it so was it no small punishment to bee depriued of it King Dauid confesseth as much Psal 84. when hee breaketh out into those passionate speeches How amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord of Hosts my soule longeth euen fainteth for the Courts of the Lord my heart and my flesh cryeth out for the liuing God and againe As the hart panteth after the water brookes so panteth my soule after thee O God my soule thirsteth after God euen the liuing God when shall I come and appeare before God I amplifie this ancient respect vnto the Place that therehence you may gather the greatnes of the losse thereof But what is this to vs those types be long since past but they had a truth which shall remaine vntill the worlds end and that is Gods gracious presence in the Gospel learne it of S. Paul who describing the dignity of the Gospel setteth it forth in these words God which cōmanded light to shine out of darknesse hath shined in our hearts 2. Cor. 4.6 to giue the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ and againe wee all with open face beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord 2. Cor. 3.18 are changed into the same image from glory vnto glory so that our Churches haue a residence of God a residence much more glorious then that of the Iewes and the losse thereof if by any meanes it bee brought vpon vs wee are not to esteeme it vnworthy a deepe sorrow But as the presence noteth a place so doth it note a state also that doth accompany the place I will reduce it to two heads Gods speciall prouidence and his gracious acceptance Where God is pleased to reside he taketh a speciall care of the persons his care may be reduced vnto two heads mentioned in the 80. Psalme God is a Sun and a Shield that is he blesseth and defendeth them that are his people It is a pleasant thing saith the Preacher to see the Sun the corporall Sun how much more the spirituall the Sun of Righteousnes King Dauid will tell you how much more there bee many saith hee that aske Psal 4. Who will shew vs any good but Lord lift thou vp the light of thy countenance vpon vs and thou shalt put more ioy into our hearts then they whose Corne and wine and oyle is encreased and no maruell for in thy presence is fulnesse of ioy Psal 16. and at thy right hand are pleasures for euermore Is God a Sun vnto his Church then euery good and perfect guift will come downe vpon it from the father of Lights They are happy that dwell with the Sun but hee that is happie would be safe also and he that is the Sun is also a Shield hee hideth his seruants in his Pauilion Psal 27. in the secret of his Tabernacle he doth hide them hee that dwelleth in the secret place of the most high shall abide vnder the shadow of the Almighty Psal 90. hee shall not be afraid of terror by night nor of the arrow that flyeth by day Read the whole Psalme it is nothing but a description of the Shield In the entrance to the 18. Psalme Dauid compareth God to all kind of Munition and Saint Paul Ephes cap. 6. teacheth that God doth furnish vs with compleat Armour Who can doubt then that God is a Shield vnto his You see what is Gods speciall prouidence ouer his Church beside that the state doth containe a gracious acceptance also Psal 34.14 They that are neare are deare the Eyes of the Lord are vpon them and his eares are open vnto their prayers they find grace in his eyes with Noah and hee smels their sacrifice he pittieth their defects ouer-valueth their good endeauors punisheth them lesse but rewardeth them more then they deserue Finally as hee appropriateth as it were himselfe to them so doth he them vnto himselfe I cannot stand to amplifie these things onely marke this if the losse of the place bee a punishment there is a great accesse made to it by the losse of the state if it be a punishment not to come neere God what a punishment is it to bee out of such a Sun-shine to be without such a Shield what a punishment is it that neither wee nor our workes should find any grace in the eyes of God wee must put these things into the scales when wee weigh our Iudgement But not these things onely the manner of the Reiection doth aggrauate it not a little that is intimated in the word Cast out it is actio indignantis wee must set before vs a person highly displeased and behold with what countenance hee throweth from him that which he detests Dauid was a King and he knew well the mood of an angry King what wofull effects it produceth against those with whom they are angry I reduced them to two heads disgrace and danger take for example Ahasuerus wroth against Haman vpon Queene Hesters petition first hee was disgraced his eyes were couered that hee might not see the Kings face and danger came not far behind disgrace for he was presently hanged on a gallowes If the casting out of a Subiect by the command of a mortall King draw with it this double euill how is it improued when it is acted by the King of Heauen But I will open it vnto you in a Resemblance or two This casting out is called a diuorce now you know that if a husband for adultery put away his wife shee forfeits her honour and her dower she is branded for an infamous person and destituted of her maintenance Ose 2. Christ as the Prophet speaketh doth marry vs vnto himselfe and thereupon communicateth vnto vs his honourable name wee are called Christians and endoweth vs with his whole estate maketh vs heyres of the kingdome of heauen how great is the disgrace then how great is the danger that doth accompany the diuorce the disgrace that declareth vs vnworthy of our name and danger that cutteth off our title to so glorious an inheritance A second similitude is the discommuning of vs we were Gods peculiar treasure a kingdome of Priests so is our Prerogatiue expressed Exod. 19. yea we are made as the Gospell speaketh a Kingdome of Heauen what greater worth what greater wealth can bee conceiued then is in such a state but if God be prouoked to pronounce Lo-ammi against them Osea ◠you are not my people I will not be your God our worth our wealth vanish both they melt with the heat of that fierie doome I might amplifie it by other Similitudes the cutting off the oline the Vine branch mentioned Rom. 11. and Ioh. 15. by the histories of Cain and of Saul by the censures of cutting off from Gods people remembred in Moses and Christs let him be vnto thee as a publican and a heathen but I will not tire out your patience Onely this I would haue you obserue that
of Israel may bee as plants growen vp in their youth Psal 141. that the daughters may bee as corner stones polished after the similitude of a Pallace that their garners may be full affording all manner of store c. But as before you heard that the places are taken not only historically but also mystically so must these words be answerable thereunto God then did good when he sent his Sonne into the world dissolued the works of the Diuell and gaue gifts vnto men And we must not conceiue of the corporall prosperity of Israel otherwise then as a Type of the spirituall It is excellently set forth by the Prophet Esay Chap 25. in this mountaine shall the Lord of hosts make vnto all nations a feast of fat things c. Finally the word vsed by the Psalmist signifieth not onely to doe good but to doe it with delight and so God speaketh in the Prophets that hee will delight to doe them good and so doe it abundantly for we are not sparing in doing a thing when we de it with delight Yea and the good done as the word also signifieth Act. 14.16 shall containe in it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it shall be such as shall cheere vp the spirits of the Israelites hee desireth that to them that mourne in Sion may be giuen â—sa 61. beauty for ashes the oyle of ioy for mourning a garment of praise for the spirit of heauinesse Thus Dauid would haue Israel restored to the state of Grace Not onely restored to it but also preserued in it so it followeth in the Text Build vp the wals of Ierusalem In muris tuitio salutis Ierusalem could not be blessed but it would bee enuyed yea the more enuied the more it was blessed therefore it is not enough that it haue good it must also haue meanes to preserue that good otherwise better neuer haue it then to lose it againe Non minor est virtus quam quaerere parta tueri therefore is Dauid as carefull of the safetie as the plentie of his people And indeed he did strongly fortifie both Sion and Ierusalem the Psalme testifieth as much â—sal 48. Walke about Sion goe round about her tell the Towers thereof marke well her Bulwarkes c. But I dwell too long vpon the materiall Sion the Church also needeth a preseruation and she must haue her Wals but they are of another kinde A Lacedaemonian being asked why their City was not walled answered that they had valiant defendants which were in stead of wals vnto their Câ—â—ie the Heauenly Ierusalem hath no other wals the wals are the Angels that pitch round about it Zach. 2.5 yea God himselfe doth enuiron it as a wall so saith the Prophet Beside this inuisible it hath a visible wall the wall of the Citie hath 12. foundations and in them the names of the 12. Apostles of the Lambe All Gouernours that watch ouer Gods people Reuel 21. 1 Sam. 25.16 1. Pet. 2.5 Reuel 19. Cant. 6.4 and keepe away their enemies from them are as a wall vnto them for this is a liuing Citie and all the parts thereof are liuing and therefore Ierusalem is not onely said to bee trimmed as a Spouse but also the Spouse is said to bee faire as Ierusalem Yea euery mans Grace of perseuerance is a Wall vnto himselfe and thereby doth hee hold out against all the manifold temptations wherewith hee is exercised while hee is militant our Faith our Hope our Charity all our spirituall weale and comfort are secured by perseuerance Here is mention made not onely of Wals but of building and building importeth an addition vnto the former Fabricke And indeed great Cities are not brought to their perfection in an instant Rome wee say was not built in a day no more was Ierusalem it did flourish in the dayes of Dauid but it was to flourish more in the daies of Salomon the Temple was not yet built nor furnished with those Orders which Dauid receiued from God neither was the Policie setled or the Crowne entailed Dauid wished that all these things might bee perfected and the state raised to that pitch of Glory which it attained in the dayes of King Salomon But to the Mystery As the Church wanteth Wals in that it is militant so in that it is in Via in that we are but on our Way wee need Edification and Building vp Churches haue their nonage and euery member hath no beter beginning then of a babe in Christ wee must not alwayes feed vpon milke we must vse our stomacks to stronger meate Heb. 5. Ephes 4. they that are young lings must grow on to the age of perfect men in Christ they must grow on in Faith in Hope in Charitie these must receiue dayly accessions so lonâ— as wee liue in this world yea and wee must not thinke that here will be an end of our building our Faith must end in the sight of God our Hope in the fruition of God our Charitie in vnseparable Vnion with God vntill we haue put off our mortalitie and infirmitie and attained this perfection we haue not ended our Building And there is no doubt but Dauid looked thus farre But here we must take heed of two Errors First we may not looke for new Reuclations from Heauen as if God would adde any thing to his Oracles old and new Heretickes fancying otherwise haue set on worke the forge of their idle braines and haue broached illusions of the Diuell as diuine inspirations But Gods truth is consummated in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles neither doth it admit any accession either of Romish Traditions or Anabaptisticall Illuminations such building is Babylonish the building of Ierusalem is onely the working of Gods Word into our heads and our hearts to make vs wise and holy men The second Error is of Iudaizing Christians who dreame of an earthly restitution of that Citie and erecting of a glorious worldly Monarchie there which shal not only ouer top but ouer-rule all the world To countenance this fancy they corrupt many a Prophesie and deserue no other refutation then that check which was giuen vnto the Iewes vaine atempt in the dayes of Adrian the Emperor by his Generall and in the dayes of Iulian the Apostata by the hand of God himselfe Certainly my Text fauoreth no such Building but that out of Amos in Acts 15. vers 16. You haue heard the Contents of King Dauids desire I come now to see to whom he doth direct it vnto God vnto him it is that he saith doe good build thou And indeed to whom should he goe but to him that can and will grant what hee sueth for God onely can for hee that is Goodnesse must doe good 〈◊〉 1 17. Euery good and perfect gift commeth from aboue it commeth from him The eyes of all looke vnto him hee openeth his hands and filleth all things liuing with goodnesse In the Creation hee gaue beginning to the
These foure speeches containe the whole doctrine of the Annuntiation of which I haud pitched onely vpon the first branch It is enough for this time enough if I onely vnfold the true meaning of the words but if I should moreouer encounter the false glosses made thereon then certainly you would say it were more than enough For there are no words in the Scripture so few in number I alwayes except the Sacramentall words Hoe est corpus meum whereupon idolatrous superstition hath so much fastened as it hath vpon these But the full ripping vp thereof is a worke for the Schooles here I had rather edifie with truth than refute falsehood wherefore well may I touch at the latter but I will principally bend my selfe vnto the former not doubting but a Dagon compounded of so many impieties will of it selfe fall downe and fall asunder at the presence of the Arke and they which shal be but reasonably informed of the truth will neuer be perplexed with the opposite grosse errours Let vs come then to the words They are gratulatory in them the Angell sheweth How and Why hee would haue the Virgin affected hee would haue her affected comfortably hee signifieth so much in his first word Haile or be of good cheare there is good cause why consider thy estate consider it in it selfe consider it in comparison both wayes considered it sheweth there is good cause why Thy state in it selfe is good first because thou standest in so good termes with God Highly fauoured secondly because thou hast so good a pledge of that fauour the Lord is with thee if thy state be such it is surely good good in it selfe But good things the more peculiar they are the more are they precious and thy state is a prerogatiue it is good also in comparison for Blessed art thou among women This is the summe of the Angels congratulation wherein you easily perceiue that I must speake of two principall points the Affection required in the Virgin and the Motiues working that Affection they are two the nature and the measure of her state That these Motiues may worke in vs no lesse than they did on her that blessed affection which I wish cōmon to vs God grant vs all her ears her heart in hearing though not the Angell Gabriel himselfe yet him whom God hath appointed to be vnto you as the Angell Gabriels voice As my Text then so doe I begin at Haile the Affection which is required to be in the Virgin Haile is a Saxon salutation it was wont to be more full as the Antiquaries obserue and to be pronounced Was-haile corruptly Wassaile a salutation answerable to the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Latine Salue that is health be vnto you the Syriac Paraphrase translates Shelom Leki that is Peace be vnto you which was the Iewes common salutation both translations may stand with the Angels meaning because howsoeuer we varie phrases in saluting yet is our meaning still the same we wish all good to them whom we salute But yet neither of the Translations doth expresse the proper signification of the Euangelists word for his word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is be of good cheare the English Cheare is plainly the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wherefore we must note that of salutations some doe expresse the blessing that is conferred vpon vs and some the sense and feeling thereof that must be in vs he that saith Haile wisheth health or good estate of our persons he that saith Peace be vnto you wisheth a happy successe in all our affaires but he that saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be of good cheere doth wish vnto vs the comfort of them both of our persons and of our affaires This I note the rather because my Text doth plainly distinguish betweene the blessing bestowed on the Virgin and the feeling that she was to haue thereof and it is her feeling that he calleth for in this first word The feeling is Ioy an affection sutable to the blessing for the blessing is a Gospell so the Fathers obserue that what goeth before these words is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 begins here here begins the Gospell And where the Gospell beginneth there must ioy begin also wee learne it of St. Paul who relates it out of the Prophet Rom. 10. yea the word it selfe doth speake it the Greeke word doth the English word doth the old word Gospell which is nothing else but a Good spel darke English because old but we make it plaine by an equiualent phrase and significant to our purpose when we translate it Glad tidings Ioy then must attend the Gospell And if you reade the Prophets hardly shall you finde where they mention the one Psalme 96. and do not call vpon vs for the other Reioyce O heauens and be glad O earth Let the sea roare and all the trees of the field reioyce for he commeth for he commeth c. saith the Psalmist speaking of this first comming of Christ And Esay Cap. 9. Thou hast made them reioyce as in the day of haruest and as they that diuide the spoiles for vnto vs a childe is borne vnto vs a sonne is giuen c. But what need more places seeing our Sauiour Christ in the fourth of Luke giues a plaine intimation that his first comming was the true yeare of Iubile and that you know began with Iubilation This Iubilation or Ioy is common to all the Church so wee learne of the Angell speaking to the Shepheards Behold I bring you glad tidings of great ioy that shall bee to all the people for vnto you is borne a Sauiour c. If required in all then specially in the Virgin according to her interest in ought her ioy to be for this Gospell Her interest was the greatest as will appeare in her state therefore is this ioy so expresly commended vnto her There is another reason also why it is commended and that is that the truth may be answerable to the type Abraham saith Christ saw my day and reioyced Iohn 8. And when did Abraham see it and reioyce If we looke into Genesis we shall finde when euen then when hee receiued the promise that he should haue his sonne Isaac then he laughed as the Text obserues and for a memoriall that he did laugh God commanded him to giue vnto his sonne this name Isaac which signifieth laughter St. Paul Heb. 11. that pierced deeper into the secrets of the Scripture than euery reader is able to doe doth obserue that Abraham did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Verse 13. see this obiect a farre off and as being a farre off did with reuerent ioy giue entertainment thereunto he meaneth that he did not only apprehend Isaac the Patriarch who was to be born within some few moneths and so was at hand but our Sauiour Christ also figured by Isaac who was not to come but after many generations and so was a farre off
And if being a farre off his sight caused ioy being come so neare how much more ioy must the sight of him cause If the Type wrought so how must the Truth it selfe worke And if the Father of the Type were so affected ought not the Mother of the Truth to be affected much more Certainly she must needs haue Ioy. But what is Ioy Ioy is a pleasing euidence of the loue which we beare to any thing which we acknowledge to be good so that Ioy though it be but one thing yet it presupposeth two other things Knowledge and Loue as the rootes from whence it springs The first roote is Knowledge for where there is no Knowledge there can be no Ioy. Marke the great and the little world though each bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a goodly frame inriched with many markable indowments yet is not the great world priuie to the indowments it hath no not the eye thereof I meane the summe of whom the Poet long since spake truely Per quem videt omnia mundus Et videt ipse nihil So that the passage in the 19. Psalme The heauens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy worke c. is to bee vnderstood passiuely not actiuely or to speak it more plainly they do it as a Scripture but not as a Lecture they are a silent representation But the little world is not only passiue but actiue hee can contemplate whatsoeuer perfection is in himselfe or others it is the very nature of his vnderstanding to become all things and to beare about it selfe which it can studie at all times in it selfe a mappe of all the world Whether therefore we consider the great or the little world we may call each of them a booke but such a booke as to the reading whereof none is admitted vnder the degree of a man And herein consists the first excellency of the reasonable soule this is the first act wherein it ariseth higher than the vnreasonable man goeth beyond a beast in the knowledge of perfection and this knowledge is the first roote of Ioy. From hence springeth a second which is Loue. Knowledge is not vnfitly compared vnto a seale which is grauen not for it selfe but to set a print vpon the waxe and our heart is as waxe and easily receiues the impression of our knowledge Now the print which the knowledge of perfection leaueth in the heart is Loue according to the Greeke Prouerbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Amor transit in rem amatam knowne good cannot be long vnaffected because the heart is as transformable into all good as the vnderstanding into all truth the heart I say that hath his right temper and is capable of his proper obiect that obiect discerned must needs breed loue Loue which is Virtus vnieâ—s a Vertue which maketh a match betweene our soule and perfection for as Knowledge is the eye whereby the soule seeth it so is Loue the hand whereby it closeth with it Duaâ— ciuitates distingunt duo amores St. Austin So that Loue is the second act of the reasonable soule an act which distinguisheth betweene good and bad men and is the second roote of Ioy. When Knowledge and Loue haue done their part then commeth in the reasonable soules last worke and that is Ioy which is nothing else but the euidence of loue for where there is no loue there is no Ioy but we cannot but ioy in that which we loue for Ioy is the naturall fruit of loue and we cannot loue any thing but the heart will haue a pleasant feeling thereof This third act of the reasonable soule putteth a difference between happy and vnhappy men for Ioy is the vpshot of all our endeauours nothing can satisfie till wee come to it and he that hath it resteth therein We studie we loue both that we may Ioy but beyond ioy we cannot goe And this I thinke is the reason why 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was so vsually receiued for the common salutation But wee may not onely consider the Nature but the Power of Ioy also great power for it is in the pleasure of Ioy how much we shall be capable of whatsoeuer good wee either know or loue the enlarging of our heart more or lesse is the act of Ioy and as much as wee ioy so much is our heart inlarged Marke then as is our Knowledge so is our Loue for we can loue no more than we know and as is our Loue so is our Ioy for Ioy is an effect of Loue but as is our Ioy so is our portion of good wee can receiue no more than our vessell will containe and the measure thereof depends from Ioy. To come now vnto the Angels words he calleth vpon the Virgin for this Affection the affection of Ioy what meaneth hee thereby Out of that you haue heard you may gather this he would haue her most sensible most capable of that diuine obiect which in his following words he presents vnto her And what the Angell commended vnto the Virgin giue me leaue Fathers and Brethren to commend vnto you Ioy. When we receiue the message of grace certainly it is Gods pleasure that we should reioyce in his blessings Lord saith Dauid lift thou vp vpon vs the light of thy countenance Psalme 4. and what followeth That shall put more ioy into our hearts than they whose corne and wine is increased The want of this Ioy cost the Israelites deare Deut. 28. Because saith Moses thou seruest not the Lord thy God with ioyfulnesse and a chearfull heart for the abundance of all things therefore thou shalt serue thine enemies in hunger and thirst and nakednesse and the need of all things Wherefore at all times Let our garments be white and let not oyle be wanting to our beads Eccles 9.8 whensoeuer the Lord doth answer the desire of our hearts O then be â—oyfull in the Lord serue the Lord with gladnesse and come before his tresence with a song for we forfeit Gods fauour if it bee not vnto vs the very ioy of our heart And no maruell for to want this affection in the midst of Gods mercies what doth it argue but that either wee want the Vnderstanding of men and discerne not our blessing or else want that Loue that should be in good men wherewith to imbrace the same or at least wee make not so much vse of Gods mercy as thereby to become happy men for happy men we are not without Ioy that affection that is here commended by the Angell And thus much of the Affection As for that Iowly obeyzance wherewith the Romanists say the Angell spake the word I thinke the mention thereof more vnworthy your learned eares than their superstitious pens that haue so childishly obserued it vnto vs. And therefore I passe from the Affection to the Motiues that must worke the same In vaine should the Angell call for the Affection except he proposed the Motiues for our affections stirre not but as
rule we shall see what it is and who prescribes it The rule is a precept which first doth range and then doth qualifie women answerable to their ranke In the Schoole of CHRIST there are Masters and Schollers women are placed amongst Schollers they must learne yea so are they placed amongst Schollers that they may neuer hope to be Masters for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they can haue no licence to teach The ground whereof is a generall maxime they may not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vsurpe vpon men if absolutely women may not be superior to men then may they not be in Ecclesiasticall things for teaching imports a superioritie Women being thus ranged must be qualified answerable to their ranke being Schollers they must haue the qualities of Schollers those are two filence and obedience silence they must vse their eares and not their tongues about sacred things they must be more forward to heare then to speake they must learne with silence And vnto their silence they must adde obedience they must not giue but take instructions and put in practise what they are taught they must learne with all subiection This is the Rule But who prescribes it So harsh a rule had need of a verie good Author women will otherwise be hard of beliefe And surely this hath a good one it is St PAVL his stile in the Preface of this Epistle shews his warrant he is an Apostle of IESVS CHRIST he deliuers it not in his owne name but in his Masters as his Steward so much is intimated in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence comes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth a Steward so that we cannot dis-belieue him but we question CHRISTS truth The authoritie of this Rule then descends from Heauen and if it doe the bare promulgating of it requires that we credit it But as God doth all things not onely according to his Will but the Counsell of his Will euen so his words are Decrees not onely of his Will but also of his Counsell they haue a reason and for strengthening of our Faith the Holy Ghost though he be not bound yet is he often pleased to expresse the same He doth it in this place And the reason of this rule is taken first from the Creation then from the Fall From the Creation thus doth the Apostle argue woman must be subiect vnto man for Adam was first framed and then Eue the precedencie in being giues a prerogatiue of commanding But this was a reall ordinance and woman it should seeme tooke no notice of it for EVE began quickly to be a teacher of ADAM She did so but with verie ill successe for she was seduced she discouered the weaknesse of her iudgement and that not in a matter of speculation but of practise for she was in the transgression she brake GODS bonds and cast his cords from her by her and not by ADAM or rather by her taking vpon her to teach ADAM came sinne into the world Hereupon the Apostle concludes that because woman hath giuen so wofull a proofe of her vntowardlynesse in teaching of man she must forbeare for euer to meddle with that function and man must maintaine that authoritie which GOD hath giuen him ouer a woman These are the contents of this second Canon whereof suitable vnto this occasion I will now speake briefly and in their order I begin with the Rule I told you it is a Precept wherein we must see first how women are ranged The name of man and woman which in the Originall are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 haue a double signification they are vnderstood ratione either Sexus or Coniugij they note in generall male and female or in speciall such of either sexe as are ioyned in wedlocke The Apostle in this place makes vse of the generall signification but so that his doctrine may be applyed also to the speciall for if in generall women be so subiected vnto men wedlocke makes no alteration in this case but doth much more subiect a wife vnto her husband and in their measure must all the particulars of this text hold in the Oeconomicks though here they be handled as they are to be vnderstood in the Ecclesiasticks To come then nearer my Text. The CHVRCH is a societie and therefore consists of different parts there must be in it superiours and inferiours This is taught vs by the resemblance that is made between it and a Kingdome wherein there is a Soueraigne and Subiects betweene it and a Citie wherein there are Magistrates and Commons betweene it and an Army with Banners wherein there are Captaines and Souldiers betweene it and an House wherein there is a Master and his Family finally betweene it and our naturall Body wherein there are directing and obeying parts St PAVL handling this last resemblance 1 Cor. 12. shewes the ground of this subordination of persons as in all societies so in the CHVRCH to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the comlinesse and commoditie of the Societie This being a generall course which GOD hath set down in Societies it must be enquired first what be the different parts of a CHVRCH and then who are assigned to either part The parts are exprest in my Text and so also are the parties that are assigned to beare those parts The parts are Teachers and Learners all members of the CHVRCH come vnder this diuision for they are either Pastors or people ghostly Fathers or ghostly Children Stewards or the Houshold of GOD such as guid or are guided vnto Heauen This being plaine that there are but these two parts The second enquirie is What parties are assigned to beare them And here we find that GOD imposeth the person of a Learner vpon the woman and of a Teacher vpon the man Though the knowledge and the feare of GOD are common to men and women for women also are in the Couenant and must not be ignorant of the Articles thereof especially seeing GOD hath vouchsafed them to be spirituall both Kings and Priests yet the administration of sacred things is the peculiar of men In the beginning of the world GOD layed this Function vpon the first borne that was male after the deliuerance out of the Aegyptian captiuitie GOD in steed of the first-borne chose the Tribe of Leuie vnto this seruice to be performed onely by the males thereof after CHRIST was inaugurated to the Office of a Mediator he chose twelue men to be his Apostles and to them gaue order for the continuance of the Ministerie in that Sexe It is true that GOD extraordinarily in both Testaments raysed vp Prophetesses according to that of Ioel cap. 2. and while the Foundation of the CHVRCH was laying by women he enformed men of his Truth yea by a silly woman gaue entrance vnto Christianitie in a whole Kingdome but the instances are rare and they are workes wherein GOD shewed himselfe to haue power to dispense with his owne Ordinance and dispose at his
therefore hath in the Liturgie restored it to its natiue puritie Onely it were to be wished that so farre as the Church allowes it we would practise it for I am perswaded that many liue and dye in enormous sinnes that neuer made any vse of it nor receiued any comfort from the power of the Keyes The confessing to the Lord doth not exclude confessing vnto man so the due limitation be obserued But enough of the Confession There is one point more to be obserued before we come to the Successe and that is that this confession of King Dauid was onely in purpose he was come no farther then dixi a sense he had of his sinne but he was not yet come so farre as to vtter it though he was disposing himselfe thereunto But dixit was not onely verbum oris but cordis also promptitudinem alacritatem hoc verbo notat saith St Bernard he was willing and ready to make his confession he adds Saul dixit peccaui sed quia non dixit antequam diceret corde priusquam ore as King Dauid did non audiuit Deus transtulit pecâ—atum tuum he heard not so good newes from Samuel as King Dauid did from Nathan The Lord hath put away thy sinne The lesson rising hence is pij non trahuntur ad Tribunal Dei sed sponte accedunt knowing that there is no shelter against GOD but onely in GOD we must preuent our summons and resolue vpon a voluntarie apparance Finally putting the Purpose to the Confession we see that the children of GOD vse not to continue in their sinnes but so soone as they are roused the principles of grace doe worke and they humbly shreeue themselues to GOD. And so haue you the first maine point in this Text which openeth vnto vs King Dauids Practise I come now to the Successe thereof which is the forgiuenesse of the sinne Where we may first see the difference betweene Triâ—unals on Earth and the Tribunall of Heauen On Earth Non est confessi causa tuenda rei Confession is the cause of condemnation it is not so at the Tribunall of GOD there though it be not the cause as Papists straine it yet it is the meanes of absolution Whereby you may perceiue that the word here vsed is a phrase of the Gospell and not of the Law For iudgements of men tread the steps of the Law of GOD 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is no reliefe for a poore sinner to be found in the Law he that will haue it must seeke iâ— in the Gospel And yet the word here vsed is borrowed out of the Law but it is the Ceremoniall Law and the Ceremoniall Law is if not wholly yet for the most part Gospel But more distinctly to handle this point We must obserue the Matter forgiuen and the Manner of forgiuing The matter forgiuen is the Iniquitie of his sinne It is disputed what is meant here by â—â—â—quitie whether culpa or poena Some vnderstand poenam and thinke that an allusion is made in this word vnto the message of Nathan wherein GOD doth remit the heauiest stroke of his wrath but yet retaines some part in punishing the child and permitting Absolon to rebell and abuse king Dauids concubines so Theodoret Deus non condigna poena Dauideni puniuit Some vnderstand culpam and will haue this phrase to be an amplification of that as if Superbia defendens or Taciturnitas celans or Impietas contra Deum assurgens or some such great guilt were meant by this phrase But as I doe not censure these opinions which may well stand So I thinke the phrase lookes backe vnto that word which was in the Confession The sinne confessed was Peshang and this is but an analysis of this word for Gnaon Catai what is it word for word but the peruersenesse of my aberration Catah is an aberration from the Scope or Marke whereat we ayme all men ayme at felicitie but most men stray from it because they are not led by that Law that guides vnto it the violating whereof is called Catah But some doe stray out of meere ignorance and they onely breake the Law some out of stubbornnesse which will not submit themselues to the Law-giuer these mens sinne is called peruersenesse which GOD is said here to forgiue So that Dauid did not confesse more against himselfe then GOD includes in his pardon well may GOD exceed our desire he neuer doth come short thereof if it doe concerne our spirituall our eternall good as he doth exclude no sinner that doth confesse so doth he except against no sinne that is confessed You haue heard the Matter of the pardon now heare the Manner And the manner makes the Remission answerable to the Confession The Confession had an inward sense and an outward euidence so hath the Remission For GOD spake the word by Nathan to resolue king Dauids faith but he also gaue a tast of his truth by working ease in King Dauids heart Both are included in the word but specially the latter for Nasa signifieth to vnburden as if the soule were burdened with sinne And indeed sinne is a burden a burden as King Dauid else-where speakes too heauie for him to beare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 heauier saith Chrysostome then any lead And no wonder For if euerie euill doe make a heauie heart much more spirituall euill cloggeth the Spirits makes a man sincke inwardly and bow outwardly you can haue no better character of such a deiected soule then that which we find in the penitentiall Psalmes It is verie true that many walke lightly and skip frolickly as if they bare no weight though they be fraught with sinne but the answer is plaine Nihil ponderat in loco suo while sinne resides in that part which commits the sinne it giues such content to the concupiscence that dwels therein as being the desired obiect thereof that it presseth not at all neither is it euer burdenous till it be brought vnto the conscience which onely hath an eye to discerne it a scale to weigh it and a sense wherewith to iudge of that weight and when GOD inhibendo with-holding those vanities which hinder the conscience from weighing and exhibendo putting the whole measure of sinne into the scales doth rouse vs then the most carelesse and the most senslesse shall be driuen to acknowledge that indeed it is a great burden But the penitents comfort is this that as he feeles it so he hath one by whom he may be eased of it the putting on the hands vpon the Sacrifice did ceremonially testifie as much but the morall thereof is in St Iohn Behold the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world Qui tollit a plaine translation of Nasa But CHRIST speakes it more plainly Mat. 11. Come to me all ye that labour and are heauie loaden and I will ease you Where also we find that it is the Lord onely that forgiueth sinnes They spake truly in the Gospel that excluded all
inward man and frame that and worke it vnto sinne by questioning the truth wherein it is setled Eccles 7.20 God saith the Preacher made man right that is set him in the right way and set him vpright in his way But man sought out many inuentions what those inuentions were Salomon in that Booke expresseth in his owne person where he sheweth that he was Ambulans in Consilio he tooke a taste of all courses but could rest vpon none of them Cap. 5◠vers 20. the Prophet Esay compares wicked men to the restlesse seas Cap. 1◠c. 8. Saint Iames saith that they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men that can no where take sure footing And how should they that haue left a rocke to walke vpon the sands Vers 13. Saint Iude calleth them wandring starres and indeed nothing can better resemble them then a Planet who is sometime in coniunction with one star and somtime with another and varieth according to his coniunction and the world is at this day ful of these walkers in Counsell 2. Tim. 4.3 2. Tim. 3.7 persons hauing itching eares who are euer learning and neuer come to the knowledge of the truth And this breeds so many Sects in the world wherewith our Church as others hath beene and is not a little disquieted And yet mistake not I fauour not the blinde obedience or implicite faith where vnto the Church of Rome enthrals the consciences of her followers and makes them seale their Vow of obstinacie with the most sacred obligations of Oathes and Sacraments whereupon our Recusants are become like deafe Adders Psal 58.4 5. that stop their eares and wil not heare the Charmer charme hee neuer so wisely did wee teach any other doctrine then that which God first deliuered in Paradise and hath since vnfolded by his Prophets and Apostles from whence the world degenerated and whereunto we recall it they did well to stop their eares as our people shall doe well to stop their eares against them because they draw not vnto God but from him but it is one thing to forbid irresolutenesse when a man is assured of Gods will warranted by his Word such as was in Eue Gen. 3. Gen. 6. when she conferred with the Serpent and the Sonnes of God when they would needs be acquainted with the daughters of men and in the Israelites when they would learne the manners of other nations another thing to forbid that irresolutenesse which was in Nicodemus Nathaniel in Gamaliel when they began to stagger and could not presently resolue whither that they were with others to oppose Christ or else leaue their former course and become the Disciples of Christ neither of those courses being at the first assured to their consciences The Papists forbid this latter irresolutenesse when neither way is knowne to be right which irresolutenesse causeth a man to enquire and finde out that which is right we forbid the former irresolutenesse where one way is knowne to be right the other to be wrong which will bring a man from a sound resolution to an irresolution Certainely if we doe so walke in Counsell we haue receiued the seed of sinne Our lesson then must be this When God hath set vs in a right way neuer to aduise whether it bee good to take another way if wee doe then this ill seed of bad counsell sowen in the inward man will fructifie and shoot forth in the outward man Corrumpunt bonos more 's colloquia praua Ill counsell will corrupt good manners He that takes this kinde of counsell when he comes to resolue resolues commonly vpon the worse he will not stand in the right way though hee will stand in a way so it befell Rehoboam he heard the Ancients and hee heard the Youths 1. Kings 12 hee that had so little wit as to heare both had so bad a will as to follow the worse the like befell Ahab 1. Kings 2◠who was contented to heare as well the true Prophet as the false concerning his iourney to Ramoth Gilead but when he came to resolue he gaue more credit to the false than to the true the verie same befell the Iewes deliberating what way to take Ierem. 42. whether to goe into Aegypt or abide in Iudea they asked Ieremie hee aduised them to abide in Iudea and that it was Gods will they should doe so they aske others they aduise them to goe into Aegypt Ierem. 43. and with contempt of Gods pleasure they obstinately did so But why doe I seeke for proofe to these stories Looke to the first deliberation that is of record that of Eue with the Serpent and iudge therby how dangerous it is at all to deliberate in such a case that first deliberation hath giuen vs a wofull proofe that he that doth Ambulare in Consilio improborum will stare in viâ peccatorum Saint Paul hath a rule Rom. 1.21 Rom. 1. that it is too naturall for men to bee vaine in these Dialogismes our foolish heart will be darkned and when we striue to be most wise we shall prooue most sottish well may we stand in a Way to make some triall of the Counsell that is giuen vs but it is more then likely that our Way will be the way of sinners And it were well if we bore only this fruit there is yet a much worse which is the Sitting downe in the seate of the scorners When the heart becommeth so corrupt that it depraueth the principles of Conscience and our iudgement is so peruerted that we speake good of euill and euill of good call darknesse light and light darknesse then wee are come so farre as to beare this second ill fruit But the phrase imports two things By Sitting in the Chaire it is meant that men proceede so sarre in Sinne that they become Doctors of it and the Chaire of scorners shewes that they scoffe all that are opposite to it Touching the first we must note that a sinner desireth not to bee single but as good things haue semen in speciem suam a seede for the multiplication of their kind so haue euill also The Serpent drew into his companie Eue Eue Adam the daughters of men corrupted the sonnes of God yea whatsoeuer sinne a man is giuen vnto hee desireth companie A Theise Prou. 1. an Adultresse Prou. 7. Idolaters Num. 25. The same may be obserued in others Sinners are ambitious to be teachers of their Sinne neither onely teachers of sinne but also mockers of godlinesse so Ismael dealt with Isaac the Israelites with the Prophets Gen. 21. 2. Chron. 36 the Scribes and Pharisees with Christ Saint Iude by a generall name calleth wicked men Mockers and hardly will he forbeare to scoffe at godlinesse Vers 18. that vndertakes to be an Aduocate of Sinne for whereas they are not able to resist the strength of the apparent grounds of pietie and truth they find that the best way to entertaine the fauourable
not to bee that they are they are in a much worse state and therefore are set forth in a baser resemblance they are but like chaffe that is driuen by the wind Strange doctrine the whole Text is a verie Paradox A Paradox is a truth which crosseth the common opinion of the truth of this Saying there can be no question seeing it is Gods Word but sure I am that the state of the Vngodly is commonly taken to bee much better if any surely they in this life seeme to be that Blessed Tree I haue seene saith Dauid the vngodly in great prosperitie Psal 89. and flourishing like a greene Bay tree In the second of Esay they are compared to the Cedars of Lebanon and the Okes of Basan and what a goodly Tree was Nebuchadnezzar so he is compared Dan. 4. where wee read that his top reached vp to Heauen his Branches spread to the ends of the Earth he was full loaden with fruit and all the birds of the aire did harbour in his boughes and yet the Holy Ghost saith Non sic impij the Vngodly are no Trees no Blessed Trees How then shall we proue this truth We must helpe our selues out of another Psalme The sonnes of men of low degree are but vanitie Psal 62. and men of high degree are but a lye All is not gold that glisters neither may wee mistake a painted face for Natiue Beautie He that goeth to a Play shall see on the stage Kings and Queenes and other Personages of worth in outward shew whereas indeed the persons that acted them are base and mercenarie fellowes And this world is but a great stage and the wicked are but personated Actors or Players not one appeares as hee is Or to follow the Similie of Trees which God himselfe is pleased to vse Deut. 32. the wicked are compared vnto the Vines of Sodome and Gomorrah that beare grapes in shew but the iuyce of them is nothing but gall and bitternesse yea it is deadly poyson They that write the Historie of that Countrey obserue that the fruit thereof makes great shew but when men come neere it and touch it it resolues altogether into Cinders which hapily the Wise Man meaneth when he saith that there grow Plants bearing fruit which neuer come to ripenesse Wisd 10.7 Euen such is the prosperitie of the wicked faire in shew nothing in substance The reason is plaine For seeing God onely is good and nothing good farther then it partakes of him Vngodlinesse that separates from God must needs depriue of Good and he is but a verie wretch that hath whatsoeuer else is called good if he haue it without God yea he is more wretched by so hauing what he desires then by wanting it It is Saint Austins note and there is good reason for it euen that Aphorisme in Physicke Corpora corrupta quo magis nutris eo magis laedis Hee that giueth a sicke man whatsoeuer he cals for may hapily please his taste but hee will surely encrease his disease Honour pleasure wealth make vngodly men vnhappily happy so that if you looke vpon them with the eyes of faith and not with the eyes of flesh and bloud you will acknowledge this to bee true though strange The vngodly are not what they seeme to be they seeme to be happie but indeed they are vnhappie Two wayes vnhappie For first you must strip them of true Blisse Non sic they are not like the Blessed Tree then must you cloath them with their contempt they are like the chaffe I need but touch at the former You will easily conceiue that Branch of their Miserie by measuring the Priuation by the Habit and you must iudge of the want by the desireablenesse of that which they doe want 1. God takes care of the blessed Tree Of a Tree of the field a wild Tree he maketh it a Tree of the Orchard a planted Tree Non sic impij No such care taken for the vngodly they are as Out-lawes left to themselues to grow on in the corruption of their Natures 2. The blessed Tree is planted by the Riuers of Waters it is set where it cannot want Iohn 4. 2. Cor. 12.9 on euery side it is supplied with abundance of iuice If God as the Husbandman take care of any Christ will be vnto him a Fountaine of liuing Waters his Grace will bee sufficient for him Non sic impij they drinke little of Christs spirit as they are little husbanded by Gods care 3. The blessed Tree as it receiues Good so it yeelds good againe For first it proues well it yeelds kindly Fruit. Non sic impij their Fruit is not theirs but it is the fruit of him that sets them on worke that is of the Diuell For marke The naturall fruit that our Vnderstanding should beare is Truth and that our Will should beare is Good The very Philosophers haue taught vs that Truth is the naturall Obiect of the Vnderstanding and Good of the Will but our Vnderstanding bringeth forth Lyes to deceiue vs and our Will Sinnes to giue mortall wounds vnto vs Iohn 8.44 if we bee Vngodly And what are these but the fruites of the Diuell who is a Lyar and a Murderer from the beginning 4. The blessed Tree brings forth not only kindly but timely Fruit also His good deedes are as seasonable as they are Vertuous Non sic impij The Scripture especially the Prouerbs teacheth vs that the wicked are peruerse they are peruerse in that they doe not onely what they should not but also when they should not they will feast and be frolicke Esay 22. when they should humble themselues before God and when they should be ioyfull and cheerefully serue God then will they bee discontent and fall to their teares as the Iewes when after their returne from Babylon they laide the foundation of the Temple In the Booke of Numbers you shall find Ezra 3. that when God would haue had the Israelites enter into Canaan then they would backe againe into Aegypt and when God would not haue them goe then they would needs hasten into Canaan 5. The blessed Tree beares not onely Fruit but Leaues A good man cloatheth his good deeds with good Circumstances Non sic impij If happily an vngodly man vndertake a good matter he wil marre it in the manner of doing of it if he giue he will doe it churlishly if he reproue hee will doe it vncharitably if he Pray hee will doe it hypocritically finally whatsoeuer hee doth he will doe it vntowardly and so his Good doth no good and so proues no Good at all 6. Finally the blessed Tree is as well approued as it proues well When a good man doth good it pleaseth God and it profits men and they haue Comfort of it themselues Non sic impij God abhorreth them as being vnlike vnto him and to men they are as odious as they are mischieuous Finally they can take litle true content in themselues
the younger as Sisters the higher Persons are in degree with the more respect must wee temper our Reproofe This is the generall Rule that we must follow particular instances of some Prophets who brought speciall Messages from God must not be drawne by vs into Example God will not haue Theologie to confound Policie Add hereunto that Nathan told his Message to Dauid in priuate because Dauid committed the Sinne priuately personall and priuate Sinnes must not haue a publike Reproofe except they haue vndergone first a iudiciall Censure where publike Authoritie hath not gone before the Reproofe of Personall faults must be priuate These Rockes being heeded our Vnpartialnes will be Diuine we may freely deliuer what difference there is betweene mens liues and Gods Lawes and set the Peoples danger before their eies yea touching Sin we may tell them that Omne animi vitium tanto conspectius in se Crimen habet quanto maior qui peccat habetur answerable to the Dignitie which God vouchsafeth vs are the Sinnes improued by which we offend him Secondly 〈…〉 Touching danger wee may let them know that Potentes potenter punientur Mercie will soone pardon the meanest but mighty men shall be mightily tormented This wee may tell them and tell them that they must expect this from God From God I say and not from Vs for we haue only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we are only Referendaries of Gods Will wee acknowledge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be the peculiar of God if any corporall chastisement bee to bee laid vpon a Soueraigne a Subiect must not draw the sword God onely hath power to vse it and they into whose hands he is pleased to put it which certainely is not the Pope nor his Assigne whether hee claime it Directly or Indirectly hee doth it Contra Ius sine Exemplo he hath no good either Rule or Example for it either in Gods word or in the writings of the Primitiue Church neither is it the People who must take Law from not giue Law to their Soueraigne both in Precept and in Sanction As Nathan did vse his Ministrie Vnpartially so did hee vse it Discreetly also 〈◊〉 de 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee handled the King so artificially that he made him giue sentence against himselfe before he was aware That seemes a Beame in our Brothers eye Mat 7. which in our owne seemes scarse a Moate as Christ teacheth in the Gospell therefore our iudgement is best tried in another Mans Case for therein wee will see with the most if it be a fault and if it be a good deede we will see with the least Therefore hee that will handle a Mans Conscience with spirituall Wisedome must first worke vpon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 see what good Rules he hath to guide Conscience withall and exercise them with some abstracted Case and if he find that it passeth an vpright iudgement then come on to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 His Conscience and if euer you shall then make him sensible of his owne Case Certainely he must either condemne himselfe which is a signe of Grace or else contradict himselfe which will argue him to be voide of Reason Neither is this the onely poynt of spirituall wisedome which a Pastour must haue he must also vse a good method in dispensing the parts of his Ministrie Nathan will teach him asmuch who comming to Dauid furnished with the Law and the Gospell first humbled him with the Law then raised him with the Gospell first told him Thou art the Man and then when Dauid acknowledged it Nathan added The Lord hath remoued thy sinne thou shalt not die And you may not peruert this Order you may not applie a Salue before you haue vented the Corruption of a wound you may not power Oyle into it before you haue scoured it with Wine finally You may not absolue a sinner before you haue made him penitent Hauing sufficiently vnfolded the Meanes I must now let you see that these Meanes are Needfull and Powerfull Needfull that is intimated in this word Venit Nathan came to Dauid Of himselfe Dauid sinned but when hee was left vnto himselfe there appeared in him no disposition to repent To manifest this God did let him alone by the space of a whole yeare and during that time hee seemeth to haue beene senselesse of his state Mortifera securitas Austin Sermon de Temp. 51. he seemed to bee as it were dead in that sinne It was a strange thing that such a Man should take such a Fall but more stange that in so many Moneths hee should not recouer out of it What was the Cause was it because hee did not know the difference betweene good and euill it were absurd so to thinke but it was because hee did not make vse of his knowledge in weighing his owne Actions whether they were good or euill wherefore had not Nathan come to Dauid it is to be doubted Dauid would neuer haue returned vnto God It is to be doubted the rather because if you looke to the first sinne of Man you shall finde that after he had eaten of the forbidden Fruit he hid himselfe from God no mention of his returne vntill God sought and found him out And who may hope to bee better then our Father Adam surely the continuall storie of the Church shewes that we are herein all too like vnto him looke vpon all the restitutions that are recorded and you shall finde in them all the preuenting Grace of God and that saying of God is of a perpetuall truth I am found of them that sought me not and made manifest to them that inquired not after me But what shall I neede Examples of that Truth which euery man that hath grace may reade in himselfe The Conclusion is Repentance springs not Naturally from vs it is an effect of Gods word reclayming vs of our selues we are as vnapt to Rise as we are apt to Fall Wherefore we cannot too much magnifie the goodnesse of God that vouchsafeth vnto vs the Ministrie of his Word it is a great Grace that God is not wanting vnto vs when we are wanting vnto our selues wanting not only to instruct our selues but also to make vse of our knowledge for the Scripture is vsefull not only to informe but also to remember vs. Needfull then the Ministrie is It is not onely so but Powerfull also The word of God is sharper then any two-edged sword Heb. 4. it is liuely it is mighty in operation it enters through euen to the diuiding asunder of the soule spirit ioynts and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the Heart The weapons of the Ministers warfare are mighty through God to cast downe Holds 2 Cor. 10. to cast downe Imaginations and euery high thing which is exalted against the knowledge of God and to bring into captiuitie euery thought to the obedience of Christ. And it had neede be so it hath to doe with so
Diuines call them Peccata Vastantia Conscientiam they argue that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is fallen asleepe and so is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 too when wee vse neither the directiue Principles before hand nor the correctiue after hand but as wee shewed our selues gracelesse in committing sinne so shew we our selues senslesse in not iudging our selues for sinne King Dauid seemed not to be farre from such a case and therefore hee had good reason to exaggerate his contempt by calling his sinne not onely Malum but Hoc Malum not only Euill but this Euill so exasperating Euill before so sacred Eyes And indeed the lesse excuse wee haue for sinne the more we should deplore it deplore that we make that the Obiect of Gods Eyes which hee so much detesteth especially seeing hee hath vouchsafed to bee so gracious vnto vs as to make vs the delightsome Obiect of his Eyes for his Children are as the Apple of his Eye 〈◊〉 2. ◠though all the World bee before him yet his contenting Obiect is his Church the walles of Ierusalem are euer in his sight and hee beholds his Israel as the Seale on his Arme and Signet on his right Hand Certainly the delight that God desireth to take in beholding vs when wee doe well doth much aggrauate our contempt when wee are not respectiue of his priuitie to our couersation whensoeuer we offend him But I conclude Out of all that which you haue heard the Lesson that we must learne is Religiously to amplifie our sinnes from the circumstance of the person against whom they are bent Secondly wee must obserue how many wayes the Euill done on Earth reflecteth vpon Heauen Thirdly how much the presence of Heauen on Earth adds vnto sinne especially if it bee a crying sinne Fourthly we must learne that our sinnes offend the more the more neere wee are ioyned vnto God Finally none should more insist vpon these points then they that taste deeply of the Mercie of God the more they are indebted for his fauours the more should they bee afflicted with Godly Sorrow when wittingly and willingly they offend before his Eyes GOd grant that the reference that we and those with whom wee liue haue to God and the presence that God hath continually with vs both may make vs as sensible as wee ought to be of the impietie that is so naturall to all sinne making it reach as high as from Earth to Heauen and arguing the small regard that sinfull man hath of his Righteous God So may this sense worke in vs such Repentance as may finde Mercie with him who onely can forgiue sinne and with-hold that stroke of Iustice which for the wrong done to him and the contempt of him whom wee offend besides and aboue our Neighbours may iustly bee feared by vs and may wofully destroy vs. AMEN PSAL. 51. The latter part of the 4. VERS That thou mightest bee iustified when thou speakest and bee cleare when thou iudgest KIng Dauid confessing the sinne which himselfe committed openeth vnto vs the naturall Properties that are therein and the supernaturall Euent that followed thereupon Of the naturall Properties you haue heard heretofore I come now vnto the supernaturall Euent The supernaturall Euent then is the Praise of the Iustice of God The Iustice of God here touched is twofold Fidelity and Integrity Fidelity is Iustitia in verbo a persons being as good as his word Integritie is Iustitia in facto the vprightnes of his doome God hath the praise of both of Fidelity for he is iustified when he speaketh of Integritie for he is cleare when he iudgeth This is the praise of Gods Iustice and this praise in reference to King Dauids sinne I call a supernaturall Euent An Euent because it floweth not from and yet it followeth vpon the sinne but this Euent is supernaturall because it must be a Diuine Prouidence that must make these figs to grow from those thistles and so cleare light to shine out of so grosse darknesse These are the Contents whereof I shall now entreat wherefore I will now resume them that I may open them more fully and you more profitably heare them Iustice then is the Argument of these words God that is Soueraigne aboue all dealeth with all according to an euen Rule the Rule is well squared and being well squared is applied well also Fortune or Chance haue no place in his Gouerment whether hee contract with or take an accompt of the sonnes of men vpright reason and euennesse are the properties of his Actions and all things serue to commend them they are the vpshot of all his Prouidence as will appeare in the more distinct vnfolding of these words The first Branch then of Iustice here remembred is Fidelitie Fidelitie as I told you is Iustitia in verbo Gods being as good as his word we must then find out first what Word is heere meant And you shall read it 2. Sam. 7. where God sendeth by Nathan a comfortable Message a Message that containes manifold and those gracious promises for it concerneth a Crowne and the entaile thereof read it at your leasure but in your reading marke that the Message is Verbum Mysticum Mixtum It is a Mysticall Word for it consisteth of a Type and a Truth the Type was Dauid and his posterity the Truth was Christ and his Church Saint Paul hath taught vs so to vnderstand it Heb. 1. where he applieth the very words of Nathan vnto our Sauiour Christ As it is Verbum Mysticum so is it Verbum Mixtum also the Message is a temper of the Law and the Gospel yet so that the Gospell hath the vpper hand of the Law God will not haue his presume and therefore hee vseth the Law as a Curbe to hold them in but hee will lesse haue them to despaire the Gospell serueth to keepe them in heart This is the Word and God will euer be as good as his Word his Fidelitie warranteth as much Fidelitie is a compound Vertue it consisteth of Veritie and Constancie First there is Verity in it no word in the Tongue that commeth not from the Heart and the Tongue is a true looking Glasse of the Heart for God speaketh in Veritate Mentis without all simulation or dissimulation without all equiuocation or mentall reseruation whensoeuer God speaketh his speech is true And as he speaketh in Veritate Mentis so doth he in certitudine Veritatis also 2. Cor. 1.22 Numb 23.19 his Word is as stable as it is true his Promises are not Nay and Amen all are Amen that come from him God is not like Man that he should lie Rom. 11. Math. 24.35 Psal 89. nor the Son of Man that he should repent but his Promisses are without repentance Heauen and Earth shall passe but his Word shall neuer passe he will neuer lye against his owne Truth and therefore is he in the Reuelation stiled Cap. 3. the faithfull and true witnesse Fidelitie then there is in
King Dauid spake no more in his owne person then may beseeme the person of euery man especially if he be a Christian And therefore his practise should be a patterne vnto euery one of vs we are as hee was Si Dauid talis Rex talibus parentibus in peccato natus quanto magis Nos The fountaine of Corruption runnes as high now as euer it did well may wee deeme our selues worse better without intolerable arrogancy wee cannot deeme our selues therefore his Ecce Behold will well beseeme vs and we may well fall as low as he in the Confession of our sinnes I presse this the rather because this is a secret which Philosophers could not Hereticks would not know and so indulgent are we to our selues that we are too willing to be ignorant of at least to forget that which our proud nature doth not easily brooke The lesse the Old man doth like it the more should the New man studie it And that we studie it not in vaine let vs all pray God that wee may haue Grace to exemplifie so good a Sampler that we may so deepely launce our Spirituall woundes as that they may be the better cured by our Heauenly Physitian and the more seuere we are against our selues we may finde our Sauiour more mercifull vnto vs. Amen PSAL. 51. VERS 6. Behold thou desirest truth in the inward parts and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisedome Kâ—ng Dauid in that Vow which in this Psalme hee maketh for himselfe prayeth that he may bee restored vnto and preserued in the state of Grace To this end hee layeth open his own wickednes and layeth hold vpon Gods goodnesse how he layeth open his own wickednesse you haue heard at seuerall times as I vnfolded the verses that goe before and you shall God willing heare particularly how he layeth hold vpon the goodnesse of God as I shall haue opportunitie to expound vnto you the following verses But my Text commeth in betweene these two maine poynts so that it is hard to say to whether of them it referreth most for surely it may fairely be referred to either of them it may bee referred either to King Dauids vnfained repentance for his sinne or steadfast considence in the mercy of God therefore it is diuersly expounded by others and it will not bee amisse if I shew you how the words looke backward and forward respect King Dauids either godly sorrow or hope of Grace To come to the Text The argument of it is remarkeable Sinceritie Sincerity is fitly described in these words truth in the inward parts without truth there can be no Sinceritie but the truth that maketh perfect Sincerity must be in the inward parts Touching this Sincerity wee are moreouer taught first of what regard it is secondly how we may attayne it It is of principall regard because entertayned with the best affection that is Delight and this affection is in the greatest person it is in God God desireth this truth in the inwards parts But how may it be had surely not without diuine instruction of our inward man The inward man is noted by the secres part that must be furnished with good grounds which here are meant by Wisdome and this wisedome must come from Heauen God must make vs know it These particulars wherein Sincerity is set forth in this Text are remarkeable particulars so wee are taught by the first word behold Behold they are euident they may not be denied Behold they are vsefull euery one must make his profit of them And so haue I set before you the contents of this Scripture which I shal now farther enlarge as the time shall permit and we may best be edified But before I doe enter vpon the distinct poynts I must acquaint you with the Language of the holy Ghost which vseth often times to mention parts of our bodies when it meaneth the powers of our soules the reason whereof is in vulgar experience because so long as the soule dwelleth in the body the powers therof in their working make some sensible impression vpon the parts of our body those parts which euen for this cause haue by the wisest Philosophers and most iudicious Physicians been reputed the proper seats if not of the whole soule yet of the seuerall faculties therof My Text doth occasion me to instance in two parts the Kidneys and the Heart which are here to bee vnderstood though in the translation they are not exprest in the Originall the Kidneys are plainely mentioned which because they are two therefore they are translated parts and those inward or hidden parts because in the body the Kidneys are vsually couered with fat The Heart is a single entrall and therefore called by the name of a part also a hidden part because of the couerings wherein it pleased God that naturally the heart should be inwrapt vpon these two parts seuerall powers of our soule doe worke at least when they worke or are wrought there will be some sence thereof in these parts in the Kidneys of Affections as of Resolutions in the Heart this euery man that obserues himselfe may easily assure himselfe to be true Hauing thus opened vnto you the reason why the Holy Ghost thus speaketh let vs now come and looke a little farther into the things By the inward parts then are meant the Kidneys and by the Kidneys the Affections that discouer themselues therein now our Affections haue long since by those that haue been curious obseruers of them been reduced vnto foure Heads wherof two are exercised with Euill and two with Good Euill if it be absent wee feare and if it be present we Grieue as for Good that which we haue not we Desire and we ioy in that we haue To apply this to my Text I told you that it looketh backward and forward to Dauids Repentance and to his Confidence If to Repentance then to Euill malum culpae the Euill of sinne for which hee Grieued and malum poenae the wages of Sinne which he iustly Feared If to Confidence then to Good to Mercy which so farre as he had receiued hee ioyed in and desired so much as he had not yet receiued These are those inward parts the affections of King Dauids soule that are to bee vnderstood in this place in these it is that Sincerity must appeare so much is intimated by the word Truth But what is Truth surely nothing else but a conformitie of one thing to another whereof the one is the Sampler and the other is the exemplification All that is in mans nature receiued its being from God and was formed according to the patterne of Gods eternall decree which hee exprest in the Creation and which hee often toucheth at in the reproofes which taxe the obliquities of our nature we should bee in our Affections as God first made vs and that is the first Truth required in them a Truth that is opposed vnto vanity that vanity which doth dimimish the wel-being of
are forfeited but he to whom they are forfeited the Author of Nature must bee the Author of Grace And hee is so abundantly in our Sauiour Christ for in Him are all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge hid Colloss 2.3 in making him knowne hee maketh true Wisedome to bee knowne vnto vs. It is not in vaine that Dauid saith Thou Shalt make me know wisedome for though in Gods acts the Holy Ghost doth indifferently vse all times past present and to come because they are continuall yet it is not amisse to obserue that in this life we cannot haue so much grace but wee still want more therefore wee should not rest in the first fruits of the Spirit but bee still hungring and thirsting after righteousnes Mat. 5. and forgetting those things which are behinde bee still pressing forward in wisedome that we may be forward in Sincerity Marke that if you lay both these parts together the meanes of getting Sincerity to the regard that God yeelds to it it followeth fairely that whatsoeuer in vs pleaseth God is a guift that God bestoweth vpon vs neither indeed can any thing that commeth not from him bee acceptable vnto him so that wee may well pray with Saint Austin Da Domiue quodiubes iube quod vis Let it bee thy good pleasure O Lord by grace to enable me and then bee thy Commandement what it will it shall most readily be obserued by me Secondly Sincerity is not immediately from God hee worketh it by heauenly Wisedome neither may wee euer hope to be Sincere except wee first be wise if the Heart be nor first qualified the Reines will not be reformed The world hath yeelded too many smatterers in either of these but because they put asunder what God conioyned they haue beene good in neither Our Ancestours that liued vnder Poperie were good meaning men as they say of them and the Church of Rome did cherish in them good intentions but good indeed they could not be because they were misguided Wee are very inquisitiue after our Guide and God be thanked wee haue a good one and happily wee conferre often with him about a good course but here is our fault wee doe but conferre with him commit our selues to his guidance wee doe not wee entertaine not wisedome into the inward part therefore haue our inward parts little truth we are as foolishly wise as our Ancestours were falsly sincere It were to bee wished that we would ioyne both as King Dauid doth to be wise in the Hidden part that so our inward parts may be true especially when wee make our Atonement with God and humble our selues before him if euer then beg wisedome the wisedome of the heart which may wholy order our affections that our Repentance and our Confidence may both testifie that there is Truth in the inward parts The last thing that I obserued is that this Sincerity is remarkable wee are taught it in the first word Behold which word noteth both Veritatem Diuinam and Vtilitatem nostram the vndoubtednesse of these rules and the vse which we must make of them Ecce hoc patens est saith Ruffinus this is as cleare as the noone none but those that are blind can denie that God loueth Sincerity and that he giueth that wisedome from whence sincerity streams And as no man can doubt it so euery man must make vse of it euery man must desire this sincerity that so he may be acceptable to God euery man must desire to be furnished with wisedome from Heauen that he may be furnished with Sincerity We are by nature full of vanity and hypocrisie our corruption was displayed in the verse that goeth before but Contraria contrarijs illustrantur we cannot so well conceiue how bad we are as if we clearely see how good we should be when we obserue that God requireth Truth in our inward parts then may we perceiue how miserable wee are in being conceiued and borne in Sinne so the Ecce here giueth light to the Ecce that goeth before As this giueth light to that so that must be a whetstone to make vs to affect this And seeing God taketh all excuse from vs by making vs to know wisedome we must receiue wisedome into its proper seate that from thence it may produce this acceptable worke We must with Dauid be able to say Ecce Behold thou hast made mee to know wisedome in my hidden part that wee may also say Ecce Behold O Lord that Truth which thou desirest in my inward parts I conclude all Behold here the Doue and the Serpent which Christ commends for patterns to his Disciples wee must haue the simplicitie of the Doue and the wisedome of the Serpent Hee that can mixe the wisedome of the Serpent with the simplicitie of the Doue shall neither be sottishly sincere nor deceitfulluy wise GOD that searcheth the Hearts and Reines so qualifie both by his grace that being guided by him wee may be accepted of him accepted for wise sincerity and sincere Wisedome in the whole course of our life but specially when we turne to Him and turne from sinne with vnfained Repentance and assured Confidence AMEN PSAL. 51. VERS 7. Purge me with Hysope and I shall bee cleane Washmee and I shall bee whiter then snow KIng Dauid desirous to be restored vnto the state of Grace doth first lay open his owne wickednesse sincerely and then doth he sincerely lay hold vpon Gods goodnes Of the former you haue hitherto heard and are to heare of the latter hereafter In opening whereof you are to obserue how aptly the Remedy doth answer the Disease In the Disease wee found a double wickednesse one which King Dauid committed himselfe another which hee inherited from his Parents The Remedy cures both it cureth the wickednesse which King Dauid committed the Malignity the Impiety thereof the Impiety by Expiation in this seuenth Verse the Malignity by Consolation in the eight As it cureth the wickednesse which himselfe committed so doth it that which he inherited from his Parents that was a natiue Euill and the Remedie doth cure it as it is an euill in the ninth verse by forgiuing and as that euill commeth by nature the Remedie cureth it by Regeneration as we shall learne verse the tenth At this time I shall handle onely the first branch of the Cure the cure of the Impiety of that sinne which King Dauid himselfe contracted This I told you was done by Expiation or Purification for the better vnderstanding wherof we must guide our selues by a good rule of Saint Ambrose Benè Veteris Testamenti Sacramenta non euacuat et Mysteria Euangelica praeferenda docet These words are typicall therefore they haue a compound sense a Ceremoniall and a Morall Dauid acknowledgeth both true but withall teacheth in which standeth the greatest comfort The Ceremonial was not to be omitted because of Gods Ordinance but the Morall was principally to bee intended because that contained the Body whereof the
calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is that which executeth what the commanding part resolueth The word in the Originall signifieth either Directum or Erectum that which keepeth right forward or standeth vpright The actiue power of our soule is subiect to two defects it may straggle out of the way through rashnes or stagger in the way through faintnes while we are in the way allurements of diuers kinds draw vs into by-pathes we are set vpon by the crafty serpent and if that succeed not then with terrors wee are startled and made either to come to a stand or else to march cowardly The cure of all this is a right Spirit when God is pleased by grace to set strait steps vnto our feete and strengthen our feeble knees so that wee step not aside out of the way nor halt in the way our Spirit is directus it keepes good correspondency with our iudgement and executeth no more then it hath in charge and it is also erectus it bends no more then our affections doeâ— whether it pursue or encounter any thing resolued vpon by the soueraigne part it sheweth continually a religious stayednesse Finally whereas grace maketh a double cure one on our Heart and another on our Spirit and the regeneration of our Spirit is but an attendant vpon the regeneration of our Heart wee may not diminish the number of the parts nor inuert the order but when wee will trie our selues whether and how farre wee are regenerated wee must looke into our inwards see how we finde our selues there but specially to these fountaines of life the Heart and the Spirit see whether grace command in the Heart before the Heart command and that it may season our workes well whether it selfe bee seasoned first with grace and hauing taken this suruey of the Heart wee must come on to the Spirit and see whether our execution be as holy as our resolution if grace preserue vs from mis-guiding allurements and support vs against disheartning affrightments then is our Spirit as right as our Heart is cleane both are regenerated by the Spirit of grace The Fathers vnderstand here a double grace not onely the grace of Regeneration whereof you haue heard but the grace of Prophesie also wherewith King Dauid was endued as appeare in his Psalmes wherein are many excellent Prophesies It was no small griefe vnto him to haue that diuine influence suspended and to haue withdrawne from him those heauenly Reuelations therfore they conceiue the words thus Dauid desired a cleane Heart that so hee might haue a right Spirit for Blessed are the pure in heart they shall see God saith Christ Mat. 5.8 Wis 1.1.5 and the holy spirit of discipline will not abide in a soule when vnrighteousnesse commeth in The holy spirit of Prophesie is long since ceased and wee cannot be depriued of that which we neuer had but of this we may be sure that sin in our heart doth not a little bleare our eyes when we come to consider of Gods truth in his word and endeauour though not our selues to be yet to vnderstand those that were vndoubted Prophets But enough of Regeneration so farre as this Text doth teach vs what it is I come on to shew you briefly the last point of the Text which is Whence it proceeds It proceeds from God of him King Dauid beggeth it Create in me a cleane heart O God and well may he aske it of him for God doth promise the gift of this grace A new heart will I giue you and a new spirit will I put into you saith God Eze. cap. 36. and S. Paul in his Epistles doth often direct his prayers for these vnto God â—t how then doth Eze. c. 18. bid vs make vnto our selues new hearts and new spirits and Moses in the Law Deut. 10. bids vs circumcise the fore-skin of our hearts Surely not to note our power but our want that out of the conscience thereof we should seeke vnto the father of Lights from whom commeth euery good and perfect gift Iam. 1.17 Or if it be to note any power of ours it is but power to vse the outward meanes but the effect wished hath a higher cause which is the Spirit of God And indeed the true cause why the Holy Ghost speaketh so differenly sometimes calling vpon vs and sometimes willing vs to call vpon God is because Gods inward worke is seldome without our outward though the honour which God doth to the vse of the meanes must not derogate ought from Gods totall producing of the effects The more to be blamed is the Church of Rome who by aduancing the meanes impaire that honour which is due vnto God Let it stand then for a grounded Truth that Regeneration is the gift of God As it is Gods gift so it is no ordinary gift of his it is a worke of his great might and of his great mercy of his great might for it is a Creation Creation is either to make something of nothing or at least if that whereof it is made be something yet that thing hath no disposition to become that which it is made if you looke to the gift that is giuen by Regeneration surely that is made simply of nothing it is an effect that proceeds immediately from the Spirit who hath nothing out of which to worke that effect but his owne almighty power for non educiturè potentia naturae nature sendeth forth no such fruit If you looke vpon the Person that receiueth the grace then also Regeneration will proue to be a Creation for so farre is he from being disposed fitly to receiue grace Rom 8.7 Is 11.6 that hee is naturally opposite vnto it the wisedome of the flesh is enmity against God so saith the Apostle and the Prophet will tell vs that regenerating is like the changing of the nature of Tygers Lyons and Wolues c. a hard worke Saint Austin goeth so farre that hee thinketh it a harder matter to bring a sinner accustomed to an euill course into a right way then to create a world especially to bring him to entertaine the Christian faith which is foolishnes to the Gentile and a stumbling blocke to the Iew. The more absurd is the patronage of free will in the case of new birth the very word Creation doth refute it 1. Cor. 1.23 2. Cor. 5. Eph. 4. which Saint Paul vseth more then once and thereby both Testaments put vs in mind that wee can doe as little towards our spirituall creation as we could towards our naturall in regard of both we may vse that of the Psalm It is God that hath made vs and not we our selues both waies made vs by the power of a God Neither is it onely a worke of great power but of great mercy also that is intimated by the word Renew pulchre dixit innoua saith S. Chrysostome it is well said renew the house was built before which sinne ruined and grace doth re-edifie and indeed that this
Souldiers brought them direct word of it but see what a peruerse choice they made Matth. 28. rather then they would giue glorie vnto God by acknowledging the truth they bribe the Souldiers to out-face it with a grosse lie This seruilitie of there will is more plainly set downe in the Acts 4. Chap. where after Peter had healed a Creeple in the Name of Iesus they therefore apprehended him and Iohn and fall to this consultation What shall we doe to these men For that indeed a notable miracle hath beene done by them is manifest to all them that dwell at Ierusalem and wee cannot denie it a man would expect that their will should yeeld vnto such cleere euidence yet doth it not for marke how they resolue That it spread no further amongst the people let vs straightly threaten them that they speake henceforth to no man in this name O seruile will Neither are these principall faculties only but their attendants also seruile First the concupiscible or that faculty whereby we ensue what wee suppose good the seruilitie thereof is most palpable God made all these visible creatures to serue vs and vs to serue only himselfe but what creature is there which man doth not aduance aboue himselfe Yea deifie that he may be a drudge vnto it Our meates and drinkes so rauish vs that Esau sold his birth-right for a messe of pottage our money and wealth how base doth it make vs Chap. 1â— There is nothing worse then a couetous man saith the Sonne of Syrach for such a man will sell his Soule for a morsell of bread The Apostle calleth the couetous man a plaine Idolater which is nothing else but a slaue to an Idoll And to whom is not an ambitious man a slaue Whose eyes are obseruant of euery mans lookes whose eares attend euery mans tongue whose tongue pleaseth euery mans humour whose feet goe whether whose hands doe what euery man will that can inch him forward to the place whereunto hee aspires Finally looke whatsoeuer humour possesseth vs there is no slauerie which for the satisfying thereof wee doe not willingly affect yea marke that the baser things are the stronger are mens affections that bow to them as we see in Epicures Wantons Couetous and other wicked ones it is hard to see a man so humbly so earnestly to serue God as they doe serue their earthly lusts Neither is the irascible or the facultie wherewith we encounter difficulties while we pursue good lesse seruile then the concupiscible is in pursuing of vanitie and toyes it maketh Pigmies seeme Gyants vnto vs euery danger is as vgly as death euery frowne will ouer awe vs and the least terrour cast vs into a Feuer If we be put to it whether we will lose Heauen or Earth God or the World we will quickly betray with what resolution we are carried vnto the best things and how hardly we brook walking in the narrow way though it lead vnto the Kingdome of Heauen how hardly we endure momentany afflictions though they worke vnto vs an exceeding and eternall weight of glory 2. Cor 5. Read the Storie of the Israelites passage from Egypt to Canaan in them you may read what man-hood we haue Seruilitie hath so cowardized all our Fortitude that we set lightly euen by God himselfe if we may not possesse him easily and speedily I need say no more by this time you see what a base and seruile spirit we haue certainly by nature it is most base and seruile I haue amplified this that you might see there is great reason why King Dauid should make this Prayer and perceiue better what that is which hee desireth and what he meaneth by a free spirit Hee meaneth not a Libertines freedome hee would not bee a sonne of Belial haue a cloake for licentiousnesse but hee would bee enthrawled to none but God And indeed his seruice is perfect freedome he would haue his iudgement free he would walke by no light but by the light of Heauen his vnderstanding he would haue captiuated only to the wisdome of God and then he is sure he shall neuer mistake his true obiect truth because Gods Word is truth and he can neuer erre whom God doth guide and verily hee is the wisest man that maketh Gods Commandement the rule of his iudgement his iudgement is free indeed And what is a free-will Sure that which chuseth the only good that whose souereigne good is only God he chuseth all that chuseth him so that hauing him the will misseth nothing of her proper obiect let it pitch vpon other goods and it will bee if not deluded yet certainly skanted because nothing can satisfie which is lesse then that for which the will was made As grace doth thus free the reasonable facultie so doth it the sensitiue also it freeth our desires though there be no Law to compell yet doth a man readily run the way of Gods Commandements he thinketh hee cannot speed fast enough nor haue enough of that good which a holy will guided by a wise iudgement recommends vnto him vnto him Modus diligendi Deum est diligere sine modo hee drinkes himselfe drunke at the riuer of diuine pleasures and is so vnsatiable in that that he passeth in the World for a foole and a mad-man This is the freedome of desire it made King Dauid daunce in an Ephod before the Arke it made Abraham follow God whithersoeuer hee did call him and many holy men to affect solitarinesse that they might haue the more of the societie of God and his Angels Such a desire is no hireling it loueth good for good and will serue God onely out of the content it taketh in his seruice and such seruice God requireth and such a desire is a free desire The last facultie that is free is the irascible the courage of a man must be made free Saint Paul hath exprest that excellently Rom. 8. Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ Shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perill or sword No I am perswaded that neither death nor life neither Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor heigth nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus Behold a free courage such a Martyrs courage as will readily obey and runne to Christ though he must be loaden with the Crosse that will be contented to hate Father and Mother Wife Children if they hinder him from being Christs Disciple Put these together and you may reasonably conceiue what King Dauid meaneth by a free spirit And such freedome is to be desired by vs all we must all desire to be so free in our iudgement will desires courage and so we shal become generous persons such as stoupe to no base things and shall sticke at the bestowing of nothing we haue though it bee our owne selues whereby we may compasse the
of the way and who doth it be seeme better to be stir themselues for the recouerie of sinners then they by whom many haue beene made sinners It is fit that by this care they doe redeeme that fault surely Diues in hell shewed a desire of such a thing when he praied Abraham to send teachers to his brethren who might reclaime them before they came to hell it implieth a sorrow though a fruitlesse one which he had for that hee had corrupted them and he is worse then Diues who being conscious to himselfe that he hath beene an instrument of mis-leading others doth not desire to conuert at least as many as he hath corrupted As there is nothing fitter for such a Master then the dealing with such Schollers so there is nothing wherein hee can better please his Master God thâ—n by taking pâ—ines with such Schollers God is compared vnto an Husbandman all the world is his Farme now you know a good Farmer that hath many pâ—â—cels of ground ouer growne with Bryars and Thornes taketh great comfort to see them grubbed vp and the ground made good Pasture or Arable euen so God who would haue all men â—aued and come to the knowledge of his truth is well pleased with their paâ—ines that are instruments thereof yeâ— therefore doth he conuert some that by them hee may conuertothers you may gatâ—er it out of Christs words to Saint Peter 〈…〉 â—2 I haue prayed for thee that thy faith should not faile Tuantem conuersuâ— confirmafratres When thou art conuerted streng then thy brethren 〈…〉 This lessen is excellently shadowed in a vision of Ezekiels where the waters running from the Sanctuarie into the dead Sea healed it and presently vpon the bankes grew vp 〈◊〉 of life of which we read in the Reuâ—lat on 〈…〉 that their leaues were for the healing of the Nations And indeed all the famous Conuerts that we read of â—aue euer thought they could not dee God better seruice I will instance but in two Saint Paul and Saint Austin Saint Paul had beene a persecutor a blasphemer hee obtained mercie and God put him into the Ministerie that as his eyes were opened so he might open the eyes of others and what paines did he take 〈…〉 Becomming all to all that hee might winne some to Christ Saint Austins confessions shew what his first life was how sicke he was in Head and Heart in faith and life and his Workes doe shew how carefull he was after God gaue him the light of his truth and feare of his name to reforme others Epicâ—res and Heretickes and worke into them a true knowledge and â—eruent loue of God I conclude this point As many of vs as find grace at any time must after the Patterne of King Dauid labour to present some Conuert sinner as an Eucharisticall sacrifice vnto God And let this suffice for the vnfolding of the meanes that this King doth vse I come now to the successe which is hoped for which is a Conuersion Conuersion is not a locall motion but a morall change the making of vs of old new men a metamorphiâ—ing as Saint Paul calleth it a changing of vs into a new Image But the nature of this Conuersion will better appeare if I first vnfold vnto you the two termes Vnde Quo from Whence and to Whome sinners are conuerted From whence you cannot better learne then by their names they are called transgressors such as leaue Gods wayes to follow their owne the deuices of their owne braine the desires of their owne heart God made man saith the Scripture after his owne Image but the Image of God in man was much like the Image of the Sunne in the Moone so long as the Moone is in opposition to the Sunne we see what a goodly light body it hath no sooner doth it diuert to either side but it soone loseth its light euen so a man keeping himselfe towards God receiueth an impression of his sacred Image which vanisheth when he turneth himselfe from God Yea you see daily that when you walke in the Sunne if your face be toward it you haue nothing before you but bright shining light and comfortable heat turne your backe to the Sunne and what haue you before you but a shadow And what is a shadow but the priuation of the light and heate of the Sunne Yea it is but to behold your owne shadow that you defraud your selfe of the other for there is no true wisdome no true happinesse but onely in beholding the countenance of God looke from that and we loose these blessings and what shall wee gaine A shadow an emptie Image insteade of a substantiall to gaine an emptie Image of our selues we loose the solid Image of God and yet this is the common folly of the world men preferre this shadow before that substance When we are willed to turne we must remember that wee are auerse from God when we goe our owne wayes we turne our backes to God as the Scripture teacheth euerie of our wayes goeth from him and when we Conuert we must turne from our owne wayes our euill wayes for such are all ours we must cast away the workes of darknesse put off the old man so the Scripture varieth the phrase of conuersion But there are three conditions that must be obserued in our Conuersion First Eack 18. it must be ab omnibus vijs malis God loueth not mungrels if a man haue beene a Drunkard an Adulterer a Swearer hee may not leaue his drunkennesse and retaine his swearing leaue swearing and follow whooring therefore Moses tels the Israelites that they must returne to God toto corde with their whole heart A second condition is deliuered by Esay Deut. 23. c. 31 6. Conuertimini sicut in profundum recessistis looke how profoundly wee entertaine sinne so deepe must our conuersion goe wee must search our wounds to the very bottome we must leaue no creeke vnaltered it must bee verum Cor our inside must be like our outside so saith S. Paul Heb. 10.22 Thirdly our conuersion must be constant wee must not bee like vnto Lots wise whose feet caried her from Sodome and her eyes were backe vpon it that will argue that we repent of our resolution and that we can easily be perswaded to become againe what we were before This is the first branch of Conuersion we must if we returne so remooue iniquitie farre from our Tabernacle yea from our selues The next branch is to whom we must returne If you will returne returne vnto me saith God in the Prophet many doe returne but it is from one vanity to another such a turning as Salomon describeth in Ecclesiastes and there are examples euery where many of prodigall turne couetous and of profuse become base many a Stoicke turneth Epicure and of senslesse becommeth shamelesse many an Atheist turneth superstitious and as if he did repent that he had beene long without a God maketh his fancie the forge
conuerted thereby and let vs each hasten other in our returne toward thee Let vs be carefull to saue not our selues onely but others also that each may bee the others ioy when we shall both be presented spotlesse and blamelesse at the appearing of Christ. PSAL. 51. VERSE 14. Deliuer me from bloud guiltinesse O God thou God of my saluation and my tongue shall sing aloude of thy righteousnesse THe religious seruice which King Dauid vowed is the Edifying of others and the gâ—â—rifying of God how he will edifie others you haue heard and are to heare how he will glosie God God may be glorified either in regard of the particular sauom hâ— sheweth vs or the generall worth that is in himselfe Dauid promiseth to glorifie God in both respects At this time my Text doth occasion me to speake of the former wherein I will obserue first a spirituall Pange haâ—ouer taketh his Deuotion and then the Deuotion it selfe In the Pange we shall see what he seeleth and to whom he slieth he feeleth a sting of Conscience a remorse of Bloud-guiltinesse and being pained herewith he seeketh for ease he crieth Deliuer But he seeketh discretly and ardently discretly for he seeketh to him that can Deliuer to the Lord who is interested in the consciences of his creatures and as he can so he will he is the God of his childrens saluation This is his discretion which he warmeth with Zeale hee is earnest in his petition which you may gather out of the doubling of the name of God Deus Deus salutis meae Hauing thus ouercome the spirituall Pange that interrupted him hee falleth to his Deuotion wherein you must marke first the argument that he insisteth vpon and that is God Righteousnesse Secondly the manner how he doth extoll it which is publike and cheerefull publike for hee will vtter it by his tongue cheerefull for his tongue shall sing aloude These bee the particulars which wee must now looke into farther and in their order And first of spirituall Pangs in generall King Dauid had a pardon of this sinne particularly besides a generall promise that God would neuer withdraw his grace from him and yet we find him here perplext and distrest in conscience Though I did on a former Verse touch at the reasons hereof yet will it not be amisse that I a little farther enlarge this point There can be no doubt but Gods truth is infallible he cannot denie himselfe hee will neuer recall his word but yet Quicquid recipitur recipitur ad modum recipientis the vertues wherewith we entertaine Gods promises are as wee are imperfect because we art partly flesh and partly spirit our faith is not without doubting if their be imperfection in our faith which is the foundation of our spirituall life our Hope will be answerable it will not be without distrusting neither will our Charitie be better we cannot so loue but we will feare And why Could we cast our eyes onely vpon God his goodnesse must needes appeare wonderfull and so leaue a kind of amazednesse in vs neither can we easily beleeue that he should vouchsafe such fauor vnto man but we more often cast our eyes vpon our selues vpon our wickednesse whereby we haue broken Gods lawes vpon our vnthankfulnesse which haue set light by Gods blessings and this is able to stagger our faith much more especially when the Serpent shall plie vs with the representation of Gods iustice thereby indeauouring to ouer-whelme our Meditations vpon his mercies and shall presse vnto our conscience the imperfection of our faith hope and charitie so farre as to perswade vs that they haue no truth at all Here-hence spring those spirituall pangs in so much that euen in those which by grace haue giuen sinne a deadly wound you shall perceiue many pangs as it were of spirituall death and as men that are recouered out of an Ague haue many troublesome grudgings thereof that disquiet them not a little euen so Penitents aster enormous sinnes must looke for many a smarting twitch of the worme of conscience But to leaue spirituall Pangs in generall and come to that which in particular is toucht here in my Text he feeles are morse of bloud-guilâ—inesse the euill he feeles is exprest by the name of blouds so the word is in the originall and is vsed to note either our originall corruption or actuall sinne King Dauid in the former part of this Psalme confesseth both that sinne that he inherited from his Parents and that which hee contracted himselfe therefore of the Interpreters some pitch vpon the former and some the later Saint Austin pitcheth vpon the originall sinne and supposeth that Dauid was moued with remorse of his corrupt nature which is the cause of all sinne and indeede they that are borne in Concupiscence are said to be borne of flesh and bloud 1. Cor. 15. and Saint Paul meaneth that wee must put off that before we can be fully blest when he saith that flesh and bloud cannot inherit the Kingdome of heauen Finally it is that where at God pointeth Ezek. 16. when he speaketh thus to the Church When I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine owne bloud I said vnto thee in thy bloud Liue. The reason of the phrase is because Vitaest in sanguine as the law speaketh the animall life subsisteth in the bloud and the abundance of bloud is the fuell of concupiscence whereupon some coniecture not improbably that to note this the legall expiation of sinne was made by the effusion of bloud Some goe not so farre as originall sinne but vnderstand the word of actuall which is the fruit of originall and because of actuall sins some are by Diuines called spirituall some carnall spirituall such as mooue from and are transacted principally by the reasonable faculties of the soule and haue but sequelam a concomitancie of animall carnall those that are suggested from and acted by the animall soule principally and haue but a concomitancie of the rationall by blouds they vnderstand that later kind of sinne And indeede such were the sinnes whereof King Dauid had now remorse his Adulterie his Murder both sprang from bloud adulterie from bloud luxuriant which made him transgresse in his concupiscible facultie murder from bloud ebullient which made him transgresse in his Irascible facultie The word Sanguines being plurall is by the Fathers obserued to note plentie and varietie of sinne some in one word parallell it with the first verse of this Psalme where Dauid mencioneth all his Iniquities and then there is a Synecdoche in the word species progenere the carnall sinnes put for all kind of sinnes which some resolue into sinnes past present and to come But it is best to keepe our selues vnto the Argument of that storie whereunto this Psalme alludes and then Varietie shall note Adulterie and Murder and Plentie shall consist in the many murders that followed the adultery Vriah was treacherously slaine and that he might be slaine treacherously many others
to the Legall Sacrifice God did testifie it to the corporall Sion and Ierusalem by fire from heauen which consumed the Sacrifice but vnto the spirituall Sion and Ierusalem 1. Chron 7. he doth testifie it by the sensible comfort which by his Spirit he doth infuse into their soules while they are Militant and hee will testifie it more plentifully by the light of his countenance which shall shine vpon them when in the Church Triumphant they shall stand before his Throne Marke here a Correction of that which was said before you heard that Sacrifices and burnt offerings were neither required nor accepted here you find the contrarie And yet not the contrarie for there they bee refused in Casu in a Case wherein no sacrifice was allowed and they be also refused opposite if the Morall be not ioyned with the Ceremonial but here wee haue no such case no such opposition God did accept them vnder the Law as exercises of faith and he will accept the truth of them for euer for that is most agreeable vnto his nature a spirituall seruice to God which is a Spirit And let this suffice for King Dauids first vndertaking I come now to the second his vndertaking for the Kingdome The Kingdome is vnderstood in this word they it referreth to Sion and Ierusalem mentioned in the former verse they that haue the benefit are they that shal make the acknowledgement Before it was Ego the King spake in his owne person I will shew forth thy praise I will teach the wicked c. Now it is Illi my Kingdome Priest and people both shall be as religions as my selfe And indeed the Kingdome as well as the King ought to be thankfull vnto God when God is good to both Dauid vndertaketh for his Kingdome that it shall be very thankfull for they shall offer Bullocks A Bullocke is a faire Embleme of a spirituall Sacrihce for it fignifieth an heyfer that is come to the age of beng fruitfull or it commeth of Parah and yet it hath not borne the yoake nor beene put to any drudgery And such should euery one bee that serueth God he should be fruitfull and not seruile abounding in good workes but not be the slaue of sinne There are two other things to be obserued in this word first it was the fairest of Offirings Secondly it was the fittest for the Offerers Amongst the Sacrifices the fairer were the Beasts and of the beasts the fairest was the Bullocke God commanded no Sacrifice thet was greater then that S. Paul out of Hosea doth moralize this Sacrifice Heb. 13. Hos 19. calling it the Calues of our lippes for by Calues are these Bullocks meant We may adde that seing Bullockes were the greatest of Sacrifices we must thinke that nothing we haue is too good for God and we must make our Offerings of the best The Bullocke was not onely the fairest Offering but the fittetst for these Offerers you shall read Leutt. 3. that whether it were the whole Congregation or the Priest that had offended either of them was to reconcile himselfe to God by the oblation of a Bullocke and seeing they are meant in this place such a Sacrifice doth best beseeme them but that the propitiatorie is turned into a gratulatorie But to whom shall they be thankfull surely to him that doth deserue it to God they shall offer vpon his Altar he that fulfilleth the Desire hath iuterest in the Promise they shall confesse that it is He that doth good to Sion that it is He that butldeth the wals of Ierusalem Secondly note that he saieth not that they will offer vnto him but vpon his Altar the Altar that was erected by his appointment For though it be true that where the Altar was there was God yet it followeth not that where God is there is his Altar God is pleased to confine not onely the substance but the circumstance of our seruice also Deut. 12.33 hee would not bee worshipped euery where The Ceremoniall Altar is gon but the Morall thereof abideth where Christ is thither must we bend our seruice he is the Altar that halloweth our Sacrifice on him and by him must we present it vnto God Againe the Altar doth note that it is not enough for vs priuately to recount Gods blessings we must divulge them publikely though the Heathen had their priuate Altars yet God had none but in a publike place therfore the setuice must needs be publike that is done vpon the Altar Adde the Bullocke and the Altar together and then you shall find that this was Operaria gratitudo the hand should testifie the thankfulnesse of the heart and the Kingdome would be thankfull not in word onely but indeed also And indeed God doth good to Sion and buildeth vp the wals of Ierusalem that they may offer him such Sacrifice To conclude this poynt as Dauid in his owne Vow made Gods praise the vpshot of his promise so doth hee in the Vow of the People And indeed the Church must not desire prosperity otherwise then that God may haue the glory of it God made all things for himselfe and we must subordinate all things vnto him otherwise we substitute the Creature in stead of the Creator and cannot excuse our selues from Idolatry from which Dauid doth free his Kingdome in saying They shall offer at Gods Altar You haue heard of Gods acceptance and the Kingdomes thankfulnesse that these things shall bee performed Dauid vndertakâ—th for both he vndertaketh to each of them for the other for marke how resolutely he speaketh Thou shalt be pleased They shall offer Vox fidei fiduciae hee beleeueth it assuredly and therefore doth confidently affirme it Neither can their be any doubt but if our seruice be the sacrifice of righteousnesse God will accept it for he will neuer refuse what himselfe commanded And it can as little be doubted that the Kingdome will bee thankfull if God doe it that good for it is a speciall effect of Grace to make vs so thankfull so that we may not doubt of either I haue sufficiently opened the Promise vnto you one thing remaineth the circumstance of time when this Promise shall take place it is exprest in this word Then which is set before either of the vndertakings Then shalt thou be pleased Theu shall they offer c. except God fulfill the Desire there is no hope of the Promise but the performance of the Promise will not be farre behind if the Desire bee fulfilled Touching the Ceremonie wee find it in the Dedication of the Temple when many thousands of Bullocks were offered 1. King 8. and God appearing vnto Solomon told him how well he was pleased therewith And touching the morall though in figuratiue termes yet it is fairely set downe Ezek. 20. and Malac 3. you haue it in a short sentence Psal 110. The people shall be willing in the day of thy power Math. 18.20 and the beauties of holinesse And Christ is as briefe
it hath is but as a beame in comparison of the Sunne and but as a drop vnto the Ocean You see what is the singularitie of Gods nature pointed out in the word Lord as it is vsed to note the Hebrew Iehoua Besides this Singularity it noteth also Gods Eternitie And indeed where there is such Singularitie there cannot choose but bee Eternitie the one doth necessarily inferre the other as I could shew you if the Time would permit The Cabalists find Eternitie in the Syllables whereof the Name Iehoua is made they finde a preterperfecttense in the last syllable a present tense in the middle syllable and a future tense in the first Chap. 4. vers 8. This might seeme idle subtilty but that S. Iohn in the Reuelation goeth before vs in so resoluing the name Iehoua telling vs that the Lord is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Reuel Chap 3.6 1. Timoth. 6 16. Chap. 1.17 which was which is and which is io come But to to giue you more plaine proofe of this Eternitie In Malachy God speaketh thus I am the Lord I change not Saint Paul telleth Timothy God only hath immortality Saint Iames with God that is the Father of Lights there is no variablenesse nor shadow of change You see then that there is Singularitie and Eternity in the Nature of God and both are noted by the Name Iehoua or Lord. But as these things are noted when wee looke into the Nature of God so is there another thing noted which is Gods relation to his Creatures And indeed though the name Iehoua seeme not to bee yet is the name Lord apparantly a relatiue word so that what God is in himselfe of that he is a fountaine to his Creatures all things liue moue and haue their being in him and when he sendeth forth his Spirit hee renueth the face of the Earth Yea not onely the dependencie of the Creature vpon him but also the making good of his Word vnto his Creature is implyed in this Name God himselfe teacheth it Exod. 6. where hee telleth Moses that hee had before appeared vnto the Fathers by the name of Shaddai All-sufficient but hee would now appeare in his name Iehoua as a powerfull efficient hee would performe the promise which hee had made vnto the Patriarks To conclude this point Out of that which you haue heard you may gather that the name Lord doth note an euer-liuing and ouerflowing fountain of Blessednes and Perfection The second word is God in the Originall of the Law it is Elohim it it noteth the Trinitie the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost and such a God doth the Church acknowledge and by her acknowledging God for such differeth from those that are without the Church Those without the Church though they haue not reached home yet haue they gone farre in the knowledge of Iehoua in the knowledge of the fountaine of Perfection but by strength of Reason they could neuer finde out the Trinitie some touches we read in Trismegist and the Platonists but it was traditionary Diuinity that brought them to the knowledge thereof and that too very imperfect and corrupt to say nothing that Trismegist is by the learned censured for a counterfeit But the true knowledge of one God in three Persons is a peculiar mystery of the Church the Infidels for want of faith cannot comprehend doe not acknowledge it But this Trinitie may bee considered either ad intra or ad extra as it is in God or as it doth manifest it selfe to man As it manifesteth it selfe vnto man so each Person purteth on another consideration the first of a Father to men the second of a Redeemer and the third of a Sanctifier Although it bee necessary for the truth of our Faith to acknowledge the Trinitie in the first manner yet the Comfort of our faith lieth in the second consideration thereof as will appeare in the third word of my Text whereunto I now come and that is thy the Lord thy God Wherein we must first marke that as there are three persons in God so euerie one of those persons is Ours he that is a Father is our Father he hath adopted Vs and hee that is the Sonne of God hath redeemed Vs to make Vs Gods sonnes and his owne spouse and he that is the Holy Ghost hath sanctified Vs that we may be his holy Temples Secondly we must draw the Name Lord throughout all these persons he that is our Father is the Lord and so is he the Lord that is the Sonne the Holy Ghost is Lord also that is they are all three the ouer flowing Fountaine of blessed prefection and what they are they are it to me for they are all three my God and so their good is mine They are mine by Creation I was made after the Image of God and so are they all three mine they were the sampler according to which I was framed For because God could not be like man man was made like God 1. Tim 2.16 Colos 2.9 that likenesse might be a ground of mutuall loue But much more mine in the Redemption for then God was manifest in the flesh the Godhead dwelt bodily in my nature God became mine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my nature hath possession of his person and is admitted into an association in his workes It is no small prerogatiue then that is intimated in this word thy God I vnderstand now what an honour is done to the Patriarchs when God saith I am the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob what honour is done to Dauids sonne when God saith I will bee his Father this appropriation of God is the greatest prerogatiue vouchsafed vnto the Church I haue opened the Name vnto you out of which you may presently gather Who are excluded from our Loue the Loue that is due to the first Person euen omnes fictitij and factitij dij as well corporall as mentall Idols all that are not capable of this title Iehoua Elohim with whom we are not or at least we should not be in couenant But because hereafter when I come to the Commandement I shall fall vpon this point I will now passe it ouer As such persons are excluded so there is included in the Name a reason of our Loue and we find therein a double reason Exemplum and Meritum Good examples are strong perswasions and men fashion themselues to nothing more willingly then to that wherof they haue a pattern in their betters Now the exactest patterne of Charitie is in the Lord God for there is Vnitie and Trinitie and Trinitie in Vnitie Austin de Triritat l 15. c. 17. alibi and what is that but the two parts of Charitie Vnion and Communion But this is too high a speculation for a vulgar eare The second reason is more popular and that is Meritum this merit is two fold dignitatis and dignationis Dignitatis the merit of Gods owne worth for causa diligendi
that you loue Rom. 13. Chrysost Col. 3. v. 14. 1. Cor. 16.14 which is a debt that semper soluitur nunquam persoluitur Aboue all things let vs seeke after Charitte and let all our things be done in Loue. Yea let vs fall in loue with Loue that so wee may grow therein vntill wee come where it shall be so consummate as that all our life shall be spent in Loue in louing God with all our heart with all our minde with all our soule with all our strength and louing our Neighbour as our selfe THE CONCLVSION OF THE FORMER ARGVMENT DELIVERED IN a Sermon on the twelfth of Saint Marke Verses 32 33 34. And the Scribe said vnto him Well Master thou hast said the truth for there is one God and there is none other but hee And to loue him with all the heart and withall the vnderstanding and with all the soule and with all the strengh and to loue his Neighbour as himselfe is more then all whole burns offerings and Sacrifices And when Iesus saw that hee answered discreetly hee said vnto him thou art not farre from the Kingdome of God And no man after that durst aske him any question OVr Sauiour Christ in the conference which hee had with the Pharisee about the great Commandement Matthew 22. had to doe with a Question and a Questionist The question was good the Questionist was a Tempter therefore he fully yea abundantly resolued the question but he put the Questionist cleane besides his purpose and marred the plâ—t of the Pharisees For they thought either to disgrace or endanger him disgrace him if he were silent or if he did answere to endanger him to those that were of a contrarie opinion But Christ handles the matter so that they sped of neither of these ends for he answeres that they might not disgrace him for ignorance but answers so that he cleane defeats their malice This being but insinuated in Saint Matthew is fully opened by Saint Marke therefore at length to put an end to the Doctrine of the great Commandement whereupon I haue dwelt long I haue chosen these words as the fittest close of that Argument I purpose God willing briefly and plainly to vnfold them vnto you Therein then wee are to obserue Christs discretion in answering and the confusion of his aduersaries by his answere The first point is gathered out of the whole bodie of Christs speech the second out of the euent thereof More distinctly The discretion appeares in that Christ answeres not only secundum veritatem truly but also ad hominem hee fitteth his answere to the Questionist Answeres out of his owne Principles so that he cannot denie it and discouers his sinne that he may be stung with it Touching the confusion of the aduersaries that is double as they were of two sorts For one moued the question the rest plotted it both are confounded but not both alike The confusion of the Questionist is comfortable two wayes comfortable First in regard of his ingenuitie for hee doth acknowledge openly what Christ answeres yea and iustifieth it soundly though with the disgrace of his companions Secondly in regard of the clemencie with which our Sauiour entertaines it First he tooke notice of it he saw that hee answered discreetly Secondly hee encouraged it for hee told the Questionist that hee was not farre from the Kingdome of God Thus was the Questionist confounded His Complices also were confounded but their confusion was damnable for they had no more to say they asked him no more questions not because they were euer a whit the better for our Sauiours answere but because they durst not Their malice was ouer-awed they durst not play the Serpents any longer and set vpon Christ with craft and temptation but from this day forward they turned Lions and put him to a cruell death This is the summe of this Scripture the particulars whereof I will runne ouer againe I pray God it may proue for our instruction and edification First then of Christs Discretion it is gathered out of the bodie of his answere which containes not only a truth but truth fitted to the Questionist fitted two wayes First because it workes vpon his owne Principles for Christ keepeth himselfe to the words of the Law and maketh Moses giue the Scribe an answere Now the Scribe was a Doctor of the Law and Moses authoritie was sacred with him Adde hereunto Christs answere was the Scribes owne Tenent as appeares Luke the tenth Where Christ mouing the question another Scribe answereth the very same words of the Law So that he could not denie Christs answere except hee would contradict himselfe The like discretion in working vpon the Aduersaries Principles doth Christ vse in his dispute with the Sadducees about the Resurrection They are said to haue receiued only the siue Bookes of Moses and out of those Bookes doth Christ make good that Article of Faith Saint Paul imitates Christ arguing against both Iew and Gentile Against the Iewes in the Epistle to the Hebrewes where you may perceiue that he taketh most of his grounds out of the Law Against the Gentiles in the Acts Chap. 14 17. where he seeketh no farther then the Creation and the Prouidence to conuict them of Idolatrie The Fathers in the Primitiue Church tooke the verie same course as appeares by Iustin Martyrs Apologies to the Roman Emperours and his Dialogue with Trypho the Iew. The like might be shewed out of Origen Irenie Tertullian Eusebius and others whether they deale with Infidels or Heretickes they presse them still with their owne principles And so must wee for so shall we conclude most euidently against them and if any way this is most likely to preuaile with them A second branch of Christs Discretion is this that his Answere stings the conscience of the Questionist it layeth his sinne open before his eyes For he was a Tempter and to tempt is a worke of Satan which hath his name from hatred So that Christs answere doth vnmaske the Questionist and shew that although the title of a Pharisee and a Scribe the one for Holinesse the other for Knowledge seeme to make neere approches vnto God yet in that he is a Tempter he will be found farre from him if he be measured by the great Commandement the tenour whereof is nothing but Loue. And such a manner of teaching which closely conueys a good admonition to the heart when it seemes onely to informe the head is verie discreet and hath many worthy precedents But enough of Christ Discretion let vs come now to the Confusion of his aduersaries and first to the comfortable confusion of the Scribe which moued the question wherein wee are first to see his ingenuitie double ingenuitie For first he acknowledgeth that Christ had answered right Well Master thou hast said the truth He acknowledgeth it I say which is not onely to know but to confesse openly what a man doth know Yea he confesseth it before his fellowes at
taught that as this people were to be a seed not only according to the flesh but also according to the promise so were they to enter into the Couenant as persons clothed with this double relation to their Ancestors We haue a double birth one from ours mothers wombe the other from the Churches wombe the latter we claime in right of our parents from whom wee haue the former and we should remember that God expects we should bee as well heires of their Faith as of their Lands and not looke otherwise to haue any interest in his Couenant except we be as well children of Israel as of the house of Iacob Well by this time you reasonably vnderstand who the parties are that enter into the Couenant Now I must shew you that Moses whom before I described was their common Minister It is plaine in the text that hee went vp from the people vnto God that is to the mountaine of God as the seuentie supply adde to the representation of God that was vpon the mountaine for that is meant by the name of God And God sent him downe with a message to the people that is plaine in the text God called him out of the mountaine saying thus shalt thou say to the house of Iacob c. It may be a question whether Moses went vp before God called as some thinke he did to relate the successe of his embassage to Pharaoh and to receiue instructions what manner of worship God would haue done vnto him in that place in performance of the signe which hee gaue to Moses of good successe or to bee farther directed what the people should now doe These may bee thought reasonable inducements to Moses to goe vp vncalled Others thinke that God called before Moses went vp The reason is because hee had before beene checkt for comming too neere when God first appeared there vnto him it is likely therefore say they hee would be more modest and not ascend before he was called therefore they render the text for God had called him But whatsoeuer is to be thought of this question the whole Chapter putteth it out of question that he went betweene them both that he was Gods mouth to the people and the peoples mouth to God and so was as the Apostle calleth him a Mediator Gal. 3. But least we mistake we must obserue that there is a principall and a Ministeriall Mediator S. Ambrose openeth the difference betweene them Tom. 2. p. 3â—â— the briefe of it is Moses was but a figure whereof Christ was the Truth or to speake in the Apostles words Christ was the sonne and Moses was but the seruant to signifie that there is such distance betwixt God and man that they cannot come together without some interuenient person God appointed properly his sonne to be the Mediator but in a type of him hee appointed Moses And there is a perpetuall succession of such mediating persons in the Clergie which doe administer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they informe vs of Gods mind and present the Churches dutie vnto God and though in a much lower degree then Moses yet we must repute them Mediators Ministeriall Mediators otherwise the word cannot bee vsurped without arrogancie by any meere creature I haue done with the common Minister and come now to the first branch of the solemnitie which is the mutuall stipulation mutuall I say this is worth the marking That God would bee pleased to Contract that may Command this is a great grace done to man for so though wee owe all our dutie to him yet for our performance of it he becommeth now a debtor vnto vs. Not only so but also our good deeds haue a double valuation one of Iustice another of Mercie Gods Iustice when it scanneth them findeth them very meane Mercie setteth a higher rate vpon them it esteemeth them not only as a dutie but as a meanes which by Gods ordinance may acquire a reward So is God pleased to grace our dutie for it hath not this estimate ex dignitate operis for any intrinsecall worth but ex dignatione gratiae out of Gods gracious acceptance The Fathers meant no more by the merit of workes and wee should not differ from the Church of Rome about the word merit if they did not racke it farther It is too much pride to challenge the reward of our workes at Gods Iustice which are happie if we may expect it from his Mercie the rather because the little which God requireth and would accept the best of vs doe not performe as wee should wee need a second that we may haue the benefit of his former grace Though the Stipulation be mutuall yet God maketh the first motion and indeed who should begin in such a worke who can thinke himselfe worthy of such a Contract if it were not offered of God especially being in the state of sinne Nay when it is offered we haue good reason to thinke our selues most vnworthy of it 8. Sam 25. Abigail when Dauids seruants told her that hee would take her to wife bowed her selfe on her face to the earth and said Behold let thy handmaid bee a seruant to wash the feet of the seruants of my Lord. And how then should wee abase our selues when an offer is made vs of marriage to the sonne of God Such hopes could neuer enter into our hearts therefore God must needs preuent vs therein we cannot presume that we shall come so neere him except he vouchsafe thus to fauour vs. But let vs come to the Motion and see whereof he doth remember them From the first time that Moses brought them the message that they should bee deliuered out of Egypt they had shewed themselues vntoward people murmuring vpon the least occasion and repenting that they had hearkened to Gods voice and come out of Egypt God doth not challenge them for this though well he might and the best of vs would haue done we would not haue endured so great vnthankfulnesse but God was more patient Before the contract hee did not so much as reproue them much lesse strike them for their murmuring And how often doth God passe in silence our sinnes and winne vs to our owne good with second fauours when he might iustly punish vs with neglect of the former In steed thereof he recounts those things wherein he had alreadie well deserued of them that the remembrance thereof might make them more willing to enter the couenant by vertue whereof God was pleased to deserue of them much better The workes of God whereof they are put in mind are two The first is that which he had done for them and it was a worke of Iustice he had reuenged the wrongs which they had receiued from the Egyptians The Egyptians were of the posteritie of Cham infamous for Idolatrie Quis nescit qualia demens Aegyptus portenta colat so that there was cause enough why God should destroy the Egyptians though they had nothing to doe with the Israelites but
is the swiftnesse of the flight The Eagle flieth very high Prou. 23. Ier 49. whereupon many Prouerbs are grounded in Scripture And this high flight intimateth that the Israelites were carried aboue the reach of their enemies so that they could neither hinder nor hurt them Not that they were lifted vp in the aire but they were as safe as if they had beene because saith the Psalmist thou hast made the Lord the most high thy habitation Psal 91 â— there shall no euill befall thee Certainly the Cloud interposed betweene the Israelites and Egyptians would not suffer them to take any harme And indeed the children of God are very secure except it bee for their good their enemies shall neuer haue their will of them no more then the Egyptians had of the Israelites As the Eagle flieth high so doth hee flie swift also the Scripture groundeth many similies hereupon Iob 9.1 Sam. 1. and giueth vs to vnderstand that from the time that the Egyptians let the Israelites goe which was â—o soone as Moses had performed all the miracles intended of God for plaguing the Egyptians the Israelites had a very quicke passage And indeed it is a wonder that sixe hundred thousand men besides women and children and a rabble of strangers should in one night be readie and get out of their enemies land and that with all their impediments of stuffe and cattle and flockes Neither was it a lesse wonder that in one night they should all passe through the Red Sea and standing on the shoare the next morning see that all their enemies were destroyed Certainly they that made such speed were carried vpon Eagles wings it was a diuine power that conueyed them And how quickly doth God change the face of the world when he is pleased to worke a great deliuerance The Church of Christians is not herein inseriour to the Church of the Israelites For as the Israelites had a Dragon so Pharaoh is called Ezek. 29. from whom they fled euen so haue the Christians Reuel 12. And Eagles wings are there giuen to the woman the type of the Christian Church to slie into the wildernesse as the Israelites vpon Eagles wings were carried into their wildernesse So like is God alwayes to himselfe and the Church alwayes prouided for a like I may not forget the order of these words that worke which was first done is first commemorated and that which was last done is commemorated in the last place And why though God for sinne doth otherwise punish the wicked yet in this world he doth it commonly that hee may free his Church But I toucht at this before therefore I will passe it ouer and come to the end of both workes God brought them to himselfe And this is a greater blessing then that he carried them on Eagles wings that shewed a deliuerance from euill this a bestowing of good The Eagle doth sometimes carrie her young ones only from a dangerous vnto a safer nest sometimes shee rouseth them out of their sloth and directs them where they may find their prey Euen so dealeth God with his children hee freeth them from danger Luke 1. and bringeth them to comfort Hee bringeth them to himselfe to his seruice saith the one Chaldie Paraphrase to the doctrine of his Law saith another and indeed we are deliuered from our enemies that wee may serue God and liue according to his Lawes If there were no more in it it is a great comfort so to be imployed But there is more in it I told you that the end was a Couenant of wedlocke so that to my selfe is as much as to be appropriated vnto me and to be my Spouse to bee the Mother of my children and beare inheritors of the Kingdome of Heauen Any way to come neere God is a great honour but to come so neere and become so deare is more grace then mans heart can conceiue or his tongue vtter But the two next Sermons will bee spent for the most part in amplifying this therefore I will speake no more of it at this time You haue heard of both the workes One point remayneth which I will touch in a word Both these workes are vndeniable the proofe is Vos vidistis I appeale to your eyes whether I speake not a truth and your fresh experience doth iustifie my words Rationall proofes satisfie much but not so much as sensitiue therefore the intuitiue knowledge that Angels haue is farre more excellent then our discursiue and what is our hope but that our faith shall be turned into sight Neither doth sight worke so vpon our head only but vpon our heart also Segnius irritant animos dimissa per aures Quam quae sunt oculis commissa fidelibus had God done these things and they had only heard of them they would haue beene moued with them much lesse the more vndoubted their knowledge the more strong should their affections be Finally obserue that Vos vidistis you haue seene is referred not only to the worke of Mercie but also to that of Iustice wherein God doth condescend to an affection that is predominant in vs. It doth adde not a little to the content we take in our better estate if we see withall our enemies brought into our worser Psal 58. When the righteous seeth the vengeance he will reioyce and wash his feet in the bloud of the wicked Mal. 1. Your eyes saith God to the Iewes shall see the desolation of Edom and you shall say the Lord will be magnified from the border of Israel Luke 16. Lazarus in Abrahams bosome to his greater comfort seeth Diues burning in Hell Esay 66. And after the last judgement the Saints shall goe forth and see the carcasses of them that haue transgrest against God This doth not commend 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but allowes congratulating of Gods iudgements To conclude These two workes serue to worke two affections which sway much in the ordering of our life Feare and Loue. In the worke of Iustice you see that God is almightie there is no striuing with him hee that will not relent with repentance shall bee grinded with his vengeance In the worke of Mercie you see that God is bountifull Let vs not bee vnthankfull but let vs repay Loue with Loue. In a word seeing euery day God doth present such spectacles before our eyes God grant wee bee not like the Israelites of whom Moses complayneth that they were as if they had no eyes RAther he giue vs grace to make such vse of our eyes in beholding his workes that his Feare and his Loue may euer liue in our hearts So may hee euer manifest his Iustice for vs his Goodnesse to vs vntill hauing deliuered vs from all our enemies here on earth hee bring vs to himselfe to liue with him blessed for euer in Heauen AMEN The third Sermon EXODVS 19. VERS 5 6. Now therefore if yee will obey my voice indeed and keepe my Couenant then shall yee
be a peculiar treasure vnto me aboue all people for all the earth is mine And yee shall be vnto me a Kingdome of Priests and an holy Nation These are the words which thou shalt speake vnto the children of Israel IN the motion which God by Moses maketh vnto the Israelites I told you that there are two points considerable the first is whereof God doth remember them the second vpon what termes God will contract with them I haue handled the former I come now to the later wherein you shall see first what God requires then what he offers both points are to bee handled first seuerally and then ioyntly That which God requires is Obedience and Fidelitie Obedience They must heare Gods voice Fidelitie they must keepe Gods Couenant that which God doth promise is a plentifull reward which is set forth first Comparaetiuely then Absolutely Comparatiuely it is a gracious prerogatiue for they shall be a peculiar treasure to God aboue all People and this prerogatiue is gracious because all the world is Gods Absolutely it is set forth in regard of Eminencie and Sanctitie Eminencie for they shall be vnto God a King dome of Priests Sanctitie for they shall be vnto him an holy Nation Hauing considered these points seuerally wee must consider them ioyntly also wee must see how that which God doth offer depends vpon that which God doth require Gods blessings are promised vpon condition of our duties Now therefore if ye will obey c. Then shall ye be c. This is the substance of the whole passage whereof I meane to handle at this time only the first branch whereunto that wee may all learne to conforme let vs in the feare of God listen to the particulars thereof as they shall now be vnsolded briefly and in their order First then of the Obedience Israel must heare Gods voice I need not in many words obserue vnto you that God being a Spirit hath properly no corporall voice such as wee haue but yet by his almightie power hee can at his pleasure create voices and by them reueale his word vnto men or else if he dâ—e not create a new voice he can by his inspired seruants deliuer his minde But to make this point a little plainer Gods voice is either direct or reflected Direct is that which he doth immediately vtter vnto men such was that voice wherein God deliuered the Decalogue in Mount Sinai a terrible voice and wonderfull wonderfull in that it was heard of so many hundred thousand at one instant terrible for it did so affright them that they desired to heare it no more Moses in Deutronomie doth not only describe but remember also the Israelites of this voice and it is this voice that is principally vnderstood in this place Besides this direct there is a reflected voice of God wherein God maketh himselfe knowne to some particular persons with whom he talketh face to face as hee did to Moses and by them maketh his will knowne to the whole Church this reflected voice was vsed by God because the people could not indure to heare the direct they did deprecate the hearing of that and God condescended to their desire and from that time forward spake vnto them first by Moses and then by other men But this reflected voice hath a reflection also as there may be an echo of an echo and so the Priests that receiued the Law from Moses and the Prophets and reade it to the people and the Pastors that receiue the Gospell from Christ and his Apostles and preach it to the world are Gods voices of them all Christs saying is true Hee that heareth you heareth me and he that heareth me heareth him that seut me The voice then must not be restrained to the direct it must bee extended to the reflected also to the primarie and to the secondarie so long as all three agree in one and the later doth represent the former and so by consequent all the Scripture is Gods voice and they are Gods voices vnto vs that are sincere Preachers of the Scripture which now is the summarie of Gods Word for other voice of God wee must now acknowledge none but leaue the Romanists and Enthusiastes to be deluded with their counterfeit Echoes and imaginarie Voices Hauing shewed you what is meant by the voice I must now shew you what it is to heare Of hearing then there are two sorts a physicall and a morall a man is defined to be animal rationale a liuing creature endued with reason now if he heare only as a liuing creature that hearing is common to him with beasts which hauing sense are apt to apprehend sounds and be moued with them but a man in hearing must doe more hee must heare not only as animal but also as rationale his sense must be but as a gate to conuey the Voice vnto his reason and then must the Voice worke vpon his reasonable powers his vnderstanding and his will it must informe his vnderstanding and he must assent to it and it must perswade his Will and Affections and he must also submit to it otherwise hee doth not heare as a reasonable creature though as a liuing creature hee doth heare well may his action be Physicall morall it cannot be But euen Morall hearing is of two sorts Philosophicall or Theologicall philosophicall I call that which goeth no farther then naturall reason can carrie vs and so if we heare the Voice of God the contents thereof will be no better then folly to our blind vnderstanding which scanneth them 1. Cor. â— Rom. 1. or we shall proue our selues fooles when wee draw our conclusions out of them And as for our Will and Affections they will be enmitie to them and that our sinfulnesse may appeare more sinfull by them we will bee more exasperated to set our selues against God Rom. 7 Mans reason is vnreasonable in hearing Gods voice which otherwise in hearing mans voice sheweth it selfe very reasonable witnesse the many examples of Philosophers Eagle-eyed in humane literature but Owle-eyed when they read the Scripture such were Porphyrie Gallen and others There is then an other Morall hearing which is Theologicall When God saith Ephata to a mans eares as Christ did to the deafe man in the Gospell when God doth circumcise mens eares as the Law speaketh when God doth open mens eares to heare as the Learned when our hearing is tempered with Faith and wee rest vndoubtedly resolued of Gods truth in regard of our vnderstanding and in regard of our Will the word of God is sweeter vnto vs then Honie and the Honie combe more to be desired then Gold yea then much fine Gold Psal 19.10 then we heare Theologically we doe audiendo audire heare indeed or as it is rendred we doe obey Gods voice wee are such hearers as are doers of Gods word Psal 10 6. And this was excellently figured in the boaring of the seruants eare who in the Sabaticall yeere would not take
his libertie out of the Loue hee bare to his Master and his Wife and Children Christ in his owne person maketh the allusion and we may accommodate it to our owne persons In a word a man doth heare Theologically when the Law which is perfect conuerteth his Soule the testimonie of the Lord that is sure Psal 19. maketh him wise of simple the statutes of the Lord that are right reioyce his heart and the commandement of the Lord that is pure doth illighten his eyes so that this hearing-eare is of God Deut 29. as also the Voice is and therefore Moses tels the Israelites that God hath not giuen them eares to heare and Christ in the Gospell saith qui habet aures ad audiendum audiat for vobis datum est it is not to euery body giuen to heare but of them to whom it is giuen Christ hath pronounced Blesse are the eares that heare that which you heare Hauing heard what the Voice is and what it is to Heare we must now ioyne them together and indeed speaking is for hearing in ciuill societie neither would God euer haue giuen men tongues if hee had not giuen them eares And if for this life hee so prouideth how much more doth he prouide so for the life to come Surely S. Paul saith that he receiued grace and apostleship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom 1 5. 1. Thes 2 13. that men might heare him with faith and he calleth the word of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word of hearing that is a word which must be heard Esay goeth a step farther and calleth the word of God Cap 53 1. Rom 10 16. Schemugnah Saint Paul rendreth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hearing who hath belieued our hearing So it is in the originall the meaning is who hath belieued the word that we Preach to the end that men might heare it The word of God is still to sound in mens eares and men are still to heare the sound thereof How iniurious then is the Romane discipline Luke 11. Matth. 23. which like the Iewish Lawyers takes away from people the Key of knowledge and shut vp the kingdome of heauen against men Which heretofore made it a mortall sinne to read Gods word And now clogs the libertie it grants with such cautions that very few especially of those that are with in the reach of the Inquisition dare bee acquainted with it yea and those clogs content not but now it is thought fitter vtterly to denie libertie As such teachers are iniurious so are there some schollars impious that may but will not heare whether out of contempt or neglect they are impious murtherers of their owne Soules for this Voice onely is the Voice of life and it quickneth by the eare although wee must not so limit the conueiance thereof by the corporall eare that wee exclude the eye for our eye also since Gods word is written by reading may conuey Gods Voice vnto the eare of our Soule and men by this second meanes are not a little edified in Gods truth the Fathers especially Chrysostome doth commend reading earnestly to the people yea the Law hath commanded it long since when it willed the Iewes to write the Law vpon their doore posts certainely the Iewes euen at this day inure their children to a daily reading of the Law so soone as they come to yeeres of discretion and it were to be wisht that Christians did imitate them therein But marke that as the Israelites must heare Gods Voice so they must heare it absolutely for God doth not yet acquaint them with the contents of his Voice he speaketh indifinitely hee requires obedience not to this or that Commandement not to this or that Article of faith but to whatsoeuer he shall purpose And well may God require such obedience for he is first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Truth of himselfe yea Truth it selfe so that a man need not feare that at any time or in any thing God can bee deceiued or will deceiue vs neither can agree with the Omniscience and Holinesse of his nature Secondly God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Almightie and the soueraigne commander of man so that his word is not onely Truth but a Law where the word of this King goeth there goeth power it admitteth no disputing no resisting As he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Truth so we may safely captiuate our wits vnto his wisedome as he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so we must dutifully submit our wils vnto his commands vpon these two foundations are built our absolute obedience vnto Gods indefinite Voice The word my voice is a word of limitation Ioh. 10. Christs sheepe heare his voice the voice of a stranger they will not heare Gods voice must bee reputed obiectum adaequatum of his people hearing wee must neither stretch nor shrinke it neither adde thereto nor take there-from These two Attributes of Truth and Power are so proper vnto God that they are not communicable to any creature Omnis homo mendax Psal 116. euerie man may deceiue or be deceiued and Omne sub regno graniore regnum est the greatest Soueraignes vnto men are subiect vnto God therefore mens words must be tried before they must be belieued wee must not credit all their words and we must yeeld obedience vnto men no farther then may stand with our obedience to God This must be obserued because the glorie that is due onely to God is too often communicated to men so Disciples take their masters instructions as Diuine oracles and follow them in errour out of a preconceipt that they are not men likely to erre But Saint Pauls rule is Omnia probate 1. Thes 5 1. Iob. 4. quod bonum est tenete proue all things but hold that which is best and Saint Iohn trie the spirits whether they be of God or no for many false Prophets are gone out into the world Amicus Plato magis amica veritas we must neuer dote so vpon any man as to forget that he is a man that is a creature subiect vnto errour If this caution had beene obserued and the Disciples had in all ages examined their masters Doctrine by his word that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neither should the Church heretofore haue beene neither would it now be pestered with those many Sects that dictract the same As Disciples haue their caution so haue Subiects also they must dutifully obey their superiours but alwayes with a sauing sauing the Allegiance which they owe vnto the Superiour of Superiours that is vnto God so long as there is no contradiction betweene the commandements of God and superiour men subiects must obey though the obedience be vnsauorie and the command rigid but so soone as there appeares a contradiction endure they must patiently the Sanction of the Law but perform the Precept they must not Were this caution obserued by Subiects did they consider the subordination of all earthly Powers to the power of
God many enormous sinnes had neuer beene committed neither would the people so familiarly shift their Religion at the becke of their superiour But aboue all vsurpations of Gods glorie in this kind take notice of the Votiue blind obedience of the Religious Romanists especially of the Iesuites they make it a part of their solemne profession and put it in practise impiously and mischieuously as the world hath palpaple and woful proofe True it is that they pretend good limitations set to their Vow as that the superiour must not be obeyed against Gods Law and the law of Nature but while they make the superiour the interpreter of both these Lawes and that they must rest in their superiours Voice as in the Voice of Christ what they abhorre in words that they commit in deeds they commit many things both against the Law of God and nature And in generall all Papists that hold the Popes infallabilitie taking from him the resolution of our faith and manners how doe they serue God against Gods will and massacre Gods seruants out of an erroneous zeale for Gods glorie Let the conclusion then of this point be that no man may dispute or resist any voice of God but withall he doth challenge Gods Truth and his Power and whosoeuer requires absolute credit and obedience to all his words he vsurpes Gods Attributes which are incommunicable that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vnerring Truth and Vncontrowable Power And so haue you the first of those things which God doth require which is Obedience The second followeth which is Fidelitie Israel must keepe the Couenant of God a Couenant is a solemne contract made betweene diuers persons and Gods Couenant is the contract that is made betweene him and his Church in those termes I will bee your God and you shall be my people But of Couenants there are two sorts Foedus aequum and Faedus iniquum as the Ciuilians speake Foedus aequum is that which is made betweene persons that are of equall ranke whereof one is not superiour to the other Foedus iniquum is that which is made betweene persons that are impari iure of vnequall ranke whereof the one is superiour to the other When we speake of Gods Couenant made with man wee must not conceiue that that the persons are equall they are very vnequall there is no proportion betweene them neither can there be betweene an infinite and a finite person this must be obserued in the very first Couenant that euer God made the Couenant of the Creation for then the Persons differed as the Creator and Creature there was oddes betweene them Secondly as there may bee oddes betweene the persons that enter into a Couenant so there may haue beene before they enter into the Couenant no enmitie or no great enmitie betweene them Nations that neuer were at warre may enter into Couenant one to strengthen himselfe by the other or one to haue the freer commerce with the other but oftentimes it fals out that Leagues put an end vnto quarrels and Couenants are the securitie of a reconciliation and open the intercourse of mutuall good offices which war shut vp Though the Couenant of the Creation had no precedent enmitie yet that of the Redemption had and therefore it is called not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Couenant but also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Reconciliation when we were enemies Christ died for vs and by his bloud was the New Testament ratified Thirdly the Couenant primarily here meant is the Decalogue on those Ten Words did God make a Couenant with Israel and the Tables wherein they were written were called the Tables of the Couenant 1 eut 9 11. the Arke wherein the Tables were put is called the Arke of the Couenant 1. Reg 8.1 and the Tabernacle wherein the Arke was was called the Tabernacle of the Couenant But this Couenant of the Decalogue hath a double consideration whereof the one is Intrinsicall the other is Extrinsicall the Intrinsicall is that which looketh to the naturall power of the Law which is to discouer sinne to conuict a sinner and to doome him according to his desert the Extrinsicall consideration is that which looketh to the supernaturall power of the Law and that is to be a Schoolemaster to bring vs vnto Christ who is the end of the Law and came to fulfill it To shadow this double consideration the Decalogue was cloathed with the Ceremoniall Law wherein the offerer imposing hands vpon the Sacrifice did confesse himselfe guiltie and the slaying of the Beast shewed the desert of a sinner thus there appeared what is the naturall power of the Law The supernaturall power also appeared in the ceremonies in that the offerer vnburthened himselfe vpon the Sacrifice as a sinner doth vpon our Sauiour Christ and that by the death of the beast the offerer was exempted from death as men are deliuered from death by the death and passion of our Sauiour Christ Wherefore though the Couenant of the Redemption bee but one yet in regard of the shadow it is called the Old and in regard of the substance the New You haue seene what is the Couenant of God you must now learne what it is to keepe it First wee must learne to obserue our distance though God doe vs the honour to contract with vs yet must not we presume to equall our selues to God for so shall wee betray our ignorance that we know not of what kind the Couenant is we must therefore discerne the inequalitie of the Persons that haue contracted and wee must confesse how low God hath descended that hath vouchsafed to take vs into so neere a reference As in keeping the Couenant wee must obserue our distance so must we not be vnmindfull of the danger which we haue escaped thereby he that considereth not that he stood at Gods mercie when hee was receiued to grace that he was by merit a firebrand of Hell when by mercie he was designed to be a Saint in Heauen cannot as he ought keepe the Couenant of God Now the Decalogue wherein this Couenant standeth hath a double consideration therefore he that will keepe Gods Couenant must make vse of both First he must make vse of the Intrinsecall consideration and of euery branch thereof by the Law commeth the knowledge of sinne therefore that he may haue a true iudgemement of the nature differences and degrees of sinnes he must be well conuersant in the Decalogue he must not trust to Morall Philosophie to Ciuill Constitutions and Customes to Pharisaicall or Papisticall Traditions these are but imperfect guides in such inquiries Only Gods Couenant can tell what is and what is not finne Moses is the best Casuist Secondly he must often suruey himselfe at this glasse of the Law and there find the excesses and defects of his life no other thing can represent them so truly as this will doe this Glasse will neither flatter nor deforme vs our consciences
he is entitled he hath none except he partake of the same grace that was in the Patriarke These two must concurre they cannot bee seuered without danger danger not to the Couenant for God will be true though all the World be lyars Rom 3 4. but vnto so many as were gracelesse Iewes although they vaunted that they were Abrahams seede yet were they neuer to come into Abrahams bosome Wherefore seeing the Iewes did diuorce these things which God would haue conioyned Saint Iohn aduiseth them to correct this errour and to begin to tread Abrahams steps least otherwise they be nothing the better for being Abrahams sonnes So then the Baptists exhortation hath two parts the first teacheth what these Iewes ought to intend the second vpon what they may not stand That which they ought to intend is Penitencie that whervpon they may not stand is their Pedigree at this time only of the former That which the Iewes ought to intend is exprest in these words Bring forth therfore fruits worthy of repentance wherin we are to obserue first the Inference then the Argument The Inference S. Iohn gathereth this counsell out of his former reproofe and wisheth them to take a better course because they were in so bad a case this is the force of the particle therefore In the argument we haue the workes and an answerablenesse that must be betweene them the workes are two Gods and mans God giueth Repentance which man must imploy in bringing forth fruites The answerablenesse is Mans worke must keepe good correspondencie with Gods Men must bring forth fruites such as are worthy of repentance Of these points briefly and in their order I begin with the Inference Although in the fits and heate of our passions it seeme otherwise yet is it a grounded truth that there is no man except he be giuen ouer to a reprobate sense which doth not naturally abhor to be either wicked or a wretch You may perceiue it by his iudgement in cold bloud And â—o peccanti oâ—endere mala suâ— vitia si non excidero inhibeho Seneca Epist 40 certainely reason doth acknowledge this to be so true that Seneca thought one of the best meanes to reclaime a man that goeth a stray was to set his case before him though I shall little please saith hee yet I will bee bold to let him that erreth know his fault for it is likely that thereupon if hee doe not presently turne Tunc melius proteruns coriqimus c Greâ— Mag in astor yet hee will at least make a stand Gregorie the great a better Authour speaketh in the voice of Religion we cannot take a better course to reclaime vntoward natures then if wee shew them how ill they doe when they suppose they doe well and turne their vaine glorie into a profitable shame The holy Ghost master both of reason and Religion is the guide vnto them both For in the Scriptures wee find that the Prophets seldome shew what God requires before they haue shewed the Iewes what they want they preface the doctrine of that which they should be with a former doctrine of that which they were the instances are euerie where to bee found I will alleadge some few God himselfe when he dealeth with Adam after his fall beginneth with Where art thou The fathers Commentarie is not vnfit Non modo vbi loci sed vbi conditionis God demandeth of him not onely in what place but in what case he was Surely their Commentary is made probable by Adams answere for Adam doth answere as well in what case I was naked as in what place he was I hid my selfe Wisedome in the first of the Prouerbes dealeth thus plainely with men How long yee simple ones will yee loue simplicitie and yee scorners delight in scorning Our Sauiour Christ vseth the same method in his Epistle vnto the Church of Laodicea 〈◊〉 3. Thou art wretched and miserable and poore and blind and naked Thus they all set before their eyes with whom they deale as Saint Iohn Baptist doth their poore and wofull case But they rest not therein but proceed from the reproose vnto the remedy as S. Iohn Baptist doth least other wise they should seeme rather to reproach then to reproue to insult vpon them rather then to correct them Nemo prudens punti quod peccatum sit sed ne peccetur It is not so much as good Policie much lesse Pietie to punish because men haue offended they should rather prouide by punishments that they offend no more and therfore are chastisments called corrections because they are not so much afflictions for as preuentions from committing sinne Now reproofes are Verball punishments therefore they must imitate them so shew a disease as that withall they prescribe the cure thereof 1. Sam 2.6 imitating God who as Anno speaketh killeth and maketh aliue againe Certainely he which asked Adam where are thou Relieued him againe with the seed of the woman shall bruise the Serpents head and Wisedome that began with How long will yee fooles delight in folly c. concludeth with Turne you at my reproofe I will powre out of my spirit vpon you I will make knowne my words vnto you And our Sauiour Christ least he should seeme to vpbraid the Laodiceans offereth them a present supplie of gold of rayment of eye-salue Rnuel 3. of whatsoeuer they did want Certainely if so be we adde the meanes how they may recouer whom we reproue we are most likely to speed of their amendment for the remedie prescribed is an euidence that the reproofe proceeded from Loue and the reprehender may say with S. Paul 1. Cor 4 I wrote not these things to shame you but as my beloued I warne you and Loue is so necessarie in reproofe that Saint Austin is of opinion That no man should reproue except he first strictly examine his conscience whether hee doe it out of Loue I adde that this Loue must bee made euident by the care that we shew of the reproueds good The reason is plaine for although the inborne principles before specified I meane our naturall desire of goodnesse and happinesse make vs capable in our worst case of good counsell yet whether the counsell that is giuen vs be for our good wee argue oftner from the person then from the things and our iealousie of the person is a preiudice to his words and stoppeth vs from deliberating vpon the truth of his reproofe whereas on the contrarie side the Loue of the person doth open our eares and be his words neuer so tart they sinke downe into our soule and our most stubbourne affections are contented to bee wrought by them Let the righteous reproue me saith the Psalmist and it shall be a precious balme and Saint Austin Loue me and say what thou wilt let it appeare that they meane our good and it shall not grieue vs if we be blamed so much as wee deserue I note this the
of wrath Repentance should be vsed while we may sinne for then it will be fruitfull and medicinall because we leaue sinne before sinne leaueth vs but if we will then vse Repentance when we can sinne no more our Repentance will be vnfruitfull and only penall And indeed they which will not vse Repentance in this World fruitfully shall will they nill they repent in the World to come but it will be vnfruitfully they will not weepe here for their sinnes but in Hell they shall both weepe and gnash their teeth they will not here manicle and fetter their lusts but there they shall be bound both hands and feet they will not here purge their stubble and drosse with the fire of Gods Spirit therefore hereafter they shall burne and their drosse their chaffe shall be endlesse fuell of the flames of Hell O then let mee weepe let mee repent out of the loue and with the comfort of Iesus Christ that hereafter I be not driuen to repent out of feare and with the paine of the fire of Hell The conclusion of all is God by the sight of our euill moueth vs to a desire of our good when he preuenteth vs with his grace we must take care that we receiue not his grace in vaine and this shall we doe if we disparage not our heauenly Conuersion with an earthly Conuersation LOrd graft in thy Preachers such Charitie that they may aime wisely at their hearers good and increase in their hearers that desire of goodnesse and happinesse which may make them capable of wholsome counsell So shall the dew of Heauen worke fotnesse in the Earth and wee shall all grow in thy Church as trees loaden with abundance of fruit when wee sinne wee shall repent and we shall repent also that we may not sinne vntill the Haruest day come when thou shalt haue reaped all the fruits thou requirest of vs in this state of Grace and we shall begin to reape those fruits which thou hast premised vnto vs in the state of Glorie Amen The fourth Sermon LVKE 3. VERSE 8. And beginne not to say within your selues we haue Abraham to our father for I say vnto you that God is able of these stones to raise vp children vnto Abraham OF the remedy of their Heart which came to Saint Iohn Baptist I haue already spoken the next point is the remedy of their Heads which taketh vp the remainder of the Text. In applying this remedy the Baptist doth first open then correct their errour hee openeth it in their obiection and in his owne answere doth correct it their errour was this vaunt We haue Abraham to our Father this they obiected against the first part of Iohn Baptists Sermon But the words are ellipticall they include more then they expresse you may gather it out of the Baptists answere which is the rust measure of their obiection for what he correcteth in that they erred Now he correcteth in their obiection Ignorance and Arrogancie both double double Ignorance double Arrogancie double Ignorance for they first maine secondly misplace the truth They maime it in that not knowing how much was requisite to the making vp of a child of Abraham their words meant that they were wholly his whereas they were his but in part and that too the worst part Saint Iohn correcteth this he forbiddeth their claime say not we haue Abraham to our father you haue nothing in you worthy of so honorable a title As they did maime the truth through ignorance so did they also through ignorance misplace it they did misplace it in beginning their defence at this claime For although there bee comfort in being any wayes a child of Abraham yet the triall of our comfort must begin at our resemblance of not our allyance vnto Abraham therefore Saint Iohn that corrected their defect in matter correcteth also their defect in order Begin not to say let not this be the entrance to your Apologie Hauing thus corrected their Ignorance hee goeth on and correcteth their Arrogancie Arrogancie is the child of Ignorance of the good things which we thinke we haue the lesse we know the more we crake certainely the Iewes did they were doubly arrogant first they did appropriate Abrahams family vnto them selues As they thought them selues to bee wholy his so they thought none his but themselues onely they held all other Nations vile the Iewes onely to be noble And this first branch of Arrogancie sprang from the first branch of their Ignorance for indeed as they were children of Abraham so none were children but they Saint Iohn correcteth this Arrogancie and telleth them that there is no impediment in Gods power but Abraham may haue yea there is faire euidence in Gods Couenant that Abraham shall haue other children seeme they neuer so vnlikely to become children not onely besides them which is enough to take downe their pride but also which striketh them to the very heart insteed of them though they all faile this Saint â—ohn meaneth when he saith that God is able euen of these stones to raise vp children vnto Abraham The second branch of their Arrogancie is their scoffing at Gods Iudgements as if We haue Abraham to our father were armour of proofe against them and they needed no buckler but their pedigree This second Arrogancie springeth from their second Ignorance for where they begin their defence vpon that they stand and thinke their needeth no more prouision against the wrath to come so they put it off as if liued they neuer so inordinately it did nothing concerne them This Saint Iohn correcteth hee telleth them that they are not so in the Couenant but they may be cast out that they must haue some worth of their owne besides that of their fathers otherwise they must looke for and that shortly a totall a finall eradication Now is the Axe layed to the roote of the tree You see what particulars remaine vnhandled of these by Gods affistance and your Christian patience I will now touch at so many as the time will permit And first because no defect nor excesse and such are the Iewes Ignorance and Arrogance the on detracting from the other adding to the truth can bee knowne without the meane which is their measure in reference whereunto we iudge of them the truth of Abrahams fatherhood must first be opened and we must see what grace God vouchsafed him that thereby we may conceiue the vprightnesse of the Baptists censure I will not fall into the common place of Abrahams praise the large Texts which the Scripture doth yeeld thereof hath found most eloquent most aboundant commentaries there is scarse a Iew or Christian Greeke or Latine Father that doth not write of him and make a Panegyricke of his worth I will cull out of them so much as will illighten my text And the first thing that I obserue is that there were Patriarkes before him and Patriarkes that came after him yet none left behind them so honourable a name
from the eternity that was before the world beganne for it looketh as farre backe as his eternall Generation vnto the eternity that shall be after this world shall cease to be for it looketh as farre forward as his Glorification Yea whereas Christus is either Naturalis or Mysticus considered alone in himselfe or ioyntly with his Church lo here are both both are clearely reuealed vnto vs. So that what is there that you would desire to see in Christ that you may not see in this Text See it no doubt you doe but yet not so fully as I wish Wherefore let me point more distinctly at the meaning of my Text and follow mee I beseech you with a religious eye and a diligent view thereof The whole Text doth breake it selfe into two parts a Doctrine and a Warrant thereof The Doctrine openeth the Person and the State of Christ and of both these it deliuereth the substance and the eminencie I begin at the substance of the Person Wherein first wee are to see the Natures wherein this Person subsisteth The nature of Man noted by the Childe The nature of God noted by the Sonne Though the later Iewes in hatred of Christ whom they will not haue to bee their Messias mis-apply these words to Ezechias who was indeed a Type of Christ Esay 32. yet not the Truth it selfe notwithstanding the ancienter Iewes not only the Christian Fathers refer them to the Messias as may bee gathered out of the Septuagint and Caldee Paraphrase The Child then and the Sonne are plaine but they are solemne words The holy Ghost is not curious in paraphrasing them or setting limitations to them such as happely might make his meaning more apparant and let vs know what Child what Sonne he meaneth because these words were more frequent in the mouthes of the Iewes by them did they ordinarily note their Messias from the fall of Adam were they vsed to these Phrases In Paradise Christ was called The seed of the Woman which is but the Periphrasis of a Child Iacob speakes of Shilo which should come from Iuda and come when the Scepter and Law-giuer were both gone Acts 15. This appeares to be meant of Christ who as St. Iames obserues out of Amos came to repaire the Tabernacle of Dauid which was quite fallen downe Touching the Sonne most liuely is the Prophecie made to King Dauid 2 Sam. 7. concerning this seed of whom God said He shall be my Sonne and I will be his Father St. Paul Heb. 1. applies this vnto Christ it must bee vnderstood of him as likewise that place Psal 2. Thou art my Sonne this day haue I begotten thee St. Luke Chap. 3. fetcheth his Pedigree from Adam from God The Gospell calleth him The Sonne of Dauid and the Sonne of the Highest I need adde no more places This you must obserue that by the Child by the Sonne the Old Testament the New Testament warrant vs to vnderstand Christ who was vsually called The Child The Sonne These are solemne words As they are solemne so are they necessary also the Child was not enough neyther was the Sonne enough in our case Supposing Gods decree wee must haue a Person apt and able The Child was apt but hee was not able the Sonne able but not apt Put them both together and then you haue ability and aptnesse to worke the Redemption of man There is aptnesse in the Child to obey to suffer to vndergoe whatsoeuer cannot beseeme the Sonne But that he may do and suffer meritoriously acceptably the Child must be inabled by the Sonne from the Sonne must the Child receiue both strength and worth Therefore wee haue both a Child and a Sonne and if not both none no Sauiour for neyther could alone suffice As the words are solemne and necessary so are they strange It is strange the Sonne of such infinitencsse the Child of such finitenesse the Sonne of such glory the Child of such meanenesse the Sonne of such power the Child of such weakenesse should come so neere together as to make one Person a deified Man And because strange therefore many haue stumbled at them some at the Sonne some at the Child seuerally considered some at them both considered ioyntly The Arrians they set vpon the Sonne the Godhead of Christ and would haue him a creatitious God or at the best but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Against them the first Councell of Nice was assembled and defined that Christ was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 truly God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the same substance with his Father God of God as it is in the Creed light of light very God of very God begotten of his Father before all worlds When they were quelled the Apollinarists set vpon the Child and pared away the best part of the Manhood of Christ They granted Christs Godhead and so much of his Manhood as concerned a Body but a reasonable soule they would not grant him they thought that his Godhead supplyed that The Vnderstanding and the Will of Man is not requisite say they seeing both are found in God Against them was assembled the Councell of Constantinople which defined that Christ was not only perfect God but perfect Man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of a reasonable soule and humane flesh subsisting as it is in Athanasius Creed And miserable were our case if their definition were not true Damascene his Rule might strike a terrour into vs Quod non est assumptum non est curatum And what shall become of man if the better part of man nay that which onely maketh a man for Forma dat nomen esse be not saued by Christ When these Heresies were stopped which set vpon the parts of Christs Person seuerally then began those which set vpon them ioyntly Nestorius hee acknowledged the truth of the Godhead and fulnesse of the Manhood but he brooked not that Vnion of these two in one person without which Christ could be no Redeemer A friendly and louing association and cohabitation he would haue of two Persons The Child of Marie and The Sonne of God but hee would not endure that both should be accounted but one Person or that the Virgin Marie should bee called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Mother of God expresly crossing the saying of the Angel That holy thing that shall be borne of thee shall be called the Sonne of God Yea razing the comfort of many passages of Scripture which by a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Fathers call it not reall but verball whereof there is no other foundation but this personall Vnion doe attribute to the Child in Concreto that which springeth from the Sonne and to the Son in Concreto that which springeth from the Child As for example No man saith Christ ascendeth into Heauen but hee which descendeth from Heauen euen the Sonne of Man which is in Heauen Take away the personall Vnion this speech cannot be true For the sonne of Man was not in Heauen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not in the nature of man but in the nature of God hypostatically vnited vnto man In the twentieth of the Acts God is said with his owne blood to redeeme his Church An impossible thing were it not for the personall Vnion which maketh that to be ascribed vnto God in Concreto which indeed belongs vnto Man But the reason of the Phrase is God is one with Man Yea all the nature of merit is founded in this Vnion Loose the vnion and ouerthrow the merit For the ability of the Sonne closeth not with that aptnesse which before you heard of in the Child to performe the blessed Act of Redemption but by this meanes of personall Vnion Against so pestilent an Heresie was assembled the Councell of Ephesus that defined that God and Man made but one Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that the nature of man assumed by the Son of God was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it had no personality but that which before was in the Sonne And the Reason of it is very cleare For seeing Christ came to saue not any one person but the seed of Abraham as the Apostle speaketh Heb. 2. he was to assume not a person but the nature of Man that so he might be the common Sauiour of Mankinde Nestorius being put downe vp starteth Eutyches and he in stead of a personall Vnion of the Natures forged a Confusion of them He would so ioyne them that two should become one not Person but Nature and so of God and Man wee shall neyther haue God nor Man one shall be swallowed vp in the other at the least the Manhood in the Godhead And this ouerthrowes not only the apparant Texts of Scripture which speaking of Christ after the Incarnation call him sometimes God and sometimes Man and particularly as Rom. 1. Phil. 2. and elsewhere reckon vp eyther Nature but it abolisheth all the comfort of those sweete Texts which affirme that the Law was fulfilled in our flesh that wee were crucified with Christ that wee rose with him and that with him wee sit in heauenly places but especially that Text to the Hebrewes which biddeth vs come with boldnesse vnto the Throne of Grace because wee haue not such an High Priest as cannot be touched with our infirmities seeing he is like vnto vs in all things sinne only excepted Against Eutyches was assembled the Councell of Calcedon which prouided for the sincerity of our Faith in this Article and hath defined against this confusion of Natures the compounding of the Nature of God and Man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the learned Writings of Leo the First Vigilins and others are excellent Commentaries vpon that Councell But to what end haue I opened all this Surely that you might see the riches of this first branch of my Text teaching vs what Christians must beleeue maugre all Hereticks guided by those famous Generall Councels namely foure things there are to be considered therin 1. The truth of the Godhead 2. The fulnesse of the Manhood 3. The Personall Vnion of both 4. and yet without abolition of eyther So that wee may in these words reade the whole Mysterie of the Incarnation But one Caution I must giue you and not I but the Fathers generally and that is You must acknowledge these Mysteries but you must not pry too farre into them lest that befall you which is in the prouerbe Qui scrutator est Maiestatis opprimetur à gloria While you will know more than is permitted you mistake that which is reuealed In euery Article of our Creede especially in this that of Moses holds The secret things are for the Lord but the reuealed things are for vs. That these things are so is the reuealed part of the Article but how they come to bee so is the secret part thereof Let vs bee contented with that which is ours and leaue Gods vnto himselfe Licet scire quòd natus sit Christus non licet discutere quomodo natus sit illud negare mihi non licet hoc quaerere metus est Nam generationem eius quis enarrabit saith St. Ambrose And it was this Quomodo that was the bane of all the fore-recited Heretickes and I pray God their harms may make vs to beware Let vs be wise vnto sobriety the seedes that they sowed are not yet all dead they fructifie too much in other parts and something haue they shewed themselues of late in our Country lest they possesse vs this Caueat must be marked by vs. The last thing which I will note on these words is they are most sweet words The name of Child and Sonne make Christ most louely in the eares in the eyes both of God and Man If man were put to his choyce what nature hee would wish to bee vsed in his Redemption is there any that he could desire rather than his owne And what nature can better content God in the Redemption than his owne Looke vpon the Childe Man hath what he would and looke vpon the Sonne God hath what hee would both cannot be but well pleased You heare not all the sweetnesse of it looke againe vpon the Childe The Physicians and Diuines druide the life of man into many ages some after one fashion and some after another but the very first is that which most properly is noted by this word it signifieth that age which begins vpon the conception that moment wherein the nature of man taketh beginning No sooner is the Child quickned but it is jeled it is that which is noted by this Child and the English word seems to come thence The loue of Christ to children appeared many waies when he rebuked his Disciples that would not suffer them to be brought vnto him when he accepted Hosanna out of their mouthes when he vouchsafed them to bee Martyrs at his death but neuer did hee expresse so much loue vnto them as he did in being like vnto them euen the yongest and tendrest of them lodging in his mothers wombe borne in his mothers armes sucking at his mothers breast and learning to speak from his mothers mouth could Christ euer haue taken a more gracious course to sanctifie their simplicity plicitie their infirmity and shew how deare they were vnto him I wonder not now at those other words of Christ The childrens Angels continually behold their Fathers face in Heauen and To them belongs the Kingdome of Heauen yea They that will enter into the Kingdome of Heauen must be like vnto them And who would disdain to be like vnto them to whom Christ was pleased to be so like And is not the Child then a sweet word Haue not Parents therein a great comfort Children oftentimes dye in their mothers wombe and often so soone as they come out of the wombe dispise them not despaire not of them they cannot be so yongue but Christ was as yongue and what he was he sanctified they are holy vnto him and by him to God their
was stung by the Serpent so in Paradise was hee cured by the seed of the Woman The Patriarchs in their order Heb. 11. not onely knew but felt the vertue of this Childe this Sonne St. Paul comprehends it in a short Rule Iesus Christ yesterday and to day and the same for euer Hee was a Lambe slaine not onely borne from the beginning of world Neither onely did the efficacie of his person worke but in a sort his presence also was vouchsafed vnto the world It is an ancient opinion of many of the Fathers and not a few of the worthiest late Diuines approue it that all apparitions of God in the Old Testament were of the second Person In the eighth of the Prouerbs himselfe saith that his delight was to be amongst the Sonnes of men Yea and to say nothing of other shapes how often did hee appeare in the shape of a man which apparition the Fathers call Praeludium incarnationis It was a faire intimation of that which in time hee should bee for euer after hee had once taken vpon him the nature of man which death it selfe should neuer seuer from him O Lord that wouldest not only become Man but also bee Gods gift to Man thou which wert before all time wouldest be bestowed in time bestowed vpon Iewes bestowed vpon Gentiles and make them both one Israel of God Notwithstanding there was nothing in them to demerit thee much in them to prouoke thee yet hast thou out of thine own goodnesse so tendered Man as to satisfie thy Iustice that it might bee no hinderance vnto thy Mercy but that thy Mercy might remedy both our Woe and Sinne We beseech thee that wee may all be new borne by vertue of thy Sonnes birth and giue our selues to Thee as he is giuen to Vs that so we may be in the number of those which with the Prophet may say Tovs a Childe is borne to vs a Sonne is giuen Which grace he vouchsafe vs that is giuen vnto vs To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be giuen all honour and glory now and for euer Amen THE THIRD SERMON The Gouernment shall be vpon his shoulders THe Doctrine of this Scripture containes the Truth and Excellencie of Christs Person and State Of the truth of Christs Person I haue already spoken and shewed you both the Natures wherein it subsisteth and the People to which it belongs The Natures wherein it subsists are two The Nature of God and of Man which haue a most streight vnion in one Person and yet without the least diminution of eyther nature This Person belongs vnto the Iewes not according to the flesh but according to the spirit euen to the whole Israel of God which consists of beleeuing naturall both Iewes and Gentiles To this People doth Christ belong But of what degree is hee amongst them For euery companie that consists of many persons if they bee incorporate hath men of sundry degrees by the Ordinance of God and the common rules of discretion there are superiours there are inferiours some which command some which are commanded Of which ranke is our Sauiour Christ Of the highest it appeares in his State The Gouernment shall be vpon his shoulders Although then the Scripture affirm that Christ appeared in the forme of a seruant and himself said That he came not to be ministred vnto but to minister et must we not mistake his Ministery was not of the foote but of the head it was not an obeying but a commanding Ministeric The Head ministers and so doth the Foote in our body naturall but they minister not both alike The head ministreth to the foote by way of commanding the foote ministreth to the head by way of obeying Christs Ministery was of the former not of the later kinde his Foes and his Friends in the Gospell both salute him by the name of Rabbi or Rabboni which is by interpretation Master And our Sauiour Christ telleth his Disciples in St. Iohn You call me Master and Lord and you say well for so I am And elsewhere he calleth himselfe The Heire of the Vineyard The Lord of the Sabaoth The Name of Christ or Messias is a most cleare proofe hereof for none were anointed but to be superiours and the Acts which Christ did exercise beare witnesse hereunto which were all of them eyther Propheticall when hee taught or Priestly when hee sacrificed or Kingly when hee wrought Miracles These bee the things which were done by him and the Gospell relates no other kinde of acts or at least none in comparison And all these are commanding acts they are acts of a Superiour exercised in the dayes of his flesh in the dayes of his greatest humiliation So that the forme of a Seruant and the ministring of Christ shew that he had not the attendance for worldly respect that was due to such a Superiour hee had not so much as a house to hide his head in much lesse had hee any Princely pompe But they deny him not to haue been a Superiour they deny him not that which was giuen him in my Text and my Text giueth him the State of a Superiour To come then vnto it There are two things to bee obserued in the words 1. Of what sort the Gouernment was 2. and Wherewith Christ did sustaine it The Gouernment was of the best sort it was Regall it appeares in the next Verse where Christ is said To sit vpon the Throne of Dauid And this Gouernment he sustaines by his owne carefull Power for it is layd vpon his shoulders These two Points we must at this time looke into briefly and in their order I beginne with the Gouernment If wee looke backe to the Story of Genesis we shall finde that when God promised Isaac which was a Type of Christ he changed both his Fathers and his Mothers name shee was called Sarai but God new named her Sarah which is a Princesse and Abram was new named Abraham a Father of many Nations And me thinks when I reade these words here in the Prophet and those that follow wherein Christ is described I see the application of those names to this Person I see the Principality I see the Posterity I see in Christ the truth of Sarah and of Abrahams name And surely the word which here signifieth Gouernment hath great affinity with the name of Sarah But of Gouernments some are subordinate some are absolute Some so command as the Centurion in the Gospell I am a man set vnder authority though I haue diuers vnder mee and I say to one come and hee commeth and to another go and he goeth But some so command as Salomon speaketh of a King against whom there is no rising vp whose Lawes must not bee disputed on earth and his Commandements bee obeyed by all that are his Subiects Christs Gouernment is not of the subordinate but the absolute sort it appeares by the Throne by the Kingdome vpon which he sitteth places of absolute power especially if
they be Natiue and not Electiue they must needs haue a most free absolute Power And such Christs is Natus Rex it is the expresse letter of my Text And the Wisemen that came to present him Matth. 2. asked for him that was borne King of the Iewes Nay Christ himselfe when Pilate asked him whether he were a King replyed for this cause was I borne And Pilate set vp this stile ouer his Crosse Iesus of Nazareth King of the Iewes which he would not alter though he were much importuned by the Scribes and Pharisees The places of the Prophets are very cleare Esay 32. Ier. 23. but specially Dan. 7. all of them beare witnesse to the Kingdome of Christ So that wee must acknowledge in Christ a Kingly power such a Power as none must dare to dispute the verity of his Word as curious and scoffing Atheists and Epicures doe or resist his Authority as proud Pharaohs and Senacheribs Christ can brooke neyther But as Christ is called a King so here is an addition vnto his Title his Throne and Kingdome are termed the Throne and Kingdome of Dauid And indeed Christs Pedegree is by St. Matthew and St. Luke fetched from King Dauid Himselfe calleth himselfe in the Reuelation The roote and generation of Dauid The Apostle telleth vs that be was of the seed of Dauid according to the flesh And how often in the Gospell is he called The Sonne of Dauid In the Prophets euen Dauid himselfe sometimes and sometimes The branch of Dauid Finally the Angell in the first of Luke telleth the Virgin Mary That Christ shall sit vpon the Throne of his Father Dauid But how can that bee seeing that which Dauid had Christ had not and what Dauid had not Christ had Christ had not the Temporall state of Dauid that was fallen into the hands of Herod the great and the Spirituall state of Christ Dauid had not His Kingdome was Temporall How then could Christ be said to sit vpon his Kingdome Although it were granted that by succession Christ was the right heire to the Crowne of Israel yet seeing the Scepter was departed and the Law-giuer gone the Tabernacle of Dauid was downe we cannot finde a Truth of these words we cannot if wee vnderstand them literally but if mystically wee may And St. Pauls rule is our guide All things yea and persons too if they were eminent came to the Israelites in Types 1 Cor. 10. they had shadowes of good things to come St. Bernards rule is true This Throne of Dauid which Christ sate on was not sedes Typica but Vera not Corporalis but Spiritualis not Temporalis but Aeterna yet so that Illa was huius Imago the Temporall of the Eternall the Corporall of the Spirituall the Typicall of the true Throne Dauids state of the state of the Church And indeed there is an excellent Analogie betweene the Person of Dauid and Christ as both were Kings Dauid was anointed to be a King long before hee was possessed of his Kingdome and so was our Sauiour Christ anointed with the holy Ghost long before he entred into his Glory For though he did many acts of a Gouernour Propheticall and Priestly yet few Regall acts before his Resurrection and those which hee did hee did them rather with the efficacie than in the Maiestie of a King for his outward Man represented nothing lesse But after his Resurrection and Ascension Efficacie and Maiestie conioyned and he sate him downe at the right hand of God and now doth he gouerne in the glory of his Father Secondly as there was a distance betweene Dauids Vnction too and Possession of the Crowne so was that a troublesome time few quiet dayes had he being persecuted both abroad and at home by Saul by his Seruants Euen so our Sauiour Christ entred not into his glory but by many afflictions all kinde of Enemies pursue him with all kinde of malice so that his life was a continuall Crosse And as Dauid so Christ the nearer he drew to his Crowne the sharper was his Crosse Thirdly as King Dauid first possessed only the Tribe of Iuda and after some yeares the ten Tribes euen so our Sauiour Christ at first possessed only the Iewes and after some time inlarged his Church vnto the Gentiles Fourthly Dauid being possessed of his Kingdome spent many years in repressing the Foes of his Kingdome Philistines Amonites Syrians c. and at length fate downe in peace and ruled with Iustice and Iudgement in much Prosperity euen so our Sauiour Christ though ascended into Heauen and reigning there yet shall he be vntill the generall Resurrection subduing his Enemies vnder his feete and freeing his Church from troubles and calamities when that is done then shall he rule and reigne with his Church in much peace and ioy These and such like Analogies are obseruable in comparing of Christ and Dauid which are the cause why the Kingdome of Christ is called The Kingdome of Dauid But yet in the letter of the storie which is the ground of this comparison you shall finde many Hyperboles reade the 89. Psalme the 72. Psalm the 132. to say nothing of diuers places of the Prophets which seeme to exceede the truth if they be applyed to King Dauid whereby the holy Ghost giueth vs to vnderstand that they must bee applyed to a greater than Dauid And indeed the phrases that are in these reall Allegories or Types must be vnderstood of the Corporall part but Quodammodo in a measure answerable vnto them the fulnesse of their truth appeares in the Spirituall And some Diuines obserue Ezâ—k 21.26 37 that The Throne of Dauid is not that which Dauid possessed but that which was promised to Dauid for his sonne And indeed in 2 Sam. 7. the Promise though it be made vnto Dauid yet is it made for his sonne his sonne is Christ It was not meant of his immediate Sonne otherwise than in a Type but it was meant of his Sonne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Messias or Sauiour of the world As also the Promise made to Abraham was made for his Sonne which in appearance seemed to be Isaac but St. Paul to the Galathians telleth vs that that seed is Christ Well then this Kingdome is the Church and therein Christ sitteth as in his Throne it is the Gouernment thereof that is committed vnto him And here wee may not dreame of a corporall Kingdome and turne the truth into a Type St. Paul hath told vs that The Kingdome of God is neyther meat nor drinke but righteousnesse and peace and ioy of the holy Ghost And Christ in the Gospell The Kingdome of God is within you The Parables of the Kingdome if you looke to their Morall imply as much all sound things and persons spirituall Grosse then is the vsurpation of the Bishop of Rome who in Christs name contrary to Christs rules combines both Swords the Spirituall and the Corporall And they that vnderstand The Kingdome of Christ carnally as if all
liue amongst Beasts and vpon his acknowledgement of the Lord of Heauen and Earth was restored againe maketh this cleare Canutus a King of this Land when flatterers magnified his power and did almost deifie him to confute them caused his chaire to bee set by the Sea shore at the time of the floud and sitting in his Maiestie commanded the waues that they should not approach his Throne but when the tyde kept his course and wet his garments Lo saith hee what a mighty King I am by Sea and Land whose command euery waue dareth resist Though then they are mighty yet there is much weakenesse ioyned with their might Not so Christ It appeares in the Epithite that is added vnto El which is Gibbor importing that he is a God of preuailing might In Daniel he is called El Elim The Mighty of mighties whereupon Moses magnifying his might saith Who is like vnto thee Exod. 15. O Lord amongst the gods Which words abbreuiated the Maccabees in their wars against their enemies did bear in their standard and therehence as the learned obserue did take their name of Maccabees Certainely this Epithite is a lust ground of that which King Dauid perswades Psalme 29. Ascribe vnto the Lord O yee mighty ascribe vnto the Lord glory and strength But there are two Eminences in Christs might by which hee is aduanced aboue all Creatures The first is that he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mighty of himselfe The second is that he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 almighty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 other Creatures haue their power from him and therefore their power depends vpon him so that he can at his pleasure intend or remit theirs but his owne continueth euer the same Secondly they can doe but euery one so much as is permitted him and neuer was there any creature to whom God imparted all his power I speake not of the degree but the parts thereof some things he committeth to Angels which Men cannot doe and some things to Men which Angels cannot doe the earth hath not the power of the heauens nor the heauens of the earth but God is the fountaine of all power there is nothing done by any of these which without these he cannot doe Ier. 23. Nothing is hard vnto him and the Angel Luke 1. Nothing is impossible vnto God therefore hee hath wrought the same effects without these creatures What he doth by his Angels ordinarily he extraordinarily hath done by himselfe and what doth hee by Man which without Man hee hath not done And as for the Sunne and the Starres he hath illightned the ayre without them and without the earth hath he prouided both bread and flesh yea at his pleasure he hath stript all those of their power in an instant in a word He doth whatsoeuer he will both in heauen and earth he cannot will that which he cannot doe nothing resisteth his will but all things readily do serue him If this title be carried through the Gospell euery point of the Gospel will witnesse the truth thereof in Christ it will witnesse that hee hath a preuailing power and that he is therefore worthily called a mighty God When God promised him hee promised him in these words I haue layd helpe vpon one that is mighty Psalme 89. When God exhibits him Luke 1. Zacharie proclaimes him thus God hath raised vp a mighty saluation vnto vs in the house of his seruant Dauid Christ himselfe Mat. 28. All power is giuen to mee both in heauen earth to say nothing of like titles that are remembred in the Reuelation But I chuse rather to obserue vnto you out of both Christs Regall titles how well they fit vs what comfort they doe yeeld vnto vs. Our enemie the Diuell is compared to a Serpent to a roaring Lion hee is full of craft and of great strength and so are his instruments the wicked subtill and violent but wee are silly and we are feeble If we compare our selues to them how can we but feare to be deceiued to bee opprest See how God hath prouided for vs see how hee hath furnished Christ whom hee sendeth vnto vs Hee is a Counsellour and it was a Counsellour that wee needed that â—ight discouer vnto vs the Serpents policie in his end and Sophistrie in his meanes wherewith he setteth vpon vs He pretends that we shall be like vnto Gods when he meaneth to make vs Diuels and by setting an edge on our desire of the Tree of the knowledge of good and euill he would depriue vs of the Tree of life but Christ is at hand to discouer his purposes and to giue vs timely caueats that we bee not abused by them Secondly he still compasseth the world seeking Whom he may deuour and is mighty to destroy And certainely none should escape him were it not that we haue on our side a mighty God the seed of the Woman that shewed himselfe so much mightier than the seed of the Serpent by how much breaking of the head is more than bruising of the heele Wee haue a Dauid for that Goliah and a stronger man that hath entred that strong mans house bound him rifled him and diuided his spoyle So that if now it be doubtingly asked Shall the prey be taken from the mighty or the lawfull captiue bee deliuered we may answer with the Prophet Esay 49. Thus saith the Lord Euen the Captiues of the mighty shall be taken away and the prey of the terrible shall bee deliuered for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee and will faue thy children and all flesh shall know that I the Lord am thy Sauiour and thy Redeemer the mighty One of Iacob Wherefore seeing Christ is become our Counsellour let vs not leane vnto our owne wisedome but be counselled by him It is the second degree of wisedome when wee cannot aduise our selues to bee aduised by others if we faile herein the Philosopher himselfe will censure vs for fooles And remember withall that of the Sonne of Syracke Bee in peace with many neuerthelesse haue but one Counsellour of a thousand cap. 6. hee giues the reason at large cap. 37. And well may we rely vpon the iudgement of this Counsellour who much better than Elizeus can detect vnto vs the plots of the King of Aram of all our Enemies that we may prouide against them yea he can take them all in their owne wilinesse and infatuate their Counsels as he did Achitophels Reade Esay 19. 8. So did Christ deale with the old Serpent and with the broode of the Serpent in all ages our age our country hath had proofe thereof As this must encourage vs to rely vpon his Counsell so must the other title encourage vs to rely vpon his power his preuailing power We walk in the middest of our enemies and they vse the vttermost of their strength to ruine vs yet though we are in the middest of the valley of the shadow of death let vs feare none euill
According to these Principles the points which wee are to consider in this description are the Soueraignity and Community of that good which we must seek and shall find in Christ in Christ as he was incarnate or first came into the world But before I come to these particulars I must cleare my Text from some ouer-shallow interpretations that haue fastned thereon For whereas in Christs first comming two things are to be obserued 1. the principall and 2. the accessories his person and those things that did attend him many passe ouer the principal and apply these words only to the accessories The Prophets doe speake of two remarkeable Accessories The one is the Munificencie of the Gentiles the other is the Obedience of their Persons both were to be of the best sort The Psalme touching the Munificencie Psalme 72. saith that the Kings of Tharsis and of the Iles should bring presents the Kings of Seba and Sheba should giue gifts The Prophet Esay cap. 49. 60. doth particularize the Gold the Siluer the Iewels the Plants the Beasts all kindes of choyce things that were to bee tendred vnto Christ And the Story of the Church shewes that this was accomplished not only mystically but euen literally We commemorate on this * Epiphanie Mat. 2. Day the oblation of Gold of Myrrhe of Frankincense which was made by the wise men vnto Christ In the Acts cap. 4. verse 37. we reade that those Christians which had possessions sold them brought the price and layd it at the Apostles feete The first Christian Emperours how open handed were they in erecting and prouiding for Places and Persons dedicated vnto Christs seruice And as of other Countries so the Christian Kings and People of this Iland haue left honourable memorials of this kinde in their magnificent Foundations and munificent Endowments thereof All these followed the rule of Gods Law whatsoeuer they offered vnto him it was euer of the best But by the way let me obserue vnto you That the floud of our Ancestours liberality rose not so high but their Posterities sacriledge hath taken it downe to as low an ebbe and the saying of a great but no good King of this Iland pleaseth too many that liue on the spoyles of the Church William Rufus Christs bread is sweete They are farre from offering 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Septaugint doe render my Text the choyce Treasure of the Nations the first of those Accessories which was to attend the comming of Christ A second Accessorie foretold by the Prophet are the Persons that should honour him euen the choysest of persons For although Saint Paules rule be Brethren you see your calling not many wise not many noble not many mighty c. yet that negatiue doth containe an affirmatiue and implyes that some euen of the best ranke should submit themselues and be homagers vnto Christ bee nursing Fathers Esay 48. and nursing Mothers of his Church Where the Prophets speake of the wealth they speake also of Persons reade the fore-cited places and take notice withall of a difference in this kinde that God was pleased should be before the comming of Christ and after Before the comming of Christ many of the Persian Kings as likewise of the Grecians gaue their goods but not themselues vnto God they prouided sacrifices for the Temple at Ierusalem but themselues went on in their Idolatry After the comming of Christ it was otherwise great personages gaue themselues first and then their goods vnto Christ the Wise men vpon this day first prostrated their bodies and worshipped then they opened their Treasures and offered vnto Christ Nicodemus and Ioseph of Arimathea great and rich men first beleeued then bestowed a funerall vpon Christ the like may we say of all Christian Emperours Kings Potentates And indeed Christ seeketh not ours but vs and careth not for our goods 2 Cor. 8. if wee dedicate not our selues vnto him both will doe well and wee shall doe well if wee deserue the Macedonians commendation of whom St. Paul saith that they gaue themselues first and then were bountifull to the Saints These were Accessories where with God was pleased Christs first comming should be honoured But these doe not containe the true at least the full meaning of my Text for surely these were not the cause of shaking the great and little World neither were these either persons or goods improuements of the glory of Zorobabels Temple for little of this Prophecie was accomplished while that Temple stood Malachie cap. 3. therefore giues vs a better interpretation and more agreeable to the words of my Text The Lord whom you seeke shall suddenly come to his Temple the Angell of the Couenant whom yee delight in or desire behold he shall come saith the Lord of Hosts And indeed Christs Person was the true attractiue of all other persons of their goods also they had neuer come except hee had come first Therefore the Iewish Rabbins Galatinus though they doe not beleeue that Iesus is the Christ yet doe they vnderstand this Text of the Messias And St. Hierome renders the phrase Desideratus Omnium Gentium The Person that is desired of all Nations purposing in those words to point out our Sauiour Christ Finally St. Paul Heb. 12. if you marke well his drift fauours this interpretation Wherefore I take it for a plaine truth that if not solely yet principally Christs person is meant by this phrase The desire of all Nations Let vs come then at length to the Points which I obserued in it The first is the soueraignity of good that cannot be lesse which is the desire of all Nations And marke that the word is abstract not concrete the Text calleth him not the person desired but the desire Now these abstract titles when they are giuen to God or Christ import two things The first is That all his nature or whatsoeuer is in him is that which he is called and secondly That all whatsoeuer is comprehended vnder that title is in him and cannot be had but by participation of him In this sense is God and Christ called truth righteousnesse holinesse c. these attributes are his nature and are not imparted to any but those that haue communion with him To our present purpose Christ is called desire it followeth by vertue of the word that he is totus desiderabilis altogether and in euery part desirable and totum desiderabile whatsoeuer the heart of a man can desire And if he be these two then certainely hee is the soueraigne good Take them asunder And first see how he is totus desiderabilis I might send you to the Song of Salomon where the spouse limmeth out his amiablenesse from top to toe or to the marriage Psalme which in few words tels vs Psal 45. That he is fairer than the sonnes of men or to those words of Saint Iohn 1 Epist c. 3. The Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst vs and wee
Iosephus reports The fourth and the last inequalitie stands in the materials vsed about the fabricke to say nothing of their qualities certainely those that were vsed about the first Temple did in quantity farre exceede those that were vsed about the second For what comparison could there be between the riches of poore captiue Iewes and of King Salomon that was the most glorious Monarch in the world 1 Chron. 22.14 2 Sam. 8. Adde hereunto the prouision that his father King Dauid made in his time a hundred thousand talents of gold and a thousand thousand talents of siluer and brasse and iron without weight besides what he gaue out of his owne peculium or priuate Treasurie for the former were dedicated out of the spoyles of kingdomes which he conquered three thousand talents of gold of the gold of Ophir and seuen thousand talents of refined siluer besides great abundance of all sorts of precious stones Whereunto adde the offering of the Fathers of Israel fiue thousand talents and ten thousand drammes of gold and of siluer ten thousand talents of brasse eight thousand talents and a hundred thousand talents of iron besides precious stones And put all this together and therewith increase Salomons wealth the totall will bee a summe of infinite value farre exceeding that wherewith Zorobabel was furnisht eyther by the Persian Kings or by his owne countrey-men yea although you adde what afterward was bestowed eyther by Alexander the great or his successours Kings of Syria and those of Egypt Neither will the additions of other benefactors no not that of Herod make vp the summe I dare say boldly that if all the Christian Kings of the West for so many yeares as the Temple was a building by Salomon should contribute their treasures they could not raise a summe answerable to that which was expended vpon the first Temple and reserue to themselues their Kingly ports as Dauid and Salomon did Neither neede wee out of the incredulitie of the summe as some learned doe question the signification of the word talent as if it signified a lesser summe than commonly it is taken for For to say nothing that it is the same Authour that wrote both the 22. and the 29. of the first of Chronicles and that it is not likely he would vary the sense keeping himselfe to the same word they doe not marke that Dauids offering was the spoyle of many Kingdomes that God promised that Salomon should bee the richest King in the world that the vessels of gold and siluer vsed in the Temple were many thousands as appeares by Iosephus and that there was great store of treasure layd vp there besides 2 Chro. 5. I neede say no more to proue that if we compare fabricke with fabricke we cannot finde therein the truth of these words of Haggai Let vs come then to the furniture that is eyther typicall or spirituall such parts of the furniture as were figures of diuine things and that by Gods owne ordinance were typicall Vpon Diana's Temple at Ephesus Apollo's at Delphi the Capitoline Temple at Rome and many other heathenish Temples there was much gold and siluer bestowed yea and precious stones also but they wanted a typicall relation and therein did the temples of the Iewes infinitely exceede them In these types if we compare Salomons temple with Zorobabels Galatinus Chrysost orat 3. aduersus Iudaos Zorobabels commeth farre short of Salomons The Iewes confesse that fiue eminent things were wanting in the later temple which were in the former 1. the Cloud wherein God resided betweene the Cherubims 2. the Arke with the contents therein whereon the Cloud rested 3. the fire kindled from heauen wherewith all their sacrifices were to be offered 4. the Vrim and Thummim on the breastplate of the high Priest by which hee was inabled to giue out diuine Oracles and ordinarily resolue the Iewes perplexing doubts in peace and warre the fifth was the spirit of prophecie wherewith God furnished diuers other persons whom he sent as messengers vnto the kings and people of Iuda and Israel Now these fiue were the chiefe of all the typicall furniture if Zorobabels temple came short in these fiue there can be no doubt but it was inferiour in types vnto that of Salomons temple What remaines then but that the greatnesse of the glorie here meant must consist in the spirituall and heauenly furniture of the later temple or else there was none at all And indeede it is that which wee finde there we finde Christ in person as in former sermons I haue shewed you and hee is the truth of all those types Of the Cloud for in him God dwelt visibly on earth Cyril l. 4. in Ioh. c. 2. 1 Pet. 2. Rom. 8. Ind. Of the Arke by him God shewed mercie vnto men Of the Fire for by his spirit all sacrifices must be offered that are acceptable vnto God Of the Vrim and Thummim for hee is the word the wisedome of God Finally of the spirit of prophecie for he is the Prophet that was to come into the world and the Reuelation of Iesus Christ is the spirit of prophecie Reuel 1. What shall I say of the table of shewbread Christ is the bread of life of the golden candlesticke Iohn 6. Iohn 1. Reu. 5.8 Christ is the light of the world of the altar of incense it is Christ that putteth sweet odours into the prayers of the Saints of the altar of burnt offerings Psalme 40. Heb. 10. Iohn 1.29 1 Iohn 1.7 sacrifice and offerings God did not desire but he opened Christ eare and gaue him a body hee was the Lambe of God that tooke away the sinnes of the world and his bloud cleanseth from all sinne And what comparison betweene this truth and those types certainely no more than betweene earth and heauen therefore when the truth appeared the type vanished Ier. 3.16.17 It must needs follow then that the glorie of the later temple must needs be greater than the glorie of the former Greater if we insist only vpon Christs apparition in the materiall temple of Zorobabel L. 3. Epist 11. De ciuit Dei l. 18. how much more if with the Fathers St. Ambrose and St. Austine wee enlarge it to the Christian Church in whom Christ abideth And indeed Zorobabels temple beeing voide of the types did represent the Christian Church as Salomons full of them did represent the Church of the Iewes and then marke what St. Paul saith if these two Churches be compared 2 Cor. 3. Euen that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect by reason of the glory that excelleth for if that which was done away was glorious much more that which remaineth is glorious that whole Chapter is a good commentarie vpon my text the Epistle to the Hebrewes is much fuller So then wee must reade and consider this text as directed vnto vs it concernes vs for wee are partakers of that glory And see how God dealeth both with
Zorobabels Temple But that place must be considered not in its meanenesse as it was built by the Iewes but as it was furnished with that glorie whereof heretofore you haue heard that house so adorned was to bee the place of peace Salomons Temple was a place of peace but his peace was but a type it was a worldly peace Zorobabels Temple is also a place of peace but his peace is the truth that answered the former type the peace thereof is heauenly that Temple which had but the type of the glorie had no more but the type of the peace and the truth of the peace rested there where the truth of the glorie was So that there is an emphasis in the words this place the holy Ghost giueth thereby the Iewes to vnderstand that it was not the former but the later Temple whereunto God intended the peace which he promised to Dauid 2 Sam. 7. 2 Chro. 22. Isay 25. 26. and all the promises of peace in the Prophets were to be referred thither this Ierusalem was to answer vnto her name and to be indeed the vision of peace But I told you heretofore that Zorobabels Temple was to be vnderstood not only literally but mystically and so it signifieth not onely that materiall house but also the Christian Church peace is annext vnto this peace Extra Ecclesiam non est salus No saluation without the Church and therefore no peace he shall neuer haue God for his Father that hath not the Church for his Mother In our Creed wee place the holy Catholicke Church and Communion of Saints before the remission of sinnes and life euerlasting As the soule doth not quicken other parts than those that are vnited to the body no more doth the spirit of God giue his blessing of peace to any that are distracted from the body of the Church This must be obserued against all Schismaticks that doe excommunicate them selues and disorderly persons that are iustly excommunicated by the censure of the Church all these while they continue in that state though they doe not lose ius ad pacem yet they doe lose ius in pace though they doe not lose their interest in yet they suspend the benefit of that peace and their state is vncomfortable though it be not irrecouerable And they which follow negligently the assemblies of the Church doe not a little defraud themselues of this peace for they must seeke it chiefly by prayer in Gods house and there doth God dispence it by the mouth of his Ministers I will giue you only two proofes the one our of the Old Testament when the sacrifices were ended which were typicall prayers Num 6.25 Aaron is willed to dismisse the people with these words The Lord blesse thee and keepe thee the Lord make his face shine vpon thee and be gracious vnto thee the Lord lift vp the light of his countenance vpon thee and giue thee peace A second proofe wee haue in the New Testament where the Church doth solemnely vse those words of the Apostle when after the Liturgie it dismisseth the people The peace of God which passeth all vnder standing keep your hearts and mindes c. And what better inuitation can wee haue to repaire often to the Church than this blessing of peaceâ— foure-fold peace which is there daily offered vnto vs and may bee receiued if we come and come prepared for it I say prepared Before you heard that the peace commeth to the house but as it is furnished with the glorie where there is none of the glorie there can be none of the peace therefore wee must prepare these Temples of our bodies and soules by entertainement of the glory that they may be made capable of the peace The Apostle speaketh plainely Rom. 5. Wee must bee iustified by faith before we can haue peace with God Esay 32. If iudgement dwell in the wildernesse and righteousnesse remaine in the fruitfull fielde the worke of righteousnesse shall bee peace 1 Cor. 2. and the effect of righteousnesse quietnesse and assurance for euer God doth annoint vs before he doth establish vs. St. Austin hath a witty conceit vpon the words of the 85. Psalme Righteousnesse and Peace haue kissed each other Duae sunt amicae Iustitia Pax c. Righteousnesse and Peace are two fast friends happely thou wouldest gladly enioy the one but thou wilt not bee perswaded to performe the other for there is no man that would not willingly haue peace but all are not willing to worke righteteousnesse yet be thou assured that if thou dost not loue peace's friend which is righteousnesse peace will neuer loue thee for righteousnesse and peace doe kisse each the other 2 King 9. You know what Iehu answered the King of Israel when he asked him Is it peace Iehu what peace can there bee so long as the whoredomes and witchcrafts of thy mother are so many So may we reply to euery soule vnquiet soule that enquireth after peace Looke for none where there is sinne Well may there bee the enemie assaulting and daily sounding alarums but this securing peace which is Gods garrison cannot bee there So long as the Iewes serued God their enemies could not inuade their borders Exod 34. but then the Temple was exposed to the enemie when the Prophets could not reclaime them from sin It is a good conscience that is a continuall feast You haue heard seuerally of the Peace and the Place you must now heare ioyntly of their knitting together who knits them and How He that knitteth them is God in Christ God is the God of peace so the Apostle calleth him Phil. 4.19 and the Prophet tels vs that he creates light as well as darkenesse and Elihu is so bold as to say Iob 34. that if God giue peace none can hinder it But as God giueth it so hee giueth it in Christ for it is his worke to make peace the Prophet Esay cap. 9. vers 6. calleth him the Prince of peace his true members are Sonnes of peace his Apostles Messengers of peace and his doctrine is the Gospell of peace all the foure specified degrees of peace were wrought by him First he tooke away the guilt of our sinne Esay 53. The chastisement of our peace was layd vpon him For he that knew no sinne was made sinne for vs that wee might be made the righteousnesse of God in him 2 Cor. 5. Secondly hee hath kild the worme for being iustified by faith in him our heart condemnes vs not and we haue confidence towards God so that we can come with boldnesse vnto the throne of grace Thirdly the Law of the spirit of life that is in Iesus Christ doth free vs from the Law of sinne and death Rom. 8. It mortifieth it subdueth the old man and maketh vs walke not according to the flesh but according to the spirit Finally he putteth an end to that discord that is betweene man and man The Prophets foretold that when hee
the Lord and wee must with him answer for our selues I will take the cup of saluation and praise the name of the Lord vnto this end is this Sacrament called the Eucharist Thus Christ conscerateth the Elements But why what good came to the elements by consecration surely much good for they are made the body and the bloud of Christ so saith Iesus This is my body this is my blood The interpretation of these words is much controuerted and it is much disputed What change of the Elements the wordes of Christ did make for that Christ changed the bread when he consecrated it wee make no doubt Whereas then there are three things in bread and wine 1. the name 2. the vse and 3. the substance wee confesse a change in the two first but deny it in the third First wee confesse a change in the name directed by St. Austines rule Ad Bonisaâ— ep 23. Because of a similitude Sacraments commonly beare the names of the things themselues the Sacrament of Christs body is after a sort the body of Christ and the Sacrament of Christ blood is after a sort the blood of Christ Of St. Aducrsus Iudaeos Austins opinion in our case was Tertullian Christ saith hee calleth bread his body And Cyprian the signifying elements and the thing signified De â—nctione Chrismatis are caded by the same name Our Sauiour saith Theodoret changed the names and called the signe by the name of his body Ambrose Chrysostome Ambros de Sacraments l. 5. c. 4. Chrysost ad 〈◊〉 sarios â—â—â—nachos and others might bee alledged to this purpose Secondly wee acknowledge a change in the vse of the Elements for there must be some ground for which the signes may beare the names of the things themselues and that is The vertue the power the operation of the flesh and bloud of Christ beeing mystically vnited to the signes doe in a wonderfull sort manifest these things by the signes through the operation of the Holy Ghost This we learne of St. Cyprian De â—nctione Chrismatis to the Element once sanctified not now their own nature giueth the effect but the diuine vertue worketh in them more mightily the truth is present with the signe and the spirit with the Sacrament De Sacramentis l. 4. c. 4. so that the worthinesse of the grace appeareth by the efficiency of the thing Ambrose also If there be so great strength in the word of the Lord Iesus that all things beganne to be when they were not how much more shall it bee of force that the mysticall Elements should bee the same they were before and yet be changed into another thing Theodoret. The signes which are seene Christ hath honoured with the names of his body and blood not changing the nature but adding grace vnto nature Thus farre wee goe in acknowledging a change of the Elements by consecration farther we goe not wee acknowledge no change in the substance of the nature of the Elements De Sacramentis l. 4. c. 3. and herein we are guided by the Fathers also Ambrose Thou camst to the Altar and sawest the Sacraments thereon and wondredst at the very ereature De Coena Domini and yet it is a solemne and a knowne creature Cyprian After consecration the Element is deliuered from the name of bread and reputed worthy to bee called the body of the Lord notwithstanding the nature of the bread still remaines Ad Coesarios Monacbos Chrysostome The substantiall bread and cup sanctified with a solemne blessing is profitable for the life and safegard of the whole man To proue this the Fathers vse to parallel the Sacrament and the Person of Christ De ieiunio 7. mensis in their disputes against Eutyches Gelasius As the bread and wine after consecration are changed and altered into the body and blood of Christ Dialogo secundo so is the humane nature of Christ changed into his diuine Theodoret hath the same parallel and so hath St. Austine as hee is cited de Consecratione distinctione secunda Hoc est quod dico Now a generall Councell not onely particular Fathers haue resolued that both natures continue in Christs person vnaltered so doe their properties so doe their actions only this honour the diuine doth to the humane nature that as it hath associated it into one person so doth it manifest her properties by it and performe her actions Euen so is it in the Sacrament the heauenly the earthly thing are both vnited to make one Sacrament but each keepeth vnaltered its owne nature properties and actions onely the heauenly doth worke by the earthly and doth not ordinarily without it manifest its operation If in the person of Christ there was no alteration of the diuine nature though the Scripture say the word was made flesh much lesse may we dreame of any alteration in the earthly part of the Sacrament though it be said the bread is the body and the wine is the blood of Christ Out of this distinction of changing of the Elements you may perceiue that Christs consecration was effectuall though not effectuall to Transubstantiation For in a sacramentall argument both substances must remaine and by reason of the mysticall vnion Disparats may be affirmed the one of the other without absurditie Whether the sacramentall vnion doe require moreouer a Consubstantiation may also here be disputed for some vrge it out of these words But their answer is briefly this The earthly and the heauenly thing may bee conioyned really though not locally And as they may be conioyned so they may bee receiued seeing the proper Exhibiter of the heauenly is the Holy Spirit and the Receiuer is our faith Our faith may ascend to Christ in heauen and the Spirit beeing infinite may vnite vs vnto Christ though we be as low as the earth Whereas then the words may haue their truth without any recourse to a miracle or contradicting any other Article of faith or forcing strange senses vpon other passages of Scripture we content our selues with this mysticall relatiue vnion and forbeare all other vnnecessary speculations Although we must needs confesse that the words make more for Consubstantiation than they make for Transubstantiation We confesse then that in the Sacrament there is the body and blood of Christ and that three manner of waies though we admit neyther of the two false waies Transubstantiation and Consubstantiation First in regard of the signe for it was not chosen for it selfe but with reference to Christ Secondly in regard of the resemblance it doth most fitly set forth the efficacy that is in Christ the strengthning the cheering efficacie you heard before out of the 104th Psalme that those properties are in bread and wine Strength is eyther increased or recouered and cheerefulnesse followeth eyther vpon the recouered or increased strength wee are Babes and must grow in Christ we are Souldiers and lose blood in his quarrell we must finde that which
conquest did attend his Chariot and were disposed at his pleasure Lo here our Sauiour Christ his person is lifted vp on high and it doth not ascend single but leades captiuitie captiue and diuideth the spoyle He gaue gifts to men such an Ascension was a Triumph indeed And as it was a Triumph so was it a deserued one for Christ descended before he ascended yea he ascended not so high but he descended as low for he that ascended aboue all heauens descended before to the lower parts of the earth the same person did both and so became the Ascension the reward of his descension And so haue you the Contents of the first branch of my Text whereof I shall now God willing vnfold so many as the time will permit I beginne at the Gift And the gift is called grace and grace is a free gift it is such a gift as can neyther bee deserued before hand nor bee required after it is receiued Between men there passe three sorts of gifts The first is Salarium when a man giueth that which another hath earned of which the rule is The labourer is worthy of his hyre such a gift grace is not for though God impose workes vpon vs yet are they not as they ought done by any of vs Adam failed much more doe we we can claime no salarie The second kinde of gift is Honorarium it is such a gift as testifieth the inferiours reuerent regard of his superiours eminencie such a gift grace is not for if the Angels light be darkenesse in comparison of God and their perfection is imperfection as Iob teacheth how vile and base is man who is but dust and wormes meat there is nothing which God should honour in him The third gift is called Eleemosynarium the almes which the rich giues to the poore this comes nearest to the nature of grace and yet it comes farre short of it For the rich are bound to relieue the poore partly by Gods Law and partly out of a consideration reflecting vpon themselues that be they neuer so rich they may become poore and stand in neede of the same reliefe which they afford to others But God is bound to none neyther can he possibly neede the helpe of any therefore his gift and only his is properly grace and comes within St. Austines definition that tels vs that Non est gratia vllo modo si non sit omni modogratuita no gift deserues the name of grace except it be absolutely free and such are Gods gifts The more are we indebted if we receiue them and the lesse proud should wee bee for whereof should he be proud whose tenure is altogether pura perpetua Eleemosyna meere Almes and the most free Charity of God Nay the very word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Loue of God for the Gift proceeding from loue doth put vs in mind that our eyes should not be fixt so much on that which we haue as on him that gaue it and we must not take so much content in our owne state as in his fauour But it is moreouer to be noted that grace in the Scripture is contradistinct to nature and the workes thereof are different from those of the creation and preseruation of the world It is true that all the workes of God wherein hee doth communicate of his goodnesse vnto the world spring freely from his fauour for hee might haue chosen whether hee would at all haue made the world or bestowed such excellent endowments vpon any man but yet the Holy Ghost is pleased to vnderstand this word of those blessings which belong to the second Couenant the Couenant of the Gospel it is an Euangelicall word and signifieth only those gifts wherein the Euangelicall Couenant doth consist and whereby it is furthered They are of two sorts in the Schooles the one is called gratia gratum faciens the other gratia gratis data not but that both are gratis datae freely giuen for in that respect the members of the Distinction are coincident but because they are not reciprocall all grace that is freely giuen is not that grace which doth recommend vs vnto God This is the peculiar of the grace of adoption the grace of aedification reacheth not so farre But that which we must principally note is the heeding of the Pelagians Heresie who confounded nature with grace and grace with nature who as they did too shallowly thinke of the Fall so they did derogate much from the fauour which God vouchsafed in restoring of man But we must learne as to neglect no gift of God so to set a right estimate vpon the gifts of the Gospel these gifts are by an excellencie called Grace And thus much of the nature of Grace wee come now to the property thereof which is to fill Some refer this word vnto the person of Christ as if that did fill all places and indeed it liued on earth descended into hell and so did enter into heauen it was successiuely in euery of these places Others straine it too farre that would haue the Manhood to communicate with the Deity in vbiquitie and to be at the same time in euery place But as we grant Attributa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that supernaturall endowments in the highest degree were conferred vpon the Manhood of Christ so may we not admit any Attributa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therein we may acknowledge no Attributes that destroy the nature of his Manhood the truth of his Manhoode is the greatest comfort of a Christian whether wee respect what he hath done for vs or the blessed conformitie that we shall haue to him It is true that these words of filling doe concerne Christs Manhoode or rather his person as hee was no lesse man than God for it speaketh of some thing that Christ did after his Resurrection there is no doubt but he filled all things with his Godhead before which is euer infinite but the Manhood making one person hath diuers prerogatiues by vertue of the Hypostaticall vnion First it is euery where present though not with yet to his Godhead and Christus is totus vbique though totum Christi is not vbique the whole person fils heauen and earth though the manhoode be finite Secondly both the natures are associat in their Actions the Manhood is priuie vnto and consents with the Godhead in all the works of Christ yea and the merit of Christ whereunto the Manhood concurred doth moderate all the Actions of the Mediatour Thus farre wee may safely speake of an Vbiquity of Christ but the proper sense of this place is not of the person but the worke it is true that he that fils is Christ but that wherewith he fils is his grace And grace is the only thing that fils And it fils two manner of waies first sistendo appetitum for whereas all other things which wee desire grow quickly loathsome and tedious vnto vs and wee are faine to shift because wee
onely knowledge but acknowledgement Knowledge without acknowledgement is of little regard with God auailes vs but little he knoweth his wounds as a penitent that by searching sindeth what cuill he hath done and though to his owne confusion yet layeth it open before the tender eyes of God and so qui addit scientiae addit dolori Eccles 1. the penitents knowledge is the fountaine of his forrow Saint Austin wittily wresteth those words of the Preacher to this purpose Marke moreouer the word his owne for men are most willing to know and make knowne other mens wounds but vt nemo in sese tentat descendere nemo Men loue not to bee knowne to themselues yet many a man hath inward plagues which none knowes but God and himselfe But it is an absurd thing to passe ouer our owne wounds and inquire into other mens It is much to be wisht therefore that we would translate this scrutinie and spend it vpon our selues take pity vpon our owne selues Nazianz Orat. 26. and let the sense of our owne ill deseruings open a passage to the relieuing bowels of our most mercifull Father who relieueth none but those which know the euill which they haue done and suffer Esay 26. When wee come according to the Ordinance of the Church to make confession either at the entrance to common Prayer or the Eucharist euery man should haue premeditated his owne sinnes and acknowledge them vnto God in the secret of his heart and craue pardon for them But though a man must haue this passion in regard of his owne case yet must he not be without compassion toward the ill case of others If it be but a priuate mans case we must be compassionate towards him because he is a member of the same body We know the Parable of the man that went from Ierusalem to Ierico and fell amongst Theeues who stript him and wounded him the Priest and the Leuite are taxed for want of compassion towards him as the Samaritane is commended for hauing it And if we must shew compassion towards priuate mens cases how much more towards the publicke It is a grieuous complaint that God maketh against the great men of Israel Amos 6. who stretch themselues vpon Iuorie beds eate the Lambes of the flocke c. but were not grieued for the affliction of Ioseph if the whole feele the distresses of euery part of our body should any part be so senslesse as not to suffer for the whole especially seeing if the whole perish euery part perisheth whereas the whole may subsist though this or that part doe perish and fall away The miserable estate of Christendome especially the Orthodoxe Church and our own generall calamities importune mee to recommend this compassion vnto you and beseech you to include it in this dayes Humiliation and to let the one be as long liued as the other to let neither of them decay much lesse dye till God returne to his Church and this State in his wonted mercy and with his wonted blessing You haue heard the first inward act of a Penitent There is another act here specified which is outward Penitent Deuotion must be accompanied with conuenient ceremonies here are two mentioned one of the hands they must be stretcht out this is a naturall ceremony for marke a childe when he hath offended his parents as hee falleth vpon his knees so he lifteth vp his hands so doth a seruant to his master a subiect to his Soueraigne and the conquered to the Conquerour and it importeth as much as Do victas in tua vincla manus Sir I am at your mercy The word Supplicium hath its name hence because it humbleth the weaker vnder the hand of the stronger the inferiour to the superiour and maketh him supplicare submit vnto him From hence it is translated vnto Praier and made a ceremony thereof both in the Old Testament let the lifting vp of my hands bee as an euening Sacrifice Psal 141. and in the New Testament I will that men pray in all places lifting vp pure hands 1. Tim. 2. This is the first meaning of this ceremony when it is applyed to penitency As God stretcheth out his hand to strike so the Penitent stretcheth out his hand for mercy Though I am not ignorant that it may also signifie the correspondency of the inward to the outward man that as the heart lifteth it selfe vp to God so must the body also by the hands This is excellently set forth in the Psalme I stretch forth my hands to thee my heart thirsteth for thee as a thirsty Land Psal 143. and in this sense Moses in the warre against Amalecke Salomon in this Dedicatory and others may bee thought in their prayers to haue stretcht forth their hands vnto God The former sense doth not exclude this The second ceremony is of the Eye that is mysticall the Eye must look towards the Temple of Salomon that is the place where God put his Name and where the cloud representing God resided betweene the Cherubins vpon the Mercy seate This brings it home to that which before I told you was to be done by the Suppliant who hath recourse to the Throne of Grace and as Tephillah the prayer made vnto the Iudge did require a ceremony of submissiue stretching out of the hand so Techinnah the prayer of Mercy requires a cast of our eye vpon the Mercy seate the ceremonies fit well the Deuotion The riches of Gods nature are infinite but wee vse to single out such of Gods Attributes as are most fit for our Deuotion to behold not excluding the rest but desiring that the rest may not hinder but further rather that Attribute vpon which wee lay hold Salomons Temple is long since ruined there is now no typicall Mercy seate whereunto wee should looke according to the example of Daniel and others But the truth abideth for euer God that was in Christ reconciling the world doth accept our prayers if wee offer them though Iesus Christ where Christ then is thither must we bend our eyes euen to the right hand of God whereat he sitteth to make intercession for vs. Out of both ceremonies ioyntly gather that the place whither we direct our Deuotion sheweth from whom the plagues come and that is from God and he sendeth them for sinne the confession thereof is plain in the acts of the Deuotion the plagues come not by chance neither are they sent without a cause The Heathen did acknowledge the Author and therefore pacified God with their solemne Supplications Christians knew him and propitiated him much better as appeares by the ancient Letanies To say nothing of the Law and the Prophets which are plentifull in teaching that all plagues come from God As God sendeth them so he sendeth plagues for sinnes being offended with our crying sinnes he poureth vpon the world grieuous plagues Maledicta terra propter te the first Curse was for mans sinne The Law runnes in the same tenour
and so doe King Dauids Penitentialls God commands wicked seruants to bee beaten Deut. 28. I will conclude thi◠point with two short admonitions one out of the Prophet Heare the rod and who sends it Micah 6. the other is out of the Psalme As the eye of a seruant looketh to the hand of his master and the eye of a mayden to the hand of her mistresse euen so our eyes looke vnto the Lord our God vntill he haue mercie vpon vs Psal 123. Other ceremonies were vsed by Penitents in the Old Testament and in the New especially who were wont to humble themselues vsque ad inuidiam coeli as ancient Writers doe Hyperbolize but with no ill meaning they did so farre afflict themselues for sinne that the very Saints in Heauen might enuie their deepe Humiliation But tantae seneritati non sumus pares those patternes are too austere for these dissolute times onely let mee obserue this vnto you that Repentance must be an Holocaust all our inward our outward senses should concurre to testifie our godly sorrow for sinne wee should suffer not one of them to take rest themselues or giue rest to God By this you may perceiue that Penitentiall Deuotion is an excellent Vertue but not so common as the world thinketh The last thing that I noted vpon this Deuotion is that it must be performed by euery one in particular and by the whole Congregation in generall for the same remedy serueth both the publike must take the same course which euery priuate man doth and euery priuate man must take the same course that the publicke doth The reason is because the Church is corpus Homogeneum and therfore eadem est ratio partis totius in the peformance of those religious dueties no man must thinke himselfe too good to humble himselfe neyther must any man thinke himselfe vnworthy to appeare before the Throne of grace In our priuate occasions wee must come by our selues and wee must ioyne with the publicke when the publicke wounds call vs thereunto as now we do and we haue comfortable Precedents for that which we doe in the Prophet Ioel and Ionas Behold how good and ioyfull a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in vnitie can neuer be more comfortably sung than at these religious meetings when as one man with one voyce and heart we present our deuotions before God I doubt not but as hopefully as humbly It is true that God in Ezechiel cap. 14. threatneth that if Noah Daniel and Iob were in Ierusalem as I liue saith the Lord God they shall deliuer neyther sonne nor daughter they shall but deliuer their owne soules by their righteousnesse when I send but a pestilence into the land how much more when I send my foure plagues The like is threatned in Ieremy cap. 15. But we must obserue that then God was risen from the Mercy Seat and in punishment of their many contempts had giuen the Iewes ouer to their owne hearts Iust But God be thanked this Assembly sheweth that we haue not so far forsaken God neyther hath God who hath put these things into the mind of the King and State so forsaken vs but wee may hope for Acceptance Which is the next part of my text What Israel performeth that will God accept for hee is as mercifull as iust Blessed are they that mourne saith Christ for they shall bee comforted Matth. 5. for Christ came to heale those that were broken in heart Luke 4. You aske saith St. Iames cap. 4. and haue not hee addeth a reason because yee aske amisse but if you aske aright then Christs rule is true Aske and ye shall haue seeke and ye shall find knocke and it shall be opened vnto you Mat. 7. He that shall confesse to Gods name and turne from his sins shall finde Acceptance with God for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the teares of repentance are not only not displeasing but pleasing to God as incense But Gods acceptance consisteth of two Acts the first is God will giue accesse vnto their Prayers Heare in heauen his dwelling place The prayers were to be made towards the Arke but God heareth in Heauen And what is the cause of this change why God should not heare there whither we direct our prayers Surely we must ascend from the Type to the Truth that is but a manduction to this It was a maine errour of the Iewes to diuorce them and haue in most esteeme the least part rest in the Type passing ouer the Truth Heauen is the place of Gods habitation only because the place of his manifestation The Septuagint render the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a place fitted for God to distinguish it from the Church below which is but a place a fitting The Chaldee rendreth it domum Maiestatis a maiesticall house And surely the place of Gods dwelling is locus amplus et angustus a large a stately Palace adorned with holines glory And when wee thinke vpon God wee must not conceiue of his state by things below but by things aboue the earth is but as a point vnto the visible heauens much more in comparison of the Heauen of Heauens and they though they are the goodliest place created yet are they not a worthy habitation for the infinite maiestie of God onely he vouchsafeth there most to manifest himselfe The Church that is resembled to heauen and called Gods dwelling place must be remembred hereby that God must not dwell therein or in any member thereof angustè or sordidè We must inlarge our hearts to receiue God and purifie them that they may somewhat beseeme the Residentiary therein which is God Finally it is no small fauour that God doth vouchsafe to heare that beeing in heauen hee doth vouchsafe to heare vs that are on earth for sometimes hee hideth himselfe as it were with a Cloud Lam. 3. so that our prayers cannot haue accesse vnto him and our sinnes separate between him and vs and he is as if he heard not not that the eare of iealousie heareth not all things but he is not pleased to giue a gracious signification that hee doth heare But the spirituall clamor of the contrite expressed from the secret closet of the inward man hath the power of a loud voyce and piercing which can enter the heauens and approach acceptably vnto God God will not onely heare and giue accesse to the Prayers of the penitent but redresse their sufferings also Quando non geniculationibus nostris jeiunationibus etiam siccitates sunt depulsae saith Tertullian what calamitie was there euer which wee haue not diuerted by our penitent deuotion The Prayer of a righteous man auaileth much if it be feruent Iames 5. But God doth redresse the sufferings of Israel orderly first he redresseth the cause which is sinne and then the effect which is woe He will forgiue and then He will doe and giue neyther may a sinner looke for peace except he first speede of mercie
he was the worse that told his father he would goe worke in the Vineyard and did not But keeping doth signifie not only obseruing of that which wee learne but the encreasing thereof also we must not thinke that the first steppe is the highest but we must grow in grace and from vertue to vertue there is a perfect age in Christ whereunto we must all contend to come We must keepe that which is taught vs as the earth keepeth seed corne the earth keepeth the seed to multiply it into one or more eares loaden with many graines the vnprofitable seruant kept his talent hee was punished because he did not vse it to increase and surely we must not looke to be approued of Christ if wee are not the better the longer wee liue Of this truth if we were well resolued we would profit more than vsually wee doe by the paines of the Minister I haue dwelt long enough vpon the resemblance of your calling let vs now see how we must proceede We must praeire Proecepto Exemplo wee must lead the people by a good Rule A Schoole-master that will make good Schollars chooseth good or classicall Authours which he readeth vnto them and Christ the chiefe Master of the great Schoole of the Church leaueth not Ministers which are but vnder-Masters to reade what they will vnto their Schollars but tyeth them to Quae ego praecepi that which himselfe hath giuen in charge Whereupon St. Paul 1 Cor. 11. vseth those words Quae accepi à Domino tradidi vobis what I haue receiued of the Lord that haue I deliuered vnto you The Apostles as I told you on the former Verse were Embassadors of Christ and so are all that succeede them in the Ministrie now you know that Embassadors deliuer not their own minde but the mind of their Master the words that they speak are his words euen so the Ministers of Christ must deliuer Christs message vnto his Church it is to his will not their owne Mat. 23. Iames 4. that they must require the peoples obedience the only Law-giuer is Christ and he the only Master This I would haue you take notice of because one of the crafty insinuations wherewith Popish seducers worke vpon simple people is this You are baptized into the faith professed in the Church of Rome at least as many of you as liued in Queene Maries dayes in Henrie the Eights dayes and before and if in your owne persons you were not yet your Ancestors were and if they or you were you haue vowed obedience then to the Bishop of Rome you ought then in conscience to be reconciled vnto him Thus pleade the Seminarie Fugitiues in their Apologies But though they haue stained baptisme with many superstitions yet haue they not therein or in the forme thereof set out by Authoritie of the Councell of Trent so farre countenanced their forgerie as to binde Christian people in their Baptisme to any but to Christ They that are baptized saith the Apostle put on Christ and in Baptisme are adopted to bee children of God to obey the voyce of their Father to heare the command of Christ their Sauiour True saith the Papist we require no more But the Pope is Christs Vicar and Gods Deputie from him we must receiue Gods pleasure Wee will prouided he alwaies shew vs his Euidence if vpon triall it appeare not to be counterfeit we will submit to it but this the Papists haue not done neither indeed can they and therefore what without good record they obtrude to the Church Christian people may refuse without breaking their vow they made in Baptisme The Baptizer and the baptized are the one to deliuer the other to receiue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whatsoeuer Christ giueth in charge to the Church Christ requires them both not to take from nor to adde to that which he commanded We must not take from it ought Hee that will obey of Christ his charge some part and omit some other doth not follow Christs will but his owne for he taketh what he will not what Christ will haue him take but he must know that tota obedientia is copulatiua as the Schooles speake all the Commandements of God are knit together with a coniunction copulatiue consider them asunder you may you may not seuer them The Philosophers held that the cardinall Vertues are so knit together that he that hath one must needes haue all and hee that hath not all hath neuer a one This is more true of the theologicall Vertues Faith Hope and Charitie hee that hath Faith must haue Hope and Faith and Hope will not be without Charitie So that no one branch necessary to saluation can bee kept at least be kept salubriter but in communion with the rest St. Iames therefore telleth vs cap. 2.10 Hee that is guilty of one is guilty of all because hee that commandeth one commandeth all The Law runneth in generall termes Deut. 27.26 Cursed is hee that abideth not in euery point of the Law to doe it Christ will haue vs resigne our selues wholly to his pleasure the Pastor must not conceale ought from the people Christ deliuered to his Disciples whatsoeuer he had heard of his father requisite for their saluation and St. Paul opened to the Ephesians all the counsell of God Acts 20. faithfull Pastors must imitate these good patternes neither for feare nor fauour must they spare to deliuer any part of the truth of Gods Word that were to humour men or rather to foster corrupt humours in them to their destruction And People must not bee like vnto those that haue queasie stomacks who must choose their meate else will not feede on that which is set before them they must vse their stomacks to all spirituall sustenance and learne to digest whatsoeuer God speaketh to them by his Ministers not doubting but that though many things rellish not pleasantly to flesh and bloud yet the things are wholesome which Christ commendeth vnto them This All is exclusiue they that must keep all that which Christ commandeth must doe that only they must adde as little to as they must take from it Doe all saith God vnto Moses Exod. 25. according to the patterne shewed in the Mount the Prophets the Apostles kept themselues strictly to their charge And you know that it is dangerous for an Embassadour to patch any deuice of his owne to his Masters instructions What Balaam answered vnto the Messengers of Balaac may well beseeme euery faithfull Pastor If Balaac will giue me his house full of gold Numb 22.18 I cannot goe from that word which I receiue from the Lord to doe more or lesse What this same All is it would bee too much to open distinctly at this time St. Marke cap. 16. calleth it in one word the Gospell and indeed that is properly Christs charge St. Luke cap. 24. resolueth it into the doctrine of Remission of sinnes and of Repentance We may reduce it vnto that which is represented
that should trouble vs Therefore let vs keepe our eyes on him and we shall bee vndauntedly patient of any disgrace or danger that wee must passe in performing our charge Againe though we bee naturally proud and thinke our selues worthy of high preferment and sufficient for great employment yet when wee are called to these supernaturall Acts we are farre from being ambitious yea we are plaine incredulous that euer such things can be done by vs or that we are fit to be vsed in doing them wee can then plead our imperfections the imperfections of our head the imperfections of our heart it is strange then to see how vile we will be in our own eies and be glad that any one should haue the honour of this seruice rather than our selues we see this truth in Moses Ieremie and others But this is a mis-placing of our eyes Christ taketh them off from this contemplation and placeth them vpon himselfe Behold I am with you it is my spirit my wisedome my grace that produceth these heauenly effects I doe you the honour to make you my Instruments but I will be the principall Agent regard not your weaknesse but my power and doubt not but that I will doe by you whatsoeuer I shall giue you in charge Let this be your encouragement Christ would neuer send vs to baptize with water but hee meaneth to baptize with the holy Ghost hee will neuer send vs to dispence bread and wine but hee will bee present to giue vnto beleeuers his body and blood if he send vs to binde and loose on earth himselfe will binde and loose in heauen finally the foolishnesse of Preaching which he vttereth by our mouths himselfe doth accompany with a demonstration of his Spirit Ecce Behold this Behold how I am with you how I cooperate with you The last particular which I obserued is contained in the last word Amen and this must second Ecce Behold So soone as euer our eyes are vpon the right obiect and wee see what shelter what succour wee haue who doth support vs who doth worke by vs we must fall to our Amen we must vndoubtedly beleeue the truth of Christs promise and heartily desire the accomplishment thereof the word Amen implieth both and we must say Amen both waies Christ doth promise I am with you I will not leaue you nor forsake you whensoeuer or whithersoeuer you goe in my seruice we must answer Amen Lord I am assured it will be so I am sure it will be so also when thou sayst Loe I am with you by you to giue light to them that sit in darkenesse and in the shadow of death and guide their feete into the way of Peace And seeing what thou Lord sayst shall bee what is my desire but that it should bee Da Domine quod iubes inbe quod vis Lord be thou with me and I care not what charge thou dost impose vpon me thou biddest me goe into all the world Amen so bee it I will goe thou promisest to be with me wheresoeuer I goe Amen so be it Thus should Ecce Behold set a-work Amen and Amen So be it should euer attend this Ecce Behold I haue done with my Text and with the particulars which I pointed out therein lay those particulars together and see how many things there are to be obserued by you that are to enter into Holy Orders Here you may see that the Originall of your calling is from Christ that Christ calleth you to bee his Embassadours the errand whereupon you are sent is the gathering of Gods children into his Church Hee trusteth you with the seales of his Couenant his Sacraments He maketh your mouthes his Oracles vnto the people his presence maketh your persons secure and sacred whether hee bee pleased that you be Patients or Agents his presence shall make you conquerours vnder the Crosse and conuerters of sinnefull men And this hee will doe by you and those that shall bee honoured with the like calling vntill the number of the Elect are fulfilled and we all meete comfortably after our seruice is happily ended to raigne with him for euer in his Kingdome of Glory HEe that giueth you this Charge grant you this Comfort and make you so behold it that you may say Amen vnto it Amen Amen IHS A SERMON PREACHED AT A VISITATION At BATHE ZACHARY 11. vers 7. And I tooke vnto me two staues the one I called Beautie and the other I called Bands and I fed the flocke THis Chapter containes the last and worst destruction of the Iewes the manner and the cause is contained herein The Manner is most wofull for it is Libellus Repudij God will haue no more to doe with them and they were to be Lo-gnammi no longer the peculiar people of God no degree of person was to bee exempted from this plague neyther were they euer to recouer their state againe Of so wofull a manner the cause was most iust Curati noluerunt curari God gaue the Iewes ouer Pastors and People to a totall to a finall desolation because in their day the last of their dayes they would not know they did not regard those things that belonged vnto their peace What those things were for the most for the best part wee are taught in these words that now I haue read vnto you The whole text is a Parable wherein a ghostly shepheard is resembled to a bodily and the care of the one is represented in the others care This is the summe of the whole text But more distinctly In moralizing the Parable wee are to make two enquiries first Who it is that speaketh these words secondly What that is which he meaneth by this speech By laying together the parts of this Chapter you shall finde that he that speaketh is our Sauiour Christ it is he that saith I tooke to my selfe two slaues c. As it is he that speaketh so that which hee speaketh concerneth himselfe the contents of his words are his owne exemplarie pastorall care In opening this care the text will teach vs 1. how hee did furnish himself sutably to his calling 2. how he did employ his furniture to the good of his charge His furniture was Authority and Ability Authority noted by the staues for Padum insigne Pastoris a Shepheard is designed by his crooke and the crooke is an embleme of Authoritie Authority is not enough he hath Abilitie also his Ability is noted by the propertie of the staues The properties are two and so the abilitie groweth to be twofold the first is noted by Beauty by which is meant Veritas Euangelica a Shepheards skill in the couenant of Grace the second is noted by Bands whereby is noted Charitas Christiana the Shepheards care of the Churches peace With these doth the Shepheard furnish himselfe so hee saith I tooke vnto my selfe I tooke he receiued this furniture from his Father so I gather out of the fourth verse and what hee tooke therewith he qualified himselfe
and being Father of his Countrey doth heare like a Father that is most tenderly you must see with none but the kings eyes and you know that My Lord the King is as â—n Angell of God discerning good and euill 2. Sam. 14. you must speake with none but the kings mouth and the wisest of kings hath obserued that There is a diuine sentence in the mouth of the king Pâ—ou 16. his lips shall not transgresse in iudgement Nay whereas euen the kings eares and eies and mouth are not his owne as he is a king but Gods you must looke for your quality yet higher euen to that which is obserued in God Gods eare as the Wise man hath well abridged that which the Scripture sets downe but in many words is an eare of iealousie Wisd 1. and iealousie is the best whetstone of feeling attention The eye of the Lord as Habakuk speaketh chap. 1. is a pure eye it can behold no iniquity Finally of the mouth of God wisedome it selfe hath obserued All his words are truth and wickednesse is an abomination to his lips Prou. 8. I conclude this point with the words of the Apostle wrested I confesse to our purpose yet the wrest is not much amisse You are not your owne you sustaine anothers person wherefore glorifie shall I say the king if I said no more it were enough to moue you but I must say more glorifie God with your eares with your eies with your mouth glorifie the king glorifie God they are the kings yea they are Gods But wherefore are you trusted with them the worke will shew the kings worke and yours vnder the king is to Iudge And to Iudge what is it but to Measure the Originall Shaphat hath that for his first signification as appeares in Mishpot which signifieth a rule and the Holy Ghost author of that mother-tongue doth significantly expresse that the principall worke of a Iudge is to measure yea this very word Measure which is by vse English is by birth Hebrew the plaine Hebrew Mesurah whose originall is from Sur which is Principem esse as if to measure were the proper worke of a Prince and the Imperiall definition of iustice Iustitia est constans perpetua volunt as ius suum cuique tribusndi what is it but a reall definition of this measure which Solon the renowned Lawgiuer of Athens aymed at also in the wittie analogie by him obserued betweene coine and lawes making both measures but the one in the hands of priuate men the other of the Magistrate A Prince then and so a Iudge is a measurer and what wonder seeing he is the lieutenant of God euen in that respect wherein God himselfe is termed a Measurer The Heathen Philosopher could say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whose words you may expound by those of the Wiseman wisd 16. God doth all things in number weight and measure Nay God himselfe hath witnessed it vnder his owne hand the hand that wrote Baltassars doome vpon the wall Mene Mene tekel Thou art numbred thou art weighed and how often in the Prophets doe we reade of the line and the plummet in the narration of the works of Gods prouidence God then is a Measurer and vnder God the King and vnder the King the Iudge their iudgement is a measuring And the worke is most behoouefull for euerie man is partiall in his own case out of selfe loue apt to stretch or shrinke a case as it shall make for or against him and out of malice moued eyther without cause or aboue measure so that it would goe ill with a state were there not a measure whereby to try how farre men ouerlash or come short in those quarrels that artise There was no King in Israel and euery man did that which was right in his owne eyes but that right was in the eye of the Law plaine wrong it was idolatrie adulterie robberie murder as it appeares in the booke of Iudges God therefore dealeth mercifully with vs that commands there should be a publicke Standard as in the market that we bee not deceiued in our prouisions so on the Tribunall that we be not wronged in our eases It is the expresse letter of the Law Deut. 25. If a controuersie arise betweene man and man they shall both come to the Iudge he is to measure their case The vse of this point for you Honourable and Beloued is that the saying which Plato caused to bee engrauen at the entrie of his Schoole is worthy to be set on the front of your Tribunals 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is pitie any should sit vpon that seat that hath not I say not skill the prouidence of the King is not so carelesse in the choyce of your persons but a care to discharge that wherewith he is put in trust and to bee indeed the measure of all cases a partie not interested in either side but carrying himselfe indifferently between them both That is your vse And ours is we must not be sonnes of Belial We may not vsurpe the sword to right our selues we may not displace the indifferencie of the Law to giue soueraigntie to our intemperate affections I conclude this sentence with the wordes of the Apostle Brethren auenge not your selues but giue place vnto wrath for vengeance is mine and I will repay saith the Lord. He will repay one day by himself but vntill then he will haue his payment made by Iudges vpon which warrant the King spake these wordes I will iudge But When At the Assizes when I shall receiue the Congregation Some reade when I shall take a set time both Translations are ancient the later as ancient as the Septuagint and Caldee Paraphrase you may reade it in them the former as ancient as Aquila and Symachus St. Basil reports it out of them the later Translators incline some to the one side and some to the other if you ioyne them both together you haue no more than the full sense of the word for Mogned is not only an Assembly but an assembly made at a solemne time But to leaue the words and come to the matter Men haue houses of their owne and domesticall employments according to their meanes but the instinct of nature and their manifold wants incline them to be sociable and to entertaine commerce with others hence sprang Societies But societie cannot bee maintained without a rule of fellowship which commands to giue euerie man his due and bends priuate endeauours towards the common good To frame this rule Kings call one kinde of Assembly which is a Parliament and to see whether this rule bee obserued they call another which is the Assizes An Assizes is nothing but an assembling of the People to enquire whether euerie man so temper the loue of himselfe as not to wrong his neighbour whether hee take no other course to thriue than such as may further the Common wealth And indeed in vaine were Parliaments were it not for Assizes you may see it
that which I rather obserue is These two Disciples aboue the rest had a strong conceite of Christs earthly Kingdome which made them carnally both ambitious and zealous Of their ambition wee read elsewhere where One of them desired to sit on Christs right hand and the other on his left here they shew themselues zealous But their indignation is carnall and so is the weapon where with they doe expresse it My Obseruation is One grosse conceite breedes another It did so in them It doth so in the Church of Rome who dreaming of a temporall power which Christ hath giuen vnto his Church is forward to execute temporall paines vpon whomsoeuer is not conformable vnto her will But I leaue the Persons and come to their Passion Wherein notwithstanding marke that though they are bold to propose yet to resolue they are not bold They are bold to propose their Desire their Reason Their desire is Fire a sharpe weapon especially seeing Saint Paul for dissention in Religion prescribeth other which they would not haue to spare they would haue it Consume their Enemies Rom 16. Fire is their Weapon Quid mirum filios tonitrus fulgurare sayth Saint Ambrose It may be the very place put them in minde of the Element because it was in the Region of Samaria that God executed a fearefull vengeance by Fire 2. Kings 1. Or haply because this Element is in the Scripture made the ordinary attendment vpon Gods Iudgement therefore they especially affect that weapon Iohannes Magnus reporteth that Carolus an ancient King of the Gothes amongst his great Lawes ordained this for one That if any man were thrice conuicted to haue denied entertainement to strangers his house should be set on fire Vi aedibus proprijs iuste priuaretur qui earum vsum inhumaniter negavisset Surely whereas there are foure Elements the Earth the Water the Ayre the Fire euery one of the three first are hospitall the Earth entertaines beasts and men the Water fishes the Ayre birds only the Fire is inhospitall and therefore though they might haue wished for an earth-quake to founder the Village or a floud to drowne it or a venemous Ayre to poyson the Inhabitants of it as that King thought so did these Apostles think that the other 3 Elements were too compassionate and only this vnmerciful Element â—iâ— to take vengeance on these merciles men Sure they would haue no mercy shewed them for they would not only haue fire out Consuming fire Li 2 〈◊〉 Seneca obserues well Non vt in beneficijs bonestum est meritameritis compeâ—sare ita in iniurijs illic vinci turpe hic vincere inhumanum and the rule of the Law is Fauores ampliandt restringendaodia and God is the Patterne hereof whose mercy doth indeede permit him to doe vs good Vltra condignum but his Iustice neuer strikes vs but Citra condignum 〈…〉 81. 〈…〉 40. 〈◊〉 131. God is more admirable in sparing then punishing because Cedit iure suo in the one Exigit in the other read Hosea 1.6 Wisd 12. It is our riches to exact our debts but Gods to forgiue his What bowels then had these Apostles that would so repay wrong with reuenge a Iesse wrong with so sharpe a reuenge for it was but a common discourtesie which for many yeares the Samaritans bad vsed towards all the Iewes and that out of no other malice then such as proceeded from a rooted ignorance they were then rather to be pâ—tied for their ignorance then thus to be hated for their malice But I see now the truth of King Dauids answere to the Prophet Gad when he was offered his choice of three plagues Famine 〈…〉 Pessilence or the Sword I am in a wonderfull straight Let vs fall now into the hand of the Lord for his mercies are great and let not mee fall into the hands of men for men are bowelles euen Iames and Iohn which asking fire shew themselues to be worse then fire for as Chrysostome obserueth Fire can stay it selfe if God commaund though it be the nature of fire to burne as appeareth in the case of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego but men though it be contrary to their nature as appeares in that it is painefull to be furious and rage cannot hold though God lay his commandement vpon them The voluntary Agent whose property it should be Statuere actiont suae modum becomes a naturall Et agit ad extremum potentiae suae Vnto whom I say no more but this Wouldest thou O man that God should so deale with thee and send fire such a fire so soone as thou deniest entertainment vnto him Thou wouldest not see then how euery man desireth mercy for himselfe the tenderest mercy but for his enemy Iustice the extreamest Iustice and because it is so Seneca's rule is good Irascenti tibi nihil volo licere quia dum irasceris omnia putas licere In a word the Apostles offend twice first in that being Pastors they desire a corporall reuenge Secondly in that being Christians they desire so sharpe a reuenge Nazianzene thinks they wished for the fire of Sodome Sharpe it is but it is not singular though they haue no Rule yet they haue an Example for it Elias did so In this Chapter is report made of the Transsiguration of Christ wherein appeared Moses and Elias â— Moses the meekest of men Elias a seuere man they saw them both but see whom they remember they might haue remembred Moses and so haue intreated Christ not to take iust displeasure at so bad vsage if he had beene feeling of his owne wrongs but while he is calme they storme and they colour their passion by Elias his example So prone is our nature to imitation and in imitation to pitch vpon the worst The knowledge of Rules is too painefull few will study them and know good and euill by them men take a shorter course and thinke that well done wherein they are like vnto others So liueth the most part of the world and careth not much for any farther enquiry into their actions But when they fall vpon examples according to which they square themselues their liues commonly are exemplifications of the worst It is the obseruation of a very leud Writer but heerein hee hath deliuered a remarkable truth When men read the liues of good men they read them with content and cannot without detestation read the liues of those that are bad yet when they are but to expresse whom they wil be like they forget their owne vpright iudgment and yeeld themselues to their inordinate Passions Certainely these Apostles not so much out of iudgement as out of rage chose rather to bee liâ—e Elias then Moses and wherein are they better then the Samaritans For the Samaritans ranne vpon the same ground that they did they called for fire because Elias did and the Samaritans had the same argument They would not receiue Christ because their Fathers had not vsed to to do it Certainely in the
Confession the Aduisers shew how little grace there is in that Sect how vnlikely they are vnto King Dauid and vnto Iames and Iohn Howsoeuer they did let vs be of the old Patriarke Iacobs minde and say of them as he sayd of his sonnes Simeon and Leui they were Brethren in iniquity My glory enter not into their secret and my honour be thou not vnited to their Assembly Let vs not auenge our selues but giue place vnto wrath knowing that vengeance belongeth vnto God and hee will repay But if wee haue bitter zeale let vs not boast Wee lie against the truth as Saint Iames speaketh Hoc nomine ijs à quibus iniurias accepimus sublimiores simus ostendamus quid illos daemones doceant quid Christus nos erudiat In a word Nazianâ—â—â— Let euery man be slow to wrath seeing the wrath of man doth not accomplish the righteousnes of God And thus much of the Case of Conscience A second vse that we should all make of this Storie thus applied is to be stirred vp hereby vnto heartie thankfulnesse for our Deliuerance If wee did congratulate our first restitution to the Gospel by Queene Elizabeth how must we also our continuation thereof and preseruation therein in the dayes of King Iames that hee hath not suffered the Destroyer to haue his will against vs he hath saued our soules and saued our bodies the Destroyer aimed at the ruine of both Their first intent was to make vs drinke of their golden cup of poyson to make vs fall downe and worship their Idoll But not speeding of that because it pleased God to continue our Soueraigne a constant Defender of the Truth they attemped a second ruine the ruine of our bodies But Iesus hath Saued vs from both he hath saued vs from being corrupted with their Heresies he hath saued vs from being Destroyed by their malice So that wee may say Blessed be the Lord which hath not giuiug vs as a prey vnto their teeth Wee can neuer more feelingly receiue the Eucharist then vpon this occasion there is present our Iesus he inuiteth vs to partake of him And wee that haue Seene let vs also taste how good the Lord is and praise him because wee finde that all are so blest that put their trust in him I end The summe of all is The Church is subiect to the Crosse and Christians must looke to suffer and must not be ashamed to suffer for Christ But in suffering they must remember not to recompence euill for euill but to ouercome euill with good So did Christ so must Christians both in Word and Deed. O Lord that by thy Words and by thy Deeds hast taught vs to spend the heate of our zeale in the constant profession of thy Truth not in the bloody persecution of our foes giue vs grace to possesse our soules in patience and let the bloud of our deadliest enemies be precious in our sight So shall we beare the character not of the Destroyer but of the Deliuerer and hauing happily escaped all plots of our destruction in thy House with songs of prayse blesse thee O Iesu the only constant Author no lesse of our temporall then of our eternall Saluation A SERMON PREACHED AT St ANDREWES IN WELLES ONE DOING PENANCE FOR JNCEST PSALME 50. VERSE 21. These things hast thou done and J kept silence thou thoughtest that J was altogether such a one as thy selfe but J will reproue thee and set them in order before thine eyes THE Argument of this Psalme is an heauenly Assises whereof we haue here the Apparance and the Indictment the apparance made at it and the indictment read in it The Apparance is great whether we respect the Iudge or the iudged the Iudge GOD the iudged the Church of the Iewes both are set forth GOD in Maiesty whether you respect his owne Person or Attendants the Church with her prerogatiues as she is consecrated to GOD and hath couenanted with him And the conclusion is that this Church notwithstanding yea the rather for her prerogatiues shall be arraigned before that Iudge But what is her Arraignment Surely the transgression of the Law so much of the Law as containeth GODS seruice for this she shall be arraigned and receiue iudgement also as we are taught in my Text. In my Text then we are to obserue two things First how farre the Iewes are guiltie Secondly how GOD proceedeth against them How farre they are guilty appeares in the first words These things c. which are relatiue and repeat the enormous sinnes that are distinctly specified in the words that goe before For these sinnes GOD proceeds against them after much Patience which the Iewes abused vnto such Vengance as against which they shall haue nothing to except GODS Patience is gathered out of his silence I held my tongue the Iewes abuse hereof GOD testifieth to their face thou thoughtest that I am altogether such a one as thou art This abuse is insufferable therefore GOD threatneth Vengance I will reproue thee such Vengance as against which they shall not be able to except I will set thy sinnes in order before thine eyes You haue heard the substance of these words which I must now enlarge and apply as this present occasion doth require The first point then is the Indictment which sheweth how farre the Iewes were guiltie it is expressed in the first words These things hast thou done whereof euerie one is remarkable These things are relative words and repeat the Challenge that is made vnto the Iewes in sundry former verses the summe whereof is That they were guiltie of transgressing the Law The Law so farre as we haue to doe with it is partly Ceremoniall and partly Morall within these two is concluded the seruice of GOD. The Ceremoniall cherisheth the Morall and the Morall quickneth the Ceremoniall yea the Ceremoniall is a sensible description of the Morall and the Morall is a discreet limitation of the Ceremoniall when they goe together they worke both a sincere and a sober seruice of GOD sober in regard of the Ceremonie sincere in regard of the Moralitie But we must marke that the Ceremoniall and the Morall Law differ as the Soule and Body of man the body is of small vse if it be seuered from the Soule so is the Ceremoniall Law if it be seuered from the Morall Secondly the body is inferiour to the Soule euen so is the Ceremoniall Law inferiour to the Morall so that if it be a fault to neglect the Ceremoniall it is a much greater to breake the Morall Law Lo then the Indictment stands vpon two Branches a Seperation and a Transgression a Seperation of the Ceremoniall Law from the Morall and which is worse a manifold Transgression of the Morall with these two sinnes GOD chargeth the Iewes Both are great sinnes The Seperation is for GOD in his seruice commanded that our Soules should concurre with our bodies that our Affections should speake vnto him as well as our tongue
Heauen In HABAKKVK the stones and timber of the King of Babylons house built with blood doe cry Finally Iames 5. in St IAMES the wages of the hireling kept from him doe cry and come into the eares of the Lord of Hosts Cap. 6. And as sinnes so iudgements haue a Voyce MICAH hath a notable place The voice of the Lord cryeth vnto the Citie the Man of Wisdome will see thy name heare ye the rod and who hath appointed it And the Lord is sayd to make his iudgement to be heard from Heauen When then GOD saith I was deafe and dumbe he meaneth that though the cry of the sin were loud yet he did not heare it he was deafe neither did they heare from him though there was iust cause he was dumbe In these two points stands the Patience of GOD. Where-hence we learne that when we are free from plagues we must not conclude that we are without sinnes crying sinnes The cause of our peace is often times not our owne innocencie but GODS patience it is not because our sinnes hold their tongues but GODS iudgments hold theirs notwithstanding our guilt he is silent And here appeareth a great difference between God and Men Men are as soone moued as they are prouoked few can hold their hands scarce any their tongues so sensible are we of wrongs and so reuengefull according to our power Not so GOD it is one of the characters of his Nature to be long suffering euen when he is grieuously offended he can hold his Tongue not onely his Hands Behold an euidence hereof in this Penitent whose incestuous life GOD hath forborne so many yeeres though he might haue rewarded him according to his deserts when he first fell into this foule offence yet hath GOD lent him many yeeres and expected his repentance But what vse doe men make of GODS patience Surely the Iewes did but verifie the old saying veterem ferendo iniuriam inuit as nouam the more GOD forbeares the worse we waxe GOD holds his peace that we might speake is deafe that we might heare Rom. c. 2. but enormous sinners make vse of neither they abuse the patience and long suffering of God and like IESABEL though GOD giue space to repent they repent not Reuel 2 21. We should heare our sinnes that GOD might not heare them we should heare them speaking to the eare of our Consciences whereinto if they did enter they would not ascend higher into the eares of GOD. And seeing GOD is dumbe that we might speake we should speake to GOD by repentance and then GOD would not speake vnto vs by vengance according to that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 11.31 If we did iudge our selues we should not be iudged of the Lord. But what doth the Iewe He grosly abuseth this patience of GOD in stead of so hearing and speaking he thinketh that God is like vnto himselfe Behold the world turned vpside downe GOD made man after his owne Image and see man would faine square GOD after his Image whereas the creature should resemble the Creator the Creator is drawne to resemble the creature An absurd conceit is it in reason how much more in Religion When 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is turned into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Patterne into the Exemplification but yet might it be excused if so be man were vnderstood as he was made of GOD for we vse in Diuinitie out of the obseruation which we make in the nature of man to draw descriptions of the nature of GOD because whatsoeuer is in the effect is but much more emminently in the efficient so we talke of the Truth the Righteousnesse and Holinesse of GOD guessing at them by those sparkes of vertue which appeare in man But the conceit of these men is not so good for thus must the words be knit Thou thoughtest that I was like vnto thee which hast done these things and such a thee is a sinfull thee so that GOD is not onely resembled vnto man but vnto a sinfull man outragious blasphemie It was a great sinne which ADAM committed when he affected to be like vnto GOD though it were in an holy attribute the attribute of his Knowledge How fearefull a sin then is it not onely to debase GOD to be like vnto men but also to be like vnto him in a hellish Attribute the Attribute of sinne There are three steps of Atheisme Psal 94.7 It begins with Tush God doth not see and is there vnderstanding in the Highest It goeth on to Tush God doth not care Scilicet is superis labor est ea cura quietos solicitat The Lord will doe neither good nor euill as the Prophet speaketh It commeth at length to We account the proud blessed Malach. 3.15 and they that tempt God are exalted Of these Atheists the first turne God into an Idol giuing him eyes that see not and eares that heare not The second make him an idle or carelesse God as if he did onely looke on and leaue euerie man to shift for himselfe The last doe plainly turne God into the Diuel for their blasphemie is not onely priuatiue denying GOD to be what indeed he is but also positiue fastning vpon GOD what is cleane opposite to his Nature so that it is not without cause that our vulgar English hath Thou thoughtest wickedly for it is a most wicked thought We must then take heed how we entertaine sinne seeing we shall grow worse and worse by degrees There are inborne principles of honestie and pietie which are sensibly felt when we first fall to sinne the further we goe the lesse are they felt and when we grow senslesse of them then fall we to apologize for sin and there can be no stronger apologie then to make GOD our consort for it is a principle stampt in our nature That God is the soueraigne good whatsoeuer then is either from him or in him must needs be good so that if a wicked man can make GOD either the Author or Patterne of his sinne he need no sayrer colour nor stronger argument wherewith to resolue either himselfe or others that bitter is sweet darknesse light death life and good euill And the Diuel knoweth that we will sinne securely when we are resolued that by sinne we doe GOD good seruice he that reads the stories of the Heathen gods shall find that one of the greatest prouocations that the world hath had vnto sinne hath beene the worship of such gods as their owne Poets describe theirs to be stained with all kind of sinnes The Fathers that wrot against them IVSTIN MARTYR CLEMENS ALEXANDRINVS EVSEBIVS LACTANTINS ARNOBIVS and Saint AVSTIN insist much vpon this point when they defend Christian Religion against the Gentile And who can tell whether GOD in this place doth not taxe such Gentilisme in the Iew And intimate that their Idolatry was a cause of their impuritie for it is plaine in the Prophets that they worshipped Idols of all Nations You
both to our faith and to our manners and from our most wise and most holy GOD nothing could proceed that was not most righteous and most true Out of this Principle doth MALACHI worke the reparation of a breach which the Iewes had made vpon the seuenth Commandement The breach was Polygamie or multiplying of wiues whereof the reparation is a reducing of them to the first institution of marriage and this is done in those words that now I haue read vnto you Herein we haue first a Text of the Law And did he not make one Then a Sermon of the Prophet made thereon yet had he the residue of Spirit And wherefore one Because c. But more distinctly In the Text of the Law we will consider First the matter that is contained in it then the manner how the Prophet doth vrge it The matter sets before vs a Worke and a Workmaster The worke is the making of one the Workmaster was he both clauses are darke because the words are short To cleere them we must supply out of Genesis and there we find that this one was one Adam and the he that made him was the Lord God GOD made one out of one male he made one female by creation and by coniunction he made that female to be one againe with that male out of which he tooke her This is the matter The manner of the Prophets arguing the Text is powerfull that which in Genesis is a plaine narration is here turned into a question and in such questions the Holy Ghost doth report himselfe vnto the Consciences of those that heare whether to their knowledge he speake not truth So must you vnderstand those words did he not make one Hauing proposed his Text the Prophet maketh a short but a full Sermon hereupon for it consists of a doctrine and an exhortation The doctrine openeth the reason of GODS worke and the Prophet argues in effect thus GOD made but one was it because he could make no more or because he would make no more Certainly not because he could not for he had aboundance of Spirit then it was because he would not And indeed all GODS workes ad extra as the Schooles call them the workes of Creation Prouidence Redemption are all arbitrarie they come from his Will but such a Will as is not blind it is guided by his Wisedome and his Will prescribes nothing whereof his Wisedome cannot yeeld a reason and sometimes he is pleased to shew that reason to vs who otherwise are bound to rest satisfied with the signification of his holy Will Therefore the Prophet goeth on in his arguing wherefore one What is the reason of this Will of GOD And he answereth by the direction of GODS Spirit that it was expedient it should be so two wayes expedient First Expedient in Nature God sought for seed he would haue men multiply and increase which could not be except he had made one and if he had made more then one it could not well haue beene Secondly It was expedient in Grace also for though GOD would haue men multiply yet would he not haue them multiply otherwise then beseemed the children of GOD he sought a holy seed For these ends was GOD pleased thus to order his workes and vpon this doctrine of the ends doth the Prophet ground an exhortation it consists of two parts because in the case of mariage we owe a double respect one to our selues another to our mate The respect we owe to our selues is that we must watch ouer our better part take heed to our Spirit The respect we owe to our mate is we must not violate the faith plighted to her let no man deale treacherously with his wife especially if she be the wife of his youth that is he married her when he was young the longer they haue beene marryed together the more back-ward should they be from dealing falsely one with the other You see the particulars of the Text and of the Sermon that we may better vnderstand them and their fitnesse for this occasion I will open them a little more fully I pray GOD I may doe it profitably also Come we then to the Text of the Law to the matter contained therein I will not trouble you with the diuers translations and varietie of interpretations suitable thereunto leaue that to the Schooles our CHVRCH hath made a choyce and that choyce agrees well with the Originall we will rest contented with that and according to it frame our obseruations I told you that the words set before vs a Worke and a Workemaster yet neither doth plainly appeare they are onely pointed at here but exprest Gen 1. whence I supplyed the name of ADAM and the name of GOD whereof the first is the Worke and the second the Workmaster so that then the words will sound thus God made one Adam Let vs take these parts asunder The name of ADAM is not to be vnderstood vulgarly but as the Holy Ghost vseth it and so it comprehends both sexes so we read Gen. 1. GOD created ADAM male and female made he them in the 5 of Genesis more plainly God made man male and female and called them Adam so that the name ADAM being but one is commonly two the male and the female As they are one in name so are they in nature also we read Gen. 2. that GOD made the female out of the rib of the male for he would haue her to be like him De Paradiso Cap. 10. and he confest her to be bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh Nec illud otiose saith St AMBROSH it is worth our marking that GOD did not make the woman of the same Earth whereof he made man but he made EVE of the rib of ADAM to giue vs to vnderstand that there is but one body in them both and that one body the onely Fountaine of all mankind Plat. Do Conuiuio Leo. Heb. The Platonists Androgunos is but a corruption of this truth As man was by creation made two but of like substance and so continued still one both in name and nature so by a second work they were made yet more one that is by marriage Gen. 2. for that maketh two one flesh two I say the Septuagint adde that word vnto MOSES his Text and CHRIST approues it in the Gospel Math. 19◠1 Cor. 6. Eph. 5. St PAVL therein followeth CHRIST and the words of marriage are the man shall cleaue to his wife therefore doth the Apostle call the wife 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the husband 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 7. Lesse then one there could not be and be a naturall propagation and more then one there should not be and that propagation be orderly But this onenesse is principall or accessorie the principall is onenesse of coniugall power and coniugall affection Coniugall power for though in other things the man is superiour to the woman the husband to his wife Rom. 7.1
ioyneth them together looke vpon the storie in Genesis there you shall find that ADAM non arripuit Euam sed expectauit Deum adducentem he did not carue for himselfe Math. 19. but stayed for GODS consent and therefore our Sauiour CHRIST saith Prou. 2.17 that GOD conioyned in marriage and SOLOMON saith that it is pactum Dei the couenant of God so that the lawfull coniunction of man and wife is not onely Gods ordinance but Gods act also he doth it by himselfe or his Minister the verie Heathen thought so that had a seuerall God president not onely of the substantiall parts but also of euerie circumstance of their marriage I will not trouble you with enumeration of them Obserue then the interueniencie of God in wedlocke which doth improue it though not to the state of a Romish Sacrament yet to the condition of a sacred thing and so we should esteeme it And the act of God in ioyning ADAM and EVE must be accounted a reall Law the sampler whereunto all other wedlockes were to conforme themselues as exemplysications our Sauiour CHRIST teacheth vs so to vnderstand it Math. 1â— and our Prophet doth here worke vpon it as being such But why doe I call to witnesse these sacred Authors The light of Reason taught it the Philosopher Aristotle giueth it for a Law in his Politicks and in his Oeconomicks the Romane Emperour a Deijs qui infamiae notantur Legâ— in his Digests b De intest nuptiâ—s ad Legem Iust de Adulterijs in the Code thought it reasonable to put it into their Lawes c Gratiam causa 24. quest 3. de diuortijs the Canonists make it their ground against marriage after diuorce and our Law hath prouided for it Seeing so many Lawes attend Gods legall fact it cannot be denyed but that Polygamie is a sinne against this Worke-master it cannot be denyed but that Polygamie is a sinne against the Law-giuer as well as against his Law Whence you the Penitent may make a farther discouerie of your sinne you haue offended against the onenesse in marriage not onely that which God hath commanded but also that onenesse which God himselfe by his owne act hath made And if this Anabaptisticall libertie of hauing many wiues so offend for Anabaptists in this dotage of the world and their abettors haue beene the Authours and practisers of these masterlesse lusts how odious is the communitie of wiues and the Familists worke of darkenesse Surely 1 Cor. 6. though he that is ioyned to a Harlot as the Apostle speaketh be one flesh yet that onenesse is not of Gods making for he maketh none one but according to the Law before specified And let this suffice for the matter of the Text I come now to the manner The manner is powerfull for MALACHI deliuereth it in forme of a question which layeth the matter close to the conscience Did he not make one is as much as can you deny it Doth not the Law expresly say it This is an vndeniable truth so that he worketh vpon a known principle and giueth vs to vnderstand that principles of faith and good manners should be familiarly knowne the Catechisticall points should be euerie bodyes study and they should be ready with vs vpon all occasions to resolue our Consciences they are the best guid of our Iudgements when we come to try the conclusions that learned men deduce from them yea if we hold them we need not be perplexed in conscience if we haue not skill enough to iudge of the controuersies that doe arise concerning those conclusions It is true that CHRIST biddeth vs search the Scripture Iohn 5. Col. 8. Hebr. 5. and St PAVL willeth vs to let the Word of God dwell richly in vs and those that are of full age should by reason of vse haue their senses exercised to discerne good and euill But if our breeding haue not beene so good nor our capacitie so great we must be sure to hold the foundation the Principles of Religion must not be strange vnto vs if we take not so much paines as to be well skild in them our state to God-ward is but comfortlesse This I would haue them take notice of who neither themselues know their Catechisme nor take care that their children and seruants according to the Law be bred vp therein the Prophets Sermon could little haue profited these Iewes had they not been acquainted with his sext and because the common people know not much of their Catechisme they profit little by our Sermons for the truth hereof I report me to your owne consciences as the Prophet here doth for the vndoubtednesse of his Text. I haue done with the Text of the Law I come now to the Sermon of the Prophet I told you it is short but full for it hath the two parts of a Sermon whereof the first is doctrine and here is a indicious one To make it plaine you must conceiue that the Prophet argues vpon his Text thus God made but one was it because he could make no more or because he would not It was not because he could not for he had aboundance of spirit or as some read Excellencie ioyne them together and the sense will be full anoundance of excellent Spirit The words may point out either Gods power or his store and signifie that neither his power was enfeebled by the creation of one nor his store exhausted And indeed touching his power how should that be enfeebled which is infinite Sine numero sine mensura as St BERNARD speaketh it is not restrayned with any bounds it is true that his Will doth not alwayes extend as farre as his power but his power neuer commeth short of his Will Ps 135.6 Luke 1.37 for he doth whatsoeuer he will both in Heauen and in earth neither is any thing impossible vnto him Neither is the abundance of his excellent store any whit lesse consider but the infinite number of Angels which he made before he made man DANIEL saith that thousand thousands ministred vnto him Dan. 7. Ps 68. and ten thousand times ten thousands stood before him Or looke to that which was done after he made that one looke how many millions of men there haue beene since he created that one Hebr. 12. so many Spirits hath he created for he is the Father of our Spirits Eccl. 12. and when we dye the Preacher saith they returne to God that gaue them vs. Obserue that whereas man consisteth of a body and a soule there could be no question but God had stuffe enough to make more bodyes all the doubt was of the soule therefore the Prophet toucheth at that and not at the other and giues vs to vnderstand that it was as easie to Gods power to breathe more Spirits of life as of the dust of the earth or ribbe of man to make more bodyes Obserue secondly that the addition of Excellencie is ioyned with Spirit to
But let vs take these Workes a little a sunder Christ turned vnto Peter then was CHRIST before turned from him And indeed so he was propter arrogantiam saith S. Basil by reason of his presumption who had vaunted that though all men were offended yet would not he be offended When children begin to goe they vse to be so well conceited of the strength of their legs that they need not any help of their Nurse to let them see their folly the Nurse will leaue them to themselues that so smarting by a fall they may the better be brought to find what need they haue of their Nurse The best of vs are but Babes in grace yet doe we thinke that we can stand of our selues yea and run the wayes of GOD also GOD doth refute vs by our owne experience and by this Mistris of fooles maketh vs better knowne to our selues But though he leaue vs for a time yet doth he not forsake vs for euer no more then a Nurse doth the weakling child she maketh vse of one fall to keepe the child from many and GOD doth make vse of our sinning to make vs see how prone we are to sinne And this is that which is meant by Christs turning his turning to vs is nothing else but his renewing of grace in vs Ps â—5 Ier. 31. it is a quickning Conuersion such a turning as worketh repentance As Christ turned Leo de Passione Serm. 9. so he looked that was spirituall and so this he not onely looked on but into S. Peter and it was an operatiue looke Before I told you that the crowing of the Cocke did fore-tell the approaching of the Sunne Now the looke of the corporall Sunne when it shineth vpon the Earth doth carrie with it a quickning influence it putteth life into the Earth and all things are the better for the looke thereof The same must you conceiue of the Sunne of Righteousnesse his looke gratious looke is such as that it infuseth grace into the soule and transformeth the person on whom he looketh You will easily acknowledge this truth if you looke to the Effects I come then to them The Meanes were two and so are the Effects that proceed from them each Meanes produceth its Effect for CHRIST doth not vse his Meanes in vaine The cocke did crow and presently Petr remembred the words which IESVS spake Plato in Crâ—t this was the Effect of the first Meanes Our memorie is a good Storehouse but no good Steward it layeth vp much but of it selfe dispendeth nothing it needeth some helpe to make vse of her store the speculatiue memorie doth but the practicke much more How many be there whose memories are richly stored with excellent rules of life whereof in their life they make no vse their memorie doth not offer them when they haue occasion to be doing as if they had neuer knowne Commandements or Creed they liue like Infidels and like sonnes of Belial Wherefore as the eye of the body needeth the light of the Sunne to rayse and conuey the visible species vnto it Euen so doth the eye of our vnderstanding need the light of the Sunne of Righteousnesse to stirre vp and present vnto it the Principles of Grace whereof it hath need in the ordering of our life without this actuall grace our memorie will neuer make vse of her habituall But there is a double vse of memorie the one is Praeueniens peccatum the other is Subueniens peccato The best vse of memorie were to suggest good rules by which we might auoid sinne and doe nothing which is displeasing vnto GOD. But this memorie doth often faile vs and it is too common a fault to set our selues on worke before euer we thinke whether the worke be such as is fit for vs to doe seldome doth our memorie serue vs to preuent sinne and wretched were our case if we had not memoriam subuenientem a memorie that doth call vs to an account and after-thoughts to reueiw our actions if the Cocke did not crow after we are downe and we were not thereby put in mind of our fall But GOD be thanked we haue the benefit of this after-memorie and it is the first step of our rising againe It was to St Peter he did not mind CHRISTS warning to keepe him vp but he called it to mind when he was downe then did he remember that he had beene fore-warned and gaue glorie vnto CHRISTS truth he acknowledged that the euent had proued him a true Propher You are bound to the Ministers not onely for their informing but for their reforming paines also not onely for teaching you what you should doe but also for laying to your consciences what you doe amisse we often tell you of your frailtie and that you are by nature prone vnto sinne but you heare vs with a deafe care euen as deafe an eare as St Peter heard CHRIST I would CHRIST would say vnto our memories Ephata as he did to St Peters and as he so we after we are downe would remember our selues and confesse that we are not challenged in vaine that we our selues are monuments of humane frailtie and they that tell vs when we are in the heighth of our selfe conceit that we will proue such doe not prophesie what our life doth not iustifie If we be so ingenuous such a Remembrance will set vs forward to performe the acts that are required in repentance which are the Effects of the second Meanes The second Meanes are CHRIST turned and looked and what followed thereupon Surely Peter presently became another man He had beene verie bold but now he began to find his owne weaknesse Praesumens Petrus ignorauit se negando didicit se cognoscere while Peter thought well of himselfe he was a verie stranger to himselfe but he grew better acquainted with himselfe after he had denyed CHRIST in witnesse whereof he went out he would no longer conflict with that by which he had beene foyled Occasions of euill are shrewd stumbling blockes he that will not fall must be afraid to come nigh them In this case Basils rule is true Nihil formidolosius quam nihil formidare none are in more fearfull case then they that are foole-hardy Et in securitate periclitatur fides he wrackes his faith that is bold when he may decline to put it in danger that will touch pitch and thinke he cannot be defiled carrie fire in his bosome and thinke he cannot be burnt Peter came into the High Priests house onely out of the loue of CHRIST and yet he fell And shall we be able to stand that out of a loue of the World thrust our selues into the temptations thereof I would all that dote vpon the baites of sinne were as timerous as St Peter was and would not so rashly hazard themselues men would not so often be ouertaken with the vanities of this life they would not so often relapse into sinne Peter went out not onely out of feare of that
is not indefinite because represented in a speciall signe the signe of a Doue this signe drawes our thoughts from plunging themselues into that infinite varietie of grace that was in CHRIST to contemplate that which beareth correspondency to a Doue In which contemplation we must keepe this rule to behold first Qualis Christus fuerit how CHRIST himselfe was qualified then Quales nos esse debeamus how wee as Christians must be conformable to him But let vs come to the speciall grace designed by the Doue Some obserue the neatnesse of that bird Aspicis vt ventant ad candida tecta Columbae Accipiat nullas sordida turris aues and they will haue the vertue here intimated to be Sanctity and indeed such an high Priest it behoued vs to haue as was holy harmelesse separate from sinners and higher then the Heauens the Angel at his birth calls him that holy thing Daniel the Holy of Holies his person his conuersation both were most pure hee was in nothing soild with the filth of sinne And what the Church must be we learne in our Creed where it is called the holy Catholique Church Holinesse beseemes Gods House for euer and from this 〈◊〉 haue wee the honour euen on earth to bee called Saints a Christian should not be an vneleane person neither should he delight in filthinesse Some looke vpon the sweete nature of the Doue which is louing and louely and indeede the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sounds that propertie the Doue is so called quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exceeding in loue St. Austin obserueth this propertie Tract 7. in 1. Epist Ioh De Columba demonstrata est charitas quae venit super Dominum quo nobis infunderetur the Doue was the Embleme of charity that was in CHRIST and from him streamed into vs And indeede greater charity could not be found in any then was in our Sauiour CHRIST who gaue his life for his friends yea for his Enemies and he commends no vertue more then charity vnto vs he prayeth that we may bee like to him therein and tells vs that by this shall all men know wee are his Disciples if we loue one another Ioh. 1â— Ioh. 13. the whole booke of Canticles is nothing but a commentary vpon this propertie wherein the name of Doue is more then once remembred But I will resolue this propertie of the Doue into two which will make way vnto some others The Doue is without Guile and without Gall a simple and harmelesse bird which figure two excellent properties of the Holy Ghost Sinceritie and Mercy the one a vertue of the Head the other of the Heart and they are opposed vnto the two maine properties of the Diuell who is noted to bee slie as a Serpent and cruell as a Lyon Our Sauiour CHRIST is especially recommended vnto vs in the Scripture as being farre from these hellish qualities That of the Head there was no guile found in his mouth Ioh. 14. Ioh. 18. Reuel 1. and no maruell for he was the Truth he came into the world to beare witnesse of the truth St. Iohn calls him the faithfull and the true witnesse the more blasphemous are they that draw any act or word of his to patronize or colour their impious Aequiuocations and mentall Reseruations we should conforme our selues vnto CHRIST bee true Nathaniels without simulation or dissimulation Satien cap. 1. Psal 15. be as good as our word though it bee our owne hinderance How farre then hath the World degenerated when Christians to excuse their owne fraud will fasten fraud on CHRIST Yet when I commend plaine dealing I doe not condemne discretion the good of the Serpent wee may haue though not the euill plaine dealing may well stand with Prudence and there is an innocent prouidence onely we must take heed that our tongues and our wits be not made snares and pitfalls but as CHRISTS word was not yea and nay but all the promises of God in him were yea and Amen so must our dealing not be fraudulent but sincere As CHRIST was without Guile so was hee without Gall so farre from taking offence when it was not giuen that when it was giuen he would not take it witnesse the checke which he gaue vnto his Disciples when they would haue had fire from Heauen to destroy the churlish Samaritans you know not saith he of what spirit you are Luke 9. the Sonne of Man came not to destroy Isay 42. but to saue mens liues Hee would not breake a bruised reede nor quench smoaking flaxe yea so tender were his Bowels that in the middest of his tortures vpon the Crosse Luke 23. hee forgaue hee prayed for his crucifying enemies It is this sweetnesse of CHRISTS nature that when the conscience of sinne holds backe doth encourage vs to come with boldnesse vnto the throne of Grace the Doue is not so free from Gall as our Sauiour is from reuengfull malice And what should a Christian be heare our Sauiour CHRIST Discite a mâ— quia mitis sum Matth. 12. Act. 8. Hebr. 13. we should imitate CHRIST in meeknesse we should not bee in the gall of bitternesse like Simon Magus neither should any roâ—te of bitternesse spring vp in vs Spiritus non generat accipitres sed columbas if so bee our nature be cruell it is signe it was neuer new moulded by the Spirit of grace Rom. 12 whose propertie it is not to bee ouer-come of euill but to ouer-come euill with good But here also marke that hee who forbids Crueltie doth not forbid Courage we may partake the good of the Lyon but not the euill It was and it is a grosse conceipt of Macheuilisme to thinke that these properties of the Doue to be without Guile and without Gall haue beene the baine of Christiandome while the Enemies thereof haue taken aduantage of their simplicitie to insnare them and of their pittie to deuoure them well may imprudent simplicitie and cowardly pittie disaduantage the prudent the couragious can neuer disaduantage nay sinceritie in the end ouercometh infidelitie and pittie triumphes ouer crueltie none euer dealt more plainely then CHRIST none was dealt withall more deceitful none vsed more pitie none was vsed more cruelly And what was the issue he prooued the wisedome of his Enemies plaine folly their fury turned vnto his greater glory Neither haue these properties prooued worse in Christians it were an easie matter to prooue it out of the Martyres story recorded both in the old and the New Testament Yea which maketh the opposit vices more odious neuer was there any craftie wit that was not vnto himselfe a snare nor cruell heart whose hands did not giue himselfe the deadliest woundes the Serpent the roaring Lyon that set vpon CHRIST what are they but monuments of the euill successe of their hellish qualities Wherefore though the world please it selfe in wilinesse and bloodinesse let it alwayes bee the care and comfort of a Christian
hoped for all are not so prouident as to let their Conscience preuent sinne Well howsoeuer wee neglect the first worke of Conscience wee cannot auoid the second if wee will not take notice of it it will take notice of Vs it taketh notice of all our doings whether they be good or bad proueth a comfortable or vncomfortable Iury vnto vs. Neither is this all Our selues are trusted not onely to giue in the verdict but also to take it whether it bee against vs or for vs. And as our Conscience will not spare to doome vs according to the Law if wee bee guiltie our selues shall pronounce what our sinnes deserue So will it not faile to assure vs of all the Blessings of the Gospel if it finde vs innocent and we shall rest assured of the trueth of our owne Iudgement And why GOD will second our Heart his worke will keepe correspondencie with ours whether it condemne or absolue Onely for the greater terrour of the wicked and comfort of the godly let vs not forget the inequalitie if wee sincke vnder our owne Iudgement we shall sincke more vnder GODS and if our owne doe yeeld boldnesse GODS will yeeld much more Wherefore redde te tibi forget not the preuenting worke of thy Conscience to bee ruled by it Bernard Meditat. neglect not the enquiring worke of thy Conscience to prognosticate of thy future state according to it Let euery one of vs endeauour with St. Paul to haue an vnoffensiue Conscience toward God and men that he may solace himselfe in that true peace thereof in this world and haue the consummation thereof with Aeternall Blisse in the world to come Amen Πάντοτε δόξα Θηῶ. FINIS A Meditation vpon Psalme 19. VERSE 14. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart bee acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength and my Redeemer FAst and Pray Lord I doe fast and I would pray for to what end doe I with-hold sustenance from my body if it be not the more to cheere vp my Soule my hungrie my thirstie Soule But the Bread the Water of life both which I find no where but in thy word I partake not but by exercising my selfe therein This I begin to doe and faine would I doe it well but in vaine shall I attempt except thou doe blesse blesse me then O Lord blesse either part of me both are thine and I would withhold neither part from thee Not my body I would set my tongue on worke to speake of thee not my Soule I would exercise my heart in thinking on thee I would ioyne them in Deuotion whom thou hast ioyned in Creation Yea Lord as they haue conspired to sinne against thee so doe they now consort to doe their duetie to thee my tongue is ready my heart is ready I would thinke I would speake thinke vpon thee speake to thee But Lord what are my words What are my thoughts Thou knowest the thoughts of men that they are altogether vanitie and our words are but the blast of such thoughts both are vile It were well it were no worse both are wicked my heart a corrupt fountaine and my tongue an vncleane streame and shall I bring such a sacrifice to God The halt the lame the blind the sicke though otherwise the beasts be cleane yet are they sacrifices abominable to God how much more if we offer those beasts which are vncleane And yet Lord my sacrifice is no better faultring words wandring thoughts are neither of them presentable to thee how much lesse euill thoughts and idle words Yet such are mine the best of mine they are such I cannot denie it but grieue at it I should I doe that hauing nothing else to offer God hauing nothing that is required of him this that I haue should be such as he cannot like What remedie None for me if any it is in thee O Lord that I must find it and for it now doe I seeke vnto thee Thou onely O Lord canst hallow my tongue and hallow my heart that my tongue may speake and my heart thinke that which may be acceptable vnto thee yea that which may bee thy delight Doe not I lauish Were it not enough that God should beare with that hee should not punish the defects of my words of my thoughts May I presume that God shall accept of me Nay delight in me Forget I who the Lord is Of what Maiestie Of what felicitie Can it stand with his Maiestie to vouchsafe acceptance VVith his felicitie to take content in the words of a worme in the thoughts of a wretch And Lord I am too proud that vilifie my selfe so little and magnifie thee no more But see whether the desire of thy seruant doth carrie him how wishing to please I consider not how hard it is for dust and ashes to please God to doe that wherein God should take content But Lord here is my comfort that I may set God to giue content vnto God God is mine and I cannot want accesse vnto God if God may approach himselfe Let me be weake yet God is strong O Lord thou art my strength Let me bee a slaue to sinne God is a Sauâ—our O Lord thou art my Sauiour thou hast redeemed me from all that wofull state whereunto Adam cast me yea thou hast built me vpon a Rocke strong and sure that the gates of Hell might neuer preuaile against me These two things hast thou done for me O Lord and what may not hee presume of for whom thou hast done these things I feare not to come before thee I presume my Deuotion shall content thee bee thy eyes neuer such all-seeing eyes I will bee bold to present my inward my outward man before thee be thy eyes neuer so holy eyes I will not flie with Adam to hide my nakednesse from thee for I am able to keepe my ground seeing I am supported by my Lord I doubt not but to prooue a true Israelite and to preuaile with God For all my Woe for all my sinne I will not shrinke nay I will approach approach to thee for thou art my Redeemer The neerer I come to thee the freer shall I bee both from sinne and woe O blessed state of man who is so weake so strong so wretched and so happie weake in himselfe strong in God most happie in God though in himselfe a sinfull wretch And now my Soule thou wouldest be deuout thou mayst be what thou wouldest sacrifice to God thy words sacrifice to God thy thoughts make thy selfe an Holocaust doubt not but thou shalt be accepted thou shalt content euen the most glorious the most holy eyes of God Onely presume not of thy selfe presume on him build thy words build thy thoughts vpon thy Rocke they shall not be shaken free thy words free thy thoughts thoughts and words enthrauled to sinne by thy Sauiour and thy sacrifice shall be accepted So let me build on thee so let me be enlarged by thee in soule in
Gods Word which is the first Branch of Iustice The second is Integritie Integritie I told you is Iustitia in facto when iust deeds are squared by iust wordes The Deed heere is Iudging and this word must lead vs to another Chapter the 12. of the 2. of Sam. Where the same Nathan commeth vnto Dauid with a second Message a Message that containeth a performance of that which God promised in the former Message hee promised that if he did sinne hee should smart and there hee maketh him smart hee promised that hee should not so smart but hee should haue good proofe of Gods greater Mercie and there he feeleth it in the Absolution from his sinne So that Gods Deeds in Iudging keepe good correspondencie with his Wordes therefore is Integritie ascribed vnto them for what is the integrity of a Iudge but the true temper of Seuerity and Mercy if God be Iudge the gracious mixture of the Law and the Gospel where both these are put in practice and put in practice as they ought there is Integrity so much is wanting of Integritie as is wanting of these if Seuerity bee administred without Mercy or if Mercy haue not the vpper hand of Seuerity there wanteth Integritie in the gouerment of the Common-weale because he is commanded of God so to temper his Iudgement And God may seeme to come short of his Integritie if hee did not mixe and mixe so his Law with his Gospell as he himselfe being otherwise free hath by promise laid a tie vpon himselfe Hee couenanted with Dauid to administer the Law vnto him and chastise his sinnes but citra condignum with the rod of a Man and not of God He couenanted with him to administer vnto him the Gospell but vltra condignum not after the manner of Men but after the manner of God Thus to administer both Law and Gospell so to dispence Mercy and Seuerity is Gods clearing himselfe in Iudgement I called it his Integritie Ioyne these now together Promissionem et Praestationem the 7. and the 12. of the 2. of Sam. whereof one containeth the promising Word the other the performing Iudgement and couple the Integrity of the Performance with the Fidelity of the Promise and you haue an excellent Picture or Representation of the Iustice wherewith God doth gouerne his Church Now this Iustice must haue its Praise As God is Iust in speaking so must hee bee Iustified as hee is cleare in Iudging so must hee be clarified that I may so say that is glorified These two Verbes doe not import that the Creature can infuse any perfection into the Creator will wee nill wee these things are in him Fidelitie is inseperable from his wordes and Integrity from his Iudgements all that can be done by vs is Cognitio Recognitio we are bound to take notice of them and not to smother our knowledge but yeeld God the glory that is due vnto them To this end doth God manifest his perfections vnto the reasonable Creature and in their owne Cases doe they feele and see in other Mens Cases the experience of them Saint Paul seemeth to read the latter part of the Text otherwise then here is exprest for hee hath Rom. 3.4 that thou mightest ouercome when thou art iudged whereas heere it is that thou mightest be cleare when thou iudgest They are not words of a contrary meaning but Saint Pauls Text which followeth the Septuagint doth adde an obseruation ouer and aboue that which you haue heard that is Though God be Iudge of all the world yet worldly men sticke not to take vpon them to iudge God yea and God is pleased to put his Iustice vpon tryall as wee read Esay 1. Micah 6. and elsewhere so carefull is hee that not onely his proceedings be iust but his Iustice euident also so euident as that whosoeuer shall contend with him in Iudgement shall bee driuen to yeeld The best haue oftentimes doubts and disputes they question Gods Integritie how the Gospell and the Law can stand together and God at the same time condemne and absolue and yet bee iust God would settle their consciences Vnbeleeuers not onely quarrell with but deny also Gods Integritie but the Mouthes of all gainsayers shall bee stopped they shall bee forced to subscribe to confesse that God is cleare in Iudging free from all drosse of contradiction that Mercy and Truth may kisse each other and the Law goe hand in hand with the Gospell as after appeares And so haue I declared vnto you the praise of Gods Iustice I come now to shew you the reference that it hath vnto K. Dauids sin which that I may the better do you must obserue that the former words Against thee against thee onely haue I sinned and done this euill in thy sight may be vnderstood either Materialiter or Formaliter as a Description of sinne or a Supplication of a sinner Some vnderstand them after the latter fashion and so King Dauid Non not at finem peccati sed precationis hee noteth not the end of his Sinning but the end of his Praying Non dicit quo fine fecerit Malum sed quo fine nunc faciat bonum hee doth not shew vs whereat he aymed when he sinned but what he desireth now heeprayeth Hee desireth that as in amplifying of his sinne hee doth by a Comparison amplifie Gods Iustice for Contraria iuxta posita magis elucescunt Vertue neuer shineth more gloriously then when vice is made a foile vnto it so his recouery may bee a Monument of Gods Mercy And we may well propose vnto our selues in our confession the setting forth of Gods glory and this may be the end of it yea comfortles were our Confession if it were not for this end God would not accept it neither should wee haue good of it the more we humble our selues to magnifie God the more wee doe our duty and the more wee shall tast of his Mercy To make good this sense some take in some of the former words I acknowledge my sinnes yea goe backe as farre as the beginning of the Psalme Haue Mercy vpon me O Lord. And indeed those two must concurre the humble Repentance of a sinner and the gracious Indulgence of a good God that God may be iustified in his sayings and cleare when he his iudged O Lord saith Gregorie if thou doe not forgiue the Penitent thou wilt haue none to whom thon mayst performe thy Couenant Ruffinus and diuers other Fathers doe amplifie this sense and restraine it to the particular Case of King Danid as if the gracious promise in the 7th of the the 2. of Sam must needs fall to the ground if the indulgence specified in the 12th of the 2. of Sam. had not released the forfeiture which God might haue taken for King Dauids sinne Though this be a religious and a true sense of the word yet hath Saint Paul taught vs another that doth better fit the Contexture Rom. 3.4 wherefore Saint Chrysostome and
Quo modo how this Sacring was performed it was performed Signo visibili verbo audibili with a visible signe and an audible word The Signe commeth first in the Text we are told what it was and what it ment It was the shape of a Doue and by it was ment the Spirit of God But touching this Signe wee learne here moreouer Vnde and Quo Whence it came where it pitcht whence the Heauens were opened vnto him and the Spirit of God descended where it pitcht the Spirit that descended lighted on Iesus You see what was the Visible signe A visible signe of it selfe is but a dumbe shew it may amaze it cannot instruct therefore it must bee illustrated and it is here illustrated by an audible word the word is called Vox de Caelo a voyce from Heauen and it was fit it should be so for from whence came the vision from thence was the Reuelation for to come the vision was from Heauen therefore the Reuelation thereof also But this is not all that we learne here concerning the word goe on and you shall finde Cuius and de quo who it is that vttereth it and of whom He that vttereth it is not exprest but fairely implied in Filius meus my Sonne Iesus could not be the Sonne but of GOD the Father therefore is it GOD the FATHER that speaketh the word And the word that he speaketh concerneth Iesus it teacheth vs first What he is to God the Father and secondly What he doth for vs. He is neere because the Sonne and deare because his beloued Sonne adde to both the Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Sonne that beloued Sonne and then he will prooue neere and deare indeed From him that is so great with God we may not exspect small matters that which hee doth is answerable to that which hee is he doth that which neuer any other person could doe he propitiateth GODS wrath and by him we finde grace in the eyes of GOD These blessings of IESVS are contained in the last words In whom I am well pleased There is one Point more All this commendations that is giuen vnto IESVS referreth to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This this person that is in the middest of you that maketh so little shew and is so little regarded is hee whom I so esteeme and vpon whom depends your soueraigne good I will not you may not for his Humilitie defraud him of his Glory You haue seene a glimpse of the Sacring of Christ though I should not yet the Text would require you to entertaine it with your best regard for the visible signe the audible word both are prefaced with a particle of attention Loe loe the Heauens were opened Loe a voyce from Heauen the word doth summon your eyes your eares to behold to attend these holy Mysteries And I pray GOD so to sanctifie your eyes and your eares that while I take a sunder this Text and shew it you more fully in the parts the blessed Trinitie may vouchsafe by them to instill into you some fructifying drops of our blessed Sauiours heauenly Vnction Amongst the particulars where-into I resolued the Text the first was the circumstance of Time when CHRIST was baptized CHRIST was baptized before he was Sacred hee was receiued into the new Couenant by Baptisme before hee became a dispenser thereof And the Church neuer thought it fit to swarue from so good a Patterne and conferre Holy Orders vpon any that was not first incorporated into the Church Yea it hath alwayes gon for a grounded truth that it is Baptisme that maketh a man capable of other Holy rites and that being vnbaptized he is vncapable of them Secondly the circumstance of Time doth notifie the kinde of grace that was figured in the descension of the Doue he descended not in but after the Act of Baptisme Had hee descended in the Act it might haue beene thought that onely Gratia gratum faciens the grace of regeneration or sanctification had beene represented by the Doue but descending after some farther kind of grace is more ouer intimated What that grace was let vs breifely inquire Some fetch hence the Originall of Confirmation and suppose that Christ the Head confirmed himselfe here vnto his Body the Church So that as in the Church Baptizati recipiunt spiritum sanctum they that are first baptized are after confirmed so CHRIST would be confirmed after hee was baptized There is no doubt but the Right of confirmation is Apostolicall notwithstanding the friuolous exceptions that by some are taken to it and it may passe inter pie credibilia that CHRIST did vouchsafe in his owne person to sanctifie that as hee did many other sacred rites of the Church But yet it may not be denied that ouer and aboue here is ment another kind of grace a grace that is not common to euery member of the Church as the grace of confirmation is but peculiar vnto a publique Person such as CHRIST was now called to be And therefore I call it Sacring grace such a kind of grace seemeth to be intimated by the circumstance of Time The second circumstance is that of Place the Place was where CHRIST stood after he came out of the water that was the banke of Iordan which St. Iohn calleth Bethabara the very name doth containe a Monument of the children of Israels first passage there into the land of Canaan and then the Place is not without a Mysterie the choice thereof giueth vs to vnderstand that the Historie of Iosua was performed in Iesus that the waters of Baptisme were become a passage from earth to Heauen from the condition of Nature to the condition of Grace and that euen while wee liue in this vaile of miserie we are thereby enrolled among the Saints Adde hereunto that Bethabara was now a place of great concourse Hierusalem Iudaea all the Regions about Iordan and all sorts of men resorted thither to be baptized of Iohn and it was meete that so great a worke as CHRISTS Sacring should be performed in a great assembly Yea all the remarkeable manifestations of our Sauiour his Miracles his Sermons his Death c. are noted to haue beene publike they were not as St. Paul obserues to King Agrippa done in a corner the vnbeleeuing Iew or other that doubts or disputes of their truth is by the circumstance of Place conuicted to doe it out of affected ignorance And let this suffice for the circumstance I come to the substance of the Sacring where first wee must see who it is that was sacred Wee finde that it was the same Person that was baptized the Sonne of God clothed with the nature of man Where note that Iesus had two Abilities an Actiue a Passiue one to giue another to receiue the Spirit hee that was able for to giue was contented 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the diuine dispensation and humble condition whereunto for our sakes hee submitted himselfe to receiue the Spirit And indeed
so it behoued him to fulfill all righteousnesse whereof this was a Branch to shew that he was the Truth of former Types Cap. 8. We read in Leuiticus how solemnely Aaron was consecrated and seeing CHRIST came to bee what Aaron onely did signifie the high Priest of God it behoued that he also should haue an Inauguration but so much more excellent by how much the Truth exceedes the Type Luke 3. and the Lora the Seruant This correspondency is made the more probable because St. Luke tels vs that when this was done CHRIST was about thirtie yeeres old and of that age was the Priest to be when he entred vpon his charge the Holy Ghost by that Law Numb 4.8 and by this example of CHRIST giuing vs to vnderstand That maturitie of age is a necessary requisite in all that will vndertake a sacred function Marke withall the regular humilitie of our Sauiour though he were the Lord of Glory Hâ—b â— No man saith St Paul taketh the honour of Priesthoed vpon him but he that is called of God as was Aaron therefore Iesus glorified not himselfe but was glorified by him that said vnto him Thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedeck hee tooke not vpon him the office of a Mediatour vntill he was thereto ordained checking the sacrilegious pride of those which presume of their abilitie and intrude themselues without Imposition of hands into sacred Functions they cannot be so able they should not be lesse humble then was our Sauiour CHRIST St. Luke addeth that CHRIST was praying when the Holy Ghost descended As GOD doth promise so we must desire his guifts the greatest guifts with the most earnest desire CHRIST would herein bee exemplary vnto vs to testifie the humilitie that beseemes our nature and goe before vs in that which he commandeth he prayeth for that which he looked for from GOD. After this holy patterne haue all Christian Inaugurations and Ordinations beene accompanied with publicke and deuout Prayers And if CHRIST did not receiue the Holy Ghost from his Father but by praying how can they but blush at their vnmannerlinesse that refuse vpon their knees to receiue the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of CHRIST Finally we learne of CHRIST praying that after Baptisme we must not be secure for though all sinnes be forgiuen vs yet is not concupiscence wholy extinguisht neither haue we our full measure of grace we ought therefore to fall to our prayers and so prepare our selues to receiue the Holy Ghost which is our needfull guide and strength in our spirituall warfare But because I shall resume this second Person againe in the end of the Text we will passe on and see in the next place how he was consecrated He was consecrated first in signo visibili with a visible signe which was the likenesse of a Doue De Agone Christiano The word likenesse is not vsed saith St. Augustine ad excludenaam veritatem Columbae to denie that that which appeared was a true Doue but ad Ostendendum quod spiritus nâ—n apparuit in specie substantiae to shew that the Essence of the Spirit is a sarre different thing from that wherein he did vouchsafe to manifest himselfe It was then a true Doue and the end for which it was vsed sheweth there is reason we should thinke it to be so It was to be signum analegicum an apt signe to represent what was signified and the shape without the substance of a Doue could not so well signifie the properties of the Holy Ghost their correspondency is to the qualities that are obserued in a liuing Doue I am not ignorant that many thinke otherwise and that the shape onely was sufficient Some aduocates of Rome make vse of this shape without substance to confirme their Transubstantiation and the subsistence of accidents without the subiect Bread and Wine But I leaue them to feed vpon their fancies and will not contend about that which is no Article of Faith onely this I would haue obserued Iohn 1. that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Text doth not alwayes note a resemblance but some times a truth and seeing the phrase will beare both opinions as well that which holds that it was onely the shape of a Doue as that which defineth it was a true Doue I chuse rather the latter as most agreeable to the intent of the Holy Ghost and the difference that I put betweene the workes of GOD and the workes of the Diuell As GOD is an Omnipotent Creatour so those things which he exhibits are reall but the Diuell affecting to be thought what he is not maketh shew of that which he doth not his workes are spectra meere illusions Though this were a true Doue yet was it not assumed into one Person with the Holy Ghost as the nature of man was at the Incarnation of CHRIST St. Austin giueth the reason Non venit spiritus sanctus liberare Columbas he came not to redeeme Doues Ergo non est natus dé Columba therefore was not incarnate by a Doue but he came to signifie the properties of CHRIST therefore it was sufficient that by his Almighty power hee created a Doue of nothing and thereby gaue notice of his presence and residence in our Sauiour CHRIST which Doue as it was made of nothing so after the seruice was done was dissolued into nothing againe Wherein amongst other things appeares a difference betweene this Doue and the imposture of Mahomet and superstition of Rome both practised by a Doue whereof the later in a Romane Councill proou'd but an Owle S. Chrysostome giueth another note vpon this Doue In principijs spiritualium rerum c. when GOD first foundeth Religion he vseth sensible visions in commiseration of them which are not capable of incorporall natures but his purpose is that when once such things haue made faith vnto his truth we should continue our faith in his truth though he doe not dayly confirme it vnto vs by such things Which the Romanists should obserue who after so many hundred yeeres plantation of the Christian saith will still haue Miracles a marke of the true Church Finally we must obserue that signes come not Propter se but Propter aliud there is some other thing intended besides that which is presented so was it here the Doue appeared but the Spirit of God was meant thereby the Spirit was the Sacred Oyle wherewith our Sauiour was annointed The holy Spirit though in Person but one yet is hee infinite in the varietie of operations and so may haue answerable vaâ—ietie of resemblances out of which the Scripture maketh choice vpon seuerall occasions of such as come neerest vnto the Argument in hand And to this purpose must we referre signes they serue not onely for illustration but for limitation also they confine our thoughts which otherwise would bee confused and fixe them vpon that which is presently intended The grace then of the Holy Ghost here meant