there is neuer a particle that I haue insisted vpon that is not fit to augment the grieuousnesse of the iudgement the iudgement which casteth a sinner out of the presence of God I should here take leaue of this point but that I cannot leaue out a good note of Cassiodores Cuius faciem timet eius faciem inuocat a strange thing two verses before he prayed Hide thy face c. and here he prayeth Cast me not out from thy presence hath the King forgot doth he contradict himselfe by no meanes marke his words and see a difference in the things wherof he speaketh Russinus the same difference which before I obserued out of Ruffinus when hee prayeth Hide thy face he limited his petition to his sinnes but here hee commeth to speake of his person and conceiueth a contrarie prayer Hide not thy face from me we must euer pray that our selues may be still in Gods gracious eye and we must pray also that his reuengefull eye be neuer on our sinnes I haue done describing the first punishment which is the Reiection I come now to the second which is the Depriuation And here wee must obserue first whereof we are depriued of the holy spirit and what is that that which maketh all Saints All Saints day this very day is a sacred memoriall of the gift If I said no more you might reasonably conceiue it but it is sit I speake more happily you will vnderstand the day better The Holy spirit as I told you is Gods Liuerie his Cognizance Iohn 14.16 none haue it but they that are his Christ tels vs so I will pray the Father and hee shall giue you another Comforter euen the spirit of Truth whom the World cannot receiue because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but yee know him for he dwelleth in you and shall be in you But to what end there are two principall vses of the Holy spirits inhabitation he is vnto vs the Oracle of God leading vnto all truth without whom we cannot perceiue the things of God yea they will be foolishnesse vnto vs but if we haue him 1 Ioh. cap. â— 1. Cor. 2. wee haue an vnction that will teach vs all things yea we can search the deepe things of God King Dauid had him in a double sort an Ordinarie vnuailing his eyes that hee might see the wonderfull things of Gods Law an Extraordinarie illightning him to fore-tell secrets of the Kingdome of Christ which were then yet to come The Chaldee Paraphrase and many of the Fathers vnderstand the holy spirit in this later sense for the Spirit of prophesie That is true which they say but it is not enough King Dauid had also the spirit of adoption and he doth not forget that in his prayer against depriuation Yea he must be thought principally to ayme at that for by the other gift wee may serue God on earth but without this we shall neuer goe to Heauen for so saith Christ Mat. 7.24 Many shall say in the last day haue we not prophecied in thy Name but they shall be answered depart from me you workers of iniquitie I know you not Therefore no doubt but King Dauid had an eye to that oracle which wrought in him a sauing faith and did as wee must feare to be depriued of that As the Holy spirit is an heauenly oracle in our Heads so in our Hearts it is an heauenly fire God who instituted sacrifices to be offered by the Church would haue them offered with no other fire but that which should be sent by him from Heauen yea the vsing of strange fire was capitall as appeares by the storie of Nadab and Abthu That type doth informe vs of a greater truth it teacheth vs wherewith spirituall sacrifices must be offered vnto God The first sacrifice spirituall must be a patterne to all the rest Christ by his eternall Spirit offered himselfe vnto God wherewith his propitiatorie therewith must our Eucharisticals be offered Saint Iude speaketh it plainely we must pray in the Holy Ghost The gift you see what it is but you doe not yet fully see what is the worth of it that I gathered out of tuus it is not onely a holy spirit but also the spirit of Gods holinesse or Gods holy spirit Our soule in vs is a spirit and we loue it so well that Sathan said not vntruely skinne for skin and all that euer a man hath will he giue for his life the Angels are yet better spirits 2 Pet cap. 2. higher in dignitie then Men their titles as Saint Peter affirmes confirme it Psal 103. and the Psalmist saith that they exceede in Power and we haue reason to respect them because they pitch their Tents about vs Psal 91. yea God hath giuen a charge vnto them ouer vs to carrie vs in their hands that we dash not our feete against a stone But there is a spirit beyond both these euen the spirit of spirits without whom the former cannot bee and from whom they receiue whatsoeuer good they haue hee is the fountaine of being and wel-being to them both If wee loue our owne soules and the safegard of Angels be deare vnto vs how should we loue Gods holy spirit that is so farre beyond them in infinitenesse of power and excellencie of being yea without whom they cannot be nor stirre without his command The phrase doth not onely import that the Spirit is Gods but also that it is the spirit of that which is most desireable in God that is his Holinesse which doth much improue the gift when the liuerie that it giueth vs and whereby he would haue vs knowne to be his doth make vs partakers of this Diuine attribute wherein to resemble him should bee the highest ambition of a reasonable soule But I will not wade farther in vnfolding the gift what hath beene said is able to make vs sensible of their losse that are depriued thereof especially when I shall haue added thereunto the Manner of losing which I called a depriuation The word is rendered vulgarly take not away But this taking away hath two remarkable things in it it is a taking backe of that which was giuen and a leauing vs not so much as any relique of the gift In regard of the first some render it Ne recipiaâ— take not home againe in regard of the other Ne spolies strip mee not altogether so the Arabicke I will touch a little at both of them First at the Taking backe Hee that loseth what good he had is much more sensible of the losse then if hee neuer had it hee that was borne sickly and hath a long time languished in a disease is not so much pained as hee that being healthy and strong is shaken with a feauer or tortured with some ache Pouerty and disgrace are more bitter heart-breakes to them that haue liued in plenty and honour then they can bee to him who was neuer of better condition then a begger or
so doth it heare and speake it performeth all its naturall actions And so doth it its Morall also more heauily in some then in other some by reason of the temper doth the body in morall actions follow the Soule but yet it followeth And this may be a good reason why God rememiâ—reth here the powers of our Soule and not the parts of our Body But there is a better and that is deliuered by S. Paul The Law is spirituall Christ layeth the ground of that God is a Spirit Ioh. 4. and hee that worshippeth him must worship him in spirit and in truth Now we are sure that there is no hypocrisie in our Charitie if the seate of it bee the powers of our Soule there may be if it bee the parts of our body witnesse the Pharisee to whom Christ not onely directs but fitteth his speech also who made some shew of Charitie to the world but his inwards were full of Hatred in the sight of God for hee was a Tempter And this doth Christ perstringe or strike at in pressing these words of the Law and shewes that God doth not esteeme the outward deede without the inward affection And the Lesson whch wee must all draw from the seate of Charity is this that our outwarid charitable conuersation must bee rooted in our like inward disposition I should now if time would giue leaue carry euery mans eye into his owne bosome there to take a view whether this vertue bee Catholique and Transcendent or no and if hee find any part vnpossest or not improued as farre as it should bee I should perswade him to see it presently amended Nay I should tell you from that which all the world seeth outwardly that few haue Charitie inwardly for if they had how could their eyes bee so full of Adulterie their eares so set open to entertaine slanders and vntruths their mouthes so ouer-flowe with blasphemie and ribaldrie their hands be so exercised with extortion and cruelty Certainely these things could not bee without if Charitie were within And if Charitie bee not a Catholique and Transcendent vertue in vs no hope that it is either Ordinate or Imperatiue these are perfections whereupon the other are raysed as on a foundation But I cannot stand to take this view and quicken your eare onely remember this that if Loue doe not Hatred will take vp this full Soule GOd that hath commanded this extent of Charitie giue vs eyes to see our want and grace whereby to supply the same that so this vertue may be excluded out of no power that hath right vnto them all and the parts of our Body may bee conformable to the powers of our Soule That so no power nor part may appeare deuoyd of Charitie whether in the eyes of God or man AMEN The fourth Sermon MATT. 22. VERSE 37. The Lord thy God THe Scripture that doth commaund Charitie doth withall teach Where it must be seated and vpon whom it must bee bestowed Where it must be seated you haue already heard you are next to heare vpon whom it must bee bestowed And here we find two kinds of persons both capable of our Charitie because they can returne Loue for Loue and it is the propertie of Loue to be mutuall Of these two persons the names are exprest the first is the Lord thy God the second is thy Neighbour But we must farther obserue What is included in these Names the Cause why they must be beloued and Who are excluded by them They are not capable of the Loue due to the Lord our God that come not vnder his name neither are they capable of the Loue due to our Neighbour that are not contained vnder his name Secondly though the Persons onely are named yet are there things also comprehended vnder the names euen such things as haue reference to the Persons and whatsoeuer things are opposite are excluded thereby Touching the first person onely shall I handle these points at this time First then of his name He is called the Lord our God euerie word hath some remarkable thing in it That which is here rendred Lord is in Moses Iehoua but the Septuagint partly because the Greeke tongue hath no Characters wherewith to expresse that word and partly because the signification of it cannot be fully exprest in any Language by any one word vse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the fittest which they could light vpon the Euangelist doth follow them and so doe the vulgar translations But when you heare this word you must not vnderstand it in a popular but in a mysticall sense I will open the mystery vnto you It noteth then two things the one is absolute in God the other is relatiue to his creatures In God it noteth the prerogatiue of his nature which standeth in two things the singularitie and the eternitie thereof Touching the singularity When Moses asked God What is thy name Exod. 3 14. God answered him I am that I am The Scripture calleth him by diuers names sometimes True sometimes Iust sometimes Holy sometimes Mighty c. Wee must no otherwise conceiue of these Names then as being his very Nature Wee call him True and what is his Nature but Truth and Holinesse is his Nature whom wee call Holy the like must bee obserued in his other Attributes they are all his Nature and and therefore inseparable from him hee must cease to be before hee can cease to bee that which hee is properly called And herein hee differeth from his Creatures whose Vertues are a distinct thing from their Nature and therefore they may bee stript of them and yet continue themselues still a man may cease to be holy iust true and yet bee neuerthelesse a man The reason is plaine hee cannot say as God doth I am that I am his Attributes and his Nature are not all one But this singularitie of Gods Nature doth appeare specially in two compositions with the Attributes whereof none are capable but be The first of which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. looke whatsoeuer perfection hee hath hee hath it of himselfe and is not beholding to any other for it hee is his owne Originall and therefore his is the perfection it selfe he that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Good of himselfe is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Goodnesse it selfe the like may you say of the rest of the Attributes The second Composition is with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all the treasures of wisedome are hid in him hee is Almighty Coloss 2 3. the fulnesse of all perfection is in him In regard of these Compositions it is Iude 15. that the Scripture vseth these Phrases God onely is wise Math. 19 17. 1 Timoth. 6 1â— there is none good but God God dwelleth in light which no man can attaine vnto And indeed no Creaâ—â—â—e hath any perfection which is not giuen it from aboue which commeth not downe from the Father of Lights and that perfection which
33 34. Well Master thou hast said the truth c. p. 358. 10. Sermons on the 19. Chapter of Exodus p. 367. c. 5. Sermons preached at Saint Maries in Oxford Luke 3. v. 7 8 9. Then said he to the people that came to bee baptized of him O Generation of vipers c. p. 473. A Sermon preached at Pauls Crosse Luke 18. v. 7 8. And shall not God auenge his owne elect c. p. 531. Jn the third Alphabet 8. SErmons preached at the Feast of the Natiuitie of our Sauiour Esay 9. v. 6 7. For vnto vs a child is borne c. p. 1. 6. Sermons preached at the Feast of the Natiuitie of our Sauiour Haggai 2. v. 6 7 8 9. For thus saith the Lord of Hosts yet once it is a little while and I will shake the Heauens and the Earth c. p. 57. A Sermon preached at New Colledge in Oxford vpon the Annuntiation Day Luke 2.28 Haile thou that art highly fauoured c. p. 113. A Sermon on Palme Sunday Matthew 26.40 41. What could yee not watch with me one houre p. 127. A Sermon on Good Friday Marke 14. v. 35 36. And he went forward a little and fell on the ground and prayed c. p. 136. A Sermon preached at Saint Peters in Oxford on Easter day 1. Corinth 15.20 Christ is risen from the dead c. p. 151. A Sermon preached in Wells on Easter Day Matthew 26. v. 26 27 28. And as they were eating Iesus tooke bread and blessed it c. p. 161. 3. Sermons preached in Wells at the Feast of Whitsontide Ephes 4. v. 7 8. c. ad 17. But vnto euery one of vs is giuen grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ c. p. 177. A Sermon preached in Westminster before his Maiestie and the vpper House of Parliament at the opening of the Fast Iuly 2 1625. 1. Kings 8. v. 37 38 39. 40. If there be in the land famine if there bee pestilence c. p. 200. 2. Sermons preached at Wells at an Ordination of Ministers Matthew 28. v. 18 19 20. All power is giuen to me in Heauen and Earth c. p 221. A Sermon preached at a Visitation in Bathe Zacharie 11 v. 7. And I tooke vnto me two staues the one I called Beautie c. p. 249. Another Sermon preached at a Visitation in Bathe 1. Cor. 15.10 By the grace of God I am that I am c. p. 261. A Sermon preached at an Assize in Winchester Esra 7. v. 26. And whosoeuer will not doe the law of thy God and the law of the King c. p. 273. A Sermon preached at an Assize in Oxford Psal 75. v. 2 3. When I shall receiue the Congregation I will iudge vprightly c. p. 282. A Sermon preached in Wells at the Inauguration of King Iames Psal 118. v. 24 25. This is the day which the Lord hath made c. p. 299. A Sermon preached at Saint Maries in Oxford Nouemb. 5. Luke 9. v. 53 54 55 56 But they would not receiue him because his face was as though he would goe to Ierusalem c p. 307. Jn the fourth Alphabet A Sermon preached in Welles a man doing Penance for Incest Psal 50. v. 21. These things hast thou done c. p. 1. A Sermon preached in Wells a woman doing Penance for Incest Gal. 6. v. 1. Brethren if a man be ouertaken in a fault c. p. 10. A Sermon preached in Wells a man doing Penance for Incest with his wiues daughter 1. Cor. 5. v. 1 2 3 4 5. It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you c. p. 18. A Sermon preached in Welles two doing Penance for Incest a man and his wifes daughter Leuit. 20. v. 14. Likewise if a man taketh a wife and her mother this is wickednesse c. p. 32. A Sermon preached in Welles foure doing Penance for Incest committed by one with his wifes daughter by the other with his wises sister Deut. 27. v. 22 23. Cursed is he that lieth with his Sister the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother c. p 42. A Sermon preached in Welles one doing Penance for hauing two wiues Mal. 2. v. 15. And did he not make one yet had he abundance of spirit c. p. 53. A Sermon preached in Welles certaine persons doing Penance for being at Conuenticles where a woman Preached 1. Tim. 2. v. 11 12 13 14. Let the woman learne in silence with all subiection But I suffer not a woman to teach c. p. 67. A Sermon preached at Welles one doing Penance for Blasphemie Leuit. 24. v. 15 16. And thou shalt speake vnto the children of Israel saying Whosoeuer curseth his God shall beare his sinne c. p. 79. A Sermon preached in Wells a Schismatick doing Penance 1. Cor. 3.18 Let no man deceiue himselfe If any among you seeme to be wise c. p 94. A Sermon preached at Farnham on Saint Iames his Day being the day of King Iames his Coronation Iames 1.12 Blessed is the man that indureth tentation c. p. 107. A Sermon preached at White-Hall Iohn 2.16 Make not my Fathers House an House of Merchandize p. 122. A Sermon preached at Greenwich Psal 32. v. 5. I said I will confesse my sinnes c. p. 132. A Sermon preached at White-Hall Luke 22. v. 60 61 62. And immediately while he yet spake the Cocke crew c. p. 143. A Sermon preached at Greenwich Matth. 3.16 17. And Iesus when hee was baptized went vp straight way c. p. 159. A Sermon preached at White-Hall 1. Iohn 3. v. 20 21. For if our heart condemne vs God is greater then our heart c. p. 176. Meditations vpon diuers Texts of Scripture AN EXPOSITION OF THE FIRST PSALME VERS 1. 1. Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsell of the vngodly nor standeth in the way of Sinners nor sitteth in the seate of the scornfull THis Psalme stands first in order and for the matter it well deserues to stand first Venerable Bede giues the reason Hic Psalmus fine titulo quia ipse est titulus this Psalme hath no inscription because it selfe is an inscription it containes the argument of all the other Psalmes and if of all the Psalmes then of all the Bible know them and know all yea know all in the best manner Non Theoreticè sed Practicè we may behold therein Man as a liuing Bible the Man Christ exactly of whom not a few of the Psalmes entreate and other men proportionably whose affections are here limmed and described be they good or bad The diuision then of this Psalme is the same with that of the whole Bible in both wee must obserue a Couenant and Parties thereunto the Parties are God and Man Man is remembred in the entrance Blessed is the man God in the close of the Psalme The Lord knoweth the way of the righteous c. The
Saint Paul Rom. 6. speaking of Baptisme expresseth by Planting and he calls a Man newly baptised 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 newly planted which word is frequent in the Councels Our note is We must acknowledge the prerogatiue of a Christian aboue other men which must carrie with it an acknowledgement of Gods speciall care vouchsafed the faithfull whereof Infidels haue no proofe they continue Wild whereas wee are Planted trees they lie in the dregs of Nature whereas we are brought to the state of Grace The second Good that is done to the Tree appeares in the Choice that is made of the Soyle It is no small benefit for a Tree to be planted but that is not enough it must also be fitted with conuenient ground otherwise much care might be ill spent here we haue choice ground it is locus irriguus well watered ground and such is commended for the growth of Trees especially if the waters bee artificially diuided and carried round about the Trees that they may yeeld nourishment to the root which way soeuer they spread and such is the site of our Tree it is not onely planted by the waters but also by the diuisions of waters it hath iuyce enough and that well disposed This is the outside of the resemblance but the inside teacheth vs that as we Christians are beholding to God the Father by whose care we are planted so are we to God the Sonne by whose Spirit wee are watered For indeed by Baptisme we are incorporated into Christ He is the soyle that beares the spirituall Trees Cap. 13. Hee is the Fountaine opened to the house of Israel for cleansing mentioned in Zacharie Cap. 4. He is a Well of liuing waters springing vnto eternall life whereof we read in Saint Iohn Hee is the waters that streaming from the Sanctuarie ran into the Dead Sea Ezek. 47. and were both Sanantes and Viuificantes healed the Trees that grew on the bankes thereof and made them beare fruit abundantly both which properties are necessarily required for a transplanted Tree that it may cease to bee what it was and become what it should be And wee doe finde a mortifying and a quickening grace in Christ abolishing our Old Man and reuiuing the New Finally there are in Christ Riui aquarum Ioh. 7. He that beleeueth in me saith Christ out of his belly shall flow riuers of waters of life yea as wee haue manifold diseases and wants so may wee finde manifold remedies and supplies in Christ His grace doth compasse vs on euerie side and is at hand euerie where to steed vs. So good choyce hath God made of the Soyle wherein to plant the Trees and so well are Christians prouided for that are made members of Christ And so haue I opened vnto you the good that is done for this Tree let vs now goe on and see what good comes of it And wee shall finde that as it receiued so it yeelds a double good for it proues welll and is well approued it proues well whether you looke to the Principall or to the Accessorie Good which is expected of a Tree The Principall Good is to beare good Fruit and so doth this it bringeth forth fruit Fructus comes from fruor it must bee such a thing as is vsefull not briers or thornes that scratch and spoile of which kinde there is more then enough appearing as well in mens liues as growing vpon Trees Whereupon it comes to passe that the Prouerbe is changed and in stead of Homo homini Deus wee may now say Homo homini Daemon Men liue not for their mutuall good but ruine As that which a Tree beares must be Fruit so must hee bring it forth Those that are planted in the Church must not conceale the grace they haue receiued no more then a Tree doth his sap Wee glorie in the discouerie of rich metals and precious stones that nature hath buried in the earth and the sea wee suffer nothing of this great world to lye hid we loue to bring it forth to behold to shew it so should we deale with the gifts and graces which God hath treasured vp in this our little world No Tree should striue more to send forth fruits then wee to bring forth workes But we must looke that the Works be good as the Fruit of this Tree is It hath the two markes of good Fruit set vpon it it is kindly it is timely Lignum rationale saith Hilarie dat fructum non confusè non importunè As the naturall so the spirituall Tree bringeth forth fruit neither confusedly nor vnseasonably Let vs behold these two properties first in the Naturall then in the Spirituall Tree First let vs see how kinde it is Profert fructum suum Suum is a Relatiue and lookes backe vnto the good that is done for the Tree the first appeares in the care of him that of a wilde Tree madâ— it a planted Tree and it must not degenerate againe and beare Fruit answerable to his former stocke being a generous Vine it must not beare wilde Grapes nor sower Oliues being made partaker of the Sweetnesse of the true Oliue Tree The Children of God must not liue like the Sonnes of men neither must the members of the second Adam liue as if they were members of the first We are offended when we see such degenerating in the Trees of our Orchard it were to be wished we dâ—d not approue it in our selues that are of the garden of God The ouerflowing of Atheismes Heresies and impurities doe testifie to the world that we beare vnkindly fruit But Suum His fruit refers not onely to the Husbandmans care but also to the fruitfulnesse of the soyle and so requires not onely a good nature but a good measure also For a Tree to beare scant fruit where there is good store of iuyce must needs be vnkindly and it is not kindly for men to be sparing in doing well who are rooted so neere vnto the Fountaine of grace For him that hath fiue talents to yeeld but two or him that hath ten to yeeld but fiue will make but a bad accompt seeing God expects that men shall render according to that which they doe receiue Moreouer Suum doth import a respect to the doer and also vnto others as it is ioyned with Profert Looke vpon it and you shall finde that grace gâ—ueâ— abilitie to doe well but the Faculties of our soule seasoned with grace are they that are exercised in well doing therefore is the worke reputed ours as the Fruit is reputed to be borne by the branch of the wilde Oliue though it be beholding to the new stocke of whose fatnesse and sweetnesse it doth partake for that it is able to beare such Fruit It is no small honour that God doth vs in that he makes his gifts so become ours But as Suum giues vs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Possession and Proprietie of the worke so Prefert cals for a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or
the partie offended must not bee omitted certainely King Dauid in his Exemplarie Confession doth not omit him hee doth not forget to expresse whom hee had wronged Against thee onely haue I sinned and which is more whom he had contemned I haue done this euill in thy sight But more distinctly In the Confession that concerneth the partie wronged you shall find something that is common to all sinners Tibi peccaui I haue sinned against thee must euery one say for whosoeuer sinneth sinneth Against God but here is some thing also proper Tibi solj peccauj Against thee onely haue I sinned can none say but a King because there is none aboue him but onely God and therefore none but God can challenge him As this must bee obserued in the Confession of the partie wronged So in the Confession of the same partie contemned we must obserue first what contempt is in generall it is Malum facere coram oculis not onely to wrong a partie but to wrong him to his face Secondly how this contempt in speciall is aggrauated two wayes 1. by the eye of the partie offended Oculis tuis for Gods is no ordinarie eye 2. by the sinne wherewith that eye was prouoked Malum hoc the sinne committed was no ordinarie sinne These are the particulars which I meane to handle on this Text wherfore I resume them that I may runne them ouer briefly and in their order First then the whole Text is an amplification of sinne in regard of the partie offended and the partie offended maketh it plaine that there is Impietie in the sinne Persons with whom we conuerse are some our equalls some our superiours if equalls and we offend them the offence is properly called Iniquitie as taxing the vnequall dealing of equall persons But if the persons be superiours and be offended then the offence is properly called Impietie because all superiours are instar parentum either they are or they are vnto vs instead of our Parents Now the vertue which must moderate our carriage towards our Parents is called Pietie and therefore is our misbehauiour towards them no lesse then Impiety And if they deserue this Censure that offend the Fathers of their flesh how much more is it due to them that offend the Father of their Spirits Hâ—b 1â— Seeing the fathers of our flesh challenge our Pietie in regard that they represent vnto vs the Father of our Spirits therefore it belongeth much more vnto him whom they represent whereupon it followeth that to offend him can be no lesse then Impietie and Impietie will proue a naturall propertie of sinne But let vs come to the Branches of the Confession The first is that which toucheth the Person as he is wronged and here I told you wee finde some thing that is common to all sinners Tibi peccaui all sinners must say that when they sinne against whomsoeuer they doe sinne they sinne against God I will make it plaine by foure euident Reasons The first is taken from that which we abuse in sinne All Creatures as they are made by God so doe they still belong vnto him so that wee cannot abuse them but in them we abuse him Euery man may perceiue this in his one familie he that wrongeth a wife in the wife wrongeth the husband the abuse offered to a child redoundeth to his Father yea a Master an owner is feeling of whatsoeuer hurt is done either to the Seruant or else to his goods And shall we thinke then that any creature can be violated the Creator not touched therewith all Adulterers Murderers whatsoeuer Malefactors must remember they abuse the Creator while they vse his Creature amisse A second Reason is this that wee cannot abuse nor wong others but withall we abuse our selues much more that which we do to them is but Iniurie but that which we doe to our selues is Deprauation wee corrupt our selues with sinne when wee doe vnto them onely a wrong Now the reference which our selues haue vnto God maketh the deprauing of our selues an offence against him we are not our owne 1. Cor. 6. Psal 100. 1. Cor. 6. 1. Pet. 1. 1. Cor. 6. Psal 132.14 God hath made vs and not we our selues yea we are bought with a price euen the precious bloud of our Sauiour Christ yea the Holy Ghost by Christ hath made vs a Temple vnto himselfe and we are vouchsafed to bee his resting place for euer Looke how many references we haue vnto God so many waies doe wee offend him when wee imploy our selues in sinne By Creation we should beare the image of God and what an abuse is it of his Image by sinne to transforme it into the Image of the Diuel By Redemption we become the members of Christ and how doe we vilifie him when we make them members of an Harlot we are vouchsafed to be temples of the Holy Ghost was Christ so offended with the abuse of the materiall Temple when the House of Prayer was made a Denn of Theenes Mat. 21.13 and thinke you that the abuse of the Spirituall doth nothing concerne him Certainely his Spirit must needs be grieued therewith A third Reason is this The naturall duties that we owe man to man and Creature vnto Creature are imposed vpon vs by a Law and that Law is Gods we swarue not from our duties but we breake his law And if we breake his Law how can we but offend him especially seeing his Law is the Image of himselfe of his Being and of his Doing in it wee haue a tast of his Holy Nature and of that which is remarkable in his owne workes Now what Lawmaker will endure that his Law shall be broken especially whereas he imposeth no other Law on his Subiects then on himselfe and that Law requireth nothing but an outward Resplendencie of an inward Glory that we should let our light shine before men Mot. 5 that they may see our good workes and glorifie our Father which is in Heauen the breaking of such a Law must needs offend the Sacred Lawmaker A fourth Reason is the Blasphemie of the wicked occasioned by sin They that know not the true God measure him by that which they see in his Seruants thinke that as they are so is he impotent in Affections impure in Conuersation hereupon do they open their mouthes against Heauen Nathan toucheth this in his reproofe of Dauid the Iewes are often by the Prophets taxed for giuing this occasion of Blasphemie and the Christians had wofull proofe of it in the Primitiue Church witnes the strange imputatioÌ„s that the Heathen did cast vpon the Christian Religion whereof a man may finde more then enough in the Heathenish writings of those times Neither do we want proofe in these daies the barbarous crueltie of the first Inuaders of the Indies how did it cause those Infidels to blaspheme the name of Christ what infamie is dayly cast vpon the Reformed Religion by the aduerse party whose chiefe
and therfore may seeme to import but one thing but Nazianzene doth distinguish them and so doe others both Greeke and Latine Fathers I will not trouble you with repeating of their words thus I conceiue the Heart noteth the soueraigne the Spirit the actiue power of the reasonable soule The Heart then is the soueraigne power for as in a Kingdome there are sundry ministers of State but the Maiesty is in the King so in our litle common weale our senses inward and outward attend and informe but with submission alwayes to the pleasure of the Will so that the Will is as it were a King in the person of man therefore it is that the Scripture maketh so frequent mention of the Heart in points of Morality But the Soueraignty thereof appeareth in two speciall poynts in commanding of the whole man and in seasoning all his workes that it commands appeareth by that receiued Maxime Inclinatio voluntatis est inclinatio totius suppositi let the Will once incline and all the whole person bends with it whether it be to loue or to hate what the will hates the Eye will not indure to behold the Eare to heare of the Tongue to speake of the Feet to goe to the Head to thinke of Finally no power of our Soule or part of our Body will haue to doe therewith except it bee to detest or to destroy it but on the other side what the Heart doth loue the Eye is not satisfied with seeing of it nor the Eare with hearing the Tongue cannot talke enough neither the Hands doe enough for it it will euer be busying our wits and wee can neuer thinke enough thereon such power hath the Will in commanding the seruice of the whole man and so readily doth euery part and power obey wee need not seeke proofe of this truth euery man may be an instance or an example of it vnto himselfe As the Heart hath this commanding power so hath it a seasoning power also it giueth a Moral seasoning vnto all our workes the rule is Actio tantum habet virtut is aut vitij quantum voluntatis looke how farre our Will doth intermedle with our works so farre are they either vertuous or vitious a good Will maketh the worke good and the worke cannot bee good if the Will bee euill wherevpon Nazianzene obserues well that God hath equalized all men in that ability which doth most commend or discommend and that is the ability of the Will hee giueth an instance in Liberality the Widowes mites by the forwardnesse of her Will were made a greaten offering then that which out of their superfluity the rich did offer in greater measure measure of coine but not of Will wee may apply it vnto any other workes of wisedome of strength of learning and whatsoeuer els hee that is lesse able and more willing may bee preferred before him that is better able and lesse willing in doing well and in doing ill men are doomed accordingly this is the soueraignty of the Heart so to command and so to season But as this power is soueraigne so there is another power that is actiue a power that putteth in execution the resolutions of the former power it is here called Spirit our common phrase sheweth that this word noteth an actiue power for wee say that a man is of an excellent spirit a great spirit a high spirit when wee meane that hee is fit for and forward in action and when we meane the contrary wee say that hee is of a quiet a meeke an humble spirit Psal 131. that is as the Psalmist speaketh hee doth not exercise himselfe in great matters which are too high for him that which the Philosophers obserue concerning the concupiscible and the irascible faculties of our soule tends this way for they make the soule actiue in pursuing of her obiects the concupiscible hasting vs to them and the irascible encountring all difficulties that may hinder vs from them so that the soueraigne power resolues not in vaine because of this actiue power that executes so well but certainely were it not for the actiue power the souer aigne power were in vaine God hauing so lincked them we must not seuer them and seing either of them is so necessarie to the other we must desire to haue our Regeneration in them both Out of this which you haue heard you may gather that though our Inward man is named yet the Outward is not excluded because though a part is named yet the whole is meant seeing the whole followeth the condition of these principall parts wee cannot be regenerated in these principall parts but the regeneration will redound vnto the whole man But what is Regeneration of what gifts consists it I told you of holinesse and staydnesse which are meant by cleannesse of the heart and rightnesse of the Spirit where first marke that Regeneration doth not concerne the substance Iohn 3.4 but the qualities of our nature Nicodemus conceiued grossely that thought a man must enter into his mothers wombe and so be borne againe that he may bee new borne and they conceiue as grossely that thinke that Originall sinne is any part of the substance of man wee lost not our being but our well being as the moone in the Eclipse ceaseth not to be a starre but to be a bright shining starre the ayre in the night ceaseth not to be ayre but to be lightsome ayre the earth in the winter is earth still though it be not a flourishing earth finally when we haue lost our health we lose not our bodies though they become but sicke bodies Yet may we not conceiue superficially of Originall sinne it is not as a painting but as a dying of our nature you know that painting is a colour layed on but the Dye is a colour that sincketh in we may wash off or scrape out a painting the body continuing the same but a Dye cannot be so taken out but it sincketh cleane through the wooll or the cloath and the inwards of the stuffe are coloured as well as the outwards The same may bee illustrated by the former similitudes but I will not be so troublesome onely this I obserue that as Illyricus and others haue racked Originall sinne too farre so the Pelagians old and new haue shrunk it too much we shall doe well to keepe the meane and hold the truth It is a corruption that though it be not our substance for that can not stand with the articles of our Creed as the learned haue proued abundantly against Illyricus yet is it throughly incorporated into our substance neither is there any the least particle of our soule and body that is not infected therewith whereupon God passeth his censure The frame of the imaginations of the heart of man is euill Gene. 5.6 that continually from his youth Rom. 7.18 and S. Paul maketh his confession I know that in me that is in my flesh there dwels no good thing therfore when we come
calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is that which executeth what the commanding part resolueth The word in the Originall signifieth either Directum or Erectum that which keepeth right forward or standeth vpright The actiue power of our soule is subiect to two defects it may straggle out of the way through rashnes or stagger in the way through faintnes while we are in the way allurements of diuers kinds draw vs into by-pathes we are set vpon by the crafty serpent and if that succeed not then with terrors wee are startled and made either to come to a stand or else to march cowardly The cure of all this is a right Spirit when God is pleased by grace to set strait steps vnto our feete and strengthen our feeble knees so that wee step not aside out of the way nor halt in the way our Spirit is directus it keepes good correspondency with our iudgement and executeth no more then it hath in charge and it is also erectus it bends no more then our affections doeâ— whether it pursue or encounter any thing resolued vpon by the soueraigne part it sheweth continually a religious stayednesse Finally whereas grace maketh a double cure one on our Heart and another on our Spirit and the regeneration of our Spirit is but an attendant vpon the regeneration of our Heart wee may not diminish the number of the parts nor inuert the order but when wee will trie our selues whether and how farre wee are regenerated wee must looke into our inwards see how we finde our selues there but specially to these fountaines of life the Heart and the Spirit see whether grace command in the Heart before the Heart command and that it may season our workes well whether it selfe bee seasoned first with grace and hauing taken this suruey of the Heart wee must come on to the Spirit and see whether our execution be as holy as our resolution if grace preserue vs from mis-guiding allurements and support vs against disheartning affrightments then is our Spirit as right as our Heart is cleane both are regenerated by the Spirit of grace The Fathers vnderstand here a double grace not onely the grace of Regeneration whereof you haue heard but the grace of Prophesie also wherewith King Dauid was endued as appeare in his Psalmes wherein are many excellent Prophesies It was no small griefe vnto him to haue that diuine influence suspended and to haue withdrawne from him those heauenly Reuelations therfore they conceiue the words thus Dauid desired a cleane Heart that so hee might haue a right Spirit for Blessed are the pure in heart they shall see God saith Christ Mat. 5.8 Wis 1.1.5 and the holy spirit of discipline will not abide in a soule when vnrighteousnesse commeth in The holy spirit of Prophesie is long since ceased and wee cannot be depriued of that which we neuer had but of this we may be sure that sin in our heart doth not a little bleare our eyes when we come to consider of Gods truth in his word and endeauour though not our selues to be yet to vnderstand those that were vndoubted Prophets But enough of Regeneration so farre as this Text doth teach vs what it is I come on to shew you briefly the last point of the Text which is Whence it proceeds It proceeds from God of him King Dauid beggeth it Create in me a cleane heart O God and well may he aske it of him for God doth promise the gift of this grace A new heart will I giue you and a new spirit will I put into you saith God Eze. cap. 36. and S. Paul in his Epistles doth often direct his prayers for these vnto God â—t how then doth Eze. c. 18. bid vs make vnto our selues new hearts and new spirits and Moses in the Law Deut. 10. bids vs circumcise the fore-skin of our hearts Surely not to note our power but our want that out of the conscience thereof we should seeke vnto the father of Lights from whom commeth euery good and perfect gift Iam. 1.17 Or if it be to note any power of ours it is but power to vse the outward meanes but the effect wished hath a higher cause which is the Spirit of God And indeed the true cause why the Holy Ghost speaketh so differenly sometimes calling vpon vs and sometimes willing vs to call vpon God is because Gods inward worke is seldome without our outward though the honour which God doth to the vse of the meanes must not derogate ought from Gods totall producing of the effects The more to be blamed is the Church of Rome who by aduancing the meanes impaire that honour which is due vnto God Let it stand then for a grounded Truth that Regeneration is the gift of God As it is Gods gift so it is no ordinary gift of his it is a worke of his great might and of his great mercy of his great might for it is a Creation Creation is either to make something of nothing or at least if that whereof it is made be something yet that thing hath no disposition to become that which it is made if you looke to the gift that is giuen by Regeneration surely that is made simply of nothing it is an effect that proceeds immediately from the Spirit who hath nothing out of which to worke that effect but his owne almighty power for non educiturè potentia naturae nature sendeth forth no such fruit If you looke vpon the Person that receiueth the grace then also Regeneration will proue to be a Creation for so farre is he from being disposed fitly to receiue grace Rom 8.7 Is 11.6 that hee is naturally opposite vnto it the wisedome of the flesh is enmity against God so saith the Apostle and the Prophet will tell vs that regenerating is like the changing of the nature of Tygers Lyons and Wolues c. a hard worke Saint Austin goeth so farre that hee thinketh it a harder matter to bring a sinner accustomed to an euill course into a right way then to create a world especially to bring him to entertaine the Christian faith which is foolishnes to the Gentile and a stumbling blocke to the Iew. The more absurd is the patronage of free will in the case of new birth the very word Creation doth refute it 1. Cor. 1.23 2. Cor. 5. Eph. 4. which Saint Paul vseth more then once and thereby both Testaments put vs in mind that wee can doe as little towards our spirituall creation as we could towards our naturall in regard of both we may vse that of the Psalm It is God that hath made vs and not we our selues both waies made vs by the power of a God Neither is it onely a worke of great power but of great mercy also that is intimated by the word Renew pulchre dixit innoua saith S. Chrysostome it is well said renew the house was built before which sinne ruined and grace doth re-edifie and indeed that this
Souldiers brought them direct word of it but see what a peruerse choice they made Matth. 28. rather then they would giue glorie vnto God by acknowledging the truth they bribe the Souldiers to out-face it with a grosse lie This seruilitie of there will is more plainly set downe in the Acts 4. Chap. where after Peter had healed a Creeple in the Name of Iesus they therefore apprehended him and Iohn and fall to this consultation What shall we doe to these men For that indeed a notable miracle hath beene done by them is manifest to all them that dwell at Ierusalem and wee cannot denie it a man would expect that their will should yeeld vnto such cleere euidence yet doth it not for marke how they resolue That it spread no further amongst the people let vs straightly threaten them that they speake henceforth to no man in this name O seruile will Neither are these principall faculties only but their attendants also seruile First the concupiscible or that faculty whereby we ensue what wee suppose good the seruilitie thereof is most palpable God made all these visible creatures to serue vs and vs to serue only himselfe but what creature is there which man doth not aduance aboue himselfe Yea deifie that he may be a drudge vnto it Our meates and drinkes so rauish vs that Esau sold his birth-right for a messe of pottage our money and wealth how base doth it make vs Chap. 1â— There is nothing worse then a couetous man saith the Sonne of Syrach for such a man will sell his Soule for a morsell of bread The Apostle calleth the couetous man a plaine Idolater which is nothing else but a slaue to an Idoll And to whom is not an ambitious man a slaue Whose eyes are obseruant of euery mans lookes whose eares attend euery mans tongue whose tongue pleaseth euery mans humour whose feet goe whether whose hands doe what euery man will that can inch him forward to the place whereunto hee aspires Finally looke whatsoeuer humour possesseth vs there is no slauerie which for the satisfying thereof wee doe not willingly affect yea marke that the baser things are the stronger are mens affections that bow to them as we see in Epicures Wantons Couetous and other wicked ones it is hard to see a man so humbly so earnestly to serue God as they doe serue their earthly lusts Neither is the irascible or the facultie wherewith we encounter difficulties while we pursue good lesse seruile then the concupiscible is in pursuing of vanitie and toyes it maketh Pigmies seeme Gyants vnto vs euery danger is as vgly as death euery frowne will ouer awe vs and the least terrour cast vs into a Feuer If we be put to it whether we will lose Heauen or Earth God or the World we will quickly betray with what resolution we are carried vnto the best things and how hardly we brook walking in the narrow way though it lead vnto the Kingdome of Heauen how hardly we endure momentany afflictions though they worke vnto vs an exceeding and eternall weight of glory 2. Cor 5. Read the Storie of the Israelites passage from Egypt to Canaan in them you may read what man-hood we haue Seruilitie hath so cowardized all our Fortitude that we set lightly euen by God himselfe if we may not possesse him easily and speedily I need say no more by this time you see what a base and seruile spirit we haue certainly by nature it is most base and seruile I haue amplified this that you might see there is great reason why King Dauid should make this Prayer and perceiue better what that is which hee desireth and what he meaneth by a free spirit Hee meaneth not a Libertines freedome hee would not bee a sonne of Belial haue a cloake for licentiousnesse but hee would bee enthrawled to none but God And indeed his seruice is perfect freedome he would haue his iudgement free he would walke by no light but by the light of Heauen his vnderstanding he would haue captiuated only to the wisdome of God and then he is sure he shall neuer mistake his true obiect truth because Gods Word is truth and he can neuer erre whom God doth guide and verily hee is the wisest man that maketh Gods Commandement the rule of his iudgement his iudgement is free indeed And what is a free-will Sure that which chuseth the only good that whose souereigne good is only God he chuseth all that chuseth him so that hauing him the will misseth nothing of her proper obiect let it pitch vpon other goods and it will bee if not deluded yet certainly skanted because nothing can satisfie which is lesse then that for which the will was made As grace doth thus free the reasonable facultie so doth it the sensitiue also it freeth our desires though there be no Law to compell yet doth a man readily run the way of Gods Commandements he thinketh hee cannot speed fast enough nor haue enough of that good which a holy will guided by a wise iudgement recommends vnto him vnto him Modus diligendi Deum est diligere sine modo hee drinkes himselfe drunke at the riuer of diuine pleasures and is so vnsatiable in that that he passeth in the World for a foole and a mad-man This is the freedome of desire it made King Dauid daunce in an Ephod before the Arke it made Abraham follow God whithersoeuer hee did call him and many holy men to affect solitarinesse that they might haue the more of the societie of God and his Angels Such a desire is no hireling it loueth good for good and will serue God onely out of the content it taketh in his seruice and such seruice God requireth and such a desire is a free desire The last facultie that is free is the irascible the courage of a man must be made free Saint Paul hath exprest that excellently Rom. 8. Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ Shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perill or sword No I am perswaded that neither death nor life neither Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor heigth nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus Behold a free courage such a Martyrs courage as will readily obey and runne to Christ though he must be loaden with the Crosse that will be contented to hate Father and Mother Wife Children if they hinder him from being Christs Disciple Put these together and you may reasonably conceiue what King Dauid meaneth by a free spirit And such freedome is to be desired by vs all we must all desire to be so free in our iudgement will desires courage and so we shal become generous persons such as stoupe to no base things and shall sticke at the bestowing of nothing we haue though it bee our owne selues whereby we may compasse the
truth of my Text His sinnes were in the number of those which are called crying sinnes for they were Murder Adultery Treachery and Blasphemie for such sinnes there was no Sacrifice Iustin Martyr obserues it in the place before cited If the Gospel saith he had not opened vnto him the gate of repentance in Lege seruatricem non inuenisset humanitatem he could haue found no reliefe in any ceremoniall expiation the Kings condition herein was no better then the subiects as hee confesseth in my text And though hee had no superiour on earth to question him yet doth he plead guilty and intimateth what hee deserueth at Gods hand his sinnes are such which deserue the sword and Gods sword hee could not but feare though hee were out of the feare of mans Adde hereunto that he doth not thinke that euerie light remedie will suffice a King as great men passe ouer the like sinnes with slight penance but litle doe they thinke that heauie punishments are their due which though they feele not from men yet they may feare from God But enough of Gods disposition towards this Ceremoniall worship wee are now to see in few words how Dauid doth conforme himselfe thereunto that is contained in these words Else would I haue giuen it I resolued the words into two propositions whereof the first was If God had affected these offerings he would haue tendred them It is the commendation which God himselfe giueth that Act. 13.22 hee was a man after Gods owne heart and hee would performe all his will and Gods will in sacrifiting he did not neglect neither in peace nor warre Not in peace for when hee translated the Arke from Obed Edoms house 2. Sam. 6. at euery sixe paces hee offered oxen and fatlings so hee offered also when hee went to warre as it appeares by the peoples prayer for him Psal 20. The Lord remember all thy offerings and accept thy burnt sacrifices I omit other places no man may reasonably thinke that hee would sticke at the offering of any Sacrifice who gaue so bountifully towards the Fabricke and furniture of the Temple as you may read 1. Chronic. 29. much more I dare say then any Prince in Christendome hath in his treasury or euer had And indeed hee thought nothing too good for God how chargeable so euer the patterne of the Temple was which was deliuered him hee most cheerefully made prouision for the full accomplishment of it wherein hee shewed himselfe a good patterne and teacheth all that be able to bee willing to aduance in the best sort the seruice of God The second proposition is that because God would not haue them hee forbore these offerings hee would not prescribe to God the satisfaction that God requireth is arbitrary in him none but himselfe knoweth what will content himselfe therefore hee must goe before vs and wee must yeeld what hee doth chuse Hee must definitely concerning our necessary seruice and concerning our voluntary at least indefinitely expresse his will or else wee cannot know or doe what hee will accept by meanes whereof our offering will bee thanklesse or fruitlesse for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will-worship pleaseth me not it wil be cast off with Quis requisiuit Lâ—ay 1.12 Marke 7.7 Who hath required these things at your hands and in vaine doe they worship mee teaching the traditions of men And well may God so censure it for experience hath proued amongst the Heathen yea and amongst Christians also that when they leaue in such cases to be ruled by God men run wilde yea mad in their superstitions or rather impious Pietie The lash note I giue vpon this text is that the Fathers make it a Prophesie of the new-Testament wherein all carnall Rites were to bee done away and men were to serue God in spirit and truth we liue to see it and see to our griefe too many enuy themselues the comfort of it the Church of Rome by a multitude of inconuenent ceremonies hath much darkned the light of the Gospell and some are growen so absurd as to thinke that the Iewish Ceremonies shall be reuiued at Hierusalem againe But I cannot stand to refute these follies Let mee onely recommend two rules vnto you out of King Dauids words The first is the rectifying of your deuotion that you neuer so mistake the helpes which God affords our infirmitie as to giue the the honour of things heauenly vnto earthly or to let our bodies in God seruice be other then attendants vnto our soules Besides rectifying of our deuotion Let vs learne to resigne our selues wholly vnto Gods will remembring this that as wee must not be hastie and goe before him so must we not be slacke in in following him If in seruing of God wee take this course and are led by this guide wee shall be sure that our seruice shall neither be amisse nor yet in vaine and may expect that comfortable doome Math. 25.23 Well done seruant faithfull and true enter into thy Mastersioy PSAL. 51. VERSE 17. The Sacrifices of God are a broken Spirit a broken and contrite Heart O God thou wilt not despise KIng Dauid being resolued to serue God aduiseth how it may be done best In this deliberation hee taketh God for his guide and will make no other choyce then may stand with Gods good pleasure Now touching Gods pleasure hee informes vs that whereas there are two kinds of Gods seruice a Ceremoniall and a Morall God maketh little accompt of the Ceremoniall You heard that point opened the last Lords day that which hee regardeth is the morall and of that shall you God willing heare this day My present Text will tell you two things first wherein the Morall seruice stands secondly how it is esteemed It stands in the humiliation of the inward man the inward man is noted by the words Spirit and Heart two names but signifying the same reasonable soule which as it can subsist without the body is called a Spirit and it is called a Heart as it liueth in and doth manifest it selfe by the body This inward man must be humbled it must be broken and contrite two words meaning the the same thing but not without some difference in degree the former notes the beginning the latter the consummating of our Humiliation This is the morall seruice and it stands in these points He that vseth it shall find that it is well esteemed for what was denied vnto the Ceremoniall seruice is yeelded vnto this God did not desire that but this he doth it is the sacrifices of God Wherein marke two things first God that careth not for the slaughter of a beast requireth the mortification of a man he will haue his Heart his Spirit broken and contrite Secondly this one Mortification of man goeth in stead of the manifold slaughters of Beasts for it is Sacrifices The second thing that was denied vnto the Ceremoniall was that God did not delight in it but in the morall he doth he
profit or pleasure how doth the couetous man toyle himselfe out of the Loue of money the ambitious out of the Loue of honour the faulconer the Huntsman out of Loue of their sports Guesse by them how cheerefully wee would bee doing good if wee were prepossessed with Loue for Loue sweetens all paines yea guesse by Lust what Loue can doe that goeth vpon much surer grounds Loue doth not onely facilitate our doing but our suffering also out of loue to their wiues and children what hunger what thirst what wounds doe Souldiers endure But beyond all goe the sufferings of the Martyrs of whose wonderfull patience and constancie therein you can giue no other reason but Loue They loued not their liues vnto death Gal. 5. because they did loue to keepe Gods commandements I begin now to vnderstand S. Paul against Loue there is no Law for though there were no Law yet he that loueth would readily obey hee needs no other obligation 1. Ioh. 5. â— to whom to doe his dutie is a very pleasure I now begin to vnderstand Saint Iohn The commandements of God are not grieuous for griese and loue cannot stand together it is rather a griefe not to doe that which our soule doth loue You see then that God could not prouide an easier commandement for vs then Thou shalt loue And could he haue prouided a happier No verily for though amor bee sui praemium it carrieth contentednesse in the very nature of it yet as if that would not satisfie all the requisites vnto felicitie are distinctly ascribed vnto it Whereof the first is freedome of Spirit hee in whom Charitie is hath exchanged the spirit of bondage for the spirit of Adoption then which there cannot bee a more ingenuous a more free spirit So that whereas no obedience pleaseth God but that which is voluntarie it is Charitie that maketh vs such seruants as God requireth A second requisite vnto felicitie is store or plenty of prouision and what better purueyer can we haue then Charitie Looke how farre it extendeth so farre it enritcheth for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 looke how many friends so many supplies wee haue of our wants and if all men were true friends Hom. 5. adps â—ul Astiâ—ch no man could want that which another man hath The last requisite is securitie and there it no guard to the guard of Loue for by Charitie it commeth to passe as Chrysostome wittily obserueth that one man is as many men as he hath friends whether you respect acquisitionem bonorum or depulsionem malorum so many paire of eyes to watch for him so many paire of hands to defend him so many paire of feete to trauell for him so many heads to aduise tongues to speake hearts to encourage and what better munition would a man desire God commends Charitie when he vouchsafed to heare Iob for his friends and in the 41 Psalme shewes that nothing is more detestable then treachery in friendship Would time permit me I should shew you that there is nothing like vnto Charitie that doth proue a man to be a man and turne a man into a God Some guesse that Homo hath his name from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to note that hee is a sociable Creature but it is out of question that Ratio and Oratio were giuen him for this purpose that men might haue communion one with another Take Charitie out of his tongue what is it but an vnruly euill as Saint Iames calleth it full of deadly poyson a world of wickednesse a firebrand of hell that is able to set the world on fire Take Charitie out of the reason of a man then that will proue true which God told Noah The frame of the thoughts of the heart of man are onely euil and that of Ieremie The heart of man is deceitfull aboue all things and desperately wicked So that you may seeke a man and not find him in a man if Charitie be away But season him with Charitie and then shall you see the excellencie of a man his tongue will be a tree of life and the issues of life will come out of his heart as Salomon teacheth in his Prouerbs I told you that Charitie doth also turne a man into a God for God is Charitie and hee that dwelleth in Charitie dwelleth in God and God in him Therefore Christ commending Charitie giueth this reason that wee may be like vnto our Father in Heauen It is not without cause then that Saint Iames calleth it the royall Law of liberty and Saint Paul the supereminent way Other gifts saith Saint Austin are giuen by the Spirit but without Charitie they become vnprofitable Vbi Charitas est quid potest obesse Vbi non est quid potest prodesse In God it was Charitie that set the rest of his Attributes on worke when he made when hee redeemed the world and our abilities will all bee idle except they bee set on worke by Loue and if Loue stirre all will come plentifully from man as they doe from God Finally as Charitas is omnium hominum so omnium horarum locorum nunquam nusquam excluditur Which cannot be said of any other affection there is no man that may not loue and that at all times and in all places Wherefore God hath laid this fundamentall Law Dilige then which there is no more excellent gift and it is the immediate ground of Pietie the roote of all morall vertues and Theologicall also as hereafter you shall heare and heare that hoc vnum necessarium LEt vs now beseech the God of Loue so to sweeten our nature with his holy spirit of Loue that being rooted and grounded in this fundament all Law all our workes may be done in Loue. AMEN The third Sermon MATT. 22. VERSE 37. With all thy Heart and with all thy Soule and with all thy Mind OVt of those first words of this Verse Thou shalt Loue you haue beene taught What it is to Loue and who it is that is bound to obserue this vertue We must now come on and see in the next place what is the seate of Loue and in my Text we find that it is pointed out in three words the Heart Cap. 12. Cap. 10. the Soule the Mind Moses Deuter. 6. and out of him S. Marke and Saint Luke adde a fourth which is Strength The words may be taken confusedly or distinctly Confusedly and so they will teach vs onely in grosse the seate of Loue. Distinctly and so they will shew vs that these parts which are the seate of Loue are ordinate and subordinate Ordinate ad intra as Loue must be within vs and ordinate ad extra as Loue must bee employed without vs. Subordinate for one of the parts is imperatiue or definitiue the other are Imperatae definitae And out of altogether wee shall learne that Charitie is a Catholike and transcendent vertue I purpose to handle these words both wayes as they are taken confusedly and as they
the Text wee sound another merit and that is meritum dignationis the interest therein vouchsafed vs. Were there none but meritum dignitatis there were ground enough of our loue but this meritum dignationis the interest that we haue doth quicken vs to take notice of the worth that is in the thing Euery man naturally loueth that which is his owne and if the thing bee good it doth him the more good to looke vpon it Let a man walke in a faire Meadow it pleaseth him but it will please him much more if it bee his owne his eye will be more curious in prying into euery part and euery thing will please him the better so it is in a Corne field in an Orchard in a House if they bee good the more they are ours the more contentedly doe they affect vs for this word meum is suauissima amor is illecebra it is as good as an amatorie potion Then marke put tuus to Dominus and if so bee the Lord be louely how much more louely should hee bee in our eyes if hee bee our Lord and doth appropriate that infinite good that hee hath vnto vs hee holdeth of none but of himselfe and who would not ioy to bee owner of that good which is independent Hee is whatsoeuer heart can desire and who can but reioyce in hauing him in hauing of whom wee can want nothing Put tuus to Deus and see how it doth improue the motiue of loue there also Had wee nothing to doe with so tender hearted a Father so sweet natured a Sonne so gracious a Comforter as is the holy Spirit we could not but loue them if we did know them But when wee doe heare that these bowels of the Father doe yearne vpon vs that wee are the Spouse whom the Sonne of God doth wooe and that the holy Ghost vouchsafeth to make his Temple of vs how can wee bee but loue-sicke how can our Hearts choose but melt and our Affections gaspe and bray like the Hart after those Persons which haue in them so strong so manifold persuasions to loue But alas wee that in regard of our carnall loue are easily transported by any seeming good are altogether senslesse when wee are sollicited by our spirituall good so senslesse that God is passionate in his Prophets when hee doth taxe our more then bruitishnesse herein Isay 1. Hearken O heauen heare O earth for the Lord hath spoken I haue nourished and brought vp children and they haue rebelled against mee the oxe knoweth his owner and the asse his masters crib but Israel doth not know my people doth not consider Ier. 3. Can a mayd forget her ornaments or a bride her attire yet hath my people forgotten me dayes without number Wee doe loue our corporall benefactors at least while they are doing vs good but our spirituall benefactor wee forget euen while hee is doing vs good for when is hee not doing it wee cannot looke vpon our soules our bodies our state but wee see the perpetuall influence of his goodnesse and yet Tuus worketh little here and though God vouchsafe vs a great interest yet are wee little moued therewith Wee can loue a man in whom there are so many defects to allay the regard of his goodnesse and from whom we may receiue as much wrong as fauour how much more should we loue God in whom there is no defect and from whom thou canst receiue nothing but good I haue shewed you the reason of loue which is included in the name it followeth that I now come on to the dutie that is required and that is Loue. Wherein we are first to obserue that God speaketh not vnto vs as vnto seruants but as vnto friends hee would not haue vs in his seruice expresse a spirit of seruitude in feare but of adoption in loue hee would not bee feared as a Lord but loued as a Father O derint dum metuant is a Tyrants voyce God will haue all his seruants ingenuous hee will haue our seruice as naturall as is our allegiance Wherein the King of Heauen giueth a good patterne to all Kings and Gouernours in earth Though God hath qualified vs many wayes to doe him seruice yet doth hee in this word diliges Loue shew what hee doth principally respect and his eyes are vpon nothing so much as our Loue not on our wit our wealth our honour c. yea all other things are valued according to our Loue and without Loue they are nothing worth And why Loue is that which setteth all a worke for he that loueth will keepe Gods commandements hee will doe no euill But wee may not forget that seeing this Loue hath for its obiect him that is so farre aboue vs wee must not seuer it from Reuerence which must qualisie the loue which we owe to our Superiors in expressing our affection wee must not forget our distance yea and our feare in regard of our flesh may bee seruile to awe it and keepe it downe though it must bee also filiall in regard of the spirit to keepe it in heart I should now if the time would giue leaue shew you how those things that are required in loue must be applyed vnto this obiect The first propertie of Loue is Vnion and we should endeauor to become one with the Lord to bee transformed into him and as neere as a Creature can partake of his Creator partake of the diuine nature Wee should desire Vnion also with God with God the Father by Adoption with God the Sonne by a spirituall Wedlocke with God the holy Ghost by entertaining him as his Temple wee should so grow one with all three persons From this Vnion our Loue should come on to a Communion Communion in that infinite good which you heard is in the Lord for though Vnion bee a great aduancement of our Nature yet doth our comfort stand in the Communion neither did God euer intend the Vnion but for the Communion As wee must haue Communion with the Lord so with God also as Children wee must communicate in the inheritance of our Father as a Spouse in the honour and state of a Bride-groome as the Temple in the ornaments and endowments thereof Yea in this Communion there must appeare Beneuolentia Benesicentia there must appeare an intercourse of good will and good deeds betweene the Lord God and vs otherwise wee doe not loue as wee should This is not all the seate of Loue must be exercised also the Heart for the loue of God must bee free God doth not respect forced Loue. The Minde God will bee knowne before hee is loued and hee will haue them that loue him to meditate vpon him hee will not regard an vndiscreete Loue. Thy Soule must bee exercised if thou dost not long after him earnestly and take sweet content in him thou dost not loue Finally thy Courage must bee employed thou must bee as resolute to compasse this spirituall Vnion and Communion as carnall wooers are
Church according to that in the Prophet This people haue I formed for my selfe 〈◊〉 45. they shall bee to set forth my prayse And indeed of what regard the Church is with God we may gather out of that which God hath done for it he is become a father vnto it in Christ and tendreth euery member thereof as his deare childe hee hath giuen his only begotten sonne to death for the saluation of it and made him the Bridgeroome of the Church the Holy Ghost doth he send to guide to comfort it and the Angels are ministing spirits for their sakes that shall be heires of saluation Can any man beleeue this 〈◊〉 1. and not beleeue that wee are a pretious treasure vnto God Hee hath prouided for vs a Kingdome that cannot be shaken 〈◊〉 12.28 1. â—ct 5.4 an immarescible Crowne of glorie hee hath communicated vnto vs the Throne of his owne Sonne and giuen vs power ouer all our enemies and can wee doubt but we are Kings vnto him And as for our Priesthood Iames 5 16. that is as euident the prayer of the righteous auailes much their sufferings are to him sacrifices all their life is a sauour of a sweet smell and he is well pleased with the worke of their hands Feuci 7 14. Finally they haue washed their robes white in the bloud of the Lambe they are clothed with the righteousnesse of Christ God vouchsafeth to conuerse with them to dwell with them therefore they are to him an holy Nation We that account our selues happie if wee bee deare to great men great if we be but pettie Lords thinke not meanly of our selues if we be but Priests vnto Baal and looke bigge if we haue but the righteousnesse of a Pharisie how happie should wee thinke our selues that are vouchsafed to be the Fauorites of the King of Kings how should we esteeme our selues that are made Kings of Heauen how should we glorie in our diuine Priesthood and ioy in our true Holinesse when we consider our selues as we are in our selues dust and ashes weake and wicked ones wee may well crie out with Dauid who am I O Lord and what is my Fathers house that I O Lord should be such a one vnto thee and sing the Virgins Hymne My soule doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit hath reioyced in God my Sauiour for he that is mightie hath magnified me c. And when vnder the Crosse wee find that in the eye of worldlings wee are reputed wormes and no men the reproch of men and the despised of the people when they oppresse vs with more then Egyptian bondage scoffe at the sighes and groanes which the Holy Ghost indites in vs and repute all our deuotion to bee but madnesse when they traduce vs as Samaritans as friends of Publicans and Sinners yea as instruments of Beelzebub and condemne vs to a shamefull death as pestilent fellowes traitours and blasphemers what greater comfort can we haue then this promise of God Eritis mihi You shall be to me a peculiar treasure a Kingdome of Priests an holy Nation But I goe on You haue heard of much good but what you haue heard doth not yet amount to a Prerogatiue that appeares in these words aboue all people When we haue good things that are not common to others especially if it be better then they haue any then haue we obtained a Prerogatiue and this was Israels case for the Church was not now Catholique as it had beene before Abrahams time and was to bee after the comming of Christ Gods promise was Catholique to Adam though Cain played the Apostata it was Catholique also to Noah but his children fell away therefore when Gods reuiues it vnto Abraham hee made it but particular and Israel only was his Inheritance In Iuda was God knowne his Name was great in Israel Athanas de Incarnat verb. not that others might not bee if they would become Israelites but ordinarily none but Israelites or Proselytes had part in the Promise Therefore the Law speaketh thus What Nation is there so great Deut. 4. who hath God so nigh vnto them as the Lord our God is in all things that we call vpon him for And what Nation is there so great that hath Statutes and iudgements so righteous as all this Law that I set before you this day And the Psalmist God sheweth his word vnto Iacob Psal 147. his Statutes and Iudgements vnto Israel he hath not dealt so with any Nation c. This is often repeated by Moses Deut. 10. but especially Chapter 32. Seeing then God doth compare one Nation vnto all people and preferre it he doth extoll his owne grace and teach vs that the blessing is singular and if singular then a Prerogatiue and because singular and a Prerogatiue the more to be esteemed Surely in worldly things we thinke so for what is he that hath any gist or good which others haue not who doth not esteeme it as much for the rarenesse as for the greatnesse thereof I would wee did passe as true a iudgement vpon our heauenly Treasures surely the Church was wont to doe so Pone me vt signaculum Cant 8. saith the Spouse Set mee as a Seale vpon thy arme and in her Plea Populus tuus omnes nos Wee are thine enen the sheepe of thy pasture Esay 63. As God doth honour vs aboue others so will hee that we be mindfull of his speciall fauour Put now together the Greatnesse of the Good which God offers with the Singularitie of the fauour which God vouchsafeth Israel and they will yeild vs a definition of the Church for what is Ecclesia but a people chosen out of the world and preferred before it in that it is Gods peculiar treasure and to him a Kingdome of Priests and an holy Nation But I leaue that point to your priuate meditations which will bee the fuller if you adde the next particular vnto it for that also is considerable in your contemplations of the Church That which God offers is a Prerogatiue and such a Prerogatiue as is Gracious I gather it first out of Vos Deut 7 yee yee shall bee vnto mee a peculiar treasure c. And who are yee neither the most nor the best of people Moses from God telleth them so bondslaues in Egypt and much more bound to Satan for they were a rebellious nation more base in minde then in condition and therefore God biddeth them looke vnto his free loue the cause of their deliuerance Et dare non dignis res mage digna Deo the lesse worth there appeares in the receiuer the more grace doth there shine from the giuer As Israels want of worth made the gift gracious so also was it gracious in that God was not driuen to make the choice out of any want for all the earth is mine saith God All Nations they are the same by nature and it was free for God to make choice of any other
quaerenda in hac vita what God is is a lesson for the life to come in this life it is enough for vs to learne what Gods will is A second mysterie in the Cloud is that it agreeth well with the reuelations of the Old Testament Gal. 4. for God appeared then in shadowes and figures there was a vaile cast ouer the Law which was figured in the vaile wherewith Moses couered his face 2. Cor. 3. So that though the Church in the Old Testament had much more knowledge then the rest of the world for they had sauing knowledge as appeareth Heb. 11. Yet he that is least in the Kingdome of God saith Christ is greater then Iohn Baptist notwithstanding that he was greater then any Prophet of the Old Testament A third mysterie is the condition of the Law Chap. 33. which in Deuteronomic is called a fierie Law very piercing and very scorching it enters farre in searching of a mans conscience it is a discerner of the thoughts I had neuer knowne Heb. 4.12 Rom. 7.7 saith Saint Paul that lust is sinne had not the Law said thou shalt not lust As the Law is piercing because fierie so is it scorching also it vexeth and tormenteth their consciences whom it findeth guiltie it is a burden too heauie for the best of vs to beare Acts 15. Saint Austine obserues well Breuis differentia Legis Euangelij timor amor although both these affections beseeme both Testaments and he that loueth must feare and he that feareth must loue yet Feare was preualent in the Old Testament and Loue is in the New We haue not saith Saint Paul receiued the spirit of bondage to feare Rom 8.15 which was the state of man vnder the Old Testament but we haue receiued the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father which is the libertie of the New Testament The same Apostle resembleth the different conditions of the Church vnder the two Testaments to the different conditions of a child when he is in nonage and when he is come to his full age Gal 4. while he is in his nonage though he be heire yet is he kept in awe and vnder a Pedagogue but when he commeth to full age his Father affords him a more chearefull countenance and more liberall maintenance Euen so vnder the Law the Church was kept vnder and scanted of grace but vnder the Gospel shee is more free and indued with a more plentifull measure of Gods holy Spirit Finally hereunto looketh the difference that Saint Paul maketh betweene Mount Sinai and Mount Sion Heb. 12. the terriblenesse of the one and the sweetnesse of the other I shall haue occasion to compare them before I come to the end of the Chapter By the mixture of the Cloud and of the Fire you may also conceiue a mixture of our knowledge of God as the light of the fire signifieth that he is in some good sort manifested vnto vs 1. Cor. 13 1◠so doth the Cloud signifie that out knowledge is very imperfect wee see but as through a glasse darkly that which we know not of God is much more then that which we doe know Let this suffice for the manner I come now to the End which is twofold for God came first to grace Moses whom he designed Lawgiuer to Israel or rather Referendarie of that Law which himselfe would giue vnto them And hee graced him two wayes First in comming to him and not vnto them so saith the Text I will come to thee Moses was vpon the hill the people in the bottome now the Cloud came downe but to the top of the hill not into the bottome wherein there was no small grace done to the person of Moses in the sight of all the people God vouchsafed his presence only to him and not to the people The second grace is yet greater that in the hearing of the people God would speake with him for it is not here said that God did speake with them But that wee mistake not this grace which is done to Moses and giue him more honour then hereby was by God intended towards him we must obserue that though here we find no mention of Gods speaking with the people but only of his speaking with Moses yet Deut. 5. verse 5. Moses himselfe saith that God talked also with them and here we reade that God so talked with Moses as that he talked in the hearing of the people When here wee reade of Gods talking with Moses only without any mention of Gods talking with the people hereby the Holy Ghost intends to honour him with the Mediatour ship of the Old Testament that honour which Saint Paul giueth him when hee saith The Law was giuen by Angels in the band of a Mediatour But where Moses saith Deut. 5. that God talked with the people there the Holy Ghost would teach vs that God intended the Law to the people And out of both places compared together it followeth that the Law was committed to Moses to the end that the people might receiue it from him not only as hee should deliuer it in the two Tables but also as he should report vnto them by word of mouth And because they were to receiue Gods Law as he should report it that they might be sure hee brought them nothing but that which hee receiued from God therefore God vttered the Law to him in their hearing Whatsoeuer commeth from a man as a meere man will hardly worke vpon the conscience because of that knowne principle Omnis homo mendax men haue their errors and their priuate ends therefore their proiects are entertained with iealousie that they mistake or intend their owne good but if a Law be once knowne to be Gods pleasure we readily submit because we know he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee can neither deceiue nor bee deceiued and hee hath absolute power to command Vpon this principle those famous Lawgiuers amongst the Heathen did make it their first labour to perswade their people that they had familiar colloquies with some diuine power by whom they were directed in their Law-giuing Minos with Iupiter Lycurgus with Apollo Numa with Aegeria c. Mahomet could neuer haue made his Alcoran so currant but by that notorious imposture of a Doue which had beene taught to come familiarly to his eare and which to the people hee pretended to bee the Holy Ghost Heretikes old and new haue had their Enthusiasticall guides Papisticall pretended apparitions and reuelations are much of this kind abuses of that sacred principle But to the point when God would establish the Canon both of the Old and New Testaments by two demonstrations hee shewed that they came from him the one of Miracle the other of Oracle So did hee establish that which the Church receiued by Moses First hee gaue him power to worke many Miracles which was a second proofe that he came from God for no man could doe
see what feeling we haue of dreadfull obiects You haue a prouer be touching the eare 〈◊〉 5. which the holy Ghost vseth more then once I will doe a thing which whosoeuer heareth both his eares shall tingle Experience doth discouer this that hideous noyses worke a commotion in our spirits and make them flie vp into the head ring there as it were an amazed alarum and that in diuers formes which are better discerned by our feeling then I can expresse in words And as for our eye such spectacles how doe they fixe them as if they could not moue dazell them as if they had no sight melt them as if they were a fountaine of water God could not present these Obiects to such eyes such eares but they will be confest to be dreadfull Dreadfull in their owne nature for so are flashes of lightning huge duskie flames of fire great claps of Thunder the sound of such a Trumpet whose loud sound might be heard of so many hundred thousand people And if they were dreadfull in their owne nature as experience teacheth how much more when they are cloathed with such circumstances as these were The circumstance of Place for these meteors were wrought in the lower Region of the Ayre whereas the middle Region is their naturall place In the Deserts of Arabia a drie parched Countrie which yeeldeth no exhalations no vapours which are the matter of these meteors Adde hereunto the season of the yeare for it was now the moneth of Iune 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈◊〉 3 2â—.4 a time wherein these Meteors are not vsuall But specially obserue out of Nyssen that as at the destruction of Sodome so now the skie was cleare there was no prognostication in the Ayre of such an imminent storme So that it could not be imputed vnto nature it must needs bee confest that the finger of God was there Iob 38 And God whom the Booke of Iob doth set forth as the father and treasurer of Raine of Winds of Thunder of Lightning can at his pleasure immediately by his word or else if it please him by his Ministring spirits the bad Angels as it appeares Iob 1. how much more by the good who attend his Throne and whom he vsed at this time produce such Meteors when and where hee he will But the more vnexspectedly hee produceth them the more dreadfull they are and were at this Time and Place I am not yet come to the quicke It is a good rule in Diuinitie that these harbingers or attendants vpon Gods apparitions are an Image not onely of his greatnesse but of his prouidence also In them as in a looking Glasse you may behold the worke which he hath in hand I will shew it you in this present one you may make vse of the rule in vnderstanding other of Gods workes God was now about to deliuer his Law and these harbingers represent the dreadfulnesse thereof The dreadfulnesse of the precept that is noted first by the lightning and then by the thunder By the lightning for the precepts of God are like sire they search and discouer the duetie of a man It is a shallow conceite that the naturall man hath of his duetie to God or to his Neighbour Rom. 7. Saint Paul confesseth what a stranger hee was in it till hee was better nurtured by the Law and giueth this for a generall rule By the Law commeth the knowledge of sinne So that the Law suffereth not a man to be ignorant of his Obligation but setteth it most legible before his eyes This is the Lightning of the precept of the Law And this lightning commeth not without a clappe of Thunder for when a man from the Law reflecteth vpon himselfe and seeth how short he commeth of fulfilling the Law what perplexing terrours will arise in his thoughts what vnquietnesse will distresse his soule His spirit within him will bee ouerwhelmed and the tumult of his Conscience will drowne the sound of all consolation that shall be ministred vnto it many haue had wofull experience hereof As you haue seene the Image of the precept of the Law so must you also behold the Image of the Sanction For the Trumpet calleth to iudgment the flaming fire is an Image of the doome the wicked shall bee summoned with much terrour and they shall bee sent into endlesse torments For the summons shall be by the Trumpet and the wicked shall goe into euerlasting fire I cannot stand to amplifie these things onely take these few obseruations that if this high Parliament of God bee kept with so great terrour how dreadfull shall the grand Assises bee Our Sauiour Christ in the Gospell hath set it forth by three Euangelisls Matth. 24. whom you may paralell with Marke and Luke where you shall find that if this be terrible that is much more terrible Secondly obserue that things corporall come short of things spirituall and no words can fully expresse those things which are here meant for much more is meant then can be said and according to the meaning doth the terrour arise Gods Motto may well be Nemo me impunè lacesset Thirdly we must consider the wonderfull patience of God and stupiditie of men God sheweth vs in this spectacle of Thunder Lightning c. what he can doe what we deserue But what sometimes Caesar said to the Questor who would haue hindred him from entring into the Treasurie at Rome shaking his sword It is easier for my Power to dispatch thee then for the goodnesse of my Nature to bee willing to strike thee may much more truely bee said of God His Power maketh him Mercifull and his Mercie doth manage his Power The Author of the Booke of Wisdome openeth this at large Chap. 11. c. But what stupiditie is there in the meane time in men in prouoking of God that is armed with such power and hath in readinesse such instruments of death Yea which giueth such euidence of them to the intent that they may feare before him It is true that mocking Atheists aske 2. 〈◊〉 3. Where is the promise of his comming But this is vox coeci surdi they doe winke with their eyes and stop their eares other wise there is no man but in all ages God hath discouered vnto him the Ensignes of his reuenging power For haue we not Thundring and Lightning in all ages You will say they are but ordinary Meteors no more is a Rainbow And yet that Meteor hath a mysterie in it and that Bow of Heauen is called Gods Bow because it containeth a perpetuall Prophesie that the world shall be no more destroyed with water Gen. 9. Numb 10. And are not the Thunder and Lightnings called Gods voice And why because they signifie that God will come to iudgement with a tempestuous fire Wee may also make the same vse of the Trumpets Sure Saint Hierome had a good meditation when he said That whether he did eat or drinke or whatsoeuer hee did hee heard
to loose all those that will make vse of the flight amongst which these Iewes were none For who hath forewarned you saith Saint Iohn vnto them Before I come to the question I must a little describe the persons they were Sadduces and Pharisees There are but two extremities of Religion into which men run Superstition and Atheisme these fell the one that is the Pharisees into the one extremitie and the other that is the Saduces into the other extremitie Now sinnes are of two sorts some whose nature is in opposition to the flying from the wrath to come and some which are such as they doe not exclude the same A Drunkard an Adulterer a Murderer are grieuous sinners and in danger of the wrath to come but the Principles are not corrupted vpon which the forewarner must worke when hee perswadeth then to flie they doe beleeue the iudgement to come and in cold bloud will easily belieue that there is euill in their liues therefore vpon such good counsell may worke and wee see daily that many such are reclaimed But there are many whose sinnes are opposite vnto this counsell of flying either because they thinke there is no wrath to come as the Saducee or that they are out of danger of it as the Pharisee vpon such it is hard working Now come to the question Who hath forewarned you I am not ignorant that sundrie Writers ancient and later suppose that this is Quaestio admirantis and make Saint Iohn Baptist who receiued all others quietly when these persons came to stand amazed and wondring Is it possible hath Gods grace preuailed with Saduces with Pharisees and will they also bee Christs Disciples Is Saul among the Prophets Can hee that thought there was no Hell be brought to flie from Hell and hee that thought himselfe righteous prouide against the Iudgement day Surely such examples are rare not that God doth not yeil◠some to shew nothing is impossible to his grace but he yeildeth but few because men should take heed of such sinnes and wee see by experience how Pharisaisme in Papists and in Atheists Saducisme frustrate the labours of many painfull Forewarners the corrupt Principles of their conscience hinder their preuayling Who forewarne them to flie from the wrath to come But I take the Question rather to bee Negatiue and that as Christ often so Saint Iohn here doth detect their hypocrisie and telleth them that they aimed little at that which was intended by Baptisme The Kingdome of God happily in their sense they could bee content to enter into by the Baptisme of Saint Iohn for their Messias was to bee a worldly King or if so be they thought vpon wrath which they desired to escape it was wrath present not wrath to come the wrath of men not the wrath of God they would shake off the yoke of the Romanes they feared not the paines of Hell when they perceiued that Saint Iohns Baptisme sorted not with their desire it is obserued that they despised it to their destruction and when Christ asked them Whether it were of heauen or of men they durst not answere him from Heauen least Christ should come vpon them with Why did you not then belieue it Adde hereunto that it is not likely Saint Iohn would haue reproched them with these words generation of Vipers had there not bin hypocrisie in them I conclude then that the Question containeth a negation and that S. Iohn herein doth set forth the second euill of these Iewes They wanted meanes of forewarning which might apply to them the Remedie which God hath appointed against the wrath to come Matth. 21. v 25 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orat. 31. p. 501. Nazianzen obserueth well It is not the Nation but the disposition that maketh a Pharisee euery Countrie may haue Pharisees and Saduces for it is not the name of a Nation but a conuersation and therefore this question may concerne vs and we must inquire into our selues whether wee haue either a Pharisees or a Saduces disposition And indeed wee shall find too many of both Heretickes Atheists vpon whom Forewarners cannot worke and if we be better disposed wee must acknowledge Gods great mercie that as hee hath appointed wrath so hee hath appointed a Remedie wee must learne both of our Forewarners and so learne both that we be the better for them and scape the vengeance that is to come The summe of all is sinnes and punishments are not inseparable God hath set a space betweene them and appointed a Remedie to the one for the auoyding of the other for the knowledge hereof hee referres vs to our spirituall Pastors and we must take heed we haue neither Saduces nor Pharisees eares which may make vs vncapable of their forewarnings O Lord that hast appointed Forwarners to thy Church so blesse their paines that they may fixe our thoughts on and resolue our reason of that wrath which is to come not only the sight of it but also the flight from it Let vs not despise the riches of thy goodnesse forbearance and long-suffering nor with hard and impenitent hearts treasure vp vnto our selues wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2. Eccles 18. but knowing that thy goodnesse leadeth vs to repentance let vs so thinke vpon the wrath that shall be at the end that we may flie from sinne to grace and so bee thought worthy to escape this euill and stand in the last day with comfort before the Sonne of man stand for euer to giue glorie vnto thee the Father of mercie through Iesus Christ our only meanes to obtaine this mercie in the Communion of the holy spirit who only teacheth vs to make the right vse of this mercie Amen The third Sermon LVKE 3. VERSE 8. Bring forth therefore fruites worthy of Repentance SAint Iohn Baptist hath in his Sermon hitherto shewed the Iewes of their bad case in regard both of sinne and woe If he had here ended he should rather haue seemed to bee a minister of Moses then an harbinger of Christ and although happily he might haue awakned the worme of Conscience to bite them with the terrours of the Law yet should hee not haue answered his fathers prophecie by giuing light to them that sit darknesse Luke 1. and in the shaddow of death and guiding their feete into the way of peace wherefore to shew that hee came indeed in the spirit of Elias and meant to turne the hearts of the fathers towards their children Malachi 4.6 and the children towards their fathers before the Lord came and smote the earth with cursing as he vnpartially gaue the Iewes to vnderstand the euill of their case so doth he carefully endeauour to set them in a better course The ground and scope of his words is in effect this Euerie Iew is to haue a double being in the Couenant an hereditarie a possessorie in that he is the of spring of Abraham he hath a title to the promises but possession of that whereunto
for they that trust in the Lord are like vnto mount Sion which shall neuer be remoued LOrd guide vs by thy Counsell support vs by thy Power that wee be neyther circumuented nor quelled but by thy direction and protection we may escape both the craft and the force of all our Enemies So shall we euer glorifie thee as our admirable Counsellour and our most mighty God THE FIFTH SERMON The euerlasting Father the Prince of Peace THe Excellencie of Christs Person consists in the indowments thereof which are Regall but Spirituall That they are Regall appeares in his two first titles whereof I haue already spoken and that they are Spirituall it will appeare by the other two whereof I am now to speake Whereof the first sheweth that Christs Kingdome is not of this world He is the Father of eternity the second sheweth that the condition of his people is not worldly Christ is Prince of Peace To begin with the first In the Originall the first of these two titles is so exprest as I haue read it The Father of eternity And the words beare a double sense for either Aeternity is made the Attribute of the Father and so by an Hebraisme The Father of eternity is no more than the eternall or euerlasting Father so some Translations reade it or Aeternity may note that which is subiect to the Father and so the title imports that he is a Father of eternall things and so some Translations reade The Father of the world to come We need not to bee troubled with this variety for the words will beare eyther Translation and both these things concurre in the same person He that is the euerlasting Father is a Father of euerlasting things We will therefore handle both and first shew you that Christ is an euerlasting Father The phrase doth distinguish betweene our Father and our Father the Father of our flesh and the Father of our spirits of whom St. Paul speaketh Heb. 12. Of these two the first is Temporall the other is Aeternall that the first is but temporall wee may gather out of the fift of Genesis where are reckoned vp the longest liued Fathers that euer were in the world but of them all it is said that they begat children and then they dyed they left their children to the world And as they so their posterity come within the compasse of that of Iob Man that is borne of a Woman is but of a short time or as Dauid speakes His dayes are but a spanne long When he hath serued his course he goeth the way of all flesh and sleepes in his graue Neyther is he temporall only in regard that he must dye but also in regard that his affection is mutable Some parents destitute their children inforced by death but not a few put off the affection of Fathers euen in their life and they in that respect also may be termed but temporall Fathers Our Sauiour Christ speaking of the later times telleth vs that the Father shall rise against the Sonne as the Sonne against the Father Saint Paul speaking of former times Rom. 1. amongst other wicked ones reckoneth vp persons that were without naturall affection and it were an easie matter out of Histories to report that many haue dis-inherited many haue murdered many haue deuoured their own children so farre vnnaturall haue they beene In opposition vnto these two cases which apparantly conclude that the Parents of our flesh are temporall temporall in regard that they are mortall in their nature and temporall in that they are mutable in their affections our Sauiour Christ is termed an euerlasting Father death cannot take him from vs for euen in his death wherein notwithstanding his abode was so little that hee saw no corruption the hypostaticall Vnion which made him a father did not cease And as for his affection it is immutable Whom he loueth hee loueth vnto the end of the perpetuitie of his being excellent is that place Esay 63. Doubtlesse thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of vs and Israel acknowledge vs not Thou O Lord art our Father and our Redeemer thy name is from euerlasting And touching the perpetuity of his louing the Church there speaketh also Looke downe from heauen and behold from the habitation of thy holinesse and of thy glory where is thy zeale and thy strength the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercy towards me 〈◊〉 9. â—â—al 27. are they restrained No they cannot bee restrained For as God in this Prophet speaketh elsewhere Can a Mother forget her child If she can yet will not I forget thee saith the Lord And King Dauid When my father and my mother forsooke me the Lord tooke me vp This is the reason why our Sauiour Christ in the Gospell biddeth vs Call none father vpon earth for that we haue but one father which is in heauen hee liueth when the other dye and when the other hateth he continueth his loue and therefore is deseruedly called the euerlasting Father Two good Lessons are implyed herein the one teaching Piety the other Charity We are taught Piety when we are taught that he whom we obey is our Father for if I be a Father saith the Lord where is mine honour Mal. 1. and Moses to Israel Deut. 32. Doest thou so reward the Lord O thou foolish people and vnwise is not he thy Father that made thee c. And as the very name of Father teacheth Piety so doth the name of Euerlasting teach it much more St. Paul argueth so Heb. 12. If so bee wee honoured the fathers of our flesh which are mortall as is our flesh how much more should we honour the father of our spirits which is immortall as is our spirits Great reason haue we to reuerence this Father that neuer ceaseth to be our Father that hath prouided that euen when we lose our fathers we should yet stil haue our Father haue him for our Father which is the Father of Orphanes It is no small comfort nor weake pillar of our faith that we neuer want a Father yea our double birth readeth vs this Lecture For as we come out of our mothers wombe by the help of our mortall Parents so to signifie that we haue immortall parents we are then borne againe in the Churches wombe Neither doth this title teach vs only Piety but Charity also charity one towards another For whereas our mortall parents extend their consanguinity and affinity but to a few this euerlasing father extends his vnto all Malachy worketh vpon this Haue we not all one Father Cap. 2. wherefore then do you iniury one to another The blood should neuer be cold seeing wee are all kinne in the first degree all brethren sonnes of one father euen of him that is here called the euerlasting father But how commeth Christ to be called father who otherwise is called our brother he being the sonne of God and God being his father as hee is ours If you respect the Communion of
Zorobabels Temple But that place must be considered not in its meanenesse as it was built by the Iewes but as it was furnished with that glorie whereof heretofore you haue heard that house so adorned was to bee the place of peace Salomons Temple was a place of peace but his peace was but a type it was a worldly peace Zorobabels Temple is also a place of peace but his peace is the truth that answered the former type the peace thereof is heauenly that Temple which had but the type of the glorie had no more but the type of the peace and the truth of the peace rested there where the truth of the glorie was So that there is an emphasis in the words this place the holy Ghost giueth thereby the Iewes to vnderstand that it was not the former but the later Temple whereunto God intended the peace which he promised to Dauid 2 Sam. 7. 2 Chro. 22. Isay 25. 26. and all the promises of peace in the Prophets were to be referred thither this Ierusalem was to answer vnto her name and to be indeed the vision of peace But I told you heretofore that Zorobabels Temple was to be vnderstood not only literally but mystically and so it signifieth not onely that materiall house but also the Christian Church peace is annext vnto this peace Extra Ecclesiam non est salus No saluation without the Church and therefore no peace he shall neuer haue God for his Father that hath not the Church for his Mother In our Creed wee place the holy Catholicke Church and Communion of Saints before the remission of sinnes and life euerlasting As the soule doth not quicken other parts than those that are vnited to the body no more doth the spirit of God giue his blessing of peace to any that are distracted from the body of the Church This must be obserued against all Schismaticks that doe excommunicate them selues and disorderly persons that are iustly excommunicated by the censure of the Church all these while they continue in that state though they doe not lose ius ad pacem yet they doe lose ius in pace though they doe not lose their interest in yet they suspend the benefit of that peace and their state is vncomfortable though it be not irrecouerable And they which follow negligently the assemblies of the Church doe not a little defraud themselues of this peace for they must seeke it chiefly by prayer in Gods house and there doth God dispence it by the mouth of his Ministers I will giue you only two proofes the one our of the Old Testament when the sacrifices were ended which were typicall prayers Num 6.25 Aaron is willed to dismisse the people with these words The Lord blesse thee and keepe thee the Lord make his face shine vpon thee and be gracious vnto thee the Lord lift vp the light of his countenance vpon thee and giue thee peace A second proofe wee haue in the New Testament where the Church doth solemnely vse those words of the Apostle when after the Liturgie it dismisseth the people The peace of God which passeth all vnder standing keep your hearts and mindes c. And what better inuitation can wee haue to repaire often to the Church than this blessing of peaceâ— foure-fold peace which is there daily offered vnto vs and may bee receiued if we come and come prepared for it I say prepared Before you heard that the peace commeth to the house but as it is furnished with the glorie where there is none of the glorie there can be none of the peace therefore wee must prepare these Temples of our bodies and soules by entertainement of the glory that they may be made capable of the peace The Apostle speaketh plainely Rom. 5. Wee must bee iustified by faith before we can haue peace with God Esay 32. If iudgement dwell in the wildernesse and righteousnesse remaine in the fruitfull fielde the worke of righteousnesse shall bee peace 1 Cor. 2. and the effect of righteousnesse quietnesse and assurance for euer God doth annoint vs before he doth establish vs. St. Austin hath a witty conceit vpon the words of the 85. Psalme Righteousnesse and Peace haue kissed each other Duae sunt amicae Iustitia Pax c. Righteousnesse and Peace are two fast friends happely thou wouldest gladly enioy the one but thou wilt not bee perswaded to performe the other for there is no man that would not willingly haue peace but all are not willing to worke righteteousnesse yet be thou assured that if thou dost not loue peace's friend which is righteousnesse peace will neuer loue thee for righteousnesse and peace doe kisse each the other 2 King 9. You know what Iehu answered the King of Israel when he asked him Is it peace Iehu what peace can there bee so long as the whoredomes and witchcrafts of thy mother are so many So may we reply to euery soule vnquiet soule that enquireth after peace Looke for none where there is sinne Well may there bee the enemie assaulting and daily sounding alarums but this securing peace which is Gods garrison cannot bee there So long as the Iewes serued God their enemies could not inuade their borders Exod 34. but then the Temple was exposed to the enemie when the Prophets could not reclaime them from sin It is a good conscience that is a continuall feast You haue heard seuerally of the Peace and the Place you must now heare ioyntly of their knitting together who knits them and How He that knitteth them is God in Christ God is the God of peace so the Apostle calleth him Phil. 4.19 and the Prophet tels vs that he creates light as well as darkenesse and Elihu is so bold as to say Iob 34. that if God giue peace none can hinder it But as God giueth it so hee giueth it in Christ for it is his worke to make peace the Prophet Esay cap. 9. vers 6. calleth him the Prince of peace his true members are Sonnes of peace his Apostles Messengers of peace and his doctrine is the Gospell of peace all the foure specified degrees of peace were wrought by him First he tooke away the guilt of our sinne Esay 53. The chastisement of our peace was layd vpon him For he that knew no sinne was made sinne for vs that wee might be made the righteousnesse of God in him 2 Cor. 5. Secondly hee hath kild the worme for being iustified by faith in him our heart condemnes vs not and we haue confidence towards God so that we can come with boldnesse vnto the throne of grace Thirdly the Law of the spirit of life that is in Iesus Christ doth free vs from the Law of sinne and death Rom. 8. It mortifieth it subdueth the old man and maketh vs walke not according to the flesh but according to the spirit Finally he putteth an end to that discord that is betweene man and man The Prophets foretold that when hee
finde wee haue not lighted vpon that which should giue vs content as we may gather out of the Preachers censure Vanitie of vanities and all is but vanity when wee come to grace there wee rest St. Austine giues the reason of it Fecisti nos Domine propter te irrequietum est cor nostrum donec requiescat in te and K. Dauid expresseth it most passionately Psal 73. Whom haue I in heauen but thee and there is none vpon earth that I desire besides thee my flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for euer And no wonder for nothing can giue constant content but that which is verum and summum bonum that which is good indeed and is our soueraigne good these are found only in God none finde them but they that partake of him Secondly the same grace that doth sistere appetitum doth also explere as it doth giue vs content in that we desire no other thing so of that only we may haue our fill Other things are not onely worse than that wee principally desire but they are lesse and we therefore doe loath them not because they are not good at all for they are the creatures of God and they are made for our vse but because they beare not proportion vnto our desire when we haue them we finde a great want of something else besides them let a man haue all the riches in the world all the honour yea all the wisedome they will not satisfie him yea let euery power haue his distinct obiect yet they will not satisfie him There is a common obiect that they all desire and which onely can fill them the desire of them all and that is Grace Grace is the fulnesse of God as the Apostle cals it Ephes 3.19 and the Prophesies of grace doe promise fulnesse Ieremie 21. God will not onely prepare a table for vs but our cup shall ouerflow Psal 23. here we hunger and thirst for a time but if grace be our portion we shall be satisfied and we shall be admitted to the tree of life and drinke our fill of the riuers of Gods pleasure But I told you that this which you haue heard is nothing else but a Periphrasis of the Spirit for the filling grace is nothing else but the Holy Ghost This day as we read Acts 2. when hee came he filled and filled not only with the Type but also with the Truth That you may vnderstand this you must obserue that as Christ our Passeouer was sacrificed iust at the time of the legall Passeouer and as he became the first fruits of them that stept rising that very day that the first fruits were offered euen so the Spirit was giuen vpon the very same day when God with his owne mouth pronounced the Law in the hearing of the People the mysterie whereof was this that man can neuer haue the benefit of the Law but by the grace of the Spirit iustifying him by faith and making him a new man But by the Spirit we must vnderstand not only the grace but the person also or else it will neuer fill For as the corne that is sowne is but a small graine but being watered with the dewe of Heauen and comforted with the Sunne it comes to a full eare euen so grace when it beginnes in man it is very scant there must bee some bodie to foster and cherish it that it may come to perfection and that is the Spirit And herein appeares a difference betweene Adam created and Adam restored Adam created was furnished with grace and being so furnished was left to himselfe whereupon he quickely became an vnthrift and brought to nought that portion which he receiued of his heauenly Father but being restored he is better prouided for hee hath the person of the Spirit bestowed vpon him as a liuing roote so that although hee haue his Winters and his Autumne he doth not alwaies spring nor is alwaies loaden with good fruit yet he hath life in the roote which will shute forth againe and he that seemes to be dead will reuiue and like corne that stockes better when it is nipt with frost will afterward beare the more fruit You haue heard the Gift what it is now heare of the Giuer and the Giuer is Christ Christ is the Giuer of the Spirit duplici iure originis meriti in that the Spirit doth proceede from him so he is said to bestow him because ordo ad extra is answerable vnto ordo ad intra He hath also a right by merit he deserued in doing the worke of a Redeemer to haue the bestowing of the Spirit in this later sense must wee vnderstand it in this place and of this sense in the next part of the text And here we must consider the difference betweene the Hebrew of the old Testament and the Greek of the new Accepit dona saith the Psalmist Dedit dona saith the Apostle They are easily reconciled if you marke Christs second power of giuing the Holy Ghost for Accepit quae daret accepit ex merito quae daret ex arbitrio therefore St. Austine saith well Vtroque verbo altero Prophetico Apostolico altero plenissimus sensus redditur The Apostles are the best Commentators vpon the Prophets and when we parallel texts that are found in both wee must not oppose the one to the other but expound the one by the other which we may safely doe because in vtroque est diuini sermonis auctoritas as the same Father speaketh Seeing then Christ receiueth what he giues receiues of his Father what he giues to vs these words must be vnderstood of Christ incarnate as God he could not receiue because he had all things wherefore if he receiue it must be as he became man so indeed he was Christus anointed and his name was as an oyntment poured out Cant. 1. the precious oyntment poured on his head ran downe vnto the very skirts of his cloathing hee was made the Sonne of righteousnesse and became the father of lights precious promises are giuen vnto vs by him and of his fulnesse we all receiue grace for grace Finally we must marke that though hee receiued as he was Incarnate yet he giues as he is God for though Accipere be meriti humani yet Dare is potestatis diuinae though in neither giuing nor taking wee must seuer the person yet must wee in eyther obserue which nature is principally respected As Christ is the giuer of the Spirit so doth he giue him discreetly and vniuersally discreetly for he giues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee keepes a measure in his giuing There is this difference betweene the Head and the Body of the Church the Head hath the Spirit without all measure but the members of the Body haue it in measure neither doth this argue any impotency in Christ the Giuer but his wisedome It is true that as it is in Christs power to giue or not
which can neuer proue good either to the conquerour or the conquered Well then seeing Teaching is Gods method of conuerting you see whereof you must take care the Word of God must dwell richly in you especially you must arme your selues with the sword of the Spirit Colos 4. Ephes 6. 2. Tim. 4. Tit. 2. which is the Word of God that you may bee able to instruct the ignorant and refute those that are contrary minded And this care doth St. Paul commend earnestly to Timothie and Titus And you know that it was a very bitter reproofe which Christ vsed vnto Nicodemus Art thou a Master in Israel and knowest not these things Ier. 3. If you will be Pastors according to Gods owne hrart you must feede his people with knowledge and vnderstanding And let this suffice concerning the manner of bringing men to Christ In the next place wee are to see what must be done to them that entertained the Gospell First they must consecrate them vnto God Baptizate Baptize them This is not the first Institution of Baptisme for not onely Iohn the Baptist but the Apostles also baptized as it is in St. Iohn chap. 4. And howsoeuer there is a question Whether the Baptisme of Iohn the Baptist and of Christs Apostles be the same for Christ baptized none in his person and of the same efficacy yet there is no question but that the Baptisme is the same and of the same efficacy which the Apostles administred both before and after Christs Passion So that Christ in this place extended the Baptisme vnto the Gentiles but doth not of new institute it To baptise is properly to dip into the water in that fashion were they wont to baptise except in case of infirmitie wherein the Church allowed springling in stead of dipping But nicitie hath almost worne out the old forme at least in many places And yet the old forme doth most liuely represent that which St. Paul maketh the life of Baptisme that is our conformitie to Christ Know you not saith he Rom. 6. that so many of vs as were baptised into Iesus Christ were baptised into his death therefore we are buryed with him by Baptisme into death that like as Christ was raised vp from the dead to the glorie of the Father so wee should walke in newnesse of life And indeed to baptize is not only to dippe into the water The word dibaphum which signifieth Scarlet as it were twice dipt and dyed retaine◠the steps of that signification which is immergere but it is tingere also to dip as it were into a dye-fatte so that a person dipped in commeth out of another hue than hee went into the water though not physically yet morally Go to saith Gregorie Nyssen thou that art baptized thou art become another man it doth not appeare in the lineaments of thy body it must appeare in the lineaments of thy manners thou must be dead vnto the sinne whereunto thou diddest liue and liue vnto God vnto whom thou wert dead thou must haue put off the Old and put on the new Man Mortification and Viuification Remission of sinnes Adoption to be Gods sonnes Iustification and Sanctification are the Blessings that wee reape by being put into that Bath of Regeneration Which is also the very gate of saluation and maketh vs capable of all other sacred Rites of the Church which they call Sacramenta or Sacramentalia Sacraments or things that haue cognation therewith And indeed it is called Sacramentum initiationis the Sacrament of initiation or our Admission into the Church All Religions haue some ceremonious Forme whereby they admit Professors into their societie Austin cont Crescon Gramaticum l. 3. c. 25. the Iewes had Circumcision the Gentiles had seuerall kindes of Purifyings though herein the Gentiles were but the Apes of the Iewes the same God that annext Circumcision to the old Testament was pleased that Baptisme should bee annext to the new and by that toadmit all the world into one body of the Catholicke Church But let vs come to the Forme They were to baptize in the name of the Father Sonne and the holy Ghost And here we meet with the first and greatest fundamentall Principle in Religion which is Vnitie in Trinitie and Trinitie in Vnitie In Nomine in the Name noteth the Vnitie of the Godhead against Arius for were there more Gods than one the holy Ghost would say in Nominibus and not in Nomine Secondly in the phrase in Nomine Note that where no one Name is specified all the Names of God are comprehended for all note but one and the selfe same nature the riches whereof we cannot comprehend but vnder diuers names which helpe our weake vnderstanding but doe not diuide it The mention of the Father Sonne and the Holy Ghost refutes Sabellius and shewes that though the Nature of God is but One yet in that One there are three Persons whereof no one is the other neyther is one euer called by the name of the other when they are considered in relation one to the other but in relation to vs they communicate in the Name Father and Spirit is their common attribute because God is a Spirit Saint Basil hath a short but a good note 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We must obserue the Forme of Baptisme which is deliuered in the Gospel and we must beleeue in them into whom we were baptised and we must glorifie as many as we beleeue in the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost And indeed without the true knowledge and acknowledgement of the Trinitie we cannot reape the comfortable fruite of our Baptisme for wee owe it vnto all three persons though to none but to them three St. Ierome saith right Vna diuinitas vna largitio the Deitie in all three is One and therefore all three bestow the same gift vpon vs we haue the same Author of our Regeneration as we had of our Creation all three persons concurred to worke it and all three to put vs in possession of it Which that wee may the better perceiue Lib. 6. cent Donatist learne of St. Austine that this Forme of Baptisme doth containe the whole Creede for the Creede is is diuided into three parts euery part doth expresse one of the three persons and the benefit which the Church reapeth from that person for so in the Catechisme we teach children to summe vp the Creede when we aske them what they learne therein they answer vs they learne three things first to beleeue in God the Father that made them and all the world secondly to beleeue in God the Sonne that redeemed them and all mankind thirdly to beleeue in God the holy Ghost that sanctifieth them and all the Elect of God Marke then St. Austins conclusion Symbolum igitur profitetur quis eo ipso quod baptizatur the receiuing of Baptisme is a Profession of the Christian Faith And this is a principall reason why the Sacrament of Baptisme was as St.
in Baptisme which is a conformitie to Christ dying and rising from the dead In a word all Christs commandements are eyther affirmatiue or negatiue In regard of the affirmatiue wee must imitate Dauid a man after Gods owne heart Acts 13. who did facere omnes voluntates Dei doe all that which God would haue him doe And touching the negatiue wee must imitate the same Dauid who saith of himselfe that All wicked wayes he did vtterly abhorre Psal 119. If thus we liue we shall doe as we pray Gods will in earth as it is done in heauen But who can doe so it is more than is possible for this fraile life wherefore we may vnderstand All two manner of wayes secundum partes and secundum gradus According to the parts of our duety wee must omit no part but must exercise our selues in euery thing which Christ requires As for the degrees though we must striue to attaine the highest yet if we reach not so farre we must not despaire Austin Quisquis non potest implere quod iubet Christus amet eum qui impleuit in illo implet that which was impossible for the Law by reason of the weaknesse of our flesh Rom. 8. God sending his sonne in the similitude of our flesh for sinne condemned sinne in the flesh that the righteousnesse of the Law might bee fulfilled in vs Cap. 19. which walke not according to the flesh but according to the spirit Hitherto you haue seene how the Minister must praeire praecepto lead the people by good Instruction now see in a word how hee must lead them by good Example The commandements that Christ gaue he gaue to the Apostles meaning that they should make vse of them themselues as well as perswade the people to it St. Paul vnderstood it so who saith of himselfe 1 Cor. 9. I beate downe my body and bring it vnder lest when I preach vnto others my selfe become a Reprobate and biddeth Timothie bee an example to his flocke we must not be like Scribes and Pharisees Mat. 23. that bound heauie burdens and layd them vpon the peoples shoulders whereat they would not lift with one of their fingers It is too foule a reproach for a Minister so by his liuing to contradict his preaching as to deserue to be replyed vnto in that Prouerbe Medice cura teipsum and so destroy more than he can build This dishonour I wish you to auoyd And so at length I haue done with the Charge come we now to the Comfort That I told you standeth in the powerfull and perpetuall presence and assistance of Christ Christs presence is noted by Ego vobiscum I am with you which doth shew vs the truth of Christs name Immanuel God with vs Mat. 1. Esay 8. the Holy Land was called Terra Immanuel the Land of God is with vs and because that was but a Type look into the place where God put his name Ezekiel in the vision of the new Hierusalem telleth vs that the name of that Citie is Iehoua shamma Cap. 48. Dominus ibi the Lord is there both in the new Testament and in the old that saying of Wisedome in the Prouerbs cap. 8. is receiued My delight is to be with the sonnes of men But how can Christ which is ascended into heauen be with them vpon earth the name of Christ containeth the Manhood as well as the Godhead now the Manhood is finite therfore cannot be both in Heauen Earth True the Manhood cannot but the Man may No man saith Christ Iohn 3. ascendeth vnto heauen but hee that descended from heauen the sonne of man which is in heauen this Christ spake when he was vpon the earth If the sonne of man could bee in heauen while Christ was on the earth surely the sonne of man may bee on the earth while Christ is in heauen We must vnderstand it of the Person which is but one though two Natures subsist therein and both natures concurre in the production of the seuerall workes of the Mediator in a manner which wee cannot conceiue But we must take heede of the Lutherans racking of this conceipt who would make the Humanitie of Christ to haue a double existence one finite which they call Physicall the other infinite which they call Hyperphysicall which distinction is such as I thinke themselues doe not vnderstand I am sure they doe not expresse it so that it may bee conceiued no more doe Papists that to beare out Transubstantiation haue coined the like But to leaue them Christ that is man is present euery where though not in his Manhood yet in his Godhead If this bee too obscure take a plainer manner his Presence by his Holy Spirit Misit Vicarium spiritum sanctum as Tertullian speaketh If I go not away saith Christ the Comforter will not come Iohn 14. but if I goe I will send him to you from my Father and where the Spirit is there is Christ St. Iohn teacheth vs so By this wee know that he abideth in vs by the Spirit that he hath giuen vnto vs. 1 Epist 3. But it is not a bare presence that we haue to doe withall I told you it is a powerfull presence the word Ego I must bee vnderstood with an Emphasis I that haue all power giuen mee both in heauen and earth that haue ouercome the world in my owne person and in my own person cast out the Prince of this world that haue all iudgement giuen vnto me from the Father whom all the Angels doe worship And indeede the Presence of such a person was behoofefull whether you respect those to whom they were sent or that which they were to doe the Apostles though they carried heauenly treasures it was but in earthen vessels themselues were but plain men of no great parts nor parentage in outward shew likely not only to be scorned but also to be persecuted when they had deliuered their message the Dragon and all his Angels were like fiercely to oppose them ea Christ told them that he sent them as sheepe amongst wolues And how vnlikely might they thinke themselues to preuaile with all sorts of men and perswade them to forsake their Idolatry and turne to God to beleeue in Christ crucified take vp their crosse and follow him The vndergoing of such a danger the compassing of such a designe require a powerfull Presence without which the Apostles would neuer haue ventared to vndertake their charge When God bid Moses goe to Pharaoh and command him to let Israel goe out of Captiuitie how doth he excase himselfe dis-inable himselfe what adoe hath God with him nothing could put him in heart but Ero tecum I will be with thee Exod. 3.12 that so emboldned him that being but a single and a silly man at least the companie that hee tooke with him were of no great regard yet they ventured into Pharaohs Court into his presence and without feare of him or his greatnesse deliuered
vncharitablenesse in our supernaturall cognation Naturall brethren maligne each the other either because the affection of Parents is vnequall or because they shall not haue equall part in the Inheritance but GOD embraceth all his children with the same loue and they are all called to be heires of the same Kingdome therefore they should all haue alike tender bowels one towards another As the name of Brethren calleth for compassion so doth the name of spirituall also by spirituall is ment he that is strong in Faith and hath not yeelded to temptation he that is led by the Spirit and hath not fulfilled the lusts of his Flesh the more he is so spirituall the more compassionate he must be Greg. Mag◠Vera iustitia compassionem habet falsa indignationem It is a shrewd argument that our righteousnesse is pharisaicall and not Christian if we rather insult then shew pittie who more spirituall then GOD then Christ then the Angels The best of men cannot match the meanest of them in the holines of Spirit and yet the Angels reioyce at the conuersion of a sinner Luke 19.7 and how doth Christ the good Sheepeheard take comfort in the recouerie of the lost Sheepe And as for GOD you read his disposition in that countenance and cheere wherewith the Father receiued his prodigall child Where there is lesse kindnesse there is lesse of the Spirit as in the Diuell who calumniateth amplyfieth sinnes aggrauateth Iudgements and we are too like him if our bowels be crueltie You see who must shew compassion and read their duties in their names But if their names will not worke enough the ground that the Text addeth inforcing this dutie doth more strongly presse them and the ground is considering thy selfe least thou also be tempted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our eies happily are watchfull but are more fixed vpon others then vpon our selues we take delight to pry farre into other mens faults and a pleasing thing it is to flesh and blood to be learned in such arguments But it is but a propertie of Vultures and Rauens that quickly sent carrion and hast vnto it the Holy Ghost here taketh off our eyes from other obiects and fastens them vpon our selues we are the book which our selues should most study we should know none so well as our selues But when we are brought so farre as to study our selues we study like the Pharisee read nothing in our selues but our owne perfections if GOD hath giuen vs any guifts we need no spectacles to read it the characters are alwayes of the largest sise yea we oftentimes read more then is written and giue thankes to GOD for that which he hath not bestowed or not bestowed in that measure which we suppose we haue Because of our ouer great docilitie to study this argument the Scripture passeth by it and reads vs another lesson the lesson of our infirmities looke we must vpon our selues yea and to our selues also but that which we must behold and heed is least thou also be tempted Consider Quia homo es habens naturam mutabilem saith THEODORET No man in this world is so spirituall but he is also carnall St HIEROME with this Text censured the Heretickes of old and we may censure some that liue at this day who thinke that a righteous man is such a tree as can beare no bad fruit but posse peccare is the portion of euerie mortall man and he that standeth may fall for we all walke in the middest of snares Aut sumus aut fuimus aut possumus esse quod haec est euen he that hath ouercome temptation knowes how hard a thing it is to be tempted And if it be hard then should not we be hard hearted towards them whom it foyleth Which obseruation is not vnnecessarie because our nature is as prone to rigor as it is to sinne we are to haue an eye to both and indeed nothing will make vs sooner auoid the temptation vnto rigor then the acknowledgment that our felues are prone to sinne it is St AVSTINS rule Nil sic ad misericordiam inclinat ac proprij periculi cogitatio he that knowes he may need mercie hath a good inducement to shew mercie Wherefore as to the comfort of the Penitent I may promise her that her teares are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though she sow in teares Basil she shall reape inioy so let me aduise you to forgiue and it shall be forgiuen vnto you He that is mercifull doth good to his owne soule saith SOLOMON Prou. 11. Ecel 8. Eph. 4. Colos 3. Wherefore despise ye not a man returning from his sinne be courteous one towards another and tender hearted forgiuing freely as God for Christ sake forgiueth you St PAVL doth teach vs this lesson in this Text the Text is documentum exemplum the matter of it informeth vs yea the phrase is a good patterne vnto vs in deliuering an argument of mercie he vseth not a word that doth not sauour of mercie Homo noting the pronesse of our nature to sinne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the occasions of sinne praeoccupatus the surprisall all in fauour of the Penitent And what meaneth the name of Brother Spirituall the Spirit of Meeknesse Consider thy selfe Thou mayst be tempted Are they not as water cast vpon the fire of our zeale to temper it if it grow too hot Then looke we on the words all call vpon vs that as we are eye witnesses and eare witnesses of this Penitents confession contrition so we should let GOD and the Angels see how full we are of compassion Compassion that must moue vs all to pray to GOD for her that God by the power of the keyes may loose her from those bands wherewith her sinne her crying sinne hath tyed her God heare vs and worke by vs and in vs that she may be fully restored and her fall may make vs all to beware Amen Blessed are the mercifull for they shall find mercie A SERMON PREACHED IN THE CATHEDRAL CHVRCH OF WELS AT WHAT TIME A MAN DID PENANCE FOR INCEST WITH HIS WIVES DAVGHTER 1 CORINTH 5. VERSE 1 c. 1 Jt is reported commonly that there is fornication amongst you and such fornication as is not so much as named amongst the Gentiles that one should haue his fathers wife 2 And ye are puffed vp and haue not rather mourned that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from amongst you 3 For J verily as absent in body but present in spirit haue iudged already as though J were present against him that hath so done this deed 4 Jn the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ when ye are gathered together and my spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ 5 To deliuer such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saued in the day of the Lord Jesus THE present occasion led me to this Text and this Text that I haue read vnto you well fitteth
because as the Apostle teacheth she is of him and for him and therefore is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 7. yet in coniugall power they are equall Man hath no power ouer his body no more hath the woman ouer hers each is in the others power and that in solidum they haue coequall command each ouer the other So likewise their coniugall affections should be coequall they should embrace each the other with entire and vndeuided loue no reseruation of that kind may be endured by the bond of wedlocke on either side the mans or the womans It is true that Licentiousnesse hath distinguished where the Law hath not distinguished and libertie hath beene granted to men to share their bodyes and their affections amongst many women but women are denyed that libertie and haue euer beene required to confine their affections to one man and communicate their bodyes to no more then one which distinction of licentiousnesse hath specious grounds First they say the ends of marriage are lesse preiudiced if the libertie be granted vnto men then if it should be granted vnto women Are they preiudiced Then preiudiced But nothing should be granted that doth preiudice those ends Away then with that Apologie for Lust There is another taken from the example of the Patriarkes and indeed so the Iewes vnderstand this Text as if it were an allegation of the Fathers to proue Polygamie and read it thus An non vnus fecit Did not our father Abraham take many wiues And yet he had aboundance of Spirit i. aboundance of the spirit and grace of GOD he know what he did and he did nothing amisse Why should not we imitate him But supposing that reading to this obiection in the next words the Prophet shapes an answer he sought an holy seed that is as the Fathers say non fecit propter libidinem sed propter orbitatem he did it not to satissie his lust but that he might haue an heire according to GODS Promise And if you looke vpon the storie of the Patriarkes ABRAHAM and IACOB you shall find that though they had more wiues then one yet neuer had they them out of lust no nor out of their owne choyce ABRAHAM tooke HAGAR but he was importuned to doe it by his wife SARA yea and SARA too would haue the child reputed hers as borne vpon her knees IACOB chose but one wife and that was RACHEL LEAH was put vpon him by deceipt and the two Mayds by the opportunitie of his wiues The after times were worse and of all the Kings of Israel were most licentious they tooke too much after the Heathen Kings but their fact can be no good president because expresly forbidden by a speciall Law Deut. 17. Some excuse them by a dispensation as likewise the Patriarkes but being vrged to shew it they are saine to supply the silence of the Bible with a conceipt that the first that swarued from the Law had his warrant by inspiration and that others tooke their allowance from his example But the excuse is dangerous and vngrounded we may not make so bold with GODS Law rather may we thinke that the best of the Patriarkes were but men and that they were carryed away with the error of their times and that GOD in mercie bore with that as with other their imperfections but we may not venter to say his Iustice did allow it A dispensation is an allowance of Iustice notwithstanding the Law but a permission is a forbearance of mercie which doth not proceed against sinne according to the rigour of the Law either to checke or to correct it We may grant the Patriarkes the benefit of such a mercifull permission but a legall dispensation we cannot grant them without better proofe As for GODS giuing of SAVLS wiues into DAVIDS bosome 2 Sam. 12.8 we are to vnderstand NATHAN of those whom SAVL neuer knew otherwise they will iustifie Incest in the right line which DAVID so abhorred that he would neuer keep companie with those Concubines which ABSALON had abused much lesse would he admit into his bosome any woman which his father-in-law had knowne Vnto this principall onenesse we must adde the accessorie of honor and concord Onenesse of honor for Vxor fulget radijs mariti vt luna solis when a man marryeth a woman with his body he doth worship her and endow her with all his worldly goods that is she becomes as noble and as rich as he is reseruing alwayes the supremacie vnto man I meane reuerence to his person which is the fountaine of her honor and obedience to his command in dispencing the goods which she holdeth from him in chiefe Onenesse of concord is a like affection and disposition in prosperitie and aduersitie which can neuer stand with Polygamie the mother of iealousie and iealousie is the mother of discord as you may gather out of the storie of SARA and HAGAR RACHEL and LEAH and the wiues of ELCANAH SAMVELS father the best mens Families haue not auoyded it All this while that I haue spoken of the onenesse in marryage you must not mistake as some haue done for there are two kinds of Polygamie Simultanea and Successiua the hauing of more wiues successiuely or at one time Some haue ouer-rackt chastitie as some haue shrunke it Hist Fab. lib. 1 The Montanists as appeares by TERTVLLIAN in his Booke de 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Nouatians as we learne out of THEODORET held that if a man buried one wife he might not marrie an other And the CHVRCH of Rome cannot excuse it selfe from this error in that it forbiddeth the blessing of second marriages in the CHVRCH and suffereth not any that hath had a second wife to enter into holy orders or that hath married a widow which is interpreted Polygamie But this kind of Polygamie was neuer forbidden by any Law it is not onely allowed Rom. 7. but commanded also 1 Tim. 5.14 Canin 8. Amb. de vidâ—â—â— The Councell of Nice hath made a Canon in defence of it and the Fathers iustifie it It is then onely Polygamia simultanea the hauing of many wiues together that is condemned by my Text by the Old Testament Austin de bono viduit c. 11. Cap. a. Cap. 19. by the New and by the Fathers as they haue occasion to speake either of the institution of marriage deliuered in Genesis or the interpretation of our Sauiour CHRIST in St MATHEW which Polygamie had its originall from LAMECH one of CAINES posteritie And this must you the Penitent obserue as that which giueth the first light vnto you of your sinne you haue offended against the onenesse of marriage As you haue offended against the onenesse the Worke so haue you against the Workemaster he is the second part that I pointed out in the Text of the Law for he is the cause of this onenesse In wedlocke there are three persons to be obserued first the Male secondly the Female and thirdly GOD that
ioyneth them together looke vpon the storie in Genesis there you shall find that ADAM non arripuit Euam sed expectauit Deum adducentem he did not carue for himselfe Math. 19. but stayed for GODS consent and therefore our Sauiour CHRIST saith Prou. 2.17 that GOD conioyned in marriage and SOLOMON saith that it is pactum Dei the couenant of God so that the lawfull coniunction of man and wife is not onely Gods ordinance but Gods act also he doth it by himselfe or his Minister the verie Heathen thought so that had a seuerall God president not onely of the substantiall parts but also of euerie circumstance of their marriage I will not trouble you with enumeration of them Obserue then the interueniencie of God in wedlocke which doth improue it though not to the state of a Romish Sacrament yet to the condition of a sacred thing and so we should esteeme it And the act of God in ioyning ADAM and EVE must be accounted a reall Law the sampler whereunto all other wedlockes were to conforme themselues as exemplysications our Sauiour CHRIST teacheth vs so to vnderstand it Math. 1â— and our Prophet doth here worke vpon it as being such But why doe I call to witnesse these sacred Authors The light of Reason taught it the Philosopher Aristotle giueth it for a Law in his Politicks and in his Oeconomicks the Romane Emperour a Deijs qui infamiae notantur Legâ— in his Digests b De intest nuptiâ—s ad Legem Iust de Adulterijs in the Code thought it reasonable to put it into their Lawes c Gratiam causa 24. quest 3. de diuortijs the Canonists make it their ground against marriage after diuorce and our Law hath prouided for it Seeing so many Lawes attend Gods legall fact it cannot be denyed but that Polygamie is a sinne against this Worke-master it cannot be denyed but that Polygamie is a sinne against the Law-giuer as well as against his Law Whence you the Penitent may make a farther discouerie of your sinne you haue offended against the onenesse in marriage not onely that which God hath commanded but also that onenesse which God himselfe by his owne act hath made And if this Anabaptisticall libertie of hauing many wiues so offend for Anabaptists in this dotage of the world and their abettors haue beene the Authours and practisers of these masterlesse lusts how odious is the communitie of wiues and the Familists worke of darkenesse Surely 1 Cor. 6. though he that is ioyned to a Harlot as the Apostle speaketh be one flesh yet that onenesse is not of Gods making for he maketh none one but according to the Law before specified And let this suffice for the matter of the Text I come now to the manner The manner is powerfull for MALACHI deliuereth it in forme of a question which layeth the matter close to the conscience Did he not make one is as much as can you deny it Doth not the Law expresly say it This is an vndeniable truth so that he worketh vpon a known principle and giueth vs to vnderstand that principles of faith and good manners should be familiarly knowne the Catechisticall points should be euerie bodyes study and they should be ready with vs vpon all occasions to resolue our Consciences they are the best guid of our Iudgements when we come to try the conclusions that learned men deduce from them yea if we hold them we need not be perplexed in conscience if we haue not skill enough to iudge of the controuersies that doe arise concerning those conclusions It is true that CHRIST biddeth vs search the Scripture Iohn 5. Col. 8. Hebr. 5. and St PAVL willeth vs to let the Word of God dwell richly in vs and those that are of full age should by reason of vse haue their senses exercised to discerne good and euill But if our breeding haue not beene so good nor our capacitie so great we must be sure to hold the foundation the Principles of Religion must not be strange vnto vs if we take not so much paines as to be well skild in them our state to God-ward is but comfortlesse This I would haue them take notice of who neither themselues know their Catechisme nor take care that their children and seruants according to the Law be bred vp therein the Prophets Sermon could little haue profited these Iewes had they not been acquainted with his sext and because the common people know not much of their Catechisme they profit little by our Sermons for the truth hereof I report me to your owne consciences as the Prophet here doth for the vndoubtednesse of his Text. I haue done with the Text of the Law I come now to the Sermon of the Prophet I told you it is short but full for it hath the two parts of a Sermon whereof the first is doctrine and here is a indicious one To make it plaine you must conceiue that the Prophet argues vpon his Text thus God made but one was it because he could make no more or because he would not It was not because he could not for he had aboundance of spirit or as some read Excellencie ioyne them together and the sense will be full anoundance of excellent Spirit The words may point out either Gods power or his store and signifie that neither his power was enfeebled by the creation of one nor his store exhausted And indeed touching his power how should that be enfeebled which is infinite Sine numero sine mensura as St BERNARD speaketh it is not restrayned with any bounds it is true that his Will doth not alwayes extend as farre as his power but his power neuer commeth short of his Will Ps 135.6 Luke 1.37 for he doth whatsoeuer he will both in Heauen and in earth neither is any thing impossible vnto him Neither is the abundance of his excellent store any whit lesse consider but the infinite number of Angels which he made before he made man DANIEL saith that thousand thousands ministred vnto him Dan. 7. Ps 68. and ten thousand times ten thousands stood before him Or looke to that which was done after he made that one looke how many millions of men there haue beene since he created that one Hebr. 12. so many Spirits hath he created for he is the Father of our Spirits Eccl. 12. and when we dye the Preacher saith they returne to God that gaue them vs. Obserue that whereas man consisteth of a body and a soule there could be no question but God had stuffe enough to make more bodyes all the doubt was of the soule therefore the Prophet toucheth at that and not at the other and giues vs to vnderstand that it was as easie to Gods power to breathe more Spirits of life as of the dust of the earth or ribbe of man to make more bodyes Obserue secondly that the addition of Excellencie is ioyned with Spirit to
vpon whom this Law was made blasphemed but in his rage as appeares yet he dyed for it Wonder not at GODS seueritie he measureth no more to himselfe then he doth to Parents Exod. 21 to Magistrates He that curseth his father and his mother the parents of his flesh must be vsed so and shall not he be vsed so much more that curseth the Father of his Spirit He that speaketh euill of the Ruler of the people must be vsed so and shall not he that speaketh euill of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords The comparison maketh Quicunque in GODS case to be most iust To which root we shall refer your Blasphemie that are the penitent I know not in charitie we hope the best we hope that it commeth from a mixture of grosse ignorance and vnruly passions for these doe rayse euill thoughts and murmurings That it doth so let it appeare in your repentance St Paul in conscience of his Fall by ignorance gaue himselfe no better a title when he had occasion to mention it then Maximus peccatorum the most grieuous of sinners euen when he lead a most holy life he could not forget his fall in the hight of GODS grace And of St Peter the Ecclesiasticall Storie reports that at the crowing of the Cocke the Remembrancer of his Fall euerie night during his life he did wash his bed and water his couch with his penitent teares GOD make you so mindfull and so sorrowfull otherwise you will betray that your Blasphemie sprang from malice and then be sure that the same GOD that commanded such seueritie to be executed here on earth will himselfe execute much greater vpon all those which through irrepentance goe to Hell Yea haply he may euen in this world make you a Spectacle of a forlorne wretch to the terrour of others as he did Sennacherib Hercdot â—â—b 8. vpon whose Statua there is this Inscription 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let euerie one that looketh vpon me learne to be godly Such a Spectacle I say may he make you if by often recounting and bewayling of this crying sin you doe not quench the fire of his wrath and preuent his iudgements For God will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his Name in vaine The last point is that it must be done without all indulgence Moriendo morietur he shall surely dye surely be stoned We may not with Eue turne surely into ne fortè lest the Diuel worke vpon vs and we prouoke GOD as Saul did in Agags case and Ahab in Benadads You haue heard the Law A word of those to whom it was giuen and so I end In the entrance of my Text you find that it was giuen to the Israelites the Israelites were the people of GOD and surely it concernes them if any to be most zealous of his glorie who is their Glorie But did it concerne them onely Then it is dissolued because their Common-weale is at an end Take therefore a Rule That if a Law which in the institution thereof was Nationall to the Iewes in the equitie of it be Oecumenicall euerie Christian nation is bound to giue it a Reuiuor though they may varie the punishment as they find it expedient for their State And indeed this hath receiued such a reuiuor in most Christian States Iustinian the Emperour of Constantinopâ—e made it capitall The wise Gothes inflicted an hundred stripes for it and in disgrace shaued the delinquents head and beard and imprisoned him during life Fredericke the Emperour cut out the tongue of all that offended in this kind St Lewis of France caused their tongue to be bored with a hot Iron wishing that his owne tongue might be so vsed if euer he did blaspheme Philip of Vuloys caused their lips to be slit And touching our owne State I haue nothing to say in excuse thereof for that it hath all this while left this sinne onely to Ecclesiasticall censure and hath not prouided some corporall punishment for it but that of Solon who being demanded why he made no Law against Parricide answered that he thought none in his Common-weale would euer be so impious to commit it So I thinke our State thought there would neuer rise such lewd persons amongst vs But seeing there doe it is high time we had some sharpe occasionall Statute to represse them If holy Iob were so carefull to sacrifice for and sanctifie his sonnes ne fortè lest peraduenture they had sinned with what zeale should we be stirred vp when we see the fact is most apparent I conclude Let all Blasphemie be put out of all our mouthes yea and hearts also and let vs pray GOD to set a watch before our lips and keepe the doore of our mouthes that his grace may rule in our hearts that he may be our feare and his prayse may be our talke that praysing him here on Earth we may be admitted into the number of his Saints which with heart and voyce prayse him for euermore in Heauen A penitent Prayer for a Blasphemer MOST Sacred and most dread Almightie Euerlasting God to whom the Angels continually doe cry Holy holy holy Lord God of Hoasts the glorie of whose admirable and comfortable wisedome reacheth from one end of the world to another mightily and sweetly ordereth all things J the vnworthiest of men the most grieuous of sinners humbly sorrowfully prostrating my deiected disconsolate both soule and body before thy holy eyes pray that the sighes and groanes of a broken and contrite heart may not be excluded from thine offended eares Lord J haue beene deepe in the gall of bitternesse and in the bond of iniquitie Sathan hath filled my heart therewith and out of the aboundance thereof my tongue hath sent forth many flashes euen of the fire of Hell as a brood of the Serpent J haue set my mouth against Heauen J haue blasphemed the holy the reuerend Name of my God and vilified his vnchangeable vnchallengable Prouidence Haddest thou dealt with me as I deserued fire and brimstone from Heauen should haue consumed me or the Earth should haue gaped and swallowed me downe quicke into the pit of Hell J deserued to be made a spectacle of thy iust vengeance that gracelesse wretches seeing my iudgement might feare my offence J confesse this ô Lord J confesse it vnfainedly penitently but woe is me if J haue no more to confesse but these my euill deserts Thy long-suffering towards me putteth me in better hope yea this medicinall confusion whereunto thou now puttest me puts me in good hope that thou hast not forgotten to be mercifull vnto me neither hast thou shut vp thy tender mercie in displeasure Lord J doe not despise this goodnesse of thine that leads me to repentance that workes in me remorce of conscience And from that penitent Blasphemer that proued a most worthy Apostle from his mouth doe J take vnto my selfe that saying worthy of all men to be receiued That Iesus Christ came into the world to saue
sinners euen such sinners of whom I am chiefe Now then J beseech thee let the power of my Lord be great according as thou hast spoken The Lord is slow to anger and of great mercie and forgiueth iniquitie and sinne Be mercifull J beseech thee to the impietie of thy seruant according to thy great mercie let the vngodlinesse of my heart of my mouth be blotted out of thy remembrance let it not bring vpon me the vengeance J deserue but create in me a new heart and touch my tongue with a cole from thine Altar that J which am vnworthy by reason of my scandalous crying sinne to meditate on or make mention of thy glorious Maiestie thy diuine Wisedome may haue a heart alwayes enditing good things and my blasphemous tongue may be turned into an instrument of thy glorie So shall my soule be filled as it were with marrow and fatnesse when J shall prayse thee with ioyfull lips and J shall sing forth thy wonderous mercie all the dayes of my life Heare me ô Father of mercie for giue me amend me and establish in me this holy purpose of my repentant heart to thy glorie and the comfort of enormous sinners for Jesus Christs sake by the powerfull operation of thy Holy Spirit Amen A SERMON PREACHED AT St ANDREWS IN WELLES A SCHISMATIQVE DOING PENANCE WHO HAD FOR MANY YEERES ESTRANGED HIMSELFE FROM THE COMMVNION OF OVR CHVRCH 1 CORINT 3.18 18 Let no man deceiue himselfe if any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world let him become a foole that he may be wise A Particular visible Church is built vpon two foundations Vnion and Communion a louing vnion of the faithfull and an holy communion in sacred things Both these must be preserued or else that Church will come to naught Now there were amongst the Corinthians that did vndermine these foundations some rent the vnion and the communion was corrupted by other-some St Paul wrot this Epistle to amend them both And marke what a distinct course he taketh He first setleth the vnion before he offereth to purge the communion And there is good reason why for though the louing vnion of the faithfull be vnprofitable if it be without a holy communion in sacred things yet is a holy communion in sacred things impossible if you take away the louing vnion of the faithfull Therefore lest St Paul should lose his labour in redressing of the communion he first taketh care of repayring the vnion The first thing then that in the Church of Corinth he reformes is Schisme and he spends well-nigh foure Chapters in reforming thereof in throughly searching into the disease and applying thereto a soueraigne remedy The words that now I haue read vnto you belong to the remedy and you shall find them to be a principall branch thereof Let vs come more closely to them Of medicinall remedies some are preseruatiue some are restoratiue The preseruatiue are for the sound the restoratiue are for the sicke You shall find them both in my Text and you shall find that they are Catholica remedia such remedies as doe or may concerne vs all The preseruatiue remedy is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prouidence or the preuention of Schisme you haue it in these words Let no man deceiue himselfe The restoratiue is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 repentance or the recouering of a Schismatique it followeth in these words If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world let him be a foole that he may be wise But more distinctly In the preseruatiue we are to behold our naturall weakenesse and therefore to learne spirituall carefulnesse St Paul supposeth that we are prone to deceiue our selues and therefore aduiseth that no man should doe himselfe that wrong Let no man deceiue himselfe In the restoratiue we must behold first the distemper of a Schismatique and then the cure fitting to such a distemper The distemper is a carnall selfe-conceit a selfe-conceit for the man thinkes himselfe wise but the selfe-conceipt is but carnall as appeares by the limitation or extenuation rather that is added to his wisedome he is onely wise in this world Such is his distemper Whereof the first cure is an exalting humilitie The first branch is humilitie He must become a foole but he need not be disheartened there followeth an exaltation thereupon He becomes a foole that he may be wise These are the remedies And they are as I told you Catholica remedia such remedies as doe or may concerne vs all The preseruatiue doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let no man deceiue himselfe The restoratiue may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If any That which hath befalne this man may be the case of the best of vs all These are the particulars which GOD-willing I shall now enlarge and apply vnto this present occasion I pray GOD we may so doe it as that we all not this Penitent onely may be the better for it The first remedy is the preseruatiue and therein the first thing that I pointed out is our naturall weaknesse This St Paul supposeth we may gather it out of that which he aduiseth for in vaine were his aduise if there were not a truth in that which he supposeth but farre be it from vs to thinke that the Holy Ghost doth require any thing in vaine let it stand then for an vndoubted truth that we are prone by nature to deceiue our selues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence the Verbe is deriued which is vsed by the Apostle signifieth a leauing of the right way which putteth vs in mind that in this world we are but way-faring men When we are admitted into the Church we are set in the path which will lead vs to our euerlasting home but when we are in it we may goe out of it It appeares too plainly in Adam and Eue and it is not to be expected that the children should be better then the parents especially seeing our restitution commeth short of that measure of grace which they had in their Creation It being true that we may the question is How it comes to passe that we doe goe out of the way and leaue the straight path wherein we are set the Scripture obserues two meanes the one without vs the other within vs that is the world this is concupiscence the world allures concupiscence inclines Adde hereunto a third that is the diuel he blancheth the world that it may allure more strongly and worketh concupiscence by perswasion that it may yeeld more readily and these betweene them consummate the deceipt whereby we are led out of the way But betweene these we must obserue a great difference that which worketh the deceipt from without is but an occasion that which worketh it from within is the true cause thereof the world the diuel Suadere possunt cogere non possunt they may sollicit powerfully but they cannot inforce vs vnwillingly to goe out of the way Physicall actions may be constrayned morall cannot I may haue
be ready to entertaine that which GOD prescribes So shall we be sure either at all not to deceiue our selues or if we haue beene ouertaken by carnall selfe-conceit we shall not refuse to be fooles that we may be wise GOD vouchsafe vs this preuenting Prouidence and recouering Repentance as that we may not either stray at all or if we stray that we may returne againe till we come to that place where there is no feare of straying no need of returning whither GOD our mercifull Father bring vs through Jesus Christ our Sauiour that is made the wisedome of GOD vnto vs by the gracious influence of the Holy Spirit of Wisedome into vs. To this one GOD in three persons be rendred all honor and glorie c. Πάντοτε δόξα Θηῶ. SVNDRIE SERMONS PREACHED AT COVRT By the right reuerend Father in God ARTHVR LAKE late Lord Bishop of BATHE and WELLES PRVDENTIA LONDON Printed by T.C. and R.C. for N. Butter 1629. A SERMON PREACHED AT FARNEHAM ON St IAMES HIS DAY BEEING THE DAY OF KING IAMES HIS CORONATION IAMES 1. VERSE 12. 12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tryed he shall receiue the crowne of life which the Lord hath promised to them that loue him THIS day directs vs to this Epistle and these words thereof are not vnfit to refresh a solemne vse that to our great and common comfort hath beene made of this day The vse was a Coronation and a Coronation is a principall point in this Text but the Coronation that was then beheld is past that whereof we are now to heare is to come yet this mutuall helpe they will yeild the one to the other that which is to come may call to mind that which is past and by that which is past we may the better conceiue that which is to come Yea by comparing them we shall perceiue that that which is to come is much more desirable then that which is past For although flesh and blood may affect that which is past per se as if to be a Soueraigne on earth vpon any condition were a soueraigne good yet a Christian doth not he cannot as he ought digest those vexations which sowre euen a kingly state but propter aliud in hope to be a copartner of a greater a quieter crowne in Heauen This hope doth St Iames cherish in these words he animates great personages to be constant notwithstanding all troubles knowing that their patience is not in vaine in the Lord. That he speakes to great personages appeareth in the tenth verse Let the rich reioyce when he is brought low where he teacheth two lessons First That great men may be brought low Secondly That yet they must reioyce That great men may be brought low is not strange to reason therefore St Iames doth onely represent that truth in a knowne yet a liuely resemblance of fading and withering hearbes and flowres But that notwithstanding they are brought low they must reioyce is an harder truth reason whose principall it is that nothing delights in its owne destruction will not yeeld it Our Apostle therefore workes an assent thereunto out of supernaturall grounds he sets downe two faire ones in my Text whereof the first openeth the nature the second the end of patience The nature of patience is briefly but fully set downe here ratione obiecti subiecti The obiect is temptation but because thereof there are diuers sorts here is added a note of difference it is such temptation as maketh tryed men The subiect is Man but not euerie man it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man of more then ordinarie place and worth and his worth is here distinctly set downe in two points wherein it principally doth consist and the points are answerable to the two parts of the obiect The first part of the obiect is Temptation that layeth on load vpon the outward man in regard thereof he must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he must hold out vnder his burden The second part of the obiect is the tryall and that inquires into the inward man in regard thereof he must hold out out of that loue which he beareth to GOD. When such an obiect meeteth with such a subiect there ariseth the vertue patience You haue heard the nature thereof now heare the end The end is suitable to the vertue a happy end of so worthy a vertue the end is blessednesse and what would not a man doe to compasse blessednesse But what is this blessednesse though all desire it yet few are agreed about the nature of it quot capita tot sensus euerie man striueth for his owne To compose this difference the Holy Ghost must interpose and define he doth it here behold a full definition in two words A crowne of life without life there is no blessednesse and no life is blessed without this crowne You see the end one thing remaines the assurance that this is the end of patience that we haue here also in two verbes The Lord hath promised it and the patient man shall receiue it The warrant is good that hath GODS word and here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is he that warranteth it but his warrant is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a promise so that the crowne must be claymed not by the Law but by the Gospel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he that is the Lord may by vertue of his Law command patience but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 putteth vs in mind how much we are beholding vnto the Gospel by which he vouchsafeth a recompence Yea though he doth vouchsafe it and besides his promise the patient man hath no right vnto it he needs not distrust 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is as true as the Gospel he in all be sure of it You see the substance of this Scripture and see that it brancheth it selfe into pataence and a recompence whereof the patient man may not be proud and yet he is most sure Let vs now run ouer these points orderly I pray GOD we may doe it profitably also The first is the obiect of patience and that is called temptation here see how the phrase is changed of the rich man it was said before that he was brought low here it is said that he endureth temptation that was a vulgar phrase this is facred that might be vnderstood by reason this onely by faith you will confesse it if we doe a little rip vp the nature of it GOD made man though vpright yet mutable the root of mutabilitie was Freewill by which man may encline to either side Notwithstanding this mutabilitie man did owe vnto GOD a constant and absolute obedience whether he would performe it it was to appeare his Vnderstanding and his Will were to be exercised the one with arguments the other with occasions which might discouer the one the resolution the other the election of man what way he would take the right-hand or the left the way of life or death These arguments and occasions
CHRISTS deed a verie miraculous deed As there was a miracle in this deed so was there in his words for they were commanding and the command was no lesse effectuall then peremtorie dixit factum est all obeyed without disputing Measure these words as you did the deed by the out-side of the person they also proue a great Miracle When CHRIST with such words and deeds had amazed the Iewes and prepared their attention tanquam Dominus carrying himselfe as a King he then goeth on saith St Cyril tanquam Doctor at my Text he puts on the person of a Prophet he seconds his correction with instruction and diswades from that which prouoked his displeasure So then the opening and forbidding of the Iewes sinne are the two points whereinto we must resolue this Scripture The Iewes did confound the Temple with a Market that was their sinne and that was it which CHRIST could not endure But more distinctly The Temple is a place of GODS gratious presence Of his presence for it is his House But that presence is gratious for he is there as the Father of CHRIST Sancta Sanctè they must looke to their feet that come into this House and put off their shooes that tread vpon that holy ground The Market is an House of Merchandize men assemble there for worldly commerce Terrena sapiunt dum terrena tractant as are the things so will their minds be those earthly therefore these Seing then these places be so different and our carriage must suit the place we cannot confound them without sinne and this sinne CHRIST forbids Make not my Fathers House an house of merchandize I haue vnfolded and digested the contents of this Scripture we must now looke into them more throughly I pray GOD we may doe it fruitfully also To begin then with the Temple It is here called Gods House But we may not grosly conceiue of this phrase or dreame that he is included in a place The properties of a place are to be definitiue and preseruatiue it limits and sustaines whatsoeuer thing is in it whereupon the Schooles make a question whether it may agree to any Spirit at all But it is out of all question That to GOD the Father of Spirits it can no way agree It could not before the Creation for then there was nothing but GOD neither can it since for he impaired not his owne when he gaue being to the Creatures His Essence then continueth vnlimited higher then the Heauens deeper then Hell longer then the Earth wider then the Sea as Zophar the Naamathite speaketh in the 11 of Iob GOD hath no bounds of himselfe but himselfe As his Essence continues vnlimited so doth it independent his name is Shaddai All-sufficient therefore doth the Scripture adde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to his perfections 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Onely-wise Onely-immortall Onely-Lord c. and the Fathers compound his Attributes with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mightie of himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 true of himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sufficient of himselfe what GOD is none is besides neither is he beholding to any besides himselfe for whatsoeuer he is Seeing then the condition of GODS nature doth exclude a place how may he be said to be in a house Philo Iudaeus answereth truly though briefly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not for his owne but for his Creatures good yea there is a necessitie that wheresoeuer a Creature is there the Creator must be also for all things liue moue and haue their being not onely by him but in him Act. 17. as the Apostle speaketh So that Vorstius his limitation of GODS Essence to Heauen doth imply a denyall not onely of the Redemption for the Sonne of GOD could not be incarnate on earth if that were true but also of the Creation for if GODS Essence be not present with euerie creature then the creature subsisteth in it selfe and looke in what it subsisteth from that it had his being and so the Creature will proue a Creator which is a plaine contradiction Let it then stand for a fundamentall truth That GODS Essence is euerie-where and we are euer not onely vnder his eye but also in his hand therefore it is as impossible for vs to subsist without him as to hide our selues from him If we did meditate on such a presence it would breed in vs shame and feare shame to be guiltie before such a witnesse and feare to be obnoxious to such a Iudge But more think on GOD then make vse of this generall presence and no wonder seeing they neglect a greater shall I say certainly a better I meane GODS gratious presence in the Temple Let vs now come to that from a place to this place the place of GODS residence amongst his people Though then GOD be euerie-where yet where the Church is there is in a speciall sort his place which in my Text is called his house Now the Church is partly triumphant and partly militant therefore hath GOD an House in Heauen Cap. 14 of which CHRIST speaketh in St Iohn and an House on earth which Salomon speaketh of in his dedicatorie Prayer 1 Kings 8. we haue to doe with this latter yet may we not forget that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is good correspondencie betweene the House in Heauen and the House on Earth as Nazianzene gathereth out of the Epistle to the Hebrewes Cap. 8. and the Apostle out of Moses Hereupon is grounded the frequent communion of names Heauen is called a Sanctuarie and the Sanctuarie is called Heauen as if that were Caelestle solum Earth in Heauen and this terrestre Caelum Heauen on Earth which I note the rather because this correspondencie maketh much for the increase of that reuerence which is due to the place The place of GODS presence in the Temple was full of gratious Maiestie Of Maiestie for it was called Hekal which signifieth a Kingly Palace And indeed GOD represented himselfe there as King for he was present in the Cloud that conducted the Israelites out of Aegypt Exod. 23 and of the Angel that appeared therein GOD said Nomen meum est in eo therefore where that rested GOD was said there to put his Name and it rested betweene the Cherubins as vpon a Throne of State to say nothing of the Cherubs that were figured on the walles enuironing that Throne seruing to set forth the Maiestie thereof But this is much more cleere in the Visions of Esay Ezechiel Daniel and St Iohn all which put life into these dead Types and set forth the liuing GOD attended with infinite numbers of holy liuing Spirits whose awfull behauiour preach humilitie to vs vile sinfull wretches and teach how we should come into the presence of our glorious GOD we should all be affected as Iacob was in his vision and breake out into his words How dreadfull is this place Gen. 28. But as the place is full of Maiestie so is that Maiestie gratious for there