as the eyes of servants are upon the hands of their Maisters so the eyes of his heart are upon the Lord his God And Aquinas the Schooleman being like that Scribe in the Gospell not farre from the Kingdome of God defineth religion to be one vertue a speciall one the noblest of all morall vertues which according to iâ—s proper acts onely respecteth God although according to the acts of other vertues commanded by it it also comprehendeth our neighbour And devotion to be a prompt and ready will to execute those things that belong to Gods service much better then Cardinall Bellarmine who would faine appropriate the name and nature to the orders of their speciall religions Religion saith he is a state of men that aime at Christian perfection by the vowes of poverty continency and obedience as though there were none religious but their Regulars whose religion is in vaine and who worship God in vaine teaching for doctrines the commandements of men Matth. 15.9 Now this name religious Religit nos religio vni omnipotenti deo de vera relig cap. 55. Ipsa religio areligando in fascem vinciendo nomen accepit Quia religiosus retractat tanquam relegitea quae ad divinum cultum pertinent a religendo Deum eligentes vel potius religentes amiseâ—â—mus enim negligentes huâ—c ergo religentes vnde religio dicta prohibetur ad cum dilectione tendimus ut perveniendo quiescamus they deduce and draw either a religando from binding as Augustin saith Let Religion binde us to Almighty God onely and Hierom in Am. 9. saith Religion hath taken its name from binding and tying into a bundell or else a relegendo because a religious man handleth and recounteth those things which belong to Gods worship Or else as Augustine Lib. 10. de civit Dei cap. 4. a relegendo Choosing God or rather choosing him anew for wee had lost him negligently therefore choosing him anew from whence religion is said to be derived wee goe to him by love that when we come to him we may rest Now it is the manner of the Holy Ghost to insist upon the same thing to speake it againe in other termes no doubt both for the farther expression of it to us and also impression of it in us as Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven and whose sinne is covered Psal 32.1 so here Cornelius is not onely called a devout or religious man but the same thing is amplified and uttered in other words importing the same sense and one that feared God For by a fearer of God the part being figuratively put for the whole we must understand a religious worshipper of God as Ionas saith of himselfe to the mariners I feare the Lord God of heaven Ionah 1.9 that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I worship and serue him as Lydia is called a woman which worshipped God Act. 16.14 so Hierom expoundeth it In hoc locotimor pro cultu potest intelligi iâ— 1. Ioâ— In this place feare may be understood for service So that which God saith thou shalt feare the Lord thy God and serve him Deut. 6.13 Our Saviour citing it interpreteth it to be worship thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve Matth. 4.10 As also alleaging that of Isaiah 29.13 their feare towards me is taught by the precepts of men hee saith in vaine doe they worship me teaching for doctrines the Commandements of men Matth. 15.9 putting feare and worship for all one in which sense the Psalmist speaketh Come yee children hearken to mee I will teach you the feare of the Lord Psal 34.11 that is the worshippe and service of the Lord. Connexa sunt timor atque religio nec manere potest alterum abque alâ—ero Beru serm de donis sp s cap. 4. Timordomini est prima gratiarum religionis exordâ—â—m Feare and religion are knitte together neither can the one remaine without the other and the feare of the Lord is the first of all graces and the beginning of Religion Now before I come to the instructions hence to be learned I must cleare the doubts that heere are raised First how Cornelius is heere commended for his feare since else-where feare is condemned proceeding from the spirit of bondage and not standing with that perfect love which is in the Sonnes of God towards him Rom. 8.15 Ye have not received the spirit of bondage againe to feare but yee have received the spirit of adoption whereby wee cry Abba father and againe 1 Ioh. 4.18 there is no feare in love but perfect love casteth out feare because feare hath torment hee that feareth is not made perfect in love The Master of the sentences Distinct 34. lib. 3. the Schoolemen his Disciples make some of them 4. some of them 5 sorts of feares a naturall an humane a servile a filiall and an initiall feare I feare to loose time in following of them and will content my selfe to goe the beaten way of that distinction of feare into a servile and a sonne-like The servile feareth Gods punishments the sonne-like his anger and displeasure that because it hath sinned against him and deserved the whippe this that it may not sinne against him and loose his love that dreadeth his tribunall as an angry judge Alind est timere quia peccaveris aliud nè pecces Ambr. lib. 10. epist 48. this reverenceth him as a loving father It is one thing to feare because thou hast sinned another thing to feare that thou maist not sinne The servile as it is in the reprobates and Divells breedeth and begetteth in them desperation of Grace and mercy expectation of hell and torture but as it may be in those that are ordained to salvation it worketh to their salvation by being an externall meanes of their repentance Vide Magistrum sententiarumlib 3. Distinct 34. f. Beru serm 4. de mode benè viuendj Et timebat cum dilectione diligebat cum timore Qui Deum benè timet amat qui amat timer res illae funt in caelelâ—i devotione sociatae Servilitimore timetur ne judicetur in tormentum supplicii altero ne amittatur gratia beneficii Timor non est in charitate quia perfecta charitas foris mittit timorem sed illum servilem quo cum se quisque ab opere malo abstinet poenâ terretut non iustitiâ delectatur hunc charitas foris mittit quam non delectat iniquitas etiamsi proponatur impunitas Non illum quo timet anima ne amittaâ— ipsam gratiam quâ in illâ factum est ut eam non peccare delectet quo timet ne deus cam deserat etiamsi nullis dolorum cruciatibus puniat Hic timor castus est non eum châ—riâ—as ecijit sed ascisâ—it de illo quoque scriptum est timor domini castus est permanens in seculam seculi Aug. epist 20. Timet illa ne vir infestus adveniat
wayes Psal 119. And as Abraham reasoned of the men of Gerar the feare of God is not in this place therefore they will slay me for my wives sake Gen. 20.11 So on the other side wee may reason againe è ConversoÌ„ men professing to know and worship God give themselves the raines of libertie to take their pleasures runne into all excesse of ryot and rush into sinne like the bard horse into the battell some in one kinde some in another therefore the feare of God is not truly in their hearts But I come to the speciall markes of piety and the feare of God they lye either in duties immediately respecting God or men in God The duties which immediately respect God as markes and tokens of piety and feare of him are either a beleeving of God and his word or a renouncing of our selves in the things of this life for Gods sake and cause upon the sight of that great worke which God did upon the Egyptians in the red Sea Moses saith the people feared God and beleeved the Lord his servant Moses Exod. 14.31 conjoyning these together and making their beleeving of God an undoubted signe of their fearing of God as on the contrary when men deny the words of the Lord give no credence unto them say it is not hee his Prophets shall become winde his word is not in them Ier. 5.12.15 and that the Lord hath not sent them but they speake of their owne hearts there is no feare of God afore their eies they are as the Psalmist calleth old Israel a stubborne and rebellious generation a generation that set not their heart aright and whose spirit was not stedfast with God Psal 78.8 for not beleeving in God amongst other their sinnes vers 22. Againe the renouncing of our selves whereby we must manifest our piety and feare of God lieth either in the forgoing of that which is most deare unto us in the pleasures and profits of this life or the undergoing of that which is most grieuous unto flesh and bloud for his names sake Abrahams not withholding his sonne his onely sonne from God is a sure signe of his fearing of God Gen. 22.12 The Disciples sent out by our Saviour to preach must againe shew that they feare God by their willing suffering whatsoever shall bee inflicted upon them for the working of his worke by their not fearing of them that can kill the body Matth. 10.28 such an heroicall spirit was in Paul Act. 20.24 I passe not for all and in Chrysostome against all the threatnings of the Empresse Eudoxia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If the Empresse will banish me let her banish mee the earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof If shee will saw mee a sunder let her I have Esay for an example If she will throw me into the sea I remember Ionas If shee will cast mee into the fornace I have the three Children that suffered this If shee witl cast mee into wilde beasts I remember Daniel cast into the Lyons denne If shee will stone mee let her stone mee I haue Steven the protomartyr If shee will take my head let her take it I have Iohn the Baptist If shee will take my goods let her take them Time Deum qui super homines est homines non formidabis Aug in Ps Naked came I out of my mothers wombe and naked shall I returne Epistâ—ad Cyriacum Ep. Feare God who is above men saith Austin and thou shalt not feare men The duties respecting men in God whereby our feare of God must be discovered and descried are in putting on the bowells of mercies and kindnes toward them in distributing to their necessities Though Ioseph at first shewed a sterne countenance to his brethren spake roughly unto them and put them in ward yet in the end the feare of God even constrained him to deale favourably with them and to let them have foode for the famine of their houses Gen. 42.8 Obadiahs provision for the Prophets of the Lord in the dayes of persecuting Iesabel is a proofe of his fearing the Lord greatly 1 King 18.3 Thus have I out of a multitude of the markes of piety and the feare of God selected for you some of the choisest as speciall flowers out of a Garden of all sorts I have shewed you the duty here that we should all take Cornelius for an example of piety and the feare of God but if mine eies were a fountaine of teares I cannot sufficiently lament our defect in this kinde In our evill dayes whereinto wee are fallen there is more then just cause of renewing that old complaint of David helpe Lord for the Godly man ceaseth for the faithfull faile from among the children of men Psal 12.1 and of Micah Chap. 7. ver 2. the good man is perished out of the earth and there is none upright amongst men as then so now there is no feare of God before mens eyes Rom. 3. Iobs complaint of his friends is too true of our times men forsake the feare of the Almightie Iob 6.14 As Eliah a worshipper of God complained that hee was left alone 1 King 19. the multitude was gone after Baal so may those that worship God in spirit and truth and feare him in their hearts complaine that they are but as the shaking of an Olive-tree two or three berries in the top of the uppermost bough foure or five in the outmost fruitfull branches thereof Isay 17.6 in respect of the multitude that worship and serue they know not what that wonder after and worship the beast Rev. 13. or else that are without God in the world receiving and reverencing no God Psal 14.1 Wee so scrue our earthly Mammon that wee cannot serue our heavenly Master wee so obey the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof that we cannot doe the will of our Father we are so ruled by the Prince of the aire the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience Eph. 2 2. that Christ cannot rule over us Wee are so a fraid of men who shall die and the sonnes of men who shall be made as grasse wee so feare continually every day because of the fury of the oppressour as if he were readie to destroy Is 51 12 13. we so feare their feare and are afraid that we doe not sanctifie the Lord of hoasts himselfe and make him our feare and our dread Isa 8.12.13 as Tertullian complained of heathen Rome Majore formidine calliditate Caesarem obseruatis quam ipsum de Olympo Iov em adeò in isto irrelizion erga deos vestros deprehendimini quum plus timoris humano domino dicatis citiùs denique apud vos peromnesdeos quà m per vnum genium Caesaris pejeratur Apologet cap. 27. With greater feare and cunning ye obserue Caesar then Iupiter himselfe out of heaven-even in this ye are found irreligious towards your Gods when you give more feare to an earthly Lord and lastly with you they will
non personâ— Hieron in Eccl. 12. Duo nominasunt aliud quod homo aliud quod peccator Quod homo opusest dei quodpeccator opus est hominis da operidei noli operi hominis Hee that giveth an almes to the needy and despiseth him not for his default sheweth mercy truly For the nature is to bee respected not the person Saint Austin hath a pretty distinction in this kinde There are two names one that hee is a man another that bee is a sinner that hee is a man is the worke of God that hee is a sinner is the worke of man give to the worke of God give not to the worke of man And he interpreteth what it is to give to the worke of man to a sinner in regard of his sinne to an Hunter Stage player or Harlot in respect of their profession Aug. in Psal 102. But as for those sturdy vagrand and lazy droanes who being strong to labour will eate and not worke who have taken up Satans trade to compasse the earth who live without God without Magistrate without Minister without calling in the world wee must withdraw our selves from them if they will not worke they must not eate 2 Thes 3.6.10 if their extreame necessity be such that they must have an almes yet their impiety deserveth a rodde for their backes and it is the best almes that can be done to them to execute the lawes made against them both that they may be brought into order and also that the truly poore may receive that which these drones devoure These are the persons that wee must doe almes to and in such ranke and order as I have recited It is no being mercifull or doing of almes if wee feast our rich friends or neighbours if we give great gifts to our betters or equals either to curry favour shunne displeasure or because wee have or would recieve a like or greater benefit if wee keepe an open and dissolute house for drunkards and good fellowes the one may be civill courtesie the other uncivill prodigality Laudent tejelunantium viscera non erâ—ctantium plena convivia Hieron neither Christian charity Let the bowels of the hungry praise thee not the full bankets of the Gorbellies saith S. Ierom He that considereth the poore and needy is blessed The Lord give us understanding as in all things so in this that shewing mercy wee may finde it with the Lord in that day Now to God the Father c. THE FOVRTH SECTION Acts 10. vers 2. A devout man and one that feared God with all his house which gave much almes to the people and prayed to God alway I Come to you now this fourth time with that commendation which the spirit of truth whose testimonie wee know to be true giveth of this religious proselite Cornelius Now hee was not like the mongrell brood of those Iewes who had marryed wives of Ashdod that spake halfe in the language of the Iewes halfe in the language of Ashdod Neh. 13.23.24 Hee was not religious by halfes hee served not God in an unrighteous holinesse as many who professe to know God and to be zealous for him yet will do no good amongst their people or in an unholy righteousnesse as they who are ready to doe good and shew great kindnesse amongst their people with whom they dwell but care not for the matters of religion and Gods service what it become of them but with the love of his neighbour whom hee had seene hee joyned the love of God whom hee had not seene with charity towards men hee practised petty towards God and prayed God continually Wherein all things are 3 things as 3 things are all the action he prayed Omnia sunt tria Tria sunt omnia 2. the object God 3. the manner alwayes I begin with the action the originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which 〈◊〉 properly a supplicating and suing for the averting of evill either come or comming upon him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the Apostle in foure words seemeth to make foure kindes of prayers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 2.1 I exhort that supplications which are deprecations of all evills either imminent or incident 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 petitions for all necessary good things either temporall or spirituall intercessions for others that God would free them from evill 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fill them with good thankesgivings either for benefits conferred upon or evills removed from us or others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be made for all men for Kings and all that are in authoritie But heere the speciall is put for the generall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee supplicated to God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for hâ—e invocated and prayed with all prayer and supplication as the Apostle speaketh Eph. 6 18. Whereof if any amongst us be so ignorant as I feare too many amongst uâ— are but children in understanding as to aske mee what is this whereof thou speakest as the Philosophers at Athens did Paul of his doctrine Act. 17.19 I say it is a religious service wherein wee aske of God onely for Christs sake all Spirituall and Temporall gifts according to his Commandement and promise and also give thankes to him for gifts received Some of the Schoolemen goe too farre when they define prayer to be a petition which is directed to God Oratio est petitio quae ad deum dirigitur vel ad personas vel ad personam propter ipsum or to some persons or person for him Biell de canone Missae 61. That so the Saints may be brought in to have part in our suites but such honour have none of the Saints Oratio est mentis devetio id est coversio in deum per pium humâ—lem affectnum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saint Augustine speaketh the same language of Canaan Prayer is a devotion of the minde that is a turning it to God by a pious and humble affection and Damascene Prayer is an ascending up of the minde to God and an asking of covenient things of him Now do we looke on him do likewise Iudg. 7.17 be we followers of him that good which we see and heare in this good man let us do as he prayed with all prayer and supplication so let every one of us that will be of Gods houshold powre out our soules in prayers unto him nay what speake I of following Cornelius onely Let us take for an example of lifting up our hearts and our heads in prayer all the Elders and worthies of God that now inherite the promises who in their generations called on the name of the Lord and sought his face from time to time according to that Psal 22.5 they cryed unto him and were delivered they trusted in him and were not confounded Yea the cheife shepheard of our soules who in the dayes of his flesh offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares Heb.
and mercy commeth downe when our prayer shall be faithfull and humble and fervent saith Bernard out of doubt it will pierce the heavens from whence it is certaine that it cannot returne empty Hence are those Elogies of the fathers given to prayer that it is au aide to him that prayeth a sacrifice to God a scourge to the divells and that it is a safegard to an holy soule a comfort to the good Angell a torment to the Divell an acceptable service to God and Bernard saith excellently that the temptation of the adversary is grievous to us but our prayer is farre more grievous to him If then wee are the Church of God sanctified in Christ and called to be Saints let us call on the name of the Lord for these goe together 1 Cor. 1.2 and offer up these Sacrifices of the fruits of the lips prayer and prayse unto him Heb. 13.15 making our requests Phil. 4.6 manifest at his mercy seate They are no sons but bastards that aske not good gifts of their heavenly father And here I can never sufficiently enough bewaile the impiety of a generatioÌ„ of carnal Christians too generall amongst us that call not upon God Psal 14. that through the pride of their countenance will not seeke after God Psal 10.3 God is not in their thoughts nor in their mouthes at all to blesse his name but he is too frequently in their mouthes to blaspheme his holy and fearefull name most unholily and with ut feare It is with them as Gentilletus in examine Trid. conc said of the old Monkes that their fasts were very fat their prayers very leane Tantum orant utiis qui hoc de illis audiunt incredibile viceaâ—ur ita nimis hoc faciunt ut hinc judicenrur inter haereticoâ— numer-ndi Aug. c. 57 de haeres Maxime si ad praxiâ— accederet persuasio The old Heretickes the Euchites prayed so much that they were reckoned heretickes for it they pray so much that it may seeme incredible to these which heare this of them they do it so much that heereupon they are judged to be reckoned amongst heretickes saith Austin But the common sort of our Christians are in the other extreme they doe it so litle that they may be accounted heretickes if to their practise their perswasion should be added if they should both omit it and beleeve they sinne not in their omission For entring into their chamber and praying in private either alone or with their family they are like Festus they cannot get convenient time like as it was with them in the parable their buying of Farmes trying of Oxen manying of Wives matters of profit or pleasure rioting and drunkennesse chambering and wantonnesse hunting and hawking dicing and carding and a world of vanities swallow up all their time leave them none for prayer Houres daies moneths yeares ages are consumed either in doing nothing or in doing nought or that which is to no purpose Nihil agendo malè agendo aliud agendo Domine miserere mei Dominus nobiscum but minutes serve their turne for this purpose a Lord have mercy on us or the Lord be with us is enough for a day or a weeke with them their short devotion careth for no longer invocation Nay with Gallio they care for none of these spirituall matters at all as Chrysostome said of his Auditorie that they thought reading of the Scriptures did belong only to the Clergie Monkes so these abandon prayer and meditation to Ministers onely let Priests pray they must play out their time Forentring into Gods house they doe it more for fashion then affection Magis pro more quà m amore to see to be seene of men then to see God in the beauty of holinesse When they goe to the Temple to pray they do nothing lesse then pray yeelding their bodily presence but scarce a bodily gesture fit for prayer and suffering their hearts to runne after covetousnesse or any other wickednesse Ezek. 33. little considering as Chrysostome speaketh how great felicity is granted them Quanta concessi est fae licitas quanta collata gloria fabularicum Deo cum Christo miscere colloquia optare quod velis quod defideras postulare Chrys how great glory is bestowed on them to have conference with Christ to wish for what thou willest to aske for what thou defirest Sometimes teeth are set on edge with the sowre Grapes of the old Adamites and Peodicians who as Clemens Alex. stromat lib. 7. saith held prayet needlesse because God knoweth our wants is of himselfe a liberall giver and hath from the beginning determined what hee will give But wee pray not to acquaint God with our wants which hee knoweth not before but to obey his Commandement to give him the honour due to him in acknowledging him the searcher of our hearts to stirre up our faith and to seeke the blessing which he hath determined by such means as he hath appointed according to that Phil. 4.6 In every thing by prayer supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made knowne unto God and Iam. 4.2 Yee have not because yee aske not Luk. 11.13 Our heavenly father giveth the holy spirit to them of death and what not no doubt by it hee would make good the intreating of Christ by Thomas Beckets bloud Thou by the bloud of Thomas shed for thee make us a scend whither he is gone up in his new learning then though we begge grace and glory any thing every thing of the Saints in direct termes yet wee meane onely that they should begge it at Christs and Gods hands for us But what is this to make Christ onely a Mediator betweene God and the Saints and the Saints Mediators betweene him and us whereas 1 Tim. 2. There is but one Mediator betweene God and man the man Christ Iesus Augustine notably overthroweth this error li. 2. c. 8. cont Epist Parmeniani making the Bishop a Mediator betweene God and the people if any man say you have mee a mediatour with the Father and I make intercession for your sinnes what good and faithfull Christian would indure him who would not looke at him as the Disciple of Antichrist Hee is the onely and true Mediator that maketh intercession for all and none for him Paul maketh himselfe no Media our betweene God and the people For if he were a Mediatour then should all his fellow Apostles too and so there would be many mediators and that point of Paul not stand good that there is but one Mediatour 1 Tim. 2.5 and Cyrill tom in 1 Ioh. li. 11. saith upon those words aske in my name Ioh. 16. He addeth these words to shew himself the Mediatour Hae everba addit ut se mediatoâ— em ostendat that none commeth to the Father but by the Sonne by whom we have enterance through the pirit and that therefore he calleth himselfe the way the truth and the life In quantum filius