our nature and so farre as it doth diminish it of something maketh it nothing for nothing can truly be sayd to be farther then it is partaker of God of the being which he giueth vnto it who only can say I am that I am Besides the Truth that is opposed to Vanity there is another which is opposed to Hypocrisie and that is the correspondency of our outward actions to our inward affections for as our outward affections must haue their stamp from God so must they endeauour to print their true stampe vpon our Actions for as the seede that is sowne in the ground beareth the like seede aboue ground and the fruit is not vnlike the Tree no more should it be in our moralities wee should not sustayne one person in our bosome and another in our countenance bee painted sepulchers full of dead mens bones we should be Iacobs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 plaine men Nathaniels without all guile Mat. 23.17 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Basil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Chrysostome the character of an honest man is to be single minded Gen. 25.27 single tongued he that hath a heart and a heart a tongue and a tongue hath not truth in his inward parts This being the nature of Sincerity if wee will try the world by it I thinke we may iustly breake out in to King Dauids complaint in another Psalme Helpe Lord there is not a godly man left Veraces defecêrunt a filijs hominum truth is perished from among the sons of men the periuries which are frequent at Assizes and Sessions Psal 12.1 the deceit of Citizens which haue denominated deceit it selfe for from them is astutia deriued quia nihil lucrantur nisi admodùm mentiuntur whose thrift is fitly called craft because did they not circumueÌ„r they would come short of much of their wealth As for Statesmen all Chronicles do witnesse that they vse the Foxes case more frequently then the Lions skin and Policie is one of the words that is degenerated from a laudable to an infamous signification and is become a Synonymon for Machiauelisme This is the cause that Leagues and Contracts though confirmed with neuer so religious bonds are rather snares whereby one State seeketh to intrap another then pledges of their mutuall security But the quintessence of all falshood is the Popish Aequiuocation and Mentall Reseruation then which the Diuell neuer hatched a more pestilent fraud to bane Societies and desame Christian Religion The reason of all these obliquities and aberrations from Truth is for that euery man squareth vnto himselfe a measure of his owne but that measure of Sincerity which here God hath squared out is euery where neglected The Papist hee maketh the Catholique cause his measure the Politician his Greatnesse the Citizen his wealth the Iurour the preseruing of his Customes or pleasuring his friends these and some such like to these cautions and conditions doth the world patch vnto Truth without which they will not entertayne it The way to reforme all is to trie our Sincerity by the rule here set down by truth in the inward parts first that Truth that is opposed vnto Vanitie for hereby must wee correct our inward affections reduce them to the temper which God first gaue them and keepe them within the bounds which Gods Law doth set vnto them and when we haue done this then must we come on to the Truth that is opposed to Hypocrisâ—y let our conuersation be the looking glasse of our affections and let not any thing appeare in the Outward man that is not in the inward so shall wee be sincere wee shall haue truth in our inward parts And let this suffice for the nature of Sincerity Such Sincerity is of great regard that appeareth first in the Affection wherewith it is entertained The Affection is Desire and Desire is a compound affection of Louing and wishing for wee cannot desire that which we doe not loue and what wee loue if wee want it for that wee wish so that Sincerity is a louely thing And indeed how can it choose but be louelie that holdeth together all Societies Domesticall Politicke Ecclesiasticall without which iealousies must needs arise and so destruction follow euery man commits himselfe securely to him in whom he suspecteth no guile as where he doth suspect it hee thinketh himselfe safest when he hath least to doe Secondly as it is louely where it is so where it is not there it is longed for for man being by nature sociable cannot but wish for that qualitie in euery man without which there can be no society therefore those whom otherwise wee hate because wee cannot but haue to doe with them wee wish them all this Vertue Truth in the inward parts which should make all sorts of persons carefull to nurture those that are committed to their charge Parents their Children Masters their Seruants Pastors their People Magistrates their Subiects in this Vertue and sharpely to correct their pronenesse to the contrary the World groaneth vnder the mischiefes of falshood yet as if it yeelded no mischiefe euery where may you find a Schoole thereof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 euery such master breedeth such a scholar as maketh him a proofe that he hath profited in his Art But the Affection only doth not shew the regard it is improued much by the Person in whom this Affection is found I shewed you that Sincerity is louely and longed for but it skilleth much who the Person is that loueth it and longeth for it for our nature is corrupt and with our nature our affections wee mistake euill for good and we misplace our affections often vpon euill rather then good It is not so with God as hee is so he affecteth he is most Holy and such are his Desires also what he loueth is louely indeed because he cannot loue amisse and what he longeth for that we want because if we did not want it he could not long for it And indeed he must needs loue Sincerity because it is the Image of himselfe for he is Truth and there is nothing counterfeit either in him or from him yea his Truth is the ground of all our Faith our Hope our Charity were it not for that these could haue no ground Faith could haue no ground without his Truth in promising Hope could haue no ground without his Truth in performing Charity could haue no ground without his Truth in louing Therefore there is Truth in him and who what is in Him he loueth in others for euery thing delights in his like when God had made all things and beheld that they were good he presently kept a Sabaoth which importeth nothing else but the sweet content that he tooke in the worke of his owne hands If in all things specially in those that did best resemble him and he is resembled in nothing more then in diuine vertue so that Sincerity must needs bee exceeding louely in his Holy Eyes As it is louely so it
are forfeited but he to whom they are forfeited the Author of Nature must bee the Author of Grace And hee is so abundantly in our Sauiour Christ for in Him are all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge hid Colloss 2.3 in making him knowne hee maketh true Wisedome to bee knowne vnto vs. It is not in vaine that Dauid saith Thou Shalt make me know wisedome for though in Gods acts the Holy Ghost doth indifferently vse all times past present and to come because they are continuall yet it is not amisse to obserue that in this life we cannot haue so much grace but wee still want more therefore wee should not rest in the first fruits of the Spirit but bee still hungring and thirsting after righteousnes Mat. 5. and forgetting those things which are behinde bee still pressing forward in wisedome that we may be forward in Sincerity Marke that if you lay both these parts together the meanes of getting Sincerity to the regard that God yeelds to it it followeth fairely that whatsoeuer in vs pleaseth God is a guift that God bestoweth vpon vs neither indeed can any thing that commeth not from him bee acceptable vnto him so that wee may well pray with Saint Austin Da Domiue quodiubes iube quod vis Let it bee thy good pleasure O Lord by grace to enable me and then bee thy Commandement what it will it shall most readily be obserued by me Secondly Sincerity is not immediately from God hee worketh it by heauenly Wisedome neither may wee euer hope to be Sincere except wee first be wise if the Heart be nor first qualified the Reines will not be reformed The world hath yeelded too many smatterers in either of these but because they put asunder what God conioyned they haue beene good in neither Our Ancestours that liued vnder Poperie were good meaning men as they say of them and the Church of Rome did cherish in them good intentions but good indeed they could not be because they were misguided Wee are very inquisitiue after our Guide and God be thanked wee haue a good one and happily wee conferre often with him about a good course but here is our fault wee doe but conferre with him commit our selues to his guidance wee doe not wee entertaine not wisedome into the inward part therefore haue our inward parts little truth we are as foolishly wise as our Ancestours were falsly sincere It were to bee wished that we would ioyne both as King Dauid doth to be wise in the Hidden part that so our inward parts may be true especially when wee make our Atonement with God and humble our selues before him if euer then beg wisedome the wisedome of the heart which may wholy order our affections that our Repentance and our Confidence may both testifie that there is Truth in the inward parts The last thing that I obserued is that this Sincerity is remarkable wee are taught it in the first word Behold which word noteth both Veritatem Diuinam and Vtilitatem nostram the vndoubtednesse of these rules and the vse which we must make of them Ecce hoc patens est saith Ruffinus this is as cleare as the noone none but those that are blind can denie that God loueth Sincerity and that he giueth that wisedome from whence sincerity streams And as no man can doubt it so euery man must make vse of it euery man must desire this sincerity that so he may be acceptable to God euery man must desire to be furnished with wisedome from Heauen that he may be furnished with Sincerity We are by nature full of vanity and hypocrisie our corruption was displayed in the verse that goeth before but Contraria contrarijs illustrantur we cannot so well conceiue how bad we are as if we clearely see how good we should be when we obserue that God requireth Truth in our inward parts then may we perceiue how miserable wee are in being conceiued and borne in Sinne so the Ecce here giueth light to the Ecce that goeth before As this giueth light to that so that must be a whetstone to make vs to affect this And seeing God taketh all excuse from vs by making vs to know wisedome we must receiue wisedome into its proper seate that from thence it may produce this acceptable worke We must with Dauid be able to say Ecce Behold thou hast made mee to know wisedome in my hidden part that wee may also say Ecce Behold O Lord that Truth which thou desirest in my inward parts I conclude all Behold here the Doue and the Serpent which Christ commends for patterns to his Disciples wee must haue the simplicitie of the Doue and the wisedome of the Serpent Hee that can mixe the wisedome of the Serpent with the simplicitie of the Doue shall neither be sottishly sincere nor deceitfulluy wise GOD that searcheth the Hearts and Reines so qualifie both by his grace that being guided by him wee may be accepted of him accepted for wise sincerity and sincere Wisedome in the whole course of our life but specially when we turne to Him and turne from sinne with vnfained Repentance and assured Confidence AMEN PSAL. 51. VERS 7. Purge me with Hysope and I shall bee cleane Washmee and I shall bee whiter then snow KIng Dauid desirous to be restored vnto the state of Grace doth first lay open his owne wickednesse sincerely and then doth he sincerely lay hold vpon Gods goodnes Of the former you haue hitherto heard and are to heare of the latter hereafter In opening whereof you are to obserue how aptly the Remedy doth answer the Disease In the Disease wee found a double wickednesse one which King Dauid committed himselfe another which hee inherited from his Parents The Remedy cures both it cureth the wickednesse which King Dauid committed the Malignity the Impiety thereof the Impiety by Expiation in this seuenth Verse the Malignity by Consolation in the eight As it cureth the wickednesse which himselfe committed so doth it that which he inherited from his Parents that was a natiue Euill and the Remedie doth cure it as it is an euill in the ninth verse by forgiuing and as that euill commeth by nature the Remedie cureth it by Regeneration as we shall learne verse the tenth At this time I shall handle onely the first branch of the Cure the cure of the Impiety of that sinne which King Dauid himselfe contracted This I told you was done by Expiation or Purification for the better vnderstanding wherof we must guide our selues by a good rule of Saint Ambrose Benè Veteris Testamenti Sacramenta non euacuat et Mysteria Euangelica praeferenda docet These words are typicall therefore they haue a compound sense a Ceremoniall and a Morall Dauid acknowledgeth both true but withall teacheth in which standeth the greatest comfort The Ceremonial was not to be omitted because of Gods Ordinance but the Morall was principally to bee intended because that contained the Body whereof the
vnto vs confusion of faces to our God also belonge Mercies and forgiuenesse though we bee plunged deepe in Miserte and Sinnes Cause thy face O Lord to shine vpon vs thy seruants and let not our sinnes seperate betweene thee and vs remit the Guilt purge the Corruption of vs miserable sinners which doe not present our supplications before thee for our owne Righteousnesse but for thy great Mercies though our sinnes witnesse against vs yet deale with vs according to thy Name for great are thy Mercies AMEN PSAL. 51. ver 3. For I acknowledge my transgressions and my sinne is euer before mee THis Psalme as heretofore you haue heard consists of two Vowes both were made by King Dauid one for himselfe another for his Kingdome the first doth expresse his Desire and his Promise his Desire to bee restored vnto and preserued in the state of Grace his Promise if hee speede hereof to performe religious seruice vnto God In the former Petition of his Desire there are two remarkeable things the Matter contained in it and the Manner of King Dauids redoubling it of the Matter I haue already spoken wherefore I now come on vnto the Manner And herein we must obserue first the Inference then the Amplification that is how that which followeth is brought in vpon that which goeth before and how King Dauid enlargeth himselfe in vnfolding the Confession of his owne Miserie and Petition for Gods Mercy In the Inference we shall learne that as God hath Mercy so it is for such as are sensible of their Miserie in the Amplification we shall learne that hee which is sensible must shew himselfe not onely ingenious in displaying his owne wretchednesse but bee assured also of the Remedie which is prouided by Gods Goodnesse But to looke more particularly into the former branch of the Amplification behold therein how King Dauid doth rip vp his sinnes the Branches the Root thereof the sinne which himselfe hath committed and the sinne which hee hath deriued from his Parents hee layeth open both both the Debt and the Vsury so Saint Chrysostom calls them Homil. ad Neophytos Hee beginneth at the sinne which himselfe hath committed he vseth not the querulous Prouerbe of the Iewes the fathers haue eaten sowre Grapes Ier. 34.29 and the Childrens teeth are set onedge the remembrance of his wofull Inheritance doth not make him forget his owne graceles Purchase no hee mindes this first hee first amplifieth the Debt which himselfe hath contracted In laying open this he obserueth two things the naturall Properties thereof and the supernaturall Euent which followeth thereupon the naturall Properties are two a Malignity and an Impiety he handles the Impietie in the next verse the Malignitie in this that I haue now read vnto you Malignity is a vexing euill first there is euill in his sinne hee toucheth a double euill euill of the Heart and euill of the Head of the Heart noted by the word Peshang which signifieth a rebellious inordinatnes of the will of the Head noted by Chata which noteth an erring Iudgement or misleading aduise these two euills are in sinne enormous sinne and where they are there they vexe for they are Coram or Contra before vs or Against vs the word beareth both significations and therefore it is translated both wayes and if we couple them as well we may then you shall finde that enormous sinne committed doth haunt our thoughts and afflict our wills Neither onely doe they so but they doe so incessantly so saith the Text they are Semper Coram Semper Contra Alwaies before vs and Against vs alwaies vexing both our Head and our Heart Of this King Dauid is ingeniously feeling and testifieth the truth of it in his owne Case in his owne Case I say for the sinne which he remembreth is his owne My transgressions My sinnes the disease of mine owne Head and mine owne Heart therefore saith King Dauid I am feeling feeling in my Head and feeling in my Heart for Agnosco I Acknowledge it Acknowledging importeth a worke of the Head which is Noscere to know and a worke of the Heart which is Agnoscere to Acknowledge the vse of knowledge the applying of it to our Liues Neither is King Dauid only feeling hereof but ingenious also in publishing the same for he did Acknowledge it in this Psalme These bee the particulars which offer themselues in this Text and whereunto God willing I shall now speake more fully and answerably vnto this * The 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈◊〉 of Welles Occasion But I must first touch at the Inference and shew you how these and the following words are brought in vpon those that goe before Haue mercy vpon me O Lord c. saith King Dauid for I acknowledge my transgressions c. Obserue then Mans deuotion must follow Gods direction neither may we hope otherwise to speede then we are waranted by his Promise Now God doth not promise Mercy but to those that are feeling of their Miserie in the beginning of the Leiturgie we heare daily out of Ezek. Eâ—c 18.21.22 At what time soeuer a sinner doth repent him of his sinne from the bottome of his Heart I will put al His wickednesse out of my remembrance saith the Lord Ioel. 2.13 and therefore out of Ioel we are called vpon to Rent our Hearts and not our Garments and turne vnto the Lord our God because hee is gentle and mercifull patient and of much mercy and such an one as is sorric for our Afflictions Mâ—t. 5.6 to this purpose doth our Sauiour Christ in the Gospell pronounce them Blessed that hunger and thirst after righteousnes saying Mâ—â— 11. â— they shall be satisfied and inuiteth those that Labour and are heauie laden saying he will refresh them Although then wee doe yeeld that the Mercy of God is infinite and that it is readie to releiue all wretches yet wee may not forget that in obtayning it there are Partes nostrae as Chrysostom speaketh there is some thing that God requires on our part hee requires that we approue vnto him our Repentance Saint Austin sets it forth in a prettie Dialogue betweene God and King Dauid Quidergo quaeris miserecordiam pecatum impunitum remanebit what saith God vnto King Dauid doest thou seeke for mercy so that thy sinne may remaine vnpunished Respondet Dauid respondeant Lapsi King Dauid replied and all sinners must ioyne in this answer with King Dauid Non Domine Nay Lord my sinne shall not bee vnpunished I know his Iustice whose mercy I implore my sinne shall not passe vnpunished but therefore would not I haue thee punish it because I doe punish it my selfe and so Chrysostome I see my sinne O Lord therefore doe not thou see it I register it in this Psalme therefore doe thou blot it out of thy Booke Agnosco ignoscas therefore pardon because I am penitent 1. Cor. 11. And indeed it is the Apostles Rule That if we would
iudge our selues wee should not be iudged of the Lord. Yet may we not corrupt this Doctrine as the Church of Rome doth by ouer-valewing mans Penetencie and esteeming it to bee Satisfactorie Satisfactorie I say Dignitatesuâ for any worth that is in it though it may goe for Satisfactorie Dignatione Diuinâ because God is pleased to rest contented with it Paululum supplicij satis est Patri to the Indulgence of a Father small sparkles of Grace make a good satisfaction for a great fault committed by a Child but he were a gracelesse Child that would so mis-conster his Fathers good nature as to deeme a few sorrowing teares a full ransome of his offence Our condition of being Gods children by faith in Christ and the affection of God respecting vs in Christ as his Children are the true ground why God requires no more of vs and he that instead of this Relation plods vpon a proportion betweene his Repentance and Gods vengeance doth not onely corrupt a comfortable Doctrine by his errour but for his pride deserueth to forfeit Gods gracious Pardon Let vs keepe the right path neither ouer-valewing Godly sorrow neither yet neglecting it seeing God hath vouchsafed it so comfortable an effect Let vs all especially you that are the Penitents be feeling of our Miserie that God may releeue vs with his Mercie And let this suffice concerning the Inference I come now to the Amplification to consider so much of it as is contained in this Verse here I told you King Dauid doth display the malignitie of his Sinne. Malignitie is a vexing Euill therefore in the Sin here specified we must obserue first the Euill and then the Vexation thereof and we find a double Euill noted by the two Names that are giuen to the Sinne I haue on former Verses spoken of these words but the present occasion hath made me looke farther into them and obserue moreouer that which is not vnworthy of our knowledge These words then will teach vs that Sinnes especially if they be enormous haue plaine Characters of the Diuell Hee is resembled to a Serpent and to a Lion in regard of the first Christ calleth him a Lier Iohn 8.44 in regard of the last a Murderer and where he instils Sinne hee leaueth the steps of either of these of his Lying in the errour of Mens Iudgements of his Murdering in the Rebelliousnesse of their Affections the second of these is noted by Peshang Lawlesnesse the first by Chata aberration from the scope where at we ayme he desireth not to haue men to halfes he endeauoureth to venome both the fountaines of the reasonable Soule and soldome shall you find a man misled in his Iudgement whose Affections are not violent See the truth of this first in Moralitie then in Diuinitie Let a man bee giuen to Drunkennesse if the Serpent haue taken him by the Head and made him conceiue that that beastly qualitie doth well beseeme a man the Lyon will take him by the Heart and hee will grow mad against those that will not bee as mad as himselfe the bloud that is shed in quarrels of this nature are too dayly proofes of this Truth For vnchastitie you neede no better euidence then the storie of the Sodomites 〈◊〉 1. it is no great matter to gather proofes touching other Morall defects but the occasion remembreth me especially to instance in matters of Diuinitie here you shall see if euer that the enemie of mankind hath left the markes of either of his Persons How the Serpent preuailed against the Pharisees hee knoweth not the Gospell that doth not know Christ doth therein discouer manifold errours of their Iudgement and that the Roaring Lyon had entred their Hearts is witnessed by their persecuting of Christ and his Apostles how fouly the Arians were deceiued concerning the Deitie of Christ we read in the storie of the first Nicene Councell and in the Ecclesiasticall storie we read how barbarous how bloudy they were as the Serpent had bit them so the Lyon raged in them come on to the Papists is not their erronious Iudgement accompanied with most furious Affections As they are not ashamed to put the Diuels properties into their Creede teaching an Art of periurious Lying and Meritorious Murdering so doe they act them both publishing Lyes by their tongues and pennes and practising Murders by their inchanted Assasinates the Gunpowder-treason is a Monument hereof to their eternall infamie The Anabaptists came fairely after them whose opinions were not more grosse then their dealing seditious not so few as a hundred thousand persons perished while with their Rebellious sword they laboured to make good the forgerie of their braine they made it plaine that as well the Lyon as the Serpent had taken possession of them This the Germaine stories relate at large And our owne stories will tell vs that wee haue not wanted some that haue beene kinne vnto them Hackets Coppingers and others that though they haue not gone so farre yet had gone farther then beseemes those whose profession is truth and practise should bee obedience they haue receiued nay they haue vented some thing of the Serpent and some thing of the Lyon I thinke you see by this time what I meane I meane to lance the sores of these Penitents to let it appeare that the Serpent hath got into their Head and the Lyon into their Hearts They haue had a false light that deluded their Iudgement and an vnkind heat that hath warmed their Affections they haue scanted Gods bountie in permitting vnto vs the vse of his creatures and entertained a Iewish conceit of the vnlawfulnesse of eating bloud And as their opinions haue beene erroneous in regard of Christian libertie so haue they beene also concerning Ecclesiasticall societie thinking they may seperate themselues from the Church if those whom they esteeme irreligious liuers be not excommunicated by Ecclesiasticall censures yea so farre hath the Serpent preuailed as to make them if not denie at least to doubt of the Lawfulnesse of the Leiturgie the Ministrie yea to question the very Root of all the Ecclesiasticall Authoritie both of Prince and Pastors So farre hath the Serpent beene with them And if He get in before the Lyon will follow after and indeede he hath followed in them for what Auctoritie haue they not set at naught Ecclesiasticall Ciuill either of them more then once and trod vpon them more waies then one and how Lyon-like they would haue beene if they had had power answerable to their will God knoweth the proofe wee haue had of others may make vs iustly suspect the worst This onely I wish them to take to themselues that in their Sinne there was this double Euill and if they do not therein discerne this dou ble Euill they doe not as they ought looke into their Sinne which not withstanding they should doe because so to doe is the first step of Repentance The second step doth consider the vexation that doth accompanie this Euill
King Dauid spake no more in his owne person then may beseeme the person of euery man especially if he be a Christian And therefore his practise should be a patterne vnto euery one of vs we are as hee was Si Dauid talis Rex talibus parentibus in peccato natus quanto magis Nos The fountaine of Corruption runnes as high now as euer it did well may wee deeme our selues worse better without intolerable arrogancy wee cannot deeme our selues therefore his Ecce Behold will well beseeme vs and we may well fall as low as he in the Confession of our sinnes I presse this the rather because this is a secret which Philosophers could not Hereticks would not know and so indulgent are we to our selues that we are too willing to be ignorant of at least to forget that which our proud nature doth not easily brooke The lesse the Old man doth like it the more should the New man studie it And that we studie it not in vaine let vs all pray God that wee may haue Grace to exemplifie so good a Sampler that we may so deepely launce our Spirituall woundes as that they may be the better cured by our Heauenly Physitian and the more seuere we are against our selues we may finde our Sauiour more mercifull vnto vs. Amen PSAL. 51. VERS 6. Behold thou desirest truth in the inward parts and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisedome Kâ—ng Dauid in that Vow which in this Psalme hee maketh for himselfe prayeth that he may bee restored vnto and preserued in the state of Grace To this end hee layeth open his own wickednes and layeth hold vpon Gods goodnesse how he layeth open his own wickednesse you haue heard at seuerall times as I vnfolded the verses that goe before and you shall God willing heare particularly how he layeth hold vpon the goodnesse of God as I shall haue opportunitie to expound vnto you the following verses But my Text commeth in betweene these two maine poynts so that it is hard to say to whether of them it referreth most for surely it may fairely be referred to either of them it may bee referred either to King Dauids vnfained repentance for his sinne or steadfast considence in the mercy of God therefore it is diuersly expounded by others and it will not bee amisse if I shew you how the words looke backward and forward respect King Dauids either godly sorrow or hope of Grace To come to the Text The argument of it is remarkeable Sinceritie Sincerity is fitly described in these words truth in the inward parts without truth there can be no Sinceritie but the truth that maketh perfect Sincerity must be in the inward parts Touching this Sincerity wee are moreouer taught first of what regard it is secondly how we may attayne it It is of principall regard because entertayned with the best affection that is Delight and this affection is in the greatest person it is in God God desireth this truth in the inwards parts But how may it be had surely not without diuine instruction of our inward man The inward man is noted by the secres part that must be furnished with good grounds which here are meant by Wisdome and this wisedome must come from Heauen God must make vs know it These particulars wherein Sincerity is set forth in this Text are remarkeable particulars so wee are taught by the first word behold Behold they are euident they may not be denied Behold they are vsefull euery one must make his profit of them And so haue I set before you the contents of this Scripture which I shal now farther enlarge as the time shall permit and we may best be edified But before I doe enter vpon the distinct poynts I must acquaint you with the Language of the holy Ghost which vseth often times to mention parts of our bodies when it meaneth the powers of our soules the reason whereof is in vulgar experience because so long as the soule dwelleth in the body the powers therof in their working make some sensible impression vpon the parts of our body those parts which euen for this cause haue by the wisest Philosophers and most iudicious Physicians been reputed the proper seats if not of the whole soule yet of the seuerall faculties therof My Text doth occasion me to instance in two parts the Kidneys and the Heart which are here to bee vnderstood though in the translation they are not exprest in the Originall the Kidneys are plainely mentioned which because they are two therefore they are translated parts and those inward or hidden parts because in the body the Kidneys are vsually couered with fat The Heart is a single entrall and therefore called by the name of a part also a hidden part because of the couerings wherein it pleased God that naturally the heart should be inwrapt vpon these two parts seuerall powers of our soule doe worke at least when they worke or are wrought there will be some sence thereof in these parts in the Kidneys of Affections as of Resolutions in the Heart this euery man that obserues himselfe may easily assure himselfe to be true Hauing thus opened vnto you the reason why the Holy Ghost thus speaketh let vs now come and looke a little farther into the things By the inward parts then are meant the Kidneys and by the Kidneys the Affections that discouer themselues therein now our Affections haue long since by those that haue been curious obseruers of them been reduced vnto foure Heads wherof two are exercised with Euill and two with Good Euill if it be absent wee feare and if it be present we Grieue as for Good that which we haue not we Desire and we ioy in that we haue To apply this to my Text I told you that it looketh backward and forward to Dauids Repentance and to his Confidence If to Repentance then to Euill malum culpae the Euill of sinne for which hee Grieued and malum poenae the wages of Sinne which he iustly Feared If to Confidence then to Good to Mercy which so farre as he had receiued hee ioyed in and desired so much as he had not yet receiued These are those inward parts the affections of King Dauids soule that are to bee vnderstood in this place in these it is that Sincerity must appeare so much is intimated by the word Truth But what is Truth surely nothing else but a conformitie of one thing to another whereof the one is the Sampler and the other is the exemplification All that is in mans nature receiued its being from God and was formed according to the patterne of Gods eternall decree which hee exprest in the Creation and which hee often toucheth at in the reproofes which taxe the obliquities of our nature we should bee in our Affections as God first made vs and that is the first Truth required in them a Truth that is opposed vnto vanity that vanity which doth dimimish the wel-being of
calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is that which executeth what the commanding part resolueth The word in the Originall signifieth either Directum or Erectum that which keepeth right forward or standeth vpright The actiue power of our soule is subiect to two defects it may straggle out of the way through rashnes or stagger in the way through faintnes while we are in the way allurements of diuers kinds draw vs into by-pathes we are set vpon by the crafty serpent and if that succeed not then with terrors wee are startled and made either to come to a stand or else to march cowardly The cure of all this is a right Spirit when God is pleased by grace to set strait steps vnto our feete and strengthen our feeble knees so that wee step not aside out of the way nor halt in the way our Spirit is directus it keepes good correspondency with our iudgement and executeth no more then it hath in charge and it is also erectus it bends no more then our affections doeâ— whether it pursue or encounter any thing resolued vpon by the soueraigne part it sheweth continually a religious stayednesse Finally whereas grace maketh a double cure one on our Heart and another on our Spirit and the regeneration of our Spirit is but an attendant vpon the regeneration of our Heart wee may not diminish the number of the parts nor inuert the order but when wee will trie our selues whether and how farre wee are regenerated wee must looke into our inwards see how we finde our selues there but specially to these fountaines of life the Heart and the Spirit see whether grace command in the Heart before the Heart command and that it may season our workes well whether it selfe bee seasoned first with grace and hauing taken this suruey of the Heart wee must come on to the Spirit and see whether our execution be as holy as our resolution if grace preserue vs from mis-guiding allurements and support vs against disheartning affrightments then is our Spirit as right as our Heart is cleane both are regenerated by the Spirit of grace The Fathers vnderstand here a double grace not onely the grace of Regeneration whereof you haue heard but the grace of Prophesie also wherewith King Dauid was endued as appeare in his Psalmes wherein are many excellent Prophesies It was no small griefe vnto him to haue that diuine influence suspended and to haue withdrawne from him those heauenly Reuelations therfore they conceiue the words thus Dauid desired a cleane Heart that so hee might haue a right Spirit for Blessed are the pure in heart they shall see God saith Christ Mat. 5.8 Wis 1.1.5 and the holy spirit of discipline will not abide in a soule when vnrighteousnesse commeth in The holy spirit of Prophesie is long since ceased and wee cannot be depriued of that which we neuer had but of this we may be sure that sin in our heart doth not a little bleare our eyes when we come to consider of Gods truth in his word and endeauour though not our selues to be yet to vnderstand those that were vndoubted Prophets But enough of Regeneration so farre as this Text doth teach vs what it is I come on to shew you briefly the last point of the Text which is Whence it proceeds It proceeds from God of him King Dauid beggeth it Create in me a cleane heart O God and well may he aske it of him for God doth promise the gift of this grace A new heart will I giue you and a new spirit will I put into you saith God Eze. cap. 36. and S. Paul in his Epistles doth often direct his prayers for these vnto God â—t how then doth Eze. c. 18. bid vs make vnto our selues new hearts and new spirits and Moses in the Law Deut. 10. bids vs circumcise the fore-skin of our hearts Surely not to note our power but our want that out of the conscience thereof we should seeke vnto the father of Lights from whom commeth euery good and perfect gift Iam. 1.17 Or if it be to note any power of ours it is but power to vse the outward meanes but the effect wished hath a higher cause which is the Spirit of God And indeed the true cause why the Holy Ghost speaketh so differenly sometimes calling vpon vs and sometimes willing vs to call vpon God is because Gods inward worke is seldome without our outward though the honour which God doth to the vse of the meanes must not derogate ought from Gods totall producing of the effects The more to be blamed is the Church of Rome who by aduancing the meanes impaire that honour which is due vnto God Let it stand then for a grounded Truth that Regeneration is the gift of God As it is Gods gift so it is no ordinary gift of his it is a worke of his great might and of his great mercy of his great might for it is a Creation Creation is either to make something of nothing or at least if that whereof it is made be something yet that thing hath no disposition to become that which it is made if you looke to the gift that is giuen by Regeneration surely that is made simply of nothing it is an effect that proceeds immediately from the Spirit who hath nothing out of which to worke that effect but his owne almighty power for non educiturè potentia naturae nature sendeth forth no such fruit If you looke vpon the Person that receiueth the grace then also Regeneration will proue to be a Creation for so farre is he from being disposed fitly to receiue grace Rom 8.7 Is 11.6 that hee is naturally opposite vnto it the wisedome of the flesh is enmity against God so saith the Apostle and the Prophet will tell vs that regenerating is like the changing of the nature of Tygers Lyons and Wolues c. a hard worke Saint Austin goeth so farre that hee thinketh it a harder matter to bring a sinner accustomed to an euill course into a right way then to create a world especially to bring him to entertaine the Christian faith which is foolishnes to the Gentile and a stumbling blocke to the Iew. The more absurd is the patronage of free will in the case of new birth the very word Creation doth refute it 1. Cor. 1.23 2. Cor. 5. Eph. 4. which Saint Paul vseth more then once and thereby both Testaments put vs in mind that wee can doe as little towards our spirituall creation as we could towards our naturall in regard of both we may vse that of the Psalm It is God that hath made vs and not we our selues both waies made vs by the power of a God Neither is it onely a worke of great power but of great mercy also that is intimated by the word Renew pulchre dixit innoua saith S. Chrysostome it is well said renew the house was built before which sinne ruined and grace doth re-edifie and indeed that this
of the way and who doth it be seeme better to be stir themselues for the recouerie of sinners then they by whom many haue beene made sinners It is fit that by this care they doe redeeme that fault surely Diues in hell shewed a desire of such a thing when he praied Abraham to send teachers to his brethren who might reclaime them before they came to hell it implieth a sorrow though a fruitlesse one which he had for that hee had corrupted them and he is worse then Diues who being conscious to himselfe that he hath beene an instrument of mis-leading others doth not desire to conuert at least as many as he hath corrupted As there is nothing fitter for such a Master then the dealing with such Schollers so there is nothing wherein hee can better please his Master God thâ—n by taking pâ—ines with such Schollers God is compared vnto an Husbandman all the world is his Farme now you know a good Farmer that hath many pâ—â—cels of ground ouer growne with Bryars and Thornes taketh great comfort to see them grubbed vp and the ground made good Pasture or Arable euen so God who would haue all men â—aued and come to the knowledge of his truth is well pleased with their paâ—ines that are instruments thereof yeâ— therefore doth he conuert some that by them hee may conuertothers you may gatâ—er it out of Christs words to Saint Peter 〈…〉 â—2 I haue prayed for thee that thy faith should not faile Tuantem conuersuâ— confirmafratres When thou art conuerted streng then thy brethren 〈…〉 This lessen is excellently shadowed in a vision of Ezekiels where the waters running from the Sanctuarie into the dead Sea healed it and presently vpon the bankes grew vp 〈◊〉 of life of which we read in the Reuâ—lat on 〈…〉 that their leaues were for the healing of the Nations And indeed all the famous Conuerts that we read of â—aue euer thought they could not dee God better seruice I will instance but in two Saint Paul and Saint Austin Saint Paul had beene a persecutor a blasphemer hee obtained mercie and God put him into the Ministerie that as his eyes were opened so he might open the eyes of others and what paines did he take 〈…〉 Becomming all to all that hee might winne some to Christ Saint Austins confessions shew what his first life was how sicke he was in Head and Heart in faith and life and his Workes doe shew how carefull he was after God gaue him the light of his truth and feare of his name to reforme others Epicâ—res and Heretickes and worke into them a true knowledge and â—eruent loue of God I conclude this point As many of vs as find grace at any time must after the Patterne of King Dauid labour to present some Conuert sinner as an Eucharisticall sacrifice vnto God And let this suffice for the vnfolding of the meanes that this King doth vse I come now to the successe which is hoped for which is a Conuersion Conuersion is not a locall motion but a morall change the making of vs of old new men a metamorphiâ—ing as Saint Paul calleth it a changing of vs into a new Image But the nature of this Conuersion will better appeare if I first vnfold vnto you the two termes Vnde Quo from Whence and to Whome sinners are conuerted From whence you cannot better learne then by their names they are called transgressors such as leaue Gods wayes to follow their owne the deuices of their owne braine the desires of their owne heart God made man saith the Scripture after his owne Image but the Image of God in man was much like the Image of the Sunne in the Moone so long as the Moone is in opposition to the Sunne we see what a goodly light body it hath no sooner doth it diuert to either side but it soone loseth its light euen so a man keeping himselfe towards God receiueth an impression of his sacred Image which vanisheth when he turneth himselfe from God Yea you see daily that when you walke in the Sunne if your face be toward it you haue nothing before you but bright shining light and comfortable heat turne your backe to the Sunne and what haue you before you but a shadow And what is a shadow but the priuation of the light and heate of the Sunne Yea it is but to behold your owne shadow that you defraud your selfe of the other for there is no true wisdome no true happinesse but onely in beholding the countenance of God looke from that and we loose these blessings and what shall wee gaine A shadow an emptie Image insteade of a substantiall to gaine an emptie Image of our selues we loose the solid Image of God and yet this is the common folly of the world men preferre this shadow before that substance When we are willed to turne we must remember that wee are auerse from God when we goe our owne wayes we turne our backes to God as the Scripture teacheth euerie of our wayes goeth from him and when we Conuert we must turne from our owne wayes our euill wayes for such are all ours we must cast away the workes of darknesse put off the old man so the Scripture varieth the phrase of conuersion But there are three conditions that must be obserued in our Conuersion First Eack 18. it must be ab omnibus vijs malis God loueth not mungrels if a man haue beene a Drunkard an Adulterer a Swearer hee may not leaue his drunkennesse and retaine his swearing leaue swearing and follow whooring therefore Moses tels the Israelites that they must returne to God toto corde with their whole heart A second condition is deliuered by Esay Deut. 23. c. 31 6. Conuertimini sicut in profundum recessistis looke how profoundly wee entertaine sinne so deepe must our conuersion goe wee must search our wounds to the very bottome we must leaue no creeke vnaltered it must bee verum Cor our inside must be like our outside so saith S. Paul Heb. 10.22 Thirdly our conuersion must be constant wee must not bee like vnto Lots wise whose feet caried her from Sodome and her eyes were backe vpon it that will argue that we repent of our resolution and that we can easily be perswaded to become againe what we were before This is the first branch of Conuersion we must if we returne so remooue iniquitie farre from our Tabernacle yea from our selues The next branch is to whom we must returne If you will returne returne vnto me saith God in the Prophet many doe returne but it is from one vanity to another such a turning as Salomon describeth in Ecclesiastes and there are examples euery where many of prodigall turne couetous and of profuse become base many a Stoicke turneth Epicure and of senslesse becommeth shamelesse many an Atheist turneth superstitious and as if he did repent that he had beene long without a God maketh his fancie the forge
haue vsed those You must not be of seruile minds and doe your duetie for reward his Disciples hearing this desired him to expound himselfe more fully Whereupon he addeth that men must not exspect the reward of wel-doing in this world but stay for it vntill the world to come To these words Tzadock a chiefe Disciple of his tooke exception and said He neuer heard of any such thing as the world to come And thereupon hee with another fellow Disciple of his called Baithos turned Apostataes and repaired to the Schismaticall Tempell built vpon mount Gerizzim and became principall Rabbins of the Samaritans And amongst them did Tzadock first broach his Heresie and taught them that there was no Resurrection of the dead because no immortalitie of the Soule and Spirit and so consequently no Iudgement for to come Therfore in this life was euerie man to make his fortune as well as hee could without any scruple of Conscience and satisfie his lust whatsoeuer it were If a man desire a fuller relation of their impietie let him but read the second Chapter of the Booke of Wisedome where you haue a Sadducee painted out to the full you haue his liuely picture But that which I specially marke vnto you is that the Samaritans and the Iewes were at deadly feude Ish. 4. ver 9. they had no commerce one with an other And here we find the Heresie of the Samaritans to haue corrupted the Iewâ—s and that euen in Ierusalem there were many Sadduces I say too little the Sadduces were chiefe Gouernours in Ierusalem reade it Acts 5. where you shall find that the chiefe Priests to represse the Apostles preaching the Resurrection from the dead were assisted with those of the Sect of the Sadduces Flauius Iosephus goeth farther and obserueth that the Sect of the Sadduces was most fauoured by those that were rich And indeed it is most likely because they that haue a worldly state whereon to rest are commonly so addicted thereunto that they could well bee contented there were no other life So earthly so sensuall are their thoughts their hearts that they hardly beleeue and doe desire but coldly the things of a better life Yea they thinke all men senslesse and starke mad that make little accompt of things below that they may more fully enioy those things which are aboue It is a lamentable thing to see a Church degenerate so farre as not onely to endure but to giue countenance vnto a Sect that did raze the verie foundation of Pietie But it was not their fault onely though Christendome hath none knowne by the Name of Sadduces yet Sadduces it hath too many too many that not onely liue as if there were no Resurrection but also where they may be bold are not ashamed to maintaine so impious a conceite and perswade men out of Conscience to liue lewdly who before did it onely out of Impotencie of affections Magistrates are too patient to negligent in finding them out in rewarding them as they deserue I goe on in my Text you haue seene what these Sadduces were now see how Christ putteth them to silence The word is markable it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he bridled their mouthes which is a phrase borrowed from fierce and stomackfull Horses which are impatient of the ryder yet are they held in by a strong bit and so subiected to the will of the Rider perforce not out of their owne tractablenesse Men are resembled in the Scripture to such horses Be not like horse and mule which haue no vnderstanding Pet. 32. but must be held in with bit and bridle least they runne vpon vs wherein you may perceiue that the bridle doth not alter the disposition of the horse but onely stay him from doing what otherwise hee would Euen so did our Sauiour Christ silence the Sadduces though they were ill affected to him and men as you heard of great authoritie among the Iewes yet did Christ so clearely dissolue their sophismes and resolue their doubt with that Authoritie that they became tongue-tide had not a word to returne vpon him Which is strange whether you consider and compare the meane out-side wherein Christ appeared with the great countenance of the Sadduces or the out facing of Heresie with the modestie of truth But though Christ stopped their Mouthes yet did hee not alter their Hearts for though they could not defend Sadducisme yet did they continue Sadduces as appeares Acts Chap. 5. and Chap. 23. The reason wherof is because they moued their question not out of a desire to know the truth but with a purpose to scoffe at Christ When men seeke with such minds vnto God God is pleased to bring the scorne vpon them but hee leaueth them in their grosse ignorance Adde hereunto that when men haue resolued to make the satisfying of some corrupt lust the vpshot of their endeauours they accept or refuse all things in reference thereunto and stop their Eares and Hearts so that they heare with a deafe Eare and with a dull Heart entertaine whatsoeuer maketh against them Hence is it that the Ministers paines taken with those who make their â—elly their God or commit Idolatrie with their Gold or incline to any erronious conceite or sinful affection is coÌ„monly so fruitlesse Christs was who will wonder that ours is The Vse we must make hereof is this Neuer to moue question in religion but out of the loue of truth bringing with vs a desire to yeeld when it is reuealed vnto vs. Secondly we must take heed how we set our Affections vpon any thing for if that become once our last end a Black-more will assoone change his skin and a Leopard his spots as we will be remoued from it And let this suffice for the Occasion giuen No sooner was it giuen by Christs foyling the Sadduces but it was taken by the Pharisees for vpon the hearing of it Conuenerunt in vnâ—m they fell to consultation But here must I briefely shew you what these Pharisees were Iâ—b cap. 1. 2. We find in the Booke of Maccabees that when Antiochus Epiphanes had taken Ierusalem and as the Prophet Daniel foretold had put downe the seruice of God and interdicted the obseruance of the Law many Religious Iewes chose rather to feare God then the King And when manie Apostate Iewes made couenant with the Gentiles and vncircumcised themselues the Religious held on the Circumcision and obserued the Law strictly they are there called by the Name Aâ—ideans from the Hebrew Chasidim 1. Mac. 2. v. 42. which signifieth men of pious or Religious hearts in time they changed their name into Chacamim that is wise men and became the oracles of the people and were consulted in doubts of Religion Religion by this time was come out of their hearts into their heads They changed their names a third time and were called Pharisees they went still from better to worse For a Pharisee is he that is separated from other men you
that lithernesse which God taxeth in Malachi yee say Behold what a wearinesse it is Cap. 1. Whether our loue bee put to Doe or to Suffer it is quickly tired it quickly giueth ouer and how should he euer yeeld all that doth repine if but a part of his Heart Minde Soule or Strength be imployed in the loue of God I report mee for the truth hereof to euery mans conscience and because the time biddeth me end I desire euerie man to keepe a scrutinie hereof in his owne bosome DOmine imperfectum nostrum vident oculi tui vtinam nos videamus Lord thou that searehest and triest vs knowest how little loue of thee there is in the best of vs kindle this heauenly fire in all our hearts and let the flame thereof take all the powers of our soules and parts of our bodies And seeing it is not prayse worthy barely to loue thee cast vs into a spirituall trance that being strangers vnto all things of this life wee may with indefatigable constancie aspire vnto thee August Soliloq cap 19. Amo te Deus meus magisque semper amare cupio c. accendar totus vt te totum diligam be restlesse till wee are fully by loue ioyned vnto thee Yea let vs put off our selues and with a happie alteration bee wholly transformed into the loue of thee Or if wee cannot but loue other things besides thee Let the loue of them attend our loue of thee the more we loue thee let vs desire to loue thee the more till all on fire like the Seraphins who in this loue are said to come neerest vnto thee we may as wee are here enioyned loue thee the Great All of Holinesse and Happinesse with this manifold but meane All of ours all our Heart all our Minde all our Soule and all our Strength The eighth Sermon MATT. 22. VERSE 39. And the second is like vnto it Thou shalt loue thy Neighbour as thy selfe IN bestowing our Charitie wee must vse a Measure and this Measure varies as doe the Persons vpon whom we must bestow it they are vnequall therefore they must not bee equally beloued The Text therefore doth assigne vnto each his proportion to God his and his vnto our Neighbour Of Gods I spake last It followeth that I now speake of our Neighbours It is exprest in these words that now I haue read vnto you Yet doth it not take vp all the Verse for that we must loue our Neighbour and that the loue of him is the Argument of a second Commandement I haue heretofore shewed you But there remaine two points vntoucht of which the first is the limitation and the second the comparison of this Loue. The Limitation is in these words as thy selfe the comparison in these The second Commandement is like the first But to breake it vp somewhat more distinctly I will obserue in the limitation that there is one thing implied We must loue our selues and there is another thing exprest the loue of our selues must guide vs in the loue of our Neighbour So likewise in the Comparison I will shew you first that there is no equalitie because the Commandements are but like and yet notwithstanding because they are like they haue a good Correspondencie the Second to the First These bee the particulars which I meane God willing to open vnto you briefely and in their order I pray God I may doe it so effectually that we may all learne to keepe our neighbourly charitie within the prescribed bounds and so loue one another that our mutuall loue may testifie to the world that we all haue the loue of God I come now to the limitation Whereof before I open the particulars I cannot omit to touch at a good obseruation of Saint Basils hee tels vs that the Loue of God is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exclusiue of all others but it admits the loue of others as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as helping to fill vp the the measure thereof so that it haue dependencie thereon Before you heard that we must loue God with all our Heart Mind Soule and Strength you would thinke that because God challengeth all no other may partake of our Loue but it appeares to be otherwise for that we are here willed to loue our Neighbour and our selues The reconciliation is this all must be deuoted to God but it must be employed as pleaseth him and it pleaseth him that wee bestow it there wheresoeuer hee vouchsafeth to impart himselfe I will shew it you in a plaine Similitude Light is the onely obiect of our eye for our eye was made to see the light but light is not onely in the body of the Sunne or Moone or Starres but by beames it doth insinuate it selfe into all these lower creatures and presents it selfe in that great varietie of colours wherewith this lower world is beautified in seeing them wee see the light and delighting in them we take pleasure in the light from whom they haue their gracefulnesse Euen so God is the proper obiect of our Loue and his goodnesse must draw our abilities vnto it and it is able to satisfie them to the fall though they to the full can neuer possibly comprehend it So that out of the nature of God wee need not seeke for any other obiect of our Loue. But because God is pleased to communicate himselfe vnto his Creatures and frame the reasonable of them according to his Image he would haue our Loue to attend this communicating of himselfe and be bestowed on them whom he doth so grace And this our so louing of others detracts nothing from that All which is due vnto God because we doe it by his direction and our Loue doth still reflect vpon him and in louing them we loue him as you shall heare an on more at large But let vs come to the particulars whereof the first is that which is implyed in the Limitation and that is The loue of our selues for if we must loue our neighbour as our selues then vndoubtedly wee must loue our selues It might haue beene thought that Christ in setting downe the obiect of our Loue had left vs cleane out as if wee were not to loue our selues but that we may yea must loue our selues it is cleare because the Loue of our selues is made the measure of that Loue which wee must yeeld to our Neighbours Though this be cleare yet is there a great difficultie in the Commandement I meane not of practise though that will appeare hard to flesh and bloud when it is expounded but of vnderstanding it for how doth Christ command vs to loue our Neighbour as our Selfe whereas How we must loue our selues he seemeth not to teach at all He seemeth not and indeed some thinke that he doth not And why A man is taught by nature Wherein and How to loue himselfe Nature hath taught vs to wish and procure our selues all good at least whatsoeuer we thinke to bee good and whatsoeuer
that you loue Rom. 13. Chrysost Col. 3. v. 14. 1. Cor. 16.14 which is a debt that semper soluitur nunquam persoluitur Aboue all things let vs seeke after Charitte and let all our things be done in Loue. Yea let vs fall in loue with Loue that so wee may grow therein vntill wee come where it shall be so consummate as that all our life shall be spent in Loue in louing God with all our heart with all our minde with all our soule with all our strength and louing our Neighbour as our selfe THE CONCLVSION OF THE FORMER ARGVMENT DELIVERED IN a Sermon on the twelfth of Saint Marke Verses 32 33 34. And the Scribe said vnto him Well Master thou hast said the truth for there is one God and there is none other but hee And to loue him with all the heart and withall the vnderstanding and with all the soule and with all the strengh and to loue his Neighbour as himselfe is more then all whole burns offerings and Sacrifices And when Iesus saw that hee answered discreetly hee said vnto him thou art not farre from the Kingdome of God And no man after that durst aske him any question OVr Sauiour Christ in the conference which hee had with the Pharisee about the great Commandement Matthew 22. had to doe with a Question and a Questionist The question was good the Questionist was a Tempter therefore he fully yea abundantly resolued the question but he put the Questionist cleane besides his purpose and marred the plâ—t of the Pharisees For they thought either to disgrace or endanger him disgrace him if he were silent or if he did answere to endanger him to those that were of a contrarie opinion But Christ handles the matter so that they sped of neither of these ends for he answeres that they might not disgrace him for ignorance but answers so that he cleane defeats their malice This being but insinuated in Saint Matthew is fully opened by Saint Marke therefore at length to put an end to the Doctrine of the great Commandement whereupon I haue dwelt long I haue chosen these words as the fittest close of that Argument I purpose God willing briefly and plainly to vnfold them vnto you Therein then wee are to obserue Christs discretion in answering and the confusion of his aduersaries by his answere The first point is gathered out of the whole bodie of Christs speech the second out of the euent thereof More distinctly The discretion appeares in that Christ answeres not only secundum veritatem truly but also ad hominem hee fitteth his answere to the Questionist Answeres out of his owne Principles so that he cannot denie it and discouers his sinne that he may be stung with it Touching the confusion of the aduersaries that is double as they were of two sorts For one moued the question the rest plotted it both are confounded but not both alike The confusion of the Questionist is comfortable two wayes comfortable First in regard of his ingenuitie for hee doth acknowledge openly what Christ answeres yea and iustifieth it soundly though with the disgrace of his companions Secondly in regard of the clemencie with which our Sauiour entertaines it First he tooke notice of it he saw that hee answered discreetly Secondly hee encouraged it for hee told the Questionist that hee was not farre from the Kingdome of God Thus was the Questionist confounded His Complices also were confounded but their confusion was damnable for they had no more to say they asked him no more questions not because they were euer a whit the better for our Sauiours answere but because they durst not Their malice was ouer-awed they durst not play the Serpents any longer and set vpon Christ with craft and temptation but from this day forward they turned Lions and put him to a cruell death This is the summe of this Scripture the particulars whereof I will runne ouer againe I pray God it may proue for our instruction and edification First then of Christs Discretion it is gathered out of the bodie of his answere which containes not only a truth but truth fitted to the Questionist fitted two wayes First because it workes vpon his owne Principles for Christ keepeth himselfe to the words of the Law and maketh Moses giue the Scribe an answere Now the Scribe was a Doctor of the Law and Moses authoritie was sacred with him Adde hereunto Christs answere was the Scribes owne Tenent as appeares Luke the tenth Where Christ mouing the question another Scribe answereth the very same words of the Law So that he could not denie Christs answere except hee would contradict himselfe The like discretion in working vpon the Aduersaries Principles doth Christ vse in his dispute with the Sadducees about the Resurrection They are said to haue receiued only the siue Bookes of Moses and out of those Bookes doth Christ make good that Article of Faith Saint Paul imitates Christ arguing against both Iew and Gentile Against the Iewes in the Epistle to the Hebrewes where you may perceiue that he taketh most of his grounds out of the Law Against the Gentiles in the Acts Chap. 14 17. where he seeketh no farther then the Creation and the Prouidence to conuict them of Idolatrie The Fathers in the Primitiue Church tooke the verie same course as appeares by Iustin Martyrs Apologies to the Roman Emperours and his Dialogue with Trypho the Iew. The like might be shewed out of Origen Irenie Tertullian Eusebius and others whether they deale with Infidels or Heretickes they presse them still with their owne principles And so must wee for so shall we conclude most euidently against them and if any way this is most likely to preuaile with them A second branch of Christs Discretion is this that his Answere stings the conscience of the Questionist it layeth his sinne open before his eyes For he was a Tempter and to tempt is a worke of Satan which hath his name from hatred So that Christs answere doth vnmaske the Questionist and shew that although the title of a Pharisee and a Scribe the one for Holinesse the other for Knowledge seeme to make neere approches vnto God yet in that he is a Tempter he will be found farre from him if he be measured by the great Commandement the tenour whereof is nothing but Loue. And such a manner of teaching which closely conueys a good admonition to the heart when it seemes onely to informe the head is verie discreet and hath many worthy precedents But enough of Christ Discretion let vs come now to the Confusion of his aduersaries and first to the comfortable confusion of the Scribe which moued the question wherein wee are first to see his ingenuitie double ingenuitie For first he acknowledgeth that Christ had answered right Well Master thou hast said the truth He acknowledgeth it I say which is not onely to know but to confesse openly what a man doth know Yea he confesseth it before his fellowes at
grant that we may so profit thereby that whensoeuer God giueth any signification of his accesse to vs we may bee affected with a religious feare toward him that so keeping this manner by the helpe of our Mediatour wee may giue him a blessed meeting Come we then to the first particular the circumstance of time It was the third day the third after their comming vnto mount Sinai but the fiftieth after their comming out of Aegypt Which you may gather if you adde hereunto the time specified in the first Verse of this Chapter there you read that they came to the Hill the first day of the third moneth Now the moneths of the Iewes being Lunarie and reckoned from one coniunction to another in vulgar computations are reckoned to consist of thirtie dayes one with another though in the exactnesse of Astronomie it bee somewhat otherwise this being knowne we must calculate thus The children of Israel came out of Aegypt the fourteenth Moone as they call it that is the fourteenth day of the Lunarie moneth so that of the first moneth they spent seuen teene dayes on their way for so many there are from foureteene to thirtie inclusiuely Adde hereunto the whole second moneth which consisteth of thirtie dayes and seuenteene and thirtie maketh fortie seuen whereunto if you adde the three dayes which they had beene now at the Mount your number will be iust fiftie So that the Law was deliuered the fiftieth day after the celebration of the Passeouer You may not thinke this note ouer-curious it is of speciall vse in comparing the new Testament with the old The truth did exactly answere vnto this Tipe and Whitsuntide keepeth the same distance from our Easter Christ the true Passeouer was offered for Vs to deliuer vs from the slauerie of sinne death and Hell at the season of the yeare wherein the Passeouer was offered for the Redemption of the Israelites out of the Aegyptian thraldome And at that time in which God deliuered the Law vnto the redeemed Israelites hee gaue the spirit which is the life of the Law vnto the redeemed Christians That spirit which is the finger of God to write the Law in the fleshly Tables of our hearts which the I sraclites long before receiued written indeede with the finger of God but in no better then the two Tables of stone So that that we enioy the truth whereof they had the Type Vnderstand me de 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the formall administration of this first Couenant Colos 2. v. 14. which did containe onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostle calleth it mans Obligation what dutie hee owed what punishment he deserued These be the things that are principally represented in the forme of this first couenant And therefore doth the Apostle call it the ministrie of the letter and of death 2 Cor. 3.6 in opposition to the second Couenant which hee calleth the ministrie of the spirit and of life Otherwise wee may not denie that the Patriarches had the spirit of Grace also though not dispenced by the forme of the old Couenant yet whereunto the old Couenant led them as a Schoolemaster making them sensible of their miserie it made them seeke vnto Christ for remedie But I haue touched at this point once before therefore I will dwell no longer on it Onely take this note that as Whitsontide followeth Easter so doth Sanctification follow after Iustification whom God redeemeth to them hee giueth his Law and he doth sanctifie all those whom he instifieth He that keepeth one feast must keepe both because he that hath one hath both these gifts I need not speake of the Morning which shewed Gods exemplarie forwardnesse for this blessed meeting which we shall doe well to follow as Dauid did Psal 130 Enough of the time I come now to the signification of Gods readinesse to come I told you it was full of state the harbingers come before to prepare Gods place Mortall Princes come not to great assemblies to Parliament to the throne of Iudgement to the ratifying of Leagues Act. 25. ver 2â— but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with a great deale of pompe If euer they then shew their royaltie they make it appeare that they are neither beggerly nor contemptible nor vnable to reuenge themselues they make shew of their glorie and their power There is reason for it for the vulgar that haue no iudgement of true Moralitie are held in from disrespects to their Gouernours by these ceremonies and the attention of their eares is kept waking by such amazing of their eyes and discreete Policie doth this way make them obedient beyond their vnderstanding God taketh the same course and sheweth not himselfe vnto his people but with much ceremonious Maiestie at this meeting which did partake of these three kinds of assemblies For it was a Parliament it had the Image of an Assises and therein was the coniugall league confirmed betweene God and Israel I shall touch at all three I might lead you to behold this in his appearing to Abraham Gene. 25. when he entred into Couenant with him where the thicke darknesse the smoaking furnace the fire goe before him 1. King c. 19. his apparition to Elids which was attended with an Earthquake a whirlewind and a fire too None so stately Cap. 4. so ample as that which is described by Ezechiel and Daniel except happily that in the Reuelation I omit many others it is enough in these to let you see that it was vsuall with God to shew himselfe in state to send his harbingers before him The reason whereof is to worke a due respect towards his sacred Maiestie you are taught it plainely in the Psalmes Giue vnto the Lord O yee mightie giue vnto the Lord glorie and strength giue vnto the Lord the glorie due vnto his name worship the Lord in the beautie of holinesse The reason followeth in the Psalme and it is taken from these harbingers of God the Thunder and the Lightning you may read it at your leasure I call these the harbingers of God because we may not grossely conceiue 〈…〉 lib 2. 〈◊〉 â—â— that God is like vnto any of these Saint Austin hath refuted that dreame and indeed it is the seed of Idolatrie They are but the attendants vpon God his guard you may call them or you may call them his hoast they are the instruments of his Power he was pleased to vse them to set forth his state both in Mount Sinai as we read here and in Mount Sion as wee read Act. 2. the place paralell to this But I will keepe my selfe to mount Sinai I told you then that the harbingers here specified were dreadfull dreadfull some to the eare some to the eye The eye and the eare are the best Intelligencers of the reasonable Soule the quickest of apprehension and truest in their information And therefore when God will worke our heart he worketh it by these and in these you shall first
And if being a farre off his sight caused ioy being come so neare how much more ioy must the sight of him cause If the Type wrought so how must the Truth it selfe worke And if the Father of the Type were so affected ought not the Mother of the Truth to be affected much more Certainly she must needs haue Ioy. But what is Ioy Ioy is a pleasing euidence of the loue which we beare to any thing which we acknowledge to be good so that Ioy though it be but one thing yet it presupposeth two other things Knowledge and Loue as the rootes from whence it springs The first roote is Knowledge for where there is no Knowledge there can be no Ioy. Marke the great and the little world though each bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a goodly frame inriched with many markable indowments yet is not the great world priuie to the indowments it hath no not the eye thereof I meane the summe of whom the Poet long since spake truely Per quem videt omnia mundus Et videt ipse nihil So that the passage in the 19. Psalme The heauens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy worke c. is to bee vnderstood passiuely not actiuely or to speak it more plainly they do it as a Scripture but not as a Lecture they are a silent representation But the little world is not only passiue but actiue hee can contemplate whatsoeuer perfection is in himselfe or others it is the very nature of his vnderstanding to become all things and to beare about it selfe which it can studie at all times in it selfe a mappe of all the world Whether therefore we consider the great or the little world we may call each of them a booke but such a booke as to the reading whereof none is admitted vnder the degree of a man And herein consists the first excellency of the reasonable soule this is the first act wherein it ariseth higher than the vnreasonable man goeth beyond a beast in the knowledge of perfection and this knowledge is the first roote of Ioy. From hence springeth a second which is Loue. Knowledge is not vnfitly compared vnto a seale which is grauen not for it selfe but to set a print vpon the waxe and our heart is as waxe and easily receiues the impression of our knowledge Now the print which the knowledge of perfection leaueth in the heart is Loue according to the Greeke Prouerbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Amor transit in rem amatam knowne good cannot be long vnaffected because the heart is as transformable into all good as the vnderstanding into all truth the heart I say that hath his right temper and is capable of his proper obiect that obiect discerned must needs breed loue Loue which is Virtus vnieâ—s a Vertue which maketh a match betweene our soule and perfection for as Knowledge is the eye whereby the soule seeth it so is Loue the hand whereby it closeth with it Duaâ— ciuitates distingunt duo amores St. Austin So that Loue is the second act of the reasonable soule an act which distinguisheth betweene good and bad men and is the second roote of Ioy. When Knowledge and Loue haue done their part then commeth in the reasonable soules last worke and that is Ioy which is nothing else but the euidence of loue for where there is no loue there is no Ioy but we cannot but ioy in that which we loue for Ioy is the naturall fruit of loue and we cannot loue any thing but the heart will haue a pleasant feeling thereof This third act of the reasonable soule putteth a difference between happy and vnhappy men for Ioy is the vpshot of all our endeauours nothing can satisfie till wee come to it and he that hath it resteth therein We studie we loue both that we may Ioy but beyond ioy we cannot goe And this I thinke is the reason why 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was so vsually receiued for the common salutation But wee may not onely consider the Nature but the Power of Ioy also great power for it is in the pleasure of Ioy how much we shall be capable of whatsoeuer good wee either know or loue the enlarging of our heart more or lesse is the act of Ioy and as much as wee ioy so much is our heart inlarged Marke then as is our Knowledge so is our Loue for we can loue no more than we know and as is our Loue so is our Ioy for Ioy is an effect of Loue but as is our Ioy so is our portion of good wee can receiue no more than our vessell will containe and the measure thereof depends from Ioy. To come now vnto the Angels words he calleth vpon the Virgin for this Affection the affection of Ioy what meaneth hee thereby Out of that you haue heard you may gather this he would haue her most sensible most capable of that diuine obiect which in his following words he presents vnto her And what the Angell commended vnto the Virgin giue me leaue Fathers and Brethren to commend vnto you Ioy. When we receiue the message of grace certainly it is Gods pleasure that we should reioyce in his blessings Lord saith Dauid lift thou vp vpon vs the light of thy countenance Psalme 4. and what followeth That shall put more ioy into our hearts than they whose corne and wine is increased The want of this Ioy cost the Israelites deare Deut. 28. Because saith Moses thou seruest not the Lord thy God with ioyfulnesse and a chearfull heart for the abundance of all things therefore thou shalt serue thine enemies in hunger and thirst and nakednesse and the need of all things Wherefore at all times Let our garments be white and let not oyle be wanting to our beads Eccles 9.8 whensoeuer the Lord doth answer the desire of our hearts O then be â—oyfull in the Lord serue the Lord with gladnesse and come before his tresence with a song for we forfeit Gods fauour if it bee not vnto vs the very ioy of our heart And no maruell for to want this affection in the midst of Gods mercies what doth it argue but that either wee want the Vnderstanding of men and discerne not our blessing or else want that Loue that should be in good men wherewith to imbrace the same or at least wee make not so much vse of Gods mercy as thereby to become happy men for happy men we are not without Ioy that affection that is here commended by the Angell And thus much of the Affection As for that Iowly obeyzance wherewith the Romanists say the Angell spake the word I thinke the mention thereof more vnworthy your learned eares than their superstitious pens that haue so childishly obserued it vnto vs. And therefore I passe from the Affection to the Motiues that must worke the same In vaine should the Angell call for the Affection except he proposed the Motiues for our affections stirre not but as
that should trouble vs Therefore let vs keepe our eyes on him and we shall bee vndauntedly patient of any disgrace or danger that wee must passe in performing our charge Againe though we bee naturally proud and thinke our selues worthy of high preferment and sufficient for great employment yet when wee are called to these supernaturall Acts we are farre from being ambitious yea we are plaine incredulous that euer such things can be done by vs or that we are fit to be vsed in doing them wee can then plead our imperfections the imperfections of our head the imperfections of our heart it is strange then to see how vile we will be in our own eies and be glad that any one should haue the honour of this seruice rather than our selues we see this truth in Moses Ieremie and others But this is a mis-placing of our eyes Christ taketh them off from this contemplation and placeth them vpon himselfe Behold I am with you it is my spirit my wisedome my grace that produceth these heauenly effects I doe you the honour to make you my Instruments but I will be the principall Agent regard not your weaknesse but my power and doubt not but that I will doe by you whatsoeuer I shall giue you in charge Let this be your encouragement Christ would neuer send vs to baptize with water but hee meaneth to baptize with the holy Ghost hee will neuer send vs to dispence bread and wine but hee will bee present to giue vnto beleeuers his body and blood if he send vs to binde and loose on earth himselfe will binde and loose in heauen finally the foolishnesse of Preaching which he vttereth by our mouths himselfe doth accompany with a demonstration of his Spirit Ecce Behold this Behold how I am with you how I cooperate with you The last particular which I obserued is contained in the last word Amen and this must second Ecce Behold So soone as euer our eyes are vpon the right obiect and wee see what shelter what succour wee haue who doth support vs who doth worke by vs we must fall to our Amen we must vndoubtedly beleeue the truth of Christs promise and heartily desire the accomplishment thereof the word Amen implieth both and we must say Amen both waies Christ doth promise I am with you I will not leaue you nor forsake you whensoeuer or whithersoeuer you goe in my seruice we must answer Amen Lord I am assured it will be so I am sure it will be so also when thou sayst Loe I am with you by you to giue light to them that sit in darkenesse and in the shadow of death and guide their feete into the way of Peace And seeing what thou Lord sayst shall bee what is my desire but that it should bee Da Domine quod iubes inbe quod vis Lord be thou with me and I care not what charge thou dost impose vpon me thou biddest me goe into all the world Amen so bee it I will goe thou promisest to be with me wheresoeuer I goe Amen so be it Thus should Ecce Behold set a-work Amen and Amen So be it should euer attend this Ecce Behold I haue done with my Text and with the particulars which I pointed out therein lay those particulars together and see how many things there are to be obserued by you that are to enter into Holy Orders Here you may see that the Originall of your calling is from Christ that Christ calleth you to bee his Embassadours the errand whereupon you are sent is the gathering of Gods children into his Church Hee trusteth you with the seales of his Couenant his Sacraments He maketh your mouthes his Oracles vnto the people his presence maketh your persons secure and sacred whether hee bee pleased that you be Patients or Agents his presence shall make you conquerours vnder the Crosse and conuerters of sinnefull men And this hee will doe by you and those that shall bee honoured with the like calling vntill the number of the Elect are fulfilled and we all meete comfortably after our seruice is happily ended to raigne with him for euer in his Kingdome of Glory HEe that giueth you this Charge grant you this Comfort and make you so behold it that you may say Amen vnto it Amen Amen IHS A SERMON PREACHED AT A VISITATION At BATHE ZACHARY 11. vers 7. And I tooke vnto me two staues the one I called Beautie and the other I called Bands and I fed the flocke THis Chapter containes the last and worst destruction of the Iewes the manner and the cause is contained herein The Manner is most wofull for it is Libellus Repudij God will haue no more to doe with them and they were to be Lo-gnammi no longer the peculiar people of God no degree of person was to bee exempted from this plague neyther were they euer to recouer their state againe Of so wofull a manner the cause was most iust Curati noluerunt curari God gaue the Iewes ouer Pastors and People to a totall to a finall desolation because in their day the last of their dayes they would not know they did not regard those things that belonged vnto their peace What those things were for the most for the best part wee are taught in these words that now I haue read vnto you The whole text is a Parable wherein a ghostly shepheard is resembled to a bodily and the care of the one is represented in the others care This is the summe of the whole text But more distinctly In moralizing the Parable wee are to make two enquiries first Who it is that speaketh these words secondly What that is which he meaneth by this speech By laying together the parts of this Chapter you shall finde that he that speaketh is our Sauiour Christ it is he that saith I tooke to my selfe two slaues c. As it is he that speaketh so that which hee speaketh concerneth himselfe the contents of his words are his owne exemplarie pastorall care In opening this care the text will teach vs 1. how hee did furnish himself sutably to his calling 2. how he did employ his furniture to the good of his charge His furniture was Authority and Ability Authority noted by the staues for Padum insigne Pastoris a Shepheard is designed by his crooke and the crooke is an embleme of Authoritie Authority is not enough he hath Abilitie also his Ability is noted by the propertie of the staues The properties are two and so the abilitie groweth to be twofold the first is noted by Beauty by which is meant Veritas Euangelica a Shepheards skill in the couenant of Grace the second is noted by Bands whereby is noted Charitas Christiana the Shepheards care of the Churches peace With these doth the Shepheard furnish himselfe so hee saith I tooke vnto my selfe I tooke he receiued this furniture from his Father so I gather out of the fourth verse and what hee tooke therewith he qualified himselfe
mine eyes forcibly layd open to see mine eares to heare and so the rest of my body may be constrayned to produce some worke but the powers of my reasonable soule can neuer be constrayned I cannot be constrayned to iudge otherwise then my vnderstanding leads me nor to chuse that which my will refuseth therefore our vnderstanding and our will must be actors principall actors in this deceipt And so St Iames telleth vs Cap. 1. 1 Iohn â— that He that is tempted is bayted and led aside by his owne concupiscence St Iohn insinuates as much when he telleth vs that All that is in the world is the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life as if there were no deceipt in the world were it not that we did fasten our concupiscence vpon it Rom. 7. Finally St Paul telleth vs in his owne case Peccatum decepit me that which deceiued me was mine owne sinne And indeed he that first instilled sinne into vs gaue vs the seed of his owne sinne The Diuels sinne was selfe-deceipt for when he fell there was nothing besides himselfe that might deceiue him and that cunning Huntsman is not contented to make vs a prey except he take vs in the cords of our owne sinne except we follow the counsels of our owne hearts and doe that which is right in our owne eyes to disobey GOD and leaue the path of life It were easie to illustrate this in all sorts of sinnes but I will keepe my selfe to this present occasion to the sinne of Schisme The Diuel attempts two things against the truth of Religion the first is Priuation the second Deprauation a declining vnto the left-hand or to the right to the left-hand by making men Atheists to the right-hand by making them Separatists he would that all should be fooles and say in their hearts that there is no GOD or that GOD is without Prouidence that GOD knoweth not or eareth not for the things of this world And if he cannot so stifle Religion he endeauoureth for to leauen it whom he cannot draw to the left hand he will endeauour to draw to the right he will by corrupting of good principles maketh them fall vpon many vngodly conclusions and vse zeale for GOD to estrange themselues from GOD. Wofull experience hath the Church had of such Paralogismes in the Iewes who vpon this ground opposed CHRIST in the Gentiles that tooke this for a ground to quarrell with the Iewes and the Separatists of this latter age wherof we haue had more then a good many in this Countrey haue stumbled at this stone lest they should serue GOD amisse they haue refused to serue GOD at all Nazianzen in his time though in another case yet sauouring of this sinne cryed out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orat. 40. O vnwarie warinesse ô imposture of the wicked-one that turneth Pietie into Impietie and ouercommeth reason by reason Who can consider this and not acknowledge the weaknesse of our nature This weakenesse may be resolued into our ouer-easie beleeuing and rash dis-beleeuing ouer-easie beleeuing of seducing Imposters that labour to instill their fancies into vs and rash dis-beleeuing of those whom GOD hath lawfully placed to rule ouer vs both which a man shall easily obserue in all Schismatiques But to acknowledge our naturall weakenesse is not sufficient the Apostle aduiseth vs to beware of it and indeed therefore is our naturall weaknesse remembred that it might stirre vs vp vnto spirituall carefulnesse not to doe that which we are prone to doe Let no man deceiue himselfe We must take heed of the occasions that from without offer to deceiue vs of Wolues in Sheepes clothing of an Angel of darkenesse turning himselfe into an Angel of light Try the spirits at St Iohn yea Try all things as St Paul willeth vs. 1 Iohn 4 1 Thes 5. â—1 In Iob we haue a prettie resemblance of the eare to the tast as the one doth try the meates which we are to take into our bodyes so should the other the words which we are to receiue into our soules But in vaine shall we try them if we doe not try our selues first for we must try them by our iudgement by our will Verum est index sui obliqui a peruerse iudgement cannot discerne truth from falsehood neither can an vntoward will make a right choyse when Good and Euill are presented vnto it he cannot choose but be deceiued by others that is first deceiued in himselfe wherefore seeing our iudgement and our will must be the rule by which we must try others our first care must be to set them straight our vnderstanding must be a good Logician our will a good Moralist if either be defectiue we deceiue our selues and we are verie apt to be deceiued by others It is a miserable thing for a man to be deceiued by others Platâ— in Crâ—tilâ— but to be deceiued by himselfe is most miserable cum Impostor â—e minimum quidem decedat we shall euer carrie about vs the Deceiuer in our bosoms and he shall haue that credit with vs as that we shall neuer so much as suspect his deceipt yea Sathan and the World shall euer haue their Agent with vs and make vs assacinates to destroy our selues Adde hereunto that this kind of deceipt makes vs vncapable of wholesome counsell for if our ignorance be onely priuatiue seldome doe we obstinate our selues against good instructions but if our reasonable powers be depraued and possest with qualities opposite vnto those which we should receiue there is much lesse hope of our amendment Intus apparens excludit alienum Nazianz. orat 1. selfe-deceipt is most refractorie and most hardly will he be brought backe into the way that being deceiued of himselfe wittingly and willingly went out of the way whereof this Penitent may be a liuely example vnto vs. And let this suffice concerning the Preseruatiue I come vnto the Restoratiue remedy wherein we are first to see the distemper of a Schismatique I told you it was a carnall selfe-conceipt First a selfe-conceipt the Schismatique thinkes himselfe wise GOD that indowed vs with the faculties of sense and reason gaue these faculties a double abilitie a direct and a reflected The direct is that whereby they receiue their obiect the reflect is that whereby they iudge of that receipt I will make it plaine to you by an example first of sense and then of reason Mine eye seeth a colour for example Greene hauing seene it it passeth a iudgement vpon the sight and knowes that is greene which it doth see the like may be obserued in hearing smelling tasting and the rest of the senses In like manner is it in our soule The vnderstanding apprehends some truth and hauing apprehended it it passeth a iudgement vpon it and knoweth that that is truth which it hath apprehended The like may be said of Good But we must marke here a difference betweene sense and reason as
rules of life of which there are two sorts As there is the Heart of a naturall and the Heart of a Christian man so these rules are either Naturall or Supernaturall The Naturall are those which are inborne and ingrauen in the hearts of all men the reliques of that Image which in the Creation wee receiued from GOD these informe the naturall man though weakely of Pietie Equitie Sobrietie and concerning all these the very Heathen haue deliuered many memorable sentences But besides these a Christian hath other rules his Heart is new written with the Spirit of GOD Cap. 31. according to the promise made in Ieremie I will put my Lawes into their inward parts and in their Hearts will I write them and wee finde the performance thereof in the New Testament preached by St. Peter Act. 2. and St. Paul Corinth 3. and to the Hebr. cap. 8. Yea euery Christian man feeleth the trueth of it in his owne soule hee feeleth those Naturall Principles rectified by Grace and much higher superadded to them so that the Christian man discernes much better then a naturall man can what is good and euill This is the furniture of the Directory power The Conscience hath besides this a Iudicatorie power and there is furniture for that also which is nothing else but a skill how to trie mens liues by those former rules and doome them as it findeth them And this skill is aswell in the Conscience of a naturall man as of a Christian man though it be of much greater perfection in the latter then in the former But wee must know that it is not the hauing but the vsing of these rules is properly meant by our Conscience For as the Schooles note well Conscientia neque potentia naturalis neque habitus it is neither a natiue nor an acquired abilitie sed est Actus Conscience is a Worke and indeed it is a worke which my Text speaketh of and whereas Conscience hath two workes the one going before our morall works the other following after though for your better vnderstanding I will touch at the former yet keeping my selfe to my Text I will insist vpon the latter These principles then whether Naturall or Supernaturall were bestowed vpon vs perpetually to assist and guide vs in our wayes One of the Heathen well resembled Conscience to a Paedagogue Epictetu◠for as the Paedagogue by the appointment of parents is alwayes at hand with a childe to direct and restraine him who otherwise through impotency of affection would goe astray euen so is our Conscience appointed ouer vs to hold the raines to guide and hold in our wilde and headstrong nature And surely wee are bound to acknowledge the mercifulnesse of GOD manifested herein hee hath graciously prouided for the preuenting of sinne who is pleased not onely to giue vs a Law but also to place in vs a perpetuall remembrance thereof vnto vs. And the reason why men sinne must needes be either because they doe not consult or doe contemne this guide so that either their sinnes are wilfull if they contemne or their ignorance is affected if they neglect this preuenting meanes afforded of GOD. But I haue not now to doe with the Consciences worke of Direction that worke of hers that goeth before our worke but I haue to doe with the worke of Iudicature the worke that followeth our workes GOD hath left it in some sort in our power whether we will or will not make vse of the former worke of Conscience and some by his grace vse it some for want of grace vse it not but GOD hath appointed Conscience a second worke which it is not in any mans power to put off the worke of Iudicature wherein GOD doeth let vs see what it is to vse or not to vse the former worke And here we must marke that as the Law which is contained in the Directory work of Conscience hath two parts a Precept and a Sanction so the Iudicatorie worke of Conscience doeth two things it playeth the Iury to arraigne vs and the Iudge to doome vs. First it testifieth whether wee haue or haue not obserued the precepts of GOD. In that respect it is resembled to a Registrie or an exact Record exhibited at an Assizes if wee doe not take notice of the counsell which our Conscience giueth vs before hand wee shall finde that our Conscience taketh notice of all that is done by vs and will make a perfect presentment thereof it will truely relate how farre we haue or haue not suffered our selues to bee led by her aduice and we shall not be able to except against the Verdict of this Iury. As it maketh a true Presentment in regard of the Precept so doeth it pronounce a iust Doome in regard of the Sanction for it pronounceth what is our due and therein wee shall finde it a Iudge not onely putting vs in minde of life and death but also sentencing vs thereunto And indeed this is the last and the highest worke of Conscience and for this cause Nazianzene doeth fitly tearme it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an inward and vpright Tribunall But to open this Iudicatorie work of Conscience a little more fully we must obserue that she dealeth not alike with al because she findeth not all alike The Physicians acknowledge Corpus neutrum a body that is neither sicke nor whole but the Conscience doeth not acknowledge any neutrall man that is neither good nor bad Non liquets and speciall Verdicts are not knowne to the Conscience it findeth euery man either guiltie or not guiltie Secondly it confoundeth not Tares with Wheate nor Sheepe with Goates in the Presentment not in the Doome doeth it confound the right hand with the lest Hell and Heauen Death and Life It hath an accusing and excusing Voyce a condemning and an absoluing Voyce these two sorts of Voyces it hath and no more Finally we must expect no shift no delay in the worke of our Conscience whether it play the Iury or the Iudge But let vs take these workes a little a sunder And first see that which is against vs the Apostle vseth a significant word which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a compound word which sheweth that Conscience doeth first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 know throughly before it doeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 offer to condemne vs the very word importeth an orderly course of proceeding it doeth not goe against vs without a iust ground and so is free from the corruption which is in too many worldly Iudges that resolue vpon a mans execution before they haue heard his cause But our Conscience is priuie to all our doings an eye-witnesse of all that passeth from vs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it knoweth and proceedeth vpon certaine knowledge Yea it will present it so to the eyes of our soule that it will not suffer vs to be ignorant of that which it knoweth it will make vs Confitentes reos we shall plead guiltie against our owne selues And here