subjection Lest by any means when he bad preached unto others he himself should be a cast-away Our securitie is to feare alwayes our strength is to distrust our own strength and to put all our confidence in the Mercie of God and Merites of Christ Who hath prayed for us that our faith faile not Let us therefore say to God every one of us LORD thou hast been my help leave me not neither forsake me O GOD of my salvation Secondly we may perceive from this fall of Peter that one sinne especially if it be grievous draweth another after it and that without stay till Christ look againe upon the sinner Hence sinne is called by S. PAUL The sâ—ure of the devil Ye know when a bird is taken in a sâ—are she is still more and more fastened and entangled If thou give place but to a light lust at the first as Peter did to the servant-maid one to a hundereth but from that thou shalt fall into a greater sinne from that to worse againe as S. Peter from denying came to swearing and from swearing came to extreame cursing of himself This should teach us not to give any place to the devil but to resist him stedfastly and to pray with DAVID Order my steps in thy word and let no iniquitie have dominion over me Thirdly It is observed by holy AUGUSTINE in the place before citted that this fall of S. Peter was permitted by God to make him the more ready to compassionate others when they should fall He was by nature vehement as appeareth by many passages of the Gospell and particularly by cutting off the eare of Malchus He was to be a prime pastor ruller of the Church and to receive the keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven An innummerable multitude of people was to be committed unto him loaden with manifold iniquities Now if he had never fallen himself like enough it was that he would have been the lesse inclind to piâ—tie comiserate others Therefore saieth holy AUGUSTINE The secret of Gods providence was so disposed that he himself was permitted first to fall and that foullie that he might temper the severitie of the sentence against others by the remembrance and consideration of his own fall Thus God hath taught us also by his fall that it is most necessar in a pastor to have a tender heart ready to pitty compassionat others He will never act the part of a pastor faithfully that can do nothing else but rule with authoritie terrifie censure punish That is not the way to win men to God but to drive unstablished souls from God and to cast those that ar weak and distressed into despaire Fourthly It is to be observed that a man may deny Christ although by his mouth he say not that he knowes him not as S. Peter did We may professe that we know him with our mouths and yet by our works deny him as S. PAUL teacheth us Tit. 1. we deny him also wheÌ„ we deny our selves to be his disciples as we see in S. Peter here Now our Lord hath told us That he that will not take up his crosse and follow him cannot be his disciple and that hereby all men shall know that we are his disciples If we love one another And That we must abide it s his word and do the will of his Father If we would be his disciples So also S. PAUL saieth That they that are Christs hath crucified the flesh with the lusts thereof If therefore thou art not content to take up thy crosse with patiencâ— if thou love not thy brother abide not in Christs words art not carefull to do the will of his heavenly Father and to crucifie thy flesh with the lusts of it thou denies thy self to be his disciple consequently denies him In a word Christ is the trueth and therefore if thou believe him not thou deniest him Christ is the way If thou follow not him thou doest deny him Christ is the life therefore if thou be given to the dead works of sinne thou deniest him Thus alace many wayes often-times have we denied him and so have deserved that he should deny us before his Father and his Angels and have need to slie to the mercie of God whereof we may see a notable demonstration in Christ his dealing with S. Peter But there is mercie with God as yee will see most clearly in the next part of my text to which now I come S. Peter having fallen in the manner before declared immediatly whill he was yet speaking the Cock crew the second time and with all Jesus turning looked upon him where upon he remembred and called to minde the words of Jesus how he had said before the cock crow thou shalt deny me thrice and so went out and weeped bitterly Here is the historie of his rising or repentance Two things are to be considered in it First the cause of his repentance 2. the repentance it self for the first the cause of his repentance was Jesus turned and looked upon him Some thinke that the Look of Christ was only spirituall and that he did not look upon him with his bodily eyes But the Text showeth that he did this also for it is said That be turned and looked upon him Now to what purpose should his turning been mentioned if he had not looked upon him with the eyes of his body But say they S. Peter was without and could not be seen with the bodily eyes of Christ Yet this convinceth not but it may bee that he was brought to the court wherein Peter was or that being in an upper roome as the Gospell showeth he might from thence being turned about see him with the eyes of his body Neverthelesse it is certain that his spirituall look was that which pierced into the soul of S. Peter and cleansed and renewed his heart For clearing of this more fully ye are to consider that the spirituall look of God as it is descrived in scripture is somtimes in Justice somtimes in Mercie somtimes to Humble somtimes to Exalt somtimes to Reward somtimes to Punish In Iustice he looked upon the first world when all flesh had corrupted their wayes and the effect of his Look was an universall diludge of waters Thus he looked upon them that were building Baâ—el Gen. 10. and the effect of his look was the confounding of their languages and the scattering of them upon the earth He looked thus upon Sedom and Gomorrah Gen 18. I will go down saieth the Lord and see if it be according to the cry which is come up unto me and the effect was the destroying of them with fire brimstone from heaven Thus he looked upon Sâ—nnacherâ—b Isai 37. And the Angell of the LORD that same night smot a hundreth fourescore and five thousand of his armie He looked thus upon Corah Dathan and Abiram numb 16. and was displeased and in his fiâ—ie indignation he consumed
Name of God I will blesse thy Name saieth hee IT is not without great cause that he mentioneth here the NAME of God For clearing of this wee shall shew you shortly first what is meaned by his Name 2. How great a ground this is to us of praise and blessing For the first A name properlie is not the thing it self which is named but is without it signifying representing and manifesting it Now God who in himself is hid cannot be manifested to us but by his works and word whereby we attaine to the knowledge of him that knowledge of him or rather himself or his divine perfections as they are made known and discovered to us is called his Name When he doth the works of Almightie power wee call him Omnipotent When he doeth the works of Iustice wisdom goodnes c. wee call him just wise good c. And of all these is made up his dreadfull glorious and blessed Name which he hath amongst men So that the Name which God hath amongst us lyeth first inwrapped in his works and from thence by the knowledge and due esteeme of them is convoyed to our hearts whence againe it is published and proclaimed everiewhere To this purpose the Lord being to declare his Name to Moses Exod. 34. 6. The LORD The LORD GOD mercifull gracious long suffering and aboundant in goodnesse and truth Keeping mercie for thousands forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin c. Thus the Name of Christ Iesus in whom God was reconciling the world to himself is called Isai 9. 6. Wonderfull Counsellour the mighty God c. and Jerem. 23. 6. his name is called IEHOVA The Lord our Righteousnesse Let us now come to the second point and consider how great a ground of comfort and praise this Name is First it is so great a ground of comfort and consequently of praise that no grace is bestowed upon us nor promise of it made unto us but for this Names sake The Name of God is the originall root and spring out of which all flow and into which all are resolved It is of his goodnesse mercie which is his Name that he promiseth any thing to us and it is of his trueth and power which also belong unto his Name that these promises are accomplished Hence DAVID Psal 25. IT For thy Names sake O Lord pardon mine iniquity for it is great Secondly As wee can have no good but for and through his Name so in it and by it all goodnesse is to be had There is in it infinite sufficiencie of comfort against all our distresses wants and temptations if wee know it beleeve in it and call upon it Are thou perplexed with thy sinnes look upon the Name of God Exod. 34. This is a part of it The Lord God mercifull Hee is the Lord God and therefore able to forgive Hee is Mercifull therfore willing But it may be thou will say thy sinnes have made thee most unworthy of any favour Looke againe upon his Name Hee is Gracious and aboundant in goodnes saieth it Thy sinnes do not so abound but his grace goodnesse superabound If thou say thou hast continued long in sin and often relapsed Look to his Name there is comfort in it against this also Hee is long-suffering and slow to wrath In a word whatsoever be the heinousnesse of thy sinnes whatsoever the circumstances yet there is comfort in his Name and a ground of the hope of pardon for his Name beareth That he keepeth mercy beside him as it were in treasure forgiving iniquity transgression and sin Needest thou refreshment as well as pardon Look to his Name as it is elswhere descrived Hee is the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort Who comforteth us in all our tribulations Would thou have peace The God of peace is his name also Would thou have grace to heale thy corruptions Hee is the God of all grace Would thou have wisdome to direct thee Hee is the Father of Lights All this belongeth to his Name In likemanner if wee look to the Name of Christ in whom and for whose sake all good is bestowed upon us by God wee shall find all manner of comforts His Name is The Prince of peace and according to it able to give us tranquillity in all out troubles His Name is the mighty God accordingly He is able to save us to the uttermost though there be nothing but troubls without and terrours within Would thou have his Image renewed in thee Hee is the Everlasting Father A Father to beget his Likenesse in us and Everlasting to preserve it in us To give us wisdome he is the Counsellour and he is Wonderfull to work in us and for us beyond all that we can ask or think even to wonderment and admiration And if our sinnes disquiet us Hee is IEHOVA our Righteousnesse The righteousnesse that is in him is ours aswel ours to save us trusting in him as his to glorifie him Thus we see what matter of unspeakable comfort we have in the name of God as he is God as he is the father of our Lord Iesus Christ and in him our Father When all other comforts faile us yet in this Name comfort is to be found IT falleth out somtimes with the godly that they are not sensible of that former comfort of the assurance of Gods favour They cannot bee perswaded of it neither of the truth and sinceritie of the graces of God in them they find not that delyte which before they had in prayer or in other meanes yet when all failleth we find the Name of the Lord to be a strong Tower Proverb 18. 10. and the Righteous flee to it and are saved Yee know the use of a Tower is that when all other fortifications are taken and forsaken when the wals are scaled and houses left men flee to it as to the last refuge so when wee are beleggered with troubles without and terrours within when wee are forced to quite all other holds grounds of comfort yet have we Gods Name to flee unto as to a strong Tower Whatsoever be our distresse we may say to him O Lord there is mercy power with thee that is thy Name In Iesus there is Righteousnesse even our righteousnesse that is his Name And thou hast commanded us to call on thy Name in the time of our trouble To this Altar I flee I take hold on the hornes of it if I perish here will I perish So yee see the Name of God is a most soveraigne ground of comfort Whence DAVID saieth to God Psal 9. 10. They that know thy Name will put their trust in thee And the Apostle Rom. 10. 13. out of the PROPHET Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall the saved Great reason therfore have we to praise blesse it and that for ever and ever This much of the object of DAVIDS praise wee come now to the praise
respect dependent from another which implyeth a manifest contradiction Thus the light of nature leadeth us to the infinitnesse of God By the light of scripture this is also manifest for beside this many other like places the Lord descriving himself to his servant Moses Exod. 3. 14. taketh the name of Being to himself as proper and peculiar to him Thus shalt thou say to the children of Israel saieth the Lord I AM hath sent mee unto you by which name he signifieth that he is alone of himself whereas all other things of themselves are not That he is fullie containing in himself the amplitude of al that is or hath or can have any being that he is eternally and unchangably So being that he cannot cease to be at all or to be what he is and in a word that he is Being it self the unbounded Ocean of being from which all being flâ—weth and dependeth whence S. Paull out of the poet saieth That in him we live move have our being so then the Being of God both by the light of scripture and nature is such as excludeth not being infinitly which therefore hath not nor can have any place in him IT is not so with the creatures They are of themselves nothing and therfore of themselves they tend to nothing and while they are bounded and limited within some one kind of being without which they are not But so it is not with him whose Greatnesse hath no end or bounds which the PROPHET here ascriveth to God Now let us in the third place see more particularly what belongeth to this infinite and unbounded greatnesse of God The first thing that belongeth to him by reason of his infinite Greatnesse is that hee comprehendeth in himself all kinde of being and perfection that either is or is possible created or increaâ—ed There is no good in man or angels in earth or heaven no jâ—y or blesse no goodnes or beautie c. which is not in him If it he in the creatures it must needs be in him Shall not hee see who made the eye or shall not hee heare who made the eare There is no perfection in the creature which is not the expression of his eternall conception and a footstep oâ— resemblance of that perfection which is in him In like manner that is nothing or perfection possible which is not in him If any such thing or perfection be possible it must needs be in him by whom alone it can be brought forth and made actually to bee for if hee have it not himself how can he give it unto others So then name or conceive what perfection you will Sense Life Vnderstanding goodnes Beauty Wisdom Mercie Power Truth c. it is in him yea infinitly more perfections are in him then wee can conceive even all that are or any way can be This is the first thing which belongeth to his infinite Greatnesse The second thing is That all the kindes of being or perfections are in him in the highest degree of perfection and excellency that can be As all things are in him so there is nothing in him according to that maÌ„ner of imperfectioÌ„ in which we perceive by our sense or conceive by our minde Look unto things sensible to the heavens to the earth or to any thing that is therein there is nothing like to him To whom will yet liken God and what liknesse will ye compare unto him Isai 40. 18. There is Beauty indeed in him but not such a beauty as we perceive in things bodily but a beauty which the angels caÌ„not coÌ„prehend There is Light in him but not such a light as is in the sun or the startes he dwelleth in light that cannot be approached unto which no man hath seen or can see There is Sweetnes in him but not such as is in meat or drink or any such like thing but a sweetnes which exceedeth the capacity of al other things Hence holy AUGUST in his 10. book of the city of God and 6. chap. saieth what do I love when I love my God Not the beauty of bodies nor of bodily sound or smell or sweetnes yet wheÌ„ I love him I love a certain light voice smell food embracement Even the light voice smell food embracement of the inward man wher that shyneth to my soul which place caÌ„not coÌ„prehend that soundeth which time taketh not away that smelleth which no blast can dissipate c. And again look to the perfectioÌ„s which our minds conceive these aâ— not in God as conceived by us For example Neither goodnesse nor justice nor wisdome nor mercie nor truth at in him as we conceive them we conceive them but imperfectly and so they are not in him as they are conceived by us they are finite and bounded and distinct one from another but so in him they are not So if wee would conceive God and his greatnesse aright wee must not only transcend our sense but also all the imaginations and thoughts of our minde and must consider that he is infinitly more high and excellent and all that is in him then all that we can conceive or comprehend His Wisdom as I said is not as ours but of a boundles perfection It containeth all the kinds degrees and measures of wisdome that is or is possible and extendeth it self to all that can be understood that actuallie is or is not present bypast to come His Beauty in likemanner comprehendeth all kinds and degrees of beauty bodily or spirituall that are or can bee and in a manner infinitly more perfect then wee can conceive So it is with his Goodnesse Power c. This is the second thing that belongeth to his infinite greatnesse namlie that hee hath in himself all perfections in the highest degree of excellencie The third thing is That he hath all these his perfections joyned in the most perfect manner namlie in a most perfect Vnitie and simplicity His perfections are not in him as ours in us Our perfections are distinguished one from another but it is not so in him By his most simple nature and essence as hee is God so hee is Wise and Just and Good and True and Omnipotenz c. each of these perfections including other as they are in him for they are one and the same with his own Essence God saieth holy Augustine in his 6. book of the Trinitie and 7. chap. is called Great and Wise and True but wee may not think that his Greatnesse is another thing then his Wisdome or that his Wisdome is another thing then his Goodnesse and Truth or that his Truth is differentifâ—oÌ„ any of these we conceive these things indeed as really distinct but that is through the imperfection of our minde which caÌ„not coÌ„ceive things divine according to that â—ie sublime manner after which they are in God but most needs think of them with a proportion to the creatures in which we
have read out of all the foure Evangelists The unlearned unconsiderat READER might think That the Evangelists agree not well in relating this Historie but if wee compare them together wee shall find a very sweet harmony and that the cause of the apparent disagreement is only that one hath that which another wanteth Now according to them all this is the Historie Our LORD being arraigned before Cajaphas and his Councell the night before his death S. Peter having followed him to the HALL of the high Priest and having twice denyed him there is now the third time assaulted First about the space of an houre after his second deniall one cometh to him and affirmeth confidently or strongly as S. Luke telleth us and confirmeth his saying with this argument That he was of Galilee where Christ for the greatest part conversed and whence the greatest part of his disciples were By occasion of this some others standing by as S. Matth. and S. Mark importeth urge him in like manner Of a truth say they this fellow was with him for he is a Galilean and his speech bewrayeth him to be such an one There was but one language in the land of Canaan to wit the Syriack at that time but there was a diversitie in the pronunciation and manner of speech betwixt the Galileans and others as there is in our own or any other country betwixt them that are of diverse provinces Notwithstanding of all this S. Peter standeth to his deniall In the meane time There cometh a servant of the high Priest a kinsman of his whose care Peter had cut off as we learn from S. Iohn and he pressed the Apostle more perempterly Did I not see thee in the garden with him saieth he as if he would have said How darest thou refuse how canest thou deny Did I not see thee with these eyes of mine with him in the garden Here the Apostle being brought to a perempter perceiving himself to be in great danger and fearing that he should be arreigned aswell as his Lord and exposed to the cruelty of the Jews aswell as he hee is not content simply to deny him but he doeth it with oaths execrations swearing and cursing that he knew not the man that he did not so much as know what they said Now immediatly while hee is yet speaking the Cock croweth the second time as S. Mark telleth us and Jesus turning him about looked upon S. Peter Whereupon he remembred and called to minde the words of Jesus How hee had said Before the Cock crow twice thou shalt deny me thrice and thinking upon this he went out and wept bitterly This is the Historie in order In it there are two particulars chiefly considerable First his Fall or sin secondly his Rising or repentance For clearing the first Wee shall consider first his sin secondly the grievousnesse of it and Thirdly shall shew you what use should be made by us thereof But before we enter into these particulars yee are to understand that some have excused or extenuated this sin of Peter that either they thought it no sin or a very small one but this is well refuted by S Jerome If saieth he we affirme that Peter denied not Christ then we give Christ the lie who said Before the cock crow twice thou shalt deny mee thrice To this same purpose holy August in 66. Treatise upon Iohn If Christ spake trueth whereof to doubt is impietie then PETER indeed denied Christ Let us not accuse Christ saieth he to defend Peter let humane infirmitie acknowledge its sin for in him that was Trueth is self there could bee no lie S. Peter himself acknowledged both the sin and the grievousnesse thereof he refuteth his defenders his tears are witnesses against them Let us come now to the first point and consider his sin what it was First in that he denied the LORD he sinned against Trueth and that two wayes first because he denied that he knew him whom indeed he knew very well Secondly because hee break his promise to his Lord which was That he would not deny him though he should die for him 2. He sinned against faith For the commandement wherby we are tyed to beleeve bindeth us not only to beleeve inwardly but also outwardly to confesse For with the heart man beleeveth unto righteousnes and with the mouth coÌ„fession is made unto salvation 3. He sinned by perjurie calling 〈◊〉 God and desiring him to bear witnes to his lie 4. He sinned by cursing and wishing all kinde of mischief to himself if he spake not trueth All these wayes he sinned in this his third deniall Now let us consider the grievousnesse of his sin For clearing of this point consider first That he many wayes offended before his deniall First there was in him too great confidence of himself and over-weeâ—ing of his own strength Hence when our Lord. Joh. 13. 36. Said Thou canst not follow me now he answered Lord why cannot I follow thee now I am ready to go with thee both to prison and to death and againe Though all men should â—e offended at thee yet I will never be offended Secondly there was a kind of misbeleeving the words of our Lord for he forewarned him of his fall and yet he would not take heed unto it Thirdly he neglected that commandement Watâ—h and pray that ye enter not into temptation For the spirit indeed is readie but the flesb is weak He was sleeping sound when he should have been watching and praying Fourthly when he followed Christ he followed him coldly a far off did not cleave to him neatly ferveÌ„tly as his true follower should have done Fiftly by entering into the HAL of the High Priest amongst his enemies he did cast himself into danger without necessity or any calling Thus many waies he procureth his own Fall which aggravateth his sin Secondly There are many things concurring in his sinne which doth greatly aggravate it First he not only denied Christ but also he denied him with oaths againe and again and not content with this he cursed and anathematized himself if it was not so as he said The word used in the original signifieth that he wisheth himself to be an Anathema which is as much as one that is accursed execrable and unworthy of the communion of good men and that is devoted and appointed for â—ell The word which the Syrian Interpreter useth signifieth to destroy and abolish in the old Testament coÌ„monly signifieth A thing devoted to God which cannot be redeemed but must needs be abolished and destroyed So the Apostle by this anathematizing or cursing wished all mischiefs to himself both to his body and soule which is no lesse then eternal condemnation Neither did hee simply curse this way but hee did it vehemently as the word used by S. Matth. importeth Suppose there had been no more This cursing was a grievous sin God oftentimes even in this life hath
us in it Hence our Saviour hath commanded us To watch alwayes because wee know neither the day nor the houre of our LORDS comming Every day and houre we should have our loins girded with the girdle of mortification of our affections and the torches or lamps of good works shining in our hands If thou give thy self but to folly this night what knowest thou but thy sentence shall be This night thy soul c. What assurance of thy life hast thou more then he let us learne to be wise by such examples They teach us a most profitable lecture they who have been so overtaken say to us as it were as my Judgment was so also shall it be with thee yesterday to me and the day to thee Yesterday I was where thou art I had this same thoughts of long life and happines which thou hast here and yet even then my body was condemned to the dust and my soule brought before the Tribunall of GOD to give an account and to receive the sentence of justice What knoweth thou but it shall be so with thee to day Would God wee did rightly consider this That we might number our dayes and apply our hearts to wisdome esteeming of every day as if it were our last day and doing that in it which wee would wish to bee doing if death were come Secondly he sayeth They shall require thy soul He sayeth not he shall die but That his soul shall be required or taken away The words import first that this should be done to him against his will resisting and strugling to the contrary 2. that this should not be done by chance but by justice that he might receive his sentence according to his doings 3 It is said They shall take to signifie that the devils as the executioners of GODS Justice were ready to execute vengeance upon him Here is a dreadfull sentence whereby the soul is taken away The soul the precious soul the redemption whereof ceaseth for ever The soul which is of more worth then all the world What profiteth it a man to gaine the whole world if he losse his soul The soul which is our divine part the Breath of GOD and Stamp of his Countenance The soul for which the precious Blood of Iesus was shed The soul the soile which if it were rightly manured should bring forth the fruit of immortall joy That this soul should be taken away unavoidably first to judgement thence to intollerable torment what wo and misery Hence we may perceive what sorrow and anguish was in the soul of this covetous man or in any like wretch When Belshazzar Daniel 5. 6. saw the hand-writting against him on the wall that he was numbred weighed and divided His countenance was changed his thoughts were troubled within him the joynts of his loins were loosed and his knees did smite one against another such is the anguish and the agonie of the wicked when GOD putteth forth his Finger and writteth on their body by an incurable disease that their dayes are numbred finished when he wakens their conscience writteth therin that they ar weighed and found to be light and that they must be divided from their houses lands wife children friends yea and that the soule must be divided from the body and that the one must go to be the meat of wormes the other to eternall fire If such a man look back to his life his sins which he thought evanished his negligence and coldnes in Gods service ambition covetousnesse malice whordomâ— c. rush upon him like so many furies to gnaw his conscience to rent his heart in pieces and tell him that as he hath had their sweet so must he have their bitternesse If he look before him he sees GOD ready to cast him away and to say depart from me thou cursed c. The good Angels ready to forsake him and the devils ready to snatch up his soul He seeth that within half or quarter of an houre he must change his bed it may be of repose which his children and friends stand about with a bed of fire with a company of horrible spirits with everlasting chains everlasting darknes O what unspeakable anguish is this what is there in this earth that can countervaile it It is not so with the death of the Godly Though nature in them also shune death yet grace in end prevaileth Their soule is not taken from them but they deliver it and recommend it into the hand of GOD the Father and redeemer of spirits In thy Hands I recommend my spirit for thou hast redeemed it O Lord GOD of trueth sayeth David Psal 31. 5. They are content to go out of the body as out of a prison and grave They desire to be disolved and be with Christ They depart in peace because their eyes have seen the Salvation of GOD. They count the last day of their life the first of their happinesse the birth day of eternity which shall draw aside the courtaine and make them clearly see which before they saw but obscurely They know that day shall free them of all stormes and put them betwixt the Armes of their Father And turne their trouble into rest their mourning into joy and their basnes into glory They have reason therfore to be content when it pleaseth GOD to call The LORD grant that we may live their life that so we may die their death and that for the merits of Christ c. THE FIRST SERMON Upon the VI Chapter of S. IOHN Vers 43. JESUS therefore Ansirered and said unto them murmure not among your selves Vers 44. No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him and I will raise him up at the last day OUr blessed Saviour having entred upon a most heavenly discourse concerning the Dignity of himself and the happines of them who receive Him as they ought having entred I say upon this discourse in the preceeding words He taketh occasion from the murmuring of the Jews at that which he said to prosecute this same discourse more particularly and more fully in these words that I have reade and in many after following Particularly in these words yee have to consider the occasion of this discourse which was the murmuring of the Jews insinuated there And Iesus answered unto them saying murmure not among your selves 2. Yee have an heavenly instruction given to them and to us all in them concerning the way by which we come to Him No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him 3. Yee have the happines of them who are so drawn by vertue thereof unto Christ And I will raise him up at the last day And Iesuus answered and said unto them murmure not among your selves These words insinuate as we said that the occasion of our Saviours following discourse was the murmuring of the Iews whereof yee may reade immediatly before my text
is not from the earth but from heaven and if he give life to them that are dead he may be justly called The bread of life 3. He addeth these words to comfort Beleevers and to terrifie unbeleevers For no greater comfort can be to them that receive him by a true and lively faith then the assured hope that they shall be raised up by him from death to a glorious and immortall life and on the other part it is matter of exceeding terror to the unbelieving and wicked that they shall not be partakers of this blessed resurrection but they shall be raised up to shame and confusion This point is urged diverse times hereafter by our LORD and therefore it may be we shall have occasion to speak of it more fully Only now consider that this is a point which we should at this time deeply meditate upon He who calleth us and offereth himself unto us is no lesse then he who hath power of life and death even of eternall life and of eternall death If wee answer him and embrace his Calling we may look to have confidence joy and glory at our death and resurrection but if we do otherwayes we can expect nothing but terrour sorrow and confusion Though we think little now of death and resurrection yet they wil come It is appointed for all men once to die and after death cometh judgement The soul will be called out of the body the body will be called out of the grave and both will be called before the Tribunall of GOD. If thou hearkned devotly and obediently to his Calling here Thou shalt lift up thine head then being confident that thy redemption draweth near When GOD sayeth to thy soul at death Come out thou shalt encourage it and say Go 〈◊〉 my soule fear nâ—t it is the Voice of my Beloved calling not to destroy but to save thee It is the voice of him who hath often called me before and whom I have answered by his Grace It is the Voice of him that I was longing for He said to me before Behold I come I have answered even so Amen LORD Iesus come But on the contrary if thou hast despised his gracious and mercifull Calling here thy terrour shall be unspeakable at death and at the resurrection He shall call when thy Lamp is not prepared and albeit thou would not be drawn by his Mercy his Justice shall draw thy soule out of thy body at death and thy body out of the grave at the resurrection although thou call then he will not heare but will say Depart from me I know thee not Long have I cast open the doore of my Mercy unto thee but thou would not enter and now it is shute O how terrible shall this Calling or rather Drawing of iustice be to the disobedient soule body Faine would they draw back into that very nothing out of which they were brought Therefore the wicked shall say then unto the hills and to the mountains fall upon us and cover us from the Face of him that sitteth upon the Throne and from the Face of the Lamb. Let us therefore while we have time thinke both upon his Mercy Justice These are the two armes of his Providence whereby he draweth to good and from evil MERCY is as it were his Right-Hand which is alluring and comfortable justice his Left-Hand which is terrifying and dreadfull Let us labour That his left hand may be vnder our head as the Spouse speaketh and that his right hand may embrace us that is let us thinke upon his gracious Promises that we may be allured to obey him and withall consider his dreadfull terrours that we may stand in awe to despise his invitations I will speake no more of this Now I proceed It is written in the prophets And they shall be all taught of GOD c. Here he confirmeth and cleareth what he said of the drawing of men to him by the Father He confirmeth it by the testimony of scripture It is written sayeth he in the prophets they shall be all taught of GOD. This testimony is expresly set down Isaiah 54. 13. Where the PROPHET speaking of the happy estate of the Church of the new Testament sayeth to her All thy children shall be taught of the LORD and great shall be their peace According to the sense it is also to be found else-where especially in the 31. 33. of Iâ—r where the LORD speaking of the Church of the new Testament sayeth After those dayes it shall come to passe that I will put my law in their hearts writ it in their inward parts and they shall be my people and I will be their GOD and they shall not teach every man his brother and every man his neighbour but they shall know me from the highest to the least sayeth the LORD For clearing of this yee are to understand that to be taught of God is nothing else but to have our minds enlightned by the knowledge of him and to have his love â—â—â—ed abroad in our hearts so that we obey him and that not out of the fear of punishment but out of the love of righteousnes Of this teaching the Prophet spake when he said Psal 94. 12. Blessed is the man whom thou chastisest and teachest out of thy law and when he said againe Teach me to do thy Will O GOD for it is good This our Saviour manifesteth in the next words wherein he explaineth what it is To be taught by GOD saying That such an one heareth and learneth of the Father and cometh to him that is he that is so taught understandeth and beleeveth that which the Father revealeth and embraceth it by sincere love and affection and so cometh to Christ by faith by hope by love and obedience Hence S. AUGUSTINE in his book of the Grace of Christ 12. and 13. chapters inferreth That this doctrine of the Father is nothing else but his heavenly Grace communicated to us whereby he maketh us not only to know what we should do but also to do what we know whereby he maketh us not only to beleeve that which should be loved but also to love that which we beleeve This is the doctrine of the Father whereby from on hye by his unspeakable Power inwardly he manifesteth his truth and communicateth to us the love of himself This also is manifest as S. AUGUSTINE observeth there from the 1. Thess 4. 9. where S. PAUL sayeth As for brotherly love yee have not need that I should write unto you for yee are taught of GOD to love one another So the Teaching of GOD maketh us not only to know what should be done but also to do that which we know And he that knowes and doeth not is not caught by God He is not taught according to grace but according to the law he is not taught according to the spirit but according to the letter Secondly Yee are to consider that our Saviour by urging
petitions and yet be againe and againe importunated this is the way to offend them and make them more difficult But a restles importunitie and a kinde of violent urgeing of our desires is most acceptable to God which if we use rightly we are sure to obtaine that which we seek or that which is better Now let us proceed to the second temptation wherewith the faith of this woman was assaulted The disciples of our Lord moved either with pitty or impatience at the hearing of the frequent cryes of this woman desire him that he would dismisse her send her away say they for she cryeth after us Her cryes troubled them and it may be caused the people to gather about them To this our Lord answereth I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of Israel Strange and as it would seeme very uncomfortable words for this woman The meaning of the words is not that he came not to redeeme any but the Jews The scripture clearly telleth us That he is the propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son to the death that whosoever should beleeve on him should not-perish but have eternal life In the 1. of Mal. it is promised by God that through the Messias his Name should be great among the gentiles from the rising of the sunne to the going down of it In the 2. of Haggai he is called The desire of all nations Isai chap. 11. foretold that the root of Jesse should be an ensigne to the people and that to it the gentiles should seek Before him DAVID prophecied Psal 2. That the heathen should be his inheritance and that the outmost ends of the earth should be his possession And long before him Jacob said That when Shilo came or the Messias to him should be the gathering of the nationes What then ye will say doth our Saviour meane by this that he was not sent but unto the lost sheep of Israel I answer he meaneth that he was sent to be Borne among them to worke his miracles among them to be visibly conversant with them whence he is called The Minister of the circumcision Rom. 15. God carried that respect to the Jews because of the covenant made with their fathers that the Messias was both to come of them and to do his wonderfull works among them not going nor sending to others til they had made themselves unworthie of his presence This is the true sense of his words yet the woman might have easily conceived them so as if they hide simply excluded her from his favour as not belonging to his care This was a mighty assault yet is she not dashed for all that On the contrary the strength of her faith doeth kyth the more in greater servencie and greater devotion for now she runes before him and falleth down at his feet worshippeh him acknowledgeth her own unworthinesse and his infinite excellencie and withall reneweth her petition saying LORD help me Her faith wisly passeth by the words of our Saviour she giveth not a direct answer to theÌ„ but still inforceth her suit as if she would have said O LORD I cannot reason with thee I cannot answer thee one of a thousand thy Words are above my reach Yet one thing I know beleeve that thou art the Saviour of the world who came for them that are miserable and lost and such an one I am therefore LORD help me Let them be affraied of these thy Words who seek the not but as for me I seek thee and will not leave thee untill thou have mercy upon me and sure I am thou not only may but will do it howsoever thou hide thy Love for the time Here we may learne how to incounter with a dangerous temptation which sometimes is suggested unto men namely that they are none of those whom God hath chosen or upon whom he hath set his LOVE and to whom his speciall Care belongeth If Sathan assault thee this way do as this woman did go thou and fall down at the Feet of Christ to worship him lay LORD help me Search not into the deep misâ—ery of Gods Predestination which thou art not able to wade through secret things belong to God and things that are revealed to us say thou therefore to him O LORD thou hast revealed that thou came To seek and save that which is lost and that thou willest not the death of sinners I am a sinner and I am lost O LORD therefore have mercy upon me and help me Say or do what thou will I will never depart from thee till thou blesse me Now let us here the answer of our Saviour to the womans renewed petition Suffer The children to be first satisfied said our Saviour unto her as it is in S. Mark For it is not good to take the bread of the children and to cast it unto dogs What I pray you could seeme more harsk then this he represents her unworhines unto her in respect of the Jews to whom he said before he was sent He calleth them children and her a dog and insinuateth that suppose she wer to get any help from him yet was it not to be expected at this time since the children were not yet satisfied whose bread ought not to be casten unto the dogs This was the third comptation a mighty one She looked for a gracious acceptance at the first and yet findeth herself still rejected and that with a reproach in end yet her faith is so farre from being broken with this that the vigor and strength of it still increased A little flame is soon quenched but a great fire the more it is opposed becometh the more violent so a strong lively faith overcometh al impediments and maketh a man to say with Job although the LORD should slay me yet I will trust in him Hence this woman claspeth yet faster to her Saviour and his Mercies Trueth LORD said she yet the dogs eat of the crumbs that fall from their masters table Strange and wonderfull words full of humilitie modestie faith and wisdome Humilitie for she acknowledgeth herself to be a dog as she was called Modestie for she expresseth only what is due to dogs not inferring what was due to herself but leaving that to be inferred by our LORD Her faith also shineth in these words for she professeth that she beleeved the miraculous deliverance of her daughter to be but as it wer a crumbe in respect of these great things which his Mercy could give Her wisdom also appeareth greatly in these words for she taketh advantage of our Saviour his own words useth that as a most pregnant argument to perswade him which he used as an argument to repell her as if she would have said O LORD thou callest me a dog and I confesse that in truth it is so but in the mean time even dogs have liberty to eat of the
crumbs that fall from the tables of their masters this is all I ask I take not upon me to sit down at the table nor to take a way the bread of the children That which I desire is but as it were a crumbe in respect of these great miracles which thou hast done and can do for the Jews that are the children Neither can they be justly offended that this crumbe is cast to me though a dog since I am in such extreame necessitie Thus ye see how strongly she wrestleth with God and that with the armes of humilitie and confidence which are most fruitfully alwayes joyned together for confidence without humilitie leadeth to presumption and humility without confidence leadeth to despair Hence we may learne how to behave our selves in the like temptation Somtimes our troubled conscience representeth unto us the greatnes of our unworthinesse It telleth us that notwithstanding of so many favours bestowed by God upon us yet we have turned with the dog to the vomite and with the sow to the mire againe and therefore are unworthie to be any more regarded by him In this case we should in all humilitie acknowledge our unworthinesse and say with the Prodigall sone I have sinned against the heaven and against thee and am no more worthie to be called thy sone make me but as one of thy servants Yea and with this woman should confesse that it is well for us if we be admitted to the least crumbe of Mercy On the other part we should with confidence cleave fast to God being perswaded that he will not deny us a crumbe of Mercy that one cruÌ„be being granted will relieve us For were our sinnes never so great yet are they nothing as it were in respect of the infinite Mercy of God When a king saieth CHRISOST upon 51. Psal Though he be but a man as we are commandeth a malefactor to be set at liberty the governour the jaylour the authoritie of the lawes cannot hold him in how much more is the King of kings who hath absolute Power both of men and Angels able to deliver us not only from punishment but also from the bonds and chaines of our sinne Thus we have seen the wrestling of this woman now let us behold her victorie O woman sayeth our LORD Great is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt He cannot longer conceale his Love affection and therefore breaketh out in words of Praise admiration signifying that his former silence and refusels proceeded not from want of love which was so great in him that with great difficultie he had hid it till now Great is thy faith sayeth he Thy faith is not common nor ordinary but singulare great GREAT in respect of the great things which thou beleevest of me Great in respect of the invincible strength and firmnes of it Great in respect of the small meanes of faith which thou hast had Thou hast not seen me cure the leprous open the eyes of the blind or raise the dead and yet beleevest so firmly so great things of me Be it therefore unto thee as thou wilt This great faith of thine is not only able to obtaine this benefit which thou askest but also whatsoever thou wilt Thus ye see her difficult sight endeth in a sweet and glorious victorie the vehement tempest wherewith she was tossed endeth in a most pleasant calme and tranquillitie Hence we may perceive first that God hides himself from his own though vehemently crying upon him not for any want of Love and care but for his greater Glory and their greater Good Wherefore did he so much reserve himself from this woman but that the Glory of his Grace wrought in her might appeare the more that he might draw forth the treasure which was hid in her heart and that the triall of her faith being much more precious then that of gold which perisheth might be found to Praise and Honour and Glory both in this world and also at his appearing Hence where ever the Gospell hath been or shall be preached from the east to the west from the south to the north this woman and her great faith shall be praised and commended So doeth he often with other his saints He answereth them not for a time that their vertues being exercised may be tryed and perfected and that they may rejoyce the more and be the more thankfull for his Favours when after long delay they are obtained With them that are weak He dealeth often as with them that are infants giving them their petitions at the first whileas for the former reasons he exerciseth them long and hardly who have greater Strength and soliditie of Grace Grudge not therefore at the delay of GOD his gracious Answer but be assured that his time is alwayes most fit and most convenient Secondly We may perceive here the wonderfull power of Prayer when it is rightly qualified It obtaineth that from God which for greater reasons would seeme should be denied It maketh him in a manner to change his sentence and so wrestleth with him that is invincible that it prevaileth with him The scripture is full of examples MOSES had the Egyptians behind him and the red sea before him he cryed to GOD and the sea was devyded so that the children of Israel went through as if it had been dry land Hezikâ—ah spread the blasphemous letter of Senacherib before the LORD and prayed unto him And the Angell of the LORD smote 185000 of the enemies Neither should we thinke but many wonderfull things are and shall be still obtained by Prayer If we knew all the passages of GODS Providence throughout the world this would be evident unto us I meane not that men should now expect miracles but this I say If it be fit for us to obtaine the thing prayed for GOD will give it although miraculously so hath he often also done I shall give you but one example which S. AUGUSTINE in the 22. of his books of the City of God 8. chap. saieth he was an eye witnes of and therefore we have no reason to distrust it there he reporteth That a man of good worth in Carthage having received him into his house being then but young and newly come from Millane had fallen into a grievous disease Once he is cutted by the advise of the Physitians yet somthing escaped them which againe renewed the corruption The Physitians being againe consulted assure him he could not live unlesse that part wer cutted anew This bred an exceeding grief to him wishing rather to die then to endure such an intollerable paine Alwayes in end he condescended to it and the day is appointed The night preceeding it AURELIAN Bishop of Carthage and other pastors come to visit him They pray for him who joyned with them in most fervent and devote prayer Therefore he intreateth them to returne to morrow and to recommend him to GOD. Accordingly then they come and pray The Prayer