men 3 The Rule or Motiue Iustice 4 Time of Retribution When the Lord Iesus shall be reuealed The generall of certain d Rom. 2.6 2 Cor. 5.10 Apoc. 22.14 Retribution according to our workes I passe by pointing onely with the finger to the places pregnant The seuerall Recompences apportioned to each sort are worthy our notice 1 To them that trouble you Tribulation Vengeance God hath in store as for all Impenitents so most certaine and grieuous for the Troublers of his Saints It was Cyprians obseruation that mans crueltie neuer raged against Gods Church but it had subsequent as an Acoluth some Remonstrance of extraordinarie vengeance from God in Warre Famine Pestilence or some such like euill Arrowes of the Almightie And who can name me the persecutor except penitent who euer died a dry death from the dayes of Cain to these of them who walke in his steps At least without some remarkable note of Gods eternall vengeance in hardnesse of heart or desperate horrour that make way to heauiest damnation Their soules I doubt not many frie in Hell their bodies shall one day be cast againe to their soules to augment their torment that as there hath beene betweene them Societatas operarum so there may be also tormentorum Vse I wish it seriously meditated by the generation of Ishmael whose hands indeed are now restrained from bloud yet hearts boyle with malice against Gods annointed ones tongues shoot out arrowes full of deadly poison against the Saints 1 You cannot be ignorant how the Lord hath protested the touch of them to be as the touch of the e Zec. 2.8 Apple of his owne Eye so tender 2 How our Sauiour interesseth himselfe so farre in their persecutions as to esteeme them f Acts 9.4 his owne 3 How you proclaime your selues the g Gen. 3.15 feede of the Serpent 4 Feele in your selues if shame would suffer to confesse emptinesse of Grace horrours and feares sometimes dreadfull yet are these but the beginnings of sorrowes Oh consider I beseech you consider that great day of Retribution wherein the Lord Christ persecuted by you in his members shall come armed with heauiest vengeance to be infled on such as trouble his As I thinke to Martyrs belongs the hight of ioy and glorie so to Martyrers of Saints the depth of hillish torments For them is reserued the blacknesse of darknesse for euer Tribulation to them that trouble The paranomasie or paronymie I thinke is not casuall nor meerely point of Rhetorique but inâ—ended to point at the Talio God holds in recompencing There is in Gods Retributions of euill vsuall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Retale in the same kinde God cals men heare not They shall h Pro. 1.24.28 â— call and crie and God will not heare Afflict not the fatherlesse and widow if so i Exo 22.22.24 your children shall be fatherlesse your wiues widdowes subiected to like afflictions k Iac. 2.13 Iudgement there shall be mercilesse to him that will shew no mercie trouble to the troublers of Saints See Iude 1.6 7. Vse So that in their owne Courses the vngodly may see their owne fate In their owne kinde God will repay them Doe they loue cursing It shall l Psal 109.17 18 19. come to them as the girdle about their loines so close And as oyle so shall it pierce into their bones You that are so rigorous that no moat of your Brother can scape your censure of insinceritie Take heede you finde not men onely but m Mat. 7 2. God as Criticall in his Censures But why is this interlaced in the Comfort Is it may it be any solace to Saints to see their persecutors vnder vengeance Ans Whither in what sort with what Cautions Gods Children may take Comfort in the destructiâ—n of the wicked is an ancient quaeree Dauid n Psal 58.10 The Righteous shall reioyce when he sees the vengeance In heauen is heard an o Apo. 19.6 7. Alleluiah at the downfall of Babylon p 18.20 Holy Apostles and Prophets are excited to reioyce because God had auenged them on the Whore Yet 1. in miserie as it is miserie no Saint reioyceth But 2. as thereout results glorie of Iustice Power Truth to God the auenger of their obstinacie 3. As in their owne exemption from like obstinacie and damnation they see the specialtie of Gods Grace to themselues 4. As they obserue the Lord interessing himselfe in their quarrell and so testifying how pretious the death of Saints is in his sight herein they finde cause of solace and reioycing 2 And to you that are troubled rest The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here rendred vsually refrigerium Refocillatio that is in our English Refreshment Answering to that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Apostle Acts 3.19 Interpreted to denote our Cessation and quiet Resting from trouble There q Heb. 4.9 remaines then a Rest to the people of God They shall t Isai 57.2 rest in their beds They Å¿ Apoc. 14.13 rest from their Labours Of it you may conceiue three degrees 1 From the hurt in this life 2 From the smart or sense at death 3 From the touch of euill after the Resurrection Vse t Iac. 5.8 Patient your hearts sith the comming of our Lord the day of full Redemption of perfect tranquilitie draweth nigh There is amongst vs a generation it seemes of Ishacar u Gen. 49.15 Rest they say is good It is good if it be good but here is not our Rest remember what * Luc. 16.25 Abraham said to the Glutton And how terrible is that threat of our Sauiour x Apoc. 21.8 to fearefull and vnbeleeuers of no lesse then fire and brimstone for euer to them that for loue of ease or feare of trouble haue bid farewell to faith and feare of God With vs. Apostles and Prophets or if there be any more eminent then they in the glorious Kingdome of Christ with them we haue our partnership in that Beatitude our paritie in this piece of it Resting from Troubles They come from East and West and sit downe with y Mat. 8.11 Abraham Isaaâ— and Iacob those worthies of Patriarchs in the Kingdome of heauen Panam damni they say in Hell All equally suffer as much Paganish Infants as Christian Rebels or Reuolts though paena sensus be proportioned to degrees of sinning And in heauen all equally haue rest from labours meanest Christian as most glorous Martyr And in this respect the denarius diurnus is equall In beatificall vision some haue greater some lesse claritie according to their diuers measures of sanctitie and puritie of heart Vse Animate we our selues with this meditation vnder the Crosse though by the world counted the skumme and of-scouring of the earth Though by some of Gods owne through partialitie ouerlooked and counted scarce worthy to be set with the dogges of their flocke yet 1. God hath z Iac. 2.5 chosen vs also
baked bread vpon the coles thereof I haue rosted flesh and eaten thereof And shall I make the residue an abomination Shall I fall downe to the stocke of a tree A deceiued heart hath turned him aside c. No whit lesse is Popish infatuation Semble to your selues a Papist prostrate before his breaden god Hee knowes it the Bakers composition sees toucheth tasts it bread cannot be ignorant it goes out at the draught Yet adores and prayeth vnto it saying deliuer mee for thou art my God So hath God z Isai 44.18 shut their eyes that they cannot see and their hearts that they cannot vnderstand Like may be obserued in many other their absurd opinions contrary to sense reason all sound Authoritie See it in that grand gull mother of all infatuation to the people 1 As an article of faith it must be holden that the Pope cannot erre dogmaticè in matter of faith propounded to the people to be beleeued though in life he may be a deuill incarnate in his studie and priuate iudgement an heretique yet in his publike decisions pronounced e Cathedrá hee is as Prophets and Apostles of vnerring spirit Such vertue hath that chaire had euer since the dayes of Pope Ioane 2 Next that to the Pope so resoluing the people owe caecam fidem as regulars to superiours blinde obedience what is if this be not strong infatuation 2 Pertinacie and incorrigible stifnesse paralell to that of hardened Iewes whom neither fulfilling of Prophecies nor power of Christs miracles nor euidence of truth nor sanctitie of his life nor blushing of heauen nor quaking of earth nor renting of temple nor any thing could bring from perswasion of the Messiahs temporall kingdome nor win to embracing of Iesus for the Christ of the Lord. No lesse is stiffenesse of errour in the vassals of Antichrist May we say in Papists Whom neither euidence of Scripture nor suffrage of Fathers nor consent of Councils nor blood of Martyres nor sword of Magistrate nor discouery of Antichrist nor consumption of his kingdome nor I am perswaded ruine of that Babylon can win from palpablest errour Vse 1 Wonder not to see Papists vnreclaimeable its strong delusion sent vpon them I know not how their very pertinacie preuailes with many and halfe perswades they haue cleare euidence of truth suffering for their religion to losse of goods of libertie of countrie of life Let me relate what once passed from a Papist after much conference and hot dispute brought to stagger halfe inclined to change his Religion that if he turned he would sure turne Puritan Sic vitant stulti vitia And why In them onely of all the party aduerse to Popery he had obserued some conscience because some suffering for their profession the rest he obserued slanderously I hope Time seruers In Religion as Cushi in policy a 2. Sam. 16.18 whom the Lord and this people and the men of Iudah shall choose his will I be Oh woe is me that euer it should be heard in Gath or published in the streets of Ascalon I hope I perswad my selfe better things of many That delusion should preuaile more with Papists then cleare reuelation of the truth with vs whose stile is Protestants But to the point 1 Not all stiffenesse is constancy there is pertinacy in errour witnesse those Priscillianists and Donatists of Austins time who chose rather to leaue life then to correct their heresie which gaue him occasion to remember from Cyprian Not the punishment but the cause was it that made the Martyr 2 And consider 1 how potently shame of seeming inconstant preuailes with many through ambition and vaine-glory to perish in their errour 2 How fitted to humour of nature that whole Religion is 1 giuing it share in the glory of Saluation 2 loosing those strict bonds of Sanctity wherewith truth bindes 3 how deepely fastned in their mindes that Principle is It s of necessitie to saluation to liue and dye in the Romish faith in subiection to the Bishop of that See What will not loue of Beatitude doe Skin for skin and all that a man hath will he giue for his life much more for his soule That no man should stagger because they are setled vpon their Lees the delusion is strong which is sent vpon them But obsecro per Iesum beware how you be carried away with the errour of the wicked and fall from your owne stedfastnesse least the Lord giue you vp to like infatuation and pertinacie in Errour There may be obserued in many that infidelis fiducia Bernard speakes of to complement with the Times in hope to keepe the minde free from taint of errour in confidence of at least Timely Reuocation But 1 hast thou a promise of returne 2 and not rather dreadfull threats of permitting to finall Apostasie 3 It s easie to headlong thy selfe as the Diuell tempted Christ from the pinacle of the Temple But canst thou then without miracle stay thy selfe from irrecouerable falling It goes as a Iudgement on their soules who thus run into errour to be giuen vp to pertinacie stiffenesse therein so stiffe as can neuer be altered Errare possum saith Saint Austin meaning through ignorance Haereticus esse nolo pertinacious he meanes in errour But if we sinne willingly after we haue receiued the knowledge of the Truth what lesse b 2 Pet. 3.17 c Heb. 10.26 iudgement may we expect then strongest delusion sottishest infatuation pertinacie incorrigible 2 The inflicter of the Iudgement God God shall send them strong delusion like phrases see frequent Isai 6.10 44. Exod. 9.3 doth God lead into errour or confirme therein Resp Efficaciter meane you Absit he neither deuiseth the errour nor propounds it to be belieued he is God of Truth louer of it Errour of d Iohn 8.44 lies haue another father 2 Nor inclines he the minde to assent or the will to embrace it God is not Author of that whereof he is vltor Fulgentius But when he is said to harden to blinde to deceiue vnderstand it thus As a iust Iudge 1 he giues libertie to Satan and his instruments to attempt to impresse it It s said the Lord was angrie with Israel e 2 Sam. 24.1 he moued Dauid to say Goe number Israel and Iudah yet elsewhere it s said f 1 Chro. 21.1 Acts 14.16 Satan stood vp against Israel and hee prouoked Dauid to number Israel g God permissiue Satan efficaciter or 2 Denies or withholds Grace which should hinder their giuing way to errour or 3 Withdrawes Grace giuen which onely hinders preuailing of Satan or inclination of nature to such errour or pertinacie therein Schooles thus God concurs to euill not positiuè but priuatiuè not efficienter but deficienter his Acts in these panae mirabiles as Caietane tearmes them which are so Gods punishments that they are also mans sinnes are three 1 g 2 Chro. 32.31 Desertion leauing to our selues 2 h Rom. 1.24.26 28. Tradition deliuery
i Rom. 4.17 enabled to do what it s exhorted to do Ps 27.8 My heart answered thy face Lord wil I seek k Rom. 6.17 ye haue obeyed from the heart that forme of doctrine into the which you were deliuered The phrase seemes purposely chosen to expresse the efficacie of diuine doctrine in the hearts of his children as if they were cast into it as into a mould and came forth bearing the stampe and figure of it See 2 Cor. 3.18 Vse Say not now in thy heart who shall ascend into heauen to search those court roles whither thy name bee written in the Booke of life the word is neere thee euen in thy heart That if thou haue selt it such as Paul describes it Spirit and Life enabling to be and doe what it prescribes leauing impressions of holinesse mercy loue and such like heauenly properties as it selfe breathes thou maist rest assured of thy Calling and Election Blessed is that soule that discernes impressions of the Word and Spirit of God in it selfe It s sealed to the day of Redemption Ephes 4.30 Instrument of vocation our Gospell vnderstand not an Euangelicall storie written by Paul and his Associates as by Matthew and the rest But their preaching of the Gospell their publishing the glad tidings of remission of sinnes reconciliation with God saluation purchased by Christ to all beleeuers The Gospell is 1 Gods as the Author and sender of it 2 Christs as the matter and next reuealer of it out of the bosome of his Father He is the Angell of the Couenant 3 Pauls as l 1 Cor. 4.1 a dispenser amongst others of the mysteries it containes Our Gospell that is tropically our preaching of the Gospell That the instrument and meane of their of our vocation two things commended to our notice 1 the matter or quality of the doctrine whereby our effectuall calling is wrought its Gospell 2 The Act conuersant about it or the manner of propounding it when its powerfull to our calling that 's preaching Of the first that its Gospell and not Law Scriptures plentifully witnesse 1 That 's the m Rom. 1.16 17. power of God to saluation for it onely reueales the righteousnesse of God the meanes of reconcilement vnto him therefore stiled the n 2 Cor. 5.19 word of reconciliation 2 That o 2 Cor. 3.6 9. Spirit not Letter the ministration of the Spirit the ministery by which the Spirit giues life and ability to doe what it prescribes Howbeit in the conuersion of a sinner there is vse of the Law and that ministery of condemnation 1 to humble the soule swelling with conceit of righteousnesse by p Rom. 3.20 conuincing it of sinne 2 To make it q Rom. 7.9 sensible of miserie to which for sin its lyable 3 That so it may be our r Gal. 3.24 Schoolemaster to Christ preparatiue therefore it is to conuersion yet as Moses brought onely to the borders of the promised land Ioshuah set them in possession So the Law prepares vs a people to Christ the Gospell makes vs so Iohn 1.17 Of the second In what manner propounded Resp Preached vnto vs. What call we preaching Resp Not euery telling a faire tale in a pulpit or singing a piece of descant vpon a Text But the 1 opening and interpreting of the doctrine of the Gospell and 2 the applying of it to the state and vse of the hearers Compare these Scriptures Neh. 8.8 Luk. 24.27 32. Iob 33.23 2 Tim. 4.2 1 Cor. 14.24 25. Whither this be done publiquely e suggestu in the Congregation or in priuate Conference de Scripto or memoriter with a set Text or without matters not to the nature of preaching But that this is the meane ordinary of vocation the meane ordinary sine quo non Scriptures are plentifull Rom. 10.14 17. How shall they heare to belieue without a preacher 1 Cor. 1.21 It pleased God by foolishnesse of preaching to saue them that belieue Hence the charge so strict to Timothy deliuered with solemnest adiuration to preach the word 2 Tim. 4.1 2. and woe to vs to whom the dispensation is committed if we preach not the Gospell 1 Cor. 9. see also Ezech. 3.18 34.2 But is not reading the Scriptures to the people preaching Resp In large sense it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a publike proclaiming of the word of God But shall we say that preaching which in strict sense Scripture so cals for shame when Paul bids Timothie preach the word meanes he read it distinctly see his owne explication and drawing that whole into parts 2 Tim. 4.2 when he commands to study to show himselfe approued a workman that needs not be ashamed ment he reading distinctly 2 Tim. 2.15 rather right diuiding the word When Christ ascended on high and gaue ſ Eph. 4.8 11. gifts to men fitting them to the worke of the ministerie in their seuerall degrees was this amongst their habiliments Mistake not as if I would vilifie publique Reading I know it Gods ordinance vsefull and efficacious to the ends whereto it s assigned And haue so farre expressed my iudgement in my rude notes on the former Epistle Howbeit would haue no man in loue of his ignorance or ouer-loue of ease so farre mistaken as to thinke he hath done the whole of that worthy that t 1 Tim 3.1 5.17 18. toylesome worke of the ministery when he hath read faire seruice vnto the people Nor be so erronious against sense as to thinke reading that kinde of preaching which Scripture makes instrument of effectuall calling Of Gods selecting it and separating it to this vse other Reason we can giue none saue his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 1.21 Howbeit Congruence you may obserue 1 Cor. 14.25 2 Tim. 4 2. 2.15 And would you please seriously to view and compare Congregations wanting this meanes with those to which God hath granted constant preaching of his Truth the greatest Antipreacher shall be forced to see as great oddes as betwixt Sodome and Sion in her beautie betwixt ignorance and knowledge betwixt ciuility and sanctity betwixt corruption and grace betwixt the sonnes of God and the children of Belial Vse 1 On which ground I hope I may without presumption minde my reuerend Brethren of the Ministery of what Paul with solemnest adiuration chargeth vpon Timothie to u 2 Tim. 4.2 preach the word to be instant in season out of season 1 the * 3. itch of the eares hath infected the people that 's little 2 x Acts 20.29 Wolues enter or insideate not sparing the flocke 3 We watch for their soules as those that y Heb. 13.17 shall giue account 4 Bloud of soules cries lowder then that of Abel which yet God threatens to z Ezech. 3.18 require of vs in case of our negligence 5 a 1 Cor. 9.16 Ezech. 34.2 Woes are many to rouse vs with all comfortable promises many to animate and encourage 1 the b Mat 28.10 Lord shall