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
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
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
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
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
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
yet and aduersaries to this faith If they be friends and of the family of faith as he is he willeth him to keepe Charitie to keepe peace in Christ Iesus and vnity with them that as he keepeth his faith to God so he may keepe vnity in loue and peace with them If againe those men be not of the family of faith but aduersaries to this faith they are either obstinate with knowledge or else ignorant and obstinate with ignorance Obstinate with knowledge such as are heretickes Apostates that had knowledge and haue lost it In case these men be heretickes he teacheth in the Epistle to Titus how he should behaue himselfe toward them If they be Apostates he teacheth in the person of Hymenaeus and Philetus how he should behaue himselfe toward them to wit he should first trauell to winne them if it be possible And if thy trauell succeedeth not that thou get no gaines at their hands this way then he willeth Timothie and the Pastors in Timothie to go another way to worke to proclaime their names yea at the last to giue their flesh as he speaketh to the diuell that their soule may be safe if it be possible in the day of the Lord To proclaime their names and make their names manifest to the people that the people may be warie of such persons and feare to fall into such offences If the persons againe be ignorant they are either ignorant with simplicity or ignorant with a wilful stubbornnes In both these cases he informeth his Disciple If they be ignorant with simplicity he recommendeth vnto the teacher three vertues meeknesse gentlenesse and patience Patience not of their euill nor of their vices but patience toward their persons suffering them to come and heare And suppose thou suffer him to come heare yet he willeth thee not to suffer his vices he willeth thee not to conceale his vices nor yet to flatter his vices But this is his meaning reproue his vices aduertise him of his faults And in thine admonition do the thing that lyeth in thee that he who is admonished may perceiue that the admonition floweth from loue and that we seeke nothing lesse then his shame and losse and nothing more then his weale and honour This ought to be the behauiour of those who haue to do with simple ignorants for if it were so that any man would beare with vices or iniquities that he knoweth to be in any person it were the ready way not onely to lose the person with whom he beareth but to lose himselfe also in concealing that part of his office and duty which is enioyned to him And therefore it is not such a patience that is required in the Pastor or Minister that he suffers his vices or conceale the persons vices but onely this kinde of moderate meeke and good behauiour is required in him that in his reproofe he may let the person see â—o far as in him lyeth that he desireth nothing lesse then his shame and nothing more then his amendment In case againe the person be ignorant and wilfull with ignorance as there are many that are obstinate in ignorance in such sort that the person of the Pastor is troubled and wearied with continuall admonition and reproofe and maketh no speed at his hands in such sort that at last the Pastor himselfe through the long trauell that he hath taken conceiueth a despaire of the recouery of that person The Apostle in this place admonisheth the Pastor not to faint nor to conceiue by his long trauels a despaire but though he remaine stubborne yet to abide vpon him pronounce the threâ—tnings and promises of God indifferently to tary vpon him at list and leasure why Because the gift of repentance which turneth the heart of man is not in his owne hand nor is it in the hands of the Pastor to giue it but the gift of repentance which turneth the heart of man is in the hands of God and God will bestow this gift at such time as he pleaseth not at that time when the Pastor pleaseth In like manner the gift of repentance is not visibly wrought it is not a corporall gift that it may be rceeiued by the Pastor at the first hand when it is giuen and wrought in the heart of man But it is a spirituall gift and inuisibly wrought in the soule of man And oft times it is wrought then when the Pastor least thinketh and that by the mighty and gracious prouidence of our God Therefore seeing it falleth out so oft times that the Lord will bestow this gift when the Pastor least thinketh he willeth the Pastor albeit the man be stubborne not to despaire And when the Lord shall giue him the gift of repentance there is no question but many commodities shall accompany this gift which commodities are sette downe in the end of this Chapter By this gift first he shall be delyuered from the snare of the Diuell in the which he was holden captiue to do him seruice By this gift secondly he shall come to knowledge not only to the knowledge of God in Christ but of himselfe his own misery Thirdly by this gift of repentance where his soule was sick diseased before his conscience terrified and exceedingly astonied that soule by the enioying of this gift shall be restored to health he shall come to amendement and to a wholsome disposition of heart minde and conscience This I take to be the summe of all that I haue read The matter is large and the heads are many that might be handled vpon this text But I purpose not to insist in euery head but to content me onely with such points as are most necessary for our edification and instruction Therfore I select out of the whole two points to speak of by the grace of God at this time as his Spirit shall assist me for the present The two points that I am to speake of are these The first point the first verse that I haue read the first part of it giueth manifest occasion to it to wit what is the first chiefe thing from which yong men should flee The second point the last verse saue one of this text giueth occasioÌ„ to it and the end of that verse and it is this What is the chiefe and principall thing that yong men should follow and pursue The chiefe and principall thing that yong men should flee euery youth in the world is the lusts and affections of the minde whereunto youth is inclined he should flee from the lusts of his youth not so much from the lusts of any other mans youth or another persons youth as from the lusts that are in himselfe and the lusts that his yong yeares bring with them And as he should flee from the lusts of his owne youth so the chiefe thing that he should follow seeke and pursue is the gift of repentance amendement of life conuersion vnto God taking vp of a new course a
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
sweetnesse whereby I find his wrath pacified I find his furie pacified And were not this taste of mercie I would neuer turne vnto him But from the time that mine heart getteth a taste of his mercy a taste of that peace that passeth all vnderstanding wherby I find his wrath to be pacified the terrors of my conscience to be quieted the fire of his wrath to be quenched then I begin to turne to him to beleeue in him and to apply the promise of mercie in particular to my selfe which I durst in no wise do so long as I felt nothing but the fire of his wrath vpon my conscience Vpon this feeling I say ariseth the application and vpon the application riseth the turning vnto him So this feeling of wrath in order although not in time goeth before the turning vnto God The turning bringeth forth a ioy and gladnesse for mercy that he hath gotten this ioy bringeth forth a loue toward him As the other part bringeth forth an hatred of sin so this part bringeth forth a loue toward God This loue againe bringeth forth a care and studie to please him and this care and studie bringeth forth an appetite of reuenge and indignation against thy corruption so that thou wouldest be reuenged vpon thy corruption which made thee to sinne and offend against him And this part of repentance in respect of the great and manifold effects of it is called Viuification As the other part is called mortification so is this called viuification in respect the Spirit of God maketh a new creation in vs maketh vs vp as new creatures of old endeweth our hearts with new affections our soules with new qualities bringeth forth in vs liuing motions actions and cogitations which are called liuing because as they proceed from a liuing Spirit so they carie vs to life euerlasting They are called also liuing in respect of those dead actions which we brought forth in former times which were called dead not onely in respect that they flowed from the flesh that is from corruption but because they caried vs vnto the death of body and soule In this respect I call this part viuification others call it confession and it getteth this name in respect the soule that is quickned cannot but burst forth into the praise of God and glorifie him with a confession he cannot conceale the kindnesse of God done vnto him but he will confesse it before the world and proclaime the riches of the mercy of God that they may glorifie a common God and Father with him And this confession is the chiefest thing in the earth which the diuell endeuoureth most diligently to stay For as there is nothing in the earth whereby God is glorified more then by a sincere confession so there is nothing in the earth that the diuell trauelleth more to stay then this confesson in respect he seeth God so farre glorified by it The Lord desireth not the death of a sinner he seeketh not the slaughter of his creature he seeketh but the repairing of his owne glory and this he counteth to be done by a sincere confession of thy sinne Therefore it is I say that the diuell laboureth to stay this confession And to hold them from this confession he casteth in the shame of the world the estimation before men this inconuenience that inconuenience For this ye may perceiue of his craft that where shame is and shame should be indeed when the action is in doing there he maketh vs bold and stout But where no shame is and no shame can follow of it where God should be glorified by a confession his Church edified and men moued through their example to do the like there he casteth in shame and maketh them beleeue it is the most shamefull thing that euer they did and all this that the soule should not be saued but holden drowned in his snare for euer and euer Therefore men would be aduertised of this that they be not ashamed to glorifie God with an open confession As they are not ashamed to sinne publikely so they should not be ashamed to confesse it as publikely that God may be glorified Remember this This is not spoken for this Noble mans cause onely It is spoken for euery one of you that are in inferiour ranks that euery one of you may confesse your owne sinnes And seeing this is the craft of the diuell by the holding you backe that ye may damne your soules be ye as careful to win your soules by confessing your sinnes to the world The confession of Dauid Psal. 51. serueth it to his shame or to his honour No of all the deedes that euer he did it is counted in all ages the most notable and honorable deede So let not the diuell deceiue men in this poynt As to the kinde of repentance which proceedeth of desperation it is nothing woâ—th it turneth not the heart nor the minde but this repenâ—ance which turneth the hearts of men proceedeth of the Spirit of Christ. So it is the Spirit of Christ that is the worker of this true dolor and conuersion As to the instruments which he vseth in working of it they are two First the Law next the Gospell He must first bring in the Law to bring vs to the acknowledging of our sinne For except the Law did threaten vs we would neuer come to the knowledge of our sinnes Then next he bringeth in the Gospell the promises of mercy and grace freely offered in Christ and through Christ to all them that beleeue So the Gospell cometh in the second roome By the Gospel he worketh faith after he hath wrought faith he draweth out exhortations out of the Law and out of the Gospell that according to the Law we may conforme our liues and obey the same in all time to come So the Law and the Gospell are the means whereby repentance is wrought in the soule of man exhortations out of the Law and Gospell are the meanes whereby a good life and conuersation is continued among men As to the Author he letteth vs see that this gift groweth not in our owne breasts nor it proceedeth not of our selues nor from any creature in heauen or earth but from God onely it is the gift of God giuen freely for Christ Iesus his sake For ye may consider with your selues and looke how impossible it was to make our selues the sonnes of men far more impossible it is for vs to make our selues the sons of God And by repentance we are made the children of God companions to the Angels and sonnes of light So that the second creation which is wrought in vs by the Spirit of repentance is a farre more great and excellent worke then our first creation in this world In this part of repentance whereby we are assured of the mercy of God as there is a caution in the other part to be obserued so there is a caution here to be taken heed of for our nature