then our Conscience and seeth more of us then we do when we are most impartial to our selves and see most if we thus dally and trifle with Wisdome it self Mercy which tryumpheth over Justice will yield to Wisdome and if we cover our sins 1 Joh. 1.9 and not lay them open by Confession we shall find God just and faithful but not to forgive us our sins not to cleanse us from all unrighteousness We might here inlarge But we pass from the danger in respect of God to that in respect of our selves There is no one sin to which our Nature more strongly inclineth us then this of covering and excusing our sin So pleasing is excuse to our disposition so inseperable from Sin that cum ipso scelere nascitur soror filia it is both the daughter and sister of Sin We travel with Sin and Excuse as Thamar did with twins Excuse is not the first for Sin first maketh the breach and then calleth for Excuse but though it be not the first yet it followeth close at the Heels Now to give a reason for this First it is the very nature of Sin not onely to infect the soul but to bewitch it that it shall either not feel it or not be willing to evaporate and expel it It is compared to a Serpent and the poyson thereof is much like unto that of the Aspick which Cleopatra put to her arm It casteth us into a kind of sweet and pleasant slumber and killeth us without pain We are smitten and we feel it not we are stricken Prov. 23 35. and are not sick we are in the very mouth of Hell and yet secure It is called a burden and yet we feel it not nor doth it burden or lye heavy upon us But as it is with those who lye under the water they feel no weight though whole seas run over them fo is it with those who are overwhelmed and drowned in sin they feel no weight or if they do they soon relieve and ease themselves I say a burden it is and we are careful to cast it from us but not that way which God prescribeth but after a method forged and beaten out by our own irregular fancy we do not cast it away by loathing it and loathing our selves for it by resolving against it by fearing the return of it as we would the fall of a mountain upon our heads but we cast it upon our own Weakness and Infirmity which will not bear it upon God's Long-suffering and Mercy and presume to continue in it upon Christ Jesus and crucifie him again upon Excuse which is but sand and cannot bear that which pressed the Son of God himself to death Soli filii irae iram Dei non sentiunt They onely are insensible of the Anger of God who are the children of Wrath. Secondly though God hath set up a tribunal in our hearts and made every man a judge of his own actions yet there is no tribunal on earth so much corrupted and swayed from its power and jurisdiction as this No man is so partial a judge in another mans cause as in his own No man is so well pleased with any cheat as that which he putteth upon himself Though God hath placed a Conscience in us Exod. 28.30 as he put the Urim and the Thummim in the breast-plate of judgment by which he might give answer unto us what we are to do and what not to do what we have done well and what amiss as the High-priest by viewing his breast-plate saw whether the people might go up to War or not go up yet when we have once defiled our Conscience we care not much for looking upon it or if we do it giveth no certain answer but we lose the use of it in our slavery under sin as the Jews lost the use of their Urim and Thummim at the Captivity of Babylon as appeareth Ezr. 2.63 Neh. 7 65. The use of it I say which is to (a) Rom. 2.15 accuse to (b) 1 John 3.20 condemn to (c) Wisd 17.10 torment to make us have (d) Deut. 28.65 a trembling heart and (e) Levit. 26.36 a faint heart For it doth none of these offices neither accuse nor convince nor condemn nor afflict nor strike with fear At best it doth but shew the whip and then put it up again It changeth and altereth its complexion as our sins and hath as many names as there be evil dispositions in men Our conscience checketh us and we silence it Sin appeareth and we cover it Our conscience would speak more plainly if we did not teach it that broken and imperfect language to pronounce Sibboleth for Shibboleth to leave out some letter some aspiration some circumstance in sin Or rather to speak truth the Conscience cannot but speak out to the offender and tell him he hath broken the Law but as we will not hearken to Reason when she would restrain us from sin so we slight her when she checketh us for committing it We will neither give ear to her counsel and not sin nor yet hearken to her reproof when we have finned neither observe her as a Counseller nor as a Judge neither obey her as a friend nor as an enemy Hence it cometh to pass that at last in a manner it forgetteth its office and is negligent in its very property is a Conscience and yet knoweth nothing a Register yet recordeth nothing or if it do in so dark and obscure a character as is not legible a Glass and reflecteth nothing but a Saint for a man of Belial a Book of remembrance but containeth not our deceit and oppression and sacrilege but the number of Sermons we have heard the Fasts we have kept though for bloud the many good words we have spoke though from a hollow and unsanctified hart from our indignation against the world which hath nothing worse init then ourselves And this is the most miserable condition a sinner can fall into Rom. 1.18 This is saith St. Paul to hold the truth in unrighteousness by an habitual course of sin to depress and keep under the very principles of Goodness and Honesty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to hold and have full possession of the Truth Luk. 19. but make no use of it to hide and bury it as the bad servant did his pound in a Napkin bury it in the loathsome sepulchre of a rotten and corrupt soul as if having a medicine about me I should chuse to take down poison having plenty starve my self to death having Honey and Manna lay it by till it stink and feed on Husks having a Conscience not keep it suborn my Counsellour to be my Parasite be endued with Reason and use it only to make me more unreasonable neglect and slight it when it bids me not do this and when I have done it paint and disguise it that I may not know the work of mine own hands nor see that sin which
Dei posse velle est non posse nolle Advers Praâ—eam c. 10. saith Tertullian He can do what he will and what he will not do we may say he cannot do Quod voluit potuit ostendit What he would do he could and did What his Son his own Son his beloved Son infinite and omnipotent as himself shall he be delivered Yes he delivered him because he would His will is that which openeth the windows of heaven and shutteth them again that bindeth and looseth that planteth and rooteth up that made the world and will destroy it His will it was that humbled his Son and his Will it was that glorified him He might not have done it not have delivered him He might without the least impairing of his Justice have kept him still in his bosome and never shewed him to the world Jam. 1.18 But as of his own will he begat us of the word of truth so he delivered up his owo Son 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 QVIA VOLVIT because he would For as in the Creation God might have made Man as he made the other Creatures by his dixit by his Word alone yet would not but wrought him out of the earth and like a Potter formed and shaped him out of the clay with his own hands so in the great work of our Redemption he did not send a Moyses or an Angel but delivered up his own Son and so gave a price infinitely above that which he bought mortal and sinful men being of no value at all but that he made them He payed down not a Talent for a Talent but a Talent for a Mite for Nothing for that which had made it self worse than Nothing He delivered up his Son for those who stood guilty of rebellion against him and thus loved the World which was at enmity with him Thus he was pleased to buy his own will and to pay dear for his affection to us And by this his incomprehensible Love he did bound as it were his almighty Power his infinite Wisdome and his unlimited Will For here his Power Wisdome and Will may seem to have found a non ultrá He cannot do he cannot find out he cannot wish for us more than what he hath done in this Delivery of his Son How should this affect and ravish our souls how should this flame of Gods Love kindle love in us That benefit is great which preventeth our prayers that is greater which is above our hope that is yet greater that exceedeth our desires But how great is that which over-ruunneth our opinion yea swalloweth it up Certainly had not God revealed his will we could not have desired it but our prayers would have been blasphemie our hope madness our wish sacriledge and our opinion impiety And now if any ask What moved his Will Surely no loveliness or attractiveness in the object In it there was nothing to be seen but loathsomness and deformity and such enmity as might sooner move him to wrath than compassion and make him rather send down fire and brimstone then his Son That which moved him was in himself his own bowels of mercy and compassion Ezek. 16.6 He loved us in our blood and loving us he bid us Live and that we might live delivered up his own Son to death His Mercy was the onely Orator to move his Will Being merciful he was also willing to help us Mercy is all our plea and it was all his motive and wrought in him a will a cheerful will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith S. James Mercy rejoyceth against judgment Jam. 2.13 Though we had forgot our duty yet would not he forget his Mercy but hearkned to it and would not continere misericordias Psal 77.9 shut up his tender mercies in anger which is a Metaphor taken from Martial affairs When in a siege an Army doth compass-in a Town or Castle that they may play upon it in every place the Greeks call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to shut it up as in a net This is it which the Prophet David calleth CLAVDERE or CONTINERE to shut up mercy in anger The Septuagint renders it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make a trench about and besiege it Now the Goodness of God and his Love to his Creature would not suffer him thus to shut up his tender Mercies as a sort or town is shut up to be undermined and beat up and overcome But as the besieged many times make sallyes upon the enemy so the Love and Mercy of our God brake forth even through his Anger and gained a conquest against the legions of his Wrath. Let the World be impure let Men be sinners let Justice be importunate let Power be formidable let Vengeance be ready to fall yet all must fall back and yield to the Mercy and Love of God which cannot be overcome nor bound nor shut up but will break forth and make way through all opposition through Sin and all the powers of Darkness which besiege and compass it about and will raise the siege drive off and chase away these enemies and to conquer Sin will deliver up his Son for the Sinner And this was aenigma aemoris saith Aquinas the riddle or rather the mystery of Love to pose the wisdome of the World I may say Being Love and infinite it is no riddle at all but plain and easie For what can Love do that is strange what can it do amiss That which moved God to do this sheweth plainly that the end for which he did it was very good DILEXIT NOS He loved us is the best commentary on TRADIDIT FILIVM He delivered his Son for us and taketh away all scruple and doubt For if we can once love our enemies it is impossible but that our bowels should yern towards them and our will be bent and prone to raise them up even to that pitch and condition which our Love hath designed And if our love were heavenly as God's is or but in some forward degree proportioned to his we should find nothing difficult account nothing absurd or misbecoming which might promote or advantage their good If our Love have heat in it our Will will be forward and earnest and we shall be ready even to lay down our lives for them For Love is like an artificial Glass which when we look through an Enemy appeareth a Friend Disgrace Honour Difficulties Nothing When God saw us weltring in our blood his Love was ready to wash us When we ran from him his Love ran after us to apprehend us When we fought against him as enemies his Love was a Prophet Lo all these may be my children What speak we of Disgrace God's Love defendeth his Majesty and exalteth the Humility of his Son Love as Plato saith hath this priviledge that it cannot be defamed and by a kind of law hath this huge advantage to make Bondage Liberty Disgrace honourable Infirmity omnipotent Who can stand up against Love and
can imagine there can be any man that can so hate himself as deliberately to cast himself into hell and run from happiness when it appeareth in so much glory He cannot say Amen to Life who killeth himself For that which leaveth a soul in the grave is not Faith but Phansie When we are told that Honour cometh towards us that some Golden shower is ready to fall into our laps that Content and Pleasure will ever be near and wait upon us how loud and hearty is our Amen how do we set up an Assurance-office to our selves and yet that which seemeth to make its approach towards us is as uncertain as Uncertainty it self and when we have it passeth from us and as the ruder people say of the Devil leaveth a noysome and unsavoury sent behind it and we look after it and can see it no more But when we are told that Christ liveth for evermore and is coming is certainly coming with reward and punishment vox faucibus haeret we can scarce say Amen So be it To the World and the pomp thereof we can say Amen but to Heaven and Eternity we cannot say Amen or if we do we do but say it For conclusion then The best way is to draw the Ecce and the Amen the Behold and our Assurance together so to study the Death and the Life the eternal Life and the Power of our Saviour that we may be such Proficients as to be able with S. Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 3.11 to meet the Resurrection to look for and hasten the coming of the Lord when his Life and Eternity and Power shall shine gloriously to the terrour of those who persecute his Church and to the comfort of those who suffer for Righteousness sake when that Head which was a forge of mischief and cruelty and that Hand which touched the Lords anointed Psal 105.15 and did his Prophets harm shall burn in hell for ever when that Eye which would not look on vanity shall be filled with glory when that Ear which hearkned to his voice shall hear nothing but Hallelujahs and the musick of Angels when that Head which was ready to be laid down for this living everling powerful Lord shall be lifted up and crowned with glory and honour for evermore Which God grant unto us for Christ's sake A SERMON Preached on Whitsunday JOHN XVI 13. Howbeit when he the Spirit of truth is come he will guide you into all truth WHen the Spirit of truth is come c. And behold he is come already and the Church of Christ in all ages hath set apart this day for a memorial of his Coming a memorial of that miraculous and unusual sound Acts 2.2 3. that rushing wind those cloven tongues of fire And there is good reason for it that it should be had in everlasting remembrance For as the holy Ghost came then in solemn state upon the Disciples in a manner seen and heard so he cometh though not so visibly yet effectually to us upon whom the ends of the world are come that we may remember it though not in a mighty wind yet he rattleth our hearts together though no house totter at his descent yet the foundations of our very souls are shaken no fire appeareth yet our breasts are inflamed no cloven tongues yet our hearts are cloven asunder 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Every day to a Christian is a day of Pentecost his whole life a continued holy-day wherein the holy Ghost descendeth both as an Instructer and as a Comforter secretly and sweetly by his word characterizing the soul and imprinting that saving knowledge which none of the Princes of this world had not forcing or drawing by violence but sweetly leading and guiding us into all truth In the words we have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Epiphany or Apparition of the blessed Spirit as Nazianzene speaketh or rather the Promise of his coming and appearance And if we will weigh it there is great reason that the Spirit should have his Advent as well as Christ his that he should say Lo I come Psal 40.7 For in the volume of the book it is written of him that the Spirit of the Lord should rest upon him Isa 11.2 and I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh Joel 2.28 Christus Legis Spiritus Sanctus Evangelii complementum Christ's Advent for the fulfilling of the Law and the Spirit 's for the fulfilling and compleating of the Gospel Christ's Advent to redeem the Church and the Spirit 's to teach the Church Christ to shed his blood and the Spirit to wash and purge it in his blood Christ to pay down the ransome for us captives and the Spirit to work off our fetters Christ Isa 61.2 Luke 4.19 to preach the acceptable year of the Lord and the Spirit to interpret it For we may soon see that the one will little avail without the other Christ's Birth Death and Passion and glorious Resurrection are but a story in Archivis good news sealed up a Gospel hid till the Spirit come and open it and teach us to know him and the virtue and power of his resurrection and make us conformable to his death Phil 3.10 This is the sum of these words And in this we shall pass by these steps or degrees First we will carry our thoughts to the promise of the Spirit 's Advent the miracle of this day Cùm venerit When he the Spirit of truth is come in a sound to awake the Apostles in wind to move them in fire to enlighten and warm them in tongues to make them speak Acts 2.2 3. Secondly we will consider 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the work and employment of the Holy Ghost He shall lead you into all truth In the first we meet with 1. nomen Personae if we may so speak a word pointing out to his Person the demonstrative pronoun ILLE when He 2. nomen Naturae a name expressing his Nature He is the Spirit of truth and then we cannot be ignorant whose Spirit he is In the second we shall find nomen Officii a name of Office and Administration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the word from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a leader or conducter in the way For so the Holy Ghost vouchsafed to be the Apostles leader and conducter that they might not erre but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 keep on in a straight and even course in the way And in this great Office of the Holy Ghost we must first take notice of the Lesson he teacheth It is Truth Secondly of the large Extent of this Lesson 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He leadeth into all truth Thirdly of the Method and Manner of his discipline It is a gentle and effectual leading He driveth us not he draweth us not by violence but he taketh us as it were by the hand and guideth and leadeth us into all truth Cùm venerit ille Spiritus veritatis First though we are told by some
and for the advantage of those things which are necessary that are already under a higher and more binding law than any Potentate or Monarch of the earth can make The acts I say of Charity are manifest But those of Christian Prudence are not particularly designed Prudentia respicit ad singularia because that eye is given us to view and consider particular occurrences and circumstances and it dependeth upon those things which are without us whereas Charity is an act of the will And here if we would be our selves or rather if we would not be our selves but be free from by-respects and unwarrantable ends if we would devest our selves of all hopes or fears of those things which may either shake or raise our estates we could not be to seek For how easy is it to a disingaged and willing mind to apply a general precept to particular actions especially if Charity fill our hearts which is the bond of perfection Col. 3.14 Rom. 13.10 and the end and complement of the Law and indeed our spiritual wisdome In a word in these cases when we go to consult with our Reason we cannot erre if we leave not Charity behind us Or if we should erre our Charity would have such an influence upon our errour that it should trouble none but our selves 1 Cor. 13.7 For Charity beareth all things believeth all things hopeth all things endureth all things This is the extent of the Spirit 's Lesson And if in other truths more subtil than necessary we are to seek it mattereth not for we need not seek them It is no sin not to know that which I cannot know to be no wiser than God hath made me And what need our curiosity rove abroad when that which is all and alone concerneth us lieth in so narrow a compass In absoluto facili aeternitas saith Hilary The way to heaven may seem rough and troublesome but it is an easy way easy to find out though not so easy at our first onset to walk in and yet to those that tread and trace it often as delightful as Paradise it self See God hath shut up Eternity within the compass of two words Believe and Repent which is a full and just commentary on the Spirit 's Lesson the sum of all that he taught Lay your foundation right and then build upon it Because God loved you in Christ do you love him in Christ Love him and keep his commandments than which no other way could have been found out to draw you neer unto God Believe and Repent this is all Oh wicked abomination whence art thou come to cover the earth with deceit What malice what defiance what contention what gall and bitterness amongst Christians yet this is all Believe and Repent the Pen the Tongue the Sword these are the weapons of our warfare What ink what blood hath been spilt in the cause of Religion How many innocents defamed how many Saints anathematized how many millions cut down with the sword yet this is all Believe and Repent We hear the noyse of the whip and the ratling of the wheels and the prancing of the horses The horseman lifteth up his bright sword and his glittering spear Nah. 3.2 3. Every part of Christendome almost is a stage of war and the pretense is written in their banners you may see it waving in the air FOR GOD AND RELIGION yet this is all Believe and Repent Who would once think the Pillars of the earth should be thus shaken that the world should be turned into a worse chaos than that out of which it was made that there should be such wars and fightings amongst Christians for that which is shut up and brought unto us in these two words Believe and Repent For all the truth which is necessary and will be sufficient to lift us to our end and raise us to happiness can make no larger a circumferance than this This is the Law and the Prophets or rather this is the Gospel of Christ this is the whole will of God In this is knowledge justification redemption and holiness This is the Spirit 's Lesson and all other lessons are no lessons not worth the learning further than they help and improve us in this In a word this is all in all and within this narrow compass we may walk out our span of time and by the conduct of the same Spirit in the end of it attain to that perfection and glory which shall never have an end And so from the Lesson and Extent of it we pass to the Manner and Method of the Spirit 's Teaching It is not Raptus a forcible and violent drawing but Ductus a gentle Leading and Guiding The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he shall lead Which implyeth a preparedness and willingness to be led And the Spirit that leadeth us teacheth us also to follow him not to resist him that he may lead us Acts 7.51 Eph. 4.30 1 Thes 5.19 2 Tim. 1.6 not to grieve him by our backwardness that he may fill us with joy not to quench him that he may enlighten us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to stir up his gifts that they dye not in us Now this promise was directly and primarily made to the Apostles whose Commission being extraordinary and their Diocess as large as the whole world they needed the Spirits guidance in a more high and eminent manner gifts of Tongues and diversities of graces which might fit them for so great a work that as their care so their power might be as universal as the world And yet to them was the Spirit given in measure and where measure is there are degrees and they were led by degrees not straight to all truth but by steps and approaches S. Peter himself was not wrapt up as his pretended Successor into the chair of Truth to determine all at once For when Pentecost was now past he goeth to Caesarea Acts 10.11 34. and there learneth more then he had done at Jerusalem seeth that in the Sheet which was let down to the earth which he heard not from the Tongues and of a truth now perceived what he did not before that God was no accepter of persons that now the partition-wall was broken down that Jew and Gentile were both alike and the Church which was formerly shut up in Judea was now become Catholick a Body which every one that would might be a member of Besides though the Apostles were extraordinarily and miraculously inspired yet we cannot say that they used no means at all to bring down the blessed Spirit For it is plain they did wait for his coming they prayed for the truth and laboured for the truth they conferred one with another met together in counsel deliberated before they did determin Nor could they imagin they had the Spirit in a string and could command him as they please and make him follow them whithersoever they would And then between us and the Apostles there
another mightily and doth sweetly order all things For which way can frail Man come to see his God but by being like him What can draw him near to his pure Essence but Simplicity and Purity of spirit What can carry us to the God of Love but Charity What can lead us into the courts of Righteousness but Justice What can move a God of tender mercies but Compassion Certainly God will never look down from his Mercy-seat on them that have no bowels In a word what can make us wise but that which is good those virtues Temperance Justice and Liberality which are called the labours of Wisdome Wisd 8.7 Hebr. 6.5 What can bring us into Heaven but this full tast of the powers of the world to come So that there is some truth in that of Gerson Gloria est gratia consummata Glory is nothing else but Grace made perfect and consummate For though we cannot thus draw Grace and Glory together as to make them one and the same thing but must put a difference between the Means and the End yet Wisdome it self hath written it down in an indeleble character and in the leaves of Eternity That there is no other key but this Good in the Text to open the gates of the kingdom of Heaven and he that bringeth this along with him shall certainly enter Heaven and Glory is a thing of another world but yet it beginneth here in this and Grace is made perfect in Glory And therefore in the last place God's absolute Will is not only attended with Power and Wisdome but also with Love And these are the glories of his Will He can do what he will and he will do it by the most proper and fittest means and whatsoever he requireth is the dictate of his Love When he sent his Son the best Master and Wisest Lawgiver that ever was on whose shoulders the government was laid Isa 9.6 he was ushered in with a SIC DILEXIT So God loved the world John 3.16 God's Love seemeth to have the preeminence and to do more then his Power This can but annihilate us but his Love if we embrace it will change our souls and angelifie them change our bodies and spiritualize them endow us with the will and so with the power of God make us differ as much from our selves as if we were not annihilated which his Power can do but which is more made something else something better something nearer to God This is that mighty thing which his Love bringeth to pass We may imagin that a Law is a mere indication of Power that it proceedeth from Rigour and Severity that there is nothing commanded nothing required but there is smoke and thunder and lightning but indeed every Law of God is the natural and proper effect and issue of his Love from his Power it is true but his Power managed and shewn in Wisdome and Love For he made us to this end and to this end he requireth something of us not out of any indigency as if he wanted our company and service for he was as happy before the creation as after but to have some object for his Love and Goodness to work upon to have an exceptory and vessel for the dew of Heaven to fall into As the Jews were wont to say propter Messiam mundum fuisse conditum that the world and all mankind were made for the Messias Psal 2.7 whose business was to preach the Law which his Father said unto him and to declare his will And in this consisteth the perfection and beauty of Man For the perfection of every thing is its drawing near to its first principle and original The nearer and liker a thing is to the first cause that produced it the more perfect it is as that Heat is most perfect which is most intense and hath most of the Fire in it So Man the more he partaketh of that which is truly Good of the Divine nature of which his Soul is as it were a sparkle the more perfect he is because this was the only end for which God made him This was the end of all Gods Laws That he might find just cause to do Man good That Man might draw near to him here by obedience and conformity to his Will and in the world to come reign with him for ever in glory And as this is the perfection so is it the beauty of Man For as there is the beauty of the Lord Psal 27.4 so is there the beauty of the Subject The beauty of the Lord is to have Will and Power and Jurisdiction to have Power and Wisdome to command and to command in Love So is it the beauty of Man to bow and submit and conform to the will of the Lord for what a deformed spectacle is a Man without God in this world Eph. 2.12 which hath Power and Wisdome and Love to beautifie Beauty is nothing else but a result from Perfection The beauty of the Body proceedeth from the symmetrie and due proportion of parts and the beauty of the Soul from the consonancy of the will and affections to the will and law of God Oh how beautiful are those feet which walk in the wayes of life How beautiful and glorious shall he be who walketh in love as God loved him Eph. 5.2 who resteth on his Power walketh by his Wisdome and placeth himself under the shadow of his Love And thus much the substance of these words affords us What doth the Lord require Let us now cast an eye upon them in the form and habit in which they are presented and consider the manner of proposing them Now the Prophet proposeth them by way of interrogation And as he asked the question Wherewith shall I come before the Lord so doth he here ask what doth the Lord require He doth not speak in positive terms as the Prophet Jeremiah doth Ask for the old paths Jer 6.16 where is the good way and walk therein Isa 30.21 or as the Prophet Isaiah This is the way walk in it but shapeth and formeth his speach to the temper and disposition of the people who sought out many wayes but missed of the right And so we find Interrogations to be fitted and sharpned like darts and then sent towards them who could not be awaked with less noyse nor less smart And we find them of diverse shapes and fashions Sometimes they come as Complaints Psal 2.1 Why do the heathen rage sometimes as Upbraidings How camest thou in hither Matth. 22.12 2 Sam. 2 22. Matth. 22.18 sometimes as Admonitions Why should I now kill thee sometimes as Reproofs Why tempt ye me you Hypocrites And whithersoever they fly they are feathered and pointed with Reason For there is no reason why that should be done of which Christ asketh a reason why it is done The question here hath divers aspects It looketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 forward and backward It looketh back upon the
we know he was but a man and we know he erred or else our Church doth in many things It were easie to name them But suppose he had broached as many lies as the Father of them could suggest yet those who in their opinions had raised him to such an height would with an open breast have received them all as oracles and have licked up poison if it had fallen from him For they had the same inducement to believe him when he erred which they had to believe him when he spake the Truth We do not derogate from so great a person we are willing to believe that he was sent from God as an useful instrument to promote the Truth But we do not believe that he sent him as he sent his Son into the world that all his words should be spirit and life John 6.63 that in every word he spake whosoever heard him heard the Father also Thus ye see how Prejudice may arise how it may be built upon a Church and upon a person and may so captivate and depress the Reason that she shall not be able to look up and see and judge of that Truth which we should buy I might instance in others and those too who have reformed the Reformation it self who have placed the Founder of their Sect as a star in a firmament and walk by the light which he casteth and by none other though it come from the Sun it self Who fixing their eye upon him alone follow as he led and in their zele and forward obsequiousness to his dictates many times outgo him and in his name and spirit work such wonders as we have shrunk and trembled at But manum de tabula we forbear lest whilest we strive to charm one serpent we awake an hundred and those such as can bite their brethren as Prejudice doth them I shall but instance in two or three prejudicial opinions which have been as a portcullis shut down against the Truth The first is That the Truth is not to be bought nor obtained by any venture or endeavour of ours but worketh it self into us by an irresistible force so as that when we shall have once got possession of it no principalities or powers no temptation no sin can deprive us of it but it will abide against all storms and assaults all subtilty and violence nay it will not remove though we do what in us lieth to thrust it out so that we may be at once possessours of it and yet enemies to it Now when this opinion hath once gained a kingdome in our heads and we count it a kind of treason or sacrilege to depose it why should we be smitten Isa 1.5 why should we be instructed any more Argument and reason will prove but paper-shot make some noise perhaps but no impression at all What is the tongue of the learned to him who will hearken to none but himself We talk of a preventing Grace to keep us from evil but this is a preventing ungracious perversness to withhold us from the Truth For when that which first speaketh in us which we first speak to our selves or others to us who can comply with that which is much dearer to us then our selves our corrupt humour and carnality when that is sealed and ratified for ever advice and counsel come too late When Prejudice is the onely musick we delight to hear what is the tongue of Men and Angels what are the instructions of the wise but harsh and unpleasant notes abhorred almost as much as the howlings of a damned spirit When we are thus rooted and built up in errour what can shake us It is impossible for us to learn or unlearn any thing For there is no reason we should be untaught that which we rest upon as certain and which we received as an everlasting truth written in our hearts by the finger of God himself and that as we think with an indeleble character Or why should we studie the knowledge of that which will be poured by an omnipotent and irrefragable hand into our minds Who would buy that which shall be forced upon him When the Jew is thus prepossessed when he putteth the Word of God from him Acts 13.46 and judgeth himself unworthy of everlasting life then there is no more to be said then that of the Apostles Lo we turn to the Gentiles Another Prejudice there is powerful in the world somewhat like the former namely a presumption that the Spirit of God teacheth us immediately and that a new light shineth in our hearts never seen before that the Spirit teacheth us not onely by his Word but against it That there is a twofold Word of God 1 Verbum praeparatorium a Word read and expounded to us by the ministery of men 2. Verâ—um consummatorium a Word which consummateth all and this is from the Spirit The one is as John Baptist to prepare the way the other as Christ to finish and perfect the work It pleaseth the Spirit of God say they by his inward operation to illuminate the mind of man with such knowledge as is not at all proposed in the outward Word and to instill that sense which the words do not bear Thus they do not onely lie to the holy Ghost but teach him to dissemble to dictate one thing and to mean another to tell you in your ear you must not do this and to tell you in your heart you may to tell you in his proclamation Matth. 5.21 you may not be angry with your brother and to tell you in secret you may murder him to tell you in the Church Matth. 21.13 you must not make his house a den of thieves and to tell you in your closet you may down with it even to the ground Juven Sat. 8. Inde Dolabella est atque hinc Antonius inde Sacrilegus Verres From hence are wars contentions heresies schismes from hence that implacable hatred of one another which is not in a Turk or a Jew to a Christian For tell me What may not they say or do who dare publish this when their Phansie is wanton It is the Spirit when their Humour is predominant It is the Spirit when their Lust and Ambition carry them on with violence to the most horrid attempts It is the Spirit when they help the Father of lies to fling his darts abroad It is the Spirit It is indeed the Spirit a Spirit of illusion a bold and impudent Spirit that cannot blush For when it is agreed on all sides that all necessary truths are plainly revealed in Scripture what Spirit must that be which is sent into the world to teach us more then all In a word it is a Spirit that teacheth us not that which is but that which our Lusts have already set up for truth A new light which is but a meteor to lead us to those precipices those works of darkness which no night is dark enough to cover Such a Spirit as proceedeth
not from the Father and the Son but from our fleshly Lusts 1 Pet 2.11 from the beast within us that fighteth against our Soul I am weary of this Spirit I am sure the world hath reason to be so and to cast it out There is a third which I am ashamed of and I have much wondred that ever any who with any diligence had searched the Scriptures or but tasted of the word of truth could have so ethnick a stomach as to digest it But we see some have taken it down with pleasure and it serveth as hot waters to ease them of a pang of that worm which gnaweth within them Shall I name it to you It is Tying of the Truth to the wheel of Fortune or to set it forth in its fairest dress to the Providence of God which moveth in a certain course but most uncertain to us and is then least visible when it is most seen A Prejudice raised out of prosperity and good success Which befalleth the bad as well as the good 2 Sam. 11.25 as the Sword devoureth one as well as another If Event could crown or condem an action Virtue and Vice were not at such a distance as God and Nature have set them That would be Virtue in this age which was Vice in the former that which is true to day might be false to morrow For the same lot befalleth them both That storm which now beateth upon the one may anon be as sharp and violent against the other And indeed Virtue is most fair and glorious in the foulest weather This action hath prospered in my hand Therefore God hath signified it as just is an argument which an Heathen would deny who had but seen the best intentions and goodliest resolutions either by subtilty or violence oft beaten down to the ground Certainly no true Israelite could thus conclude 2 Kings 22.2 who had seen Josiah walking in all the wayes of David his father 2 Kings 23.29 and yet at the last stricken down by the hand of Pharaoh Nechoh in the battel at Megiddo It was indeed the argument of the Epicure against the Providence of God Lucret. l. 2. Aedes saepe suas disturbat That Jupiter let fall his thunderbolts upon his own houses and temples But the Christian can draw no such inferences and conclusions who knoweth the wayes of God are past finding out Rom. 11 3◠Gal. 6.14 that the world must be crucified unto him and he unto the world that he must * Acts 14.22 make his way through many afflictions and troubles to his everlasting rest All that can be said is God permitteth it For for any command 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where is it to be found And how can we conclude of that which we do not cannot know Permit it he doth and so he doth all the evil in the world for if he did not permit it it could not be done Hence it is that the storm falleth upon the best as well as upon the worst But to the one though ye call it a Storm it is indeed a gracious rain to water and refresh them as for the other it sweepeth them away and swalloweth them up for ever God's Judgements are like his Spirit Joh. 3.8 a wind that bloweth where it lifteth and we hear the sound thereof but cannot tell whence it cometh nor whither it goeth neither for what cause in particular they are sent nor what is their end Permission is no fit basis to build a Command upon Nor can Approbation be the consequent where Permission onely is the antecedent We can no more draw such a conclusion from such premisses then we can strike water out of a flint or fire out of a cake of ice The wicked prosper in their wayes Every Sorcerer is not struck blind Every sacrilegious Ananias is not stricken dead Every Sodom is not consumed with fire But this doth not justifie Sorcery and Sacrilege and Unnatural lust And The righteous are cast down and perish Every just man doth not flourish as a green bay-tree Nay rather as the Apostle saith Not many wise not many noble 1 Cor. 1.26 c. so not many just not many righteous do flourish But this doth not condemn Innocency nor on the sudden as it were transubstantiate and change Virtue into Vice I have the rather brought this Prejudice forth and exposed it to shame because it is common especially amongst the common sort who are as good Logicians as they are Divines whose very natural Logick their Reason is tainted and corrupted by the world in which they live and to which in a manner they grow It is vox populi the language of the Many and it is taken up too oft He hath taken a wrong course Ye see God doth not bless it This is not just For it doth not thrive A Prejudice this which quite putteth out their eyes that they cannot distinguish evil from good nor good from evil the Devil's snare and he hath scarce such another in which he taketh so many He was unfortunate Therefore he was not wise He prospered in his wayes Therefore his wayes were right It is plebiscitüm an Ordinance of the people And sometimes it is senatus consultum an Ordinance of those who count themselves wise And it hath been rescriptum Imperatoris the rescript and determination of the highest A Prejudice which may drive a man like Nebuchadnezzar amongst beasts and make him worse then they An opinion which first withereth a soul that it can bear no fruit and then leaveth it as fuel for hell fire for ever An opinion bellied like the Trojane horse in which lie lurking oppression Deceit Treason all the enemies of Truth and the Father of lies the Devil himself ready to break forth and destroy and devour a soul A foundation and basis large enough to raise a Babel upon all the evil we can do all the evil we can think even confusion it self The hope of good success may flatter me into the greatest sin and when success hath crowned that hope it will dress that sin in the grave mantle of Virtue and Piety and so shut out Repentance for ever Ye see the danger of Prejudice It lieth as a serpent in our way Gen. 49.17 as an adder in our path to bite our heels to hinder us that we cannot travel to the market where Truth is to be bought Let us therefore lay aside all Prejudice and as new born babes desire the sincere milk of the Truth 1 Pet. 2.2 that we may grow thereby Let us not build our faith upon any particular Church or Sect For it is possible that a Church may erre and so deceive us Hear O Israel when the Church speaketh but not so as when God speaketh and publisheth his commands Hear the Church Matth. 18.17 but then when she speaketh the words of God Let not a name and glorious title dazle our eyes He will make but an ill
of themselves but he that thus findeth his life shall lose it and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it The loss of our lives for righteousness sake is a purchase Rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven For this Stephen was stoned Paul beheaded the Martyrs tortured So persecuted they the Prophets which were before you In the next place as a good Cause so a good Life doth fit and qualifie us to suffer for righteousness sake Non habent martyrum mortem qui non habent Christianorum vitam saith Augustine He dieth not the death of a Martyr who liveth not the life of a Christian An unclean beast is not fit to make a sacrifice Nor will the crown of Martyrdome sit upon his head who goeth on in his sin It is to the wicked that God saith What hast thou to do to declare my statutes and What hast thou to do to suffer for them For he that suffereth for them declareth them Therefore S. Augustine calleth the Donatists who in a perverse emulation of the glory of the true Martyrs leapt down from rocks and flung themselves into the water and were drowned sceleratos homicidas wicked homicides and unnatural murtherers of themselves What Cyprian speaketh of Schism is as true of other mortal sins not repented of Non Martyrium tollit not Martyrdom it self can expiate or blot it out For can we think that he that hath taken his fill in sin all his life long and still made his strength the law of unrighteousness should in a moment wash away all his filth and pollutions baptismo sanguinis with his own bloud It may supply for those other pious souls who were never washed in the other laver that of Baptism because persecution or death deprived them of that benefit for what cannot be done cannot oblige But how a man should draw out his life in an open hostility to Christ and trifle with him and contemn him all his dayes and then before repentance and reconciliation which indeed is in the very act of hostility bow to him and die for him I cannot see Take S. Pauls black catalogue of the works of the flesh Adultery Gal. 3. fornication uncleanness lasciviousness idolatry witchcraft hatred variance emulation wrath strife seditions heresies envyings murthers drunkenness revellings and not one of these but will infringe and weaken the testimony of any man and render him a suspected witness in our Courts on Earth And shall the truth of Christ stand in need of such Knights of the post who will speak for her when they oppose her Take that bed-roll of wicked men which the Apostle prophesied should come in these last and perilous times 2 Tim. 3 1-5 Lovers of their own selves Covetous Boasters Proud Blasphemers Disobedient to parents Vnthankful Vnholy Without natural affection Truce-breakers False accusers Incontinent Fierce Despisers of those that are good Traitors Heady High minded Lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God Having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof and may not the Gospel be ashamed of such Professors and Martyrs as these Or shall we look for heaven in hell and hope to find a Martyr amongst a generation of vipers Or is he fit to be advocate for any truth who hath the faith of Christ with respect of persons Then we shall have factious Martyrs seditious Martyrs malicious Martyrs profane Martyrs sacrilegious Martyrs And if these be Martyrs we may say of them as Tertullian did of the Heathen Gods Potiores apud inferos There be honester men in hell then these No a good Cause and a good Life must be our conductors to the Cross must lead us by the hand to the fiery trial must as it were anoint us to our graves and prepare us for this great work Otherwise whatsoever we suffer is not properly Persecution but an execution of justice It may be here perhaps demanded What then shall he do who having fettered himself in the snare of the Devil hath not yet shaken it off by true repentance whose conscience condemneth him of many gross and grievous sins which yet himself hath not condemned in his flesh by practising the contrary vertues What shall a notorious sinner do if he be called to this great office if his fortunes and life be brought in hazard for the profession of some article of faith or some truth which he believeth is necessary to salvation What shall he do being shut up between these three a bad conscience assurance of that truth he professeth and the terrour of death Shall he hold fast the truth or subscribe to the contrary Shall he suffer without true repentance of his former sins or repent of the truth which he professeth Shall he deny against his conscience what he knoweth to be true or shall he suffer and comfort himself in this one act as a foundation firm enough to raise a hope on of remission of sin Here is a great streight a sad Dilemma like that of the servant in the Comedy Si faxit perit si non faxit vapulat If he do it he may perish and if he do it not he may be beaten He may suffer for the truth and yet suffer for his sins and if he do it not he hath denied the faith and is worse then an infidel But beloved this is an instance like that of Buridan's ass between two bottles of hay knowing not which to chuse an instance of what peradventure never or very seldom cometh to pass We may suppose what we please we may suppose the heavens to stand still and the earth to move and some have thought so we may suppose what in nature is impossible And this if it be not impossible yet is so improbable that it hardly can gain so much credit as to win an assent For that he who all his life long hath cast Christ's word 's behind him should now seal them with his bloud that they are true that a conscience so beaten so wasted so overwhelmed with the habit of sins should now take in and entertain a fear of so little a sin as the denial of one truth in respect of the contempt of all that he that hath swallowed this monstrous camel should strain at this gnat that he that hath trampled Christ's bloud under his feet should shed his own for some one dictate of his is a thing which we may suppose but hardly believe Or tell me Where should this sting and power of conscience lye hid Or can conscience drive us to the confession of one truth which had no power to withhold us from polluting our selves with so many sins Holding faith saith S. Paul 1 Tim. 1.19 and a good conscience which some having put away concerning faith have made ship-wreck So near an alliance there is between Faith and a good Conscience that we must either keep them both or lose them both Faith as Saint Paul intimateth in that Text is as the
that where the article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is added to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there we are to understand the Person of the Holy Ghost yet we rather lay hold on the pronoun 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When He the Spirit of truth shall come He shall lead you which pointeth out to a distinct Person If as Sabellius saith our Saviour had onely meant some new motion in the Disciples hearts or some effect of the Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had been enough but ILLE He designeth a certain Person and I LLE He in Christ's mouth a distinct Person from himself Besides we are taught in the Schools Actiones sunt suppositorum Actions and operations are of Persons Now in this verse Christ sayth that he shall lead them into all truth and before he shall reprove the world v. 8. and in the precedent chapter he shall testifie of me v. 26. which are proper and peculiar operations of the blessed Spirit and bring him in a distinct Person from the Father and the Son And therefore S. Augustine resteth upon this dark and general expression Lib. 6. De Trinit Spiritus S. est commune aliquid Patris Filii quicquid illud est The Holy Ghost communicateth both of the Father and the Son is something of them both whatsoever we may call it whether we call him the Consubstantial and Coeternal communion and friendship of the Father and the Son or nexum amorosum with Gerson and others of the Schools the essential Love and Love-knot of the undivided Trinity But we will wave these more abstruse and deeper speculations in which if we speak not in the Spirit 's language we may sooner lose than profit our selves and speak more than we should whilest we are busie to raise our thoughts and words up to that which is but enough It will be safer to walk below amongst those observations which as they are more familiar and easy so are they more useful and to take what oar we can find with ease than to dig deeper in this dark mine where if we walk not warily we may meet with poysonous fogs and damps in stead of treasure We will therefore in the next place enquire why he is called the Spirit of Truth Divers attributes the Holy Ghost hath He is called the Spirit of Adoption Rom. 8.15 the Spirit of Faith 2 Cor. 4.13 the Spirit of Grace Hebr. 10.29 c. For where he worketh Grace is operative our Love is without dissimulation Rom. 12.9 our Joy is like the joy of heaven as true though not so great Gal. 5.6 Isa 6.6 Rom. 10 2. our Faith a working faith and our Zeal a coal from the altar kindled from his fire not mad and raging but according to knowledge He maketh no shadows but substances no pictures but realities no appearances Luke 1.28 but truths a Grace that maketh us highly favoured a precious and holy Faith 1 Pet. 1.7 8. full and unspeakable Joy Love ready to spend it self and Zeal to consume us Psâ—l 69.9 of a true existence being from the Spirit of that God who alone truly is But here he is stiled the Spirit of Truth yet is he the same Spirit that planteth grace and faith in our hearts that begetteth our Faith dilateth our Love worketh our Joy kindleth our Zeal and adopteth us in Regiam familiam into the Royal family of the first-born in heaven But now the Spirit of Truth was more proper For to tell men perplext with doubts that were ever and anon and somtimes when they should not asking questions of such a Teacher was a seal to the promise a good assurance that they should be well taught that no difficulty should be too hard no knowledge too high no mystery too dark and obscure for them but All truth should be brought forth and unfolded to them and having the veyl taken from it be laid open and naked to their understanding Let us then look up upon and worship this Spirit of Truth as he thus presenteth and tendereth himself unto us 1. He standeth in opposition to two great enemies to Truth Dissimulation and Flattery By the former I hide my self from others by the later I blindfold another and hide him from himself The Spirit is an enemy to both he cannot away with them 2. He is true in the Lessons which he teacheth that we may pray for his Advent long for his coming and so receive him when he cometh First dissemble he doth not he cannot For Dissimulation is a kind of cheat or jugling by which we cast a mist before mens eyes that they cannot see us It bringeth in the Devil in Samuel's mantle and an enemy in the smiles and smoothness of a friend It speaketh the language of the Priest at Delphos As to King Philip whom Pausanias slew playeth in ambiguities promiseth life when death is neerest and biddeth us beware of a chariot when it meaneth a sword No this Spirit is an enemy to this because a Spirit of truth and hateth these involucra dissimulationis this folding and involvedness these clokes and coverts these crafty conveyances of our own desires to their end under the specious shew of intending good to others And they by whom this Spirit speaketh are like him and speak the truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 1.12 in the simplicity and godly sincerity of the spirit not in craftiness 2 Cor. 4.2 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 handling the Word of God deceitfully not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 4.14 not in the slight of men throwing a die and what cast you would have them not fitting their doctrine to men and the times that is not to men and the times but to their own ends telling them of heaven when their thoughts are in their purse Wisd 1.5 6. This holy Spirit of Truth flieth all such deceit and removeth himself far from the thoughts which are without understanding and will not acquit a dissembler of his words There is nothing of the Devil's method nothing of the Die or Hand no windings or turnings in what he teacheth He speaketh the truth and nothing but the truth and for our behoof and advantage that we may believe it and build upon it and by his discipline raise our selves up to that end for which he is pleased to come and be our Teacher And as he cannot dissemble so in the next place flatter us he cannot This is the inseparable mark and character of the evil Spirit qui arridet ut saeviat who smileth upon us that he may rage against us lifteth us up that he may cast us down whose exaltations are foils whose favours are deceits whose smiles and kisses are wounds Flattery is as a glass for a Fool to look upon and behold that shape which himself hath already drawn and please himself in it because it is returned upon him by reflection and so he becometh more fool than before It is the Fools
Echo by which he heareth himself at the rebound and thinketh the Wiseman spoke unto him Flattery is the ape of Charity It rejoyceth with them that rejoyce and weepeth with them that weep it frowneth with them that frown and smileth with them that smile It proceedeth from the Father of lies not from the Spirit of truth Hebr. 13.8 who is the same yesterday and to day and for ever Who reproveth drunkenness though in a Noah adultery though in a David want of faith though in a Peter His precepts are plain his law is in thunder his threatnings earnest and vehement What he writeth is not in a dark character Thou mayest run and read it He presenteth Murder wallowing in the blood it spilt Blasphemie with its brains out Theft sub hasta under sale He calleth not great plagues Peace nor Oppression Law nor camels gnats nor great sins peccadillos but he setteth all our sins in order before us He calleth Adam from behind the bush striketh Ananias dead for his hypocrisie and for lying to the holy Spirit depriveth him of his own Thy excuse with him is a libel thy pretense fouler than thy sin Thy false worship of him is blasphemy and thy form of godliness open impiety And where he entereth the heart Sin which is the greatest errour the grossest lye removeth it self heaveth and panteth to go out knocketh at our breast runneth down at our eyes and we hear it speak in sighs and grones unspeakable and what was our delight becometh our torment In a word he is a Spirit of truth and neither dissembleth to deceive us nor flattereth that we may deceive our selves but verus vera dicit being Truth it self telleth us what we shall find to be most true to keep us from the dangerous by paths of Errour and Misprision in which we may lose our selves and be lost for ever And this appeareth and is visible in those lessons and precepts which he giveth so agreeable to that Image after which we were made to fit and beautifie it when it is defaced and repair it when it is decayed that so it may become in some proportion and measure like unto him that made it and then so harmonious and consonant and agreeing with themselves that The whole Scripture and all the precepts it containeth may in esteem as Gerson saith go for own copulative proposition This Spirit doth not set up one precept against another nor one Text against another doth not disanul his promises in his threats nor check his threats with his promises doth not forbid all Fear in Confidence nor shake our Confidence when he bids us fear doth not set up meekness to abate our Zeal nor kindleth Zeal to consume our Meekness doth not teach Christian Liberty to shake off Obedience to Government nor prescribeth Obedience to infringe and weaken our Christian Liberty This Spirit is a Spirit of truth and never different from himself He never contradicteth himself but is equal in all his wayes the same in that truth which pleaseth thee and in that which pincheth thee in that which thou consentest to and in that which thou runnest from in that which will raise thy spirit and in that which will wound thy spirit And the reason why men who talk so much of the Spirit do fall into gross and pernicious errours is from hence That they will not be like the Spirit in this equal and like unto themselves in all their wayes That they lay claim to him in that Text which seemeth to comply with their humour but discharge and leave him in that which should purge it That upon the beck as it were of some place of Scripture which upon the first face and appearance looketh favourably upon their present inclinations they run violently on this side animated and posted on by that which was not in the Text but in their lusts and phansie and never look back upon other testimonies of Divine Authority that army of evidences as Tertullian speaketh which are openly prest out and marshalled against them and might well put them to a halt and deliberation stay and drive back their intention and settle them at last in the truth which consisteth in a moderation betwixt two extremes For we may be zealous and not cruel devout and not superstitious we may hate Idolatry and not commit Sacrilege Gal. 5.1 1 Pet. 2.16 stand fast in our Christian liberty and not make it a cloak of maliciousness if we did follow the Spirit in all his wayes who in all his wayes is a Spirit of truth For he commandeth Zeal and forbiddeth Rage he commendeth Devotion and forbiddeth Superstition he condemneth Idolatry yea and condemneth Sacrilege he preacheth Liberty 1 Cor. 12.4.8 9 11. and preacheth Obedience to Superiours and in all is the same Spirit And this Spirit did come and Christ did send him And in the next place to this end he came to be our Leader to guide us in the wayes of truth to help our infirmities to be our conduct to carry us on to the end And this is his Office and Administration Which one would think were but a low office for the Spirit of God and yet these are magnalia spiritûs the wonderful things of the Spirit and do no less proclaim his Divinity then the Creation of the world We wonder the blind should see the lame go Matth. 11.5 the deaf hear the dead be raysed up but doth it now follow The poor receive the Gospel Weigh it well in the balance of the Sanctuary and this last will appear as a great miracle as the former And this Advent and Coming was free and voluntary For though the Spirit was sent from the Father and the Son yet sponte venit he came of his own accord And he not onely cometh but sendeth himself say the Schools as he daily worketh those changes and alterations in his creature These words Dicit Mittam ut propriam autoritatem ostendat Tum denique veniet quo verbo Spiritûs potestas indicatur Naz. Orat. 37. to be sent and to come and the like are not words of diminution or disparagement He came in no servile manner but as a Lord as a friend from a friend as in a letter the very mind of him that sent it Which sheweth an agreement and concord with him that sent him but implyeth no inferiority no degree of servility or subjection Yet some there have been who have stumbled at the shadow which this word hath cast or indeed at their own and for this made the holy Spirit no more then a Creature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a supernumerary God brought in to serve and minister and no distinct Person of the blessed Trinity But what a gross error what foul ingratitude is this to call his goodness servility his coming to us submission and obedience and count him not a God because by his gracious operation he is pleased to dwell in men and make them his tabernacle Why may we
not as warrantably conceive so of the other Persons For God wrought in the Creation and the Heavens are the work of his hands Nay with reverence to so high a Majesty we may say God serveth us more then we do him who are nothing but by his breath and power Dust and ashes can do him no service But he serveth us every day He lighteth us with his Sun he raineth upon us he watereth our plants Luke ◠53 Psal 47.9 he filleth our granaries He feedeth the hungry with good things nay he feedeth the young ravens that call upon him He knocketh at our doors he intreateth waiteth sufferreth commandeth us to serve one another commandeth his Angels to serve and minister unto us res rationésque nostras curat he keepeth our accounts numbreth our tears watcheth our prayers If we call he cometh if we fall he is at hand In our misery in the deepest dungeon he is with us And these are no disparagements but arguments of his excellency and infinite goodness and fair lessons to us not to be wanting to our selves and our brethren who have God himself thus carefully waiting upon us and to remember us That to serve our brethren is to exalt and advance and raise us up to be like unto him When we wash our brethrens feet bind up their wounds sit down in the dust with them visit them in prison and minister to them on their beds of sickness we may think we debase our selves and do decrease as it were but it is our honour our crown our conformity to him who was the Servant of God and our Servant and made himself like unto us that he might serve us in his flesh and doth so to the end of the world invisibly by his Spirit It is the Spirit 's honour to be sent to be a Leader a Conduct and though sent he be yet he is as free an Agent as the Son and the Son as the Father Tertullian calleth him Christ's Vicar here on earth to supply his place But that argueth no inequality for then the Son too must be unequal to the Father for his Angel his Messenger he was and went about his Father's business Luke 2.49 To conclude this In a farr remote and more qualified sense we are his Vicar's his Deputies his Steward 's here on earth and it is no servility it is our honour and glory to do his business to serve one another in love Gal. 5.13 to be Servants to be Angels I had almost said to be holy Ghosts one to another As my father sent me saith our Saviour to his Disciples John 20.21 so send I you And he sendeth us too who are haereditarii Christi discipuli Christ's Disciples by inheritance and succession that every one as he is endowed from above should serve him by serving one another And though our serving him cannot deserve that name Judg. 5.23 yet is he pleased to call it helping him that we should help him to feed the hungry to guide the blind and teach the ignorant and so be the Spirit 's Vicars as he is Christ's that Christ may fill us more and more with his Spirit which may guide and conduct us through the manifold errours of this life through darkness and confusion into that truth which may lead us to bliss For as he is the Spirit of truth so in the next place the Lesson which he teacheth is Truth even that Truth which is an Art S. Augustine calleth it so and a law to direct and confine all other arts quâ praeeunte seculi fluctus calcamus which goeth before us in our way and through the surges of this present world bringeth us to the presence of God who is Truth it self A Truth which leadeth us to our original to the Rock out of which we were hewen and bringeth us back to our God who made us not for the vanities of this world but for himself An Art to cast down all Babels all towring and lofty imaginations which present unto us falshoods for truths appearances for realities plagues for peace which scatter and divide our souls powr them out upon variety of unlawful objects and deceive us in the very nature and end of things For as this Spirit brought life and immortality to light 2 Tim. 1.10 for whatsoever the Prophets and great Rabbies had spoken of Immortality was but darkness in comparison of this great light so it also discovered the errors and horror of those follies which we lookt upon with love and admiration as upon heaven it self What a price doth Luxury place on Wealth and Riches What horror on Nakedness and Poverty What a heaven is Honour to my Ambition and what an hell is Disgrace though it be for goodness it self How doth a Jewel glitter in my eyes and what a slur is there upon Virtue What a glory doth the pomp of the World present and what a sad and sullen aspect hath Righteousness How is God thrust out and every Idol every Vanity made a God But the Truth here which the Spirit teacheth discovereth all pulleth off the veyl sheweth us the true countenance and face of things that we may not be deceived sheweth us Vanity in Riches folly in Honour death and destruction in the pomp of this World maketh Poverty a blessing and Misery happiness and Death it self a passage to eternity placeth God in his Throne and Man where he should be at his footstool bowing before him Which is the readiest way to be lifted up unto him and to be with him for evermore In a word a Truth that hath power to unite us to our God that bringeth with it the knowledge of Christ and the wisdome of God and presenteth those precepts and doctrines which lead to happiness a Truth that goeth along with us in all our wayes waiteth on us on our beds of sickness leaveth us not at our death but followeth us and will rise again with us unto judgment and there either acquit or condemn us either be our Judge or Advocate If we make it our friend here it will then look lovely on us and speak good things for us if we make it our Counsellor here it will then be our Advocate but if we despise it and put it under our basest desires and vile affections it will then fight against us and triumph over us and tread us down into the lowest pit Christ is not more gracious then this Truth to them that love it But to those who will not learn shall be Tribulation and anguish Rom. 2.9 Acts 2.20 2 Thes 4.16 The Sun turned into darkness and the Moon into blood the world on fire the voyce of the Archangel the trump of God the severe countenance of the Judge will not be more terrible then this Truth to them that have despised it For Christ Jesus shall judge the secrets of them Rom 2.16 acquit the just condemn the impenitent according to this Truth which the Spirit teacheth
according saith S. Paul to my Gospel This is the Lesson the Spirit teacheth Truth Let us now see the Extent of it It is large and universal The Spirit doth not teach us by halves teach some truths and conceal others but he teacheth all truth maketh his disciples and followers free from all errors that are dangerous and full of saving knowledge Saving knowledge is all indeed That truth which bringeth me to my end is all and there is nothing more to be known I determined to know nothing but Christ and him crucified saith St. Paul 1 Cor. 2.2 Here his desire hath a Non ultrá This truth is all this joyneth heaven and earth together God and Man mortality and immortality misery and happiness in one draweth us near unto God and maketh us one with him This is the Spirit 's Lesson Commentum Divinitatis the invention of the Divine Spirit Faith is called the gift of God Ephes 2.8 not onely because it is given to every believer and too many are too willing to stay till it be given but because this Spirit first found out the way to save us by so weak a means as Faith And as he first found it out so he teacheth it and leaveth out noâ—hing not a tittle not an Iota which may serve to compleat and perfect this divine Science Psal 139.16 In the book of God are all our members written All the members yea and all the faculties of our soul And in his Gospel his Spirit hath framed rules and precepts to order and regulate them all in every act in every motion and inclination which if the Eye offend pluck it out if the Hand cut it off Rules which limit the understanding to the knowledge of God bind the will to obedience moderate and confine our affections level our hope fix our joy stint our sorrow frame our speech compose our gesture fashion our apparel set and methodize our outward behaviour Instances in Scripture in every particular are many and obvious The time would fail me to mention them all In a word then this Truth which the Spirit teacheth is fitted to the whole man to every member of the body to every faculty of the soul fitted to us in every condition in every relation It will reign with thee it will serve with thee it will manage thy riches it will comfort thy poverty ascend the throne with thee and sit down with thee on the dunghill It will pray with thee it will fast with thee it will labour with thee it will rest and keep a Sabbath with thee it will govern a Church it will order thy Family it will raise a kingdome within thee it will be thy Angel to carry thee into Abraham's bosome and set a crown of glory upon thy head And is there yet any more Or what need more than that which is necessary There can be but one God one Heaven one Religion one way to blessedness and there is but one Truth and that is it which the Spirit teacheth And this runneth the whole compass of it directeth us not onely ad ultimum sed usque ad ultimum not onely to that which is the end but to the means to every step and passage and approach to every help and advantage towards it and so uniteth us to that one God giveth us right to that one Heaven and bringeth us home to that one end for which we were made And is there yet any more Yes particular cases may be so many and various that they cannot all come within the compass of this Truth which the Spirit hath plainly taught It is true but then for the most part they are cases of our own making cases which we need not make cases somtimes raised by weakness somtimes by wilfulness somtimes even by sin it self which reigneth in our mortal bodies and to such this Lesson of the Spirit is as an Ax to cut them off But be their original what it will if this Truth reach them not or if they bear no analogy or affinity with that which the Spirit hath taught nor depend upon it by any evident and necessary consequence they are not to be reckoned in the number of those which concern us because we are assured that he hath led us into all truth that is necessary Some things indeed there are which are indifferent in themselves quae lex nec vetat nec jubet which this Spirit neither commandeth nor forbiddeth but they are made necessary by reason of some circumstance of time or place or quality or persons for that which is necessary in it self is alwaies necessary and yet are in their own nature indifferent still Veritas ad omnia occurrit this Truth which is the Spirit 's Lesson reacheth even these and containeth a rule certain and infallible to guide us in them if we become not laws unto our selves and fling it by to wit the rules of Charity and Christian Prudence to which if we give heed it is impossible we should miscarry It is Love of our selves and Love of the world not Charity or spiritual Wisdome which make this noyse abroad rend the Church in pieces and work desolation on the earth It is want of conscience and neglect of conscience in the common and known wayes of our duty which have raised so many needless Cases of conscience which if men had not hearkened to their lusts had never shewn their head but had been what indeed they are nothing The acts of charity are manifest 1 Cor. 13. Charity suffereth long even injuries and errours but doth not rise up against that which was set up to enlarge and improve her Charity is not rash to beat down every thing that had its first rise and beginning from Charity Charity is not puffed up swelleth not against a harmless yea and an useful constitution though it be of man Charity doth not behave it self unseemly layeth not a necessity upon us of not doing that which lawful Authority even then styleth an indifferent thing when it commandeth it to be done Charity seeketh not her own treadeth not the publick peace under foot to procure her own Charity is not easily provoked checketh not at every feather nor startleth at that monster which is a creation of our own Charity thinketh no evil doth not see a serpent under every leaf nor Idolatry in every bow of Devotion If we were charitable we could not but be peaceable If that which is the main of the Spirit 's lesson did govern mens actions Psal 72.7 there would be abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth Multa facienda sunt non jubente lege sed liberâ charitate saith Augustine Charity is free to do and suffer many things which the Spirit doth not expresly command and yet it doth command them in general when it commandeth obedience to Authority Which hath no larger circuit to walk and shew it self in than in things in themselves indifferent which it may enjoyn for orders sake
silence Though Corah and his complices perish in their gainsayings Jude 11. yet God forbid that all Israel should be swallowed up in the same gulf Samuel ran to Eli 1 Sam. 3 5-10 when the voice was God's but was taught at last to answer Speak Lord for thy servant heareth Though Ahab had many false Prophets 1 Kings 22. yet Micaiah was a true one And though there be many false Teachers come into the world 1 Joh. 4.1 yet the Spirit of God is a Spirit of truth and he shall lead us into all truth And that we may follow as he leadeth we must observe the wayes in which he moveth For as there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a way of peace Luk. 1.79 so there are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wayes of truth and in those wayes the Spirit will lead us 2 Pet. 2.2 I may be in the wayes of the wicked in the wayes of the Gentiles and profane men in my own wayes in those wayes which my Phansie and Lust have chalked out on that pinnacle and height where my Ambition hath placed me in that mine and pit where my Covetousness hath buried me alive and in these I walk with my face from Jerusalem from the Truth and in these wayes the Spirit leadeth me not How can he learn Poverty of spirit who hath no God but Mammon and knoweth no sin but Poverty How can he be brought down to obedience and humility who with Diotrephes loveth to have the preeminence 3 Joh. 9. and thinketh himself nothing till he is taller than his fellowes by the head and shoulders How can he hearken to the Truth who studieth lies And do we now wonder why we are not taught the truth where the Spirit keepeth open School There is no wonder at all The reason why we are not taught is Because we will not learn Ambition soareth to the highest seat and the Spirit directeth us to the ground to the lowest place Love of the world filleth our barns and the Spirit pointeth to the bellies of the poor as the better and safer granaries My private factious Humour trampleth under foot Obedience to superiours because I my self would be the highest and challenge that as my peculiar which I deny to others but the Spirit prescribeth Order Doth Montanus lead about silly women and prophesie doth he call his dreams Revelations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb l. 1. c. 21. Contr. Valent. c. 4. Eusebius telleth us that the spirit which led him about was nothing else but an unmeasurable Desire of precedency Doth Valentinus number up his Aeones and as many Crimes as God's Tertullian informeth us that he hoped for a Bishoprick but being disappointed of his hopes by one who was raised to that dignity by the prerogative of Martyrdome and his many sufferings for the Truth he turned Heretick Doth Arius deny the Divinity of the Son Read Theodoret Lib. 1◠c. 2. and he will shew you Alexander in the chair before him Doth Aerius deny there is any difference between a Bishop and Presbyter The reason was he was denied himself and could not be a Bishop so that he fell from a Bishoprick as Lucifer did from Heaven whose first wish was to be God and whose next was That there were no God at all From hence those stirs and tumults in the Church of Christ those storms and tempests which blew and beat in her face from hence those distractions and uncertainties in Christian Religion that it was a matter of some danger but to mention it This made Nazianzene in some passion as it may seem cry out Orat. 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. I would there were no precedency no priority no dignities in the Church but that mens estimation did only rise from virtue but now the right hand and the left the higher and the lower place these terms of difference have led men not into the truth but into that ditch where Errour muddeth it self Caeca avaritia saith Maximus Covetousness and Ambition are blind and cannot look upon the Truth though she be as manifest as the Sun at noon It fareth with men in the lust of their eyes in the love of the world as it did with the man in Artemidorus who dreamt he had eyes of gold and the next day lost them had them both put out Now no smell is sweat but that of lucre no sight delightful but of the wedge of gold By a strange kind of Chymistry men turn Religion into Gold and even by Scripture it self heap up riches and so they lose their sight and judgement and savour not the things of God but are stark blind to that Truth which should save them But now grant that they were indeed perswaded of the truth of that which they defend with so much noyse and tumult yet this may be but opinion and phansie which the Love of the world will soon build up because it helpeth to nourish it And how can we think that the Spirit led them in those wayes in which Self-love and Desire of gain drive on so furiously Sure the Spirit of truth cannot work in that building where such Sanballats laugh him to scorn Now all these are the very cords of vanity by which we are drawn from the Truth and they must all be broken asunder before the Spirit will lead us to it For he he leadeth us not over the Mountains nor through the bowels of the earth nor through the numerous atoms of our vain and uncertain and perplext imaginations but as the wisdome which he teacheth Jam. 3.17 so the method of his discipline is pure peaceable gentle without partiality without hypocrisie and hath no savour or relish of the earth For he leadeth the pure he leadeth the peaceable he leadeth humble In a word he leadeth those who are lovers of peace and truth And now to draw towards a conclusion You know the wayes in which the Spirit walketh and by which he leadeth us Will you also know the rules we must observe if we will be the Spirit 's Scholars I will be bold to give them you from one who was a great lover of truth even Galene the Physician Who though an heathen man yet by the very light of Nature found out those means and helps in the pursuit of humane knowledge which the Spirit hath set down in Scripture to further us in the search of Divine Truth They are but four The first is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Love of Truth the second 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Love of Industry a frequent meditation of the truth the third 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Orderly and methodical proceeding in the pursuit of Truth the last 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exercitation our conformity to the Truth in our conversation This gold though brought from Ophir yet may be useful to adorn and beautifie those who are the living Temples of the holy Ghost 1. First Love is a passion imprinted in us to
man else They leap over all their Alphabet and are at their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their end before they begin They are at the top of the ladder before they have set a foot to the first step or round They study heaven but not the way to it Faith but not Good works Repentance without a Change or Restitution Religion without Order They are as high as Gods closet in heaven when they should be busie at his foot-stool They study Predestination but not Sanctity of life Assurance but not that Piety which should work it Heaven and not Grace and Grace but not their Duty And now no marvel if they meet not with saving Truth in this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this so great disorder and confusion No marvel when we have broke all rules and order and not observed the method of the Spirit if the Spirit lead us not who is a Spirit that loveth order and in a right method and orderly course leadeth us into the truth 4. The last is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exercitation and Practice of the truths we learn This is so proper and necessary for a Christian that Christian Religion goeth under that name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Al. Strom. l. 4. and is called an exercise by Clemens Alexandrinus Nyssene Cyrill of Hierusalem and others And though they who lead a Monastical life have laid claim to it as their own they were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet it may well belong to every one that is the Spirit 's Scholar who is as a Monk in the world shut up out of it even while he is in it exercising himself in those lessons which the Spirit teacheth and following as he leadeth Which is to make the World it self a Monastery A good Christian is the true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and by this dayly exercise in the doctrines of the Spirit doth drive the Truth home and make it enter into the soul and spirit Talis quisque est qualibus delectatur Inter artificem artificium mira cognatio est Anaxagoras said well Manus causa sapientiae It is not the brain but the hand that causeth knowledge and worketh wisdome And true wisdome that which the Spirit teacheth consisteth not in being a good Critick and rightly judging of the sense of words or in being a good Logician drawing out a true and perfect definition of Faith and Charity or discoursing aptly and methodically of the Lessons of the Spirit or in being a good Oratour setting out the beauty and lustre of Religion to the very eye No saith the Son of Sirach Ecclus. 34.10 He that hath no experience knoweth little Ex mandato mandatum cernimus By practising the command we gain a kind of familiarity a more inward and certain knowledge of it If any man will do the will of God Joh 7.17 he shall know the Doctrine In Divinity and indeed in all knowledge whose end is practice that of Aristotle is true Those things we learn to do we learn by doing them We learn Devotion by prayer Charity by giving of alms Meekness by forgiving injuries Humility and Patience by suffering Temperance by every-day-fighting against our lusts As we know meat by the tast so do we the things of God by practice and experience and at last discover Heaven it self in piety And this is that which S. Paul calleth doctrine according to godliness We taste and see how gracious the Lord is 1 Tim. 6.3 Psal 34.8 1 Joh. 1.1 we do as it were see with our eyes and with our hands handle the word of truth In a word when we manifest the Truth and make it visible in our actions the Spirit is with us and ready in his office to lead us further even to the inner house and closet of Truth He displayeth his beams of light as we press forward and mend our pace He every day shineth upon us with more brightness as we every day strive to increase He teacheth us not so much by words as by actions and practice by the practice of those virtues which are his lessons and our duties We learn that we may practice and by practice we become as David speaketh Psal 119 99. Psal 19.2 wiser then our teachers To conclude Day unto day teacheth knowledge and every act of piety is apt to promote and produce a second to beget more light which may yet lead us further from truth to truth till at last we be strengthned and established in the Truth and brought to that happy estate which hath no shadow of falshood but like the Spirit of Truth endureth for evermore The First SERMON PART I. MICAH VI. 6 8. v. 6. Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow my self before the high God Shall I come before him with burnt offerings c. v. 8. He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God Psal 4.6 THere be many who say Who will shew us any good saith the Prophet David For Good is that which men naturally desire And here the Prophet Micah hath fitted an answer to this question He hath shewed thee O man what is good And in the discovery of this Good he useth the same method which the Philosopher doth in the description of his moral Happiness First he sheweth us what it is not and then what it is And as the Philosopher shutteth out Honour and Riches and Pleasure as being so little necessary that we may be happy without them so doth the Prophet in the verses going before my Text in a manner reject and cast by Burnt-offerings and all the cerimonial and typical part of Moses Law all that outward busie expensive and sacrificing Religion as no whit esseâ—tial to that Good which he here fixeth up as upon a pillar for all eyes to look upon as being of no great alliance or nearness nor fit to incorporate it self with that Piety which must commend us to God And as a true Prophet he doth not only discover to the Jews the common errour of their lives but sheweth them yet a more excellent way first asking the question Non satis est reprehendisse peccantem si non doceas recti viam Colum. de Re Rust l. 11. c 1. Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams Whether Sacrifice be that part of Religion with which we may appear and bow before our God and be accepted and then in his answer in the words of my Text quite excluding it as not absolutely necessary and essential to that which is indeed Religion And here the Question Will the Lord be pleased with sacrifice addeth emphasis and energy and maketh the Denyal more strong and the Conclusion in the Text more positive and binding then if it had been in plain terms and formally denyed Then this Good had been shewed naked and alone and not brought in with
nature which do not deserve the name of questions because they cannot be resolved or are resolved with so little profit as concerning the state of the Dead which they could not or would not discover who were raised from it of the nature of Hell-fire when it should be the study of our whole life to be those New creatures who shall never know it of the condition of Infants that dye in the womb of Gods Decrees and the order of them of his Omnipotency Omniscience Omnipresence which we as boldly speak of as we do of the Virtues in Aristotles Morals as if we did see him as he seeth us and did know him as we are known 1 Cor. 13.12 Many more Questions there are and to these many Cases of conscience which do rather perplex and rack the Conscience then guide and settle it and too many which as the Apostle speaketh of Fornication and Vncleanness Eph. 5.3 are not fit to be named amongst us Poteramus has horas non perdere The time which hath been spent in the discussion of these might to speak no more have been bestowed with more advantage to the Church and the common cause for I do not see how they come within the compass of this Good or have added one hair to its perfection For what need this loss of oyl and labour this stir and noise Why should this Curiosity spread so as to be as universal as the Church it self when all that God will shew or that concerneth us to see is drawn up within the narrow compass of this one word that which is Good Would you view it in its particulars I need not send you to those many Creeds framed at sundry times and in divers manners Quò plus est dogmatum hòc uberior est haeresium materia Nunquam fuit sincerior castiorque Christiana fides quà m cùm ilâ—o uno ecque brevissimo Symbolo contentus est orbis Erasm Guliel Varamo Archiep Cant. Praefat. ad ep Hieron For Erasmus will tell us that Religion was never more sincere and uncorrupt then when they used but one Creed and that a short one S. Paul calleth it the proportion of faith Rom. 12 6. that proportion which we must not come short of nor exceed the form of sound words 2 Tim. 1.13 which hath no corrupt doctrine mixed with it and the truth which is after godliness Tit. 1.1 which is therefore shewn that we may be just and merciful and humble Who knoweth not what it is to believe in Christ * Tit. 2 12. to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts What Oppressour knoweth not what Justice is and who more ready to demand it What Tyrant is not ready to beg Mercy at his need Who is so puffed up as to be quite ignorant what Humility is Who understandeth not our Saviours Sermon on the mount where this Good in the Text is spread and dilated into its several parts And to know these is to know all that should be known And did we practise what is easie to know we should not thus trouble our selves and others to know what to practise The antients use to say The way to knowledge is easie to them who are desirous to be good nor was this light ever hid from those who did delight to walk by it The Law is light saith Solomon and to say it is not visible when it is held forth Prov. 6.23 is to deny it to be a light For God therefore sheweth it that it may be seen He hath shewed thee O man c. God hath shewn us 1. all those things which concern us 2. all that we can apprehend all those truths of which we are capable And these two are alwaies in conjunction and have a mutual aspect one on the other What concerneth us that we can apprehend and what we can apprehend that concerneth us The mind is large enough for that which will better it and that which will better it is obvious to the Mind As S. Paul speaketh Whatsoever things are true Phil. 4.8 whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any vertue any praise these are within the compass of this Good here in the Text and are set up and pointed to by the finger of God for all that are men to look upon But now it may be asked If the object be so fair and visible how cometh it to pass it is hid from so many eyes that there be so few that see it or see it so as to fall in love with it and embrace it For as the Prophet asketh Who hath believed our report so may we Isa 53.1 Who hath delighted in this sight I must therefore call your thoughts to look upon the Spectatour as well as the Object the Man as well as the Good If it be good it was shewn to the Man and if he be a Man he can see it He hath shewed thee O man what is good This word Man runneth through every vein of the Text He was built up to be a spectatour of this great sight The Man it is to whom the Law is given and if he be a man he cannot but behold it for when he seeth it not he doth exuere hominem put off the Man quite devest himself of Reason and become like to the beasts that perish Many hindrances there may be to keep this object from our eyes that we do not rightly judge of this Good in which the Man is lost and swallowed up in victory Isidore of Pelusium hath given us three 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Narrowness of the understanding and judgment 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sloth and neglect in the pursuit of it 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Improbity of mens manners and a wicked and prophane conversation First Narrowness and defect in the understanding is an evil incident but to a few For how can the Understanding be too narrow to receive that Good which was fitted and proportioned to it If it will receive Evil it will receive Good For there can be no reason given why it should be as the needles eye to Piety and Holiness and a wide open door of capacity enough to let in a legion of Devils No this befalleth none but those who know it not indeed and yet shall never be questioned for their ignorance Non est dementia quae est in hominis potestate Quint. declam 348. as natural fools and madmen which bring that disease with them into the world which they can neither avoid nor cure and of which the cause cannot be found out saith the Oratour And these men come not under the common account nor are to be set down in the roll and catalogue of Men. Pet. Faber adel 124. Furiosus pro absente saith the Law Wheresoever they are they are as absent and whatsoever they do they do as if they did it
but once and shall never see again acteth over those sins which he shall never bring into act delighteth in that which he shall never enjoy robbeth and slayeth and rideth in triumph on a thought and so leaveth his God who gave him this power and faculty to a better end then to wallow in this mire and to be enslaved to the drudgery of so vile an imployment Yet too many are willing to perswade themselves that God neither seeth this nor regardeth it that a Thought is such Gozamour of so thin an appearance that it escapeth the eye and so they set up a whole family of thoughts in their mind and dally and delight themselves with them as with their children And yet this is the ground of all evil and evil it self wrought in the Soul which worketh by its faculties as the Body doth by its members the Eye and the Hand And thus it may beat down Temples murder men lay Kingdoms level with the ground And it groweth and multiplieth reflecteth upon it self with joy and content omnia habet peccatoris praeter manus and hath all that maketh a sinner but Hands But though Men see not our thoughts for this is a Royal prerogative yet they are visible to his eye who is a Spirit And they that look upon them as bare and naked thoughts and not as complete works finisht in the soul know not themselves nor the nature of God and therefore cannot be said to walk with him Rom. 16.17 To conclude then These walk not with God let us therefore mark and avoid them The Presumptuous daring sinner walketh not with him but hideth himself in his Atheistical conceit That because Man cannot punish God doth not see The Hypocrite cometh forth in a disguise and acteth his part and because Men applaud him thinketh God is of their mind as the Pantomine in Seneca who observing the people well pleased with his dancing did every day go up into the Capitol and dance before Jupiter and was perswaded that he was also delighted in him The Apologizer runneth into the holes and burrows of excuses and there he is safe for who shall see him The Speculative sinner hideth himself and all his thoughts in a thought in this thought That Thoughts are so near to nothing that they are invisible That Sin is not sinful till it speak with the tongue or act with the hand But the eye of God is brighter then the Sun and his eye lids will try the children of men Psal 11 4 as the Goldsmith trieth his gold in the fire and will find out the dross which we do not see And if we will not walk with him but walk contrary unto him Lev 26 21 23 c. he will also walk contrary unto us He will see us and not see us know us and not know us Habemus nescientem Deum quod tamen non nescit l. 9. de Trin. saith Hilary God will seem not to know that which he doth know and his ignorance is not ignorance but a mystery For to them who walk not with him humbly now the Word will be at the last day Matth. 25.12 I know you not then God will keep state and not know and acknowledge them This pure God will not know the Unclean this God of truth will not know the Dissembler this strong and mighty God will bring down the Imperious offender this Light will examine thoughts and excuses will fly before it as the mist before the Sun But then Psal 1.6 The Lord knoweth the way of the Righteous saith the Psalmist and those that do justly and love Mercy and walk as under his all seeing eye with humility and reverence he will lead by the hand go along with them uphold and strengthen them in their walk shadow them under his wing and when their walk is ended know them as he did Moses Exod 33. Numb 12. Mal. 3 17 above all men And seeing his own marks upon them beholding though a weak yet the image of his Justice and his Mercy upon them he will spare them as a father spareth his son that serveth him He will know them and love them know them and receive them with an EVGE Well done good and faithful servants Matth. 25.21 23. You have embraced the Good which I shewed you done the thing which I required of you you have dealt justly with your brethren and I will be just in my promises you have shewed Mercy and Mercy shall crown you you have walked humbly with me I will now lift up your heads and you shall inherit the Kingdom which was prepared for you from the foundation of the world Matth. 29.34 The Seventh SERMON GAL. IV. 29. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the spirit even so is it now IN these words the Apostle doth present to our eye the true face of the Church in an Allegory of Sarah and Hagar of Ismael and Isaac of mount Sinai and mount Sion Gal. 4.24 Which things are an allegory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It speaketh one thing and meaneth another and carrieth wrapt up in it a more excellent sense then the words at first hearing do promise Take the full scheme and delineation in brief 1. Here is Sarah and Hagar that is Servitude and Freedom 2. Here are two Cities Jerusalem that now is the Synagogue of the Jews and that Jerusalem which is above the Vision of peace and mother of all the faithful For by the new Covenant we are made children unto God 3. Here is the Law promulged and thundred out on mount Sinai and the Gospel the Covenant of Grace which God published not from the mount but from heaven it self by the voice of his Son In all you see a fair correspondence and agreement between the type and the thing but so that Jerusalem our Mother is still the highest the Gospel glorious with the liberty it brought and the Law putting on a yoke breathing nothing but servitude and fear Isaac an heir and Ismael thrust out the Christian more honorable then the Jew The curtain is now drawn and we may enter in even within the veil and take that sense which the Apostle himself hath drawn out so plainly to us And indeed it is a good and pleasing sight to see our priviledge and priority in any figure to find out our inheritance in such an Heir our liberty and freedom though in a Woman Who would not lay claim to so much peace and so much liberty Who would not challenge kindred of Isaac and a Burgessship in Jerusalem It is true every Christian may But that we mistake not and think all is peace and liberty that we boast not against the branches that are cut off Rom. 11.18 Paul bringeth in a corrective to check and keep down all swelling and lifting up of our selves the adversative particle S E D But as then so now We are indeed
come VENIET Come he will Et hoc satìs est aut nescio quid satìs sit as P. Varus spake upon another occasion This is enough or we cannot see what is enough But nothing is enough to those who have no mind nor heart to make use of that which is enough To them enough is too much for they look upon it as if it were nothing Therefore Christ doth not feed and nourish this thriftless and unprofitable humour but brideleth and checketh it putteth in his Prohibition not to search after more then is enough NON NOSTIS HORAM You know not the hour is all the answer which he who best knoweth what is fit for us to know will afford our Curiosity For what is it that we do not desire to know Sen. de vit Etat c. 32. Curiosum nobis Natura dedit ingenium saith the Philosopher Nature it self may seem to have imprinted this itch of Curiosity in our very minds and wits made them inquisitive given them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an eye which never sleepeth never resteth upon one object but passeth by that and gazeth after another That he will come is not enough for our busie but idle Curiosity to know we seek further yet to know that which cannot be known the Time and very Hour of his coming The mind of man is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Enormi otiosae curiositati tantum decrit discere quantum libuerit inquirere Tert. de Anima c. ult restless in perpetual motion It walketh through the earth sometimes looketh upon that which delighteth it sometimes upon that which grieveth it stayeth and dwelleth too long upon both and misinterpreteth them to its own impoverishing and disadvantage Perrumpit coeli munimenta saith Seneca It breaketh through the very gates of heaven and there busily pryeth after the nature of Angels and of God himself but seeth it not entreth the Holy of holies and there is venturing into the closet of his secrets and there is lost lost in the search of those things of times and seasons which are past finding out and are therefore set at such a distance that we may not send so much as a thought after them which if they could be known yet could not advantage us It was a good commendation which Tacitus giveth of Agricola In vitae Agricola Retinuit quod est difficilimum in sapientia modum He did what is difficult for man to do bound and moderate himself in the pursuit of knowledge and desired to know no more then that which might be of use and profitable to him Which wisdome of his had it gained so much credit as to prevail with the sons of men which would be thought the Children of Wisdome they had then laid out the precious treasure of their time on that alone which did concern them and not prodigally mispent it on that which is impertinent in seeking that which did fly from them when they were most intentive and eager in their search If this moderation had been observed there be thousand questions which had never been raised thousand opinions which had never been broacht thousands of errours which had never shewn their heads to disturb the peace of the Church to obstruct and hinder us in those wayes of obedience which alone without this impertinent turning our eye and looking aside will carry us in a straight and even course unto our end Why should I pride my self in the finding out a new conclusion when it is my greatest and my onely glory to be a New creature Why should I take such pains to reconcile opinions which are contrary My business is to still the contradictions of my mind those counsels and desires which every day thwart and oppose one another What profit is it to refute other mens errours whilst I approve and love and hug my own What purchase were it to find out the very Antichrist and to be able to say This is the man All that is required of me is to be a Christian What if I were assured the Pope was the Beast I sought for He appeared in as foul a shape to me before that title was written in his forehead For I consider more what he is then what he is called And thousands are now with Christ in heaven who yet never knew this his great Adversary on earth And why should I desire to know the time when Christ will come when no other command lieth upon me but this to watch and prepare my self for his coming when all that I can know or concerneth me is drawn up within the compass of this one word Watch which should be as the centre and all other truths drawn from it as so many lines to bear up the circumference of a constant and a continued watch Christ telleth us he will come Hoc satìs est dixisse Deo and this is enough for him to tell us and for us to know he telleth us that we cannot know it that the Angels cannot know it that the Son of man himself knoweth it not that it cannot be known that it is not fit to be known and yet we would know it Some there have been who pretended they knew it by the secret revelation of the spirit though it were a lying a spirit or a wanton phansie that spake within them For men are never more quick of belief then when they tell themselves a lye and yet the Apostle exhorteth the Thessalonians that they be not shaken in mind 2 Thes 2.2 nor troubled neither by spirit nor by word nor by letter as from him as that the day of Christ is at hand Others call in tradition Others find out a mystery in the number of Seven and so have taken the full age of the world which is to end say they after six thousand years And this they find not onely in the six moneths the Ark floted on the waters Gen. 8.4 and its rest on the mountains of Ararat in the seventh in Moses going into the cloud and the walls of Jericho falling down the seventh day Exod. 24.16 18. but in the seven Vials and the seven Trumpets in the Revelation Josh 6. Such time and leasure have men found perscrutari interrogare latebras numerorum to divine by Numbers by their art and skill to dig the air and find pretious metal there where men of common apprehensions can find no such treasure inter irrita exercere ingenia to catch at atomes and shadows and spend their time to no purpose For Curiosity is a hard task master setteth us to make brick but alloweth us no straw setteth us to tread the water and to walk upon the wind putteth us to work but in the dark And we work as the Spirits are said to do in minerals They seem to dig and cleanse and sever metals but when men come they find nothing is done It is a good rule in Husbandry Columel and such rules old Cato called oracles Imbecillior
affliction and to keep himself unspotted from the world NOthing more talkt of in the world then Religion nothing less understood nothing more neglected there being nothing more common with men then to be willing to mistake their way to withdraw themselves from that which is indeed Religion because it standeth in opposition to some pleasing errour which they are not willing to shake off Multi sibi sidem ipsi totuis consttiuunt quà m accipiunt dum quae volunt sapiunt nolunt sapere quae verá sunt cùm sapientiae haec veritas sit ea interdum sapere quae nolis Hilar l. 8. De Trin. Jam. 1.22 23. Ch. 4.3 Ch 1 26. and by the help of an unsatisfied and complying phansie to frame one of their own and call it by that name That which flattereth their corrupt hearts that which is moulded and attempered to their brutish designs that which smileth upon them in all their purposes and favoureth them in their unwarrantable undertakings that which biddeth them Go on and prosper in the wayes that leadeth unto death that with them is true Religion In this Chapter and indeed in every Chapter of this Epistle our Apostle hath made this discovery to our hands Some there were as he observeth that placed Religion in the ear did hear and not do and rested in that Some placed it in a formal devotion did pray but pray amiss and therefore did not receive Some placed it in a shadow and appearance seemed to be very religious but could not bridle their tongue and were safe they thought under this shadow Others there were that were partial in themselves despisers of the poor Ch. 2.4.6 17 c. Ch. 3.6 that had faith but no works and did boast of this Others had hell fire in their Tongue and carried about with them a world of iniquity which did set the wheel the whole course of Nature on fire Last of all some he observed warring and fighting and killing that they might take the prey Ch. 4.1 2. and divide the spoil Yet all these were religious Wisd 1.12 Every one sought out death in the errour of his life Phil. 3.14 and yet every one seemed to press forward towards the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus To these as to men ready to dash upon the rock shipwrack doth our Apostle cry out as from the shore to turn their compass and steer their course the right way Seeing them as it were run several wayes all to meet at last in the common gulf of eternal destruction he calleth and calleth aloud after them To the superstitious to the profane to the disputer the scribe to them that do but hear and to them that do but babble to them that do but profess and to them that do but believe the word is Be not deceived That is not it but this is pure Religion This is as the Prophet speaketh a voice behind them Isa 30.21 saying This is the way walk in it This is as a light held forth to shew them where they are to walk as a royal Standard set up to bring them to their colours This doth infinitatem rei ejicere as the Civilians speak taketh them from the Devils latitudes and exspatiations from frequent but fruitless Hearing from loud but heartless Prayer from their beloved but dead Faith from undisciplined and malitious Zeal from noise and blood from fighting and warring which could not but defile them and make them fit to receive nothing but the spots of the world from the infinite mazes and by-paths of errour and bringeth them into the way where they should be where they may move with joy and safety Eccl. 12.13 looking stedfastly towards the end Let us now hear the conclusion of the whole matter Whatsoever Divines have taught whatsoever Councels have determined whatsoever Schoolmen have defined whatsoever God spake in the old times whatsoever he spake in these last dayes that which hath filled so many volumes and brought upon us that weariness of the flesh which Solomon complaineth of Eccl. 12.12 in reading that multitude of books which the world doth now swarm with that which we study and contend and fight for as if it were in Democritus his well Rom. 13.9 or rather in Hell it self quite out of our reach or if there be any truth that is necessary any other commandment it is briefly comprehended in this saying even in this of S. James Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this To visit the fatherless and widows c. I may call it the Picture of Religion in little in a small compass yet presenting all its lines and dimensions the whole Signature of Religion fit to be hung up in the Church of Christ and to be lookt upon by all that the people which are and shall be born may truly serve the Lord. May it please you therefore a while to cast your eyes upon it and with me to view I. The full Proportion and several Lineaments of it as it were its essential Parts which constitute and make it what it is We may distinguish them as the Jew doth the Law by Do and Do not The first is affirmative To do good To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction The second is negative Not to do evil To keep our selves unspotted from the world II. The colours and Beauty of it first in its Purity having no mixture secondly its Vndefiledness having no pollution III. The Epigraphe or Title of it the Ratification or Seal which is set to it to make it authentick and that not of men or by men but by the hand of God himself Matth. 3.17 17.5 which drew the first copy and pattern This is pure Religion before God and the Father As he gave witness to his Son from heaven This is my beloved Son so doth he also to Christian Religion Hebr. 12.2 of which he is the Authour and Finisher HAEC EST This is it and in this I am well pleased Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this Let us now in order view these And these two To do Good and To abstain from Evil our Charity to others in the one and our Charity to our selves in the other in being as those Dii benefici those Tutelar Gods to the Widows and Fatherless and as those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 keeping all evil from our selves I call the essential parts of Religion without which it can no more subsist then a man can without a soul Jam. 2.26 For as the body without the spirit is dead so faith without works is dead also Not that we exclude Faith or Prayer or Hearing of the Word For without Faith Religion is but an empty name and it cometh by Hearing and is increased by Devotion Amb. in Psal 118. Faith is a foundation upon a foundation for as Truth is the foundation of
to raise thee from thy grave this sepulchre of rotten bones and baneful imaginations that thou mayest walk before him in the land of the living to beget Repentance and to beget Hope Hebr. 2.18 to pity us in our tentations who was sensible of his own and to drive Despair from off the face of the earth For why should the name of a Saviour and Despair be heard of in the same coasts If it breathe within the curtains of the Church it is not Christ but the Devil and our Sensuality that bringeth it in The end of Christs coming was to destroy it For this he came into the world for this he died Ask Christ saith S. Basil what he carrieth on his shoulders It is the lost sheep Luke 15.5 7 10. Ask the Angels for whom they rejoyce It is for a sinner that repenteth Ask God for what he is so earnest as to call and call again It is for those who are now in their evil wayes Ask the Shepherd Matth 18 12. Luke 15.4 and he will tell you he left ninety and nine to find but one lost sheep His desire is on us and he had rather we would be guided by his shepherds-staff then be broken by his rod of iron If thou wilt return return His Wisdom hath pointed out to it as the fittest way His justice yeildeth and will look friendly on thee whilst thou art in this way and his Mercy will go along with thee and save thee at the end If thou wilt thou mayest turn and if thou wilt turn thou shalt not daspair or if a cloud overspread thee it shall vanish at the brightness of Mercy as a mist before the Sun Here then is balm of Gilead Turn ye turn ye a loving and compassionate call to turn even those who despair of turning a Doctrine of singular comfort But this Balm is not for every wound nor will it drop and distill upon him who goeth on in his sin Mercy is as strong drink and wine Prov. 31.6 to be given to them who are ready to perish and to such who have grief of heart Many times it falleth out by reason of our presumption and hardness of heart that there is more danger in pressing some truths then in maintaining some errours Care not for the morrow is as musick to the Sluggard Matth. 6.34 Prov. 6.10 and he heareth it with delight and foldeth his hands to sleep If we commend Labour the Covetous hath encouragement enough to drudge on to rise up early and lie down late to gain the meat that perisheth Psal 127.2 John 6.27 John 4.23.24 If we but mention a worship in spirit and truth the Sacrilegious person taketh up his hammer and down goeth Ceremony and Order and the Temple it self How many Solifidians hath Free grace occasioned How many Libertines hath the indiscreet pressing of the Freedom we have by Christ raised The Gospel it self we see hath been made the savour of death unto death and Mercy malevolent At what time soever c. hath scarce with many left any time to repent Therefore it will concern us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Nazianzene speaketh Epist 20 ad Basil Magn. 2 Tim. 2.15 Luke 12.42 with art and prudence to dispense the word of truth or as S. Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to cut it out as they did their sacrifices by a certain method to give every one his proper food in due season Some dispositions are so corrupted that they may be poisoned with antidotes Therapeut Theodoret observeth that God himself did not fully and plainly teach the Jews that doctrine of the Trinity lest that wavering and fickle nation might have took it by the wrong handle and made it an occasion of relapse into that idolatrous conceit which they had learnt in Egypt of worshipping many Gods The Novatians errour who would not accept of Penance after Baptisme so much as once though no Physick for a sinner yet might have proved a good antidote against Sin For men had they believed it would some at least have been more shy of sin and more wary in ordering their steps and shunned that sin as a serpent which would excommunicate them and shut them for ever out of the Church And therefore the orthodox Fathers even there where they oppose that assumed and unwarranted severity of the Novatian deliver the doctrine of Repentance with great caution and circumspection and with a seeming reluctancy Invite loquor saith Tertullian Tert. De poeui◠Bas tom 1. hom 14. I am made unwilling to publish this free mercy of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith S. Basil I speak the truth in fear For my desire is that after Baptisme you should sin no more and my fear is you will sin more and more upon presumption of repentance and mercy He would and he would not publish the free mercy of God in Christ He was bound to preach Repentance and yet he feared What meaneth that profuse yet sparing tender of Gods Mercy those large Panegyricks and as great jealousies Why did they so much extoll Repentance and yet malè ominari presage such an evil consequence out of that which they had presented to all the world in so desirable a shape Before the Father was so taken and delighted with the contemplation of it and discovered so much power in it that he thought the Devils themselves in the interim and time between their Fall and the Creation of Man might have repented and been Angels of light still but now he draweth in his hand and putteth it forth with fear and trembling Before he held out Repentance as a board or plank to every shipwrackt soul but now he he feareth lest Repentance it self should become a rock One would think the holy Father himself were turned Novatian And to speak truth that which was the Novatians pretense to deny Repentance after Baptism drew those expressions from him and was the true cause which made him publish it with so much fear nè nobis subsidia paenitentiae blandiantur That men might not be betrayed by the flattery and pleasing appearance of that which should advantage them and level their thoughts on that benefit which it might bring to them and boldly claim it as their own though they be willing to forget and leave unregarded that part of it which should make way to let it in That hearing of so precious an antidote they might not presume it will have the same virtue and operation at any time and so after many delayes make no use of it at all That the doctrine of Repentance might not make us stand in more need of repentance in a word That that which is a remedy might not by our ill handling and applying it be turned into a disease Look into the world and you will see there is great need of so much fear and of such a caution For more fall by presumption then by despair Non tam morbis quà m
2.11 and resist it pray for it and refuse it Behold the Grace of God hath appeared to all men appeared in the doctrine of the Gospel and it appeareth in those good thoughts which are the proper issue of that doctrine and are begot by the Word of Truth When the heart sendeth them forth she sendeth them as Messengers of Grace to invite and draw us out of our evil wayes And if the Devil can raise such a Babel upon an evil thought why may not God raise up a Temple unto himself upon a good I appeal to your selves and shall desire you to ask your selves the question How often have you enjoyed such gratious ravishing thoughts how often have you felt the good motions of the Spirit how oft have you heard a voice behind you Isa 30.21 say Do this How many checks how many inward rebukes have you had in your evil wayes how oft have these thoughts followed and pursued in the wayes of evil and made them less pleasing what a damp have they cast upon your delight what a thorn have they been in your flesh even when it was wanton How oft are you so composed and byassed by these heavenly insinuations that heart and hand are ready to joyn together as partners in the Turn How oft would you and yet will not turn How oft are you the Preacher Eccles 1.2 and tell your selves Vanity of vanities all is vanity and that there is no true rest but in God I speak to those who have some feeling and presage of a future estate Hebr. 6.5 some tast of the powers of the world to come for too many we see have not I speak this to our shame Now is the Time Now is the Now. Pers sat 3. nunc nunc properandus acri Fingendus sine fine rota Now thou must turn the wheel about and frame and fashion thy self into a vessel of honour consecrate unto the Lord Now make up a child of God the new creature Now we must nourish and make much of these good motions and inclinations wrought in us either by the word of God or the rod of God They are fallen upon us and entred into us but how long they will stay how long we shall enjoy them we cannot tell A smile from the World a dart from Satan if we take not heed if we be not tender of them may chase them away This is the time this is the Now. For at another time being fallen from this heaven our cogitations may be from the earth earthly such gross and durty thoughts as will not melt but harden in the sun Our faculties may be corrupt our understandings dull and heavy our wills froward and perverse that we shall either not will that which is good or so will it as not to have strength to bring forth and draw it into act If we approve and look towards it we shall soon start back as from an enemy as from that which suiteth not with our present disposition but is distastful to it tanquam fas non sit as if it were some unlawful thing as we read of the Sybarite who was grown so extremely dainty that he would fall into a cold sweat and faint at another mans labour Now therefore Now let us close with it whilest it appeareth in beauty and is amiable in our eyes whilest our will beginneth to bend and our heart inclineth to it If we let this so fair an opportunity pass within a while Vanity it self will appear in glory and that Holiness which should make us like unto God will be taken for a monster There will be honey on the Harlots lips and gall on Chastity a Lordship shall be more desirable then Paradise and three lives in that then eternity in Heaven Now God is God and if we do not Now fall down and worship him the next Now Baal will be God the World will be our God and the true God whom but now we acknowledged will not be in all our wayes The first Now the first opportunity is the best the next is most uncertain the next may be never But now if we will stand to distinguish times by the events as by their several faces the divers complexions they receive either from peace or trouble from prosperity or adversity then certainly the best time to turn to God is when he turneth his face to us cùm candidi fulgent soles when God shineth brightly upon our tabernacles and speaketh to us not out of the whirlwind but in a still voice when Plenty crowneth the Common-wealth and Peace shadoweth it when God appeareth to us not as Jupiter to Semele in thunder but as to Danae in a showre of gold It is best to open to him whilest he standeth as it were at the door and intreateth entrance and not stay till he knock with the hammer or break in upon us with his sword To turn to him now in this brightness will rather be an act of our Love then of our Fear and so make our Repentance a free-will-offering a sacrifice of a sweet smelling savour unto God This will make it evident that we understand the voice of his calling the language of his benefits the miracle which he worketh which is to cure our inward blindness with clay with these outward things that we may see to turn from our evil wayes unto the Lord. This is truly to prayse the Lord for all his benefits this is truly to honour him to bear our selves with that fear and reverence that we leave off to offend this God of blessings Negat beneficium qui non honorat he denieth he despiseth a blessing that doth not thus honour it Ingratitude is contumelious to God it is the bane of merit the defacer of goodness the sepulchre and the hell of all blessings for by it they are turned into a curse Ingratitude loatheth the light loatheth the land of Canaan and looketh for milk and honey in Egypt This is it the Prophets every where complain of that the people did enjoy the light of Gods countenance but by it walkt oh in their evil wayes and made no other use of it then this That they did per tantorum bonorum detrimenta Deum contemnere Ad Celantiam as Hierom speaketh lose the favour of God in their contempt and were made worse by that which should have turned them from being evil that being Gods pleasant plant Isa 5.7 they brought forth nothing but wilde grapes To apply this to our selves Dare we now look back to the former times What face can turn that way and not gather blackness God gave us light and we sâ—â—t our eyes against it He made us the envie and we were ambitious to make our selves the scorn of all nations He gave us milk and honey and we turned it into gall and bitterness He gave us plenty and peace and the one we loathed as the Jews did their Manna the other we abused Our Peace brought forth
wrote no more but this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Herode to Cassius Thou art mad So God may seem to send to his people GOD by his Prophet to the Israelites You are mad Therefore do my people run on in their evill wayes because they have no understanding Isa 5.13 For now look upon Death and that affrighteth us Look upon God and he exhorteth us Reflect upon our selves and we are an Israel a Church of God There is no cause of dying but not turning no cause of destruction but impenitency If we will not die we shall not die and if we will turn we cannot die at all If we die God passeth sentence upon us and condemneth us but killeth us not but perditio tua ex te Israel our destruction cometh from our selves It is not God it is not Death it self that killeth us but we die because we will Now by this touch and short descant on the words so much truth is conveyed unto us as may acquit and discharge God as no way accessory to our death And to make our passage clear and plain we will proceed by these steps or degrees and draw out these three Conclusions 1. That God is not willing we should die 2. That he is so far from willing our death that he hath plenteously afforded sufficient means of life and salvation which will bring in the third and last That if we die our death is voluntary that no other reason can be given of our death but our own will And the due consideration of these three may serve to awake our Shame as Death did our Fear which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orat. 20. as Nazianzene speaketh another help and furtherance to work out our salvation And that God is not willing we should die is plain enough first from the Obtestation or Expostulation it self secondly from the Nature of God who thus expostulateth For 1. Why will ye die is the voice of a friend not of an enemy He that asks me why I will die by his very question assureth me he intendeth not to destroy me God is not as man Numb 23.19 that he should lie What he worketh he worketh in the clear and open day His fire is kindled to enflame us his water floweth to purge and cleanse us his oyl is powred forth to supple us His commands are not snares nor his precepts accusations He stampeth not the Devil's face upon his coyn He willeth not what he made not Wisd 1.13 and he made not Death saith the Wise man He wisheth he desireth we should live he is angry and sorry if we die He looketh down upon us and calleth after us he exhorteth and rebuketh and even weepeth over us Luk. 19.41 as our Saviour did over Jerusalem And if we die we cannot think that he that is Life it self should kill us If we must die why doth he yet complain why doth he expostulate For if the Decree be come forth if we be lost already why doth he yet call after us How can a desire or command breathe in those coasts which the power of an absolute will hath laid waste already If he hath decreed we should die he cannot desire we should live but rather the contrary that his Decree be not void and of no effect Otherwise to pass sentence and irrevocable sentence of death and then bid us live is to look for liberty and freedome in Necessity for a sufficient effect from an unsufficient cause to command and desire that which himself had made impossible to ask a dead man why he doth not live and to speak to a carcass and bid it walk Indeed by some this Why will ye die is made but sancta simulatio a kind of holy dissimulation so that God with them setteth up Man as a mark and then sticketh his deadly arrows in his sides and after asketh him why he will die And Why may he not saith one with the same liberty damn a soul as a hunter killeth a deer A bloody instance As if an immortal soul which Christ set at a greater rate then the world itself nay then his own most pretious blood were in his sight of no more value then a beast and God were a mighty Nimrod and did destroy mens souls for delight and pleasure Thus though they dare not call God the Authour of sin for who is so sinful that could hear that and not anathematize it yet others and those no children in understanding think it a conclusion that will naturally and necessarily follow upon such bloody premisses And they are more encouraged by those ill-boding words which have dropt from their quills For say some Vocat ut induret He calleth them to no other end but that he may harden them He hardeneth them that he may destroy them He exhorteth them to turn that they may not turn He asketh them why they will die that they may run on in their evil wayes even upon Death it self When they break his command they fulfil his will and it is his pleasure they should sin it is his pleasure they should die And when he calleth upon them not to sin when he asketh them why they will die he doth but dissemble for they are dead already horribili decreto by that horrible antecedaneous decree of Reprobation And now tell me If we admit of this what is become of the Expostulation what use is there of the Obtestation why doth he yet ask Why will ye die I called it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a reason unanswerable But if this phansie this interpretation take place it is no reason at all Why will ye die The answer is ready and what other answer can a poor praecondemned soul make Domine Deus tu nôsti Lord God thou knowest Thou condemnedst us before thou madest us Thou didst destroy us before we were And if we die even so good Lord For it is thy good pleasure Fato volvimur It is our destiny Or rather Est Deus in nobis Not a Stoical Fate but thy right hand and thy strong irresistable arm hath destroyed us And so the Expostulation is answered and the Quare moriemini is nothing else but Mortui estis Why will ye die that is the Text The Gloss is Ye are dead already But in the second place that this Expostulation is true and hearty may be seen in the very nature of God who is Truth it self who hath but one property and quality saith Trismegistus and that is Goodness Therefore he cannot bid us live when he intendeth to kill us Consider God before Man had fallen from him by sin and disobedience and we shall see nothing but the works of Goodness and Love Psal 8.3 The heavens were the works of his fingers He created Angels and Men He spake the word and all was done Hom. in Famem siccitatem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Basil What necessity was there that he should thus break forth into action Who compelled
his Topick and hopeth it will melt him he beggeth of into compassion and yet he hath not power to unfold his hands to work that he may need no relief Grace soundeth in every ear and every ear is delighted with it and it is to them as the sound of a consecrated Bell is to the superstitious and they conceive it hath power to drive the Devil out of their coast whilst they not fall but run into those temptations which they might have overcome by that Grace they talkt of What speak we of these Even they who have a great name for learning and are of the first rank and file have not brought it forth â—o the Sun and to the people in that simplicity and nakedness that upon the first sight they may say This is it Sometimes it is an infused Habit sometimes it is a Motion or Operation sometimes they know not how to distinguish it from Faith and Charity It is one and the same yet it is manifold It exciteth and stirreth us up it worketh in us and it worketh with us it preventeth and followeth us And thus they handle Grace as the Philosophers do the Soul they tell us what wonders it worketh but not its essence they tell us what it doth but not plainly what it is But let us take it in its most plain and vulgar sense for that special and supernatural assistance which promoteth and upholdeth us in that course and those actions which carry us on to a supernatural end but not shut out that Grace of God by Christ Jesus by which we are justified which in Scripture is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Grace and favour of God and in most places is opposed to the Works of the Law nor those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those gifts and graces as Quickness of wit Depth of understanding and the like nor Gods Mercies by which we are so often intreated nor his promises which do even woo and allure us nor any beams of the glory of that Gospel which are all agents and instruments in working us out a crown in bringing us to that end for which we were made and designed And he that shall look back upon these cannot conceive that God will shorten his hand and be deficient and wanting to us in that help and assistance which is fit and necessary for us in this our race that he will speak to us by his Son speak to us by his blood speak to us by his mercies speak to us from heaven and then leave us as the Ostrich doth her young ones in the sand open to injuries and temptations naked and without help to defend us against that violence which may tread us to death This certainly cannot consist with his Justice and his Goodness Rom. 8.32 who having given us Christ will with him give us all things for how should it be otherwise saith S. Paul who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not Jam. 1.5 saith S. James To pretend a want of Grace and assistance from God what is it but to cast all our imperfections upon him as well as upon Adam as if we sinned and were defective in our duty not through our own negligence and corrupt and perverse wills but because God refused to give us strength to do it gave us a Law and left us in fetters bid us go and meet him in our obedience 2 Sam. 19.26 when we were as lame as Mephibosheth and had no servant to help us as if the heavens were as brass and denied their influence and God did on purpose hide himself and withdraw his grace that we might fall from him and perish And therefore Hilary passeth this heavy censure upon it Impiae est voluntatis It is the sign of a wicked heart and one quite destitute of those graces and riches which are the proper inheritance of believing Christians to pretend they therefore want them because they were not given them of God A dangerous errour it is And we have reason to fear it hath sunk many a soul to that supine carelessness and deadness from whence they could never rise again For this is one of the wiles of our enemy to make use not onely of the flying and fading vanities of this world but even of the best graces of God to file and hammer them and make them snares and so work temptations out of that which should strengthen us against them Faith is suborned to keep out Charity the spirit of Truth is named to lead us into errour and the power of Gods Grace hath lost its authority and energy by our unsavoury and fruitless panegyricks We hear the sound and name of it we bless and applaud it but the power of it is lost not visible in any motion in any action in any progress we make in those wayes in which alone Grace will assist us It floateth on the tongue but never moveth either heart or hand Non est bonae solidae fidei omnia ad voluntatem Dei referre ut non intelligamus aliquid esse in nobis ipsis Tertull Exhort ad castitatem For do we not lie still in our graves expecting till this trump will sound Do we not cripple our selves in hope of a miracle Do we not settle upon our lees and say God can draw us out wallow in our blood because he can wash us as white as snow Do we not love our sickness because we have so skilful a Physician and since God can do what he will do what we please This is a great evil under the Sun and one principal cause of all that evil that is upon the earth It maketh us stand still and look on and delight in it and leave it to God alone and his power to remove it as if it concerned us not at all and it were too daring an attempt for us mortals the sons of Adam to purge and clense that Augean stable which we our selves have filled with dung as if Gods Wisdom and Justice did not move at all and his Mercy and Power were alone busie in the work of our salvation Busie to save the adulterer 1 Cor. 6.15 for though he be the member of an harlot yet when God will he shall be made a member of Christ to save the seditious for though he now breath nothing but hail-stones and coals of fire yet a time will come where he shall be made peaceable whether he will or no to save them who resolve to go on in their sin for God can check them when he please and bring them back to obedience and holiness in a word 2 Pet. 2.3 to save them whose damnation sleepeth not I may say with the Father Vtinam mentirer Would to God in this I were a lier But we have too much probability to induce us to believe it as a truth that they who are so ready to publish the free and irresistible power of God's Grace and call it his honour dishonour him more
To whatsoever it turneth it self it turneth from that which it first lookt upon and loseth one engagement in another because it cannot fit and apply it self to both How then can one and the same man bestow himself upon Christ and upon the World It is not with the Will and Affections as it is with the Intellectual faculty The Understanding may easily sever one thing from another and understand them both nay it hath power to abstract and separate things really the same and consider them in this difference but it is the property of the Will and Affections in unum ferri se in unitatem colligere to collect and unite and become one with the Object Nor can our Desires be carried to two contrary objects at one and the same time We may apprehend Christ as righteous and holy and the World and the Riches of it as Vanity it self but we cannot at once serve Christ as just and holy and love the World and the vanities thereof Our Saviour telleth us we shall love the one and hate the other lean to the one and despise the other If it be a love to the one it will be at best but a liking of the other if it be a will to the one it will be but a velleity to the other if it be a look on the one it will be but a glance on the other And this Liking this Velleity this glance are no better then Disservice then Hatred and Contempt For these proceed from my Understanding but my Love from my Will which is fixed not where I approve but where I choose It is easie to say and we say it too often for the Divil is ready to suggest it It is true we set our affections upon things below but yet so that we do not omit the duties of Divine worship We are willing to please men but we doubt not but we may please Christ also We are indeed time servers but we are frequent hearers of the Word We pour oyl into our brothers ears but we drop sometimes a peny into the Treasury Thus we please others and we please our selves we betray others and are our own parasites But Christ is ready to seal our lips with an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 No man can serve two Masters So that you see what a weak foundation that Hope hath which is thus built up upon a divided Love and Service It is built in the air nay it hath not so sure a basis it is built upon nothing it is raised upon Impossibility Secondly the Servant must have his eye upon his Master and as he seeth him do must do likewise Isai 62.10 Now Christ is called Gods Servant and he broke through Poverty Disgrace and the terrours of Death it self that he might do his Fathers will omitted no tittle or Iota of it But he that would not break a bruised reed shook the cedars of Libanus pronounced as many woes to the Pharisees as they had sins called Herod Fox pluckt off every visour plowed up every conscience and thus shook the powers of Hell Joh. 6.38 and destroyed the Kingdome of Satan for he came not to do his own but his Fathers will Look upon his acts of Mercy even them he did not to please men De Trin. l. 2. Non habent Divina adulationem saith Hilary His Divine works his works of Love and Compassion had nothing of Flattery in them Joh 8 50. He did them not as seeking his own glory For he had a quire of Angels to chant his praise He did them not to flatter men For he needed not that which is ours Psal 24.1 50.12 for the world was his and all that therein is Power cannot flatter and Mercy is so intent on its work that it thinketh of nothing else To work wonders to please men were the greatest wonder of all And thus should we look upon him and teach our brethren as he wrought miracles not for praise which may make us worse not for riches which may make us poorer then we were 2 Cor. 2.10 5.20 but beseech them in Christs stead and in the person of Christ and speak like him in whose mouth there was neither flattery nor gâ—ile speak the truth though it dispease speak the truth though the Heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing speak the truth though for ought we know it may be the last word we speak speak the truth though it nayl us to the cross where we shall most resemble him with this title THE SERVANTS OF CHRIST as his was THE KING OF THE JEWS He that taketh nothing but his name that serveth the world that flattereth when he biddeth him rebuke and pleaseth others when they displease Christ is not his servant but his enemy one of those many Antichrists or if his servant such a servant as Peter was when he denied him as Judas when he betrayed him And he will take it for more disservice to betray him in his members then in his person and is troubled more at the sight of those wounds which were made in his mystical body then he was at those which were made in his flesh He willingly suffered the pains of death that they might not die Isa 53.7 Himself was lead to death as a sheep to the slaughter and opened not his mouth Acts 8.32 Acts 8.3 9.4 but when he saw havock made of his Church he cryed out Saul Saul why persecutest thou me And in this every false Teacher is worse then Peter when he was at the worst every flatterer is worse then Judas every seducer is worse then the Jews when they nayled Christ to the cross For lastly Servus pro nullo est A Servant is nothing is no person in law hath no power of his own Servitus morti aequiparatur say the Civilians A Servant is as a dead man and cannot act nor move of himself but is actuated as it were by the power and command of his Lord and Master and never goeth but when he saith Go never doth but what he biddeth him do and doth not interpret but execute his will Non oportet villicum plus sapere quà m dominum saith Columella It is a most unfit and disadvantageous thing for the Farmer or Husbandman to be wiser then his Lord. For when the Lord commandeth one thing and the Servant thinketh it fitter to do another the crop and harvest will be but thin And it is so in our spiritual Husbandry It savoureth of too much boldness and presumption for the Servant to be wiser then his Master and there will be but small increase when the Master calleth for the whip and the Servant bringeth the merry harp and the lute when he calleth for a talent to reckon but a mite and when he writeth an hundred to take the bill and set down fifty It is the greatest folly in the world to be thus wise when wisdome it self prescribeth when he condemneth the Love of
in the world Behold the Profane Gallant who walketh and talketh away his life Malunt Remp. turbari quà m comam Sen. who divideth himself between the comb and the glass and had rather the Common-wealth should flie in pieces then one hair of his periwig should be out of its place whom we bow and cringe and fall down to as to a golden Calf I tell you the meanest Artizan that worketh with his hands even he that grindeth at the mill is more honourable then he Take the speculative phantastick Zelote the Christian Pharisee that shutteth himself up between the ear and the tongue between hearing much and speaking more and doing contrary the worst Anchorete in the world bring full of oppression deceit and bitterness I may be bold to say The vilest person he that sitteth with the dogs of your flock Job 30.1 Phil. 3.18 is more honourable more righteous then he and of such as these S. Paul spake often and he spake it weeping that they did walk but walk as enemies to the cross of Christ. Let then every man move in his own sphere orderly 1 Cor. 7.20 abide in the calling wherein he is called And in the last place that we may move with the first Mover Christ the Beginner and Authour of our Walk let us take him along with us in all our wayes Heb. 12.28 hearken what Christ Jesus the Lord will say that we may walk before him with reverence and godly fear Psal 85.8 Exod. 37.9 Not SICVT VIDIMVS as we have seen but look we upon one another as the two Cherubims touching and moving one another but with the Ark of the testimony in the midst betwixt us and by that either inciting or correcting one another in our walk Nor SICVT VISVM FVERIT as it shall seem good in our own eyes for nothing can be more deceitful then our own thoughts Nor SICVT VISVM SPIRITVI S. as every Spirit may move us which we call Holy for it may be a lying spirit and â—ead us out of our way into those evils which grieve that blessed Spirit whose name we have thus presumptuously taken in vain But SICVT ACCEPIMVS as we have received Christ Jesus Let us joyn example with the Word and it will be no more as a meteor to mislead us but a bright morning-star to direct us to Christ Correct our Phansie by the Rule and it will be sanctum cogitatorium an alembick an holy elaboratory of such thoughts as may fly as the doves to the windows of heaven And last of all try the Spirit by the Word for the Word is nothing else but the breathing and voice of the Spirit and then thou shalt be baptized with the Spirit and fire The Spirit shall enlighten thee Matth. 3.11 John 16.13 and the Spirit shall purge and cleanse thee and lead thee into all truth The Spirit shall breathe comfort and strength into thee in this thy walk and pilgrimage and thou shalt walk from strength to strength Psal 84.7 from virtue to virtue even till thou come to thy journeyes end to thy Father's house to that Sabbath and rest which remaineth to the people of God Hebr. 4.9 A SERMON Preached at the Funeral of THE RIGHT WORSHIPFUL Sir George Whitmore Knight Sometime Lord Mayor of the City of LONDON Who departed this life Decemb. 12. 1654. at his house at Bawmes in MIDDLESEX PSAL. CXIX 19. I am a stranger in the earth hide not thy commandments from me THis Psalm is a Psalm of David So S. Augustine and Hilary and others or gathered by him or out of him And it is nothing else but a collection of Prayers and Praises a body of devout ejaculations which the Greek Fathers call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lively sparkles breathed forth from a heart on fire and even sick with love And they fly so thick that observation can hardly take the order of them The method of Devotion followeth and keepeth time with the motion of the Heart which is as various and different as those imprâ—ssions which Joy or Grief Fear or Hope make in it Which either contract and bind it up and then it struggleth and laboureth within it self and conceiveth sighs and grones which cannot be expressed or breaketh forth into complaints and strong supplications v. 39. v. 77. Take away the rebuke that I fear Let thy tender mercies come unto me that I may live and the like or else dilate and open it and then it leapeth out of it self and breatheth it self forth with exultation and triumph in songs of praise and Hallelujahs v. 57. v. 97. v. 72. O Lord thou art my portion O how I love thy Law The Law of thy mouth is better unto me then thousands of gold and silver In this verse which I have read unto you and chosen as the fittest subject for this present occasion the Heart having looked abroad out of it self and reflected back into it self draweth out in it self the Picture of a Stranger or a Pilgrime and having well lookt upon it with the serious eye of Contemplation which is the heart of the Heart and the soul of the Soul having surveyed the place of its habitation how frail and ruinous it is as a tent subject to the winds beat upon by every storm and at last to be removed it goeth out of it self and seeketh for shelter under the shadow of Gods wing sendeth forth strong desires for supply and support in hoc inquilinatûs sui tempore as Tertullian speaketh in this time of its so journing and pilgrimage for that supply which is most answerable to the condition of a stranger upon earth and which may best conduct him to the place for which he was born and bound He asketh not for Riches they have wings Prov. 23 5. and will fly away and leave him in his walk or if they stay with him they will but mock and delude him Not for Honour that is but a breath but air and may breathe upon him at one stage and at the next leave him but never forward him in his way Not for Delightful vanities these are but ill companions and will lead him out of his way The best supply for a stranger here upon earth is from heaven from the place not where he sojourneth but to which he is going the best convoy the will and commandments of God the word of God the best lantern to his feet Psal 119.105 Whilest these are in his eye and heart he shall pass by slippery places and not fall he shall pass through fire and water he shall walk upon the Lion and the Asp Psal 66.12 91.13 he shall meet with with flattering objects and loath them with terrours and contemn them use the world as if he used it not be in poverty 1 Cor. 7.31 and yet not poor in affliction but not distrest in many a storm and pass through and rejoyce in it live in the world and
you what it was that made John a burning and what a shining light And here I need not tell you that he was a Prophet and more then a Prophet He was fibula Legis Evangelii as Tertullian calleth him the hasp which tied together the Law and the Gospel the middle Prophet which looked back upon the Truth obscurely shadowed in figures and types and looked forward on Christ that at the very voice of Christ's mother he sprang in his mother's womb prophetavit antequam natus erat and was a Prophet before he was a man Our Saviour here calleth him a burning light Supernatural illumination might have been enough to have made him a light to others but not to burn in himself Even Saul was amongst the Prophets and Caiaphas did prophesie and Baalam fell into a trance saw the vision of the Almighty took up his parable and breathed forth a prophesie a prophesie of as large a compass and extent as any we find in Scripture and yet he loved the wages of unrighteousness Even these were moved by the holy Ghost and spake as they were moved but were not holy men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Basil but the word of Prophesie came unto them by way of dispensation not for any purity or worth of theirs but for the present exigence and occasion and the instruction of others He that opened Balaams eyes opened also the Asses mouth to rebuke him All these may be called lights but we cannot say they burned or if they did not with any fire from heaven For Knowledge whether natural or supernatural whether gained by way of conclusion out of premisses or by the evidence of the things themselves or by Divine inspiration and extraordinary radiation is not alwaies accompanied with this heat and fire because the acts or reception of the Understanding are rather natural and necessary then arbitrary and the mind of man cannot but receive the species and forms of things as they are presented and imprinted either by the object it self or by a Divine supernatural hand In a word if the Truth open and display it self the Understanding cannot but receive it If the Spirit come upon Saul he must prophesie These radiations and flashes of light upon the Understanding do not alwayes make us burn within our selves but many times are darted on us when there is a frost at the heart when we are bound up and sealed as it were in our graves in a kind of Lethargy without heat or activity Every knowing man doth not love the truth which he knoweth nor is every Prophet a Saint Scire nihil aut parùm operatur ad virtutem saith the Philisopher Knowledge of it self bringeth no great store of fuel to this fire nor doth it conduce to the essence of Virtue For we do not define Virtue by Knowledge It may direct and illuminate but it doth not alwaies warm us it may help to fan this fire but it is not that heat with which we burn What is it then that made John Baptist and maketh every righteous man a burning light Not the Knowledge alone though it were supereminent but the Love of Truth For the Understanding is at best but a Counsellor to the Will It may call upon me to awake and I fold my arms to sleep It may speak as an oracle of God and I reject its counsel It may say This is the way when I run counter It may breathe upon my heart and no fire burn But when the Will is so truly affected with the Truth as to woo and imbrace it when I am willing to lay down my life for it then there is a fire in my bones and this fire doth melt me and this liquefaction transform me and this transformation unite and marry me to the Truth And this is that fire with which we burn which maketh this holy conflagration in us And indeed it hath the operation of Fire For first as Fire it is full of activity nor can any thing withstand its force It hath voracitatem toto mundo avidissimam as Pliny speaketh It is the most devouring thing in the world Nihil tam ferreum quod non amoris igne vincitur saith Augustine There is nothing so hard or difficult which it doth not overcome It esteemeth iron as straw and brass as rotten wood Be it Service it is a glorious liberty Be it seven years it is but a few dayes to Love Be it Disgrace it enobleth it Be it Poverty it enricheth it Be it Torment it sweetneth it Be it Death for the Truth 's sake it is made advantage and gain O beloved that the voice of power so soon shaketh us that the glittering of a sword the horrour of a prison a frown so soon loosneth our joynts abateth our courage that we either halt between God and Baal or plainly fall from the Truth is because we are but coldly affected to it If this fire were kindled in us it would make Persecution peace enlighten a prison and make Horrour it self an object of glory and joy That which is a tempest to others to them that love is a pleasant and prosperous gale Secondly as Fire it is very sensible and maketh us even to burn within us and to be restless and unquiet for the Truth 's sake Inquies animus ipso opere pascitur as Livy spake of himself It is fed with what it doeth and as that restless element it either spreadeth or dieth It is kindled from heaven and will lick up all the water all contrary matter 2 Cor. 5.13 as the fire did which Elijah called down Whether we be besides our selves or whether we be sober it is for the Truth 's sake Love urgeth and constraineth us driveth us upon the pricks upon any difficulty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Gordius the Martyr in Basil What loss am I at that die but once for the Truth In labours more abundant in stripes above measure in prison more frequent saith S. Paul And could he do no more Yes he could Vbi historiam praestare non potuit votum attulit What he could not do to fill up an history he supplieth with a wish and maketh it his prayer for the good of the Church Rom. 9. to be cut off from the Church pro Christo non habere Christum for Christ's sake to be separate from Christ And to speak truth in this Love differeth from Fire Fire will die if it want fuel but Love will live in that breast where it was first kindled and where it meeteth not with matter to work upon it burneth the more for want of it When it cannot fight with the Philistine not encounter Satan with his fiery darts not slight him in the pomp of the world not contemn him in his terrours it striveth and strugleth with it self and supposeth and frameth difficulties Nihil imperiosius charitate Nothing is more powerful nor commanding then Love And yet when it hath done all supposed all it is content
neither with possibilities nor events sed plus vult posse quà m omnia it would do more then it is able more then all more then it doeth more then it can do And then tell me what a spark is our Love Christ indeed came to kindle it but it is scarce visible on the earth Last of all as Fire Love ascendeth and mounteth upwards even to the Holy place to the bosome of God himself It came from heaven and towreth towards it For he that abideth in love dwelleth in God and God in him saith S. John Here it is as out of its sphere and element and never at rest nor at home but in God In a word where this love is there is the good will of him who dwelt in the bush Where this love is there the lamp burneth and all is on fire Amor fons caput omnium affectionum saith Martin Luther Love is the source and original of all other affections It setteth our Anger on fire and putteth the spear into Phinehas his hand It setteth our Sorrow a bleeding and maketh rivers of water gush from our eyes It maketh our Fear watchful that we may work out our salvation with trembling It exalteth our Joy Oh how I rejoyced saith David when they said unto me We will go into the house of the Lord It raiseth our Hope even to hope above hope It mixeth and incorporateth it self with every passion Our Love with Anger is Zeal with Fear Jealousie with Hope Confidence with Sorrow Repentance and with Joy it is Heaven And thus by the Love of the Truth the man of God is made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Chrysostom speaketh a man of fire conquering all difficulties and consumed by none He standeth in the midst of scoffs and derision and detraction and of all temptations as in the midst of a field of stubble or dry flax or straw and is not hurt at all They that come near him do but sindge and torment themselves as thorns crackle and make a noise and vanish into smoke and the man is safe Such a burning light such a man of fire was John the Baptist who bare witness to the Truth and for the love of the Truth lost both his liberty and his life who preached it in the womb and preached it in the wilderness who preached it by living and preached it by dying and preached being dead S. Chrysostom telleth us that he spake most when his head was off In a word the love of Truth did so enflame him that he may seem what the Rabbies phansie of Elijah in whose spirit he came to have sucked not-milk but flames of fire from his mothers breasts And so much for his Burning Now in the next place as he burned with the love of Truth so he shined also by the manifestation of it which was as the spreading and displaying of his beams As he was hot within so he was resplendent without As he had this fire within himself so there was a scintillation and corruscation on others And it was visible in his severity of life in his raiment in his fasting in his doctrine in his boldness in reprehending the Pharisees and Saduces in his laying the axe to the very root of the trees in fulfilling of all righteousness For we must not conceive of this fire as S. Basil phansieth of the elementary fire that God did divide and sunder the two qualities of Heat and Light of Burning and Shining and placed the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the burning quality in hell where the fire burneth but shineth not and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the shining quality in heaven which shineth but burneth not This was but a phansie though of a learned and judicious man No where this fire is there will be light nor can we sever them The Knowledge indeed of Truth many times breatheth in no other coasts then where it was conceived may dwell in a cloister or a wilderness in men qui non possunt pati solem multitudinem who cannot walk the common wayes Saints indeed in private but of no publick use but yet even here is some light in the wilderness in a cell or grott But when to the Knowledge of Truth we have added the Love of Truth our heart will wax hot within us and the fire will burn and we who before was possest with a dumb spirit do speak with the tongue yea cannot but speak the things which we have heard and seen then we cannot contain our selves within our selves but have those glorious eruptions then we shine upon others who burn in our selves As the heat is such is the light as the burning within such the shining without When we shine alone in mere out-ward performances in the pomp of devotion in the rolling of the eye in the lifting up of the ear in the motion of the tongue in the extermination of the countenance it is but a false and a momentary light but as the light of a glo-worm in the night which proceedeth from some other cause not from heat It may be a flash of Ambition or some scintillation of Vain-glory or the very sparkles of Faction and like lightning dum micat extinguitur it is extinguished in the very flâ—sh When we burn alone when we cast not forth beams but breathe forth hail-stones and coals of fire when we wax hot as an oven but cast forth no light at all when we lash the iniquities of the times and are our selves those fools on whose back the whip should be laid when we cry down sin and are men of Belial when all the heat is for Religion and all the light we see is Faction and Rapine it is too plain that we burn but we are set on fire by hell For if the heat be kindly the light will be glorious If it be from heaven it will not feed it self with earth and the things of this world If our light be manifest and permanent if our light so shine that men may see it and for it glorifie the Fountain of light it must needs proceed ab intimo pleno fervore devotionis from this inward burning from this true and full heat of Devotion Where there is heat there is light and where there is light there is heat And these two Heat and Light seem to contend for superiority Quo calidior radius lucidior The more hot the beams are the more light there is And this Light reflecteth upon the Heat to make it more intense and the Heat hath an operation upon the Light to make it more radiant and by a reciprocal influence on each other they are multiplyed every day My Love of the Truth spreadeth my Holiness and maketh it known unto all men and my holy Conversation dilateth and improveth my Love of the Truth My Love of the Truth maketh me increase and abound more and more and the nearer I draw to perfection I do the more and more love the Truth The more I burn the
of Josiah saith the Wise-man is like a perfume as hony in all mens mouths and as musick at a banquet of wine For as these take and delight the Sense so doth Goodness the Reason If John Baptist burn and shine the light shall shine in glory and the eye which is ready to close it self against it yet shall for a while look up upon it with delight This is the activity of this Light and the power and energy of Truth and Goodness Now in the next place there is in the nature of Man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a flitting humour which cannot hold out long We may sooner number the atomes of the world then the motions and fluctuations of our heart now leaping anon dead now delighting in the light and by and by ready to put it out It is not onely as S. Paul saith What I do that I would not do but. What I would that I will not What I desire that I refuse and almost in one and the same moment At the first tast it is honey at the second gall and at a third honey again and then again as bitter as Death We never continue at one stay All the delight we take is but for a season Now we seal our determinations with an EXPEDIT approve them as very expedient and anon check them with a NON LICET renounce them as altogether unlawful Now the ground and cause of this change is either from imperfect information at the first and then it is not Inconstancy but the Alteration of our mind as Tully commendeth Antiochus that what he stiffly defended in his younger dayes he as sharply condemned in his age poenituit illum illa sensisse then it much repented him that he had ever been of that opinion Or it proceedeth as it did here in the Jewes from some inconvenience not foreseen but now fully apprehended not that they did not see the light but that it discovered something which they were unwilling to see The piety the severity the power of John Baptist both in word and deed were as evident as the Sun beams but his boldness in reprehending them his doctrine of Repentance his pointing out to Christ with the finger as to their Messias whom they accounted but a common man this swallowed up their delight in victory and wrought a distast in them of him whom they could not but commend And thus it fareth with us We rejoyce in Truth and Holiness so far as they will comply with our desires mount with our Ambition bow down with our Covetousness flatter our Lust where finding them sometimes going along with us a mile we compel them to go two even to the end of our desires that if we cannot beg applause from our thoughts we may at least procure their silence that if they will not say unto us Euge they may not say Anathema in a word that if we cannot keep joy it self we may at least retain its shadow For again secondly they delighted not in the Light and in the Truth for it self for then no question their delight would have been longer lived but for some by-respect as hoping that John was either that Messias that was to come or could tell them news of another But when he shewed them a Messias in the form of a servant whom they had shaped to themselves as a Captain and a Conquerour their content soon ended in dislike and their delight in displeasure Thus it often falleth out that one passion swalloweth up another the stronger the weaker that Anger which is high doth quench that Love which is not so intense In the course of our life it is so In sin we do but versuram facere borrow of our Covetousness to satisfie our Lust of our Ambition to supply our Revenge For one vice many times falleth cross with another Without spending my money I cannot enter the foolish woman's house nor without pawning my Honour wade to Revenge And it is so in virtue I cannot be temperate but I must curb my appetite I cannot be chast but I must bridle my lust I cannot sight on the Spirit 's side but I must beat down the Flesh And it is so here The love of one object abateth the love of another especially if it smile upon it If we are willing to be deceived we shall not long rejoyce in that light which sheweth the imposture If the Jews dote on a temporal Kingdom John Baptist's light cannot please them long because it discovereth a Kingdom of another form and polity a Kingdom which is not of this world We may suppose that the emphasis of the censure lieth in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they delighted but for a season but it reacheth to the light it self and their rejoycing in it For this made their errour wilful and their ignorance of Christ inexcusable The very means we have to avoid errour maketh it the fouler and the light sheweth us the mark which is set up and if we press not to it our shame To be ready harnessed and then turn our backs maketh our cowardise more notorious Righteousness like the morning dew is exhaled and drawn up by the wrath of God and powred down on our heads in vengeance Delight inviteth us to improve it and may be heightned into a Resolution and beginnings may bring us to the end Felix's trembling might have ended in the Fear of God Agrippa's Almost in a perfect man in Christ Jesus and the Jews rejoycing in the light of John Baptist might have led them to that true Light which lightneth every man that cometh into the world Thus I have opened unto you a large field full of delightful and profitable objects John Baptist burning and John Baptist shining and the Jews rejoycing a bright and burning lamp set up and the Jews delighting in it delighting in it though they were Jews and being Jews delighting in it but for a season We have but led you through it for the time would not permit to stay and build a tabernacle a more full or larger discourse We will detain you no longer but whilest we adde a word or two for application and so leave all to be enlarged by your private meditations Ye have now seen the glorious lustre of John the Baptist and we need adde no more for application For as Nazianzene speaketh of Cyprian the Deacon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But to remember him is a fair invitation to the love of truth and to Holiness for being dead he yet speaketh to every one of us whether Preacher or Hearer Priest or People For in this there is no distinction though profane men are willing to make one and urge this as a good argument He is a Priest a Preacher therefore he must be a lamp a burning and shining light whilest themselves take the liberty to be stocks and stones Idols or as dry as the stump of a tree fit to make nothing but firebrands A strange conceit that Salvation should
sport in the wayes which we have chosen as the little fishes do in the river Jordan till at last they fall into the Dead sea Our word is as vain and mortal as our selves but God's word standeth for evermore I will not press this further in this place and I hope there is no need I should For I hope better things of you that not Faction which the Devil raiseth here on earth but true Religion which God sent down from above shall now and at all times teach you how to make your choice I will conclude with that with which I should have begun the Coherence of my Text with the first verse For this is a consequent of that and we are therefore exhorted to set our affections upon things above because we are risen with Christ. For without this manifestation there is no Resurrection If we be still earthly-minded we are not risen with him In other things it is natural when we rise to shew our selves If we rise to honour you may see us in the streets like Agrippa and Bernice in the Acts with great pomp If we rise in our estates you may see it in our next purchase If in knowledge which is a rising from the grave of Ignorance then Scire tuum nihil est we are sick till we vent And shall we manifest and publish our rising in the world and not our rising with Christ Shall Dives appear in purple and Herod in his royal apparel shall the rich fool be known by his barns and every scribler be in print and may we rise and yet lye in our Graves rise with Christ and yet lie buried alive in the earth rise with him and have no affection to the things above rise with him and yet be slaves and captives to that world which by rising he overcame This were to conceal nay to bury the Resurrection it self Nay rather since we are risen with him let the same mind be in us which was also in Christ Jesus the Lord. Let us be seen in our march Walk before God in the land of the living Look upon the things above Converse with Cherubim and Seraphim Count the things on the earth but dung Let us look upon the World as an enemy and overcome it that the last enemy Death may be destroyed Let us begin to make our bodies what we believe they shall be spiritual bodies that the body being subdued to the Spirit it may appear we are risen with Christ here and when he shall come again to judge both the quick and the dead we may have our second resurrection to that glory which is reserved above for us in the highest heavens for evermore The Tenth SERMON PART I. PROV XXIII 23. Buy the truth and sell it not also wisdome and instruction and understanding IT will not be worth the while to seek out the coherence of these words with the precedent sentences or proverbs For this would be a vain curiosity to seek what is not to be found 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to plow the winds and which was imputed as folly to Caligula conari quod effici posse negatur to busie our selves in doing that which cannot be done The words are plain and they present you with a merchandise which far excelleth all other and hath one property which is not seen in any other merchandise It must be bought but not be sold It is an observation of Tullie's De offic l. 2. c. 42. That those tradesmen who buy of the merchant to sell again are commonly but a sordid and base kind of people nihil enim proficiunt saith he nisi admodum mentiantur They get nothing except they lie for advantage I am not experienced in the truth of this But we see here the wisest of men doth more then intimate that they who buy the Truth to sell it again are guilty of much baseness and profit nothing unless they lie strenuously For what but a Lie can be gained by parting with the Truth since whatsoever is not truth must needs be a lie And in this again appeareth another main difference betwixt our spiritual thrift and thriving in the world For old Cato an excellent husband for the world and one who writ of Husbandry giveth us a rule quite contrary to our Text Patremfamilias vendacem De Rè rusti◠cap. 2. non emacem oportet To buy is an argument of want to sell a sign of store Wherefore a good husband will endeavour so to abound that he may be ready to sell to supply the necessities of others rather then to buy to make up his own But ye see here Solomon a more excellent husband for the Truth then Cato was for the World giveth us a rule quite contrary to his Emaces esse oportet non vendaces Selling is no part of our spiritual husbandry there is nothing here but buying He that selleth the Truth or parteth with it upon any terms whatsoever giveth great cause to suspect that he is in danger to decoct and break Which that we may better perceive and understand let us enter upon the words of the Wise-man and see what instructions they will afford us First the merchandise presenteth it self and we must look upon it and consider what Truth it is that is here meant Secondly the nature and quality of the merchandise which will set a value and price upon it Thirdly we shall observe Neminem casu sapere That we cannot find Truth by chance neither will it fall upon us as a dream in the night but we must go towards it lay out something for it and purchase it Fourthly we shall find it necessary to enquire What it is to buy the Truth Fifthly and lastly we shall shew how the Truth may be sold These particulars without tort or violence naturally of their own accord arise from the Text Which in the general is divided as the Jews divided the Law into DOE and DOE NOT. The first part is affirmative Buy the Truth the second negative Sell it not Of these in their order First we must enquire What Truth is Aristotle defining Goodness telleth us it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod omnia appetunt that which the appetite and desire of all is carried to And if I defining Truth should tell you that Verum est quod omnes fugiunt Truth is that which all men are afraid of I think I should not speak much amiss For I find St. Augustine thus speaking to his auditours Quod non vultis audire verum est Do ye enquire what Truth is That which ye will not hear that which with all my pains and zeal I cannot perswade you to That is Truth In the Gospel we read that Pilate asked our Saviour John 18.38 What is Truth but when he had said this he went out saith the Text. He thought the answer would not be worth the staying for Many like Pilate are content to ask what Truth is and when they have done go their way
a Lawyer or an Husbandman in the grave But the Truth here as it must be bought so it must never be sold by us It will not leave us at our death but lie down with us in the grave and rise up with us to judgment At the last day it will be our Advocate or our Judge and either acquit or condemn us If now in this our day we lay out our money our substance that is our selves upon it then in that terrible day of the Lord it will look lovelily upon us and as the bloud of Christ doth speak good things for us But if we place it under our brutish desires and lowest affections it will help the Devil to roar against us and he who now hindereth our market will then accuse us for not buying Christ himself is not more gracious then this Truth will be to them that buy it But such as esteem it trash and not worth the looking on to them shall it procure tribulation and anguish to them the Sun turned into darkness and the Moon into bloud the whole world on fire the voice of the Archangel and the trump of God shall not be so terrible as this Truth And now before I was aware I have told you what the Truth here is that we are to buy Shall I say with the Poet cujus non audeo dicere nomen that I dare not utter its name It hath no name Men it seemeth have been afraid to speak of it and therefore have given it no name The Wise-man here in the Text bestoweth on it certain titles calling it Wisdom and Instruction and Vnderstanding but all these do not fully express it being words of a large signification and comprehending a multitude of other Truths beside it Will ye know indeed what this Truth is It containeth all those Precepts and conclusions that concern the knowledge and service of God that conduce to virtue and integrity and uprightness of life and that are carefully observed by all quos Deus in aeternae felicitatis exemplis posuit whom God meaneth to bring to endless felicity and to place among the ensamples of his love If this Truth doth not manage and guide the Will then our passions those pages of opinion and errour will distract and disorder us Lust will inflame us Anger swell us Ambition lift us up to that formidable height from whence we must needs fall into the pit But the Truth casteth down all Babels and casteth out all false imaginations which present unto us appearances for realities yea plagues for peace which make us pour out our souls on variety of unlawful objects and pitifully deceive us about the nature and end of things What a price doth Luxury set on wealth and how doth it abhor poverty and nakedness What an heaven is the highest place to Ambition and what an hell disgrace though it be for goodness it self How doth a jewel glitter in the eye and what a slur is there on virtue What brightness hath the glory of the world and how sad and sullen an aspect have Religion and Piety And all this is till the purchase be made which our Text commendeth No sooner have we bought the Truth but it discovereth all pulleth off every masque and suffereth us no longer to be blinded and beguiled but sheweth us the true face and countenance of things It letteth us see vanity in riches folly in honour death and destruction in the pomp of this world It maketh poverty a blessing misery a mercy a cottage as good as the Seragglio and death it self a passage to an happy eternity It taketh all things by the right end Exod. 4.4 and teacheth us how to handle and deal with them as Moses taking the serpent by the tail had it restored to its own shape In a word the Truth here meant is that which S. Augustine calleth legem omnium artium artem omnipotentis artificis a Law to direct all arts an Art taught by Wisdom it self by the Maker of all things It teacheth us to love God with all our hearts to believe in him and to lead upright lives It killeth in us the root of sin it extinguisheth all lusts it maketh us tread under foot pleasure and honour and wealth it rendreth us deaf to the noyse of this busie world and blind to that glaring pomp which dazleth the eyes of others Hâc praeeunte seculi fluctus calcamus It goeth before us in our way and through all the surges of this present world it bringeth us to the vision and fruition of him who is Truth it self Therefore this concerneth us above all other Truths yea others are of no use at all further then by being subservient to this they help us to our chief end our union to God who is the first Truth and our communion with him If I know mine own infirmities what need I trouble my self about the decay of the world If the word of God be powerful in me what need I search the secret operations of the stars Am I desirous to know new things The best novelty is the New creature What folly it is to study the state and condition of the Saints and in the mean time to take no pains to be one to be curiously inquisitive how my soul was conveyed into me and wretchedly careless how it goeth out to dispute who is Antichrist when I my self am not a Christian to spend that time in needless controversies in which I might make my peace with God to be more careful to resolve a doubt then to cure a wounded spirit to to maintain my opinion then to save my soul to be ambitious to reconcile opinions which stand in a seeming opposition and be dull and heavy in composing my own thoughts and ordering my counsels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aescl yl Not he that knoweth much but he that knoweth that which is useful is wise Why gaze we on a bugle or piece of glass when we are to bargain for a pearl for that Truth which doth alone adorn that mind which was made not to joyn with shadows and phantasmes but to receive wisdom and virtue and God himself Thus I have given you some kind of view of the merchandise and shewed you in general what the Truth here meant is Now that it may appear unto you the more desirable and more worth the buying in the next place I will discover the nature and quality of it Neither will I do as those are wont who expose their wares to sale over praise the commodity so to kindle the buyer and make him more easily part with his money or else shew it by an half-light but I will deal plainly with you according to that Law of the Aediles or Clerks of the market in Rome by which he who sold any thing was to disclose to the buyer what fault or imperfection it had If he were selling an house wherein the plague was he was to proclaim Pestilentem domum vendo that he
Heraclitus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dark and obscure Behold the fountain's head is open and the streams flow sweetly why do we not tast The Truth is exposed to the sun and the people why do we not buy Luke 1.78 The day-spring from on high hath visited us why are we still in darkness Is it not dulness of understanding but pride and sloth that keepeth us ignorant We are not too weak but we are too wise to learn It is a good saying of the Rabbines Error doctrinae pro superbia reputatur To erre where the Truth is so manifest is a sign of pride and they who thus mistake consult not with the Truth but with flesh and bloud Rom. 13 1. Let every soul be subject to the higher powers is a Text plain enough and yet we see many times Faction go for Faith and Rebellion for Religion Phil. 2.12 Work out your salvation with fear and trembling is as plain yet Fear is acccounted Diabolical and a dead Faith the onely foundation 1 Pet. 2.16 Vse not your liberty as a cloak for malitiousness Who is such a child in understanding as to number this among those things which are hard to be understood and yet how many have wrested it to their own destruction 2 Pet. 3.16 or hath the seditious boutefeu any other garment to cover him but his Christian Liberty when he steppeth forth in fury to break the bond of Peace This maketh many religions and no religion Self-conceit and a desire to seem wise headeth one sect Covetousness another Ambition a third and this plain and easy Truth is left behind to feed a little flock Talk what we will of Priests and Jesuites of Hereticks and Schismaticks it is Mammon and the Love of the world and Pride that make proselytes and where the first seduce a thousand these last seduce ten thousand for in this we cannot be deceived unless we first love the cheat And therefore as we must not take falshood for truth so we must be carefull not to take those truths for necessary which are not so The Truth was never more sincere and pure then while it was contained all in one Creed and that a short one as Erasmus saith When there were more the practical knowledge of it was less When this merchandise was spread abroad and divided into many parcells it was less seen S. Paul calleth it (a) Rom. 12.6 the proportion of faith (b) 2 Tim. 1.13 the form of sound words (c) Tit. 1.1 the truth which is after godliness To believe in God to love him to obey him To deny ungodliness and worldly lusts Tertullian speaking of these is bold to pronounce Nihil ultrâ scire est omnia scire To know nothing beyond or more then this is to know all that we should know And if we did but practise this we should have less noise and trouble to know what it is we ought to practise If we did walk according to this rule peace would be upon us Gal. 6.16 and mercy and upon the Israel of God But the great neglect of that integrity which should distinguish Christians from the world hath brought in that deluge of controversies which hath welnear covered and overwhelmed the face of the Church What malice what defiance what digladiations what gall and bitterness do we see amongst Christians What ink what bloud hath been spent in the cause of Religion How many innocents have been defamed how many Saints anathematized haw many millions cut down with the sword And yet this is all Believe and repent Oh what pitty is it that this royal Truth should be lost amid the noise and tumults which are raised for truths not necessary that the foundation should be cast down and buried in the outworks that true Piety should be trod under foot in the scuffle for that which is not essential to it and hath no more of it then its name To conclude this point Ye see the merchandise what that Truth is ye are to buy 1. It is fitted and proportioned to your souls Do ye fit and apply your souls unto it Oh what a poor deformed thing is a soul without it a representation of a damned spirit 2. It is fit for all sorts and conditions of men Therefore let old men and children scribes and idiotes Trades-men and Scholars come to this market for it is the next way unto heaven 3. It is comely and amiable Let us therefore make it our choice espouse our wills unto it love and embrace it not kiss and wound it nor worship it in our heart and persecute it in our brethren What madness is it to leave this Horn of beauty and to joyn with a fiend or a monstre 4. As it is lovely in it self so it giveth a loveliness to all other gifts blessings and endowments whatsoever Why should thy Money perish with thee Why should thy Wit in which thou delightest thy Strength whereof thou boastest yea thy Hearing thy Fasting thy Praying perish with thee Why should all thy virtues be as a cloud and as the early dew fall and go away Why should all thy good be good for nothing 5. Lastly it will put thee to no expense Then thou hast no excuse for thou carriest the price about with thee Come therefore and buy it without money or money-worth And then thou needest not ask with the Lawyer in the Gospel Luke 10.25 What shall I do to inherit eternal life for thou hast the price in thine hand This Truth is it the price of the kingdome of heaven and with it thou shalt purchase glory and immortality and eternal life The third point that offereth it self to our consideration is That the Truth must be bought It will not be ours unless we lay out something and purchase it Buy the Truth If ye look into the holy Scripture the shop where it is to be had ye shall find it ever carrying its price along with it Under what name soever it goeth the price is as it were written upon it John 6.27 If it be called that meat which endureth unto everlasting life the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 labour for it If it be called salvation the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 magìs operamini work more intend and double your labour Phil. 2.12 work it out If it be called the faith as it is Jude 3. the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we must earnestly contend for it And the Apostle biddeth us beware that we be not wearied and faint in our minds Heb. 12.3 start back fly off and offer no more because the price is so high Here is care required and labour working and doubling our work contention and perseverance till the last minute All which we give out of our proper substance For when we lay them out we spend our selves We do not stumble upon this Truth by chance as we may sometimes upon a Pearl or a piece of
Gold All the things under the Moon are as changeable in their approches in their acquisition in their loss as that planet is Sometimes we must travel and hazard our lives for them sometimes we find them and they are even flung upon us We are wont to call such as are suddenly made rich the Children and Favourites of Fortune But in this market Fortune and Chance have no hand at all she can neither help nor hurt They who come to this Emporium or Mart know not the face of Fortune neither when she smileth nor when she frowneth but leave her behind them when they beat this bargain Nay they know her to be nothing They place their hopes neither upon Chance nor upon Necessity If Truth were brought to us any of these wayes we could not be said to buy it Do I buy that chain which I am forced to wear or that pearl which lying in my way I do but stoup for and take up I cannot think that ever Heaven did open it self and take in those who never thought of it nor that any Saint did stumble on it and enter by chance Luke 15.4 If the Truth be found it is found as the lost Sheep was we go after it and sweat and labour and search for it till we find it They were the Pharisees of old that brought Fate in and a Necessity of all events And they may well bear the same name who though they abhor the word yet countenance the thing it self and leave the Truth and all Virtues else as it were upon the cast of a die For with them we neither do nor suffer any thing but we are born and bound to it And they run upon the same absurdity which the Pharisees did attribute all to Fate and Destiny or to that which is in effect the same and yet believe a Resurrection leave us in the chains of Necessity and yet promise life to all that buy the Truth and threaten death to all that sell it make us necessarily good or evil and yet the objects for Rewards and Punishments to work upon But this fatal Necessity doth overthrow it self For if it lead or force all things to their end if it work all in us then it worketh this also That we cannot believe it And it is necessary I should deny this Necessity for I was destined to pronounce against Destiny and my fate it is to acknowledge no such thing as Fate No the Truth is established as the heavens that it cannot be moved And as it looketh toward Eternity so there is a setled and eternal course by which it is conveyed unto us Wisdome hath set it out to sale not left it in the uncertain hands of Chance nor in the infallible conduct of Fate and Destiny She standeth by the way in the places of the paths Prov. 8.2 Isa 55.1 but her voice is Come and buy It is true Truth as well as Faith is the gift of God But first every gift is not received or if it be yet he that received it might have refused it and so Necessity hath no place and a gift it is though it be not received as a Pearl may be a merchandise though it be not bought Truth is the gift of God a light kindled by him and set up in the firmament of his Church and there it shineth though men turn not their eyes that way but fix them on the earth Ephes 2.8 Faith had been the gift of God though all the world had been infidels The Civilians tell us there is a twofold Donation pura and conditionalis There is an absolute gift which the giver bestoweth to no other end but to shew his bounty he giveth it because he will give it And there is a conditional gift which exacteth something from him who must receive it It is here Do ut des I give thee this that thou mayest give something for it And such a gift is Truth such a gift is Heaven We are Men to woo and draw the Truth and not Statues to have it engraven upon us and then remain as little moved with it as insensible of it as if we were stones We read of infused Habits and though those texts of Scripture which are brought to uphold them are not so sure and firm a foundation that they may stand there unshaken yet because the opinion is so generally received we are not over-ready to lay it by But if they be infused as they are infused into us so they are not infused without us They are poured not as water into a cistern but into living vessels fitted and prepared for them For if they were infused without us they could never be lost If we did not buy the Truth we could never sell it If Wisdome were thus infused into us we should never erre If Righteousness were thus infused the Will would ever as an obedient handmaid look up upon that Wisdome and never swerve or decline from it If Sanctity were thus setled on the Affections they could never rebel The Understanding could never erre for this Wisdome would ever enlighten it the Will could not be irregular for this Righteousness would alwayes bridle it the Affections could not distract us for they would ever be under command For as they were given without us so bringing with them an irresistible and uncontrollable force they would work without us But we shall find that all these are conditional gifts and that according to the method of Truth it self we cannot receive till we ask nor find till we seek Matth. 7.7 Psal 24.7 â— nor enter the everlasting gates of Truth till we knock And those who follow this method the Truth hath its proper and powerful operation in them It is their viaticum provision for their way meat to feed them and nourish them up to an healthful constitution And it is a garment to clothe them and to defend them from those poisonous blasts and breathings of their spiritual enemy which might annoy and distemper them But in those who fancy to themselves a large and supernatural pouring in when they receive nothing nor do any thing that they may there is no room for Truth for they are filled with air with their own flitting imaginations And if the Truth do enter it entereth them not as Truth but is wrested and corrupted and made the abetter of a lie Scripture is either mangled by them or put upon the rack used as Procrustes used his guests either cut off in some part of it or stretched too far It lieth in their stomack like an undigested lump and is turned into a disease It is like a garment not well put on it sittteth not well upon them they wear it and it becometh them not They wear it either for shew to take the beholder or as a cloak of maliciousness to deceive and destroy him We may observe that that which is so easily gotten and beareth onely the name of Truth is more busie and operative
many times then that which we gain by lawful and prescribed means then that which we buy For it moveth like a tempest and driveth down all even the Truth it self before it Look over the whole catalogue of the sons of Belial and take a view of all the turbulent spirits that have been in the world and ye shall find the most of them to have been Enthusiasts pretenders to an unsought for and suddain revelation most wicked because so soon good and extremely ignorant because wise in an instant James 3.17 But the Truth which is from above and is not thrown down but bought from thence is pure and peaceable and easie to be intreated full of good works and without hypocrisie And it self is conveyed into us the right way so it ordereth every motion and action regulateth the whole progress of our life and maketh it like unto it self That may seem an harsh saying of Metellus Numidicus and had a Christian Divine uttered it Gell. lib. 1. c. 6. he had gone for a Pelagian His demum Deos propitios esse aequum est qui sibi adversarii non sunt Dii immortales approbare virtutem non adhibere debent It is a kind of justice that God should be favourable to those who are not enemies to themselves God sitteth above as one that hath set us our task and observeth our hands and doth not do all himself But his reason certainly is orthodox Quid nos à Deo diutiùs exspectemus nisi errationibus finem faciamus What can we expect from the God of truth if we still follow lies and will make no end of running from the truth God hath so ordered that nothing of great moment can be suddenly done Every work must find us fitted and prepared or else we shall find it will fly out of our reach Hence the Philosopher giveth this reason why there be so few wise men Quia pauci Sapientiam dignam putant nisi quam in transitu cognoscant Because the most have so low an opinion of the Truth that they think her not worth saluting unless it be by the by The reason why men know not the Truth is because they reverence it not but think it is a wind which will blow when they list that it will enter them without entreaty become theirs when they please yea whether they will or no. This is the cause why Truth which is the best merchandise is so seldom bought and phansies of our own are entertained in its place Hence it is that all our silver is dross our coyn counterfeit and our actions bear so little of the image and face of Truth upon them that To be merciful is but to fling a mite into the treasury To fast is to abstain for a day To pray is but to say Lord hear me or which is worse to multiply words without sense To love the Truth is but to hear it preached To be a Christian is onely to profess it To have faith is to boast of it To have hope is to say so and To be full of charity is but to do good to our selves These graces we deny not are infused yet they are gained encreased and confirmed in us by care and diligence Faith cometh by hearing saith the Apostle Rom. 10.17 We cannot but observe that in our greener years we are catechized and instructed and in our riper age when reason is improved in us we look over our evidence again and again and by the miracles and innocency of our Saviour and by the excellency of his doctrine and by the joynt testimony of the Apostles and the huge improbability that they should deceive us Jude 20. we are built up and building implieth labour on our most holy Faith which worketh by Charity Gal. 5.6 When that Faith which is not thus bought but is brought in without any motives or inducements without study or meditation which is not bought but created by our selves and so is a phansie rather then Faith bringeth forth nothing praiseworthy is not a foundation of good works but a mere pillar of our own setting up to lean upon and to uphold and comfort a spirit that would otherwise droop when we have committed evil If mens Faith did cost them more sure they would make more use of it then they do And for Hope What is it but a conclusion gathered by long experience by curious and watchful observation by a painful peregrination through all the powers of our soul and an exact search of all the actions of our life which if answerable to the Truth produce a firm Hope if not our Hope we may call an anchor Heb. 6.19 but it is of no more use then an anchor painted upon a wall or rather it is not an anchor but a rock at which we may shipwreck and sink I might instance in more For thus it is in all the passages of our life There is nothing wrought in us but with pains at least nothing that is worth possessing Nay those evils which we should dispossess our selves of do not alwayes enter with ease 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Chrysostome Even the things of the Devil are not attained without labour and cost How laborious is thy Revenge how busie thy Cruelty how watchful and studious thy Lust what penance doth thy Covetousness put thee to And if our vices cost us so dear and stand us at so high a rate shall we think that that Truth will run after us and follow us in all our wayes which bringeth along with it an eternal weight of glory Can a negligent and careless glance upon the Bible can our airy and empty speculations can the wantonness of our ear can our confidence and ignorance straight make us Evangelists Or is it probable that Truth should come è profundo putei out of the bottom of the well and offer her self to them who stand idle at the mouth and top of it and will let down no pitcher to draw it up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Olymp. od 5. as Pinder speaketh Labour and cost wait still upon the Truth Nor will she visit and abide with us unless these usher her in and attend upon her Like Jabez Truth is most honourable but we bear it with pain 1 Chron. 4.9 In a word Truth is the gift of God but conditional given on condition that we fit our selves to receive it It cometh down from heaven but it must be called for here on earth Think not it will fall upon thee by chance or come to thee at any time Eccl. 11.9 12.1 if not in the dayes of thy youth yet in the evil dayes and the years in which thou shalt have no pleasure that it will offer it self in thine old age on thy bed of sickness that it will joyn and mingle it self with thy last breath and carry thy soul to happiness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now is the market now is the Truth set to sale as it
it self in his mouth will be heretical and whatsoever droppeth from his pen will be poyson Hence it hath come to pass that we have heard the innocent condemned and things laid to their charge which they never did that they have been branded with the name of murderers who abhorred murder of injurious who suffered wrong of persecutors who were oppressed of idolaters who hated idoles of hereticks who were the strongest pillars of the Truth We are wont to say Love is blind and tell me now Is not Hatred blind also In the next place let one Feaâ— chase away another Let the Fear of God whose wrath is everlasting expell the Fear of Man whose breath is in his nostrils whose anger and power like the wind breathe themselves out who whilest he destroyeth destroyeth nothing but that which is as mortal as himself The reason why we miss of Truth is because we are so foolish and ignorant that we Fear man more then God and the shaking of his whip then the scorpions of a Deity How hath this ill-placed Fear unmanned us how hath it shaken the powers of our soul and made us say what we do not believe and believe that to be true which we cannot but know is false There hath passed an ungracious speeâ—h amongst us and often rung in our ears and this base degenerate Fear did dictate it Men have been so bad and bold as to say They had rather trust God with their souls then Man with their estates and lives Had they not thought they had stated the question they would not have proclaimed it with such ostentation they would not have sung it out and rejoyced in it Certainly if a proverb as the Philosopher saith be a publick testimony and do discover the constitution of the place where it is taken up then our Jerusalem is not the city nor our Countrey the region of Truth Trust man with our estates When we persevere in the Truth and suffer for it we trust not our estates with Man but put them into his hands who gave them and who can make the greatest Leviathan that playeth in the sea of this world Job 41.31 and maketh it boil like a pot disgorge himself and cast out the prey We do not trust them with Man but offer them a sacrifice to the Lord. But we will trust God with our souls say they See how a lie multiplieth in our hands We will trust God with our souls and pollute them and when we have polluted them still trust in the Lord. It is good to trust in the Lord but it is good too to take heed what a soul we trust him with Wilt thou trust an unclean soul with the God of purity a soul guilty of bloud with the God of mercy a distracted soul with the God of peace an earthy soul with the God of heaven a perjured soul with that God who is Truth it self Let not thy love of the world and thy fear of losing it draw so false and foul conclusions from so radiant and excellent a truth And if thou art in earnest and wouldst buy the Truth Matth. 10.28 then fear not them which kill the body and after that have no more that they can do Luke 12.4 5. but fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell yea I say unto you fear him Now in the last place what is our Hope If it be in this life onely we are of all men the most miserable 1 Cor. 15.19 For this world is not the region of Truth here is nothing to be found but vanity and lies Pergula pictoris veri nihil omnia falsa Here are false Riches painted Glories deceitful Honours I may say the world is a monument a painted sepulchre and within it lie Errour Delusions and Lies like rotten bones And wilt thou place thy Hope here upon that which is a lie Shall this be thy compass to steer by in thy travel and adventure for Truth Shall the lying Spirit the God of this world be thy holy or rather unholy Ghost to lead thee to it O spem fallacem This is a deceitful Hope and will lead thee into by-paths and dangerous precipices wheel and circle thee about from one lie to another Mark 9.22 cast thee like that evil spirit into fire and water waste and wash away thy intellectual and discerning faculties which should sever Falshood from Truth make thy religion as deceitful as thy hopes and when all thy hopes and thoughts perish deliver thee over to the Father of lies Be sure then to take of thy Hope from these things on eâ—rth why should it stoop so low And raise it up to enter into that within the veil Hebr. 6.19 that it may not flie after shadows and phantasms but lay hold on the Truth it self that the World and the Devil may find nothing in thee to lead thee from the light into that ignorance which is darker then darkness it self that thou mayest say to them What have I to do with you and so pass on with courage and chearfulness to the purchase of that Truth which abideth for ever The Eleventh SERMON PART II. PROV XXIII 23. Buy the truth and sell it not also wisdome and instruction and understanding YE have heard of part of the payment But the price of the Truth is yet higher and there is more to be given And indeed we shall find that the merchandise is unvaluable and that it will be cheap when we have given all for it What are the Vanities of the world yea what is the whole World it self nay what is our Understanding Will and Affections what is Man in comparison of that Truth without which he is worse then nothing What is it then that we must lay down more when we come to this mart We must part with that which cleaveth many times so close unto us that we cannot so much as offer any thing for the Truth First we must remove all Prejudice out of our minds that they may be still tanquam rasa tabula though they have something written in them yet that they receive not any opinion so deeply in as not to be capable of another which hath more reason to commend it that they cleave not so close to that which was first entertained upon weak peradventure carnal motives as to stand out against that which bringeth with it a cloud of witnesses and proofs yea light it self to make entrance for it Secondly we must remove all Malice all distast and loathing of the Truth we must take heed we do not wilfully reject it as if it concerned us not nor were worth the buying Till our mind be clear of both these Prejudice and Malice we may talk of the Truth but onely as a blind man doth of the light we may commend the Truth but as a man of Belial may honour a Saint we may cry out Magna est Veritas praevalebit 1 Esdr 4.41 and yet
the faith yet we may examin our selves 1 Pet. 3.15 and be ready alwaies to give an answer to every man that asketh us a reason of the hope that is in us If the Spirit be of God yet it may be tried whether it be of him or no. 1 John 4.1 Every thing of this nature may be brought to the trial 1 Thes 5.21 that we may hold fast that which is good But then if it be true yet it is not alwayes so certain as those speculative conclusions and known principles which none ever yet denied who had but so much reason as to prove him a man To be deaf therefore to all other information under pretense of infallibility to shut out a clearer light upon presumption that he is fully enlightned already ejus est qui mavult didicisse quà m discere is the property of him alone who loveth his credit more then the Truth and counteth it a disgrace or punishment to learn any thing In conclusions then of this nature the mind must ever be free and disengaged not so wedded to its own decrees as to be averse and strange when a fair overture is made of better For I may erre as well as judge aright For how hath Errour so multiplied and whence proceed the greatest part of the errours of our life but from this presumption That we cannot erre If men were either impartial to themselves or so humble as to hearken to the judgment of others the Prince of this world would not have so much in us nor should vve be in danger of so frovvard a generation If men vvere not so soon good they would not be so often evil Nor doth this vvillingness to hear reason blast or endanger that Truth vvhich Reason and Revelation hath implanted in us nay it rather vvatreth it and maketh it flourish For vvhen hath gold a brighter lustre then vvhen it is tried And this attentiveness and submission to what may be said either for or against it is a fair evidence that we fell not upon it by chance but have fastned it to our soul by frequent meditation and are rooted and established in it Neither doth it argue any fluctuation or wavering in the mind or unfixedness of judgement For he doth not waver who followeth a clearer light and better reason and cleaveth unto it Mutatio sententiae non est inconstantia saith the Oratour To disanul a former judgment upon better evidence is not inconstancie it is the stability rather and persevering act of Reason its certain and natural course to judge for that which is most reasonable And the mind doth no more waver in this then the Planets do erre or wander which are said to do so because they appear now in this now in that part of the heavens but yet they keep their constant and natural motion For this entertaineth Truth for it self and suffereth not Errour to enter but under that name and when Truth appeareth in glory in its rayes and beams in that light which doth best discover it chaseth Errour away as a monstre and boweth to the sceptre of Truth It is never so wedded to Errour though never so specious as not to be ready to give it a bill of divorce when Truth shall offer it self to its embraces But it may be said That the mind must needs waver and be lost in uncertainties because it strugleth as yet with doubts and knoweth not whether there may not be better reasons brought then those which she hath already signed and subscribed to I say this is not true Nay rather the mind doth therefore not waver or fluctuate because it doth not know it For till it do know that better reasons can be brought it is bound to that conclusion which for ought yet appeareth hath the best to confirm it Any evidence is the best till a better be brought And until a better be brought it is not Prejudice to lay claim to the best We are yet in via in our way we yet dwell in houses of clay and tabernacles of flesh we struggle with doubts and difficulties Errour and Misprision are our companions here In many things we erre all and in many things we erre in which one would think it were impossible to mistake and are never more deceived then where we think our selves infallible God alone hath this prerogative Not to erre To see all things exactly with a cast of his eye and ad nudum as the Schools speak naked as they are Our knowledge in comparison of his is but ignorance We have need of instruction upon instruction Isa 28.10 13. Psal 19.2 precept upon precept line upon line and that day unto day every day should teach us knowledge That knowledge and certainty we have is such as we are capable of and such as is available to that end for which we were made sufficient to entitle us to happiness but is not like that in God but rather an uncertain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or kind of doubting in comparison of his infallibility Our certainty is such as the wisdome and goodness of God hath fitted to our condition in this life and it is then in its 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and perfection when we give diligence to use those means that are afforded us that we may judge rightly of all things when we judge according to that light and evidence which sheweth it self and judge not otherwise till a clearer light appeareth Thus S. Paul was a Champion of the Law and after a Martyr of the Gospel Thus he persecuted Christians and thus he died a Christian Thus St. Peter would not converse with the Heathen Acts 10. as polluted and unclean and thus he after looked upon them as purified by God preached to them and baptized them This hath brought into the world all those Recognitions Retractations Recantations which are not onely as confessions but triumphs over a conquerred errour rejoycings and jubilees of men who had sat in darkness but have found the light He who is not fitted and prepared for better information and will not yield upon surer evidence but so magnifieth the impressions that were first made in his mind as to rest upon them as infallible maketh himself aut Deum aut bestiam as the Philosopher speaketh either a God or a beast and the more a beast by making himself as God undeceiveable and that cannot erre for so as a beast he lieth under every burden every errour though it be so gross and mountainous as to press him to death In a word he that doth not empty his mind of Prejudice that doth not expectorate and drive this evil far from him is not fit to be a purchaser of the Truth Dedocendi officium gravius prius quà m docendi Our first task and hardest is to unlearn something that we have been taught and after with more ease we shall learn better We must first pluck up the weeds that Truth may fall as in good ground
agents Nor can he who maketh not use of his Reason on earth be a Saint in heaven We are rewarded because we chose that which right Reason told us was best And we are punished because we would not discover that evil which we had light enough to see but did yield to our lusts and affections and called it Reason The whole power of Man is in Reason and the vigour and power of Reason is in Judgment Man is so built saith S. Augustine ut per id quod in eo praecellit attingat illud quod cuncta praecellit that by that which most excelleth in him Reason he may attain to that which is the best of all eternal happiness Ratio omnis honesti comes est saith Seneca Reason alwaies goeth along with Virtue But when we do evil we leave Reason behind us nor is it in any of our waies Who hath known the mind of the Lord at any time Rom. 11.34 or who hath been his counseller It is true here Reason is blind Though it be decked with excellency and array it self with glory and beauty Job 40.9 10. it hath not an eye like God nor can it make a law as he or foresee his mind But when God is pleased to open his treasury and display his Truth before us then Reason can behold apprehend and discern it and by discourse which is the inquisition of Reason judge of it how it is to be understood and embraced For God teacheth not the beasts of the field or stocks or stones but Men made after his own image Man indeed hath many other things common to him with other creatures but Reason is his peculiar Therefore God is pleased to hold a controversie with his people to argue and dispute it out with them and to appeal to their Reason 1 Cor. 11.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Judge within your selves To judge what is said is a privilege granted to all the children of men to all who will venture for the Truth It is time for us now to proceed to the other hindrance of Truth Therefore II. We must cast away all Malice to the Truth all distasting of it all averseness from it Certainly this is a stone of offense a bulwork a mountain in our way which if we remove not we shall never enter our Canaan that floweth with milk and hony we shall never take possession of and dwell in the tabernacles of Truth Now Malice is either direct and downright or indirect and interpretative onely And both must be laid aside The former is an affected lothing of the Truth when the Will affecteth the ignorance of that which is right and will erre because it will erre when it shunneth yea hateth the Understanding when it presenteth it with such Truths as might regulate it and divert it from errour and this to the end that it may beat back all remorse silence the checks and chidings of Conscience and slumber those storms which she is wont to raise and then take its fill of sin lie down in it as in a bed of roses and solace it self and rejoyce and triumph therein Then we are embittered with hony hardened with mercy enraged by entreaties then we are angry at God's precepts despise his thunder-bolts slight his promises scoff at his miracles Then that which is wont to mollifie hardeneth us the more till at length our heart be like the heart of the Leviathan as firm as a stone Job 41.24 yea as hard as a piece of the nether mill stone Then satis nobis ad peccandum causa peccare it is a sufficient cause to do evil that we will do it And what impression can Truth make in such hearts What good can be wrought upon them to whom the Scripture attributeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 1.28 a reprobate mind who have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a reverberating mind an heart of marble to beat back all the strength and power of Truth unto whom God hath sent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Thes 2.11 Rom. 1.18 strong delusion that they should believe a lie who hold the Truth in unrighteousness and suppress and captivate it that it cannot work its work who oppose their Wrath to that Truth which perswadeth patience and their Lust against that which would keep them chast who set up Baal against God and the world against Christ Eph. 4.19 These are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 past feeling and have given themselves over to lasciviousness to work all uncleanness with greediness They are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 4.18 they have their understanding darkned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For wickedness by degrees doth destroy even the principles of goodness in us Hos 4.11 blindeth our eyes and taketh away our heart as the Prophet speaketh and maketh us as if we had no heart at all Either 1. by working out of the understanding the right apprehension of things For when the Will chuseth that which is opposite to the Truth non permittit Intellectum diu stare in dictamine recto it swayeth the Understanding taketh it off from its right dictates maketh it deny its own receptions so that it doth not consider that which it doth consider it averteth and turneth it to apply it self to something that is impertinent and maketh it find out reasons probable or apparent against that Truth which had its former assent that so that actual displacency which we found in the entertainment of the contrary may be cast out with the Truth it self We are willing to leave off to believe the Truth that we may leave off to condemn our selves When this light is dim the Conscience slumbreth but when it spreadeth it self then the sting is felt In our ruff and jollity we forget we have sinned but when the hand of vengeance removeth the veil and we see the Truth which we had hid from our eyes then we call our sins to remembrance and they are set in order before us Where there is knowledge of the Truth there will be conscience of sin but there will be none if we put that from us Or else 2. positively when the Will joyneth with Errour and embraceth that which is evil and then setteth the Understanding on work to find out the most probable means and the fairest and smoothest wayes to that which it hath set up for its end For the Understanding is both the best and the worst counseller When it commandeth the Will it speaketh the words of wisdome giveth counsel as an oracle of God and leadeth on in a certain way unto the Truth But when a perverse Will hath got the upper hand and brought it into a subserviency unto it then like the hand of a disordered dial it pointeth to any figure but that it should Then it attendeth upon our Revenge to undermine our enemy it teacheth our Lust to wait for the twilight it lackeyeth after our Ambition and helpeth us into the uppermost seat it is as active
for the covetous as for the liberal and filleth his garments as conclusive for the malicious as for the meek and filleth his hands with bloud findeth out as many waies to destruction as it can to life This in Scripture is termed Folly and Errour Isa 5.13 Therefore my people are gone into captivity because they have no understanding saith God by his Prophet not that they had no understanding but that they used their understanding amiss making it a conduct to them in their evil waies which should have been their guide in the waies of Truth Where is the wise 1 Cor. 1.20 where is the disputer of this world We may look upon them with admiration and bow before them as the grand Sophies of the world But in the book of God where Wisdome it self speaketh they have their true name and are set down for Fools Now as there is a direct positive and wilful Hatred of the Truth so there is also Malitia interpretativa as the Schools speak a Malice which doth not shew its face so openly as the other is not so soon understood by our selves or others but may easily be discovered and found out if we take the pains to interpret it a Malice which we carry about with us when we think it is not near us And this is it When we use no more diligence to know the Truth then if we did directly affect Ignorance when we have so low an opinion of it that we think it not worth the saluting nisi in transitu but onely by the By. This if ye open and interpret it is no better then Malice For not to love the Truth is to hate it not to draw it near to us and embrace it is to thrust it far from us Lataâ—culpa nimia negligentia saith the Civile Law A careless negligence is a great fault Malitiae soror saith the Poet the sister of Malice and goeth hand in hand with her For what is the reason that Folly is with us The Heathen could tell us Quia illam fortiter non repellimus Because we like its company well enough and do not rouse up our selves to drive it away Quia citò nobis placemus Because we are soon at peace and well pleased with our selves because we do not open our breasts to the Truth but to our own and others flatteries and touch but lightly upon so great a thing Thus at once we love the Truth and hate it will not be better because we think our selves the best are soon wise and ever foolish I may call this a Pharisaical hypocritical Malice which hideth and sheweth it self all at once We cannot give a more favourable interpretation but must needs look upon it as a malicious distast of the Truth It is neither a willing nor a nilling to refuse the Truth properly so called for we neither chuse it nor absolutely refuse it we neither seek it nor plainly shun it but stand still when we should make hast towards it hold the price in our hand and never profer it but what Antony imputed to Augustus as an argument of his cowardise lie supinely on our backs and look up to heaven when we should fight when we should be up and doing This is properly I say neither a chusing nor a refusing But because it should be one of them and is not it is therefore in esteem the contrary Because we do not love the Truth to which our Love is due we may be truly said to hate it Because we do not lay down the price for such a jewel it is argument of force enough to make it good that it is not in all our hearts This interpretative Malice hath taken hold of the greatest part of mankind and so entangled and puzzled them in the mazes and labyrinths of Errour that they wander from vanity to vanity and can never find the way out Many are hurried away by their Affections more swallowed up by Prejudice and buried therein as in a grave Few there be that are professed enemies to the Truth but this indirect Hatred of it even covereth the face of the earth like a deluge and there remain but a few souls within the Ark. Every man almost commendeth Truth yet most proscribe her and give her a bill of divorce Every man professeth himself a Scholar of the Truth but few learn it Every man cometh to the market but few buy The Bloud thirsty will detest cruelty in others and yet wash his feet in the bloud of the innocent The Oppressour will plead for mercy to the poor and yet grind their face will cry down persecution and yet raise one The wanton will fling a stone at an adulterer and defile himself The Intemperate will make a panegyrick on Temperance and be a beast Virtue I say is as the Sun and we see it but when we should receive its rayes and influence into our selves and grow thereby we turn away our face and understand not what we do understand and see not when we see we see it at distance but when we should draw it near unto us and apply it we are stark blind Then Cruelty is Mercy Oppression justice Intemperance temperance an Evil is any thing but what it is Jer. 4.22 Thus the Prophet saith of the Jews My people is foolish they have not known me they are sottish children and they have no understanding they are wise to do evil but to do good they have no knowledge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Justine Martyr This ignorance sometimes is called Ignorance and sometimes hath the name of knowledge in the Scripture Such knowledge is ignorance nay it is worse then ignorance because we draw it not forward to its end but run to the contrary and so fall more dangerously then if we saw nothing at all but were blind indeed Again how many precepts of Truth are there which though delivered in plain terms we will not understand Luke 14.13 14. When thou makest a feast call the poor the maimed the lame the blind And a reason is annexed And thou shalt be blessed for they cannot recompense thee for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just Yet what rich mans table is furnished with such guests Do we not look upon this Evangelical precept as the Priest and the Levite did upon the wounded man Luke 10.31 32 and pass by on the other side We are so far from counting it a duty that it appeareth to us a mere solecisme and gross absurdity in behaviour And we doubt not to receive the reward promised though we make not our selves ridiculous by performing the duty Again Luke 6.35 Lend 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 looking for nothing again The words are plain and they are the words of Wisdom and yet what can be more heretical to the covetous In udo est veritas All the truth we have floteth upon our tongues Why else should any Truth distast us why should we be displeased at any
of his Saviour and therefore cannot be denied Earnest Prayer for the Truth seasoneth the heart and maketh it as the Father speaketh exceptorium veritatis a fit receptacle of the Truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Angel to the Centurion Acts 10.4 Thy prayers are come up for a memorial before God It is an illusion to the Incense under the Law Our Prayer first ascendeth as incense and cometh up unto God as a sweet-smelling savour and then down cometh an Angel the Truth to tell us so to assure us that our suit is granted Our Prayer ascendeth and in its ascent raiseth up the heart to heaven where it entreth the treasury of God and obtaineth this Pearl I will not say with some that Prayers do this ex opere operato by the very repetition by numbring them out by tale as they do their beads This hath too rank a savour Yet I know not how after the heat of devotion and fervency of Prayer there follow those holy fires and strange and glorious irradiations and illuminations which present and shew themselves to us in our search of Truth When by Prayer we have as it were reposed and lodged our souls in the bosome of our heavenly Father there are presently poured back upon us even in the midst of our common actions celestial and divine cogitations and the image and copy of our devotions is still obvious to our eye and followeth us whithersoever we go Our Prayers are as Musick in the ears of the most High and our improvement and encrease in knowledge is the resultance And as he that hath looked on the Sun with a steady eye hath the image of the Sun presented to him in every object which he beholdeth so he that fixeth his thoughts on God and is as it were lift up near near unto him by true devotion must needs find light in all his waies and feel the efficacy of his prayer in his daily conversation 3. Exercise and practice of those Truths we learn Without this Prayer doth not ascend as incense from the altar but as common smoke and hath no sweet savour at all Without this Meditation is but the motion and circulation of the Phansie the business or rather idleness of that sort of men who come into the market onely to look on and gaze the mind flieth aloft but like those birds of prey which first towre in the air and then stoop at carrion But the practice of the Truth we know doth fix it to us and make it as it were a part of us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Stoick speaketh driveth the doctrine home Eccl. 12.11 as a nail fastned by the Masters of the assemblies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Philosopher What we learn to do we learn by doing One act of Charity prompteth me to another One denial to my appetite draweth on another and that a third and at last I put on resolution and am rigid and obstinate to its solicitations One conquest over a temptation strengthneth me for a second As it was said of Alexander Quaelibet victoria instrumentum sequentis Every victory he got made way to another so every step in the waies of Truth bringeth us not onely so far on our way but enableth us with more strength to go forward and the further we go the more active we are He that giveth a peny to the poor and inureth his hand to giving may in time sell all that he hath Matth. 19.21 and at last lay down his life for the Gospel Aude hospes contemnere opes Virg. Aen. 8. It is but putting on courage and attempting it which is the fairest bidding for the Truth and then we who see it but through a cloud darkly 1 Cor. 13.12 through a cloud of Affections through a cloud of Prejudice yea through darkness it self an inward detestation of it shall with open face 2 Cor. 3.18 as the Apostle speaketh behold the glory of it and be changed into the same image from virtue to virtue from profers to resolutions from beginnings to perfection even by the power of that Truth which we behold And this is truly to buy the Truth to buy it not for ostentation but for use to buy it not to be laid up in a napkin Luke 19.20 but to demonstrate its activity against all illusions that they deceive us not against all occasions that they withdraw us not and against all temptations that we be not led into them And thus as it is with the Angels Contemplation shall not hinder but promote our Obedience and our Obedience exalt our Contemplation and by working by the Truth we shall more nearly behold the copy by which we work and be more familiar with it To conclude These things we must lay down and these means we must make use of if we intend to purchase the Truth and make it our possession And now ye see what it is to buy the Truth I now pass to the negative part of my Text Sell it not And this may serve for my Conclusion For one contrary interpreteth another If to buy the Truth be to seek and draw it to us for our use then to sell it must needs be to put it from us to give it up to our Passions our Prejudice our Distast or Malice and so to alienate it that it shall be as a thing that concerneth us not of no use to us at all Venditio omnem contractum complectitur saith the Civile Law And in this sale there is a contract with our Affections and Lusts with the World with every Trifle and Vanity which is in effect a contract with the Devil himself By this we part with all our right and title and fling it from us Now as the buying of the Truth of all bargains is the best because whereas in all other bargains let them be driven how you can the gain of one party is loss to the other in this bargain there is onely gain and no loss at all the buyer gaineth and yet no seller loseth so the sale of the Truth of all bargains is the worst and the most foolish For in other sales however somebody ever loseth yet somebody getteth what the seller loseth the buyer getteth but when the Truth is sold there is nothing but mere loss no man is no man can be the better for the sale of the Truth Vendentem tantùm deserit minuit Onely the seller groweth the worse there is no buyer groweth the better When Ahab came to Naboth to procure from him his vineyard Give me 1 Kings 21.2 saith he thy vineyard and I will give thee for it a better vineyard then it or I will give thee the worth of it in money See here three mighty tempters the King Money and Commodity whereof which is the strongest it is hard to determine the weakest of them prevaileth with most men Notwithstanding Naboth holdeth out against them all v. 3. The Lord
world of our name or credit above the truth of Christ which calleth us out of the world Again this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this full persuasion of mind is prevalent on both sides both in good and evil both for truth and errour A thief may go as chearfully to his death as a martyr The Egyptians saith Tully would endure any torture rather then violate their Ibis or an Aspe or a Dog or a Crocodile The Priests of Mithras passed the sword the fire and famine even fourscore several torments and that with ostentation of alacrity onely that they might be his Priests We have read of Hereticks who have sung in the midst of the flames Nay of Atheists as Scipio Tettus who now burning for setting up a school of Atheism clapped his hands in the midst of his torments Such strength hath persuasion on both sides In illis pietas in istis cordis duritia operatur The love of the truth prevaileth in the righteous and the love of errour in the other Such a power hath the Devil over those hearts which by God's permission he possesseth He can perswade Judas to deny his Master and he can perswade him to hang himself He can drive men into errour and lead them along in triumph rejoycing to their death He can teach men first to kill others then themselves He can first make the grossest errour delightful and then death it self Habet Diabolus suos martyres For the Devil hath his martyrs as well as God The Manichees were Martyrs for they boasted that they suffered persecution and yet did those outrages which none but persecutours could do The Donatists were Martyrs and yet did ravish virgins break open prisons fling the Communion-bread to dogs Garnet was a Martyr and Faux a Martyr when they would have blown up a Kingdom which may be done without gunpowder The Massalians in Epiphanius buried their bodies who were killed for despising and denying the Law and for worshipping of Idols and sung hymns and made panegyricks on them and called them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sect of Martyrs So that you see every man is ready to say he is persecuted every man suffereth for righteousness sake every man is a Martyr In every nation and in every people in every sect and in every conventicle we may find Martyrs But this is not the noble army of Martyrs where none are listed but those who suffer for righteousness sake It is not pretense but Truth that must set this crown upon our heads This is praise worthy saith St. Peter 1 Pet. 2.19.20 if a man for conscience toward God endure grief and that not an erring conscience it is very strange we should erre in any of those things for which we must suffer For what glory is it if when you are buffetted for your faults you take it patiently but if when you do well and suffer for it ye take it patiently this is acceptable with God St. Bernard determineth all in brief proposing to us two things which make death precious and persecution a blessing vitam causam sed ampliùs causam quà m vitam the life of them that suffer and the cause for which they are persecuted but the cause more then the life For seldom will an evil man suffer in a good cause and he is not good who suffereth in a bad for that for which he suffereth maketh him evil If he suffer as a malefactour he is one But when both commend our sufferings then are they praise-worthy That sacrifice is of a sweet-smelling savour which both a good cause and a good life offer up And first the Cause it must be the love of Righteousness For we see as I told you men will suffer for their lusts suffer for their profit suffer for fear suffer for disdain as Cato is blamed by Augustine for killing himself because the haughtiness of his mind could not stoop to be beholden to Caesar and therefore cùm non potuit pedibus fugit manibus whom he could not fly from with his feet he did with his hands and killed himself Which argued a lower spirit and was an act of more dejection and baseness then it would have been to have kissed the foot of Caesar Some we see will venture themselves for their name and hazard their souls for reputation which is but another man's thought But neither are these our pleasure our profit our honour causes why we should suffer death or venture our lives To be willing rather to lose my goods then my humour and my life then my reputation is not to set a right estimate upon them For my goods are God's blessings and I must not exchange them but for better My life is that moment on which eternity dependeth and we should not look back upon that opinion of honour which remaineth behind us but rather look forward upon that infinite space that eternity of bliss or pain which befalleth us immediately after our last breath Be sure your cause be good or else to venture goods or life upon it is the worst kind of prodigality in the world For he that knoweth what life is and the true use of it had he many lives to spare yet would be loth to part with any one of them but upon the best terms We must deal with our life as we do with our money We must not be covetous of it desire life for no other use but to live as covetous persons desire money onely to have it Neither ought we to be prodigal of life and trifle it away upon every occasion To know when and in what cases to offer our selves to suffer and die is a great part of our spiritual wisdom Nam impetu quodam instinctu currere ad mortem cum multis commune Brutishly to run upon and hasten our death is a thing that many men may do as we see brute beasts many times run upon the spears of such as pursue them Sed deliberare causas expendere utque suaserit ratio vitae mortisque consilium suscipere vel ponere ingentis est animi Wisely to look into and weigh every occasion and as judgment and true discretion shall direct so to entertain a resolution either of life or death this is indeed true fortitude and magnanimity Every low and light consideration is not to hold esteem and keep equipage with that Truth which must save us There is nothing but Righteousness which hath this prerogative to call for our lives and it will pay them back with eternity Righteousness which is nothing else but our obedience to the Gospel of Christ and those precepts which he hath left behind to draw us after him We must rather renounce our lives and goods then these rather not be men then not be good Christians Matth. 10.39 Here that is true He that findeth his life for they who to escape danger deny the truth count that escape a thing found and gained look upon it as a new purchase
evidence or confirmation at all And therefore saith Tertullian Christ shewed not himself openly to the people after his resurrection ut fides non mediocri praemio destinata difficultate constaret that faith which is destined to a crown might not consist without some difficulty but commend it self by our obedience Nec tam veniam quà m praemium habet ignorare quod credis Not perfectly to know what thou believest doth so little stand in need of pardon that it will procure and bring with it a reward What obedience is it for a man to assent to this That the whole is greater then the part That the Sun doth shine or to any of those truths which are so visible to the eye that they force the understanding and leave there an impossibility â—o dissent But when the object is in part hidden and in part seen when the truth which I assent to hath more probability to speak for it and persuade it then can be brought to shake and weaken it John 20.29 then our Saviour himself pronounceth Blessed are they who have not seen and yet have believed Again it were in vain that Christ should thus visibly every day shew himself We have Moses and the Prophets We have the testimony of his Disciples who saw him ascend And if we will not believe them neither would we have believed if we had been with them on mount Olivet and seen him received up into the cloud For if we will not believe God's word we should soon learn to discredit his miracles though they were done before the Sun and the people God rained down Manna upon the Israelites For all this they sinned still and believed not his wondrous works The Pharisees saw Christ's miracles yet would have stoned him The people said He hath done all things well yet these were they who crucified the Lord of Life And the reason is plain For though Faith be an act of the Understanding yet it dependeth upon the Will Whence it cometh to pass that many men build up an opinion without any basis or foundation at all without any evidence nay against all evidence whatsoever Quot voluntates tot fides So many Wills as there are nay so many Humours so many Creeds there be For every man believeth as he will I dare appeal to men of the poorest observation and least experience What else is that which turneth us about like the hand of a dial from one point to another from one persuasion to a contrary What is that that wheeleth and circleth us about that we touch at every opinion and settle on none How cometh it to pass that I now tremble at that which anon I embrace though I have the same evidence that that is not Perjury to day which was so yesterday that that is Devotion and Zeal now which from my youth upwards to this present I branded with the loathsom name of Sacrilege How is it that my belief shifteth so many scenes and presenteth it self in so many several shapes Beloved it is the prevalency and victory of our Sensitive part over our Reason that maketh so many several so many contrary impressions in the mind Self-love and the Love of the world these frame our Creeds these plant and build these root out and pull down build up a belief and then beat it down to the ground and then set up another in its place For commonly we believe and disbelieve for the same reason We are Atheists for advantage and we are Christians for advantage We embrace the Truth for our profit and convenience and for our profit we renounce it and we make the same overture for heaven which we do for destruction will believe any thing for a truth that flattereth our humour and count that Truth it self a heresie that thwarteth it In a word that we believe not the Truth is not for want of evidence but for want of will Last of all the knowledge a Christian hath of these high mysteries can be no other but by Faith Novimus si credimus Christian dost thou believe Thou hast then been at mount Olivet and seen thy crucified Saviour ascend into heaven With S. Stephen thou hast seen the glory of God and Jesus standing at his right hand And though thou canst not argue or dispute though thou canst not untie every knot and resolve every doubt though thou canst not silence the Jew nor stop the mouth of the unbelieving Arheist yet qui credit satis est ei quod credat there is required of thee no more then to believe and to believe is salvation One man saith the Father hath faith another hath also skill and ability to stand out against all the world and comâ— forth a defender of the faith another is strong and mighty in faith but not so able with art and skill to maintain it The one is doctior non fidelior The one hath advantage and preeminence over the other in learning and knowledge but not in faith may be the deeper scholar but not the better Christian may be of necessary use titubantibus to men who doubt but not credentibus to those who stand fast in the faith and liberty wherewith Christ hath made them free Both have the same evidence and it may be as powerful in the one for practice as it is in the other for speculation and argument We know those who saw Christ suscitantem mortuos raising up men from the dead believed not when he believed and confessed him who saw him pendentem in ligno hanging on the cross Surgunt indocti Simple and unlearned men take the kingdom of heaven by violence when the great Rabbies stand below and make no approch Illi ratiocinentur nos credamus Let the wise and the scribe and the disputer of this world argue and doubt our rejoycing is in our faith Let them dispute we will fall down at this great sight Let them reason we will believe not onely that this Jesus was thus taken up but that he shall come again Which is another article of our Creed and our last part and must now serve onely for conclusion And it is good to conclude with comfort And VENIET He shall come again was not onely a Resolve but a Message of comfort by two Angels who stood by in albis in the colours of joy to comfort the Disciples who were now troubled and did stoop for heaviness of heart because Christ was taken away He shall come again Prov. 12.25 was that good word which did make their hearts glad made them return to Jerusalem as Christ ascended into heaven in Jubilo in triumph But now it may be a word of comfort yet not unto all that shall hear it That which is comfort to one may be a sentence of condemnation to another The VENIET He shall come again may open as the heavens to receive the one and as the gates of hell to devour the other For what is a promise to him that is not partaker of
the highest heavens for evermore The Sixteenth SERMON PART II. 1 COR. VI. 20. For ye are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your body and in your spirit which are God's THese words are a Logical Enthymeme consisting of two parts an Antecedent Ye are bought with a price and a Consequent naturally following Therefore glorifie God in your body and in your spirit which are God's God's by Creation and God's by Redemption the Body bought and redeemed from the dust to which it must have fallen for ever and the Soul from a worse death the death of sin from those impurities which bound it over to an eternity of punishment and therefore both to be consecrated to him who bought them How God is to be glorified in our spirit we have already shewn to wit by a kind of assimilation by framing and fashioning our selves to the will and mind of God He that is of the same mind with God glorifieth him by bowing to him in his still voice and by bowing to him in his thunder by hearkening to him when he speaketh as a Father and by hearkening to him when he threatneth as a Lord by hearkening to his mercy and by hearkening to his rod. For the Glory of a King is most resplendent in the obedience of his subjects In a word we glorifie God by Justice and Mercy and those other vertues which are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 defluxions and emanations from his infinite goodness and light In a just and perfect man God shineth in glory and all that behold him will say that God is in him of a truth The Glory of God is that immense ocean into which all streams must run Our Creation our Redemption are to his glory Nay the Damnation of the wicked at last emptieth it self and endeth here This his wisdom worketh out of his dishonour and forceth it out of blasphemy it self But God's chief glory and in which he most delighteth is from our submissive yielding to his natural and primitive intent which is that we should follow and be like him in all purity and holiness In this he is well pleased that we should do that which is pleasing in his sight Then he looketh with an eye of favour and complacency upon Man his creature when he appeareth in that shape and form which he prescribed when he seeth his own image in him when he is what he would have him be when he doth not change the glory of God into an image made like to corruptible man and to birds and four-footed beasts and creeping things when he doth not prostitute that Understanding to folly which should know him and that Will to vanity which should seek him nor fasten those Affections to the earth which should wait upon him alone when he falleth not from his state and condition but is holy as God is holy merciful as God is merciful perfect as God is perfect Then is he glorified then doth he glory in him Deut. 30.9 and rejoyce over him as Moses speaketh as over the work of his hands as over his image and likeness not corrupted not defaced Then is Man taught Canticum laudis nothing else but the Glory and Praise of his Maker Thus do we glorifie God in our spirit Now to pass to that which we formerly did but touch upon Man is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made up of both of Body and Spirit and therefore must glorifie God not onely in the spirit but in the body also For such a near conjunction there is between the Body and the Soul that nothing but Death can divorce them and that too but for a while a sleeping-time after which they shall be made up into one again either to howl out their blasphemie or to sing a song of praise to their Maker for evermore If we will not glorifie God in our body by chastity by abstinence by patience here we shall be forced to do it by weeping and gnashing of teeth hereafter It is true the body is but flesh 2 Cor. 4.11 yet the life of Jesus may be made manifest in this our flesh It is but dust and ashes but this dust and ashes may be raised up and made a Temple of the holy Ghost a Temple in which we offer up ch 6.19 not beasts our raging lusts and unruly affections nor the foul stench and exhalations of our corrupted hearts but the sweet incense of our devotion not whole drink offerings but our tears and strong supplications such a Temple which it self may be a sacrifice a holy and acceptable sacrifice Rom. 12.1 post Dei templum sepulcrum Christi saith Tertullian and being a Temple of God be made a sepulchre of Christ by bearing about in it the dying of our Lord Jesus For when we beat it down and bring it in subjection when we do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 keep it chast and pure quench those unholy fires which are even ready to kindle and flame up in it bind and tye it up from joyning with that forbidden object to which its bent and natural inclination carrieth it when we have set a watch at every sense at every door which may be an in-let to the Enemy when we have learned so far to love it as to despise it to esteem of it as not ours but his that made it to be macerated and diminished to be spit upon and whipt to be stretched out on the rack to be ploughed up with the scourge to be consumed in the fire when his honour calleth for it when with S. Paul we are ready to offer it up then is the power of Christ's death visible in it and the beauty of that sight is the glory of God First we glorifie God in our bodies when we use them for that end to which he built them up when we make them not the weapons of sin but the weapons of righteousness when we do not suffer them to make our Spirit and Reason their servants to usher in those delights which may flatter and please them but bring them under the law and command of Reason Touch not Taste not Handle not which by its power may check the weakness of the Flesh and so uphold and defend it from those allurements and illusions from that deep ditch that hell into which it was ready to fall and willing to be swallowed up Now saith S. Paul vers 13◠the body is not for fornication It was not created for that end For how can God who is Purity it self create a body for uncleanness Not then for fornication but for the Lord and the Lord for the body Who made it as an instrument which the mind might use to the improvement and beautifying of it self as a vessel to be possest by us in holiness and honour 1 Thes 4.4 his Temple and thy vessel his Temple that thou mayest not profane it and thy vessel that thou mayest not defile and pollute it nor defile thy soul in it For this kind of
presently be your master These bodies of ours are at the best but Gibeonites And if we come to terms of truce with them it must be but as Joshua did with the Gibeonites that they may be our bond slaves hewers of wood and drawers of water our Almoners to distribute our bounty our servants to bear our burthens to sweat to smart to pine away that the Soul may be in health For what was noted of Caligula is true of our Body It is the worst master and the best servant And as S. Paul at first was the greatest persecutor of the Gospel of Christ yet afterwards proved the greatest propagator and preacher of it so the Body that presseth down the soul may be disciplined and taught to lift it up to carry it along to act with it in the way of righteousness That Body which is a prison may be a theatre for the Mind to shew it self in all its proper operations That Body which is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sepulchre of a dead soul may be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Temple wherein we may offer up sacrifices of a sweet-smelling savour unto the Lord. That Body in which we dishonoured God stood out against him and defied him may bow and fall down before him and glorifie him When the Body is subject to the Soul the Sense obedient to Reason and the Will of man guided by the supreme rule the Will of God not swerving either to the right hand or the left then every string is in its right place then every touch every action is harmonious then there is order which indeed is the glory of the God of Order In the third place as the Body is thus hewed and squared and made up a Temple of God so is it also made fit to be a sacrifice When it is purged and disciplined and subdued then is it best qualified for that lavacrum sanguinis to enter the laver of persecution and to be baptized with its own bloud and being now taken out of the mouth of the roaring Lion by the same power to tread him under foot nec solùm evadere sed devincere and not onely to escape his paws but to overcome him Let us phansie as we please an easie passage to the Tree of life we shall find there is a flaming sword still betwixt us and it Let us study to make our wayes smooth and plain to Happiness yet we are all designati martyres no sooner Christians then culled out and designed to Martyrdom And if there were no other prison yet the world it self is one and we are sometimes brought out to be spit upon sometimes as Samson to make men sport sometimes to be stripped and not pitied sometimes to the block or to the fire sometimes to fight with beasts with men more savage then they Our prison is not so much our custody as our punishment and we are in a manner thrown out of it whilest we are in it and whilest we are in it we suffer For to glorifie God is to speak the truth of him and to speak the truth of him many times costeth us our tongues and our lives John Baptist may speak many things to Herod and Herod may give him the hearing but if to the glory of God he tell Herod that truth which above all it concerneth him to know this at the first shall lose John his liberty and at the last his head Nay our Saviour Jesus Christ to discharge his message faithfully to bear witness to the Truth and glorifie his Father must be content to lay down his life The Truth of God by which he is most glorified like the Tyrant's fiery furnace scorcheth and burneth up those that profess it hominem martyrem excudit forgeth and fashioneth the man into a Martyr He that endureth to the end glorifieth God and is glorified himself Nec aliud est sustinere in finem quà m pati finem To endure to the end is nothing else but to endure the end We all speak it often Glory be to thee O Lord and the calves of our lips are a cheap and easie sacrifice For we speak it in the habitations of peace But should we hear the noise of the whip should Persecution rush in with a sword in her hand Deficient vires nec vox nec verba sequentur our heart would fail us and we should not have a word to speak for the Glory of God Would any take in Truth and Sword and all into his bowels Would we so glorifie God as to lay our Honour and Life in the dust We do not well consider what the Glory of God is and yet it is the language of the whole world and the worst of men speak it as well as the best the Hyeocrite loudest of all You may hear it from the mouth of the bloud-thirstty man and it is more heard then his Murther which maketh the greatest noise in the other world But it is not done in a word or a breath For then God might have a MAGNIFICAT from Hell Even the Devils may cry Jesus thou Son of the living God It is not to enter his house with praise and his courts with thanksgiving No not to comprehend with all Saints what is the length and heighth and depth and breadth of his Greatness to know that it is in breadth immense in height most sublime in length eternal in depth unfoordable No not to suck out ubera beata praeconii as Cassiodore calleth the Psalms those breasts which distill nothing but praise No A MAGNIFICAT an EXSULTATE a Triumph a Jubilee will not reach it Then we truly glorifie God in our body when we do it openly when Persecution rageth when the fire flameth in our face when the Sword is at our very breasts Then to speak his glory when for ought we know it may be the last word we shall speak to profess his name in the midst of a crooked and froward generation to defend his Truth before Tyrants and not be ashamed to be true Prophets amongst a thousand false ones to suffer for his name's sake this is to glorifie him in our body And these three Chastity Temperance Patience present our bodies a living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto God which is our reasonable service For good reason it is that we should be chaste for he is pure that we should fast and afflict our bodies for it is a lesson which he taught us himself in our flesh that we should offer up our bodies for him whose body was nailed to the cross for us A chaste body a subdued body a body ready to be offered up is his Temple indeed the place where his glory dwelleth And now we pass to a fourth the Glorifying God by those outward Expressions which are commanded by the Spirit but performed by the Body alone glorifying of him by our Voice and Gesture and reverent Deportment by our outward Worship And indeed if the three first were made good we need not be
hid in the secret pavilion of our thoughts but the Tongue is the door by which we go out and manifest and expose our selves to the publick view But even this gate this door may be a wall a pavillion to skreen us and many times we are least seen when we are most exposed For words are deceitful upon the balance When you come to weigh them those words which went for talents weigh not a mite and though they present unto us the softness of butter yet upon the touch and trial they have an edge and wound like swords To bless with the mouth and curse with the heart is the Devil's lecture who in these last Atheistical times hath set the heart and tongue at such a distance that they hold no intelligence Hosanna is the word when we wish Christ on the cross and we call him Lord when we trample him under our feet If we look upon the greatest part of Christendom we may take them not for a Church but rather 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a convention or congregation of idle talking men who say it and never say it say it often but never speak it as they should To say it then is of a more spreading signification and taketh in the Tongue the Heart the Hand taketh in 1. an outward Profession 2. an inward Persuasion 3. a constant Practice answerable to them both This is the best language of a Christian when he speaketh by his Tongue his Eye his Ear his Hand by every member that he hath Rom. 10.9 First we are bound to say it That we may be saved we must confess with the mouth the Lord Jesus 1 John 4.15 God dwelleth in him that confesseth Jesus is the Son of God The Mouth is named by S. Paul in allusion to that of Moses The word is in thy mouth Where by a Synecdoche the Mouth is mentioned when all the other parts of the body are understood For if the Mouth were enough if to say it were sufficient there needed no holy Ghost to descend to teach it We might learn to say Jesus is the Lord as the Pye or Parrot did to salute Caesar and between our Jesu Domine and the birds Ave Caesar the difference would not be great And indeed if we send our eyes abroad and take a survey of the conversation of most Christians we shall find that our Confession is much after the language of birds To name Christ and speak well of his name To bless the child Jesus and to curse the Jews this is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the total of our Say of our Confession And if we were to frame a Religion out of mens lives as one is said to have done a Grammar out of Homer's works we should find none but this For what can we discover in most mens lives but noise and words How good is the Lord How beautiful are the feet of Jesus Doth any man speak against Jesus Ad ignem leones Let him die for it And thus some say it because they are inwardly convinced and willing to think so For not onely out of the mouths of babes and sucklings but also out of the mouths of wicked men hath God ordained strength And Jesus is justified and magnified not onely by his children but also by his enemies Again some are Christians in a throng and dare not but say it for very shame dare not oppose it lest the multitude of those they live with should confute or silence them or stone them to death Si nomen Christi in tanta gloria non esset tot professores Christi sancta Ecclesia non haberet saith Gregory If the name of Christ had not been made glorious on the earth the Church of Christ would fall short in her reckoning and number of Professours whereof the greatest part name him but for companie 's sake And that is the reason why so many fall from him in time of persecution and are so ready to forget him For that Religion which we take up by the way will never bring us forward upon the point of the sword Besides the Heart doth not alwayes sympathize and keep time with the Voice but is often dull and heavy when our Hosannas and Hallelujahs are loudest nay most times turneth away from that which our Profession tendeth to The Voice may be for Jesus and the Heart for Mammon the Voice for Christ the Heart on his Patrimony the Voice for his miracles the desire for his loaves We may say he is the Lord when are ready to crucifie him O miserable disproportion and contradiction of Voice and Heart Foolish men that we are to profess the Gospel is true and yet so live as it were most certainly false I did not well to mention this For thus to say it is not to say it This Confession is at best but a beam cast forth from the light of Reason but an acknowledgement against our wills and we may truly say Vox est preterea nihil It is a voice a sound of words and no more Thus they may name him who never name him but in their cursed oaths and exsecrations who shall be said never to have named Jesus because they name him too often and whom he will not know because they have been too familiar with him Thus the Profane person may say it who teareth him pieces the Sacrilegious person who devoureth him the Covetous who selleth him the Ambitious who treadeth upon him the Devil who will have nothing to doe with him and that white Devil the Hypocrite that trumpet of an uncertain sound that monster with the voice of an Angel and the malice of a fiend But this is not to say it And we must learn to distinguish between Samuel and the Devil which the witch brought up in his mantle Outward Profession will not reach home But In the next place as there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word floating on the tongue so there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word conceived and shaped in the mind the word of the Heart a kind of dialogue within our selves as Plato calleth it when by due examination and comparing one thing with another and well weighing the inducements and evidences which are brought we are well persuaded of the Truth and settle our selves upon this conclusion That Jesus is the Lord. We commonly call it Faith Which of it self is operative as a fire in the bones which will not be concealed My heart was hot within me and whilst I was musing the fire burned Psal 39. Psal 116. then spake I with my tongue saith David I believed and therefore have I spoken The love of Christ constraineth us saith S. Paul And indeed of its own nature so it will For it is of an active nature Sometimes we read of its valour it stoppeth the mouths Lions Sometimes of its policy it is not ignorant of the Devil's enterprises Sometimes of its strength that it removeth mountains And we find
speak in Faith speak in the bitterness of your souls speak in Hope and speak in the heavenly dialect which is Love ye then truly say JESUS EST DOMINUS Jesus is the Lord. And this Jesus shall be your Jesus shall plead and intercede for you fill you with all the comforts and ravishments of his Gospel And this Lord shall descend to meet you here and welcome you to his Table And when he shall descend with a shout with the voice of the Archangel and with the trump of God he will enable and encourage you to meet him in the air and take you up with him into heaven that ye may be and rejoyce with Jesus the Lord for evermore Which the Lord grant for his infinite mercy's sake The Eighteenth SERMON PART II. 1 COR. XII 3. Wherefore I give you to understand that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost WE have hitherto detained you in the Lesson Which is indeed a short one but in it is comprised the whole Gospel For when we have let loose our phansie and sought out many inventions when we have even wearied our selves in the uncertain gyres and Meanders which our imaginations cut out when we have laid out that time in following that we cannot overtake which we should have imployed in that work which is visible and put into our hands when our Curiosity hath even spent it self this is all Jesus is the Lord. And to profess him to be the Lord whom we must obey in all things who hath power in heaven and in earth a power to command our Understandings to bow to the Truth and our Wills to imbrace it is compendium Evangelii the sum of Religion the whole intent and scope of the Gospel of Christ This is the Lesson And I told you in the next place we must learn to say it that is first to Profess it But that is not enough All Nations have said it and the Devils have said it And what Religion is that in which the sons of perdition and the Devils themselves may joyn with us What a Profession is that which may be heard in Hell What a poor progress do we make towards happiness if the cursed Spirits go along with us and reach as far as we There is then secondly verbum mentis a word conceived in the mind a perswasion of the Truth And this also may come too short For many times there is not so much Rhetorick and power in this to move us to our duty as there is in a piece of money or a painted face to carry us from it but it lieth useless and of no efficacy at all suffering our members to rebel our flesh to riot it our passions to break loose and hurry us into by-wayes and dangerous precipices speaking to us for the Lord whilst we despise and tread him under foot For if we consider that intimacy and familiarity that many men have with those sins which cannot but present to the mind so much monstrosity as might fright them from them if we behold with what eagerness and delight men pursue that which is as loathsome as Hell it self how they labour and dig for it as for treasure how they devote both body and mind to its service how every trifle is in esteem above Grace and every Barabbas preferred before Jesus the Lord we might easily be induced to conclude that they do not believe that there is a God or that Jesus is the Lord but as the Heathen in scorn did ask Ecquis Christus cum suâ fabulâ count the Gospel and Christianity as a fable For it is not easie to conceive how a man that is verily persuaded in his heart that Jesus is the Lord and that to break Christ's command is to forfeit his soul that for every wilful sin he loseth Paradise and for a moments brutish pleasure he shall find no better purchase then an irreversible state in hell should dare to do that which he doeth every day in a kind of triumph and Jubilee or dip but the tip of his finger in the water of bitterness which he drinketh down greedily as an oxe But upon a review and more mature consideration we may observe that Sin is not alwaies the effect of Infidelity but sometimes of Incogitancy and because we do not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stoop and look intentively upon this truth that we have indeed learned this lesson but when we should make use of it to restrain us are willing to forget that Jesus is the Lord. We believe that we shall die but so live as if we were eternal We believe there is hell-fire but stoln waters are sweet and quench those flames We believe that there is a heaven but every trifle is a better sight We believe that Jesus is the Lord but the object that next smileth upon us becometh our Master We believe but are willing to forget what we believe Heaven and Hell the Law and the Gospel and the Lord himself In a word we believe that Death is the wages of sin but the pleasures and vanities of the world come towards us in a gaudy and triumphant march and swallow up this faith and this persuasion in victory detain it and put it in chains that it is not able to do its office not to move and work by Charity For if Heaven did display all its glory and Hell breathe forth all its terrour yet if we do but look upon it and then turn away our eye our persuasion will soon shrink back and withdraw it self and leave us naked and open to every temptation weak and impotent not able to struggle and resist it and we shall laetari in rebus pessimis rejoyce in evil sport and delight our selves at the very gates of hell as an intoxicated thief may laugh and jest at the ridge of the gallows Be not then too well persuaded of every persuasion For if it be but the word and the language of the mind it may soon be silenced And therefore we must nourish and soment it stir it up and enliven it that in the last place it may be of force to move the Tongue and the Hand that as the Heart doth speak to the Lord by a sincere belief Lord I belive so we may speak it with our Hands and Eyes and Feet and sound it out with every member that we have and together make that glorious report which may enter the highest heavens Lord we are ready to do whatsoever thou commandest that we may pray in his ears and weep in his ears Numb 11.18 that our Alms may speak louder then our Trumpet and our Fasting and Humility may houl unto him and not our exterminated face that he may hearken to our thoughts as well as to our words and that an universal Obedience may declare our Faith as the heavens do his glory This is the language of Canaan the
celestial dialect and not as some of late have been ready to make it the language of the Whore of Babylon as if Faith onely did make a Protestant and Good works were the mark of a Papist What mention we Papist or Protestant The Christian is the member of this Body and Common-wealth this is his language Zeph. 3.9 the pure language When Hand and Tongue Faith and Good works a full Persuasion and a sincere Obedience are joyned together then we shall speak this language plainly and men will understand us and glorifie God the Angels will understand and applaud us and the Lord will understand and crown us We shall speak it not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 faintly and feignedly ready upon any allurement or terrour to eat our words but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we shall make it plain by an Ocular demonstration And this is truly to say JESUS EST DOMINUS Jesus is the Lord. This is the Lesson our first Part. And thus far we are gone And we see it is no easie matter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to speak but these three words JESUS EST DOMINUS Jesus is the Lord. For we must comprehend Eph. 3.18 saith the Apostle the breadth and length and depth and height of this Divine mystery the breadth saith S. Augustine in the expansion and dilatation of my Charity the length by my continued perseverance unto the end the height in the exaltation of my hope to reach at things above and the depth in the contemplation of the bottomless sea of God's mercies These are the dimensions And if we will learn these Mathematicks because we see the Lesson is difficult we must have a skilful Master And behold my next Part bringeth him forth bringeth us news of one who is higher then heaven broader then the sea and longer then the earth as Job speaketh It is the holy Ghost For no man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost And indeed good reason that he should be our Teacher For as the Lesson is such should the Master be The Lesson is spiritual the Teacher a Spirit The Lecture is a lecture of piety and the Spirit is an holy Spirit The Lesson proposeth a method to joyn Heaven and Earth God and Man Mortality and Immortality Misery and Happiness in one to draw us near unto God and make us one with him and the holy Ghost is that consubstantial and coeternal Friendship of the Father and the Son nexus amorosus as the Schools speak the essential Love and Love-knot of the undivided Trinity Flesh and blood cannot reveal this great mystery it must be a Spirit And the Spirit of this world bringeth no news from Heaven we may be sure It must be SPIRITUS SANCTUS the holy Ghost SPIRITUS SANCTUS for JESUS DOMINUS the holy Ghost for Jesus the Lord that by the grace of the holy Spirit we may learn the Power of the Son and by the inspiration of his Holiness learn the mystery of Holiness For it is not sharpness of wit or quickness of apprehension or force of eloquence that can raise us to this Truth but the Spirit of God must lead us to this tree of Knowledge Therefore Tertullian calleth Christian Religion commentum Divinitatis the invention of the Divine Spirit as Faith is called the gift of God not onely because it is given to every believer but because the Spirit first found out the way to save us by so weak a means as Faith O qualis artifex Spiritus sanctus What a skilful Artificer what an excellent Master is the blessed Spirit who found out a way to lift up Dust it self as high as Heaven and clothe it with eternity whose least beam is more glorious then the Sun and maketh it day unto us whose every whisper is as thunder to awake us cujus tetigisse docuisse est whose every touch and breathing is an instruction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Nazianzene For this Spirit is wise and can he is loving and will teach us if we will learn He inspireth an Herdsman and he straight becometh a Prophet He calleth a Fisherman and maketh him an Apostle Et non opus est morâ Spiritui Sancto He standeth not in need of any help from delay Without him Miracles are sluggish and of no efficacy but upon his breathing our Saviour shall appear glorious in his ignominy and the Thief shall worship him on his cross as if he had been in his Kingdom in whom he wrought such an alteration that in S. Hierom's phrase mutavit homicidii poenam in martyrium he was so changed that he died not a thief or murtherer but a Martyr And such a powerful Teacher we stood in need of to raise our Nature and that corrupt unto so high a pitch as the participation of the Divine Nature For no act and so no act of holiness or spiritual knowledge can be produced by any power which is not connatural to it and as it were a principle of that act So that as there is a natural light by which we are brought to the apprehension of natural principles whether speculative or practick by which light many of the Heathen proceeded so far as to leave most of them behind them who have the Sun of righteousness ever shining upon them so there must be a supernatural light by which we may be guided to attain unto truths of a higher nature Which the Heathen wanting did run uncertainly as S. Paul speaketh and beat the air and all those glorious acts by which they did out shine many of us were but as the Rainbow before the Floud for shew but for no use at all The Power must ever be connatural to the Act. Nature may move in her own sphere and turn us about in that compass to do those things which Nature is capable of but Nature could not make a Saint or a member of Christ To spiritualize a man to make him Christi-formem to bring him to a conformity and uniformity with Christ is the work alone of the Spirit of Christ Which he doth sweetly and secretly powerfully characterizing our hearts and so taking possession of them The Apostle telleth us that Christ dwelleth in us by his Spirit by his power and efficacy Rom. 8.11 which worketh like fire enlightning warming and purging our hearts Matth. 3.11 which are the effects of Fire First by sanctifying our knowledge of him by shewing us the riches of his Gospel and the beauty and majesty of Christ's Dominion and Kingdom with that evidence that we are forced to fall down and worship by filling the soul with the glory of it as God filled the Tabernacle with his Exod. 30. that all the powers and faculties of our soul are ravished at the sight that we come willingly and fall down willingly before this Lord in a word by bringing on that Truth which our heart assenteth to with that clearness and fulness of demonstration that it passeth through all the
treadeth under foot from fear of the Law when we should have no other law but Piety That which is born of the flesh is flesh saith our Saviour John 3.6 Nor can the flesh work in us a love to and chearfulness in the things of the Spirit The flesh perfecteth nothing contributeth nothing to a good work Nor doth any thing work kindly till it come to perfection Perfection and Sincerity work our joy In Scripture we find even inanimate and senseless things said to be glad when they attain unto and abide in their natural perfection a Ps 19.5 The Sun is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber and rejoyceth as a strong man to run a race b Ps 65.12 â—3 The little hills rejoyce on every side The valleys are covered over with corn they shout for joy they also sing Prata rident So Solomon c Prov. 13.9 The light of the righteous rejoyceth because it shineth clear and continually The blessed Angels are in a state of perfection and their motion from place to place the Schools say is instantaneous and in a moment as sudden and quick as their will by which they move Therefore they are drawn out with wings Isa 6. and said to go forth like lightning Which signifieth unto us their alacrity speed in executing all God's commands Their constant office is to be ready at his beck and they ever have the heavenly characters of his will before their eyes as a Father speaketh And such also will our activity and chearfulness be in devotion and the service of God if we be thus animated and informed as it were with the love thereof if our minds be shaped and configured to it as S. Basil saith If either the Word or the Sword either the power of the truth or calamity and persecution hath made it sweet unto us and stirred up in us an earnest expectation and longing after it then IBIMUS We will go go with chearfulness to the house of mourning and sit with those who are in the dust go to that Lazar and relieve him to that prisoner and visit him to our friends and counsel them to our enemies and reconcile them with the Jews here go to the Temple to the Church and pray for the Nation Joel 2.17 and say Spare thy people O Lord and give not thine heritage to reproch go and fall down and worship him yea go to the stake and dy for him Psal 39.3 When this fire burneth within us we shall speak with the tongue and that with a chearful accent IBIMUS We will go into the house of the Lord. And so we are fallen upon our last circumstance 5. The place of their devotion the house of the Lord. When a company go to serve the Lord they must needs go to some place For how can they serve him together but in a place Adam and his sons had a place Gen. 4.3 4. The Patriarchs had a place altars and mountains and groves In the wilderness the people of God had a movable Tabernacle And though Solomon said that a Acts 7.48 1 Kings 8.27 God dwelleth not in temples made with hands yet b Acts 7.47 Solomon that said so built him an house And the work was commended by God himself not onely when it was finished and brought to perfection but even while it was yet but in design and was raised no further then in thought The Lord said unto David 2 Chron. 6.8 Forasmuch as it was in thine heart to build an house for my name thou didst well in that it was in thine heart And when Christ came he blessed in this house prayed in it taught in it disputed in it he drove the profaners out of it he spake by his presence by his tongue by his gesture he giveth it its name and in a manner Christneth it Matth. 21.13 by calling it his house and the house of prayer For though he came to strike down the Law yet he came not to beat down right Reason Though he did disanull what was fitted but for a time as Sacrifices and all that busy and troublesome that ceremonious and typical Worship yet he never abolished what common reason will teach us is necessary for all ages How could he require that men should meet together and worship him if there were to be no place at all to meet in Or what needed an express command for that which the very nature of the duty enjoyneth and necessity it self will bring in He that enjoyneth publick worship doth in that command imply that there must be a certain publick place to meet in We hear indeed Christ saying to the Jews John 2.19 Destroy this Temple but it was to make a window in their breasts that they might see he knew their very hearts 21. He bid them do what they meant to do He spake of the Temple of his body saith the Text and they did destroy both his body and their own Temple For they who had nothing more in their mouthes then The Temple of the Lord Jer. 7.4 set fire on the Temple of the Lord with their own hands as Josephus relateth And so their Ceremonies had an end so their Temple was destroyed but not to the end that all Churches and places of publick meeting should be for ever buried in its ruines before they were built That house of the Lord was dissolved indeed but at the dissolution thereof there was no voice heard that did tell us vve should build no more in any other place The first Christians we may be sure heard no such voice For assoon as persecution suffered them to move their arms they were busy in erecting of Oratories in a plain manner indeed answerable to their present estate But when the favour of Princes shined upon them and their substance encreased they poured it out plentifully this way and founded Churches in every place Nor did they think they could lay too much cost upon them none counted that wast which was expended about so good a work They built sumptuous houses for God's worship and rejoyced and after-ages applauded it both by their words and practice they magnified it and did the like Such cost hath ever gone under the name of Piety and Devotion till these later times when almost all are ready with Judas to condemn Mary Magdelene for pouring forth her ointment John 12 3-6 Churches were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Houses of the Lord and so were esteemed and not Idole Synagogues not Styes till Swine entred into them and defiled them and holp to pull them down We know God dwelleth not in Temples made with hands Acts 7.48 17.24 nor can his infinite Majesty be circumscribed we remember and therefore need not to be told that Christ said to the woman of Samaria that the hour was coming when men should neither in that mountain nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father John 4.21 23. but should worship him
not reach home Well said S. Hierom Nisi vim feceris regnum coelorum non capies Righteousness is not found nor the Kingdom of Heaven taken but by violence Will you have it in a word Velle justitiam est quaerere justitiam To have a Will ready to entertein it a Heart ready to leap out and meet it to love and embrace it to express it in every part of it is to seek it This setteth a seal and ratifieth our Profession This maketh our Hearing fruitful This giveth Wings to our Prayers that they make haste and flie to the Mercy-seat This seasoneth and giveth a sweet-smelling savour to every sacrifice Isa 1.19 Si volucritis If you consent and obey you shall eat the good things of the land If you will you shall find and tast what sweetness is in Righteousness And this we may suppose is assoon done as said For who is unwilling who is so wicked as not to say he will be righteous I will be righteous is a promise made and broken almost every moment It may be made by Balaam as well as by Moses by Judas as well as by Peter I would be righteous but I love the world saith the Covetous I would be righteous but I fulfill my lusts saith the Wanton that is I would be righteous but I will be wicked In the way every man saith he will till he cometh to his journeys end till that sad time when his will it self shall be a punishment Have you seen a meteor twinckle like a star and then shoot and fall or a taper blazing and then out Have you seen some creatures swelling into some bulk and greatness and at a touch or breath contracting and shrinking in themselves to nothing Then have you seen an embleme and resemblance of that which we call to will A charge and a flight a venture and a retreat a proffer and a falling back a lap and away This is our Willing this is our seeking of Righteousness I dare not say that to Will is an act of the Understanding but if we define it by the practice of the major part of Christians it is no more And this is one of Satan's wiles and enterprizes this is the subtilest engine he hath to undermine and blow up the greatest part of mankind to persuade them that they then lift up their hearts when they do but lift up their voice that they truly desire that which they would not have and seek that which they would not find seek Righteousness when they would loath it I do not the good which I would but the evil which I would not do that do I They are the words of S. Paul Rom. 7.19 but how are they made an apology for sin For he that knoweth little of S. Paul doth easily remember this though he understand it not And we may observe it familiar in their mouths who say they would be righteous when they will be wicked who pretend they desire one thing when they resolve the contrary But we may say of these words as Job did of his friends They are but miserable comforters For S. Paul speaketh as in his own person but not of himself by this modest way to insinuate the truth which he intended He doth here as himself speaketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as in a figure transfer that to himself which indeed cannot belong but to the unregenerate man 1 Cor. 4.6 And for this we have the joynt testimony of the Fathers of the three first ages of the Church For to Will here is no more then to Approve nor can it be And the reason is plain For he that doth truly will cannot but do those things which shew a willing mind He that will be rich doth not gather wealth by saying he will be rich but doth rise up early and lye down late and eat the bread of carefulness He that will marry a Wife is not made a husband by that intention by saying he will be married 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Chrysostom If thou dost will indeed thou canst not but do those things which manifest and demonstrate that will For nihil aliud quà m ipsum velle est habere quod volumus It is S. Augustine's Truly to will a thing is to have it We cannot say he ever would be righteous who is not When we speak to Christ Lord if thou wilt thou canst make us righteous Christ returneth no other answer but this I will I command it and tribulation and anguish shall be upon every soul that is not righteous Never did any yet set forth with a willing mind whom God brought not to their journies end It is but Open thy mouth wide and he will fill it But further yet simply to Will doth not reach home nor fully express what is meant by seeking Though to Will is indeed to seek yet more is here meant to wit a free and chearful will a will subjugated and subdued to the will of Christ a will begot of love unfeigned which is nothing else but a vehement well-ordered will And this is in S. Augustin's phrase invictissimè perseverantissimè velle a cheerful persevering unconquered vvill a resolution made once for all like the decrees of God himself which cannot alter whose word is immutable like his promises Yea and Amen from vvhich neither debth nor life nor things present nor things to come nor any other creature shall ever move us And first it must be a Chearful and ready vvill like the motion of the Angels instantaneous and in a moment as sudden as their will Zech. 1.8 they are described in the posture of standing as in readiness to do God's Will and Isa 6. with wings flying vvith naked feet and they are said to go forth like lightning vvhich charactereth out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their prompt and ready alacrity and speed in executing all God's commands Their constant office is to be ready at Gods beck and therefore the Father conceiveth that they have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the heavenly characters of God's will alwayes before their eyes Behold here is the Object Righteousness and we cannot move towards it nisi in quantum caeperimus esse Angeli but so far forth as we begin to be like unto the Angels whose Elogium is that they do his will Our desires should be on the wing our devotion chearful and active our feet naked to run the way of Gods commandments For as the Schools tell us that the motion of the Angels is sudden and instantaneous because they are moved onely per suum velle by their will so here if our will truly move our Righteousness will break forth as the morning Isa 58.8 and spring forth speedily Quicquid volui illico potui Whatsoever I will do I presently may do Nay if I truly will it I have done it already Delay is a strong argument of an unwilling mind It may perhaps be joyned with that will which we call communem
then a plain commentary on this verse And in this sense my Text is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a pretious antidote against Errour against those errours which are most fatall and dangerous to the soul the errours in our life and conversation In many things saith S. James we offend and erre all For 1. few men have learnt that precept of Pythagoras to Reverence themselves to give that reverence to their own Judgment and Reason which they will to the beck of a Superiour the voice of a Custom or the vote of the beast of many heads the Multitude And though Errour have a foul name yet we are never better pleased then when we put a cheat upon our selves bowing to our Sense and as stiff as adamant to our Reason never lying more grosly then when we speak to our selves and bear both the parts in the Dialogue How easily do we persuade and win our selves to that which if a Prophet should commend unto us we would not receive him in that name and for which we should anathematize an Angel 2. Being deceived and making a kind of sport and pastime in our errour we are very ready to entertein a low conceit even of God himself as if blindness might happen to his all-seeing eye and he might also be deceived and mocked When through negligence or wilfullness we cannot raise our selves to be like unto him so far as possibility will permit we make him like unto us smiling upon us and favouring us in all our undertakings Men asleep in sin dream of a sleeping God and men who have blinded themselves phansie a God that will not see Lastly having made Darkness as a pavilion round about us we drowse on securely and dream of life in the very shadow of Death securi adversus Deos hominesque fearing neither God nor Man little heeding what we sow and not weighing well what we shall hereafter reap Now to men thus asleep running wilfully into errour and then delighting themselves in it our Apostle lifts up his voice Awake you that thus sleep Be not deceived And this precept he strengthens and doubles by two infallible positions the one grounded on the Wisdom of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God is not mocked the other on his Justice which gives to every man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to his work For what a man soweth that shall he also reap In sum thus Be not deceived that is Deceive not your selves in those plain and obvious duties of Christianity For as Gods Wisdom cannot subscribe to this wilfull errour so his Justice will punish it There is no deluding the eye of the one nor avoiding the stroke of the other It is a foolish errour to think you may do what you list and have what you list that you may sow tares and reap good corn that you may sow to the flesh and reap from the spirit The parts then are three 1. a Dehortation from errour Be not deceived In which we shall point out first to the Nature and then to the Danger of the errour we must fly from 2. a Vindication of the Wisdom of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God is not mocked I call it a Vindication of Gods Wisdom not that God hath need of any to stand up and speak for him for Gods Wisdom will justifie it self and he that denies him to be wise denies him to be God But in respect of a secret persuasion which finds place and lurks in the hearts of those who deceive themselves That God will not be so severe as he gives himself out for but will measure their actions by the same rule and line which themselves make use of And to strive to shake and remove this persuasion will be a sufficient discharge of this point 3. The last is a Declaration of the Justice of God proportioning the â—arvest to the seed And this shall serve onely for conclusion and as a motive to enforce the rest that upon the wings of Hope or of Fear we may make haste and fly away from this den of Errour Be not deceived These words have the form of a general Dehortation from all errour but must be taken in a more restrained and limited sense For to be free from all errour is not to put off the Old man but to put off our Humanity There be some truths to which common understandings are not equall which either stand at such a distance that we cannot ken them or want a fit medium to convey their species and representations For the Understanding like the bodily eye is not of the same quickness and sharpness in all One man discovers the star it self when another scarce sees my finger that points to it Nor need we draw it to fundamental truths in such a manner as to go in quest to find out the exact number of them and to deliver it by tale to them who are so vain as to demand it at our hands as now of late being put to their shifts they of the Church of Rome have learnt to do as if after sixteen hundred years and more Christians were at loss and to seek for that without which they cannot be Christians It may suffice that the Will of God is the main fundamental point of our Religion the several branches whereof he hath spread abroad and most plainly revealed in his Gospel The will of God conteined in his word is plain though the mysteries are great delivered to us as oracles but not as riddles his will I say not onely concerning what he will do in Christ for us but also concerning what he will have us to do our selves as he hath chosen us in him Eph. 1.4 that we should be holy and without blame before him in love Now whethersoever of these two we look upon Be not deceived is a good Caveat the errours on both sides deing dangerous But the metaphor of Sowing in the Text which implyeth an outward act directeth our discourse to the last And matters of Faith are like those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those initia Mathematicorum as Tully calleth them the beginning and principles of that Science S. Paul termeth them the principles of the doctrine of Christ Numb 6. â— These must be taken for granted for we speak not to infidels but to such as have already given up their names unto Christ Be not deceived then is in effect Deceive not your selves in the common actions of your life which then befalls us when contrary to the evidence which we already have and which fairly offers it self if we would entertain it we proceed to action and venture upon that which we know or may easily know is unlawful if we will but pause and consult with Reason and so wander in the region of light deceive our selves when the day is brightest and so loose our selves in the mist which we our selves cast when at once we profer and check our selves and yet resolve to condemn what we embrace and embrace what
tell their auditors that they were impoverisht with plenty streitned with abundance dull'd and cloy'd with too much matter and cry out with them Where should I begin or how should I end For we may behold the World as a theatre or stage and most men walking and treading their paces as in a shadow all in shew and visor nothing in substance maskt and hidden from others and masked and hidden from themselves fond of themselves and yet enemies to themselves loving and yet hating flattering and yet wounding raising and yet destroying themselves in their forehead Holiness to the Lord in their heart a legion of Devils breathing forth Hosanna's when they are a nayling their Saviour to the cross canonizing themselves saints when the Devil hath them in his snare hugging their errour proud of their errour glorying in their shame wiser then the Law wiser then the Gospel above command nauseating and loathing all advice and counsel whatsoever Reason or Revelation breaths against them as the smoke of the bottomless pit We may behold the Covetous grasping of wealth smiling at them that love not the world and counting them fools because they will not be so but this man is sick and dyeth this man perisheth and where is he We may behold the Ambitious in his ascent and mount and in his height looking down with scorn upon those dull and heavy spirits who will not follow after and yet every step he rises is a foul descent and he is never nearer to the lowest pit then when he is at his height This man falls and is dasht to pieces and where is he Behold the Seditious who moves and walks and beats up his march in the name of the Lord of hosts and thinks God beholding to him when he breaks his Law this man dyeth and perisheth and where is he Where is the Saint when the Covetous the Ambitious the Seditious man are in hell Oh beloved would we could see this and beware of it betimes before the Son of man comes who will pluck off our masks and disguises and make us a wofull spectacle to the world to men and to Angels Oh what a grief is it that we should never hear nor know our selves till we hear that voice Depart from me I know you not that we should deceive our selves so long till Mercy it self cannot redeem us from our errour That we should never see our selves but in Hell never feel our pain till it be eternal Oh what a sad thing is it that we should seal up our eyes in our own bloud and filth that we should delight in darkness and call it light that we should adore our errours and worship our own vain imaginations and in this state and pomp and triumph strut on to our destruction To day if you will hear his voyce harden not your hearts Hic meus est dixere dies This is our day to look into our selves to examine our selves to mistrust our selves to be jealous of our selves vereri omnia opera as Job speaks to be afraid of every work we do of every enterprise we take in hand to hearken to God when he speaks to us by our selves for Reason is his voice as well as Scripture By the one he speaks in us by the other to us to consult with our Reason and the rule to hear them speak in their own dialect not glossed and corrupted by our sensual affections to strive with our selves to fight against our selves to deny our selves and in this blessed agony and holy contention to lift up our hearts to the God of light to take up that of the Prophet David and make it our prayer Lord deliver us from the deceitful man that is from our selves I need not stand any longer upon this For even they that deceive themselves will willingly subscribe to all that I have said and commonly none defie Errour louder then they who call it unto them both with hands and words We will therefore rather as we proposed discover the Danger which men incurre by joyning with it that we may learn by degrees to shake it off to detest and avoid it In the first place this wilfull deceiving of our selves this deciding for our selves against our selves for our Sense against our Reason this easie falling upon any opinion or persuasion which may bring along with it pleasure or profit or honour all things but the truth is that which layes us open to every dart of Satan which wounds us the deeper because we receive it as an arrow out of Gods quiver as a message from Heaven For we see a false persuasion will build up in us as strong resolutions as a true one Saul was as zealous for the Law as Paul was for the Gospel hereticks are as ready for the fiery tryal as the orthodox the Turk as loud for his Mahomet as the Christian for his Christ In a word Errour produceth as strange effects as Truth Habet Diabolus suos martyres for the Devil hath his martyrs as well as Christ That which is a sin now and so appears a crying mortal sin and we stand at distance and will not come near it anon Profit or Pleasure those two parasites which bewitch the soul plead for it commend it and at last change the shape of it and it hath no voice to speak against us but bids us Go on and prosper It was a monster but now it is clothed and dressed up with the beauty of Holiness and we grow familiar with it It was as menstruous raggs but now we put it on and cloth our selves with it as with the robes of righteousness A false persuasion hath the same power which the Canonists give the Pope to make Evil good and Vice vertue It is a sin but if I do it not I shall loose all that I have and then I do it and then it is no sin It was Oppression it is now Law It was Covetousness it is now Thrift It was Sacrilege it is now Zeal It was Perjury it is now Wisdom Persuasion is a wheel on which the greatest part of the world are turned and circled about till they fall several wayes into several evils and do but touch at the Truth by the way Persuasion builds a Church and Persuasion pulls it down Persuasion formeth a Discipline and Persuasion cancels it Persuasion maketh Saints and Persuasion thrusts them out the Calendar Persuasion makes laws and Persuasion abollisheth them The Stoicks call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a kind of preoccupation of the minds the sourse and original of all the actions of our life as powerful when we erre as when the Truth is on our side and commonly carrying us with a greater swinge to that which is forbidden then to that to which we are bound to by a law This is the first mover in all those irregular motions of a wanton and untamed will This is the first wheel in the Devils 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his devises and enterprises From this
Father doth of Idolatry It is summus seculi reatus tota causa judicii It is a vocal crying sin which like the importunate Widow in the Gospel will not suffer the Judge to rest till he do justice This filleth the world with the evil of sin and of punishment not so much a firm opinion that God may be deceived and mocked as a bold presumption by which we make him such a God as we would have him a God that may be trifled with a God that like the Heathen Gods may be taken by the beard that those fierce astonishing speeches which we find in Scripture are but words of art 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spoken to affright men rather then words of intended truth which will bring effect according to their natural meaning as indulgent fathers many times threaten their children with much hard language which they never intend to make good And this conceit of Gods facility and easiness that he so quickly admits of excuse is the principal ground and occasion of all the sins in the world To make it plainer yet and point out to some particulars in which we mock God when we imagine no such thing and so to conclude this point I cannot imagine when I consider that Majesty which no mortal can comprehend that Dust and Ashes the works of Gods hand should be able to put a trick upon him and mock him This were to set his creature in his Throne and place extreme Weakness and Folly above Wisdome it self Psal 50. Thou verily thoughtest I was like unto thee saith God to the Hypocrite It was but a thought a wavering imagination which enters and goes out and never remains at one stay God is not cannot be mocked For if he had believed there was a God Diagoras himself would not have mockt him nor ever thought it possible But the truth is as the relation stands betwixt God and his creature Man is said to do that which he doth not which he cannot do to fight with him who is omnipotent to dispute with him whom we cannot answer one of a thousand to contend to grieve him who cannot be moved to weary him to press him as a cart is with sheaves who by his word made and by his word beareth all things who is to himself an everlasting sabbath and rest Non ille minùs peccat cui sola deest facultas saith the Casuist We do not do it the less because we cannot do it because we vvould do it if we could Ipsa sibi imputatur voluntas saith the Father To vvill it is to do it To look upon a woman and lust after her is to commit adultery yet the vvoman as chast as before So God cannot be mockt yet vve may mock him As in the rape of Lucrece two are in the fact yet but one as Augustine speaks committed adultery For if Tully could truly say that to resist the Law of Nature and to vvalk contrary to that light which vve brought vvith us into the vvorld is nothing less then Gigantum more bellare cum Diis to vvage vvar vvith the Gods as the Giants did then may vve as truly affirm that to dissemble vvith God to flatter him vvith our lips vvhen our heart is far from him to fall down before him in a complement vvhen vve break his laws to act our part as upon a stage to vvish he had no eye to study to believe it is to mock him To be more particular yet For yet you may ask vvherein vve mock him For vve are very slow and unwilling to believe any evil of our selves and are hardly induced to think vve ever did that vvhich vve do every day Mock God! nay God forbid And that God forbid that prayer Mal. 3.7 is but a mock God calls to the Jews Return unto me and they reply Wherein shall we return as if they never had been averse from him but had been alwayes vvith him even in his bosome And vers 8. Ye have robbed me saith God and they say Wherein have we robbed thee as if they vvere utterly ignorant of any such matter but had been vvholly imployed in bringing tiths into his store-house and meat into his house They forsook him they robb'd him and yet are innocent They did and did not and God himself is made no better then a columniator So that this position is true in this sense also God is not mocked for no man thinks no man vvill acknovvledge no man dares profess that he mocks him But vve cannot thus shake off the guilt nor put it from us For vvhen vve do those things to God vvhich vve do to men vvhen vve mock them this is enough to put us into the seat of Mockers and enroll us amongst the Mockers of God When Laban gave Jacob blear-ey'd Leah for beautiful Rachel Gen. 29.25 it vvas a mock What hast thou done saith Jacob did not I serve thee for Rachel why hast thou mocked me When Micah laid an image in the bed for David and said he was sick it vvas a mock For Saul said unto Micah why hast thou deceived me When God requires justice and righteousness and we bring him vain oblations when he calls for the heart and we lift up our voice when he calls for a working fighting conquering faith and we give him a dead faith when God calls for Faith which is a stone a corner-stone to build that Obedience upon which shall reach to Heaven and we make Faith a pillow to sleep on and sin the more securely because we believe when God bids us strengthen our hands that hang down and we open our ears when God bids us Vp and be doing and we count all done in Hearing when God calls for a New creature and we return him circumcision and uncircumcision empty sacraments and lazy formalities Deut. 15. when God requires a sacrifice without blemish and we offer up that which is lame or blind when God requires perfection and we give him our weak blind halting endeavours when God seeks a Man and we give him a picture Psal 35.16 what are we but hypocritical mockers For what are Hypocrites but Players the Zanias of Religion whose art it is to deceive who are so long conversant in outward performances that they rest in them as in the end of the Law are content with shews and expressions and at last think there is no service no religion but in these As the poor Spartan travailing into another country and seeing the beams and posts of houses squared and carved which he had never seen before asked if trees did grow so in those countries So these mockers of God these formal professours having been long acquainted with a form of Godliness sqared and carved and set out with shew and advantage considering what eloquence there is in an attentive Ear a turned Eye an Angels Tongue a forced Sigh to win applause and make them glorious in the eyes of men fall at last upon this
and Desolation This phansie pleaseth me now this thought ravisheth me this action is my crown my joy it is sowen in honour in pleasure in applause but what will it be vvhen it riseth again what vvill it be at the harvest Will a gloss or pretense alter the nature of the seed and change it as vve our selves shall be in a moment and in the twinkling of an eye Let us never build a resolution but upon this of the Apostle What a man sows that shall he also reap O quanta subtilitas judiciorum Dei saith Gregory Oh the subtile and exact method of the Justice of God vvhich gives to every seed it s own body The Eye vvhich vvould not look upon God shall be filled with horrour The Understanding vvhich vvould not receive Light shall receive no impression but of Darkness and everlasting separation And the Will vvhich made the sin shall it self be made a punishment It is now a vvanton Thought it well then be a gnawing Worm It is now Lust it will be a burning Flame It is now Blasphemy it will be Howling and Gnashing of Teeth We must now conclude and we cannot better conclude then with that of S. Peter Brethren if these things be so if you believe there be such things be deligent that at the great harvest you may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless free from Self-deceit walking and trembling before your God not plowing the Wind to reap the Whirlwind but sowing seed in Righteousness and Sincerity that you may reap Peace and Joy in this life a fair promising Spring which gives a full assurance of a rich Harvest of Glory and Immortality in the life to come Both which God grant us through Jesus Christ our Lord. The Thirtieth SERMON PART I. THESS IV. 18. Wherefore comfort one another with these words THe words are plain and easie They are as the Use of that Doctrine of the Coming of the Lord which is set down at large in the precedent verses For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout c. a doctrine seasonably opened and applied to the Thessalonians now hanging down their heads with grief and weeping over the graves of their friends as men without hope inter praecepta virtutum spem resurrectionis even then when S. Pauls doctrine and the hope of the Resurrection should have armed them against all assaults even then languishing and falling away and bating from their spiritual growth as if they had almost forgotten that article of their Belief the Coming of the Lord and lost not onely their friends but their faith It was fitted for them and in this case but it may serve for any Meridian for any who are brought low by oppression evil and sorrow It was preacht in the first age of the Church when she began to be militant which was as soon as she began And it is an antidote as it were put into her Hands which she may use even in her last age which she must use till she be triumphant And therefore we will not bind and confine it to this present case of the Thessalonians but propose it as a preservative against all evil whatsoever And since the two affections which weigh down the afflicted are Sorrow and Fear we will set up this to remove them both For be sorry why should they Let the Heathen be so who are without Hope And fear what need they Have they lost their friends they do but sleep Have their goods been torn from them They shall receive an hundred fold Is their life in jeopardy It is in his Hands who is coming who shall descend from heaven with a shout and the voyce of the Archangel and the dead in Christ shall rise first wherefore comfort one another with these words These words I called a Use of that Doctrine which S. Paul had formerly preacht at Thessalonica and it lieth in the form of an exhortation in these black and gloomy dayes in these last and perilous dayes in these dayes of misery and mourning most necessary when so many weak hands are to be Hâ—ld up and so many feeble knees to be strengthned Herein briefly I observe the Matter and the Manner the Action and the Rule or square of that action The Matter Comfort you one another the Manner how this duty must be performed with these words But for our more plain and orderly proceeding we will speak first of the Object or Persons ALII ALIOS one another And these we shall look upon first in their common nature and condition as they are of the same passions Wis 7.3 subject to the same infirmities falling upon as the Wiseman speaks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the earth which is of like Nature All men have the like entrance into life and the like going out and I may say are subject to the same depressions and miscarriages which even Life that we are so unwilling to part with hath wrapt up in her and carries as in her womb a short life and full of misery Next we will look upon them in that near relation which they have one to another and that as they are either Men or Christians For the second doth not take away but establish the first Grace doth not destroy Nature but perfect it and if the last be upheld the former can never fall to the ground And this alii alios the Persons will afford us Comfort you one another Secondly this Habitude and mutual Dependance doth even invite the Act which will be our next consideration What it is to comfort one another And this in the third place requires the Rule and Method how we should perform it with these words with the words of Truth with the words of the Gospel Which is indeed to draw the waters of Comfort out of the wells of Salvation You have then 1. the Persons one another 2. the Act Comfort 3. the Method with these words Wherefore comfort one another with these words First of the Persons one another And indeed one man is the image of another because the same image of God is on all Every man is as the Text and every man is as the Commentary Every man is what he is and yet one man interprets another and declares what he is We be as glasses each to other and one sees in another not onely what he is but what he may be The Beggar is a glass for a King and a King for a Beggar The Sheephook hath been turned into a Sceptre and the crowns of mighty Kings have been cast to the ground These things I write to thee saith Plato of Man who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by nature and condition mutable now on the wing for heaven anon cleaving to the dust now sporting in the Sunshine of prosperity and anon beaten down with a storm now rejoycing with his friends and anon bewayling them now vvith a shining anon vvith a cloudy countenance novv vvith a cheerful anon
such comfort to be lookt for This affords us no other strength and supply then that of Grace nor arms us against any enemies but those of our soul It makes us valiant not against our enemies according to the flesh but against Impatience and Distrust and Murmuring which fight against our peace By this we are exalted and even triumph over those enemies which tread us under their feet This is all our strength all our artillery and this is enough For though God help us not but leave us under the harrow and to the will of our enemies yet he is still a God of consolation He is thy Physician why then shouldest thou be turned after thy own way and method who art never better pleased then with that which will hurt thee Behold he hath shewn thee a more excellent way a way to find comfort not by the removal of the thorn but by keeping it in thy flesh not by taking away the cup of bitterness but by sweetning it by helping thee when thou hast no help and delivering thee when he doth not deliver thee He hath broke open the Treasury of comfort he hath opened the fountains above he will comfort thee with his Truth his word is Truth This is his way This is his method and it will be our greatest wisdome to observe it Wherefore comfort you one another with these words In General with the Word of God For the Scripture is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a common shop of comfort and here thou maist buy it without money or money worth Here thou maist buy it and if not here thou wilt never find it That comfort which thou gainest out of other shops out of that shop of vanity the World or that shop shadows thy own Phansie or that shop of lyes the mouth of the Parasite is but vain but vanishing but false wares Bestia pharmacopolae that Julian the Pelagian upbraids St. Augustine with like that beast the Apothecary promised his patient of wonderful virtue which before the morning came had eaten up her self All these comforts dye in themselves and out of them when they perish nothing is begot but wo and bitter lamentation A man in trouble which stands in need of this physick is as a bowed wall and tottering fence and nothing can comfort him but that which can settle him When we have wearied our selves in vain wrackt our imaginations busied our thoughts studied remedies we still remain in our shaking and trembling condition Call in all the glories of the world invent instruments of musick like David bring the merry harp and the lute these may refresh us for a while but the evil spirit will come again upon us as it did upon Saul These are but weak props to uphold and settle a tottering fence Let us call in the arm of flesh make use of our own strength That may ruine us But Wisdom is better then Strength Eccles 9.16 call in that This is but sensual and earthly and will soon moulder away All our turning of devices will be but as the potters clay which will break and crumble between our fingers We shall kindle a fire and be compassed about with the sparks Isa 50.11 and walk in the light of our own fire and then what shall we have We shall lye down saith the Prophet in sorrow Upon these we walk as on the Ice magis tremimus quà m imus and do rather tremble then go Now we lift up our selves upon them and anon we fall and are bruised upon them they glide away from us and they can neither settle us nor we fix and be settled upon them That on which we must settle as in our place of rest must be it self immoveable And no such thing is to be found in the world in this shop of change where every thing is in a continual flux whose very being is hastning to its end toties mutata quoties mota changed almost in every motion the same and not the same fitting to day and contrary to morrow comfort to day and bitterness to morrow now an Oracle and anon a lye a displeasing killing lye now the joy and anon the anguish of the heart now makeing it leap and next morning turning it into a stone Why should we seek for the living amongst the dead Why should we cheapen certainty in this shop of change Why should we seek for Constancy in a decaying world Why should we seek for ease in that which is and whilest I say so is no more Why should we seek for true and substantial Comfort in a region of shadows This is to disquiet our selves in vain to make us Gods of clay to go before us which will moulder and fall to nothing in our hands to loose all comfort in the seeking it Quaerite quod quaeritis sed non ubi quaeritis as Augustine Seek that you seek for Consolation but not where you seek it in the world in the inventions of men which are more mental then themselves But we may hear of it in Ephrata or we may find it in the fields of the wood in the City of woods where the Ark was and the Testimony we may find it in the Word of God which is as mount Sion and will stand fast for evermore For again as our Saviour tells Nicodemus John 3.6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh is of the same nature fading and mortal and that which is born of the spirit is spirit is heavenly and divine So whatsoever is of God all those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those emanations and defluxions from him savour of him of his Wisdom of his Goodness of his Immortality His Word is an Incorruptible word which liveth and abideth for ever 1 Pet. 1.23 It is from an immortal God and leads to immortality His Hope is a lively Hope quickning us to Eternity his Joy such as no man can take away John 16.22 his Peace a lasting Peace lasting as long as the Moon endureth Psal 72.7 his Promises and so his Comforts Yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1.20 All other comforts are of the earth earthy of a fading and perishing condition As our Thoughts they perish with us nay they perish before us as shadows falling with those bodies that cast them as Bubbles raised out of our flesh blown up and lost as very Nothings as our selves But the Comforts of God have their rise from eternity and so have a solid constant being subject neither to wind nor tempest to the injuries neither of Times nor Men but in the pit and in the gulph of sorrows they boy us up and lift us above them that we can walk upon the surging waves and not sink for fear As they spring from immortality so they grow up and are ever green they begin in time and never end but are carried on along in the infinite and immense gyre and circle of Eternity That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is
disconsonant to the wayes of those who are deeply immerst and drencht in the world and which by them is in esteem as Madness or Drunkenness shall receive the reward of Soberness and Truth O how happy were it for these mockers if they were thus distempered thus superstitious if they took this cup of the Lord and did adde drunkenness to thirst and even fill and glut themselves with it They cannot be too reverent too spiritual too absurd and ridiculous to the world and worldly men He that seems wise to these must needs be neer of kin to a fool and he whom they admire must be ridiculous Aliud est judicium Christi aliud anguli susurronum Whom the world laughs at Christ will honour whom they make their slaves with Christ are Kings and whom they scorn he will crown And then these scoffers shall be had in derision and they who are filled with the Spirit shall for ever drink of the river of his pleasures and shall sit down with him at his table with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and these Apostles here and drink that new wine with him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that spiritual immortal joy in the kingdom of his Father in the presence of God where there are pleasures for evermore To which He bring us who sent his Spirit down upon us Jesus Christ the righteous The Three and Thirtieth SERMON PART I. LUKE XI 27 28. And it came to pass as he spake these things a certain woman of the company lift up her voice and said unto him Blessed is the womb that bare thee and the paps which thou hast sucked But he said Yea rather blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it WE cannot say more of our Saviour in the dayes of his flesh then this He went about doing good Acts 10.38 Job 29.15 He was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame and health to the sick And as he cured mens bodies of diseases so he purged their souls from sin As he went his steps dropped fatness Scarce proceeded there a word from his blessed lips that breathed not forth comfort In this chapter he cast out a devil which was dumb and the people wondred v. 14. But such is the rancour and venome of Envy and Malice that no vertue no miracle no demonstration of power can castigate or abate it What is Vertue to a Jew or what is a Miracle to a Pharisee When the devil was gone out saith the Text the dumb spake a work not to be wrought but by the finger of God But if a Pharisee look upon it it must change its name and be said to be done by the claw of the Devil For some of them said He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the prince of the devils Others tempting him sought from him a sign from heaven as if this were not such a one but rather proceeded from the pit of hell and from the power of darkness It is the character of an evil and envious eye to look outward extrà mittendo not to receive the true species and forms of things but to send out some noxious spirits from it self which discolour and deface the object Hence Envious men are thought as S. Basil saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to infect every thing they look upon and like the Basilisk to kill with a very look What do they cast their eye upon that they do not poison and corrupt Is it Temperance they call it Stupidity Is it Justice they call it Cruelty Is it Wisdome they call it Craft Is it Honesty they call it Folly and Want of foresight Is it a Miracle they call it Magick and Sorcery and a work of Beelzebub Wherefore saith the Father was our Saviour made a mark for every venemous dart wherefore was he so sorely laid at by the Jews by the Scribes and Pharisees 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For nothing else but his wondrous works And what were they His curing of the sick feeding of the hungry restoring of the dead to life casting out of devils And therefore as he confirmed his doctrine by miracles so Malice putteth him to another task to make good his miracles by reason and argument And this he doth 1. argumento ducente ad absurdum by an argument which will either bind them to silence or drive them upon the face of an open absurdity For what an absurd thing were it for Satan to drive out himself and 2. argumento ducente ad impossibile For if Satan be divided against himself it is impossible his kingdome should stand Proficit semper contradictio stultorum ad stultitiae demonstrationem saith Hilary The contradiction of sinners and fools striveth and struggleth to gain ground and to over-run the Truth but the greatest proficiencie Folly maketh is but to make her self more open and manifest like Candaules's wife who was seen naked of all but her self But Truth is as unmovable as a rock which as the Father speaketh of the Church tunc vincit cùm laeditur tunc intelligitur cùm arguitur tunc obtinet cùm deseritur then conquereth when it receiveth a foil is then understood when it is opposed and is then safe when it is forsaken Let the Jews rage and the Pharisees imagin a vain thing let Envy cast a mist and let Malice smoke like a fornace yet Christ's miracles shall be as clear as the day wherein they were wrought and the mouth of Iniquity shall be stopped Out of his own mouth shall the Pharisee be convinced and Christ shall be as powerful in his words as in his works so powerfull in both that even è â—urba out of that multitude which did oppose him one witness or oâ—her shall rise to bear testimony to the truth to point out to the finger of God by which this miracle was wrought to magnifie and bless not onely our Saviour but even the very womb that bare him and the paps that he had sucked For it came to pass as he spake these things a certain woman of the company lift up her voice and said unto him Blessed c. My Text divideth it self between the Woman and Christ First the Woman taketh occasion from what she had heard and seen to magnifie Christ Then Christ taketh occasion from her speach to instruct her and let her at rights She calleth Christ's mother blessed He sheweth her a more excellent way by which she may come to be as blessed as his mother She talketh of Blessedness He telleth her what it is He condemneth not her affection but directeth and levelleth it to the right object and as the Pythagoreans method of teaching was he indulgeth something that he may gain the more Be it so Blessed is the womb that bare me and the paps that gave me suck QUINIMO But much rather blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it To be my Mother is but a temporal privilege but to hear and keep my word is eternal
happiness He taketh not away the first but he doth establish the second Briefly then we may observe these two parts 1. the Womans attestation 2. Christ's reply the Womans dictor and Christ's In the first Wisdome is justified of one of her children against all the gainsayings of the Jews and contradiction of sinners to the second Wisdome her self pointeth out to true happiness openeth her treasuries to all who will receive her instructions and proclaimeth an everlasting jubilee to those who hear the word of God and keep it In the handling of the former part we shall pass by these steps First we will point out the Occasion of the speach As he spake these things it came to pass Next we will take notice of the Person who took hold of the occasion and made so good use both of Christ's miracles and doctrine We find no name at all but some upon no ground conjecture that it was Martha's maid The Text saith no more but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a certain woman of the company but one of a multitude and that an unknown obscure woman not those learned clerks the Scribes and Pharisees Thirdly we shall propose to your Christian imitation the vehemencie and heat of her Affection Her heart was hot within her and the fire burned and at last it brast forth into a pure flame and she spake with her tongue She did not conceal and suppress her thoughts nor whisper them into the ear of a stranger but lift up her voice that the deadliest enemies of Christ even the Pharisees might hear Lastly we will weigh and consider the speach it self Blessed is the womb that bare thee and the paps that thou hast sucked and tender it to you as near as we can in its full weight And all these particulars will amount to this sum That a poor silly woman saw more of the excellencie of Christ then did all the Doctors and Masters of Israel These materials our first part affordeth us to work upon Now as the Woman from what she had heard and seen took occasion to magnifie Christ so from her affection and free testimony Christ taketh occasion further to instruct her Blessed is the womb that bare thee saith the Woman Yea rather blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it saith Christ Which maketh our second part Wherein we shall consider 1. the Form 2. the Matter and Substance of the words For the Form some would have the words adversative others meerly affirmative Some place them in opposition to the Womans affection Others too jealous of that honour which is given to the blessed Mother of Christ make them a plain and naked affirmation willing rather that Christ's words should want of their weight then that one jote or tittle of the Womans honour should fall to the ground I will not be too solicitous to take up the quarrel between them nor indeed is it worth the while The very first words Yea rather make it plain that the Womans Blessed was defective and wanted weight aad therefore Christ who is the Wisdome of the Father filleth it up He doth not which is the best kind of redargution with any bitterness deny what she saith but by a gentle corrective setteth her at rights She commendeth and magnifieth a corporal he preferreth a spiritual birth For as there is fructus ventris the fruit of the womb so is there partus mentis a conception and birth of the mind We conceive Christ by our hearing the word but when we keep it Christ is fully formed in us and we bring forth fruit meet for repentance The Woman then commendeth one birth and Christ enjoyneth another and as Socrates taught his scholars so our Saviour leadeth the Woman 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from like to like from the admiration of a temporal to the knowledge of the spiritual birth from one Blessedness to another And thus the matter and substance of Christ's words affordeth us these three things 1. conceptum a kind of Conception by hearing of the word 2. partum a kind of Birth or Bringing-forth by keeping it 3. gaudium Joy after the delivery not temporal but spiritual even that Blessedness which every good Christian is as capable of as the Mother of Christ and which is laid up not onely for her who bare him in her womb but also for all those who keep him in their heart Yea rather saith Christ blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it These be the parts of my Text and of these in order Blessed is the womb that bare thee c. saith the Woman And that which occasioned and moved her thus to lift up her voice was the power of Christ's Works and Words When she saw him mighty in both when she saw the wonders that he wrought and how mightily he convinced the Scribes and Pharisees when he had confirmed his doctrine by miracles and his miracles by reason she plainly discovered the finger by which they were wrought and without any further deliberation she pronounceth him a most divine and excellent person To cure diseases with a word or with a touch to cast out devils to raise the dead could not proceed from any other power then his who doth whatsoever he will both in heaven and in earth And to this end it hath pleased God to give testimony to his truth as it were by a voice from heaven that we might believe and acknowledge that truth for the confirmation whereof such things were wrought before the sun and the people as none but God can do For what our Saviour speaketh of that voice from heaven which was as thunder John 12.28 29 30. is most true of this outward testimony This voice from heaven cometh not because of Him but for our sakes who are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 24.25 slow of heart to believe and will not be induced to subscribe to the truth unless we see it written with the sun-beams unless it be made plain and manifest by signs and wonders Jo. 4.48 And such a plain and clear testimony the Jew had need of For all changes especially of Religion are with difficulty it being proper to men to be jealous of every breath as of an enemy if it blow in opposition to ought they have already received and though it be the truth to suspect it because it breatheth from a contrary coast And therefore he that will remove the mind from that which it hath once laid hold on and wherein it is already settled must bring with him more then ordinary motives and inducements even such as may work a kind of conquest upon the Understanding Now the end of Christ's coming was to make such a change to alter what long-before had been established by God himself to rent the veil of the Temple in twain to abolish the law of Ceremonies which God by the hand of Moses had given vetera concutere to sound the trumpet and with it to shake
truly stiled Catholick Some reason perhaps they may have to rely upon Number because indeed they have neither reason nor autority to uphold the state and supremacy of their Church Therefore having no better forces they make use of this their forlorn hope like men who having a bad cause care not what aid they take-in The Oratour said well of the three hundred Spartanes now doubting to go up against the numerous army of Xerxes Lacones se numerant non aestimant that the Spartanes did number not esteem themselves And it might be justly said of us if this Mormo should affright us if we should distrust our cause because there be so many that oppose it What though a troop cometh Yet if the Truth be on our side one of us shall be able to chase ten thousand Isa 37.6 Be not afraid of the words which ye have heard as the Prophet said to Hezekiah Be not afraid of their number nor ashamed of the Truth when her retinue is but small The multitude may perish that are born in vain as the Lord said to Esdras And we say of it as Tertullian doth of the unveiling of Virgins Id negat quod ostendit Multitude is so far from being a note of the Church that it doth rather deny then demonstrate it For see amongst so many men in comparison but few there are who profess the name of Christ amongst so many professours but few orthodox amongst so many orthodox but few righteous persons amongst the multitude but one woman that lifteth up her voice in the behalf of Christ And as it was no prejudice to the Truth that she was but one no more was it that she was a Woman For why might not a woman whose eye was clear and single see more in Christ then the proudest Pharisee who wore his phylacterie the broadest All is not in the miracle but in the eye in the mind which being goggle or misset or dimmed with malice or prejudice beholdeth not things as they are but through false mediums putteth upon them what shape it pleaseth receiveth not the true and natural species they present but vieweth them at home in it self as in a false glass which returneth back by a deceitful reflection And this is the reason why not onely Miracles but doctrinal Precepts also find so different enterteinment Every man layeth hold on them and wresteth them to his own purpose worketh them on his own anvile and shapeth them to his own phansie and affections as out of the same mass Phidias could make a Goddess and Lysippus a Satyre Do ye wonder to hear a Woman bless the womb that bare Christ and the Pharisees blaspheme him It is no wonder at all For though the acts of the Understanding depend not on the Will and the Mind of man necessarily apprehendeth things in those shapes in which they present themselves yet when the Will rejecteth those means that are offered when Anger raiseth a storm and Malice and Prejudice cast up a mist then the Understanding groweth dim and receiveth not the natural shapes of things but those false appearances which the Affections tender to it When the Will is perverse non permittit intellectum diu stare in dictamine recto saith Scotus The Understanding followeth her planetary motion and having no better guide runneth into the very den of Errour Therefore the complaint in Scripture is They will not understand Experience will teach us how common a thing it is in the world for men to stand stiff in their opinions against all evidence whatsoever though it be as clear as the day S. Augustine observeth of the Manichees Scio esse quosdam qui quanquam bono ingenio ista videant malâ tamen voluntate quâ ipsum quoque ingenium sunt amissuri Lib. de morib Manich. pertinaciter negant I know saith he many of you who have sharp and quick understanding and cannot but see the truth but your Will is evil which betrayeth the Understanding and leadeth you to that pertinacy that will never consent to the truth but seeketh out rather what probably may be said against it And this very reason Arnobius giveth of the Heathens obstinacies Quid facere possumus considerate nolentibus c. saith he What can we do or say or how can we convince them who will not be induced once to deliberate and weigh things as they are nor condescend to speak and confer with themselves and with their own reason This I take to be the meaning of that in Hilary Quot voluntates tot fides every man frameth his belief by his disposition and his will So many wills so many faiths He might as well have said there be as many Creeds as passions For the Passions are subversivae rationis apt and ready to captivate the Will and to overthrow the Reason even when she standeth most erect against Errour and looketh most stedfastly on the truth While Reason hath the command they are profitable servants but when she yieldeth they are cruel tyrants and put out her eyes It is wonderful to see what a power they have in changing the face and countenance of objects Fear maketh a shadow a man and a man an hobgoblin Anger mistaketh a friend for an enemy Love of the world putteth horrour upon virtue and obstinate Malice can set nothing but the Devil's face in a miracle Common reason no doubt did perswade the Pharisees here that Christ had wrought a miracle and we cannot but think that they saw as much of the beauty of Christ's excellencies as the Woman But their gross conceit of the Messias and their love of Moses law made them find no room to entertein Him who came in a posture so contrary to their expectation no though even in the midst of them God approved him by miracles Acts 2.22 wonders and signs as they themselves knew It was their knowledge that kept them ignorant 1 Cor. 26 27. and their wisdome made them fools Not many wise after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise saith S. Paul Not that God did reject and cast men off because they were wise or mighty or noble and choose others onely for this cause because they were poor We must not think so saith Oecomenius No Tros Tyriúsve fuat nullo discrimine habetur Wise or ignorant mighty or mean noble or ignoble all are one to God neither is there with him any respect of persons But the poor received the Gospel and the rich and mighty and wise did not because it brought with it a check to their wisdome cast disgrace on their riches and a slur on their nobility with which they were so filled that there was no room for Christ Nec enim vult aeterna Sapientia haberi nisi ubi habens nihil de suo tenuit ut illam haberet The eternal Wisdome of God will keep residence in that soul
hoarcely as if they had lost their voice vvhen they faulter in their speech and speak in points of Divinity as Bassianus did vvhen he had slain his brother Geta ut qui malint intelligi quà m audiri as vvilling to be understood indeed but not to speak out and so cunningly disperse their doctrine that they may instruct their friends yet give no advantage to their enemies you may be sure the Heart is not warm nor really affected But vvhen vve speak vvith boldness vvhat vve have heard and seen vvhen vve cast down our gauntlet and stand in defense of the Truth against the vvorld vvhen neither Pharisee nor Divel can silence us but in omni praetorio in omni conscitorio in every judgment-seat in every consistory when Malice and Power come towards us in a tempest vve lift up our voice and dare speak for the Truth vvhen others dare persecute it it is an evident sign that a fire is kindled within us and we are warmed with it that vvith the Woman here vve see some excellencies in Christ some beauty and majesty in the Truth vvhich others do not whose lips are sealed up In a vvord to speak of Christ before the Pharisees to lift up our voice and speak of his name when for ought vve know it may be the last vvord vve shall speak to be true prophets amongst four hundred false ones vvhen the Pharisees call Christ Beelzebub to cry Hosanna to the Son of David to bless the womb that bare him and the paps that gave him suck vvhen others say he is a Samaritane and hath a devil is truly to make this devout Woman a patern to make that use of her voice which she did of Christs voice and of his miracle vvho could not contein her self nor keep silence but having received in her heart the lively character of Christs power and wisdome in the midst of his enemies in the midst of a multitude vvhen some reviled him and others vvere silent she lift up her voice and blessed the womb that bare him and the paps which gave him suck Which is her Diction our next part and should come now to be handled but the time being past vve shall reserve it for part of our task in the Afternoon The Four and Thirtieth SERMON PART II. LUKE XI 27 28. And it came to pass as he spake these things a certain woman of the company lift up her voice and said unto him Blessed is the womb that bare thee and the paps which thou hast sucked But he said Yea rather blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it WE have already handled the circumstantial parts of the Text We are now to treat of the substantial the Womans speach and our Saviours We begin with the Womans Blessed is the womb that bare thee c. And that the mother of Christ was blessed we need not doubt For we have not onely the voice of this woman to prove it but the voice of an Angel Blessed art thou among women Luke 1.28 v. 31 32. and Thou hast found favour with God and shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a son even the Son of the Highest And we have her cousins testimony in the very words of the Angel Blessed art thou amongst women v. 42. and blessed is the fruit of thy womb And we have the witness of a babe unborn who leaped in the womb prophetavit antequam natus est and spake this truth when he could not speak And indeed though the womb be not capable of true blessedness which all the privileges and prerogatives in the world of Birth or Honour or Wisdome or Strength cannot reach for neither the earth nor paradise it self can bring forth this fruit of Blessedness which is onely at the right hand of God who begins it here and compleats it in the highest heavens yet to be the Mother of Christ carries with it a kind of resemblance and likeness with that which is truly Blessedness For Blessedness is a state and condition in which is treasured up all the perfection which created substances are capable of all defects and imperfections which mingle themselves with the best things here on earth and taint and corrupt them being quite removed and taken away As if we seek for Pleasure we shall find it in Heaven both pure and fine from those dregs which do here invenom and imbitter it and make even Pleasure it self tedious and irksome If you would have honour here it is without burden Here are Riches and no fear of loosing them Here is Life without vexation here is Life without end This the Womb is not capable of yet we may see a representation of it in the Womb of the Virgin in the birth of our Saviour which was not ordinary but miraculous where she that brought the Child had the joy of a Mother and the honour of a Virgin had all things but the imperfection of a Mother I will not labour in this argument Thus far we may safely go All generations shall call her blessed and while we speak of the Mother in her own language and in the language of the Son we have truth and religion on our side But yet some there be who will not venture so far and though they allow her blessed yet bogle at the Saint as a name of danger and scandal and because others have drest her up toyishly with borrowed titles they do little less then rob her of her own and take it to themselves take it from the Mother of Christ and give it to a wicked and an adulterous generation Others on the contrary side by making her more then a Saint have made her an Idole They have placed her in the House of God as Mother of the family put into her hands the keys of Mercy to let in whom she please called her the Fountain of life the Mother of the living and the Raiser of the dead written books of her miraculous Conception and Assumption and of the Power and Majesty she hath in heaven Of which we may say as Pliny doth of the writings of the Magicians that they have been published non sinu contemptu irrisu generis humani not without a kind of contempt and derision of men not without this insolent thought that men would be so brutish as to approve and such fools as to believe whatsoever fell from the pen of such idle dreamers For thus without the least help of the breath of the Spirit and without any countenance from any syllable in the word of God they have lifted the holy Virgin up and seated her in Gods throne and every day plead her title in the very face of Christendome and as Tully spake of some superstitious frantick Philosophers quidvis malle videntur quà m se non ineptos they seem to affect and hug this gross and ungrounded errour and had rather be any thing then not be ridiculous But these extremes have men run upon whilest
I need not be large in their character you may know them by their language I fast twice in the we e. They fast and they pray and they hear and they believe and they are assured of heaven They are and they alone The rest stand before them as Publicans or excommunitate persons Can any good thing can any Prophet come out of Nazareth Can any know any good or do any good that is not of that faction Enlarge thy phylacteries if thou canst thou Pharisee and paint that sepulchre of rotten bones vvhich thou art vvith more art and coriosity then these blow thy trumpet louder or draw thy face to more figures then these Lord what is now become of Religion It was placed in judgment and mercy it is now managed with cruelty and craft It vvas committed to every nation and all people it is now shut up in a party It vvas seated in the Will and Understanding it is now whirled about in the Phansie It vvas a wedding-garment it is now made a cloke of maliciousness It vvas once true He that loved Christ and kept his commandments was his Disciple but he is now no good Christian who is so if he be not so after such a mode and such a fashion We see it in the Church of Rome No salvation out of her territories God grant vve feel it not nearer home Beloved he that shall look abroad and vvell consider the conversation of many may be tempted perhaps to an unworthy thought that either there is no Religion or that Religion is nothing For vvherein is it placed In a Fast and that to our ovvn vvills in Hearing and that but vain in Prayer and that many times but babling in Faith and that but dead in Formalities and Shews It s sound is gone through the earth and it is lost in the noise Religion vve fight for and Religion vve fight against Religion vve extoll and Religion vve shame We cry it up and tread it under foot and are never less religious then vvhen the Pharisee speaketh vvithin us and telleth the vvorld and maketh it known to all the people that we are so Non apparemus mali ut plus malignemur We will not appear evil that vve may do the more evil seem very good that vve may be vvorse and vvorse Let us take an Inventory of our Jewels and our best things let us set down our virtues We fast vvith all our sins about us full of iniquity and many times feed it vvith a fast We fast and make it a prologue sometimes to a Comedy sometimes to a Tragedy and at once call down judgments and deprecate them humble our selves before God and provoke him We hear and that is all and vvould to God that vvere all But here that curse is upon it Deut. 28.38 We carry much seed out but gather little in We hear much and remember little and practise less nay vve practise the contrary to that vvhich vve heard vvith so much attention and delight We pray for one thing and desire another We make it a trade a craft and occupation to take indeed a pearl but not the kingdom of heaven I but vve believe I am unwilling to say Faith is a ceremony but in many it is not so much and signifieth nothing at all a meteor hanging in the phansie vvhich portendeth nothing but sterility and barrenness rather a scutcheon for shew then a buckler to quench a fiery dart We call Christ a foundation and we build upon him We lay our cruelty upon him who was a Lamb our malice upon him who prayed who died for his enemies our pride upon him who made himself of no reputation our hypocrisie upon him who was Truth it self and our rebellion upon him who was a pattern of obedience We believe in Christ and crucifie him again For this the wrath of God is revealed from heaven Rom. 1 1â— because we hold the truth of God in unrighteousness For this his Anger is not turned away but his hand is stretched out still not so much for the breach as for the contempt of his word and commandments not so much tor our offending him as for our dallying with him not so much for our sin as for our hypocrisie not onely for our obedience but for our hearing not onely for our defects but for our devotion not onely for our infidelity but for our faith not onely for our intemperance but for our fast For what can provoke God more then to see such pearls trode under foot by swine I do not mention paying of tithes for neither the Law of God nor of man can defend them nor any thing else that looketh like a prey And therefore for conclusion let me bespeak you as Christ did his Disciples Take heed of the leven of the Pharisees which is hypocrisie Luke 12. for it will leven and sowre the whole lump the whole body of your Religion taint and poison your Fast frustrate your Hearing turn your Prayer into sin make your Faith vain and leave you in your sins The One and Fortieth SERMON PART I. JAMES I. 25. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty and continueth therein he being not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work this man shall be blessed in his deed THere is nothing more talked of then the Gospel nothing more wilfully mistook nothing more frequently abused The sound of it is gone through the earth is heard from the East to the West but men have set and tuned it to their own lusts and humours No Psalm will please us but a Psalm of Mercy For Judgment is a harsh note Mercy and Judgment though David put them together in his Song with us are such discords that they yield no harmony Mercy and Judgment Law and Liberty though they may meet and delight us though they must meet to save us yet we set them at distance cleave to the one and hate the other please and delight our selves under the shadow of Mercy till Judgment falleth upon as a tempest to overwhelm us loose our Liberty in our embraces forfeit Mercy by laying hold of it and the Gospel of Christ is made the Gospel of man nay saith S. Augustine Evangelium Diaboli the Gospel of the Devil himself This our blessed Apostle had discovered in the dispersed Tribes to whom he wrote That they were very ready to publish and magnifie the Gospel that they loved to speak of it that they loved to hear of it that they were perfect in their Creed that Faith was set up aloft and crowned even when it was dead that they did believe and were partial that they did believe and despise the poor that they did believe and blaspheme that worthy Name by which they were called And therefore to draw them back from this so dangerous a deviation Vers 19. he exhorteth them first to hear the word of truth that he disliketh not but then secondly to receive it into their hearts
who is ready to die and must speak no more in this place And may it have the impression and force of the words of a dying man and let it come up into the presence of that God who boweth the ear and hearkeneth to the grones and sighs and prayers of them who cannot speak That so this truth this essential and necessary truth may abide in you and bow you to the obedience of that Law which shall bring you to bliss Then shall I magnifie God in your behalf and you shall bless God in mine Then shall we meet and be present together when we are divided asunder and this truth remaining in you and you in it I shall speak when I am silent Your prayers shall ascend for me and mine for you and they shall both meet before the throne of God and God shall hear and joyn us together in the blessing who were so united in our devotion And in this holy contention and blessed emulation of blessing one another of praying for one another we shall pass through this wilderness where there be so many serpents to bite us through this Aceldama this Field of bloud through the manifold changes and chances of this world and at the last day meet together again and receive that Blessing which the Judge shall then pronounce to all that love and fear him to all that look into this perfect Law of Liberty and remain in it Come ye blessed of my Father receive the Kingdom prepared for you where there is joy and peace and fulness of all blessings for evermore Soli Deo Gloria The End of the Second Volume Errata Page 78. Line 27. nor composition 101. 6 lease 104. 35. conservation 220. 10. unbeseeming 304. 43. God may strike 325. 35. occasionally 345. 32. commendation 372. 25. bringeth 373. 54. Hippocrates 380. 40. yet it is not true in respect of its latitude and extent 405. 37. manifest 551. 44. were possessed 642. 37. how it is 644. 24. openeth 664. 35. so it is also 689. 14. his garners 703. 4. far are 711. 32. unrighteousness 721. 30. thus they that are 774. 33. of the mind 776. 26. is reported 786. 53. some let 791. 55. sacrificers 796. 15. will now be 798. 19. is the whisper 836. 46. of the Lord. 839. 15 perceiving 841. 4 whosoever conq 923. 8. is an 30. to prefer 916 21. scared 930. 26 standeth up 942. 33. quickness 943. 9. what is done though it be but the gift of a cup of cold water should be done in his name 943. 51. the peerless charity 947. 34. and it would be our 949. 1. mortal 40. run round 950. 2. alembicks 12. contingency 957. 24. not to be 51. truly 977. 26. tuneth 98◠12. at a starr 23. to blind him that 993. 55. hominem beatum ind 999. 9. that unction S. John 1001. 53. attribute therefore our rising 1002. 39. whensoever 1003. 34. unregeneration 55. take time 1011. 13 set forth the. 41. art not what thou wouldst be 1056. 12. thine is the glory 1061. 13. our disobedience 1080. 20. cannot but see 1087. 51. is our power 1090. 44. may fit 1094. 12. did not make 1097. 11. speaketh sometimes of babes 1125. 8. being as 28. looked into 1128. 1. Calvinist 11. as loud a lie 32. profaneness With other Literal mistakes which the Reader is desired to amend A Table of Things Persons Words Scriptures A ABraham Vide Covetous Abuse of a thing should not take away its use 47. Acts ii 11. 234. ii 37. 776. Acknowledgment of sins v. Confession Adam why made naked 620. v. naked Of his fall 259. Of Admiration 728 729. 978 979. not the greatest but the rarest things are those we wonder at 729. Every thing is not a miracle that we admire 979. We wonder at unworthy things and regard not the miracles and mysteries of the Gospel 980. When the Mind admireth a lesser good overmuch it should be directed to a greater 988. Adoption 105. Adversity no sure token of God's displeasure 684 685. v. Prosperity Advise and deliberation in other things requisite but in repentance foolish and dangerous 355 c. 1003. Aerius 65. Affections are not in themselves vitious 265 266. 387. but may all be employed to God's glory 266. They oft sway us against Reason 662. and blind us that we cannot see the truth 670 c. 973. yet are they not to be exstinguished being placed in us for good but corrected 672. v. Passions and Reason Inordinate Affections are like a tempest 676. They should be set on things above 646 c. When set on right objects they lose their names and are called Virtues 338. Affections do but lightly move us 316. but Virtues make us walk steddily and constantly 317. Affections in the regenerate how changed 338. The Pythagoreans distinction of them 564. How they are wrought upon by tentations 261 262. Affliction v. Prosperity We may not censure others to be great sinners because greatly afflicted 295 296. Affliction of the godly should not seem strange 190. Afflictions lose their nature to the godly 542. They are necessary upon two accounts 364. 800 801. Our corruptions require such a purge and we such a preparative for heaven 703 704. They try the Graces of God's children 698. They are often very profitable 764 c. and work unspeakable comfort 768 769. What use we should make of them 925. 598. 801. and how we must behave our selves under them 570 571. God is most kind to us when he afflicteth us 570. The true remedy of Afflictions 541 542. If they amend us not they are forerunners of endless torments 801. Agenoria a Goddess 980. Agricola 248. All. How Christ was delivered for all 29 30. Allegorie what 174. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how mischievous 212 213. v. Busy-bodies Alms. v. Basil Mercy Poor Riches Several false springs that Alms may flow from 149. What to be thought of the Alms of an Oppressour 280. or of a Pharisee 281. Alms make both the giver and the receiver joyful 1125 1126. Altar to be made of unhewn stones why 272. Ambition how restless 209. how subtile and false 261. v. Covetousness and Hope There is an holy Ambition which must be boundless 1020. 1024. Anabaptists strange illusions 774. Angels glorious creatures but not able to save Man 4. Why Man redeemed by Christ not the fallen Angels 28. How the good Angels were concerned in Christ's first coming and shall be in his second 245. They are free from all danger or fear of change 1085. Their law work happiness 1100. They serve God with alacrity 845. 879 880. Man may seem in some respects preferred before them 563. 746. Why they are said to worship God as we do 746. Whether they come to our congregations 857. They rejoyce to see us do our duty 858. Our obedience must be like theirs 879. Anger good and bad 338. How Anger unmanneth us 832. Anomoei 165. Anthropomorphites 785. Antiquity vainly boasted of by the Papists 681.
Pulpit-flatterers 506. Flattering Preachers are vvorse then Judas 510 511. The root of Flattery is Covetousness 507 c. How apt vve are to flatter our selves 442. 480. 742. 875. v. Assurance Presumtion Security Flesh v. Body Flesh and Spirit contrary 175. 562. 767. ever contending one vvith another 312. Florimundus Raimundus 556. Folly Whence all the Folly that so aboundeth in the vvorld 689 690. Fools and Mad-men vvhat to be thought of 96. None such Fools as they vvho think themselves vvise 500 501. Forgetfulness of the World reproved 1116. Forgiveness How short our Forgiveness cometh of God's 817. God's F. is free and voluntary and so must ours be 818. Whether we are bound to forgive an injury before acknowledgment made 818. God forgiveth fully and so must vve not onely forgive but forget 819. By this vve become like unto God 820. Though vve must forgive yet is not the office of the Judge or going to Law unlawful 821. God's F. is not the less free because it engageth us to forgive 824. What force our F. hath to obtain F. of God 824 825 830 c. What influence God's F. should have on us 826 c. How it cometh to pass that it doth not alwayes vvork in us the likeness of it self 827 828. That we may forgive our Brother vve must oft call to mind and meditate upon the Mercy of God 828 829. and apply it aright 829. What vve must do to get our sins forgiven 833. Grace to forgive one another is never single but accompanied vvith other graces 833. Form A Form of godliness nothing worth vvithout the power thereof 663. yet it deceiveth many 77. 79. and contenteth them 74 c. 303 304. 487. and vvorketh confidence and security in their hearts 74. 76. 1127 1128. and they conceit that God himself also is much taken vvith such pageantry 82. 108 109. Indeed the Form is accepted vvhen the power is not wanting 79 80. otherwise not 487 488. Why a bare Form vvithout substance is so hateful to God 75-79 It hath the same motive with our greatest sins 76. It is mere mockery 80. 877. It is as pleasing to the Devil as it is odious to God 77. v. Hearing Piety Worship Formality v. Outward Duties It is compared to motions by vvater-works 845. Formalities are easy essential duties difficult 1057. Formal repentance is the grossest hypocrisie 372. Fornication eloquently and excellently declaimed against 750 752. Excuses for it answered 750. It dishonoureth the body and defileth the soul 750. It maketh the members of Christ the members of an harlot 750. It is of all sins the most carnal 750. It effeminateth both mind and body 751. It is the Devil's net to catch two at once 751. How strictly Christ forbiddeth it 751. What presumtions there are of its abounding in this Age 751 752. That the very Heathen thought it foul appeareth from their custome of bathing after it 751. Frailty Of humane Frailty 535 c. Friendship obligeth to duty 105. No Friendship is lasting that is not built upon Virtue 371. A wise Friend will shun the least suspicion of offense 380. 612. Fundamentals of Protestants Religion 285 Fundamental and necessary points are plain and evident in Script 1084 1085. Funeral rites at the death of a Romane Emperour 423. Future events unknown to us 250. 1043. v. Time G. GAin v. Profit How greedily and basely pursued not onely by Heathens but by many Christians also 131 132. The gainfullest use of riches 143. Gal. ii 20. 521. ¶ v. 21. 375. ¶ vi 12. 501. Galene's helps in the pursuit of knowledge 66. Gallant The profane Gallant a despicable wretch 528. Gen. iii. 19. In the sweat of thy brows thou shalt eat thy bread a command as well as a curse 218. ¶ 22. 158. 630 631. ¶ vi 3. 795. ¶ xlii 21 22. 387. ¶ Gen. xlvi 27 28. handsomely applied 321. Gentleman No Gentleman hath a licence to be idle 222. GHOST The HOLY GHOST a distinct Person 53. Several titles of his and operations 54. Why called the Spirit of truth 54. 57. Though sent by the Father and the Son yet is his coming voluntary 56. The end of Christ's coming and of the H. Ghost's 52. 760. The H. Ghost though not so solemnly as of old yet still cometh effectually upon the faithful 52. 760. He is ever consonant to himself 55. He is our chief our sole Instructour 760. 772. Though the Church and the Word and Discipline be our Teachers yet the H. Ghost may be truly called our sole Teacher 778. How he is said to teach us all truth 58. How he teacheth us 773. Means must be used for the obteining the gifts of the H. Ghost 61. 67 68. Into what posture we must put our selves if we will receive him 779. We must be careful not to disquiet and grieve him 773 774. Many pretend to be led by the H. Ghost when their design is to oppose him 62. 64. Which is a sin perhaps more dangerous then flatly to deny him 63. 774. Whence it is that so few follow his guidance 65. He hath worse enemies nowadayes then the Eunomians and Sabellians 774. What horrible wickedness some in this Age entitle him to 774. But because some mistake and abuse the Spirit we must not thence conclude that none are taught by him 775. He not onely taught the Church in the Apostles times but teacheth it still in all ages 776. His operations indeed are not easily perceived 775. but that he hath wrought we may find 776. How we may prove the Spirit 780 781. and discern his instructions from the suggestions of Satan and the dreams of fanaticks 64. 66. 777. 780. Glorifying of God what 744 c. 748. 754. 1009. We must glorifie God in soul and in body 744 c. Whether an actual intention of God's glory perpetually in our mind be necessary 745. More is required of us then to glorifie God verbally 754. God's Glory must be the first mover of our obedience 1008. It is not so resplendent in a Starre nor in the Sun as in the New creature 1009. If we glorifie God here we shall glorifie him to eternity 747. Gnosticks 167. GOD cannot be spoken of with too much reverence 7. 409. He is a most simple Essence 78. incomprehensible 165. Bold and curious searching of him unlawful 164 165. He is to be seen by faith not curiously gazed upon 729. Though he be invisible yet we may see Him by the light that shineth in his Works in our Conscience and in his Word 784 c. ¶ God delighteth in his Wisdome more then in any other of his Attributes 326. 1029. Of his Omnipresence and Omniscience 164. Errours concerning God's Presence 165. Belief of God's Presence the greatest curb of sin 164. 167 c 258. God's Wisdome drew his Justice and Mercy together and reconciled them in Christ's Satisfaction and ours 327. Counsels which some men fasten upon God contrary to his Wisdome and Goodness 326. 407
Israel and of England compared 422 423. J. JAmes St. James and St. Paul seem to contradict each other but do not 276. Jealousie vvhat in Man vvhat in God 381. 613. 643. Jer. xxv 18-29 299. JESUS how excellent a name 732 733. That JESUS is the Lord though Law and Custome and Education teach us yet vve cannot say it but by the holy Ghost 759 c. Many say so yet but few say it 763 764. He vvho saith it aright saith it vvith his Tongue 764. 770. with his Heart 765. 770. and vvith his Hand 766. 270 c. Oh vvhat pity and shame it is that Man should suffer the Flesh the World and the Devil to Lord it over him and not Jesus 768. Jews vvhy commanded to offer sacrifice 72. Why blamed sometimes for so doing 80. 82. They pleased themselves exceedingly in this and in other outward servics 108. v. Formality Their great privileges 418. Privileges of Christians greater then theirs 419. Many things vvere permitted to be done by the Jews vvhich are unlawful for a Christian 869. Their course of sinning 611. Jew a term of reproch 194. Job's case 292. 903. Joh. vi 63. 468. ¶ viii 36. 742. 1 Joh. ii 4. 723. ¶ 16. 280. ¶ iv 18. 398. ¶ v. 3. 112. St. John v. Charity St. John Baptist a burning and shining light 549 c. How the Jews at first admired him 553. but vvithin a vvhile disliked him 554. Joy good and bad 338. Sensitive and Rational 553. It is configured to the soul that receiveth it 860. God's Joy over us and our Joy in Him and in one another 861. Against them that rejoyce in the sins or calamities of others 862 863. Joy that ariseth from Contemplation of good is nothing to that which ariseth from Action 1125. True Joy floweth from Love 153. and from Obedience 113. 992. 1125 1126. Sorrow is vvont to go before Joy 560. Judas's repentance 336. his despair 343. Judge neither others sinners because afflicted nor thy self a Saint because prosperous 295 c. 616. We may disannul our former Judgment upon better evidence vvithout inconstancie 676 c. The Judgment of God and of the World how different 964. God's J. and Man's differ much 616. That of Men for the most part corrupt and partial 246 247. Judgment Few believe there shall be a day of Judgment 926. Though scoffers say Nay it will assuredly come 237 238. Why it is so long in coming 238. It cannot be the object of a wicked man's hope 242. 737. v. CHRIST Curious enquiry after the time of the last Judgment condemned 248 c. We ought to exspect and wait for it 250. Signes of the day of Judgment 1043 c. Judgments Of God's temporal Judgements 611. Judgments justly fall even on God's own people vvhen they sin 290. In general J. many times the good are involved vvith the evil vvithout any prejudice to God's Justice 291. Reasons to prove that point 292. A fearful thing to be under J. and not to be sensible of them 643. Judgments should fright us from sin and drive us to God 364. 800. If they vvork not that effect they are forerunners of hell-torments 365. 801. We should especially be afraid of those sins vvhich are vvont to bring general J. on a Nation 297. It is the greatest judgement not to fear J. till they come 502. 615. We must studie God's J. 615. v. Punishment Judge The Judge's calling necessary 821. His office 120. How his autority may be lawfully made use of 822. Julian the Apostate 957. His liberality 143. His malitious slander of the Christians 148. He wounded Religion more with his wit then with his sword 959. His death 959. Justice of how large extent 119. What it is 120. Private J. is far larger then publick 121. Our common Nature obligeth to live justly 123. and so doth the Law of Nature 124. 126. c. 134. and Fear of God's Vengeance 125. and the written Law of God 128. especially Christ's Gospel 129. How strict observers of Justice some Heathens have been 128. How small esteem Justice hath in the world 131. Motives to live justly 134 c. That which is not Just can neither be pleasant nor profitable 126. v. Mercy Justification what 811. The Church of Rome's doctrine confuted 812 813. Faith justifieth but none but penitents 872. The several opinions about Justification may all be true 1074 c. But many nice and needless disputes there be about it 1075. Wherein Justification consisteth 1075. K. KEyes Power of the Keyes neither to be neglected nor contemned 47. Kingdomes v. Fate Kings though mighty Lords on the earth are but strangers in the earth 532. 535. K. love not to be too much beholding to their subjects 232. It is not expedient for the world to have onely one King 233. Kneeling in the service of God proved by Calvine to be of Divine autority 756. Knowledge Want of Knowledge many alledge to excuse themselves but without cause 437. Pretended K. how mischievous 556 557. Three impediments of K. 96 c. Four wayes to get K. 66. Of which Practice is the chief 68 69. K. is the daughter of Time and Industrie 956. What kind of K. it is that we have in this life 678. God's wayes are not to be known by us his will and our duty easily may 93. We should not studie to know things not revealed 248. Though the K. of what is necessary be easy and obvious 93. 95. yet it is to be sought for with all diligence 96. K. even in the Apostles grew by degrees 61. K. of all future things if we had it would do us no good 789. K. of Sin v. Sin K. of Nature Medicine Laws Husbandry is very excellent 656 657. Saving K. is onely necessary 59 60. 248. K. of Christ surpasseth all other K. 715 c. but it must be not a bare speculative K. but practical 723 c. Many know the Truth but love it not 549. 690. Knowledge Will Affections all to be employed in the walk of a Christian 516 c. Speculative K. availeth nothing without Love 517. It is but a phantasm a dream 518 519. 724 725. It is worse then Ignorance 518. 520. 523. 690. 723. Adde therefore to K. Practice 519 725. As K. directeth Practice so Practice encreaseth K. 520. 693. Words of Knowledge in Scripture imply the Affections 463. Love excelleth Knowledge 977. How God is said not to know the wicked 173. L. LAbour is the price of God's gifts 219. It is not onely necessary but honourable 220. No grace gotten by us no good wrought in us without Labour and pains 667 c. v industrie Sin is a laborious thing 927. more laborious then Virtue 928. It is sad to consider that many will not labour so much to be saved as thousands do to be damned 928. Law Whether going to Law be lawfull 821. Good men have alwayes scrupled the point 822. Cautions and rules to be observed 822. 824. Lawfull
538. Moses how excellent a person 4. Mourning and Grief how they differ 560. How behooffull 563 c. How it worketh upon the Understanding 566. the Will 567. and the Memorie 567. It worketh comfort 568 569. How the primitive Christians gave themselves to it 567. Why and how we should mourn 570 571. The usuall expressions of Mourning 560. Mouth The M. must confess Christ 764. and the Heart must believe what the M. saith 765. Multitude of professours no sure note of the true Church 837. 855. 971 972. Yet a M. of professours is a glorious sight 837. The prayers and service of one single person are acceptable to God how much more then of a multitude 838. Our care should therefore be to provoke and gather Multitudes if we can to God's service 852. For foolish or wicked ends Multitudes are soon gathered 852. Multitude therefore is rather a bad sign then a good one 971 972. Murderers of Mothers gentlyer dealt withall then Murderers of Wives why 292. Murmuring v. Complaint Mysteries not to be sounded to the depth 5 11. 53. The knowledge of them can be no other but Faith 734. N. NAked Why God made Adam first naked 888. and clothed him with skins afterward 538. Nature one and the same in all 123. v. Law She runneth her course constantly and chearfully 844. She teacheth to forsake sin 325. v. Heathen Nazianzene A strange wish of his 66. His Mother Nonna's charity to the poor 144. Her reverent behaviour in God's house 758. Necessarie points easy to be known 95. 599. 664 665. 866. 1084 1085. Nothing necessarie but what is in our power 581. No man necessarily either good or evil 585 586. 666 667. Necessity and Convenience in civil acts one 3. Every thing hath its necessity from us not from it self except one 17. Of the Necessity and Contingencie of events 408. Others Necessities are a glass to behold our selves in 140. Nero 79. 621. 1055. v. Philosophie Nestorius 8. Newfangledness in Religion whence 98 99. Newness of life v. Resurrection Nonna v. Nazianzene Novations how far from that purity they boasted of 344. how harsh and unmercifull 344. Of their Errour about Penance after Baptism 349. Novatus 848. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometime signifieth the Will 336. NOW is the accepted time 363 c. 793 c. v. Opportunity Repentance Time Numbers some find mysteries in 249 971. No efficacie in Number to prove a cause or a man good 837. 971 972. O. OBedience Of the blind Obedience of the Papists 1091. Obedience to Superiours is not against Christian Liberty 639 c. 1102. It never faileth where Charity faileth not 59 60. What kind of Ob. God looketh for from us 111. 606 607. It must be universal 316. 373. 378. 831. 1000. even and constant 316. 380 c. 880. 1111 c. sincere and real 317. speedy without delay 361. 730 731. 879. ready without reasoning and disputing 451. exact 609 610. like that of the Angels 993. v. Angels Some take-up and content themselves with a parcell curtailed slight Ob. 373. 787 788. But that will not serve God's turn nor ours 374 c. 378. Many are wont to alledge want of power to excuse their want of Ob. 111. 117. But perfect Ob. is not absolutely impossible 109 c. 119. v. Impossibilities Obedience is easy to such as are not unwilling 112. and not onely easy but also pleasant 113. Though our Ob. cannot merit yet we must obey 993. 1126 1127. Motives to Ob. 116. Our Ob. is our Liberty 1100. 1118. God often mentioneth his favours to move us to Ob. 590. Evangelical Ob. is the onely way to blessedness 991 c. Christ's Death is a singular motive 471 472. Of all the motives to Ob. God's Glory is the first 1008. v. Omniscience Obligation There be several sorts of Obligations 816. Our Obligation to God 806 807. Occasions of sin not to be dallied with 261. Offenders v. Thieves Offense not to be given to weak brethren 638. Old mens Temperance and Repentance what to be thought of 592 593. Many Old men though vveak in body yet are strong and active in sin 593. How old sinners act their sins over again even when they are past acting 357. Omnipotence incongruous for a mortal 789. Omniscience Belief of God's Omniscience the strongest motive to obedience 164. 167 c. One We are all one 840 938 c. Nature maketh all one 938 939. Christianity and Charity make us more one 939. Every Christian duty tendeth to preserve Unity 841 c. Love especially knitteth the knot 843. Envy Covetousness Pride dissolve it 842 843. Saints are at one with God and one amongst themselves 939. Opinion onely setteth an esteem on outward matters 85. v. World Opinion prevaileth more vvith most then the Truth 526 527. We must not be wedded to our own Opinion so as to be averse when better is offered 677. Opportunity its etymologie 355. Opportunity of doing good by no means to be let slip 355. 363 c. 793 c. Nothing more advantageous 355 356. To neglect it the greatest folly 356 366. 793. v. Repentance Time Oppression and Deceit arguments not of Power and Wisdome but of the contrary 136. v. Injustice Order v. Method How beautifull and necessary in Nature in the Common-wealth in the Church in an Army in every thing 419. 640 641. in Arts in Studies in Christianity 885. Ordinances if abused by us may justly be taken from us 303 c. Original vveakness and corruption commonly alledged for an excuse of actual sins 427 428. 446. Few understand what it is 429. Several opinions about it 430. Be it what it will we are bound to crucifie it 430. Be it what it will we are now sanctified and washed from it 431. Origen's kindness reached to the very Devils 339. Outward worship v. Worship P. PApists They are wont to demand of us a catalogue of Fundamentalls 1084. How unreasonably they declaim against Marriage 1090. Of their vows of Monkery Poverty Virginity and blind Obedience 1089 c. Why the Antients gave these so large elogiums 1091. How they even idolize the B. Virgin 986. Upon what pretense they keep the Scripture from the Layety 1094. Vain boasting of the Popish Church 420. How the P. are blinded and enslaved by Prejudice 680 c. There are who condemn some truths because the P. teach them 671. We must not out of opposition to Popish errours run into worse 374. 1127. We must not so fly Popery as to become Libertines 993. 1127. The best way to confute the P. 401. Papists and Libertines compared 1079 1080. Both enemies to the Gospel 1079. both alike dangerous 1080. v. Popery Parables Why our Saviour spake so often in Parables 1017. Pardon of sin the greatest engagement to duty 612 c. 872 c. 1100. Begging of Pardon is a promise of repentance 614. v. Mercy Passions are good or bad as they are placed 387. Passions swallow up one another 554. v. Affections Paul
those means which he findeth most proper and fit for that end which commonly run in a contrary course from that which humane infirmity flesh and bloud would find out Isa 55.8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your wayes my wayes saith the Lord but as far removed as Heaven from Earth And as he hath made the Heavens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Basil speaketh the veile of his Divine majesty so in all his proceedings upon men he is Deus sub velo a God under a veile hidden but yet seen in a dark character but read not toucht but felt tunc optimus cum nobis videtur non bonus then most favourable when he seemeth to frown merciful when he seemeth angry gracious when he seemeth to put the sword into the persecutour's hand the same God yesterday in the calm and to day in the storm raising the righteous as high as heaven when in appearance he hath opened the gates of hell to devour them whilest flesh and bloud stand at gaze and wonder at his counsels and dispositions and understand them not till the spirit revealeth them as David speaketh in the sanctuary Psal 73. Were flesh and bloud to build a Church it should not be an House subject to the wind and waves but some house of pleasure a royal palace it should not be in Egypt or Babylon or in the land of the Philistines but in Paradise For we would go to heaven without any condition or difficulty have fathers and brethren and houses a hundred-fold without persecution march to the Land of Canaan and meet with no serpents in the wilderness not see a son of Anak to oppose us we would reign but not suffer hear God but not in the whirlwind see him but not in the fire would have the Kingdom without persecution that is would have God neither provident nor just nor wise that is would have no God at all These are these dictates the results the evaporations of flesh and bloud But God's method is best and is drawn out by his manifold wisdom Eph. 3.10 Nor indeed considering what materials we be made of could it possibly be otherwise Perversitas quam putas ratio est That is good order which we take to be confusion and that which we call Persecution is favour and mercy For could we be brought to God any other way he would not so much as touch us with his rod Or could we take possession of his kingdom without it he would not thus chase us into it by the fury and sword of the persecutor But our corruption can hardly be let out but with the lance The Old man must sit heavy on us that we may put him off and the World must breathe fire and brimstone in our faces that we may loath it Persecution sheweth what a prison what a hell the world is how ready it is to overflow our fading delights with gall that we may fly out of it to a better place If we will we may make our persecutor our Apostle to preach Jesus Christ unto us And therefore as Theodoret calleth the Redemption of man the most excellent part of God's providence so the manner of bringing it about by these sad and unwelcome means to flesh and bloud is from the same Providence Which as it set an Oportet upon Christ though his dispensation was most free Heb. 2.10 It became him for whom are all things c. to consecrate the Captain of our salvation through sufferings so there is an Oportet set upon the righteous Acts 14.22 We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God Nor indeed take us as we are polluted and unclean could we possibly enter any other way we could not enter the new heavens but purged and refined by persecution into the new creature cured by diseases healed by bruises raised by falls and made happy by misery taught by the counsel of the wise and taught by the contradiction of sinners helped by Prophets and advantaged by Tyrants directed by the Apostles and hastned by Persecutours to our inheritance For in some sense we may say Persecution giveth us livery and seisin and maketh it ours The Text it self implyeth so much Blessed are they that are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven I have now brought you into this Aceldama this Field of bloud where you may behold the ungodly for their own lust persecuting the poor where you may behold hypocrites and deceitful men bending their bow and shooting at the righteous in secret and mighty men drawing their swords and drenching them in their bloud A sad sight to see righteousness under the whip and harrow But withall you may discover not onely an Angel going before them as before the children of Israel in the wilderness but Christ himself leading them through these terrours and amazements to a place of refreshing to a City not made with hands to the kingdom of heaven Oportet they must suffer but there remaineth a Sabbath for the children of God Persecution is the lot the inheritance of the righteous that was our first part We will now present you with the second That every man that suffereth hath not title to this Blessedness in the Text but onely those who are persecuted for righteousness sake Which comprehendeth all those duties which the Gospel requireth at their hands who have given up their names unto Christ For it is possible that a man may suffer for one virtue and neglect the rest may suffer to preserve his chastity and yet be covetous may keep his virgin and be a thief may give up his goods rather then bow to an Idol and be an yet adulterer may sacrifice to no God but the God of Israel and yet bow in the house of Rimmon nay may suffer for some truth which he is fully perswaded of and yet hold the truth of God in unrighteousness For tell me May not a Jew stand more for the circumcision of his flesh then of his heart for the Sabbaths bodily rest then that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that quietness of mind which is the proper effect of righteousness For the one he will lose his life for the other he doth not lay out many thoughts He will starve before he will eat a piece of swines-flesh and yet not put his knife to his throat to keep off intemperance He can suffer for the Law and yet break it Bid a Christian deny the Lord that made him and Christ that redeemed him and he will rather suffer his tongue to be cut out then to speak that word but yet will in his life deny him every day he will curse the Jew and yet crucifie Christ he will venture sea and land put his fortunes and life in hazard for a new discipline and yet take no pains to be a disciple of Christ Such an advantage many times hath education and custome upon us such a power hath the love of the