architects labour with all their arr and industry to repaire the ruines of Babell but g Psal 127.1 except the Lord build the house their labour is but lost that build it and the Lord hath decreed and denounced the fall thereof by that h Apoc. 14.12 euerlasting Gospell which the Angell brought into the world therefore downe it must and the fall thereof shall be great and shall crush all that wittingly willingly and wilfully fall with it and vnder it as the i Oct. 26 1623. late fall of an house did some adhaerents vnto Babilon and presse them downe if they speedily repent not to the bottome of hell And such also will be the fall of all worldlings Iust secunda other foolish builders on the sand if they speedily conuert not and become wise builders to builde on the rocke Christ and his Sacred truth both by beleeuing and practising As here their fall was great when they wittingly and willingly consented vnto sinne and greater when they acted it and greatest of all when they persisted in it so hereafter their fall shall be exceeding great Not like k Gen. 3 23. Adams onely from a paradise of pleasure to a wildernesse of woâ— for so they fall here when they fall from truth to errour and from righteousnes to sinne and wickednes but like Lucifers who fell like l Luc. 10.11 lightning that is swiftly and suddainely from the height of heauen to the depth of hell and from being an Angell of light and a pure starre of coelestiall brightnesse to be an angell of aeternall night and the blacke Prince of infernall darknes Applicat To the end therefore that wee may escape this fearefull fall and irrecouerable Mine of haeretiks prophane wretches worldlings and hypocrites let vs build on the firme rocke of Christ and his heauenly truth both by hearing and practising Wee of this land are bound to God for innumerable blessings namely a Religious King a hopefull Prince a fruitfull land like Canaan flowing with milke and hony or Eden the garden of the Lord also goodly and populous cities and townes and flourishing Vniuersities and Innes of Court which like Theopbrastus Persian tree doe at the same time bud blossome and bring forth fruit So that we may say of England as one did of Rhodes Semper in Sole sita est for we haue had a long sunne-shine of prosperitie peace and plenty and withall the sunne-shine of the Gospell which as Luther said is Genus generalissimum omnium bonorum the well head of our happinesse for hereby we may build on the rocke while other our neighbour nations build on the sand Seeing therefore God hath trusted vs with such a treasure let vs be thankefull for it and shew our thankfullnes first in imbracing this Gospell of peace peaceably as the subiects of the Prince of peace Let vs not stand striuing as too many haue vainely done already too long about the swadling cloutes of holy Religion namely Clericall habites and other comely Ceremonies least while we striue about these ouermuch wee endanger the body or substance of true Religion let vs not any longer râ—nd in sunder the a Cypr. de vnit Eccles seamelesse coat of Christ the vnitie of the Church by our needlesse conâ—en iâ—nâ— about thâ—se â—hâ—â—gs â—or if â—ee b Gal. 5.15 bite and deuoure one another let vs take heed least we bee consumed one of another and while we â—iâ—tuâ—be thâ— Churches peace we depriue her of her prospâ—râ—â—ie anâ— make an open waâ— as this breaâ—h hath already done too much for those proud and cruell Babylonians to ruine our Ierusalâ—m who say of it in their hearts c Psal 127.7 Downe with it downe with it euen to the ground But being â—ll Ministers or members of one Church which is d Cypr. ibid. Vna ColuÌ„ba one e Cant. 5.2 doâ—e of Christ let vs haue all the douelike spirit of humiâ—itie charit peace vnitie for the doues of one house liue together loue together fly together flocke together kisse each other and in all respects performe the lâ—wes of loue peace and vnanimity So let vs liue and loue together and with the first belâ—euers of the Primitiue Church be all of a Act. 4.32 one heart and one soule Let all ministers preach and people pray for the peace of our Ierusalem b Psal 122.6 7. for if peace be within her walls plenteousnesse will be within her palaces 2. Let vs that are built on this rocke of truth bring forth the fruits of holines and true righteousnes So S. Ier. said of the Christians of his dayes c Hieron Proâ—m Comment in Ezech. Scripturarum cupimus verba in opera vertere non dicere sancta sed facere we desire to turne the words of the Scripture into workes and not to speake of but to doe the workes of holinesse As the naturall life lies hid in the heart the fountaine of the vitall spirits and yet Physitions iudge of it by the pulse in the arme so the spirituall life of a Christian to wit his regeneration lies hid in the heart and soule and yet men iudge of it by the motion of the arme the exercise of good workes for d Mat 7.10 the tree is knowne by his fruites We cannot iudge of the life of grace and power of true Religion in the soules of men 1. By the eyes for many lift vp their eyes to heauen by seeming shewes of sanctitie when their hearts lye grouelâ—ng on the earth yea mudling in the earth by base worldlinesse and grossâ— carnalitie 2. Nor by the eares foâ— there be many e Iam. 1.22 hearers of the word but not doers of the same deceiuing their owne soules 3. Nor by the tonguâ— foâ— many f Mat. 15.8 7.21 draw neere to God with their mouths and honour him with their lips when their hearts are far from him and cry with a zealous ingemination Lord Lord and yet doe not the will of their heauenly Father But by the arme or hand that is by doing cheerefully sincerely and constantly the things that God commandeth g Cant. 5.1 6.2 Christ the bridegroome comes into his garden not to refresh himselfe vnder the shadow of the trees or to behold the greene leaâ—es or to crop the buds and blossomes but to gather the fruits that his friends may eate abundantly for then Châ—ist feedes when his friends feed the head is nourisheâ— in his members h Mat. 25.40 In as much as yee haue done it vnto me of these little ones ye haue done it vnto me Let therefore the word of God i Col. 3.16 dwell in you as it dwels among you plenteously that ye may bee k 1 Tim. 6.18 rich in good workes ready to distribute willing to communicate to the poore and needy l Esa 58 7 8. dealing your bread to the hungry drinke to the thirsty bringing the poore that are cast out into your houses couering the naked with a garment not hiding your selues from your owne flesh then shall your light breake forth as the morning and your health spring foorth speedily your righteousnes shall goe before you and the glory of the Lord shall be your reward And then shall God a Apoc. 20.1 chaine vp Sathan in the bottomlesse pit and restraine the force and malice of wicked men that they cannot hurt vs b Aug in Exod. Malorum potestas deficit in muscis The power of the Magitians failes in the flies for Sathan cannot doe the least thing without Gods permission If therefore we c Eccles 12. vlt. feare the Lord and keepe his commandements heare his word and doe it euen those stormes flouds and winds which Sathan stirres vp to cast downe our spiriruall building shall blow our happines and land the ships of our soules and bodies at last in the hauen of heauen Now let euery heart stretch forth an hand apply what hath beene spoken to himselfe and pray earnestly for the assistance of Gods Spirit that he may so doe for we may preach and you heare and both loose our labour except there be a drawing of the father a touch of the Sonne and an inspiration of the Holy-Ghost but if these concurre then God himselfe makes the Sermon and builds vp thereby the spirituall Edifices of our Soules makes them stand fast for euer and so the fruit of a few houres hearing shall be eternity of dayes A Prayer Grant vs grace therefore O Lord to bee doers of thy word not hearers only deceiuing our own souls vouchsafe so to assist vs with thy holy Spirit in this our building that we may not build the spirituall Edifices of our soules either on humane traditions with superstitious Papists or vpon our vaine presumption of thy mercy with prophane secure sinners or vpon the perishing vanities of this world with foolish Mammonists or vpon our outward profession of faigned holinesse with masked Hypocrites but vpon the rocky faundation of thy Christ and his sacred truth both by hearing and practizing that no raine of worldly prosperity nor stormes of aduersity windes of haereticall perswasions or violent flouds of persecutions ouerthrow this our spirituall building but that it may stand fast like mount Sion till this house of our earthly tabernacle being dissolued wee haue a building giuen vs of thee an house not made with hands but eternall in the Heauens FINIS
curious eares listening like Athenians after nouelties and hearkning after quaint phrases and curious strains of wit more than after wholesome doctrine like a child who desires to drinke out of a painted glasse more to please his fancie than to quench his thirst or an Epicure at a feast who makes choise of such meates as are most delicious not most wholesome as if they accounted the word of God no better than e Ezec 33 31 32 a Fidlers song wherein men regard more the pleasantnesse of the voice and sweetnesse of the musicke than the soundnesse of the matter Yet when I condemne a curious and ouerdelicate eare I doe not commend a barbarous rusticke eare which will not haue wholesome doctrine adorned with fit and significant phrases f Psa 45.14 which are the spouses embroydered garment of needle worke to cloath and adorne her The meane betweene both is to bee held 1. That wee desire not to heare fine words without matter which are like a guilded boxe that hath nothing in it nor rude and idle battologies which are like the Chaos g Ouid Metaph li. 1. Rudis indigestaque moles a confused and disordered heape of words without either methode or matter but sound doctrine adorned with fit and significant phrases free from the enticing words of mans wisedome and yet a 1. Cor. 2.4 in the euidence of the spirit and power which is like b Ioh. 12.3 Maryes Alablaster Boxe full of precious oyntment 3. Some haue c 2. Tim. 4.3 itching eares and they must bee clawed first either with their owne phrases for they must be Sainted and marked out for Gods children and the Sheepe of Christ as if their names alone were enrolled in the booke of life and all the Apostles and Martyrs whose names and memories the Church hath euer held reuerend must be vnsainted againe to please their humours or els secondly with Inuectiues against others whom they maligne and to this end they magnifie cherish and desire to heare onely such preachers whom like Parrats they may teach their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Persius Sat. 1. and who may bee as hollow Trunkes to carry through them the bullets of reproaches which they shoote at others These haue Eagles eyes to obserue the defects of others easily espying their d Mat. 7.3 brethrens moles but not discerning their owne beames criricall tongues to censure the best word and actions hypocriticall lookes to bleare the eyes of the world but Harpies hands or clawes to hooke all that comes neere them and their eares like Mindaes gates are wider than the whole body of Religion within them so that it doth easily runne out at their eares as Diogenes supposed Minda would doe at the gates and expires in hearing onely 4. Some haue e Act. 7.51 vncircumcised eares and hearts either forestalled with malice and praeiudice against the Preacher whom they hate as f Reg. 22.8 Ahab did Michaiah because hee doth not prophecye good vnto them but euill and those wrest all that is well spoken to an ill sence as the spider turnes the iuice of the sweetest flowers into poyson or els so blockt and barred vp with their owne hearts lusts and rebellious obstinacy that although the Lord g Apoc. 3.21 knocke neuer so loud and often at the doores of their hearts they cannot they will not open to him for they haue made their h Zach. 7.10 faces like a flint stone and their hearts like an adamant stone that they might not heare the voice of the Lord by the mouths of his Prophets c. For the Lord as a iust punishment of their former sins and rebellions hath giuen them a Rom. 11.8 the spirit of slumber eyes that they should not see and eares that they should not heare so that they bee possessed with such a sencelesse stupiditie stupid securitie and stiffe-necked obstinacy that like the beares which b Solinuâ— c. 39. Solinus writes of though they be wounded they cannot be wakened or those fishes which c Arist li. 4. de hist Aeiaâ—ium c. 10. Aristotle mentions which sleepe so soundly that although they haue speares thrust into their sides they stirre not aâ— all Thus many sorts are there of vnprofitable hearers compared by Christ to foolish builders but there is onely one sort of good and profitable hearers compared here to wise builders namely those who heare the word of God and keepe it firmely in their memories and faithfully in their conuersations No man builds wisely and firmely in this spirituall building but he that puts in practise what he heares d Aug de Serm. dom in monte Non quisque firmat quae audit nisi faciendo No man can well keepe in memorie what he heares but by practizing but if he forthwith put in practise what he heares those actions will bee so many common places to confirme what hee hath heard in his memory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 24. Therefore hearing and doing knowledge and obedience faith and charitie truth and sanctitie must goe hand in hand together in our Christian profession for e Lact. de vero cultu c. 5. vertue without knowledge is like a body without an head and knowledge without vertue like an head without a body both monstrous and abhominable f Ioh. 10.27 28. My sheepe heare my voice saith Christ and I know them and they follew mee and I giue vnto them eternall life c. Behold here the fiue principall Linkes of the golden chaine of our saluation 1 Election my Sheepe 2 Vocation heare my voice 3. Iustification and I know them 4. Sanctification and they follow me 5. Glorification and I giue vnto them eternall life c. Therefore hee that will confirme to his owne conscience his election and bee a partaker of Iustification and a possessor of glorification must haue an effectuall vocation and a sinccre sanctification hearing the voice of Christ and following him To heare aright Tu recte viuis si curas esse quod audis is to be what a man heares out of the word of God he should be This is the hearing which God requires a Deut. 6.3 Heare therefore O Israel and obserue to doe it that it may bee well with thee c. And that Samuel offers to the Lord b 1. Sam. 1.9 Speake Lord for thy seruant heareth And that Dauid promiseth c Psal 858. I will heare what the Lord will say concerning me And that deuout S. Bern. prayes for d Ber Ser. 28. in Cant. Vtinam mihi aperiat aurem dominus vt intret ad cor meum sermo veritatis c. Oh that the Lord would open mine eare that the word of truth may enter into mine heart and cleere the eye of my vnderstanding and cleanse my will and affections c. For if we thus heare Faith will cleere that eye of the soule which infidelitie hath troubled and obedience open that
hard and flinty heart which disobedience and rebellion had shut vp and closed This doing of Gods word consists in two things Esa 1.16 17. Rom. 15.8 Eph. 4.22 23 24. 1. In ceasing to do euill and 2. In learning to do well In casting off the workes of darknesse and putting on the armour of light In putting off the old man and putting on the new c. 1. We must mortifie sinne in our earthly members c. Col. 3.5 and crucifie the flesh with the affections and lusts Gal. 5.24 e Ber. Ser. 30. in Cant. which is a kind of Spirituall Martyrdome And this must bee done 1. Speedily f Luc. 12.40 because we know not what day or houre the Sonne of man will come to call vs to an account g 2. Cor. 5.10 for the deedes done in the body whether they be good or euill 2. Totally h 1. Sam. 15 9 c. for in destroying these spiritual Amalekites we must not spare one Agag neither may we foster one i Iud. 16.4 c. Dalila or k Mat. 14.4 Herodias in our bosomes .i. one darling or beloued sinne least that one though we thinke it but a little one as l Gen. 19.20 Lot said of Zoar incense Gods iust wrath and worke our deserued destruction for if any of these m Iud. 2. 3. Canaanites remaine within our borders they will be prickes in our eyes and thornes in our sides wounds in our soules and vlcers in our conscienences giuing our soules no rest but still vexing and molesting vs. 3. Finally that wee returne no more a 2. Pet. 2.21 â—2 with the dogge to his vomit or the sow that is washed to her wallowing in the mire for it had been better for vs neuer to haue known the way of righteousnesse than hauing knowne it to turne from the holy commandement giuen vnto vs. A true poenitent hates sinne once repented of more mortally than b 2 Sam. 13.15 Ammon did Thamar after he had defloured her or c Gen. 27 35. Esau did Jacob after he had supplanted him twice and deceiued him both of his birthright and blessing For sinne is in this respect a true Iacob a supplanter indeed 1. It supplants vs and depriues vs of our birthright or interest vnto the kingdome of heauen which we should haue had by Christ Iesus the true heire of heauen 2. It depriues vs of all Gods blessings temporall spirituall and eternall and therefore is to be mortally hated and vtterly reiected 2. We must doe good d Mat 3.8 bringing foorth fruites worthy amendment of life and e Col. 1.10 walking worthy of the Lord endeauouring to please him in all things beeing fruitfull in all good workes and abounding in the knowledge of God And to the end our workes may bee truely good and such as God accepteth wee must obserue these conditions 1. That our selues bee in Christ ingraffed into him as branches into the stocke and incorporated as members with their head by the bond of the spirit and hand of faith f â— Cor. 5.17 If any man be in Christ let him be a new creature First he must be in Christ and then a new creature It is the axiome of the Schoole Diuines Regula Scholast Complacentia operis praesupponit complacentiam personae The worke can neuer bee accepted except the person be first accepted g Gen. 4.4.5 as we see in Cain and Abel Therefore S. Aug. saith of the vertues of the Heathens as the iustice of Aristides the temperance of Fabritius c. that they are but h Aug in Ps 31. Splendida peccata .i. Glistring or glorious sinnes and i Et Ser. 55. de ver dom in Ioh. Cursus celerimus praeter viam .i. a most swift course but out of the way and saith moreouer k Et in Psal 83. That their chickens were trodden vnder foote by God because they were not hatched in the nest of the Church meaning that their good workes were reiected of God because themselues were not members of the Christian Church 2. That our good workes proceed a 1. Tim. 1.5 from a pure heart a good conscience and faith vnfained for the spirit of grace is the father and faith the mother of good workes the one the root and the other the iuice of that tree that brings foorth good fruit b Ber. Ser. 30. in Cant. Nec palmites absque vite nec virtus absque fide True vertue can bee no more without true faith than the branches without the vine in which they grow and by which they liue and are nourished c 1. Reg. 6.34 The two doores of the Sanctum Sanctorum had folding leaues clasping in each other to teach vs that the two doores of faith and charity by which Christ enters into our soules as his holy Temples must neuer be separated but Se inuicem tenere .i. Fold in one the other and claspe hands together d Leo magnus Sicut enim in fide est operum ratio sic in operibus fidei fortitudo As faith is the norme or squire to rule out our good workees so good workes are the proppe or pillar to vphold and strengthen our faith For faith and good workes be fundamentall stones in the spirituall building of our soules to be an holy Temple in the Lord e Eph 2. vlt. an habitation of God by the spirit but they both leane vpon relye vpon and are borne vp and sustained by the greatest and chiefest corner-stone Christ Iesus Maldonate Mald. in loc therefore the Iesuite doth falsely taxe vs in his Commentaries vpon this text for building on the sand because wee teach with S. Paul That f Rom. 3.28 faith alone doth iustifie without the workes of the law seeing wee teach withall that charity is the life and soule of faith and that a true iustifying faith must needs be operatiue and fruitfull in charity g Iac. 2. vlt. for as the body without the soule so faith without charity is dead We teach indeed and that according to the Scriptures that in the act of Iustification faith is alone Thesis nostra Fides est sola quoad actum iustificandi non solitaria quoad actum existendi because wee beleeue that not any merit of our owne workes but the merit of Christ his perfect obedience actiue and passiue doth purchase at Gods hands the remission of our sinnes and makes our peace and reconciliation with him and faith alone is the eye whereby wee behold Christ and the hand of the soule which wee stretch out to lay hold on him and to apply the plasture of his pretious merits to our wounded soules and to open the rich treasurie or caskenet of his spirituall graces vnto vs thereforethough we teach that faith is alone in that act as most proper thereunto as the eye is alone in the act of seeing the eare in the act of hearing and the