Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A20573
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A sermon preached at Saint Marie Spittle April. 10. 1615. By Thomas Anyan Doctour of Divinity, and president of Corpus Christi College in Oxon
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Anyan, Thomas, 1580 or 81-1632.
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1615
(1615)
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STC 698; ESTC S115864
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24,159
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48
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peradventure Homini otioso to one that would spend all Eccles 2. 19. And let it not be your sole care to leaue All to your riotous Executors who peradventure in few yeares will consume that estate which with much care in many yeeres you haue gathered together You must purchase something Alteri seculo for the world to come you must make your eyes in this life the overseers of some good workes you must imitate Iacob who to pacifie his brother Esau sent a Present before Gen. 32. 20. and before Cornelius could haue Peter sent vnto him hee sent his Almes deeds to vsher him vp the way into heaven And therefore it is not said in my Text he who hath or hereafter will worke righteousnes but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee that actually doth worke righteousnesse That new convert Zacheus did not say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the halfe of my goods I wil giue vnto the poore whē I am dead but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I now presently giue Such as defer the performance of the workes of righteousnes till the end of their daies are like those that cary cādles in Lanthornes behind them in a darke night whereby they direct others and themselues in the meane time fall into the ditch It is not for men to bee like swine good for nothing till they be dead or like Christmas-boxes that will afford nothing till they be broken Let vs rather imitate the example of the forenamed Zacheus who gaue in the present tense and that no small driblet but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even the halfe of his goods and substance and that not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to one poore man but to many yea and maketh proclamation that if by forged cavillation hee had wronged any man he would restore him fourefold Surely had Zacheus liu'd in these our daies hee had beene an honest Master of the Custome house For if this or the like proclamation should bee made among vs by all of his professiō how many are there in this City now in great reputation and esteeme that would haue scarce sufficient left them in this life to maintaine their families and being dead to defray the expense of an ordinary Funeral And yet these men too to sweeten the mouth of the poore and to stop the eares of the multitude will clad some few in frize when they die bequeath a solemne Potation to their adioyning friends thinking by these petty posthume workes of righteousnesse to make themselues acceptable with God Such men I can compare to nothing more fitly then to the Lion which Sampson killed which in his life time was ravenous and devoured all and being dead was found to haue some little hony in his mouth Iudg. 14. And as we are to worke righteousnes whilest we haue time or rather continually so we must worke our own not other mens we must not like Simon of Cyrene cary other mens crosses we must not be busie Bishops in other mens Diocesses but stand in that station wherevnto we are called and not thinke it sufficient in some respect to be good in other bad to bring forth with one branch sound fruit and with the other rotten but to worke righteousnes in every respect It is not sufficient for the inferiour to be a good man but to bee a good servingman for the superiour to bee a good Master but a good Magistrate It is not sufficient to be a good Preacher but a good Bishop and not only a learned Lawyer but an vpright Iudge For vnlesse in all respects we be quadrate and perfect we shall not bee accepted with God which is the end of my Text shall be the end of my speech Is accepted with God Not in strict legal rigour but in Evangelicall mitigation not because we can performe exact obedience to the Law of God or worke perfect righteousnes but because we loue purpose desire endeavour and in some measure perfourme obedience to the Law of God and where we are deficient we sigh and groane for our defects which at the Chauncery barre of Gods mercy is acceptable performance Acceptable not for our observing what the law requires but for our sincere desire to performe it because as Saint Paul saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the ready minde is accepted with God The benefits saith Aristotle lib. 1. Eth. c. 14. which men receiue from God their Parents are of that infinite worth and transcendent value that wee are not able to returne for them any correspondency of desert 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The reason is because the gifts of God and his acceptation is infinite but the actions of man finite and determinate the best whereof hath many staines and imperfections For the immediate and next causes of our workes are not altogither spirituall and totally regenerate because there dwels yet the Iebusite in Ierusalem with the Israelites the soule of man hath her inmates the Old man coinhabiting with the New the flesh with the spirit the law of sinne with the law of the mind Insomuch that the best of men cannot climbe vp to heaven without Iacobs ladder the merit of Christ and the gift of God I haue wearied my selfe am sure haue tyred you I will therefore ende all with that devout praier of Arch-bishop Anselme Recognosce Domine quod tuum est absterge quod meum ne per dat mea iniquit as quod fecit tua bonitas Accept O God of what is thine owne in vs and let not our iniquity eclipse thy gracious mercy Meritum no strum miseratio Domint our Merit is thy Mercy gracious acceptation in which we repose our whole assurance We acknowledge our selues to be naked of all righteousnes beseeching thee to cloath vs to be lame and impotent in the performance of any Good worke desiring thee to strengthen vs to be blind in our vnderstanding desiring thee to enlighten vs to be servants to sinne desiring thee to free vs and we ascribe all glory vnto thee in this world praying to be glorified of thee in the world to come FINIS * St Maries in Oxon. De Iust l. 1. c. 4. * S r Iohn Benet