vnderstanding Poperie hath no new arguments but the olde colworts in a new dish but infatuate flesh wormes cannot iudge of false dice they haue drunke of the whores wine and haue lost their wits But alas how many are there which answer to the name of Iapheth as Abshalom answered to the name of Abshalom which signifieth the fathers peace which bring as much tractablenes to the Church as he brought peace and comfort to his father Dauid and Noah when they gaue those names spake as they would haue it but the wicked will do as they lust Yet the lord hath said enough to melt the obstinate though they were rocks because he knoweth that they are obstinate Isaiah 48.3.4 and their necke is an yron sinew and their brow brasse And therefore who can come after him to say any more All that we can do is to repeat his sayings If there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of loue Phil. 2.12 if any fellowship of the spirit if any compassion mercie let vs be like minded hauing the same loue beeing of one accord and of one iudgement Let Iapheth come to Shem for Shem may not come to Iapheth no the Lord hath forbidden it by Ieremie Ier. 15.19 Isaiah 11.6.7 It is a prophecie of the fiercest if they be not reprobates that the Wolfe Leoparde Lion and Beare shall be made innocent and sociable to the most harmelesse and helplesse creatures The second conclusion out of this text is thus framed that because the conuersion of Iapheth is determined to be by the onely power of God it is therefore required of necessitie that the Lord himselfe by his spirit performe it The Lord who onely can shall entise Iapheth For although this text doth expresly containe neither the addition of necessitie that it must needes bee the Lord that must doe it nor the exclusiue that none other can do it yet vnder this zealous contemplation of Gods mercy and power in this affectionate speech The Lord it hath them both by implication by presupposing that seeing the Lord will needes haue it done hee must need doe it himselfe because none others can If anie doe still obiect that this point that it is Gods onely work to conuert cannot bee concluded out of this Text without adding the word onely vnto it let him againe vnderstand that it is not added presumptuously but only in sense supplied where otherwise it is vnderstood meant alreadie And this supply is after the exaÌ„ple of Christs collection out of those words of Moses that we must serue God from whence he gathereth that we must serue god alone Deut. 6.13 Math. 4.10 teaching vs to conclude in like case that if the scriptures doe shew that there is not any other power of conuersion besides the spirit of God as we shall see they doe then where it is said that the Lord conuerteth it is there meant that he onely conuerteth and none other So then this text teacheth vs that true conuersion is not the worke of any inferior power but is one of the peculiar works of the holy omnipotent spirit of God And if the question should be to whom it did appertaine to preuaile by perswading would we not haue recourse and refuge to this scripture for solution The Lord shall perswade Iapheth This likewise appeareth vnto vs by the euidence of other scriptures First the exclusiue is plaine 1. Câ—â— â— 7 that he that planteth is not anie thing at all that is to say in the worke of true conuersion And the necessity is as plaine where Christ saith no man caÌ„ come to me except the father which hath sent me draw him Iohn 6.44 he himselfe must of necessitie draw him For this is true of euerie perfect gift that it commeth downe from the father of lights I am 1.17 and he reserueth the donation to himselfe And therefore the Prophet saith Lord thou hast wrought all our works for vs. Isai 26.12 The scriptures before the Lord reuiueth vs call vs dead Ephes 2.1 yea dead in trespasses and sinnes And the sonne of God saith that our reuiuing from this death Iohn 5.25 must be by hearing the voice of the sonne of God And Saint Paul saith that our quickning meaning this first quickning must be by no lesse then by the spirit of him that raised vp Iesus Rom. 8.11 And he likewise otherwhere ascribeth faith to the working of Gods mightie power Ephes 1.19 So that if there follow eyther will or deed in vs God worketh that also of his good pleasure and will Phil. 2.13 As Fulgentius more largely expresseth it Fulgen. lib. 1 ad MonimuÌ„ Dei est vt bonum facere velimus vt bonum facere valeamus Our will and our power of doing well are both to be ascribed to God And Augustine saith Quos spiritus sanctus intus non docet indoctirede unt August in Epost Ichan tract 3. whom the holy ghost teacheth not inwardly they depart vnlearned There are two principall causes why we should lay this to heart The first that we may not erre in the truth of religion in ascribing any thing to our selues as if we were able to stirre vp our selues For as Saint Paul saith We are not sufficient of our selues so much as to think any thing as of our selues 2 Cor. 3.5 but our suffciencie is of God And perpetuall experience reuealeth it that they which continue in this opinion of free will are egregious inueterate hypocrites dying eyther desperate or senselesse The other cause is least we should erre in the truth of affection that is to say in thinking that a lesser measure of affectioÌ„ wil serue in applying our selues to our conuersion then will For when we heare tell that what other power soeuer of the keyes is in the Church Christ himself carieth that key of Dauid Rauel 3.7 that shutteth and no man can open it will make vs to lift vp our hearts aboue all that is called the world And certainely the Spirit of God himselfe by this holy meditation lifteth vs vp to such a zealousnesse in prayer and such a contention of Spirit in making towards God in all kind of duties as they that are informed that none can conuert vs so as we shall be conuerted that is so as our conuersion shall stand good but only he We may be well assured that the Spirit of God worketh not effectually in vs if our affections be cold in turning vnto him And therefore we had need to arise make toward him Men pride themselues in a few remorsfull thoughts break the back of Gods mercie with wilful wickednes they offer sacrifice to their own hypocrisie think highly of themselues for a thing of nothing Wee had more neede to diuide our prayers and one while to supplicate seriously vnto him for stronger affections and another while to desire him to blesse those affections which hee hath
though they seeme neuer so spirituall yet reiect not the spirits of the zealous because they are zealous For as there is a doctrine that is of God so there are spirits that are of God in whom the holy Ghost worketh mightily Now if thou say to me that then it will follow that where the preaching hath no good effect there the Preacher spake not from the Spirit of God Vnderstand for answer that no such thing will follow For the holy Ghost may worke in a man and yet not worke by him vpon others but his prayer and his preaching may returne into his owne bosome And Noahs meaning in this prophecie was that the conuersion of the Gentiles shold be wrought through the holy Ghost by the perswasiue spirit of the teachers and the perswasible spirit of the hearers The Lord therefore increase among you men of a gracious perswasion that may confirme you with the confirmations of God in the religion of God And the Lord reueale his arme so in the ministerie that wee may haue occasion to ascend into that same speech of Saint Paule O the deepenesse of the riches of God wherein Augustine saith is contained the solution of that question August deâ—… spiritu libera cap. 34. why some are conuerted rather then some The third conclusion out of this text is concerning the meanes which the Lord vseth in drawing men to his kingdome to wit that because hee will conuert them therefore hee will conuert them by allurements The Lord shall allure Iapheth signifying that the allurements of God are in the doctrine of the Gospell and in Euangelicall examples For although wee reade how that the Lord hath laid violent hands vpon some as vpon Saint Paul in the way to Damascus Act 9. yet we must make a difference between his consternation which tended to his conuersion and his conuersion it selfe which was wrought when Ananias came with the word of comfort in his mouth It is true indeed that our word ought not to stand in the entising speech of mans wisedome 1. Cor. 2.4 for the allurements are spirituall But in the meane while they are allurements still For as the Prophet Hosea saith Hos 11.4 The Lord leadeth vs with the cords of a man euen with the bands of loue and is to vs as hee that taketh off the yoke from our iawes and layeth meate vnto vs. How kindly alluring his Church to let him in is Christ induced by Salomon Cant. 5.2 Open vnto me my sister my loue my doue c How amiably doth Saint Paul quite himselfe in his embassage 2. Cor. 5.20 We are saith he Embassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you through vs wee pray you in Christs steede that you would be reconciled to God It doth then appeare that the true doctrine of Iesus Christ is alluring doctrine and replenished with sweete inducements But here likely some man bethinketh him vpon occasion of this speech of allurement that it is then a course to be taken with the Papists that they might heare of this alluring attractiue But as Saint Paule saith in a matter not much vnlike Rom. 10.18 I demand haue they not heard Haue they not beene mercifully dealt with by her Maiestie and louingly entreated by their brethren The Lord be iudge betweene them and vs concerning this thing Whatsoeuer good course hath yet beene vnassayed which tendeth to their allurement the Lord direct the hearts of his fathfull seruants to take it Alwayes prouided that their lenitie be not abused and that foolish pity marre not the citie I cannot come after with any supply of new allurements but I doe onely repeate these two motiues The first that the Papists of this land which are aforehand brought and sold like sheepe by their false brethren the Papists beyond sea shall escape the Butcher by running from the Drouer The second that they shall returne to a God which will in holy mercie do that to them which a man may not doe for his wife if when he hath put her away for her lewdnes for a time to humble her she disdaine him and become another mans Shall he returne vnto her should not then this land be polluted But they haue played the harlot with manie louers yet turn again to me saith the Lord. But let vs come to the point It is confessed on both sides both by our aduersaries and by vs that the Gospell allureth But in the meane while the controuersie is growne on which side this alluring doctrine may be on their side or on ours It shal be therefore very pertinent both to the text and time if your attention will reuiue it selfe to discusse this point though not in such measure as it may indeede be discussed yet according to the measure of the gift of God The Papists haue alreadie furnished out maine confident allegations that their religion is most politicall going about by a long induction to conclude that it sorteth best with the good gouernment of the common wealth In which disputation as they do often goe beyond the profession of diuinitie so euen there where they keepe best compasse their diuinity is turned into humanitie For their verie arguments doe betoken but an earthly well being if they could haue hit that and they manifest themselues to haue forgotten that life is of the duall number In this point likewise they are verie out-bearing and the successe which they haue found in their allurements hath made them arrogant enticers For they are indeede though verie scorpions yet such as Saint Iohn saith whose faces are like the faces of men and they haue haire as the haire of women Reue. 9.7.8 And to confesse the truth what affliction soeuer they pretend to haue beene imposed vpon them yet they haue enioyed so much peace and pampering that they haue thriuen by it in eloquence and in the musicke of Marmaids euen like the Naphthalites with ease and prosperitie they haue learned â—o giue goodly words Gen. 49.21 But the question betweene them and vs is not who are â—he cunninger enticers or the better painters they or we but whose doctrin hath more reason to allure the child of God theirs or ours As let the conteÌ„tion first be whether a man being compos mentis as we say wil rather be allured to Gods free grace which the Spirit of truth teacheth by vs but of Gods holy word or to his owne merites which the spirit of errour teacheth by them out of their own braine They say that we sell Paradise good cheape because we hold it at the Lords expresse rate as it standeth in the Prophecie of Isaiah where we are called to buy indeed but to pay nothing hauing nothing to pay as he saith Isaiah 55.1 And we say that they sell hell verie deere when they make men to pay their merits for it which otherwise cost-free that is without that blasphemous arrogaÌ„cie should haue it ouer soone for their
A SERMON PREAched at Paules Crosse the 13. of Iune 1602. Genes 9. vers 27. The Lord shall allure Iapheth and he shall dwel in the tents of Shem and Canaan shall be their seruant AFter that Moses had finished the storie of the drowning of the old world he beginneth to speake of the restoring of the earth to Noah againe And he mentioneth the thankfulnes of Noah and the blessing of God vpon him and his by bestowing both benefits lawes and promises vpon them By name he prospered the handie worke of Noah in the vineyard which hee had planted And by occasion thereof is chronicled Noahs fall by infirmity into drunkennesse and the little regard which he had of his honour in his drunkennes which appeared by his discouering of himselfe in the middest of his tent From hence as it followeth his sonne Cham tooke occasion to dishonour him both by impious lookes to the forfeiture of his owne reuerence also by impious and scornefull report of that he saw to draw his brethren to the like But he failed of his purpose for Shem being affected with due piety as the author of this filiall dutie and Iapheth being induced by his brother Shem to be a readie coadiutor in the same came to the succour of their fathers dishonour and throwing his garment that lay by vpon their shoulders with their faces from him couered him with the same reseruing their reuerence vnto him by not seeing When Noah awooke and his drunkennes was clean departed had receiued some informatiō someway of the matter concerning the behauiour of his sonnes all perturbation of mind remoued as became the Prophet of the Lord he was moued by the holy Ghost to publish vnto them by way of oracle what should seuerally befall them after this deede especially in their prosteritie So this oracle hath the commendation of the full recouerie of his sobrietie and of his due notice of the cause And first as the vengeance of God vpon Chams impietie who before is called Cham the father of Canaan he denounceth a curse against this Canaan being Chams sonne Vers 22. because as Aben Ezra supposeth this Canaan abused his grandfather to I know not vpon what ground or rather because Moses from Gods oracle not to bee examined by mans rule purposed to make the name of the Canaanites odious to the Israelites for whom he wrote this storie as they were now on their iourney to the land of Canaan to winne it The curse hee denounceth against Canaan is Gen. 10.21 that he shall be a seruant of seruants to his brethren The other two which are after called brethrē for their ioyning in this deed hee ioyneth in a blessing First hee blesseth Shem the authour thereof though otherwise yonger then Iapheth In his behalfe hee blesseth the Lord in a right feruent blessing as for some high benefit reueiled Giuing intitling intimation in his blessing that Christ should descend of him in whose ly also from that time forward true religion continued Next he blesseth in this text Iapheth Shems helper in this worke of pietie Him he blesseth in his posteritie that is in the Gentiles which should dwell far distant in Asia and Europe as Rupertus obserueth specially for as for the opinion of the Iewes that he meaneth the nations bordering on the holy land it may go amongst the rest of their vanities He prophecieth then that howsoeuer some generations of Iapheths ofspring should grow wild and barbarous and forsake the religion of Shem yet the time should come that the Lord by the vertue of his Spirit would reclaime thē and call them home to his grace And that he would worke vpon their wildnesse and fiercenesse with his sweet and amiable allurements of the Gospell and as it were to breake their hearts with kindnesse to draw them both to returne and also to abide in the tents of Shem. Speaking after their maner of dwelling then but meaning that the Gentiles whereof as I haue said a good part descended of Iapheth should be wonne to the religion of Christ the son of Shem in Gods fatherly pietie to them according to his eternall election and according to the grace and filiall pietie that God wrought in their father Iapheth when he holpe Shem to couer his father Noah For frō hence God moued Noah to promise Iapheth thus much as from the occasion but not the cause of this blessing And further he promiseth to Iapheth as before he promised to Shem that Canaan shal be his seruant because they should both successiuely participate in this dominion ouer Canaan as Moses indeed hath it plurally in both places But Iapheth hath this differēce first that Canaan which is promised to be his seruant is not to bee vnderstood literally but is to be taken vnder that name for the enemies wherewith the Church of the Gentiles in generall should be annoyed And secondly that the seruitude of Canaan shall be annexed to Iapheths dwelling with Shem and so conditionall to Iapheth to continue during his continuance in the tents of Shem. Thus the promise hath two parts the first that he shall communicate with Shem in the couenant signified by dwelling in Shems tents and the second that he shall participate with Shem in ruling ouer the enemies of the church signified by Canaans seruitude vnder him So this text is disposed into two parts that is into two promises The proposition of the former promise is that Iapheth that is Iapheths posteritie according to his name which signifieth allurable shall shew himselfe a Iapheth that is allurable and shall receiue a vocation Which is described first from the author The Lord secondly from the meanes shall allure Iapheth thirdly by the effect that hee may dwell in the tents of Shem. The proposition of the latter promise is that Canaan shall bee their seruant where Canaan is put figuratiuely And this first is inferred with that Hebrue copulatine Vau which is of so many significations and here standeth for Le magnan as it doth Leu. 18.5 Let a man keepe my statutes and he shall liue in them that is Then as it is wel rendred or vpō that condition Secondly it is denounced vnder the tearme of seruant which signifieth one that is held from hauing interest in himselfe As if Noah had extended this reuerend breuity into a larger discourse thus As I haue already partly in the right of a father and more amply in the dutie of a Prophet blessed my sonne Shem for his pietie to me wherein hee was the principal so now likewise in the like right and dutie I blesse my sonne Iapheth his coadiutor To whom as by Gods direction I gaue the name of Iapheth which carieth the signification of aptnesse to be allured so I prophecie to him in the behalfe of his posteritie that he shall in it answerably to his name be allured in the good part to good as my son here hath now been by his brother Shem in this worke