Repentance and Converſion, THE Fabrick of Salvation: OR, The SAINTS joy in Heaven, FOR The Sinners ſorrow upon Earth.
Being the laſt SERMONS Preached by that Reverend and Learned JOHN HEWYT, D. D. Late Miniſter of St. Gregories by St. Pauls.
With other of his Sermons preached there.
Dedicated to all his pious Auditors, eſpecially thoſe of the ſaid Pariſh.
Alſo an Advertiſement concerning ſome Sermons lately printed, and pretended to be the Doctors, but are diſavowed By
LONDON, Printed by J. C And are to be ſold by Samuel Speed, at the ſign of the Printing Preſs, in St. Pauls Church-yard, 1658.
IT is not the Ignis fatuus of Applauſe, and popular Euge's, that produced this Publication; ſince 'tis perſpicuous, no man, but he that hath as great a ſtock of impudence, as impiety, can lay claim to it; being the compoſition of your Reverend Paſtor, lately deveſted of Mortality.
Nor is the expoſing theſe Sermons to publique view intended to add to the maſs of any mans dolor or Internal Regret, for the violent death of the pious Author; but to prevent the fictitious Chimaera's of many crazy brains, that would ſhroud themſelves under his Name, induced to it by Avarice,; whoſe thoughts level at no other mark but their own ſordid Lucre; and alſo, that ſo pious a Beads-man might have ſomewhat engraven upon the forehead of Time, and his name velit nolit invidia vigere. Wherefore here ye have a Volume of the elaborate Pieces of this famous Pillar of the Church; ſome, as they did flow in their native purity from his own mouth; others, penned by no meaner a Scribe then his ſacred ſelf.
'Tis but ſmall, as to the Bulk; but vaſt, as to the Value; in which is ſuch a plerophory of ſignificant expreſsions, beſides the ſolid Divinity, that if uprightly fathom'd by the utmoſt extent of the ſublimeſt thought, it will be judged ſo neat and terſe a Piece, that the whole World can ſcarce produce a Parallel. Therefore they croud and thruſt themſelves under the wings of your Patronage, that ſo (being acceptable to you all his quondam-Pariſhioners) they may be ſheltered from the contagious emiſsions of that univerſal Baſilisk, Detraction.
That there is nothing able to preſerve a mans fame intire and verdant in ſpite of the Iron teeth of time, but the iſſue of the Brain, the Muſe of Mellifluous Naſo, as ingenuouſly, as harmoniouſly, informs us, by this warbling Rithme:
Pity it is, they ſhould continue in the obſcure darkneſs of Latency, and the opack ſhades of ſilence. Therefore do they now, like Noahs dove, bear an Olive-branch of Aſſurance and Conſolation to all ſoules, that as yet remain in the Ark of God, preſerved from the deluge of ſin.
They were the laſt that he pronounced in a Pulpit; therefore ſhould be entertained with more zeal, and read with more circumſpection: that God may be praiſed, his ſervant admired, your ſouls benefited, and our Holy Mother the Church lamented for the death of ſo pious a Son of hers; whoſe loſs no pen can pourtray with its ſable colours, nor tongue expreſs by all its diapred variety. But ſince it is the will of the Almighty to permit ſuch things for our correction and amendment, let us with a pious ſilence reſign our ſelves up unto God (according to the advice of this renowned Clergy-man in his laſt words) and pray for a more comely decorum in the Church, that ſo the coeleſtial Manna of Gods Word, may be adminiſtred to us by the truly-Orthodox; that the Queen of Sciences, Divinity, may not be ſo ſluttiſhly attired, as it appoars too often ſhe is, to our intolerable grief; that men may no longer ſhun the beauty of the Church, but dwell in Gods Holy Temple.
One thing may not be omitted, and that is this: when the Library of this famous Divine was ſurveyed, on ſome of his writings there was found engraven with his own pen, theſe words;Luk. 18.13. God be merciful to me a ſinner; and underneath, this ingenious and divine Paraphraſe: To ſeparate God and Mercy, would be blaſphemy; To ſeparate Mercy and Sinner, would be deſpair; To ſeparate me and ſinner, would be preſumption: A divine Paraphraſe, worthy ſo rare a Divine.
To accumulate his Herſe with Encomiums, will be to little purpoſe, ſince his works will predicate his Fame,
This is the comfort of all true Chriſtians; he is not amiſſus, but praemiſſus; not loſt, but ſent before: let us crave therefore of the Almighty Jehovah, that we may all meet in Heaven with him, there to ſing perpetual Hallelujahs, VVorld without end.
WHereas ſome imperfect notes were upon a falſe ſuggeſtion, and by other indirect means, entred into the Hall-book of the Company of Stationers, for the uſe of Mr. Everſden at the Gray-hound, and Mr. Rook at the Lamb, both in St. Pauls Church-yard, under the Title of Dr. HEWYT'S Sermons: Theſe are to ſignifie to all whom it may concern,
1. That they are none of Dr. HEWYT'S Sermons, but only imperfect notes taken from him as he preached, (or perhaps from ſome others) in ſhort writing.
2. That they were entred without the conſent or knowledg of the right Honorable the Lady MARY HEWYT, Relict of the ſaid Doctor; and are printed contrary to the beſt endeavours her Ladyſhip could uſe by fair means to ſuppreſs them, as is very well known to the Maſter, Wardens, and Aſſiſtants of the Stationers Company.
3. That if any thing ſhall be printed or produced in writing, pretending the ſaid Ladies conſent, the ſame hath been, as is ſtill, diſavowed by her Ladyſhip as none of hers: For all that ſhe gave her hand for, or her conſent unto, was only a caveat that nothing ſhould be printed in Doctor HEWYTS name without her conſent: and whatſoever there is more in that paper under her hand, was an addition, (to call it no worſe) of ſome other (whoſe name we conceal in meer charity) after the paper was ſubſcribed, as was manifeſted to the Company at their Court, holden on Monday the 14. of June; and will be further juſtified upon oath, by two ſufficient witneſſes, when occaſion ſhall ſerve.
I ſay unto you, that likewiſe joy ſhall be in heaven over one ſinner that repenteth, more then over ninety and nine just perſons, that need no repentance.
NO man can be ſo ſordidly blockiſh,SERM. I. or ſo wickedly profane, as to deny the neceſſity and benefit of Repentance: Nor can there be any that plead a right to the title of Chriſtians, but will acknowledge themſelves ſo implunged into Sin, as, without Repentance, they deſerve to be wrapt up in the embraces of eternal flames. This is the ſtable foundation upon which the ſolid Chriſtian builds the aſſured Fabrick of his future felicity. 2There is a procul O procul it o profane! written upon the gates of heaven, unleſs Repentance procure you entrance. Since, therefore, Beloved, 'tis ſo neceſſary a Chriſtian duty, I have made choice of this Text; wherein (not to ſtand upon Diviſions, for we have too many of them already) there are Two Parts preſent themſelves to your Meditation.
1. That there is joy in heaven for the ſouls of the juſt that are already converted; as appears by that Conjunction〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉or quam, then, that hath reference to ſomewhat preceding.
2. That there is far more joy in heaven for the converſion of a penitent ſinner.
This ſecond in Order, though firſt placed in the Verſe, ſhall be the ſubject of our enſuing Diſcourſe. We muſt therefore conſider,
1. What it is: and that you ſhall know by this enſuing Definition: 'Tis a new Creation, or ſacred Metamorphoſis of the ſoul, converting it from ſin to God. 3The Greek word is very emphatical,〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which imports as much as a recollecting of the minde, and meditating as it were upon former offences, ſo as to repent and be heartily ſorry for them; not with a ſuperficial and ſlight kinde of grief, but a real, cordial, and extraordinary Compunction and Contrition for ſin.
Now this Repentance preſuppoſeth ſome ſin formerly committed, ſome crime heretofore perpetrated. That we are all infected with the Leproſie of ſin, no rational Chriſtian I preſume will deny, or dare gainſay. Our firſt parents have infuſed, or rather left a taint of their firſt ſin upon all their poſterity; ſo that no man, how devout ſoever he be, can plead a freedom from Original corruption: Nemo non inficitur Adami labe: All perſons are infected with the ſin of our firſt parents; and, as thorow a chanel, the tincture of it hath taken its courſe to the whole world. You may as well ſeparate hic homo, and hoc individuum, as Man and Original ſin. Beſides this, how is our life made up4 of an infinite number of offences and treſpaſſes! 'Tis but a faſciculus or forrago peccatorum, a Bundle or Miſcelany of ſin: ſins Original, and ſins Actual; ſins of Omiſſion, and ſins of Commiſſion; ſins of ignorance, and ſins of Knowledge; ſins againſt the Law of God, and ſins againſt his Goſpel; ſins againſt Light, and ſins againſt Love. Our ſinful Words are more then word can expreſs; our ſinful Thoughts are more then thought can conceive: our ſinful Deeds have been ſo many in number, and ſo hainous in nature, that we have ſcarce left number for more, or place for worſe. Nay, the very Heathens, though poyſoned with Idolatry, and guided by no other light but the Ruſh-candle of Nature, could cry out, Nemo ſine crimine vivit: All men ſin. Since therefore we are all more or leſs vitious, all more or leſs peccato dediti; ſince we are all ſick of this diſeaſe of ſin, all troubled with this malady; we muſt ſeek out a Phyſician that may preſcribe us a Medicine, a Cure for this our filthy Leproſie. The Phyſician5 is our Saviour JESUS; and ſo much is intimated unto us by his Name in the Original,〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which hath its derivation from〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉to heal, and〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉to ſave: firſt he heals, and then he ſaves: firſt he remedies the diſtemper of the body, and then he ſaves the ſoul. And that you may be inexcuſable if you ſplit the precious veſſels of your ſouls upon the rock of Perdition; and without defence, that you may not pretend either a ſinful Baſhfulneſs, or Inſufficiencie and Unworthineſs; He himſelf hath vouchſafed to deſcend ſo far below himſelf, as to give you invitation, Matth. 11.28. Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavie laden, and I will eaſe you. 〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, it is in the Original; all ye that groan under the weight of ſin, as Porters do under a heavie burthen; and I will eaſe you, ſaith our Saviour. So that whoſoever he be that groans under the weight of ſin, and lies under the wrack of a pricking Conſcience, may come, unleſs he be wilfully bent upon his own ruine, and receive help from the Prince of Phyſicians, and the6 God of them too. For he is the Lamb of God, that taketh away the ſins of the world, as that pious Anagram of his bleſſed Name doth intimate unto us;〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: Thou art the Lamb,〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the irreprehenſible Lamb, or Lamb without ſpot or blemiſh: but the Original ſignifies ſomewhat more; ſo undefiled, and ſo pure, that Momus himſelf cannot tell how to carp at him. Nay, the bleſſed Angels, Heaven it ſelf rejoyceth at the converſion of a penitent ſinner; Repentance therefore is a thing neceſſary and requiſite to the ſalvation of a ſoul. Chriſt is our Phyſician, and Repentance is our Phyſick. We may ſoon, with the tears of ſincere Contrition, waſh our ſelves in the bloud of Chriſt, from all putrefaction and filthineſs that ſin hath polluted us withal. Therefore we ought all of us to begin and take a Leſſon of Repentance in the School of Chriſt: we ought to begin ab incunabulis, in our very youth; and not dare florem diabolo, foecem Deo; not waſte away the flower and vigour of our youthful years in the devils vaſſalage,5 and when our heads are hoary and Periwig'd with the Snow of Age, then to conſecrate our ſelves to the ſervice of God, and to offer up our ſelves to the Altar of his Acceptance, and that he would for the merits of our moſt bleſſed Saviour, his moſt bleſſed Son, who ſuffered that curſed and ignominious death, the death of the Croſs, for our ſins, have mercy upon us, and pardon all our enormities paſt, preſent and to come. Begin in May, not in December: for aſſure your ſelves, God will never accept of the devils leavings. You muſt not ſtream out your Youth in Wine, and live a Lapling to the Silk and Dainties; wear all your Mannors on your back at once, and like the rich man in the Goſpel, go attired in purple, and fare deliciouſly every day; and then think when you are come to the Spectacle, and bearingſtaff, to turn to God, and ſteer the Veſſel of your ſoul toward heaven. Sera poenitentia raro vera: Repentance in the declining of a mans age, when the Sun of his life is poſting to the Weſt, is ſeldom true. The Thief8 upon the Croſs, of whom we may truly ſay, Periiſſet, niſi periiſſet, was ſav'd: There was one ſav'd, that none might deſpair; and but one, that none might preſume.
Uſe not the common Shift of the world, to ſay that you are not guilty of any Crying ſins; they are but petty offences. For I muſt tell you, Beloved, theſe are but diabolical ſuggeſtions infuſed into you by the ſpirit of Darkneſs: you muſt firſt finde out a ſmall God, before you can commit a ſmall ſin. Nay, all ſins, of what ſort ſoever they be, are great ſins, ſins of a high ſtature, becauſe committed againſt the Law of the ſin-deteſting God. For were it not for the Law of God, that ſtrictly and ſeverely prohibits all manner of ſin, and commands uprightneſs, there would be no ſuch thing in the world as Sin: for what is ſin, but the tranſgreſſion of Gods Law? And therefore holy David acknowledged his ſins to be committed againſt God, becauſe he had tranſgreſſed & violated his Law and Commandment: which made him to break forth into that penitent9 and holy Rapture; Against thee, against thee onely have I ſinned: Pſal. 51.4. We are all naturally ſinful: there is no difference by Nature, between the Elect and Reprobate, neither in external nor internal diſpoſition, until it be made by Grace. St. Paul was a Perſecutor of as deep a Scarlet-dye, as ever Domitian or Julian was: Zacheus, as unconſcionable and miſerable a Worldling, as the rich Glutton in the Goſpel, Luke 16.19. All perſons are alike by Nature, till Grace comes in and makes a difference: for we are all by Nature children of wrath, heirs of perdition, and in danger of damnation. 'Tis Regeneration, that procures us our paſſage to heaven: Except a man be re-born, (or born anew) he cannot ſee the kingdom of God: Joh. 3. and Luk. 13.5. Except ye repent, ye ſhall all likewiſe periſh. So that ſo long as we remain in the ſtate of Nature, being conceived in ſin, and brought forth in iniquity, we are ſtill remaining in a moſt deſperate and damnable condition.
For the poyſon of our Nature is10 as virulent in us, as in the wicked; and by Nature we are as much addicted to all manner of ſins: And though by the ſpecial mercy of the Father of mercies, we have eſcaped many damnable and deteſtable crimes, which we finde the wicked have been often implunged into; 'tis not becauſe we are of a more pure and undefiled nature then they, (for 'tis the ſame as theirs) but becauſe the envenom'd virulencie thereof hath not as yet manifeſted it ſelf in us; which we have juſt cauſe every day to fear: for, in truth, we have taken ſo much of the devils Opium, that, without Repentance, we ſhall never be awakened out of the dead ſleep of ſin.
Therefore let us ſtrive with a holy reſolution to ſhake off theſe rags of Natural Corruption, and clothe out ſelves with the precious garment of Chriſt Jeſus. Let us get into a ſtate of grace, and by a real & ſincere Repentance turn over a new leaf, become converts & diſciples of our Saviour. Adam, you know, did not fall as a private man, but as the Root of all11 Mankinde; and we all partake of that Fall, ſince we are the iſſue of his loyns: and the veſſels of our bodies ſtill keep a ſmack of the old reliſh. For, according to the Poet,
The ſweeteſt Stream that flows, will reliſh of the ſoyl that it hath ſaluted.
Sheep never come neer a hedge, but they leave ſome Wool behinde them. One man infected with the Plague, will corrupt ten men, ſooner then ten men can cure one infected perſon. You know what the Satyriſt ſaith:
Which our Engliſh Proverb renders exactly, One ſcabbed ſheep will ſpoil the whole flock.
12Well might that ſweet-mouth'd Romane call this The Iron Age: for Iniquity is an epidemical diſtemper, or a Chronical Diſeaſe, that admits of no Cure but Repentance, and that ſincere too. And I fear that the Poet writ in Prophetick meaſures, when his Muſe warbled this ſo ſuitable an expreſſion to our Times:
Our Age is grown to ſuch a height of Impiety, that Poſterity will not be able to adde any thing to it. Pride ſwaggers in the ſtreets, Luxury is houſed, and Drunkenneſs reels to and fro, notwithſtanding the heavie Judgements of God denounced againſt thoſe that exerciſe ſuch abominations: and all the Armour of the mightieſt Potentates in the world is not able to reſiſt the Prophets of God, when their Commiſſion is ſeal'd with God's Ipſe dixit, cujus verbum ab intentione, quia veritas,13 factum a verbo, quia virtus, non differt. Gods word is a word with a deed; and what he ſaith, ſhall be done without doubt or demur: And all good men will obey his Law and Commandment: but where are theſe good men now adays? A good man is hard to be found; he is rara avis in terris, ſprung from the aſhes of ſome dead Phoenix, whoſe abode is ſcarce known: he is like the Berries of the Prophet Iſaiah's tree, here and there one to be found: nay, 'tis a thouſand to one, if you finde one in a thouſand. The jerking Satyriſt, the Laſh of his time, could ſay, ſo long ſince, much more then may we now,
There are but ſeven good men, at moſt, ſaith he. A ſmall number indeed! What the Philoſopher ſaith of Good, I'm ſure is in theſe our Times verified of Evil: Malum est14 ſui diffuſivum: Evil is diffuſive; 'tis of a ſpreading nature; a diſeaſe that is catching; therefore we ſhould never go abroad without an Antidote againſt it; and that is the Word of God: for, Antidotum verbi ſerpentis venenum expugnat: The Word of God is a ſoveraign Antidote againſt the poyſon of the Serpent. We live now in the ſink of Time, wherein Vertue is accounted a Prodigie, and Piety a Crime, or at the beſt a Simplicity. And our Aarons are taken away, and put aſide as uſeleſs; and the people die of the Plague: I wonder who ſhall ſtand between the living and the dead, holding the Cenſers, and making Atonement for them? They are caſt aſide, Beloved, and none but a Spurious Iſſue admitted of, that have no Authority nor Commiſſion. Quicquid libet licet, nunc dierum; and yet 'tis ſtrange, non licet eſſe bonus. And take this by the way, That he that will be a godly Chriſtian, muſt, like the Antipodes, run a contrary courſe to the men of the world. 'Tis ſin, and the Fall of our parents, that hath brought us into15 this condition: here we lie: but thanks to the Almighty, here is comfort enough for the moſt hainous ſinner, ſo he have not committed the ſin againſt the holy Ghoſt, if he will but repent. Sacrae paginae ſcatent hujuſmodi conſolationibus. The Scripture abounds with Lectures of Comfort to all penitent ſinners: Iſai. 55.7. Let the wicked forſake his ways, and the unrighteous his own imaginations, and turn unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he is ready to forgive. And ſo likewiſe in Ezek. 18.21, 22. If the wicked will return from all his ſins that he hath committed, and keep all my ſtatutes, and do that which is lawful and right; he ſhall ſurely live, and not die: all his tranſgreſsions that he hath committed, they ſhall not be mentioned unto him; but in his righteouſneſs that he hath done, ſhall he live. The Scripture is an Ocean that flows with ſuch comfortable ſtreams; and that both the Old and New Teſtament, as it appears in 1 Joh. 1.9. If we acknowledge our ſins, God is faithful and just to forgive our ſins, and to cleanſe us from all unrighteouſneſs. 16〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, from all injuſtice. And ſo in the 2. Chap. of the ſame Epiſtle, verſ. the 1. and 2. If any man ſin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jeſus Chriſt the juſt. And he is the reconciliation for our ſins; and not for ours only, but alſo for the ſins of the whole world:〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: Now what need we care what ſuit we commence, at the Upper-bench in Heaven, ſo long as we have Chriſt for our Lawyer, our Counſellor? Si Deus nobiſcum, quis contra nos? if God be for us, who ſhall be againſt us?
1 Uſe. This then ſhould ſerve for a Uſe of Conſolation, to ſtir up all perſons to a real and true repentance. Since Chriſt is for them; ſince he calls himſelf their Advocate, their Pleader, their Counſellor; and hath promiſed ſo often that whoſoever repenteth ſhall not periſh, but have everlaſting life: And though every man be an enemy to his own ſalvation, & the fleſh reſiſt the ſame work; & the divel doth endeavour by his wicked machinations to ſtir up in the heart of a man an averſion to17 converſion; this ſhould create in us more firm and ſetled reſolutions after the work, ſince we have the promiſe of our bleſſed Saviour for ſucceſs in our undertaking; but this cannot be performed without a holy indefatigable induſtry on our part; for 'tis called in holy writ, a Birth, a Death, a Circumciſion; and you know no Birth, no Death, no cutting off of the fleſh can be without care, pain and labour: The Embryo is not delivered out of the womb of the mother without pain; nay, many times the womb proves the tomb; and therefore you cannot imagine it is a thing poſſible, to be delivered of ſin, which is in you, was conceived with you, and which you ſince your nativity, unto this moment, have cheriſhed with ſuch delight; and not to have a reliſh or guſt of pain and travail in the new birth, in your regeneration. Aſſure your ſelf that it will coſt you many a ſalt tear, many a bitter groan, many a heavy ſigh, before you have this work of regeneration perfectly wrought in you. Nemo repente fit optimus. No18 man can arrive to the height of a vertue in a moment; & ſince 'tis res tam ardua, tantae molis opus: ſo difficult, and ſo neceſſary a work; you ought all to labour more fervently then hitherto you have done, and uſe all holy means that God hath conſtituted and appointed in ſacred writ as ſubſervient thereunto, viz. The Word read and preached by the faithful & Orthodox Paſtors of the Church; the Sacraments reverently and duly adminiſtred in the moſt decent and devout manner; Prayer and holy ejaculations that dart up the deſire of the ſoul to God, and meditation on the Law of God; crying unto him noctes atque dies, night and day for his bleſſed aſſiſtance in a work of ſo great moment and conſequence as the regeneration of man: add hereunto an unfeigned repentance of all ſins committed; and let it not be a little lip-labour only, but it muſt proceed from a real and contrite heart, free from hypocriſie and diſſimulation.
2 Uſe. Secondly, this ſerves as Uſe of Terror to all careleſs and19 impenitent ſinners, that will follow the ſwinge of their own pleaſure, and the luſts of the fleſh, though they ſhipwrack their ſouls inevitably. How ſhould this pull down and totally demoliſh the Pyramide of pride, mans heart, and deveſt them of their gawdy attire, and change it for ſackcloth and aſhes, which is far more ſutable to their ſpiritual condition? Yet how do they ruffle in velvet a la mode, and boaſt and vaunt in the ſpoils of a poor ſilk-worm! yet in the interim they conſider not that the ſores of Lazarus will make as good duſt as the paint of Jezabel; and that their poor ſouls languiſh and are very near ſtarved for want of heavenly Manna, Gods Sacred word, whileſt they pamper their bodies, and plump them with delicacies, which ſerves onely to make them more fat and gorgious nouriſhment for worms. Learn to waſh your ſelves by the tears of repentance from the filth of ſin: your whole life ſhould be a continued Lent; the Spring-time of your ſanctified reſolutions, and the hour-glaſs of your20 remaining dayes ſhould be fill'd with the duſt of mortified concupiſcence; you ſhould read nothing but lectures of penitency, and ſo like a good and ſolid Chriſtian verifie what is feigned of the Phoenix, in a bed of ſpices, in odors of devotion, kindled by the beams of the true Sun of righteouſneſs, quickning out of the aſhes an acceptable ſacrifice to the Father of Lights; for he delighteth not in the death of a ſinner, but rather that he ſhould turn from his wickedneſs and live. 'Tis not a light ſorrow, or petty ſigh, or a Miſerere mei Domine at the laſt gaſp, when the ſoul is going to give his ultimum vale to the body, will ſerve your turn, or procure pardon of your ſins from God; no, no; you muſt labour to be humbled more deeply for your enormous offences and hainous ſins, which ſeale the heavens with their clamor, and cry for vengeance from the Lord of heaven; ſo that if we could poſſibly ſhed tears of blood for our crimſon ſcarlet ſins, we ſhould do it; for all come ſhort of that grief for ſin, and real contrition of heart,21 that we ought to have. Could we ſtream out the reſidue of our dayes that it ſhall pleaſe the Almighty to allow us in this vale of miſery; could we conſume and waſt the Taper of our life in ſighs, and heart-breaking groans; 'twere all little enough to beg and obtain pardon of God for our ſins. You muſt bath the Leproſie of your ſin in a Jordan of tears, before you can come to the Land of Canaan, the Zoar of ſalvation. Life you know is uncertain, death certain; you had beſt therefore beloved take hold of opportunity by the forelock; for, poſt eſt occaſio calva: an opportunity once ſlipt, is ſeldom recover'd: whilſt it is call'd to day, harden not your heart: Nemo ſibi craſtinum promittat; Let no man aſſure himſelf of the morrow; for death wreſtleth with every man, and ſerius aut citius mortem properamus adunam; ſooner or later he gets a fall: he hath tript up the heels of all our Anceſtors, and you know not how ſoon he may foyl you; Venienti occurrite morbo; meet the diſtemper, and remedy it whilſt it is curable. Delays in rebus ſanctis22 are very dangerous; repent therefore of your ſins before death: that though he be termed by the Heathen Philoſophers〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, he may be to you a Meſſenger that bringeth glad tidings: a guide to conduct you from a momentany unto eternal life, which we ſhall enjoy with God in ſecula ſeculorum. I could wiſh cordially that that ſaying of that good old man St. Cyprian were not ſo true as daily experience manifeſts it, In aetate ſeneſcunt, in pietate juveneſcunt. Moſt men now adayes have gray heads and green wits, capita cana, and corda vana; and when their heads are ful of ſilver hairs, they have not ſo much as ſuckt in their Rudiments: they have need of milk, the food of babes and ſucklings, inſtead of the more ſolid grounds and fundamentals of Religion. Whereas ancient Chriſtians ſhould be walking Laws, and talking Statutes; their dicta, edicta; and their actiones, axiomata, as Gregory Nazianzen ſaith. 'Tis a ſad thing to be near heaven, and never the near; to be at the gates of death, before they have learnt one23 leſſon of repentance: and if their repentance be ſorrowleſs, 'twill prove but a ſorry one: Old men ſhould like trees of righteouſneſſe bear fruit in their old age, when their heads are candied with hoary hair; but not the fruits of old age, covetouſneſs, ſuſpicion, and the like. If the Evangeliſts in their time could cry out, Repent, repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand; it muſt of neceſſity be nearer at hand now then it was then; therefore beloved, I have the more cauſe to preſs this Doctrine of repentance upon you: and let me tell you, that there is no muſick ſo melodious in the ears of God, as that which reſounds from a broken inſtrument: God loves a broken heart, and yet he'll have the whole heart or none: 'tis ſtrange, and yet true, repentance is a conſumption, yet no ſickneſs; and what man would not willingly condeſcend to undergo ſuch a conſumption here, that he might not be conſumed in endleſs, eaſeleſs and remedileſs flames and torments hereafter? One thing I do very much admire24 at, viz. how they can expect favour from God, that will grant favour to none but upon the divels conditions in the 24 of St. Matthew,〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, if falling down thou wilt worſhip. They would have others fall down and worſhip them, when as they will not worſhip and adore God. Dejeciſti eos, dum elevarentur, ſaith the Pſalmiſt; a ſtrange kind of expreſſion, Thou haſt taken them down, whileſt thou liftedſt them up: this ſeems to have an alluſion to the Eagle and other birds of prey, who having found an Oyſter, that they with their own ſtrength cannot break, or open; they ſoar aloft, and ſpying the clift of a rock (for they are very quick-ſighted, as natural Philoſophers inform us) they let the Oyſter fall perpendicularly, and ſo it breaking to pieces, they come to their deſired food: ſo God he lifts them up on high, that they may the better get a fall.
Such haughty minds are not ſeaſon'd aright; they have no true frame of a penitent ſpirit; neither will God accept of ſuch perſons: and till you be reconciled to God through his ſon Jeſus Chriſt, and are waſhed and cleanſed from all your iniquities by the tears of repentance, and be converted from ſin to God, your caſe is deſperate; and it had been better for you to have been a beaſt, than a man. Diſplay your ſins before God, not hypocritically, but really; for there is no diſſembling with God: and confeſſion in your mouth, if it be hypocritical, will be like a Shibboleth in the Hebrew; you cannot pronounce it without liſping: your ſins are hainous, confeſs them cordially to be ſo; your ſins are many in number, acknowledg them to be ſo; the Terra incognita of your corruptions is far larger then the Terra cognita. But let not the hainouſneſs of thy ſin, the number or multitude of them, deter thee from repentance; but proceed with a holy reſolution to go through all difficulties by the help of Chriſt Jeſus,26 and all objections that the world, the fleſh, and the devil can alleadge againſt you, till you have obtained pardon and remiſſion of your ſins: never ceaſe, till you come to a period; for he that intends to ſing Te Deum to the Almighty, muſt not break off till he come to the end. Proceed, I ſay, beloved, ad finem uſque, and rely upon the merits of our Jeſus: and be not put off by the hainouſneſs of your ſins, and the rigour of the Law of God; for if the moſt holy man that ever breath'd upon the face of the earth, ſhould be weighed in the balance of the Sanctuary, and no grain of favour be allowed him, then without all doubt mene tekel might be applied to him, he would be found too light. There will be grains of allowance to thee, without queſtion; therefore be converted, and turn from the broad way of ſin and death, to the narrow path of life and eternal glory; for ſuch a ſoul will be acceptable unto the Lord; the bleſſed Quire of Angels will rejoyce at the converſion of ſuch a27 ſinner; For (according to my Text) joy ſhall be in Heaven over one ſinner that repententh, more then over ninety and nine juſt perſons, that need no repentance. So much for this time.
I ſay unto you, that likewiſe joy ſhall be in heaven over one ſinner that repenteth, more then over ninety and nine just perſons, that need no repentance.
WE have already diſcourſed upon theſe words,SERM. II. and demonſtrated unto you both by Scripture and other authority, the neceſſity and excellency of Repentance: We have largely diſcourſed of the nature of repentance, and defined it unto you. Now not to detain you with any farther repetition, we ſhall immediately fall upon the ſecond obſervation that we raiſed from the words of the Text, and that was this, viz. How to become true poenitents.
29And really, beloved, hic labor, hoc opus eſt, or at leaſt ſhould be; this ſhould be the white at which every true Chriſtian ſhould level his thoughts; This ought to be the Aſylum unto which every godly man ſhould have recourſe, when he is proſecuted and perſecuted both by ſin and Satan; This ſhould be the〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or ſum of every mans actions, and the chiefeſt and firſt of his intentions, the cream and top of his holy ambition: But where ſhall we traffick for true penitent ſouls? what climate affords them? all Nations are more or leſs given to ſome hainous crime. To be ſober among the Germans, ſetled among the French, chaſte among the Italians, and loyal among the Engliſh, is rare, and worthy admiration: you need not make any ſtrict inquiſition after impiety, there is enough daily preſented upon the ſtage of the world; there is too too much, God knows: Truth, the pure, innocent, undefiled Truth, like the Dove of Noah, flies about, and ſcarce gets any room for her footing; ſhe is mounted to heaven30 with Aſtraea: but if you deſire to finde out a whoriſh Achan, a covetous Ahab, a hard-hearted Pharaoh, a Nebuchadonozor quaffing in the bowls of the Sanctuary, a ſacrilegious fellow buying Biſhops Lands, you may meet with him in every corner, Scatent plateae hujuſmodi viris nequam: for truth is expelled nunc dierum. To be true and loyal, marcheth in the rank of impoſſibilities, as the world is now: but let us operum dare, labour tooth and nail, as we ſay proverbially, to avoid the accurſed puniſhment of impenitent perſons; ſeek after the remiſſion of ſins by the bloody death and paſſion of our Saviour; and lay hold with the hand of faith on all Goſpel-promiſes, applicable to a conſcience-wounded ſinner; that ſo after we have lived a life of grace here in this vale of miſery, we may enjoy a life of glory in perpetuum hereafter.
Now the main point intended in this diſcourſe, is to diſcover unto you ſome wayes or means how to apprehend when you are truly penitent; & that I ſhall demonſtrate unto you,
1. Negatively: and here I will declare unto you, beloved, auſpiciis Divinis, by the help of the Deity, what it is not, viz. being true penitents, and that in 5. particulars,5 Diſcoveries of true penitency. which ſhall be as ſo many brands on their foreheads, to inform the world of their impenitency.
1. He is no true penitent, that is not ſo perplexed, as to be gnawen at the very heart by that viper Sorrow, for his many enormous offences, and ſenſible of the need that he ſtands in of Gods mercy, an Ocean of mercy; nay unleſs he think the burthen of his ſin ſo ponderous and weighty, ſo filthy and impure, as to require every drop of the blood of our Saviour to ſatisfie for them. King David, (if it be not a crime to allow him his Title) having implunged himſelf into a gulf and multitude of ſins, begs a multitude of mercies, as it appears in the 51. Pſal. verſ. the 1. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving kindneſs, according to the multitude of thy tender32 mercies, blot out my tranſgreſsions. We ſtand in need of a Sea of mercies for the innumerable number of our hainous crimes, that we are guilty of: Now he that is ſo hardned with the yoke of ſin, that he is become brawny, and inſenſible of the weight and hainouſneſs of it, this man hath no penitent frame of ſpirit; and we may ſafely ſay, without any prejudice to our charity, or incurring the evil of cenſure, that ſuch a man is no true penitent.
2. They are not become true penitents, no nor in the way to repentance, that are ſo far from being grieved at ſin, as to make no bones of great ſins; nay, to dally and toy with ſin and impiety: but 'tis bad handling ſuch edged tools; for the ſword of Gods indignation will ſoon cut them off: ſwearing with ſuch perſons, is but a grace and luſtre to their ſpeech, a ſplendor, but I fear ſuch a one as will light them to hell: lying, but wit's craft, or policy; drunkenneſs, jovialneſs, or good fellowſhip; whoring, a trick of youth, covetouſneſs, thriftineſs: thus do33 they baptize vice by the name of vertue: ſee how beſtial, fowl and deformed a thing vice is, that it dare not appear in its own native deformity and hue, but it muſt borrow the Mask of vertue: they think that they can ſhift well enough without mercy, and imagine that three words at the laſt gaſp is ſufficient to ſave their ſoul; but I pray God they may not ſhare with that Gentleman in fortune, that was very debauched, and had ſtreamed out his youth in wine and venery, who being deſired by his Confeſſor to acknowledge his miſdemeanors towards God and man, and to beſeech God to vouchſafe him pardon of his ſins; put him off with a piſh: Three words at laſt are of ſufficient power to ſave my ſoul; meaning, Miſerere mei Deus: but it hapned that this Gentleman not long after, as he was riding over a bridge, his horſe ſlipt, and down fell horſe and man into the river; and in falling, inſtead of Miſerere mei Deus, he was heard to ſay, Capiat omnia Daemon, The devil take both horſe and man: ſad words, to be the vehiculo34 animae ſuae, to waft his ſoul over into the other world; a ſweet Epilogue to the Tragedy of his life! His Cataſtrophe was as damnable, as his whole life abominable and odious. This will be a caveat to all ſerious and ſolid Chriſtians, to avoid procraſtination in repentance, and endeavour after it with all poſſible ſpeed.
3. They are not true penitens that are meerly earal, verbal, and worded men, that ſpeak more then they really intend; this is not repentance, but a little lip-labour, a fooliſh weak ſtratagem, a meer external pomp of words, for which the Phariſees were reprehended by our Saviour, long ſince: 'Tis ſtrange that men ſhould be ſo meanly brained, as to imagine the putting of a cheat upon God; to what purpoſe ſhould the title of〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉be conferred upon him? If you are bent to ſin, & cannot be reclaim'd from your lewd courſes, but muſt have your ſwinge, and forſake your Creator in the dayes of your youth, and you are reſolved to run to hell in full career,35 and no perſwaſion will operate or work upon you; then muſt you look to the event, and feel the ſmart of Gods rod, and the weight of his indignation. And 'twere better far in my judgment, for a man not to be born, then to be deprived and robbed of the luſtre of Gods emparadiſing countenance; whoſe frown's a hell, whoſe ſmile's a heaven; for there is hell where God is abſent, and there heaven where he is preſent. Think not then to deprive God of one of his moſt Glorious Attributes, viz. Omniſcience, by endeavouring to counterfeit a kind of repentance, when you have no ſuch intent, but ſtill tread the paths of the impiouſly profane, and commit ſins ſo in private, though as damnable, as ſecret: I will only beſtow a golden ſentence of St. Auguſtines on you, Quaere locum ubi te Deus non videat, & fac quid vis: Find out a place where you may commit ſin unſeen, and then do what you pleaſe: not a couch-bed-ſin, but lies open to the perſpicuity of Gods all-ſeeing eye; 'tis not the ſlender barricado of a curtain can defend36 you, or prevent his ſight; nay there is a ſentence of infelicity, and not proſpering, pronounced upon all ſecret Sinners: in the 28. of the Prov. verſ. 13. He that hideth his ſins ſhall not proſper: but he that confeſſeth, and forſaketh them, ſhall have mercy. Therefore be real, and repent cordially, cheat not your pretious ſouls of ſo heavenly a viaticum; unleſs you intend, and are deſperately reſolute, and bent to defraud your ſelf of eternal felicity, and ſo be caſt into hell irrecoverably: Repent, Repent, beloved, ſtrive and endeavour after reconciliation with God; get the wedding-garment on, that you may enter into the Bride-chamber, and be a welcom gueſt to God the Father. Ceaſe provoking of him to wrath by your hainous ſin; For it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God, Heb. 10. And if the wrath of a King be as the roaring of a Lyon, that can only prejudice the body; how much more heavy and weighty ſhall the wrath and indignation of God be,Matth. 5.30. who can caſt both body and ſoul into eternal unquenchable burnings!
374. It argues a mans repentance not to be ſolid or laid upon a good foundation, when they are induced to it for fear of ſhame and puniſhment; and were it not for this, he could willingly devote his dayes to ſin and uncleanneſs: though they may be accounted true penitents, and ſo eſteemed by the world; many Phariſaical perſons may put ſuch a gloſs upon their ſins, that their Apocryphal deeds may paſs for Canonical actions; but〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, The all-ſeeing eye of God will ſoon pierce into the inmoſt chambers of their hearts, and diſcover their deceit, how cloſely and privately ſoever they carry it. This will cut the comb of all hypocrites and counterfeits, that think an outward colour, or ſuperficial ſhew is ſatisfactory & acceptable to God; though like the externally ſpecious Apples of Sodom, they be rotten at the core: ſuch perſons are like the Cynamon-tree, whoſe bark is better than the ſubſtance. The Lord is infinitely offended at ſuch proceedings, and teſtifieth his diſlike thereof; This people (ſaith he)38 come near me with their lips, and honour me with their mouths, but their hearts are far from me; ſo the Lord telleth the Jews in the 42 ch. of the prophecy of holy Jeremiah, the 20. verſe; They did but diſſemble with him in their hearts, and promiſed to do his will, but they do nothing but the contrary, and follow their own luſts. God abhors and deteſts ſuch perſons; he will ſpue them out of his mouth, and never ſuffer them to be partakers of his Heavenly Kingdom: Let all ſuch hypocritical perſons take notice, and conſider the judgement of God on Ananias and Sapphira, Acts the 5. who becauſe they would videri tantum, ſeem only religious, and forward to ſell their Lands, and give it to the poor, (thus covetouſneſs cannot walk without the cloak of religion to cover its deformity) therefore the Lord ſmote them both dead. And that Chriſt might manifeſt how vile and odious hypocritical perſons are in the ſight of the Lord; He tells us in the Goſpel of St. Matthew, chap. 24. verſ. 51. All vile ſinners ſhall have their portion with hypocrites;39 becauſe if there be one place in hell hotter then another, that may be termed locus hypocritarum, The ſeat of hypocrites. Therefore we ſhould all endeavour to get a ſound heart, free from diſſimulation and hypocriſie, which may be an acceptable ſacrifice to God, and well-pleaſing, that he may ſmell a ſweet ſavour from all our pious works.
5. Fifthly and laſtly, it is a ſign of impenitency, when men are ſo impiouſly bold as to ſtand on their own merits and deſert, their own goodneſs and worthineſs, when they approach the preſence of God; like the proud Phariſee, Luke the 18.11, 12. I thank thee, O God, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjuſt, adulterers, or even as this Publican; I faſt twice a week, I give tithes of all that I poſſeſs: but the Publican that only ſmote his breaſt, and ſaid only, God be merciful to me a ſinner, went down to his houſe juſtified, ſaith the Text, rather then the boaſting Phariſee: ſuch tumours are as great ſcars and imperfections to the ſoul, as a wound or wen to a rare complexion. We40 ſhould all caſt away our own righteouſneſs as a menſtruous rag, and rely wholly upon the meritorious death and paſſion of the immaculate Lamb of God, his Chriſt, and our Saviour, for the ſalvation of our immortal ſouls: We ſhould totally deveſt our ſelves of all worth, for we are all ſinful duſt and aſhes; and therefore may well make this expoſtulation with all men; Homo bulla, quid ſuperbis? O man, thou that art but an aiery bubble, Why art thou proud? Thou that art a bubble that is made of nothing, and when made, as ſoon blown to nothing; Cum ſis humi limus, cur non es humillimus? Since you are compoſed of the dung of the ground, of earth; why are you not according to the matter you were created of, mean and humble? The whole world is not able to ſatisfie their ambition, but the aſpiring Pyramid of their thoughts mounteth and ſtill leſſeneth by degrees, till it come to a meer punctum. Moſt men now adaies, like the Pellaean Hero, Alexander the Great, do Aeſtuare anguſto limite mundi, Sweat for want41 of room in the world; there is not ſpace enough for the flight of their ſoaring thoughts, that are wing'd with ambition: but this is according to the Wiſeman, nothing but vanity, vanitas vanitatum, omnia vanitas: They fiſh after impoſſibilities; and grant they could ſubdue the whole world, and reduce it into their own poſſeſſion; 'twould not, it could not ſatisfie their heart, or give them any real ſolid content: for the world is a Circle, the heart of man a Triangle; now we all know that a Circle cannot fill a Triangle. Ceaſe then, all you that aim at the hilling up of fatal gold, and employ your hours in a more noble traffick, in procuring the riches and treaſures of Jeſus Chriſt, that may ſerve you, and be of uſe to you in the day of wrath, to get your Sins pardoned, all your crimes expunged with the Spunge of Oblivion, that the Lord may nevermore lay them to your charge; and this muſt be by an unfeigned repentance, though none of the five forementioned ways. Now that you may know how to gain the42 ſalvation of your ſouls, how to be eternally bleſſed, and ſing Hallelujahs to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghoſt, world without end; which felicity will undoubtedly be attained unto by all true penitent ſouls. And that you may know affirmatively what it is to be true penitents, take it in theſe following Conſiderations:The five ſteps of aſcention by Repentance. To this felicity we muſt aſcend by 5 degrees or ſteps of true and unfeigned repentance.
1. The firſt ſtep whereof that leads and conducts to heaven, is for a man to have an internal regret for ſin, to be grieved and perplexed for it, to be wounded in conſcience for it; for till a man ſee his Sins in the glaſs of repentance, and weigh them, and meditate upon the curſe of God that hangs over his head in a judgment for them, he will never repent: This is the godly ſorrow that leadeth unto repentance never to be repented of. This compunction or pricking of the heart is a clear demonſtration of repentance, ſincere and ſound; and is the firſt ſtep to43 heaven, and ſo per conſequens to the ſalvation of the never dying ſoul.
And if it be ſo that this is the firſt ſtep to heaven;Uſe 1how ſad a thing is it to ſee men in ſuch a miſerable eſtate as many are in theſe diſtracted times! how many are there that have not ſet one foot forward in the way to heaven! and you know the old ſaying, Non progredi, eſt regredi; Not to go forward, is to go backward. How many are there that never have been humbled, never touched, never wounded in conſcience for their Sins? Wilful impenitency, or a careleſs neglect of Repentance, very dangerous.O what a miſerable condition, what a deplorable eſtate do they lye in! Now apply this to your ſelves, Beloved; did the ſacrificing Knife of Gods Word never wound your conſcience, nor extract one tear from your eyes for the deluge of your Sins, that will overwhelm your ſoul eternally, without Gods infinite mercy? if you have not been thus and thus grieved for your treſpaſſes and tranſgreſſions, you are in a deſperate condition, and there is very little hope or probability of your ſalvation.
44Ʋſe 2This ſerves then for a Uſe of Conſolation to all the Children, all the Sons and Daughters of God; for if you feel your hearts wounded for your Sins, and you bath your ſoul in true penitent tears for the many hainous crimes that you are conſcious of; it is a true indicium or ſign of being in the ſtate of grace, and that Gods ſpirit hath met with us, and his Word hath cut the throat of Sin, which otherwiſe would have ruinated you, nay aims at God himſelf; for peccatum, ſaith Pariſienſis, eſt Deicidium, Sin is the Cut-throat of God, with holy reverence be it ſpoken; Sin ſtrives to dethrone God; therefore let us endeavour to caſt Sin down the precipice of our hearts, and nevermore afford it houſe-room, ſince it offends ſo merciful, ſo gracious, and ſo kind a God as ours; for Sin is an abomination unto the Lord, and ſo are all Sinners and evil-doers.
2. The ſecond ſign of, or way to true penitency, is this, when a man fears to Sin, not becauſe of the puniſhment, but becauſe he offends ſo45 great a God in ſo doing: like holy Joſeph, who when he was tempted by the ſweet careſſes of his Miſtris, cried out, How can I do this great evil, and ſin againſt God! Therefore from him we may learn what is moſt to be deſired here on earth, viz. the love and favour of God ▪ ſo that if any one ſhould put the queſtion to you, and demand what your deſire moſt hunted after, and what your affections were moſt fixed on? You ought to anſwer, The love and favour of God in Chriſt Jeſus. 'Tis not your embroidered apparel, your manners and mannors, your parts and arts, that are able to appeaſe the trouble and perplexity of a diſtreſſed conſcience; nothing but the mercy of God in Chriſt Jeſus will afford it: This is the onely refuge for a troubled conſcience in the greateſt extreamity. Men may in their extremities go to drink away ſorrow, as they term it in their profane gibbriſh, and betake themſelves to their merry company; but alas! this is no comfort, this no remedy for their diſeaſe: an old ſore gangren'd or46 putrified, if it be not very skilfully handled, will hardly admit of cure; but if it be ſuperficially healed at top, and not throughly at the bottom, as ſoon as 'tis skin'd at the top, it will break out at the bottom; ſo when men ſeek to ſmother the accuſation of their own conſciences, and ſtrive to blunt the edge of it, it will rebound again, and give a deadly wound, even to deſperation. Beg of God therefore power and ability through his ſtrengthning grace, that you may be buoy'd up thereby in the midſt of an Ocean of troubles, and that the burden of an afflicted wounded conſcience may be minorated, and leſſened, that ſo you may not fall into deſpair. To prevent deſpair, all godly perſons ought like Heraclitus, to weep away their daies; and indeed, they are a ſea of tears, a meer vapour melted into tears: his voice is painted with tears, which have ſuch an airy power and faculty, as that they are able to mount up to Heaven, and there to inſinuate themſelves into the ear of the Almighty, begging and craving47 pardon for ſin, and a preſervation from deſpair by the mighty power of God. Lachrymae & preces are the only weapons in a Chriſtian battel; let us ſo fight with theſe weapons, as to get the peace of conſcience and joy of the Holy Ghoſt, that paſſeth all underſtanding, and that ſpeedily too: for our journey is long, and our time ſhort, therefore we had need to husband it well: Can there be a longer journey then from earth to heaven? and a ſhorter time than a moment? Yet ſuch is our journey, ſuch is our time: Repent therefore now while it is called to day, harden not your hearts, for procrastination is dangerous: doubt not of the power of God, for he is Omnipotent; and this attribute of his is manifeſted in every petty piece of the Hexameron Fabrick: There is〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, ſomething that may challenge our admiration, even in the borders of a gaudy Butterfly, ſaith Ariſtotle; which do afford an evident ſmack or view of the Omnipotency of God. Rely upon him therefore; fear ſin, and avoid it, becauſe48 it offends ſo gracious a God.
3. The third ſtep to true repentance, is a conſtant and ſetled reſolution, never to ſin, or diſpleaſe God; to do his will, walk in the way of his Commandments: I do not ſay, that a truly ſanctified perſon never ſins at all, but he never ſins with an intent and purpoſe to ſin; he takes no delight or complacency in ſin; 'tis the ſole object of his hatred, and reſolveth to pleaſe God as far as poſſibly he may by the grace of God that ſtrengthens him: When he can ſay with holy David, Pſalm the 18. and the 23. I have refrained my feet from every evil way. Again, 1 John 3.9. He that is born of God ſinneth not, i. e. not with a full purpoſe of heart, or with a delight in it, or affection to it; but they conſtantly ſtrive againſt it, ſhun and avoid the occaſions of ſin, ſuſpect themſelves upon every occaſion, and are continually arm'd to give battel to the devil and his temptations. In may things we ſin all, ſaith St. James. But if we can but ſay really and experimentally that it is againſt our intention, that we hate,49 abhor & deteſt ſin with an unutterable hatred, and that we condemn the very ſins we commit, then we may be comforted, receive joy, and aſſure our ſelves that we are true penitents; for this takes away the dominion of ſin in our mortal bodies: doth not quite thruſt it out, it doth deveſt it of its authority; ſo that it hath no power to prejudice or injure us in our ſalvation.
4. The fourth ſign of, or way unto true repentance, is an aggravation of our ſins; when we render them hainous in the ſight of God, acknowledging we have ſinned ſo much, that we deſerve eternal damnation; we deſerve that the Vials of Gods wrath ſhould be poured down upon our heads. You would fare the better, not the worſe, for aggravating your tranſgreſſions; For God ſo loved the world, that he gave his only begotten ſon, that whoſoever believed in him, might not periſh, but have everlaſting life. This is a ſic without ſicut: Such a ſo, as never man loved ſo; and all this for the ſalvation of mankind.
505. The fifth and laſt ſign of, or ſtep unto repentance, is a frank and free confeſſion of ſins, not extorted and wrung out of you, but flowing from you liberally, chearfully and really, in hope of the pardon and remiſſion of them.
We muſt ſo confeſs our ſins, as to beg pardon for them, and to entreat the Lord to have pity on us out of the bowels of his tender compaſſion. Do not abſcond and conceal your ſins; manifeſt them publickly both to God and man: be cordially penitent for them, and no doubt but the merciful God will ſave your ſouls. Confeſſion of ſins is the forerunner of remiſſion; and this muſt not be flaſhy and for a time, but ſo long as are our years upon the earth meaſured out; for he that will ſerve the primus motor, muſt not write his ne ultra, till he come to the Terminus ad quem. He muſt proceed with a courage; we muſt confeſs them openly, and not like the worldly wiſe, whoſe wiſdom Lactantius ſaith, abſcondit, non abſcindit peccata; conceals, and not cuts aſunder, or ſeparates ſin. 51Now we muſt confeſſe our ſins,
1. To God, as holy David teacheth us in his own example, Pſalm the 51. verſ. 4. Against thee, against thee only have I ſinned: and again in the 32 Pſam, verſ. the 6. I ſaid I will confeſs my ſins unto the Lord, and ſo thou forgaveſt the wickedneſs of my ſin. 'Tis true, we may injure men by our ſin, as David did Uriah; but being ſin, the chiefeſt wrong and injury falleth upon God.
2. We muſt confeſs to men, and that both privately and publickly, according to the quality of the ſin; for though we condemn auricular confeſſion, as a trick of State-policy; yet we allow, and not only ſo, but exhort all Chriſtians to a true voluntary and ſincere confeſſion of their ſins to the Biſhop and Superintendents of the Church: confeſſion muſt be made to men in reſpect of the Church, that the Congregation that hath been offended may be ſatisfied, and that others may be deterred from falling into the ſame52 ſins, as it is in the 2 Epiſtle to St. Timothy, 4 ch. and the 26 verſ. Them that ſin, rebuke openly, that the reſt may fear. And laſt of all, in reſpect of the Sinner himſelf, that he may be humbled for it; for were it a pecuniary mulct onely, and his purſe were to do penance, he would not probably value that; but now it may bring him to an humiliation, and a ſincere repentance, accompanied with a godly life hereafter. Now this ſerves to condemn all thoſe that are ſo far from acknowledging and confeſſing their ſins, as to juſtifie themſelves in them, and plead for them with all the Rhetorick they have; ſo that if any one in a Chriſtian way reprove them with meekneſs, 'tis verba ventis dare; to prattle to the wind: they will probably reply with ſome ſuch kind of croſs anſwer: What need you buſie your ſelf about the ſtate of my ſoul? I ſhall be reſponſible, not to you for it, look to your ſelf firſt: if they carouſe & follow ſtrange attire, they will ſay they do but as others do, 'tis the faſhion, what care they?53 and this ſlye trick of diſſimulation we ſuckt from our firſt Parents; Geneſis the 3. and the 12. where when Adam was examined, he poſted off the matter from himſelf to his wife; The woman that thou gaveſt me, ſhe gave me of the fruit, and I did eat. We are unwilling to confeſs and acknowledg our ſins, when as we have encouragement enough for it from our Text, ſince there is ſuch an exceſſive joy in Heaven at the converſion of one Sinner. God himſelf rejoyceth, the bleſſed quire of Angels rejoyce, and all the Hoſt of Heaven. How then ſhould we labour after true repentance, ſince we have ſo many ſacred invitations to it in holy writ? Since God himſelf doth vouchſafe to come and invite us unto him, and promiſeth us acceptance from him, he will bid us welcom, be confident, beloved, whenever we approach his preſence with a real and a contrite heart. Overcome your ſelves, though it be very difficult: forFortior eſt qui ſe, quam qui fortiſsima vincit Moenia.
54He is the greateſt Conqueror that can ſubdue his own paſſions, and keep his body in ſubjection, as St. Paul did,〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, ſaith he, I chaſtiſe my body: from whence Friars draw their authority of chaſtiſing themſelves, though without cauſe; and ſo take the word to be ſuch a chaſtiſement as School-maſters uſe to boys: We ought all of us againſt the grain of our fleſh to mould and faſhion our ſelves to repentance; that ſo we may obtain a Trinity of Graces to ſave us, Faith, Hope, and Charity; and this Trinity of Grace will deliver us from a Trinity of Evils, Blindneſs, Error, and Unbelief: and if we be delivered from theſe, we ſhall be freed from the predominancy of the World, the Fleſh, and the Devil: and if we be preſerv'd from theſe, we ſhall undoubtedly be crowned by the bleſſed Trinity, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghoſt: to whom be Glory, Honour, and Praiſe, World without end. Amen.
We love him; becauſe he firſt loved us.
LOve is the punctum or centre,SERM. III. about which the circumference of our thoughts doth move; and the primus motor that induceth us to fix our ſpirits upon an object. Love is to our ſouls, as weight is to ponderous bodies; for as the gravity of a body forceth it downward, that it may enjoy a ſweet repoſe in its centre; ſo Love moves our ſouls to an object that promiſeth repoſe and contentment; therefore from hence it follows, that as ponderous bodies move in a ſtraight line toward their centre: ſo if we will obtain a true reſt, our Love muſt be regular, and proceed in a direct56 line, by a divinely-compoſed motion.
This Text, Beloved, that I come from reading to you, is the Epitome of Chriſtian Religion; or the great Folio of Chriſtian duty, reduced into a Decimo-ſexto, or pocket-volume.
In this Text there are two parts; and theſe two parts are the two pillars of the Church, and the whole Chriſtian World.
1. Our love toward God, in theſe words, We love him;〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
2. Gods love toward us, which is but the reaſon, or rather efficient cauſe of our love toward him; becauſe he firſt loved us,〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
Not to ſtand upon the nice and fine-ſpun diſtinctions that the School-men make of Love, we ſhall only divide it into two ſorts; Divinum and Humanum amorem; into Love Divine, and Humane: the divine is couched down by the holy Spirit of God in the latter part of the verſe, becauſe he loved us; and the humane in the former, We love him.
57We will begin with the latter, humane love, or the love of man to God.
Spiritual, or true love, gives repoſe and contentment to the ſoul; when as carnal or falſe love is an irregular agitation, and an inconſiderate motion without a Terminus ad quem. it is ever repleat with inquietude and diſtraction; and never ceaſeth or reſteth, till it deſpairs, or is quite tired out; which is not properly a reſt, but an impotency and inability of motion; and the deſire is ſtrong when the power is weak, like a horſe that tied to a manger gnaweth his bridle aſunder: ſuch are moſt perſons; their deſires are ſtrong, their power but weak; they deſire moſt what they can leaſt perform.
The cauſe of this diſturbance is this: Our Love ſelecteth out,Reaſons why we love not God perfectly.1 Cauſe. and fixeth upon falſe objects, and ſuch that cannot ſatiate the deſire; for if you ſurvey all ſublunary things that deſerve the name of beautiful, you ſhall find in them no true quiet or reſt, but a concatenation of cares, interwoven with perpetual trouble. 58The greateſt delicacies are conſited in bitterneſs. The acquiſition of honour and preferment is painful; and many break their necks in riding upon the airy ſtilts of Fame. The poſſeſſion of riches is uncertain, and the loſs certain; if they leave not us by ſome accident, Death (Natures Bayliff) will arreſt us, and force us to leave them. To aim at ſuch things is but ventum proſequi, To purſue the wind; an action as ridiculous as can be.
Grant they be good, yet they are incertain; therefore we muſt ſeek after our repoſe ſomewhere elſe, ſince the earth cannot afford it, and turn the compaſs of our Love toward Heaven. For as the lower region of the Air is the habitation of winds, tempeſts, and earth-quakes; but that part that is near the Heaven is ſerene and quiet: ſo our Love, ſo long as it adheres to ſublunary objects, will be full of trouble, but 'twill find reſt and quiet, if it lift it ſelf up to Heaven, and lay hold of the promiſes of God: and then the ſoul, though in the midſt of the confuſions59 and afflictions of this world, be they never ſo thorny, will have the fruition of an aſſured tranquillity: like the Needle of the Compaſs that remains firm upon one point, notwithſtanding the violence of the ſcolding ſurges of a Tempeſtuous Sea; and all becauſe it is guided by the motion of the Heavens. God is the ſole object (or at leaſt ought to be) of our Love, and hath only a power to render us amiable by loving us; He that only can, nay that will give them felicity, and that unutterable too, that love him. As the Apoſtle St. Paul writeth, in the firſt to the Corinth. the 2 Chap. and the 9 verſ. Eye hath not ſeen, nor ear heard, neither hath entred into the heart of man to conceive, the things that God hath prepared for them that love him. He promiſeth alſo in St. John, chap. 14. verſ. 23. to come unto him that loveth him, and make his abode with him. O unparallelled Love! that makes a Palace of our ſouls for the King of Glory, and a Sanctuary of the Holy Ghoſt.
2. 2 Cauſe.Philoſophy it ſelf hath this60 down for a maxime, that Natura & Deus nihil fecerunt fruſtra, that God and Nature made nothing in vain. Now that infinite and inſatiable deſire or appetite that is in man, were in vain, if there were nothing to ſatisfie and content it; Which ſince it is impoſſible to find out upon this Terraqueous Globe, we muſt ſearch after it in Heaven, of God that is bonum infinitum, an infinite good.
3 Cauſe.3. Beſides, God created the world for the uſe of man, and therefore without doubt he created man for ſomething better then the world, viz. God himſelf.
4 Cauſe.4. God created man inter omnia animalia, only ſecundum imaginem, according to his own image, with a ſtraight body, and an upright countenance, according to mellifluous Naſo,
that ſo he might behold him, whom61 he repreſented; and that the But, and White, of all his actions and thoughts, might be Heaven.
5. 5 Cauſe.The perfection of our ſpirits cannot be, but in the union of or with the firſt of ſpirits, who communicateth his bona, or good things to us his Creatures, as the Sun darts his rays upon us; that is, he gives them ſo, he beſtows them on us, yet ſo, that they depend on him after he hath diſpoſed of them.
6. 6 Cauſe.True Love is that tranſformeth the amantem the Lover, in amatum, into the thing or party loved. Now if a deformed perſon be never ſo highly enamoured with the captivitating beauty of a red & white complexion, he will never be able by this love to correct his deformity. On the contrary, in loving God, we become ſibi ſimiles, like unto him; and as the holy Apoſtle ſaith in the ſecond to the Corinth. the third Chap. and the laſt verſe, Beholding as in a glaſs the glory of the Lord, with open face, are changed into the ſame image.
7. And laſtly, Beauty,7 Cauſe. being the firſt incitation to Love, or the Tinder62 of the affections, we ſhall ſoon be able to diſcern when the ſcales of ignorance are fallen from our eyes, that this beauty, as we term it, that is here below, is but a ſuperficial colour, or a cover to a bundle of filthineſs: but that the Lumen, or true Light, is the true beauty; God therefore being the true Light, and the Father of Lights, is the chief beauty, and the object on whom we all ought to fix our affections.
Natural Philoſophy here is diametrically oppoſite to the Divine, and jars with it much in this caſe; for Philoſophy affirms that Natural motion is better then that is against Nature. On the contrary, quoad amorem, the Word of God, that is, our Divine Philoſophy, inſtructeth and perſwadeth us, that Love contrary to Nature, is better then Love natural. For ſince that Satan in ſeducing our firſt Parents, hath defaced the image of God in Man, our deſires have had their conſtant courſe towards the World, and, as I may ſay, our Love hath been precipitated from Heaven to the Earth. The affection of the fleſh63 is enmity againſt God, Romans the 8. and the 7 verſe: If one love, that love flows not from him naturally, but it is a free gift of God. And the Apoſtle St. Paul drawing us out of the mud, and freeing us from the bait of all alluring delights of this World, commands us to ſeek the things above, Coloſſ. 3. verſ. 1, 2. 〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, be skilful in the things above, be wiſe in heavenly matters; for according to the words in my Text, We love God, becauſe he firſt loved us.
Our love therefore it appears manifeſtly, is an effect of Gods Love to us; nor is there any thing that we ought with more devotion or zeal to crave of God, then Love; for it is a pledg unto the faithful of Gods Love to him. It is the firſt fruit, the primitiae of Faith; 'tis the moſt exact and curious extract of the Image of God. It is the moſt perſpicuous mark of a child of God. Love is the ſumme of Chriſtianity.This Love is the ſoul of our ſoul; the life of virtue; the rule by which we ſquare (or at leaſt ought to do) all our actions; the ſummary or compendium of64 the Law: 'Tis the pillar or ſuſtentaculum of Martyrs; the Jacobs Ladder, by which you may aſcend the Heavens, and true peace of conſcience; nay (with holy reverence be it ſpoken) it is a praelibamen, or earneſt-penny of that Sacred union and communion that we expect all to enjoy with God in Heaven, world without end. Our meditation could not pitch upon a more ſublime ſubject; for what is there that dare ſtand in competition with God, either for his greatneſs, or the ſweetneſs and candor of his Love? The profit of this Love of God is no way inferior to the delight; for men are termed good or evil, not for what they believe, but what they love.
Let us all therefore labour for this, and become proficients in the School of Chriſt, and beſeech the ſpirit ſo to mould our hearts, that they may be wrought to a true and perfect Love of God: leſt we be abuſed and fooled into error with the ſound of this word Love, and miſtake the ſpiritual for a carnal love, an importunate or fretting corroſion of the65 heart; an aguiſh alteration; the laſt of vices for the firſt and beſt of vertues, a brutiſh malady for an Angelical diſtemper.
'Tis true; he that diſpoſeth and conformeth himſelf to the Love of God, muſt expect the hatred and beſpattering calumnies of the world; but God will cauſe the very diſcommodities that the world afflicts us with, to be converted into commodity and profit: for (ſaith the bleſſed Apoſtle) Rom. the 8. and the 28. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called, according to his purpoſe. Their corporeal afflictions, are but ſpiritual exerciſes; their〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, nocumenta, documenta. The malady of their body, is a remedy for their ſoul: for God alone is the true Aeſculapius, ſo divine a Chymiſt, that he will convert poyſons into Antidotes for his childrens health and ſecurity: His wounds are balm, ſaith the Divine Harper, Pſalm 14. verſ. 5. In all our ſufferings for Gods ſake, there is not only matter of patience, but occaſion for66 glory; they are ſcars of credit in the forehead; conformities unto our bleſſed Saviour Jeſus Chriſt, and the livery of all Chriſtian Souldiers. And all this by the ſuſtentation and ſupport of this Love, the ſweetneſs whereof qualifies and abates the bitterneſs of all ſublunary croſſes.
Object. But here ſome may object and ſay, that the Love of God is pro confeſso an excellent vertue; but we muſt know him, before we love him; and we cannot compaſs any other but a lame and decrepit inſufficient notion of him. 'Tis true; but notwithſtanding all this, we ought ſtill dare operam to it, and make exact ſearch after it; and when we have it, embrace it; for ignorance muſt not be a Cloak or tegument to our negligence, ſince we cannot gain ſo little of the true knowledge of God, but ſome profit will accrue to us thereby, and that will blow up the embers of the love of God in us to an acceptable degree of heat and pious zeal. One ray of the love of God will outbalance and overvalue all the ſplendor of the Meridian Sun. A67 dark obſcure knowledge of God, ſurpaſſeth the moſt acute and ſharp inſight into all natural things. If one beam of the Sun chance to peep into a Dungeon, the priſoner by this, recollects the beauty and excellency of Light; ſo that ſmall and imperfect knowledg that we obtain of God, is ſufficient for a taſte of the excellency of his Love, and able to inflame us therewith; beſides, 'tis ſufficient for ſalvation. We love God, becauſe he loved us firſt.
We are ſo incapable of the Love of God, that we underſtand not what it is to love him: This Tree of Knowledge grows not in our Eden; This flower ſprings not up in our Garden; 'tis〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a gift dropt out of Heaven, proceeding from the Father, who is Love and Charity, as St. John ſaith: This is a divine liquor, the true Nectar, that God poures into our ſouls guttatim, drop by drop, as in narrow-neckt veſſels. Wherefore to accommodate our ſelves to our native ſlowneſs, we'll endeavour to infuſe into our ſpirits by little and little, ſo by degrees to arrive at the higheſt68 degree and Apex of Love.
There are five degrees of this our Love to God.
1. The firſt is, to love God for the good he doth us, and we expect to receive from him ſtill.
2. Secondly, To love him propter ſeipſum, or ſui ipſius gratia, for his own ſake, becauſe he is moſt excellent, and moſt amiable.
3. Thirdly, To love God above all things, nay your own ſelves; but to love nothing in the World, but for his ſake.
4. Fourthly, To deteſt and abhor himſelf for the Love of God.
5. Fifthly, to love him as we ſhall in the life to come, when we ſhall be in glory; with this love the Saints are extaſied, and aſſiſt at the Throne of God in ſecula ſeculorum.
We call theſe Degrees of Love, and not ſpecies or kinds, becauſe the ſuperior contain the inferior, as the chiefeſt white differs from the other parcels of the ſame colour that are leſs clear and tranſparent, not in ſpecie, but in gradu: we muſt remount up theſe degrees or ſtairs, and reſt69 our ſelves a little upon every one of them.
1. The firſt degree and loweſt is,Five degrees by which we are brought to love God. To love God for the good he doth us; upon this ſtep of Love was King David, when in the 116 Pſalm, and in the 1 verſe, I love the Lord, becauſe he hath heard my voice, and my ſupplication; and ſo in the 18 Pſalm: for God will have reſpect and love from us, becauſe he extends his bounty ſo liberally to us. 'Tis God that created us; 'tis God that preſerves and keeps us being created; that nouriſheth our bodies, that cheriſheth our ſouls; that redeemeth us by his Son; that governs us by his holy Spirit; that inſtructeth us by his word, that hath vouchſafed to admit us as his ſervants, nay his friends and children; and which is more, the ſame with himſelf.
Plato playing the Philoſopher with the grace of God,Plato bleſſed God for three things. thanked him for three things:
Now we that are inſtructed in the School of Chriſt, a School of more ſtrict diſcipline,So ought we for theſe eſpecially. make another kind of diſtribution of the grace of God, and return him thanks for theſe three things:
1. That of all Creatures, we were created men.
2. That of all men, Chriſtians; And,
3. That among thoſe that are Chriſtians, he hath made us in the number of the true elect. And if you pleaſe, you may add a fourth, That he hath adopted us by his Son Jeſus Chriſt, before the foundation of the World; having been carefull of us, not onely before we had any exiſtence, but even before the world had its creation. Now if God did manifeſt his love to us before we were, how liberally will he extend it to us, how bountifully will it flow from him when we invocate and call upon his Sacred Name, and affect him with a filial and reverential love? Now the ſmaller our number is, the larger is our priviledge; the more71 extenſive and diffuſive is his bounty and goodneſs to us; to endow us with ſight, among ſo many blind perſons; as the portion of Jacob in Aegypt, ſolely enlightned in the midſt of obſcurity, Cimmerian darkneſs: like the fleece of Gideon, that was only bedewed with the grace of God, when the reſt of the earth was dry, and deſtitute of it. God hath encircled us with abundance of examples of ſtupendious caecity or blindneſs, that he might raiſe our eſtimation of light, and that we might make a farther progreſs in the way of ſalvation, that ſo whileſt it is called to day, we may ſteer the ſhip of our ſouls by the Lanthorn of his Word. All theſe vertues, the conſtellation of all theſe graces, depend upon one Soveraign and Prime one, viz. reconciliation with God by the paſſion of our bleſſed Jeſus. This is the Chanel through which the graces of God ſtream unto us. 'Tis Jacobs Ladder that joyns Heaven and Earth together, that rejoyns God and Man. The Angels aſcending this Ladder, repreſent our prayers, that we piouſly72 dart up to Heaven: the Angels deſcending, ſignifie the bleſſings of God that are diſtilled in anſwer to our prayers. Jacob ſleeping at the foot of the Ladder, intimates unto us the quiet and tranquillity of conſcience, that we enjoy under the cool and comfortable ſhade of his interceſſion. Before, man was environed with horror and aſtoniſhment; he could not caſt his eye aſide, but he met with an object of fear. If he look't upon God, he diſcerned a conſuming fire, a ſupream Juſtice, armed with revenge againſt ſinners. If he caſt his eye upon the Law, he immediately perceived the arreſt of condemnation: If he viewed the Heaven, he concluded himſelf excluded thence by reaſon of ſin; If the World, he ſaw his irreparable loſs of dominion over the Creatures; if himſelf, a thouſand ſpiritual and corporal infirmities. At the ſignes of Heaven, and the Earth-quake, he was ague-ſtruck with fear. Then Satan, Death, Hell, were his inveterate foes, that either drew him to perdition, or did behel and wrack73 him with the expectation of them. But now every perſon that hath confidence in Chriſt Jeſus, changes his language, and ſpeaks in a more pleaſing dialect. If he look upon God, he'll ſay, 'Tis my Father, that hath adopted me: If his thoughts pitch upon the day of Judgement, he'll beſpeak himſelf thus, My Elder Brother ſits there; and he that is my Judge, is alſo my Counſellor: If he think on the Angels, he cries out, They are my guardians, Pſalm the 34. If he view the Heaven, he terms it his habitation. If he hear it thunder, he'll reply, 'Tis the voice of my Father. If he conſider the Law, The Son of God (ſaith he) hath accompliſht it for me. If he ſwim with the flowing tide of proſperity, he'll ſay, God hath reſerved better things for me. If in the low ebb of adverſity, Jeſus Chriſt hath endured far more for me. God exerciſeth, or proves, corrects or afflicts me, making me therein conformable to his Son. If he thinks on Hell, the Devil, or Death, then he will triumph over all with the holy74 Apoſtle; in the 1 to the Corinth. the 15 Ch. and the 55, 56, and 57 verſ. O Death, where is thy ſting! O grave, where is thy victory! The ſting of Death is ſin, and the ſtrength of ſin is the Law: But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jeſus Chriſt. Though theſe things buz about his ears like bees provoked or irritated, yet they have loſt their ſting. If the old ſerpent bruiſe his heel, yet his head is broken; if the Devil give us a falſe alarm by perſecutions, yet we are ſouldiers fighting under Chriſts Banner, liſted and regiſtred into the Book of Life at our Baptiſm: he hath bought and redeemed us by his moſt precious blood, and no one can raviſh us from him. What ſoul can be ſo ſordid as to fear the arm of fleſh, when he is guarded by the ſpirit of Chriſt, that doth not only intercede for ſinners, but of ſinners makes them become juſt: That is not only Advocate of a bad cauſe, but alſo renders it good; That doth both pray, and pay for us; ſo that his pardoning of us is not onely a work of his mercy, but alſo an effect75 of his juſtice? Beſides theſe obligations, we have an infinite number of incitations to the love of Chriſt, if we will but recollect our ſelves, and ſeriouſly conſider, how often he hath delivered us from imminent danger; cauſed inexpected overtures of evil intended to us, that we might avoid them: for according to the old Proverb, Praemoniti, praemuniti, forewarned, forearmed; and afflicted us here, that he might ſave us hereafter. Now 'twas the wiſh of that famous pillar of the Latin Church St. Auguſtin, Hic ure, hic tunde, hic ſeca, modo in aeternum parcas: Cut, ſaw, burn my body here, ſo thou ſaveſt my ſoul hereafter. Now for ſhame, let it not be ſaid, that God hath ſhowred down his bleſſings on the ſand. Let us not be ſo beſtial, as to drink of the ſtream, and ne'er think of the fountain; without elevating our thoughts unto God the ſource of all benedictions.
But when we ſay God doth good unto us, to the end that we may love him; not that he ſtands in need of our Love, but he will have us love76 him, in regard that we cannot be ſaved if we hate him. Nay farther, that we love him, proceeds from him as a gift; for 'tis he that kindles in us his love. He doth not only beſtow and confer his bona upon us, but he gives us a hand to receive them, grace to uſe them, and vertue to glorifie for them; ſo that Deus primo dat quod jubet, and then jubet quod vult: firſt he gives what he commands, viz. Love,Love is the gift of God. and then he commands what is moſt agreable to his will and pleaſure.
This firſt degree or ſtep of Love, though it be holy and uſeful, yet 'tis but principium amoris divini, 'tis but the prologue to the Love of God; for he that loves God only for profit, is like an infant or child that prays only for his break-faſt; and to ſpeak properly, ſuch perſons love not God, but themſelves. Such love is but mercenary, and injurious to God, a palpable affront put upon the Deity. Therefore he muſt know, that hath gained this firſt degree, he muſt proceed; for non progredi, eſt regredi; to be at a ſtand, is to be retrograde:77 he muſt therefore, I ſay, aſcend the ſecond ſtep.
The ſecond degree of our Love toward God, is to Love him,2 Degree. not only for our profit, but alſo for himſelf, (i. e. ) laying aſide all conſideration of his benefits, that he is daily pleaſed to confer on us; and though we expected no profit from him, yet to love him ſupra omnia. Holy David ſpake of this Love in the 69 Pſalm, Let all thoſe that love thee rejoyce in thy name. He counſels us to love God for his name, becauſe he is the ſupream, Wiſe in his counſel, juſt in his actions, true in his promiſes; whoſe habitation is in glory inacceſſible; enjoying a Soveraign perfection. God, whoſe life was without beginning, and his duration without end; his eternity without alteration, his greatneſs without meaſure, and his power irreſiſtible: That created the World by his Word, governs it by his vertue, and will reduce it to a Chaos of ruine, when it is his pleaſure: Who in one ſole vertue and perfection, which is his Eſſence, encompaſſeth all other78 vertues that are infuſed into all other creatures. All other vertues do concentre in this punctum; and the more they deviate from him, the more eccentrique they are. God therefore is to be loved for theſe preceding conſiderations, more then for the good that he is pleaſed to confer upon us. Our Saviour inſtructeth us the ſame, in that moſt abſolute pattern, that he himſelf hath ſet before us; in which he commands to beg the ſanctification of his Holy Name, and the advancement of his Kingdom; before we put up a petition for our daily bread. We naturally are enamoured with beauty: now Light is the firſt of beauties, without which there is no diſtinction between beauty and deformity. God therefore being the primum lumen, it follows neceſſarily that he be alſo the prime beauty. He is the Father of Lights, Pater Luminum, ſaith St. James; and holy David the Pſalmiſt in the 36 Pſalm 9. For with thee is the Fountain of Life; in thy light ſhall we ſee light. Wherefore in laying his hand to the ſtately Fabrick of the World, when he reduced79 the Chaos of confuſion into a beautiful and harmonious order, he began firſt with the light, as that by which his nature is beſt repreſented. He is the Sun of Righteouſneſs, a Sun that never comes to the Weſt, never ſets, nor caſts a ſhadow; all things are naked unto him,〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, all things are bare-neckt unto him, 'tis in the Original, being a metaphor taken from the mode in the Eaſtern Countreys, where they go bare-neckt: ſuch a Sun as doth not only clarifie the ſight, but gives it alſo. And judge you what a ſplendid, ſight-offending luſtre this is, that the Seraphims aſſiſting at his Throne cover their faces with their wings, as Iſaiah ſaith, 6 Chap. 2 verſ. not being able to endure ſo glorious a ſplendor. And if at the coming and appearance of the humanity of Chriſt, the Sun ſhall be benegroed in darkneſs, as a petty light at the coming of a greater; how, if you caſt an eye upon the life of God!The life of God. ours is but a ſhadow, if compared to it, nay a nihil: for our life is a flux or ſucceſſion of parts. But God poſſeſſeth and80 hath full and entire fruition of his eadem inſtanti, and all together. And his only begotten Son was willing to lay down his life for the redemption of us miſerable and wretched ſinners: That Son that Iſaiah calls Chap. the 9. Father of eternity, was content to aſſume this frail fleſh of ours. He became Son of Man, that we might become the ſons of God. He was born in a ſtable, that we might be received into the Kingdom of Heaven; born among beaſts, that we might be the aſſociates of Angels. He that was regens ſydera, became ſugens ubera;〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, became〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. He that is the bread of life was pinched with hunger, that we might be ſatisfied. He that is the fountain of life, became thirſty, that we might have ours quenched. In fine, he that is life it ſelf, did undergo death, that he might make us heirs of eternal life. 〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, as the bleſſed Apoſtle in a holy extaſie cried out; O the depth of the riches of the Love of Chriſt! Theſe are proſundities that ſwallow up our ſpirits, and there is pleaſure in being81 loſt therein: for theſe are the graces of God that ſurpaſſe our ſhallow capacities, but recreate our hearts; that afford matter of admiration, and ſubject of conſolation.
Now to what end is all this, if not to induce us to love God, and admire the treaſures and riches of his grace? Our ſpirits are extaſied with the rapture and contemplation of thy bounty. Our words are a degree beneath our thoughts, & yet our thoughts are far beneath the truth. We do but liſp forth thy praiſe; our commendation and elogiums of thee, are but an undervaluing of thee; for in ſo doing we do but lumen ſoli praeferre, or endeavour to delineate him in his golden treſſes, by the dark draught of a charcoal. Therefore we muſt intreat the Lord, that is our Father, to touch our hearts with a filial affection; that it would pleaſe him that beſtows and infuſeth his love into us, to create alſo in us ſtrong affections and deſires after ſuch a divine vertue; that we may pant after, & purſue it with ſo much eagerneſs, as to encounter with all obſtructions for the obtaining of it.
82All theſe conſiderations do but incite us to the love of God, not for our ſelves, but for his own ſake; which is perſpicuous in this, that our Love cannot be regulate, unleſs it be formed and faſhioned on the model of his Love that he bears to us. Now God Loves us for his own ſake, according to the Prophet Iſa. Chap. 43. 'Tis I, 'tis I, that blot away thy trangreſſions, for mine own ſake: And it is the prayer of holy Daniel in the 9. of his prophecy, Lord hear me, Lord pardon me; O Lord my God tarry not, for thine own ſake; for thy name hath been called upon by this people. God conſiders that we bear his Image on our ſouls; he conſiders that we are unworthy of his benefits; but that it is a divine thing to do good to thoſe that are unworthy of receiving it; and which is more, to make them worthy in doing them good. He looks upon his Church as a ſmall fold that carrieth his name, and are baptized the people of God, Hoſea the 2. nor will he ſuffer it to become the prey of Satan, or the triumph of their adverſaries. Amen.
We love God, becauſe he firſt loved us.
WE have in one Sermon already diſcourſed of our Love of God,SERM. IV. and informed you of the ſeveral degrees of this Love, which were five: two whereof we have only as yet inſiſted on; the other three we ſhall, auſpice Christo, diſpatch in our ſubſequent love-diſcourſe. Therefore not to detain you with the reiteration or repetition of what you have formerly heard; we'll proceed at preſent to the third degree of our Love to God, which is this, viz.
To Love God ſo far above all ſublunary beings, as to affect nothing,3 Degree. to be enamoured with nothing, but84 only for his ſake. As for inſtance, in the vaſt circumference of the terreſtrial Globe, there is variety both of perſons and things, that we cannot withdraw our affections from them, we cannot but love them; and in reality, 'twere impiety not to Love them. A Father loveth his Children, a Wife her Husband: our Parents, our Kindred, our Neighbours, our Friends, have all ſhare in this amity. So a man loves his health, and labours to preſerve it: if it be any way loſt, he endeavours by all poſſible means to recover it. The brawny Peaſant is in his element when whiſtling to his Teem, and manuring of his acres. The Scholar is ſo raviſhed with his ſtudy, that his very countenance ſmels of the candle, as the Poet ingeniouſly expreſſeth it;Livida nocturnam ſapiebant ora lucernam.Their pale countenance did reliſh of the candle; ſpeaking of exceſſive ſtudents. Nay, to go to diſrobe a man of this love, would be a doctrine85 inhumane, and a degree below brutality. He is worſe than an Infidel, that hath not a care of his family, ſaith the bleſſed Apoſtle. Piety doth not extirpate a mans affections, but cultivates them, and makes them colleagues with the Love and fear of God: No otherwiſe than Joſhuah, who having ſubdued the Gibeonites, would not put them to death, but compel them to ſervice in the Houſe of God: For then doth a father love his ſons with a real paternal affection, when he reſolves to educate them ſo in their youth, that they may encreaſe in growth, and become plants that one day may fructifie to the glory of God. Then doth a man love his friends as he ought, when their love to God is the efficient cauſe of his love to them; and that he perceives the Image of God ſhine in them. Then ſhall we love our health lawfully and aright, when we deſire it, not becauſe it is more pleaſant and comfortable, but becauſe it endowes our bodies with a vigour, and our ſouls with a liberty of ſerving God in our vocation. The ſame may be86 ſaid of Riches, Honour, Learning, and the like; theſe are things that one may affect, but ſo, that their love rob us not of our love to God; but rather ſtimulate us on, and provoke us to good works. And as there is no river ſo ſmall, but diſembogues it ſelf into the Sea; ſo there is none of Gods benefacta, though of the loweſt ſize, of the moſt dwarfiſh ſtature, but conducts and leads our thoughts to the profound abyſs of his goodneſs and greatneſs. Then ſhall our affections to our friends be regulated, and ſweetly compoſed, when they ſhall be branches or arms of the Sea of Gods immenſe Love, and have a reflection upon the Image or benefits of God. Set not a price or eſtimation upon men for that that is about them, but for what is in them: Love not men as you do Purſes, (i. e. ) for the money they have. If you honour a perſon for his ſtately attire, you might as well ſalute the Sattin when intire in a whole piece: If you reverence a man for his honour, or renown, you pin his dignity upon his ſleeve, and fix his87 worth on an airy title: and this is the mode now adaies; this is the frame of moſt mens ſpirits in the world, to adore the Casket, and contemn the Jewel that is cabinetted in it; to eſteem the bark, and ſlight the body. It was the ancient complaint of devout St. Bernard, Color, non calor aeſtimatur; veſtium, non virtutum cultus inſiſtitur: 'Tis the gawdineſs, not the warmth of apparel, that is minded; the trimming of garments, not the adorning of vertues, is ſtood upon: 'Tis the lining of his pockets, not that of his brain, that is regarded. Nay Ariſtotle, Natures elder ſon, was of opinion, that an Aſſe laden with Gold might have a paſs through any gate: 'Tis true in a natural, but not in a ſpiritual ſenſe; for he cannot paſſe through the ſtraight gate of Heaven. 'Tis Gold, hiſce temporibus ferreis, that is omnium Regina, The Empreſs of the world;〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉,Fight with ſpears of Gold, and you88 will meet little or no oppoſition. And pardon me if I go too high, or offend: ſome dunghill-ſouls will betray their Royal Soveraign for reward, for a mercenary golden recompence. 'Tis money that rules, and overrules the whole world. Men riſe early, ſit up late, and eat the bread of carefulneſs; and all for adding to the maſs of their treaſure: all is good that procures wealth, be it what it will, or how it will; per fas, & nefas; by hook, or by crook, right or wrong; quo jure, quaque injuria, as the Comedian excellently, and ſuitable to our preſent times; whether it be by Hophnies fleſh-hook, or Habakkuks net; all's good fiſh that comes to the net. The holy Apoſtle tells us that godlineſs is great gain: but there are many now living that would tell him, if he were among us, that great gain is godlineſs; at leaſt, their godlineſs. 'Tis apparel makes a man, now adaies; but if once you be diſrobed of your bravery, and ad paupertatum redactus, Then,89Nullus ad amiſſas ibit amicus opes.Then when you are in a thred-bare condition, you ſhall find no friends, few or no viſitations: and whereas before they did ſtick to your threſhold, and were unwilling to leave your ſociety, now they'll be as niggardly of their viſitations, as before they were prodigal of them. Like the Aſſe that carried the Image Iſis in proceſſion, when adorned with the ornaments; then did they bow the officious knee; but when ſpoiled and deprived of them, then they come no more about her, but ſhe muſt be ranked with the reſt of her dull, cold, contemptible fellow-creatures. But on the contrary, when your affections are beſtowed on a man, becauſe he fears God, he is firm and ſtable in his faith, advanced in the true knowledge of God, true in his words, juſt in his deeds, and charitable to the afflicted, inflamed or eaten up with the zeal of Gods houſe, (not like many of the Puritanical faction, whoſe prepoſterous90 zeal hath put the whole Nation into a combuſtion) your love toward him will continue, as long as he himſelf. Diſpoſſeſs ſuch a perſon of his Lands, deprive him of his Titles, diſrobe him of his gorgeous attire, his body and all his ornaments will remain; and that excellency that conſiſts in the Image of God, and the graces of his Spirit.
I know that the ſecrets or intentions of mens hearts are profound; and that oftentimes it evenes, that thoſe perſons that we make choice of, and pick out for friends, and vertuous too, become vitious, or elſe demonſtrate unto us they have ever been ſo. In this caſe, he that loves God, ought to reprove his friend, and redreſs him with all his power. Adulation or flattery hath rob'd amity or true love of all its terms, but onely a liberty of reproving. He that reproves not his friend for fear of incurring his diſpleaſure, it is a reſpect full of cruelty; juſt as if when he were upon the point of drowning, you ſhould be afraid of lifting him up by the91 hair of the head, for fear of plucking off a lock. If he mend not when you reprehend him, the love of man muſt give place to the love of God; you muſt in this caſe do as holy Moſes did, who made uſe of his Rod, whileſt it was a Rod; but did flye away from it, when 'twas metamorphoſed into a Serpent: and 'tis better far, to ſeparate your ſelf from ſuch a perſon gradatim, by degrees, and rather untwiſt your friendſhip with him, than to tear it all to pieces.
The Love of God ſerves as a rule to the overcoming and ſubduing all the forementioned difficulties. Pagans have amaſſed and pickt up ſeveral precepts out of the nature of amity, or friendſhip; but never diſcovered that ſecret that regulates and orders all their precepts. viz. 〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, firſt to love God, and to make our love ſpring from the love of God. What the Brain is to the Nerves, the Liver to the Veins, or the Heart to the Arteries, the ſame is the Love of God to humane love, (i. e. ) filaments, or branches, on92 which it depends. Without this divine Love, friendſhip is not friendſhip, but a conſpiracy, an accord of diſcording with God: friendſhip whoſe tottering baſis, or ſhaking foundation, is placed on pleaſure or profit, expires when pleaſures loſe their guſt or taſte through age; or when the profit is diminiſhed, begins to moulder and crumble away; or when the diſtribution thereof is unequal. But the love or friendſhip fixed, or rooted in the Love of God, is firm and ſtable; becauſe built upon a ſure foundation: which love ought to proceed ſo far, that we muſt powre out our Love not only upon our friends, but our inteſtine enemies for Gods ſake; 'tis the will and pleaſure of the Almighty, Matth. the 5. becauſe that even in the midſt of this enmity, the impreſſion of the Image of God is apparent. And theſe are Rods in Gods hand to jerk us for correction and amendment; and have ſuch a compulſive vertue, as to induce us to fear him.
4 Degree.We are not yet come to the higheſt round in this Jacobs Ladder that93 reacheth to Heaven; for we muſt arrive to ſo high a pitch, as to hate our ſelves for the Love of God. For although we concede, that ſelf-love is the ſtrongeſt and moſt natural love of man; and it is this amor-ſin that is the greateſt Antagoniſt and enemy to the Love of God; and 'twill opus magnae molis, multi ſudoris, to overcome and ſurmount it: What the ſhirt is among our cloaths, the ſame is ſelf-love among our affections, viz. the laſt that is pulled off: it is like the laſt onſet or ſally that Satan makes upon a ſoul, that is hard to be repulſed, or made to quit the field: Yet no perſon can love God, ut deceat, as it behooveth him, that deteſts not his own nature, that is not irritated againſt his concupiſcence, and wages not a perpetual war with them, with a firm and Chriſtian reſolution, to ſubdue them, (Deo juvante) and to admit of no truce, nor quarter, but to commit a total ſlaughter, and to deſtroy them all, without compaſſion; thirſting after the diſſolution of this body, and reigning with God and94 the bleſſed Hierarchy of Angels, world without end: He muſt be willing to exhauſt and pour out every drop of blood that flows in the purple chanels of his body, for the glory of God. Being wearied out with this fleſhly tabernacle, as in a rouling priſon, or an ambulatory ſepulchre; juſt like a captive cloyſtered up in a loathſome priſon, that peeps at the grates, aſpiring after liberty; you muſt not expect to have egreſs, or depart by the door, but by the ruine of the priſon, (i. e. ) the diſſolution and deſtruction of the body. He that hath commenced war, and ſtood in defiance to his luſts with moſt vigour and conſtancy, ſhall have the greateſt ſhare of peace with God. He that hath accuſed himſelf, ſhall be excuſed: he that hath deſpiſed and made little or no eſtimation of this life, ſhall be ſaved. Luke 9. and the 24. ſaith the bleſſed Evangeliſt there, For whoſoever will ſave his life, ſhall loſe it; but whoſoever will loſe his life for my ſake, the ſame ſhall ſave it.
This is the fourth degree of Love, and the cream and top of Love,95 whileſt we are on this ſide Heaven: 'Twas this degree of Love, that forc'd the holy Apoſtle to ſo pious and querulous an exclamation;〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; O wretched man that I am, who ſhall deliver me from this body of death? 'Tis this degree of Love that forced that ſweet Harper King David, though his temples at that time were adorned with a Crown, and his hands with a Scepter, the vanquiſher of his enemies, whoſe name was as famous, as his poſſeſſions were vaſt; confeſs, and acknowledg himſelf a ſtranger, and a ſojourner upon the earth. Pſalm 39.12. & 119.19.'Tis this degree of love that hath furniſhed holy Martyrs with reſolution and courage, accompanied with a zeal that was hotter then the fire it ſelf, to paſs through all torments, and ſmile at the fagot and ſword: they fear not the threats of the brow-bearing Judge, if furniſhed with this degree of love: they are armed with the murus aheneus of Horace; for a guiltleſs conſcience, with the ſhield of his own innocency, beats off all oppoſition96 and reſiſtance. No man can be ſuch an Ignaro, as to imagine his ſinews to be made of wyre, or his bodie to be immured with braſs; nor no one can be ſo whimſical, as to think them to have the Stoicks a pathy: no, no; but as the violent heat of a fever doth exſiccate the exterior wounds or ulcers, and ſo that the leſs heat is obedient to the greater; ſo the internal ardor of the Love of God, did predominate over the heat of the flames, and had more power to ſuſtain the pain, then the grief had ſtrength to deſtroy them. The vertues of the Martyrs do check our vices; their pious embers do reinfuſe heat into our cold walking clay. Whoſe blood, (for as one of the Fathers ſaith) Sanguis Martyrum ſemen Eccleſiae, the bloody time of the Saints, is the Seed-time of the Church; their blood, I ſay, exclaims againſt our ſlackneſs, who of late like a ſpurious iſſue have degenerated from their conſtancy: And be ſure, if we imitate them not, and follow their example, they will be a reproach and condemnation unto97 us. Their red evening was precurſor to a moſt glorious day, and their bloody trial proved a deliverance at laſt from the worlds rage and fury. Now to arrive to this degree, requires a long and ſtout combat: for our fleſh is mutinous and refractory; and concupiſcence is ſo faſt rooted in us, that even (Deo judice) it is reſembled and aſſimilated to the cutting off of a hand,Matth. 5. and pulling out of an eye. And the Apoſtle of the Gentiles terms our luſts, our members,〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Coloſſ. 3. Yet God himſelf tells us, that the perfection of his work is manifeſted in our infirmity; He makes us Conquerours,2 Cor. 12. Gal. 5. after many defeats and failings. Men oftentimes are as in a crooked way, between the fleſh and the ſpirit; between mundane and divine Love, the Love of God, and the Love of the World; and then they meet with ſeveral wicked and abominable ſuggeſtions, and a terrible counterſcuſtle between them and their luſts. How often and frequently doth it evene, that after the Love of God hath gained the dominion and upper-hand in98 the ſoul of man, and that he is reſolved to live well and religiouſly; in a ſmall time after, do his luſts and evil concupiſcence rally up themſelves, and make a freſh aſſault more violent than the former? But the faithful man, when aſſaulted with a deſire of revenge, rapine, or adultery, will perceive and hear by the ears of faith, the Love of God whiſpering theſe following interrogations, and catechiſing him thus; Miſerable wretch that thou art, whither doſt thou wander? Doth not God view thee? doſt thou deſpiſe his menaces? dost thou reject his promiſes? doſt thou forget thy vocation? Why ſhould you grieve the Spirit of God? Why ſhould you beſpatter his Church with infamy, and calumny? Where are the promiſes you made to God? Where is the grateful remembrance of his benefits? Is this the way to the Kingdom of Heaven? Are you certain of ariſing when you fall? What, will you diſturb your peace of conſcience for ſuch bitter-ſweet pleaſures? 〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉for the moſt guilded pill of pleaſure hath is allow'd ingredients. What, will you hazard your primogeniture, for a meſs of lentile-potage? At99 theſe ſpiritual ſuggeſtions, the faithful man makes a ſtand; ſighs and groans before God, and, like Sampſon, is reſolved to break in ſunder the bands of his concupiſcence. But all is not yet ended; the rebellious and contumacious, ſurrenders not her ſelf up yet; for oftentimes, after holy reſolutions, at certain intervals, or ſpaces of time, there will arrive ſome cooling kind of temper, that may induce and perſwade carnal reaſon to a poſtarize, and eſpecially in theſe rebellious times; where a man may find more matter for to compoſe a book of Apoſtates, rather than Martyrs. Now Satan, who is a ſpirit, but A-bad-one, as 'tis in the Revelation, watcheth for an opportunity to find us converſant with debauched company, and voyd of employment, and to catch us diſcontinuing, or ceaſing from our pious ejaculations to Heaven (which with a fervent and zealous brevity are thrown up to the Throne of Grace; and God ſhowres down his bleſſings upon them, according to their requeſt, and ſuitable to their preſent100 neceſſities and indigencies, if they be faithful) Satan, I ſay, raiſeth an Anarchy in the ſoul of man, and foſters nothing but a Chaos of confuſion: then are the concupiſcence and luſts of the fleſh up in arms againſt the deſires and motions of the ſpirit, and cloſe and ſtrangle one another; which oftentimes renders the life of a Chriſtian ſo bitter and uncomfortable, that he is often deſiring an end of this conflict or combat, that he may be diſſolved and be with Chriſt. 'Tis a helliſh diſpoſition, and ſuitable to the devils nature, to give a blow to a man that is already reeling; 'tis his conſtant courſe, when he finds you moſt afflicted with diſeaſes, and enfeebled with age, then doth he redouble his force, and ſhews you your ſins in multiplying glaſſes; that ſo he may, if poſſible, compel you to land the veſſel of your ſoul upon the ſhoar of Deſpair. Luſt will ſtruggle and ſtrive for ſuperiority, and therefore ought to be ſuppreſſed, and held in ſubjection by the power of Gods Spirit, operating in, and aiding of us. Man is his own101 enemy; he nouriſheth a bird within him, that will pick out his own eyes. Homo, homini lupus: which made St. Auguſtin cry out, A me, libera me, Domine; bleſſed Lord, free me, or deliver me from my ſelf. O the wretched nature and inclinations of men, that procure (or at leaſt endeavour it) their own ruine! O the fixed and faſt rooted corruptions of man, that by their mutinies will relead us, or compel us to return into Aegypt! that after our departure out of Sodom, perſwade us, like Lots Wife, to look back, and have a kind of internal regret, for the evil we have forſaken. Theſe are corruptions that interpoſe, and diſturb our beſt actions with wicked ſuggeſtions, and beſpatter them with ſome evil. If we ſeriouſly meditate on death, the fleſh will ſuggeſt, and ſay; What needs all theſe melancholy dumps? To what purpoſe all theſe ſighs and erected eyes? There is time enough for that hereafter. If we read or near Gods judgements and menaces againſt infamous ſcarlet ſinners, the fleſh perſwades us,102 that it belongs to others, not to us. If we comtemplate the Heavens, 'twill ſuggeſt unto us immediately, that we ſhall arrive there ſoon enough. If we go to extend our hand, and manifeſt our charity out of a real Chriſtian ſympathy to a diſtreſſed member of Chriſt; 'twill whiſper to your ſouls, You know not how ſoon you may want your ſelves. If we be reſolved to reprove a friend, that we may reduce him from the broad way of ſin and uncleanneſs, and conduct him to the narrow, though bleſſed path, that leads unto ſalvation; then 'twill retract and withdraw, and make you deſiſt from your intented purpoſe, for fear of offending him, or incurring his total diſpleaſure: every good action hath two anſae, by which the world and the fleſh take hold, to prevent the execution of it.
Therefore in this caſe, we muſt carefully and piouſly repair unto God, craving his divine aſſiſtance; and imitate Rebecca, who had recourſe unto God by prayer, when two Embryones or infants ſtrove in her womb; a moſt exact figure, or divine103 Hieroglyphick of the two men that are in every believer; The old, and the new Adam; one, our nature corrupted and cicatrized by ſin; the other, our ſpirit regenerated; which lust one againſt the other, as the bleſſed Apoſtle St. Paul teſtifieth, Gal. 5.17. So God anſwers unto Rebecca, telling her, that the greateſt ſhould obey the leaſt. For the old man muſt be brought in ſubjection to the new, till he be perfectly reduced to the obedience of God; he muſt be overcome totally, and his forces quite routed.
Now we are arrived to the top of the Ladder, the fifth and laſt degree,5 Degree. which is the Love whereby we ſhall love God in the Kingdom of Heaven, when we ſhall be cloathed with the Robes of Eternal Glory. For our Love proceeds from our knowledge; and according to our knowledge, we proportion our Love: Then ſhall we love God far more, becauſe we ſhall know him far better. Now we ſee (ſaith the bleſſed Apoſtle) through a glaſs darkly, but then face to face:〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉,1 Cor. 13.104 very emphaticall, in a riddle. Our love that looks a great diſtance, and is diſtracted by variety of objects, ſhall then approach, and look near, and ſhall be totally fixed upon God. And as two great rivers that have forſaken their conſtant chanel, and meeting together, cauſe a terrible inundation: ſo the Love of God are two currents that ſhall be joyned whileſt on earth; but when we ſhall arrive, and land on the ſhoar of eternal felicity, they will meet in Heaven. How unutterable will the vehemency of theſe affections be, when they ſhall be joyned and ſwallowed up one within the other with a mutual Love? For then in loving God, we ſhall alſo love our ſelves; becauſe that God ſhall dwell in us, and becauſe according to the holy Apoſtle St. John,1 John. 3.2.〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. We ſhall be like unto him, we ſhall reſemble him. Nor muſt we doubt, or imagine, that there is not an entire and real Love and mutual affection among the bleſſed Angels, but it flows from the Love of God: Therefore let us love nothing in our ſelves, that prepares105 us not for the expectation of that Love, that is mingled with the Love of God; a rare and Sacred Doſe, compoſed of two incomparable Ingredients, to cure the diſtemper of ſin-ſick man.
But becauſe that Love with which we ſhall love God in Paradiſe, hath its original from the ſight and contemplation of his glorious aſpect, (for〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Love is enflamed by ſight:) Let us endeavour to find out what this ſight ſhall be, that is the cauſe of our Love. The eyes of the body behold all things, two ways, or by two means: either by a reception of the image or ſpecies, and ſo we behold and ſee all bodies expoſed to our view; or in receiving into our eyes the ſelf-ſame thing that we ſee, as we ſee the light, which enters into our very ſight. God that is the primum lumen, or lumen luminum, will manifeſt himſelf unto us in Heaven, this laſt manner: for he dwelleth in his Saints; he is to them all in all. Rom. 1.But in this life we ſee him in his image, (i. e. ) by the contemplation of his works,106 whereon he hath made an impreſſion, or engraven as it were his own portraicture, and expreſs and ſignificant indicia or marks of his vertue. We ſhall then ſee God as we do the light here below; but that we do only ſee it through the windows of our bodies, viz. our eyes; but then we ſhall receive on every ſide the light of Gods countenance, that will light us every where with the ſplendor of its rays, and the beams of its tranſlucent glory: like a man that, if it were poſſible, could be apple of the eye all over, compoſed of nothing elſe, he would receive the light from all parts round about him.
This ſight of God will transform us into his likeneſs or ſimilitude: ſo ſaith St. John,1 John 3.2. We ſhall be like unto him; for we ſhall behold him, as he is;〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. For as a looking-glaſs or mirrour, if it be expoſed to the Sun, will repreſent the reſemblance or image thereof; ſo God entertains no body with an intent to contemplate his face, but he transforms him into his own likeneſs107 or ſimilitude, by the irradiation of his ſplendor and perfection. And if God be Charity and Love, as the holy Apoſtle St. John affirms, and all Chriſtians are engaged to believe, in the 1. of St. John, 4 Chap. 8 verſ. it follows of neceſſity, that the creature being by this beatifical viſion made like unto God, ſhould be raviſhed with love, and all on a flame with this ſpiritual fire: Such a fire as hath impoſed a name on the Seraphims, to termed, becauſe of their ardor; which is no other thing but the Love of God, the fervor of their zeal, and their promptitude and agility in his ſervice.
This now ſhould ſerve for a Uſe of exhortation to all good Chriſtians,Uſeviz. to labour after the love of God with all humility, pious ſpeed, and integrity of heart; that ſo they might be like unto God,〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, as the Apoſtle expreſſeth it. And unleſs you be drunk with momentary, and totally deprived of a ſenſe or imagination of the ſuper-excellency and plerophory of joy that is in Heaven, you cannot but ſtrive by a holy life108 and converſation to attain unto the everlaſting Crown of Glory, and the ſeat and ſociety of the bleſſed Angels in Heaven, where you ſhall chant forth in aeternum Hallelujahs to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghoſt; and live in felicity, and joy that is unutterable, to the praiſe and glory of Gods immortal name, without care, ſorrow, grief, or diſtraction, world without end.
Uſe 2This ſerves for a Uſe of terror, and horror, to all wicked perſons, whoſe whole life hath been a perpetual wilful violation of Gods Law, without any repentance of, or amendment and converſion from their miſdemeanours and offences. They ſhall never enter into the joy of the Lord, but have that terrible doleful doom and ſentence paſſed upon them, Go ye curſed into everlasting darkneſs, where there is nothing but weeping and wayling, and gnaſhing of teeth; totally deprived of Gods comfortable ſoul-vivifying preſence; being entombed alive in this pit of darkneſs,109 ubi miſeriae, ubi tenebrae, ubi horror aeternus; ubi nulla ſpes boni, nulla deſperatio mali: where you ſhall be ſurrounded with miſeries, benegroed in more then cimmerian, and that perpetuall darkneſs too, overwhelmed by, and implunged into eternal horror; where there is no hope of reſtitution to a bleſſed, or redemption from an accurſed eſtate; but there muſt be tormented world without end.
Thus have I demonſtrated unto you the happineſs of thoſe that fear God; and their unhappineſs, that go a whoring after the luſts and concupiſcences of the fleſh: we have ſhewn you the five Degrees of Love toward God; and our meditation cannot ſoar any higher; this is the laſt round of Jacobs Ladder that conveys us to Heaven.
We all profeſs, I muſt confeſs, to love God; but few do it ſeriouſly and cordially: and by this kind of external pomp and outward ſhew of profeſſion, we deceive ignorant110 man, nay we put a fallacy upon our ſelves. But there is no humane policy or ſophiſtry that can cheat a God: wherefore it is neceſſary, for the prevention and knowledge of ſuch counterfeit, hypocritical perſons, to bring them to the touch, and try what metal they are compoſed of; to diſcern the true, ſincere, and pure Love of God, from the falſe and counterfeit.
And as there are five degrees of our Love to God, ſo there are five marks or tokens viſible enough, whereby we may diſcern whether or no we have the true Love of God;5 Marks of Gods Love. which we ſhall only enumerate, and ſo conclude for the preſent.
1 Mark.The firſt mark or token of our Love to God, is this, viz. It extinguiſheth all other unchaſte and inordinate Love.
2 Mark.The ſecond mark and effect of this Love, is, the peace and tranquillity of the ſoul and conſcience.
111The third mark, is,3 Mark. our Love towards our Neighbour.
The fourth mark, is,4 Mark. the delight and pleaſure that we have and take in communing and converſing with God.
The fifth mark is,5 Mark. a zeal for the glory of God, that is increaſed or diminiſhed according as God is honoured or diſhonoured.
He, whoſoever he be, that perceives theſe effects wrought in him, may aſſure himſelf that he loves God with a true, real, and religious Love: and though it may happen ſometimes, that his love may be abated, the heat of his zeal be ſomewhat quenched, the vigor of his affection ſomewhat debilitated; though this Love be weak, yet it argues it not to be falſe, it is true for all that: for as a weak faith is a good faith, ſo a weak love is a good love. The very Apoſtles themſelves were termed by our Saviour men of little faith: though it be ſmall, ſo it encreaſe indies, day112 by day, tending to perfection; 'twill without doubt end in happineſs and eternal joy.
Thus have I laid down theſe five degrees or marks of our true love to God; which I ſhall deſiſt from diſcourſing any farther on at preſent; but commit you to God, and leave the handling of them to the next opportunity: If God permit. Amen.
I know that my Redeemer liveth, &c.
HE alwayes goes ſtumblingly,SERM. V. that walks in the night, ſaid Jeſus Chriſt the true light of the World, Joh. 11.10. And he that walketh in darkneſs, knows not whither he goes, ſaid his beloved diſciple. If there be any thing wherein this may be clearly known, is is in the miſtake of judgement, which thoſe make of themſelves, who being deſtitute of the celeſtial light of verity, ſuffer themſelves to be led away by their own natural darkneſs. For there is nothing more frequent in their mouths, then the complaint of their misfortunes; nor nothing more rare then the confeſſion of their faults:114 they out-ſpeak their puniſhments, and palliate their crimes; they declare themſelves miſerable, but would not be thought wicked: you ſhall often hear the Philoſophers call man a dream of a ſhaddow, a weather-cock of inconſtancy, an example of weakneſs, a general rendezvous of dolours and misfortunes: A Democritus laughing at his folly, an Heraclitus bemoaning his calamities. The one termes thoſe happy that go quickly out of the world, and th'other thoſe more happy that never come into it. All too much occupied in the ſenſe of their miſery, but never in ſearching or acknowledging their ſins: All accuſing Nature as a ſtepdame, but no man himſelf as a rebellious or diſobedient child. He of all men ſeems to have beſt hit of mans condition, who hath qualified him the miſerableſt and proudeſt of creatures: for whereas all declamations upon the pitiful eſtate of humane nature, ought to be ſo many lively leſſons of true humility; and that cloud of misfortunes that ſhowres on their heads, bring them down as115 low as the centre of the earth: on the contrary, like balloones full of wind, the more they are preſſed down, the higher they riſe: and as it happens in the agitation of a violent tempeſt, the ſame wave breaking, makes them ſink into the deeps; and keeping it ſelf whole and ſwelling, carries them again up into the clouds. And their preſumption, like a kind of folly, drowning at once both memory and ſenſe of their miſfortunes, you ſee them raiſe themſelves again in their own good opinions, and rejoyce in the light of their underſtandings; they gaze upon themſelves in the ſplendor of their vertues, and loſe themſelves in the ſubtilty of their inventions; and to make themſelves happy, to depend on no other decree then that of their own wills, to call in no other help then the ſtrength of their own ſouls. Our life (ſayes one) we have from God; but that we live well and holy, is to be attributed to ourſelves. We muſt (ſayes another) demand our fortune of God, but we muſt ſeek for wiſdome in our ſelves. Every one (ſayes116 another) hath riches of his own acquiſition: for if it were given him from God, he ſhould deſerve no commendations. Never any of the wiſe-men gave thanks to God for making him vertuous; ſo that by this reckoning of theirs, thoſe people who were lately charged with misfortunes, are now found free from faults: They that are moſt miſerable upon earth, think themſelves moſt worthy of heaven: They who cannot defend themſelves from the leaſt creatures, think they have themſelves and every thing elſe in their power: They who for the tooth-ache, made vowes to Aeſculapius, for the health of their cattle, and the conſervation of their corn, ſacrificed to Pan and Ceres, do not hold themſelves obliged to render thanks to God, for the vertues and excellent qualities that ſpring and grow in their ſouls.
That the Pagans (who are ſtrangers to the Covenant, and ignorant of the way of God, deſtitute of the light of his Holy Word) ſhould be thus carried and toſt by ſo contrary opinions in the judgement of their117 own condition; it ſeems nothing ſtrange: But that they that call themſelves Chriſtians, ſeeing ſhine in their climate theſe two great lights, the Goſpel and the Law, that they ſhould go ſtumbling as in the twylight, and groping like men without their eyes; and without power either in themſelves, of knowing the greatneſs of their miſeries, or without themſelves of knowing the vertue of the grace and infinity of the mercies of God; that they ſhould go halting on both ſides: ſometime raiſing themſelves to heaven by their own poor merits; at another time ſinking down as low as hell in deſpair, even by diſtruſt of the gift of God; and of the other ſide rendring themſelves alike unworthy, and throwing themſelves into ſuch a diſtance of his favour: this ſeems openly to verifie the complaint of the Evangeliſt, Joh. 1.5. that light hath ſhined in darkneſs, but the darkneſs comprehended it not; that his light came into the world, but that the world rather loved darkneſs, then light. So that it becomes no wonder,118 if reaping the fruit of what they ſo much loved; they have alſo for their part errour, uncertainty, and aſtoniſhment, the ordinary companions of the night: And if whereas the truly faithful, who by the light of the Law acknowledging their demerits, and by the light of the Goſpel embracing the merits of the Redeemer of the World, ſay with Job, I know that my Redeemer liveth; with the Apoſtle, 2 Tim. 2.12. I know on whom I have believed, with the wel-beloved diſciple. 1 Jo. 3.19. We know that we are of God; theſe men, dazled with a vain opinion of their own vertues, and undervaluing the redemption of the Lord Jeſus, ſay, We know not whither we ſhall go; we know not if we believe; we know not whether we ſhall be ſaved.
But if herein they would acknowledge their blindneſs, there were ſome hope of bringing them back to the light; but they are ſo far from this, that in this uncertainty and wandring of their troubled ſouls, they find no infirmity; but on the contrary, this is that which they119 ſay, We ſee: and to ſay truth, they take a pleaſure in their errour, as if it were in the brighteſt clarity; and upon theſe floting waves and uncertainties, they eſtabliſh the higheſt perfection of their faith: Attributing alſo to the faireſt of all the vertues, the three moſt vitious and abject paſſions that are to be found in all corrupted nature, which are, Ignorance, Uncertainty, and Fear; keeping in blindneſs that which ſhould guide us through the darkneſs of this world, and whoſe principal action is to ſee; for, by faith they of old have ſeen the promiſes, and ſaluted them afar of, Heb. 11.13. not ſtaggering through unbelief, but like Abraham, that was ſtrengthned by faith: not fearful and trembling, but being born of God, to overcome the world, 1 Joh. 5.4. What brave exploits can be expected from a Champion that muſt fight a combat after his eyes be put out, or his ſoul filled with fear and aſtoniſhment? Curſed are they that call evil good, and good evil; bitter to be ſweet, and ſweet bitter; darkneſs to be light, and light darkneſs,120 Iſai. 5.20. To this it is that we would now ſend back theſe Doctors of darkneſs, that we might once be rid of them; and by the lively clarity of Jobs faith, make you follow and conſider the true object, where ours ſhould reſt; and there to ſearch for her true nouriture and advancement; if we were not for the preſent hindred, by that bold ſacriledge whereby they ſeek to make holy Scripture a party to their wicked deſign, and to be the cryer for their diſhoneſt gain; making it as much as they can, belie her own nature, which is to be the light and ſure guide of ſoules, to make it ſerve for a cloak to the night, and as a fantoſm for aſtoniſhments, wherewith they perplex conſciences.
They ſay their doctrine is that of Eccleſiaſtes, Eccl. 9.1. who ſaith, that the righteous, and the wiſe, and their works, are in the hand of God; and yet no man knoweth either love or hatred that is before them; but all things are kept in uncertainty for the time to come. If theſe were the words of Eccleſiaſtes, they had ſome appearance of reaſon121 in them: but that which makes moſt expreſs for their opinion, is not the words of the wiſe, but the additions and falſe expoſitions of the vulgar Verſion, whereof they make uſe, and of which by an unparallelled boldneſs they correct the Originals. For this laſt clauſe, that all things are kept in uncertainty for the time to come, is not at all in the Hebrew Text; and the reſt is only coucht in theſe terms; The juſt, and the wiſe, and their works, are in the hand of God, and no man knoweth either love, or hatred, that is before them. Where you ſee what a violence is uſed to draw out of theſe words a certain concluſion againſt the certainty of faith. For it is a thing to be obſerved, that in the Holy tongue many times love and hatred are taken for the things which one loves or hates; and that which is tranſlated to know, ſignifies as often to diſpoſe or to make uſe of a thing at our pleaſure: as, where it is ſaid in Job 38.33. Doſt thou know the Ordinances of the Heavens, or doſt thou diſpoſe of the government of each of them upon Earth? And in this ſenſe they122 are not altogether without reaſon, that turn this verſe thus: But all things are ſo in the hand of God, that none of men can uſe or diſpoſe at his pleaſure of what he either hates or loves. Others, as Arias Montanus, think that by that which is before them, the wiſe man meant thoſe that were before them; as friends, Parents, or Domeſtickes, who many times under a veil of friendſhip conceal their hatreds and mortal envies, which are very hardly diſcovered while they can be concealed under a feigned appearance. Others underſtand this uncertainty of events of our love and hatred, which are ſo hidden from us, that they fall out often contrary to our deſires; and ſometimes ſo croſs, that to day we hate, what we muſt love hereafter, and love that which we muſt ere long deteſt. But without ſtraying as much as may be from the literal ſenſe, 'tis clear enough, eſpecially if we conſider what immediately follows, which ſerves both as a light and interpretation to this paſſage: that is, That all happens alike to all, and the ſame accidents to the good123 and the bad: for the wiſeman would have us know, that by exterior things, by the ordinary courſe of the world, and the good or evil that can be diſcern'd by the eyes of fleſh, it is very hard to diſtinguiſh who are lov'd or hated of God; as 'tis alſo dangerous to go about to judge of Gods curſe or grace, by th' adverſity or proſperity of men. And here the friends of Job were deceived, when upon the evils that fell upon him, they would conclude againſt him both the hatred of God, and the impurity of his own life. And here the Jews likewiſe abuſed themſelves, when they ſaid, We eſteem the proud to be bleſſed, and they that have tempted God were delivered. And to this purpoſe the Pſalmiſt tells us, 37.7, 9. Fret not thy ſelf, becauſe of him who proſpereth in his way, and who bringeth wicked devices to paſs: for evil doers ſhall be cut off; but thoſe that wait upon the Lord, they ſhall inherit the earth. Sometimes the righteous man mourns under the oppreſſion, and he that walks upright is ſubject to a thouſand evils, & the wicked are terrible, and flouriſhing like a124 green bay-tree, and they have more then their heart could wiſh, Pſal. 73.7. And ſometimes alſo joy and the voice of ſinging and triumph is heard in the tabernacles of the righteous, and the wicked man is enſnar'd and overthrown by his own iniquities. And ſo it is a hard matter to judge of this immutable will of God by accidents ſo divers and changeable: But it goes far otherwiſe with the inward ſenſe of conſcience; for the moſt righteous among men (ſetting their life and works before the clearneſs of Gods juſtice) do know well, and profeſs openly, that they find themſelves worthy of hatred: and ſo Moſes ſaid, We are conſumed by thee, we are troubled by thy wrath; thou haſt ſet our iniquities before thee, our ſecret ſins in the light of thy countenance, Pſal. 90.7, 8. For this the Pſalmiſt cryes out, Enter not into judgement with thy ſervant, for no fleſh is righteous in thy ſight. And Daniel avowing the verity and juſtice of Gods judgements, ſaid, Dan. 9.7. Lord, with thee there is juſtice, but ſhame and confuſion of face unto us. So the Centurion ſaid,125 Matth. 8.8. I am not worthy that thou ſhouldſt enter under my roof; and the Apoſtle St. Paul eſteemed himſelf unworthy to be an Apoſtle, 1 Cor. 23.9. But theſe men returning toward the compaſſions of God, and relying upon the merits of the Redeemer of the World, have not ceaſed to eſteem themſelves, in him, and for his ſake, worthy of eternal life. And upon this aſſurance David ſaith, Pſal. 16.11. Thou ſhalt make me to know the way of life. Daniel beſought the Eternal, that according to all his righteouſneſs, his anger and fury might be turn'd away from Jeruſalem. Saint Paul aſſures himſelf, that the Crown of Juſtice is reſerved for him, 2 Tim. 4.8. And in the Apocalypſe 'tis ſaid of thoſe that have not defiled their garments in the corruptions of the world, that they ſhall walk with the Lamb in white cloathing: for they are WORTHY, Apoc. 3.4.
And this conſideration furniſhes an anſwer to another paſſage, which they alleadge to as little purpoſe, as they have maliciouſly falſified this, which we have now anſwered. This126 is the ſaying of the Apoſtle, 1 Cor. 4.4. I find my ſelf guilty in nothing: but for this I am not juſtified: A paſſage that cuts their throats; For without doubt, they dare not ſay that St. Paul was not aſſured of his ſalvation; ſince to ſome other paſſages we have already produced, that had no other ſubterfuge, but that he was aſſured of it by particular revelation. What is it then the Apoſtle would ſay, but that this inward conſcience (whereof his conſcience bears him witneſs) is not ſufficient to juſtifie him before God? And of this he does not ſpeak doubting, but as in the Epiſtle to the Galatians he had ſaid, Gal. 3.10. That all they that are of the Law, are under malediction; and all they that ſeek to be juſtified by the Law, are fallen from grace, Gal. 5.4. Thus he pronounces openly, and without any ſort of uncertainty, that by this he is not juſtified. And yet it muſt be obſerved, that this interior ſentiment of his innocency, is not extended over all the actions of his life; for by that which followes, may eaſily be comprehended, that127 he ſpeaks only of the execution of his charge, wherein being conducted by the Spirit of God, he knows he hath gone right: As he ſaid in another place, 2 Cor. 1.12. This is now the teſtimony of our conſcience, that in ſimplicity and ſincerity, and not in carnal wiſdome, but according to the grace of God, we have convers'd with the world, and chiefly toward you. Now he that in ſome one of the actions and occupations of his life, finds himſelf innocent, will yet not ſtick to acknowledge himſelf, in conſideration of other things, culpable. And thus we ſee that David ſometimes ſpeaking of ſome action and particular cauſe wherein he implores the juſtice of God againſt his enemies, does yet glorifie himſelf in his integrity to God, Pſal. 18. to have kept the wayes of the Lord, and not wickedly to have departed: but elſwhere he confeſſes his faults; and in the 19 Pſal. he prayes the Lord, ſaying, Keep back thy ſervant from preſumptuous ſins; let them not have dominion over me: then ſhall I be upright, and innocent from the great tranſgreſsion. 128And the Apoſtle himſelf, who in the exerciſe of his Apoſtleſhip finds himſelf exempt of fault, yet forgets not to ſigh and demand deliverance from this law of his members, which makes him carnal, and ſold under ſin, Rom. 7.24. And this excellent Organ of the Spirit of God knew very well, that to obtain juſtification by works, it was neceſſary that works ſhould be perfect, and innocency and ſanctification ſhould be entire, as well in their parts, as their degrees; becauſe that he that fails in one point of the Law, makes himſelf guilty of the tranſgreſsion of all; and that no ſingle action, though perfect in it ſelf, can make a perfection of juſtice: whereas one ſin alone is able to ſlay the ſoul, to terniſh the luſtre, and corrupt the value of all precedent juſtices; and therefore he abandons this feeble prop, whereon whoſoever thinks to rely, remains alwaies in uncertainty: And therefore not to teſtifie any incertitude of his ſalvation, but to affirm the aſſurance of it upon a foundation invariable, he reputes all things, even129 his own innocency, as dung; that he may gain Chriſt, and be found in him, having not his own juſtice, which is of the Law; but the juſtice of God, which is by faith in Jeſus Chriſt.
This is then to beat the air, and fight with his own ſhadow, to go about to ſhew the weakneſs and infirmity of man, to ſound the depth of the malice of his heart, and to open the dark corners and retraicts of his hypocriſie: we confeſſe more then they can accuſe us of; being only ſorry that it is out of an envy to do ill, in troubling the conſciences, and not the love of the truth, which pulls this confeſſion from our mouth, that no man living can ſay, My heart is clean, and I am pure from ſin: and yet at other times, they conteſt with this confeſſion, when they fall upon the ſtrength of their free will, and to eſtabliſh their works of ſupererogation: Yes, it is true, that there is no juſt man on earth that doth well, and ſins not, Eccl. 7.21. In many things we offend all, James 3.2. If we ſay we have no ſin, we are lyars, 1 Joh. All the moſt holy among men have confeſt130 their ſins before God, Job 15.15. and why not? ſince the Heavens themſelves are not pure before him; He put no trust in his ſervants, and his Angels he charged with folly, Job 4.18. But ſo little doth this confeſſion ſhake the aſſurance of the faith, that contrarywiſe it ſettles it ſo much the more, becauſe hereby a man is led to go forth of himſelf, to go and put his whole affiance in the only mercy of God; and to withdraw all his hopes from the merit of his own works, to rely entirely upon the infinite merits of him, who of God is made unto us, wiſdome and righteouſneſs, and ſanctification and redemption, 1 Cor. 1.30. Of our ſelves we have not ſo much as a good thought, but all our ſufficiency cometh from God; but yet able to do all things in him that ſtrengthens us, Philip. 4.13. we are combated by him, but we are in all things more then Conquerors through him that loved us, Rom. 8.36. And very well ſaid St. Bernard in the fifth Homily of the dedication of the Temple, entring into conſideration of the ſoul: I ſeem to have found two things contrary to each131 other; for if I behold it ſuch as it is in it ſelf, and of it ſelf, I cannot ſpeak better then in ſaying that it is reduced to nothing: for what need is it for me to recount all her miſeries, how it is charged with ſins, envelopt in darkneſs, environ'd with temptations, boyling with luſts, ſubject to paſsions, fill'd with illuſions, inclined to vice, full of ſhame and confuſions? If all the righteouſneſs of man be before God nothing but pollution, what ſhall be his unrighteouſneſs? If there be nothing but darkneſs in his light, how obſcure then ſhall be the darkneſs it ſelf? What ſhall I then ſay? For certain man is nothing but vanity, he is reduc'd to nothing, man is nothing: But how is he thus nothing, whom God ſo magnifies? How is he nothing, ſince Godſets his heart upon him? Let us have courage: although we be nothing in our hearts, yet we ſhall find in Gods heart ſomething hidden of us. O Father of mercies! O Father of miſerable! how is it that thou ſetſt thy heart upon us? for thy treaſure is where is thy heart: and how are we thy treaſure, if we be nothing? Certainly in the judgment of thy verity we are nothing, but not ſo in the affection of thy piety and goodneſs.
132But why, ſay they, if we have abſolute aſſurance of our Salvation, are there ſo many advertiſements given us in holy Scripture, to take heed to our ſelves; to watch, to pray, and that he that ſtands take heed he do not fall? and if theſe be truly profitable, as it is to be preſum'd; then this is a teſtimony that a man may fall; and conſequently, that he cannot ſtand firm in his aſſurance.
To this we anſwer: That the exhortations and threatnings in Scripture, which are commonly made, ought to be applied according to the quality and neceſſity of every one: The viſible Church, to which the Word of God is announced, is compoſed of divers ſorts of people; ſome have need of a bridle, others of a ſpur; ſome to be held back by threatnings from their abandoned vices; others to be waken'd from a natural lethargy by lively exhortations: to ſome, conſolation; to others, correction is neceſſary. There are that abuſe themſelves, who under pretext of exterior piety, wherein they ſeem very zealous, thinking themſelves133 to be high-flown upon the wings of a holy devotion, while avarice and luxury, and other vanities, have tyed them faſt to earth, and drag them through the dirt: To theſe men, the ſaying of the Apoſtle addreſſes properly, 1 Cor. 10.12. that he that thinks he ſtands, take heed leſt he fall: and thoſe that ſtand truly, ought not to ſlight this advice, but rather to take it (not as a preſage of their misfortune, but) as a teſtimony, that although of our ſelves we are ſubject to fall, yet nevertheleſs God would not have us fall, becauſe he directs his word to us; who putting us in mind of our condition, conducts us more and more to ſeek the confirmation of his grace: And then to fall, is not to make a total loſs of our ſalvation, but only a ſtumbling or a fall in a ſpiritual courſe; a thing that may happen to the moſt righteous; and yet not that they ſhould fall from the hope of their ſalvation, becauſe they are ſoon again reſtored by repentance; For if the just man fall, yet he can fall no farther, becauſe the Lord holds134 him by the hand, Pſal. 37.24. And ſo theſe exhortations tend only to make us diſtruſt our ſelves, but not to raviſh us of the confidence we ought to have in God: They fight with the carnal ſecurity of profane ones, but not with the faith of the children of God, to whom they rather ſerve as means to advance them towards that glory which they wait for, rendring by a holy vigilance the hope of their vocation ſtill more firm.
Yet they will ſay, There is nothing ſo much recommended to us in Scripture, as fear: Work out your ſalvation with FEAR and trembling, Philip. 2.12. Happy is the man that FEARETH alwayes, Prov. 28.14. Be not high-minded, but FEAR, Rom. 11.20. Paſs the time of your ſojourning here in FEAR, 1 Pet. 1.17. Certainly, if it were neceſſary to oppoſe to theſe paſſages that recommend fear, thoſe that chaſe it from our hearts; for one, we might oppoſe thirty, there being nothing more common in all the courſe of Scripture, then theſe words, which are135 addreſt to the faithful, Fear not: But the Word of God never belies it ſelf, and therefore 'tis neceſſary, that there be a fear of two ſorts; one, that is compatible with aſſurance, a good, a holy, a commendable fear; becauſe it leads us to God: the other, that extinguiſhes it, and makes us flye from the face of God, as Adam did after his ſin, Gen. 3.8. and this is that which the fear of God ought to chaſe and baniſh from every faithful ſoul: And therefore 'tis no wonder, if fear and aſſurance be met in one and the ſame ſubject, in divers reſpects. So when I conſider the Law, with thoſe thunders and lightnings, and threatnings and curſes, my ſoul is ready to vaniſh for fear: but when I turn my ſelf to the gracious promiſes of the Goſpel, ſhe fills her ſelf with aſſurance: when I conſider my own demerit, I enter into diſtruſt; but under the merits of Chriſt, I re-aſſure my ſelf again: I tremble over the pendant ſlippery paths of this life; but I comfort my ſelf, when I ſee the hand of God that ſuſtains me: And thus I ſerve136 the Lord in fear, and rejoyce before him in trembling, Pſal. 2.11. This is that filial fear that makes Gods children prudent in their waies; not that ſpirit of fear, that torments the conſciences of the wicked, Rom. 8.15. not that which proceeds from diſtruſt of power, or deſpair of the good will of God; but which is born out of the knowledge of dangers that environ us, and from the ſenſe of our own infirmity: not that which trembles for puniſhment, but that which is apprehenſive for the ſin: not that which flyes from the face of God; but that which hath recourſe to his grace: And ſuch a one, as if there were no puniſhment nor recompenſe, no Hell nor Paradiſe, would not omit her duty toward God, but would take heed to diſpleaſe him: This goes equal ſteps with that aſſurance which is reckoned among the gifts that are ſhed upon the Son of God, Iſai. 12.2. who was not able to enter into any diſtruſt of the love of his Father.
But what relation to this reverence of true children to their father, hath137 this trouble, and uncertain trembling fear, which the Roman Doctors caſt into mens conſciences? Certainly among ſo divers fluctuations, wherewith (as impetuous winds) our ſouls ſince ſin are miſerably agitated; there is none more ſtrange, then this fear; nor among the judgments wherewith God threatens and puniſhes the wicked, there is none more terrible then this cry of fear, which he ſends into their eares, Job 15.21. This trembling heart, this dimneſs of eyes, this diſtreſs of ſoul, which makes their life ſo doubtful before them, that at evening they ſay, Deut. 28.67. Who ſhall let us ſee the morning? and in the morn they demand, Who ſhall let us ſee the evening? Fear, like a terrible voice, wakens the ſoul by ſtartings, and ſo ſeizes it, that it remains inſenſible to every thing, except that ſtroke of aſtoniſhment that beats it; and from that which is nothing, makes it feel a thouſand dolorous paſſions: and whereas we feel not other evils, more then they are in us, and the cauſe remains there: yet fear calls back evils that138 are paſt: multiplying and engroſſing thoſe that are preſent, and anticipating thoſe that are not yet, and perhaps that ſhall never be; and ſo forges imaginary torments, wherewith it makes miſerable ſouls ſenſible of a thouſand real ſorrows. The mortal enemy of all repoſe, it ravages in an inſtant whatſoever is either pleaſant or delightful in life: and like a feaveriſh heat, it infects and imbitters the beſt prepared ſweetneſſes; bringing in a profound ſadneſs into our hearts; which ſo gnawes and undermines them, as the ruſt doth ſteel, and makes us draw a life after us, more miſerable then death: Inconſiderate paſſion! which continually repreſents to our eyes the image of the danger that attends us, and is thereby ſo troubleſome, that we can neither ſee, nor foreſee for remedies: neither more, nor leſs, then an abyſſe, where waters drawn out of the deep, whirl about with ſo much impetuoſity, giving us afar off the warning of ſhip-wrack, and yet draws us in by ſuch an aſtoniſhment, that we are139 plunged and ſwallowed up in the gulf that we would ſo fain eſcape.
Thus it awakes in our ſouls a vehement deſire to avoid that miſchief that treads upon our heeles; but it ſo troubles and aſtoniſhes all our ſenſes, that loſing both our judgment and diſcourſe, we precipitate our ſelves into the danger from which our fear ſeems to lend us wings; and then it happens to us, as at other times we dream, when preſt by ſome enemies as we think, or by ſome hideous fantoſm, we ſeek to flye away, but cannot, becauſe our heavy bodies, or elſe our traſht feet, will not follow our deſire: or if a light ſeeming ſwiftneſs anſwer our fear, and ſeem to skip over furlongs, yet which way ſo ever we turn in the trouble of this affright, though panting for pain; this funeral-object meets us every where, giving us the chaſe, and leaving us nothing but complaint; in which we would fain cry out, but cannot, becauſe the apprehenſion ſtops our voice, and tyes up our trembling and ſtammering tongue to the roof of our140 mouths: So thoſe that are ſeized with this paſſion, apprehend every thing, and fall foul upon all: They are afraid of their dreams; they are troubled at their fancies: They give themſelves to be abuſed by lying ſpirits; they take all that they meet with for ill preſages; and ſometimes come to fall into ſuch a confuſion of ſpirit, that they throw themſelves head-long into deſpair. Hiſtories afford us but too many examples of thoſe who being unable to deliver themſelves from this paſſion, have yielded up themſelves to death, finding more ſweetneſs in death, then in the fear of dying. Whoſoever beholds an affrighted man, may eaſily read in the tracts of his viſage, and in all the actions of his body, what the trouble and confuſion is that agitates his ſoul: for, to obſerve his ſcattered eyes, his bleak face, his pale and ſhaking lips, his dry mouth, his furred tongue, his confuſed voice, his beating heart, his panting flanks, his knees knocking together, his ſtumbling feet, and all the movings of the body trembling and uncertain;141 what can be ſaid, but that his body is ſo miſerably agitated, that his ſoul muſt be in great diſorder? And in this condition, it is as uncapable to produce a good action, as to take good counſel; but from thence, as from an infernal jakes, do iſſue the moſt infamous vices and execrable actions that can be committed by men. And as in an army after a terrour taken, the battalions break their rankes in diſorder; all flye, all run, and nothing ſeen but blood and ſlaughter: ſo it is when fear poſſeſſes the ſoul; ſhe troubles her ſelf; all vertues abandon her, and the vices make a horrible waſt and ſpoil. From hence ſprung up ſuperſtition, and ſo many execrable ſacrifices, the very report whereof breeds horrour. Cruelty claims her for her mother; perfidiouſneſs, treaſon, and diſſembling, owe her their original: She hath hatcht tyranny and ill counſels; and it is none but ſhe, that breaking the ſacred bonds of nature, is capable to animate fathers and mothers againſt their proper blood, and their own bowels. 142In a word, 'tis impoſſible to love the thing which we fear. Behold then this monſter which theſe Doctors nouriſh in theſe poor ſouls, which God by ſo many promiſes of his love and aſſiſtance, chaſes and baniſhes from the hearts of his children: Fear not, little flock; for it is your fathers pleaſure to give you a Kingdom, Luk. 12.32.
Nay but, ſay they, To day I am well aſſured, but who can continue me this aſſurance till to morrow and afterwards? He that perſeveres to the end, ſhall be ſaved, Matth. 24.13. And what is there more changeable and inconſtant then man? So many aſſaults that Satan gives us, ſo many dangers that beſet us, ſo many infirmities that are in us, ſo many examples of Apoſtates that make ſhipwrack of their faith; do they not give us cauſe enough to doubt? Yes verily, and to deſpair abſolutely, if we look no farther then to our ſelves: But the power of God is perfected in our weakneſs, 2 Cor. 12.19. If we be weak, he is ſtrong; if we be changelings, he's immutable: I have loved143 thee with an everlaſting love, and have therefore extended my loving kindneſs to thee, Jerem. 31.3. Thoſe whom he hath loved, he hath loved to the end; and the gifts and calling of God are without repentance, Rom. 11.29. His foundation continues firm, 2 Tim. 2.19. He knows who are his, and none ſhall raviſh them out of his hands: and it is impoſſibile that his elect ſhould be ſeduced, Matth. 24.24. but thoſe whom he hath foreknown, he hath predeſtinated, called, juſtified, and glorified, Rom. 8.29. This chain of his love is altogether inviolable; and therefore reſt thy ſelf upon his favourable power, and upon his unchangeable goodneſs, ſaying with David, Pſal. 138. The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me; thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever: forſake not the works of thine own hands: Surely goodneſs and mercy ſhall follow me all the dayes of my life, and I will dwell in the houſe of the Lord for ever. This aſſurance is the true humility which beats down the pride of man, that he may glorifie God: pride and preſumption are to be feared when we go about to rely144 upon our ſelves, when we ſacrifice to our own nets, and exalt the merit of our vertues: but let not that man fear to glorifie himſelf, that ſeeks his glory in the ſhame of the croſs of Chriſt; that ſtrips himſelf of all other ornaments, to put on Chriſt; that celebrates not his own juſtice, but the compaſſions of God: I do not glorifie my ſelf becauſe I am juſt, ſaid St. Ambroſe, but becauſe I am redeemed: I will not glorifie my ſelf at all, becauſe I am without ſin, but becauſe I have obtained pardon of my ſins: I will not glorifie my ſelf that I have profited any, but becauſe Chriſt is Advocate for me towards the Father, 1 Joh. 1.2. that he hath ſhed his blood for my ſake, and for me hath taſted of death; this is not arrogance, but faith. To preach and to publiſh that which thou haſt received, is not pride, but devotion, ſaid St. Auguſtine.
And for concluſion, it is leaſt to be feared that this doctrine ſhould make men negligent, or be as a pillow under their elbowes, to make their ſouls ſleepy in the neglect of the means of ſalvation. St. Paul draws a quite contrary conſequence, when he ſaith,145 Philip. 2.12, 13. Work out your ſalvation with fear and trembling; and adds this for a reaſon; for it is God that works in you both the will and the performance, according to his good pleaſure. Will you ſay then, that this belief makes men ſleepy, and choakes in their conſciences, both the duties of prayer, and the exerciſes of charity? contrarywiſe, there is not a ſharper ſpur to this acknowledgment, then the knowledge of the Love of God, and the aſſurance of his grace. Who hath ever ſeen fear produce a good action? And what is there in the world that is either fair or generous, which is not to be attributed to hope? It were a deviliſh malice, to be wicked becauſe God is good; to turn the back upon him, when he turns his face upon us; to flye him, becauſe he ſeek us; to change affection toward him, becauſe his love is for ever unchangeable toward us; and becauſe he will give a kingdom in heaven for us, to caſt our ſelves into the way that leads to infernal pains. The children of God go another way; and from the faith and aſſurance,146 which they have of the love of their father, they enflame their loves the more to him, and feel themſelves the more obliged to his obedience. They fear to offend ſo good a Father; and being purchaſed by ſo excellent a price, they conſecrate their bodies and ſpirits to his glory. And as the ſick man to whom Phyſitians have given aſſurance of recovery, keeps himſelf from things that are contrary to his health, and takes more willingly the remedies that are ordained him; whereas he that deſpaires of his health abandons himſelf to his appetite: So the faithful man knowing that God will impart to him of his glory, goes by the way of ſanctity and good works, that he may attain to the other; and having ſo many fair promiſes, cleanſes himſelf from all pollution of fleſh and ſpirit, finiſhing the ſanctification in the fear of God, 2 Cor. 7.1. So Daniel knew, that when the 70 years of the captivity were at an end, God ſhould deliver his people, and therefore about that time, he put himſelf upon prayer and faſting,147 Dan. 9.2, 3. So St. Paul, Act. 23.24, 31. had a promiſe for all thoſe that were with him in the ſhip, that none ſhould be loſt; but yet when he ſaw the Mariners ready to withdraw themſelves, he did not ſpare to tell them, that if they did not tarry with us, we could not be ſaved. The Pagans themſelves never entred into combats with more courage, then when they had their birds, or the entrails favourable: they never engaged into a buſineſs with ſo much vigor, as when they were aſſured of ſucceſs by the anſwers of Oracles. We are called by the vocation of God, to the poſſeſſion of the heavenly Canaan: He promiſes us for the getting it, his conduct, favour, and aſſiſtance; ſo that with Job we may very well ſay, I ſhall ſee God. And what then remains, but that caſting down every burden, and the ſin that ſo eaſily enlaces us, we may purſue with conſtancy the courſe ſet before us: and traverſing all dangers, and going under hope againſt hope, we may have our eyes upon Jeſus Christ the author and finiſher of our faith; that ſo we may more and148 more in his love, revive the ſtrength of ours; and recollect in him every day new vigor, until the time that from vertue to vertue, we may appear before his Sacred face, where receiving the Crown and heap of his bleſſings, we may glorifie him for ever; as to him appertains honour and glory from this time forth, and from generation to generation. Amen.
As for me, I know that my Redeemer liveth, &c.
IT is impoſsible to pleaſe God without faith, Heb. 11.6.SERM. VI. for 'tis neceſſary that he that comes to God, believe not only that he is, but that he is a rewarder of thoſe that ſeek him. To God that dwells in the Heavens, we go by faith, not by view. All the view that conducts us to eternal ſalvation, is faith. And therefore as in vain the Sun ſends forth his light, in vain does it enlighten ſo many torches in the Heavens, and diſcovers upon Earth ſo rich an embroidery of leaves and flowers, for thoſe that are without eyes: So as unprofitable150 are the marveiles which the wiſdom of God hath diſplay'd in all this univerſe, and the divine myſteries which it hath diſcovered in the clearneſs of his holy word, for thoſe that are without faith. God complaines Eſai. 65. that in vain he hath ſtretcht out his hands to a rebellious and contradicting people: and St. Paul, Heb. 4.2. gives a reaſon why the word of preaching hath not profited the people of the Jewes: and it is, becauſe it was not mingled with faith in thoſe that heard it. Who hath believed our preaching, and to whom hath the arm of the Eternal been revealed? Iſai. 53.1. Light is the firſt and moſt excellent work of God, in the elementary world; the eye is the moſt admirable beauty of all the humane body: it is the joy of our life, the addreſs of our actions, and the cleereſt window of the ſoul: the eye and light of our ſoul is faith, without which it remaines in darkneſs, ignorant of the way of God, confuſed in all her actions, and plunged in mourning and deſpair: and therefore it is alſo the chief gift of heavenly grace, the firſt151 tract of the Image of God that is markt in our hearts, the firſt action of our ſpiritual life, and the foundation and origine of all other vertues. By this light Job acknowledges and diſcovers the eternal benefits which recompenſe his temporal loſſes; he finds ſpiritual ſweetneſs, which tempers the bitterneſs of his corporal dolours; he ſees and embraces the perdurable felicity of the ſecond life, which reinforces his ſoul againſt the apprehenſions of death.
For this cauſe we have ſo long inſiſted to deſcribe and repreſent to you the nature of this faith, by winding it out of ignorance, from the confuſion and uncertainty wherein they ſeek to fold it up, that withdraw ſouls from the true ſpring of life, and divert it to the crackt ciſterns of ſuperſtition; to engrave the lively tracts of it as deep in your ſouls, as Job deſired to have them imprinted in the hard rock, that ſo the deduction which we ſhall make you, after him, of the myſteries of your redemption, may not be unfruitful to you, but that being guided152 by this divine and heavenly torch, you may there find that aſſurance, firmity and conſolation, that Joy inenarrable and glorious, which is neceſſary for you in the midſt of ſo many evils and combats as the enemies of the truth of God do deliver and prepare for his Church.
Before we come to a more particular conſideration of the Redeemer, and of this life, reſurrection and glory, which he hath purchaſed for us by the price of his redemption; we muſt upon theſe words make ſome general remark, which may be proper to confirm us as much in the verity of our faith, as they will make us ſee that it is venerable for antiquity, and alwaies veritable and conſtant in her unity. We ſee the dolours of Job encreaſe againſt all other remedies, drawn either from hope of temporal things, or from any rules of the law; and to acquieſce in one onely Jeſus Chriſt, ſeeking in the only benefit of his redemption, his repoſe and hope; where he teaches us clearly, that the principal and ſpecial object of faith153 hath at all times been the promiſe of the grace and ſalvation which was to be purchaſed by this Mediator betwixt God and men: which holding and embracing, ſhe finds (and not till then) her repoſe and tranquillity. The whole Word of God is truly the proportioned object to th'extent of our faith; and according to the intelligence and approbation of the underſtanding, ſhe embraces it wholly, and can go no further: and in every thing, and every where, ſhe reputes God to be true, whether he command or forbid; whether he promiſe or threaten; whether he inſtruct or correct: ſhe leads all her thoughts captive under obedience; ſhe receives all his commands with humility; ſhe keeps her ſelf to his prohibitions with fear; ſhe embraces his promiſes with affection: ſhe fears his threatnings, ſhe hearkens to his inſtructions, and profits by his corrections; for if faith doubt and go reeling in uncertainty of any one point of whatſoever is manifeſted in the Word of God, there will afterwards need no great violence to154 ſhake it in all other things, and to throw it head-long into infidelity: And therefore when we give for the principal object of faith, the promiſe of ſalvation and grace, we will not ſubtract it to other parts of the word, as leaving it indifferent, and every one to liberty of believing or miſ-believing at his fancy; but contrariwiſe, knowing that all hath been brought to us not by the will of man, but by the inſpiration of the eternal ſpirit, which hath guided the tongues and pens of thoſe that have announced and left written this holy word; we maintain that the verity of it muſt be wholly and in every part both heard and received, with the like reverence. But we ſay moreover, that as the waters of the Sea are for divers ends ſpread abroad, and go creeping through an infinity of chanels, over and under the face of the earth, yet in ſuch ſort, that at laſt they return all into the boſom of the Ocean from whence they had their birth: ſo we ſay, that in the book of Scripture, divers matters, hiſtories, examples, judgements,155 threatnings, laws, inſtructions and exhortations, which like little rivers rejoyce the City of our God, and ſerve to divers uſes in the Church: But after all, Jeſus Chriſt is the mark whereat all aim, the Centre whither all return, and guide our faith in him to find and obtain reſt: So Moſes and the Prophets give their teſtimony, Luk. 24.27. and the end of the Law is Jeſus Chriſt, Rom. 10.4. and to this intent ſpeaks St. Paul, 1 Cor. 2.2. that he will know nothing but Jeſus Christ and him crucified; becauſe that is the ſummary and principal end of all the knowledge of the Scriptures; which faith not onely beholds as a thing to be conſented to; but embraces it, as the only ſubject where to find ſalvation and life. Certainly, faith believes the creation of the world, the genealogy of the fathers, the confuſion of tongues in Babel, the captivity of Iſrael in Egypt, the exploits of the Judges and Kings given to the people of God for Liberators: and from all theſe things there may be gathered divers inſtructions for this life: but to find in this156 recital the means of our reconciliation with God, of the remiſſion of ſins, and the eternal glory, it is not poſſible, becauſe it is not in any of theſe properly. Where the Eternal offers and preſents the gifts of his heavenly grace, that is, a Word of God which he pronounced to Adam with his own mouth, after he had tranſgreſt the commandment; Thou ſhalt dye the death; in the ſweat of thy brow ſhalt thou eat thy bread, Gen. 3.19. Theſe things were conformable to the Law and Word of God: all theſe fearful menaces which the friends of Job with ſo much preparative denounced to the hypocrites and wicked: but theſe are ſo far from begetting or keeping up faith, (which as 'tis requiſite, ſhould be accompanied with peace and conſolation) that contrariwiſe they put the conſcience into trouble, they fill the ſinful ſoul with fear; and in ſtead of giving us acceſs to God, go chaſing and baniſhing us behind his face; as we read of the people of Iſrael, who not able to abide the thundring voice of the Eternal, (giving his157 Law upon the mountain) ſtood afar off, and ſaid to Moſes, Exod. 20.19. Speak thou with us, and we will hear thee; but let not God ſpeak with us, for fear we dye. This very part of the word that commands obedience, and preſcribes a rule for works, propoſing bleſſing and life to thoſe that accompliſh it; Do this, and thou ſhalt live, Luk. 10.28. Whoſoever doth theſe things, ſhall live by them, Levit. 18.5. is not that where our faith reſts; becauſe as it promiſes life to the obſervers, ſo it denounces malediction againſt all thoſe that do not abide in all the words of the Law to fulfil them: And thus our conſcience, guilty of many tranſgreſſions, cannot find nor affirm her aſſurance, nor ſeek for remiſſion of ſins, where there is nothing preſented but wrath and judgment: And therefore the Apoſtle in the Epiſtle to the Romans, and in that which he writes to the Galatians, retires our faith from the Law, and tells us openly, that the Law is not of faith, Gal. 3.12. that all they that are of the works of the Law, are under the curſe, Gal. 3.10, 11.158 that the Law was not given to quicken, but contrary, that it is the miniſter of death and of condemnation; none being able to be juſtified before God, by the works of the Law; declaring with David, thoſe to be bleſſed to whom God imputes juſtice without works, Pſal. 32.1, 2. Nevertheleſs it ceaſes not to ſerve faith, becauſe by it comes the knowledge of ſin; and that it ſerves as a School-maſter to lead us to Christ, Rom. 3.23. in whom we are freely juſtified by the grace of him, by the redemption which is in Jeſus Chriſt, whom God hath propoſed a mediator by faith in his blood; by whom the remiſſion of ſin is announced, to the end, that in whatſoever we could not be juſtified by the Law, whoſoever believes might be juſtified by him, Act. 13.39. For to him all the Prophets give teſtimony, that whoſoever ſhall believe in him, ſhall have remiſsion of ſins by his name, Act. 10.43. Hither it is properly that our faith is invited: Whoſoever is thirſty, let him come to me and drink, Joh. 7.37. Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy loden, and I will refreſh you, Matth. 11.28. So that this Goſpel of159 peace, this word of reconciliation, miniſtry of ſpirit, and of life, power of God unto ſalvation to all that believe, Rom. 1.16. Which opens to us the Abyſſes of compaſſions, of love, grace, and the good pleaſure of God, which deduces to us the coming, the incarnation, the ſuffrances, the juſtice, and the death of the Redeemer of the world, and which repreſents to us the Holy Spirit, applying and ſealing by the preaching of the Goſpel and the Sacraments, theſe divine and heavenly benefits in our ſouls, and rendring us aſſured of our reconciliation with God, of the abolition of our offences, of the imputation of the juſtice of Chriſt, and of the gift of heavenly life. The Goſpel is the word of life, ſaith St. Paul, Rom. 10.8. It looks at the whole word of God, but it embraces only his good will: It approves all his truth, but it runs only after his gratuity; and then 'tis beſt pleaſed, and content, when both are met in Chriſt, in whom gratuity and verity are met, juſtice and peace have kiſſed each other, Pſal. 85.11. by whom the gratuity of160 God is multiplied upon us, and his truth endures for ever, Pſal. 117.2. We do not then reject any part of the word, nor we do not tear the faith in pieces; but in this general object, we obſerve what is moſt proper, and moſt particularly belongs to it, by reaſon of the differing parts of it. Be then the Word of God a Paradiſe to the faithful ſoul; but ſo, as among ſo many fruits of different taſt and vertue, ſhe may find one tree of life that may fully ſatisfie the hunger of juſtice, that ſhe ſo ſeeks for: let the Scripture be her Orchard; but yet let there be one apple-tree whoſe ſhadow ſhe deſires ſitting down under it, and the fruit ſweet to her palate: let the truth of God be her garden of aromatique drugs; but let there be one Roſe of Sharon, whoſe ſweet ſmell may recover her fainting heart, and which ſhe may put in her boſome, no otherwiſe then a bundle of myrrhe, Cant. 1.13. He knows well enough that his Redeemer is living.
But if the Goſpel be the particular object of faith, from whence ſhall161 we ſay that Job learned this ſcience, and from whence he could draw the foundations of an aſſurance ſo firm, ſince this was not but many ages after his death, that the Goſpel was publiſht to the world, or that the Saviour of the world was come to accompliſh the work of our redemption? The Law and the Prophets endured till John; but ſince his time, the Kingdom of God is Evangelized; Luk. 16.16. Many Kings and Prophets have deſired to ſee the things which were ſeen, when Jeſus Chriſt converſt in the world, and they have not ſeen them, Luk. 10.24. And therefore Jeſus Chriſt prefers the least that were under the Goſpel, before the greateſt that were under the Law: St. John pointed at him with his hand, and ſhewed him to the World, to be the Lamb of God that taketh away the ſins; for which cauſe he was raiſed above the Prophets; and becauſe he had not ſeen nor ſhew'd the glory and vertue which followed his death and his reſurrection, he was therefore ſet below the Apoſtles: And St. Paul ſaith, that the grace which hath been given us162 in Jeſus Christ, from eternal times, is now manifeſted by the apparition of our Saviour Jeſus Chriſt, who hath deſtroyed death, and put into light both life and immortality by the Goſpel: It ſeems then that this myſtery of our redemption hath been hidden from precedent ages, and that the ancient Fathers have had nothing but ſhadows and figures of things that were to come. And yet Jeſus Chriſt himſelf gives this teſtimony to Abraham, that he deſired to ſee this day of his, and hath ſeen it, and rejoyced, Joh. 8.56. and St. Peter, 1 Pet. 1.10. that the Prophets have enquired and made diligent ſearch, concerning the ſalvation of ſouls, the reward of faith; and by the Prophetick ſpirit in them, have declared the ſufferances which were to come to Jeſus Chriſt, and the joyes which were to follow them: And for this reaſon it is, that the Son of God ſayes, He had the teſtimony of Moſes and the Prophets, and that the Scriptures of the old Teſtament bare witneſs of him, Joh. 5.39.
To know then how that muſt be underſtood, to reſolve us in this appearance163 of contrariety, and to begin our undermining at the foundation of Papiſtical errors, touching the ſtate of the ſouls of the Fathers deceaſed before the coming of Chriſt; let us learn then from this confeſſion of faith, ſo fair, ſo firm, ſo clear as it can be in the noon day of the Goſpel, that we have no other faith, nor other means of ſalvation, then what the ancient Patriarchs had before us; and that the ancient Covenant contracted with them, in the ſubſtance and truth, is the ſame thing with the new one contracted with us, that are fallen into theſe later times: all the difference which is in them, conſiſting only in the order and the means of the diſpenſation; which according to the diverſity of times, hath made it aſſume divers viſages: for as the Apoſtle, Heb. 1.1, 2. God hath heretofore many times, and after many ſorts, ſpoken to the fathers by the Prophets; and in theſe later times by his Son Jeſus Christ. Where he ſeems to diſtinguiſh the times by the coming of the Son of God, betwixt the preceding ages, and thoſe that164 were to come after. The firſt part hath had divers ſeaſons and divers manners, according to which this diſpenſation hath been ordered: The firſt ſeaſon is counted from the fall of Adam unto Abraham, during which we had no declaration more expreſs of this eternal alliance of God with men, then that which is contained in few words, but of an high and full ſignification: The ſeed of the woman ſhall bruiſe the head of the Serpent, Gen. 3.15. upon which promiſe, confirmed, declared and entertained by the uſage of ſacrifices, and carried from hand to hand, and from father to ſon, during all the firſt age of the world, this faith was ſuſtained, and the hope of the faithful founded. In the ſecond ſeaſon, from Abraham to Moſes, during which Job lived (a true Son of Abraham, both according to the fleſh and to the promiſe) this general promiſe was (as it were) reſtrained in the family and poſterity of this Holy Patriarch; when God made this alliance with him, that he would be their God, and they his children; and diſcocovered165 to him, that from him ſhould go forth the Redeemer of the World, when he ſaid, that in his ſeed all the Nations of the World ſhould be bleſſed, Geneſ. 12. giving him beſide the ſacrifices, the particular ſeal of the circumciſion, as a ſign of the juſtice of faith, Rom. 4.11. The third was from Moſes to the coming of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt; where, in a more eſpecial and ample manner, God was pleaſed to inſtruct his people, expoſing and confirming his Covenant unto them, after divers faſhions; in which are remarkable two principal parts, having reference each to other, and ordained one for the love of the other: Like the two Cherubims, who being placed one right againſt the other, and extending their wings one toward the other, did both of them look toward the propitiatory, Exod. 25.20. the one was the Law, promiſing life and everlaſting benediction, under the condition of a moſt perfect obſervation of his commands: A condition impoſſible to corrupted nature, whoſe imaginations were nothing but evil at all166 times: and yet very neceſſary and uſeful, to make men know the duty wherein they were obliged, to make them ſenſible of weakneſs, and to make them comprehend the horrour of that condemnation into which their tranſgreſſions had precipitated them; by that means to conduct them to the ſecond part of the Covenant, which was all of it purely Evangelical; as that which under divers figures and ceremonies did repreſent mans reconciliation to God, and his plenary deliverance by the ranſom of that infinite merit of the ſacrifice of the death and paſſion of Chriſt. After this, in the fulneſs of time, came the great Redeemer of our ſoules, who aboliſhed the firſt means, that he might eſtabliſh the ſecond; aboliſh'd (I ſay) not wholly, but in part; not in the ſubſtance, but in the accidents: For as for the firſt part, he exacts no more as it were by force of maledictions that perfect obedience of the Law; but ſupplying the defects of nature by the abundant effuſion of his ſpirit of grace, he draws from167 ſanctified hearts a voluntary obedience: And in the ſecond, he hath cauſed the body to ſucceed the ſhadows, the truth the figures, the thing the ſignes; all theſe things having been fulfilled in the death of Chriſt.
And from hence may we eaſily comprehend the difference that there is betwixt the new Covenant and the old; between the faith of the Fathers that lived under the Law, and theirs that live under the Goſpel. For it is the ſame thing in ſubſtance; Having God for the Author, his grace and mercy for the cauſe, and the ſatisfaction of Chriſt for the meritorious foundation; The ſame things promiſed, grace and glory: God is to us both, a Sun and a Shield; he gives both grace and glory; and withholds no good thing from ſuch as wait upon him: Diſtributed in general by the ſame means, and the preaching of the word; Hearken, and your ſoules ſhall live, Iſai. 55.3. the adminiſtration of the Sacraments: He that ſhall not be circumcized, ſhall be cut off, Gen. 17.14. and the inward working168 of the ſpirit of God, Iſai. 59.21. My ſpirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put into thy mouth, ſhall not depart from thy mouth, nor from the mouth of thy ſeed, nor from the mouth of thy ſeeds ſeed, from henceforth and for ever: Aiming at the ſame end, to wit, ſalvation and life eternal. But as to the accidents, and in the manner of diſpenſation, there is no ſmall difference. For in the Goſpel, the manifeſtation of doctrine is more clear, expreſs, and efficacious; as much more clear, as accompliſhments are before propheſies; and things preſent, then things which are as yet hid in the length of ages to come: and ſo much the more clear, in that at this day of exterior manifeſtation, hath been added a greater abundance of the Spirits interior light, according as it was propheſied, Joel 2.28. And it ſhall come to paſs afterward, that I will pour out my ſpirit upon all fleſh, and your ſons and your daughters ſhall propheſie; your old men ſhall dream dreams, your young men ſhall ſee viſions: ſo that whereas they of old ſaw Jeſus Chriſt but under ſhadows169 and images of what was to come; we hold him as come already, and look upon him as crucified before our eyes. To this may be added, their Covenant was contracted by the mediation of Moſes; ours, by that of Chriſt: The old Covenant was confined to one corner of the world, and tyed to one family; the new one hath reach'd to the ends of the earth, and hath embraced the Nations: The old one laſted but for a time, whereas the new one ſhall not terminate but by the end of ages.
Jeſus Chriſt is the ſame yeſterday, to day, and for ever, Heb. 13.8. This is the Lamb ſlain before the foundation of the world, Revel. 13.8. 'Tis he that is a light to the nations, and the ſalvation of God unto the ends of the earth: in waiting for him, thoſe of old found their conſolation, as we have ours in ſeeing him: and the odor of his ſacrifice expanding it ſelf as well over the fore-going as following ages, hath reſtored thoſe ſouls who before or ſince have put their whole truſt in him: Wherefore although wee ſee thoſe of old in rudiments170 which are ſeemingly groſs, let us not the leſſe value their faith, who for having the leſs of clarity, have not the leſs of certainty. Certainly, propheſie was like a candle giving light in an obſcure place; the Law like the dawning of the day, or the Star of the morning; and the Goſpel like the clear noon: But all theſe lights, though differing in clarity, have been enough to make us ſee and follow the wayes of ſalvation, 2 Pet. 1.19. And though it ſeem to us, that we ſee no more promiſed to the people of Iſrael, and their Patriarchs, then a Canaan flowing with milk and hony, and with a thouſand ſweets of temporal bleſſings; yet let us not think that they ſtopt there, or that they did not with Job raiſe their ſouls, and carry up their deſires to things ſpiritual, to that inward peace, and never-decaying glory, which was repreſented to them under thoſe ſhadows of an earthly happineſs. For in whatſoever was heretofore offered and preſented to them, they ſtill caſt their eyes on Jeſus Chriſt the promiſed Meſſias, in171 whom all Gods promiſes are yea and amen, 2 Corinth. 1.20. The conſideration of whom, would by no means ſuffer them to dwell upon the tranſitory ſweetneſſes of this world; his Kingdom being repreſented to them by Propheſies, not as a carnal or worldly one, but as one altogether celeſtial and ſpiritual. The Scepter (ſaid Jacob to his ſons) ſhall not be taken from Judah, nor the Law-giver from betwixt his feet, till Silo come, Gen. 40. That is to ſay, The ſeed of the woman, the man to be born without a Father; and to him the people ſhall aſſemble themſelves: He was to come forth of Judah, but at the time that he was to come, Judah muſt loſe the Scepter; not then to rule or ſignorize in Judah: for if he were to raiſe Judah above the Nations, he ſhould not then be the hope of his people, ſince his coming was to vanquiſh and ſubjugate them: but to him all Nations were to run, and to offer him voluntary obedience, becauſe under his yoke they ſhould come to ſeek their liberty; becauſe he ſhall raigne over their ſouls, and conduct them172 with a rod of comfort, delivering them from the bonds of ſin, and the tyranny of Satan, whoſe head he ſhall bruiſe, and take away his Empire. So likewiſe when the Prophets ſpeak of the deliverance of Babylon, of the peoples return into the land of promiſe, and the re-eſtabliſhment of the Temple; preſently you ſee them tranſported with a conſideration of the Kingdom of this great Meſsias, of the deliverance of the ſouls of the true temple, which is the Church: As if they would teach the people, that the poſſeſſion of Canaan, and all the contentment depending thereon, were but ſhadows not to be truſted to; their felicity not conſiſting, to live, to govern, and reigne here below, but to ſerve God, to be govern'd by him, as that by the Scepter of his word, and efficacy of his ſpirit, he might reign in us, and be fully obeyed: So ſaith Eſai, that the branch of the Lord ſhall be beautiful and glorious; and the fruit of the earth ſhall be excellent and comely for them that are eſcaped of Iſrael, Iſai. 42.3, 4. But with what glory? It173 is (and he adds) that he that is left in Zion, and he that remains in Jeruſalem, ſhall be called holy; and thoſe that ſhall be in Jeruſalem ſhall all be written to life, when the Lord ſhall have waſht away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and ſhall have purged the blood of Jeruſalem from the midſt thereof, by the ſpirit of judgment, and by the ſpirit of burning: and in the 11 Chapter he ſhews, that the gifts he hath received from above, to communicate to the world, are all ſpiritual, when he ſaith, Iſai. 11.2. The ſpirit of the Lord ſhall reſt upon him, the ſpirit of wiſdom and underſtanding, the ſpirit of counſel and might, the ſpirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord: He ſaith moreover, that he will bring his people from the North and from the South, and that the earth ſhall be too narrow to contain them; that Kings and Queens ſhall be their nurſing fathers and nurſing mothers: But this is not to promiſe a temporal Kingdom, but to repreſent an arrival of all Nations to his Church; and of their Kings themſelves, under whoſe protection ſhe ſhould abundantly proſper. And here you may174 ſee the difference, which is betwixt the advancements which the Eternal promiſes to Kings, and he entrance which he prepares for his Son into the world. Behold how he ſpeaks to Cyrus, Iſai. 45.12, 3. I have taken thee by thy right band, that thou might'st make the Nations thy ſubjects; and that I might weaken the reins of their Kings: I will break the gates of braſs, and bruiſe the bolts of iron, and give thee the hidden treaſures. But when he ſpeaks of the Meſſias, We have ſeen him grow up as a tender plant; and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comelineſs; and when we ſhall ſee him, there is no beauty that we ſhould deſire him: He is deſpiſed and rejected of men; a man of ſorrows, and acquainted with griefs, and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was deſpiſed, and we eſteemed him not. And after, he ſhewes why he was come into this ſad and abject form, becauſe he hath born our griefs, and carried our ſorrows: he was wounded for our tranſgreſsions, he was bruiſed for our iniquities, Iſai. 53.4, 5. The price which hath purchaſed our peace, was put upon him; and by his murtherings,175 we were healed: As Daniel more openly declares, that he ſhould come to put an end to diſloyalty, to purge iniquity,Dan. 9.24. and to bring juſtice into the world. This is that which was ſo clearly repreſented to them by the ceremony of the ſacrifices, where ſuch things were offered that could not have an entire and proper vertue for the waſhing of the ſoul, but did onely look after, and ſearch their perfection in the full and entire ſatisfaction which Jeſus Chriſt hath rendered to the juſtice of God his Father, by the ſacrifice of the Croſs. And thus the faithful inſtructed by all theſe means, have ever teſtified that the attendance of their ſouls hath carried it ſelf higher then the outſide of ſignes, and of the tranſient benefit of theſe temporal promiſes: For Job declares it not only here in formal termes, but likewiſe, as the Apoſtle ſhewes, in the Epiſtle to the Hebr. Chap. 11.9, 10. The Patriarchs have dwelt as ſtrangers in the Land of Promiſe, as if it had not belonged to them; dwelling under Tents, and poſſeſſing nothing there176 but their ſepulchres: to let us ſee, that it was not properly that earth, which being dead they could not enjoy, that was given for a reward of their faith; but that they looked for a City which had a foundation, whereof God himſelf was the Architect and builder: even that God that had alwaies been their buckler, and was alſo for ever, and after death it ſelf their abundant reward: A reward which Jacob waited for during all the courſe of his life; and touching it as with his finger at the point of death, He cried out; Lord, I have waited for thy ſalvation, Gen. 49.18. A reward for which the Prophet David rejoyced, Pſal. 17.15. I will behold thy face in righteouſneſs; I ſhall be ſatisfied when I awake with thy likeneſs: which goes beyond this life, as himſelf teſtifies, when he aſſures that the death of the children of God is precious in his ſight, Pſal. 116.15. and hath made this holy and heavenly light ſo reſplendent and ſparkling, that even Balaam, though a wicked Prophet, ſtranger to the Covenant, and enemy of Gods people, ſeeing afar off this177 Star of Jacob, and this King that ſhould render him bleſſed, cryes out, Numb. 23.10. Let me dye the death of the righteous, and let my laſt end be like his: which without doubt he could never have deſired, if he had not had hope of good after death; and if death, as a Pagan ſaith, had made an end of all things, and of it ſelf too.
The faith then that we profeſs, & the profeſſion of the hope whereto we ſtick, is no new thing: It is the faith of the fathers, which beholds with knowledge, and receives with aſſurance, the grace that is given to the merit of the Lord Jeſus, and the eternal benefits of the glory which is to come. Let the Papiſts no more alleadge the Fathers to us: Job and the Patriarchs are more ancient then all the Fathers that they can alleadge: let them no more produce their enfumed titles, nor the walls of their Churches, which time hath covered with Ivy and Moſs; theſe are but feeble arguments to combat with a faith which hath been from the beginning, and from the firſt178 ages, alwaies the ſame, until this preſent: we care not if our walls be new, ſo that our doctrine be ancient: little doth it concern us what the ſchool-men ergat in their ſchools; the very Horſe-courſers of heavenly truth, which they have pulled out of her throne, to make her a ſlave to temporal commodities, and accommodate her to the profit of a diſhoneſt gain; only to this end, that we may appear merchants upon the ſteps of theſe ancient Patriarchs, who have had teſtimony to have pleaſed God; and who following the faith of Job, of Abraham, Iſaac and Jacob, we may alſo have place with them in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Only, my brethren, let us have a care of this, that the faith of the Ancients, which amidſt the ſhadows of the Law, and the dusky obſcurities of theſe groſs rudiments, hath been ſo lively, ſo firm, and ſo conſtant, pronounce not a condemnation againſt our infidelity; of us (I ſay) on whom the later times are fallen, to whom the ſaving grace hath clearly appeared, to whom (the veil being taken179 off) without ſhadow or aenigma, the myſtery of the redemption is in expreſs terms repreſented; the wonders of the reſurrection manifeſted; and the unſpeakable joy of the glory to come diſcovered: Thoſe that ſaw theſe things but obſcurely, and afar off, have been nevertheleſs, ſo far toucht and raviſht with ſo much force, by the excellency of them, that they have contemned their country, their pleaſures, the world, and their own lives, to follow them: And we in the midſt of the light of ſo great a knowledge, to keep our ſelves to the leaſt of theſe periſhable goods, are but too ready to forſake thoſe excellencies: And where are thoſe at this day, in this clear light of the Goſpel, that like Abraham, would ſuffer to ſee themſelves exiled from their dear Country, or ſevered from their friends and their parentage, and go they know not whither, to follow the vocation of God? Heb. 11.8. Where are they that like Moſes reject the greatneſs of the world? refuſe to be called the ſon of the daughter of Pharaoh, chuſing rather to be afflicted180 with the people of God, then for a time to enjoy the delights of ſin; eſteeming the opprobry of Chriſt greater riches then the treaſures that were in Egypt? Or thoſe who with David love rather to have one favourable regard from the face of God, then the favour of Kings, and the abundance of the goods of this world, and to be a ſimple porter in the Houſe of God, then to dwell with honour in the tabernacles of the wicked? Or elſe thoſe who with Job, after the loſs of their goods, the deſolation of their families, and in the very arms of death, are ready to glorifie God, and eſteem themſelves bleſt to poſſeſſe his grace, and wait for the certainty of his glory? Where ſhall we ſeek them in this perverſe age, where there are many that are more ready to ſell their Country, their Brethren, and Parents, for a little ſilver, then to forſake them for the glory of God? Where this rage of getting goods, this infernal fury of avarice, ſo poſſeſſes the greateſt part of men, that are ſo far from quitting their riches to follow Chriſt, that contrarily181 they do not ſtick to truck with Jeſus Chriſt for riches; and do willingly leave the certain hope of the glory of heaven, for the uncertain promiſe of ſome honour, or ſome command in the world, though but for three dayes; and where at laſt, in ſtead of the joy which the children of God reſent in their tribulations, and the actions of thanks which they render to God in the midſt of his corrections, we ſee painted upon the faces of the moſt modeſt, a conſternation and a ſadneſs, which witneſſes that we regard his fatherly rods with a wicked eye, and that theſe light afflictions do ſend us to deaths door, notwithſtanding the Weight of Juſtice, which they carry, nor the glory that followes them, can any waies awaken nor cheer up our hearts: And what is this, but that faith goes by little and little failing and falling to the ground? that we have no more but an appearance of piety, and a ſhew of godlineſs, but have renounced the force of it: we believe not in the promiſes of God, and Atheiſme is but too far inſinuated into the greateſt182 part of ſouls that are ſlaves to the periſhable Mammon, that love your pleaſures more then God; unworthy to have an immortal ſpirit, that ſet your affections upon things that have not ſo much honour as to be mortal. Of all that which you ſow to the fleſh, what do you reap, but corruption? What can you hope for after the contempt of the heavenly gift, whereof you have taſted? Of this power of the world to come, which you have known; of this ſpirit of grace, which you have grieved; of this blood of the Covenant, which you tread under foot? but an horrible expectation of the judgement of God, a fervour of fire conſuming his adverſaries, and a vengeance as much redoubled as the knowledge which you have had, renders you more wicked and inexcuſable?
You then (faithful ſouls) to whom God hath given better inſpirations, at this noyſe and report of the faith of your fore-fathers, awaken earneſtly this drowzineſs of your own; turn away your hearts from the vanity183 of this flower of the world that paſſeth; ſee that your life is but a wind, and that death ſhall ſhortly pull to ground, and reduce to nothing this terreſtrial and miſerable maſſe: And therefore ſeek while you are here below, the ſpiritual goods of your ſouls, that may follow you toward the Heavens: And foraſmuch as the light of the Goſpel diſcovers move clearly to you, then the Fathers could ſee under the ſhadows of the Law; Love them therefore more ardently, purſue them more conſtantly: And ſince we are regenerate into a lively hope by the reſurrection of Jeſus Chriſt from among the dead, to obtain the incorruptible inheritance, which cannot be contaminate nor withered, but is reſerved in the Hea•en for us; Let us make lighter of the World and of her goods, of theſe bodies, and of theſe delights; and eſteem it a great gain to have lost them, that we may gain Jeſus Chriſt: And that being found in him, having not our own juſtice which is of the Law, but his which is by faith; we may alſo in him, and184 by him, obtain this good, which eye hath not ſeen, nor ear hath heard, nor hath entred into the heart of man; and which God hath prepared for thoſe that love him, 1 Cor. 2.9. To which God the Father, the Son, and Holy Ghoſt, be honour and glory, from henceforth and for evermore.
Amen.
By the waters of Babylon we ſate down and wept, when we remembred thee, O Zion.
A Sad Text in a ſadder time;SERM. VII. in which the rivers of Babylon ſwelled not ſo high with inundation of water in the letter, as the waters in the Metaphor, outſwelling and breaking down their banks, have overflown both our Church and State. The waies of Zion mourn, and her children are ſet to a task of weeping, whileſt they behold the ruine of their Mother, by the Caledonean Boars on th'one ſide, and the mixt but wilder Herd then186 thoſe of Africa, the Foxes buſily undermining the vineyard, whileſt the fowls of the air, th' Atheiſts, as did the fowls on Abrahams divided ſacrifice, ſeize on the divided Church; ſhe in the mean while, doubtful to which, as moſt powerful (though alike pernicious) ſhe ſhould yield up her life, Religion, for a prey.
And who is there now (if not a ſtranger in Iſrael) whoſe fears have not taught his eyes acquaintance with his heart to pour out water before the Lord, with them at Mizpeth? 1 Sam. 7.6. or whoſe heart hath not borrowed from his eye compaſſion with Jeremy? Mine eye affecteth my heart, becauſe of the ſlain of the daughter of my people, Lam. 3.5. and if ſo, how ſhall not our better devotion hallow ſo pious an expence, by ſending them both up in an humble importunity of prayer, to work an atonement with Heaven, that we may recover the departed glory of Iſrael; and the Ark of the Lord now captiv'd by the Philiſtins, may be brought back to us, though but upon the necks of the ſcarce yoked187 beaſts. Happy are thoſe tears that are made the rich tribute of the Churches ranſom; happy thoſe paſſionate groans that haſten to prevent a Jeremies reiterated lamentation, & a Jeruſalems once total final expiring: happy thoſe childrens prevailing prayers, that make their mother a debtor for that life ſhe gave their offerers; who as they live at her breaſts, ſo how ſhall they not expire in her blood, if either tainted by corruption, or let out by cruelty? It is, 'tis true, our unfortunate and deplorable condition, to ſee theſe ſad times of diſtraction and perſecution, which as they are for the tryal of our patience, who are called to ſuffering, and for the exerciſe of their wiſdom, to be honoured with publick counſel; ſo they are for the actuating of all our devotions; whoſe hearts would faint, did not our eyes wait, and our hands knock for a ſpeedy compoſure, and expected deliverance, from the gates of Heaven. And thoſe that feel not great ſtrivings of heart for the diviſion of Ruben; thoſe, whoſe bowels are reſtrained, whoſe188 ſouls bleed not within themſelves by compaſſion, do with the actor of a miſchief contract a guilt, and by their own neutrality appropriate to themſelves a curſe; Curſe ye Meroſh, yea curſe, yea bitterly, becauſe they came not forth to help the Lord, to help the Lord againſt the mighty, Judges 5.13. a Text however ſacrilegiouſly inverted by irreligious religious interpreters, yet God does expect our help; and we help him in his Church: Zion does deſire our help, and we help her in our prayers. Heaven and your piety divert the curſe; and ſo it ſhall, from the bleſſed off-ſpring of faithful Abraham, whom (me thinks) I may conclude bleſſed in miſery, at home and in captivity, at Jeruſalem in Babylon, ſith by thoſe waters remembring deareſt Zion. And let not us be leſs affected to ours, then they were to theirs: our freedom is as ſtraight as was their captivity; our (once) purer waters of the Sanctuary, are as pudled as were they the waters of Babylon; whileſt our Jeruſalem, once at unity in it ſelf, is now as the189 City of Babylon, a land of confuſion. And if any thing be wanting to make up the parallel of the hiſtory, yet let that of the duty be found compleat: By the waters of Babylon ſit we down and weep, when we remember thee, O Zion.
Which words admit of a double ſenſe: 1. Hiſtorical and literal. 2. Allegorical and moral. If we conſider them in the hiſtory and letter, then the whole Pſalm is a Prophecy of that deſtruction of Jeruſalem, which was acted by Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon, and lamented by the Prophet Jeremy. Which ſenſe, Hugo Cardinalis ſeems to obſerve; nor doth St. Hillary deny it made more probable from the title of the Pſalm, which runs thus; A Pſalm of David for Jeruſalem. And though the inſcription he ſuſpects of forgery from the tradition of the Ancient Hebrews, yet not the application of it to their foreſeen captivity in Babylon; ſo Junius. Well then, the parts are theſe.
The place of their captivity, [Babylon.]
The place of their ſitting [by the waters] of Babylon.
190Their poſture in that place [we ſate down.]
Their affection in that poſture, [and wept.]
The motive of that their affection, [when we remembred thee, O Zion.]
Each word bears a full ſenſe of ſorrow; but of each of them in their order: and,
Firſt, the place of their captivity [Babylon.]
Babylon was a City ſituate in the field of Shinar in Chaldea, North from the Land of Judea; which as it was the Imperial Seat of Nebuchadnezzar (whoſe victorious army was by Gods avenging juſtice ſtretched many Kingdoms beſides Judea,) ſo for its magnificence was it ſtiled the glory of Nations, the beauty and pride of the Chaldeans, Eſai. 13.19.
God ſometimes proſpers the wicked, whileſt he ſuffers his own people to lye under oppreſſion: theſe have the glory of their houſes encreaſed, and have riches in poſſeſſion, whileſt the other are evil intreated of Tyrants; and they that hate them are Lords over them. Babylon191 ſits as a Queen, and ſeeth no ſorrow, whileſt Judea is gone into captivity, and her beauty into the enemies hand. But whileſt correction reclaimes the erring Saint, the proſperity of the wicked deſtroyes the ſinner. Gods outward favours (though they be ſilken cords) ſeldom draw the wicked to goodneſs. Babylon is beautiful, rich, and proſperous, yet Babylon is ſtill a City of confuſion; and ſo, not more for the confuſion of tongues there, Gen. 11.4, 7. then for their confuſion both in Religion and Government.
For the former, the Sacred Story tells us, a general deluge of water had overflown the whole earth: the remembrance of the former inundation, imprinted in men a fear of a future: and though God had paſt an Act of Grace for ſecurity, and placed his bow in the clouds, to be a Sacrament to the world, that he would never deſtroy it ſo again; yet their jealouſies and fears prompted them to new inventions of their own, for their own ſecurity: a building of their own device ſhall be more truſted in, then the word, promiſe,192 and ordinance of God. But how juſtly did divine vengeance confound their tongues and hands to a diviſion among themſelves, whoſe impious attempts had made a diviſion betwixt themſelves & Heaven? When the wickedneſs of men oppoſeth it ſelf to Heaven, Gods judgments upon their wickedneſs ſends amongſt them diviſions and confuſions. If man be confederate againſt his God, God (as in the confuſion of Babel) ſends a diviſion not ſo much among the tongues, as the hearts of men. No peace with home-born ſubjects, either by the free obligation of love, or by the ſtrict tye of allegiance, ſo ſtrong; no union with our Neighbours ſo firm, which upon our common breach of faith with Heaven, God ſuffers not, either for the weakning of a State, or the diſturbance of a Church, to conclude in a dangerous rupture, an unnatural diſaffection. Our peace with man, is grounded upon our peace with God. If God be with us, who can be againſt us? was both an Apoſtles triumph, and an Emperours motto. But if we be193 not with God, God will not be with us; and if God be againſt us, he will (as by ſad experience we have found it true) ſend amongſt us diviſion and confuſion.
Secondly, [Babylon] a City of confuſion, for their confuſion both in Religion and Government. It is the obſervation of Antiquity, that (after the Languages confuſion) through the neglect of words, the ignorance of God got ſtrength, and ſent forth a fruitful progeny of falſe Gods, to the number of their worſhippers. Succoth Benoth was the Idol-god choſen and worſhipped by the Babylonians, 2 Kings 17.36. But though they had forſaken the Lord, and ſerved Idols, they ſtaid not here; they will have their glorious reformation; a monſtrous golden image is ſet up, and every one (without liberty of conſcience to any) muſt fall down before it, when the muſick gives them warning, Dan. 3.15.
It was the fault of the Jewes, that they deſired to be like the Nations. And Chriſtians (I fear) have learned too much of Heatheniſh Idolaters,194 to alter, not their form of worſhip only, but their very Creed too.
It is obſerved in Diſputes, that one abſurdity granted, a thouſand follow. Men run to errour without end, when they have once departed from the truth; and that miſchief which (at firſt) they could not think on without horrour, they can (at laſt) commit without remorſe.
Yet one ſtep further; even Machiavel himſelf could ſay, that the giving God his due, is the cauſe of the greatneſs of any State: and that there is a God, is the unanimous language of the whole world, even ſince the confuſion of tongues: yet upon this principle have been built more Babels of errours, then there have been Nations derived from the languages confuſion. For though Nature hath enſtamped upon the ſoul of man the certainty of a Deity; yet the deſignes of policy have ſo miſrepreſented him to mens conceits, as 'tis hard to ſay whether they were more happy in a dark ignorance, or miſerable in a doubtful knowledge. How often have men (for195 the furtherance of their deſignes) as if they came into the world, not to receive rules of faith, but to preſcribe them, undertaken to be Monarchs in the Art of Faith, and to trick up anew (each men after his fancy) that great work of Religion, which derives its accompliſhment from God alone?
Babylon then (the place of their captivity) muſt needs add to the miſery of the captives, if we look no further then the beauty, pride, riches and glory of Babylon; yet to be captive amidſt all this, were but to ſtarve in the midſt of plenty, to be naked in a rich wardrop, to be bound in fetters of gold, and to kneel in the duſt before a throne of glory: Fetters of gold are but fetters; and the Peaſant that from his loamy cottage is carried priſoner to a ſtately Caſtle, though for his homely ſtall, he hath the exchange of a Princely building; yet he changes his golden liberty for iron ſhackles.
Theſe Jews whom the Kings of Babylon honoured moſt, were at the beſt but captive Governours. When196 the King of France was here in England, King Edward who had taken him captive, honoured him with all Princely entertainments; yet ſtill was he penſive: and being deſired to be merry, anſwered, How ſhall I ſing ſongs in a ſtrange land? To be encircled with ten thouſand bared heads, and to be ſerved on the bended knees of the mighty men, and to want no ceremonies befitting Majeſty; yet to be a captive, a priſoner; this clouds the brightneſs of the Sun, and ſhuts it up again in darkneſs. All honour, beauty, riches, and what elſe deſirable, without liberty, are but glorious Pageants: 'tis liberty that gives life and vigour, and ſets a price upon all things elſe: this is the true Elixir, that turneth all things into gold; and gold it ſelf, without it, reſolves to vileſt earth. Had they been but Tributaries to that uncircumciſed power, their necks might with ſome eaſe have born that yoke of ſubjection; whileſt they had this happineſs left, their liberty to repair to the Sanctuary, and to viſit Gods Holy Temple; but now Ichabod, their glory197 is departed; their land enjoyes her Sabbaths, but they may enjoy neither it nor them: By the waters of [Babylon] they ſate down, &c.
But that's not all; for ſecondly, they are conſtrained to dwell in Meſech, and to have their habitation in the Tents of Kedar; they are captives in [Babylon;] where, as almoſt every day brings forth a new Deity and Religion: ſo all occaſions are ſought for their deſtruction. New decrees and ordinances lay as cloſe ſiege to their ſoules, as formerly did their conquering forces to their fortified walls; that their ſouls and conſciences might be alike captivated as their bodies: So as in Babylon they are ſtill but as in a larger priſon, or a beleaguered City; and ſo much the more dangerous, as the aſſaults to the ſoul are more dreadful then all violence to the body.
But they were open enemies that did them this diſhonour; and profeſſed adverſaries, that magnifying themſelves against them, led them into captivity; and therefore the more tolerable, from whom they could expect no198 better; but that thou my companion, and mine own familiar friend, with whom I took ſweet counſel, and walked together in the houſe of God as friends, ſhould do me this miſchief; this was a temptation ſtrong enough to have provoked the ſpirit of David, to have wiſhed paſſionately what he ſpake Prophetically; Let death come haſtily upon them, and let them go down quick into hell; for wickedneſs is in their dwellings and among them. Whileſt theſe, like melancholy men, betake themſelves to the rivers ſide, whoſe ſoft murmurs bear conſort with their ſad tempers; by the waters of Babylon ſit we down, and weep, when we remember thee, O Zion. And ſo I have done with the firſt thing, the place of their captivity [Babylon] and proceed to.
The ſecond thing, the place of their ſitting [by the waters] of Babylon.
Hydrographers tell us, that the waters of Babylon flew out of Paradiſe.
Firſt, Sin can turn the happy ſtreams of Paradiſe into the waters of Babylon; this turns the ſilver into tin, the wine into water, the faithful City it makes an harlot; and the199 ſeates of judgement and juſtice, it fills with murtherers, Eſai. 1.21, 22. And when Bethel the houſe of bread, ſhall become Bethaven a den of thieves, how ſhall not Jeruſalem become Jeruſckecah, an homely and unpleaſant place?
Secondly, Thoſe gracious ſtreams of the Waters of Life, that fertilize ſome ſouls into the happineſs of a Paradiſe, waſh others with their heavenly current; yet ſtill they remain a Babylon. Thoſe ſilver drops of Heaven, that falling on a good ſoil, fill the fields with fruitfulneſs; lighting upon a clayiſh ground, it proves wet as well as cold, but barren ſtill. Some ſay the reaſon is, that the ſame Sun of Grace, which is (as it were) in the Meridian to ſome ſouls, is but (as it were) in the ſetting to the other: but thoſe ſay better, that the ſame fire that mollifies the wax, hardens the clay; not through want of efficacy in the one, but through the ill diſpoſition of the other. Chriſt ſtands at our doors and knocks, and offers to us the waters of life without money, or without price: our rejecting ſo great200 ſalvation, proves, that of our ſelves is our own deſtruction: I would have healed Babylon, and ſhe would not be healed.
Thirdly, [by the waters] of Babylon. Afflictions have been baptized by the name of [waters.] When thou paſſeſt through the waters, I will be with thee, (ſaith the Lord by his Prophet.) Here therefore they ſate, that by what they ſaw, they might, by reflecting on themſelves, be induced to meditate on what they ſuffered. Yet it is obſervable, that they ſate but [by,] not [in] the waters; that as none could ſay with the juſtifying Hypocrite, This puniſhment is greater then we have deſerved; neither might any ſay with deſpairing Cain, This puniſhment is greater then we can ſuffer.
God is juſt is puniſhing; yet in puniſhing is he merciful: though we have deſerved more then he inflicts, yet he inflicts leſſe then we have deſerved. He might make the deep waters go even over our ſouls, as ſometimes they did cover the face of the new created earth; yet, as then his201 ſpirit moved upon the waters, (though as yet there was darkneſs upon the face of the deep) and anon did gather them into an heap, ſo as the dry ground appeared: ſo, though the inundations of our afflictions be deep and broad, and a thick darkneſs of Heavens diſpleaſure do cover us; yet even here doth his goodneſs move, and reſts not, but makes the ground of ſome ſparing mercy appear, from which our faith (as Noahs dove) may gather an Olive-branch of comfort, to keep us up, ſo as theſe deep waters drown us not, though they rage ſo horribly and ſo long, as by theſe waters of Babylon we ſit down and weep. And ſo I have done with the ſecond thing, the place of their ſitting, [by the waters] of Babylon; and proceed to
3. The third thing, their poſture in that place: [we ſate down.]
Sitting is a poſture that implies a ſtay; yet was it neither deſire of eaſe, nor any content in the delightfulneſs of the place, that moved them to ſit. Things in nature do not more haſten to their centre in which they reſt,202 then did they long after Zion, after which their ſouls did breath: but a miſerable neceſſity under which they were bound, and that divine will to which they muſt ſubſcribe, had determined on them their ſeventy years captivity, till the time of their return, Jerem. 25.12. and till then, though they might with tears have prevented that captivity; yet though they ſhould now, as Eſau for his bleſſing, beg deliverance carefully with tears, they ſhall nevertheleſs till then weep for that miſery, which (till they felt) they would not believe. That penitent ſorrow which would prevent the decree of vengeance before it brings forth, is oft too late to reverſe it, when it is put in execution. Thoſe daily tears which (had they been ſhed at home) might have expiated their offences, and been in mercy accepted for their Countries ruine, are now condemned to waſh a prophane land, where (hopeleſs Exiles) they are faſter bound by the decree of Heaven, then by all the power of their enemies. Their luſts had led them willing captives203 under the Law of ſin, and their enemies led them into an unwilling captivity under the power of ſinners; and as they had a long time ſinned without repentance, ſo ſhall they be a long time puniſhed without remiſſion. The gliding ſtreams with happy freedom waſh the ſeveral banks they paſſe by, and at length repoſe themſelves in the deſired common boſom of waters: but perpetuity gives perfection to theſe captives miſery; from day to day, from morning to evening, they [ſit down] in ſorrow, and tyre their weary ſouls in a longing expectation of long delayed felicity. The dayes of our age are but threeſcore years and ten; and though ſome be ſo ſtrong as to live fourſcore years, yet then is their ſtrength (naturally) but labour and ſorrow, (ſaith Moſes) ſo ſoon paſſeth it away, and we are gone, Pſalm 90.10. yet lo, ſeventy years, threeſcore years and ten, is the time for their captivity.
Sin haſtens on, and lengthens to us the miſeries of our life. When God ſets our miſdeeds before him, and our204 ſecret ſins in the ſight of his countenance, our dayes we paſs in his anger, and our years in troubles; we conſume away in diſpleaſure, and tremble at his wrathful indignation: we are killed from day to day; every dayes fear uſhers in a new trouble, and every dayes trouble brings forth a further fear: wave after wave, and billow after billow, come tumbling to our ſhores, whileſt we by theſe waters of Babylon ſit down and weep.
Again, ſecondly, if we refer their poſture to their affection, [we ſate down and wept;] thoſe poſtures of the body are to be uſed moſt, which ſuit beſt with the occaſion, and move, or (at leaſt) expreſs the inward affection. Iſaac walked and meditated; old Jacob leaned upon his ſtaffe, and worſhipped: Abraham bowed his face to the ground, and did reverence: Solomon ſtood and prayed: Daniel kneeled upon his knees, to deprecate the captivity of his people: which here the people did bewail but ſitting. Standing ſuits not with a dejected condition; kneeling, not with a ſimple bewailing205 of our condition to our ſelves, but to God. Job indeed in his affliction aroſe and fell down, but becauſe he worſhipped. Nehemiah, when he heard of the afflictions of Jeruſalem, ſate down and wept: Hagar, when in the bitterneſs of her ſoul ſhe bewailed the death of her ſon, ſate down, Gen. 21.16. and the Jewes when in the like ſorrow of heart, for the Temple, their own captivity, and the diſtreſſes of Zion, as if they would dwell and feed upon ſorrow, [ſate down:] we ſate down and wept.
Long afflictions require alike length of ſorrow to repentance. They are grievous ſins, that have provoked the God of mercy to lengthen the ſmart of his judgments: gravia peccata, gravia deſiderant lamenta, (ſaith Iſidore) grievous ſins require the greatneſs of our ſorrow, both for intention and duration. But to be plagued for ſin, and yet to be ſenceleſs of the judgement, is the worſt of judgments. No greater Symptome of death, then when the ſick man grows ſenceleſs, and knows not that206 he is ſick at all. And I would to God ſuch a Criſis could not be made of us; elſe, why ſuch wearineſs and neglect of our humiliation, whileſt the judgment is continued? Nay, (as if our ſores were the more feſtered for their lancing) why ſuch exemplary prophaneſs, as former ages have been piouſly ignorant of, and future (I hope) will deteſt to imitate? Why ſuch notorious ſins, ſuch noon-day evils, to which each mans eye and ear bears witneſs, perhaps ſome with tingling, others with tears? Why ſuch debauchedneſs of life, which when it hath unſouled the man, buries the beaſt in exceſs and riot? Why ſuch execrable oaths and blaſphemies, which paſs ſo frequently through thoſe common ſhores, the fatal ports of our mouths, which are ſeldom open, but to tranſport ſuch carrion and filth? Why thoſe unworthy actions of luxury, that mark of reprobation; as one which engulphs the ſoul in ſuch baſe pleaſures, and makes it like the worſt of Devils, that are more groſs, (as the Caldean and Egyptian) that which207 hath gluttony for the fuel, pride for the flame, unclean words for the ſparkles, infamy for ſmoak, ordure for aſhes, & a hell for Centre? O deceive not your ſelves! all our longing expectation of the removal of theſe judgments, will be unſatisfied, till we heartily ſorrow, and earneſtly repent of thoſe our miſdoings, whereby we have provoked Gods wrath and indignation againſt us; there is no hope of our returning to the fair hill of Zion, the beauty of holineſs, and the beauty of order, till in ſorrow for our tranſgreſſions, that have made a ſeparation betwixt God and us, by theſe waters of Babylon we ſit down and weep. And ſo I have done with the third thing, and come to
The fourth thing, their affection in that poſture, We ſate down [and wept].
As all rivers, ſo thoſe of Babylon, run into the ſea; and as others, ſo they, receive addition of waters as they run. The heads of the drooping captives were as waters, and their eies as fountains of tears that ſtreamed into the rivers current: as they208 ſate down by them [and wept:] their whole compoſition was but like engendred clouds, exhaled vapours drawn up by the heat of Gods anger, and now diſtil and melt themſelves into continual ſhowers of tears. So as if Babylons rivers, as once Hagars bottle, ſhould chance to fail; as ſhe ſet her dying child, ſo have they their expiring mother before their eyes, which will force a new ſupply to fill them up again. And ſhould I ſay the waters tides were cauſed by the ebbes and flouds of the captives tears, it would be but an Hyperbole that would expreſſe the victors cruelty, and the captives griefs. Nay their grief knows no ebb; their Moon (and ſo their ſorrow calls for a Change at laſt) is at her Full of ſorrow: each penſive enſlaved Jew payes to the waters of Babylon their tears for tribute, to the memory of Zion. And (as if what they ſhed for her ſake, they would commit to the waters of faithfulneſs to carry them) they ſit by the rivers ſide [and weep,] that their floating tears might at laſt greet their Country from her weeping209 worſhippers, whileſt they (mean while) weep again in remembrance of thee, O Zion.
Etiam atque etiam flevimus, (ſay Junius and Tremellius) they wept, and they wept again. 1. As Patientes, Sufferers, they wept for themſelves, and for their children: Weep not for me, O ye daughters of Jeruſalem; but weep for your ſelves, and for your children: for your houſes ſhall be left unto you deſolate, Luk. 23.28. No affliction is joyous, but grievous. The preſence of dolorous and dreadful objects, even in minds moſt perfect, may as clouds overcaſt all ſenſible joy, and diſſolve into ſhowres of tears. 2. As Compatientes, fellow-feeling members of others miſeries, [we wept again,] for thee, O Zion! Mine eye runneth with rivers of waters, for the deſtruction of the daughter of my people: mine eye trickleth down, and ceaſeth not, without intermiſſion, Lam. 3.48. When Chriſt wept for Lazarus, behold how he loved him (ſaid the Jews:) theſe were teares, as of love of her good, ſo of compaſſion of her miſery.
How ſhall that heart refrain from210 tears, with whom love within, and miſery without, ſhall plead for pity? no expreſſion ſo emphatical, as that of weeping. Tears ſpeak that grief, which no tongue is able to expreſſe: no language ſo ſincere as this, nor yet ſo paſſionate. Alas, my brother, was the Elegy of that lying Prophet: his words might bely his diſſembled mourning; but tears are the Rhetorick of grief, that ſpeak the affections of a true hyperbole. And let who will, divide paſſions from the ſoul; let who will, ſay, fear becomes not a ſtout heart: it is a ſenceleſs heart that is not affected; and a ſtony heart that doth not weep. Nor is it any ſhame to confeſs that grief we cannot conceal. Shall the hunted ſtagge pay a Funeral-Obſequie to his own fleeting life, which now ſits upon his utmoſt lips, with a frequent diſtilling tear? And ſhall not we, who are purſued with ſuch a pack of evils, weep for this, That he that is the ſoul of our ſoul, the breath of our noſtrils, the life of our Zion, the glory of our God, is at a diſtance from us? The Heavens weep dew211 at the going down of the Sun: our Sun (I am afraid) is a ſetting at noonday; our glory is departing; and ſhall not we weep? David the father, could weep like a child, at the loſs of a child; O Abſalom, Abſalom, my ſon Abſalom! would God I had died for thee; O Abſalom, my ſon, my ſon: And ſhall not thy children, O Zion, weep for the deſtruction of thee their mother, the Church? O daughter of Jeruſalem, what ſhall I liken unto thee? O Virgin Zion, wherewith ſhall I compare thee? our eye, our eye, runneth down with tears; we can as well dye for thee, as in this deny thee: By the waters of Babylon we ſate down and wept, when we remembred thee, O Zion. And ſo I have done with the fourth thing, their affection in that poſture, We ſate down [and wept;] and proceed to
The laſt thing, the motive of that their affection: when we remembred thee, O Zion.
Dura ſatis miſeris memoratio priſca bonorum: the memory of a loſt felicity, makes miſery it ſelf more miſerable. There is more eaſe in ſenſe of212 torment, then in loſſe of happineſs. To be in any captivity, is a calamity; but to be captive to the tyranny of an uncircumciſed people, whoſe ſportive paſtime was in their gauling taunts of the afflicted, muſt needs heighten the affliction. Davids ſufferings made him complain; but the bitter reproaches he had from his foes, opened a ſpring of grief in him, which fed his tears day and night: yet the remembrance of his former (now loſt) happineſs in communion with God in his houſe, made yet deeper impreſſions in his ſoul, Pſalm 42.4. former favours and happineſs, make the ſoul more ſenſible of all impreſſions to the contrary: we wept, [when we remembred thee, O Zion.]
But what was Zion, that whileſt they remembered it, they could not forget to weep? Take it barely for their native countrey, (for ſo the word means in the latitude) and even ſo, Patriae fumus igne alieno luculentior: there is more pleaſant warmth in the ſmoak of our own, then in the fire of a ſtrange country: and then their loſs of happineſs, and acceſſe213 of miſery, muſt needs bee the more great, the one being a land of promiſe, the other of captivity; the one an effect of Gods favour, the other of his vengeance. But this is not all; the hill of Zion is a fair place; and the joy of the whole earth, Pſal. 48.2. Strictly taken, it was a fort in Jeruſalem, on the top whereof was a Tower, called the City of David; and ſo by a Synechdoche, Zion is put for the Kingdom of Judea. Let us then remember what it was in its glory, and conſider what it is in its captivity, and refrain from weeping if we can.
Firſt, Very excellent things are ſpoken of thee, O thou City of God. The Kings of the earth marvelled to ſee ſuch things: ſhall we (as David bids) go round about Zion; and tell the Towers thereof, and mark well her Bulwarks?
Firſt, There is the Throne of David: but (woe unto us that we have ſinned) the Casket is without its Jewel; David is not there on his Throne.
Secondly, Tell the Towers thereof: The Towers were thoſe many Princely and Noble Families; and the leſſer214 Pinacles, the Heroick Gentry, who as they added a glory and ornament, ſo they were the ſtrength and defence of the King and his Throne.
But all theſe Towers are either levelled with the duſt, or led into captivity, or have by an unworthy compliance baſely proſtituted themſelves to the power of the Conquerour.
Thirdly, Mark well her Bulwarks. The Bulwarks were the numerous commonalty, whoſe affections and loyal obedience were ſuch ſtrong fortifications to the Throne of Majeſty, as the Kings of the earth have been afraid to aſſault them. But now all theſe ſtrong holds are broken down, the right hand of the enemy is ſet up, and all the adverſaries rejoyce: Zions Crown is caſt down to the ground, and her honour laid in the duſt, ſo as ſhe is become a ſcorn to her enemies; and they that hate her, ſhake their heads againſt her.
Fourthly, Thither the tribes go up; but now they are taken captive.
Fifthly, There is the ſeat of judgment; but now the chair of tyranny and oppreſſion.
215But ſecondly, Zion was called the Mount of the Lord, and the Holy Mount; and ſo it includes in it the Temple, the Church too; and of this God himſelf did ſay, This is my rest for ever, here will I dwell: yet, O God, the Heathen are come into thine inheritance, thy Holy Temple have they defiled; that beauty of holineſs is raviſh'd with Babyloniſh fire: That excellent work at whoſe rearing no noiſe of iron was heard, is broken down with axes and hammers: that Heavenly Order and Muſick, wherein God himſelf hath ſeemed to tread the meaſures, (for it's well ſeen, O God, how thou goeſt, how thou goest, how thou my God and King goest in the Sanctuary: the ſingers go before, the minſtrels follow after; in the midſt are the Damſels playing with their timbrels:) yet all this is hudled up in confuſion. That houſe of holy pleaſure wherein King David had rather be a door-keeper, then dwell in the glorious tents of ungodlineſs, is ſacked and ſpoiled; and the many thouſand veſſels of gold and ſilver, and the rich and hallowed veſtments of the houſe of God, are ſacrilegiouſly216 carried away, and prophaned with revelling. When we think upon theſe things, we pour out our ſouls within us; for we were wont to go with the multitude into the houſe of joy, and praiſe; but now by theſe waters of Babylon we ſit down, &c.
But they were Babylonians that did this; Heathens, that had no knowledge of Gods Laws: but when men do Gentes agere ſub nomine Chriſti, mask Gentiliſme with the titles of Chriſtianity, acting works of darkneſs under vizards of children of light; not carrying the children of Zion captive into Babylon, but turning Zion it ſelf into Babylon: this is enough to make us by theſe waters of Babylon ſit down and weep, when we remember thee, O Zion.
Ezekiel took up a lamentation for wicked Tyre, Ezek. 27.2. Iſaiah bewailed with the weeping of Jaazar the vine of Sibmah: I will water thee with my tears, O Heſhbon, Eſai. 16.9. and how ſhall not we take up a lamentation, and a bitter mourning, when we remember thee, O Zion? How217 doth the City ſit almoſt ſolitary, that was full of people? ſhe that was Princeſs among the Provinces, how is ſhe become tributary? Lam. 1.1. How is the gold become dimme? how is the fine gold changed? the children that did feed delicately, are almost deſolate in the ſtreets; and they that were brought up in ſcarlet, are ready to embrace dunghils, Lam. 4.5. hinc illae lachrymae: hence, hence are theſe rivers of tears which guſh out of our eyes, whileſt by the waters of Babylon we ſit down, and remember thee, O Zion.
I have now done with the parts of my Text, and you may expect I ſhould apply them; but I forbear: only from what hath been ſpoken, let us gather two things, as a double Corollary: one from them, as they were patientes, ſufferers; the other, as they were compatientes, fellow-feeling members of other ſufferings.
1. As they were Patientes, ſufferers. A Church may be brought into extream calamity: [By the waters of Babylon we ſate down.]
2. As Compatientes, as they were fellow-feeling members of others ſufferings. We muſt be affected with218 the calamities of the Church: we wept, when we remembred thee, O Zion.
1. Of the firſt. A Church may be brought into deep miſery: by the waters of Babylon we ſate down. This Church of the Jews (for I deſire not to lead your thoughts into a further pilgrimage) though it had ſuch a magazine of bleſſings as no Nation or Church under Heaven was owner of; yet was it not exempt from this humane, nay Chriſtian lot of miſery: in its very infancy (for in the Egyptian bondage it was but an embryo not yet formed) but no ſooner did it take but its name, but it was chriſtned with the croſs: in Samuels dayes, God ſuffered himſelf (be it ſpoken with holy reverence) to be taken captive of the uncircumciſed Philiſtines; for the Ark, in which was his immediate preſence, was ſurpriſed and taken from the Iſraelites, when the Church, no leſs then Phinehas ſon, firſt got the name of Ichabod, where is the glory? 1 Sam. 4.19. In the dayes of Zedekiah, when ſhe was now in her perfect age and beauty, Jeruſalem was deſtroyed by fire, and219 her children led captives into Babylon: which ſad ſtory that ſorrowful Prophet hath expreſt in his pathetical Lamentations, and our Pſalmiſt David here propheſied of. In her decrepit age, after the coming of Chriſt, Jeruſalem was ſackt by Veſpaſian, and made quite deſolate; of which Daniel propheſied, Dan. 9. verſ. laſt. And our Saviour himſelf foretold, there ſhall not one ſtone be left upon another, Matth. 24.2. Nothing is left of it, but a name, and ruines that bear the impreſs of Gods vengeance and juſtice. Where now are thoſe lying words wherein you truſted? the Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord; this is the Temple of the Lord, Jer. 7.4. The Ark may be taken, the Temple may be deſtroyed, and ye may be carried captives into Babylon, where by the waters of Babylon ye may ſit down, &c.
And was God ſo ſevere to the natural branches,Appl. which were diſobedient, & will he ſpare the wilde olive-branch that is grafted in? Behold, I bring evil upon the City that is called by my name; and ſhall you go unpuniſhed? 220Jer. 25.9. What is become of thoſe renowned Churches of the Eaſt, mentioned in the Revelations, are they not quite deſtroyed? What is done to our neighbouring Churches in Germany, are they not miſerably defaced? Hath not God been working this ſtrange work of juſtice alſo even upon us theſe many years, here in theſe three Nations, which though divided from the reſt of the world by Seas of waters, yet are conjoined in the ſame lot of calamity? What will be the end, who can divine? but without ſpeedy and ſerious repentance, and amendment of life, may we not fear the like deſtruction in which others have periſhed? Therefore what was the Angels adviſe to the Church of Epheſus, it will be happy for us if we can make uſe of it: Remember from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do thy first works, or elſe I will come quickly, and remove the candleſtick out of its place, except thou repent, Rev. 2.5. And thus conſidering them as Patientes, ſufferers, you ſee that a Church may be brought into deep calamity:221 by the waters of Babylon we ſate down.
Secondly; As Compatientes, fellow-feeling members of others ſufferings: we muſt be affected with the miſeries of the Church: we wept when we remembred thee, O Zion. Compaſſion is an act of humanity to any in diſtreſs. Did I not weep for him that was in trouble? was not my ſoul grieved for the poor? ſaith Job 3.25. but to the Church in evil times, compaſſion is a duty of piety: If I forget thee, O Jeruſalem, let my right hand forget her cunning: if I remember thee not, O Zion, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth. It is a ſin that prophaneth the affections of nature it ſelf, to hide thy face from them of thine own fleſh; how much, that croſſeth the divinity of grace, to hide thy face from them of the ſame ſpirit? Our Saviour wept over languiſhing Jeruſalem: Daniel ſet his face to ſeek God in the captivity, by prayers and ſupplications, and faſting, and ſack-cloath and aſhes: Nehemiah, when he heard of the afflictions of the people, ſate down and wept, and mourned, and faſted, and prayed before the God222 of Heaven: and theſe devout Jews here, whom it pitied to ſee the glory of Zion laid in the duſt, wept when they remembred it.
Appl.What ſhall we ſay then of thoſe, who now in the time of our Church and Kingdoms calamity, when God ſeems to call to us as ſometimes Jehu did, Who is on my ſide, who? When the Church cries to us, as ſometimes ſhe did, Is it nothing to you, all ye that paſſe by the way? have ye no regard? behold and ſee, if ever ſorrow were like my ſorrow: yet neither in heed to his voice, nor in pity to her complaints, will they humble themſelves by faſting and prayer, to cry to Heaven for mercy upon her; but rather when God calls to mourning, they are a revelling: they drink wine in bowles, and anoint themſelves with precious oyntments, but remember not the afflictions of Joſeph: wherefore I have ſworn by my ſelf (ſaith the Lord God of hosts) I abhor the excellency of Jacob, Amos 6.6, 8. And let ſuch read the 22 Chapter of Iſaiah, verſ. 12, 13, 14. and tremble at the cloſe of it: Surely this iniquity ſhall not be purged from you, till you dye. 223Ye would take it in foul diſgrace, to be called hard-hearted Jews; yet theſe were more compaſſionate of the Churches miſeries, then are many of you: theſe wept when they remembred Zion: How then ſhall not our hearts agonize under Gods diſpleaſure, and our bedewed cheeks trickle down with tears, for the miſeries of our Church and State; ſeeing the Heavens themſelves have with wateriſh eyes long wept for our calamities, not with dews, but ſhowers of compaſſion, all the ſummer long; and ſtill (now in winter) keep their gloomy face, to reproove the hardneſs of our obdurate hearts, that can neither weep for our own, nor pity the miſeries of others. O inſenſate hearts! Is it nothing to you, that you all paſſe by Zions ſorrow wherewith the Lord hath afflicted her in the day of his fierce anger? The ſenceleſs creatures groan and travel, in a fellow-feeling pain; but you, when your own members ſuffer and periſh, O where are the ſounding of your bowels? are they quite reſtrained? The earth trembles at the voice of God, the Sea ſaw him, and224 was afraid; and the rocks cleft at our Saviours paſſion: and ſhall men be ſo obdurate, as not to be moved, nor ſplit aſunder at a Church and a Kingdoms paſſion? If rocks be more affected then we, O God, take away from us theſe obdurate hearts of fleſh, and give us hearts of ſtone, that ſeeing we cannot with innocent, yet we may with hearts broken by repentance for all theſe ſins that have pulled down thoſe judgments upon our heads, by theſe waters of Babylon ſit down and weep, when we remember thee, O Zion.
And ſo I have done with the words in their literal ſenſe, and proceed now to them,
Secondly, in their moral ſenſe: of which briefly.
In this ſenſe, St. Hilary, St. Auguſtine, Hugo de Sancto Victore, Hugo Cardinalis, with many others, have taken theſe words: nor in this do we offer any violence to the truth of the hiſtory, but only digeſt geſta in exemplum, & ſcripta in doctrina (as ſaith St. Hilary) the paſſages into example, and Scripture into doctrine:
225The ſoul (we all know) hath four ſeveral ſtates:
And going along with her from her firſt inſtant of creation, to the laſt of eternity, we ſhall find all of them in the Text.
1. That of innocence, but implied; ſo as that captivity ſuppoſeth a foregoing freedom: this freedom was that of our created holineſs, which we enjoyed in Paradiſe; that new Jeruſalem, that viſion of peace: but (God knows) we ſtay'd not long there, before we were carried captive by the devil into Babylon, from Paradiſe into the world; from our country into exile, from liberty into ſervitude, from glory into diſgrace, from pleaſure into grief, from happineſs into miſery, from integrity into corruption, from life into death; and therefore Merito illic ſedemus, merito flemus: there we deſervedly ſit and weep (as Hugo Victorinus concludes: and that is the ſecond ſtate.
2262. The ſouls lapſed condition figured in [Babylon, and the waters of Babylon.] That Babylon properly ſignifies a City of confuſion; and that myſtically here is meant this ſinful world, is agreed on by a general ſuffrage of Fathers; and therefore conſonantly they make [the waters of Babylon] to be bona temporalia, (ſo Hugo Cardinalis) temporal things; which as the rivers, ſtay not, but paſs from one elbow of earth unto another; the world paſſeth away, and the luſts thereof, 1 Joh. 2.17. or (as Victorinus calls them) decurſiones noſtrae corruptiones, the decurſions of our corruption and mortality, which (as Solomon ſpeaks) tend to the grave, as the rivers into the Sea: or (as ſaith St. Auguſtine) flumina Babyloniae ſunt omnia quae hic amantur & tranſeunt: the rivers of Babylon, are all tranſitory things whereon we ſet our hearts: (and ſo St. Hilarie) omnia ſaeculi & corporalium opera; all ſecular and corporal travels, which like rivers are tranſient, without the leaſt ſtation: for what bodily pleaſure is it, but when once 'tis paſt, by that227 time becomes none? What earthly joy, that dies not in the ſenſe, and periſhes not in the enjoying? yet are theſe thoſe rivers on which the heart of man ſets and faſtens his delight, and engulphs his care, till at laſt they drown his ſoul, and ſink it as low as that pit which knows no bottom.
3. But not ſo the Saints, whoſe ſpiritualized ſouls are lifted up to a third ſtate of graces renovation; who though they do with patience, wait their deſired change in this fleſh of ſin, as well as of mortality: and ſo may be ſaid to [ſit by the waters of Babylon] which they account no better then the place of their ſhort captivity; yet humiliatione humiliati, (ſaith St. Auguſtine) they ſit in humiliation, (ſo Victorinus;) not erect by pride, nor caſt down by deſpair, but humbly ſet (ſo Hugo Cardinalis) becauſe they attend that miſery in which they are, that happineſs from which they are diſtant. Or, there they ſit, but 'tis (ſupra flumina) above the waters, (ſo the old Latine word reads it.) The Citizens of Babylon ſo drench228 themſelves into the delights of the ſinful world, as they drown themſelves in their pleaſing, but deadly waters: whereas the Citizens of the heavenly Jeruſalem ſit higher, ſit [above,] not ſo low, as to fear drowning; nor ſo high, as not to need to [weep:] and [weep] they do too, as well as ſit: if ſitting be a poſture that pleaſeth the body; [weeping] I am ſure is an evacuation that eaſeth the ſoul. O quam fic flere juvat! (ſaith St. Hierome,) O what ſweets are there in hallowed tears! how the ſoul delights to melt it ſelf into ſuch bleſſed ſhowers; becauſe when ſhe goeth into the loweſt pitch of mourning, ſhe is then lifted up into the higheſt rapture of joy. You have heard of them that have wept for joy, but not ſo oft of them that have rejoyced for weeping; yet of all the paſſions the ſoul is owner of, ſhe is a debtor to none more for her joy then this; this is her rich treaſure, in which ſhe traffiques with Heaven; this the rareſt diſſolved pearl, with which ſhe defrayes all the paſſages of her captivity through the valley of229 tears. Feel'ſt thou ſin? ſit down and weep: there is no innocence ſo clear among mortal men, as that which is drencht in tears. Fear'ſt thou hell? ſit down and weep: flames cannot burn, where theſe drops do fall. O happy weeping, that redeems from eternal weeping.
4. But lookeſt thou up to Heaven, that laſt ſtate of thy ſouls glory, her Country, her Kingdom, her Security? ſit down and weep, that thy Pilgrimage is prolonged, that mortality is not ſwallowed up of life, that thou art yet a ſtranger, and a ſojourner, nor art thou yet joyned with thoſe innumerable companies of Angels, and the firſt born that are written in Heaven. O when ſhall that time be, when our ſouls being delivered from the Babylon of this world, from the priſon of this fleſh, from the bondage of this corruption, ſhall be delivered into the glorious liberty of the ſons of God? How long Lord, till theſe ſouls of ours, which like ſtreams (here) wander from the fountain of bliſs, be again re-admitted into that glorious ſource of immortality? For230 this we breathe, for this we groan, for this each devout heart weeps, when he recounts the miſeries of this preſent exile; but the happineſs of Zion which we expect, where all tears ſhall be wiped from our eyes; where is no death, nor ſorrow, nor lamentation any more, but all joyes, tranquillity and peace, even for ever and ever.
To which the God of mercy, for his Sons ſake, who is gone before us thither, in his due time bring us: to whom, with the holy and ever-bleſſed Trinity, three Perſons, and one God, be all honour and glory, world without end.
Amen.
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Users should be aware of the process of creating the TCP texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data.
Text selection was based on the New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (NCBEL). If an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in NCBEL, then their works are eligible for inclusion. Selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. In general, first editions of a works in English were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably Latin and Welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so.
Image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor.
The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines.
Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements).
Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site.
This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. Searching, reading, printing, or downloading EEBO-TCP texts is reserved for the authorized users of these project partner institutions. Permission must be granted for subsequent distribution, in print or electronically, of this EEBO-TCP Phase II text, in whole or in part.