to the abiect Begger that sitteth in the ashes from the man of gray haires to the sucking child should haue cryed Alas for the day of the Lord Alas for the day of the Lord it is come it is come I meane that dismall day when that glorious Instrument of Englands happinesse renowmed ELIZABETH the Glorie of her Sexe the Paragon of Princes the Myracle of the Christian and wonder of the Infidel World drew vp her feete vnto her in her bedde of peace and slept with her fathers But behold and wonder at Gods mercie no sooner did our Sunne set but in a moment as it were passing thorough the other Hemisphere it rose againe giuing vs greater hope of the continuance of our ioyfull day giuing vs a Religious prudent and fruitfull KING insteade of a maiden QVEENE whose very name Proclaimed did so daunt the crue of idle rogues and inordinate walkers who thought at that time like Vultures to haue deuoured the fruits of honest mens labours and haue committed what mischiefe and villany they would without controlement that they stood amazed and rather bethought whither to flie and hide their heads then to commit any outrage Oh Lord finish the good worke thou hast begunne giue vnto the KINGS Maiestie an increase of Salomons wisedome Dauids vprightnesse Iosias zeale Ioshuahs courage and Methushalahs long life AMEN Thirdly and lastly our fathers haue not told vs but we haue knowen our selues the yeares are very few that haue passed ouer our heads since a bloody company of Romish Pyoners and Antichristian Mole-warpes had plotted a most prodigious and neuer pararelled treason in a subterraneous vault with one sulphurous mornings blast to haue brought a generall destruction vpon Moses and Aaron Princes and Peeres Commanders Commoners Yea Church and Common-wealth neither wanted there any thing to the ripenesse and perfection thereof but the last hand to acte it but a sparke from that hellish fire-brand Fâ—ux to make that mortall cracke but see the goodnesse of God that all the glory may be his who neither slumbereth nor sleepeth who at that very time made them bewray themselues notwithstanding all their vowed and deiurated secresie and by a spirit of diuination in the mouth of our Kingly Prophet construing contrary to letter and arte their more then Aenigmaticall and Hieroglyphicall letter discouered preuented and deliuered vs from the danger of so facinorous a plotte which designe if it had taken effect as al England had beene ouerwhelmed with a bottomlesse Sea of misery and destruction so honourable London greatest had thy share beene therein thy massie and mountaine-like buildings and monuments of age and honour thy holy Temples Basilickes Chappels and Oratories thy royall Pallaces and sumptuous houses had beene laid in the dust and turned into rubbish thine Elisian fields had beene strowed with the discerped members of the massacred thy Christalline riuer of Thames running along thy side with her siluer streame to make glad the Citie of God had bin Dyed red like the riuers of Egipt with the blood which had run from the streets as from so many master veines thine houses set on flaming fire thy Shoppes and Store-houses rifled thy wiues and daughters abused thy children dashed against the stones and that which is or ought to be greatest of all the Gospel of Christ which thou so louest banished Oh that the remembrance of these things were written in Stone or Lead with an Iron Penne that we and our posterity for euer might say praysed be the Lord that hath not giuen vs for a prey to their teeth Amen But seeing his word hath not beene regarded and his mercies forgotten or abused hath not God also knocked by his corrections Yes the Lord hath wonderfully bowed the heauens and come down amongst vs giuen vs many tokens of his anger the last winter so hard and extream that neither man nor beast was almost able to abide his frost he hath called for a Dearth and destroyed our prouision of bread he hath caused the waters to swell and passe ouer their ful-sea-markes where they should haue stayed their proude waues and by fearefull inundations to dispeople whole Valleys he hath made the Windes to blow so tempestuously as if he would turne the foundations of the earth vp-side downe and discouer the very channels of the Sea Our bodies haue beene afflicted with consumptions hot burning feauers the botch of Egypt and many grieuous and loathsome diseases yea the arrowes of pestilence haue plentifully flowen abroade and wounded many thousands vnto death treasons against our King and Countrey haue beene manie and mighty monstrous to be imagined from a number of Lions whelpes lurking in their Dennes and watching their houre when to vndoe vs neyther hast thou London gone scot-free or sate as a Queen and seene no euill but so deepely tasted of the cuppe of Gods anger that thy louers and friends haue stood a farre off beene afraide of thy plague and lamented thee Alas alas that great Citie yea euen yet the Lords wrath is not turned away but his hand is stretched out against thee still Lord in iudgement remember mercy and be not angry for euer Lastly hath not the Lord knocked by his spirit I doe appeale vnto your owne consciences what deepe sighes what godly motions purposes desires yea and resolutions you haue had in your hearts from the hearing of the word consideration of his mercies and fight of his iudgements how often you haue said in your selues truely I will neuer so sinne any more I will euer hereafter more zealously performe and practise such and such a duety I will now not faile to reforme such and such an infirmity and whence are these things but from Gods spirite Let vs then rather accuse and condemne our selues for quenching the good motions of his spirit and for stubbornely resisting them and in all things giue glory vnto God for his goodnesse and patience towards vs for if euer any people then ought the inhabitants of England and the Citizens of London confesse with their tongues and subscribe with their soules to the truth of this proposition Oh Lord by thy word by thy mercies by thy corrections and by thy spirit thou standest at our doores and knockest So much for the first generall part of my Text. Now although it ought to be sufficient vnto vs all to moue vs to open vnto him to heare him say that he standeth at the doore and knocketh yet our louing Sauiour knowing the dulnes of flesh blood vnto that which concerneth mans eternall good and also considering how apt the nature of man is to be stirred vp by rewardes the rather to moue and allure vs vnto this holy duety of opening vnto him hee doth in the second place propose promises of ample reward If any man heare my voice and open the doore I will come in vnto him and will suppe with him and he with
of the spirit whereby the vnderstanding is inlightned the heart mollified and our affections inflamed with the loue of Christ and heauenly things it profiteth not but becommeth the sauour of death vnto death vnto vs the more he so knocketh the more excuseles shall we be at the last day Again thogh the Lord take neuer so great a delight to do vs good euen emptie as it were the treasure of his blessings vpon vs yet without his spirite they doe but puffe vs vp vnto wantonnesse and presumption as we haue an example in Israel for whom the Lord doing so much as we haue heard Yea so much as hee could doe as himselfe witnesseth yet complaineth he that should haue beene vpright when he waxed fatte spurned with his heele and forsooke God that made him and regarded not the strong God of his saluation Oh the cause of this Moses elsewhere plainely layeth downe saying Ye haue seene all that the Lord did in Egypt vnto Pharaoh and al his seruants and al his land the great temptations miracles and wonders yet the Lord hath not giuen you an heart to perceiue and eyes to see and eares to heare vnto this day Lastly though the Lord adde strype vnto strype and one iudgement to follow in the necke of another as the waues of the Sea yet without the inward working of his spirit the more he so knocketh the more doe we harden our hearts against him as Pharaoh did Oh Lord knocke by thy word and teach vs knock by thy mercies and allure vs knocke by thy iudgements and feare vs but aboue all other knocke by thy spirit and perswade vs that when thou knockest we may open vnto thee Amen And now to make some generall Application of these things to our selues First I demaund with the Apostle Hath not England heard No doubt the sound of the Gospell hath gone throughout all our Land the Lord hath not sent a few as seuentie by paires two and two but so many thousands that as Dauid saith in another sense Great is the Company of Preachers the word of the Lord is not precious amongst vs as in Elies dayes neither need we with the Sunamite saddle our Horses or Asses to ride farre to heare it it is neere vnto vs and of our plentie wee can supply others lacke and herein the Lord blesse the intended Voyage and all them that aduenture Liues or Goods therein that it may bee for Gods glory the enlarging of Christs Kingdome the Honor of our Nation and Good of Church and Common-wealth Yea England is as Gods Temple where euery man speaketh of his Prayse and a Sanctuarie to such as loue the sound of the Gospel God hauing not yet so farre entered into iudgement with our sinnes as to remoue our Candlesticke take away his Kingdome and call our Ionahs to goe preach vnto Niniuie But hath not London heard Oh herein hath God exalted her to Heauen with Capernaum who beside her owne Ordinary with store hath her solemne Assemblies furnished with the choise of Vniuersitie and Countrie to speake vnto her so as if England be the Temple she is the very Arke of the presence of God aboue all other places of this Land Secondly hath not God beene mercifull vnto this Land Oh London London let me speake to thine heart to whom I am sent with the Message of God this day How great are Gods mercies that hath exalted thee to become the Princesse of the thousands the Chamber of our famous Kings and Queenes the Ioy of our Land the Empresse of Cities the renowmed Mart of Nations of whom I may say as sometimes God sayd of Tyrus thy Marchants are Princes thy Chapmen the Nobles of the world Oh so many and great they are that I cannot sayle in the huge Ocean of them I will thrust but into an Arme or Creeke Consider his mercies of Donation how aboundantly hee hath enriched thee with Peace Plentie Honor and Prosperitie yea taken such a Delight to doe thee good and euen to empty the Treasure of his Mercies vpon thee that most doe thinke it a great Happinesse to shrowde themselues within thy Borders It was once sayde of Rome but may now more truely bee said of thee that thou art an Epitome of all Gods mercies elsewhere bestowed vpon all the Churches and Common-wealths in the World Pindarus reporteth that there was an opinion of the Citie of Rhodes that Gold rained vpon it but if euer Citie receiued golden Showres it is this of London And therefore as Athens was called Greece of Greece so may London be called the England of England The Lord grant that his Gospell and thine obedience may meet together his Mercies and thy thankfulnesse may kisse each other Consider his mercies of Preseruation that whereas other goodly Cities haue beene ransacked and destroyed by Fire and Sword of cruell Souldier grasse brambles and nettles growing in their streetes houses and temples for want of passengers inhabitants and worshippers mens hearts fayling for feare of the continuall thundring of Drums sounding of Trumpets neighing of Horses ratling of Armor roaring of Cannons so neere our Borders that some of our houses haue trembled with the reporte thereof c. He hath alwaies watched ouer thee to preserue thee from the like desolation Yea giue me leaue to Gods glory and our owne comfort to instance in a few particuler examples First therefore it is not so ancient and superannate but rather kept in recent and fresh memorie how those who now we hope are our friends and God make them so to vs and the Trueth but then we know were our proud and cruell Enemies who came with an vnquenchable furie and as they thought with an inuincible Nauie with Ensignes of victorie and instruments of crueltie but the Lord strong in Battell was our refuge the God of Iacob was our defence who armed out all his Creatures in the day of Battell for our defence their offence that we might be deliuered and they destroied the Windes fought against them and their Ships as it did against Ahazias the Sea against them and their Hoast as against Pharaceâ— yea the Starres in their courses as against the horses and chariots of Siserah that wee and our posterities may confesse with the Israelites The Lord hath triumphed gloriously ouer his enemies the Horse and his Rider the Ship and his Sailer hath he ouerthrowen in the midst of the Sea Secondly the day is now come and gone which our enemies so longed for and wee so feared would haue beene the Bane of the Gospell the Shipwrack of our Peace and Breake-necke of our Prosperitie a day of mourning and lamentation yea when all the Orders and Companies of this Realme fom the honorable Counsellor to him that draweth water from the reuerent Iudge that sitteth vpon the Bench
small and weake measure thou maiest bee of good comfort that thou hast opened vnto Christ and hee doth raigne and keepe Court in thine heart c. But if on the other-side thou hast nothing to stand vpon but thou hast been thus and thus long an Hearer of the word Receiuer of the Sacraments Professor of Religion but thine heart is set vpon the vanities pleasures and delights of the flesh as occasion serueth thou abusest thy tongue to lying slaundering swearing and blaspheming thine heart is set vpon couetousnesse whoredome thy life stayned with pride drunkennesse thou hast no true loue nor zeale of God and his trueth but makest Religion so indifferent and light a matter as thou art neyther cold nor hot or if thou hast reformed some things yet thou hast some one beloued sinne or other which thou canst not endure to heare reprooued If this be thine estate as vpon due triall I feare it would be found to be of many of vs thou mayest be well perswaded of thy selfe but in trueth the neerest that Christ is vnto thee is Hee standeth at the Doore c. The third and last Praedicate declareth the Action of Christ at the doore viz. he knocketh yea the Originall signifieth to knocke with great power and force as to strike or knocke with the horne it being a Metaphor taken from the Oxe or some strong necked Beast which giue a great Blow when they runne against any thing with the Horne Where my good Brethren as the carkasse of Amasa lying in the way caused the people that marched after Ioah to stand still so me thinketh this word calleth vpon vs to stand still a while and march no furder in this text til we haue thankfully wondred at and considered the infinite loue and goodnesse of Christ towards his poore Church and the members thereof that finding the doores of their hearts barred against him yet doth not passe by with a soft and still voyce as he came to Eliah but doth beate and bounse at the doore offering mercy when they refuse it that so he may be found of them that neuer sought him No sooner had Adam and Euah sinned but God commeth to seeke them out and knocketh at the doore Adam where art thou which was rather an Increpation then an Interogation that Adam might consider not in what place but in what state he was now No sooner was Peter fallen asleepe but Christ knocked at his doore and wakened him with the crowing of the Cocke Oh what infinite mercy is this that he should so earnestly seeke our repentance and saluation onely for our owne good Now I pray you let vs proceede to consider what wayes and meanes Christ vseth whereby to knocke at the doores of our hearts and they are principally these foure The first is by the ministery of his word which is a worde of power and a word of life mighty through God to cast downe Holdes and to bring into Captiuity euery thought to the obedience of Christ Peter preached and he did so mightily knocke at the hearts of his Hearers that they came running to him and the other Apostles and cried men and brethren what shall we doe Paul preached and disputed of righteousnes temperance and iudgement and did so mightily knocke at the Portall of Felix his conscience that he did tremble to heare him Yea assuredly Demosthenes and Cicerâ— with all their eloquence Plato and Aristotle with all their learning Alexander and Pompey with al their power could neuer so shake the doore and foundation of a sinners heart as the meanest Minister of Christ being quallified with competent Graces of God and preaching the word with plaine euidence of the spirit and of power can doe yea therefore is the Ministry of the word to be reputed as the greatest blessing of God for that by it he knocketh at the doores of our sinfull hearts and frameth vs to obedience to open vnto him that we may be saued Secondly he knocketh by his mercies blessings and fauours whereof the Lord himselfe thus speaketh I ledde them with cords of a man euen with bands of loue what these bands of loue were Moses declareth where speaking of Israel he saith God found him in the land of the wildernesse in a wast and roaring wildernesse he carried him vp to the high places of the earth that he might eate the fruits of the field and hee caused him to sucke hony out of the stone and oyle out of the hard rocke butter of Kine and milke of Sheepe with fatte of the Lambes and Ramâ—nes fedde in Bashan with the fatte of the graines of wheate and the liquor of the grape hast thou drunke And elsewhere he telleth them they should find great and goodly Cities which they builded not houses stored with all manner of goods which they filled not welles which they digged not vineyards and Oliues which they planted not c. The consideration whereof made Dauid proclaime Hee hath not dealt so with euery Nation Thirdly when neither word nor mercies can preuaile but the one is contemned the other are abused then thirdly he knocketh by his corrections as tempestuous and vnseafonable weather strange apparitions vnknowne Comets quaking of earth ouerflowing of waters famine pestilence rumours of warres Diuelish conspiracies sickenesse losse of goods and innumerable such like miseries which being sanctified of God though vnpleasant and distastefull to delicate flesh and blood yet are most wholsome meanes and mightie knocking 's to awaken the drowsie sinner as we haue examples in Dauid who penned his sweetest Psalmes in his bitterest afflictions and in Ionah who then prayed most heartily when he came into the Fishes belly Oh wondefull thing that hee should bee awake in the Fish that snorted in the Shippe that he should pray vnto God out of the deepe Sea that fled from God vpon the drie land so good and profitable a thing correction is therefore Christ telleth his Church in the verse immediatly going before my Text So many as I loue I rebuke which is chiefely to be referred vnto words chasten which is chiefely to bereferredvnto the rod sharpenes of Discipline therfore be zealous and amend and our Sauiour Christ saith euery branch in the spirituall Vine that beareth not fruit as it ought his Father the Husbandman will purge it and what is his pruning knife wherewith he loppeth and pareth many superfluities but tribulations and afflictions The fourth and last meanes whereby he prepareth vnto regeneration regenerateth the prepared and doeth helpe the regenerate vnto the end is the sweete and powerfull working instinct inspirations and motions of his good spirit without which all other knocking 's are ineffectuall to cause the smner to open vnto him for though we be neuer so much called vpon by the ministry of the word yet without the working
commandements as these For first they shew vs our duetie what we ought to doe Secondly by the ministery of them grace is conuey ed into our hearts whereby we are enabled to doe them and therefore to conclude this Question as God commaunded vs to belieue and repent yet faith and repentance are the gifts of God So hee biddeth vs open the doore yet hath hee the keye of Dauid and did himselfe open Lidias heart and therefore we must pray with that Father Lord giue what thou requirest of vs. The third and last Question is demaunded by the godly Protestant who being desirous to open vnto Christ is also desirous to know the meanes how the doore of the heart is ordinarily opened to receiue Christ for whose full information I giue such an one to vnderstand that the hand that openeth the heart is the good spirit of God the keye that this hand vseth is the ministrie of the word the graces wrought by his hand in that heart which is or shall bee opened are principally these two first Faith and second Repentance So by Pauls ministrie God had almost opened the doore of King Agrippaâ—s heart when he confessed almost thou perswadest me to become a Christian And by the ministerie of Iohn Baptist had almost opened the doore of Herods heart for the Euangelist witnesseth that he reuerenced Iohn and did many things and heard him gladly Oh if they had not almost but altogether as Paul wished beleeued and repented they had not almost but altogether opened vnto Christ if then by the ministerie of his word God haue begotten a true and liuely faith in thee which worketh by â— loue If an vnfained repentance for thy sinnes which bringeth foorth fruites worthy of amendement of life with an holy zeale and indignation and care neuer to offend any more thou maiest then bee of good comfort God hath opened the doore of thine heart vnto him And that I may conclude this point with words of Exhortation I beseech you open vnto the Lord this day he hath too long waited our leasure and our vaine pleasures or profits Honour or wealth haue stood in our way that few haue resigned themselues in such resolute obedience vnto Christ as they ought but haue differed Repentance if not of all yet of some sinnes and neglected if not all yet many good dueties Oh that the Lord would frame our hearts this day to an holy and immooueable resolution of obedience in all things and no longer to trifle the time with friuoulous excuses of dangerous delay that so performing the Conditions of hearing his voice and opening the doores of our hearts we may haue our parts in these blessed promises whereof wee are now in the next place to consider The promises are two the first is of inhabitation I will come in vnto him meaning that he wil stay and abide with him for euer for so himselfe hath promised If any man loue me hee will keepe my word and my Father will loue him and we will come vnto him and will dwell with him And Saint Paul prayeth for the Ephesians that Christ may dwell in their hearts by faith Yea the Greeke word is very emphaticall as Learned Beza and Zanchius haue well obserued Here then the greatest blessing that can be is promised and wherein mans happinesse consisteth viz. his vnion with Christ when a man can truely say with the Apostle Christ liueth in me for as the soule is the life of the body and being seperate the body is dead So Christ is the life of the soule and being separate from it the soule is dead yea euer dying and neuer dead this is the second death But what will Christ come alone No indeede hearken what Christ himselfe saith My Father will loue him and we will come vnto him and dwell with him not excluding the holy Ghost for of him hee speaketh expressely before I will send you the comforter who shall dwell with you and shall bee in you for euer In regard whereof Saint Paul calleth our bodies the Temples of the holy Ghost Yea in many places he calleth them the Temple of God Oh happie hee that is vouchsafed such a dignitie what good thing shall he want or what euill needeth hee to feare that hath God in him the fountaine of all good the Lord is my Shepheard saith Dauid I shall not want and if the Lord be with vs who or what can be against vs saith Saint Paul there are two principal motiues effectual where is any grace to open the heart First he is a liberall rewarder of them that entertaine him he neuer commeth empty handed Abraham entertained but Angels and had a sonne bestowed vpon him Lot did the like and he was deliuered from the subuersion of Sodom Obed Edom the Gittite gaue but house-roome to the Arke of God and the Lord blessed him and all his houshold what good thing then shall he want in whom the whole Trinity dwelleth Secondly he is an inseparable and most comfortable companion we may haue friends that loue vs dearly in prosperity yet wil forsake vs in aduersity as Dauid complaineth my louers and friends stand a farre off looking vpon my plague and yet Iob more lamentably complaineth I became a stranger to my neighbors my familiars forgot me my maides tooke me for a stranger and my seruant would not answere me my breath was strange vnto my wife though I prayed her for the childrens sake of mine owne bodie yea CHRIST himselfe had experience hereof Iudas betrayed him his Disciples forsooke him and Peter for-sware him that the Prophecy might be fulfilled I will smite the Shepheard and the Sheepe of the flocke shall be scattered but though our friends sticke neuer so fast vnto vs and their loue continue constant aswell in aduersity as prosperity as the loue of Ionathan towards Dauid whose loue passed the loue of women yet when death commeth all men forsake vs this seperateth husband and wife parents and children friend and friend though neuer so dearely beloued if Sarai be once dead Abraham is carefull for a place where to burie her out of his sight But if Christ be entred within the doores of our hearts he will be with vs for euer for so he hath promised when thou passest thorow the waters they shall not ouerflow thee when thou walkest thorow the fire the flame shall not kindle vpon thee for I will be with thee so that in euery perill we may with Dauid comfort our selues in Christ and though we see plague pestilence famine or death before vs yet we may say with him I will feare no euill for thou Christ art with me who in life and death art aduantage vnto me If therefore thou hast not yet entertained Christ Oh now that he