gift which is as farre out of his hands and from him by nature as the lusts of his youth are neare him by nature And therefore he should be so much the more diligent and earnest in begging this gift the nearer he knoweth these lusts to be to him and the further he knoweth this gift to be from him by nature Of these two points as the Lord shall assist me by his holy Spirit I thinke to speake at this time And first concerning the lusts of youth I vnderstand by them whatsoeuer motions raging flames or vicious affections or whatsoeuer euill inclinations a yong man is addicted to from all these lusts and enticements youth ought to flee as there is no vice vnder the Sunne vnto the which youth is not too much subiect For our corruption so long as we liue in this world is neuer idle but in what age that euer we be our corruption is perpetually fertile bringing forth euill thoughts euill motions euill actions out of vs But chiefly our corruption is fertile in our youth in the time of our youth chiefly and most of all is our corruption fertile and abundant for then the bloud of man burneth then the affections are in a rage and he hath no power of himselfe to controlle them But he is caried hither and thither as his owne appetites command him In such sort that it may be counted a miracle a speciall worke and blessing of the Almighty God to see a youth passe ouer his yong yeares without a notable inconuenience either to body or soule or both without some notable scarre as we speake For there is no youth there is none that tooke flesh that was begotten of man but in his youth he is subiect to one vice or other and there are few but they are subiect to many but there is no youth that euer proceeded of the wombe of a woman but in his youth before his calling he is subiect vnto one vice or other The affection of the which vice what euer it be whereto he is subiect is in seruitude commandeth him as ordinarily requireth obedience of him as ordinarily as any master requireth of his seruant And the heart of that man the minde of that man the body of that man are as ready to yeeld obedience to that vice affection as any seruant or slaue in the earth is ready to yeeld obedience to his maister As for example if any man be inclined vnto aspiring and addicted in his heart to promotion if he would be in worldly honour in such sort that that vice commandeth him in this point ambition hath as ordinaâ—y a command of him as mighty and potent a command to enioyne him as any master hath ouer his seruant In like maner if a mans heart be set vpon the drosse of this world vpon the paltry that is in it couetousnesse commandeth that man as ordinarily and more constantly then any master is able to command his seruant If a man be addicted to the pleasure of his flesh to defile his body that lust commandeth that man as ordinarily and more continually then any master can do his seruant And so fareth it in all the rest of the vices looke to what vice thou hast addicted thee in seruice the affection of that vice ordinarily commandeth thee The ground of this floweth from the heart of man and from the nature of man which is corrupted in the first Adam For such is the condition and estate of the heart of man so long as we remaine in our naturall estate That the heart of euery man of euery woman that euer was begotten and borne carrieth about in it the feede of all kinde of vice and impiety That vice is not so monstrous nor that wickednes so vgly which our eares or any of our senses abhorre to heare or see but the seede of that same vice lurketh and lieth naturally in the heart It is true indeede that all these seedes do not budde out that all these seedes spring not that men burst not foorth into all high impieties in their externall and outward actions but there commeth a restraint into the soule whereby we are restrained from these same actions whereunto some men burst foorth and shew what they are to the world This restraint whereby I abstaine and thou fallest in I keepe close and thou burstest forth cometh no more of my nature nor of thine that doth the turne but of the grace prouidence of the mighty God For if God had no meanes to restraine the impiety that is in the hart of man but euery man as his hart carieth him bursteth forth in euery impiety how would it be possible that a society could be kept how would it be possible that a Church could be gathered how would it be be possible that any man could haue company or any conuersation amongst men Therefore the Lord that one society might be kept that out of this society a Church might be gathered doth restraine the impiety the seedes of impiety that lieth lurking and hid in the heart of euery man The wayes whereby he restraineth impiety and holdeth the seeds of impiety choked that they burst not out are two he restraineth the impiety that lurketh in the heart either by Discipline or by seuere punishment and good execution of lawes Or he restraineth this euill lurking in the heart by the worke of his own Spirit The restraint that coÌ„meth by Discipline and execution of lawes doth not take away the tyranny of sinne it taketh not away the absolute command and soueraignty which sin hath it holdeth wicked men in aw it maketh them to keepe an externall society and holdeth them in some honesty and ciuill conuersation but it taketh not away the soueraignty and empire of the affections The restraint againe which is made by the Spirit of God by the Spirit of Christ Iesus which we call the Spirit of sanctification the restraint that is made by this Spirit taketh away the soueraignty and tyranny which mine affections had before it came it taketh away the dominion and kingdome which mine affections had before it came In such sort that where the worldling is restrained from the outward impiety against his will I by the power of the Spirit of Christ Iesus abstaine willingly But take heede I pray you the coming of the Spirit of God into mine heart and minde suppose it take away the full empire and soueraignty whiâ—h mine affections had in my soule before it came yet it taketh not away the lodging dwelling of sin in my soule But suppose mine affections and sinne dwell not as a King dwell not as a Prince as an absolute commander to command the powers of the soule the members of the body to put his will in execution as he had wont to do before suppose he dwell not as a King yet he lodgeth in the soule as a companion he dwelleth as a companion with the Spirit of
God in me to that part of my soule which the Spirit of God hath reformed in me In such sort that sinne dwelleth in me and it hath his owne will his owne wit his owne counsell out of my minde which he followeth As on the other side the reformed part of me hath his owne will his owne counsell his owne wisedome and vnderstanding in me which he followeth So that all the rest of the dayes of my life there is a continuall battell betwixt these two willes the will of sinne and flesh dwelling in my soule and the will of the Spirit of God and of the reformed part of my soule sinne perswading me to do euill the Spirit of God perswading me to do heauenly things This part suggesting holy thoughts and motions the other part suggesting wicked thoughts and motions And this is the estate of euery man in this earth that hath entred into society with the Spirit of God To take vp this matter that the long discourse of it carrie vs not from our purpose There is no youth yea more then youth there is no age nor part of mans life but carrieth the owne affections the owne vices and imperfectionâ— with it vnto the which affections and vices euery one of vs are either slaues and seruants rather then enemies seruants without contradiction to sin rather then enemies vnto it without battell All the powers of the soule and members of the body in that man where Christ hath not begun to worke content and agree to the euill action runne in a rage to the performance of the will of the flesh For thou art either an ordinary slaue and seruant to sinne or else thou art a contradictor of sinne And this contradiction sheweth the battell that ye haue within your selues It is true that in the naturall man reason and the light that is left in nature maketh some opposition but not long For she is vnarmed destitute of power and therefore the power of darknesse that is in the affection blindeth the eye of reason incontinently To flie from thy selfe to flie from thy affecions it is not possible for thee except that grace come downe out of the heauen except the Spirit of Christ giue thee eyes to see and perceiue that these same lusts of thine these affections of thine which thou thoughtsts in the folly of thy youth to be no sinne except that he giue thee eyes to see that they are sinne thou will neuer condemne them For this is the custome of the naturall man if he burst not forth into the outward actions which are to plainely daÌ„ned in the Law of God his inward lusts appeare to him to be no sinnes and it is onely by the light of the Spirit of Christ by the knowledge wrought by the Spirit of Christ that he beginneth to see clearely that all his affections and his lusts are vtterly damned in the sight of God and are sinnes And this sight first maketh vs flee from them for we would neuer part with our lusts and affections if the Spirit of God did not let vs see the vglinesse of them And beside this vglinesse it maketh vs to feele in our hearts and to taste of the bitternesse of them where the diuel and our corruption made vs to thinke that they were sweete oft before When the Spirit beginneth to rip vp our hearts and to discouer the secrets of our hearts and blindnesse of our minds it maketh vs to feele the vglinesse and bitternes that is in them and this is the first thing that euer maketh man to repent and giueth him a conscience of sinne and maketh him to haue an earnest desire to flie from himselfe and the lusts of his youth If thou flie not in time and take not on this flight in due season when thou art called to flie as now thou art called to flie by the word of God which giueth thee a cleare light an eye to see from whence thou shouldest flie If thou learne not now to flie â—o question thou and thine affections shall both perish These same affections wherin thy soule through long custome so delighted shall putrifie thy soule shall corrupt thy soule more and more shall bring thy bodie the tabernacle wherein thy soule lodgeth to greater and greater decay waste thy conscience subuert thy faith and spoile thee of thy white garments whereby onely accesse is granted thee to the throne of grace and in the end shall bring euerlasting destruction on soule and bodie both Except therefore thou learne to flie there is no escaping from euerlasting death both in bodie and soule therfore this flight is necessary And now it is time that euery one of you beg the Spirit of God that ye may flie For if ye knew those terrors of conscience the fire of Gods wrath and the feare of hell damnation whereunto the heart of euery man is subiect for all the kingdomes of the earth ye would not take in hand to offend so mightie and so gracious a God But such is the deceit and false pleasure of sinne and such is the canker venime which the diuel hath spewed into our hearts that it shutteth our eyes letteth vs not see the vglinesse of sinne nor taste of the bitternesse thereof Therefore euery one of you in the feare of God examine your affections examine your minds and see whereunto ye are addicted suspect euer your affections what euer enticement they haue to cloke the same with suspect euer the motion of them for the diuell is in them for when they appeare to be most quiet yea wholly rooted out and extinguished the stumps of them sticke in the soule and a verie slight obiect or short idlenesse will kindle them againe So they would euer be handled like yong Toades for they are the worse by ouer great libertie And as this should be done in euery man especially it should be done in publike men men who are placed in publike offices and must discharge them in some measure to the glory of God to the contentment of his Church weale of his people As we ought to do this so chiefly they ought euer to suspect their affections lest giuing place to their affections they make them to peruert iustice for what is it that peruerteth iustice but affection So these affections in publike persons would be chiefly eschued Then ye see the exhortation riseth clearely to you my Lord who are now placed to beare a peece of charge and gouernment in the absence of our Prince that ye my Lord cast away your affections and burie them vnder your feete and let iustice strike indifferently where it should strike Let no communitie of name alliance proximitie of bloud or whatsoeuer it be mooue you to peruert iustice but let euery man be answered according to the merit of his cause Except these affections that accompanie great men be remooued no question ye must peruert that place Let not the theefe passe because he is your
THE WAY TO TRVE PEACE AND REST. DELIVERED AT EDINBOROVGH In XVI Sermons on the Lords Supper Hezechiahs Sicknesse and other select Scriptures By that reuerend faithfull Preacher of Gods word Mr. ROBERT BRVCE for the present Minister of the Word in Scotland Dulcia non meruit qui non gustauit amara IOHN 10.27.28 My sheepe heare my voyce and I know them they follow me And I giue vnto them eternall life and they shall neuer perish neither shall any man plucke them out of my hand LONDON Printed by R. Field for Thomas Man and Ionas Man dwelling in Pater-noster row at the signe of the Talbot 1617. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVL MAISTER ADRIAN MOORE Esquire c. And to the no lesse religious and vertuous Gentlewoman Mistresse MARIE MOORE his Wife Patrones of Piety all peace and happiness in both Worlds RIght Worshipfull It must not seeme strange vnto you that a new occasion hath made also a new change of stile since occasion daily sheweth so many changes in the world Amongst all which alterations I must beg of you still to continue your countenance vnto these few plaine homely Sermons In token that no change I hope so long as I liue shall keepe me from manifesting vnto the world as all occasions shall serue how much in dutie I am bound to your true vnfeined loue and vndeserued fauours to me the vnworthiest of all For which I can but wish you to be euer attended with those two faithfull companions of the Saints peace of conscience and ioy in the holie Ghost and at the last to haue a speedie hearing when your Spirits shall faile to transport them into Abrahams bosome there to enioy eternall and vnspeakeable rest for euer and euer Yours in all dutie much and euer bound I. H. TO THE READER GEntle Reader The Author of these Sermons not being present at their going to the presse againe to reuiew and correct them I doubted whether in these learned and curious dayes such homely lines as these might not be distastfull amongst such multitudes of learned ones euery where swarming in the presse so much the rather since their Author hath euer thought so meanly of himselfe that no worke of his could be worthie of the presse Notwithstanding since the importunitie of many did long since as it were wring and extort these few Sermons from him in the beginning of his ministerie before things could be so well ripely and methodically digested as possibly he could haue wished if now they were to do I haue made bold also once againe to send them vnto thy view chiefly to the hungrie Because as Salomon speaketh he who is full despiseth an honie combe but to the afflicted soule euery soure thing is sweete The first fiue on the Lords Supper were englished by a late Gentleman of worthie memorie M. S. Mitchell who was gathered to his fathers before he could see them at the presse the rest were perused and englished by another friend All the care and paines taken hath bene for Gods glorie and thy good If it please thee now therefore to vse Philips counsell to Nathaniel and see whether any good things come out of Nazareth it may be thou shalt not thinke thy paines and time lost which that thou mayest the sooner do I ceasse to trouble thee remaining Thine in the Lord Iesus I. H. The Contents and substance of the Sermons following SERMON I. Out of 1. Cor. 11.28 Intreating of preparation to the Lords Supper Sheweth that a man must make this triall in his conscience The Definition of conscience the causes why conscience was by God left in vs The way how to keepe a good conscience In what things we must chiefly examine our consciences how to trie our peace with God and loue with our neighbours of mans first miserie and recouerie and so how faith is wrought in the heart how it is nourished in vs. SERM. II. Out of 1. Cor. 11.28 Intreating of Preparation to the Lords Supper Sheweth how a sincere faith is knowne that he who for Christ can renounce himselfe cannot be disappointed of his expectation That faith is the free gift of God Certaine effects whereby we may know if we haue faith That because it is ioyned with doubting it must be nourished That faith and doubting may lodge in one soule That a faith mingled and maistered with much doubting is yet a true faith That faith smothered yet is not extinguished A sure rest in the most dangerous tentations The definition of loue what our loue vnto God and our neighbour is SERM. III. Out of 1. Cor. 11.23 Intreating of the Sacraments in generall Sheweth the definition and diuerse acceptions of the word Sacrament what the signes in the Sacrament are why they are called signes what the thing signified in the Sacrament is The necessitie of the application thereof How the signe and the thing signified are ioyned together The Illustration of this Coniunction what considerations are needefull when the Signe and the thing signified are giuen and receiued The other part of a Sacrament which is the word To what vses the Sacrament serueth vs more then the word Faults which peruert the Sacrament c. SERM. IIII. Out of 1. Cor. 11.23 Intreating of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Sheweth the diuerse Names both in the Scriptures and by the Ancients giuen vnto this Sacrament of the Lords Supper The ends why this Sacrament was instituted The things both outward and inward contained in this Sacrament That the things signified in both Sacraments are one but the signes are not one why in Baptisme there is but one signe and in the Lords Supper two What power and perpetuity the bread hath to be a signe How the Signes the thing signified are conioyned in the Sacrament How the Signe and the thing signified is receiued What inconueniences are cast in by the Papists against this spirituall receiuing of Christ in the Sacrament How the soule is said to eate the body and drink the blood of Christ. Faith is that which coupleth vs to Christ. A similitude explaining the same SERM. V. Out of the 1. Cor. 11.23 Intreating of the Sacrament of the Lord Supper Sheweth our vnion with Christ by vertue of communion of the same Spirit The definition of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Why this Sacrament is called a seale Why a holy seale Why the seale is said to be annexed to the Couenant Why the Sacrament should be administred publikely Why this seale must be ministred according to Christs institution That the word and element must concurre in the institution of a Sacrament What we meane by the word in a Sacrament what the Papists vnderstand by the word in this action and our differences from them How the outward Elements are sanctified How the Papists sanctifie these Elements The refutatiō of Transubstantiatiō by diuerse arguments The reasons why the Papists cannot thinke Christs body present in the Sacrament vnlesse it be really and substantially present The
a knowledge of God in his word and a knowledge of God by his holy Spirit working in our hearts our consciences will then go further and excuse or accuse vs according to the light that is in the word So that the conscience is not acquired or obtained at what time we are enlightened by the working of the holy Spirit hearing of the word of God but our conscience is borne with vs is naturall to vs and is left in the soule of euery man and woman and as there are some sparks of light left in nature so there is a conscience left in it and if there were no more that same light that is left in thy nature shall be enough to condemne thee So the conscience is not gotten or begun at the hearing of the word or at that time when we begin to reforme our selues by the assistance reneâ—ing of the holy Spirit but euery man by nature hath a conscience the Lord hath left it in our nature and except that this conscience be reformed according to the word of God that same naturall conscience shall be enough to condemne thee eternally therefore I say flowing from a knowledge of the minde Last of all I say accompanied with a certaine motion of the heart and we expresse this motion in feare or ioy trembling or reioycing In very great feare if the deede be exceeding heynous and the stroke of the conscience be very heauie then the conscience neuer taketh rest for guiltinesse will euer dread But if the deede be honest godly and commendable it maketh a glad heart and maketh the heart euen to burst out into ioy So to be short in this matter for I purpose not to make a common place of iâ— ye see that in euery conscience there must be two things First there must be a knowledge and next there must be a feeling whereby according to thy knowledge thou appliest vnto thine owne heart the deed done by thee So that as the word it selfe testifieth it ariseth of two parts of knowledge according whereunto it is called science and of feeling according whereunto the Con is added and it is called Conscience Then the word conscience signifieth knowledge with application This conscience the Lord hath appointed to serue in the soule of man for many vses to wit he hath appointed euery one of your consciences to be a keeper a wayter on a carefull attender vpon euery action done by you So that that action cannot be so secretly so quietly nor so closely conueyed but will thou nill thou thy conscience shall beare a testimonie of it thy consciencâ— shall be a faithfull obseruer of it and one day shall be a faithfull recorder of that action So the Lord hath appointed thy conscience to this office that it attends and waits vpon thee in all thy actions Likewise the Lord hath appointed thy conscience and placed it in thy soule to be an accuser of thee so that when thou dost any euill deed thou hast a domesticall accuser within thine owne soule to finde fault with it He hath also placed it in thy soule to be a true and stedfast witnesse against thee yea the testimonie of the conscience resembles not only a testimonie or witnesse but the conscience is as good as tenne thousand witnesses The conscience also is left in the soule to do the part of a Iudge against thee to giue out sentence against thee and to condemne thee and so it doth for our particular iudgement must go before the generall and vniuersall iudgement of the Lord at that great day And what more He hath left thy conscience within thee to put thine owne sentence in execution against thy selfe This is terrible he hath left it within thee to be a very to torture and tormentor to thy selfe and so to put thine owne sentence in execution vpon thy selfe Is not this a matter more then wonderfull that one and the selfe same conscience shall serue to so many vses in a soule as to be a continuall obseruer and marker of thy actions an accuser ten thousand witnesses a Iudge a Sergeant and Tormentor to execute thine owne sentence against thy selfe So that the Lord needeth not to seeke a Sergeant out of thine owne soule to arrest thee for thou shall haue all these within thy selfe to make a plaine declaration against thy selfe Take heede to this for there is neuer a word of this shall fall to the ground but either ye shall find it to your comfort or to your euerlasting woe And this secret and particular iudgement that euery one of you carries about you abideth so sure and so fast within you that do what ye can if ye would imploy your whole trauaile to blot it out thou shalt neuer get it scraped out of thy soule If ye were as malicious and were become as wicked as euer any incarnate diuell was vpon the earth yet shall ye neuer get this conscience altogether extinguished out of thy soule but will thou nill thou there shall as much remaine of it as shall make thee inexcusable in the great day of the generall iudgement I grant thou maist blot out all knowledge out of thy minde and make thy selfe become euen as a blind man I grant also that thou maist harden thy heart so that thou wilt blot out all feeling out of it so that thy conscience will not accuse thee nor find fault with thee but thou shalt haue a delight in doing euill without remorse but I deny that any degree of wickednesse in the earth shall bring thee to this point that thou maist do euill without feare but still the more that thou doest euill and the longer thou continuest in euill doing thy feare shall be the greatâ—r you in despite of the diuell and in despite of the malice of the heart of man thy feare shall remaine And though they would both conspire together they shall not be able to banish that feare but that gnawing of the conscience shall euer remaine to testifie that there is a day of iudgâ—ment I grant also that there shall be a vicissitude and that feare shall not alwaies remaine but shall be sometimes turned into securitie neither shall that securitie alwâ—ies abide but shall be turned againe into feare so that it is not possible to get this feare wholly extinct but the greatâ—r the securitie is the greater shall thy feare be when thou art wakened Thirdly I grant that this feare shall not be blind for from that time a man by euill doing hath banished knowledge out of the mind and feeling out of the heart what can remaine there but a blind feare When men haue put out all light and left nothing in their nature but darknesse there can nothing remaine but a blind feare So I grant that the feare is blinde for neither know they fâ—om whence that feare cometh what progresse it hath wherunto it tendeth where nor when it shall end therefore they that are this way misled
at his hands or not Art thou perswaded of mercie Assure thy selfe thy conscience is in a good estate thou hast health in thy soule for by the keeping of faith the conscience is preserued as saith the Apostle 1. Tim. 1.19 Keepe this perswasion preserue it whole and sound hurt it not bring not thy soule into doubting stay not nor hinder thy perswasion if thou desire to keepe health in thy soule for if thou doubt or any way diminish thy perswasion and assâ—rance assuredly thy assurance cannot so soone be hindered nor diminished but at that very instant shall follow the diminishing of the health of thy soule yea it cannot be but in that very article of time shall follow the hurt of thy conscience for faith will not dwell but in a whole conscience Therefore at what time thou doest any thing against thy conscience at that very time thou losest a degree of thy perswasion of the mercie of God and vntill such time as thou fall downe at the feete of Christ and obtaine mercie for that wicked deede purchase peace at his hands and repaire thy perswasion thou shalt euer doubt of mercie and want health in thy conscience Then this is the first lesson to keepe health in your soules to be perswaded of mercie The second lesson to keepe a good conscience or to keepe health in thy soule is this Ye must flie eschue and forbeare whatsoeuer may trouble the health of your soule whatsoeuer may trouble the quietnes and peaceable estate of your conscience cast it out forbeare it and eschue it This generall is good But let vs see what it is that troubles the quiet estate of the conscience Onely sinne nothing but an euill nature Therefore we must of necessitie to keepe health in our soules forbeare and eschue sinne we must flie and auoide sinne It is not possible that ye can keepe a good conscience and serue the affections of your heart therefore to keepe peace and health in thy soule thou must take leaue of thy lusts thou must renounce the lusts affections of thy heart and thou must not do as thou wast wont to do thou must not be giuen to the seruice of thine affections of thine appetite to put them in execution as thou hast formerly done But in case thine affections or lust command thee to do any thing what is thy part Thou must try how far this may stand with the good will of God and how far that affection which commands thee may agree with the law of God Is there such an harmonie as that thing which thine affection commands thee may stand with Gods law and holy will Then no question it is a sanctified affection thou maist put it in execution But after this tryall if thou finde thine affections to be exorbitant and out of rule carrying thee from God and against his law beware of it resist it put it not in execution for if thou fulfill the will of thine affections what pleasure can it bring with it It may well bring a flattering pleasure in the entrie but it closeth euer with a bitter remorse in the end Then to eschue this bitter remorse should ye not all try your affections Ye must examine and try them by the square of Gods law ye must see how far they agree with his law and how farre they dissent from it and so farre as they are dissonant fâ—om that law let euery man deny himselfe renounce his affections and so this triall being taken in this maner by thy selfe it sanctifieth thine affections maketh Christ to lodge in thy soule maketh thy conscience to be at rest And the holy Spirit this way maketh both body and soule to be in good health and to reioyce Then flie from sinne This is the second lesson The third lesson is this Study to do well Wouldest thou keepe health in thy soule Studie to do better and better continually At the least haue a purpose in thy heart to do better daily which is the last lesson Seeing that when we studie to do best and that the iust man that is the most holy man falleth so often as seuen times a day yea rather seuenty times what is thy part in these slips and snares Though thou fall as thou canst not eschue to fall lie not still there sleepe not there where thou hast falne it is a shame to sleepe there therefore arise againe And how shouldest thou rise By lifting vp thy soule and running to the Fountaine of grace and mercy by repairing to Christ Iesus to obtaine mercy for thy soule and to craue that he would send out of himselfe that measure of peace that may put thy conscience at rest and restore thy soule to health So lie not where thou fallest but incontinent arise and craue mercy and in obtayning mercy thou shalt repaire thy fall thou shalt amend thy life by repentance and by repentance thou shalt get peace thou shalt haue thy conscience at rest and get health to thy soule Now keepe this rule if thou desirest to keepe thy soule in health looke that thou sleepe not in sin as Dauid did lie not still when thou art falne and so fall from one sinne to another as from adultery to murther from murther to the next c. As commonly if a man sleepe in sin and rise not in time one sinne will draw on another for there is no sinne alone but alwaies the greater and more haynous that the sinne is it hath the greater and worse sins wayting on it Therefore when ye fall delay not to arise but repaire to the fountaine of mercie and seeke grace in time run to prayer run to the Church of God wheresoeuer it be whether in the field or in the towne run to Christ Iesus and craue mercy of him that ye may haue peace in your consciences and so by these meanes euery one of you shall preserue health in your soules By these meanes ye shall learne what difference is betwixt this liuing word of mercy and grace which sounds in our religion and that slaying letter that killeth the soule of euery one that heares it I meane that idolatrous doctrine of that dumbe Masse I mention this vnto you because I see that many in these daies are falne to it and the Lord is beginning to abstract his grace and mercie from this Countrey for the contempt of this quickning word which hath so clearely sounded here and which our Countreymen for the greatest part running headlong to the diuell in a dumbe guise trauell vtterly to banish Is not this a miserable thing that so few of you haue eyes to consider and discerne of the time of peace mercy and grace which is so abundantly offred The Lord of his mercy giue you eyes in time Thus far concerning the reasons wherefore euery one of you should trie examine your owne consciences and this triall ought not to be for a day or for a yeare but it ought to be euery day and
euery yeare of thy whole life For that conscience that should rest for euer with the liuing God that conscience â—hich must euer behold the face of the Sonne of God it cannot be ouer-well cleansed we cannot looke ouer-narrowly to it The more curious we be in searching out of this conscience we are the better occupied I spake of our owne consciences I speake not of our neighbours Thirdly I come to the points wherein euery one of you should trie examine your selues Euery one of you ought to trie and examine your consciences in two things First whether thou be at peace with God who is the Lord of heauen or not Next examine thy conscience whether thou art in loue and amitie with thy neighbour or not Wouldest thou know whether thy conscience be at vnitie and peace with God or not Thou shalt know it this way the God of heauen can haue no societie nor companie with that soule which is alwaies vncleane that is euery way defiled no he cannot Now I speake not so precisely that I make a soule to be fully sanctified and perfectly holy in this life no in this life there are wonderfull iniquities grosse sinnes and great faults wherewith euen the righteous are defiled but this is my meaning There is no soule can be at peace with God or wherewith the Lord can haue any societie but in some measure it must be sanctified and made holy For God cannot make residence in a soule that is alwaies as a stinking dunghill and therefore of force in some measure it must be sanctified there must be so much made cleane in one corner or other of that soule wherein the Lord of heauen by his holy Spirit may make his residence Now let vs see whereby the heart is sanctified Peter Act. 15.9 saith That the soule of man is purified by faith that the heart of man is purged by faith So faith openeth and purgeth the heart By faith in Christ Iesus and in the merits of his bloud we haue peace with God Being iustified by faith we haue peace towards God through our Lord Iesus Christ saith the Apostle Rom. 5.1 Now then this point cometh in That ye are to proue your selues whether ye be in the faith or not as the Apostle saith 2. Cor. 13.5 Proue your selues whether ye are in the faith Examine if your soules be seasoned with this faith for if ye haue not faith in Christ Christ is not in you and if Christ be not in you ye are in an euill state ye are in the estate of the reprobate and damned So euery one ought to looke carefully and see if he haue a beliefe in the bloud of Christ or not whether he belieue to obtaine mercy by his merits and sanctification by his bloud or not For if thou haue no measure of this faith thou hast no measure of peace with God by reason our peace with God is ingendered and groweth daily more and more by true faith in Christ. Now this faith where it is true where it is liuely and couples the heart with God as I haue alreadie said it must breake forth in word and deede it can by no meanes be held in but it will breake forth It must breake out in word in glorifying the God of heauen who hath forgiuen vs our sinnes it must breake forth in word by giuing a notable confession of those sinnes wherein we haue offended him It must breake out in deed in doing good works to testifie to the world that thing which is within thy heart to testifie to the world that thou who hast this faiâ—h art a new man that by thy good example of life and conuersation thou maist edifie thy brethren the simple ones of the Church of God and that by thy holy life thou mayest draw sinners to repentance that they seeing thy good light may be compelled to glorifie God in thee Then in the first point of triall let vs looke to these three to the heart to the mouth to the haâ—d Take heed that there be an harmonie betwixt these three for if the heart be inwardly coupled with God there is no doubt but the mouth will outwardly glorifie him and if thy heart and mouth be renewed and be one of necessity thou wilt expresse it in thy conueâ—sation There must be an agreement betwixt the heart and the hand thy conuersation must be changed with the heart and be holy honest and godly as the heart is So that if thy conuersation be good it is a sure token that thou art at one with God but if thy conuersation be not good speake what thou wilt thy heart is but defiled this true and liuely faith hath no place in it Then wouldest thou know when thou art at one with God When thy conuersation thy heart and thy mouth say all one thing then without question thou hast the worke of faith wrought by the holy Spirit in thy heart which maketh thee to be at peace with God This is the first point wherein ye should trie your selues The next point is loue ye must trie whether ye be in loue and charitie with your neighbours or not for as thou art not coupled with God but by the hand of faith so thou art not coupled with thy neighbour nor ioyned with any member of Christ in this world but by the hand of loue amity and charity Take away loue thou art not a member of this body for loue is the maister sinnew and couples all these members of Christs bodie together and makes them to grow vp in a spirituall and mysticall vnity loue is the onely marke whereby the children of God members of Christs bodie are knowne from the rest of the world loue is that holy oyle that refresheth our soules and makes vs like vnto God and the moâ—e we grow in loue the more God by his Spirit dwelleth in vs for God is loue So that except in some measure loue towards thy neighbour dwell in thy heart thou canst haue no societie with thy neighbour and far lesse with God If the manners of men were examined by this rule we should find a multitude of godlesse people in this Country who haue their hearts raging with malice one against another and where the diuell and the malicious spirit dwelleth there is no place for the holy Spirit And although the Lord hath gone about by all meanes possible early and late to instruct them and to infuse into them this precious loue and amity towards God and their neighbour and so to alter their conditions yet they will not suffer themselues to be wakened vntill the great vengeance and malediction of God fall vpon them This loue this honest and godly conuersation floweth alwaies from the roote of faith So that if thy heart haue faith in any measure be it neuer so little in that same measure thou must haue loue towards thy neighbour and this loue is neuer idle but is vttering it selfe in one effect or other And
in respect that faith is the ground whereupon all the rest depends and in respect that this fayth is such a Iewell as without the which it is not possible for any of you to please God without which all your deedes are abhomination before him without the which you are in the greatest miserie which miserie is so much the more terrible in that you are ignorant of it is it not good reason that ye know and vnderstand how this faith is first wrought and then nourished in your soules by the holy Spirit that seeing how it is created and the maner how it is brought about ye may examine your consciences and see whether ye may be in the faith or not My purpose was to haue insisted longer on this matter then this time will suffer Now therefore as time will permit and God shall giue grace I wil let you vnderstand how the holy Spirit imployes his trauaile in the heart and minde of man and what paines the holy Ghost taketh in creating and forming this Iewell of faith in your soules Yet before I enter this worke to let you see the trauailes of the Spirit of God in working of this fayth in your hearts it is necessarie and more then necessarie that ye vnderstand first your owne miserie and infirmitie and that ye know how the Lord was induced to recouer you out of your old estate and to recreate you who were lost by the fall of your father Adam Then to consider of this matter more deepely I offer to your remembrances this ground That man vniuersally and euery one particularly being corrupted and lost and that by our first fathers fall for if there were no more but that same first fault and sinne of his we are all of vs iustly condemned to a double death both of bodie soule for euer Man thus vniuersallie and particularlie being vtterlie lost without any hope at all of recouery left in his soule without any sense of the recouery of that former estate or repairing of that Image which he had lost through sinne long before he being I say lost by this sinne and left in this desperate estate in himselfe what doth God The euerliuing God onely wise whose waies are vnserchable hath found out a way how that man this way lost yet he may be saued herein he sought counsell from whom Not from any â—reature but he counselled with himselfe The persons of the Trinitie tooke counsell of themselues one God was moued to seeke counsell from himselfe onely moued in himselfe for he had not an externall principall without himselfe to induce him So he seeking this counsell at himselfe and being moued in himselfe thereto as Ephes. 1.9 what doth he When all men should haue died for euer it pleased him of his infinite mercy to select out of all and to elect a certaine number out of the lost race of Adam that should haue perished for euer In this his counsell and decree moued I say of himselfe and seeking counsell from himselfe onely he selects a certaine number out of this rotten race which certaine number he will haue sanctified he will haue iustified he will haue glorified And therefore to bring to passe the worke of their saluation what doth he He appoints his owne naturall sonne for he had but one naturall son he appoints the second person of the Trinity his owne naturall sonne God in power glory and maiestie as high as himselfe equall with God the father in all things he appoints him to worke this worke to bring to passe this worke of our redemption and eternall saluation This is but the mystery of it in some measure disclosed And therefore in the fulnes of time for he dispenseth all things according to his wisedome at such time as he appointed he makes his sonne to come downe to seise himselfe in the wombe of the Virgin to take on our flesh to take on the likenesse of sinne he tooke not on sin but he tooke on the likenes of sin What call I that likenes Our flesh is the likenesse of sinne he tooke on our flesh and nature the likenes of sinne which was perfectly sanctified the very moment of his conception in the very wombe of the Virgin He tooke on this flesh that in this flesh and nature sinne might be banished and cast out of vs for euer And whereas we should all of vs haue gone one-way for there was no exception of persons by nature Christ Iesus our sauiour hath elected vs and according as his Father in his secret election before the beginning of the world had elected vs the same Christ Iesus in his owne time calleth vs and maketh vs partakers of that saluation which he hath purchased and he repaires not onely that image which was lost in our forefather Adam he placeth vs not in a terrestriall paradise where Adam was placed at the beginning and what more could haue bene sought by vs but he giues vs a farre more excellent image then we lost he placeth vs in a more high and in a more celestiall paradise then we lost For so much the more heauenly is the paradise which he giues vs as the second Adam is more excellent then the first and as the Sonne of God and God himselfe is farre aboue any creature that euer was man or Angell Therefore it comes to passe that by the benefite of the second Adam Christ Iesus our Sauiour the Sonne of God whereas had we remained in that Image wherein our forefather was created we should haue setled our selues in the earth for euer we could not haue craued a better paradise then an earthlie paradise for earthlie tabernacles By benefit of the Son of God I say it cometh to passe that we are plucked vp out of the earth to the heauen and to a heauenly paradise And what haue we to do with heauen Are we not made of the earth to returne to the earth Becomes not an earthly paradise an earthly body Yet the Lord in his mercy sendeth downe his Sonne to draw vs vp out of the earth to the heauen This is so high a thing that it cannot be easily considered For this drawing of vs to a heauenly paradise is a thing more then could haue bene thought on That we should liue the life of Angels in heauen how could the heart of man thinke on this Yet it pleased the liuing Lord in the great riches and bowels of his mercie and in the exceeding greatnes of the power of his mercie towards vs the Apostle in that Epistle to the Ephesians cannot get words enough to expresse this he knowes not how to begin nor how to end when he speakes of the riches of that mercie and if ye looke well into that Epistle to the Ephesians ye shall finde more high and excelleÌ„t stiles giuen to the riches of that mercie in that Epistle then in any other part of the Scripture It pleased him I say of his owne mercie not to giue vs simply the
Image which we lost nor to leaue vs in this earth but it pleased him to giue vs a better Image and beside that to place vs in heauen there to remaine with him for euer Now resteth his mercie and grace here No But that this saluation which he hath alreadie purchased brought about by his Sonne our Sauiour Christ Iesus might be wholly accomplished hauing nothing wanting in it as he redeemed vs in his owne person perfectly so he makes this same redemption to come to our knowledge makes vs sure of it in our consciences and to this end what doth he As by his death he purchased our full redemption so he makes it knowne vnto vs he intimates it vnto vs by our inward calling letting vs both finde and feele in our heaâ—ts what he did in his body for vs. For our Lord when he makes his seruants to proclaime this redemption and to intimate it to our consciences he workes this Iewell of faith in our soules which assures vs that the Son of God hath died for vs. For what could it auaile vs to see our redemption to see our saluation and our life a farre off if a way were not found out and a hand and meanes giuen vnto vs whereby we may apprehend that saluation applie it to our selues What can it auaile a sicke man to see a drugge in an Apothecaries shop except he may haue it and apply it to his sicke bodie So to the end that this worke of our redemption and saluation may be fullie and freelie accomplished looke how freelie he hath giuen his onely Sonne to the death of the crosse for vs as freelie hath he found out this way and meanes and offered vs this hand whereby we may take hold on Christ apply him to our soules This meanes to conclude is faith There is not a way nor an instrument in the Scriptures of God whereby we can applie Christ to our soules but onelie the instrument of faith therefore faith cannot be enough commended Turne to faith and it will make thee turne to God and so conioyne thee with God and make all thine actions well pleasing vnto him There is no good action that we do though it seeme neuer so good before the world but it is abhomination before God if it be not done in faith and will further our condemnation hauing faith all the creatures of God are seruiceable vnto vs they must all conspire to the furtherance of the worke of our saluation As on the contrarie wanting faith there is none of the creatures of God but shall be enemies vnto vs and conspire to our damnation For faith conioynes vs with the God of heauen and makes vs heauenly This Iewell of faith seasons all the gifts and graces which God giueth vnto vs all the riches of the earth is of no value to my soule without faith And what auaileth it any man to haue all the knowledge and wisedome in the earth without faith For the diuell hath all this knowledge and is not the better What auaileth it me to conquer all the Monarches kingdomes and whole riches in the earth what can all these auaile my soule Nothing but accuse me if I want faith Therefore all the benefits and gifts of God without faith auaile nothing but to augment our miseâ—ie All the gifts and graces of God are abused without faith faith onely maketh thee to vse the benefits and graces of God rightly Faith only should be sought kept and entertained here in this life hauing faith all the rest of Gods graces are profitable vnto thee for this Iewell keepeth them all in order and maketh them all fruitfull whereas wanting this iewell there is nothing here on earth but it will testifie against thee Let vs then speake of this faith how it is wrought in you I take my ground out of the Euangelist Iohn 6.44 where our Sauiour saith No man can come to â—e except the Father which hath sent me draw him In the which words we see clearly that except we be drawne except we be compelled except we be thrust except of vnwilling we be made willing by God the father it is not possible for vs to come to his Sonne What is the reason of this that the Spirit of God must draw vs and make vs willing or euer we come to God Because by nature we are not onely wounded and lanced by sinne and iniquitie but as the Apostle sheweth Ephes. 2.1 We were wholly dead in trespasses and sinnes yea obseâ—ue how voide any dead bodie is of a naturall life so voide are our soules though they be liuing the naturall life so voide are they of the life of God of that heauenly and spirituall life whereunto we in this life do aspire vntill such time that the Spirit of God draw our hearts and minds that is quicken our hearts and minds No it is not a drawing as we commonly speake it is a very quickning of a dead thing It is a quickning of that thing which was void of the life of the Spirit Then except the Spirit of God draw vs that is quicken vs with that spirituall and heauenly life it is not possible for vs to come to heauen And except he nourish this life which he hath begun it is not possible that we can stand in this life So the Spirit of God is said to draw vs that is to begin this life in vs and by the same holy Spirit to continue and nourish this life in vs. Now by the drawing of the Spirit our soules are quickned and by the drawing of the Spirit I vnderstand no other thing but the framing and creating of faith in our soules which makes vs new creatures Now let vs see what order the Spirit of God keepeth in drawing vs and informing and creating this faith in our soules First of all I deuide the soule into no more parts then commonly it vseth to be deuided that is into the heart and the mind Our mind then being â— cloud of darknesse altogether blind naturally there being nothing in that mind of ours but vanitie error and ignorance whereby we vanish away can neuer long continue in any good resolution or purpose what doth the Spirit of God The first worke that euer the Spirit of God doth he taketh order with the mind and what doth he to the mind He banisheth darknesse he chaseth out vanitie and blindnesse that naturally lurketh in the mind and in stead of this darknesse he placeth in the mind a lâ—ght a celestial and heauenly light a light which is resident in Christ Iesus onely Then the Spirit chaseth out that cloud of mist and darknesse and placeth light in the mind And what worketh he by this light We getting sanctified vnderstanding incontinent he makes vs to see God not onely as he is God the Creator of the world but also as he is God the Redeemer and hath redeemed vs in his Sonne Christ Iesus Now before I obtaine this light
apprehension of the meate and drinke that is the foode of the body so there is two sorts of apprehension of the body and bloud of Christ Iesus which is our meate and drinke spirituall Of meate and drinke corporall there is an apprehension by the eye and by the taste that while the meate is present vnto you on the table your eye taketh a view of that meate discerneth it and maketh choice of it and not only the eye but also the taste discerneth the meate and the taste approouing it that is called the first apprehension Now vpon this which is the first the second apprehension followeth that is after that ye haue chewed that meate swallowed it and sent it to your stomacke where it digesteth and conuerteth into your nouriture then in your stomacke ye get the second apprehension But if your eye like not that meate neither your taste like it the second apprehension followeth not for thou wilt spet it out againe or reiect it preferring some other meate vnto it that thou likest better That meate which thou likest not enters neuer into thy stomacke and so it can neuer be conuerted into thy nourishment for it is onely the second apprehension of the meate that is the cause of the nourishment of the body in our corporall foode so that if ye chew not this meate and swallow it it feeds you not then it is onely the second apprehension that nourisheth our bodies It is euen so in spirituall things so farre as they may be compared in the foode of Christ Iesus who is the life and nouriture of our soules and consciences There must be two sorts of apprehension of Christ Iesus The first apprehension is by the eye of the mind that is by our knowledge and vnderstanding for as the eye of the body discerneth by an outward light so the eye of the mind discerneth by an inward and renewed vnderstanding whereby we get the first apprehension of Christ. Now if this first apprehension of Christ like vs well then the next followeth we begin to cast the affection of our hearts on him we haue good will to him for all our affections proceede from our will and our affections being renewed and made holy we set them wholly vpon Christ. We loue him and if we loue him we take hold of him and digest him that is we apply him to our soules and so of this loue liking of him the second apprehension doth follow But if we haue no will to him if we haue no loue nor liking of him what do we Then we reiect him and preferre our owne Idoll and the seruice of our owne affections to him and so the second apprehension followeth not We cannot digest him and if we digest him not that spirituall life cannot grow in vs for marke in what place the eye serues to the bodie in the same roome serueth knowledge and vnderstanding to thy soule and looke in what place thy hand and thy mouth thy taste and thy stomacke serue vnto thy body in that very place serue the heart and affections vnto thy soule So that as our bodies cānot be nourished except our hands take and our mouthes eate the meate whereby the second apprehension may follow likewise our soules cannot feede on Christ except we hold him and embrace him heartily by our wils and affections For we come not to Christ by any outward motion of our bodies but by an inward motion apprehension of the heart For God finding vs all in a reprobate sence he bringeth vs to Christ by reforming the affection of our soules by making vs to loue him And therefore the second apprehension whereby we digest our Sauiour will neuer enter into our soules except as he pleaseth the eye so he please the will and the affection also Now if this come to passe that our wils and affections are wholly bent vpon Christ then no doubt we haue gotten this Iewell of faith Haue ye such a liking in your minds such a loue in your hearts of Christ that ye will preferre him before all things in the world then no question faith is begun in you Now after a thing is begun there is yet more required for though this faith be formed in your minds in your hearts and soules yet that is not enough but that which is formed must be nourished and he who is conceiued must be entertained and brought vp or else the loue that is begun in me by the holy Spirit except by ordinary meanes it be daily entertained and nourished it will decay except the Lord continue the working of his holy Spirit it is not possible that I can continue in the faith And how must we nourish and keepe faith in our soules Two manner of waies First we nourish faith begun in our soules by hearing of the word not of euery word but by hearing of the word of God preached and not by hearing of euery man but by hearing the word preached by him that is sent For this is the ordinarie meanes whereunto the Lord hath bound himselfe he will worke faith by the hearing of the word and receiuing of the Sacraments And the more that thou hearest the word and the otfner that thou receiuest the Sacraments the more thy faith is nourished Now it is not onely by hearing of the word and receiuing of the Sacraments that we nourish faith The word and Sacraments are notable of themselues to nourish this faith in vs except the working of the holy Spirit be conioyned with their ministerie But the word and the Sacraments are said to nourish faith in our soules because they offer and exhibite Christ vnto vs who is the meate the drinke and life of our soules and in respect that in the word and Sacraments we get Christ who is the foode of our soules therefore the word and Sacraments are said to nourish our soules As it is said Act. 2.42 The Disciples of Christ continued in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship breaking of bread and prayers by these meanes entertaining augmenting and nourishing the faith that was begun in them Then the holy Spirit begets this faith workes this faith creates this faith nourisheth entertaineth this faith in our soules by hearing the word preached and by the receiuing of the Sacraments which are the ordinarie meanes whereby the Lord nourisheth vs and continueth this spirituall foode with vs. For obserue by what meanes the spirituall life is begunne by the same meanes it is nourished and entertained as this temporall life is entertained and nourished by the same means whereby it is begun Then seeing by these meanes the holy Spirit begets this worke of faith in our soules it is our duty to craue that he would continue the worke which he hath begunne And for this cause we should resort to the hearing of the word when it is preached and to the receiuing of the Sacraments when they are ministred that we may be fedde in our soules to life
because the Lord of heauen hath his eye continuallie vpon the conscience the eye of God is neuer from the conscience and heart of man as I proued to you by diuerse places Next because this God hath chosen his lodging and hath set downe his throne to make his residence in the conscience Therefore that he may dwell in cleannesse ye ought to haue a regard to his dwelling place Thirdly he is the Lord yea the onely Lord of this conscience who hath power onely to controlle who onely hath power to saue or to cast away therefore that it may do good seruice to thy owne Lord thou oughtest to take heede to thy conscience And last of all in respect that the health of thy soule standeth in the estate of thy conscience and if thy soule be in good health thy bodie cannot be ill therefore in respect that the soule and body depend vpon the estate of the conscience euery one of you should carefully looke to your consciences I will not amplifie this but leaue it to your memories how the health of the soule and welfare of the soule should be kept Next I come in the third and last place to the points in the which euery one of you should trie and examine your consciences And as ye may remember I set downe two points wherein ye ought to put your consciences in triall First to know whether your consciences were at peace with God or not Secondly whether your consciences were in loue and charitie and in amitie with your neighbour or not In these two points chiefly ye must trie and examinâ— your selues To know whether ye be at peace with God or not ye must first trie whether ye be in the faith or not as the Apostle saith whether ye be in the faith of Christ or not For being in the faith and iustified thereby of necessitie ye must haue peace with God Then the next care must be to trie your faith and to see whether ye haue faith or not Faith can no waies be tried but by the fruits Faith cannot be iudged of by me that looke vpon it onely but by the effects Therefore to trie whether ye be in the faith or not marke the fruits Take heede to thy mouth take heede to thy hand take heede to thy words and to thy deeds for except thou glorifie God in thy mouth confesse to thy saluation and except thou glorifie him also in thy deeds and make thy holy life a witnesse of thy holy faith all is but vaine all is but meere hypocrisie Therefore to know the sinceritie of thy faith thou must take heed that there be a harmonie betweene thy hand thy mouth and thy heart that there be a naturall consent that thy doings preiudge not thy heart that thy mouth preiudge not thy heart but that mouth and hand may testifie the sinceritie of the heart If the heart the hand and the mouth consent and agree in one harmonie together no question that heart that breaketh forth into so good fruits is coupled with God there is no question the light of thy actions the beames shining of thy life shall make the name of thy good God to be glorified Therefore the whole weight of thy triall stands chiefly vpon this point to see whether we be in the faith or not to trie and examine whether Christ dwell in vs by faith or not for without faith there can be no coupling or conioyning betwixt vs and Christ without faith our hearts cannot be sanctified and cleansed and without faith we cannot worke by charitie so all depends on this onely And therefore that ye might the better vnderstand whether ye haue faith or no I was somewhat the more exact in this matter and I began to let you see how the holy Spirit createth faith and worketh faith in your soules hearts and minds I began to shew you what order the holy Spirit kâ—pt in forming in creating this notable instrument in your hearts minds Not onely how he ingenders and begins faith but also how he entertaineth it how he nourisheth it And I shewed you the externall meanes and instruments which he vseth to this effect To beget faith in our soules the holy Spirit vseth the hearing of the word preached by him that is sent and the ministerie of the Sacraments as ordinary meanes and instruments which ordinarie meanes are onely then effectuall when as the holy Spirit concurs inwardly in our hearts with the word striking outwardly in our eares and with the Sacrament outwardly receiued And except the holy Spirit grant his concurrence to the word and Sacrament word and Sacrament both will not worke faith So all dependeth vpon the working of this holy Spirit the whole regeneration of mankind the renewing of the heart and of the conscience depend on the power of the holy Spirit and therefore it behooueth vs carefully to imploy our selues in calling vpon God for his holy Spirit By the same meanes and no other that the holy Spirit begetteth faith in vs by the same meanes he nourisheth and augmenteth that which he hath begotten And therefore as we got faith by the hearing of the word so by continuall and diligent hearing we haue this faith augmented and nourished in vs. And from hence I tooke my exhortation that if ye would haue that spirituall life nourished in you and if ye would haue a further assurance of heauen of necessitie ye must both continually diligently heare the blessed word of God Now it resteth that euery one of you carefully apply this doctrine to your owne soules and enter into the triall of your owne consciences to see if this faith as I spake be begun in your hearts and minds or not how farre or how little the holy Spirit hath proceeded in that worke trie with me and I with you The first effect of the holy Spirit whereby ye may trie your minds whether ye be in the faith or not is this Reuolue in your memories and remember if at any time it pleased the Lord in his mercie to turne the darknes of your minds into light to cause that naturall darknesse which was within you to depart through the which darknes neither had ye an eye to see your selues what you were by nature nor yet had ye an eye to see God in Christ nor any part of his mercie Examine I say whether this darknesse of the naturall vnderstanding be turned into light by the working of the Spirit or not If thou art become a child of the light a child of the day if thou art become as the Apostle speaketh light in the Lord if there be this alteration made in thy mind that whereas naturally before it was closed vp in daâ—kenesse whereas it was filled with vanities and errors wheras it was closed vp in blindnes If the Lord hath at any time inlightened the eye of thy mind and made thee to see thine owne misery to see the vglines of thine owne nature to see
the haynous sins in the which by nature thou liest If he hath granted to thee â—n insight of thy selfe in some measure and on the other side if he hath granted thee the remedie and hath giuen thee an insight of the mercie of God in Christ Iesus if thou hast obtained an insight of the riches of his grace in Christ no doubt the holy Spirit hath begun a good worke in thee a worke which will bring forth repentance which in his owne time he will perfect So this is the first care which ye ought to haue and the first point wherein ye ought to examine your minds to see if there be any light in it whereby ye may know your miserie haue an insight of the free mercie of God in Christ Iesus This being done that thou findest a sight of these two in thy mind fâ—om thy mind go to thy heart and as thou hast tried thy mind so try thy heart And first examine thine heart if it be altered or not that the will of it be framed and bowed to Gods obedience that thy affection be turned into the life of God and be poured out on him as it was poured out on vanities on filthinesse and on the world before Trie whether the ground of thy heart and the fountaine from whence thy motions and affections proceede be sanctified or not for from a holy fountaine holy waters must distill from a holy fountaine holy motions holy cogitations and sanctified considerations must flow Trie then and examine your hearts if the Spirit of God hath wrought any such reformation as I speake of in your hearts or not And that ye may perceiue the working of the holy Spirit the better in your hearts and consciences for the holy Spirit hath his chiefe residence in your hearts I will declare vnto you the fiâ—st effect that euer the holy Spirit bringeth forth in the heart in framing it in mollifying it and in bowing it vnto the obedience of God You shall know the working of the holy Spirit by this effect namely if your minds see and behold what is ill see behold what is good perceiue and discerne your owne miserie and your sinnes which haue brought this misery vpon you and withall perceiue and behold the riches of the mercie of God in Christ Iesus If as your minds see these two your hearts be reformed and prepared to loue the sight of them and as you see in your minds the mercy of God and that in Christ if ye haue hearts to desire mercy if ye haue a thirsting and earnest desire to be partakers of mercy where this desire thirst is there the holy Spirit is he hath no doubt opened the heart On the other side if as thou seeest mercie thou seest thy misery if as thy mind seeth thy miserie it seeth also the fountaine from whence thy miserie floweth to wit from thine owne sinnes if then thy heart also hate this the holy Spirit is there if as thou seest sinne which is the cause of thy miserie with the eye which is giuen thee in the minde thou hatest this sinne with thy heart no question the holy Spirit is there And as thou hatest it if also thou sorrow for it for it is is not enough to hate it if thou lament not the committing of it and with a godly sorrow deplore it the holy Spirit is there And thirdly if with thy lamenting thou hast a care and a study to eschue that sin for what auailes it to lament if like a dogge returning to his vomite thou fall into that same gulfe againe Therefore where there is an hatred of sinne a sorrow for sinne a care and a studie to eschue sin no question the holy Spirit hath opened the heart and is working out that pretious instrument Obserue all this in a word all the operation of the holy Spirit and working in the heart and by this examine thine heart See and perceiue it the holy Spirit hath entred so farre in thee to worke in that hard heaâ—t of thine an earnest and a diligent studie a carefull solicitude continually to be reconciled with the great God whom thou hast offended Is there such a thing as a thirst as a desire to be at amity with him whom thou hast offended to be reconciled with the God of heauen whom thou hast offended by thy manifold transgressions where this care and studie of reconciliation is if this care studie of reconciliation be in the heart there is no doubt but the heart that thirsteth for this reconciliation is heartily content not onely to renounce sinne to renounce all the impieties that separated thee from God but the heart that is endued with this thirst will be heartily content to renounce it selfe to cast downe it selfe as stubboâ—â—e as it was before to cast downe it selfe at the feete of the mighty God and be wholly content at all times after to be ruled by his holy will Not to follow it owne lust it owne will and appetite as it did before but to resigne it selfe wholly into the hands of the mighty God to be ruled by his will at his pleasure and to obey his commands And except ye finde this disposition in your owne hearts to acquire your selues to renounce your selues it is a vaine thing for you to say that ye haue a thirst to be reconciled So the greater thirst of reconciliation that we haue and the more that the care study thereof groweth the greater that the apprehension of my misery of the deepe gulfes and very hels whereunto my soule is subiect increaseth in my soule the more earnest would I be to be reconciled And to be reconciled I would not stand for the renouncing of the lusts of my heart but I would renounce my heart the obedience of the will and desire why Because I see I must die for euer except the Lord reconcile himselfe with me I see the huge deepes oceans of all misery into the which I shall fall in the end except inmercie the Lord reconcile himselfe with me To eschue these miseries and inconueniences is there any question but the heart that hath any sense and is touched with them will most willingly endeuour to acquite it selfe Againe seeing the Lord hath taken paines to deliuer me out of the deepe miserie in the which I had drowned my selfe and hath purchased my redemption by so deere a price not with gold nor with siluer or any drosse of the earth but by such a wonderfull meanes by such a pretious price and rich ransome looking to the greatnesse of our misery and to the greatnesse of the price whereby he hath redeemed vs what heart is it but would willingly renounce it selfe to get a part of that redemption and to be deliuered out of that hell wherein we are presently and wherein we shall be in a greater measure hereafter except we be reconciled So thâ—n with this there is ioyned a disposition in the heart whereby the
heart is willing in some measure to renounce it selfe This lesson is often taught vs by our Sauiour Christ we must both take vp the crosse and renounce our selues also before that we can follow him The more that this thirst groweth in the heart the more this renouncing of our selues groweth in the heart the more that this thirst decayeth is diminished in the hart the more we cleaue to the woâ—ld the more we loue the flesh and the more are we ruled and guided by them So either we must nourish a thirst of righteousnesse a hunger of life euerlasting a thirst of mercie a hunger after that iustice that is in Christ or it is not possible that in any measure we can be his disciples Now to proceede The heart that after this manner is prepared that with a thirst to be reconciled is resolued also to renounce it selfe this heart in the which there remaineth so earnest a thirst is neuer frustrate of the expectation is neuer disappointed But as the Lord hath imprinted in it an earnest studie to be reconciled and to lay hold on Christ so in his mercie he grants vnto that heart the possession of mercie he puts that heart in some measure in possession of mercie which it seeketh in possession of Christ Iesus himselfe whom it seeketh the which apprehension which it hath of Christ the heart sensiblie feeleth and apprehendeth in that peace which he giueth to the conscience So that the conscience which was terrified exceedinglie gnawen and distracted before by the approching of this peace and of Christ with his graces incontinent it is quieted and pacified there cometh a calmnesse and soundnesse into the heart and all troubles and stormes are remoued With this peace is conioyned a taste of the powers of the world to come the heart gets a taste of the sweetnes that is in Christ of the ioy which is in the life euerlasting which taste is the only earnest pennie of that full and perfect ioy which soule and bodie in that life shall enioy And the earnest penny as ye know must be a part of the summe and of the nature of the rest of the summe And therefore that earnest pennie of ioy assures vs that when we shall gette possession of the whole summe it shall be a strange ioy and these documents lift vp the heart and make it not to linger nor wearie in the expectation of that life but being refreshed now and then therewith by so many earnest pennies they assure vs of the full fruition of that ioy for the which in patience we will sustaine all troubles So as the holy Spirit worketh a thirst in vs to be with Christ a thirst of mercy and reconciliation with him the same holy Spirit disappointeth not that same expectation and thirst but putteth the soule and heart in possession of Christ by the which the conscience is pacified the heart is reioyced and we get a taste of the sweetnes and of the power of that life to come The sensible feeling of the which taste that passeth all naturall vnderstanding what doth it in my heart and conscience It worketh a wonderfull assurance and perswasion that God loueth me The feeling of his mercie in the bowels of my heart in the bottome of my conscience worketh a certaine assurance and perswasion that he is my God that he wil saue me for Christs sake that the promise of mercy which I durst not apply vnto my conscience before now by the feeling of mercie I dare boldly applie and say mercie appertainâ—th to me life and saluation belongeth to me For the conscience being exceedingly terrified and seeing nothing in God but fire and wrath it is not possible but it must flie from him it cannot approch to a consuming fire But from the time that the conscience getteth a taste of this peace mercie and sweetnesse how fast soeuer it fled from the presence of God before now after this reconciliation it will runne as fast to him and will possesse him more more fully So the assurance perswasion of mercie ariseth from the feeling of mercie in the heart and conscience And except the heart feele it and taste it in some measure no conscience dare apply God and his mercie to it selfe I may be sure in generall that all my sinnes are remissible and that I may obtaine mercie before I feele it But to applie this mercie particularly to my selfe vntil I feele a taste of it I dare not So this particular application whereby we claime God and Christ as a property vnto vs as if no man had title to him but we to call him my God my Christ to claime his promises as if no man had interest in them but we this cometh of the sâ—nce and feeling of mercie in the heart and the more that this feeling groweth and the greater experiâ—nce that we haue in our owne hearts of this peace and mercie the more increaseth our faith and assurance Our perswasion becometh sâ— strong that we dare at the last say with the Apostle What can separate vs from the loue of God Neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come shall be able to separate me from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. This particular application which ariseth no doubt vpon the feeling and sence of mercie is the speciall difference the chiefe marke and proper note whereby our faith who are iustified in the bloud of Christ is discerned from that generall faith of the Papists Our faith by this particular application is not onely discerned from the generall faith of the Papists but it is discerned from all the pretended faiths of all the Sects in the world For the Papist dareth not apply the promise of mercie to his owne soule he accounteth it presumption to say I am an elect I am saued and iustified And fâ—om whence floweth this Onely from hence that in their consciences they haue neuer felt mercie they haue neuer tasted of the loue fauour and sweetnes of God For looke how fast the conscience flieth from God before it get the taste of his sweetnesse it runneth as diligently to him and threatneth loue of him after that it hath gotten that taste So they miserable men content themselues with this generall faith which is no other thing but an historicall faith which groundeth onely on the truth of God whereby I know that the promises of God are true But the Papists dare not come and say They are true in me Why Because they haue not felt it and their hearts are not opened But our iustifying faith as I told you consecrateth the whole soule vnto the obedience of God in Christ. So that it resteth not onely vpon the truth of God nor it resteth not onely vpon the power of God though these be two chiefe pillars of our faith also but especially and chiefely it resteth vpon the mercie of God in Christ.
not in our hearts nor breedes not in our nature No this gifâ— of faith is not at mans command nor vnder his arbitrement as if it were in his power to belieue or not to beleeue as he pleaseth It is the gift of God poured downe freelie of his vndeserued grace in the riches of his mercie in Christ. That it is a gift ye see clearelie 1. Cor. 12.9 where the Apostle saith And to another is giuen faith by the same Spirit As also Philip. 1.29 For vnto you it is giuen for Christ that not onely ye should belieue in him but also suffer for his sake So faith is the gift of the holy Spirit and this gift is not giuen to all men and women as the Apostle plainlie declareth All haue not faith This gift though it be giuen it is not giuen to all but is onely giuen to the Elect that is to so many as the Lord hath appointed to life euerlasting This gift where-euer it is and in what heart soeuer it be it is neuer idle but perpetually working and working well by loue and charitie as the Apostle affirmeth Gala. 5.6 This gift where-euer it is is not dead but quicke and liuely as the Apostle Iames testifieth in his second Chapter And to let you know whether it be liuely and working or not there is no better meanes then to looke vnto the fruites and effects that flow from it And therefore that ye by your owne effects may be the more assured of the goodnesse of your faith I will giue you three speciall effects to obserue by the which ye may iudge of the goodnesse of your faith First looke to thy heart and cast thine eye on it If thou hast a desire to pray a desire to craue mercy for thy sinnes to call vpon Gods holy Name for mercy and grace if there be such a thing in thy heart as a desire to pray if thy heart be inclined and hath a thirst to seeke after mercie and grace though the greatest part of thine heart repine and would drawe thee from prayer yet assuredly that desire that thou hast in any measure to prayer is the true effect of the right faith If thou haue a heart to pray to God though this desire be but slender assure thy selfe thy soule hath life for prayer is the life of the soule and maketh thy faith liuely And why Prayer is Gods owne gift it is no gift of ours for if it were ours it would be euill but it is the best gift that euer God gaue man and so it must be the gift of his owne holy Spirit and being his owne gift it must make our faith liuely Without this thou art not able nor thou darest not call vpon him in whom thou beleeuest not as the Apostle saith Rom. 10.14 For if I intreate him by prayer I must trust in him Then prayer is a certaine argument of iustifying faith and beliefe in God for I cannot speake to him much lesse pray to him in whom I trust not And though the heart be not fully resolued and well disposed yet if there be any part of the heart that inclineth to prayer it is a sure gage that that part belieueth The second effect whereby thou shalt know whether faith be in thee or no is this Obserue and aduise with thy selfe if thy heart can be content to renounce thy rancour to forgiue thy grudges and that freely for Gods cause Canst thou do this And wilt thou forgiue thy neighbour as freely as God hath forgiuen thee Assuredly this is an effect of the right Spirit for nature could neuer giue yt. There is nothing whereunto nature bendeth it selfe more then to rancour and enuy and there is nothing wherein nature placeth her honour more greedily then in priuy reuenge Now if thy heart be so tamed and brought downe that it will willingly forgiue the iniurie for Gods cause this is the effect of the right Spirit This is not my saying it is the saying of Christ himselfe in the Euangelist Math. 6.14 where he thus speaketh If ye do forgiue men their trespasses your heauenly Father will also forgiue you And in the fifteenth verse But if ye doe not forgiue men their trespasses no more will your heauenly Father forgiue you your trespasses So that Christ saith He that forgiueth wrongs shall haue wrongs forgiuen him but he that will reuenge his wrongs wrong shall be reuenged vpon him Therefore as thou wouldest be spared of thy wrongs done vnto the mightie God spare thou thy neighbour I will not insist examine whether ye haue faith or not examine it by prayer examine it by the discharge of your owne priuie grugdes for if ye want these effects a heart full of rancour a heart voide of prayer is a heart faithlesse and meete for hell The third effect of faith is compassion Thou must bow thy heart and extend thy pity vnto the poore members of Christ his body and suffer them not to want if thou haue for except ye haue this compassion ye haue no faith Examine your selues by these three effects and if ye find these in any measure though neuer so small you haue the right faith in your hearts the faith that ye haue is true and liuely and assuredly God will be mercifull vnto you This faith of ours though it be liuely yet it is not perfect in this world but euery day and euery houre it needeth a continuall augmentation it craueth euer to be nourished for the which increase the Apostles themselues Luke 17.5 said Lord increase our faith And Christ himselfe commandeth vs to pray and say Lord increase our faith I belieue Lord helpe my vnbeliefe Then by Christ his owne command we plainely see that this faith needeth continually to be nourished helped and it cannot be helped but by prayer therefore should we alwayes continue in prayer That this faith should be helped and that we should be perpetually vpon our guard in feare and trembling to get it augmented the terrible doubtings the wonderfull pits of desperation into the which the dearest seruants of God are cast do dailie teath For the best seruants of God are exercised with terrible doubtings in their soules with wonderfull stammerings and they shall be brought at some times as appeares in their owne iudgement to the very brinke of desperation These doubtings and stammerings let vs see that this faith of ours would be perpetually nourished and that we haue need continually to pray for the increase of it It pleaseth the Lord at sometimes to let his seruants haue a sight of themselues to cast them downe and to let them see how vgly sinne is It pleaseth him to let them fall into the bitternesse of sinne and to what end Not that he will deuoure them and suffer them to be swallowed vp of destruction Though Hezekiah cryeth out That like an hungry Lyon the Lord is like to deuoure him and bruise him in peeces yet the Lord suffers him not to
to God in these words Cast me not away from thy presence And what addeth he And take not thy holy Spirit from me Had he not lost the Spirit by his adultery and murther No for he would not haue said then Take it not from me but Restore it to me It is true that he vseth the like in the verse following Râ—store me to the ioy of thy saluation Not that he wanted the Spirit wholly but that the Spirit lacked force in him and needed strengthening and fortification it would be stirred vp that the flame of it might appeare Therefore I say in that Dauid speaketh so plainly after his adulterie and murther Take not thy Spirit from me it is a certaine argument that the faithfull haue neuer the Spirit of God alwaies taken from them in their greatest dissolutions The second point is this How proue I that these sparkles are not idle though the outward effects be interrupted As Dauid felt this in his conscience so euery one of you may feele it in your owne consciences The Spirit of God in mans heart cannot be idle but these sparkles during the time that the bodie is let loose to all dissolutions these sparkles are accusing thy dissolution are finding fault with thy manners these sparkles suffer thee not to take the pleasure of thy bodie without great bitternesse and continuall remorse And these sparkles where they are will make the soule wherein they dwell to vtter these speeches at one time or other once in the twenty-foure houres Alas I am doing the euill which I would not do if I had power or strength to resist my affection if I might be master of my affections I would not for all the world do the euill which I do Againe if I had power to do the good which I would do I would not leaue it vndone for all the world So these sparkles though they haue not such force and strength presently as to resist the affection abstaine from doing euill deeds yet perpetually in the heart they are finding fault with thy corruption and suffer thee not to take thy pleasure without paine but last of all force thee to vtter these speeches If I had strength to resist I would not do the euill which I do Where these speeches are no question they are the words of a soule which the Lord hath begun to sanctifie and being once sanctified in despite of the diuell and of the corruption that is in vs this faith shall neuer perish but if the whole soule without contradiction with a greedy appetite and pleasure be carried to euill and hath no sorrow for it that soule is in an ill estate I can looke for nothing in such a soule but death except the Lord of his great mercie preuent it But where this remorse and sorrow and such speeches are in the soule that soule in the time that God hath appointed shall recouer strength The Lord shall neuer suffer those sparkes to be wholly taken away but in his owne time he shall fortifie them and make them to breake out before the world in good works The Lord in his owne time will sanctifie them he will scatter the ashes of corruption stirre vp the sparkles and make them to breake out into a better life then euer they did before as ye may cleerely see that Dauids repentance hath done more good to the God then if he had neuer fallen Thus farre concerning the effects Though the effects of repentance be interrupted yet those sparkles are not extinguished For there is no man will thinke that the fire which is couered with ashes is extinguished but being stirred vp in the morning it will burne as cleerely as it did the night before There is no man will think the trees that now in the time of Winter want leaues fruite and externall beauty to be dead There is no man will thinke the Sunne to be out of the firmament though it be ouershadowed with a clowde of darkenesse and mist. There is great difference betweene a sleeping disease and death for men are not dead though they be sleeping and yet there is nothing liker vnto death then sleepe As there is great difference betwixt a drunken man and a dead man so there is great oddes betwixt the faith that lieth hid for a while and vttereth not it selfe and the light that is vtterly put out When we breake not forth into outward deedes God forbid that we should thinke that these sparkles are whollie extinguished Indeede the soule which is visited after foule and haynous backslidings from his calling and against his knowledge before this soule recouer the former beauty it is in a strange danger For if the Lord suffer thy corruption to get loose in such sort that it carry thee as it will and by all meanes possible maketh thee to labour to put out the sparkles of regeneration when the Lord beginnes to challenge thee or to make thee reÌ„der an account of this life past the soule of that man when it is challenged is in great danger So that no question when the Lord beginnes to lay to your charge your dissolute life the contempt and abuse of your calling assuredly your soules are so neere to the bâ—inke of desperation that there can be nothing neerer For wilt thou looke to God Thou wilt see nothing but his anger kindled as a fire against thee Wilt thou looke to thy selfe Thou wilt see nothing but sin prouoking his anger thou wilt see the contempt and abuse of thy calling enlarging his anger thou wilt see nothing but matter of despaire And what is the best pillar and surest retreat whereupon such a soule that is so neere to the brinke of desperation may repose I will shew you the helpe whereupon When thou art assaulted by all the greatest tentations thou canst imagine when there is nothing before thee but death when thou seest the diuell accusing thee thine owne conscience bearing him witnes against thee thy life accusing thee and the abuse of thy calling accusing thee whither shalt thou go Looke backe againe to thy forepast experience cast ouer thy memorie and remember if God at any time and in any measure hath loued thee if euer thou hast felt the loue and fauour of God in thy heart and conscience Remember if euer the Lord hath so disposed thy heart that as he loued thee thou louedst him and hadst a desire to obtaine him Remember if euer the Lord hath so disposed thy heart that as he loued thee thou louedst him hadst a desire to obtaine him Remember this and repose thine assurance on this that as he loued thee once he will loue thee euer and will assuredly restore thee to that loue before thou departest this life The heart that felt once this loue of God shall feele it againe and looke what gift or grace or what taste of the power of the world to come that euer the Lord gaue to his creatures in this life to
that same degree of mercy he shall restore his creature before it depart this life So the soule that is tossed with high assaults and great dangers where present things will not helpe it is necessary that it haue recourse vnto things past and keepe in memory the fore-past experience of mercy which the Lord hath freely shewed towards that soule This same memory shall be so pleasant to the soule that it shall stay it presently from desperation and vphold it vnto the time the Lord pacifie that heart and giue comfort to that soule which being done that soule shall see that howsoeuer God was angry he was angry onely for a while I speake these things not that I thinke that euery one of you hath tasted of them yet in some measure the seruants of God must taste of them and ye that haue not tasted of them may taste of them before ye die And therefore whether ye haue tasted or not tasted of them it cannot be but profitable for you to locke vp this lesson in your hearts and remember it faithfully that if the Lord at any time strike at your hearts ye may remember and say with your selues I learned a lesson To looke backe vnto my forepast experience and thereon to repose And though ye be not touched presently your selues yet when ye visite them that are troubled in conscience let these things be proposed to them as comforts vse them as medicines most meete to apply to the griefe of the inward conscience and so ye shal reape fruite of this doctrine and possesse your soules in a good estate Thus farre for the first point wherein euery one of you ought to try and examine your owne consciences The second point is this Try whether ye haue loue towards your neighbour or not For as we are coupled with God by faith so by the band of loue we are coupled with our neighbour For loue is the chiefe and principall branch that springs from the roote of faith Loue is that celestiall glew that conioyneth all the faithfull members in the vnity of a mysticall body And seeing that religion was instituted of God to serue as a path-way to conuey vs to our chiefe felicity happy we cannot be except we be like vnto our God like vnto him we cannot be except we haue loue For as it is 1. Iohn 4.8 God is loue So seeing God is loue it selfe whosoeuer will resemble him must be endued with the oyle of loue This onely one argument testifieth to vs that this loue is a principall head whereunto all things that are commanded in religion ought to be referred To spend long time in the praise of loue I hold it not necessary seeing the holy Scripture resounds in blasing the commendations of it but that we speake not of any thing ambiguous I will let you see how this word is considered taken in the Scriptures Loue is considered either as a spring or fountaine from whence the rest proceedes that is for the loue whereby we loue God And as loue cometh first from God and is poured by his holy Spirit into our hearts so it first redounds vpward and strikes backe vpon himselfe for the loue of God must euer goe before the loue of the creature Next we take this word for that loue whereby we loue Gods creatures our neighbours especially them that are of the family of faith And thirdly it is taken for the deedes of the second Table which flow from this loue Now when I speake of loue I speake of it as in the second signification to wit as it is taken for the loue of our neighbour And taking it so I call loue The gift of God poured into the hearts of men and women by the which gift we first loue God in Christ our Sauiour and next in God and for Gods cause we loue all his creatures but chiefly our brethren that are of the family of faith the children of one cōmon Father with vs. We will examine this definition I say first the loue of God as it cometh from God it returneth to God as it comes down from him so it strikes vpward to him againe And is it not good reason And why Let thy heart fixe thy loue as long as thou wilt vpon the creatures thou shalt neuer be satiate nor thy affections shall neuer be content except thou lay hold on God but if once thou loue God in thy heart and cast thy affections vpon him once takest hold on him the longer thou louest him the greater safetie and contentment shalt thou haue thou shalt not thirst for any other For as to the creatures there is neuer a creature that God hath created but it is stamped with his owne stampe and euery creature beareth his Image and looking to the Image of God in the creature should it not draw thee to him that thou fixe not thy heart vpon the creature For his owne Image in his creature should leade thee to himselfe And therefore the more that thou knowest the creatures and the greater varietie of knowledge that thou hast of them the more should euery particular knowledge of them draw thee to God and the more shouldest thou wonder at thy God and know thy dutie towards him And seeing that delight floweth from knowledge and euery knowledge hath his owne delight as the varietie of knowledge that ariseth from the creature should make the mind to mount vp to the knowledge of God so the varietie of delights that arise vpon the diuersitie of this knowledge should moue the heart vpward to the loue of God and the heart getting hold of God and being seised with the loue of God and the mind being occupied with the true knowledge of God so soone as heart and mind is full of God the heart is quiet and the mind is satisfied So that the more this knowledge groweth in the mind the greater contentment thou hast and the more the loue of God groweth in thy heart the greater ioy and reioycing hast thou in thy soule And why In God ye haue not onely all the creatures but ye haue himselfe beside the creatures and therefore in God ye haue all the knowledge and delight that can arise of the creatures and besides the creatures ye haue God himselfe who is the Creator And so I say the minde of man can neuer quiet it selfe in the knowledge nor the heart can neuer settle it selfe in the loue of naked creatures in respect they are flowing and vanitie as Salomon calleth them But in the infinite God rightly knowne and earnestly loued the mind shall finde a full rest and the heart shall haue a perfect ioy For our affection is so insatiable that no finite thing will satisfie it nor there can be no solide setling vpon the thing that is transitorie So the loue ought to mount vpward first to God in whose face the heart shall find full and perfect ioy The second argument
that I vse is this Seeing there is onely one precept left by our Master in recommendation to be obserued by vs namely That euery one of vs should loue another therefore our wise Master vnderstanding well that where loue was there needed no more lawes that the life of man by loue onely behooued to be most happie left onely the same in chiefe recommendation and taketh vp the whole Law and Gospell in one word Loue. And if the heart of man were endued with loue his life might be most happy and blessed for there is nothing maketh this life happie but the resemblance and likelihood that we haue with God The neerer we draw to God the more blessed is our life for there cannot be so happie a life as the life of God In the first Epist. of Iohn 4.8 God is loue therefore the more we are in loue the more neere we are to that happie life for we are in God and partakers of the life of God When I speake this ye must not thinke that loue in God and loue in vs is one thing for loue is but a qualitie in vs and it is not a qualitie in God There is nothing in God but that which is God so loue in God is his owne essence therefore the more that ye grow in loue the neerer ye draw to God and to that happie and blessed life For there is nothing more profitable more agreeable conuenient vnto nature then to loue and aboue all things to loue God And therefore it is that God and his Angels are most happie and blessed because they loue all things and desire euer to do good On the other side there is nothing more vnhappie nothing more noysome more hurtful that eateth vp nature more then to burne with enuie and hatred and therefore it is that the diuels are most miserable who torment themselues with continuall malice and hatred burning with a vehement appetite to be noysome vnto all creatures So as the life of the diuel is most vnhappie because he is full of enuie and malice so our life will be most happie if we be full of loue I will no further speake of loue Onely if ye haue loue marke the effects of it set downe 1. Cor. 13.4.5.6.7 verses which effects if ye haue not in some measure ye haue not true loue I end here Ye see in what points euery one of you ought to be prepared Ye must be endued with this loue and ye must be endued with faith and if ye haue these in any small measure go boldly to the hearing of the word and to the receiuing of the Sacraments This is the preparation that we allow of I grant the Papists haue a preparation far differing from this and therefore they can haue no warrant from the word of God Last of all seeing that we are commanded to trie our selues he that lacketh knowledge cannot trie himselfe a mad man cannot trie himselfe a child cannot trie himselfe therefore they ought not to come to the Lords Table All these things being considered aright he that hath faith and loue in any kind of measure let him come to the Table of the Lord. And all these things serue as well for the hearing of the word fruitfully as for the receiuing of the Sacrament Therefore the Lord of his mercy illuminate your minds and worke some measure of faith loue in your hearts that ye may be partakers of that heauenly life offered in the word and Sacraments that ye may begin your heauen here and obtaine the full fruition of the life to come and that in the righteous merits of Christ Iesus To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honour praise and glorie both now and for euer Amen THE THIRD SERMON VPON THE SACRAMENTS IN GENERALL 1. COR. 11.23 For I haue receiued of the Lord that which I also haue deliuered vnto you to wit that the Lord Iesus in the night that he was betrayed tooke Bread c. THere is nothing in this woâ—ld nor out of the world more to be wished of euery one of you more to be craued and sought of euery one of you then to be conioyned with Christ Iesus then once to be made one with the God of glorie Christ Iesus This heauenly and celestiall coniunction is purchased brought about by two speciall meanes It is brought about by meanes of the word and preaching of the Gospell and it is brought about by the meanes of the Sacraments and ministration thereof The word leadeth vs to Christ by the eare the Sacraments leade vs to Christ by the eye two senses of all the rest which God hath chosen as most meete for this purpose to instruct vs and bring vs vnto Christ. For that doctrine must be most effectuall and mouing that wakeneth and stirreth vp most the outward senses that doctrine that wakeneth not onely the eare but the eye the taste the feeling and all the rest of the outward senses must moue the heart most must be most effectuall and piercing in the soule But so it is that this doctrine of the Sacraments moueth stirreth vp and wakeneth most the outward senses therefore it must be if we come well prepared vnto it most effectuall to stir vp the inward senses of the dull heart But there is a thing that ye must euer remember there is no doctrine neither of the simple word nor yet of the Sacraments if Christ abstract his holy Spirit that is able to moue therefore when euer ye come to heare the doctrine whether it be of the Sacraments or of the simple word craue of God that he would be present by his holy Spirit or otherwise all the doctrine in the earth will not auaile you Alwayes this doctrine of the Sacraments stirres vp and wakens most the outward senses there is no question therefore but it is an effectuall and potent instrument to waken prepare and stirre vp our hearts Then to let you see what the word Sacrament meaneth and to remoue the ambiguity of it it is certaine and out of all question that the Latine Diuines who were most ancient did interpret the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the word Sacrament and they vsed the Greeke word not onely to signifie the whole action of the Supper of the Lord and the whole action of Baptisme but they vsed the word Mystery to signifie whatsoeuer is darke and hid in it selfe and not frequented in the coÌ„mon vse of men as after this manner the Apostle calleth the vocation of the Gentiles a mystery This coniunction which is begun here betwixt vs Christ is called a mystery the Latine Interpreters call it a Sacrament to be short ye wil not find in the book of God a word more frequent then the word Mystery But as for the word Sacrament wherby they interprete the Greeke word we find not this word by the same Diuines to be taken so largely neither is
The reason wherefore I call them signes is this I call them not signes by that reason that men commonly call them signes because they signifie onely as the Brâ—â—d signifies the bodie of Christ the Wine signifies the bloud of Christ I call them not signes because they represent onely but I call them signes because they haue the body bloud of Christ conioyned with them Yea so truly is the bodie of Christ conioyned with that Bread and the bloud of Christ conioyned with that Wine that as soone as thou receiuest that Bread in thy mouth if thou be a faithfull man or woman so soone receiuest thou the bodie of Christ in thy soule and that by faith and as soone as thou receiuest that Wine in thy mouth so soone thou receiuest the bloud of Christ in thy soule and that by faith In respect of this exhibition chiefely that they are instruments to deliuer and exhibite the things that they signifie and not in respect onely of their representation are they called signes For if they did nothing but represent or signifie a thing absent then any picture or dead Image should be a Sacrament for there is no picture as the picture of the King but at the sight of the picture the King will come in your minde and it will signifie vnto you that that is the Kings picture So if the signe of the Sacrament did no further all pictures should be Sacraments but in respect that the Sacrament exhibites and deliuers the thing that it signifieth to the soule and heart so soone as the signe is deliuered to the mouth for this cause especially it is called a signe There is no picture of the King that will deliuer the King vnto you there is no other image that will exhibite the thing whereof it is the image therefore there is no image can be a Sacrament Then in respect the Lord hath appointed the Sacraments as hands to deliuer and exhibite the thing signified for this deliuery and exhibition chiefly they are called signes As the word of the Gospell is a mightie and potent instrument to our euerlasting saluation so the Sacrament is a potent instrument appointed by God to deliuer vs to Christ Iesus to our euerlasting saluation For this spirituall meate is dressed and giuen vp to vs in spirituall dishes that is in the ministerie of the word and in the ministerie of the Sacraments And suppose this ministerie be externall yet the Lord is said to deliuer spirituall and heauenly things by these external things Why Because he hath appointed them as instruments whereby he will deliuer his owne Sonne vnto vs. For this is certaine that none hath power to deliuer Christ Iesus vnto vs except God and his holy Spirit and therefore to speake properly there is none can deliuer Christ but God by his owne Spirit he is deliuered by the ministerie of the holy Spirit it is the holy Spirit that seales him vp in our hearts confirmes vs more and more in him as the Apostle giueth him this stile 2. Cor. 1.22 To speake properly there is none hath power to deliuer Christ but God the Father or himselfe There is none hath power to deliuer the Mediator but his owne Spirit yet it hath pleased God to vse some instruments and meanes whereby he will deliuer Christ Iesus vnto vs. The meanes are these the ministerie of the word and the ministerie of the Sacraments and in respect he vseth these as meanes to deliuer Christ they are said to deliuer him But here ye haue to distinguish betweene the principall efficient deliuerer the instrumentall efficient which is the word SacrameÌ„ts keeping this distinction both these are true God by his word God by his Spirit deliuereth Christ Iesus vnto you Then I say I call theÌ„ signes because God hath made theÌ„ potent instruments to deliuer the same thing which they signifie Now I go to the thing signified and I call the thing signified by the signes in the Sacrament that which Irenaeus that old Writer calleth the heauenly and spirituall thing to wit whole Christ with his whole gifts benefites and graces applied and giuen to my soule Then I call not the thing signified by the signes of Bread and Wine the benefits of Christ the graces of Christ or the vertue that floweth out of Christ onely but I call the thing signified together with the benefits and vertues flowing from him the very substance of Christ himselfe from which this vertue doth flow The substance with the vertues gifts and graces that flow from the substance is the thing signified here As for the vertue and graces that flow from Christ it is not possible that thou canst be partaker of the vertue that floweth from his substance except thou be first partaker of the substance it selfe For how is it possible that I can be partaker of the iuyce that floweth out of any substance except I be partaker of the substance it selfe first Is it possible that my stomach can be refreshed with that meate the substance whereof neuer came into my mouth Is it possible my drought can be slackned with that drinke that neuer passed downe my throat Is it possible that I can sucke any vertue out of any thing except I get the substance first So it is impossible that I can get the iuyce and vertue that floweth out of Christ except I get the substance that is himselfe first So I call not the thing signified the grace and vertue that floweth from Christ onely nor Christ himselfe and his substance without his vertue and graces onely but ioyntly the substance with the graces whole Christ God and man without separation of his natures wiâ—hout distinguishing of his substance from his graces I call the thing signified by the signes in the Sacrament for why if no more be signified by the Bread but the flesh and bodie of Christ onely and no more be signified by the Wine but the bloud of Christ onely thou canst not say that the body of Christ is Christ it is but a part of Christ thou canst not say that the blood of Christ is whole Christ it is but a part of him and a peece of thy Sauiour saued thee not a part of thy Sauiour wrought not the worke of thy saluation and so suppose thou get a peece of him in the Sacrament that part will do thee no good To the end therefore that this Sacrament may nourish thee to life euerlasting thou must get in it thy whole Sauiour whole Christ God and man with his whole graces and benefites without separation of his substance from his graces or of the one nature from the other And how get I him Not by my mouth It is a vaine thing to thinke that we will get God by our mouth but we get him by faith As he is a Spirit so I eate him by faith and beliefe in my soule not by the teeth of my mouth that is a vaine thing Be it that
man But Christ Iesus hath locked vp and reserued the ministery of this heauenly thing to himselfe onely therefore there are two giuers in this Sacrament the Minister giueth the earthly thing Christ Iesus the Mediatour giues you the heauenly thing in this Sacrament For Christ in giuing the earthly thing wil not vse his owne ministery immediately nor the ministery of an Angell but only the ministery of an earthly man And as for the dispensation of his owne body bloud he will not giue it either to heauenly creature or earthly man but he keepeth this ministery to himselfe and he dispenseth his owne body and bloud to whom and when he pleaseth And why If any man in the world had power to giue Christs body bloud no question this man should haue power to clense the heart conscience for the bloud of Christ hath this power with it and consequently should haue power to forgiue sins Now it is onely God that may forgiue sinnes and therefore it is not possible that the ministery of the heauenly thing can be in the power of any man Example we haue in Iohn the Baptist Math 3.11 Saith he not The ministery that I haue is of the element I am commanded to minister the element of water onely but as for the ministery of fire and of the Spirit Christ hath reserued it vnto himselfe Therfore looke not to get the Spirit at mans hands but at the hands of Christ himselfe onely And without this inward ministerie the outward ministerie is not worth a straw For my outward ministerie yea suppose it were the ministerie of an Angell and suppose Christ were present in the flesh to minister vnto you these outward things except he conioyne the inward ministerie of his Spirit therewith it auaileth nothing it may well be as a processe against you in the day of that generall assemblie but to your saluation it will neuer profit you Therfore this ye ought alwaies to pray for that the Lord would water your hearts by his holy Spirit as he watereth your eares by the hearing of his word Then there are two offerers the Minister offers the signe Christ Iesus offers himselfe the thing signified The three persons one God offer the Mediatour or the Mediatour offers himselfe and that by the power and vertue of his owne Spirit As there are two offerers two persons that offer and giue the Sacrament and thing signified by the Sacrament so these two are offered and giuen in two actions Christ who is the heauenly thing is offered and giuen vnto you by an inward secret and spirituall action which is not subiect to the outward eye The signe againe is offered and giuen in an outward action after a corporall and visible manner As there are two sorts of actions so there are two sorts of instruments whereunto the signe and the thing signified are offered for the thing signified that is Christ is neuer offered to the mouth of my bodie the bloud of Christ the flesh of Christ whole Christ or the Spirit of Christ is not offered either in the word or in the Sacrament to the mouth of my bodie Let the Aduersaries find me that in any part of the Bible that there is any other manner of receiuing Christ then by faith and let them haue the victorie So there is not an instrument as I told you neither hand nor mouth to receiue Christ but faith onely As Christ who is the thing signified is receiued by the hand and mouth of faith so the signe which signifieth Christ is receiued by our owne naturall mouth and hand Ye haue a mouth in your heads and in your bodies as proper to receiue the signe as faith is to receiue Christ. So the signe and the thing signified are offered and giuen not to one instrument but to two the one to the mouth of the bodie the other to the mouth of the soule Now marke by what way these things are offered and giuen by the same way they are receiued as the signe is corporall and naturally offered to a corporall instrument so is it receiued after a corporall and naturall manner for thou must take the Bread and Wine either by thy hand or by thy mouth The thing signified is not taken after a corporall manner but after a secret and spirituall manner and as it is offered so it is taken There can be nothing clearer then this the one is taken after a naturall manner the other after a secret and spirituall manner So in this last part ye haue these things to marke to distinguish betweene the outward action and the inward betweene the signe and the thing signified and to keepe a proportion and analogie betweene the inward and the outward actions ye may surely perswade your selues that if ye be faithfull Christ is as busie working inwardly in your soules as the Minister is working outwardly towards your bodies looke how busie the Minister is in breaking that Bread in pouring out that Wine in giuing that Bread and Wine vnto thee as busie is Christ in breaking his owne bodie vnto thee and in giuing the iuyce of his owne bodie after a spirituall and inuisible manner So keepe this distinction and ye may assure your selues that by faith Christ is as well occupied towards your soules to nourish thē as the Minister is outwardly towards your bodies Keepe this and ye haue the whole Sacrament Then from this discourse and deduction you may learne a double matter whereof the Sacrament consisteth It standeth on two sorts of materials that is of an earthly matter and of an heauenly matter the signe and the thing signified And as there is a double matter in the Sacrament so the Sacrament must be handled after a double manner by an outward action and an inward action keepe the distinction in these things betweene the signe and the thing signified and ye shall not easily slip in the vnderstanding of the Sacrament This being said concerning the generall consideration of the Elements for all this yet appertaineth to the Elements it resteth that we speake somewhat concerning the word which I call the other part of the Sacrament I meane and vnderstand by the word whereunto the Elements are annexed that thing which quickneth this whole action which serueth as it were a soule and giueth life vnto the whole action For by the word and appointment of Christ in the word the Minister knoweth what is his part the hearer knoweth what is his part euery one is prepared how to deliuer and how to receiue the Minister how he should deliuer and the hearer how he should receiue So the Institution of Christ is the quicking of the whole action for all the action is warranted from the Institution set downe in his word In the Institution of Christ there are two things chiefly to be considered a Command and a Promise The Command is this where he saith Take eate The Command requireth obedience There is a Promise also
mouth Marke this That if it were not of Gods speciall grace and mercy that he giueth me an eye to perceiue him a mouth to receiue him I would refuse him as wel as they So this Argument holdeth not Christ is offered to all Ergo he is receiued of all Happy were they if they could receiue him Thus far for the 3. Argumēt What resteth now for the full vnderstanding of the Sacrament These things remaine That we vnderstand the Sacramentall speeches that are vsed in the Sacrament for we vse to speake of them God vseth to speake of them and the Ancients vse to speake of them We vse to say that the soule eateth the body of Christ and drinketh the bloud of Christ. These speeches would be opened to you how the soule is said to eate the body and drinke the bloud of Christ these speeches are Sacramentall yet ye are not the wiser but I will make it plaine by Gods grace They are Sacramentall what is that Ye know it is proper to the body to eate and drinke they are the proper actions of the body onely Now they are ascribed to the soule by a translation by a figuratiue manner of speaking That which is proper to the body is ascribed to the soule and it is said that the soule eateth and drinketh The eating of the soule doth resemble the eating of the body then the eating of the soule is no other thing but the applying of Christ to the soule to beleeue that he hath shed his bloud for me that he hath purchased remission of sinnes for me Wherefore then call you this an eating Thy body eateth when thou appliest the meate to thy mouth If then the eating of the body be no other thing but the applying of the meat to the mouth the eating of the soule is no other thing but the applying of the nourishment to the soule Then ye see what is meant by the eating and drinking of the soule no other thing but the applying of Christ to my soule and the applying of his death and passion to my soule and this is onely done by faith therefore he that lacked faith cannot eate Christ. Thus farre for the eating and drinking of the soule which are Sacramentall speeches There remaineth now of all these great things of al this doctrine which hath bin taught but this one lessō That thou learne to apply Christ rightly to thy soule Thou art a great Diuine if thou hast learned this wel for in the right application of Christ to the sick soule to the wounded conscience and diseased heart here begins the fountaine of all our felicity and the wel-spring of all our ioy And I will tell you what this application worketh Obserue what the presence of thy soule within thee suppose thou want Christ in thy soule doth to this earthly body to this lumpe of clay as by the presence of the soule it liueth it moueth it feeleth as the soule giueth to the body life mouing and senses that same very thing doth Christ vnto thy soule Hast thou once laid hold of and applyed him to thee As the soule quickens thy body so he quickens thy soule not with an earthly or temporall life but with the life which he liueth in heauen he makes thee to liue that same life which the Angels liue in heauen he maketh thee to moue not with worldly motions but with heauenly spirituall and celestiall motions Againe he inspires in thee not outward senses but heauenly senses he worketh in thee a spirituall feeling that in thine owne heart and conscience thou mayst find the effect of this word So by the coniunction of Christ with my soule get a thousand times greater benefits then the body doth by the soule for the body by the presence of the soule getteth onely an earthly and temporall life subiect to continuall misery but by the presence of Christ in my soule I see a blessed life l feele a blessed life and that same life takes daily more and more increase in me Then the ground of all our perfection and blessednesse standeth in this coniunction suppose thou mightest liue Methushelaes yeers and wert euer seeking yet if in the last houre thou get this coniunction thou must thinke thy trauell well bestowed thou hast gotten enough for if we haue obtained Christ we haue gotten al with him Then the applying of Christ to my soule is the fountaine of all my ioy felicity Now let vs see how we get this coniunction This is a spirituall coniunction a coniunction hard and difficult to be purchased obtained gotten of vs. How then is this coniunction brought about which are the meanes of this coniunction on Gods part and which are the means on our part to get Christ to put Christ in our soules and to make Christ one with vs There is one meanes on Gods part that helpeth vs vnto Christ and there is another on our part On Gods part there is the holy Spirit which offereth the body and bloud of Christ to vs and on our part there must be a meanes or else though he offer we will not receiue Therefore of necessity there must be faith in our soules to receiue that which the holy Spirit offers to receiue that heauenly food of the body and bloud of Christ which the holy Spirit offers Then faith and the holy Spirit are the two meanes of this spirituall and heauenly coniunction By these two meanes by faith and by the holy Spirit I get the body of Christ the body of Christ is mine and he is giuen to my soule Now here comes in the question How canst thou say that the body of Christ is giuen or deliuered to thee seeing the body of Christ is sitting at the right hand of God the Father and looke how great distance is betwixt heauen and earth as great distance is there betwixt the body of Christ and thy body how then say ye that the body of Christ is giuen to you The Papists vnderstand not this and therefore they imagine a grosse and carnall coniunction Except the Spirit of God reueale these things they cannot be vnderstood The Spirit of God must illuminate our mindes and be planted in all our hearts before we can come to the vnderstanding of this Then wouldest thou vnderstanding of this Then wouldest thou vnderstand how Christ is giuen thee This ground is true that the body of Christ is a◠the right hand of the Father the bloud of Christ is at the right hand of the Father yet notwithstanding though there be as great distance betwixt my body and the body of Christ as is betwixt heauen and earth yet Christs body is giuen to me because I haue a title to his body giuen to me the right and title which is giuen to me of his body and bloud makes me to possesse his body and bloud The distance of the place hurteth not my title nor my right for if any of you haue a peece of Land
lying in the farthest part of England if ye haue a good title to it the distance of the place cannot hurt your title so I say the distance of place hurts not my title and my right that I haue to Christ. But though he be sitting at the right hand of the Father yet the title and right that I haue to him makes him mine so that I may say truly this Christ is my property Then Christ is not made mine because I fetch him out of the heauens but he is mine because I haue a sure title and right to him and hauing a sure title and iust right to him the distance of place how farre soeuer it be can no wayes hurt my title nor right but where-euer he be he is mine because I haue a right and title to him Yea not onely haue I a title to him but this title is confirmed to me For as I get a title to him in the word and if I got not that title to him in the word I durst not come to the Sacrament so in the Sacracrament I get the confirmation of my title I get the Seale which confirmes my title Then to come to the point Christs body is sitting at the right hand of the Father and yet he is mine and is deliuered to me because I haue right to his body be it where it will he was borne for me giuen to mee and deliuered to me So distance of place hurts not the surety of my title as propinquity of place helpes not the surety of the same Though Christ would bow the heauens and touch thee with his body as he did Iudas yet this could not helpe thee for if thou hast not a title to him thou darest not call him thine So it is not the neerenesse nor proximity of place that maketh Christ mine It is onely the right that I haue to him I haue right to him onely by faith So by faith onely Christ is made mine But they thinke they haue gotten a great vantage of vs if we be so farre from Christ as the heauen is from the earth but this shall be answered by Gods grace I haue a title to his bodie his bodie is distant from my bodie yet his bodie is not distant from me that is from my soule I say his bodie and my soule are conioyned It is a strange ladder that will reach from the earth to the heauens yet let me tell you there is a cord that extendeth from the earth to the heauens and coupleth me and Christ together and this is onely true faith By true faith Christ though he be in the heauens is coupled and conioyned with me who am here on earth I will shew you this by a similitude Is not the bodie of the Sunne in the firmament It is impossible for you to touch the bodie of the Sunne yet the bodie of the Sunne and ye are conioyned How By those beames that shine on you by that light that shineth vpon you Why may not the bodie of Christ then though it be in the heauens be conioyned with me that am on earth namely by the beames by the light and gladnesse that floweth from his bodie My bodie and Christs bodie are conioyned by the vertue and power flowing from his bodie which vertue and power quickneth my dead soule maketh me to liue the life of Christ to begin to die to my selfe and euer the more I die to my selfe the more I liue to Christ. This coniunction now is the ground as I told you of all our felicitie and happinesse and I haue made it cleare to you at this time so far as God hath giuen me insight Alwaies ye see this coniunction is brought to passe by two speciall meanes by the holy Spirit by faith If there be no other meanes but these two what needest thou a carnall or a visible coniunction Faith is inuisible and the Spirit is inuisible therefore thou canst not see it nor take it vp with the eye of thy bodie The power of the holy Spirit is so subtile secret and inuisible that thou canst not perceiue it nor take it vp with the eye of the bodie and it will worke great effects in thy soule or euer thou perceiuest his working In respect therefore that the meanes of this coniunction are so subtill secret and spirituall why thinkest thou to get a sight of this coniunction with the eye of thy bodie why imaginest thou such a carnall coniunction as this which would do thee no good if thou hadst it Knowest thou not that the Spirit that coupleth vs and Christ is infinite so that it is as easie for the Spirit to couple vs and Christ how far distant soeuer we be as it is easie for our soules to couple our head and the feete of our bodies though they be distant Then seeing this coniunction is the ground and fountaine of all our happinesse and seeing this ground of happinesse is so substill and so spirituall what is your part Remoue all your outward senses remoue all your naturall motions remoue your naturall discourses and your naturall reason and follow the sight and information of the Spirit of God Craue that it would please him to illuminate your vnderstanding that by the light of his Spirit ye may see clearely the spirituall coniunction Except the eye of the Spirit be giuen you to perceiue this spirituall coniunction it is not possible that ye can get any insight in it But if the Lord of his mercie will bestow some measure of his holy Spirit vppon you out of question ye shall soone come to the vnderstanding of it and ye shall thinke the time happie that euer ye heard this word Except ye haue some part of this Spirit it is not possible that ye can be spirituall That which is borne of flesh and bloud will remaine flesh and bloud except the Spirit come in and make it spirituall Therefore ye must be borne againe of the Spirit ye must be borne in the bodie of Christ his Spirit must quicken you This is called the quickning and liuing Spirit of Christ by Iohn And so soone as the Spirit cometh what doth it It chaseth away darknesse out of the vnderstanding whereas before I knew not God now I see him not onely generally that he is a God but that he is my God in Christ. What more doth the holy Spirit It openeth the heart as well as the minde and what doth it there Those things whereon I bestowed the affections of my heart and imployed the loue of my soule are by the working of the holy Spirit made gall to me he maketh them venome to me and to be as deadly hated of me as poyson He worketh sâ—ch an inward disposition in my soule that he maketh me to turne and flie from those things whereon I imployed my loue before and to imploy it vpon God This is a great perfection Alwaies in some measure he makeâ—h me to loue God better then any other thing
He changeth the affections and inclinations of my soule he changeth the faculties and qualities of my soule And though our hearts and minds be made new yet the substance of them is not changed but onely the faculties and qualities are changed in respect of the which change we are called new creatures and except you be found new creatures ye are not in Christ. Now to come to the point This secret coniunction is brought to passe by faith and by the holy Spirit by faith we lay hold on the bodie and bloud of Christ And though we be as farre distant as heauen and earth are the Spirit serueth vs as a ladder to conioyne vs with Christ As the ladder of Iacob which reached from the ground to the heauen to the selfe same vse serueth the Spirit of God to conioyne the bodie of Christ with my soule Then obserue the whole in a word What maketh you to haue any right or title to Christ Nothing but the Spirit nothing but faith What should be your studie then Seeke by all meanes possible to get faith that as Peter Acts 15.9 saith your hearts and consciences may be sanctified by faith And if you endeuour not as well to get faith in your hearts as in your minds your faith auaileth not What auaileth the faith that fleeteth in the fantasie and bringeth a naked knowledge without the opening of the heart and consent of the will So there must be an opening of thy heart and consent of thy will to do that thing that God commandeth or else thy faith auaileth not Then striue to get faith in your hearts and minds and doing so ye do the duties of Christians This is not done without the diligent hearing of the word and diligent receiuing of the Sacrament Then be diligent in these exercises and be diligent in prayer Praying in the holy Ghost that he would nourish your soules inwardly with the bodie and bloud of Christ That he would increase faith in your hearts and minds and make it to grow vp more and more daily vntill you come to the full fruition of that blessed immortalitie Vnto the which the Lord of his mercie bring vs and that for the righteous merits of Christ Iesus To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honour praise and glorie both now and euer Amen THE FIFTH SERMON VPON THE LORDS SVPPER 1. COR. 11.23 For I haue receiued of the Lord that which I also haue deliuered vnto you to wit that the Lord Iesus in the night that he was betrayed tooke Bread c. WE haue heard wel-beloued in Christ Iesus in our last exercise what names were giuen to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper as well in the Scriptures as by the Ancients of the Latine and East Churches we heard the chiefe ends wherefore and whereunto this holy Sacrament was at first instituted we heard the things that were contained in this Sacrament what they were how they are coupled how they are deliuered and how they are receiued we heard also some obiections that might be obiected to the contrarie of this doctrine we heard them propounded and as God gaue the grace refuted we heard how the faithfull soule is said to eate Christs body and drinke Christs bloud We heard the manner how Christ is or can be receiued of vs. And we concluded in this poynt That Christ Iesus the Sauiour of mankinde our Sauiour cannot be perceiued nor yet receiued but by a spirituall way and apprehension Neither the flesh of Christ nor the bloud of Christ nor Christ himselfe can be perceiued but by the eye of faith can be receiued but by the mouth of faith nor can be layd hold on but by the hand of faith Now faith is a spirituall thing for faith is the gift of God powred downe into the hearts and minds of men and women wrought in the soule of euery one and that by the mighty working and operation of the holy Spirit So the onely way to lay hold on Christ being by faith and faith of it owne nature being spirituall it followeth therefore that there is no way to lay hold on Christ but a spirituall way there is not a hand to fasten on Christ but a spirituall hand there is not a mouth to digest Christ but a spirituall mouth The Scriptures familiarly by all these termes describe the nature and efficacy of faith We are said to eate the flesh of Christ by faith and to drinke his bloud by faith in this Sacrament chiefly in doing of two things First in calling to our remembrance the bitter death and passion of Christ the bloud that he shed vpon the crosse the Supper which he instituted in remembrance of him before he went to the Crosse the commandement which he gaue Do this in remembrance of me I say we eate his flesh and drinke his bloud spiritually First in this point in recording and remembring faithfully how he died for vs how his bloud was shed vpon the crosse This is the first point a point that cannot be remembred truly except it be wrought by the mighty power of the holy Spirit The second poynt of the spirituall eating standeth in this That I and euery one of you beleeue firmely that he died for me in particular That his bloud was shed on the crosse for a ful remission and redemption of me and my sins The chiefe and principall point of the eating of Christ his flesh drinking of his bloud standeth in beleeuing firmly that that flesh was deliuered to death for my sinnes that that bloud of his was shed for the remission of my sinnes and except euery soule come neere to himselfe and firmely consent and agree and be perswaded that Christ died for him that soule can not be saued that soule can not eate the flesh nor drinke the bloud of Christ. Then the eating of the flesh and drinking of the bloud of Christ standeth in a faithfull memorie in a firme belief and in a true applying of the merits of the death and passion of Christ to my owne conscience in particular There were sundry things obiected against this kind of receiuing I will not insist to repeate them But beside all the obiections which ye heard obiected against this kinde of spirituall receiuing by faith they say If Christ his flesh nor his bloud be not perceiued nor receiued but by the Spirit by faith in the Spirit then say they ye receiue him but by an imagination if he be not receiued carnally nor corporally but onely by the Spirit and by faith then is he not receiued but by way of imagination conceite and fantasie So they account faith an imagination of the minde a fantasie and opinion fleeting in the hearts of men I cannot blame them to thinke so of faith For as none can iudge of the sweetenesse of hony but they that haue tasted of it so there is none can discerne nor iudge of the nature of faith but they that haue felt it
and tasted in their hearts what it is And if they had tasted and felt in their soules what faith brings with it alas they would not call that spirirituall Iewell and onely â—ewell of the soule an imagination They call it an imagination and the Apostle describing it Heb. 11.1 calleth it a substance and substantiall ground Marke how well these two agree An imagination and a substantiall ground They call it an vncertaine opinion fleeting in the braine and fantasie of man He calleth it an euidence and demonstration in the same definition See how directly contrary the Apostle and they are in the nature of faith Vpon this they infer that as it is true in generall he can not be deliuered nor giuen but that same way that he is receiued and looke what way any thing is receiued the same way it is giuen and deliuered So as they say he being receiued by way of imagination he is also in their fantasie giuen and deliuered by way of imagination For if he be not giuen say they to thy hand to thy mouth nor to thy stomack corporally he cannot be giuen but by an imagination and fantasticall opinion The reason that moueth them to thinke that Christ cannot be theirs nor giuen to them truly in effect and really except he be giuen carnally is this That thing which is so far absent and distant from vs as the heauen is from the earth cannot be said to be giuen vs nor to be ours But by our owne confession say they to vs Christ his body is as farre absent from vs as the heauen is from the earth Therefore Christ his body nor his flesh cannot be giuen vnto vs except by way of imagination and so not truly nor in effect This argument framed in this sort would at the first sight seeme to be of some force But let vs examine the proposition of it The proposition is this That thing which is so farre absent from vs as the heauen is from the earth cannot be said to be deliuered to vs to be giuen to vs or any wayes to be ours Now whether is this proposition true or false I say this proposition is vntrue and the contrarie most true A thing may be giuen to vs and may become ours though the thing in person it selfe be as farre distant from vs as the heauen is from the earth And how proue I this What maketh any thing to be ours What maketh any of you esteeme a thing to be giuen vnto you Is it not a title Is it not a iust right to that thing If ye haue a iust right giuen vnto you by him who hath power to giue it and a sure title confirmed to you by him who hath the power though the thing that he giueth vnto you be not deliuered into your hands yet by the right and title which he granteth to you is not the thing yours There is no doubt of it for it is not the neernes of the thing to my body to my hand that maketh the thing mine for it may be in mine hand and yet not belong to me Neyther is it the distance nor absence of the thing that makes it not to be mine but it may be farre absent from me and yet be mine becaue the title is mine and because I haue gotten a right to it from him who hath the power to giue it So then this ground is true It is a sure title and a iust right that maketh a thing though it be far distant from vs to be ours But so it is that a liuelie and true faith in the bloud and death of Christ maketh vs to haue a sure title and a good right to the flesh and bloud of Christ and to his merites looke what he merited by his death shedding of his bloud vpon the crosse all that together with himselfe also appertaineth to me and that by a title and a right which I haue gotten to him of God which is faith And the surer that my title is the more sure am I of the thing that is giuen me by the title Now this Sacrament of the Lords Supper was instituted to confirme our title to seale vp our right which we haue to the bodie and bloud to the death and passion of Christ and so the bodie of Christ is said to be giuen to vs the bloud of Christ is said to be deliuered to vs when our title which we haue of him of his death of his bodie and bloud is confirmed in our harts For this Sacrament is instituted for the growth and increase of our faith for the increase of our holinesse and sanctification which faith the greater that it is in our hearts the more sure are we that Christ his death appertaineth to vs. I grant as I haue said that the flesh of Christ is not deliuered into my hndes his flesh is not put into my mouth nor entreth into my stomacke Yet God forbid that thou shouldst say He is not truly giuen although Christs flesh be not put into thy hand nor mouth of thy body and wherfore should it Hath he not appointed bread wine for the nourishment of the bodie may not that content you Are they not sufficieÌ„t to nourish you to this earthly temporall life Hath he not appointed Christ to be deliuered to the inward mouth of thy soule to be giuen into the hand of thy soule that thy soule may seede on him and be quickned with that life wherewith the Angels liue wherewith the Sonne of God and God himselfe liue So the flesh of Christ is not appointed to nourish thy bodie but to nourish thy soule in the hope yea in the growth of that immortall life and therefore I say though the flesh of Christ be not deliuered into the hand of thy body yet it is deliuered to that part that it should nourish the soule is that part that it should nourish therefore to the soule it is deliuered Yea that Bread and that Wine are no more really deliuered to the bodie and to the hand of the bodie then the flesh of Christ is deliuered to the soule and to the hand and mouth of the soule which is faith therefore craue no more a carnall deliuerie nor thinke not vpon a carnall receiuing Thou must not thinke that either God giueth the flesh of Christ to the mouth of the bodie or that thou by the mouth of thy bodie receiuest the flesh of Christ For ye must vnderstand this principle in the Scriptures of God our soules cannot be ioyned with the flesh of Christ nor the flesh of Christ cannot be ioyned with our soules but by a spirituall band Not by a carnall band of bloud and alliance not by the touching of his flesh with our flesh but he is conioyned with vs by a spirituall band that is by the power and vertue of his holy Spirit And therefore the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 12.13 That by the meanes of his holy Spirit all we who are faithfull men
and women are baptized into one bodie of Christ. That is we are conioyned and fastened with one Christ by the meanes saith he of one Spirit not by a carnall band or any grosse coniunction but onely by the band of the holy Spirit That same holy Spirit that is in him is in euery one of vs in some measure and in respect one Spirit is in him and in vs therefore we are accounted all to be one bodie and to be members of one spirituall and mysticall bodie And in the same verse the Apostle saith We are all made to drinke into one and the selfe same Spirit that is we are made to drinke of the bloud of Christ. And this bloud is no other thing but the quickning vertue and power that floweth from Christ and from the merits of his death we are made all to drinke of that bloud when we drinke of the liuely power and vertue that floweth out of that bloud So there is not a band that can couple my soule with the flesh of Christ but onely a spirituall band and a spirituall vnion And therefore it is that the Apostle 1. Cor. 6.17 saith He that is ioyned vnto the Lord is one Spirit And Iohn saith That which is borne of the Spirit is Spirit So it is onely by the participation of the holy Spirit that we are conioyned with the flesh and bloud of Christ Iesus That carnall band whether it be the band of bloud which runneth through one race or the carnall touching of flesh with flesh that carnall band I say was neuer esteemed of by Christ. In the time that he was conuersant here vpon earth he respected nothing that band for as he witnessed himselfe by his owne words he neuer had that carnall band in any kind of reuerence or estimation in respect of the spirituall band But as for the spirituall band whereby we are coupled with him by one Spirit he euer esteemed of this band in the time that he was conuersant on earth in a word he hath left the praise and commendations of the same To let you see how lightly he esteemed of the carnall band of bloud and alliance which we esteeme so much ye may see in the eight of Luke 20.21 for there they coming to him say Master thy Mother and thy brethren stand without and would see thee ye shall heare his answer vnto them how little he esteemed of that carnall band in the 21. verse in a manner denying that band he saith My Mother and my brethren are those which heare the word of God and do it As if he would haue said It is not that carnall band that I esteeme it is not that carnall coniunction that I reuerence it is the spirituall coniunction by the participation of his holy Spirit whereby we are mooued to heare the word of God to giue reuerence to it and obey it This carnall band was neuer profiâ—able as that in the 8 of Luke doth plainly testifie for if the touching of Christs flâ—sh had bene profitable the multitude whereof mention is made in that Chapter that thrusted and preased him had bene the better by their carnall touching But so it is that there was neuer any of them the better by their carnall touching therefore the carnall touching profiteth nothing Saith not Christ himselfe Iohn 6.63 to draw them from that sinister confidence they had in the flesh onely My flesh profiteth nothing It is the Spirit that quickneth To touch him by the holie Spirit and by faith in thy soule this touching by faith hath euer bene profitable and we haue a plaine example of it in the same Chapter Euen so the poore woman that had long bene diseased with a bloudie issue the space of twelue yeares and had wasted and consumed the greatest part of her substance in seeking remedie she found no helpe by the naturall and bodily Physition at the last by vertue of the holie Spirit working faith in her heart she vnderstands and conceiues that she is able to recouer the health of her bodie and the health of her soule from Christ Iesus who came to saue both bodie and soule And vpon this perswasion which she had in her heart that Christ could cure both bodie and soule she came vnto him and as the Text saith she preased through the multitude to come to him and when she was come it is not said that she touched his flesh with her hand in case the Papists would ascribe the vertue which came out of him to her carnall touching but it is said that she touched onely the hemme of his garment with her hand and with faith which is the hand of the soule she touched her Sauiour God and man And to let you vnderstand that she touched him by faith he saith to her at the last Go thy way thy faith hath saued thee She touched him not so soone by faith but incontinent there came a power out of him which power and vertue she felt by the effect of it in her soule and our Sauiour felt it when it went from him The effect whereby she felt it was the health of her soule and the effect whereby he felt it was the going from him And so soone as he felt it go from him he saith Who is it that hath touched me Peter who was euer most suddaine answereth and saith Thou art thronged and thrusted by the multitude yet thou askest who hath touched thee Our Sauiour answers againe It is not that touching that I speake of it is another kind of touching There is one hath touched me who hath drawne a vertue and power out of me the multitude taketh no vertue from me The poore woman thinking she had done amisse and perceiuing she could not be hid came trembling and said I haue done it He answered her at the last and said Depart in peace thy faith hath saued thee Thy faith hath drawne out a vertue and power from me that hath made both thy soule and thy bodie whole So that this touching of Christ hath euer bene profitable is shall be profitable like as the touching of Christ with the corporall hand hath neuer bene is not nor euer shall be profitable And why Christ is not appointed to be a carnall head to be set vpon the necks of our bodies that he may do the office of a carnall head thereunto to furnish naturall motions and senses to our bodies No the Scriptures call not Christ a naturall head but the Scriptures call him a spirituall head to be set vpon the necke of our soules that is to be conioyned with our soules that out of him into our soules may distill holy motions heauenly senses and that there may flow out of him to vs a spirituall and heauenly life Then the Scriptures call him a spirituall head as they call vs a spirituall bodie and as the life which we get from him is spirituall so all our coniunction with him is spirituall And in respect he
worketh that same operation in my soule which the carnall head doth in my bodie therefore he is called a spirituall head therefore he is called the head of his Church because he furnisheth her with spirituall motion and senses which is the life of the Church So to be short there is nothing in this coniunction carnall there is nothing grosse in it there is nothing that may be compassed by our naturall iudgement and vnderstanding And therefore whosoeuer would attaine to any small in-sight of this spirituall coniunction betweene Christ and vs of necessitie he must humble himselfe earnestly pray for the Spirit otherwise it is not possible to get any vnderstanding no not the least apprehension how the flesh of Christ and we are conioyned except we haue some light giuen vs by the Spirit that is except our hearts be wakened by the mighty working of the Spirit of Christ this shall remaine as a dead closed letter vnto vs. So ye are to craue that the Lord in his mercie would waken you illuminate your vnderstandings and make you to haue a spirituall light to discerne of these spirituall things Next ye must studie and be carefull to remoue all vaine cogitations earthly fantasies when ye come to heare so high a matter ye must cast off all filthie thoughts ill motions and care of the world and ye must shake off all things that clog your hearts Thirdly ye must come with a purpose to heare the word to giue diligent eare to the word with a sanctified heart to receiue it with a purpose to grow and increase in holinesse as well in bodie as in soule all the daies of your life And coming with this purpose no question the holie Spirit shall reueale those things to you which ye want And though this word passe and bring no commoditie for the present yet the holie Spirit hereafter shall reueale to thee the truth of that which thou hast now heard This then is the end of all Be present in your hearts and minds and let your soules be emptied of all the cares of the world that they may receiue that comfort which is offered in the hearing of the word Now I come to the defining of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper I call this Sacrament An holy Seale annexed to the couenant of grace and mercie in Christ. A seale to be ministred publikely alwaies according to the holy institution of Christ Iesus that by the lawful ministery thereof the Sacramentall vnion betweene the signes and the thing signified may stand and this vnion standing Christ Iesuâ— who is the thing signified is as truly deliuered to the increase of our spirituall nourishment as the signes are giuen and deliuered to the body for our temporall nourishment Now let vs examine the words and parts of this definition First of all I call this Sacrament a Seale because this Sacrament serueth to the same vse to our soules that a common seale doth to a common Euidence As the seale which is annexed to the Euidence confirmes seales vp the truth contained in the Euidence so this Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ confirmeth and sealeth vp the truth of mercy and grace contained in the couenant of mercy and grace for this respect it is called a seale It is called An holy Seale Why Because it is taken from profane vse whereunto that bread serued before and that bread is applyed to an holy vse There is a power giuen to that bread to signifie the precious body of Christ Iesus to represent the nourishing and feeding of our soules And in respect it serueth now in the Sacrament to so holy an vse therfore I call it an holy seale This is not my word it is the Apostles Rom. 4.11 where he giueth the Sacrament the same name and calleth it a seale And further if the wisedome of Christ in his Apostle had bene followed and if men had not inuented new names of their owne for this Sacrament but had contented satisfied themselues with the names which God hath giuen by his Apostle that Christ himselfe hath giuen to this Sacrament I am assured none of these controuersies and debates which neuer will ceasse had fallen out but where men will go about to be wiser then God and go beyond God in deuising names which he neuer gaue vpon mens owne inuention such debates haue fallen out A lesson by the way that no flesh presume to be wiser then God but let them stoupe keepe the names which God hath giuen to this Sacrament Thirdly I say annexed to the Couenant annexed and hung to the Charter because it cannot be called a seale properly except it be hung to an Euidence What it is by nature the same it remaineth and no more if it be not annexed to some Euidence it is onely the hanging of it to the Euidence that maketh men account it a seale not being esteemed except it be hanged to the Euidence Euen so it is here if this Sacrament be not ministred and ioyned to the preached word to the preaching of the couenant of mercy and grace it cannot be a seale but what it is by nature it is no more As by nature it is but a common peece of bread so it is no more if it be not annexed to the preaching of the word and ministred therewith as Christ hath commanded Therfore I say the seale must be annexed and hanged to the Euidence to the preaching of the word for the confirming of the Euidence otherwise it is not a seale But it is not so with the Euidence which is the word of God for ye know any Euidence will make faith though it want a seale and it will serue to make a right if it be subscribed without a seale but the seale without the Euidence auaileth nothing Euen so it is with the word of God though the Sacraments be not annexed to the word yet the word will serue the turne it serueth vs to get Christ it serueth to ingender and beget faith in vs and maketh vs to grow vp in faith But the seale without the word can serue vs to no holy vse therefore I say the seale must be annexed to the word preached to the couenant of mercy and grace Now it followeth in the definition that this seale must be ministred publikely Wherefore say I publikly To exclude all priuate administration of this Sacrament For if this Sacrament be administred to any priuately it is not a Sacrament Why Because the Apostle calleth this Sacrament a Communion therefore if ye administer it priuately ye lose the Sacrament For this Sacrament is a Communion of the body and bloud of Christ therefore of necessity it must be by way of communication and so the action must be publikely ministred Secondly this Sacrament must be publikely ministred because Christ Iesus who is the thing signified in this Sacrament is no such thing as pertaineth to one man
I beseech them seeing that reason failes them that they fight not against God for maintenance of a lie how old soeuer it be for the diuell is old enough and yet he could neuer change his nature But let them rather glorifie God in confessing these speeches to be Sacramentall Then what is the reason and ground wherefore the Papists pull downe the substance of the body of Christ and the bloud of Christ and make the very substance to be corporally really and substantially in the Sacrament The reason is this Because they cannot see by their naturall iudgement nor can vnderstand by their naturall wit the truth of this to wit how Christs flesh and bloud caâ— be present in the Sacrament except he be present to their corporall mouth and stomacke If they had the light to informe them that Christ might be present in the Sacrament and not to the hand to the mouth or stomack they would neuer think of such a monstrous presence as they imagine to be there But being destitute of the spirituall light they follow their naturall reason and make a naturall and carnall presence So that ye haue this lesson to nore from hence There is no man that hath not the spirit of God to vnderstand this word This is my body but out of question he will do as the Papists do that is he will vmderstand it carnally And so they misknowing the right meaning of it it is no marueile though and we differ in this matter For will you aske of a Papist first if the true body of Christ be there or if the true flesh and bloud of Christ be there he will say it is there will you aske him wherein he will say in and vnder the accidents of the bread and wine vnder the hew and roundnesse of the bread will you aske him againe by what instrument it is receiued He will tell you by the mouth and stomacke of the body So this is their grosse vnderstanding of the body and bloud of Christ. Will you aske of the Vbiqueter if the true body of Christ be present he will say it is will you aske if it be in with or vnder the bread he will answere It is in the bread contentiuè that is the bread containes it will you aske him to what instrument it is offered he will answere that the bodie of Christ is offered to the mouth of our bodie and that the bloud of Christ is offered to the mouth of our body as the Papists do Will you know of vs how Christ Iesus his true body bloud is present We wil say that they are spiritually present really present that is present in the Lords Supper and not in the bread we will not say that his true flesh is present to the hand or to the mouth of our bodies but we say it is spiritually present that is present vnto thy spirit and faythfull soule yea euen as present inwardly vnto thy soule as the bread and wine are present vnto thy body outwardly Will you aske then if the body and bloud of Christ Iesus be present in the Lords Supper We answer in a word They are present but not in the bread and wine nor in the accidents nor substance of bread and wine And we make Christ to be present in this Sacrament because he is present to my soule to my spirit fayth Also we make him present in the Lords Supper because I haue him in his promise This is my body which promise is present to my faith and the nature of faith is to make things that are absent in themselues yet present And therefore seâ—ing he is both present by faith in his promise and present by the vertue of his holy Spirit who can say but that he is present in this Sacrament But yet the word would be explained what we meane by the word present how a thing is said to be present and absent And knowing this ye shall finde all the mater easie I say things are said to be present as they are perceiued by any outward or inward sense and as they are perceiued by any of the senses so are they present and the further they be perceiued the further present and by what sense any thing is perceiued to that sense it is present As if it be outwardly perceiued by an outward sense that thing is outwardly present As for exaÌ„ple if it be perceiued by the outward sight of the eye by the outward hearing of the eare by the outward feeling of the hands or taste of the mouth it is outwardly present Or if any thing be perceiued by the inward eye by the inward taste and feeling of the soule this thing cannot be outwardly present but it must be spiritually and inwardly present to the soule So I say euery thing is present as it is perceiued So that if you perceiue not a thing outwardlie it is outwardly absent and if ye perceiue not a thing inwardly it is inwardly absent It is not distance of place that maketh a thing absent nor propinquity of place that makes a thing present but it is onelie the perceiuing of any thing by any of thy senses that makes a thing present and the not perceiuing that makes a thing absent I say though the thing it selfe were neuer so farre distant if thou perceiue it by thine outward sense it is present vnto thee As for example my bodie and the Sunne are as farre distant in place as the heauen is from the earth yet this distance stayeth not the Sunnes presence from me why because I perceiue the Sunne by mine eye and other senses I feele it and perceiue it by the heate by the light and by his brightnesse So if a thing were neuer so farre distant if we haue senses to perceiue the same it is present to vs. Then the distance of place makes not a thing absent from thee if thou hast senses to perceiue it likewise the neerenes of place makes not a thing present be it neuer so neere if thou hast not senses to perceiue it As for example if the Sunne shine vpon thine eyes if thou be blinde it is not present to thee because thou canst not perceiue it A sweete tune will neuer be present to a deafe eare though it be sung in the eare of that man because he hath not a sense to perceiue it and a well told tale will neuer be present to a foole because he cannot vnderstand it nor hath no iudgement to perceiue it So it is not the nearenesse nor distance of place that maketh any thing present or absent but onely the perceiuing or not perceiuing of it Now the word being made cleare aske you how the bodie of Christ is present To giue our iudgement in a word as ye haue heard from time to time he is present not to the outward senses but to the inward senses which is faith wrought in the soule For this action of the Sacrament and
is no blessednesse but all his life is more then terrible miserie For whatsoeuer it be that flatters and pleaseth thee now be it a thought or motion of the mind or an action of the bodie that pleaseth thee now without faith the same very motion cogitation or action shall torment thee hereafter So without faith it is not possible to please God and whatsoeuer pleaseth not God is done to torment thee Therefore craue mercie for whatsoeuer motion cogitation or action wherein thou hast offended God or for the same God shall offend and torment thee And to eschue the offence of God there is no meanes but by true faith therefore the studie of a Christian should be to grow in faith Now by hearing of the word thou gettest faith and by receiuing this Sacrament thou obtainest the increase of faith and hauing faith the receiuing of the Sacrament shall be fruitfull but without faith thou eatest thine owne condemnation Then the whole studie of a Christian is to get faith and this faith cannot be obtained with idlenesse but by earnest prayer therefore let euery one of vs fall downe and craue earnestly this faith and the increase of it whereby we may be worthie receiuers of this blessed Sacrament and that for the righteous merits of Christ Iesus To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all honour praise and glorie both now and euer Amen THE SIXTH SERMON VPON THE 38. CHAP. OF the Prophecie of ISAIAH preached in the presence of the Kings Maiestie ISAIAH 38. 1 About that time was Hezekiah sicke vnto the death and the Prophet Isaiah the sonne of Amos came vnto him and said vnto him Thus saith the Lord Put thine house in an order for thou shalt die and not liue 2 And Hezekiah turned his face vnto the wall and prayed to the Lord. 3 And said I beseech thee Lord remember now how I haue walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and haue done that which is good in thy sight and Hezekiah wept sore IN these words which I haue presently read welbeloued in Christ Iesus the heauie disease whereinto this godly King fell is at length described and the manner of his behauiour vnder this disease is well set downe It pleased the Lord to exercise this godly King with this heauie tentation amongst many moe And suppose it be true that diseases are common to all flesh yet the manner how to behaue our selues vnder diseases is not common Therefore let all flesh take heede to the seuerall parts of this historie that they may learne so to behaue themselues in the day of their miserie that taking vp this Kings behauiour they may in the end obtaine his comfort In the beginning of this Chapter the King is brought in lying vnder an heauie disease the kinde and manner of this disease is concealed although it may be gathered from the 21 verse of the Chap. and therefore I note it here Secondly the time when he fell into this disease is also noted Thirdly the greatnesse and weight of this disease is likewise noted And last of all the manner of the Kings behauiour vnder so terrible a disease is at length set downe To returne to the first The kinde of the disease as may be gathered out of that verse was a pestilentious byle for the name which is giuen to the byle is the same name which is giuen to the botch of Egypt that same name which is expressed Exod. 9.9 a matterie kinde of byle breaking out into many heads for so the nature of the word signifieth The most dangerous and deadly kinde of plague that was in the daies of that king In deed since as the world hath growne in wickednesse so it hath brought foorth more dangerous kinds of botches then before the experience whereof this Towne hath had For as man is ingenious to inuent new sinnes to prouoke God to wrath the Lord being both iust and prudent on the other part deuiseth new plagues to punish these new sinnes of men for the store-house of the Lords iudgements can neuer be emptied But surely it is a wonderfull matter that he should haue visited so godly a King with so terrible a both in respect that this plague proceedeth commonly from his hote rage and wrath For from his wrath it takes these names ofttimes as when it is called the finger of the Lord his feare by night his flying arrow by day and the deuouring plague Now I say the matter is wonderfull that he louing this King so well should so extremely haue plagued him in the sight of the whole world What should this teach vs This visitation of the King teacheth vs two necessarie lessons First it teacheth vs not to measure the fauor and hatred of God by any externall thing on the earth For if we looke to the visitation of God vpon his children if we looke to the nature of the plague and affliction either in quantitie or qualitie if we looke to the long continuance diuturnity of the plague in the iudgement of man and in the iudgement of him that is afflicted sometime it shall come to passe that he shall thinke himselfe in a worse case then any of the reprobate But howsoeuer it be so esteemed in the heart and iudgement of man yet it is farre otherwise in the iudgement of God For there lieth hid one thing in the heart of God concerning vs that are his children and an other thing concerning the Reprobate in such sort that suppose affliction be common to vs and them yet the cause from whence the affliction proceedeth is not common not the end whereunto it tendeth For as to vs our affliction sloweth from the fauour loue and mercy of God in Christ Iesus and tendeth to our great profite and commodity to wit that we being corrected here should not perish hereafter with the wicked world But as for the affliction of the reprobate it floweth from the hote wrath and indignation of God vpon them he as a righteous iudge beginning their punishment here which shall last for euer So affliction that is vnto them a part of his iustice vnto vs is a mercifull correction The Prophet Isaiah in his 27. chap. expresseth this matter so liuely that I thinke there is no part of Scripture in the which there is greater comfort In the 4. and 7. verses of that chapter he saith to the Church I am not saith he in furie I am not in rage suppose I strike thee yea suppose I beate thee saith he I strike not thee as I strike them that strike thee I slay not thee as I them that slay thee for in correcting thee I purge thee from thine iniquity in striking thee I remoue thy sins from thee but I do not so with the rest Then the first lesson that ye haue to learne here is this Measure not the fauour of God by any externall thing in the earth whether it be prosperity or aduersitie The
zeale or of force we shall be spoyled of it Thus farre concerning the second cause As to the third I shall touch it shortly and so I shall end The third cause is this he sayth he shall see man no more among the inhabitants of the earth Now what a cause is this This appeareth to be a very slight cause that he should be grieued at his death because he should see man no more For I am assured there were men in his daies whom he tooke no pleasure to see and whom he could not see without great griefe euen such monsters as are now in our dayes This generall must be restrained to this as if he would say I shal not see men that is faithfull men honest and obedient subiects to God and their King of whose company I had delight and whose protection I was I shall see these good men no more He had such a care of the Church and of the Christian subiects vnder him that in the very houre of his death he sheweth his compassion toward them and is grieued that they should lacke his protection in time coming Well the country is exceeding blessed that hath such a Prince who is endued with the care of his subiects and specially of the Church that in his death he is sorrie that they should be depriued of his protection And turne it ouer againe As cursed and vnhappy is that countrie who hath a King that hath no kind of care or respect of his subiects much lesse of Gods Church which is the best part of his subiects Therfore it is euery one of your duties that heare me see what it is to lacke this blessing to craue of God that he would distill his grace into his Maiesties heart which may moue him to take vp another manner of protection then hitherto he hath done Oh would to God it were so Thus farre for the exposition of the causes shortly In all these causes some things are worthy of praise and some things are worthy of dispraise for I stand not to iustifie him in them all They are worthy of commendation so far as they flowed from faith and tended to the glory of God and weale of his Church They are worthy of reproofe so far as they flowed from the foolish affectioÌ„ corruption of nature without the which none can be so long as we be in this life Then ye see the best goods that we haue to carry with vs of our owne is this corruption foolish affection No question Kings haue not this power to carry their iewels magnificencâ— with them but surely they carry their vices faults of their gouernment with them which shall meete them And surely if this good King caried any of this stuffe with him much more shall other Kings And as it is in Kings so is it in euery of vs we shall all carry with vs vertues or vices If we cary vertue with vs then shal we haue a good conscience to meete vs there Then to end this matter prepare your hearts and make both hand and heart voide of the loue and affection of the world that your hearts being busied onely with the loue of good things ye may cary your hearts with you when the Lord calleth And as your eares are bent to receiue this word so let it be digested in your hearts that in your death I may see the fruites and effects thereof And seeing we must either cary with vs vertues or vices the fauour of God to mercy or the fauour of sathan to iudgement should not our whole indeuour be that these foule vices may be remoued out of our hearts and should not our whole study be that our soule which is holden so fast bound in the chaines of wickednesse may be set at freedome and liberty That we may haue melting hearts acknowledging that by the bloud of Christ our sins are forgiuen that through a stedfast faith in his bloud sure hope in his mercy we may seale vp that peace which floweth from the pacification purchased by the offering vp of his owne body Now when I see mine owne conscience pacified and my soule so washed from the spots of corruption that all my sinnes are forgiuen me am I not happy and this can neuer be except in your hearts ye be as attentiue as with your eares ye are to heare me But if this matter as it is heard by the eare so it were learned remeÌ„bred by the heart we should see greater profite in sanctification and newnesse of life this day then we do and death would not be so fearefull to many as it is For the ready way to eschue the feare of death is not to delay your repentaÌ„ce but let the whole course of your life be a continuall repentance Happy is he that learneth this lesson and more then happy is he that followeth it and as vnhappy he that neuer practiseth it The Lord worke so with vs grant vs such increase of his Spirit that we may follow it and study to practise it in our life and conuersation The Lord grant this for the righteous merits of Iesus Christ to whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all praise honour and glory for now and for euer Amen THE NINTH SERMON VPON ISAIAH CHAPTER 38. 12 Mine habitation is departed and is remoued from me like a shepheards tent I haue cut off like a weauer my life he will cut me off from the height from day to night thou wilt make an end of me 13 I reckoned to the morning but he brake all my bones like a Lion from day to night wilt thou make an end of me 14 Like a Crane or Swallow so did I chatter I did mourne as a Doue mine eyes were lift vp on high O Lord it hath oppressed me comfort me IN our last sermon welbeloued in Christ Iesus the Prophet assureth the King of his health by a wonderfull signe which was giuen to him The manner and forme of the manifesting of the signe was this The King seeketh a signe and the Lord granteth a signe vnto him and after the same manner that he sought a signe it was giuen to him Thirdly the Lord manifesteth this signe by his owne power and vertue without the support of any creature The King seeketh a signe not that he is distrustfull of Gods promise nor yet to tempt God as the wicked do but he seeketh a signe to strengthen his beliefe in the Lords promise He belieueth the promise yet his beliefe was weake and to strengthen his weake faiâ—h he seeketh the signe The thing that weakeneth his beliefe was this The Prophet in an houre and shorter space cometh to the King and proposeth two contrarie sentences Fiâ—st he saith to him Make thee readie thou must die in an instant of time he pronounceth the plaine contrarie and saith Thou shalt liue both these two could not stand Therefore he seeketh a signe to strengthen
they make no account of the death of Christ and thinke that he died for himselfe For it appeareth they haue no touch nor remorse of sinne which is the thing that will destroy them except it be preuented Their manifest contempt testifieth this ouer well for they go forward without remorse in all kind of sinnes the more they are forbidden I remember the Apostle is more sharpe in his threatning against these men then anie man can be For he saith Heb. 10. at the end If he that contemned Moses or any part of his lawes died without mercie how much more shall he be worthie of punishment that contemneth the person of the Sonne of God that treadeth the Sonne of God vnder foote and counteth his bloud an vnholy thing who will not apply the mercie of Christ to themselues and reiect the Spirit of Christ whereby they should be sanctified These threatnings suppose they take not effect suddainly as also the promises suppose they be not beleeued of you yet they must be vttered by vs that these walles may testifie and beare witnesse to your conscience that there was a Prophet here These things were told vs and we had time to haue done them if we had listed Ere I leaue this it is necessarie for you all that ye marke the examples of these heauie diseases There are few that are touched with them although they are very worthy of marking I say it is necessarie that the examples of these diseases be marked whether it be men or women that haue them we should marke them if it were but to learne this lesson We may see how easie it is for God to represse the pride of the flesh we may see how easie it is to the Lord to daunt the foolishnesse and wantonnesse of youth in an instant of time in the space of twelue houres a glorious King is brought to the gates of death Then ye should say with your selues It is time for vs to change our course we see how easie it is to the Lord to bring high conceits low The Lord doth this to this King and he seeketh no fire nor sword he vseth no externall armor nor he seeketh no forreine instrument to do it but he taketh of the stuffe that is within him he taketh the matter of sinne wherein he was conceiued borne vnhappie sinne which is the matter of all iudgments and plagues it is the matter of death both in bodie and soule This matter within our selues is as readie at the Lords hand as if it were in his owne store-house to plague thee best that intendedst to gainstand him Thē ye that haue your health and the benefit of it learne to vse it well for if ye abuse it and vse it to defile your bodies which he hath appointed to be the temples of his holy Spirit looke how easie it was to him to bring the King low as easie and farre easier shall it be to him to bring the best of you downe Then I say ye that haue the benefit of health employ it to the honour of him and comfort of his Church that gaue you it Thus farre concerning the second part of our diuision In the third part contained in the 14. verse he letteth vs see what he did in this great extremitie the raging furie of his sicknesse being so great he letteth vs see what was his exercise and he saith as ye may see in that verse that notwithstanding God handled him so yet he maketh his recourse to the same God who plagued him and he seeketh and presseth friendship at the same God who threatned him He seeketh him as ye may see in that verse two manner of waies so long as his tongue serued him that the extremitie of his disease tooke not away the vse of it from him And whereas the extremitie of the disease tooke his speech from him that he could not vtter his mind by words yet he leaueth not off but where he might not vtter his mind by distinct voyces and words he seeketh him by a dolorous mourning like to the Doue and by a heauie lamentation like to the chattering of the Swallow or Crane And last of all he in his gesture lifteth vp his eyes to heauen By this meanes he retireth himselfe to God when the benefit of the tongue was taken from him The words that he speaketh so long as libertie is granted to him are few but very sententious Where he saith it hath oppressed me refresh me or weaue me out persisting in the similitude As if he would say I see well the rage and furie of my sicknesse is so great that neither force of nature nor any naturall meanes is able to comfort me the force of the disease hath ouercome all force of nature and naturall meanes Therefore seeing there is no helpe in nature I make my recourse to the God of nature to whom it is very easie to giue helpe where nature hath refused it And therefore I desire of the omnipotent God that he would weaue out the rest of the web of my life to restore me to my health to his glory and to the comfort of his Church This I thinke be the summe and meaning of his prayer whether he mourned whether he moned whether he spake or chattered As to the words the petition would onely be considered It might appeare strange that the King should seeke the prorogation of his dayes as if there were not a life better then this or a day after this but if ye weigh the matter well and consider the race of the historie ye shall find that he had many particulars that mooued him to seeke the prorogation of his dayes and chiefly we know that Manasses his sonne was not yet begotten he lacketh as yet children in whom he might see the pledges of Gods fauour and accomplishment of the promises made to him and his fathers house and specially of that promise concerning the Messias Now lacking children in whom he should see the accomplishment of this promise had he not good reason to seeke the lengthening of his daies vntill he see the promise accomplished As to the generall I insisted in it before and therefore I shall be the shorter I say it is lawfull in some respect to craue prorogation of dayes for seeing it is the benefite of God seeing the seruants of God haue sought it before and seeing the Apostle counteth it a speciall mercy of God as we may see in the person of Epaphroditus Phil. 2. verse 29. we must also esteeme the same a speciall mercy Whosoeuer knoweth surely in their minde that the lengthening of their dayes will serue better to the glory of God and comfort of his Church then present death I say it is lawfull and they may in faith craue it Although there is a generall condition to be looked to in this as in all other petitions that ye submit your will and affections to be ruled by the good wil of God in such sort
some roote of infidelity abiding stil in them to vtter voices sometimes full of doubting and sometimes full of faith Thus farre for the first Now againe to testifie that the soule hauing faith hath bene subiect to doubting and as faith is on the one part so doubting is on the other this is a thing that hath bene in all the seruants of God and shall be to the end of the world The example of this ye haue in Dauid ye haue the example of it here in Hezechiah in all the rest of the good seruants of God Then suppose many of you know not what I say yet keepe the lesson in memory for it shall stand you in great good steede For this is sure that suppose the paines of the body be great yet there is as great difference betwixt the paines of the body and the paines of the soule as is betwixt God and the creature Ye would choose rather all the torments of the body that can be deuised ere ye felt one touch of the consuming wrath of God in the soule But yet these words will not effect it for words will not mollifie the heart except the Lord by the power of his Spirit worke in the heart And therefore I haue to craue of God ye haue by your prayers to assist me that ye be not vnfruitefull hearers of the word but seeing there is a Hell ye may study to preuent it Now last of all ye see the King learneth you a new fashion of prayer and I beseech you marke it When the extremity is so great that he may not vtter nor speake distinct voices and his speech is taken from him yet he leaueth not off to pray but hath recourse to his lamenting mourning conterfeiting the distinct voices of the Doue Crane Swallow by this diuersitie of tunes vttering his great anxiety And what fashion of prayer is this I say this kinde of sighing mourning and lifting vp of the eyes is as good language to God as any language spoken by the tongue He vnderstandeth the meaning of thy sigh and grone better then thou vnderstandest me that speakest And how is this It is his owne Spirit that raiseth these sighs grones that moueth these mournings And I pray you knoweth he not the meaning of his owne Spirit This the Apostle declareth Rom. 8. He knoweth the meaning of his owne Spirit and therefore whether this Spirit moue vs to sigh to mourne or to speake the Lord vnderstandeth all alike Then learne this forme of prayer when the Lord visiteth you with sicknesse in such sort that the vse of the tongue is taken from you and ye may not lift vp your hands to praise him nor lift vp your eies to looke vnto him yet let your moane be made yea further suppose the heart would not make moane with the mouth yet let the mouth suppose it hath no helpe honour and glorifie God Yea I say more suppose the case stand so as it may be that the heart be contrary to prayer and the mind will not assist the mouth to pray yet ere God be not honoured let him be honoured with the lip if the mouth wil not do it let the hand do it And euery member in like maner to the which the Lord haâ—h giuen leaue let theÌ„ honor God because euen this striuing against the hardnes of the heart and prouoking of it with the outward members of the body is pleasant to God no doubt it is he who giues this will as a speciall grace howbeit we get not incontinently the performance If ye can learne this it is not possible that ye can want prayer for prayer is such as sometimes is vttered by teares sometimes by sighes sometimes by words and sometimes by gesture And euer let thy Spirit be well occupied musing vpon God and spirituall things and whether thou eate whether thou drinke take thy rest or what euer thou do let thy Spirit haue euer thy minde on God comfort thee with this When the Lord visiteth thee with such kinde of disease that thy tong is taken from thee let the rest of thy members honour him And if ye be not so diseased your selfe yet in your visitation comfort others herewith assuring them that this kinde of language is as well vnderstood as if it were spoken with the tongue I end here This king is not exempted from trouble he is not exempted from tentation both of body and soule There is none that cast them to liue godly but of force they must suffer trouble There is none that will make them for heauen but of all estates prince or people or what euer they be they must walke in the strait way As to them that walke in the broade way they shall grow worse and worse as the Apostle saith till they come to such an height vntill at the last the Lord anger them by the same sinnes whereby they anger him For this is his iust iudgement that as thou hast angred him by Adultery he shall anger thee by the same sinne Hast thou angred him by blood he shall anger thee by bloud also Hast thou angred him by blasphemy he shall anger thee with the punishment of blasphemy Hast thou angred him with drunkennesse he shall anger thee with the punishment of drunkennesse For euery sin hath the owne punishment in the selfesame Then as ye would eschue the punishment of sinne so cast you to eschue sinne that so farre as the Lord will giue you grace ye may keepe your selues free And so ye shall haue not onely ioy long dayes here but euerlasting ioy after this purchased to vs in the righteous merits of Christ Iesus To whoÌ„ with the Father the holy Spirit be al honor praise glory for euer euer Amen THE TENTH SERMON VPON ISAIAH CHAPTER 38. 15 What shall I say For he hath said it to me and he hath done it I shall walke weaklie all my yeares in the bitternesse of my soule 16 O Lord to them that ouerliue them and to all that are in them the life of my spirit shall be knowne that thou causest me to sleepe and hast giuen life to me IN our last Sermon welbeloued in Christ Iesus the King returned to his wonted griefe and tooke vp his old lamentation againe vttering his trouble in these words My habitation is departed and transported from me as if he should say my life is ready to depart death is instant and my remouing is at hand he sheweth the maner of his remouing by two similitudes the one similitude is taken from a shepheards tent the other from a Weauer and his web As to the first looke in what maner we se the sheepheard tents flitted and remoued after the same manner I see my life to be flitted and remoued In the which we are taught not to settle our standing here nor to fixe our anker here but that we may be ready to remoue because we are vnder
is onely true peace and quietnesse to be found Therefore our exercise should chiefly stand in this to expell this enemy and monster sinne and to possesse that sauing iuice and wholsome peace that passeth all vnderstanding The second effect whereby we may know that the soule liueth is the ioy and reioycing vnder trouble For we know by experience that trouble of it owne nature cannot bring forth this ioy but bringeth forth the contrary effects as sadnesse heauinesse and sorrow Now where the Spirit is so disposed that we reioyce vnder trouble this is a sure argument of the blessed Spirit the Spirit of life which onely quickneth the soule and this ioy maketh vs not onely to reioyce in trouble but to glory also as sayth the Apostle For surely the crosse of Christ is our onely ioy the shame of Christ is our onely honour Hereby we perceiue the great glory that the Lord hath called vs to that not onely he maketh vs to beleeue his word but to suffer for him also onely ye haue to take heede to your troubles For this ioy accompanieth not all troubles but onely those troubles that are suffred for Christs cause for righteousnesse sake are vnderserued For those troubles that are deserued the like ioy is not to be found in them The third effect whereby we may know that the soule liueth is the loue of God and hatred of euill Where this loue is kindled in the soule where we beginne to know God to loue him and to taste of him for it is not possible that we can loue him except we haue a taste of his sweetnesse this loue make vs like to God for God is loue as Iohn saith If loue dwell in thine heart God dwelleth in thine heart and this loue is a sure pledge of the life of the soule where this loue is of necessity also there must be a hatred of euill Now trie and examine if the Spirit of life hath wrought these effects in thy soule in any measure if it were neuer so small it is a sure argument that this life is begunne and the life which God hath begunne he will perfect it If the loue of God were neuer so litle and the hatred of euill were neuer so little if any of these effects were but in a small measure ye may be sure that Christ dwelleth in your hearts by faith and that the soule liueth Ye that feele this as I would that ye all felt it prease to nourish and strengthen this life not weary in well doing but go forward in working the works of the Spirit Sow not in the flesh go not forward in the lusts and appetites thereof for ye may learne of the Apostle what aduantage this labour bringeth to wit shame and confusion death of the body and death of soule Rom. 6. But on the contrary go forward in nourishing of the Spirit and in well doing Sow in the Spirit and as the Apostle sayth ye shall reape an euerlasting and incomprehensible life This Spirit then is said to be nourished and corroborate in our hearts when we nourish the light and knowledge of God in Christ Iesus when we edifie our selues in our most holy faith and continue in the exercise of prayer As by the contrary we banish this light of the good Spirit and by our euill doing we banish the knowledge of God in Christ whē we put out this light diminish our perswasion and leaue off the exercise of prayer For by the same meanes whereby the soule liueth they being remoued the soule dieth Therfore those that would liue this way they ought to nourish the knowledge of God they ought to be exercised in well doing in hearing of Gods word in edifying them in their most holy faith and in continuall crauing of grace and mercy by prayer Now the King sayth he hath this life and he hath experience of the good word in this for I take this to be a different life from the other whereof he spake before to wit this is the life of the soule which proceedeth of the word of promise for this word is the power of God to saluation to all them that beleeue Rom. 1. Set your hearts saith Moses Deut. 32 vpon this word for it is not a vaine word it is your life and felicity The words which I speake sayth our Master Iohn 6. are Spirit life And from this Iohn calleth him the word of life the bread of life Peter saith whom shall we go to for in thee are the words of life It is he that hath life in himselfe Iohn 5. From this also it is said 1. Cor. 15. that as the first Adam was made a liuing soule so the second Adam was made a quickning Spirit and by reason we are made participant of this spirit by the ministery of his word therefore it is called the word of the Spirit by the same reason we that are his Ministers are counted the Ministers of the Spirit as the Apostle calleth vs 2. Cor. 3. They that would reade further of the praise of this word I remit them to the 19. Psalme where the properties of this word are exactly set downe I will end here Who so looketh vpon the precious effects of this word and on the other side looketh vpon our vnhappy behauior I am assured it would astonish any Christian heart to behold how the Lord can suffer our contempt so long as he doth For formerly whereas there was skarsly crummes of this bread of life to be had in this countrie men sought it out diligently and ran to haue it with such zeale that they compassed both sea and land they spared neither trauell nor cost but forcibly as it were thronged and thrusted in and made irruption in this kingdome But now when it hath pleased the Lord to offer vnto vs great plentie of this foode we so despise the bountie and liberality of this good God that we turne this great grace and mercie of his into iudgement and vengeance vpon our owne heads And as to the greatest part of the multitude they disdain it so spitefully that they had rather embrace the leauen of the Pharisies and draw them to that company where they can haue no other foode but songes maskes mummings and vnknowne Languages And so thinke to feed their soules by the mockery of God Now as to the Gentlemen Earles Lords and Barrons they are so drunken with sacrilegde that ere they will part with these goods they had rather part with the life of their soule yea when it cometh to this that the word cannot be entertained but by their expences they make no choyse but had rather lose their soules an hundred times ere they would bestow a halfepenny vpon the Church This is true in the greatest part so it is the Lord that wonderfully continueth the light amongst vs that keepeth a face of a ministery in Scotland There is no good entertainment but a very great pouerty in the most part
of the Ministery See then if the iudgement of God pronounced 2. Thes. 2. goeth not fast forward who hath giuen vs ouer as appeareth to be deceiued by the mighty power and working of the Diuell in such sort that euerie man striueth who shall put his appetites furthest in execution Oh! vnhappy and wrathfull countrey that hath so abused the merciful calling and great benignitie of God it is a wonderfull thing to looke vpon this matter and to consider our great ingratitude The more that knowledge groweth the more conscience decayeth as if conscience and knowledge could not both rest in one breast looke to the workes of all men it appeareth that the bringing in of light hath banished conscience which was in the time of darknesse What can be the cause of this that as light groweth the effect of light decayeth It is a thing that passeth the vnderstanding of man and the end of it shall be more then terrible Is it not more then wonderfull that the more that this Countrey is watered with the sauing and heauenly dew the more our hearts are hardened What must this bring forth It must bring forth at the last an eternall consumption which consumption must be so much the greater the greater that our contempt is For it is not possible but that ground which is so oft refreshed with raine and dew and yet bringeth foorth no other thing but thornes and bryars but at the last it must be burnt vp How is it possible that thornes that are prouided for the fire but they must be consumed by the fire And seeing our deedes testifie that we are nothing but thornes of necessitie we must be burnt vp except the Lord worke otherwise then I haue any expectation For the longer that iudgement is delayed it shall be heauier when it lighteth seeing the contempt is so great â—herefore the Lord giue you grace that as ye know there is a Hell and eternity of paine and as ye would eschue it so ye may take vp a new course of life But this cannot be except the Lord worke it by his holy Spirit except he forget our sinnes and assure vs of the remission of them in the blood of Christ. And therefore I haue to craue with you and ye with me that this may come to passe that in the bowels of his mercie we may eschue that terrible damnation from the which the Lord preserue vs for Christ Iesus his Sonnes sake To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honour and praise now for euer Amen THE ELEVENTH SERMON VPON ISAIAH CHAPTER 38. 16 O Lord to them that ouerliue them and to all that are in them the life of my spirit shall be knowne that thou causest me to sleepe and hast giuen life to me 17 Behold for felicitie I had bitter griefe but it was thy pleasure to deliuer my soule from the pit of corruption for thou hast cast all my sinnes behind thy backe 18 For the graue cannot confâ—sse thee death cannot praise thee they that goe downe into the pit cannot hope for thy truth 19 But the liuing the liuing shall confesse thee as I do this day the Father to the children shall declare thy truth 20 The Lord was readie to saue me therefore I will sing my song all the dayes of my life in the house of the Lord. 21 Then said Isaiah Take a lump of dry figs and lay it vpon the byle and he shall recouer 22 Also Hezekiah had said What is the signe that I shall go vp into the house of the Lord IN our last lesson welbeloued in Christ Iesus the King entred into the second part of his song And first of all as ye heard he bursteth foorth of hand into the praise of God Then after he setteth downe the greatnesse of the benefits receiued in two words with the chiefe comfort that he found And in respect the comfort flowed from the word of God he entered into the commendation of the word of God Then first of all whilest the King is musing and pausing vpon the greatnesse of the Lords benefits and rauished in admiration of the greatnesse of the workes of God he cannot containe himselfe any longer but the bursteth foorth into the praise of God and saith what shall I say A patheticke and abrupt kind of speech whereby he testifieth that his tongue would not serue him to expresse the matter his heart was so swolne with praise that he was not able to vtter it in any quantitie of words In this doing suppose his words be few yet he sheweth himselfe more thankfull then if he had vttered a million of words So thankfulnesse standeth not in the multitude of sillables and voyces but it standeth in the heart and disposâ—â—ion of the soule Where the Lord findeth the heart thankfull there is no word that can flow from that heart but it is acceptable And howsoeuer the Kings words be few yet in his words he granteth three things First he granteth the benefit was free and freely bestowed Secondly he granteth that he hath nothing to render for it yea not so much as one word much lesse a deed Thirdly he letteth vs see that howsoâ—â—er he was not able to answer to the worthinesse of this benefit yet he was not idle but he vttereth praise as God gaue him the grace for it is not possible that a good conscience and a godly soule can altogether forget God but in the due time it will euer thanke God for his benefits so â—â—at whosoeuer either forgetteth or casteth off this exercise they testifie their wealth to be euill purchased and that there is a curse hanging ouer them and their riches both which curse appeareth either in their owne times or suddainly after in their prodigall posteritie Therefore ye that would haue the curse remooued in time learned to thanke God for his benefits that ye may possesse them with the blessing of God to you and yours Therefore he taketh vp the greatnesse of the benefit and comprehendeth it vnder these two words He said and he himselfe did it he said it in his promise he did it in accomplishing of his promise he did it and said it himselfe that the whole glorie of the worke should appertaine to him he said it freely for the King confessed that he deserued the contrarie he did it as freely in keeping his promise For suppose all the world be false yet God remained true ye see how properly he taketh vp vnder these two words the mercie and truth of God his mercie in promising his truth in accomplishing All the promises which the Lord maketh they flow from his mercie and all his accomplishings they flow from his truth His promises from mercy why He is debtor to no man His accomplishings from his truth why He is truth it selfe and there is no promise that he hath made but he will keepe yea he will inuert nature rather as it appeareth in the drawing backe of the
Sunne whereof ye heard and heauen and earth shall perish ere a iot of his promise faile Yet notwithstanding this is true that there is such a constancie and fidelitie in him all these promises will not auaile vs except the Lord prepare our hearts yea except he sanctifie our hearts by meanes of faith that in our soules we may see this truth we shall neuer regard it and except he giue vs a heart to apply this truth all the promises which he hath made and is to make serue for no vse to vs. Therefore it is the dutie of all Christians to be instant in crauing that the Lord would prepare their hearts by faith that seeing him in their minds and feeling him in their hearts they may find his mercie and truth and repose in them for euer After this we entred into the recommendation of the word of God and generally we praysed the word from this that we haue the benefit of this temporall life by it as this is true in generall so he goeth forward and praiseth the word from his owne experience in particular and he granteth that not onely he hath the benefit of this temporall life by the word but of the spirituall also And as he hath the life whereby he liueth in his body by it so he hath by it the life whereby he liueth in the soule For as there is a life and death of the bodie so there is a life and death of the soule The life of the bodie may be conioyned well with the death of the soule for we may liue in the bodie and be dead in the soule at one time Also the death of the bodie may stand with the life of the soule for we may depart from this life and go to a better The life of the bodie standeth in the presence of the soule but the life of the soule standeth in the presence of the Spirit of life except our soules be borne anew againe by the vertue of that Spirit of life it is not possible that we can see God and taste of his ioy For by nature we are not onely hurt lame maimed but altogeâ—her dead in sinne so that looke how voide a corps is of a naturall life as voide are we of a heauenly and spirituall life The reason is this where death hath place there life must be wholly put out But by nature death hath place in vs therefore the spiâ—ituall life must be wholly put out If the Spiâ—it of life be wholly put out there remaineth not so much as a breath out of the which any good cogitations or actions may proceede If so be there is not so much as one breath where is all that free-will of the Papists where is that integritie which remaineth in the filthie nature Then I say we naturally remaine in the death of bodie and soule still vntill that by the paâ—ticipation of the Spirit of life which dwelleth in the bodie of Christ vntill I say that this Spirit free vs from sin and death And so vntill this time we shall neuer mount aboue the clouds nor see the face of God And therefore as I exhorted you the last day so I insist in the same exhortation now that euery one of you marke and perceiue your selues whether you haue such a life begun in you or not I gaue you three effects which will neuer deceiue you The first is if ye find your selues refreshed and recreate in your spirits from the terrours of your conscience and the feare of sinne which recreation and refreshment of the spirit is called that peace that passeth all vnderstanding whereof the world is ignorant he that findeth any of this if it were neuer so little within him no question he hath this life begun in him and the more this peace is augmented the more the life groweth But this peace groweth by remoouing of sinne Therefore our whole studie should be to remooue sinne for the onely thing that troubleth the conscience is sinne Take away sinne the conscience shall be at rest Wherefore this was the chiefe effect I willed you to take heede vnto The second effect is ioy and reioycing vnder trouble For we see trouble of the owne nature bringeth not foorth this effect but rather bringeth foorth sorrow heauinesse and lamentation Then when our spirit is so disposed that vnder trouble we reioyce and glorie in it this is the Spirit of life This ioy is not in all troubles it is not in the trouble which we procure but onely in the trouble which we sustaine for righteousnesse sake and which we sustaine for Christ his sake The third effect is if ye haue a loue of God and good men and a hatred of euill where these effects are in any measure no doubt but the Spirit of life is there As by the contrary where there is a loue of wicked and euill men no question let them speake of Christ as they will the spirit of the diuell hath full dominion This Spirit of life we shew was entertained by nourishing of the knowledge of God when we edifie our selues in our most holy faith when we nourish the exercise of prayer As by the contrary the Spirit is put out when by our euill doings we put out the knowledge of God when we diminish our perswasion of his mercie in Christ fall from the exercise of prayer Then ye that haue this life begunne nourish it by well doing for by well doing no question our faith is corroborate Delight therefore in well doing sow in the Spirit and not in the flesh run not with the thiefe nor consent not with the murtherer for so ye shall be participant of their punishment but sow in the Spirit and of this ye shall reape an euerlasting and comfortable life where otherwise of sinne ye shall reape nothing but shame and euerlasting condemnation I haue discoursed long on this head because it is very necessarie and I would wish you to consider of these things Thinke on the great benefits of God granted vnto this countrey Thinke againe vpon our ingratitude and vnnaturall behauiour There is no Christian that will weigh these two in one ballance but he shall conclude that it is wonderfull why the Lord suffereth iniquitie in this countrey so long to be vnpunished Formerly when there was but crums of the bread of life they ran to seeke it so that they compassed both sea and land and spared neither trauell nor cost to be ingrafted into the kingdome of Christ But now when there is plentie of it we haue taken such a lothsomnesse thereof that we abuse the liberalitie of God offered to vs and turne his grace and mercie into vengeance on our owne heads For as to the multitude ye see that they haue alreadie preferred the leauen of the Pharises and gone to mumchances mumries and vnknowne language wherein they pudled before As to the noble and gentlemen they are so drunken with sacriledge that rather then they will render these goods
it is that Dauid in his 51 Psalme cryeth out and sayth Against thee against thee onely I haue sinned Now seeing it is he onely that forgiueth sinnes let vs seeke remission at God and no other The last thing that I marke is the cause that moued God to forgiue him his sinnes he saith because he loueth his person and for this loue that he did beare vnto him he neither suffered the bitternesse to remaine in his soule nor his body to see the graue It is confessed by the King that there was nothing in himselfe worthy of this loue Therefore he is not loued for his owne cause of necessity then he must be loued for that mans cause that took away his sinne Now reade ouer the Scriptures what man is that who hath taken away our sinnes taken on him our debt discharged him honestly and honourably of it euen he that is God and man also Christ Iesus and therefore in these same words quietly he acknowledgeth his sins to be remoued for the loue which God did beare to him in Christ Iesus who was in his loynes as yet according to the flesh I say there was no man able to beare and discharge this burden saue this man which is God also able because he was God and as he was able so he discharged this burden in his owne time And Christ is iustly the onely Mediator betwixt God and Man And therefore whom the Lord loueth he loueth in him and to whom the Lord sheweth mercie it is for his cause onelie For why he perfectly satisfied for the whole businesse which may be easily seene in these three points For fiâ—st he deliuered vs from these sinnes which we call actuall sinnes And how by his perfect satisfaction whereby he satisfied fully in suffering hell in his soule and death in his body and that on the crosse And so freed vs from these actuall sinnes and the punishment thereof So that in this point he is a perfect Mediatour Secondly he deliuered vs from the puddle and rotten roote from the which they proccede For ye see Christ Iesus was conceiued in the wombe of the Virgin and that by the mighty power of his holy Spirit So that our nature in him was fully sanctified by that same power And this perfect purity of our nature in his person couereth our impurity for he was not conceiued in sin and corruption as we are but by the power of the holy Spirit who perfectlie sanctified our nature in him euen in the moment of his conception So he being throughly purged his purity couereth our impurity Now in the third point also he is a perfect Mediatour for he not onely satisfied for our sinnes but he accomplished the whole law for vs yea and more then the law required for the second Table requireth onely that we should loue our neighbour as our selfe But Christ did more then this for none loueth his neighbour so that willingly he will die for him So Christ in dying for vs sheweth that he loueth vs more then the law required And so he not onely accomplished the law for vs but did more then the law required Now this perfect righteousnesse of his cometh in betweene vs and his Father and couereth our rebellion and disobedience or else we could not be free from condemnation in this point also All these to wit perfect puritie perfect satisfaction and perfect righteousnesse are to be found in Christ perfectly And therefore onely mercie and remission of sinne is to be sought for in him and he that hath not Christ to be his intercessor that man shall neuer taste of mercie Now let vs go to the application what manner of intercession can Christ make for that man that blasphemeth his Father It is not possible that the Son can interceede where the Father is blasphemed wilfully and willingly Yea of all iudgements this is a most terrible iudgment where the spirit of blasphemie hath such power that he maketh a man to vtter such voyces against his maker Thus farre concerning these words Now in the next two verses he giueth two reasons wherfore the Lord forgaue him his sins and deliuered him from the death of his bodie and he sheweth in that 18 and 19 verses that the Lord in this worke had his owne entrie and speciall respect to his owne glorie which glorie he saw would be aduanced more by the lengthening of his dayes then otherise by the shortning thereof Secondly that the benefit of his deliuerie would be a matter of praise to al generations to the end of the world For it is said The fathers shal instruct their children and so fathers and children in their extremities they shall runne to God for the like mercie Now for these two ends that God might be praysed of the King in his owne person and of his posteritie and of all the posterities thereafter the Lord bestoweth this benefit vpon the King and giueth him health I take vp the reasons in these two verses the 18. and 19. And the first reason is taken vp in the 18 and beginning of the 19. for there he saith The graue cannot confesse thee death cannot praise thee As if he would say dead men and buried cannot praise thee as we do in these bodies of ours in the land of the liuing liuing in thy Church here Dead men that rest in their graues cannot looke for the accomplishment of thy promises And if I were dead and my bodie in the graue I could not looke for the accomplishment of thy promise in giuing me a sonne It is onely the liuing the liuing that is able to praise thee There he doubleth the word to let you see that they must be endued with a double life that praise the Lord aright They must not onely be endued with the life of the bodie but also they must liue in their soule Now the King saith I being restored to this double life both in body and soule I shall praise thee For none can praise thee worthily as I do this day but they that are aliue as I am This is the first reason Now to examine the words he meaneth not that they who are dead and buried leaue off this exercise onely he meaneth that they who are dead and buried will not praise God in their bodies will not praise him as we do here on earth And therefore we must not thinke that they leaue off this exercise Yea by the contrarie we must beleeue that the soules of the Saints departed are more busie in this exercise then when they were aliue and how prooue I this The nearer the soule is vnto God the greater plâ—asure and delight it taketh in him but after it is departed out of this life it is so much the nearer coupled with God Therefore it taketh the greater pleasure and delight in him Now the greater pleasure it taketh in God the greater praise it must giue to him for pleasure cannot come into the heart but it
ye will find it the more worthie of praise I am sorie in my heart that our disposition is so euill that we cannot praise him as we would yet howsoeuer it be that we can do it as we would let vs do it as we may according to that measure of grace that is granted to euerie one of vs. And for this default that is in vs let euery one of vs desire pardon following me after this manner Lord be mercifull to our vnprepared hearts Lord behold vs in the righteous merits of thy Sonne and suffer not this euill disposition of ours to be a hinderance to the second deliuerie if peraduenture that Balaak with his Priest Balaam make the second assault But Lord in thy mercies sanctifie our hearts more and more to all thy holy vses that thy mercifull protection may couer vs and being inuironed therewith we shall not be found naked let the furie and rage of the enemie assaile when he pleaseth Let vs I say after this manner be thankfull to God And surely the thankfull memory of this benefit shall be the readie way to purchase the second deliuerie in case as I haue said the enemies of God being possessed with that restlesse spirit of the Diuell make the second assault Thus farre concerning the first benefit The second benefit whereby he sheweth himselfe gracious to his people followeth in the second verse to wit He made his residence with them he dwelt at Shalem as his Tabernacle placed in Sion doth testifie He dwelt at Ierusalem which at that time was called Shalem where his Tabernacle was placed This dwelling of God with his Church is the second benefit wherein he sheweth himselfe gracious to her For suppose it be true that the maiestie of our God replenisheth heauen and earth and is euery where yet it is as true that this God of ours dwelleth not euery where for he dwelleth onely in his Church and among his faithfull For the Lord is farre off continually from the hearts of the wicked as the Apostle saith Therefore the Lord had made as yet his residence and dwelling to be in Sion He dwelt in the hearts and consciences of his owne people of old he gaue them ensignes of his visible presence as was the Tabernacle the Arke as types and ceremonies which were seates of his oracles and gaue many miracles and wonders for the confirming of his presence Now it hath pleased the Lord to translate his Tabernacle from the Iewes to vs and to set downe the ensignes of his presence among vs such as the preaching of his word as ye heare it this day the ministring of his Sacraments as ye see this day and the exercise of discipline as we haue at this time These are the visible ensignes of his presence whereby your senses are informed that the inuisible God dwelleth here he maketh his residence properly in the hearts of faithfull men and women And the Lord dwelleth in his Saints two manner of waies to wit by faith and by his holy Spirit It is by the benefit of faith the Spirit of God that we become the Church of God Temples of his holy Spirit Citizens with the Saints and domesticks of heauen For by this faith our hearts as Peter speaketh Act. 15. are purified whereby Christ Iesus may haue residence in them and as Ephes. 3.17 whereby Christ may dwell in vs. By the same faith againe we are builded on the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles that we may be an habitation to God by his holy Spirit as in the last verse Ephes 2. Then I say if the Lord dwelleth in his Saints by these two manner of waies by faith and by his holy Spirit he dwelleth not substantially in his Saints but he dwelleth so onely in his owne Sonne For the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelleth in him corporally By faith and his holy Spirit therefore he maketh his residence with you by the ministerie of his word and Sacraments he testifieth his presence here And surely moe and greater promises Ierusalem had neuer then this Church of ours hath moe notable testimonies of his presence and mightie deliuerances Iudah had neuer then we haue And God dwelt neuer in no nation of the earth at least since the Gospell began so long in such sinceritie and puritie without error or heresie as he hath done with vs. So that if there be any nation vnder the Sunne bound to praise God we are chiefly bound and of all nations we must be most vngrate if his name be not great among vs. But when I looke to the horrible ingratitude answering to this obligation I cannot promise a continuance of this light and presence For will ye looke vnto our answering in our liues the great men in this countrey are become companions to the eues and Pirates oppressors and manifest blasphemers of God and man Ye see murther oppression and bloodshed is the onely thing that they shoote and marke at As to the simple sort of people the prophane multitude they are altogether godlesse there is not such a thing in them as a naturall light whereby they may see God in his works much lesse the supernaturall As to the greatest part of our Priests our Ministers their mouthes haue lost the truth and their persons haue lost their reuerence the Lord hath made them contemptible in the eyes of men And by reason they haue forgot to giue him his due reuerence he hath taken their reuerence out of the hearts of men Well the Lord will not wearie and trouble himselfe perpetually as he hath done these many yeares past in offering pearles to filthie swine to curres and to dogs It is not possible that he should wearie himselfe still but at the last seeing there is no estate of life that testifieth any true loue to his truth therefore it is as ye see the most part of this countrey is giuen ouer alreadie to a strange delusion because they would not receiue his Sonne when he was offered therefore the Lord hath giuen them ouer to a strange delusion And to what I pray you Euen to prefer the leauen of the Pharisies and dregs of Papistrie to the wholsome and blessed word of truth And shal this be the end of these plagues No but in respect of the contempt of the truth their bodies shall be plagued also in the sight of you all whosoeuer they be that haue made foule defection from that blessed truth And vpon this we haue also a petition in the second place to craue of God as in the first place to craue that the Lord of his great mercie in time would preuent this vtter extermination which this great confusion both in Church and policie so terribly threatneth and portendeth For it is not possible that things can euer stand still in this estate but of necessitie either the Magistrate and in speciall the supreame Magistrate must put to his hand and make an end of this confusion or else this
confusion shall make an end of him Therefore yet I say ioyne your prayers with me that the Lord would preuent this extermining confusion threatned and giue him grace and an inclining will to make his soule free of the iniquities of his Nobles Thus farre concerning the second benefit Now in the second part of this Psalme which beginneth at the third verse he praiseth God for a singular deliuerance which he had granted to his Church for a deliuerance in the which he shewed himselfe more then wonderfull a deliuerance accomplished by his owne power and force without the helpe or aide of any creature a deliuerance in the which he shewed himselfe a mightie preseruer of his owne and a terrible Iudge to the enemie What deliuerance it was in particular he expresseth not I agree well to thinke it the same deliuerance which was purchased against Senacherib I will not insist in the particular but if ye take it to be so ye shall take it well He keepeth this order in setting downe this wonderfull deliuerance First in the third verse he setteth downe the ouerthrow generally together with the circumstance of place where this ouerthrow was done In the 4. verse he amplifieth this deed and by way of comparison he enlargeth it And that it may be the more pithie he turneth his speech to God In the 5. and 6. verses he setteth downe the manner of the victorie more particularly and he letteth vs see in the same verses how easily God did it And in the 7. verse he is rauished in admiration of the worke and he bursteth footh into that graue sentence Thou euen thou art terrible c. To come backe then to the third verse in it there are two things First he setteth downe the ouerthrow generally and he noteth the place next where the ouerthrow was done As to this ouerthrow he saith He brake their bowes and their arrowes their shields and their battell As if he would say in one word he vtterly ouerthrew the enemies put them to flight he made them to leaue all their armour behinde them that came to inuade his dwelling place For the breaking of the armor had serued to little purpose except he had broken the men also that managed the armor And therefore by that accustomed figure he vnderstandeth by the breaking of the armor the breaking of all them that did beare the armour As to the place where this ouerthrow was done he noteth it in the first word by an aduerbe of place pointing it out as it were by his finger Where was it done It was done where God dwelt where he made his residence at Salem which is Ierusalem he testified to his owne people and bare Senacherib witnesse that he dwelt there There is no man that will suffer himselfe to be cast out of his dwelling place willingly These men to wit the King of Ashur and his complices came to cast out God out of his dwelling place but he stoode to the defence of his owne house shewed them that he would not remooue for their pleasure For the Church then and the Church now haue found in experience that there is no externall force in the world able to dislodge God against his will nor make him to change his dwelling place if we dislodge him not our selues if they had not cast him out by their actions he had neuer bene dislodged So long as the Iewes left him a cleane footstep to remaine in so long he dwelt and lodged with them But from time all was defiled therefore as ye haue heard sometimes from this place and may reade in that 9.10 and 11. of Ezechiel at last he is compelled to take his leaue How loath he was to depart his manie good-nights his manie rests which are there set downe do clearely testifie I thinke betweene the Cherubims and the mount of Oliues he made foure rests as ye haue in that prophecie of Ezechiel and all to testifie how loath he was to depart and how ready he was to abide if they had turned vnto him But they turned not vnto him and therefore he departed Thus farre concerning the text Now if we shall compare deliuerie with deliuerie and compare like with like it is commonly questioned alreadie and will be questioned till the end of the world where was yonder great ouerthrow giuen and in what place was yonder nauy destroyed It will be answered againe and I am assured it is answered alreadie this nauy was destroyed about the coasts of the Lords owne dwelling place where he made his residence They came to inuade his own Isle to cast him out of his possession And what did he He shewed them to their owne cost that he would not remooue neither for the Pope nor Spaniards pleasure And surely if we haue not the fault our selues he will neuer remooue What glory what preheminence what comfort what dignitie we haue by the presence of God I thinke it was neuer well knowne of vs And if there were no more but this singular comfort which as yet appeareth neuer to haue entred into your hearts I thinke the very commoditie besides the glory which we haue of the presence of God should mooue vs much And yet notwithstanding all this glorie and dignity that we haue by him we will not suffer him to remaine among vs. That thing which no externall force was able to bring about we by our filthie and wicked lines are like to bring to passe Looke all the corners of the countrey is there a cleane place wherin he may make his residence and his rest without the cries and lamentable voyces of terrible murther oppression and blood where shall he make his residence where he shall not be dislodged by blasphemie Alas this is ouer rife among men whom we would otherwise account good men It is not possible for him to make his residence amongst a people that is altogether vncleane he must haue a cleane chamber to rest in at the least if that our hearts be altogether vncleane he can haue no abode here O then what is the remedie of this and how shall this matter be helped for if he depart we lose all There is no other remedie but to prepare a lodging for his remaining And how shall this be I will tell you Looke how much more excellent our God and his blessed Spirit is then any Monarch or Prince in the earth let vs be so much the more carefull that our hearts and consciences may be cleane and holy for his remaining Let not our hearts be a closet and a dunghill of all corruption It is not possible for him to dwell there For the blessed Spirit of God cannot rest but in a cleane place Then I say looke what reuerence thou bearest to earthly men for is it possible that the face and countenance of a Prince should strike thee with such feare that the reuerence thou bearest to him will make thee not onely to compose thy
gesture but so to temper thy talke that thy tongue vtter neither euill nor filthie communication And hath the reuerence of man suppose he be at odds with thee such force How much more should the presence of the mighty God by his holy Spirit not being neare by thee as commonly Princes are but within thy heart and mind make thee greedie and earnest to take order with thy cogitations and affections that the wickednes of them dislodge him not It is not possible that the Spirit of God can dwell where he hath so great molestation For when the heart is continually set on mischiefe what rest can there be for the good Spirit of God Therefore take vp thy selfe in time and desire of God with me as I am to desire in this last point And what is that that I haue to desire I haue to desire that God would shew himselfe present continually in our hearts that the maiestie of his presence may make vs to haue a regard to our cogitations and affections I wish that his blessed Spirit would so mortifie our sinfull lusts and affections that he may rest in our soules quietly without molestation Euery one of you all in this third point desire for the mortifying of your lusts and affections that he may make his residence in you and pray for an eye to see his glorious presence that the sight thereof may make you to stand in awe And this being done ye shall keepe God with you otherwise if this be not done adieu with God Thus farre concerning our third verse As to the 4. verse ye see in it he will not leaue this matter yet but he amplifieth this matter and setteth out this great worke by way and forme of a comparison And he addresseth his speech to God euen as if he saw him before him and he saith Thou art more puissant bright and glorious then the mountaines of prey As if he would say thou art more glorious and mighty then the greatest King or Monarch of the earth thou hast not a match in maiestie nor a fellow in dignitie thou hast no match in power nor in glorie By the mountaines of prey he vnderstandeth here no question the highest moutaines And it is very easie for you to know what is meant by the highest mountaines by them he vnderstandeth the greatâ—st Kings and Kingdomes in the earth I say by the mountaines of prey he vnderstandeth the highest mountaines And why By reason the beasts of prey hunted by dogs or sleight of the hunter they haue recouse to the highest places for their safegard So by reason that the rauenous beasts betake them to these high mountaines and inaccessible places I thinke here by the mountaines of prey is vnderstood the highest mountaines Now what is the sence and meaning of this There is no King nor kingdome in the earth that may come neare in power and maiestie to our great King If this be â—rue that no King oâ— Monarch may come neare in maiesty to our great God Iehoua this also must be true he that hath God with him hath helpe enough This also must be true if we keepe God on our side there is no counsell force policie nor indeuour suppose all these foure excell in the enemy can preuaile against his Church This Balak the King of Moab knew wel that so long as God stood by his people his people was inuincible and therefore as ye haue there in that history he taketh consultation with his neighbours the Midianites and aduiseth with them what should be best And surely he tooke a right consultation they concluded that except God were corrupted it was not possible to get victory ouer them And theâ—fore he compasseth to get God to be corrupted And how he addresseth him to corrupt Balaam thinking that way God should lie by also by reason Balaam was counted to be his Prophet and so come to his purpose Indeed if God had bene corrupted from his people as Balaam was he had attained to his purpose but seeing God stood by his people alhough his Prophet disappointed them yet the people were preserued Then I say the lesson is onely this keepe God well on our side for if we keepe God in our hearts and consciences let the enemy assaile vs when he will he shall finde euer more with vs then with them God cannot be kept except there be another kinde of reformation then I see appearing yet I haue spoken already enough of this And therfore I go forward Thus much for the 4. verse In the 5. and 6. verses he setteth down more particularly the manner how this victory was obteined by God after what sort how easily he ouercame these great enemies As to the maner of the victory it standeth in two sorts according to two kindes of enemies that were in the army There was one sort of great and mighty men who were Princes and rulers of the army there was another of inferiour ranke and estate who were counted the valiant men of courage and strong men of the army Against both these sorts he vseth two sorts of meanes to obteine the victory And first in the 5. verse he setteth vpon the men of courage who were puft vp in the conceit of their owne strength and valiantnesse And what doth he with them He striketh such a feare in them whereby he spoyleth pulleth from them both wit and strength he spoileth them of heart and hand in such sort that their wit and strength serueth them to no more vse then if they had bene asleepe Their hands which they boasted of so much the night before serued them to no better seruice then if they had bene cut off These men by flight escaped they left their armour all behind them and they that were swiftest thought them to haue the greatest vantage This worke then was wrought by a terrible feare which he strooke into their hearts and consciences As to the other sort they fought on horses and chariots and these were the great men the princes and rulers of the army The meanes that he vseth against these is told in the end of the 6. verse He striketh them with a deadly sleepe with such a sleepe that the rider was as dead as the Chariot I will not insist the Chariot is here placed for the rider by the same figure whereof we spake before Thus farre concerning the manner As to the other thing how easily he brought this about he letteth vs see it in the beginning of the 6. verse all this was done at his rebuke All this great ouerthrow cost him but a word There was no matter to weary him here nor to make any trouble to him There was was no more desired in it but onely the word of his mouth The Lord is said to rebuke when he punisheth for the rebukes of the Lord are continually effâ—ctuall he mâ—keth not a proffer against his enemies but he layeth on also So the word and
light This spirituall light is so proper to the Church that it discerneth her from all false Churches vpon the face of the earth for as the Apostle saith Faith which is no other thing but this light appertaineth not vnto all but this gift of iustifying faith is nothing else but that very light which is giuen to those who before all eternitie were appointed for saluation This speciall reuelation is not obtayned or purchased by any naturall force for so it were common to all men It is not purchased by naturall wit or vnderstanding for the wisdome of this world cannot know those things that are of God Yea the wisedome of the world is the greatest enemie to the wisedome of God and the wit of the world esteemeth the wit of God to be plaine foolishnesse This light is not gotten by the sight of the works of God or by looking vpon this great Vniuerse we get a light indeed by looking on the works of God but this light conueigheth vs not a far off we lose it in the threshold in the very entrie it is choked by our affections and the vile appetites that are in vs do choke it Now we get not this supernaturall light onely by the outward ministerie of the word no seuer me the Spirit from the word the word is nothing else but a minister of death to my soule and a slaying letter it serueth for nothing but to be a further testimonie of my iust condemnation Therefore this heauenly light whereby we are made heires of heauen and the children of God is purchased by the word and Spirit of God ioynctly By the word striking and piercing the eare outwardly and the Spirit penetrating the heart inwardly So where these two are conioyned that heauenly light is wrought and it is an earnest-pennie of thy euerlasting saluation Of this light and reuelation it cometh to passe that God is well knowne in Iudah that is in his owne Church and of this knowledge it cometh to passe that his Name is great in Israel that is his praise is highly extolled and his name renowmed among all them that know him rightly By the Name of God is vnderstood God himselfe as he maketh himselfe knowne in the wonderful works which he worketh as when he hath mercie on his Church he is called a mercifull God when he keepeth his promises he is called a true God when he deliuereth her mightily he is called a potent God And so as many works as he worketh so many Names he hath Now of this reuelation cometh the knowledge of God For except the Spirit of God take away the ignorance of our hearts it is as impossible for me to know God rightly as the dumbe element Except this veile of ignorance which sticketh so fast vnto our hearts be taken off that in time the mighty power of God may be reuerenced there remaineth no further sight then serueth vnto our eternall condemnation Therefore the Spirit must concurre mightily to take off this veile of ignorance that our hearts and minds being renewed we may begin to be new creatures in Christ Iesus Of this knowledge it cometh to passe that God is reuerenced and his praises are sounded for it is impossible that these who know God aright but they must praise him and reuerence his Name God is not like the great men of this countrey for they where they are best knowne there are worst loued But God by the contrary where he is best knowne he is best loued And this loue of God can neuer be idle but it must burst foorth into his praises So these two are ioyned together the Spirit of God bringeth knowledge which knowledge is helpefull to faith and true faith euer praiseth God Then examine your knowledge from the effect the praise of God and see whether the knowledge of God be in this countrey or not This conclusion must hold fast where God is highly praised he is well knowne and the contrary must hold as fast where God is no waies praised he is not knowne there Assume now But so it is that he is no waies praised in this countrey Therefore he was neuer well knowne of vs his goodnesse and mercie was neuer well tasted of vs. And surely if multitude of benefits or multitude of miracles might haue made God knowne to vs we haue had our large part Yea to omit all the rest I thinke though there were no more but this deliuerie past it is a sufficient argument to mooue the hearts of all creatures to praise his name But such is our horrible ingratitude that for lacke of praise we bring not onely a curse vpon the benefit but a curse vpon our owne persons And therefore mine exhortation is now as then That with such hearts as the Lord hath giuen vs we be readie to sound his praise for this great deliuerie the thankfull memorie of this last benefit shall be the readie way to purchase the next therefore with thankfull hearts let vs praise him And where they are not so disposed as the worthinesse of the benefit requireth let vs beg mercie for our euill disposed hearts let vs desire pardon for our vnprepared hearts and wish that it would please the Lord to sanctifie them further and further to his owne praises that being couered with his mercifull protection we may at all times rest vnder his wings and sauegard so that we shall be sure to assaile the enemy when he pleaseth Thus farre for the first benefit The second benefit wherein the Lord shewed himselfe gracious toward his people is this he made his residence with this people which he did with no other nation of the earth he taketh his abiding at Shalem as the tokens and ensignes of his presence did testifie God maketh his residence with no sort of people in the earth but with his Church he hath espied out and select to himselfe a people among all the nations of the earth and with them he hath made his residence It is no strange language to say that God hath chosen a people to himselfe and doth make his residence with such a people For albeit the maiestie of God fill and replenish both heauen and earth and his power reach euery where yet is it as true our God dwelleth euery where he hath selected a sort of people a number of persons with whom he maketh his residence And among all nations he selected this nation of the Iewes vnto whom he gaue the visible ensignes of his presence and in whose hearts he dwelt Now it hath pleased him in mercie to translate his Tabernacle to make his residence with vs and he hath chosen a few of the hearts of this countrey where he hath begun his dwelling place for God dwelleth now in the hearts and consciences of his owne by his holy Spirit and surely so he hath dwelt with vs these 30. yeares and in such puritie that he hath not done the like with any nation in the earth He hath
not remained with any nation without error or heresie to long as he hath done with vs So that of all nations we may be counted most vnworthie for this entertainment which we giue to God it is not possible that he can continue his â—esidence with vs if he be handled after this sort For we all King Priest and people haue made defection from God Well the Lord will not wearie himselfe still with vs he will not vexe his righteous Spirit in offering pearles to dogs swine he cannot dwell here Now ye see he is beginning to giue a great part of this nation ouer to a strange delusion ye see by reason they loued not the truth he hath made them to prefer the leauen of the Pharisies to the truth and this is the righteous iudgement of God And whereunto see ye all things worke but vnto an vniuersall confusion So we haue this petition to desire of God That he in his mercie would preuent this vtter extermination which the confusion both in Church and policie visibly portendeth and that he would put it in the hearts of the Magistrates to set to their hand to disburthen the earth of this horrible confusion Now in the second part of this Psalme he testifieth that he made his residence at Shalem by a wonderfull miracle a worke wrought by himselfe onely Againe in the 4. verse we see the place noted where this ouerthrow was giuen As to the place he noteth it by an aduerbe of place There he brake pointing it out with his finger as it were It was done there where God dwelleth there where he hath chosen a lodging to himselfe there this notable ouerthrow was giuen Ye know this and nature hath taught it there is no man will be cast out of his dwelling place willingly but if they presume to cast him foorth he will stand to the defence of his lodging So when these men came to cast God out of his dwelling place he stood to the defence thereof I compared like with like and I shewed that this question flieth in all mens mouthes Where was yonder great ouerthrow giuen It is answered and will be answered about the coasts of the Lords dwelling place there yonder nauie perished They came to cast God out of his Isle but he stood to the defence thereof and shewed he was not ready to remooue And it is certaine there is no external force in the earth that can cast out God except we cast him out by our wicked liues diuellish conuersations he will neuer be cast foorth What great comfort commoditie we haue by this dwelling of God with vs iudge ye Would God he had good neighbourhood For suppose he maketh his residence with vs yet he getteth euill neighbourhood and greater vnquietnesse is not out of hell then he getteth on all sides Well I tell you it is not possible that the Lord can be dislodged by any externall force except we dislodge him by our wicked liues and conuersations he will neuer be dislodged And how farre we are gone forward in this worke the doings of this countrey clearely testifie Let vs see where he may rest where he may make his residence where the cries of murther and blood shall not amaze him Where shall he sit where the clamours of bloud the great complaints cries of oppression shall not astonish him What part is cleane let vs see without horrible blasphemies Wel how is it possible but this way we must lose God and losing God we lose all I shewed you the readie way to entertaine him was that seeing he hath chosen his dwelling place in the hearts and consciences of his owne it is not possible he can be entertained except we take vp a new fashion of doing The manner of doing that we ought to take vp is this Looke what reuerence thou bearest vnto any Prince or Magistrate in the earth externally let the like reuerence be giuen to God inwardly although there be no proportion betweene these two And if the externall reuerence which thou bearest vnto a man be of such force that it will make thee to compose thy gesture and refraine thy tongue that thou burst not foorth into euill speech which may offend him How much more ought the reuerence which we beare to God dwelling within vs by his holy Spirit make vs to refraine from euill thoughts and from wicked and filthie affections For the affections of the heart are as good language to God as the words of the mouth are to any Prince Then I say should not our third petition be this that the Lord would rule our hearts so by his presence that the cogitations thereof molest him not nor the canker of our affections disturbe him not If this be done then God shall make his residence with you Now after he hath noted the place in the 5. verse he enlargeth this worke by a notable comparison in the which he letteth vs see that there is no maiestie nor power in heauen or earth that can come neare in glorie maiestie or power to our great God that is there are no armes force counsell nor endeuour that can preuaile against God So the nations that haue God vpon their side haue moe with them then be against them Vpon this I desired you seeing we haue such an aduantage of the dwelling of God to prepare a cleane chamber where he may make his residence he maketh his residence onely in the hearts of his owne The heart is onely made cleane by faith therefore let vs beg faith that God may rest with vs and God being with vs the enemie shall find moe with vs then with them surprise vs when they will In the 6. and 7. verses he setteth downe more particularly the manner of this great ouerthrow after what sort how easily he accomplished this great worke he letteth vs see all this great victorie did cost him but a word it cost him no more trauell but he commanded the winds and the winds did vndoe them For the Lords rebukes are euer effectuall he proffereth not against his enemies but he layeth on Sâ— this great victorie cost him not 14. or 15. yeares preparation it cost him not millions of gold and leuyings of men part in Spaine and part in the Low-countries it cost him but one word So it could not be that this worke which was so mightily easily done could haue bene done except the Lord had done it Thus farre we proceeded in our last lesson Now to come to our text After that he hath shewed in particular the manner of this deliuerie and letten vs see after what sort and how easily God hath done this worke and after he hath cried out Thou thou art terrible being rauished by the greatnesse of the worke and after that he hath shewed the great infirmitie and weakenesse of the creature so oft as it dare presume to oppose it selfe and match it selfe with the great Creator after he hath done this he insisteth
ought any wicked vowes ought to be kept vowes which are rashly vowed to be wickedly performed for in so doing they make a double fault First they do a fault in vowing rashly secondly they make a fault in performing their rash vow All these vowes are beside the warrant of the word we should promise to be thankfull to God and to performe Then the exhortation riseth vnto vs after the example of the Prophet here that seeing in this great benefit although we had neuer receiued moe benefits the Lord hath deserued so well of you ye ought euery one of you to frame your hearts to grow in thankfulnesse to him whereby he may grow in mercie and loue towards you and in hatred and anger towards his enemies And although ye be thankfull thinke not that ye deserue any thing for when ye haue done this ye cannot adde any thing to his estate ye enrich not God one whit It is not possible that he who is absolutely perfect of himselfe can neede any thing whereby his estate may be enriched yea suppose we adde nothing to his estate our best thanksgiuing is no waies acceptable to him but by way of grace if Christ Iesus step not in betwixt vs and him it is not possible that our persons or any action that floweth from our person can be acceptable vnto him Therefore it is onely by way of grace and mercie in Christ Iesus in whom he cannot be displeased with vs that our thankfulnesse is accepted by him So it is not for our merits as the Papists foolishly alledge nor by way of our deseruing that he accepteth of vs it is by way of mercie and grace that he alloweth of vs and our thankfulnesse Indeed he accepteth so of our thanksgiuing that vnlesse we praise him nothing can please him And therefore seeing all our actions are acceptable to him onely in his welbeloued let vs praise him in Christ. Ye see we will thanke him for meate and drinke after dinner and supper and why should ye not thanke him for the rest of the creatures As for this benefit of your deliuerie and preseruation both of Church countrey the Lord giue vs hearts to thanke him Now in the end of this verse he saith Let them bring presents to him that ought to be feared We haue no other presents to bring but this sacrifice of praise and thanksgiuing which is called calues of the lips Psal. 51. Would God that this were truly giuen although not in such measure as is required Alwaies let vs bring these sacrifices and present them to him onely who is fearefull not onely to meane men but to the greatest Princes and Monarchs of the earth And how prooueth he this He prooueth this in the last verse where he saith He cutteth off the spirit of Princes that is he spoyleth them of their wit and force and last of all when it pleaseth him he spoyleth them of the life it selfe he taketh all from them euen from these same Princes that oppose themselues most against him he spoyleth them in an instant of heart hand and all forces and maketh them a spectacle to all nations Well they will not learne in time it is terrible for Princes to fall into his hands For when they fall into his hands he is not satisfied to spoile them both of heart and hand but after he hath spoiled them both of heart and hand he taketh the very life from them Senacherib found this for his owne sonnes laid hands on him slue him Our great men thinke they will eschue his hands There is no example or proclamation of iudgement that will make them leaue off from burning slaying and murther This is not looked to by the Councell and he who should punish this ouerseeth it and they that are inferiour magistrates ouersee it so that this land is so ouerwhelmed with sinne that it cannot be discharged vntill the great God himselfe doth it Terrible is he therefore to Kings looke how terrible Kings are to meane men farre more terrible is he to them The Kings of the earth at least since the Gospell began haue euer conspired to expell Christ out of the number of Kings and so to roote out his kingdom that he should not beare rule in the earth And this conclusion hath bene laid by them So by Kings here to whom he is terrible is to be vnderstood those mischieuous Kings that will not acknowledge Christ as King nor submit their scepter to his scepter but haue all conspired and assayed their forces to put him out of their number What profit they haue gotten of this time hath tried Ye see what the King of Spaine hath gained ye see what his predecessors gained And what followeth There is a secōd assault to be made and it is not possible but the second assault must be For the diuell must be euer like to himselfe So the second assault shall come in great rage he shall push at that same stone as he and his predecessors haue done oft before Is it sure that Spaine shall make the second assault It is sure and yonder argument letteth me see it for the spirit of the diuell cannot be at rest And what shall come of this The next thing that ye shall heare God shall cut off his life he that hath spoiled him first of his heart and hand shall spoyle him of all and so the second thing that ye shall heare the great Monarch of Spaine shall die And so he shall be disappointed in the second assault and all the kingdomes which are vnder the protection of this King shall be let loose For rather shall heauen and earth go together ere God suffer his Church to be rooted out if we remaine in any part of our obedience O then we ought earnestly to prepare vs to reuerence him who is onely fearefull For if they who haue the supreame place will not reuerence him he shall take their reuerence out of the hearts of men It is onely for Gods sake that they are reuerenced whosoeuer therefore honoureth not God he shall not honour him So we ought to honour God and giue him his due reuerence and his owne place that we reuerence no man nor the lawes of any man but God and for Gods cause And so honouring God God shall honour vs and extoll vs and that in the righteous merits of his Sonne To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all honour and praise both now and euer Amen THE FOVRTEENTH SERMON VPON THE 40. PSALME PREACHED IN THE time of publicke fast 1 I waited patiently for the Lord and he inclined vnto me and heard my crie 2 He brought me also out of the horrible pit out of the mirie clay and set my feete vpon the rocke and ordered my goings 3 And he hath put in my mouth a new song of praise vnto our God many shall see it and feare and shall trust in the Lord. 4 Blessed is the man that maketh
the Lord his trust and regardeth not the proud nor such as turne aside to lies 5 O Lord my God thou hast made thy wonderfull works so many that none can count in order to thee thy thoughts toward vs I would declare and speake of them but they are moe then I am able to expresse 6 Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire for mine eares hast thou prepared burnt offering and sinne offering hast thou not required 7 Thou said I Loe I am come for in the rolle of the booke it is written of me 8 I desired to do thy good wil O my God yea thy law is within mine heart 9 I haue declared thy righteousnesse in the great Congregation Loe I will not refraine my lips O Lord thou knowest 10 I haue not hid thy righteousnesse within my heart but I haue declared thy truth and thy saluation I haue not concealed thy mercie and thy truth from the great Congregation 11 Withdraw not thy tender mercie from me O Lord let thy mercie and thy truth alway preserue me 12 For innumerable troubles haue compassed me my sinnes haue taken such hold vpon me that I am not able to looke vp yea they are moe in number then the haires of mine head therefore mine heart hath failed me 13 Let it please thee O Lord to deliuer me make haste O Lord to helpe me 14 Let them be confounded and put to shame together that seeke my soule to destroy it let them be driuen backward and put to rebuke that desire mine hurt 15 Let them be destroyed for a reward of their shame which say vnto me Aha aha 16 Let all them that seeke thee reioyce and be glad in thee and let them that loue thy saluation say alway The Lord be praised 17 Though I be poore and needy the Lord thinketh on me thou art mine helper and my deliuerer my God make no tarying THis Psalme for the most part tendeth to praise and thankesgiuing For the Author of it Dauid partly praiseth God from his owne late experience and partly from the publike experience of the whole Church Therefore for this his experience he offereth his seruice to God protesting to be thankefull to him as he had bene thankfull in times past And in the end of the Psalme he retireth himselfe to prayer and commendeth his estate to the protection of God that as he had deliuered him in time past so he would continue the same in mercy to him in time to come This I take to be the summe of this Psalme Touching the parts of it we haue three in the first wherof we haue the praise and commendation of the mercy and kindnesse of God whereby it commeth to passe that he reiecteth not them that depend vpon him In the second for this experience that he hath found he offereth his seruice to God as he had proclaimed his iustice mercy in time past so he protesteth that he is ready to do the same in time to come In the third as I spake before he retireth to prayer he commendeth his estate to God that as it had pleased him to preserue him in time past so it would please him to preserue him in time to come Following the literall meaning this is the effect of the Psalme If you take it otherwise there is a notable prophecy concerning the office of Christ Iesus concerning the abolishing of the old couenant and establishing of the new and concerning the sacrifice of our high Priest the Priest of the new Testament Christ Iesus Then to returne to the first part therein we haue a singular experience set downe Indeed if the circumstances were well considered his experience is more then singular for by the last Psalme the estate and care wherein he was at this time may be easily gathered He was pursued by the treason of his owne sonne Absalon he was pursued by the skornes and Iests of his owne seruants In this great extremity he bursteth out into prayer beggeth of God that he would withdraw his hand from him for a space and why He was consumed with his owne iniquity he desireth that at the last he would incline his eares to his prayers and keepe no longer silence at his teares in respect he knew he was but a soiourner and a pilgrime in the earth as the rest of his fathers were he sayth Withdraw thine heauie hand O Lord and let the mercy that I looked for appeare to me Now in this Psalme he letteth vs see what issue and end his long wayting obteined to wit a most blessed and happy end For in this Psalme we see that the Lord at last inclined his eare vnto him and shewed in experience that though he answereth him not at first yet he was not deafe but accomplished his desire in drawing him out of his misery in the which he lay which misery he describeth by two proper similitudes The first similitude is taken from the pit The second is taken from the myre of clay At the last the Lord drew him out of this horrible pit and placed him vpon the shore he opposeth the rocke vnto the pit and the faire way to the myrie clay and placed him vpon a plaine and faire way and directed his iourney So his long expectation obtayned a most happy issue In this his experience there are three things that offer themselues to be considered First what was this that he susteyned in this long wayting what was it that made him to continue without despaire Secondly what was Dauids exercise all the time of this long wayting Thirdly what issue end this long wayting obtayned As for the wayting there was no other thing that susteined him but that same which we Christians call a Christian hope or a Christian expectation which hope is the worke of the holy Spirit wrought in vs by the power therof whereby it cometh to passe that we with great patience abide the performance of the Lords promises In this hope there are two things inclosed There is first the absence of the thing hoped for yet notwithstanding a certaine expectation of the same This hope of ours is different from our faith though it rise and spring thereof in two speciall points For the nature of faith taketh hold on the promise for nothing can be beleeued but the promise promises are propounded to be beleeued and commandements to be obeyed The nature of faith then taketh hold of the promise The nature of hope looketh not so much to the promise as to the thing promised The nature of hope is to looke continually vntil it possesse the thing that is promised The nature of faith maketh the thing which is absent in it selfe and in very deede to be present as if it were extant and subsisting before thy senses and therefore faith is called the ground substance of things absent for faith maketh them as sure by the promise as if the thing promised were in my hand It maketh me
of God at the last he shall neuer come out So in time let euery one beware to abuse the grace of God this way but beg a liberty and a renewing of the Spirit that that which is pleasing to him may be also pleasing to vs and that which is displeasing to him may be displeasing to vs. The last thing that I marke is this whereof cometh this willingnesse and free offering of our selues to the seruice of God Dauid noteth it in a word It proceedeth not of externall worshipping but of the boring of the eare except the Lord had prepared the eare of his heart it was not possible for him to haue brought with him a mind or a will to serue God Then this willingnesse is wrought by the Spirit of God and not onely this willingnesse but the doing and execution of his will is wrought by the Spirit of God For by nature we are hard hearted and more vnfit then brute beasts to do the Lords will And therfore whosoeuer would be partaker of the grace of the new Testament let him looke into himselfe how farre his will is reformed For the more we submit our will â—o the will of God the more we are partakers of the grace of the new Testament So long as we make the will of man a rule to our will we testifie that we haue not tasted of the grace of the new Testament Onely then are we partakers of the grace of the new Testament when the Spirit of grace boweth our will and maketh it to obey in some part the will of God For I meane not that our whole will can obey the will of God It is not possible so long as we are here that we can runne one way if the affections could runne one way and bend themselues wholly to God in a maner we should possesse life eternall in this life But so long as we are here we are compassed with two wils from the which proceedeth â—wo sorts of motions affections and cogitations In this battel the regenerate man continueth to the end I require not a perfection of the will or a perfection of the heart but I desire a delight in the law and in the loue of God a will to loue and a preasing more and more to subdue our will to the loue of God Where this resisting is the battell is and where a battell continueth there is a true Christian who at the last shall get the victorie Resist thy wicked will resist the motions thereof resist the cogitations thereof and sorrow for the actions thereof if thou resist the motions and cogitations thereof thou art in good estate It is onely the consenting to the actions and performance thereof that maketh thee guiltie before God Suppose thou hast euill cogitations motions yet if so be thou resist them thou art not guiltie before God But if tâ—ou consent and performe the appetites of sinne the action will bring guiltinesse and guiltines will banish light and light being banished God is banished The obedience of sinne banisheth a good will and placeth in stead thereof an euill will so the perfection of a Christian in this life standeth in resisting To trie night and day that thou consent not to the actions of thy wicked will O then it is a matter of great consequence to subdue tame that great idoll of euill will We may speake of it as we please and say that we are able to do it but of all the works of the earth it is the greatest for such is the stubbornnesse of our will that it will do nothing but what it liketh it selfe Well the perfection of a Christian standeth in striuing we must either striue or we shall not be crowned Therefore let euery one beg of God that he would worke by his Spirit in this life that he may resist the motions and cogitations of his heart that he would arme him against the enticements thereof that resisting here we may be crowned hereafter In the last part of the Psal. he returneth to prayer and as he had found the mercifull deliuerie of God in time past so he desireth that the Lord would continue the same mercie toward him in time to come and vndertake his protection against the troubles that were to ensue as well as he had done against the troubles past In this part he letteth vs see this lesson which if it were well learned might stand vs in great stead the whole course of our life to wit That the whole life of man in this earth as Iob saith is a continuall tentation and the end of one miserie is but an entrie to a greater so that our whole exercise should be to praise God for fauours past and to pray to God for times to come that in praysing and prayer our life being continually spent we might hold Christ Iesus who in life and death is exceeding aduantage To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all honour and praise world without end So be it THE FIFTEENTH SERMON VPON THE SECOND CHAPTER OF THE SECOND Epistle to Timothie beginning at the 22. verse preached the ninth of Nouember 1589. at the which time â—he Eaâ—le Bothwell made his publike repentance in the Church of Edinborough 22 Flee also from the lusts of youth and follow after righteousnesse faith loue and peace with them that call on the Lord with pure heart 23. And put away foolish and vnlearned questions knowing that they ingender strife 24 But the seruant of the Lord must not striue but must be gentle toward all men apt to teach suffering the euill men patiently 25 Instructing them with meekenesse that are contrary minded proouing if God at any time will giue them repentance that they may know the truth 26 And that they may come to amendment out of the snare of the diuell which are taken of him at his will IN these two Epistles which the Apostle directeth vnto his Disciple Timothie he taketh a very great care to informe Timothie that he may behaue himselfe accordingly in all his proceedings that he might behaue himselfe as well in his owne person as in his office towards others beside In his owne person in respect he was a yong man yong in yeares although though no other way yong neither yong in knowledge nor in manners but somewhat yong in yeares In respect of his youth and of the imperfections that accompanie youth In respect of the continuall follie whereunto youth is drawne he biddeth him first remember that he take heede to his youth that he be not caried with those vices with those affections and lusts that vse violently to carry yong men away As towards others he willeth him to haue a discretion foresight of their estate to discerne the persons with whom he hath to do And first of all that he consider whether these persons be friends or aduersaries whether they be of one familie with himselfe in the familie of faith or otherwise strangers as
seruant nor the murtherer because he is your kinsman nor the oppressor because he is your dependant therefore in time lay them aside and let the execution declare that no man is spared for feare or fauour Thus farre for the first point The next point that we haue to speake of is that the thing that Youth should chiefly seeke after straitlie pursue and follow the Apostle here sets downe to wit they ought to seeke after the gift of repentance seeing it is the Spirit that must mortifie the lusts and affections of the youth they should seeke the Spirit of repentance This gift of repentance here is called the gift of God And that euery one of you may vnderstand the better what this repentance meaneth For suppose this doctrine sound in your eares daily yet it soundeth not in your hearts there are few that is their hearts haue a feeling what the spirit of repentance meaneth to bring you therefore to the better feeling and to the better knowledge of it we shall keepe this order in deducing of it First we shall marke the word it selfe Secondly we shall examine the parts of it Thirdly we shall let you see who is the worker and who is the efficient cause that worketh it Fourthly by what instrument it is wrought Fiftly who is the author and the giuer of it And last of all how many sorts of true repentance there are As for the word it self if ye will take heed to the force of it and take heed to the signification of it it hath this force taken generally to signifie a sadnesse for the thing done such a dolor for the thing done so that it would gladly haue it vndone againe I call it a sadnesse for the thing done whether it be good or euill or howsoeuer it be it would haue it vndone againe taking the word generally it signifieth this dolor The Apostle 2. Corinth 7. setteth downe two sorts of dolor two sorts of sorrow or dolor raised in the heart of man he calleth the first sort a worldly dolor or sadnesse he calleth it no doubt a worldly dolor and sadnesse because it is conceiued for a worldly respect because it is conceiued for a worldly and fleshly end when a man beginneth to be sorowfull for the thing that is done not so much for Gods cause or for any reuerence he beareth to the infinite maiestie of God whom he hath offended as for the present paine that is vpon his bodie for the present griefe that is in his conscience or for any worldly or fleshly respect In this case where God is alwaies neglected where the sorrow is not for Gods cause that is a worldly and an earthly sorrow And this kind of sorrow I can call no other thing but a blind terror vexation and anguish of conscience I call it blind in these respects first by reason they see no issue for their estate no doubt were the more tollerable if they saw any hope of ease that they might haue some rest and ease in their conscience but they are alwaies blind all sight of rest is taken from such a conscience It is blind also in respect they know not from whom it cometh who it is that striketh them with this that they may come vnto him by amendment They see not that it cometh from God and as they are ignorant of this they are ignorant of the cause that procured it They are ignorant that their owne sinne and wickednesse is the cause that procured it so the ignorance of these three maketh it to be a blind tormēt and this kind of torment which I call a blind torment either it is increased in a high degree or else it is mitigated that they may suffer it When it is increased into an high degree desperation is the end of it and it maketh them as Iudas did to lay hands on themselues Sometimes againe it is not so increased but it is mitigated that they may beare it and then by peece peece it vanisheth And so soone as it departeth so soone departeth their sorrow and their teares and at the departure of their paine as their teares depart so returne they to the puddle out of which they came as the Sow doth and to the same vomit which they spewed out as the Dog doth So this dolor and torment turneth not the heart it altereth not the soule but mooueth the soule for the present that by reason of the paine And if the paine were away they would returne to the same sinnes wherein they offended God oft before as greedily as euer they did So that they mourne not for the sinne but for the presence of the paine The example of this we haue in Esau he wept bitterly for a while so long as he felt any dolor but after that the dolor was remooued he went backe to his old sinnes againe And what did he he addressed himselfe to anger his father worse then euer he did and specially in choosing of his wife which testifieth that his dolor was but for a worldly respect So I say this worldly dolor is either conceiued for the present paine and torment that is vpon the conscience as we haue an example in Cain for in his repentance wherfore sorrowed he Not that he had offended God not that he had displeased so gracious a Father but for the greatnesse of his paine and crieth out My paine is greater then I can suffer Mine iniquitie by the which I vnderstand this paine either my paine must be made lesse or I am not able to beare it So I say this kind of sorrow is either conceiued for the present paine or for a worldly and ciuill respect Beside this sorrow therefore there is a godly sorrow which the Apostle also setteth downe in that same seuenth Chapter And this godly sorrow is an earnest sorrow a true sorrow not fained nor counterfeit And as it is true and earnest so it is conceiued not so much for the present paine torment that is vpon the mind and conscience as no doubt the paine torment that is vpon their soule mooueth them to it but it is not so much conceiued for any present paine as for Gods owne cause that they haue offended so gracious a God who was so louing so mercifull and had such pitie and compassion vpon the multitude of their sinnes And therefore they set aside all creatures forget creatures although against them also they haue offended and they runne to God onely seeke mercie for their sins at him onely and put their trust in him onely So ye see Dauid Psal 51. as if he had offended none in the world but God onely he turneth to the maiestie of the liuing God and saith Against thee against thee onely haue I sinned and done euill in thy sight Now there is no doubt but he had offended against the man whom he slue against the wife of the man whom he had defiled Yet
not an interpreter of these words but a peruerter of them Next to see if the meaning be right he must confer theÌ„ with other parts places of the Scripture see how it agreeth with the analogy of faith And if he finde any harmony there is no doubt but the sence is true The third thing that he must do he must take heed how the words are placed in what order they come in what relation they haue to the things that go before and also how they are fastened with the things that follow But he that would interprete truly must chiefly take heede to the Scriptures for all true interpretations must be sought out of the Scriptures for seeing that all truth is contained in the Scriptures there can be no true interpretation but that which floweth from thence Men should not be leaned to where they want Scriptures for no man should vse a lie to interpret a truth and the words of men without Scripture are onely lyes and vanities Also if the interpreter would be sensible as he ought and should be of force he must vse Scripture he must conferre place with place and that thing which he findeth obscurely spoken in one place he wil finde it more clearely spoken in another So many Scriptures are necessary and he that would interprete truely must haue many Scriptures in his memory Therefore we should pray for holy memories for our old memories wil not keep these things they must be sanctified memoryes that shall keep holy things As he must be a faithtull interpreter so he must be a skilfull applier for he must Deuide the word aright It is not ynough that he apply except he apply it also skilfully So application is necessary skilful applicatioÌ„ I say is necessary As it is not possible that we can feede vpon food except it be applied to our mouth as little is it possible that our soules can feede except the food of them be applyed Indeed things would be applyed skilfully for as if the foode be applied to any other part but the mouth the application serueth not euen so it is in spirituall things if they be not applied to the right parts and to the right diseases the applicatioÌ„ may do them more euill then good Therefore it is necessary that he who would do the part of a skilfull applyer do know the faults and diseases of his flocke which is not possible to be done in this Towne except it were deuided into parishes that euery one might haue a reasonable number to come to him that he were acquainted with and accustomed with their manners and behauiour This application is a chiefe point of the Pastors office for there is no edifying beside it there is no obedieÌ„ce to God but by it And therefore as by interpretation he informeth the mind and maketh it to vnderstand what he should do what he should leaue vndone So by application he should subdue the will that it may giue obedience and follow the vnderstanding Then in a word we see that the gift of gouernment and the gift of exhortation are necessarily requisite to be in a Pastor in some measure in such sort that he canot be a Pastor except he haue a part of both these gifts as I haue said in some measure And therefore ye haue to take heede to your admission in admitting of yong men ye should see how they haue profited in both thesâ— gifts And that act which was made in the last prouinciall assembly would be taken heede to that none be placed in this office except he haue learned by time the gift of gouernment together with the gift of teaching in some measure And as for application it is so necessary if it were no more but to turne ouer the very words of the text vpon the Auditory it must not be left yea and the nearer that we go to Gods word the application is so much the better for his word must euer haue a greater force with it then any other word And when the people heare that God speaketh and not man it striketh a great reuerence in the hearts of the auditory And so much the more when we consider the worthinesse and dignity of the subiect whereupon we ought to take these paines and are to intreate The Apostle calleth it here the word of truth The more notable that any subiect is it would be so much the more wisely handled And we haue not such a notable subiect as this for there is not a subiect that hath these epithetes to be called sound wholesome holy and true but this And beside this there is neither health soundnesse truth nor holinesse Therefore we should not choppe nor change with the word as if it were a vaine word but with great humility it would be handled But who is able to do these things or to answer to the meanest part of them These things craue an exact diligence a singular care and a painefull trauell They are not purchased by sluggishnes they will not giue vs leaue to employ our selues else-where but they take the whole man yea the whole thing that he may do if it were more And therefore in respect of this the Apostle vseth the word Study shewing vs that these things are not gotten without study that is without an earnest care and great diligence All things whereunto a Pastor should study may be taken vp in two words In faith and in a good conscience Study we for these two there is no doubt but we shall take heede both to our selues and to our office And these two we cannot keep except we study for the third also which is the keeper of all the rest to wit the holy Spirit We must study to entertaine and nourish him and this is done chiefly by praying in the holy Spirit Therefore we should be acquainted with prayer and be instant in it that the Lord would not withdraw his holy Spirit from vs but rather increase the power thereof from day to day that we might finde by experience and by a sensible feeling the truth of his heauenly promises within our selues and speciallie of that promise of life euerlasting To the which life Christ Iesus that great Pastor of the sheepe who gaue his life for his flocke bring vs. To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all honor praise and glory for euer and euer Amen FINIS The heads to be intreated of in this Sermon Definition of conscience with the exposition of the parts thereof To what vses the Lord hath appointed the conscience to serue in the soule of man Application Certaine lessons to be learned by which a man may preserue healâ—h in his soule conscience In what points we should examine our consciences How faith is created in our soules A similitude of the apprehension of the corporall foode to illustrate the spirituall How faith is nourished entertained in vs. Conclusion with an exhortation How a sincere faith is knowne A man renouncing