui caeteris ita ignoscit tanquam ipse quotidie peccet ita peccatis abstinet tanquam nemini ignoscat Hee indeed is a right good man who in all things is so favourable to the sinnes of others as if himselfe were the greatest sinner and yet so severe and strict unto himselfe as if hee would favour no man And thus much for the first exposition of my Text I come now unto the second And of his fulnesse have wee all received 2 Exposition and grace for grace that is grace upon grace grace after grace first one grace then another For GOD who gave not the Spirit by measure to his Sonne gives it by measure and portions to his Saints which like good seed sowne into good ground brings foorth first the blade then the eare then the full corne in the eare first the will and then the deed first begins the deed and then perfects it And therefore give diligence saith St. PETER and adde to your faith vertue to vertue knowledge to knowledge temperance to temperance patience to patience godlinesse and that wee may know there are many and high degrees to bee ascended before we come unto the height of grace to that full assurance whereof fondly oftimes we secure ourselves even at the first step you see againe he doubles the same caution Give diligence to make your calling and Election sure And St. PAVL often Let the word dwell richly in you in all wisedome Let your love abound more and more That you may bee rooted and built up and stablished in the faith That you may be holy and unreproovable in the sight of God That hee may present unto himselfe a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle Indeed it is the desire of most men to be partakers of Gods grace so much at least as may enlighten them a little give them a taste of the heavenly guift and keepe them from despaire and then are they ready to say unto theyr soule Soule take thy ease for thou hast now enough grace enough layd up in store But the earnest and constant desire of grace for grace and grace upon grace to follow our Petitions as St. HIEROM did with a peto ut accipiam cum accepere rursus peto dayly doe I aske the grace of God Avarus sum ad accipienda beneficia dei Nec ille deficit in dando nec ego satior in accipiendo Ad Ctesiphor adv Pelag. and when I have obtain'd what I aske for dayly doe I aske the same againe and as long as hee is well pleased to grant never will I give over my desire this a rare zeale though yet in truth better have no talent then wrap it in a Napkin For GOD will not bee content with his owne hee must have interest where hee soweth grace he expects to reape grace for grace and therefore having once tasted of the heavenly guift let us dayly so hunger and thirst after Righteousnesse as that wee may bee filled with the Spirit For wee are to observe that as in GOD there is a fulnesse if I may so speak of capacitie fulnesse of justice fulnesse of mercy fulnesse of wisedome fulnesse of power all fulnesse at the full because hee is infinitely full as in CHRIST there is a fulnesse of satietie such a fulnesse as was fitted and proportioned by the will of his Deitie such a fulnesse as did abundantly satiate the will and desire of his humanitie a fulnesse without measure if compar'd to that small portion vouchsafed to the greatest of the Saints and yet a fulnesse which had measure and proportion if compar'd unto the infinite fulnes of the Deity Deus quamvis omnipotens non potuit vel inaequalem sibi gignere filiis Bernard Homil. 3. vel aequalem condere creaturam It was impossible that even the omnipotencie of GOD should eyther beget the divine person of his Sonne unequall or create his humane nature equall to himselfe so in tne Saints of God there must bee a fulnesse too a fulnesse of competency fulnesse of Faith and fulnesse of workes also that while we beleeve in him who justifieth a sinner wee may daily labour the reformation of our sinnes Behold saith CHRIST I stand at the doore and knocke and if any man heare my voyce and open the doore I will come in and sup with him and hee with me Here then you see there must bee a mutuall entertainment of supper for supper fulnesse for fulnesse for indeed then onely is this Feast rightly prepared when as well CHRIST suppes with us as we with him he on the delight of our obedience we on the confidence of his True indeed it is that if wee looke into the empty world a little goodnesse may soone raise us unto a Pharisaicall ostentation and serve to justifie our selves by negatives Lord I thanke thee that I am not thus nor thus nor like unto this Publicane and thinke that wee have grace enough if wee can poynt out any man more gracelesse then our selves when as yet St. AVGVSTINE will tell us Civit. dei l. 14. c. 3. Ipse diabolus non est fornicator neque ebriosus the Divell himselfe might thus commend himselfe for he was never drunke nor ever committed Fornication and the Publicane might make reply LORD I thanke thee that I am no Pharisee when as perhaps his whole life hath beene so farre from expressing the truth of godlinesse as that hee was never yet so well devoted to make shew of it Infaelicissimum genus consolationis est Salvian ad Eccles Cathol lib. 2. de miseriis hominum peccatorum capere solatia It is a most unhappy kinde of comfort for a man to solace himselfe in his owne sinne upon the view of greater sinnes in others No rather letting passe these deceivable discourses let us strive to fashion our selves according to the infallible rules of holy Scripture and when wee know they are no common graces of the Spirit whereby wee are seal'd unto the day of redemption let us dayly implore grace for grace that wee may approve the things that are excellent and bee filled with the fruits of righteousnesse Nativitas salutaris non accepta sed custodita vivificat Cyprean Epist 7. It is not a single grace but grace upon grace must save us and however the goodnesse and mercy of God might bee content with lesse then our owne care and zeale will bee content for our owne selves however our selves in humility might be content with the lowest roome even to bee doore-keepers in the house of God yet how unspeakable would bee our joy if it might please him to grant more then wee dare presume to ask and according to our increase in grace for grace multiply unto us glory for glory too and entertaine us in his Kingdome with an Amice ascende superiùs Friend sit up higher As then IACOB returning into his owne Countrey and afrayd of his brother ESAV sends before
him present after present first Goates then Ewes then Rammes then Camels and commands every Messenger to say These are thy servant IACOBS and it is a present sent to my Lord ESAV that if the first present could do nothing the second the third or fourth might move him and thus where he feared most hee findes most love ESAV imbraceth him falles upon his neck and kisseth him so let it be all our care being how onward on our way to seeke a Countrey and bow soone wee may meet with our LORD wee cannot tell to send before us present after present grace after grace that when hee shall meet heere with our patience there with our humilitie here with our prayer there with our repentance heere with our faith there with our charity hee may embrace us in the armes of his mercy and incourage our trembling soules with a Confide fili Be of a good comfort my Sonne thy sinnes are forgiven thee And thus much for the second exposition I come now unto the last Of his fulnesse have wee all received 3 Exposition and grace for grace that is grace to us answerable to the grace of CHRIST not hee one grace wee another but grace for grace grace in some proportion of like nature like condition with his GOD is faithfull saith St. PAVL by whom wee are called into the fellowship of his Sonne who when wee were dead in trespasses and sinnes hath by the same spirit quickened us together with CHRIST hath rais'd us up together made as sit together in heavenly places And indeed it is a meditation full of comfort that all those graces and favors imparted to CHRIST the head are communicable to us his members of his flesh and of his bones Was hee saluted with that gracious voyce from Heaven This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased behold the same spirit though secretly yet powerfully cryes Abba Father in our soules and assures us that wee also are the Sonnes of God nay heyres yea coheyres with his owne Son For as CHRIST was incarnate and made the Sonne of God by assuming our nature to his person so there is a kinde of incarnation in every Saint of God by uniting his nature to our persons And indeed every pious Soule is another Virgin MARY wherein wee reinwombe our SAVIOVR Qui parturit verbam Christum parturit Amb in Luc. lib. 10. cap. 5. and with whom wee travaile till hee be formed in us til he who is conceived in us is the Author of our new conception and giveth spirituall life and motion to our soules Had hee the wonderfull grace and power to worke great miracles give eyes to the blinde speech to the dumbe health to the sicke life to the dead Hee that beleeves in me saith he the workes that I doe shall he doe also nay even greater workes then these shall hee doe For if wee faile of the shadow in the practise of those great workes upon the body yet we have the substance of farre greater works upon the soule And such to this day is the powerfull efficacie of this quickning grace as that it openeth the blind eye and the deafe care with joy to behold and heare the wonderfull workes of God it looseneth the dumb tōgue and out of the mouths of babes and sucklings ordeineth strength it stretcheth forth the lame hand with cheerfulnesse to distribute to the necessities of others it softeneth the hard heart and kindleth it with zeale and forwardnesse O Lord my heart is ready my heart is ready Nay though wee bee dead in trespasses and sinnes grace is able to recover us Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and CHRIST shall give thee light Lastly is CHRIST ascended up to Heaven farre above all Principalities and Powers there for ever to sit at the right hand of the Father and will hee leave us comfortlesse alone No surely as hee hath given us grace for grace so will hee give us glory for glory too and therefore Blessed bee GOD sayth St. PETER who hath begotten us againe unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of IESVS CHRIST from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible reserved for us in the Heavens Now hitherto I perswade my selfe we all gladly give eare to this discourse and are ready to second it with the like Petition of the Disciples Lord evermore give us of this grace But yet I feare that as DAVID who went with joy to fetch the Arke out of the house of AMINADA◠on expectation thereby of a blessing to befall his owne house when hee saw VZZAH smitten with sodaine Death for presuming to touch the Arke was presently displeas'd and afraid too for how shall the Arke of the Lord saith he come to me and therefore he sent it to the house of OBED EDOM So I feare many there are well pleased with the grace of CHRIST as long as wee discourse of the joy the comfort the glory that attends it but let us once mention the sorrow and affliction which for grace and righteousnesse sake we must endure let us tell them that he that will bee CHRISTS Disciple must first in humility deny himselfe and with patience take up his Crosse and follow him this is a hard saying say they and who is able to endure it If these bee the difficulties which attend the Ark let it goe to the house of OBED EDOM we will not bring it to our City But before you send it away let mee aske you but one question shall we receive good at the hands of the Lord and shall wee not receive evill nay more Is it not enough that the Disciple bee as his Master and the Servant as his Lord Would wee receive grace and will we not have grace for grace would wee have the grace of his exaltation and will wee not have the grace of his humilitie CHRIST himselfe wee know first suffered before hee entred into glory and wee must first bee made conformable unto his death before wee can attaine the resurrection of the dead But blest men are we in that this conformitie now in a great part consists onely in a preparation and resolution to endure when as the peace and happinesse which wee enjoy have remov'd the misery of those evill dayes farre off from us which thousands and millions of the Saints of God have been inforced to endure Indeed we live by faith saith St. PAVL the best part of our life by Faith and not by sight yet what eye so dull that sees not the happinesse of this present life of ours or what tongue so tyed whose heart will not force it to breake out into termes of gratulation Praise the LORD O my Soule and all that is within me praise his holy name Let us looke into the primitive times or wee need not goe so farre but on the dayes of our Fore-fathers and how terrible then were the conditions of salvation What strength of grace what a compleat armour was then
embrace us and restore us to our rest again For doth a Father pity his owne child and will not the Lord bee mercifull to them that feare him nay call no man Father upon earth for beyond all naturall affection we have a Father in Heaven and his love is like that of Ionathan and David even greater then the love of women WheÌ„ Abraham intercedeth for Sodom you see hee puts in many doubts and feares I have taken upon me to speake who am but dust and ashes and let not my Lord be angry and once more and once more let me speake and still hee feareth and still hee speaketh and still he obtaineth what he speaketh for neither doth God in mercy cease to grant his petitions till he in modesty giveth them over Thus sometime if the conscience of our sinnes and terrour of the throne of Iustice and those terrible names of Lord and jealous God shall make us to tremble and be exceedingly afraid as indeed in this confident age it is good that we should sometime bee frighted yet upon our true humiliation and contrition we may boldly appeale from the throne of Iustice to the throne of Grace and that gracious name of Father and then â—nough the flesh have been a Sodome yet if the spirit now become an Abraham dust and ashes as we are we may speake and once more and once more may we speake til we bring our sins from fifty shall I say nay from an innumerable number for who knowes how oft he offends to forty to twenty to tenne to nothing and blot them out of the booke of Gods remembrance Let me then say once againe Why art thou so disquieted O my soule and why art thou so troubled within me put thou thy trust in the Lord and bee doing good implore the adoption of a sonne and get thy soule seal'd unto the day of redemption and then with confidence maist thou appeare before the Tribunall of God where thou shalt finde the Iudge thy Father thine Advocate thy Brother But let us beware that we doe not please and content our selves with a titular alliance for it is not a Lord Lord nor my Father Salvian ad Eccles Cathol l. 3 my Father will suffice Assumptio religiosi nominis sponâ—â—o devotionis Our challenging of God to bee our Father chalengeth from us the duty of his Sonnes For as under the Law if they were obedient unto his will and with care and conscience did performe their service to their Lord he did shew himselfe a Father to his servants so under the Gospell if like gracelesse children wee shall neglect the will of our heavenly Father he will shew himselfe a Lord unto his Sonnes and as then not every one that cryed Lord so nor now every one that prayeth Father but he that doth the will whether of Lord or Father he and he alone shal be acceptable in his sight So then to draw all to a conclusion As wee are all already filii regni children of the Kingdome and called to be Saints so because wee know such children for their disobedience may in the end bee shut out of this Kingdome let us strive to be filii regnantes to reign as children in this Kingdome and make our calling sure CHRIST is now ascended up on high unto his Father and hath given guifts to us such as will inable us to follow him let us then bee carefull so to improve these guifts to adde to our Faith vertue to vertue knowledge temperance patience godlinesse and charity that as our graces rise so may our hope of glory rise withall and when age and death shall presse downe our bodies to the grave our soules may be lifted up to Heaven and take a comfortable farewell of our friends even in the very language of our Saviour Weepe not for mee but for your selves for I am now ascending to my Father and your Father to my God and your God Amen FINIS Errata FOr Iohanni read Iohanne pag 8. necessitude read vicissitude p. 11 so r. and p. 25 last r. left p. 46 that dele p. 47 1. dele p. 53 for dele p. 63 our r. one p. 72 strong r. strange p. 77. beneficii r. beneficiis p. 111 partunebat r parturiebat p. 122 filiis r. filium p. 143 succentunate r. succenturiate p. 150 Those r. these p 153 heavie and r. and heavie p. 177 Nor r. nor ibid. vvherever r. wheÌ„ever p 183 punisheth r. pincheth p 203 this r the p 208 an r on p 212 custodivi r custodiri p. 216 that thou r that so alwayes thou p 223 hold r hold p 225 have r but have p 227 We r. we p 32 dele 2. p 256 favorâ—â— r foenoris p 258 nor r nor