the son of Abraham and therefore no cause why Christ should not resort to Zaccheus house As Christ said to the penitent theefe This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise So he saith heere to the penitent Publican This day saluation is Luke 13. come vnto thy house and this day thou art become the child of Abraham Christ loueth not to be lōg in any mans debt for as he saith to Zaccheus To day I must abide at thy house so he saith to the same Zaccheus To day and hence-forth for euer thou and thy house must abide with me in heauen Here is a happy change in stead of a little worldly treasure subiect to losse by theeues and to spoile by rust and moths to haue all store of heauenly treasure which neither theeues can steale nor canker can corrupt in stead of an earthly house subiect to fire and falling Mat. 6. to haue a house giuen of GOD not made with hands but eternall in heauen 2. Cor. 5. 1. Who would not rather choose with Zaccheus to giue halfe his goods to the poore that he may be an heire of saluation and the Son of Abraham to rest in his Fathers bosome than with Diues to keep all from the poor be tormented in those eternall flames That rich glutton that denied the crums from his table chalenged Abraham for his father but he was refused because he had not the faith nor works of Abraham but Zaccheus though by nature he Luke 16. were not the child of Abrahā yet by grace he is become the child of Abraham because he walked in the steps of that faithfull Father Abraham beleeued before he was Iohn 8. 39. circumcised so Zaccheus beleeued before he was circūcised As Abraham left his countrey and all that he had Rom. 4. 12. when God called him so Zaccheus left his office and the most part of his riches when he was called by the Son of God as Abrahā desired to see the day of Christ saw it reioyced so Zaccheus desired to see Christ he saw Gen. 32. 1. Acts 7. 3. him reioyced Now is Zaccheus a gentile become the child of Abraham not only he but his whole house also is become the house of Abraham for when Zaccheus Iohn 8. 56. is conuerted his whole house is conuerted As the Master is such are the seruants if he be godly and religious they proue godly and religious if he bee an Atheist they prooue Atheists likewise Therefore keep no companie with the wicked for it is most pernicious but associate thy selfe with those that feare the Lord that thou also maiest learne to feare the Lord who for his mercy grant that we may with Zaccheus be desirous to see Christ ioyfull to receiue Christ liberall to releeue the members of Christ and ready to make amends when we haue Psal 18. wronged any of our brethren that so with Zaccheus wee may be heires of saluation and the true sons of Abraham to raigne with Christ in heauen for euer by the meanes and merites of him that died and rose againe for vs. To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be all glorie Amen FINIS O Lord prepare our hearts to pray O Lord God our heauenly Father we thy poore and wretched creatures giue thee most humble and hearty thanks for our quiet and safe sleepe and for raising vs vp from the same We beseech thee for Iesus Christs sake to prosper vs this day in our labour and trauell that it may be to the discharging of our duty in our vocations principally to thy glory next to the profit of this Church and Common-weale and last of all to the benefit and content of our Masters Grant deere Father that we may cheerfully and conscionably do our busines labours not as men pleasers but as seruing thee our God knowing thee to be the chiefe M. of vs and that thou seest and beholdest vs with thy fatherly eies who hast promised reward to them that faithfully and truely walke in their vocation and threatned euerlasting death and damnation to them that deceitfully and wickedly do their works and labours We beseech thee O heauenly Father to giue vs the strength of thy spirit that godly and gladly we may ouercome our labours and that the tediousnes of that itksome labour which thou for our sins hast powred vpon al mankind may seem to vs more delectable sweet Fulfill now O Lord these our requests for thy Sonne our Sauiours sake in whose name we pray as he himselfe hath taught vs. Our Father which c. FOVRE SERMONS PREACHED BY MASTER Henry Smith And published by a more perfect Copy then heere tofore I 〈◊〉 to dy I dy to liue AT LONDON Printed for William Leake dwelling in Pauls Churchyard at the signe of the Holy Ghost 1610. ¶ To the right noble Lord the Lord Edward Earle of Bedford grace and peace from the Lord. AS the little Bee gathereth not hony for her selfe alone but for others so right Honourable I am bold to present your good Lordship with my Choice my Care and the Issue The first your honorable selfe and in this as you are the The Choice hope of the reuiuing of your vndoubted noble Grand father and Father so my hearty well wishing together with the prayers of all the godly is that what the Almighty graced thē with in you may be redoubled The second is the Fountaine whence the first had his streame and The Care being in me as a member of the Church what I wish to the same assured assembly of Gods people I leaue to the alone determiner of all Controuersies whatsoeuer The last I commēd to the onely direction of the Lord. Now as the faithfull disposer The Issue of Gods truth was a man linked vnto mee in assured friendship whilst he liued so I hauing with care long fithence collected these his Sermons together doe now with singlenesse of heart present the same to your Lordship and heerewith am prest to performe all such duties to your honour as God shall enable me vnto both in prayer for your health and increase of zeal to the maintenance of his poore flocke which I hope is the onely aime and end of all your honourable purposes Thus with all other graces I most heartily desire that Father of light to enrich you in this life and after this to blesse you with immortality in that place of rest for euer Amen Your Lordships to commaund W. S. The Contents Two Sermons of the Song of Simeon The third of the calling of Ionah The fourth of the rebellion of Ionah THE SWEET SONG OF OLD FATHER SIMEON in two Sermons Luke 2. verse 29. 30 31 32. 29 Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace according to thy word 30 For mine eies haue seene thy saluation 31 Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people 32 A light to be reuealed to the Gentiles
and the glory of thy people Israel THis is the sweet song of olde Father Simeon wherein is set forth the ioyful and peaceable death of the righteous after that they haue embraced Christ Iesus with heart and mind vnfainedly as hee did seeing their death is to bee the beginning of a better and more ioyfull and pleasant life then the former But before we proceed further in it let vs heare a little of that which went before The Euangelist saith verse 25. And behold there was a man in Ierusalem whose name was Simeon this man was iust and feared God and waited for the consolation of Israel and the holy Ghost was vpon him And a reuelation c. Simeon feared God Religion may wel be called feare for there is no Religion where feare is wanting for the feare of the Lord is the beginning of wisedome and this Prou â— 7. priuiledge hath God giuen to those that feare him that they neede to feare nothing else And waited for the consolation of Israel Simeon also waited for the consolation of Israel vntill hee had embraced in his armes him whom hee so long longed to see and feele How many waiters bee there in the world yet few wait as Simeon did but some wait for honours some for riches some for pleasures some for ease some for rewards some for money some for a deere yeere and some for a golden day as they call it but Simeon waited and expected with many a long looke vntill he had seene and embraced Christ Iesus the light of the Gentiles the glory of Israel the saluation of all that with a faithfull and zealous affection and loue doe waite for his comming to the comsort of the afflicted and to the terrifying of the wicked and vngodly which haue not already waited neither embraced him as Simeon did And waited for the consolation of Israel Faith in all afflictions doth lift vp her head waiting in assured hope beyond all hope and seeing the clouds scattered ouer her head yet she is euer comfortable to her selfe saying anon it will bee calme and although all the friends in the world doe faile yet it neuer faileth nor fainteth but euer keepeth promise in that which by the verity of the spirit of God it assureth vntill her ioy bee fulfilled All are not Israelites that are born of Israel Simeon Rom. 9. 6. was an Israelite indeed for hee waited for the Messias from God with patience and expectation so the spirit of God dwelleth alwaies with them which alwaies say Thy will be done 26 And a reuelation was giuen him If we wait as he did the spirit will assure vs as it did him that we shal see God before we die and they that long in faith to see the ioyes of heauen the spirit assureth and promiseth faithfully vnto them that they shall see it 27 And he came by the motioÌ„ of the Spirit in to the Temple Simeon came into the Temple at this time by the prouidence of God The worldlings will call it chance but Pro. 16. 13. Mat. 10. 39. the Euangelist would not chop that in because it is manifest that al things come to passe by the prouidence of God without which there is nothing done By this prouidence Rebecca came forth to wait on her fathers cattell Gen. 24. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. when Abrahams seruant praied and looked for her coÌ„ming that he might take her for Isaac to marry withal By this prouidence Saul was annointed king by Samuel 1. Sam 9. 20. 10. 1. when he had no such thought in his heart but went about seeking for his fathers asses that were lost And he came by the motion of the spirit The diuell led Christ vnto the top of an high mountaine that hee might shew him the glory of the worlde which deceiueth vnstable minds so would he doe you if you would be led by such a guide but I would not haue you to marke the vaine motions of such a spirite which leades to nothing but to vanity and pride for after he hath led you to the top and allured you by carnall pleasures as much as hee can if you then fall downe to worship Mammon embrace the world the same spirit will afterward lead you nay rather cast you downe from the top of all vnto hell Therefore I beseech you and heartily entreat you that you would bee the seruants of God and seruants of the spirit of God to be led by it to obey it and to do nothing contrary to his will that you can refraine but all those good things which you would were done by you and go thither whither you would come for all would come to heauen but all will not goe to heauen If you will all heare I will teach you all yea J wil vndertake this heare and mark my words and you shall be led by the power of the spirit to our Lord Iesus Christ And I pray to the Lord that I may neuer preach to the condemnation of any among you all yea I wish that euery one of you were more zealous and more godly then my selfe But to whom shall I compare you euen to the vagabond Iewes of wâ—â—â—â— Luke mâ—ntioneth in the Actes that they tooke vpon them to abiure euill spirites by the name of Iesus whom Paul preached to whom the Acts. 19. 1. 14. 15. 16 euill spirits answered saying Iesus we know and Paul we know but who are yee and those which had the euill spirits ranne vpon them and ouercame them so that they sted out of that house naked and wounded and thus the diuell preuailed against them at that time because they sought to worke with an others instrument and preuaile with an others weapon If they would haue said In the name of Iesus whom we preach they might haue preuailed but they thought it sufficient that Paul preached him though they neuer professed him And so we leane vpon an others staffe and thinke to be saued because God saueth others We shall be dealt withal as were those vagabond Iewes for he will answere such I know and such I know but who are yee Therefore it behooueth vs all to pray vnto the Lord that hee would furnish vs with weapons to encounter against all the euill motions of the spirit of Sathan that we may ouercome and not be ouercome and put to flight like those vagabond Iewes but that we may haue oyle alwaies in our lamps burning and alwaies armed with watchfulnesse against our enemies lest Sathan steale vpon vs vnawares in the darke and lead vs to fulfill his lusts and spoile vs and strip vs and leaue vs starke naked 27 And he came by the motion of the spirit into the Temple c. If we would thinke that his spirit doth leade vs into the Temple we would marke very diligently the motions thereof when we are there whether it speaketh to vs in our owne soules by the mouth of the Minister of God who is
three Angels Lot Gen. 18. Gen. 19. Iudg. 13. saw but two Manoahs wife saw but one and yet one was enough It is saide that Abraham saw Christ his daies but we see him cleerer then Abraham and cleerer then Iohn if we beleeue in him as we should Some see Iohn 8. Christ and not his saluation and some see his saluation and doe not embrace it We see Christ when wee heare his word and we embrace his saluation when we beleeue it they see him that heare him they embrace him that follow him Heere if they had heard me I would haue searched Ierusalem with lampes to see who sitteth in darkenes But how can they beleeue the word of God which heare it not how can they embrace Christ which know him not and all through ignorance hauing not the meanes to see him because their leaders are either blind guides sleepy watchmen or hireling sheepheards And surelie it is a wofull case when shepheards goe to taske and let their owne sheepe alone summer winter They sheare them but neither summer nor winter doe they feede them How should those people vnder their charge see Christ and his saluation when they are so debarred of the wholesome food and euen starued to death many thousands of their soules because they haue not the foode that nourisheth the soule vnto saluation and how many bee there that are as old as Simeon and yet haue not embraced Christ Iesus yea they know him not though they see him neither do they wait for his comming because they haue no desire to embrace him and therefore they defer that put it off from their youth to their middle age from their middle age to their old age from their old age to death and so they can haue no leasure in all their life to embrace him But to such as doe seek him wait for him with vnfained diligence we say as the Angel said vnto the woman at the sepulchre feare Iohn 20. not you seeke the Lord Iesus How is this world set to deceiue vs We can find leasure to doe euill at any time but we can find no leasure in all our life long to doe good that we may at length enioy the true saluation I haue somwhat to say to you of this parish A dainty was prepared for you and you let the strangers take it from you you were required to a fast and you did feast your selues you were required to come pray vnto the Lord and to humble your selues in his sight that he may turne away his wrath from you and you let the Temple stand open and empty for your parts and your shoppes were as open you were about your merchandize forsaking God and seeking to winne the vniust Mammon and the vanities of the world Thy saluation He came not by Angels or by men or by any other meanes but onely from the alone and eternall God He Matth. 1. calleth him thy saluation for his name was not giuen him by Ioseph nor by Marie but by the Angell of God Luke 1. Luke 3. Luke 14. Mat. â—7 Math. 2. signifying that he was come from heauen The Father saw him when he was borne the spirit came vppon him when he was baptized the Angels ministred vnto him in the wildernes his enemies subscribed vnto him vpon the Crosse the Virgin trauailed the starre walked the Wisemen came out of farre Countries to worship him Then is not this Iehouah the mighty God whose birth is glorious whose life is famous which death is meritorious None can take vpon him the authoritie of God but he on whose shoulders the Lord layeth it beeing sent of God and from God Then we see that our Sauiour is the true Sauiour sent from God for all creatures beare witnesse vnto him yea the very diuels with all the euils spirits doe obey his voyce at whose name all knees Mark 1. Phil. 2. shall bow He came not to bring health wealth pleasures or profits for the which if he had then multitudes of worldlings would haue followed him but hee came to bring saluation righteousnes peace truth and life Matt. 7. therefore few care for him Hee came to saue sinners not all sinners not euery one that sayeth Lord Lord Luke 5. but he came to saue penitent sinners which turne vnto God by their repentance Therefore he praieth in Iohn Iohn 17. for those onely that were giuen vnto him So soone as the seede is sowne the stones refuse it or the Sunne parcheth it or the thornes choake it and what comfort hath the Lillie among thornes Therfore wisedom taketh her vnto her wings and whispereth saying you shall seek Pro. 1. me before I come you shall seeke me but shall not find me because ye haue refused me when I offred my selfe to you Christ is their saluation that beleeue in him and make much of him and thankfully receiue him The godly he deliuereth from sinne but the wicked he leaueth bound in the chaines of their iniquity to be tormented of him which had tempted them thereunto whose will they alwaies endeuoured to fulfill and not the Lords and hee sheweth them a hand vpon the wall writing writing their condemnation and another catching them by the hairy scalp Dan. 5. which maketh all their ioynts to tremble and their harts to despair and he saith vnto them What dost thou heere without thy wedding garment How darest thou come to steale the childrens bread The Spirit of Saul worketh Mat. 20. 1. Sam. 16. in him in his bed and euery where and he calleth for the Harpe of Dauid to comfort his heart which cannot be comforted And this spirit saith to Iudas Thou hast betraied the Lord and crucified him therefore goe Math. 27. and hang thy selfe for euen at the preaching of saluation the horrour of damnation the marke of Caine sticketh within thee whosoeuer beleeuest not in Gods saluation But the godly heart goeth home hauing embraced this Gen. 4. saluation chewing the cud and reioycing like the Apostles which reioyced in that they were counted worthy to suffer for his names sake and they say O what a good Acts 5. 4. 1. banquet we haue had this day what delicious dainties hath God feasted vs with and so the Bee goeth loaden to the hiue and goeth longer in the strength thereof then 1. Reg. 17. Elias did Thy saluation The onely Sauiour is heere called saluation it selfe for if he were called a bare Sauiour only then you might likely vnderstand by some other Sauiour but heere is he is called saluation it selfe to shew that there is no other For there be more Sauiours but no more saluations as there be many waies to death and yet but one death The brasen Serpent was a figure of Christ that they which are stung by sin by fire and by the Serpent which Numb 22. Iohn 3. beguiled Euah may make speed because there is no remedy but to