FOVRE SERMONS PREACHED AND PVBLIKELY TAVGHT BY RICHARD LEAKE Preacher of the word of God at Killington within the Baronrie of Kendall and Countie of Westmerland immediatly after the great visitation of the pestilence in the foresayd Countie Ezechiel 24. vers 13. Thou remainest in thy filthines and wickednesse because I would haue purged thee and thou wast not purged thou shalt not bee purged from thy filthines till I haue caused my wrath to fall vpon thee AT LONDON Imprinted by FELIX KINGSTON for Thomas Man 1599. TO THE WORSHIPFVLL M. THOMAS STIKELAND AND M. IAMES BELLINGHAM Esquires and two of her Maiesties Iustices of the peace within the Baronrie of Kendall and countie of Westmerland RICHARD LEAKE wisheth all graces needefull for this life and the continuall encrease of all graces pertaining to eternall life to the ende of their dayes IT is not vnknowne vnto your worships and to vs all round about what great and manifold dangers haue ouerspread all our countrie by the space of these two last yeares and more as well by dearth as also by strange fearefull diseases and sicknesses It is no lesse knowne vnto vs also how little good and small reliefe all outward meanes of remedie and comfort brought vnto the distressed ones in their extremities and who knoweth not how lamentable and wofull was the state of the afflicted one especially in such places as were infected with the pestilence and what feare came vpon vs all thorough that their affliction what mourning amongst them and daily deuises amongst our selues how to auoide escape dangers I wish from my heart that the originall breeding and first occasion of these lamentable times were as well knowne or herafter may be knowne of vs all viz. how that it was not infection of the ayre distemperature in their bodies much lesse the malitious and diuelish practises of witches or yet blinde fortune or any other such like imagined causes which were breeders of these euils But the masse and multitude of our sins in rebelling against the holie one of Jsrael these I say haue been the prouokers of the Almightie to make vs drinke of the cup of afflictions these haue pulled vpon vs al these plagues and brought vpon vs all these fearefull and afflicted times wherein we haue lately been which poynt that it might appeare plaine to the sight view of all my neighbours whose hearts haue awaked at the beholding of the said calamities I haue laboured in this little treatise following to make knowne what hath caused all these woes and who hath wrought and brought vnto vs better dayes as also what dutie we owe to the Lord for our gracious and long desired deliuerance Which I am bold to dedicate vnto your Worships and that for two respects first for that I perswade my selfe that you are both fauourable and also forward to entertaine and bid welcome all that bring the glad tidings of saluation whereby I am resolued that you will not only your selues accept and take in good part these my poore labours but also patronize countenāce and defend thē against al those who shall deride and scoffe at them as they doe at all good things in my self or others and secondly for that you be Magistrates and Iustices within those limits and precincts most parts whereof haue bin infected most pitifully and I am perswaded most iustly for those great and capitall sinnes which rule and raigne amongst vs as grosse Poperie and blinde superstition in very many places in so much that I am afraide that that abhominable Idoll of indignation the Masse is vsed in diuerse places about vs and that very boldly adde hereunto filthy drunkennesse abhominable whoredomes open profanation of the Sabbath vnlawfull pastimes with infinite many moe which the further they bee ripped into the more filthy stinch ariseth out of them These and such like sinnes I say being so pregnant and rise amongst vs I doubt not but as you espied them and heard them cryed against by worde and writing you with the rest of your associats ioyning with you will holde on in zeale of Gods glory the peace of Gods children and the discharge of your owne dueties that these sinnes may haue those lawes executed vpon them which most christianly is prouided in this land for restraining them which no doubt shall so greatly tend to the glorie of God the furthering of the couse of the Gospell and the flourishing estate of our christian common-wealth that in short space the excellent effects of this zealous gouernement shall proue the trueth and vprightnes thereof And thus briefely I cease committing this little worke and the issue thereof for acceptance at your Worships hands and all other that shall reade it to the wisedome of him who hath the disposing of the hearts euen of Kings and rulers euen one God and three persons the Father the Sonne and the holy Spirit to whome be glorie maiestie dominion and praise for euermore Your VVorships bounden Richard Leake To the Christian Reader THe occasion good reader of my offering this poore mite into the Lords treasurie and of sending abroade this fruit which the increase of my small talent bringeth forth vnto the Lords familie was this I pleased God by the space of two yeares together to giue our country in the North parts of this land a taste of his power in iudgement being prouoked thereunto by our manifold enormious sinnes he visited vs with many and grieuous sicknesses as first with the hot feuer after with the bloodie issue and lastly most fearefully with the extreame disease of the pestilence inflicted vpon many and shaken at all in our whole countrie And albeit neither I nor any of the people vnder my charge were infected therewith yet had we all of vs the cause thereof within our sinfull hearts as well as any others it had inuironed vs almost round about we had scarcely any way to turne vs but mourning might be heard so that we expected no better than neighbours fare Furthermore in this time and before as it is well knowne the Lord our God did chasten and punish this whole land with dearth and famine of bread and scarcitie of other victuals in diuers places since which time of tribulation it hath pleased him who is God blessed for euer amen to make knowne his power in mercie as he had before manifested the same in iudgement For be gaue plentie and cheapnes of bread and all kinde of victuals in stead of scarcitie and dearth hee extinguished the heate of sickenesses in those places where it was most feruent with-held it from those places vnto which it was most fearefully threatned so that then might be heard amongst vs mirth in stead of mourning songs in stead of doleful sighings gladsome salutations in meetings in stead of diligent shunning each of others presence for feare of infection The boistrous stormes of afflictions now driuen away and calme showers of comfort descending the cloudes of his heauie displeasure now
be for we see them that most offended florish faire and stand as wel as the best and besides his iudgements are but threatned with a peraduenture or perhaps take heed ye catiffes and thrise blinded men of the world For this word least signifieth thus much That hee aduiseth them to beware for if he doe not A bone for such to gnawe vpon assuredly a worse thing will come vpon him And that Gods iudgements threatned against the wicked are without any peraduenture as coÌ„ming froÌ„ a God not vncertain what to do marke what Moses speaketh in the person of the Lord If I whet my glittering sword and my hand take hold on iudgement Deut. 32.41.42 I will execute vengeance on mine enemies and will reward them that hate me I will make my arrowes drunke with blood and my sword shall eat flesh And Dauid saith God shall wound the hairie scalpe of such an one as goeth on still in his wickednesse And the authour to the Hebrewes hauing perswaded to holinesse of life addeth the daunger Heb. 12.29 and saith For our God is euen a consuming fire Again the same author sheweth the danger all such are in as by their continuance in sinne after they haue receiued the knowledge of the truth do crucifie againe the sonne of God addeth as a coÌ„clusion these words It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God Heb. 10.31 To conclude therfore this point Gods iudgements being threatned against the wicked for sinne they are ineuitable without alteration vnlesse they presently put in practise the holsome counsell of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthes What will alter Gods iudgments aduising them to enter into a serious and sound adiudging of themselues and so they should escape the great and fearefull iudgementes of the Lord 1. Cor. 11.31.32 which was partly begunne alreadie in execution amongest them and partly was readie to be inflicted vpon them It must be an eye to see Gods iudgement a heart to feele Gods iudgement a conscience to condemne and all concurring together to prostrate throwe downe and truly to humble the sinfull man vnder Gods mightie hand crying with the prodigal sonne O father I haue sinned against heauen and against thee and am not worthie to be called thy sonne I say it must be all these wrought most soundly by the worke of Gods spirit in the sinner that must be as a stoppe to Gods iudgements and a stay of his anger manifested Least a worse thing come vnto thee c. These words may be the speech of a master to his seruant thus I haue taken thee napping twise or thrise nay often and haue louingly admonished thee of it but if thou plaiest the like again thou shalt smart for all or of a schoolmaister to his scholler whose waggish trickes and great negligence he hath often pardoned but now threatneth the next time shall pay for all Euen so God from time to time seemed to winke at the sins of this man What the Lord long forbearing requireth yea euen at the sinnes of vs all and like a louing schoolemaster beares a while with our offences but either now cease from sinne learne to doe well and be a good scholler in Christes schoole or else looke thy lord and master the Lord Iehouah will take an account for all and in the ende pay thee home Least importeth necessitie Least this word least vsually in the scriptures importeth great necessitie of the matter in hand to be put in speedie execution as in Ieremie Ierm 4.4 Breake vp your fallow ground sow no more among the thornes be circumcised to the Lord and be no more stifnecked least my wrath breake forth and burne like a fire c. Psal 2.12 And the Psalmist Kisse the sonne least he be angrie and so ye perish sodainely if his wrath be kindled yea but a little c. And that necessarie admonition of our Sauiour Christ to his Disciples Watch and pray least ye enter into temptation Luke 22.40.46 Math 26.36 Mar. 14.32 And last of all that earnest caueat of the author to the Hebr. to all the godly Iewes for perseuerance in the profession of the Gospell and practise of holy daies meete for the measure of the grace of God they had receiued saith thus Take heed brethren least at any time there be in any of you an euill heart and vnfaithfull to depart away from the liuing God Heb. 3.12 vers 13. Out of all these aforenamed phrases may be gathered the vrgent necessitie that was imposed vpon this man healed presently to put in vre the continuall dutie of his deliuerance The vrgent necessitie of performing dutie to the Lord. and insinuateth also vnto euery one of vs or rather as a continuall cry soundeth in our eares O ye negligent coole carelesse disobedient and scornefull people in the North parts of England who deseruing Gods wrath for your manifold sins are yet now in the multitude of his mercies An Alarme to the North parts of England freed deliuered from the effect of his wrath sinne no more least if you againe tempt and prouoke the liuing Lord to anger he call you to recken and giue an account for your selues Heb. 3.9 so ye shall neuer be able to answere one of a thousand Further in that our Sauiour Christ heere admonisheth the man healed of his daily danger if euer after hee doe not crucifie the olde Adam with the lustes thereof God euer warneth before he plagueth we note the louing care mercy of God not to bring destruction vpon any before he hath both largly louingly forewarned them of the danger yea he desireth not the death of a sinner but rather that he conuert and liue according to the rule of the Apostle Ezech. 18.23 the Lord is not slack as some men count slacknes but is patieÌ„t towards vs would haue no maÌ„ to perish 2. Pet. 3.9 but would haue all men come to repentance and all are inuited to the mariage of the Kings sonne To conclude therefore this point Matth. 22. No cause to censure the Lord of hard dealing in iudgement we learne heere that all excuse or censuring the Lord of hard dealing in iudgmeÌ„t is remoued froÌ„ the wicked seing all of theÌ„ before they vndergo the intollerable burtheÌ„ of his wrath are offred most abundaÌ„tly to drinke of his loue A worse thing For the consideration of the measure and greatnes in some sort of this punishment which heere is threatned the man if he offend againe View in particuler I wish thee diligent wise reader to gâ—ue a glaunce backe to the viewe of his former sicknesse and certainly that will giue thee some probable demoÌ„stration of the measure of his punishment againe Cal. in Ioh. Cap. 5. vers 14. It is very likely that his correctioÌ„ was laid vpon him in his youth and the verie time which by
of dearth and pestilence and yet being now healed thereof presently forget our punishments and God that inflicted thē vpon vs Though we forget God in our dutie yet he will not forget our sins tremble and feare for certainly then God will not forget our sinnes but if they hale him on to come against vs yet againe take heede that with his third whip he scourge vs not till blood run down from top to toe when there shall be nothing heard but a fearfull noise and lamentation alas alas in which distresse which is most fearfull the wicked carelesse contemners of his mercies shall then seeke vnto him earely and late for helpe But I make a question whether they shall finde him or no the shall call vpon him but I am afraid hee will answere in thunder and the reason doth Wisedome tell Prou. 1.28.29 because they hated knowledge and did not chuse the feare of the Lord. The cause doth Ieremy tell like disobedient children Ierem. 2.30 they did not humble themselues vnder the Lord when they were corrected And surely if a worse thing What is the cause if our countrie be plagued againe a worse plague come vpon our North-parts of this land againe it is because as diuers to their griefe haue both seene and heard that many of you great townes great congregations priuate families and persons after your deliuerances healings and restoring to your former liberty haue not with Moses and with Deborah Exod. 15.2 Iudg. 5.2 assembled your selues together and lift vp your voyces in praise to the Lord and a faithfull promise to become euer after carefull in his seruice which thing you ought to haue done Much abuse in many places townes after their late fearfull visitation But rather your meetings haue bin and are to shake hands with your former sins and to bid them welcome againe amongst you hauing for a time been taken from you by reason of your affliction Your songs haue not been to praise God but rather as I haue heard in place therof prophane Enterludes Piping and dancing Lords of misrule and disorder with many moe vnlawfull sports Esay 49.13 and generally your protestations not one to crie to another and all ioyntly to sound together saying Reioyce O heauens be ioyfull O earth burst foorth into praise O mountaines for God hath comforted vs his sinfull people and hath had mercie on vs his late afflicted ones Neither I am afraid haue you been carefull to say with Moses The Lord is our strength and praise and he is become our saluation he is our God and wee will prepare him a tabernacle he is our fathers God and we will exalt him And to conclude whereas many of you my beloued countrimen haue been depriued of the enioying of one anothers fellowship Our meeting againe after a long separation I am afraid abused in the time of your affliction which now blessed be the name of God is restored to free libertie of fellowship and societie one with another I say I am afraid that your meetings together after a long and lamentable separation hath not bin to prouoke vnto loue and to good works and to exhort one another daily Heb. 10.23 3.13 while it is called to day but rather in stead of this the drunkard to associate himselfe with his drunken companions the whoremonger to seeke for his harlot the vainglorious man for his flatterers the carnall man for his confederates the vsurer for his creditors one wicked man with another and so to renew that wicked bond and league of their sinne at all which you ought to haue taken your last farewell neuer to haue communicated any more with such vnfruitfull works of darknes Ephes 5.11 Shall come vnto thee Out of this place we may gather this excellent point namely that as the godly bringing forth the pleasant fruits of righteousnes in their liues Note well the godly goe still forward till they come to heauen but the wicked stil backward till they go down to hell haue still more more the sweete mercies of God multiplied vpon them till they enioy them in their fulnes in the kingdom of glorie Euen so the wicked that after Gods graces powred downe vpon them doe still notwithstanding bring foorth nothing but the weedes and brambles of iniquitie haue Gods iudgements still more and more increased against them till at the length they presse them downe to hell Againe I gather hence this doctrine Thanke our vnthankfulnes if moe plagues come that if euill come vpō euill and punishment vpon punishment we may iustly impute it to our owne obstinacie and wilfull rebellion Last of all let this doctrine be the conclusion both of this point and this part of Scripture Si nil ferulis proficiat erga nos Deus quibus leniter nos tanquam teneros ac delicatos filios humanissimus pater castigat nouā quasi alienam personam induere cogitur If God by his whipping of vs profit vs nothing wherewithall like a most kinde father he correcteth our contumacie and disobedience hee is enforced to take vpon him another habit and to manifest himselfe in another manner If mercie will not moue iudgement will throw downe changeing mercie into iudgement And therefore let vs euer learne the end of Gods fatherly correction to bee our daily reformation and more increasing in the gifts and graces of the holie spirit euermore remembring the danger that will ensue if daily we doe it not and the sharp censure we shall vndergoe if we forget it euen this that the Almightie Iehouah will quasi atrocioribus malleis with the heauy and insupportable beetles of his iudgements presse downe vtterly bring to desolation all those quibus mediocris poena nil profuit that is whose hearts were not mollified and their liues reformed with the Lordes former sweete and comfortable affliction The conclusion Which my beloued that the former may euer take place in vs and so escape that the latter be neuer laid vpon vs the Lord for his infinit mercies sake grant vs euen for his sonne Christs sake who by his blood shedding hath so dearely ransomed his Church and vnto whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all glorie maiestie praise and dominion for euermore Amen FINIS
corporall health or bodily deliuerances First it is not vnknowne what deuises Satan by his ministers An answer vnto it hath vsed both forren and domesticall for the subuersion of our gratious prince the stay of our safetie and the staffe of our strength next vnder God the inuasion and possession of our Realme by forrenners and frō all these behold we are made whole and both the deuiser and the deuises brought to nought For other deliuerances corporall as from famine the pestilence the running issues and the burning feuer whereof most parts of our land haue tasted I spare to speake because wee are so lately made whole or deliuered from them and doe conclude my answere of the obiection with Paul the Apostle to the Romanes If God spared not his owne sonne but gaue him for vs all to death how shall he not with him giue vs all other things also needfull for vs Nay blessed be God he hath giuen vs them alreadie so that now hence followeth the dutie he requireth of you Magistrates that professe to defend the Gospell by the sword of your authoritie of you pastors that preach the Gospell and of all others that openly professe the Gospell in more zeale and forwardnes for outward shew then many others to you all I say take heede looke to your selues that ye receiue not the grace of God in vaine that ye do not crie Lord Lord in voice and deny him in your liues that yee bee not professors and no practisers hearers but no doers Sinne no more in your loose liues as you haue done by dispensing with iustice daubing vp the Lords wall with vntempered morter rising vp earely or sitting vp late to drinke strong drinke defiling your bodies by the vncleannes of whoredome blaspheming God by swearing or prophaning the Sabboth of the Lord by following your worldly businesses for with these sinnes I am afraid many that professe the Gospell are defiled whereby iustice is peruerted the Lords building hindered the godly offended and occasion of stumbling to the weake ones thereby administred and generally by meanes hereof the wicked vncircumcised Gentiles haue taken an occasion of blaspheming the glorious Gospell of Christ Iesus as the wicked by Dauids offence in his daies Doe not account the shew of this worlde such a siluer shrine as you doe doe not with one hand receiue Christ with the other embrace this euill world with Demas Kisse not Christ once and after with Iudas betray him be not so newfangled this day as with the Pharisees to cry Hosanna welcome Christ and to be altered soone after with the Camelion crying kill and crucifie him Let not such vnsauorie and vnsanctified cōmunication come out of your mouths as sometime one shall heare euen from those that brag much of the Gospell either concerning worldly matters or their vaine sportes and pastimes of this life Doe not for a time affect loue your pastor for his message sake and after a while to bring itching eares that vnles he will speake ad placidum you will persecute him and vnlesse he wil be a wether-cocke to transforme himselfe fit for your humors you will account him an vnprofitable watchman runne not too fast for feare you faint neither runne aside for feare you fall in the ditch but runne so as you may finish your course with ioy lay your building vpon that corner stone as you resolue to perseuer beginne not in the spirit and ende in the flesh remember from whence ye are fallen euen from your first loue and your former care repent and doe your first workes yee that know the way of truth walke in it worke by it let word and deed profession and practise be simul eodem circa eadem concurre together for the aduancement of the glorious crowne and kingdome of Christ Iesus And to conclude in the bowels of Iesus Christ I beseech all you my brethren by profession giue no more such a scandale by your lewd liues as you haue done neither to Iewe nor Gentile to those that are without or within the Church take the Apostle Paul herein for an example walke more warily that the Gospell on your behalfe be not euill spoken of finally dearly beloued let your light so shine before men let your conuersation be so honest among the Gentils that they seeing your good works may glorifie God our heauenly father in the day of their visitation And thus much of the force of these words Sinne no more to all that doe professe the Gospell of Christ not so syncerely as they ought It followeth now to set downe the measure of this dutie Sinne no more viz. How and of what manner of strength sinning no more ought to be with the godly and here we may not thinke that the drift of our Sauiour Christ in laying downe his dutie is to persuade the man healed or in him anie one of the godly that he expecteth in them an immunitie and freedome altogether from sinne and the remnants thereof and that after our deliuerance from dangers either spirituall or corporall we should become so perfect in our profession of Christianitie Esay 64.6.7 Prou. 20.9 Eccles 7.21 1. King 8.46 as that we should be altogether pure from the blots and blemishes of any sin whatsoeuer For the example of the godly of all ages recorded in the booke of God testifie the contrarie who still feeling in them a rebellious nature prone and prompt to sinne doe pray continually for strength against the same And in all humiliation doe prostrate themselues Psal 143.2 130.3 Dan. 9.5.6.7.8.9.10.11 before Gods tribunall seat humbly crauing the Lord neuer to enter into iudgement with them for their sins daily committed vsing these or the like speeches Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant O Lord for if thou doest no flesh shal be iustified before thee Again If thou ô Lord marke what is done amisse oh who may abide it The rule of praier giuen by our Sauiour Christ enforceth this point teaching the godly while they liue euer to pray forgiue vs our debts Mat. 6.12 the authoritie of the scriptures confirmeth the same in many and sundrie other places Gal. 5.17 teaching vs to acknowledge and confesse when we haue done all that euer we can we are vnprofitable seruants And that if we would Luke 19. we haue no sin we deceiue our selues and the truth is not in vs so that hence 1. Iohn 1.8 if any spirit there arise so foolish as dare affirme that the Church and the particular members thereof ought to be a pure and sanctified Church of it selfe and in it selfe from all staine and corruption either in doctrine or manners The only perfection in this life is to know our selues imperfect Ierom. in epist Nunquam ad perfectionē pertingemus nisi confecto nostro stadio Cal. in Ephes we are taught what to answere that we can neuer be partakers of that totall freedome and finall victorie ouer