knowledge of the truth let vs hold it fast till our Lord Iesus come he will deliver vs from that houre of tentation which shall come vpon all the world to trie thē that dwell vpon the earth Thus much of the persons who alone doe fall into this sinne Now see we with what mind this sinne is committed For that is my second circumstance If we sinne willingly How desirously with what consent of mind this sinne is committed it appeareth partly in this place by this word willingly and partly by those wordes Heb. 6.6 they crucifie againe vnto themselues the sonne of God and make a mocke of him They crucifie againe the sonne of God that notes their envy and malice they crucifie him againe vnto themselues that argues their willingnesse Their consciences their hearts filled with envy and malice doe make thē with all willingnesse commit such abomination This their willing mind to doe so ill may arise from three of their conceits One is that a man may repent when he will and this perswasion they haue because Ezech. 18.21 they find that at what time soever a sinner shall returne from all his sinnes that hee hath committed and shall doe that which is lawfull and right hee shall surely liue and shall not die all his transgressions that he hath cōmitted they shall not be mentioned vnto him but in his righteousnesse that he hath done he shall liue Here they may conceaue that late repentance is seldome true repentance and iustly may they feare lest that repentance which they frame to themselues when they are dying die with them The first lesson that Iohn Baptist taught was Repent for the kingdome of Heaven is at hand Mat. 3.2 The first lesson that the Disciples taught was Repent for the kingdome of Heaven is at hand Math. 10.7 And the first lesson which Christ himselfe taught was Repent too for the kingdome of Heaven is at hand Mat. 4.17 Here is no posting over to the houre of death Repentance must be first of all learned both by young and old It is not for a young man to say I will repent for certainely could Iudas haue repented whē he had listed he would never haue g Mat. 27.5 Act. 1.18 hanged himselfe neither is it safe for an old man to say I haue repented he hath lived long enough to knowe that God is I am and therefore is best pleased with I am he little cares for I was or I will be A second conceit of theirs making their mind so willing to doe wickedly is that the best man that is hath seaven falls every day into grosse sinnes and here they alleage that place Prov. 24.16 the righteous man falleth seaven times in a day and riseth againe But we may answer that this place is to bee vnderstood of fals into afflictions and calamities rather then of falls into actuall sinnes and so makes little for their purpose Their third conceit is that their small sinnes or hidden sinnes are no sinnes and that their greatest sinnes wherein they liue lie wallowing most dangerously are but sinnes of infirmitie And here they are perfit in the reckoning vp of Peters fal Lots incest Solomons Idolatrie Noahs drunkennesse Davids murther Sarahs lie Rebeccahs perswading her sonne Iacob to beguile his owne father the theft of Onesimus the many Concubines of the Patriarchs and the like they finde that the grace of God hath abounded aboue sinne in all these and why may it not abound aboue their sinnes also In this resolution they hold on their owne and proper walke Impij in circuitu ambulant Psal 12.8 the wicked haue their waies but they are crooked they are circular endlesse waies they walke by compasse not much vnlike their father the Divell who testifieth of himselfe that he had compassed the whole earth Iob. 1.7 they walke by compasse indeed but never towards the marke never towards the price that is set before them For how can they attaine thereto as long as they goe thus wheeling about to no purpose like the turning of a mill which when it hath laboured the whole day long is foūd at night in the selfe same place where it first began So these men in circuitu ambulant they walke by compasse and when the night shall come their last night the last houre of their liues they shall bee found not to haue proceeded one step forwards except it be in wickednesse To this point I say howsoever grace aboundeth aboue sin yet accursed are they yea ever cursed shall they bee who doe sinne that grace and blessing may abound vnto them Rom. 6.1 we are forbidden to doe h Rom. 3.8 evill where we certainely know that good may come thereof much lesse may wee make the grace of God a defence for our sinnes This must bee our shield there is no i Rom. 8.1 condemnation to the righteous though hee fall many times a day but if any man shall sinne presuming of Gods mercies let such a one knowe that his damnation is iust and himselfe is like that theefe that stealeth because hee seeth one among twentie pardoned by the Prince Thus you see with what minde this sinne is committed the heart is full of envy full of malice and the minde in all willingnesse assenteth But do not Gods children having received the knowledge of the truth sinne also willingly If they do how thē is it that they are freed from this sinne for which there remaineth no more sacrifice This doubt will be cleare if we doe but consider this one position The childe of God though he cannot fall finally in the end nor vtterly at any time may notwithstanding fall grievously may fall dangerously First by his default the graces of God may be lessened in him and therefore hath S. Paule exhorted the Thessalonians not to quench the spirit 1. Thess 5.19 the Ephesians not to grieue the holy spirit of God Ephes 4.30 By his default then the graces of God may be lessened in him yea they may be so buried in him for a time as that he may be like a man in a trance who both by his owne sense and by the iudgement of the Physitian is taken for dead Hither may you referre the estate of Peter of David and of others whom I haue already mentioned vnto you Secondly he may fall againe into the same sinne after repentance and this may wee learne of Paule praying the Corinthians in Christes steed that they would be k 2. Cor. 5.20 reconciled to God who indeed were reconciled to God before Thirdly he may sin presumptuously that is he may sinne wittingly willingly wilfully Against this David praied vnto the LORD Psal 19.13 keepe thy servaunt from presumptuous sinnes that he was in danger of them appeareth by the words following let them not reigne over me Lastly he may sinne desperately and this is a fearefull sinne he may despaire of Gods mercies for a time as the incestuous mā was like to doe
farre hath this boldnesse thrust it selfe as that now bee there any talke of Divinitie it is thought but a small matter for such whose neckes are as sinewes of Iron and browes like brasse I meane for carelesse hearts and venterous tongues to be vp with predestination or the Sinne against the holy Ghost To such what shall I say Even as one said in the like case it were better for them they had neither tongues in their heads nor hearts in their breasts then that they should delight in their so vnreverent and vngodly vsage For hereby what doe they else but blaspheme the eternall wisdome of God It is a faithfull lesson for servants to be obedient to them that are their masters according to the flesh in feare trembling you may find it Eph. 6.5 And shall we servants to that great LORD our master according to the spirit when we enter talke of his word not feare shall we not tremble shall we at his greatest mysteries be carelesse mockers The knowledge of Gods predestination should cast downe our proud reason even to the ground it should make vs confesse before him that all his doings are secret all his iudgements vnsearchable all his waies past finding out yet we like fooles vnwilling though wee should bee brayed in a morter to let our foolishnesse depart from vs doubt not at all to examine the high iudgements of God as if they were pliable to our foolish reason And so likewise the Sin against the holy Ghost is mentioned to make vs feare to work in vs the feare of the LORD which is as a well-spring of life to free vs from all the snares of death to make vs loue the LORD learne al his iudgemeÌ„ts to assure vs so farre of his favour as that we cannot possibly sinne against his spirit yet we as discontent herewith put all feare apart make no end of questioning whether the Sin against the holy Ghost be this sinne or that sinne when God knoweth at al sinnes we make but a iest Iustly may we feare lest God say to vs as once he said to the wicked Psal 50.16 Quid tuâ vt enarres decreta mea Gods ordinances being holy pure should not come into mouthes given to filthinesse With what face then dare men of vncircumcised mindes and mouthes medle with such holy mysteries either publikely or privatly Quid tuâ vt enarres decreta mea What hast thou to doe to declare mine ordinances Doth it belong to thee to take my covenant in thy mouth saith the Lord. You see how farre too much boldnesse carieth vs headlong The other fault I spake of was too much feare Some there are and they none of the worst of vs who by the singular mercies of God haue so beene humbled as that they cover their faces and hang downe their heads at the remeÌ„brance of their sinnes To such every sound of the Sin against the holy Ghost is a piercing of their hearts they stop their ears at the name of it they would not haue it spoken of at all for feare lest themselues should bee holden in the transgression In which their opinion they seeme to accord with those who hold of predestination and election that they are matters not to be thought of too high for mans learning Which conceite was first founded in the forge of a Popish braine thence hath beene derived to vs. Hence sprang that their comfortlesse lesson hope well and haue well and that their assertion leading vnto wilfull blindnesse it is not the dutie of a man to knowe his election In the 2. to the Corinth 135. it is thus written Proue your selues whether yee are in the faith examine your selues knowe yee not your owne selues how that Iesus Christ is in you except yee bee reprobates Consider the words Shall God here by his Apostle bid proue and dares man say doubt Shall God bid examine dares maÌ„ advise vs only to hope Shall the spirit of truth command vs to knowe our salvation and dares a lying spirit in the mouthes of false prophets account it presumption to knowe our salvation To this purpose is it that S. Iohn exhorteth you 1. Iohn 4.1 Trie the spirits whether they are of God or not As for those in whose eares the naming of this Sin against the holy Ghost soundeth harshly Christ hath said the summe of all that hath beene said c Luk. 12.32 Feare not my little flocke for it hath pleased your father to giue to you a kingdome not momentary but eternall purchased not with gold and silver but with the most precious bloud of his only sonne and therefore may yee well be assured that he will also giue you victory over sinne death This great and heinous Sinne bee it what it will let it never discourage you it cannot hurt you it is none of yours This sinne is the sinne of those that haue despised knowledge but like as the Hart desireth the water brooks so doe your soules thirst after more knowledge of the Lord. This sinne is the sinne of such as haue contemned the Crosse of Christ but the delight of your liues is therein This sinne is the sinne of such as haue made the world their God but your God with whoÌ„ yee walke in whose feare you liue hath had such mercy on you as that yee account all the world but dung to the end yee may winne Christ And therefore I say againe this great and heinous sin be it what it will let it never discourage you it cannot hurt you it is none of yours Wheresoever they dwell that haue thus sinned and are in this condemnation be of good comfort God himselfe beareth you witnesse that their tents and their tabernacles are not neere you Thus haue wee beene warned touching Gods holy mysteries that we be neither too bold nor too fearefull let vs now walking in the midst betweene both betweene feare boldnesse drawe neere with reverence and with glad and faithfull eares abide we the hearing of this sinne let vs not bee so foolish either to feare the smoake since the fire cannot hurt vs or to wade too farre since the depth may devoure vs. Now then not to trouble you long with those d Desperatio Praesumptio Impoenitentia Obâ—tinatio Impugnatio â—eritatis agnitae Invidia gratiae fraternae Angelus del Pas â—nchirid Scholast Theolog. Sect. 2. lib. 2. c. 1. p. 56. six kindes of sinnes against the holy Ghost much spoken of by the Schoolemen as namely presumption of Gods mercies and Despaire coÌ„trary to presumption and the Oppugning of the known truth the Envying of all the good gifts and graces in our brethren and Obstinacie Impenitencie let it bee sufficient for vs to vnderstand that in the word of God there is mention of one onely sinne so called In Mat. 12.31 as also in Mark 3.29 and Luke 12.10 it is called the blasphemie against the holy Ghost You shall finde it at large described if
here alleage many other places and some examples out of the holy Scriptures to shew you yet farther that the child of God notwithstanding his many falls may find pardon and that he which is once in the state of grace shall be in the same for ever That which I haue already delivered I hope hath sufficiently cleered this point and overthrowne the doctrine of the Catharists All which I haue delivered for your comforts which haue already sinned not for your encouragements who meane to sinne hereafter For howsoever Grace aboundeth aboue sinne yet cursed shall yee be and that with an everlasting curse if yee sinne that grace and blessing may abound vnto you You may read for this purpose the beginning of the sixt chap. to the Romans there shall you finde an impossibilitie for you that are dead to sinne yet to liue therein knowe yee not that all ye which haue beene baptised into Iesus Christ haue been baptised into his death Why then yee are buried by baptisme into his death that as he was raised from the dead so yee also should walke in newnesse of life You are forbidden to doe evill where you are assured that good may come thereof Rom. 3.8 much lesse may you make the mercies of God a defence for your sins I grant it is true that there is no condemnation to the righteous though he fall seaven times a day but if a man sinne presuming vpon Gods mercies that he shal haue time hereafter for repentance from his former dead workes I must needs say his damnation may be warrantable to be very iust Thou foole how knowest thou Luke 12.20 that this night they will not fetch away thy soule froÌ„ thee I come to my second note to shew you that the sinne against the holy Ghost is not at any time nor can ever be forgiven If I should stand to refute the reasons brought against this doctrine by them who haue given their names to great Babylon that mother of whordomes and abominations I should passe the time limited vnto mee and therfore since one contrarie as in the scholes we learne may be the better knowne by the other let it suffice that at this time I set downe a positiue doctrine without any refutation of the contrary There is a woman cloathed with the Sunne the moone is vnder her feete and on her head is a crowne of twelue stars al shee hath shee hath from Christ all her beauty is spirituall and heavenly all her milke is sweete and comfortable This comely one deciphered vnto you by St Iohns vision Revel 12.1 hath never fainted and taught vs also never to faint in maintaining this doctrine The sinne against the Holy Ghost is not at any time nor can ever be forgiven Shee beleeveth that this sinne not only easily shall not bee forgiven but not at all Her spowse saith neither in this world nor in the world to come Mat. 12.32 St Iohn tels her that there is a sinne vnto death which shee may not pray for 1. Ioh. 5.16 Our Apostle assureth her that such sinners cannot possibly bee renewed by repentance Heb. 6.6 and my text hath there remaineth no more sacrifice for such sin It is a necessary consequeÌ„ce This sinne is not pardonable either in this world or in the world to come we may not pray for it we cannot repent for it there remaineth no sacrifice for it therefore we may truely say as the Church hath truely taught The sinne against the Holy Ghost is not at any time nor can ever be forgiven The latter of all these reasons best fitteth the point we haue in hand No sacrifice can be offered for the sinne against the Holy Ghost therefore that sinne can never be forgiven For the declaratioÌ„ of the force of this reason we may note touching the sacrifices by which the Church of Christ doth liue for the Iewish sacrifices I omit in regard that Christ our redeemer is the very substance of them all touching the sacrifices I say by which Christs Church doth liue we may note that every such sacrifice is either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 either a propitiatorie sacrifice a sacrifice for sinne a sinne offering or else a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving a peace offering The former of these two maketh most for our present occasion That therefore is either cruentum or incruentum a bloodie sacrifice or a sacrifice without blood The bloody sacrifice is that which Christ our faithfull Saviour did once offer vp for vs vpon the Altar oâ— the Crosse of which sacrifice the necessity the efficacie the vnity the perpetuity are at large laid open to our view by our Apostle in this Epistle to the Hebrewes That other sacrifice without blood not simply propitiatory yet a sinne offering too and in some sort enabled through the propitiation of Christ to procure pardon for our sinnes is the sacrifice of repentance from dead workes proceeding froÌ„ a liuely saith in Christ causing vs to make our most humble suite for pardon even for Christ Iesus sake Here are only two kinds of sinne offerings the one propitiatory able to clense vs from al our sinnes even Christ himselfe once offered vp for the sins of the whole world the other not propitiatory yet effectuall to vs through him that is the propitiation for our sinnes even our repentance from dead workes wherein through a liuely faith we giue vp our selues Rom. 12 1. our soules and our bodies a living a holy an acceptable sacrifice vnto God And these two are so linked the one to the other as that they cannot by any meanes be severed For if Christ hath died for vs then assuredly hee will bee at all times ready to offer vp our broken and contrite hearts our humiliation our repentance from dead workes our prayers praise and thanksgiving yea and all our sacrifices vpon the golden Altar which is before the throne But they for whom Christ hath not died as he hath not died for all can by no sacrifice make an atonement betweene God and themselues and such are all they that haue sinned against the Holy Ghost yea such are all the reprobate For all which TOPHET is prepared of old it is prepared for the noble as well as for the baser sort not one of all such shall bee exempted it is made for them deepe and large the burning thereof is fire and much wood the breath of the LORD like a river of brâ—mstone doth kindle it so saith the Prophet Esai 30.33 And touching them who haue sinned against the holy Ghost departing from their former light and casting behinde them their first vnderstanding I adde yet farther since they are fallen away from repentance impossible shall it bee for them hereafter to repent since they are fallen away from faith towards God never may they hope to beleeue againe since they are fallen away from the doctrine of the baptisme and laying on of hands they are not likely
out of the bagge and weigh silver in a ballance and hire a goldsmith to make a God of it and they bow downe worship it They beare it vpon their shoulders they cary him and set him in place so doth he stand and cannot remoue from his place Remember this and be ashamed O yee Idolaters a Esai 40 2â— Know yee nothing haue yee not heard it hath it not beene told you from the beginning haue ye not vnderstood it by the foundation of the earth God sitteth vpon the circle of the earth and beholdeth the inhabitants thereof as grashoppers he stretcheth out the Heavens as a curtaine spreades them out as a tent to dwell in He measures the waters in his fist counts Heaven with his span comprehends the dust of the earth in a measure weighes the mountaines in a weight and the hils in a ballance God incorporeall invisible spiritual passing all measure there is nothing like vnto him No thing And therefore O Idolaters not your old mans image For the truth of your antecedent we stand on your side It 's very true the Scripture in expresse words attributeth vnto God many the members of mans body It saith of him that he stands he sits he walkes it nameth his head his feete his armes it giues him a seate a throne a footstoole But al these and other like bodyly offices parts members being spoken of as belonging vnto God must be vnderstood figuratiuely It hath pleased the Spirit of wisedome to deale with vs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to fit the holy Scriptures to our weake capacities to vse known familiar and sensible tearmes thereby to raise vp our conceits to some knowledge of the everliving God In this regard by the wisedome of the same Spirit among many other mâ—mbers Hands are also ascribed vnto God and that in many pâ—aces yet not in every place to one the same sense and vnderstanding It 's noted by the Magdeburgenses out of Innocentius that the Hand of God doth beare diverse offices among vs. Officia creatoris largientis protegentis minantis the offices of a Creator liberall giuer protector and threatner Hands are ascribed vnto God sometime to shew that he is the Creator of al things as Psal 119.73 Thy hands haue made me and fashioned mee sometime to shew his liberalitie to all liuing things as Psalm 145.16 Thou openest thy hand and fillest all things liuing of thy good pleasure sometime to shew the care hee hath to protect and defend the faithfull as Esai 49.2 Vnder the shadow of his hand hath he hid me and sometime to shew his readinesse to be avenged vpon all the wicked as Esai 10.14 His hand is stretched out still But these and all other the significations of the hands of God I reduce to two heads to the loue of God and his displeasure vnder them comprehending all their consequents and effects That the hand of God betokeneth sometime his loue and the benefits redounding thence to man mans being and his well being it may easily be proued Iudg. 2.15 wee read that the Lords hand was against the Israelites for evill The collection thence may be that the Lords hand is sometime towardes some for good It 's made plaine Nehem. 2.8 where the Prophet to shew how ready Artaxerxes was to doe him pleasure saith The King gaue mee according to the good hand of my God vpon me I might by many like instances out of holy Scripture giue strength to this position but it may seeme to be a needles labour and therefore I proceed Now that the hand of God should betoken his displeasure and the effects thereof it may bee proued as easily When the Israelites hauing forsaken God betooke themselues to serue Baalim the hand of the LORD was sore against them Iudg. 2.15 His hand that is his iudgement punishment and revengement was sore vpon them the wrath of the LORD was hot against them he delivered them into the hands of spoilers they were spoiled sold to their enimies and sore punished When the Philistines had brought the Arke of God into the house of Dagon the HAND of the LORD was heavie vpon them 1. Sam. 5.6 His hand that is his iudgement punishment and revengement was heavie vpon them b Psal 78.64 The LORD awaked as one out of sleepe and like a giant refreshed with wine hee smote his enimies with emrods and put them to a perpetuall shame In this ranke I place the signification of the HANDS of God in my text They betoken not his chastizements or corrections for they proceeding from the loue of God are appropriat to the godly to make them out of loue with this world to worke in them repentance for their sinnes committed and to stirre vp in them a greater care not to provoke their God by wilfull sinning any more but they signifie in this place the punishments of God his iudgements and revengements wherewith hee overtaketh all the wicked in their wickednesse but especially such of the wicked as are in vers 26. of this chap. noted to sinne willingly after the receiving of the knowne truth such as are Hebrews 6.6 noted to fall away after their partaking of the holy Ghost such as sinning willingly and falling away after their sanctification by the blood of the Covenant doe count that blood prophane doe despite the spirit of grace and crucifie againe vnto themselues the sonne of God tread him vnder foote make a mocke of him Such must fearefully looke for iudgement and the zeale rage or violence of fire therewith to be devoured For hee whose words are yea and Amen so ratified in the heavens that they cannot be altered he hath said it we knowe he hath said it it is in the verse next before my text Vengeance belongeth vnto me I will recoÌ„pense For in his hand in his might and power there is a cup of red wine we read of it Psalm 75.8 In the hand of the LORD there is a cup of red wine a cuppe full of mixture and thereby the more hot and piercing a cuppe fully mixed with wrath iudgement and vengeance and God powrs out of it in great abundance plentie surely behold the certainetie of Gods plagues surely all the wicked of the earth shall wring out and drinke the dregges of it It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the living God Now if that monstrous brood of men mishapen in the powers of their soules shall steppe forth with open mouth against the God of Heaven as if there were no such or if any yet such a one as is like to those Idol gods of the nations of whom I made some mention in the beginning of this exercise such a god as is vnable to answer when he is cryed vnto or to deliuer man out of trouble an epithete is here giuen to crosse them Our God is a living God And this was my third and last note I will not now enter into any long discourse
presumptuously secretly but openly perversely conteÌ„ptuously malitiously neither fearing nor regarding God nor man exscindendo exscinditor anima illa it is the Lords irrevocable senteÌ„ce Num. 15.31 that persoÌ„ shal vtterly be cut of that soule shall die the death Behold saith the Lord to Samuel 1. Samuel 3.11 I will doe a thing in Israel whereof whosoever shall heare his two eares shall tingle I will raise vp against Elie all things which I haue spoken concerning his house when I begin I will also mâ—kâ— aâ—â—nd I haue told him that I will iudge his house for ever for the iniquitie which he knoweth because his sonnes ran into a slander and he staid them not Now therefore I haue sworne vnto the house of Elie that the wickednesse of Elies house shall not bee purgâ—d with sacrifice nor offring for ever I haue sworne saith the LORD vnto the house of Elie c. which words are a sufficient evidence to shew what sinne it was that Elie did meane even that sinne which shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever And therefore wee may bee bold to grant that those words of Elie doe proue an impossibilitie of pardon but it is to such as doe sinne Elatâ manu with an high hand only because they will sinne openly perversly contemptuously malitiously to such I say wee may bee bold to grant that these words doe proue an impossibilitie of pardon but that a maÌ„ sinning ignorantly or of infirmitie should haue no hope of forgiuenesse they proue not and therefore make nothing at all for defence of the Catharists opinion I will not stand to refute other their reasons vsed by them for the further confirmation of their opinion S. Ambrose to whom I referre you hath very coÌ„fortably discoursed against them Lib. 1. de poenitentiâ and the thirteene first chapters of that booke and so hath S. Cyprian in that his tract written to Novatianus the Hereticke My endeavour shall bee to proue a doctrine contrary to theirs I may comprise it in this proposition They which stand by grace may fall and yet be pardoned Which proposition devides it selfe into two parts severally to be confirmed 1. the chosen of God for they only stand by grace maâ— fall 2. notwithstanding their falls they may find pardon The former namely that the chosen of God may fall I shall not need much to proue since the truth thereof is sufficiently witnessed by each mans conscience to his owne heart Yet lest happily some one or more through the abundance of knowledge given from aboue shall thinke better of themselues theÌ„ meete is I will bee bold to remember them of S. Paules estate who 2. Cor. 12.7 speaketh thus of himselfe Least I should bee exalted out of measure through the abundance of revelations there was given vnto me a sharpe pointed stake in the flesh the messenger of Satan to buffet me Because I should not bee exalted out of measure there was given mee saith hee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sharp stake fastned in my flesh the messenger of Satan to buffet me because I should not be exalted out of measure meaning hereby that how glorious a vessell soever he seemed to be in the eyes of men yet in him there was a rebellion of the flesh against the spirit If such were blessed Paules estate what may the best liver that now is professe of himself Surely as much that there is in him also a rebellion of the flesh against the spirit that hee hath had many falls yea such falls as his very remembraÌ„ces of them are like so many kniues in his eies so many thornes in his sides so many 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even sharpe pointed posts driven into his flesh to vexe him as long as he shall liue in this world And if thus it fareth with the best what shall become of the more evill sort Surely * See my third Lecture vpon Amos 1. p. 3â— there is no man iust in the earth that doth good sinneth not saith the preacher Ch. 7.22 And Prov. 20.9 Soâ—omon hath this question who can say I haue purged my heart I am cleane from my sinne O saith Eliphaz vnto Iob. chap. 15.14 What is man that he should be cleane and he that is borne of a woman that he should be iust Behold saith he God hath found no stedfastnesse in his Saints yea the heavens are not clean in his sight how much more is man abominable and filthie which drinketh iniquitie like water whose desire to sinne is such as a thirstie mans desire is to drink He is altogether sinful Sinfull in his conception sinfull in his birth sinfull in the whole course of his life in every deed in every word in every thought wholy sinfull I will not be too forward in the discovery of the nakednes of Gods chosen children descended from the loynes of AdaÌ„ and therefore will not trouble you with the relation of a Gen. 9.21 Noahs drunkennesse of b 2. Sam 12.9 Davids murther of c Gen 18.15 Sarahs lye of d Gen. 27.3 Rebeccaes perswading her sonne Iacob to beguile his owne father of the theft of e Philem. 11. Onesimus and of the severall falls of many other as stout champions as ever fought the Lords battle Touching them I only say as David said in a different case 2. Sam. 1.19 O noble Israel how are the mightie overthrowne The point I am to proue will be cleere enough if we wil consider in what sort the elect of God may fall First therefore The child of God by his own neglect may diminish and lessen the good graces of God within him The consideration whereof moued S. Paule in the bowels of compassion to exhort the Thessalonians 1. Thess 5.19 not to quench the spirit and the Ephesians Eph. 4.30 not to grieue the holy spirit of God For he well knewe that the holy spirit vseth to be grieved and the fire thereof to be quenched whensoever we put away from within vs the care of Gods word not regarding the sanctified motions of our hearts the sanctified words of our lips the saÌ„ctified actions of our handes but entertaining the contrary corrupt thoughts evill speaking wicked actions Thus may the child of God be affected and grieue that good spirit whereby he is sealed vnto the day of redemption and quench it too yet not vtterly but diminish and lessen the good graces thereof and that in such a measure as that he may be like a man in a trance who both by his own sense and also by the iudgement of the Physition is taken for dead Thus haue David Peter other the strongest pillers in the Lords temple beene shaken 2 The childe of God after he hath repented for some sinne may fall againe into the same sinne This is a lamentable estate Yet it may befall a true Christian Ioh. 5.14 when Christ had healed the man that had beene sicke 38. yeares he said vnto him Behold thou art
be an abhorring vnto all flesh Which words are againe in some sort thrice repeated by the same Lord Mark 9.44.46 48. In Hell fire their worme dyeth not the fire never goeth out In which places Hel fire and the worme of conscience being foure times ioined togither by him that is the wisedome of the Father as I take it doe shew evidently that the kinde of speach in both is alike Now there is no man so carnally minded as by this worme of cōscience to vnderstand a materiall worme It is a Metaphor and signifieth that cursed and damnable torment of conscience which continually shall gnaw vpon the children of vnbeliefe like vnto a worme whose property is to eate weare away any thing wherein it breedeth This worme then being immateriall why should we iudge this fire to be corporall I graunt indeed that the body is subiect to burning with bodily fire but that the soule which is spirituall should be subiect to such burning I cannot finde it proved and therefore do cōclude that Hell fire meant in my text is not any materiall fire or any bodyly flame but a grievous torment fitly thereby resembled even a seazing of the fearefull and terrible wrath of God on body and soule for ever For our Lord God the Lord of Heaven and earth giving certaine names to such punishments as shall be inflicted vpon the damned to make vs carefull by shunning sinne to be freed from Hell dealeth no otherwise then he doth in giving names also to such blessings as are prepared for the godly to make vs willing by doing wel to seeke for Heaven In both he dealeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 applying himselfe to our weake capacities who are not able by our deepest meditations to conceiue in any meane what either the ioyes of Heaven or torments of Hell may be For vs therefore and for our good for our easier vnderstanding it hath pleased the Holy Ghost to shew vnto vs the ioyes of Heaven vnder the types of temporall blessings and eternall torments vnder the figures of earthly punishments Touching the ioyes of Heaven we may see almost in all the Prophets when they come to speak of Christs kingdome how they set it forth with abundance of all good things teaching that his kingdome shall be o Psal 2.8 very farre enlarged that his p Esai 9.7 increase of governement and peace shall be without end that there no nation shall q Esai 2.4 lift vp a sword against another but that their swords shall be turned into mattockes and their speares into sythes that nor r Esa 60.18 violence nor desolation nor destruction shall be within her borders that the ſ Esa 11.6 wolfe shall dwell with the lambe and the leopard with the kid that every child there shal fill his t Esai 65 20 daies that from our faces u Esai 25.8 all teares shall then bee cleane wiped away that we shall goe in through the gates into the citte and there x Rev. 2.7 eate of the tree of life and of the hidden y Vers 17. manna and be cloathed z Rev. 3.5 in white aray and receaue a Rev 2.17 white stones and bee made b Rev. 3.12 pillers in Gods Temple and the like All which speeches of sensible and temporall blessings are so many figures leading vs as it were by the hands to some reasonable knowledge of those ioyes spirituall and eternall In like sort and by the like types of temporall and earthly punishments we are brought to haue some vnderstanding of hel torments Luk. 19.27 Christ saith those mine enimies which would not that I should raigne over them bring hither and slay them before me Could he in more familiar tearmes signifie that eternall death prepared for the vnbeleeuers blasphemers Only he alludeth to the custome of the princes of this world in whose presence rebels many times are put to death Luke 16.23 there is much vttered in common and sensible speeches to signifie the gluttons torments endured in Hell as his seeing Abraham a farre off and Lazarus in his bosome the burning of his tongue and the cooling thereof the dipping of Lazarus finger into the water the great gulfe betweene them both and the like all which though it be spoken as of things corporall yet hath it a spirituall meaning And that which is spoken Matt. 22.13 of the state of Hell that there is weeping and gnashing of teeth must needes haue some other sense then the letter will afford because the damned soules which now suffer torments in Hell haue neither teeth to make any gnashing nor eyes to shed teares What shall I further trouble you with the relation of divers other attributs vsed in the word diversly to expresse the horror of Hell As the names of outward darknesse of the deepe of the lake burning with fire and brimstone of the never dying worme and such like Our iudgement of all these may be the same as it was of the former even that the Holy Ghost doth vse them all as a table to represent vnto vs the state and condition of the damned Which estate of theirs because it is represented vnto vs onely vnder types and shadowes that according to the wisdome of the spirit we must not curiously prye farther into it but rather lay our hands vpon our mouthes and stop the course of our lips lest medling with such secrets we falter in our speeches before the LORD It followeth in my text that this fire shall devoure the aduersaries SIC vorabit vt perdat non consumat saith Calvin this zeale of fire shall greedily consume them Consumet saith AQVINAS non totaliter consumendo sed in perpetuum cruciando this zeale of fire shall feed vpon them not to bring them to naught or consume them vtterly but to torment them eternally What heart is able to sound the depth of this punishment that a man should bee devoured yet not cease to be that hee should be eaten vp yet not consumed that he should bee taken away by death eternally and yet liue eternally Never haue any descended to that firy lake and returned thence to tell vs the torments thereof Yet as by one drope of Sea water wee may giue some iudgement of the saltnesse of the rest and as wee may guesse at the stature and pitch of a mightie gyant by the length of his foot so by a tast of bitternesse wherewith this present life is seasoned wee may haue some conceit of the sorrow and vexation to bee endured by the wicked in the life to come The griefe of mans heart in this world may bee exceeding great as great as ever mortalitie may be able to endure Cā we read of the mournings of Ioseph of Hanna of David of Iob of Ieremie of Ierusalem and not be moved Could wee Our hearts certainely should be harder then the hardest yron Can we thinke of the hideous torments invented and inflicted by Tyrāts as the