promise Let vs come then to it The first Obseruation that I made vpon the reference of If and Then was this We may not exspect what God doth offer except we performe what God requires In conceiuing the mysterie of our Redemption we must obserue a double method of God the one according to which he resolu'd on it the other according to which he was pleased to communicate it If you looke vnto the first method that was first in Gods intention which was last in his execution he resolued first vpon the End to manifest his Mercie and Iustice in sauing a certaine number out of the Masse of perdition and leauing others to perish therein through their owne default and he made choice of and proportioned such meanes as in his wisedome might seeme fitest to compasse this End If we denie this we make Gods prouidence more indiscreete then is vsually that of well aduised men for in all their deliberations they begin at the end and according to the rule of wisedome Finis praescribit speciem mensuram mediorum they dispose all things answerable thereunto But as when men haue done their deliberations and giue order for their worke they prescribe first the meanes in their order and by those meanes will haue such as they imploy to compasse those Ends euen so doth God setting men in time on the way to their saluation wherevpon he was eternally resolued lead them first to the meanes without which it is not his pleasure they should euer come vnto their happie End These two methods must not be confounded the method of publishing the Gospell with the method of Gods making the first Decree thereof The Decree of sauing men did not runne the same way with the Decree of bringing men to saluation I would not obserue this darke point vnto you but that our English Anabaptists are become plaine Arminians as their Pamphlets shew which they scatter abroad to corrupt the people The ground of the errour of both as the learned may perceiue in ripping vp their discourses is the confounding of these different Decrees and Methods when they studie the mysterie of our saluation But let vs come to plaine matter God from the beginning though he were Lord of all and might at his pleasure giue Law to any yet hath he proceeded with his reasonable creatures by way of Couenant now a Couenant consisteth of mutuall stipulation or promise Gods to Vs and ours to God so runneth the Law Hoc fac viues to doe Gods will was to be our promise and Gods promise was to giue vs life so runneth the the Gospell Crede saluus eris we must yeeld Faith vnto God and God will bestow saluation vpon vs It is the first thing children learne in their Catechisme as they are taught that by Baptisme they are made children of God members of Christ and heires of the Kingdome of heauen so likewise are they taught that by their suerties they haue vowed to renounce the diuell and all his workes the pompe and vanities of this wicked world to beleeue the Articles of the Creed and keepe Gods holy Commandements There is then a mutuall conditioning betweene God and man man with God so Iacob Genes 28. which is generally to be obserued in all votiue Prayers God with man here and elswhere Deut. 28. And yet we may not mistake for there is great odds betweene these Conditionings for when God conditioneth with man hee asketh nothing but what was due to him before all the obedience wee can performe is due by our natiue allegeance the allegeance which a Creature oweth to his Creatour but we in our conditioning with God may not desire ought of God which he hath not first promised for no Creature may carue to himselfe hee must be contented with that which God will vouchsafe him and whatsoeuer he offers vnto vs is such as whereunto we haue otherwise no right Adde hereunto that we may bee sure of God that what he offers he will performe for with God there is no variablenesse nor shadow of change Scio cui crediderim Iam. 1. But he cannot bee so sure of vs Omnis homo mendax we neuer abide stedfast in our Couenant But Gods conditioning with vs I must open vnto you a little more fully Know then that though what God requires wee must performe yet performe it out of our owne strength we cannot originall sinne hath dâ—â—inabled vs and by adding actuall vnto it wee are made lesse able though in regard of their natural gifts there is inequalitie betweene men yet a bono caelesti omnes aequè auersi nisi discriminet gratia God requires that we should heare his voice 1 Cor. 2.14 beleeue in him but a naturall man cannot perceiue the things of God yea hee will winke with his eyes and stop his eares least â—ee should see and heare returne and bee saued God requires that we keepe his Couenant 〈◊〉 8. but the wisedome of the flesh is enmitie against God it is not it cannot be subiect to his Law Yea so impotently are we giuen to spirituall fornication that though God graciously wooe Vs yet gracelesly we reiect him Thereis no remedie then but the condition which God requires on our part must remaine vnperformed except he giue vs grace wherewith to performe it he must giue vs supernaturall power to performe this supernaturall worke 1. Cor 47 Quis te discernit Quid habes quod non accepisti He biddeth vs heare his voice beleeue in him whereas faith is his gift he must purifie our hearts by faith He biddeth vs keepe his Couenant and loue him but Charitie is a fruit of the Spirit Acts 1â— and this fire must be kindled from heauen God must circumcise our hearts and make vs keepe his lawes Dat non tantum nouas reuelationes sâ—d bonas voluntates for no man can come to the Sonne except the Father draw him Ex nolente faciens volentem as saith Saint Austin But if God giue that which we must giue to God how is the worke ours Surely thus though God giue the abilitie yet hee will haue vs make vse of it vse the eye of faith which he doth illighten and so obey his voice vse the Charitie wherewith he doth seasen our hearts and set our affections vpon him let it be our chiefest care to hold fast vnto him if we doe so we shall be reputed performers of the condition for grace doth not take away the libertie of our will though it giues new qualities working vpon it not onely Physically but morally also Yet here againe remember that we need a second grace that we may make vse of the first for our vnderstanding though enlightned may bee circumuented with Sophistrie and our will may bee transported with vanitie euen after God hath sanctified it though otherwise the Will doth tend naturally to good when it is sanctified as the vnderstanding to truth It is cleare in Adam and Eues case
Austine telleth vs called Sacramentum fidei the Sacrament of Faith A little more distinctly now to open this Forme you must take notice of these vsefull Obseruations First to baptize in the Name of the Father Sonne and the holy Ghost doth signifie to doe it by their warrant and commission for as God only is the fountaine of grace so none can appoint the meanes of conueying grace but only God This checketh the presumption of the Bishop of Rome in multiplying Sacraments and we must be warned to do nothing in Gods seruice without his warrant Secondly to baptize in Nomine is to baptize in the person of the Trinitie a Minister is a publicke person whatsoeuer he doth in the Church he doth it in anothers Name the parts of his Ministrie being two to administer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to present the peoples deuotion to God or to minister 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bring Gods message to the People hee should offer no other Prayers to God but such as the Church appointeth because he speaketh in her Name and so when he bringeth any thing from God he must remember that he doth represent his person to the Church This must warne vs to come with holinesse to performe sacred Acts because we sustaine the person of God the Leuites washt their hands and their feete and we must wash our selues in the blood of Christ Thirdly to baptize in nomine is to ascribe the efficacie of Baptisme to the Trinitie the Minister must remember himselfe to be onely an instrument as St. Peter confesseth when hee wrought the Miracle vpon the lame man Acts 3. Wee baptize with water but the gifts of the holy Ghost come from God Wherefore let vs giue the glory of whatsoeuer successe we haue in our Ministrie to the principall agent that is God Fourthly in Nomine Trinitatis is to baptize vnto their seruice and to dedicate vnto them the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 notes as much And therfore the Ministration of Baptisme is accompanied with an Abrenunciation those that are baptised by themselues if they be of age or if children by their sureties renounce the Diuill and all his workes the pompes and vanities of the wicked world and all the sinfull lustes of the flesh then they deuote themselues vnto God to beleeue the Articles of the Creede and to liue according to the tenne Commandements To this end wee should baptize and we must put the people in minde of this morality and let not their thoughts dwell vpon the ceremonie as if when that were past all were done Finally inuocatur nomen Trinitatis super nos from the time that wee are baptized wee must acknowledge that the Lord is our God Hee hath made vs not wee our selues wee are his people and the sheepe of his Pasture or as the Apostle speaketh Wee are not our owne because wee are bought with a price wherefore we must glorifie God with our bodies and with our soules for they are his We that are Ministers then as we doe not baptize in our own name so must wee not denominate Disciples from our selues as the Corinthians some held of Paul some of Apollo some of Cephas we must teach them all to hold of the same Lord of him into whose Name they are baptized As the Baptizer so the Baptized should make vse of euery of these obseruations they must 1. beediscreet in not admitting more Sacraments than God sendeth 2. reuerence the Minister in regard of his person whom hee sustaines 3. giue the glory of the grace which they receiue vnto God 4. appropriate their seruice vnto him and 5. let him be their only Lord. One scruple there is about this Forme for in the Acts cap. 8. v. 16. it should seeme that some were baptized onely into Christ and some haue thought that the Apostles at pleasure did vary the Forme But the constant practice of the Church in all parts of the world retaining this Form permits vs not so to construe the words in the Acts The meaning seemeth rather to be this That those persons confessing their Faith in the Redemption wrought by Christ were baptised after the vsuall Forme Some difference there is also betweene the East and West Church for in the West Church the Minister speaketh thus to him that is baptized Ego baptizo te in the East Church thus Baptizetur iste but the difference is confest on both sides not to be materiall therefore I passe it ouer You see here none of those many Ceremonies which the Church hath multiplied whereof many are very ancient and might be continued if they had not beene corrupted by the Church of Rome especially Themselues hold them not to be of the essence but of the solemnitie of Baptisme they cannot they doe not deny but that wee keepe the essence intire of those things which belong to the solemnitie our Church hath retained so much as is thought fit for edification the rest it hath cut off not without cause and out of that libertie which euery Church hath in such things One thing I may not omit to remember you of that are to be ordered That these solemne words In the Name of the Father Son and holy Ghost are vsed in your Ordination and therefore what instructions I haue giuen vnto you vpon the Forme of Baptisme you may make vse of euery one of them when you meditate vpon your Ordination And I wish you so to doe Now lay together teach and baptize and then you see the Method of your Ministrie you must first catechise and bring your hearers to beleeue and then dedicate them vnto God because without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11. so St. Iohn baptized so baptized the Apostles and the rule is Non potest corpus Baptisma recipere sacramentale nisi Anima accipiat fidei veritatem Hieron and Baptisme saueth no man but Faith is that which maketh a man partaker of grace and this Faith doth not rest vpon the Water but vpon the Word Accedat Verbum ad Elementum fit Sacramentum non quia dicitur sed quia creditur But as Faith hath Necessitatem medij so Baptisme hath Necessitatem praecepti we may by no meanes neglect Baptisme if it may bee had and the contempt hazardeth saluation Except a man be borne againe of water and the holy Ghost bee cannot enter into the Kingdome of Heauen Iohn 3. But Faith in no case may be wanting Mistake not Tertullian and Nicetus vpon Nazianzen orat de Baptismo mis-construed these words and thought that Children except it were in extreame danger of death should not be baptized because they could not bee taught The Anabaptists out of this place and Marke 16. proue that no childe must bee baptized vntill he commeth to the yeares of discretion But they grosly mistake for Christ is here and in St. Marke to be vnderstood de adultis none without the Church were to be receiued in except they were first catechised and
their owne Heads winnowed like Chaffe Neither with their Heads only but also with their Hearts There is not a Passion which like a strong Gale of Winde doth not transport them Anger raiseth stormes within them Vaine Glorie as wings carrieth them beyond themselues Couetousnesse makes them base Enuie makes them vnsociable Pride maketh them Tyrants Luxurie makes them Beasts the Vngodly are as plyable as a Weathercocke neither need they any other winde to shift their situation but only their owne Passions But as if this Inward Wind did not turmoile them enough they are subiect to an Outward the wind of Gods Iudgement which the Chaldee Paraphrase calls Ventum furentem and the Prophets very commonly call it a Whirlewind Saint Iohn Baptist tels vs Matth. 3.12 that Christ shall come with his fanne in his hand and therewith shall throughly purge his floore Where marke that Gods Iudgement is compared to Wind of which our Sauiour Christ tels Nicodemus the wind bloweth where it listeth Iohn 3.8 thou knowest not whence it commeth nor whether it goeth so doe Gods Iudgements surprize men when the vngodly crie Peace Peace 1. Thess 5.3 then comes suddaine destruction vpon them You shall find this fully and excellently described Iob 21. But marke the Opposition of Chaffe vnto the Wind the weaknesse of 〈◊〉 to the irrisistiblensse of the Wind especially if it be a Whirlewind whither you respect the Impotencie of their owne Affections vnder which they sinke or Gods Vengeance which must needes ouer-beare them Who would set the Briars and Thornes against me in Battle saith God Esay 27 I will goe through them I will burne them together It must needs make much to the Miserie of the Vngodly that being so little able they must abide so violent an encounter violent it is but yet such as is meet for them for the Vngodly are called Reshagnim turbulent and tumultuous people and what Iudgement is so fit for them as to bee harrowed and hurled with the Wind They that giue rest to none it is pittie they should haue any rest The Vulgar addes to the Text Exegeticè from the Earth The wind driues the Chaffe from the Earth Saint Hierome makes a good Note vpon it Tà m infoelix erit impius vt ne terrenus sit puluis most miserable is the case of the Vngodly when the Earth that bare them 〈…〉 will not endure them God in Deuteronomie threatens such a Iudgement to the Iewes and we see that at this day they endure it their case may be any mans case and if wee bee Vngodly the Whirlewind may driue vs out of the good Land which God bestowes vpon vs. Russinus goeth a step higher Si facies terrae species patriae Coeleâ—lis accipitur recrè puluis à facie terrae proijci dicitur quia à Visione Calestis Gloriae impius remouetur Adam in Paradise below forfeited Paradise aboue and the Iewes had little hope of Heauen the Truth that were cast out of Canaan the Type thereof Neither may wee presume of the Kingdome of Glorie if we be vnworthy of the Kingdome of Grace And no wonder for Chaffe that is winnowed from the threshing Hoore is reserued for the fire 〈◊〉 3. as Saint Iohn Baptist telleth vs neither are the wicked separated from the good but for their greater Woe But I must conclude Three things we learne in this Text First that the Vngodly are subiect to a double Punishment Poena Damni and Poena Sensus they are depriued of great Good and the Euill is great whereunto they are exposed Secondly the Non Sic and the Sicut aduise vs to compare the Happinesse of the Blessed Tree with the Miserie of this winnowed Chaffe that the Contraries being set one against the other we may the better discerne them and resolue which of them to choose Last of all We may see that there is no reason why we should enuie the pompes and vanities of this wicked World seeing they haue neither Substance nor Continuance Iob teacheth it more then once and so doth Dauid Psal 37. and 73. When we goe to a Play we doe with the Eyes of our Reason correct the Eyes of our Bodie and our Reason iudgeth them but Varlots whom our Sense beholds as Kings It were to be wished that when we come to the Stage of this World we would bring thither aswell the Eyes of Faith as of Reason our Iudgement would not bee so often perplext nor our Resolution staggered as they are with the seeming prosperitie and Glorie of the World we would with Moses 〈…〉 esteeme the rebuke of Christ better then the Treasures of Egypt and endeauor to be happy rather in deed then shew To shut vp all Blessed we would all be in this World but few take Notice of the Euidence of true Blessednesse That Euidence is in the first Resemblance the Resemblance to the Tree Let vs obserue it and desire to partake it otherwise we may be deluded with a seeming Euidence which you haue heard of in the latter Resemblance the Resemblance of winnowed Chaffe the double Miserie that is in it should make vs abhorre it as the double good of the former should make vs affect it God giue Vs a true Iudgement to distinguish them and Grace to make that discreet choice that we may partake the former of them Amen PSAL. 1. VERS 5. Therefore the Vngodly shall not stand in the Iudgement nor Sinners in the Congregation of the Righteous THe words contain the second of those Euidences whereby it may be known who are Blessed Men are Blessed in this Life and that which is to come and God hath set marks vpon either degree of Blessednesse The markes of the first degree you heard vnfolded when I last spake vnto you vpon this Psalme It followes then that I now open vnto you the markes of the second degree so farre as I find them exprest in this Verse For the better vnderstanding whereof we must obserue First what matter is contained in these words and then whereupon these words are inferred In the World to come there are two remarkable things the Entrance into and the State of it in either of these there is some thing Common and something Proper both to the good and the bad In the Entrance that which is Common is Iudgement both must come to the Barre that which is Proper is That in the Iudgement the Righteous can the Vngodly cannot stand In the state it is Common to good and bad to bee Societies or Congregations but it is Proper to the Righteous to be of such a Congregation whereinto the Vngodly shall not come neither shall the Righteous come into the Congregation whereof the Vngodly shall be So much must bee supplyed à Pari the ground is the same for both the reason of the latter difference is contained in the former for they that differ in the Iudgement must differ in the Societie also seeing God is pleased that that shall be
our nature and so farre as it doth diminish it of something maketh it nothing for nothing can truly be sayd to be farther then it is partaker of God of the being which he giueth vnto it who only can say I am that I am Besides the Truth that is opposed to Vanity there is another which is opposed to Hypocrisie and that is the correspondency of our outward actions to our inward affections for as our outward affections must haue their stamp from God so must they endeauour to print their true stampe vpon our Actions for as the seede that is sowne in the ground beareth the like seede aboue ground and the fruit is not vnlike the Tree no more should it be in our moralities wee should not sustayne one person in our bosome and another in our countenance bee painted sepulchers full of dead mens bones we should be Iacobs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 plaine men Nathaniels without all guile Mat. 23.17 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Basil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Chrysostome the character of an honest man is to be single minded Gen. 25.27 single tongued he that hath a heart and a heart a tongue and a tongue hath not truth in his inward parts This being the nature of Sincerity if wee will try the world by it I thinke we may iustly breake out in to King Dauids complaint in another Psalme Helpe Lord there is not a godly man left Veraces defecêrunt a filijs hominum truth is perished from among the sons of men the periuries which are frequent at Assizes and Sessions Psal 12.1 the deceit of Citizens which haue denominated deceit it selfe for from them is astutia deriued quia nihil lucrantur nisi admodùm mentiuntur whose thrift is fitly called craft because did they not circumueÌ„r they would come short of much of their wealth As for Statesmen all Chronicles do witnesse that they vse the Foxes case more frequently then the Lions skin and Policie is one of the words that is degenerated from a laudable to an infamous signification and is become a Synonymon for Machiauelisme This is the cause that Leagues and Contracts though confirmed with neuer so religious bonds are rather snares whereby one State seeketh to intrap another then pledges of their mutuall security But the quintessence of all falshood is the Popish Aequiuocation and Mentall Reseruation then which the Diuell neuer hatched a more pestilent fraud to bane Societies and desame Christian Religion The reason of all these obliquities and aberrations from Truth is for that euery man squareth vnto himselfe a measure of his owne but that measure of Sincerity which here God hath squared out is euery where neglected The Papist hee maketh the Catholique cause his measure the Politician his Greatnesse the Citizen his wealth the Iurour the preseruing of his Customes or pleasuring his friends these and some such like to these cautions and conditions doth the world patch vnto Truth without which they will not entertayne it The way to reforme all is to trie our Sincerity by the rule here set down by truth in the inward parts first that Truth that is opposed vnto Vanitie for hereby must wee correct our inward affections reduce them to the temper which God first gaue them and keepe them within the bounds which Gods Law doth set vnto them and when we haue done this then must we come on to the Truth that is opposed to Hypocrisâ—y let our conuersation be the looking glasse of our affections and let not any thing appeare in the Outward man that is not in the inward so shall wee be sincere wee shall haue truth in our inward parts And let this suffice for the nature of Sincerity Such Sincerity is of great regard that appeareth first in the Affection wherewith it is entertained The Affection is Desire and Desire is a compound affection of Louing and wishing for wee cannot desire that which we doe not loue and what wee loue if wee want it for that wee wish so that Sincerity is a louely thing And indeed how can it choose but be louelie that holdeth together all Societies Domesticall Politicke Ecclesiasticall without which iealousies must needs arise and so destruction follow euery man commits himselfe securely to him in whom he suspecteth no guile as where he doth suspect it hee thinketh himselfe safest when he hath least to doe Secondly as it is louely where it is so where it is not there it is longed for for man being by nature sociable cannot but wish for that qualitie in euery man without which there can be no society therefore those whom otherwise wee hate because wee cannot but haue to doe with them wee wish them all this Vertue Truth in the inward parts which should make all sorts of persons carefull to nurture those that are committed to their charge Parents their Children Masters their Seruants Pastors their People Magistrates their Subiects in this Vertue and sharpely to correct their pronenesse to the contrary the World groaneth vnder the mischiefes of falshood yet as if it yeelded no mischiefe euery where may you find a Schoole thereof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 euery such master breedeth such a scholar as maketh him a proofe that he hath profited in his Art But the Affection only doth not shew the regard it is improued much by the Person in whom this Affection is found I shewed you that Sincerity is louely and longed for but it skilleth much who the Person is that loueth it and longeth for it for our nature is corrupt and with our nature our affections wee mistake euill for good and we misplace our affections often vpon euill rather then good It is not so with God as hee is so he affecteth he is most Holy and such are his Desires also what he loueth is louely indeed because he cannot loue amisse and what he longeth for that we want because if we did not want it he could not long for it And indeed he must needs loue Sincerity because it is the Image of himselfe for he is Truth and there is nothing counterfeit either in him or from him yea his Truth is the ground of all our Faith our Hope our Charity were it not for that these could haue no ground Faith could haue no ground without his Truth in promising Hope could haue no ground without his Truth in performing Charity could haue no ground without his Truth in louing Therefore there is Truth in him and who what is in Him he loueth in others for euery thing delights in his like when God had made all things and beheld that they were good he presently kept a Sabaoth which importeth nothing else but the sweet content that he tooke in the worke of his owne hands If in all things specially in those that did best resemble him and he is resembled in nothing more then in diuine vertue so that Sincerity must needs bee exceeding louely in his Holy Eyes As it is louely so it
God then it can be by any man The second difference is in the measure a double measure of the stroake and of the time Touching the stroake Nazianzen obserues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naziá Orat. 15. p. 228. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that in this world God doth allay his seueritie with mercie but they that shall be punished in the world to come shall drinke the very dregges of the cup of his wrath the iudgements in this life are but the smoke of wrath the preface vnto torments such stripes as Schoolemasters giue vnto little children that learn their A.B.C. But the iudgments in the world to come they are more then smoke they are the flaming fire it selfe read Mal. 3.4 they are more they the preface to torments they are the torments themselues so we read of the rich Glutton that he was in the torments Finally they are more then childrens smart they are the stripes of the oldest Truants such as are prouided for the Deuill and his Angels Eâ—eck 8.18 Then God will deale in his furie his mercie will not spare neither will hee haue pitie and though they crie in his eares with a loud voice hee will not heare them If any bodie desire to know more of the measure of the stroake let him reade the Prophets they are copious in amplifying the terrour of the Lords Day Besides this measure of the stroake there is a measure also of the time for in this world afflictions are but momentanie in the world to come they are eternall here heauinesse may continue for a night but ioy commeth againe in the morning as God doth not suffer all his indignation to arise so is he very quickly reconciled so quickly that it scarce can be remembred that he was offended certainly it is too vsually forgotten But in the world to come wrath is permanent Affliction as Nahum speaketh ariseth not the second time the worme neuer dieth neither doth the fire euer goe out This being the oddes in the measure it proueth that in comparison that which is inflicted in this life deserueth not the name of wrath especially if you adde the third difference the difference in the End Saint Austine doth giue vs a distinction of wrath Conâ— 2. â—â— Psal 58 â—a consunâ—ptiâ—nis Ira consummationis and telleth vs that there is a wrath consuming and a wrath consummating a wrath which God inflicts to make men the better and a wrath which God inflicts therewith vtterly to destroy men that is the wrath which he inflicteth in this life and this is the wrath which hee inflicteth in the life to come And indeed God in this life doth not punish man but the Deuill God reserueth mans punishment to the life to come The corruption that is in our nature is the Deuils possession in working out that God worketh out him and it is his intent to worke him out his stroakes here are like a physicall potion giuen to a sicke bodie not to abide in him but when it hath drawne vnto it selfe the matter of his disease to be cast out againe with the humour that did offend him This is the true end of Gods chastisements in this world But it is as true that this physicke doth not alwayes sort this effect the fault is not in the potion but in the stomacke that taketh it if the stomacke haue strength to make vse of the potion then doth it recouer thereby but if it want strength then doth the potion increase the peccant humours and augment the patients disease The wicked for want of grace are the worse for their punishment it proueth vnto them wrath of consumption but they that haue grace are the better wrath to them is better then laughter as the Preacher speaketh because by the sadnesse of the countenance the heart is made better â—celes 7. and chastisement bringeth forth the quiet fruit of righteousnesse to them that are exercised thereby Heb. 12.11 yea Maior ira quädo Deus non requirit Saint Austine obserues well God is most displeased with vs in this world when hee is displeased least and his long patience here doth prognosticate his heauier vengeance hereafter it maketh it suspitious that we are bastards and no sonnes if seeing such is our infirmitie that wee cannot but sinne wee bee not timely reclaimed by chastisement of sinne But to shut vp this point that which proceedeth from loue and is executed with so tender a hand to so good a purpose as is our perfection doth not deserue the name of wrath this name belongeth more properly to that punishment which proceedeth from Gods hatred and is executed without mercie to the eternall destruction of man and that is The wrath to come therefore is the day thereof properly called The day of wrath and the persons that suffer then are properly The vessels of wrath In the number of which that we may not be we must harken to the Remedie And the Remedie is flying flie from the wrath to come if the Remedie be flying then there is no standing to it no trauersing of our indictment no bribing of our Iudge no priuiledge of our persons no reliefe from our strength no standing to it by these or any other meanes we must flie But flying is either corporall or spirituall the corporall will be attempted it should seeme so by Christs relation in the Gospel and Saint Iohn saith in the Reuelation Reuel 6 that Captaines and rich men and great men shall flie to the rockes to the hils and desire to be couered to be hid from the wrath of the Lambe but all in vaine for they are reiected by rocks and hilles And indeed whether should they flie then when all the world becommeth Gods jayle and euery creature becommeth his jaylour yea the showre that doth attend Christs comming to judgement is a showre of snares Psal 7. Amos 5.19 and the Prophets Amos especially doth excellently shew the vanitie of this flight It shall be as if a man did flie from a Lion and a Beare met him and he runneth from the Beare vnto a wall and there a Serpent biteth him that is whithersoeuer he turne he shall find those that will seize vpon him he cannot possibly escape not by flying corporally He must then flie spiritually and indeed it is spirituall flight that is the Remedie But what is spirituall flight Surely wee must conceiue and bee in trauell with amendment of our liues and neuer stop vntill we haue brought forth a compleate spirit of saluation that is we must flie from sinne and flie vnto grace in both which consisteth the flight from wrath Quem poenit et peccati iram Der mortalem facit Lactantius de ira Dâ—â— Hee that iudgeth himselfe in this world he whose heart is prickt with remorse of sinne whose heart trembleth melteth and is broken with the feare of Gods wrath hee that singeth the song of mercie and layeth hold vpon the Mercie-seat desiring
those things whereof we both partake he is our brother but if the Communication or deriuation of them he is our father for he is the second Adam as the Church is the second Eue and as we are termed the sons of the Church or of Hierusalem the Spouse so are we also of Christ the Bridegroome who begetteth vs in and by his Church Wee beare the image of this second Adam as wee doe of the first and his children are we whose image we beare therefore Christ that saith I will declare thy name vnto my brethren Rom. 14. saith Esay 8. Behold here am I and the children which thou hast giuen vnto me As hee is so he calleth himselfe sometimes brother sometimes father And so haue you heard how he is The euerlasting father But the words beare also another interpretation which is That hee is the father of euerlasting things As hee is so are those things that are subiect vnto him both euerlasting And this distinguisheth betweene this world and that which is to come making Christ King of the later St. Paul telleth vs Heb. 2. that God hath subiected vnto him the world to come That temporall and eternall doe distinguish betweene these two worlds it is cleare in St. Paul teaching that those things which are seene are temporall but those which are not seene are eternall And touching the things which are seene the Preacher hath pronounced peremptorily vanity of vanities all is but vanity One generation passeth and another commeth and nothing abideth stedfast in the world 1 Cor. 7. St. Paul biddeth vs vse the world as if we vsed it not because the fashion of this world passeth away St. Iohn biddeth vs not to loue the world nor the things that are in the world Psal 102. for this world passeth away and the lusts thereof The Psalmist telleth vs that they all waxe old like vnto a garment and St. Peter 2 Pet. 2. Rom. 8. that the heauens shall melt with heate and the earth with the workes thereof shall be burnt vp they shal be dissolued For all are subiect vnto vanitie But in the very same places where the temporalty of this present world is set down there is mention made of the eternity of that world which is to come you heard it out of the place to the Corinths and the words in the Psalme are very cleare 2 Cor. 4. Psal 102. 1 Iohn 2. The children of thy seruants shall continue and their seed shall stand fast in thy sight and St. Iohn Hee that fulfilleth the will of God abideth for euer St. Peter intimateth as much and so doth Salomon in the Preacher This our Prophet that in the fortieth is willed to cry All flesh is grasse and the glory thereof is as the flower of the field the grasse withereth the flower fadeth is willed also to cry That the Word of the Lord endureth for euer 1 Pet. 1. And this Word is the incorruptible seede by which wee are new-borne it is the food by which wee are nourished which endureth for euer it is the riches which ney ther rust can corrupt nor theeues spoyle vs of Iohn 6. it setteth vpon our heads an immarcessible Crowne and placeth vs in a Kingdome that cannot be shaken All the graces wherein stands the life of Christianity they are eternall graces they possesse vs of that which is eternall and make vs eternall possessours thereof Therefore well doth Christ in this respect also receiue this title of The father of eternity But eternity must be vnderstood à parte post not à parte ante The eternity à parte ante is Gods prerogatiue to be so eternall is to bee without beginning A creature hath his beginning and so farre is temporall but he may be continued for euer and so be eternall And in this sense doth the Prophet in this place speake of eternity and maketh Christ The father thereof And well may hee be called the father that was the Author and is the Disposer thereof for in his owne Person hee first gaue being vnto this both grace and glory and from his person doth it streame vnto vs wee no otherwise enioy it than as wee haue vnion with him And these three interests of Christ in these things doe make him to be termed the father of this eternity But now this title must looke back vnto the two formertitles and then wee shall see the sweetnesse that is in it In the Regall titles wee heard of that Wisedome and Power which wee may admire and adore but when I heare that the wonderfull Counsellour the almighty God is my father this sweetens these two glorious titles and maketh them the more comfortable to mee For whom doth the wisedome of a father prouide but for his childe and for whom so readily as for his childe doth a father vse his power I presume then of Christs prâ—uidence of Christs supportance because Christ is my father Hee that is the king is my father and what I might not presume of a king of a father I dare presume yea and presume it constantly for he is vnchangeable My immortall father is not like my mortall that his wisedome or his power should steed me but for a time they will sticke to me for euer no death can take them from mee neither will they bee estranged vpon any dislike Can there bee greater comfort for a feeble for a sinfull soule than this assurance of such an euerlasting father The comfort is great that appeares in the person but in the inheritance there appeares much greater for wherein hath or doth this my euerlasting father spend his euerlasting wonderfull wisedome and mighty power hath he spent them to prouide me a momentany estate is his inheritance like that which is left by my mortall parents such as I may lose or must leaue No it is like himselfe his workes be are the image of his person they are eternall like himselfe Let then the world faile me let all earthly things be taken from me let them be vnto me as my parents naturall parents were but temporall yet shall I not want I can as little be poor as bee an Orphan My father neuer dyeth and the portion he giues mee endureth for euer When I reade of what stuffe Moses made the Tabercle Salomon the Temple much more when I reade St. Iohns description of the heauenly Ierusalem I now perceiue Gods meaning it is to let me vnderstand so farre as earth can shadow heauen how much more stable my inheritance of heauen is than the best inheritance I can get here on earth if it be of earth though on earth I may haue euery childe of God hath the earnest the first fruits of that which wee exspect in heauen And so haue you the first of these two titles which teach that Christs royall endowments are also spirituall I come now to the second which sheweth that as Christs kingdome is not of this world because it is as hee is
Temple then building by Zorobabel Some haue thought that the Temple which was standing when Christ was incarnate was not the Temple built by Zorobabel but another which Herod built But we must take heede of that opinion for it hath two euils in it 1. Flauius Iosephus it giueth the holy Ghost the lye in this place 2. and it cherisheth the Iewes vaine expâ—ctation of their Messias It is true that Herod enlarged that Temple and added many buildings to it but he did not demolish the old neither indeed could he and this prophecie continue true for God promised that Christ should come euen into this Temple that now was building And seeing that Temple with all the additions of Herod hath many hundied yeares since according to Christs prophecie beene so destroyed that there remaineth not one stone vpon another the Iewes doe more than vainely yet looke for a Messias especially seeing God hath manifested to the world that it was not only totally but sinally also destroyed The Iewes had good proofe hereof in the daies of Iulian the Apostata when Euseb hist l. 4. Chrys orat 2. in Iudaeos notwithstanding that wicked Emperour encouraged and furthered them to re-edifie it fearefull tempests from heauen destroyed in the night what they did in the day God then making good against Iacob what in Malachie hee spake against Esau Thus saith the Lord of hosts Mal. 1. they shall build but I will cast downe they shall call them the border of wickednesse the people against whom the Lord hath indignation for euer But I will leaue them to God whom God hath left to the world as a spectacle of stupiditie and a bridle to hold vs in from like contempt It is plaine the place here meant was Zorobabels Temple vpon that place was the glory conferred Malachie cap. 3. said it should bee so hee said that the Lord should come into his Temple and he should sit downe there and refine the sonnes of Leui and rectifie the diuine worship The Gospel teacheth vs that it was so for hee was not onely presented in that Temple when he was a babe and when hee was twelue yeares old a disputant there with the doctors but also when he was solemnely inaugurated he first purged the Temple of buyers and sellers then he reformed the doctrine and the discipline at seuerall times when he resorted thither at solemne feasts there he made his sermons and wrought his miracles so that he might truly say to the high Priests when he was arraigned before them I sate daily with you teaching in the Temple Mat. 26. I will adde one text more which may serue in stead of all when his parents that had lost 〈◊〉 found him in the Temple they expostulated with him in these words Sonne why hast thou serued vs thus Luke 2. thy father and I haue sought wee sorrowing Christ replyes vnto them Why sought yee me did you not know 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wee render it Wist yee not that I must goe about my fathers businesse but the words may well beare another sense also Wist yee not that it was sit for mee to bee in my fathers house for so he calleth the Temple elsewhere and so speaketh St. Paul Heb. 13. Iohn 2. Christ as a sonne was ouer his owne house Some referre hither that speech of Christ touching the paying of tribute Mat. 17.26 The sonnes are free because that money is thought to haue beene originally a taxation for the Temple and by the Romanes conuerted to other vses when they collected it But enough of the place only take this note out of the coniunction of the place and the gift That Christs comming to be the glorie of the Temple giueth vs to vnderstand that his Kingdome was not temporall but spirituall he came not to raise an earthly Monarchie but to gather a people vnto God The next point that I obserued is the amplification both of the place and the gift of the place in regard of the meannes which is noted in the word this house The Iewes had two Temples one built by Salomon a glorious one this built by Zorobabel a poore one The Iewes wept when they saw the foundations of it and God testifieth that it was as nothing in their eyes and this nothing as it were moued Herod to make those additions before specified that it might become like something Marke Christ came not vnto Salomons Temple but vnto Zorobabels so that the Temple which had most of earthly cost had nothing in it but the type of Christ and that Temple that had least of earthly glory had most of heauenly it had the truth Christ came thither in person God regardeth not outward pompe neyther doth he tye his presence thereunto as if he would not be where there is no worldly state nay commonly where there is least of the world Heb. 11. God is there most and they haue greatest familiarity with him who haue worst entertainement in the world Did not our Sauiour Christ giue vs an excellent representation hereof in his own person Col. 2.9 Phil. 2.7 2 Cor 4.7 the Godhead dwelt bodily in him but that body bare the shape of a seruant the Apostles carried about the world heauenly treasures but they carried them in earthen vessels An ancient Father obserues wittily that when the Church was so poore that it had but wooden chalices it had golden Priests wee may adde People too and when the ornaments of the Church became golden then the Priests and People became wooden Gods Word was heard more reuerently hee was serued more deuoutly when the Church met in caues in woods in deserts than euer he was in townes and cities and these most stately fabricks This must be obserued in the question of the visibility of the Church or rather conspicuity The Aduocates of Rome seeme to triumph much against the reformed Churches as if the obscurity wherein sometimes they lay hidden Cont. Auxent did preiudice the truth which they profest they forget St. Hilaries admonition Male nos cepit parietum amor c. We are ill aduised to measure faith by multitude of professors Epist 48. or by goodly temples where the profession is made St. Austine will tell vs Ecclesia aliquando obscuratur aliquando obnubilatur multitudine scandalorum The glory of the Church is subiect to Eclypses it was so in the Old Testament as appeares by Elia's complaint 1 Reg. 19. They haue slaine all thy Prophets and throwne downe thine altars Cont. Lucifer and I am left alone It hath beene no better vnder the New Testament witnesse St. Hierome Ingemuit totus mundus se Arianum factum miratus est Arianisme so got the vpper hand that the Orthodoxe faith scarce durst be known in the whole Catholick Church In the Old Testament God promised by Zephanie cap. 3. I will leaue in the middest of thee an humble and poore people and they shall trust in
should continue in sinne but that we should returne and feare him feare him walking in his waies as it is in the parallel chapter 2 Chro 6. and becomming more wary that wee prouoke not his wrath Out of all this you may gather that the feare is not seruile but filiall wee must feare not so much to smart from God as to offend him it must be fear that doth not only hold the hand but change the heart it must be that fear that is the beginning of wisedome of which the Psalmist a good vnderstanding haue all they which doe thereafter it is a well doing feare And such a feare doe I commend vnto you at this time of humiliation giue me leaue to shew you how you must practise it The first plague which before you heard of was Famine God if hee remoue that doth it that we might shew our feare of him by repressing Luxurie Now Luxurie is represt two manner of waies 1. by the voluntarie sobrietie of euery man and it were to be wisht that euery man would be a Law vnto himselfe and out of his owne detestation of sensualitie enioyne himselfe the diet of mortification that he would bring his owne body vnder and by his endeauour thereof testifie his vnfained sorrow for former excesses But this is not to be expected that sobriety will be so forward if men be left to their free will therefore a compulsory course must worke vs vnto that from which wee are by nature too auerse The rather if long peace and plentie of Gods blessings make the way easie to our sinnefull Lustes Sumptuarie Lawes therefore if euer are in these loose dayes most requisite they are most requisite to set bounds vnto our backe and belly which are euen mad with vanitie whole bookes might be written of our many metamorphoses both of diet and apparell and not to flatter you wee are the most infamous morall changelings that are in the world prodigall yea prodigious are the expences that our Nation is at to make it selfe the by-word of other Nations Adde hereunto that many good and great Families are so exhausted with this vanitie that in these times of publicke supplyes they that by their rancke should are least able to helpe the State Wherefore lest the Common weale bee not able to support it selfe by reason that the priuate weale is vainely profused and that the poore may haue some comfort of that which is saued from riot let the State put a remedie to this politicke consumption lest the whole perish by the waste of euery part Mistake mee not I know that there are Requisita personae as well as naturae Reason and Religion as it rangeth men into sundry degrees so doth it proportion their expences and the greater men are the more costly may their apparell bee and their fare the more daintie But two things great men must doe the one is they must learne from morall Philosophie to distinguish Maiestie and Magnificencie from Luxurie and Vanitie the one is ordered by discretion but they are brain-sicke that entertaine the other Secondly wee must remember that there is a time for euerie thing a time to fast and a time to feast a time to weepe and a time to laugh we must take heede therefore of Diues example who fared delitiously euery day and euery day wore fine linnen and purple you know what became of him if we feare his end let vs not imitate his life Our second Plague was Pestilence if God spare vs and stay that infectious disease we must take care to stay the contagion of sinne crying sinnes spread farre and euery day poyson many they are growne so rise that they are growne past shame and Gods tenne Commandements are become ridiculous wee are thought but weake men when we remember the sonnes of Belial of their obedience to them Whether Lawes bee wanting aduise you it is certaine that if there be any they are as if they were not when iustice sleepeth both in City in Country and enormous sinners passe commonly vncontrolled Magistrates would be awakened and quickned to stoppe this morall Pestilence that so by Gods mercy the corporall Pestilence may be stayed also The next Plague was the Sword If God spare vs from the slaughter thereof he doth it that we should testifie our feare of him in fighting his battels against sinne the world and hell hee doth not remoue the sword from our throats that we should flye at his flye at him wee doe in vaine but it will betray the malignitie of our will when we open our mouthes against heauen and become 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rebels against God send him this message We will not haue this man raigne ouer vs but we will do what seemeth good to euery man in his owne eyes That God may turne our swords into plowshares and our speares into mattocks let vs turne our members that haue beene Instruments of vnrighteousnesse vnto sinne into members that became instruments of righteousnesse vnto God Rom. 6. I told you that there is a Plague that lighteth vpon our Goods or Possessions if God remoue that plague he doth it that we should testifie our feare of him in that fashion as Daniel taught Nabuchodonozer Dan. 4. in his words will I speake vnto you Let my counsell be acceptable vnto you and breake off your sinnes by righteousnesse and your iniquities by shewing mercy to the poore if it may bee a continuing of your tranquilitie Let our charity who are yet free extended to those poore ones vpon whom God hath laid his hand begge mercy for vs and hold off Gods heauie hand from our Goods for there is nothing that can sooner preuaile to make the earth bring forth her increase and God euen our owne God to giue vs his blessing and if we make friends of our wicked Mammon this may be our comfort if we should faile in these perillous times they wilreceiue vs into euerlasting Tabernacles Luke 16. The last Plague which I specified was the great diminution of the Orthodoxe Church And what thinke you is the best way to repaire the decayes thereof No doubt but politicke vnions of States is a very good meanes and warlike preparations the vsefull instruments of those vnions if they be timely if they be competent they are fit meanes to bring them to reason perforce with whom ciuill Treaties and brotherly Intreaties cannot preuaile But the best meanes is to make much of Gods truth while we haue it and to make a sauing vse for our eternall comfort which God knoweth hitherto wee haue not done as much as we should and wee doe euery day lesse and lesse And what wonder if that be weary of vs seeing wee grow weary of it Neither is it enough for vs to make much of it for our own good but also wee should propagate it to others And here let me tell you that there lieth a great guilt vpon Christian States this amongst the rest that they
cutting off those branches which were past recouery This is true will the Romanist confesse of all particular Churches the Church of Rome is more that is the very trunke of the Tree it is more than a branch the other Churches may faile she cannot faile she and she only hath a priuiledge from erring from falling from the truth deriued from St. Peter But I told you when I brake vp the Text that the charge and comfort were common to all the Apostles St. Crprians Rule is true the Apostles were sent Pari consertio potestatis honoris Cypr. de simplicit clericorum And that their successors are all equall herein is cleere because both charge and comfort are common to them all vntill the worlds end Were there no other Text in the Bible this is plaine enough to refute the vanitie of their priuiledge Doth not Christ here speake to all the Apostles yea and their Successors too as themselues confesse and promise to bee with them to the worlds end and yet wee see that many Apostolicall Churches haue long since failed They might saith a Romanist but we cannot read St. Paul to the Romans and read there that St. Paul doth not onely repute them but a Branch of the Church grafted in the old stocke Rom. 11. but biddeth them Not to bee high minded but feare for they are not so grafted in but they may bee broken off againe no lesse than the Iewes if they giue God the same cause Nay St. Paul goeth farther and insinuateth to the Thessalonians 2. Thes 2. that the Romans will fall away their Bishop be the man of sinne who shall sit in the Temple and vndermine the Orthodoxe Faith But I will trouble you no farther with this point onely obserue two errors of the Romanists One that they appropriate to themselues the common Promises made vnto the whole Church the second that they vnderstand them absolutely whereas they are meant conditionally This difference they would haue vs obserue between the promises made to the old Testament and the new In the old Testament they say that God promised indeed a perpetuall Residence but it was if the Iewes performed their obedience And they say true in it the Promised of Gods being with the King with the Priest with the Nation all were made vpon such a condition Take for example the storie of Iosua in the first chapter God promised he would not leaue him nor forsake him yet wee see that not many Chapters afterwards hee did forsake him offended with Achans sacriledge But obserue that this condition is not alwayes exprest in the Promise it is vnderstood then when it is not exprest It is no better with the new Testament the forecited Chapter of the Romanes confirmes this truth and the euent hath proued it true For though touching the Elect it is true that God will preserue them and it is true absolutely that God will euer haue a Church wherein those Elect shall bee yet no man nor congregation must vnderstand the Promises of God made vnto them but with condition of their performance of that which God requires If they doe they doe but vainely flatter themselues and wofull experience will make them spectacles to the world of this vaine presumption To conclude this point The Apostles had a Charge and a Comfort the comfort was to encourage them to performe their charge and the one must not goe without the other and as the Apostles so we must entertain them St. Chrysostome biddeth vs take notice that Christ mentioneth the End of the world that hee may thereby hearten his Disciples and preserue them preserue them from being besotted with any worldly hopes seeing they are transitorie and must haue an end they haue nothing in them for obtaining whereof they should forgoe their calling And as for the Crosse which they are to suffer they should not bee troubled with that that also must haue an End wherefore doing their dutie Christ would haue them minde that Prouerbe Non si male nunc olim sic erit this world shall not last euer yea this worlds comming to an end bringeth vs to a world that shall haue no end Persecuters and Vnbeleeuers shall find another world wherein stript of all their earthly comforts they shall haue miserie without end and the faithfull seruants of Christ they also shall come to another world where they shall enioy the reward of their paines a blessed life for euermore So that the End is not only an End of consumption but of consummation also both to good and bad Whereupon followeth another Note that the word donec vntill doth not meane that after the end of the world Christ wil be no longer with vs that sense of the world condemned by St. Hierome writing against Heluidius in the case of the Mother of Christs Virginitie must also receiue the same sense here Christ shall bee with the Church then but in another manner than now not modo mediatorio as mediating to God for vs for then God shall bee all in all but he shall be with vs as he is with the Angels that are confirmed in grace the enioying of his blessed presence shall be no small part of our eternall happinesse I haue opened vnto you the Charge and the Comfort that are exprest in my Text Two points remaine to be touched very briefly The first is contained in the word Loe which telleth vs whereon wee must place the eyes of our minde Wee are apt to busie them about disheartning obiects and plod vpon the difficultie of our charge and our own disabilitie and thereupon to shrincke backe and be vnwilling to bee employed in such seruices of God we can with the cowardly Israelites obiect the sonnes of Anak in comparison of whom we are but grashoppers the high wals which we can neuer scale and so giue ouer our iourney our warfare But God taketh off our eyes from these bugbeares that so affright vs and biddeth vs looke vpon him Ego vobiscum I am with you If God be with vs who can be against vs Rom 8.3 hee can cowardize all the hearts of our enemies and can curbe all their fiercenesse and can crush all their might nay he can turne a Laban or an Esau that deadly hate vs at least into seeming friends so farre as to salute to entreat vs kindly euen then when we expect they will doe vs mischiefe He can doe more turne euen Saul into a Paul make him a conuert when hee is hot in persecution Finally he can make his Sampson-like conquer more dying by the hands of the enemie than when hee liued to encounter them Whensoeuer God putteth vs vpon any hot seruice Ecce looke vpon this let this bee in our eye it wil suffer no feare to dismay vs. For seeing it is not our strength that must withstand them but Gods power sustaining vs and there is no proportion betweene the power of a Creator and all the Creatures what is there
But let vs take these Workes a little a sunder Christ turned vnto Peter then was CHRIST before turned from him And indeed so he was propter arrogantiam saith S. Basil by reason of his presumption who had vaunted that though all men were offended yet would not he be offended When children begin to goe they vse to be so well conceited of the strength of their legs that they need not any help of their Nurse to let them see their folly the Nurse will leaue them to themselues that so smarting by a fall they may the better be brought to find what need they haue of their Nurse The best of vs are but Babes in grace yet doe we thinke that we can stand of our selues yea and run the wayes of GOD also GOD doth refute vs by our owne experience and by this Mistris of fooles maketh vs better knowne to our selues But though he leaue vs for a time yet doth he not forsake vs for euer no more then a Nurse doth the weakling child she maketh vse of one fall to keepe the child from many and GOD doth make vse of our sinning to make vs see how prone we are to sinne And this is that which is meant by Christs turning his turning to vs is nothing else but his renewing of grace in vs Ps â—5 Ier. 31. it is a quickning Conuersion such a turning as worketh repentance As Christ turned Leo de Passione Serm. 9. so he looked that was spirituall and so this he not onely looked on but into S. Peter and it was an operatiue looke Before I told you that the crowing of the Cocke did fore-tell the approaching of the Sunne Now the looke of the corporall Sunne when it shineth vpon the Earth doth carrie with it a quickning influence it putteth life into the Earth and all things are the better for the looke thereof The same must you conceiue of the Sunne of Righteousnesse his looke gratious looke is such as that it infuseth grace into the soule and transformeth the person on whom he looketh You will easily acknowledge this truth if you looke to the Effects I come then to them The Meanes were two and so are the Effects that proceed from them each Meanes produceth its Effect for CHRIST doth not vse his Meanes in vaine The cocke did crow and presently Petr remembred the words which IESVS spake Plato in Crâ—t this was the Effect of the first Meanes Our memorie is a good Storehouse but no good Steward it layeth vp much but of it selfe dispendeth nothing it needeth some helpe to make vse of her store the speculatiue memorie doth but the practicke much more How many be there whose memories are richly stored with excellent rules of life whereof in their life they make no vse their memorie doth not offer them when they haue occasion to be doing as if they had neuer knowne Commandements or Creed they liue like Infidels and like sonnes of Belial Wherefore as the eye of the body needeth the light of the Sunne to rayse and conuey the visible species vnto it Euen so doth the eye of our vnderstanding need the light of the Sunne of Righteousnesse to stirre vp and present vnto it the Principles of Grace whereof it hath need in the ordering of our life without this actuall grace our memorie will neuer make vse of her habituall But there is a double vse of memorie the one is Praeueniens peccatum the other is Subueniens peccato The best vse of memorie were to suggest good rules by which we might auoid sinne and doe nothing which is displeasing vnto GOD. But this memorie doth often faile vs and it is too common a fault to set our selues on worke before euer we thinke whether the worke be such as is fit for vs to doe seldome doth our memorie serue vs to preuent sinne and wretched were our case if we had not memoriam subuenientem a memorie that doth call vs to an account and after-thoughts to reueiw our actions if the Cocke did not crow after we are downe and we were not thereby put in mind of our fall But GOD be thanked we haue the benefit of this after-memorie and it is the first step of our rising againe It was to St Peter he did not mind CHRISTS warning to keepe him vp but he called it to mind when he was downe then did he remember that he had beene fore-warned and gaue glorie vnto CHRISTS truth he acknowledged that the euent had proued him a true Propher You are bound to the Ministers not onely for their informing but for their reforming paines also not onely for teaching you what you should doe but also for laying to your consciences what you doe amisse we often tell you of your frailtie and that you are by nature prone vnto sinne but you heare vs with a deafe care euen as deafe an eare as St Peter heard CHRIST I would CHRIST would say vnto our memories Ephata as he did to St Peters and as he so we after we are downe would remember our selues and confesse that we are not challenged in vaine that we our selues are monuments of humane frailtie and they that tell vs when we are in the heighth of our selfe conceit that we will proue such doe not prophesie what our life doth not iustifie If we be so ingenuous such a Remembrance will set vs forward to performe the acts that are required in repentance which are the Effects of the second Meanes The second Meanes are CHRIST turned and looked and what followed thereupon Surely Peter presently became another man He had beene verie bold but now he began to find his owne weaknesse Praesumens Petrus ignorauit se negando didicit se cognoscere while Peter thought well of himselfe he was a verie stranger to himselfe but he grew better acquainted with himselfe after he had denyed CHRIST in witnesse whereof he went out he would no longer conflict with that by which he had beene foyled Occasions of euill are shrewd stumbling blockes he that will not fall must be afraid to come nigh them In this case Basils rule is true Nihil formidolosius quam nihil formidare none are in more fearfull case then they that are foole-hardy Et in securitate periclitatur fides he wrackes his faith that is bold when he may decline to put it in danger that will touch pitch and thinke he cannot be defiled carrie fire in his bosome and thinke he cannot be burnt Peter came into the High Priests house onely out of the loue of CHRIST and yet he fell And shall we be able to stand that out of a loue of the World thrust our selues into the temptations thereof I would all that dote vpon the baites of sinne were as timerous as St Peter was and would not so rashly hazard themselues men would not so often be ouertaken with the vanities of this life they would not so often relapse into sinne Peter went out not onely out of feare of that
be no worse then this that it is Vanitie that it is a Lie For what doe wee abhorre more in nature then vanitie which is the emptinesse of nature What in good manners more then a Lie which is the counterfeit of good manners We thinke nothing ought more to be endeauoured then sollidnesse in Being and sinceritie in Appearing and abhorre nothing more then the contrarie to them both So that to haue our state not onely paralleld with but to become Vanitie and a Lie we may deeme the greatest debasement that can be thereof And yet it is not the comparison doth vs too much honour we are not worthy to bee matched with these though these bee of so small waight yet they ouer-waigh vs in the scales of God if we both bee waighed our lightnesse will soone discouer the inequalitie And indeed no wonder for vanitie is nothing in comparison of sinne and a naturall Lie in comparison of a morall To be mortall taketh away much of that substance which we had in our Creation but to bee sinfull taketh away much more the Maxime Quod efficit tale illud ipsum est magis tale holdeth most true betweene sinne and vanitie for man becommeth subiect vnto vanitie through sinne and who doth not know how much lower sinne doth carrie vs then doth vanitie Vanitie lodgeth vs in the earth sinne tumbleth vs into hell and that is lightest that carrieth vs lowest the more sollid euery thing is the neerer to God and the farther from God it carrieth vs the lighter it must needs be And behold a Paradoxe Here grauia tendunt sursum and Leuia deorsum so that they that are light in the scales are out of the scales very heauie they sinke downe into Hell and they that are in the scales heauie are out of the scales verie light they so are as high as Heauen But it may be thought if men of low degree bee singled by them selues or men of high degree by themselues their waight is no greater yet if they bee ioyned each will helpe to augment the others waight and what they cannot a part they may doe going together at least counterpoyse if not ouerpoyse Vanitie and a Lie No verily for as a Cipher added to a Cipher maketh but a Cipher so Vanitie is no whit the heauier by the addition of a Lie nor a Lie by the addition of Vanitie Put high men and low men all sorts of men yea all persons into Gods ballance and you shall find that if they haue no other waight then that which is in men they cannot hold waight no not with vanitie it selfe then which you would thinke nothing can haue lesse waight and indeed nothing hath but sinne wherin standeth the chiefe lightnesse of man O Lord thou hast appointed a Day wherein thou wilt waigh all both things and persons and trie how much they haue lost of that sollidnesse which thou hast bestowed vpon them I confesse that I had lost much yea all true sollidnesse I brought none with me out of my mothers wombe but it hath pleased thee againe to repaire it in part and promise it in whole Grant that of whatsoeuer Degree I am I may thinke no better of my nature then it is and may value thy grace according to its worth make me which am a sonne of Adam a child of God and so free me from vanitie And if thou bee pleased to prosper me on earth yet Lord prosper mee much more towards Heauen and free my greatnesse from a Lie So shall I not be light in thy scales with that lightnesse that descends to Hell but heauie with that sollidnesse that ascends to Heauen Amen A Meditation vpon Hebr. 9. VERSE 27. It is appointed for all men once to die and after death commeth Iudgement O My Soule what now thou art thou canst not continue long and what thou shalt bee it is good thou timely doe consider Thou now dwellest in a body made of clay and daily mouldring into dust thou canst haue no surer prognostication that it will haue an end then thy continuall experience that it is mortall Were there nothing but Age that wrought vpon it it would wither but when sicknesse which speedeth sooner and spends faster conspires with Age to ruine thy habitation how canst thou be vnmindful of the fall thereof How canst thou but euery houre expect it But there is a higher remembrancer one of whom thou mayst lesse doubt in this case then of either sicknesse or Age and that is God hee hath decreed it All must die thou art one of that All and of All not one that can exempt himselfe from or except against Gods decree Especially so iust a decree no lesse iust then peremptorie no lesse peremptorie then iust God peremptorily threatned death before thou sinnedst and since thou hast sinned Iustice can doe no lesse then giue sentence against thee the sentence of death The Soule that sinneth must die thou art a sinfull soule and therefore thou must taste of death Thou must not looke that those eyes of thine which haue beene the windowes of lust shall alwayes gaze vpon this besotting world thou must not thinke that those eares of thine by whose gates haue entred so much vanitie shall still be inchaunted with the flatteries of thy deceitfull friends thou must not thinke that this taste of thine importunate sollicitor of thy appetite shall still serue to pamper thy body with delicacies These things haue had their time and it is but a time that is allowed them they were and the more they doe the lesse shall they be able to doe dimnesse casts a vaile vpon thine eyes and deafnesse lockes vp the doores of thy eares and thy taste forgets to discerne thy meates And iustly become they so infeebled that kept no measure in their strength what they should haue done they delighted least to doe though by doing it they might haue lasted long and what they should not haue done in doing that they tooke their greatest solace though in doing of it they wrought their owne decay Had not Eue beheld the forbidden fruit more willingly then God hadshee not listned to the Serpent more attentiuely then to his word had shee not tasted the Tree of the knowledge of Good and Euill more sweetly then the tree of life I had had immortall eyes eares and taste But because shee abused them I must loose the vse of them But why doe I deriue my fault vpon others Why doe I vncouer my Parents nakednesse Are my teeth set on edge onely because they did eate sower Grapes My selfe did eate in them and after them my selfe haue eaten like vnto them I doe not so much resemble them in nature as concupiscence what so euer they planted I haue watered and watered that often which they planted but once And as if I feared that their ill husbandrie would not proue fast enough my selfe haue beene a toylesome Husbandman in cherishing the briers and thornes that haue choked euen all
pleasurably with sinne as it shall bee feeling when it is affected with all kind of woe This is our condition after death and such is the Iudgement where at we must appeare euen the first Iudgement Demie-Atheists though they would not hold an absolute imortalitie of their Soule yet for a time till the day of Resurrection they dreamt their Soules should bee as senslesse as their bodies but it was but the diuels Sophistrie to comfort the wicked with a Soules sleepe from the houre of death vntill the generall Assises of the world as hee did with hope of a generall pardon after some yeares of torment which made Origen to thinke that at length the diuels themselues should be released from paine But blessed Apostle I belieue thee I wil not flatter my self I do not more certainly expect death then I doe looke instantly thereupon to come before my Iudge I know that there is a Iudgement before a Iudgement a priuate before the publike I belieue as truly that euen now Diues burneth in Hell as that Lazarus is in Abrahams bosome and I doe no more doubt that Iudas went to his owne place then that the good thiefe was that day with Christ in Paradise no sooner doth the soule leaue the body but God doth dispose it to rest and paine O euer liuing God vnpartiall Iudge both of quicke and dead thy decree is past vpon my life for my arraignment I am here but a soiournour and yet accomptable for what so euer I doe here Let not this decree be vnknowne passe vnregarded of me if health if prosperitie promise a longer terme a carelesse life let me trie their perswasion by thy infallible word For there shall I learne that heauen and earth shall passe the greater how much more this litle heauen and earth of mine and that thy word onely endureth for euer Yea I see that all things come to an end but thy Commandement is exceeding broad and it is this Commandement that thou hast laid vpon my bodie and laid vpon my Soule a heauie Commandement that sounds nothing but that which is vnsauorie to flesh and bloud Death vnsauorie but Iudgement much more skin for skin and all that euer a man hath hee will giue for his life but life it selfe who would not part with that he might bee free from Iudgement My soule and body are loth to part but much more loth to appeare before thee it is grieuous to forgoe that which I loue but to feele that which I feare is much more grieuous if I die I want what I would haue but if I come to Iudgement then I must indure that which I abhorre death ends the pleasure which I take in life but Iudgement reckoneth for the inordinatnesse thereof And it is a double griefe to be so stripped to bee so tried but what shall I doe Thy word must stand and seeing it must stand let me not doubt let me not neglect let those two be euer before mine eyes let me vse this world as if I vsed it not seeing the fashion therof doth passe away and I change faster then it The little world hast thou proposed as a glasse wherin we may behold what will become of the great world both appeare subiect vnto Vanitie thou hast subiected both the frame of both must be dissolued so deepely is sinne rooted in either that nothing can extirpate it but the dissolution of the whole But the case of the greater world is better then that of the little that is dissolued but this must be arraigned also arraigned for it selfe arraigned for the great world also If that haue any euill it hath it from man man infected it and it is dissolued because of man but man for himselfe his owne sinne maketh himselfe and others mortall also good reason that he which hath baned the world so ruined the frame of all Gods creatures should account for it vnto the owner therof If a subiect trespasse against the King or his Image the Law doth challenge him it calleth for an amends and can the King of heauen and earth be wronged in his creatures be wronged in his owne Image and not challenge the offender No Lord there is great reason as for man to die that hath made all things mortall so for man to bee iudged that hath done it by sinne no reason that other things should suffer and he scape nay great reason why the blame of all should bee laid vpon him He deseruedly must be exposed to shame and blush for whatsoeuer himselfe hath deformed and what hee hath made to groane hee must sigh for it The maske must be plucked off where vnder in this life wee hide our selues and our sense must be rectified wherewith in this world wee excuse our selues we that would not iudge our selues must be iudged of the Lord. And his iudgement shall bee without respect of persons This Iudge standeth at the doore his Assizes are proclaimed no sooner are we quickned but wee are informed of death and Iudgement no sooner come we out four mothers wombe but we witnes our knowledge thereof euerie day of ourlife is a Citation day But as it wanteth not a date so it prefixeth not a day euerie one must dye once but the time of his death no man knoweth euerie man must be iudged no man knoweth how soone This vncertainety maketh death and Iudgement more terrible And it should make vs more watchfull watchfull for that which we are sure will come but when it will come wee are vnsure when it commeth it is fearefull but it commeth suddainely Did it concerne my temporall state I would take great care if the good-man of the house knew when the theife would come he would surely watch and not suffer his house to bee surprised And care wee more for our goods then for our selues For that which may be repaired then for that which being past hath no recouerie So senslesse are we so vsually are we ouer-taken Let it not be so with me O Lord let me euer meditate vpon Death and let me euer be prouided for Iudgement Before Sicknesse prouide Physicke and Righteousnesse before Iudgement A Meditation vpon Philippians 1. VERSE 21. Christ is to me life and death is to mee aduantage I Haue beene at Mount Sinai I haue heard the thunder I haue seene the lightning I haue felt the shaking thereof it hath put mee in mind of my mortalitie at it I haue learned what it is to bee arraigned before my Iudge Were there no other Hill I were in wofull case woe is mee if I haue no succour against death which I cannot auoid against iudgement which is so strict But blessed be God I haue a succour though God bring mee to Sinai in my passage out of Egypt yet is it not his pleasure that I should stay there the Cloud is risen and goeth before me I will vp I will follow it And see it bringeth me to another Hill it resteth me vpon Mount Sion I no sooner
madest me something vouchsafe to make me somthing that haue brought my selfe to nothing Yea worse then nothing for sinne is so it doth not onely abolish that good which thou hast giuen me but it filleth me with euill that is opposite to good yea to God And how much better is it at all not to be then to be a sinner To bee nothing then to be a feind of hell Neuer to haue seene the Sunne then to bee at enmitie with God This is the state where into I haue cast my selfe and thus farre haue I estranged my selfe from thee And how restlesse am I vntill I returne to thee O Lord Sinne forfeits many things besides God but let a man recouer all all besides will yeeld no content except a man recouer God And why Lord Thou art the soueraigne good and without thee nothing is good If I doe not partake the creature in reference to my Creator well may I haue it I shall haue no true comfort in it Take then all from me and leaue me God though I haue nothing yet shall I enioy all things for God is all in all Wherefore though I am sicke I doe not desire health I desire God and it is God that I desire when I am poore I doe not desire wealth I am senslesse of all other wants I hunger and thirst onely after God Seeing then thou Lord onely canst quiet canst satisfie my Soule if thou vouchsafe to turne me turne me vnto thee let me not make a stand before I come so far neither let me thinke my selfe recouered vntill I haue recouered thee Let others rest contented with the drosse of the earth or with the pompe of this world my originall is from heauen and I can find no rest vntill my affections rest there Therefore returne me vnto him from whom sinne hath estranged mee euen to thy selfe O God I beg this of thee because I can expect it from none but thee and from thee I am sure I shal not expect it in vaine For be I neuer so farre gone I cannot goe out of thy reach I can bee no more out of the reach of thy Grace then of thy Power as thou canst smite me so canst thou heale me and thou canst bring mee home as well as thou canst cast me out Lord I make no doubt of the successe if thou vouchsafe thy will for Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me whole onely thy power is equall to thy will and thou canst doe whatsoeuer pleaseth thee Be pleased then good Lord to put to thy helping hand that thy prodigall Child that by the first step of thy grace is come home to himselfe by a second step may come home to thee I desire no new blessing no such blessing as thou hast not vouchsafed to the sonnes of Adam yea to mee Thou madest Adam after thine owne Image and me in him holy and happie diddest thou make vs such sun-shine dayes were our former dayes cleare and warme without corruption without mortalitie though now we are both sinfull and wofull all our dayes are such euill dayes But thou O Lord that commandest at first light to shine out of darkenesse and dost continually exchange the night for day shine vpon mee let the Sunne of righteousnesse arise vnto me become my father make mee thy child giue me grace to serue thee and vouchsafe thou to blesse me create a new heauen and a new earth in this little world of mine wherein let righteousnesse dwell Yea and happinesse also let them rest on my bodie let them rest on my soule let them rest on both all the daies of this life vntill thou bee pleased to remoue both hence and consummate this thy fauour in the life to come Wherein my daies shall be though like yet much better then my dayes of old by so much better as glorification shall exceed the creation Thou seest O Lord the vpshot of my desire Now let my desire be a comfortable Prophesie of thy fauour disappoint me not of that for which thou hast made mee long so change me by grace here on earth that I may be what I hope to be by glorie in heauen where all things are made so new that they neuer can waxe oâ—d AMEN Meditation vpon Ecclesiast 41. VERSE 1. O death how bitter is the remembrance of thee to a man that liueth at rest in his possessions vnto the man that hath nothing to vexe him and that hath prosperitie in all things and is yet able to receiue meate WEe haue no abiding place on earth none haue but of those that would haue there are many Many there are O Lord that though they must die cannot indure to mind death nothing more vnsauorie to some then that their memorie should be exercised with the memorie thereof And who are they Surely they whom the earth most fauoreth are they that are best affected thereto where their goods are there they thinke it is good being And how should any bee willing to part from that wherein he findeth content and whereupon hee hath set his rest He it is that is not onely in but of the world not onely vseth but enioyeth the same and from that which is our ioy if we be seuered we cannot be seuered without paine Heauen is a blessed place and blessed is the state which all are promised that shall come thither But this truth we belieue we doe not see it surely the worldly happie man doth hardly credit it because he hath no sense thereof Sense that hath immediately to doe with the world as it is pleasured so doth it iudge thereof it iudgeth it the onely place of happinesse If it may be so happie as to be fed to the full with that which it desires if we haue goods and haue the vse of them what saith flesh and bloud should I wish for more And indeed what fuller definition can an earthly mind make of a blessed life then secure store and a comfortable vse of such goods which are the goods of this naturall life Although in themselues they are fleeting vanities yet sensuall reason honoureth them with the glorious title of substance it thinketh they are and are what they seeme because it iudgeth according as it wisheth and what it would haue them to be it holds them to be such And if man bee so vnhappily happie as to hold them without the opposition of enuie or malice and their wings are clipt from flying away the more proprietie we thinke we haue in them the more are we confirmed in our erroneous iudgement of them Nothing doth more roote a mans heart in the world then an ouer great calme wherin he sayles and rides at Anchor in the world worldly peace doth much helpe forward a worldly mind Especially if we bee lulled a sleepe by both charmes of this peace Securitie and Plentie if no bodie disturbe vs no bodie impaire what we haue gathered no casualtie no calamitie cloud the Sun shine of our day or sowre the