yet he taketh all on his own score vers. 17. It is Iâ— that have sinned and done evil indeed as excusing his subjects so not accusing Satan as knowing he could not necessitate him to sin without his own consent It is a notorious sin for a man whilst himself to destroy himself Why insert you these words whilst himself Open but that window and it will be in vain for you to shut any doors Every self-homicide will plead That he was beside himself with Fear or Love or Grief or Anger God is not mocked I onely count such besides themselves who are not compoâ—es mentis but visitâ—d with a distraction from Gods hand and not wilfully contracted by their own vitious Intemperance In such a case ut ad insaniam ita adjudicium as men fall into madness so are they brought to judgement and all their mediate intervening actions are beheld by Divine Justice as none of theirs because wanting the royal assent of their Reason For any other to destroy themselves is an hainous offence against Nature self-preservation being the first Article in the grand Charter thereof 2. Against Reason Ephes. 5.29 No man ever yet hated his own flesh No man he must be a beast or a devil that doth it 3. Against Scripture Thou shalt not kill Say not No law is particularly made against mans killing himself Perchance it was purposely omitted as the Law against Patricides amongst the Grecians partly because Charity would presume none could be so wicked and partly lest mans corruption should abuse the Law sins punisher to be sins remembrancer But whereas it is said Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self love of our selves is the original love of our neighbour the copie If therefore the killing of our neighbour much more of our selves is forbidden Miserable are the pretences men make for this sin First To prevent or remove pain This proceeds from the ignorance of the Scriptures and the unbelief of the torments of hell Otherwise it is not the removing but the increase and exchange of pain where the worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched Secondly To shan shame Both these motives to Self-murther met in Saul 1 Sam. 31.3 4. He was sore wounded of the archers there was pain and he feared leâ—t the uncircumcised come and abuse him there was his shame Yet twist both together and they would not make one Reason strong enough for him to kill himself This was not the way to avoid but increase shame Of him shall the Son of man be ashamed Mark 8.38 Thirdly To procure Praise which cannot be only when it is purchased by the breach of God's Law Say not Samson did the same whose faith is praised Heb. 11. Do thou as Samson did and it shall be forgiven thee Pluck down at once two fundamental pillars of a Church His action shews his commission extraordinary and is no warrant for others to drown stab poyson murther themselves To confute such as are guilty of Self-homicide But be this first prâ—mâ—sed Those who being Preachers look with the severest on this sin can as private men look with the most pitiful eyes on their persons They that fall on their own sword stand or fall to their own Master I will not say the men are damned but I will say the deed is damnable Who knows but that the lâ—st groan which divorces their souls from their bodies may marry their souls unto Godâ—â— so that the pangs ' of temporal death may prove the pains of their spiritual birth Now Self-homicide is twofold Either of Omission or Commission Omission by neglecting the means of food and Physick which God hath appointed for the preservation of their lives and which come within the compass of their estates to procure Christ saith Mark 3.4 Is it lawful on the Sabbath day to save life or to kill making the forbearance of curing another man when he had power to do it and the other faith to have it done equivalent to the killing of him How more strongly then doth the argument hold in our selves that it is Self-murder to omit the means of our preservation Self-homicide of Commission is when men actually murther themselves Let such as have entertained thoughts to destroy themselves and are yet kept alive Be doleful for what is past thankful for what is present watchful for what is to come Peter said to Sâ—monâ—s Magus Act. 8.22 Pray God if perhaps the thoughts of thine heart may be forgiven thee Some conceive Magus his fault within the luburbs of the sin against the Holy Ghost and therefore Peter warily inserteth perhaps speaking conditionally not positively as uncertain of his pardon But I may certainly say to such who have harboured thoughts of Self-homicide Pray and without any perhaps the thoughts of thine heart shall be forgiven thee The rather because the best of men in their passions have been tempted with such thoughts Iob 7.15 So that my soul chuseth strangling and death rather then life Beza confesseth that when a youth being tortured with a scurfie head he intended to have drowned himself from off the Millers bridge in Paris had not the coming in of his uncle interrupted him And let such as have lodged thoughts of Self-murder be watchful for the future in their prayers to God Let them beg of him to binde their souls in the bundle of life to secure them in the best acceptance of the word from themselves to hide their life as well temporal as spiritual Col. 3.3 with Christ in God that it may not be found out either when Satan seeks to devour them or they to destroy themselves Amen CHRISTS Second Temptation to PRESUMPTION SERMON VII MATTH. 4.6 For it is written He shall give his angels charge concerning thee and in their hands they shall bear thee up lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone COme we now to the Bait under which the Hook was hid God's Word We will consider it 1. As indicted by the best 2. As abused by the worst of spirits Or As written by David as wrested by the Devil Of the first We finde the words Psal. 91.11 12. Wherein three things are considerable 1. God's Injunction 2. Angels Attendance 3. Man's Protection First God's Injunction Shall give his angels charge This solemn charge proceeded not from the least distrust God hath of Angels performance but from the great desire he hath of mans protection A word being enough to the Wise Secondly Angels Attendance Thou shalt not dash thy foot against a stone An expression which alludeth to what befel Balaam when a not protecting but prosecuting Angel so withstood him Num. 22.25 that his ass crush'd his foot against the wall The foot we know is not onely the extremest but meanest part of the body and shews the extensiveness of Angelical protection If the foot be kept surely the head shall not be hurt but Christ shall be preserved cap-a-pe with an universal safety
Publius principal man in Melita of his fever Acts 28.8 raised Eutiches to life when killed with a fall Acts 20.12 Why should not he presently heal Timothy but onely prescribe him a more liberal diet 1 Tim. 5.23 Drink no longer water but use a little wine for thy stomacks sake and thine often infirmity Yea why did not he cure himself of that acute disease 2 Cor. 1.8 when he received in himself the sentence of death The reason of both is this They were stewards not owners of their miraculous power and might not ingross it for their own good but dispense it for the behoof of others and principally for the converting of unbelievers Nor were their destructive miracles employed in their own revenge Alexander the copper-smith saith S. Paul 2 Tim. 4.14 hath done Mâ—much evil the Lord reward him according to his works Some will say Had I been in Paul's place I would never have sent him to God for his reward but would presently have paid him my self and smote him as he did Elymas with blindness But Paul would not be judge in his own cause it being probable that Elymas his fault was more publike not onely committed against Paul Act. 13.8 but also against Sergius the Deputy seeking to turn him away from the faith whilst Alexander's insolence was more particularly aimed at Paul's person and therefore the Apostle for fear of paâ—tiality refers him to Divine punishment This will put a Touch-stone into our hands thereby not onely to suspect the truth but detect the falshood of many Popish Miracles having so many private ends and self-interests in them Thus * Austin is reported when preaching here in Dorsetshire being afflicted with his companions for want of water to have struck his staff into the earth and to have fetcht forth a Crystal fountain Whereas Christ himself was fain when thisty to go to the well and beg water Ioh. 4. of the Samaritane woman They report also of Saint * David the Welch Saint that when multitudes of people pressed to his preaching with a word he commanded a mountain to stand out of the earth that so his person might be more visible his preaching more audible to the Congregation Whereas Christ himself Matth. 5.1 preaching to as great a confluence did not create but climb up did not make but made use of a mountain not easing himself by miracle but taking pains in his own person to travel to the top thereof Christ I say who out of a publike spirit healed others but was hurt himself fed and filled others but was hungry and empty himself when he returned this answer in the text It is written Man shall not live by bread onely but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God It is written Where In what Book Chapter and Verse For the later Chapter and Verse they are not Iure Divino but of humane and late institution Indeed the Psalms both for number and order were anciently divided and martialled Act. â—3 33 It is written in the second Psalm But Chapters are of a far later institution Let it suffice the place was betwixt the first of Genesis and the last of Malachi And Satan knew full well it was no forged text but truely to be found Deut. 8.3 Gods Word is the best weapon for our spiritual warfare Military men have much troubled themselves advantagiously to compound offending and Defending in the same Weapon This if effected would both save portage and one Weapon would be eminently two for all purposes and intents Hence grew the invention of making short pikes in the bosses and middle of shields that the same may both hide the souldier and hurt his adversary This is perfectly performed in the Scripture both sword and shield against the * fiery darts of the devil And well are his temptations resembled unto darts for their swiftness for their sharpness they come the quicker and pierce the deeper according to the might and malice of the arm enforcing them To confute the Papists who disarm Gods people and leave them naked against the assaults of Satan by locking up the Word in an unknown Tongue Whether the translating of the Norman Laws into English will make men more knowing or more wrangling more intelligent or more litigious the present age can onely ghess the next will certainly conclude But out of all question it is the Laws of God cannot without breach of Christian liberty and the apparent injury of Gods servants be hid him from them in a strange language so depriving them of their best defence against Satans temptations Gods faithful servants in the time of famine can make a feast unto themselves out of the promises in Scripture They take the first course out of the Old Testament Psal. 34.10 The lions do lack and suffer hunger but they that fear the Lord shall want no manner of thing that is good The second course is out of the New Testament Matth. 6.33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you Yea he may make a Convivium dubium a doubtful feast wherein the appetite is suspended betwixt the variety of equally-dainty dishes and he shall leave as good as he takes so copious is the Scripture therein Come we now to consider the several ways whereby God wonderfully supports them who in want feed on his promises Some will say Words are but winde but God's are real words such as fill and fat those that depend upon them First he can make a little go far as Matth. 14.21 when about five thousand were fed with five loaves and two fishes Secondly he can as extend the quantity so improve the quality of meat that coarse diet shall cause strength and health as well as dainties as in the case of Daniel's pulse Shew me not the meat but shew me the man saith our English Proverb When I behold the children of poor people I perceive a Riddle and contradiction between their fare and their faces lean meat and fat children small beer and strong bodies brown bread and fair complexions Nor can I attribute it to any other cause but this That the rich folk generally make long meals and short Graces whiles poor men have short meals and long Graces I mean that they rely more upon Gods blessing then their own provisions Thirdly by strange and unexpected ways he can furnish them with food in the greatest of their necessities Whereof we will make onely a fourfold instance In the yeer of our Lord 1555 when a general Famine was over all England Master Cambden in his * Britannia reports that at Alborough in Suffolk on the sea-coast there grew on the Rocks such plenty of Pease which came to perfect maturity that they abated the prizes of the market and saved the lives of many poor people When the City of * Rochel was besieged 1572 and by famine reduced to great
worshipped with the worship of {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} but Saints may be worshipped with the worship of {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} As if where God saith Thou shalt not steal man should plead Indeed I may not take away my neighbours goods by way of stealing but I may take them away by way of lurching or filching But God though he be in fact mocked is not in fine mocked though men multiply distinctions till their Fancies be weary calling the same sin by different names but will avenge himself on such as abuse him by their vain Inventions Again {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} to unbyassed judgements doth in the natural notion of the word import more lowe submiss and servile adoration then {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} it self and in Scripture is given to God himself Thus S. Iames Chap. 1.1 stileth himself {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} The servant of Iesus Christ And although Saint Paul to note that by the way Gal. 1.19 entitles him for the more outward honour Iames the brother of the Lord yet the humble Apostle being to speak of himself waves all carnal relation to Christ and onely calleth himself {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} The servant of Iesus as a title of highest spiritual honour and which speaketh his lowest service unto our Saviour {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} in the criticism thereof being appropriate to our God alone Lastly though the Learned Papists may plead for themselves that they serve the Saint in the Image and God in the Saint yet it is to be feared that the Ordinary people terminate their Worship in the very Image it self CHRIST'S Third Temptation to IDOLATRY SERMON XII MATTH. 4.11 Then the devil leaveth him and behold angels came and ministred unto him WE may observe in the words Purgatory Hell Earth and Heaven 1. Purgatory But not in the modern sense of the Papists for a Purgatory to come but one past already in the word Then that is after Christ had been sifted and fanned and tried and purged coming off with his own honour and his enemies confusion 2. Hell the devil 3. Earth so may I safely term the humanity of our Saviour 4. Heaven the Angels those celestial spirits which upon Satans depâ—rture ministred unto him How came Satan now to leave our Saviour rather then before As if his last answer was more effectual then his former Twice before he had refused the profer and refuted the reasons of the devil and now he did no more First negatively It is not to be attributed to any latent operation or mystical efficacie of the number of Three as if the third resistance drave the devil away thrice crossing thrice sprinkling of water c. folly with Papists to fix any force either in the thing or the triplication thereof or as if Satan would tempt us onely three times who will do it more then thirty times three But Satan left him First Because he who long had look'd for that which he was loath to finde viz. whether Christ was the Son of God was now to his great sorrow sufficiently satisfied in the affirmative that he was so and therefore desisted from farther inquiry therein It is observable how much Satans knowledge was I will not say bettered but increased in one Chapter Mark 1 within the compass of eleven verses For verse 13. he tempted Christ namely to try whether he was the Son of God and verse 24. he confesseth him I know thee with deare-bought knowledge to his owne confusion who thou art the holy One of God Secondly Satan could not go higher and therefore he would not go lower in his Temptations Ecquid aliquid altius Was there any act worse then Idolatry or greater temptation thereunto then the wealth and glory of the whole world It stood not with the state of Satans malice to present our Saviour after this with some petty allurement to a puny sin and therefore he thought fittest for the present to desist Thirdly Satan went away to save his credit being on the matter driven away Christ spake Get thee hence as a Commander with authority and his words were for the time a Mittimus to dispach the Devil out of that place who beholding Christ his holy anger now raised up to an height presently with shame sneaked and slunk away The Devil leaveth him Holy Indignation is an excellent exorcism to drive Satan away The surest way to fright the fiercest Lion that of the crowing of a Cock being denied by many doubted of by most is by shaking of a fire-brand before his face Satan that Lion feares the flame of holy and heavenly anger such as here sparkled out in our Saviour so that the climat grew too hot for him he could dwel no longer therein But we must be sure that ours be holy Indignation otherwise the strange fire of common and carnal anger doth allure not affright the Devil yea the light thereof giveth him aim the more steddily to direct his temptations at our souls Yea when his fiery darts meet with our fiery passions oh how unquenchable without Gods mercy is the combustion Now Saint Matthew saith absolutely The devil leaveth him but Saint Luke giveth us the Limitation thereof he departeth from him for a SEASON And seeing departing and coming are relative termes we finde Satan afterwards re-assaulting our Saviour Iohn 14.30 The Prince of this world cometh and hath nothing in me Whence Learn Satan though he leaveth us will never leave us till life leaveth us Of the three grand enemies of our soul One beginneth long before the other two but all end and expire with us at the same instant The flesh starteth first not onely from our birth but being and conception Psal. 51.5 Behold I was born in inquity and in sin hath my Mother conceived me The World and the Devil come after namely when a child sooner or later according to his capacity is able with the consent of his reason and will to commit an actual sin But all three determine in and at the same moment namely just at the time of our death till then be sure Satan will not leave thee Yet let none be disheartned at Satans never leaving to tempt them but in a comfortable opposition thereunto let them consider that Gods protection will never finally leave to preserve them Indeed for some time especially to the apprehension of a wounded conscience he deserteth his servants who complain with Christ My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Yet we have the certain promise of constant assistance which he will infallibly perform Heb. 13.5 I will never LEAVE thee nor forsake thee Here under favour I conceive that though our Saviour was afterwards often tempted with the Devil yet the notion and nature of his future much differed from his former temptations His former were chiefly for Satans information and the other were