true Howsoever what piety is it nay what equity nay rather what abominable iniquity and impiety is it florem Diabolo consecrare faeces Deo reservare To consecrate the flower of their youth to the Divell the world and the flesh and reserve the lees or dregges of their old age for God To dedicate to him our weake and feeble dotage if we live to it what is it better than to offer the f Deut. 15.21 blind and the lame for sacrifice which God abhorreth Repent therefore repentè repent at the first offer of grace Ye shall scarce find any precept of repentance in Scripture which requireth not as well that it be out of hand as that it be from the heart Remember thy g Eccles 12.1 Creatour in the dayes of thy youth To h Psal 95.7 8. day if yee will heare his voice harden not your heart Seek i Psal 32.6 the Lord while he may be found Now he may be found now he seeketh us now he calleth to us let us therefore breake off all delayes and pricke on forward our dull and slow affections with that sharp and poynant increpation of Saint k Confes l. 8. c. 5. Modò modò non habent modum quamdiu cras cras cur non hoc dic cur non hac horâ finis turpitudinis meae Ib. Verba lenta somnolenta modò ecce modò sine paululum sed sine paululum ibat in longum c. Austine Why doe I still procrastinate my comming unto thee O Lord Why not now why not this day why not this houre an end of my sinfull course of life Deo Patri Filio Spiritui sancto sit laus c. THE DEFORMITY OF HALTING THE LVII SERMON 1 KIN. 18.21 And Elijah came to all the people and said How long halt ye betweene two opinions If the Lord be God follow him but if Baal then follow him and the people answered not a word Right Honourable c. ELijah who sometimes called for fire from heaven was himselfe full of heavenly fire the fire of zeale for the Lord of Hosts His words like fire 1 Give light 2 Heate 3 Consume 1 They give light to this undoubted truth That one and but one Religion is to be embraced either God or Baal must be worshipped in no case both Stand firme to one How long halt ye betweene two 2 They heate and enflame true zeale and devotion If the Lord be God follow him 3 They burne up indifferencie and neutralitie If Baal be he goe after him This passage of Scripture relateth a Sermon of Elijah wherein we are to note more particularly 1 The Preacher Elijah 2 The Auditorie the whole Parliament of Israel 3 The Text or Theame handled by him viz. What God is to be worshipped what religion to be established and maintained by Prince and people Now although I perswade my selfe that there is none in this whole assembly who halteth betweene the Popish and reformed Churches or hath once bowed his knee to the Romish Baal yet because Satan hath of late not only turned himselfe into an Angell of light to dazle the eyes of weake Christians in point of Doctrine but also into a Seraphim of heat and zeale under colour of devotion to bring us to offer strange fire upon Gods Altar and especially because there is no lamp of the Sanctuarie that burneth so brightly but that it needeth oyle continually to be powred into it to feed the flame the opening of this Scripture cannot but be seasonable and usefull to reduce you into the path if you swerve from it never so little or to prick you on if you are in the right way that leadeth to the kingdome of God The key to open this Text is the occasion of this exhortation of the Prophet wherefore before I proceed to the exposition of the words I must entreat you to cast a looke backwards to the occasion of them and the cause of the peoples haulting downe-right a circumstance not giving more light to the right understanding of the Prophets reproofe than strength to our stedfast standing and upright walking in the high way to Heaven What the religious Father spake by way of Apologie for handling controversall points in the pulpit Ideo non dubitavimus dubitare ut vos non dubitaretis We therefore make no scruple to move doubts that yee may not doubt but upon the solution of them be more settled in your most holy faith I may say truly that therefore I hold it needfull to make a stay at the cause of the poeples haulting that their haulting may be no stay to your godly proceedings that you may never hault upon their ground which was so slipperie that they slid now this way now that way not able to set sure footing any where Elijah by his divine commission drew them to Gods Altar but Ahab especially at the instigation of Jezebel by his royall power enforced them to offer at Baals groves between both they were miserably perplexed their minds distracted and their worship divided betweene God and Baal Men are led by examples more than precepts especially by the examples of Princes or Potentates which carrie a kinde of Sovereigntie over mens affections and manners as they themselves have over their persons insomuch that their morall vices yea and naturall deformities also have beene drawne and patterned out by some of their subjects as if they were vertues and gracefull ornaments a Jan. Grut. annot in Tac. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Diodorus Siculus telleth us in sober sadnesse that it was the custome of the Aethiopians to maime or lame themselves in that part or foot on which their Prince limped because they thought it a great disparagement for their Prince that any about him should goe more upright or have a more gracefull gate than hee And Atheneus likewise reporteth of Dionysius his familiars that because himselfe was somewhat purblinde they as they sate at table reached towards dishes as it were by aime and sometimes missed that they might not seeme more quick-sighted than he And to make up the number when Philip received a wound in his eye Clisophus as if hee had got a blow on the same eye putteth a patch on it and when afterwards Philip was run thorow the right thigh in comes Clisophus all to be plaistered on that thigh and out-halteth his Master We can hardly hold laughing when we read or heare of the madnesse rather than folly of so grosse flatterie yet wee have cause rather to weepe at the sight of a farre worse flatterie and yet most usuall whereby some indeere themselves into great personages by imitating their vices and profane carriage To expresse these they account it a kinde of merit of favour or at least an homage due to their greatnesse because saith b Lactant. divin instit l. 5. c. 6. Et quoniam regis vitta imitari obsequii quoddam genus est abjecerunt omnes pietatem ne regi
love Nay how canst thou not be perswaded sith hee himselfe hath said it I chasten as many as I love which words that thou maist take more hold of he hath often repeated them in holy Scripture Desirest thou greater assurance than his words which is all that heaven and earth have to shew for their continuance yet if thou desire more rather helpes of thine infirmity than confirmations of this truth observe who are oftenest longest under Gods afflicting hand who are fullest of his markes if they are deepest in sorrow who are highest in his favour if they mourne in Sion who sing Halelujah in the heavenly Jerusalem if they goe in blacke and sables here who are arrayed in long white robes there if they lay their heart a soake in teares who are men after Gods owne heart if Benjamins portion be greatest in afflictions assuredly manifold tribulations and Gods favour may stand together In the truth of which assertion all those Texts of Scripture may establish us which set before us the sweet fruits that are gathered from the crosse as 1. Knowledge It is good for mee that I have been k Psa 119.71 afflicted that I may learne thy statutes 2. Zeale I will l Hosea 5.15 goe and returne to my place till they acknowledge their offences and seeke my face in their affliction they will seeke mee diligently 3. Repentance I truly am m Psal 38.17 18. set in the plague and my heavinesse is ever in my sight I will confesse my wickednesse and be sorry for my sinnes When the people were stung with fiery serpents they came to Moses and said We have n Num. 21.7 sinned for wee have spoken against the Lord and against thee And againe In their o 2 Chro. 15.4 trouble they turned to the Lord God of Israel and sought him and he was found of them When the Prodigall was pinched with famine he came to himselfe and said How many hired p Luke 15.16 17 18. servants in my fathers house have meat enough and I perish with hunger I will arise therefore and goe to my father c. 4. Patience Tribulation worketh q Rom. 5.3 4. patience and patience experience and experience hope 5. Joy in the Holy Ghost Receiving the Word with much affliction with r 1 Thes 1.6 joy in the Holy Ghost 6. Triall of our faith which like Å¿ 1 Pet. 1.7 gold is purged by the fire of afflictions Though he t Job 13.15 slay mee yet will I trust in him Our u Psal 44.18 19 20. heart is not turned backe nor our steps gone out of the way no not when thou hast smitten us into the place of Dragons and covered us with the shadow of death 7. Righteousnesse No chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but * Heb. 12.11 grievous neverthelesse yet afterwards it yeeldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousnesse to them that are exercised thereby 8. Holinesse It x Heb. 2.10 became him for whom were all things in bringing many sonnes unto glory to consecrate the Captaine of our salvation through afflictions The y Heb. 12.10 fathers of our flesh for a few dayes chastened us after their owne pleasure but hee for our profit that wee may bee partakers of his holinesse 9. Estranging our affections from the world and earthly desires Eliah requested that he might dye It is z 1 Kin. 19.4 enough Lord take away my life I am no better than my fathers We that are in this tabernacle doe * 2 Cor. 5.4 groane being burdened not for that we would be unclothed but clothed upon that mortality might be swallowed up of life 11. Humility The a 2 Cor. 12.7 messenger of Sathan was sent to buffet mee and that I should not be exalted above measure there was given mee a thorne in my flesh 11. Renovation and ghostly strength Therefore I b 2 Cor. 12.10 take pleasure in infirmities in reproaches in necessities in persecutions in distresses for when I am weake then am I strong and though our outward man decay yet our inward man is renewed day by day 12. Freedome from everlasting torments When c 1 Cor. 11.32 wee are judged wee are chastened of the Lord that wee should not bee condemned with the world 13. Encrease of celestiall glory For our d 2 Cor. 4.17 light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a farre more exceeding and eternall weight of glory The Heathen that never tasted the least part of these fruits yet feeling by experience that the mind cloyed with continuall felicity grew a burden to it selfe was deprived hereby of matter and occasion of excellent vertues and not so onely but infatuated and wholly corrupt thereby maintained this memorable Paradoxe e Demet. apud Sen. Nihil eo infelicius cui nihil intelix contigit That none was so unhappy as bee who knew no mishap nor adversity at any time Nay they went farther in that their conceit and thereby came nearer to my text affirming that store of wealth large possessions high places and great honours were not alwaies signes and tokens of the love of God God saith the wise Poet and the best Philosopher taketh it out of him f Aristot Rhet. l. 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sendeth many men great prosperity not out of love and good will but to the end that they may bee capable of greater misery and that the calamities which they are after to endure may bee more g â—uven sit Numerosa parabat excelsae turris tabulata unde altior esset casus impulsae praeceps immane rumae eminent and signall Tolluntur in altum Ut lapsu graviore ruant Misery is alwayes querulous and even weake objections often ruine them who are already cast downe with griefe such as are these Doth not God threaten to powre out his plagues upon the wicked Doe wee not read in Saint h Rom. 2.9 Paul Tribulation and anguish upon every soule that sinneth of the Jew first and also of the Gentile Are not losses infamy captivity banishment tortures and torments judgements of wrath how then can they bee arguments of love I answer that originally all the evils of this life came in with sinne and were punishments of it and they retaine their nature still in the wicked but in the godly by the mercy of God and merits of Christ they are changed from judgements of wrath into chastisements of love from stings of sinne to remedies against sinne from executions of vengeance to exercises of excellent vertues and the inflicting of them so little prejudiceth Gods love to his chosen that hee no way more sheweth it to them than by thus awaking them out of their sleepe and by this meanes pulling them out of hell fire And therefore the Prophets threaten it after all other judgements as the greatest of all that for their obstinacy and impenitency God would punish them no more
ad rustic Eloquentiae torcularia non verborum pampinis sed sensuum quasi uvarum expressionibus redundarent For in these the presses of eloquence abound with leaves of words and luxuriant stemmes of extravagant wit but in it with spirituall senses and divine sentences as it were the juice and bloud of the ripest grapes of the Vine of Engeddi It is a point of wisedome in man who hath but little to make it goe as farre as he can and so thriftily instill it in his workes as Nature doth her influences in simples a great quantity whereof is often distilled to extract one drop of pure quintessence whereas on the contrary no plant of Paradise no branch of a plant no flower of a branch no leafe of a flower but affordeth great plenty of the water of life more precious than any quintessence that Art can force out of Nature The finers of gold Chrysost tom 5. homil 37. as golden mouth St. Chrysostome teacheth us deale not only with wedges ingots and massie pieces of gold but with the smallest portions thereof And the Apothecaries make singular use in divers confections even of the dust of gold When Alexander the great managed his affaires in Judea those whom he imployed to gather the most precious oyle of a Plin. l. 12. nat hist c. 25. Succus è plaga manat quem Opobalsamum vocant suavitatis eximiae sed tenui gutta Alexandro magnores ibi gerente toto dic aestivo unam concham impleri justum erat Opobalsamum thought a whole Summers day well spent in filling a small shell taking it as it fell drop by drop from the twigge And if a skilfull Jeweller will not grind out a small spot or cloud out of a rich stone though it somewhat dimme the bright lustre thereof because the substance is so precious shall we lose or sleightly passe by any Iota or tittle of the Booke of God which shall out-last the large volumes of the heavens for * Mat. 5.18 heaven earth shall passe away but no one Iota or tittle of the Word of God shall passe The Jewish Rabines say that great mountaines hang upon the smallest Jods in the Bible And St. b Chrys in Gen. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysostome will not endure a devout Christian to let goe any syllable in the Scripture no nor pricke or point without observation Surely if God so carefully preserve the smallest parcels of Scripture he would have us religiously observe them Else if wee content our selves with a generall handling of the Word of life how shall wee satisfie the Apostles precept of rightly dividing the Word of God * 2. Tim. 2.15 Shew thy self a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the Word of truth The word in the originall is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dichotomizing the Apostle tyeth no man to a precise Ramisticall method yet is it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rightly cutting or dividing the Word of truth which cannot be done if any sensible part be omitted be it but a conjunctive particle as this Till in my Text which standeth like an hinge in the midst of the sentence turning the meaning divers wayes If it hath reference to the death and resurrection of our Saviour as Cajetan Avendanus conceive it hath in which he brought forth judgement unto victory by condemning the world conquering both death hell then the meaning of the whole is this He shall not strive nor cry c. he shall not offer any violence to his enemies by word or deed although he could as easily destroy them as a man may breake a reed already bruised or tread out the smoaking week of a light ready to goe out of it selfe yet he will not use this power but contrariwise carry himselfe most meekly towards them and by his mildnesse and patience both condemn their fury and conquer their obstinacy If it looke farther forward to the destruction of the City and Temple and the overthrow of the whole Jewish Nation as Theophylact and Musculus imagine expounding Till hee bring forth judgement unto victory till he execute judgement upon them that judged him and fully be revenged of them by the sword of the Romans then the meaning of the whole is Hee shall not breake the bruised reed of the Jewish Nation till by the victory of the Romans he shall execute judgement upon that Nation nor shall he quench the smoaking flaxe of the Aaronicall Priesthood till forty veeres after his death the City of Jerusalem shall bee sacked and the Temple burned downe to the ground and by the propagation of the Gospel and prevailing thereof in all places the dimme light of the Ceremoniall Law be quite extinguished But if the word Untill carry us so farre as the last Judgement to which St. Jerome St. Hilary c Guilliand comment in Mat. Qui diebus carnis suae visus est humilis benignus doctor aderit aliquando Jude◠utetur potentiá absolutâ damnavit hostes suos Guilliandus and many other learned Expositors referre it then the whole beareth this tune See you Jesus now in the forme of a servant how humble and meeke he is so farre from killing and subduing his bloud-thirsty enemies by forcible meanes that hee will not strive with them so farre from lifting up his hand against them that hee will not lift up his voice Hee will not cry nor shall his voice bee heard in the streets complaining against them so farre from wounding the spirit Cic. Catil prim Quos ferro vulnerare oportebat nondum voce vulnerat or hurting the bodies of any men that hee will not breake a bruised reed nor quench the smoaking flaxe The time shall come when you shall see this meek Lambe turned into a fierce Lion He who cryed not upon earth shall thunder from heaven He who came now to suffer in meeknesse shall hereafter come in power to conquer Hee who came in humility to bee judged shall come in Majesty to judge both quicke and dead Hee who came by water and bloud by water to wash our sinnes and by bloud to quench the fire of his Fathers wrath shall one day come in flaming fire to render vengeance to all that beleeve not the Gospel He who in all his life never brake a bruised reed a Beza in Mat. c. 12. Tum rebellia corda confringet non jam clemens humilis sed severus majestate verendus shall after his death and resurrection when he commeth to Judgement if not before rule the Nations with a rod of Iron and breake them in pieces like a potters vessell Hee who here never quenched the smoaking flaxe hee shall hereafter put out the greater lights of the world He shall darken the Sunne and turne the Moone into bloud and shake the powers of heaven and foundations of the earth and the hearts of men and behold he commeth with the clouds and all eyes shall see
him Apoc. 1.7 even they that nailed him to the Crosse and pierced him and all kindreds of the earth shall mourne before him Yea and Amen then he shall bring or send forth judgement unto victory He brought forth judgement in his life by preaching the Gospel in his owne person and he sent it forth after his death by the ministery of his Apostles and doth still by propagating the Church but hee bringeth not forth judgement unto victory in the Evangelists phrase because this his judgement is much oppressed the light of his truth smoothered the pure doctrine of the Gospel suppressed the greater part of the Kings of the earth and Potentates of this world refusing to submit their scepter to his Crosse and saying as it is in St. Lukes Gospel Luke 17.14 Wee will not have this man to reigne over us but when the sonne of man shall display his banner in the clouds and the winds shall have breathed out their last gaspes and the sea and the waters shall roare when heaven and earth shall make one great bonefire when the stage of this world shall be removed and all the actors in it shall put off their feigned persons and guises and appeare in their owne likenesse when the man of sinne 2 Thes 2.3 8. that exalteth himselfe above all that is called God shall be fully revealed and after consumed with the spirit of Christs mouth and be destroyed by the brightnesse of his comming then he shall suddenly confound the rest of his enemies Atheists Hypocrites Jewes Turkes Idolatrous Gentiles and Heretikes and breake the neckes of all that stubbornly resist him and then the truth shall universally prevaile and victoriously triumph All this variety of descant which you heare is but upon two notes a higher and a lower the humility and the majesty the infirmity and the power the obscurity and the glory the mildnesse and the severity of our Lord and Saviour his humility upon earth his majesty in heaven his infirmities in the dayes of his flesh and his power since hee sitteth at the right hand of his Father the obscurity and privacy of his first comming and solemnity of his second his mildnesse and clemency during the time of grace and mercy and his wrath and severity at the day of Judgement and Vengeance Ecce tibiâ cecinimus vobis Behold out of this Scripture I have piped unto you recording the pleasing notes of our Redeemers mildnesse and mercy who never brake the bruised reed nor quenched the smoaking flaxe now I am to mourne unto you sounding out the dolefull notes of his justice and severity which shall one day bring forth judgement unto victory But before I set to the sad tune pricked before mee in the rules of my Text I am to entreat you to listen a while till I shall have declared unto you the harmony of the Prophet Esay and the Evangelist S. Matthew the rather because there seemeth some dissonancy and jarre between them For in Esay we reade Esay 42.3 Hee shall bring forth judgement unto truth that is give sentence according to truth but in St. Matthew He shall send forth judgement unto victory which importeth somewhat more than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 viz. that the judgement he shall send forth viam inveniet aut faciet shall either finde way or force it take place or make place no man or divell being able to withstand it Besides this discord in their notes there is a sweet straine in the Prophet he shall not faile Verse 4. nor bee discouraged till hee have set judgement on the earth left out in the Evangelist To the first exception the Jesuit Maldonat saith that the Syriack word signifieth both truth and victory and that Saint Matthew wrote not in pure Hebrew but in the Hebrew then currant which was somewhat alloyed and embased with other languages which if it were granted unto him as it is not by those who defend that the Greeke in the New Testament is the originall yet the breach is not fully made up For still the originall Hebrew in Esay and the Greeke in Saint Matthew which hath been ever held authenticall are at odds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Hebrew signifying truth and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greeke signifying victory and not truth I grant the truth of Christ is most victorious and hath subdued all the false gods of the Heathen as the Arke laid Dagon on his face and the rod of Aaron devoured all the rods of the Magicians yet truth and victory are not all one A weake Judge may bring forth judgement unto truth yet not unto victory as on the contrary a potent and corrupt Judge may bring forth judgement unto victory yet not unto truth Tully in a bad cause prevailed against Oppianicus by casting dust in the Judges eyes And Aeschines prevailed not against Ctesiphon in a good cause Right is often overcome by might and sometimes by the sleight of a cunning Advocate for the false part To the second objection Beza answereth that these words that hee will not faile nor be discouraged till he hath set judgement on the earth were anciently in St. Matthew but of late through the carelesnesse of some transcriber from whose copy ours were drawne are left out But sith this Verse is wanting in all the copies of Saint Matthew now extant neither can Beza bring good proofe of any one in which this Verse was ever found it is not safe to lay any such imputation upon the first transcribers of St. Matthewes Gospel whereby a gap may be opened to Infidels and Heretickes to cavell at the impeachable authority of the holy Scriptures in the originall languages A safe and easie way to winde out of these perplexed difficulties is to acknowledge that the Evangelist who wrote by the same spirit wherewith the Prophet Esay was inspired tyed nor himselfe precisely to the Prophets words but fitteth the Prophets sense to his owne purpose and what the Prophet delivered in two Verses he contracteth into one For what is hee shall bring forth judgement unto truth and he shall not faint nor be discouraged till hee hath done it but that he shall doe it effectually and powerfully and what is that but he shall send forth judgement unto victory Hee shall send forth Cal. in Mat. 1. Hoc verbum educere quo utitur Propheta significat officium Christi esse Regnum Dei quod tum inclusum erat in angulo Judeae propagare in totum orbem This phrase reacheth forth unto us a twofold observation the first touching the extent the second touching the freedome of this judgement here spoken of By judgement is here meant the Kingdome of Christ which must not bee confined to Jury nor bounded within the pale of Palaestine but hee sent forth that is propagated and spread over the whole world according to the prophecy of the Psalmist a Psal 110.2 The Lord shall send a rod of thy strength out
him he in thy strength we in his safetie both in thy salvation Here is God assisting and the King trusting God saving and the King rejoycing God blessing and the King praising lastly the King desiring and God satisfiing his desires to the full as you may see through the whole Psalme In this verse you may discerne three remarkeable conjugations or couples 1. God is joyned with the King 2. Strength with confidence 3. Salvation with exceeding great joy And thus they depend each of other 1. The King of God 2. Confidence of strength 3. Joy of salvation 1. God exalteth the King 2. Strength begetteth confidence 3. Salvation bringeth with it exceeding joy 1. God is above the King 2. Salvation is above strength 3. Exceeding joy above confidence If the King seeke God in him he shall find strength and in his strength salvation and in his salvation exceeding great joy Marke the word King it standeth as a cliffe before a song which directeth the singers how to tune the notes and lift up or depresse their voyces If the King stand here as a lower cliffe for David then strength is aid salvation victory rejoycing thanks-giving but if the word King be set as an higher cliffe for Christ then strength here is omnipotencie salvation redemption of mankinde rejoycing the exaltation of the humane nature to the highest degree of celestiall glory and happinesse This heavenly Manna of Evangelicall doctrine which the Fathers finde within the golden pot that is the inward sense of the words the Jewish Rabbins note to be carved in the outside of the letter to speake yet somewhat plainer that minde and meaning which the Christian Expositors make of the words by referring them to the truth whereof David was a type they gather from the very characters for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 transposed is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Anagram as it were of the word which signifieth to rejoyce is Mesiach that is Christ or the annointed Now the title of King is attributed to Christ in Scriptures sometimes absolutely sometimes with additions but such as make him more absolute exalting his crowne as farre above all corruptible crownes as the heaven is above the earth For his stile given by the sacred Heralds is King immortall King of Heaven King of righteousnesse Prince of peace Lord of life Lord of quicke and dead Lord of all King of Kings and Lord of Lords This heavenly crowne in glorie as much obscuring the lustre of earthly Diadems as the Sun doth the least blinking starre belongeth to our head Christ Jesus by a threefold right 1. Of birth 2. Of donation 3. Of conquest His birth giveth it him for he is the first born of the Father and therefore b Gal. 4.1 heire of all things and Lord of all By gift also he hath it c Psal 2.8 Luke 1.32 The Lord God shall give unto him the Throne of his Father David and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever Aske of mee and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession It is his also by conquest for he hath overcome the world John 16.33 he hath conquered hell and death and hath the keyes of both Rev. 1.18 If you demand where his throne is I answer above at the right hand of his Father Psal 110.1 below in the hearts of all the faithfull whom he ruleth by the Scepter of his word Thus much for the cliffe I set now to the notes which are either 1. In rule 2. In space 1 The note in space I take from the coherence of this Psalm with the former the last words of the former Psalme are Salvum fac Regem Lord save the King or Save Lord let the King heare when we call the first of this Exultabit Rex in salute The King shall rejoyce in thy salvation That which there the Church prayeth for the King here the King praises God for The Chuch prayeth God there ver 1. The name of the God of Jacob defend thee send thee helpe and strengthen thee out of Sion And ver 4. grant thee thy hearts desire and fulfill all thy mind and doth not the King in this Psalme trace the former footsteps and follow the same notes in this Psalme of thanks-giving The King shall rejoyce in thy strength ver 1. And thou hast given him his hearts desire ver 2. What instance I in divers Psalmes In the same Psalme for the most part in the beginning the Prophet soweth in teares and in the end reapeth in joy in the beginning hee complaineth in the ending he prayseth in the beginning he cries for sorrow in the end he sings for joy in the beginning we have a storme of passion in the end the sunshine of Gods favour The countenance of the Prophet drawne to the life in this booke of Psalmes resembleth the picture of Diana at Delphos quae intrantibus tristis exeuntibus hilaris videbatur the face whereof seemed to frowne upon all at their comming in but to smile upon them at their going out Such a copie of Davids countenance wee have Psal 6. lowring at the first verse Lord rebuke mee not in thine anger c. but clearing up at ver 8. Depart from me yee workers of iniquitie for the Lord hath heard the voyce of my weeping How dolefully doth the 22. Psalme begin My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee but how sweetly doth it conclude from ver 22. to the end I will declare thy Name to my brethren in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee c. O the wonderfull power and efficacy of prayer which in a moment pierceth the clouds and bringeth backe a blessing before wee can imagine it is gone out of our lips Like a piece of Ordnance highly mounted it battreth the walls of heaven before the report thereof be heard on earth No naturall agent produceth any effect before it selfe be produced nothing bringeth forth before it selfe is brought forth yet prayer worketh oftentimes before it is made and bringeth forth some good effect before it selfe is perfectly conceived for God understandeth the thoughts before the notions are framed he heareth the heart dictating before the tongue like the pen of a ready writer copieth out our requests Now if the prayer of one righteous man prevaileth so much with the Omnipotent how much more the united prayers of the whole Church If one trumpet sound so loud in the eares of the Almighty how much more a consort of all the silver trumpets of Sion sounded together If one sigh is of force to drive our barke to the wished haven how much more a gale of sighes breathed from a million of Gods afflicted servants What judgement cannot so many hands lifted up beare off from us what blessing are they not able to pull down from heaven Wherefore as the whole Synagogue with one mouth prayed God for their King so according to Saint
of sinnes is peculiarly attributed to the Spirit and by a metonymie termed the Holy Ghost Barradius bringeth us an answer out of the schooles that z Barrad in harmon Evang. remission of sinnes is a worke of Gods goodnesse and mercy now workes of goodnesse are peculiarly attributed to the holy Spirit who proceedeth as they determine from the will of the Father and the Sonne whose object is goodnesse as workes of wisedome are attributed to the Sonne because hee is the word proceeding by way of generation from the understanding of his Father This reason may goe for currant in their way neither have I any purpose at this time to crosse it but to haste to the period of this discourse in which that I may better discover the path of truth in stead of many little lights which others have brought I will set up one great taper made of the sweetest of their waxe The Holy Ghost is sometimes taken for the person of the Comforter which sealeth Gods chosen to salvation sometimes for the gifts effects or operations of the Holy Ghost as it were the prints of his scale left in the soule these are principally three 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Grace 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spirituall power or authority 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vertue or ghostly ability to worke wonders and speake with divers languages 1 Is common to all them that are sanctified 2 Is peculiar to Christs Ministers 3 Restrayned to the Apostles themselves and some few others of their immediate successors z Joh. 3.5 Exceâ—t a man be borne of the water and of the spirit 1 Regenerating grace is termed the holyGhost 2 Spirituall order or ministeriall power is called the Spirit or holy Ghost in this place and Luk. 4.18 Esay 61.1 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me to preach the Gospell c. 3 Miraculous vertue is called the holy Ghost Act. 2.4 And they were filled with the holy Ghost and spake with divers tongues 1 The Spirit of grace and regeneration the Apostles received at their first calling 2 The Spirit of ecclesiasticall government they received at this time c. 3 The Spirit of powerfull and extraordinary operation they received in the day of Pentecost 1 In their mindes by infallible inspiration 2 In their tongues by multiplicity of languages 3 In their hands by miraculous cures Receive then the Holy Ghost is 1 A ghostly function to ordaine Pastors and sanctifie congregations to God 2 Spirituall gifts to execute and discharge that function 3 Spirituall power or jurisdiction to countenance and support both your function and gifts Thus have I opened the treasury of this Scripture out of which I now offer to your religious thoughts and affections these ensuing observations And first in generall I commend to the fervour of your zeale and devotion the excessive heat of Christs love which absumed and spent him all for us flesh and spirit His flesh he offereth us in the Sacrament of his Supper his spirit hee conferreth in the sacred rite of consecration His body hee gave by those words Take eate this is my body his spirit hee gave by these Receive ye the holy Ghost a gift unestimable a treasure unvaluable for it was this spirit which quickned us when wee were dead in trespasses and sinnes it is this spirit which fetcheth us againe when wee swoune in despaire it is this spirit that refresheth and cooleth us in the extreme heat of all persecutions afflictions sorrowes and diseases to it we owe 1 Light in our mindes 2 Warmth in our desires 3 Temper in our affections 4 Grace in our wils 5 Peace in our consciences 6 Joy in our hearts and unspeakeable comfort in life and death This is the winde which bloweth a Cant. 4.16 Blow upon my garden that the spices thereof may flow out let my beloved come into his garden and eat his pleasant fruits upon the Spouse her garden that the spices thereof might flow out This is the breath which formeth the words in the cloven tongues this is the breath which bloweth and openeth all the flowers of Paradise This is the blast which diffuseth the savour of life through the whole Church This is the gale which carryeth us through all the troublesome waves of this world and bringeth us safe to the haven where we would be And as the Spouse of Christ which is his mysticall body is infinitely indebted to her head for this gift of the spirit whereby holy congregations are furnished with Pastors and they with gifts and the ministery of the Gospell continually propagated so wee above all nations in the world at this day are most bound to extoll and magnifie his goodnesse towards us herein among whom in a manner alone this holy seed of the Church remaineth unmixed and uncorrupt not onely as propagated but propagating also not children onely but Fathers Apostolicall doctrine other reformed Churches maintaine but doe they retaine also Apostolicall discipline laying of hands they have on Ministers and Pastors but consecration of Archbishops and Bishops they have not And because they want consecrated Bishops to ordaine Pastors their very ordination is not according to ancient order Because they want spirituall Fathers in Christ to beget children in their ministery their Ministers by the adversary are accounted no better than filii populi whereas will they nill they even in regard of our Hierarchy the most frontlesse Papists must confesse the children begot by our reverend Fathers in the ministery of the Gospell to be as legitimate as their owne For albeit they put the hereticke upon us as the Arrians did upon the Catholike Fathers calling them Athanasians c. yet this no way disableth either the consecration of our Bishops nor the ordination of our Priests not onely because we have proved the dogge lyeth at their doores and that they are a kinde of mungrils of divers sorts of heretickes but because it is the doctrine of their Church b See Croy in his third conformity Whitaker in fine resp ad demonstrat Sanderi Rivet procem de haeref q. 1. Cath. orthod that the character of order is indeleble and therefore Archbishop Cranmer and other of our Bishops ordained by them if they had afterwards as Papists most falsly suppose fallen into heresie could not lose their faculty of consecration and ordination The consecration of Catholicke Bishops by Arrians and baptisme of faithfull Christians children by Donatists though heretickes is made good as well by the decrees of ancient as later Councels determining that Sacraments administred even by heretickes so they observe the rite and forme of words prescribed in holy scripture bee of force and validity Praysed therefore for ever bee the good will of him that dwelt in the bush that the Rod of Aaron still flourisheth among us and planteth and propagateth it selfe like that Indian fig-tree so much admired by all Travellers from the utmost branch whereof issueth a gummy juyce which hangeth
walkest a turne in a pleasant garden so the eye of our minde is cleared and our spirituall senses much revived by walking in the garden of holy Scriptures and smelling to the flowers of Paradise but if wee run about in the smoake that is busie our selves about earthly affaires we shall shed many a teare and be in danger of quite losing our sight I will conclude and briefely represent all the principall points of the Apostles exhortation to your view in one type of the law In the Arke of the covenant there was the rod of a Exod. 24.25 Aaron that budded and about it a crown of gold By the rod of Aaron you easily apprehend the Priests office or pastorall charge the buds of this rod or parts of this charge are two feeding and overseeing which ought to bee performed not by constraint but willingly as the buddes were not drawne out of Aarons rod but put forth of their owne accord And herein wee are not to respect our owne good but the good of our flocke wee must doe nothing for filthy lucre but of a free minde to benefit others as the rod of Aaron bare not blossomes or fruit to or for it selfe but to and for others By the fruits of Aarons rod you may understand the good life of a faithfull Pastor who is to be an example to his flock this fruit enclineth him to true humility opposite to Lord-like pride as the fruit of a tree weigheth the branches downe to the earth Lastly by the Crowne above the rod and round about the Arke is represented the reward of a faithfull Shepheard and vigilant Bishop You have the embleme of your office the word or Motto shall be Germinet virga Aaronis Let the rod of Aaron blossome in your mouths by preaching the word and budde in your hands by the exercise of ecclesiasticall discipline and beare fruit in your lives by being ensamples to your flocke and the crowne above the rod and about the Arke shall bee yours as it is promised ver 4. And when the chiefe shepheard shall appeare you shall receive a crowne of glory that fadeth not away Which God the Father grant for the price of his Sonnes blood to whom with the holy Spirit be all honour glory praise and thanks-giving now and for ever Amen THE TREE OF SAVING KNOVVLEDGE OR Schola Crucis Schola Lucis A Sermon preached in Lent March 16. before the King at White-hall THE TWELFTH SERMON 1 COR. 2.2 I determined not to know any thing among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified IF any here present bee of so dainty eares and delicate a palate that wholesome meat will not downe with them unlesse it bee curiously dressed by art and exquisitely dished and set forth with variety of costly sawces I desire them to consider that there may bee intemperancy in the eare as well as the taste and that to feede such a luxurious humour in them were a kind of breach of the holy Fast wee now keep Where beautifull pictures and sacred imagery are most in use I should say abuse I meane in the Church of Rome during the whole time of Lent sad a P. Moul. cont Coeffet p. 2. curtaines and darke vailes are drawn before them and in like maner our divine Apelles's if they have any rare and eminent piece for stuffe as well as workmanship by them they may doe well to vaile or shadow them at this season that art may sympathize with religion and humane learning as it were put on blacks when divine puts on sacke cloth For my selfe I need make no other Apology to you than the Apostle doth to the Corinthians in my text The words which I handle are a warrant for the plaine handling thereof for what is I determined not to know any thing among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified but in effect to say I b Chrys in Gen. orat 41. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 purposed not to make any banquet I bid you to no feast I have provided you but one dish of meate the Lambe of God and it but ordinarily dressed broached upon the Crosse that is Jesus Christ and him crucified Too exact division hath the same inconvenience with c â—â—uinct instit orat l. 4. Id viti um habet nimia quod nulla divisio confuso simile est quicquid in pâ—lverem usque secatur deinde cum fecerunt multas partiâ—ulas in eandem incidant obscuritatem contra quam inventa partitio est The division want of division for it breedeth confusion which it should prevent and troubleth the memory which it should helpe and ease As to handle severall parts without premising a convenient partition is to teare asunder and not to carve up so on the contrary over-curiously to divide upon division and sub-divide sub-divisions is to crumble not breake the bread of life or as Fabius speaketh frusta facere non membra that is to mince and not as the Apostle requireth rightly to divide the word of truth May it please you therefore to goe along with me through the few parts of this facile and passabâ—le division 1 The profession of the Apostle I determined to know 2 The object of his profession positively Jesus Christ privatively nothing but him 3 The condition of the object And him crucified As the d Zab lib. de tribâ—â— prâ—â—agnitis Logicians in the subjects of all sciences distinguish rem consideratam modum considerandi the matter considerable which they call the materiall object and the manner of considering it which they call the formall as in Physick the res considerata or material object is corpus humanum mans body the modus considerandi or formall object is quá sanabile as curable in Musick the res considerata is numerus number the modus considerandi is quá sonorus as it is found in sounds and serveth to harmony So here the res considerata the thing or rather person to bee considered is Jesus Christ the modus considerandi manner of considering him is quà crucifixus as crucified The best nurture is in the schoole of the crosse but then this crosse must bee the crosse of Christ Jesus and Christ Jesus must bee knowne and lastly this knowledge must bee desired or resolved to bee got 1 Nothing is more to bee desired than knowledge I desire or have determined to know 2 No knowledge more to be desired than of Jesus Christ Nothing but Jesus Christ 3 Nothing of Jesus Christ is more to bee desired to bee knowne than that hee was crucified And him crucified Of all things knowledge is most to be set by for e Joh. 17.3 this is life eternall to know thee to be very God and whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ Of all knowledge this of Christ is most excellent f Phil. 3 8. for I account saith the Apostle all things as dung in comparison of the knowledge of Christ Of all Christian knowledge this of the crosse is
grant at the suite and for the merit of Jesus Christ and him crucified to whom with the Father and blessed Spirit bee rendered all glory praise and thanksgiving now and for ever Amen THE TREE OF LIFE SPRINGING OUT OF THE GRAVE OR Primitiae Sepulchri A Spitall Sermon preached on Munday in Easter weeke April 22. THE THIRTEENTH SERMON 1 COR. 15.20 But now Christ is risen from the dead and become the first fruits of them that slept Right Honourable c. Plin. in panegyr Aegyptus gloriata est se nihil imbribus coeloque debere Siquidem proprio semper amne perfusa tantis segetibus induebatur ut cum feracissimis terris quasi nunquam cessura certaret PLiny the younger writeth of Egypt that she was wont to boast how shee owed nothing to the clouds or any forreine streames for her fertility being abundantly watered by the sole inundation of her owne river Nylus A like or greater priviledge it must bee confessed this renowned City hath for a long time enjoyed in that she hath not beene indebted to any wandering clouds nor needeth shee to fetch the water of life from any forreine river or neighbour spring being richly stored by the overflowing industry and learning of her most able and painefull Preachers within her selfe filling not onely the lesser cisternes of private congregations but the greater also of these most celebrious and solemne assemblies And for mine owne part so let the life blasts of the spirit refresh me in the sweat of my holy labours and the dew of heavenly benediction fall upon your religious eares as I never sought this place nor am come hither to make ostentation of any so much as conceived gifts in mee nor to broach any new opinions of mine or any other nor to set before you any forbidden fruit though never so sweet and to a well conditioned stomacke wholesome nor to smooth or levell the uneven wayes of any who plow in the Lords field with an oxe and an asse much lesse to gaine vulgar applause or spring an hidden veyne of unknowne contribution by traducing the publicke proceedings in the State or Church but onely in obedience to the call of lawfull authority to build you in your most holy faith and elevate your devotion to the due celebration of this high feast of our Lords resurrection and by crying as loud as I am able to awake those that sleepe in sinfull security that they may stand up from the dead and Christ may give them and us all light of knowledge joy and comfort Which that I may bee enabled to performe I humbly entreat the concurrence of your patience with your prayers to God for his assistance in opening the scripture now read in your eares But now Christ is risen c. This is no sterill or barren text you heare of fruits in it and although the harvest thereof hath beene reaped by many Labourers before mee yet there remaine good gleanings for mee also and those that shall leaze after me even till the Angels shall thrust their sickle into the large field of the ripe world and reape the reapers themselves The fruit is of two sorts 1 Christs prerogative 2 The deceased Saints priviledge who in their degree participate with him Hee is above them yet with them hee is the first-fruits and they are the rest of the heape and a Rom. 11.16 if the first fruits bee holy the whole heape is holy The ground which beareth this fruit Occasio scopus is the doctrine of the resurrection from the dead which the Apostle like a provident husbandman first fenceth and maketh sure and after breaketh and layeth it downe Hee fenceth it from the beginning of this chapter to the 35. verse by invincible arguments confirming the truth of the resurrection afterwards to the end of the chapter he layeth it downe by apt and lively similitudes declaring the manner thereof And this hee doth with much vehemency and contention of arguments his zeale being kindled through blasts of contradiction by some in the Church of Corinth who directly denyed the former verse 12. and obliquely carped at the latter verse 35. Neither did these alone at Corinth as much as in them lay subvert this maine article of our faith b 2 Tim. 2.18 but Hymeneus and Philetus with others at Ephesus perverted the sense of it saying that the resurrection was past already Obser 1 Whence I first observe against Bellarmine Parsons and other Papists that the Divell tyed not himselfe as they have surmized to any rule of method ex occas in laying his batteries against the articles of the Creed in order For the resurrection of the flesh is the last article save one yet hereticall impiety as you have heard first ventured on it Howbeit the Cardinal that he might more conveniently tye all whom hee supposeth Heretickes in one chaine and thrust us into the lowest place c Bellar. orat habit in Gymnas Roâ— anno 1576. Hâ—manigeneris ostis eâ—itotus alioqui perversus ordinis perturbator esse soleat tamen non sine aliquo ordine catholicae ecclesiae veritatem oppugnate volâ—â—t c. beareth his Reader in hand that the enemy of mankinde albeit in other things hee bee a disturber of order yet in impeaching the Apostles creed hath kept a kind of order 1 For within 200. yeeres after Christ hee assaulted the first article concerning God the Father almighty maker of heaven and earth by the Simonians Menandrians Basilidians Valentinians Marcionites Manichees and severall kinde of Gnostickes 2 After 200. yeeres hee set upon the second article concerning the divine nature of Christ by the Praxeans Noetians Sabellians and Samosetanians 3 In the next age he opposed the divine person of our Saviour by the Photineans Arrians and Eunomians 4 From 400. to 800. he impugned the third fourth fifth sixth and seventh concerning the incarnation passion resurrection ascension of our Lord and his comming to judgement by the Nestorians Theodorians Eutychians Acephali Sergians and Paulians 5 From the yeere 800. to 1000. hee bid battell to the eighth article concerning the holy Ghost by the schisme and heresie of the Graecians 6 Lastly from the 1000. yeere to this present age hee hath oppugned the ninth and tenth articles concerning the catholicke Church and remission of sinnes by the Berengarians Petrobrusians Waldenses Albigenses Wicklefists Hussites Lutherans Zuinglians Confessionists Hugonites and Anabaptists Refut Were these calculations exact and observations true the Cardinall deserved to bee made Master of ceremonies amongst heretickes for so well ranking them But upon examination of particulars it will appeare that his skill in history is no better than his divinity To begin where hee endeth First hee most falsly and wrongfully chargeth the worthy standard-bearers of the reformed religion before Luther with the impeaching the ninth and tenth articles of the creede They impeach neither of them nor any other nay they will sooner part with the best limbe of
departure Buried out of the said Hospitall this yeere 200 Remaining under cure at this present 304 There hath beene brought into the Hospitall of Bridewell for this yeere past of wandring souldiers and vagrant persons to the number of 1578 Of which number many have beene chargeable for the time of their being there which cannot be avoided by reason of their misery nor passed away without charge There is maintained and kept in the said Hospitall in arts and occupations and other workes and labours Apprentices taken up out of divers parishes and streets of this City to the number of 200 I have made an end of the Catalogue but you must not make an end of your good workes I have set before you a faire copy you must write after it or else this schedule will prove a hand-writing against you at the day of judgement who have had not onely many most forcible exhortations to good workes in this place but such noble and royall presidents as you see and yet have not been bettered by them You cannot want pitifull objects of mercy your pious charity hath daily Oratours the teares of orphans the sighes of widowes the groanes of the sicke and the lamentable cryes of prisoners and captives Neither is it sufficient for you now and then to drop upon the dry and thirsty ground you must stillare pluviam liberalissimam you must powre downe golden showres to refresh Gods inheritance To whom much is given much shall bee required of him In other seizements you give as you are in the Kings books but contrariwise you are in Gods bookes and hee valueth you as you give to pious and charitable uses And let mee intreat you for the love of your Redeemer from everlasting thraldome to open your hands towards the redemption of many hundreds of our countrey-men whose bodies are in captivity under Turks and Infidels their wives and children in misery at home and it is to be feared their soules in worse case Next to the redemption of these spirituall Temples of the holy Ghost I commend unto you the reparation and beautifying of his materiall Temple you have most decently and beautifully adorned and trimmed the daughters of Zion the lesser and later built Churches in this City let not your piety bee lesse to the Mother-Church dedicated to the most publike and solemne worship of God where you are fed with the finest flower of wheat and drinke of the purest juice of the grape and in the fullest manner partake of the communion of Saints which was the second inference I made from the attribute of Christ in my text whereby hee is stiled Primitiae dormientium The first fruits of them that slept 2 The second inference from the attribute here mentioned the first fruits of c. is the communion of the faithfull with Christ both in sanctification and glorification for the further manifestation whereof it will bee requisite to specifie whereof Christ is the first fruits viz. 1 Coeli for he is the first begotten of his Father 2 Uteri for he was the Virgins first borne 3 Sepulchri for hee is the first fruits of them that slept In all three the faithfull partake with him after a sort 1 In that hee is Primitiae coeli the first fruits of heaven For as hee is the naturall sonne of God so are wee the adopted sonnes of God and by his spirit made l 2 Pet. 1.4 partakers of the divine nature as hee is the first borne of heaven m Heb. 12.23 so wee are also of the generall assembly and Church of the first borne which are written in heaven 2 In that he is Primitiae uteri virginei the first fruits of a virgins womb For as Christ was borne of a virgin Mother so the Christian Church our Mother is continually in child-bearing and yet remaineth still a virgin 3 Most properly doe wee partake with him in that hee is Primitiae sepulchri for hee is n Joh. 12.24 that corne of wheat Saint John speaketh of which was sowne at his death digged deepe into the earth at his buriall sprang up againe at his resurrection and now is become the first fruits of them that slept in like manner wee are sowne at our death digged deep into the earth at our buriall and shall spring up againe at the last resurrection and bee offered as o Apoc. 14.4 first fruits unto God and the Lambe Where the first fruits are taken out there must needs bee a lumpe or heape out of which they are taken p Calvin in hunc locum In primitiis totius anni proventus consecrabatur in the first fruits the whole crop of the yeere was hallowed so in Christ who is our first fruits all true believers are sanctified as those words of our Saviour in that most divine prayer to his Father recorded import q Joh. 17.19 for their sakes I sanctifie my selfe that they also might bee sanctified through the truth If Christ sanctified himselfe for us shall not wee endeavour as hee enableth us by his grace to sanctifie our selves also for him If hee impart this his dignity to us and maketh us r Jam. 1.18 the first fruits of his creatures let us dedicate our selves unto him let us bee given to him as Å¿ 1 Sam. 1.28 Samuel was all the dayes of our lives Hee hath chosen us to bee marke I beseech you what fruits not blossomes not leaves fruits I say not stalkes not empty eares like those who make a bare profession of the truth and all their religion is in their eares bearing no fruit at all or in no degree answerable to their holiest profession If God hath made us fruits let us not make our selves ranke weeds by heresie or filthy dung by a corrupt life After the first fruits are carried away out of the field the rest of the shockes or sheafes follow of course t Theod. in hunc locum primitias universa massa sequitur Christ the first fruits is carried away long since out of the field of this world into the celestiall barne A barne farre more stately beautifull and glorious than any Princes pallace upon earth and when the harvest shall come which is u Mat. 13.39 the end of the world wee shall bee carried thither also every one in his owne order the first fruits is Christ after they that are Christs at his comming ver 23. Before I can proceed according to my desire and your expectation to the period of my discourse and end of all mens course viz. death called here sleepe I must remove sixe rubbes that lye in my way For wee read of three dead men raised in the Old Testament and as many in the New before Christ himselfe rose how then is hee the first fruits of them that slept 1 I will offer to your consideration many solutions of this doubt that you may take your choice Saint Jerome gives but a touch at it yet because it is upon the
eare-pleasing Madrigals and Fancies but the strong and loud voice of Cryers to call all men into the Court and summon them to the barre of Christs judgement hee that promiseth his Apostles and their successors to give them a b Luk. 21.15 I will give you a mouth c. mouth hath given mee at this time both the mouth and the Motto the Motto of the embleme viz. the words of my text Zelus domus tuae devoravit me In the uttering whereof if ever now I need to pray that the Lord would c Esay 6.7 touch my tongue with a coale from his altar with a coale that I may speake warmely of zeale with a coale from the altar that I may discourse holily of his Temple Saint d Homil. 3. Utinam daretur mihi de superno altare non carbo unus sed globus igneus offeratur qui multam inveteratam rubiginem possit excoquere Bernard made the like prayer upon the like occasion O saith hee that there were given unto mee from the altar above not one coale but rather a fiery globe a heape of coales to scorch the abuses of the time and burne out the inveterate rust of vitious customes By the light of these coales you may behold in this Scripture 1 In David as the type Christ 2 In Christ as the mirrour of perfection zeale 3 In zeale as a fire 1 The flame 2 The fuel The flame vehement consuming or devouring devoravit The fuel sacred me mee No divine vertues or graces like to Christs affection No affection in him like to his zeale No zeale like to that which hee bare or rather wherewith hee was transported to his Fathers house which even eat him up and may deservedly take up this golden moment of our most pretious time May it please you therefore Right c. to suffer your religious eares to bee bored at this present with these sacred nayles or points which I humbly pray the holy Spirit to fasten in your hearts 1 The vertue or affection it selfe zeale 2 The object of this affection thy house 3 The effect of this object hath eaten up 4 The subject of this effect mee 1 In figure David 2 In truth Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and who is sufficient for these things or able worthily to treat of 1 An affection most ardent zeale 2 A place most sacred thine house 3 An effect most powerfull hath eaten up 4 A person most divine mee Zeale is derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to burne or hizze as water cast on metall melted and it signifieth a hot or burning desire an ardent affection and sometimes it is taken 1 For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or emulation which is a commendable desire of attaining unto anothers vertue or fame 2 For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 envie which is a vitious affection repining at anothers fame or fortune 3 For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 jealousie which is an irkesome passion arising from love wronged at least in opinion And no other fire wee finde on natures forge or the Philosophers hearth but on Gods altar there burneth another manner of fire fed with pure fuell which like a waxe light or taper yeeldeth both a cleare flame and a sweet fume and this is holy zeale All things that are cast into the fire make a smell but the burning of sweet odors onely makes a perfume so the hot and fervent 1 Desire of 2 Intention in 3 Affection to the best things onely is zeale Fire is the noblest of all the elements and seated next to the heavens so zeale sparkling in the soule is the chiefe and most heavenly of all spirituall affections Some define it to bee the fervour intention excellency or improvement of them all Heat 1 In e Rom. 12.11 Ferâ—ent in spirit devotion if it exceed becommeth zeale 2 In f Col. 4.13 affection if it be improved groweth to be zeale 3 In g 1 Cor. 14.12 desire of spirituall gifts if it bee ardent is zeale 4 In h 1 Cor. 7.11 indignation or revenge of our selves if it bee vehement is called by the Apostle zeale Fervent devotion ardent love earnest desire vehement indignation all are zeale or rather are all zeale for there is a 1 Zeale of good things which maketh us zealous of Gods gifts 2 Zeale in good things which maketh us zealous in Gods service 3 Zeale for good things which maketh us zealous for Gods glory And answerable to the three operations of fire which are to heat to burne to consume 1 The first heateth us by kindling a desire of grace 2 The second burneth by enflaming our hearts with the love of God 3 The third consumeth by drying up the heart absuming the spirits with griefe and hazzarding our persons and estates in removing scandals and reforming abuses and profanations of God his name house or worship as also revenging wrongs done to his houshold and servants In summe zeale is a divine grace grounded upon the knowledge of Gods word which according to the direction of spirituall wisedome quickeneth and enflameth all the desires and affections of the soule in the right worship of the true God and vehemently and constantly stirreth them up to the preserving advancing and vindicating his honour by all lawfull meanes within the compasse of our calling Rectum sui est judex obliqui If you set a streight line or rule to a crooked figure or body it will discover all the obliquities in it Hang up an artificiall patterne by an unskilfull draught and it will shew all the disproportions and deformities in it Wherefore Aristotle giveth this for a certaine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or character of a true definition to notifie and discover all the errors that are or may be devised about the nature of the thing defined which are in this present subject wee treat of sundry and manifold For as when there is publicke notice given of a ring found with a rich stone set in it every one almost that ever was owner of a ring like unto it especially if his owne bee lost challengeth it for his so all in whose temper affections or actions any naturall or spirituall divine or diabolicall heavenly earthly or hellish fire gloweth challengeth the pretious coale or carbuncle of zeale to bee theirs The Cholericke and furious the quarrelsome and contentious the malicious and envious the jealous and suspicious the Idolatrous and superstitious the indiscreet and preposterous the proud selfe-admirer the sacrilegious Church-robber the presumptuous and exorbitant zealot nay the seditious boutefieu and incendiary all pretend to zeale But all these claimers and many more besides are disproved and disclaimed by the true definition of zeale which is first a grace and that distinct from other not more graces or a compound of love and anger as some teach or of love and indignation as others for the graces of the spirit and vertues of the minde are incoincident As
living God because God dwelleth remaineth in our souls our souls in our bodies our bodies in the Church the Church in the world There are many other reasons of this appellation but the Apostle dwelleth most upon this of dwelling Where God dwelleth there is his Temple but he dwelleth in our hearts by faith we are therefore his Temple If exception bee made to this reason that dwelling proveth a House but not a Temple l Cal. in hunc locum De homine si dicatur hic habitat non erit protinus templum sed domus prophana sed in Deo hoc speciale est quod quemcunque locum suâ dignatur praesentiâ eum sanctificat Calvin answereth acutely that if wee speake of the habitation of a man wee cannot from thence conclude that the place where he abideth is a Temple but God hath this priviledge that his presence maketh the place wheresoever hee resideth necessarily a Temple Whereas the King lyeth there is the Court and where God abideth there is the Church It might bee sayd as truly of the stable where Christ lay as of the place where God appeared to Jacob This is the house of God and the gate of heaven Here I cannot but breake out into admiration with Solomon and say m 1 Kin. 8.27 The heaven of heavens cannot containe thee O Lord and wilt thou dwell in my house in the narrow roome of my heart Isocrates answered well for a Philosopher to that great question What is the greatest thing in the least n Isoc ad Dem. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The minde said hee in mans body But Saint Paul teacheth us to give a better answer to wit God in mans soule And how fitly hee tearmeth here believers the Temple of God will appeare most evidently by paralleling the inward and outward Temple of God the Church and the soule 1 First Churches are places exempt from legall tenures and services and redeemed from common uses in like manner the minde of the faithfull and devout Christian is after a sort sequestred from the world and wholly dedicated to God 2 Secondly Temples are hallowed places not by censing or crossing or burning tapers or healing it over with ashes and drawing the characters of the Greeke and Hebrew Alphabet after the manner of popish consecration but by the o Joh. 17.17 Word and Prayer by which the faithfull are also consecrated Sanctifie them O Lord with thy truth thy Word is truth 3 Thirdly Temples are places of refuge and safety and where more safety than in the houshold of faith God spared the City for the Temples sake and hee spareth the whole world for the Elects sake 4 Fourthly the Temple continually sounded with vocall and instrumentall musicke there was continuall joy singing and praising God and doth not the Apostle teach us that there is p Eph. 5.19 joy in the holy Ghost and continuall melody in the hearts of beleevers 5. Fiftly in the Temple God was to bee q Phil 3.3 worshipped and Christ teacheth that the true r John 4.24 worshippers of God worship him in spirit and in truth and Saint Paul commandeth us to ſ 1 Cor. 6.20 worship and glorifie God in our body and spirit which are his 6. Sixtly doe not our feet in some sort resemble the foundation our legges the pillars our sides the walls our mouth the doore our eyes the windowes our head the roofe of a Temple Is not our body an embleme of the body of the Church and our soule of the queere or chancell wherein God is or should be worshipped day and night The Temple of God is not lime sand stone or timber saith t Lact. divin instit l. 5. c. 8. Templum Dei non sunt ligna lapides sed homo qui Dei figuram gestat quod Templum non auro gemmarum donis sed virtutum muneribus ornatur Lactantius but man bearing the image of God and this Temple is not adorned with gold or silver but with divine vertues and graces If this be a true definition of a Temple and description of the Ornaments thereof they are certainly much to be blamed who make no reckoning of the spirituall Temple of God in comparison of the materiall who spare for no cost in imbellishing their Churches and take little care for beautifying their soules Hoc oportet facere illud non omittere they doe well in doing the one but very ill in not doing the other It will little make for the glory of their Church to paint their rood-lofts to engrave their pillars to carve their timber to gild their altars to set forth their crosses with jewells and precious stones if they want that precious pearle which the rich Merchant man sold all that hee had to buy to have golden miters golden vessels Mat. 13.46 golden shrines golden bells golden snuffers and snuffe-dishes if as Boniface of Mentz long agoe complained Their Priests are but wooden or leaden Saint u Amb. Auro non placent quae auro non emuntur Jnven sat 11. Fictilis nullo violatus Jupiter auro Ambrose saith expresly That those things please not God in or with gold which can bee bought with no gold In which words hee doth not simply condemne the use of gold or silver in the service of God no more than Saint x 1 Pet. 3.3 Peter doth in the attire of godly Matrons Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the haire and wearing of gold or of putting on of apparrell but let it be in the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit which is in the sight of God of great price but he Lactantius both speak comparatively and their meaning is that the chief adorning of Churches is not with the beauty of colours but of holinesse not with the lustre of pearles and precious stones but with the shining of good workes not with candles and tapers but with the light of the Word not with sweet perfumes but with a savour of life unto life It will bee to little purpose to sticke up waxe lights in great abundance in their Churches after they have put out the pure light of Gods Word or hid it as it were under a bushell in an unknowne tongue Rhenamus reporteth that hee saw at Mentz two Cranes standing in silver into the belly whereof the Priests by a device put fire and frankincense so artificially that all the smoake and sweet perfume came out at the Cranes beakes A perfect embleme of the peoples devotion in the Romish Church the Priests put a little fire into them they have little warmth of themselves or sense of true zeale and as those Cranes sent out sweet perfumes out at their beaks having no smelling at all thereof themselves so these breath out the sweet incense of zealous praiers and thanksgiving whereof they have no sense or understanding at all because they pray in an unknowne tongue And so from the
holy place the Temple I come to the Holy of holies the owner of this holy place the Doctr. 6 Living God The Apostle so stileth God here in my Text to terrifie the Corinthians from provoking him either to jealousie by their Idolatry or to anger by their impure conversation with the Gentiles whose gods were dead and senselesse stockes not able to apprehend much lesse revenge any wrong offered unto them by their worshippers and therefore they might bee bold with them as the Philosopher was with Hercules putting him to his thirteenth labour in seething his dinner and Martial with Priapus in threatning to throw him in the fire if hee looked not well to his trees and * Eras apoph l. 5. Jovi Olympio detraxit magni ponderis amiculum dicens aestare grave hyeme frigidum Aesculapii auream barbam detraxit quod negaret decorum patrem Apollinem imberbem ipsum barbatum conspici Dyonisius with Aesculapius in cutting off his golden beard alledging for it that it was not fit the sonne should have a beard seeing the Father had none but let Christians take heed of the least provocation of the living God x Heb. 12.29 for hee is a consuming fire A childe may play at the hole of a dead cockatrice and a silly woman may strike a dead lion but who dares handle a live serpent or play with the paw of a ramping and roaring lion how much more fearfull by infinite degrees a thing is it to fall into the hands of the living God who with the breath of his mouth is able to blow downe the whole frame of nature and destroy all creatures from the face of the earth There is spirit and life in this attribute living which comprehendeth in it all that wee can comprehend and all that wee cannot comprehend of the Deity For the life of God is his beeing and his beeing is his nature and his nature is all things When wee call upon the living God wee call upon the true God the everlasting God the Father of spirits the Author of life the Almighty All-sufficient All-working God and what is not comprised in all these The more excellent the nature is of any thing the more excellent is the life thereof as is the life of beasts than of trees of men than of beasts of Angels than of men What then may wee conceive of the life of God himselfe from whence hee hath his name in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and because it is his chiefest attribute hee most frequently sweareth by it in holy Scripture As I live saith the Lord. This attribute living is applyed to God in a threefold regard 1. To distinguish him from the false gods of the Gentiles which were dead and senselesse stockes bearing for the most part the image of a dead man deified after death 2. To represent unto us the sprightly and actuous nature of God which is alwayes in action and ever moving in it selfe 3. To direct us to the Fountaine of life from whom all life is derived into the creature by a threefold streame of 1 Nature 2 Grace 3 Glory 1 First the true God is stiled the living God in opposition to the heathen Idols which were without life sense or motion they had eyes and saw not eares and heard not hands and handled not whereas the true God hath no eyes yet seeth no eares yet heareth no hands yet worketh all things The heathen Idols were carried upon mens shoulders or camels backs as the Prophet y Esa 46.1.2.3 Esay excellently describeth the manner of their procession but contrariwise the true God beareth his children and supporteth them from the wombe even to their old age and gray haires Mothers and nurses carry children but for a short space God beareth his children all the dayes of their life The heathen gods as Saint z L. 1. de civit Dei Neque enim homines a simulachtis sed simulachra ab hominibus servabantur quomodo vero colebantur ut patriam custodirent cives quae suos non valuere custodire custodes Austine observeth in the siege of Troy saved not them that worshipped them but were saved by them from fire and spoyle whereupon hee inferreth What folly was it to worship such gods for the preservation of the city and countrey which were not able to keepe their owne keepers but the true God preserveth them that serve him and hideth them under the shadow of his wings 2 God is called the living God because hee is all life hee understandeth and willeth decreeth and executeth beginneth and endeth observeth and ordereth appointeth and effecteth all things hee whirleth about the heavens raiseth stormes and tempests thundering and lightning in the aire hee moveth upon the waters and shaketh the pillars of the earth hee turneth about the whole frame of nature and setteth all creatures on work in a word as Trismegistus excellently expresseth this truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He potentiateth all acts and actuateth all powers 3 Living because hee giveth life to all that enjoy it and preserveth also it in them to the period thereof set by himselfe All other living creatures as they have but one soule so they have but one life man to whom divers Philosophers assigne three soules hath a threefold kinde of life 1 Vegetative 2 Sensible 3 Reasonable But over and above every faithfull man hath an estate of three lives in Gods promises 1 The life of nature which implyeth the former three at our entrance into the world 2 The life of grace at our entrance into the Church 3 The life of glory at our entrance into Heaven Nature is the perfection of every creature grace the perfection of nature glory the perfection of grace The life of nature is given to us to seek the life of grace which bringeth us to the life of glory That God is the author of the life of nature nature her selfe teacheth a Act. 17.28 In him wee live c. as some of your Poets have sayd In ipso vivimus In him wee live move and have our being That hee is the author of the life of grace Saint John whose name signifieth grace testifieth b Joh. 1.2 In ipso vita erat In him was life and the life was the light of men and the light shined in darkenesse and the darknesse comprehended it not Lastly that hee is the author of the life of glory Christ who is the way the truth and the life declareth sâ—ying c Joâ— 11.25 I am the resurrection and the life whosoever believeth in mee though hee were dead yet shall hee live There remaineth nothing to the illustration of this point but the removing of an objection which somewhat cloudeth the truth For thus a man may argue If God as the Prophet speaketh is the Well of life in which there are the three springs abovenamed one above the other then is life conveighed to all creatures according
word of God both conceived by the holy Ghost and brought forth in sacred sheets that as the one consisteth of two natures humane and divine visible and invisible so the other of two senses externall and internall externall and visible in the shadow or letter internall and invisible in the substance or spirituall interpretation either tropologicall or allegoricall or anagogicall as the learned distinguish Doth e Sen. ad Lucil. ep 23. Levium metallorum fructus in summo est illa opulentissima sunt quorum in alto latet vena assiduè pleniùs responsura fodienti experience teach us that the richest metals lie deepest hid in the earth Shall we not think it very agreeable to divine wisdome so to lay up heavenly knowledge in Scriptures that the deeper we dig into them by diligent meditation the veine of precious truth should prove still the richer Surely howsoever some Divines affect an opinion of judgement it is judgement in opinion onely by allowing of no sense of Scripture nor doctrine from thence except that which the text it selfe at the first proposing offereth to their conceit yet give me leave to tell them that they are but like Apothecaries boyes which gather broad leaves and white flowers on the top of the water not like cunning Divers who fetch precious pearles from the bottome of the deepe St. f L. 2. confes c. 31. Sensit omnino ille cogitavit cum ea scriberet quicquid hic veri potuimus invenire quicquid nos non potuimus aut nondum possumus tamen in t is inveniri potest Austine the most judicious of all the Fathers is of a different judgement from them herein For he confidently affirmeth that the Pen-man of the holy Ghost of purpose so set downe the words that they might be capable of multiplicitie of senses and that he intended and meant all such divine truthes as we can finde in the words and such also as we have not yet or cannot finde and yet by diligent search may be found in them Now as the whole texture of Scripture in regard of the variety of senses may not unfitly be likened to the Kings daughters g Psal 45.14 raiment of needle-worke wrought about with divers colours so especially this of the Canticles wherein the allegoricall sense because principally intended may be called literall and the literall or historicall as intended in the second place allegoricall Behold here as in a faire samplar an admirable patterne of drawne-worke besides King Solomon in his royall robes and his Queene in a vesture of gold divers birds expressed to the life as the white h Cant. 5.12 ver 11. â— 2.2 ver 13. c. 4.14 c. 2.1 c. 5.14 c. 1.17 c. 5.15 c. 1.10 Dove washed with milke and the blacke Raven divers trees as the thorne the fig-tree and the vine the myrrhe spikenard saffron calamus cinamon with all trees of frankincense divers flowers as the Rose and the Lilly divers precious stones as the Berill and the Saphir lastly divers artificiall woâ—kes as Houses of Cedar Rafters of Firre Tents of Kedar Pillars of Marble set in sockets of fine gold rowes of Jewels Chaines and here in my text Borders of gold and Studs of silver Sanctius and Delrio upon my text observe that Solomon alludeth to the i She shall be as the wings of a dove covered with silver and her feathers with yellow gold 13. verse of the 68. Psalme and what the Father prophesied of the Spouse the Sonne promiseth to her viz. to make her borders or as the Hebrew signifieth also k Brightman in Cant. Turtures aureas alii murenulas aliilineas septuaginta similitudines turtles of gold enameled with silver Howbeit it seemeth more probable that these words have a reference to the 9. verse of this chapter and that Solomon continueth his former comparison of a troup of horses in Pharaoh's Charriot and thus the borders and chains in the 10th and 11th verses are linked to the 9th O my beloved and beautifull Spouse as glorious within through the lustre of divine vertues and graces as thou art resplendent without in jewels and precious stones to what shall I liken thee or whereunto shall I compare thee Thou art like a troupe of milke white horses in Pharaoh's princely Charriot adorned with rich trappings and most precious capparisons For as their head and cheekes are beset with rowes of stones so thy cheekes are decked with jewels that hang at thine eares as their neckes shine with golden raines so thy necke is compassed with chaines of gold and pearle and as their breasts are adorned with golden collars quartered into borders enamelled with silver so that thou must herein also resemble them wee will make thee borders of gold with studs of silver to hang about thy necke and downe thy breast Thus much of the letter or rather letters of my text which you see are all golden flourished over with strikes or as Junius translateth the words points of silver now let us endevour to spell the meaning As artificiall pictures drawne by the pencill of a skilfull Opticke in the same part of the frame or table according to divers sites and aspects represent divers things looke one way upon them you shall see a man another way a lion so it is in this admirable piece drawne by the pencill of Solomon according to divers aspects it presenteth to our view divers things looke one way on it and there appeareth a man to wit King Solomon looke another way and there appeareth a lion the lion of the tribe of Judah looke downeward upon the history and you shall see Solomon with a crowne of gold and his Queen in her wedding garment looke upward to the allegory and you shall see Christ crowned with thornes and his Spouse the Church in a mourning weed and under the one written a joyfull Epithalamium under the other a dolefull Elegy Agreeable to which double picture drawne with the selfe same lines and colours wee may consider the chaines and borders of gold in my text either as habiliments of Solomons Queene or ornaments of Christs Spouse If wee consider them in the first sense they shew his royall magnificence and pompe if in the second either they signifie the types and figures of the Jewish Synagogue under the law or the large territories and rich endowments of the Christian Church under the Gospell k Faciemus tibi similitudines aurâ— cum puncturis argenti Origen who taketh the seventy Interpreters for his guide thus wadeth through the allegory The Angels saith he or Prophets speake here to the Spouse before her husband Christ Jesus came in the flesh to kisse her with the kisses of his lips and their speech is to this effect O beautifull Spouse wee cannot make thee golden ornaments we are not so rich thy husband when bee commeth will bestow such on thee but in the meane time wee will make thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
1.5 messengers of Christ 3. The dwelling of Angels is in Heaven and there is or ought to be the a Phil. 3.20 Our conversation is in heaven conversation of the Ministers of the Gospel 4. The life of Angels is a continuall b Matth. 18.10 beholding the face of God and what is the life of a good Minister but a continuall contemplation of the divine nature attributes and workes 5. The Angels gather c Mat. 24.31 the Elect from the foure windes and the Ministers of the Gospel gather the Church from all corners of the earth 6. The Angels d Apoc. 16.1 poure out the vialls of the wrath of God upon the earth and the Ministers are appointed to denounce Gods judgements and plagues to the wicked world 7. The Angels e 1 Cor. 15 52. sound Trumpets at the last resurrection and the Ministers of the Gospel at the first 8. When Christ was in an agony f Luke 22.43 there appeared an Angel strengthening him and when Gods children are in greatest extremity God sendeth the Ministers of the Gospel to g Job 33.23 If there bee a messenger with him an interpreter one among a thousand to shew to man his uprightnesse c. comfort them 9. The Angels carry the soules of them that dye in the Lord into Abrahams bosome Luke 16.22 and the Ministers of the Gospel give them their passe and furnish them with their last viaticum Now if it bee demanded why God so highly advanceth the dignity of the Ministry I answer to advance his glory He lifteth up the silver Trumpets of Sion on high that the sound of his praise may be heard the further As the visible Sunne casteth a more radiant and bright beame upon Pearle and Glasse which reflecteth them againe than upon grosse and obscure bodies that dead the rayes thereof even so the Sunne of righteousnesse casteth the fairest lustre upon that calling which most of all illustrateth his glory To other vocations God calleth us but this calleth us unto God all other lawfull callings are of God but of this God himselfe was and if it bee a great honour to the noblest orders of Knighthood on earth to have Kings and Princes installed into them how can wee thinke too worthily of that sacred order into which the Sonne of God was solemnly invested by his h Psal 110.4 Father I speake nothing to impeach the dignity of any lawfull profession make much of the Physicians of your body yet not more than of the Physicians of your soule yeeld honour and due respect to those that are skilfull in the civill and municipall Lawes yet under-value them not who expound unto you the Lawes of God At least take not pride in disgracing them who are Gods instruments to conveigh grace into your soules grieve not them with your accursed speeches who daily blesse you load them not with slaunders and calumnies who by their absolution and ghostly comfort ease you of the heavie burden of your sinnes goe not about to thrust them out of their temporall estate who labour by their Ministery to procure you an eternall It is not desire of popular applause or a sinister respect to our owne profit but the zeale of Gods glory which extorteth from us these and the like complaints against you For if Religion might bee advanced by our fall and the Gospel gaine by our losses and God get glory by our dis-esteeme we should desire nothing rather than to be accounted the off-scouring of all things on the earth that so wee might shine hereafter like precious stones in the foundation of the celestiall Jerusalem But if the Preachers and the Gospel the Word and Sacraments and the Ministers thereof Religion and Priests the Church and Church-men are so neere allies that the dis-reputation of the one is a great prejudice to the other and the disgrace of the one the despising of the other if the truth wee professe if our Religion if the Gospel if Christ if God suffer in the disgraces that are put upon our calling and the manifold wrongs that are done to it we must adjure you for your owne good and deeply charge you in Gods cause that as you looke to receive any good from him so you take nothing sacrilegiously from the Church as you hope to be saved by the Ministery preserve the dignity and estimation thereof be not cursed Chams in discovering the nakednesse of your ghostly fathers Alexander thought that he could not lay too much cost upon the deske in which Homers Poems lay and we daily see how those who take delight in musicke beautifie and adorn the instrument they play upon with varnish purfle gilt painting and rich lace in like maner if you were so affected as you should be at the hearing of the Word if you were ravished with the sweet straines of the songs of Sion ye would make better reckoning of the Instruments and Organs of the holy Spirit by which God maketh melodie in your hearts yee would not staine with impure breath the silver trumpets of Sion blowne not with winde but with the breath of God himselfe yee would not trample under foot those Canes that yeeld you such store of Sugar or rather of Manna Yee will be apt enough upon these and the like texts to teach us our dutie that we ought as Messengers of God to deliver his message faithfully and as neere as we can in his owne words as Angels to give our selves to divine contemplation and endevour to frame our lives to a heavenly conversation Let it not then be offensive to you to heare your dutie which is as plaine to be read as ours in the stile here attributed to the Pastour of Laodicea the Angell It is that you entertaine your diligent and faithfull Pastours as the i Gal. 4.14 Ye received me as an Angel of God even as Christ Jesus Galathians did St. Paul and as Monica did St. Ambrose tanquam Angelos Dei as the Angels of God receive them as Abraham and Lot did the Angels sent from God unto them defend them according to your power from wrong and make them partakers of the best things wherewith God hath blessed you Angelo to the Angel in the singular number chiefe Pastour or Bishop of the Church All Ministers as I shewed you before may challenge the title of Angels but especially Bishops who watch over other Ministers as Angels over men who are to order the affaires of the Church and governe the Clergie as the Peripatetickes teach that Angels direct and governe the motions of the celestiall spheres therefore Epiphanius and St. Austine and most of the later Interpreters also paraphrase Angelo by Episcopo illic constituto and verily the manner of the superscription and the contents of the letter and the forme of governement settled in all Churches at this time make for this interpretation For supposing more Ministers in London of equall ranke and dignitie as there are who would indorse a
to mingle themselves with godly Professours in the visible Church whom because we cannot sufficiently discerne and distinguish who know not the hearts of men he forbiddeth us to attempt an universall and utter extirpation of them in this respect only ne simul eradicemus triticum lest together with cockle and darnell or in stead thereof we pluck up good wheat What maketh this for the toleration of open Idolatours and known Heretikes or scandalous livers who if they be not weeded out by execution of penall Statutes or Ecclesiasticall censures will hinder the growth of all vertue and Religion Wherefore the case being so cleere that this text of Scripture is shamefully wrested by the Adversarie I leave the Patrons of toleration to be disciplined by the Jesuit b Mald. in hunc loc Abutuntur hoc loco ut probent aut non puniendos aut non occidendos haereticos Maldonat who in his Comment upon this text strikes them smartly with his feruler that abuse this place as he saith to prove that Heretikes are not at all to be punished or not to be punished with death I come to the ancient Fathers who indeed justly taxe the heathen for follie and crueltie in forcing their idolatrous worship upon Christians by the sword which they were never able nor so much as once offered to maintaine by argument Against all such who terrifie and teach not as St. Austine speaketh or begin with fire and faggot or have no sharper weapons to defend the truth of their Religion than the edge of the axe or point of the sword Lactantius and Tertullians exceptions are just and their admonitions seasonable c Lact. divin instit l. 5. c. 20. Verbis potiùs quà m verberibus res agenda est ut sit voluntas distringant aciem ingeniorum suorum si ratio eorum vera est afferatur parati sumus au dire doceant tacentibus certè nihil credimus sicut nec sae vientibus quidem cedimus Let the heathen draw the sword of their wits and trie it at the point of argument They dislike not after gentle remedies have proved uneffectuall to use severitie against obstinate Heretikes For though Saint Bernard saith truely Fides suadenda non imponenda faith is to be perswaded not to be imposed upon a man yet Tertullian affirmeth as truely in another case Contumacie is to be dealt roughly withall durities vincenda est non suadenda obstinacie is to be compelled not perswaded Yea but faith is the gift of God and cannot be forced upon a man against his will Neither can any morall vertue and yet Drunkards and Incontinent persons and Theeves and Murderers are justly punished And why not as well Miscreants Idolatours and Heretikes Faith indeed is the gift of God yet he neither giveth it nor preserveth it in us without meanes whereof one of the chiefe is the strict execution of Ecclesiasticall discipline and Imperiall lawes whereby all the Diocesse of d Aug. ep 48. Hippo cum tota esset in parte Donati ad unitatem catholicam timore legum imperialium conversa est Hippo was reclaimed from the heresie of the Donatists Religion e Lactan. loc sup cit Non est opus vi injuria quia Religio cogi non potest cannot be enforced It is a true proposition if it be rightly understood but no way maketh for toleration of errour or against wholsome lawes for the preservation of the purity of Religion For the acts of Religion are of two sorts 1 Inward as beliefe and affiance in God hope and charity 2 Outward as to goe to Church to heare Sermons to be present at the administring of the Sacraments to make open profession of our faith by word of mouth or writing to these men may bee compelled by penall Statutes Health cannot be forced upon a sicke man yet his mouth may be violently opened with a spoone and that cordiall water powred downe his throat which may bee a good meanes under God to recover his health To this purpose Saint Austine speaketh * Epist 48. Utrisque molestus est utrosque tamen amat appositely Hee that by a smart blow rowseth a man in a Lethargie or by maine force bindes a mad man is troublesome to both yet doth a good office to both Yea but is it not cruelty to trouble men or women for their conscience to compell people by violent meanes to communicate with that service which in their heart they abhorre supposing it to bee the true worship of God to which the State compelleth though they that are forced to it deem otherwise to enforce them in this case to it is no persecution at all but execution rather of Gods Law or if they will needs have it termed a persecution I distinguish with Saint f Aug ep 50. Est persecutio justa quam facit impiis Ecclesia est persecutio injusta quam faciunt impii Ecclâ—siae ep 48. â—lanè semper mali persecuti sunt bonos boni malos illi nocendo per injustitiam hi consulendo per disciplinam illi immaniter isti temperanter illi persequuntur sanitatem hi putredinem Austine of a double persecution 1. A just which the Church of God raiseth against the wicked for their impieties 2. Unjust which the wicked when they are in place raise against the godly for the truths sake The former proceeds from love and zeale and intends instruction the later from malice and cruelty and intends destruction the one wounds by injustice the other heales by discipline that lets out the corrupt this spills the life bloud Now for the examples of toleration of divers Religions they are either in such places where there are divers Regiments and Soveraignties as in Germany where each Prince maintains that Religion which he is perswaded in his conscience to bee the right or of Princes which could doe no other as things then stood with them as Theodosius who for a while bare with the Arrians but as soone as hee had strength enough against them prohibited them all meetings deprived them of the benefit of making Wills and forbad all disputing about the equality of the persons in the Trinity as we may reade in Sozomen and Theodoret or they are of Heretickes Turkes and Infidels and so no good presidents for Orthodoxe Christians In briefe they are all either impertinent or inconsequent and are over-borne with stronger reasons and more uncontrollable authorities on the contrary which before I martiall in their order I will set downe certaine distinctions and cautions for the clearer manifestation of the truth 1. First by divers Religions we understand Religions differing in main grounds and substantiall points of faith not in the outward forme of discipline much lesse in the habit or furniture of Rites and Ceremonies onely Diversities of Rites and Ceremonies have been alwayes in the Catholike Church without breach of unity The Spouse of Christ weareth a garment wrought about with divers colours
Turkes call themselves Saracens therefore they are the off-spring of Sarah they of Satans Synagogue call themselves y Apoc. 3.9 Jewes therefore they are Jewes indeed the Angel of Sardis had a name that he z Apoc. 3.1 lived therefore he was not dead the Angel of * Apoc. 3.17 Laodicea said he was rich and needed nothing therfore he was not wretched miserable and poor blind and naked Jezebel called her selfe a Prophetesse therefore she was so indeed Without question Jezebel set some fairer colour upon the matter than this else she could never have dazled the eyes of Gods servants well she might offer to teach in the Church under this pretence which yet S. Paul expressely forbids a a 1 Cor. 14.34 woman to doe but certainely she could never have foyled any servant of God with so weake an argument grounded upon a bare title assumed by her selfe yet the Spirit saith that she not onely taught but prevailed also with some and seduced them To teach and seduce my servants I doubt not but at the reading of these words your thoughts trouble you and you begin to question whether this doctrine is not a seduction to teach that any of Gods servants can be seduced Can any elect child of God fall from grace Is it possible to plucke any of Christs members from his body Can the Sun-beames by any winde or tempest be stirred out of their place b 1 John 2.19 Doth not St. John dispute strongly They went away from us because they were not of us for if they had beene of us they would not have departed from us Is not St. c Cypr. de simplic Praelat Triticum non rapit ventuâ— nec arborem solidâ radice fundatam procella subvertit inanes paleae tempestate jactantur invalidae arbores turbinis incursione evertuntur Cyprians observation as true as it is elegant The winde bloweth not away the corne neither is a tree that hath taken a deepe root in the earth overthrowne in a tempest it is but chaffe which the winde scattereth abroad and they are hollow and rotten trees that are blowne downe in a tempest To dispell all mists of ambiguity and cleare the truth in this point I must acquaint you with two sorts of Christs servants or retainers at least some weare his cloth and cognizance but doe him little or no service others perform faithful service unto him some give him their names only others their hearts also some professe outwardly that they are Christians but have unbeleeving hearts others are within that they professe without some are called onely to the knowledge of the truth others are chosen also to be heires of salvation Of these latter our Saviour speakes in St. John d Joh. 10.27 28 My sheepe heare my voyce and I know them and they follow me and I will give unto them eternall life and they shall never perish neither shall any man plucke them out of my hands But of the former the words of my text seeme to bee meant Howbeit because the Discerner of all hearts calleth them his servants saying to seduce my servants and it is not likely that he would grace hypocrites with so honourable an appellation wee may yeeld somewhat more in this point and without prejudice to the truth acknowledge that the true servants of God and ministers also of Christ Jesus may be sometimes seduced out of the right way but not farre I am sure not irrevocably The difference betweene them and others in this respect is like that which the e Cic. tusc 1. Boni in ertorem sicut aes Corinthium in aeruginem incidunt rariùs facilius revocantur Oratour observeth betweene the Corinthian and common brasse as the brasse of Corinth is longer ere it rust and when it is rustie is sooner scowred and more easily recovers the former brightnesse than other brasse so good men are hardlier withdrawne from the true faith and more easily reclaimed from their errours than those who beare no sincere love to the truth but are wedded to their owne opinions whatsoever they are and oftentimes blinded by obstinately setting their eyes against the bright beames of the Word Out of the Arke of Noah which was a type of the Church there flew two f Gen. 8.7 birds a Raven and a Dove the Raven after hee had taken his flight returned not againe but the Dove came backe with an Olive branch in her bill The Dove saith Saint g Cypr. adver Nâ—vit Prosp l. de prom c. 7. Cyprian represented the seduced Catholike who after hee is gone out of the Church never findeth rest till hee returne backe with an Olive branch of peace in his mouth and bee reconciled to the Church But the Raven is the obstinate Hereticke who leaveth the Church with a purpose never to returne to her againe And many such Ravens have beene of late let flye out of the Arke which never returne againe or if they returne it is to prey upon the sicke and weake members of our Church and to picke out the eyes of her dearest children and I pray God wee may never have cause to renew the Poets complaint Dat veniam corvis vexat censura columbas To commit fornication Fornication as h Lyra in Apoc. c. 2. Fornicatio est quadruplex in â—nimo simulierem concupiscâ—s in actu in cultu Idolorum in amore terrenorum Lyranus harpeth upon the word is committed foure manner of wayes 1. By the impure lust of the heart 2. By the uncleane act of the body 3. By the religious worship of Images or Idols 4. By the immoderate love of earthly vanities For when the soule turneth away from God and setteth her love wholly upon vile and base creatures so farre below her that God hath placed them under her feet what doth shee but like a Lady of noble descent married to a Prince which disloyally leaveth his bed and maketh love to the groome of her chamber Certainely this is sordidum adulterium not onely filthy but base adultery Howbeit I take it this was not the staine of the Church of Thyatira but either fornication properly so called which is corporall Idolatry or idolatry which is spirituall fornication For idolatry defileth the Spirit as adultery polluteth the flâ—sh idolatry provoketh God as adultery doth man to jealousie as adultery is a just cause of separation betweene man and his wife so idolatry maketh a breach betwixt God and the soule and causeth in the end a divorce by reason of which separation for disloyalty and unfaithfulnesse Saint i Cypr. de hab virg Prius viduâ—s quam nuptas non mariti sed Christi adulteras Cyprian wittily tearmeth certaine virgins widowes before they were married wives yea and adulteresses too not to their husbands which they had not but to Christ to whom they had plighted their troth And looke how a jealous husband would bee transported with passion if hee should finde his
one field tares and wheat out of one mouth proceeds cursing and blessing Behold an ambitious simoniacall Priest of the Romane constitution and that but for a yeer vaunt over him that is a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek Behold bloudy Caiphas consulting nay determining to put Christ to death not for any fault of his but because it was profitable to the Priests it is expedient for us yet doth hee colour his bloud-thirsty appetite with a varnish of common good If wee let him alone all men will beleeve in him and beleeving him to be a God will advance him to be a King the Romans will come take away this place and our Nation He is but one man what is the bloud of one man to the quiet of a publike state Melius est ut pereat unus quà m unitas let one man dye that the whole Nation perish not This is Caiphas his meaning vouchsafe we a look to it before we consider the meaning of a much better spirit Solomon his Lilly is most beautifull among thornes The Rose sayes Plutarch is never so fragrant as when it is planted by the Nettle the doctrine of the Holy Ghost seemeth never more excellent than when it is compared with the doctrine of Divels It is expedient he should dye he saith not it is just or lawfull Bonum commodis non honestate metitur Caiphas profit is become the rule of justice in whose hands now it is not only to judge according to the rule of law but to over-rule the law also In imitation of whom I verily thinke it was that Clemens the fifth being demanded how the Templer Knights might be cut off made this answer Si non licet per viam justitiae licet saltem per viam expedientiae But if it be profitable to whom cui bono to whom is it so to us now hee speakes like himselfe To S. Paul all things were lawfull yet many things did not seem expedient to Caiphas that is expedient which is not lawfull But shall a just innocent man a Prophet nay more than hee that was more than a Prophet lose his life for nothing but your commodity the answer is that though he be all these yet in a manner he is but unus one man and we are many better it were that he suffer a mischiefe than we an inconvenience therefore be his quality what it may be let him dye Ne saevi magne Sacerdos Let not the high Priest be angry will nothing but his death appease you You have a guard keep him sure manacle his hands fetter his feet only spare his life bring not his bloud upon your head Tush it is for our profit His bloud be upon us Thus crudelitas vertitur in voluptatem jam occidere hominem juvat it was meat drink to them to spill the bloud of Christ Jesus and being pleased to consider him but as a man they trampled on him as a worme and no man Ystel in Exod. Behold here in another sense Caiphas a bloudy Ruby yet as the Rubies about Egypt aureâ bracteâ sublinuntur so hath he gold foyle Scripture in his mouth the words of the Holy Ghost who not only out of the mouth of babes and sucklings will have his praise out of the mouth of asses and brute beasts will have his power to be knowne but also out of the mouth of reprobates and incarnate divels will have the same truth in the same words confirmed which holy Prophets and the holy Spirit by which they spake would have revealed For not onely holy men as the Preacher observed but sometimes also unholy men speake as they are moved by the Holy Ghost Agit Spiritus Dei per bonos per malos per scientes per nescientes quod agendum novit statuit but in a different manner The Holy Ghost so touched the hearts of holy Prophets that their hearts enditing this matter of Christs passion their tongues became the pen of ready writers but on the contrary as Caiphas did honour God with his lips while his heart was farre from him so saith Saint Chrysostome the Spirit of God touched his lips but came not neere his heart It is expedient In the exposition of Caiphas the meaning is it is good for us pretending common good to kill Jesus but the sense of the Holy Ghost is that the precious death of our Saviour would be expedient for us and his alone bloud once shed for his people an all-sufficient ransome for their soules Expedient it was and behoovefull in the first place that he who should satisfie for sinne the wages whereof is death should bee a man subject to death Secondly that he should dye Thirdly inasmuch as with respect to his people he became a man subject to death so that hee should in the end lay downe his life for the people Fourthly that he should be sufficient by his alone death to satisfie in their behalfe for whom he dyed Lastly we must enquire whether the profit of his passion be such as extendeth to our selves or not we shall find it doth for so are the words of the Text It is expedient for us Expedient it was that the Saviour of man should be a man Ecce homo behold he is so for comming to save man suscepit naturam quam judicavit salvandam he became in all things sinne only excepted like unto us It was fit it should be so for if the Deity had opposed it selfe non tam ratio quà m potestas Diabolum vicisset what mystery had there bin for God to vanquish the Divell how should the Scripture have bin fulfilled The seed of the woman shall breake the Serpents head yet there is an experiment beyond all this Experiar Deus hic discrimine aperto an sit mortalis saith the spirituall Lycaon if hee carry about with him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a body subject to dissolution doubtlesse hee is a man Thus therefore that hee might shew himselfe a man it was expedient that hee should die Is this thy reward O sweet Saviour for stouping thine infinite majesty so low as to become earth and thirty three yeeres to converse amongst us must thou dye It must bee so yet not for any necessity of justice in respect of himselfe for never Lambe more innocent nor of constraint for at the very time of his apprehension when hee had lesse than twelve Apostles hee had more than twelve Legions of Angels at his becke at the breath of his mouth the majesty of his countenance the force of those his words I am hee a whole troupe of his persecuters fell backwards but it must bee so because the determination of the Trinity and the conformity of his owne will thereunto will have it so Oblatus est quia voluit saith the Prophet I lay down my life saith himselfe Yea Caiphas said as much in effect It is meet not that one should be put to death but that he
Neither doe they stand much upon it for another of them saith Dicit Doctor meus citat divum Thomam quòd quando Apostoli erant ordinati Sacerdotes erant sine scientiâ Yet Bernard in his Epistle ad Eugenium maketh knowledge one of the keyes Claves vestras qui sanùm sapiunt alteram in discretione alteram in potestate collocant Doctr. 3 The most received opinion of the reformed Churches is That there is but one key in essence and that is Ministerium Verbi The Kingdome of God is compared to a house the doore of this house is Christ John 10.7 the key to open and shut this doore is the preaching of the Word Wee are the savour of death unto death unto some there is the power of binding to others of life unto life there is the power of loosing Hee that refuseth mee the word which I have spoken shall judge him there is the power of binding againe The truth shall make you free there is loosing But how many soever the keyes bee Christ hath them Non solùm authoritativè sed etiam possessivè What meaneth then Bellarmine in his bookes de Romano Pontifice to imply that the keyes remaine in Christs hands onely at the vacancy of the Popedome What a blasphemy is that of Cusanus who saith that potestas ligandi solvendi non minor est in Ecclesiâ quà m fuit in Christo and that of Maldonatus Christus Petro vices suas tradidit ipsamque clavem excellentiae that key of David which openeth and no man shutteth Or if hee have not this key so absolutely as Christ yet beyond all comparison above other Bishops they have the keyes of Heaven sed quodam modo and with an huc usque licet Whereupon Petrus de palude observeth that it was said of them Quaecunque solveritis in terrâ erunt soluta in coelo but of Saint Peter Brunt soluta in coelis Pardon I beseech you the enlargement of this point Blasphemiae dies haec est Rabsakeh hath blasphemed the living God The Pharisees and Scribes accounted it blasphemy to attribute forgivenesse of sinnes to any but God I am hee that blotteth out thine iniquity saith God by the Prophet Esay Whereupon Saint Jerome commenting saith Solus peccata dimittit qui pro peccatis mortuus est and Saint Austine accordeth with him Nemo tollit peccata nisi solus Deus tollit autem dimittendo quae facta sunt adjuvando ne fiant perducendo ad locum ubi fieri non possunt What then doth the Minister upon confession and contrition Hee pronounceth the penitent absolved or to attribute the most unto him hee absolveth the person in facie Ecclesiae remitteth not the sinne absolutely before God Saint Ambrose shall make up the reckoning Verbum Dei dimittit peccata Sacerdos est Judex Sacerdos officium exhibet sed nullius potestatis jura exercet Use 1 1. Hath Christ the keyes of death and hell O then let us kisse the Sonne lest hee bee angry and so wee perish out of the right way 2. Hath Christ the keyes of hell and death if then wee belong to Christ and follow his banner let us not care what death or hell man or divell can doe against us Transvectus vada Tartari Pacatis redit inferis Jam nullus superest timor Nil ultrà jacet inferos Jesus of Nazareth is returned from hell not as Theseus and Hercules with a Crosse and a Flagge but with principalities and powers chained before his triumphant chariot he doth not now threaten death as before O mors ero tua mors but insulteth over it O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory Thankes bee unto God who hath given us victory through Jesus Christ our Lord. Cui c. THE FOURTH ROW And in the fourth row a Chrysolite an Onyx and a Jasper A Jasper is a mixt stone consisting at least of two kinds of gemmes and therefore may not unfitly decipher our Saviour consisting of two natures who by inviting all to come unto him animi constantiam promovet comforteth fainting spirits which as Rueus saith is the vertue of the Chrysolite after his invitation promising to secure and rest all burthened and weary soules hee proveth himselfe an Onyx wherewith as Nilus saith the Nobles of Egypt made supporters for their beds If wee admit the Beryll into this fourth ranke because it is mentioned with the rest in the Apocalypse and set here in the first place by Saint Jerome Junius Tostatus and the Kings Translatours wee shall lose nothing by the change for the Beryll as Abulensis and others affirme is of singuâ—â—â—â—ertue to cure waterish and running eyes True it very well may bee in the stone but true I am sure i◠〈◊〉 â—â—e doctrine which this stone according to his ranke and myâ—â—â— her division standeth for This promise of our Saviour I will easâ— you is the onely Beryll in the world which can stay the water of their running eyes who weep for and sigh under the heavie burthen of sinne Yee see this fourth order is not out of order but sorteth well with the doctrine of the fourth Speaker and doth it not as well sort with the parts of the Preacher The Chrysolite is a solid stone not spangled or spotted with golden points as other gems but as it were gilt all over which may well represent the solidity of his proofes and uniformity of his whole discourse The Onyx a transparent gemme resembleth the perspicuity of his stile and the Jasper a stone full of veines setteth before us the plenty of Scripture sentences which like little veines were diffused through the whole body of his Sermon and in respect of these we may more truly say of it than To status of the Jasper Quot venae tot virtutes so many veines so many vertues The embossment of gold wherein these gemmes of divine doctrine were set was his Text taken out of A Sermon preached on Easter Tuesday by Master Bates fellow of Trinity Colledge afterwards Parson of S Clements and Prebend of Westminster MATTH 11.28 Come unto mee all yee that are weary and heavie laden and I will ease you MAn at the first was made a goodly creature in the image of his Maker having so neere neighbourhood with the eternall Majesty that hee dwelt in God and God in him but by his woefull revolt hee deprived himselfe of that sweet contentment hee still should have enjoyed in God and by his proud rebellion erected a Babel and partition wall whereby hee debarred himselfe of the fruition of him whom to behold is the height of all that good any creature can desire But mans Creatour retaining his love to that which hee had made though altogether blemished with that which wee had done looked downe upon us with a compassionate eye of his tender mercie suffered us not being desirous of the meanes of salvation with bootlesse travells still to wander in darknesse as strangers from the
life of God but sent from his bosome his word of truth light into darknesse who in the fulnesse of time offered by the light of his countenance to bring us againe to Gods inaccessible brightnesse and by the vaile of his flesh not only to shelter us from the scorching flames of his Fathers fury as the pillar of cloud did the Israelites from the heate of the Sun but also by soliciting our peace to demolish that partition wall which wee had raised against our selves and to reunite us againe inseparably to him from whom wee had rent and dissevered our selves crying in the midst of you as you heare Come unto mee c. The voice of God and not of man or rather of the eternall wisedome which was God and man In these words which I terme Châ—â—sts Proclamation of grace and peace to all soule-sicke sinners wee may note 1. An invitation Come unto mee 2. The reward of our obedience I will ease you In the first part note wee 1. The party inviting Christ 2. The thing he adviseth to Come 3. The object to whom Mee 4. The parties that are envited singled out by their qualities all that are weary and heavie laden In the second part note wee 1. The party promising I. 2. The reward it selfe ease and rest will ease you Here then you see 1. Love inviting Come 2. Truth directing To mee 3. Necessity inciting All that are weary 4. Reward alluring And I will ease you 1. Love inviteth that we feare not to come 2. Truth directeth that we erre not in comming 3. Necessity inciteth that we slacke not to come 4. Reward sustaineth that wee faint not in comming Doctr. 1 Come Venite fides exigitur studium desideratur saith Saint Ambrose Christ his proselytes life must not bee as his confidence in Esay chapt 30. in ease and quietnesse Ver. 15. for then Moab-like he will soone settle on his lees and have his taste remaining in him Jerem. 48.11 The Caldean Sagda as Solinus reporteth by the spirit inclosed in it riseth from the bottome of Euphrates and so closely sticketh to the boards of the ships that passe that river that without slivering of some part of the barke it cannot be severed so sinne by the power of the evill spirit arising from the bottomlesse pit of perdition adhereth so fast to us that till our brittle Barkes of flesh be slivered off this Sagda of sinne can never be removed but like Dejanira's poysoned shirt Qua trahitur trahit illa cutem And therefore this sore travell God hath allotted to all the sonnes of Adam from the first time they become new borne babes in Christ till they breath out their languishing soules into the hands of their Redeemer to wrestle with their inbred corruptions and to seeke to shake off the sinne which hangeth on so fast that howsoever it cannot be altogether dis-severed before wee are dissolved yet it may not be a Remora to our ships much lesse get such strength as to over-rule us Howbeit because the flesh is weake where the spirit is most ready and the spirit it selfe is not so ready as it should be because the faculties thereof through the malignity of sinne are much imbezelled God spareth not by frequent Scriptures to stirre us up to goe on and traverse the way of his commandements some to rowze us up from sleep as Awake thou that sleepest Ephes 5.14 and stand up from the dead and Christ shall give thee light Some to incite us to goe on forward when wee are raised Hebr. 12.14 as Follow peace and holinesse without which no man shall see God Some to encourage us that wee faint not as Bee not weary of well doing for in due time yee shall reape if yee faint not Once indeed it was said to the Israelites Galat. 6.9 Stand still and behold the salvation of God but now Come behold and stand not still if you desire the salvation of God Now no more sit still as it was once said to the daughter of Babel but arise and depart for here is no resting place Jacob saw Angels ascending and descending but none standing or sitting on the ladder There are many rounds in our Jacobs ladder whereby wee climbe to the Mount of God Non debemus pigri remanere non debemus superbi cadere saith Saint Austine Paul that honourable vessell of God though hee laid so fast hold on Christ by faith and was so knit to him by love that hee challengeth all powers in heaven and earth to trie if they were able to separate him from the love of his Redeemer Rom. 8. Ver. 35. yet reckoning with himselfe as if hee had not comprehended him of whom hee was comprehended hee forgat that which was behinde and followed hard to the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Jesus Christ So true is that of Saint Bernard Ubi incipis nolle fieri melior ibi desinis esse bonus Use 1 Here then let us tracke out by the footsteps of our spirits motion how forward wee are in the way of the Lord. If the longing desire of our heart bee unsatisfied till wee enjoy againe our happy communion with God if when God saith Seeke yee my face thy soule answer Thy face Lord will I seeke if when Christ soundeth his Venite thy heart springing for joy resound Davids Ecce Loe I come and thy spirit so out-strip the slow motions of thy sluggish flesh that with the Spouse in the Canticles thou desire to bee drawne after him then bee thou assured that this is the finger of God For no man can come to Christ but hee whom the Father draweth But contrariwise if when the World saith Come wee hearken to it and for Hippomanes golden balls wee refuse to follow Christ if when the Divell saith Come wee listen to his lure and for his omnia tibi dabo bow to his will if when the flesh saith Come wee trudge to it and for lascivious lulling in Dalila's lap wee renounce him who calleth us to bee his Nazarites these unsanctified affections blab out our inward corruptions and wee shew our selves to bee the worlds darlings the Divels pesants and the fleshes slaves not Christs sheep For if it bee true Omnis qui didicit venit quisquis non venit profectò non didicit as Saint Austine rightly inferreth Doctr. 2 Unto mee Now followeth the happy terminus ad quem of our spirituall motions Satius est claudicare in viâ quà m currere extra viam halting Jacob will sooner limpe to his journies end than swift-footed Napthali posting speedily out of the way Therefore lest when God calleth us wee should with Samuel runne to Eli or linger our comming for feare of mistaking the Way himselfe chalketh us out the path of salvation saying Come to mee Foure sorts of men seeme to come to Christ yet come not as they should The first begin to come but they fall short in their way and these are
begotten Sonne a Priest for ever to sanctifie our persons and purge our sins and tender all our petitions to his Father What sinne so hainous what abomination so grievous for which such a Priest cannot satisfie by the oblation of himselfe What cause so desperate in which such an Advocate if he plead will not prevaile What suit so difficult which such a Mediatour will not carry We may be sure God will not be hard to be intreated of us who himselfe hath appointed us such an Intercessour to whom he can deny nothing Therefore surely if there be any Balme in Gilead it may be found on or gathered from the branches of this text The Lord sware And will not repent Is not this addition needlesse and superfluous Doth God ever repent him of any thing May wee be bold to use any such speech concerning God that he repented or retracted any thing We may the Scripture will beare us out in it which in many places warranteth the phrase as l Gen. 6.6 Then it repented the Lord that he had made man upon the earth and he was sorrie in his heart and m 1 Sam. 15.35 It repenteth me that I have made Saul King for he is turned from me and hath not performed my commandements and n Psal 106.15 He remembred his covenant and repented according to the multitude of his mercies and o Jer. 18.10 If this Nation against whom I have pronounced turne from their wickednesse I will repent of the plagues that I thought to bring upon them but if they doe evill in my sight I will repent of the good that I thought to doe unto them therefore now amend your wayes and your works and heare the word of the Lord God that the Lord may repent him of the plagues that he hath pronounced against you and p Jon. 3.9 God saw their workes that they turned from their evill wayes and God repented of all the evill that he had said he would do unto them and he did it not All which passages I have entirely related quia de Deo etiam vera dicere periculosum est as the heathen q Hil. de Trin. l. 5. Non potest Deus nisi per Deum intelligi à Deo discendum est quid de Deo intelligendum est Sage wisely observeth It is dangerous to speake even true things of God for we may speake nothing safely of him which is not spoken by him in holy Scriptures And above others the Ministers of the Gospel have a speciall charge given them not onely to looke to their matter but to have a care also retinere sanam formam verborum to keepe unto a wholesome platforme of words and phrases such as all those are which the holy Ghost hath sanctified unto us whereof this is one God repented c. which may be safely uttered if it be rightly understood Certaine it is and a most undoubted truth that the nature of God is free from passion his actions from exception his will from controll his purpose from casualty his sentence from revocation and therefore when God is said in holy Scripture to repent of any good by him promised or actually conferred upon any or any evill inflicted or menaced we are not from thence to inferre that there are any after-thoughts in God but onely some alteration in the things themselves As Parents and Nurses that they may be the better understood of their Infants clip their words or speake in a like tone to them so also our heavenly Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that we may the better understand him speaketh to us in our owne language Num. 23.19 God is not a man that hee should lie nor the son of man that he should repent hath he said and shall be not doe it hath he spoken and shall he not make it good and expresseth himselfe in such termes as best sort with our conceits and apprehensions When we condemne the courses which we have formerly taken or undoe any thing which we have done our after-thoughts checke our former and we retract our errour and this retraction of our opinions and change in our minde we call repentance which though it be farre from the nature of God yet is it by a figure attributed unto him the more significantly to expresse his infinite hatred and detestation of sin in regard whereof he cast man out of his favour as if he had repented that he had made him he cast Saul out of his throne as if he had repented that he had set him in it as also to represent his compassionate love towards penitent sinners which prevaileth so farre with him that upon the least relenting and humiliation on our parts he reverseth the fearefull sentence he passed upon us as if it repented him that he ever had pronounced it We repeale some act or constitution of ours or cancell some deed because we repent of that which formerly we had done but God is said to repent not because his minde or affection is changed but because his actions are such as when the like are done by men they truely repent Thus St. n L. 9. de Civ Dei Poenitentiae nomen usurpavit effectus non illius turbulentus affectus Austine resolveth the case Some such effects which in men proceed from repentance descried in the Actions of God have occasioned these and the like phrases God repented and was sorrie in his heart Yea but what effects are these Hath he ever reversed any sentence repealed any act nay recalled so much as any word passed from him Is the * 1 Sam. 15.29 strength of Israel as man that he should lie or as the sonne of man that hee should repent Is not hee the o Hâ—b 13.8 same yesterday and to day and for ever Are not all his menaces and promises all his mercies and judgements all his words and workes p 2 Cor. 1.20 For all the promises of God in him are Yea and in him Amen unto the glory of God by us Yea and Amen Doubtlesse it shall stand for an unmoveable truth when heaven and earth shall passe away Mal. 3.6 Ego Deus non mutor I am the Lord I change not therefore we are yet in the suds there appeareth no ground to fasten repentance upon God either quoad affectum or quoad effectum But here the q Aquin. par 1. q. 16. art 7. Aliud est mutare voluntatem aliud velle mutationem Schoolemen reach us a distinction to take hold on whereby we may get out of the mire It is one thing to change the will and another thing to will a change God willeth a change in some things at some times but he never changeth his will Some things God appointeth to continue for ever as the dictates of the law of nature and the Priesthood of Christ some things for a time onely as the Legall Ceremonies and the Aaronicall Priesthood Againe some things he promiseth absolutely as
Prophet I rather gather from these words the great honour which Nathan the Prophet received from David the King than the direction or advice that David the King received from Nathan the Prophet The King said Though Kings are e Bils suprem p. 1. supreme Commanders for the truth yet they are not the supreme or sole directers unto truth for in scruples of conscience and perplexed controversies of Religion they are to require the law from the mouth of the Priest to aske counsell of the Prophets and generally in all matters appertaining to God to heare the Ministers of God declaring to them the will of God out of his Word Symmachus was bold to tell Anastasius the Emperour that as Bishops owe subjection to Gods Sword in Princes hands so Princes owe obedience to Gods Word in Bishops mouthes f Causab de lib. eccles Defer Deo in nobis nos deferemus Deo in te O Emperour heare God speaking by us and wee will feare God ruling by thee The same God who hath put a materiall sword in thy hands to smite malefactors in their body hath put a spirituall sword in our mouth to slay sinne in the soule The Magistrate is the hand of God but the Preacher is his mouth And for this cause all wise and religious Kings have given them their eares and taken some of them into their bosome as David doth here Nathan to receive instruction and direction from them how to sway the royall scepter within the walls of the Church Let it not seeme burthensome unto you my dearest brethren upon so just occasion as is offered mee in my Text to speake somewhat of the honour of that calling which calleth you all to God From whose mouth doe ye heare the glad tidings of salvation From whose hands doe ye receive the seales of grace Who have the oversight and charge of your soules Who are the meanes under God to reconcile God unto you by their prayers and bring you unto God by their powerfull ministerie but your faithfull and painfull Pastours who in performing these holy duties of their calling are termed g Prosp de vit contem l. 1. c 25. Hisunt Ministri verbi Adjutores Dei Oracula Sp. S. coadjutores Dei as it were fellow-labourers with God Per istos Deus placatur populo per istos populus instruitur Deo All other lawfull callings are from God but this was the calling of God himselfe other offices he appointed this he executed others he commends this he discharged When he tooke our flesh upon him and lived upon earth he would not be made a King nor sit as a Judge upon a Nisi prius of inheritance yet performed he the office of a Preacher through his whole life and of a Priest at his death offering himselfe by the eternall Spirit upon the high Altar of the Crosse where he was both h Confes l. 10. c. 42. Pro nobis tibi Victor Victima ideo Victor quia Victima pro nobis tibi Sacerdos Sacrificium ideò Sacerdos quia Sacrificium faciens tibi nos de servis filios Victor and Victima ideo Victor quia Victima as St. Austine playeth sweetly in a rhetoricall key May the civill Magistrates glorie in this that God calleth them gods and may not they that serve at Christs Altar take as great comfort in that God himselfe calleth his Sonne a Priest saying i Psal 110.4 Thou art a Priest for ever Wherefore if the glorious titles wherewith God himselfe graceth the Ministerie of Stewards of his house Dispencers of his mysteries Lights of the world Angels of the Church if the noble presidents in Scripture of Melchizedek King and Priest David King and Prophet Solomon King and Preacher suffice not to redeeme the sacred order from the scandall of profane men and contempt of the world yet methinkes sith the Son of God and King of glorie hath taken upon him the office and executed the function of a Priest all men should entertaine a reverend opinion of the Priesthood of the Gospel and not to use the word Priest as a reproach to man which was one of the three dignities of God himselfe much lesse seeke to disgrace their persons who are Gods Instruments to conveigh grace into their soules What shall I say more Nay what can I say lesse He that honoureth not the name of Christ which signifieth k Luke 4.18 Annointed to preach the Gospel is no Christian he that conceiveth basely or speaketh contumeliously of the sacred order of Priests is worse than an Infidell For the heathen l Ca sar Com. de bello Gal. French and English in Julius Caesars time placed their Priests which they called Druides above their Gentrie yea and most of the Nobilitie appointing the chiefe of them to beare on his breast the Image of Truth engraven in a rich Jewell The m Bodin de repub l. 3. c. 8. Turkes Moores and Arabians have their Priests which they call Mophtae in highest estimation and devolve the most important matters of State and doubts of their law to their definitive sentence and order The Syrians adorne their Priests with a n Philost de vit Apo. Tâ—â—â—nâ— 2. Crowne of gold the Brachmans with a Scepter of gold and Mitre beset with precious stones The Romans stiled their chiefe Flamen Regem sacrorum adoring that name in their Priests which they abhorred in their Princes and Consuls Lastly the Egyptians Athenians o Strab. geog l. 7. Josâ—ph l. 14. c. 15 Sub Dionâ—â—o Archonte principe Sacerdotum Apud quos Lycurgus Legislator Sacerdos erat Apollonis Virgil. â—â—n 3. Râ—x â—dem Anius Phoebique Sacerdos Liv. dec 1. Numa Sacerdos Nymphae Aegeriae Suet. in Aug. Tit. Ovid. â—ast l. 3. Caesaris innumeris quos maluit ille merei Accessit titulis Pontificalis honos Lacedaemonians and almost all the Heathen who either had Kingly Priests or sacrificing Kings shall condemne such Christians at the day of Christ then they shall see of that calling which seemed so vile darke and obscure in their eyes some glistering as Pearles in the gates others sparkling as Diamonds in the foundation and no small number shining as Starres in the arch of the heavenly Jerusalem and amidst them the Sunne of righteousnesse Christ Jesus exercising his royall Priesthood and making intercession to his Father for all those and those onely who honour his Priestly function here upon earth in his Ministers by maintaining and countenancing them and in themselves by sacrificing their dearest affections to him But I list not to dwell on this argument but rather with the Kingly Prophet in his house of Cedars I dwell in an house of Cedars In these words David findeth not fault with the beautifull roofe of his Princely Palace but the meane and vile covering of the Arke it troubled him not that he was so well provided for but that the Arke was so ill Princes may dwell in houses of
a threefold inconvenience of sinfull courses because they who pursue them reape no fruit from them sustaine much losse by them come to an evill end through them for the End The end is taken 1 Either physically 2 Or morally Either for the finall cause or for the finall effect Death is not the finall cause of sin but the finall effect for no man sinneth for death but dieth for sinne Others distinguish of ends which are 1 Intermediate as wealth honour or pleasure 2 Ultimate as happinesse Death say they is not the intermediate end but profit or delight but it is alwayes the ultimate end of sinne unrepented of A third sort make a difference betweene the end 1 Peccantis of the sinner that is the end which the sinner intendeth 2 Peccati of sinne that is the end to which sinne tendeth this distinction seemeth to mee coincident with the first Death say they is not the end of the sinner but of the sinne not the end which the sinner propoundeth to himselfe but the end which his sinne bringeth him unto Withall they acutely observe that the Apostle saith not the end of those men is death but the end Of those things By those things hee understandeth the state of the unregenerate or those sinnes which were rife among the Romanes and are reckoned up chap. 1. which may bee reduced to three heads 1 Impiety against God 2 Iniquity against their neighbours 3 Impurity against their owne body and soule yea and against nature also 1 Impiety with this hee brandeth them vers 21. 2 Iniquity with this hee chargeth them vers 29. 3 Impurity with this hee shameth them vers 24 27. Of those things the end is Death The second death say some for he that hath no part in the first resurrection hath his portion in the second death A double death saith Saint Ambrose à morte enim ad mortem transitur for a sinner from one death passeth to another Others more fully thus The end of those things is death 1 Of your estate by ruine of your fortunes 2 Of your good name by tainting your reputation 3 Of your body by separation from the soule 4 Of your soule by separation from God The most naturall interpretation and most agreeable to this place is That by continuing in a sinfull course all our life wee incurre the sentence penalty and torment of eternall death for that death is meant here which is opposed to eternall life Verse 23. which can bee no other than eternall Yea but is sinne in generall so strong a poyson that the least quantity of it bringeth death and that eternall are all sinnes mortall that is in their owne nature deserving eternall death It seemeth so for hee speaketh indefinitely and without any limitation and as before hee implyed all sinne to bee unfruitfull and shamefull so also now to bee deadly What fruit had ye in those things that is in any of those things whereof ye are now ashamed Now it is certain that the regenerate are ashamed of all sins therefore in like manner it followeth that the end of all sinnes is death For the Apostle here compareth the state of sinne and state of grace in generall and as hee exhorteth to all good workes so hee endevoureth to beat downe all sinne as unfruitfull shamefull and deadly See what will ensue hereupon first that there are no veniall sinnes secondly no pardons for them in purgatory thirdly no fee for pardons If all sinnes are mortall and which all Papists will they nill they must confesse no man is free from all sinne for t Jam. 3. ◠in many things wee offend all saith Saint James and u 1 Joh. 1.10 if we say that we have no sin wee deceive our selves saith Saint John what will become of their Romish doctrines concerning the possibility of fulfilling the law the merit of congruity or condignity and works of supererogation Si nulla peccata venialia nulla venalia if no sinnes are veniall then no sale to bee made of sinnes no utterance of pardons no use of the Church treasury no gold to bee got by the Monks new found Alchymy Yee will say this is but a flourish let us therefore come to the sharpe Mitte hebetes gladios pugnetur acutis The speech of Cornelius Celsus the Physitian is much commended by Bodine Nec aegrotorum morbi nec languentium vulnera dicendi luminibus curantur Soft words cure no wounds wee may say more truely soft words give no wounds and therefore are not for this service of truth against errour and heresie up in armes against her * Hom. Il. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hector truely told Paris that his golden harpe and purfled haire and beautifull painting would stand him in no stead in the x Sen. ep 51. In primo deficit pulvere ille unctus et nitidus field it is not the wrought scabbard but the strong blade nor the bright colour but the sharpe edge of it that helpeth in danger and hurteth the enemy In which regard I hold it fittest to handle schoole points scholastically in tearmes rather significant than elegant and labour more for force of argument than ornaments of speech First then after their plaine method I will explicate the state of the question next meet with the adversaries objections and last of all produce arguments for the truth and make them good against all contrary cavils and frivolous exceptions Sins may bee tearmed veniall or mortall two manner of wayes 1 Either comparatè in comparison of others 2 Or simplicitèr simply and in themselves and that three manner of wayes Either 1 Ex naturâsuâ of their owne nature 2 Ex gratiâ by favour or indulgence 3 Ex eventu in the issue or event Wee deny not but that sinnes may bee tearmed veniall comparatè that is more veniall than others and if not deserving favour and pardon yet lesse deserving punishment than others Secondly veniall ex eventu or in the issue wee acknowledge all the sinnes of the Elect to bee and some sinnes of the Reprobate also or veniall ex gratiâ that is by Gods favour and clemency all the question is whether any sinne of the Elect or Reprobate bee veniall ex suâ naturâ that is such as in its owne nature deserveth not the punishment of death but either no punishment at all or at least temporary onely The reformed Churches generally resolve that all sinnes in their owne nature are mortall the y Bellar. de amis grat stat pec c. 9. Qui dixerit fatue reus erit gehennae ignis ex his tale conficitur argumentum manifestum convitium facit reum gehennae ignis non item subita iracundia c. Romanists will have very many to be veniall Their allegations are chiefly these the first out of Matthew 5.22 Whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment and whosoever shall say to his brother Racha shall bee in
yet not willing to bee put to an infamous cruell and accursed death he became obedient to death even the death of the crosse The repeating the word death seemeth to argue an ingemination of the punishment a suffering death upon death It was wonderfull that hee which was highest in glory should humble himselfe yet it is more to bee obedient than to humble himselfe more to suffer death willingly or upon the command of another than to be obedient more to bee crucified than simply to die Hee was so humble that hee became obedient so obedient that hee yeelded to die so yeelded to die as to bee crucified his love wonderfully shewed it selfe in humbling himselfe to exalt us his humility in his obedience his obedience in his patience his patience in the death of the crosse His humility was a kinde of excesse of his love his obedience of his humility his death of his obedience his crosse of his death He humbled himselfe According to which nature divine or humane In some sort according to both according to his divine by assuming our nature according to his humane by taking upon him our miseries And became obedient It is not said hee made himselfe obedient because obedience presupposeth anothers command wee may indeed of our selves offer service to another but wee cannot performe obedience where there is no command of a Superiour parere and imperare are relatives To whom then became hee obedient To God saith Calvin to Herod and Pilate saith Zanchius the truth is to both to God as supreme Judge according to whose eternall decree to Pilate by whose immediate sentence hee was to suffer such things of sinners for sinners To death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whether inclusivè or exclusivè whether is the meaning hee was obedient all his life even to his last gaspe or hee was so farre obedient that hee yeelded himselfe to the wrath of God to the scorn of men the power of darknesse the infamy of all punishments the shame of all disgraces the cruelty of all torments the death of the crosse The difference betweene these is in this that the former maketh death the limit and bound the latter an act of his obedience to which interpretation I rather subscribe because it is certaine that Christ was not onely obedient unto the houre of his death but in his death also and after his death lying three dayes and three nights in the grave Here then we have the sum of the whole Gospel the life and death of our Lord and Saviour his birth and life in the former words He humbled himselfe his death passion in the latter and became obedient unto death even the death of the crosse He humbled that is took on him our nature infirmities became obedient that is fulfilled the law for us by his active satisfied God for our transgressions by his passive obedience Obedience most shews it selfe in doing or suffering such things as are most crosse repugnant to our wil natural desires as to part with that which is most dear pretious to us and to entertain a liking of that which we otherwise most abhor Now the strongest bent of all mens desires is to life honor nothing men fear more than death especially a lingring painful death they are confounded at nothing more than open shame whereby our Saviours obedience appeares a non pareil who passed not for his life nor refused the torments of a cruel nor the shame of an ignominious death that he might fulfill his fathers will in laying down a sufficient ransom for all mankinde Even the death of the crosse As the sphere of the Sun or Saturn c. is named from the Planet which is the most eminent part of it so is the passion of Christ from his crosse the crosse was as the center in which all the bloody lines met He sweat in his agony bled in his scourging was pricked in his crowning with thornes scorned and derided in the judgement hall but all this and much more hee endured on the crosse Whence we may observe more particularly 1 The root 2 Branches 3 Fruit. Or 1 The cause 2 The parts 3 The end of all his sufferings on it 1 Of the cause S. a Aug. l. 3. de Civ Dei c. 15. Regularis defectio non nisi in lunae fine contingit Austin demonstrateth that the Eclipse of the sun at the death of our Saviour was miraculous because then the Moon was at the full Had it bin a regular Eclipse the Moon should have lost her light and not the Sun so in the regular course of justice the Church which is compared to the Moon in b Cant. 6.10 Scripture should have been eclipsed of the light of Gods countenance and not Christ who is by the Prophet Malachy stiled c Mal. 4.2 Sol justitiae the Sun of righteousnesse But as then the Sun was eclipsed in stead of the Moon so was Christ obscured in his passion for the Church he became a surety for us therfore God laid all our debts upon him to the uttermost farthing The Prophet Esay assureth us hereof d Esa 53.4 5. He bare our infirmities carried our sorrows He was wounded for our transgressions and broken for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him by his stripes we are all healed O the wonderfull wisdom justice of God! the just is reputed unjust that the unjust might be reputed just the innocent is condemned that the condemned might be found innocent the Conquerer is in bonds to loose the captive the Creditor in prison to satisfie for the debtour the Physitian taketh the bitter potion to cure the patient the Judge is executed to acquit the prisoner What did the welbeloved of his Father deserve that he should drink the dregs of the vials of wrath why should the immaculate Lamb be put to such torture in the end be slain but for a sacrifice why should the bread of life hunger but for our gluttony the fountain of grace thirst but for our intemperancy the word of God be speechlesse but for our crying sin truth it self be accused but for our errors innocency condemned but for our transgressions why should the King of glory endure such ignominy shame but for our shameful lives why should the Lord of life be put to death but for our hainous and most deadly sins what spots had he to be washed what lust to bee crucified what ulcers to bee pricked what sores to bee launced Doubtlesse none at all our corrupt blood was drawn out of his wounds our swellings pricked with his thornes our sores launced with his speare our lusts crucified on his crosse our staines washed away with his blood It was the weight of our sins that made his soule heavie unto death it was the unsupportable burden of our punishment that put him into a bloody sweat all our blood was corrupt all our flesh as it were in
faith and repentance unto life giveth charge to his Apostles and their successors to preach the Gospel unto every creature saying ſ Mar. 16.16 Whosoever beleeveth and is baptized shall be saved But here some cast a darke mist which hath caused many to lose their way How say they doe we maintaine that God desireth not the death of a sinner who before all time decreed death for sinne and sinne for death This mist in part is dispelled by distinguishing of three sorts of Gods decrees 1. There is an absolute decree and resolute purpose of God for those things which he determineth shall be 2. There is a decree of mandate or at least a warrant for those things which he desireth should be 3. There is a decree of permission for such things as if he powerfully stop them not will be Of the first kind of decree or will of God wee are to understand those words of the Psalmist Quaecunque voluit fecit Deus Whatsoever t Psal 135.6 God would that hath he done and of our Saviour Father u John 17.24 Rom. 9.19 Ephes 1.5 1 Tim. 2.4 I will that they also whom thou hast given mee be with mee where I am To the second we are to referre those words of the Apostle God would have all men to come to the knowledge of the truth God would that all should come to * 2 Pet. 3.9 repentance and This is the will of God even your x 1 Thes 4.3 sanctification and y Rom. 12.2 Be yee not conformed to this present world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that ye may prove what is the acceptable and perfect * John 7.17 will of God In the last acception the Apostle seemeth to take the word will in those words It is better if the z 1 Pet. 3.17 will of God bee so that yee suffer for well doing than for evill doing and Saint Austine where he maintaineth that even those things that are most repugnant to the Law of God and so directly against his revealed will are not besides his will but in some sort fall within the compasse of his decrees The * Encharid ad Laurent c. 100. Hoc ipso quod contra Dei voluntatem fecerunt de ipsis facta est voluntas ejus miro inestabile modo non fit praeter ejus voluntatem quod etiam contra ejus voluntatem fit quia nec fieret nisi sineret nec utique nolens sed volens nec sineret bonus fieri male nisi omnipotens etiam de malo facere posset benè will of God is done by or upon them who seeme to crosse his will after a wonderfull and unspeakable manner that comes not to passe but by Gods will that is his secret decree which is done against his will that is his command For it could not be if he suffered it not neither doth he suffer it against his will but with his will neither would he who it good suffer evill to be but that by his omnipotency he can draw good out of evill The second distinction which much cleereth the point in question is of good things which may be sorted thus 1. Some are good formally good in themselves and by for selves as all divine graces and the salvation of the elect 2. Some things are good suppositively and consequently as warre is good not simply but when without it either the safety or the honour of the state cannot be preserved in like manner executions are nor good simply but upon presupposall of hainous crimes worthy of death in him that is executed especially for the terrour of others No man will say that it is simply good to launce or cut off a joynt yet is it good in case that otherwayes the sore cannot be healed or the sound parts preserved from a gangrene 3. Some things are good occasionally onely or by accident from whom some good may come or be made of them or out of them as treacle of poyson and wholsome pills of such ingredients as are enemies to nature If ye rightly apply these distinctions ye may without great difficulty loosen the knots above tyed the first whereof was whether God decreed sinne originall or actuall Ye may answer according to the former distinctions that he decreed effectually all the good that is joyned with it or may come by it or it may occasion but hee decreed permissively onely the a Al Monim Malum praescivit Deus non praedestinavit Anomy obliquity or malignity thereof he neither doth it nor approveth of it when it is done but only permitteth it and taketh advantage of it for the manifestation of his justice When Fulgentius denieth that God decreeth sinne and the b Concil Araus Ad malum divinâ potestate praedestinatos non modo non dicimus sed etiam siqui sint qui id affirmare ausint cum summâ execratione in eos anathema dicimus Arausican Councell thundereth out an anathema against any that dare maintaine such an impious assertion they are to bee understood of a decree of effecting or commanding or warranting it But when Calvin pleads hard for Adams fall to have not come to passe without a decree from God lest he should make God an idle spectatour of an event of so great consequence we are to interpret his words of a decree of permission of the event and disposing of the fall foreseen by him to the greater manifestation of his justice and mercy Ordinavit saith Junius id est statuit ordinem rei non rem ipsam decrevit To the second question which toucheth the apple of the eye of this Text whether God decreeth the death of any ye may answer briefly that he doth not decree it any way for it selfe as it is the destruction of his creature or a temporall or eternall torment thereof but as it is a manifestation of his justice Here I might take occasion as many doe to dispute divers intricate questions concerning the decrees of God especially of reprobation both absolute and comparative and the acts of it privative and positive whether it depend meerly upon the will of God or passe ex praevisis or propter praevisa peccata upon or for sinnes fore-seen originall or actuall as also concerning the object whether it be homo condendus conditus integer or lapsus whether man considered in fieri as clay or red earth in the hands of God out of which some vessels were to be made to honour some to dishonour or as created of God according to his image before his fall or as fallen in Adam tainted with originall sinne or lastly singular persons considered in the state of infidelity or impenitency and so dying sed b Scotus in 1. sent dist 41. nolo scrutari profundum ne eatur in profundum I will not approach too neere this deep whirle-poole lest with many through giddinesse of braine I fall into it For although I
inference is pernicious To establish you in the truth of this supposition or rather hypotheticall commination it will be needfull to lay downe certaine grounds 1. That the certainty of the end no whit impeacheth the necessary use of all meanes for the attaining it For the end and meanes are coordinata and both involved in the same decree As the meanes are appointed for the end so the end is decreed to bee attained by such meanes for example the propagation of mankinde by marriage the maintaining our temporall life by food and sustenance the recovery of health by physicke the reaping the fruits of the earth by manuring and tillage the governement of the world by lawes the calling of men to the knowledge of the truth by the Word and Sacraments the keeping the children of God from presumptuous sinnes by admonitions and comminations The heathen themselves saw a glimmering of this truth for the Stoicke Philosophers who taught the foreknowledge of God and thence inferred inevitable necessity of all events according to that foreknowledge yet most strictly urged the performance of all morall duties and vertuous actions and generally the use of all meanes for the attaining that end any man proposeth to himselfe Bee it thy destiny say they to have many children by thy wife yet thou must not neglect conjugall duties be it thy destiny to recover of thy disease yet thou must not neglect the prescriptions of the Physician bee it thy destiny to conquer thine enemy yet thou must not forget to bring thy weapon with thee into the field bee it thy destiny to bee a great Professour in Philosophy yet thou must not neglect thy study bee it thy destiny to dye a rich man yet thou must not be carelesse of thy estate 2. That this and the like comminations in holy Scripture are spoken generally to all Elect as well as Reprobate and they are of speciall use to both to terrifie the Reprobate and keepe them within some bounds or at least to convince their consciences and debarre them from all excuse at the day of judgement and to stirre up the Elect to watchfulnesse over all their wayes and diligence and constancy in the use of all such meanes as by Gods grace may keepe them from backe-sliding and dangerous relapses to hold them in continuall awe and excite them to make their calling and election sure and work out their salvation with feare and trembling as Saint Austine declareth at large through his whole booke de correptione gratiá 3. That all Israelites are not true Nathaniels all converts are not absolutely so nor all penitents throughly cleansed from their sinnes many are regenerated but in part they repent of their sinnes but not of all they keepe a sweet bit under their tongue they have a Dalilah in their bosome or an Herodias at their table or a Bathsheba in their bed though they bee healed of all other diseases yet not of the plague of the heart some secret sinne hath a kinde of predominancy in them Now as the Peacockes flâ—sh if it hath but an ordinary seething growes raw againe cocta recrudescit and wounds that are not perfectly healed though they may be skinned over breake out againe and bleed afresh so a man that is not perfectly regenerated in all parts though hee hath a tast of the heavenly gift and may beleeve with Simon Magus and tremble at Gods judgements with Felix and heare the Word gladly with Herod and doe many things yet because the seed of the word hath not taken deepe root in him it is possible for him with Demas to forsake the Gospel and embrace this present world with Himeneus and Philetus to make shipwracke of faith and a good conscience with Julian to become an Apostata and a persecuter of the truth 4. The Prophet Ezekiel in this place speaketh not of Evangelicall righteousnesse but of legall for he saith not simply when a man turneth from righteousnesse but from his righteousnesse And vers 5. hee defineth a just man to be he That doth that which is lawfull and right and hath not eaten upon the mountaines nor defiled his neighbours wife c. Now whatsoever may be alledged for the stability of evangelicall righteousnesse and their permanency who are engraffed into the true Vine Christ Jesus daily experience sheweth that the most righteous on earth may and somtimes do remit of their strict observance of their duty that it is not only possible but very facile for them to let loose the reines to sensuall desires and to follow the gainefull or ambitious or voluptuous courses of the world at least for a time For the way to heaven is up-hill but the way to hell is down-hill and thither the weight of our sinfull flesh forcibly tendeth Facilis discensus averni A man may without any paine slip downe to the place of everlasting paines and torments Yea saith Seneca a Å¿ De mort Clau. Caes Omnia proclivia sunt facilè dâ—scenditur itâ—que quâ—mvis poda gricus momento temporis pervenit ad januam ditis gouty man may get thither in a trice Sed revocare gradum superasque evadere ad auras Hoc opus hic labor est But saith the Poet all the labour is to come backe from hell and get up out of the deep pit so hee But the truth is no labour can worke it no skill compasse it for from hell there is no redemption Wee know there is great strength required to bend a bow of steele which will unbend it selfe if the string breake or but slip Our motions to God-ward and proceedings in a sanctified course of life are like the rowing of a small boat against a strong wind and tide the blasts of the evill spirit and the propension of our corrupt nature much labour and sweat is required and very little is done with much adoe and if wee slâ—cke our hands and misse but one stroake we are carried downe with the streame and cast further backe than wee can fetch againe with many stroakes Did not Solomon turne away from his righteousnesse and commit iniquity and doe according to all the abominations of the wicked when he defiled his body and soule with spirituall and corporall fornication Did not David likewise when he spilt the bloud of Uriah that hee might more freely stay in the bed of Bathsheba I spare the rest because I would be loth with my breath to stain the golden and silver vessels of the Sanctuary and come à Thesi ad Hypothesin from the indefinite to the singular from the hearers at large to this present auditory Ye heare out of the Text how incommodious and dangerous a thing it is for a righteous man to degenerate and turne away from his righteousnesse it depriveth him of all the benefit of his former travells in the way to heaven it blasteth all the fruits of his labours without a second return to God dasheth all his hope of reward leaveth him in
ordinary Priests and Chemarims who were a peculiar order differing from the rest by their blacke habit so the Romish Clergie is evidently divided into ordinary Priests and Monks and Jesuites whose coat is of the same colour with Baals Chemarims 6. As the Priests of Baal used vaine repetitions of the name of their God in their prayers crying O Baal heare us Baal heare us c. so doe Papists in their Jesus and Ladies Psalters much more often repeat the name of Jesus and our Lady and which I never read of the Baalites they put a kind of religion in the number For yee shall reade in the Churches as yee passe by many hundred nay thousand yeeres of pardons liberally offered to all that devoutly say over so many Pater nosters or Ave Maries before such an Altar or Picture 7. As the Priests of Baal used many strange gestures at their Altars mentioned ver 26. so doe these at theirs and some more ridiculous than those of the Baalites 8. As the Priests of Baal cut themselves with knives and launcers till the bloud gushed out in great abundance so these at their solemne processions whip themselves till they are all bloudy These things being so is it possible that there should be any that have given their names to Christ and partake with us in the mysteries of salvation and seed at our Lords board should yet bow the knee to the Romish Baal and so fall within the stroake of Elijahs reproofe How long halt yee between two opinions Should wee not much wrong our reformed Church to surmise there should be any of her members subject to the infirmity or rather deformity of the Israelites here taxed by the Prophet Had they no meanes this sixty yeeres to strengthen the sinewes of their faith and cure their halting Are there any that follow Baalim or to speake more properly insist in the steps of Balaam and for the wages of unrighteousnesse will as much as in them lyeth curse those whom God hath blessed Are there any that lispe in the language of Canaan and speake plaine in the language of Ashdod frame and maintaine such opinions and tenets as like the ancient Tragedian Buskin which served indifferently for either foot left as well as right so these as passable in Rome as Geneva If there be any such I need not apply to them this reprehension of my Prophet How long halt yee between two opinions The dumbe beast and used to the yoke hath long agoe reproved the madnesse of such Prophets But I would that this larum of Elijah still rung in the eare of some of our great Statists About this time Doctor Carier who came over Chaplaine with the Lord Wotton preached a scandalous Sermon in Paris at Luxenburg house and not long after reconciled himselfe to the Romish Church and miscarrying first in his religion after in his hope of great preferments by the Cardinall Perons meanes in great discontent ended his wretched dayes who in the height of their policy over-reach their Religion and keep it so in awe that it shall not quatch against any of their projects for the raising their fortunes or put them to any trouble danger or inconvenience For as the Heliotropium turneth alwayes to the Sunne so they their opinions and practice in matter of Religion to the prevalent faction in State As the cunning Artizan in Macrobius about the time of the civill warre between Anthony and Augustus Caesar had two Crowes and with great labour and industry he taught one of them to say Salve Antoni Imperator God save Emperour Anthony and the other Salve Auguste Imperator All haile my Liege Augustus and thereby howsoever the world went he had a bird for the Conquerour so these if the reformed Religion prevaile their birds note is Ave Christe spes unica but if Popery be like to get the upper hand they have a bird then that can sing Ave Maria. Strange it is â—hat in the cleare light of the Gospel wee should see so many Batts flying which a man cannot tell what to make of whether birds or mice They are Zoophytes plant-animals like the wonderfull sheep in Muscovie Epicens amphibia animalia creatures that sometimes live in the water and sometimes on the land monsters bred of unlawfull conjunctions which should not see light If the image of this vice be so horrid and odious in nature what shall wee judge of the vice it selfe in religion I am sure God can better away with any sort of sinners than these for these he threatneth to spew out of his mouth To close up all My Beloved as yee tender the salvation of body and soule take heed of this Laodicean temper in religion if ye ever looke to be saved by your religion yee must save and preserve it entire and unmixed Take heed how ye familiarly converse with the Priests and Chemarims of Baal lest they draw you away from the living God to dumb dead Idols By no meanes bee brought to bow the knee to Baal or give any shew or countenance to idolatrous worship for God is a jealous God and will not give any part of his glory to graven Images Now the Lord who of his infinite mercy hath vouchsafed unto us the liberty of the Gospel and free preaching of his Word give a speciall blessing to that portion which hath been delivered to us at this present plant hee the true Religion in our hearts and daily water it both by hearing and reading his Word and meditating thereupon that it may bring forth plentifull fruit of righteousnesse in us all strengthen he the sinewes of our faith that we never halt between two opinions enflame he our zeale that we be never cold or lukewarme in the truth but in our understanding being rightly enformed and fully resolved of the orthodoxe faith we may in the whole course of our life be conformed to it reformed by it zealous for it and constant in it to death and so receive the crowne of life through Jesus Christ Cui cum Patre Spiritu sancto c. Amen Ambodexters Ambosinisters Or One God one true Religion THE LIX SERMON 1 KIN. 18.21 If the Lord be God follow him but if Baal then follow him Right Honourable c. NOt to suspect your memorie or wrong your patience by any needlesse repetition of what hath beene formerly observed out of the whole text joyntly or the parts severally considered the drift of the Prophet Elijah in this sprightly reproofe is to excite the King Nobles and Commons of Israel to resolution and zeale in the true and only worship of the true and only God and agreeably to this his maine scope and end hee bendeth all his strength and forces against those vices that bid battaile as it were to the former vertues These are two 1. Wavering unsettlednesse opposite to resolution 2. Timorous luke-warmnesse the sworne enemie to zeale To displace and utterly overthrow them and establish the contrarie
Athenian Priest answered to those that would have had her curse Alcibiades Priests saith shee are appointed to blesse not to curse to pray for people not against them Notwithstanding if the Church meet with a Simon Magus set in the gall of bitternesse and bond of iniquity or an Elymas that will not cease to pervert the right waies of God or an Alexander that mightily withstandeth the preaching of the Gospel shee may brandish the sword of the Spirit and cut such off from her visible assemblies for a time till they make their peace with God by repentance and with the Church by confession and humble submission to her sacred Canons 3. Men neither inspired by God nor authorized by the Church yet may and ought to pray against the kingdome of Sathan and members of Antichrist in generall and all whosoever stop the free passage of the Gospel or hinder the advancement of Christs Kingdome For we cannot love God but we must needs love them that love him and hate them that hate him even with a perfect hatred As wee must blesse them that blesse him so wee may and ought in generall to curse all that curse him In warre wee may aime at the Standard and shoot at the Flagge and Ensignes but it is against the law of armes to levell at any particular man in like manner we may shoot out of zeale fiery darts of execration at the Standard of Sathan and levell at the Flagge and Colours of Antichrist but wee may not curse or doome to the pit of hell such a nation city assembly or man in particular 1. Because God only knoweth who are his he that is now a great persecuter or a scoffer at the truth may be in time a zealous professor and it is a fearfull thing to curse the children of blessing 2. Because it is very difficult if not impossible for any in this kinde to curse but that malice and desire of revenge will mingle themselves with our zeale and thereby wee shall offer with Nadab and Abihu strange fire 3. Because we are commanded to pray for our enemies who the more they have wronged us the more they stand in need of our prayers For the greater injury they offer us the more they hurt themselves they wound us in body but themselves in soule they spoyle us of our goods but they deprive themselves of Gods grace they goe about to staine our good name but by detraction and false calumniation they worse staine their owne conscience they may worke us out of favour with Princes and great men but they put themselves out of favour with God thereby Yee heare how execrable a thing cursing and execration is and yet what so common I tremble to rehearse what wee heare upon every sleight occasion O remember from this Memento in my Text that unlesse yee were inspired as the people here were and knew that those whom yee curse were hated of God as these Edomites were by cursing others yee incurre a curse and by casting fire-brands of Hell at your brethren yee heape hot burning coales upon your heads And so I passe from the curse to the parties cursed The children of Edome The Edomites or Idumeans were of the race of Esau Jacobs elder brother who comming home hungry from hunting and finding his brother seething pottage grew so greedy of it that he bargained with him for a messe at the deare rate of his birth-right This red broth bought at such a price was ever after cast in Esau his dish and from it hee was called r Gen. 25.30 31 32 33. Edome and all his posterity Edomites or Idumeans as if yee would say red or bloudy ones Such was their name and such were they a bloudy generation of the right bloud of Esau For as he sought the life of his brother Jacob so they ever plotted the ruine and destruction of the Jewes their brethren and in the day of Jerusalems fearfull visitation when the Babylonians had taken the City and put all in it to the sword and robbed the Temple and ransacked all the houses and left nothing but the wall their unnaturall brethren the Idumeans in stead of quenching or at least allaying the fury of the Babylonians by their praiers and compassionate teares cast oyle into the flame and set them in a greater rage against them and instigated them to a further degree of cruelty even to pull down all the houses and sacke the walls saying Raze it raze it to the ground For which their inhumane and savage cruelty against the Church of God God remembred them in due time and rewarded them as they had served their brethren to fulfill the prophecies of Å¿ Jer. 49.7 8 9 10 11 12. Jeremy and Obadiah t Obad. ver 10 11 12 13 14 15 16. For thy cruelty against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee In the day that thou stoodest on the other side in the day that the stranger carried away captive his forces and forreiners entred into his gates cast lots upon Jerusalem even thou wast as one of them But thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother in the day that he became a stranger neither shouldest thou have rejoyced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction neither shouldest thou have spoken proudly in the day of their distresse Neither shouldest thou have stood in the crosse wayes to cut off those of his that did escape neither shouldest thou have delivered up those of his that did remaine in the day of distresse For the day of the Lord is neere upon all the heathen as thou hast done so it shall be done unto thee thy reward shall returne upon thine owne head Behold a notable example of divine justice in meting to the wicked their owne measure and punishing them with that where with they offended The Edomites proved false to the Jewes their brethren and their neerest friends prove false to them They received a wound ver 7. from the men of their confederacy even from them that ate their bread Non expectato vulnus ab hoste ferunt Remember O Lord the Edomites but destroy the Babylonians Though the Edomites dealt most cruelly with their brethren the Jewes yet the Jewes are not so farre transported with passion against them as not to put a difference between them and the Babylonians By the way wee may note the condition of Christs dearest Spouse in the world both Edomites and Babylonians forraine and domesticall enemies those that are neere and those that are farre off conspire against poore Jerusalem and bring her as you see upon her knees crying to heaven for revenge and by the spirit of prophesie promising Cyrus good successe in his enterprise against Babylon O daughter of Babylon that is City of Babylon by an elegant Hebraisme as tell the daughter of Sion that is tell Sion We reade of a twofold Babylon in sacred Scriptures of the one in the Old Testament the other in
any court for ought I know against the dead wee know not where to bestow them wee could doe no lesse in Christian charity and providence than procure the bounds of our Golgotha to be enlarged For though other houses and tenements stand void with us the grave shall never want guests nor the Church-yard and vaults under ground tenants against their will All men and women are flowers and all flowers will fall and when they are ready to fall we shall have slips I feare but too many to plant this parcell of ground which wee have gained in by the gift of the father of this Sichem But hereof hereafter when I shall have opened my Text and the sepulchre in it and who were interred there and how they came thither If in any Text almost of the whole Scripture surely in this the coherence needeth to be handled For at the first sight this relation of the buriall of the Patriarchs seemeth to have no affinity at all with Saint Stephens apologie for himselfe against the Jewes who charged him with blasphemy against Moses and against the Law Now as in a shooting match a stander by can hardly discerne the flight of an arrow unlesse he marke the Archers aime and observe the flight-shaft as soon as it is delivered out of the bow so unlesse ye marke Saint Stephens aime and observe how he entereth into this story of the Old Testament ye can hardly discerne how direct it is to his maine scope and purpose But so it is that as he that shooteth farre draweth his arrow backward up to the head and as hee that leapeth forward fetcheth his feeze a great way backe so doth Saint Stephen here seem to give ground and recoile a great way backward but it is to come on with more force and powerfully to confound the Jewes who began not now to persecute the Saints of God and Witnesses of Jesus Christ but in all ages had done the like Fabius Maximus as b Liv. dec 3. l. 2. Livie writeth kept aloofe off from the Carthaginian army upon a high hill till hee saw that Hannibal had foiled Minutius in the plaine but then hee falleth upon him and routs all his troupes whereupon Hannibal uttered that memorable speech I ever feared that the cloud which hovered so long upon the hills would in the end powre downe and give us a sad showre Saint Stephen like Fabius for a great while keepeth aloof off from the Jewes and his discourse resembleth a darke cloud hovering on the top of a hill which on the sudden in the end rained downe upon them and caused a bitter storme for killing first all the servants sent to them by the Master of the Vineyard and last of all his Sonne The Jewes bragged much of their fathers Saint Stephen by epitomizing the story of the Old Testament sheweth unto them that they ought rather to be ashamed of them in whose wicked steps notwithstanding they trod and were now as their fathers ever had bin a stiffe-necked people of uncircumcised eares and hearts resisting the spirit of God and cruelly persecuting those to death who shewed before of the comming of the just One of whom saith he ye have been now the betrayers and murderers who have received the Law by the disposition of Angels and have not kept it The accusers of Saint Stephen articled against him that hee had uttered blasphemy against the Law of Moses and against the Temple because hee taught that the ceremonies of the Law were fulfilled in Christ and that the shadow ought to vanish the body being come in place Saint Stephen answereth for himselfe that the doctrine of the Gospel was ancienter than the Law or the Temple and that all the furniture of the Temple and Arke were made according to the patterne in the Mount and had a reference to heavenly and spirituall things revealed in the Gospel that God was now to be worshipped in spirit and truth by faith in Christ now come as hee had been by the fathers before the Law in Christ to come who by faith gave charge that their bones should be carried out of Egypt and buried in the land of Canaan beleeving that God would certainly performe his promise made unto their posterity first of the reall possession of the earthly after that of the heavenly inheritance by the seed of Abraham in whom all Nations are blessed Christ Jesus that should be born in that land What they gave in charge was accordingly performed as ye heare in the words of my Text So Jacob went into Egypt and dyed he and our fathers and were carried over into Sichem and laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought c. Ye see the coherence but ye cannot yet discerne the truth of the relation because there is a mist on the words which hath caused many to misse their way and it cannot bee otherwise dispelled than by cleering this whole relation of Saint Stephen and comparing it with the narration of Moses 1. It is evident out of Genes 23.16 20. that Abraham for foure hundreds shekels of silver bought the field of Ephron the Hittite which was in Machpelah and therein a cave to bury the dead 2. It is evident out of Genes 33.19 that Jacob bought a parcell of a field where he had spread his tent at the hand of the children of Hamor Sechems father for a hundred peeces of mony 3. It is evident likewise out of Genes 50.13 that Jacobs sons carried him into the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field in Machpelah which Abraham bought with the field for a possession of a burying place of Ephron the Hittite before Mamre 4. It is evident out of Jos 24.32 that the children of Israel brought the bones of Joseph out of Egypt and buried them in Sechem in a parcell of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Sechem for a hundred peeces of silver and it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph Now the points of difficulty are three 1. Whether all the Patriarchs were buried in Sechem or only Joseph For in the booke of Josuah there is mention made of none buried there but Joseph yet Saint Stephen here speaketh in the plurall number Our fathers dyed and were carried over into Sechem And Saint Jerome who lived in those parts writeth that in his time the sepulchre of the twelve Patriarchs was to be seen in Sechem 2. Whether Abraham or Jacob bought this field wherein they were buried For both bought ground for buriall but not at the same rate nor in the same place nor from the same Landlords For Abraham paid for his purchase foure hundred peeces of silver Jacob an hundred Abrahams lay in the country of Heth Jacobs of Sechem Abraham bought it of Ephron the Hittite Jacob of Hamor the Sechemite If the Patriarchs were laid in a sepulchre at Sechem it could not be that which Abraham bought for that was not in the tenure
he but out of as great or greater pride so our adversaries the Papists may be justly taxed for exterminating one errour the errour of consubstantiation by bringing in another as bad the errour of transubstantiation which putteth accidents without subjects quantity without dimensions bodies without place and what not l Sueton in Calig Utinam populus Romanus haberet unicam cervicem Caligula wished that all his enemies had but one necke that hee might cut them all off at one blow the three heresies now mentioned have all but one necke I will therefore smite off all their heads at once with the sword of the Spirit Christ was like unto us in all things sinne onely excepted if so then was hee circumscribed with quantity and confined to one place at once then not in many places as the Papists teach and much lesse in all places as the Eutychians and Lutherans beare us in hand he is But to leave the confutation of these heresies and draw neere unto our present occasion Christ never came to any place but hee left behinde him some print of his Majestie or pledge of his love he touched no where but he wrought some miracle or shewed some mercy If the presence of the Arke which was but a type or shadow brought a blessing to Obed Edome how much more shall the presence of the body the truth himself make the place happie wheresoever he resideth Jesus never commeth without salvation with him and therefore when he entred into the house of Zaccheus he laid Hodie huic domui salus contigit this day salvation m Luk. 19.9 is come to this house The approach of the Sunne is the spring and joy of the yeare even so the approach of Christ is the bloâ—â—oming of the trees and opening the flowers of Paradise it crowneth â—oth the Church and Common-wealth with spirituall and temporall blessings as it were garlands one upon the other Yea but how may his approach be obtained who can intreat him to come neare us what load-stone can draw his love to us I answer Our love our faith our hope our devotion n James 4.8 Draw neere unto God and hee will draw neere unto you Draw neere unto him by faith accedit qui credit faith layeth hold on him Draw neere unto him by hope hope relieth upon him Draw neere unto him by love love embraceth him and o Psal 73.28 adhereth to him Draw neere unto p Esa 29.3 him with your lippes by prayer with your q Eccles 5.1 eares by listening to his Word draw neare with your whole body by presenting your selves at his table and worthily participating the holy Sacrament Thus if ye draw neere to him he will draw neere to you and comming neere to you as he did to Jerusalem hee will fixe his eyes on you And so I passe to the second step 2. Vidit he beheld it There is comfort when the Physician commeth to visit his patient there is hope when an expert Chirurgeon vieweth a dangerous wound David thought it enough to say Looke r Psal 25.18 upon mine affliction and miserie and Å¿ Psal 84.9 Looke upon the face of thine annointed and Lord lift t Psal 4.8 thou up the light of thy countenance upon us God never casteth his eye upon any but he settleth his affection upon him and hee never settleth affection upon any without an intention of blessing them As Christ cured mens bodies with a word so their soules with a looke Hee looked upon Peter and presently he repented he looked upon Zaccheus and presently he was justified hee looked upon Saint Matthew and presently hee was called Why then was Jerusalem no better for this gracious aspect because she shut her eyes against the true light When Christ looked to her she turned away from him when he wept for her she laught at him when hee sought to save her shee plotted his death and destruction Yet were not the beams of Christs eye cast in vaine upon this City for the spirituall Jerusalem as Saint u Orig. in hunc locum Origen telleth us that is the faithfull in Jerusalem were the better for them for they observed our Saviours eye and kept his teares in a bottle and laid up his words in their heart and being fully perswaded of the truth of his prediction concerning the destruction of the City and Temple when forty years after Titus began to lay siege to it they left it and fled to Pella and thereby escaped all those miseries and troubles which our Saviour could not foretell with drie eyes The Philosophers and Physicians are not yet agreed utrum visio fiat extramittendo vel intromittendo whether in the act of seeing the eye casteth out beames upon the object or receiveth species from it The question is easily resolved here for Christ both cast out a beame of his affection out of his eye on the City and received also the species or image of it into his eye at once he looked upon her with a twofold eye 1 The eye of sense 2 The eye of Prophesie To the eye of sense Jerusalem appeared most beautifull glorious and happy environed with strong walls adorned with magnificent buildings stored with people abounding in wealth and furnished with all sort of munition but to the eye of prophesie shee appeared in another hiew with her walls sacked her houses burnt her turrets demolished her young men slaine her virgins defloured her priests sacrificed her streets piled with carkasses and her channels running with gore bloud u Vir. Aenead 2 Quis talia fando Temperet à lachrymis This most lamentable spectacle though a farre off drew teares from our Saviours eyes And so I passe to the third step which is the wettest of all 3. Flevit super eam He wept over it In the water of Christs teares we may see after a sort the face both of his humane and divine nature In that they were teares issuing from the troubled fountain of sorrow in his heart they prove him to be a true man but in that they represented the weeping and mourning that should ensue after his death in Jerusalem they demonstrate him to be true God for x Tertul. apol argumentum divinitatis veritas divinationis the certainty of divination is an argument of divinity Neither were these teares onely indices naturae evidences of his nature but pledges of his love and as y Orig. in Mat. Omnes beâ—titudines quas in Evangelio locutus est suo firmavit exemplo Origen noteth instances of his doctrine touching the blessednesse of mourners Christ exemplified every point of his doctrine in himselfe he taught that the poore in spirit are blessed and none so humble in heart as hee hee taught that peace-makers were blessed who so great a peace-maker as he who is our peace and reconciled heaven and earth hee taught blessed are they that suffer for righteousnesse sake and none ever suffered so much
hand and giveth them a stay in the next clause onely use not liberty for an occasion unto the flesh Lest any presumptuous sinner should lay hold on the hornes of the Altar and claspe about that gracious promise i Tit. 2.11 The grace of God that bringeth salvation unto all men hath appeared he beateth off their fingers in the next verse teaching us that denying ungodlinesse and worldly lusts wee should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world In like manner lest any should * 2 Pet. 3.16 wrest the former verse of this Prophet as they doe the other Scriptures to the building forts of presumption but to the apparent ruine of their owne soules the Prophet forcibly withstandeth them in the words of my text But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousnesse c. The life of a Christian is not unfitly compared to a long and dangerous sea voyage the sea is this present world the barkes are our bodies the sailers our soules the pylot our faith the card Gods Word the rudder constancie the anker hope the maine mast the crosse of Christ the strong cables our violent affections the sailes our desires and the holy Spirit the good winde which filleth the sailes and driveth the barke and marriners to the faire k Act. 27.8 haven which is heaven Now in our way which lyeth through many temptations and tribulations there are two dangerous rockes the one on the right hand the other on the left the rock on the right hand to be avoided is presumption the rock on the left threatning shipwracke is despaire betweene which we are to steere our ship by feare on the one side and hope on the other To hold us in a solicitous feare that we touch not upon presumption let us have alwayes in the eye of our minde 1 The glorious and most omnipotent majesty of God 2 His all-seeing providence 3 His impartiall justice 4 His severe threatnings against sinne 5 The dreadfull punishments hee inflicteth upon sinners 6 The heinousnesse of the sin of presumption which turneth Gods grace into wantonnesse 7 The difficulty of recovery after relapses 8 The uncertainty of Gods offer of grace after the frequent refusall thereof To keepe us in hope that wee dash not upon the rocke of despaire on the contrary side let us set before our troubled and affrighted consciences these grounds of comfort 1 The infinitenesse of Gods mercy 2 The price and value of Christs blood 3 The efficacy of his intercession 4 The vertue of the Sacraments 5 The universality and certainty of Gods promises to the penitent 6 The joy of God and Angels for the conversion of a sinner 7 The communion of Saints who all pray for the comfort of afflicted consciences and the ease of all that are heavie laden with their sinnes 8 The examples of mercy shewed to most grievous sinners Upon these grounds the contrite penitent may build strong forts of comfort after this manner My sins though they be more in number than the heires of my head yet they are finite whereas Gods mercy is every way infinite if my debt bee as a thousand my Saviours merits are as infinite millions And not onely Gods mercy but his justice also pleads for my pardon for it is against justice that the same debt should be twice paid to require a full ransome from my Redeemer and expect it from my selfe I l â— Joh. 1.9 confesse my sinnes and therefore I know he is faithfull and just to forgive mee my sinnes and cleanse mee from all my unrighteousnesse One drop of the blood of the Sonne of God was a sufficient price for the ransome of many worlds and shall not such store of it spinning from his temples dropping from his hands gushing out of his side and trickling from all parts of his body both in the garden and in the High Priests Hall satisfie for one poore soule that preferreth his love even before heaven it selfe All my sinnes are either originall or actuall the guilt of originall is taken away in baptisme and as often as I have received the blessed Sacrament a generall pardon was tendred unto mee for all my other sinnes and the seale delivered into my hands What though God will not heare the prayers of such a sinner as I am yet he will heare the prayers of Jesus Christ the righteous who is the propitiation for my sinnes I acknowledge to my hearts griefe and sorrow that neither faith nor hope nor any other divine vertue beareth any sensible fruit in mee for the present yet the seed of my regeneration remaineth in mee And as the blind man knew that his sight began to be restored to him even by the defect he found in it when he thought he m Mark 8.24 saw men walke like trees so even by this I know that I am not utterly destitute of grace because I feele and unfainedly bewaile the want of it If there were no heavenly treasure in mee Satan would not so often and so furiously assault mee for theeves besiege not much lesse breake open those houses where they are perswaded nothing is to be found The greater my sorrow is for my sinne and my spirituall desertion the greater is my hope for the spirit maketh intercession for the sonnes of God n Rom. 8.26 with groaning which cannot be expressed None were cured by the brazen Serpent which before had not beene stung by the fiery neither doth Christ promise ease unto any but to those that feele themselves heavie burdened But to confine my meditations to the letter of my text Before ye heard Repent you of your sinnes and you shall surely live God pawneth his life for it therefore despaire not how grievous soever your sinnes be But now I am to tell you plainly if you repent you of your repentance and turne from righteousnesse to sinne and end your dayes in that state you shall surely die eternally therefore presume not how compleate soever your former righteousnesse seeme to have beene In these two verses are implyed a double conversion 1 From evill to good 2 From good to evill To turne from evill is good from good is evill the former is repentance upon which I spent my last discourse the later is relapse or apostacie against which I am now to bend all my forces But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousnesse and committeth iniquity c. in the transgression which he hath transgressed and in the sinne which he hath sinned in them hee shall surely die The contents of this verse are like the Prophet Jeremies figges of which wee read that the bad were exceeding bad for in the antecedent or fore-part we have apostacie that totall and in the hinder part or consequent death and that finall The words divide themselves into first a supposition When or if the righteous forsake secondly an inference his former righteousnesse shall not be remembred c. The supposition is dangerous the