But how is that Consider with mee but 5. things and you may learne how The first is the cause which moved Christ to loue vs. Wee haue beene o Ephes 1.4 chosen in him by the Father that we might be saved by him and therefore hath Christ loved vs with a peculiar loue aboue other men Galat. 2.20 Therfore must we also loue our brethrē peculiarly in the Lord for that very cause because for ought we know they are the elect and chosen of the Father in Christ that they may be saved by Christ 2 The time when Christ loved vs. He loved vs first 1. Ioh. 4.19 Therefore must we also prevent one another in loue wee must not looke that they loue vs first for the heathens can bee content to yeeld loue for loue Mat. 5.46 But we must loue thē first and by so loving them stirre them vp to loue vs againe 3 The quality of the persons whom Christ hath loved He hath loved vs Ioan. 15.9 vs that is all all the elect Iewes and Gentiles Graecians barbarians bond and free men women the base and poore as well as the noble and rich for all which and therfore for all vs he dyed when as yet we were his enemies when as yet we were sinners Rom. 5.8 Therfore must we also loue all men be they sinners or seeme they iust seeme they our friends or be they our foes bee they of what estate and condition soever 4 The end for which Christ hath loued vs. He loued vs for no profit of his owne but for our soules health Therfore must we also loue our neighbours not for our owne gaine but for their good and thereto doth St Paul counsell vs Let every man be carefull for the things of his neighbour Phil. 2.4 5 The measure of Christs loue to vs ward It is a true loue for Christ is truth it selfe Iohn 14.6 It is an ardent loue◠for Christ laid downe his life he shed his blood for his sheepe Iohn 10.15 It is a never dying loue for Christ loues his vnto the end Ioh. 13.1 And therefore must wee also loue our neighbours truly earnestly constantly We must abandon al false feigned and vaine loue all corrupt loue all gainefull loue al tongue-loue and the like as Christ hath loued vs even so must we loue one another How this loue hath beene written in the hearts of the godly which long since haue slept in peace their practises are sufficient to declare Could any thing else haue made Moses pray to haue his name raced out of Gods booke rather then that the sinnes of the people vnder his government should not bee forgiuen Exod. 32.32 Could any thing else haue caused David to make his petitions to God for to lay the pestilence vpon him and his fathers house and to spare the people committed to his charge 2. Sam. 24.17 Could any thing else haue moved Paule to wish with his owne damnation to redeeme the reiection of the Iewes Rom. 9.3 What shal I tell you of Elizeus who took order for the safe returne of his enimies the king of Arams servants to their Lord and master 2. Kings 6.22 or of Ieremie who stood before the Lord to speak good for such as had digged a pit for his soule Ierem. 18.20 or of Steven who then prayed for the people when they stoned him Act. 7.60 Naomi might haue done her kinseman all the disgrace set downe in the law she might haue pulled of his p Ruth 4 7. shee she might haue spit in his face and so haue defamed him and his house for ever yet would she not Ioseph when he might haue disclosed the lust of his mistris and haue saued his owne q Gen. 39.19 imprisonment did choose rather to conceale it The supposed father of Christ that iust one perceauing that his betrothed spouse was with child before ever they came together was minded to put her away r Mat. 1.19 secretly for hee would not make her a publike example But all these are dead and gone and I feare me I may to truely say it their loue is also dead and gone with them For if not so could deceit could bribery could oppression could rapine could vsury could many more such adversaries of true loue bee so common among vs as they are Whence is it that the hand of Caine is so ready at the throat of Abel Gen. 4.8 Whence is it that the shepheards of Gerar and the shepheards of Isaac cannot agree Gen. 26.20 Whence is it that Esau hateth Iacob Gen. 27.41 that Ioseph is ready to be sold for 20 peeces of silver Gen. 37.28 That Saul seeketh David to slay him 1. Sam. 20.33 that a man lieth wounded by the high way neither Priest nor Levite will helpe him Luk. 10.31 32. Is it not from our want of true loue Now haue we many of Haman his spirit who did malitiously informe Assuerus against the Iewes that so he might vtterly destroy them Hest 3.8 9. and many of Doeg his spirit who by his false accusatiō murdered 85 Priests and smote the city Nob with all the men women and childrē in it 1. Sam. 22.9 18. and many of Ziba his spirite who did wrongfully slander Mephibosheth his Lord vnto the King 2. Sam. 16.3 Now the great man curseth the poore the poore man complaineth of the rich the seeming godly man hateth his neighbour for he is wicked the wicked man flyeth from the pure in heart he is not for his purpose Knowe wee any thing wherein our brother hath offended wee will ring it presently in the eares of his dearest friends But know we no ill by him A smal matter we can and will forge enough only must we haue one condition yeelded vnto namely that we shall not be reveiled then our brasen faces will beare vs out without blushing to report of any mā that there is neither honesty learning nor religion in him or that he is good for nothing but to be factious or the like Thus doe the wicked ſ Ps 11.2 bend their bow and make ready their arrowes vpon the string that they may secretly shoote at them which are vpright in heart And can wee much blame them for so doing since their nature is so to doe Vilium est hominum alios viles facere qui suo merito placere non possunt placere velle aliorum comparatione You may hold it for a truth St Ierome hath spoken it It is the property of a vile nature to seeke by tales to make others vile or by comparison with others to come to he accounted of Dead soules I haue no hope to moue to feeling hearts which God vouchsafeth to touch with his powerfull word as with a sharpe t Heb. 4.12 sword is my speech made Read and remember what is written in the law Thou shalt not walke about with tales among thy brethren Lev. 19.16 Learne and forget not why Ierusalem was reproued it was because
You shall see now whether my word shall come to passe or no vers 23. A Prophet may prophecie in the greatest famine of Samaria albeit an Asses head Doues dunge be bought at an vnreasonable rate that yet to morrow at a certaine howre a measure of fine flower and two measures of barly shall be sold at a reasonable rate but a great man will not beleeue it but a prince will say though the LORD would make windowes in Heaven can this thing come to passe 2. King 7.2 But what saith Elisha to this Prince Beholde thou shalt see it with thine eies but shalt not eate thereof vers 2. Distrustfull men to satisfie our selues in such distrustful reasonings Heare we what S. Austin saith Ep. 3. ad Volusianum concerning the workes of God to vs vnprobable Tota ratio facti potentia facientis considera autorem tolle dubitationem the whole reason of the doing is the power of the doer it is God that hath done them Consider the author and all doubts will cease Sing we with the sweet singer Exod. 15.11 Who is like vnto thee O LORD among the Gods Who is like thee So glorious in holynesse so fearefull in praises so doing wonders Say wee with the shipmen Ionah 1.14 Thou O LORD hast done as it hath pleased thee This point as it cannot wel choose but strike a terrour into the seared cōsciences of the wicked because God is able to cast both body and soule into hell fire so may it well yeeld comfort to the Godly comfort to the barrē for he was able to make Hānah fruitfull comfort to the afflicted for he was able to deliver Iob from his miseries comfort to the hungry for he was able to send food to Elias by ravens comfort to the thirstie for he was able of an Asses tooth to make a spring of water to quench Sampsons thirst comfort for all for God is able to do al in all able to deliver from the fiery fornace able to make the shadow in the diall of Ahaz to run backe 10. degrees able to cause the Sunne and Moone to rest from their courses Thou haste done great things O LORD LORD who is like vnto thee O consider the Almightinesse of our God and say whether you are not thereby perswaded that it is he the Lord and none but he since all worldly helps are vaine that it is he the Lord that will lift you vp A fourth motiue to the same perswasion is the willingnes of God whereas hee is most present with you most liberall to you most able to help you whē you stand in need hee is also at all times most willing to work your ease This willingnesse of God importeth the necessity of the fulfilling of Gods promises and so concurreth with the second general note whereof in the next Sermon THE FIFTH SERMON ON THE EPISTLE OF SAINT IAMES CHAP. 4. VERS 10. Cast downe your selues before the Lord and he will lift you vp THE second note is of the certainety of the fulfilling of this promise concerning our lifting vp It is not here saide he will assay he will try he will doe his best to lift you vp but simply he will lift you vp The promises of God made vnto the sonnes of men in the word of God are of two sorts either they haue a condition annexed vnto them or else they are without condition the Gospel which is Gods power to salvation to them that beleeue is the foundation of the one the law which is his rod of yron to crush them in pieces that transgresse is the wel-spring of the other Both one and other assuredly true in their time shall be fulfilled For is the a 1. Sam. 15.29 strength of Israel as man b Num. 23.19 that hee should lie or as the sonne of man that he should repent Is he not c Heb. 13.1 yesterday and to day and the same for ever That d Rev. 1.4 was that is and that is to come My meaning is not only in substance but in will and intention doth he vse lightnesse Are his wordes yea and nay Hath he beene knowne to affirme deny too No. All his promises all his threatnings all his mercies all his iudgmēts all his words yea all the titles of all his words are e Rev. 1.7 Yea and Amen so firmely ratified that they cannot be broken so stāding immutable that they cannot be changed f Mat. 5.18 Heaven and Earth may passe they may be changed they may waxe old like a garment but the word of the Lord endureth for ever When Ahiiah the prophet had foretold Ieroboam of his overthrow namely that God would sweepe away g 1. Kin. 14.10 the remnant of his house as a man sweepeth away dunge till it be all gone that of his stocke none should die in the city but the dogs should eat none in the fields but the fowles should pray vpon that there should a king come over Israel to set abroach all those evils vnwilling to leaue any hope that this time was not yet to come that it was far of removed he correcteth himselfe with suddaine and quicke demaund and maketh the answere vnto it what saith he Yea evē now 1. Kin. 14.14 as if he had said what said I it should come to passe thus or thus Yea even now it is come to passe it is already done What this Prophet hath spoken concerning the Lords threatnings against Ieroboam may be verified of all the promises of the Lord such is their certainety ratified by the Lords owne wordes My covenant will I not breake nor alter any thing that is gone out of my lippes Psal 89.34 confirmed by his visiting of Sarah as he had saide and doing vnto her according as he had promised Gen. 21.1 allowed of by Ioshua's consent when he told the Israëlites that there had failed nothing of all the good things which the Lord had said vnto them but all came to passe Iosh 23.14 What shall I say then that Gods promises shall be fulfilled Yea even now even now they are come to passe they are fulfilled already God hath spoken once and I haue heard it twice that power belongeth vnto God saith David Psal 62.11 and so let mee say God hath spoken once and I haue heard it twice that truth belongeth vnto God God is very constant in the performance of his promises To driue it into our conceits hee hath spoken it once and twice not once but once and twice many times he hath spoken it eternally vnmoueably effectually without revokemēt once in the law and againe againe in the Gospell This sweet milke may be suckt plentifully out of both the breastes of the Church out of Moses and out of Christ out of the Prophets out of the Evangelists out of the Law and out of the Gospell O happy are they that feed only on this milke It is commonly said that truth cannot passe forth without contrarieties and quarrels
heare them Num. 12.2 And if Sarah laugh but within her selfe God will see her Gen. 18.13 Hell and destruction are before the Lord saith Solomon Prov. 15.11 how much more the heart of the sonnes of men Ad to this what the Prophet Esai hath chap. 40. vers 12. God hath measured the waters in his fist he hath counted heaven with his spanne hee hath comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure hee hath weighed the mountains in a weight and the hils in a balance Can their deeds then yea can their thoughts be hid from so powerfull a God Is it not because man of whose censure they stand more in awe theÌ„ of Gods wrath is not able to discrie their wickednesse which they haue so secretly wrought O! then they are deceaued For towne couÌ„try howleth and cryeth out too much overladen and wearied with adulterous Shichemites tyranous Sauls negligent Elies cruell Ahabs proud Herods incredulous Pharaohs here ambition there covetousnesse every where glutony and excesse One mole or freckle in the face offends more then many and great spots and scarres in the other parts of the body Men in authoritie all I meane that are better then others either for birth or calling are as the face of the commoÌ„wealth One small escape in them hurts more then many great grievous faults in the inferiours and therefore one was bold to compare theÌ„ to a booke after whose patterne others are printed if the first draught haue faults all the books printed thereby must needs be faulty but if there bee no fault in the first all the rest will haue the fewer Whosoever openeth a well or diggeth a pit and covereth it not and an oxe or an asse fall therein l Exod. 21.34 the owner of the pit shal make it good saith God by his servant Exod. 21.33 Hath anie of vs by bad living caused his inferiour his weake brother to sin O! let vs not be deafe beloved in the Lord. That maÌ„ whosoever he be hath opened a well and digged a pit which he hath not covered into which because his neighbour hath fallen and so perished he must look to make answer for it his blood shal be required at his hands Thou shalt not sow thy field with mingled seed it is the Lordes commandement Levit. 19.19 What is this militant church wherein we liue but Gods field whose husbandry yea are 1. Cor. 3.9 Whosoever in this field sitting either in Aarons seat or Moses chaire shall say but not doe shall say good things but doe the contrary shall in word sow wheat but in example cast abroad the troublesome seed of cockle and darnell hee it is that soweth mingled seed in Gods field and such are they whom the author of the booke of wisedome aimeth at chap. 6.6 When hee saith that mighty men shall be mightily tormented In the second place instruction is here to be had for such as are either by birth or calling worse then other men They seeing themselues so addicted by nature to follow others in duety ought to take speciall heed whom they follow For all may not be followed Aske counsaile of the wise man he will perswade with you by no meanes to follow gâ—uttons sleepers and drunkards for the glutton shall be poore and the sleeper shal be cloathed with ragges Prov. 23.21 As for the drunkard he shal haue no want of m Prov. 23.29 wo sorrow strife murmuring wouÌ„ds without cause and rednesse of the eies he shall be bitten as with a n Vers 32. serpent and hurt as with a cockatrice he shall be as one that sleepeth in the middest of the sea or on the toppe of the mast Prov. 23.34 Aske counsell of S. Paule and hee will perswade with you by no meanes to follow fornicators idolaters adulterers covetous persons and the like for such shall not inherit the kingdome of God 1. Cor. 6.10 Aske counsell of the LORD himselfe and he will perswade with you by no meanes to follow the o Levit. 18.3 doings of the land of Egypt or the manners of the land of Canaan For if you commit such abominations the land shall spue you out Levit. 18.28 O p Psal 1.1 walke not in the counsell of the wicked nor stand yee in the way of sinners nor sit yee in the seate of the scornfull for such may not be blessed You know who hath said it Assured I am that in Noahs arke among his three sonnes there was one cursed Ham that in Isaac's house of 2. sonnes one Esau was reiected that in Iacobs house among twelue brethren one only Ioseph was innocent that in Christs house among twelue Apostles there was a treacherous Iudas neither may I deny but that at this day among many Magistrates Preachers and Masters there are some licentious Magistrates some bad living Preachers some too too wicked Masters But what is that to vs We must all appeare before the iudgement seat of Christ to receiue according to our own deeds For so may we read 2. Cor. 5.10 The licentious life of the Magistrate shall not quite the subiect if he disobey the lawes the wickednesse of the Master may not excuse the servant if he be vngracious the bad living preacher is no cause to saue my soule if I be vngodly For God himselfe telleth vs that that soule that sinneth shal die the death Ezech. 18.4 And thus from the generall imitation I come to that which best beseemeth Christians Follow me The Lyon hath roared who will not be afraid The LORD God hath spoken who can but prophecie Amos 3.8 Ever worthy is his Maiestie to be revereÌ„ced whose voice nothing be it aboue or beneath in heaven or in earth sensible or insensible ought to disobey q Esai 1.2 Heare then ô heavens and hearken ô earth and therefore heare and harken both men women for the LORD hath said follow me Else whom will ye follow Is not he the way to guide you Follow him and he wil leade you in the pathes of righteousnesse Pro. 4.11 Is not he the truth to giue you light Follow him and the sunne of iustice shall arise vnto you Malac. 4.2 Is not he the life to feede you Follow him and you shall go in and out and finde pasture Iohn 10.9 He is the way in example for he hath given an example that wee should do even as he hath done Iohn 13.15 He is the truth in promises for his covenant he will not breake nor alter the thing that is gone out of his lips Psal 89.34 He is the life in rewarde for howsoever the wages of sinne is death yet the gift of God is eternall life through Iesus Christ our LORD Rom. 6.23 This our LORD the way the truth and the life in his iourney towardes heaven began betime for at r Luk. 2.42 twelue yeares of age he went about his Å¿ Vers 49. fathers businesse and he kept the right way for he boldly said who can
receaue evill Iob. 2.10 God hath promised and hee cannot but performe that whosoever calleth vpon his name giueth care to his voice as to the only shepheard of his soule good things shall betide him in this world and his soule shall liue Ier. 38.20 his plants shall prosper his counsels shall take effect his corne and oyle shall multiplie he q Deut 15.6 28 12. shall lend to many but shall not borrow himselfe his children like so many oliue branches r Psal 128.3 shal enclose his table round about If this cannot perswade you and what godly heart can it not perswade to forsake those your wicked helpers and to rely only on the Lord then heare farther God hath promised he cannot but performe that whosoever will not giue care to his voice but will relieue himselfe by the practises of cunning men witches coniurers and the like preferring Belial before Christ the Prince of darknesse before the ever-shining morning starre errour because it pleaseth before truth because it smarteth may ſ Deut. 28.38 sow his field but shall never reape it for the grashoppers shall destroy it may t Vers 39. plant his vineyard and dresse it but shall never drinke of the wine nor gather the grapes for the wormes shall eate it may haue u Vers 40. oliue trees in all his coasts but shall not annoint himselfe with the oyle for his oliues shall fall may x Vers 41. beget sonnes and daughters but shall not haue them for they shall goe into captivitie The Lords still-stretched-out hand shall smite such a one with a y Vers 22. consumption with a fever with a burning ague with fervent heate with a sword with blasting with mildew all these shall pursue him till hee perish z Vers 23. the Heaven that is over his head shall be brasse and the earth that is vnder him shall be yron You that haue knowne it may remember you that haue not knowne it may learne that in the 28. of Deut. from the 15 verse to the 68. there are besides those which I haue recited many other as grievous plagues assuredly allotted to all such as disobeying the Lords voice shall rely vpon such helplesse helps as I haue already mentioned We read 2. Chron. 16.12 that King Asa was punished with death for no other cause but because in his sicknes he sought for help at the Phisitians not of the Lord and can we be so senselesse as to thinke when for recovering of our lost goods or of our healths wee seeke to Sathans instruments that we shall escape vnpunished If Ahaziah consult with Beelzebub the God of Ekron about the recovering of his health the Lord wil send him word that he shall not come downe from his bed but shall there die the death 2. King 1.4 If Saule aske counsaile of a witch the archers shall wound him and his owne a 1. Chro. 10.4 sword shall kill him 1. Chron. 10.13 If Manasseh vse them that haue familiar spirits God wil send him such evils that who so heareth of it both his eares shall tingle 2. King 21.12 If this cannot perswade you and what godly heart cannot this perswade to forsake those your wicked helpers and to rely only on the Lord as you haue heard what dome abideth you for running to such helpers heare also how such may bee deciphered vnto you out of the holy Scriptures Would yee knowe how to cal them yee may tearme them rebels against the light Iob. 24.13 brethren to dragons Iob. 30.29 snares of a fowler in all their waies snares for the vngodly Hos 9.8 if thou list to scanne their descent they are the seed not of Iudah but of that cursed father of Canaan their fathers are Amorites and their mothers Hittites Ezec. 16.45 If their alliance Samaria is their elder sister Ezech. 16.46 If the lot of their inheritance it shall be a never-ending kingdome but full of weeping and gnashing of teeth Mat. 8.12 where their table shall bee a table of Devils 1. Cor. 10.21 their diet worse then that Coliquintida 2. King 4.40 their mirth folded vp in the pride of a smoake Esay 9.18 So is it not for nothing that witches may not be suffered to liue The charge is giuen against them Exod. 22.18 The Prophet Ieremy hauing roundly glanced at their faults foretels their fall that they shall surely bee consumed with famine and with the sword chap. 14. ver 15. with famine for their disquiet with the sword for their execution And c. 50. v. 35. he saith there shal be slaughter vpon the Chaldeans a slaughter vpon the southsayers the rather because they are the vengeance of the Lord the vengeance of his Temple Ch. 51. v. 11. The like favour for all the world is to be found at the hands of Ezechiel chap. 13.9 where hee denounceth against all glosing Prophets which see vanitie divine lies that the scourge of God shall be for ever vpon them that they shall not bee in the assembly of Gods people that they shall not be written in the writings of the house of Israel in the booke of life that they shall not enter into the land of Israel that heavenly Ierusalem Of like severitie is that sentence pronoūced by the Prophet Esay chap. 47. Where willing the Babylonians to repaire to their sooth-sayers to their astrologers to their starre-gazers to their Prognosticators for all these names hee there vseth verse 12.13 And to make triall whether they can finde profit or strength among them he speaketh to them in the 14. vers thus Behold they shall be as stubble the fire shall burne them they shall not deliver their owne liues from the power of the flame yea they shal be so consumed with the flaming fire as that there shall not be anie thing remaining no not to much as one coale to warme at nor anie light to sit by Considering then your owne lots and this their portion can yee hope for anie helpe at their hands Iudge vprightly you shall finde that neither their leaues are delightfull nor their blossoms gracefull nor their fruits restoratiue yea you must confesse that they are but so manie broken reedes full of splinters whereto if you leane you may wound your hands you may pierce your hands you shall never helpe your selues By this I doubt not but it appeareth what affiance may bee had in all worldly helps of what sort soever Now would I perswade you that all true helpe is to be sought for at the hande of the God of Iacob For it is he the Lorde none but he since all worldly helps are vaine it is he the Lord that will lift you vp And of this shall yee be well perswaded if yee meditate vpon Gods presence vpon his liberality vpon his ability vpon his willingnesse for as he is most present with you most liberall to you most able to helpe you when you stand in need so also