The Sin Against the Holy Ghost, Sermons · Sermon 7
THE SEAVENTH SERMON.
HEBR. 10. VER. 29.
29 Of how much ſorer puniſhment, ſuppoſe yee, ſhall he be worthy, wh…h …re…deth vnderunder foot the Sonne of God, and coū teth t…e …od of the Teſtament, as an vnholy thing, wherewith he was ſanctified, and doth despite the Spirit of grace?
IN my former Sermon the despiſer of Chriſt and his Goſpell was out of this 29 verſe diſcovered by certaine markes. Firſt to bee ſomewhat like vsus, that louelove Chriſt. Secondly to be much vnlike vsus. He is ſomwhat like to vsus that louelove Chriſt: for hee is ſanctified with the blood of the Teſtament. Againe he is much vnlike to vsus that louelove Chriſt: for 1. He treadeth & trampleth vnderunder foote the Sonne of God. 2. Hee accounteth the blood of the Teſtament, a vulgar, a cōmon, an vnholy, a prophane thing. 3. He deſpites the ſpirit of grace.
The conſideration of ſuch his markes, may occaſion vsus to touch two queſtions.
1 Becauſe the reprobate, (not all of them, but ſuch only as are deepeſt in Gods diſpleaſure, ſuch as doe ſinne againſt the holy Ghost) are in this place ſaid to bee ſanctified with the blood of the Teſtament; it may be asked; How farre forth a man may be ſo ſanctified; how farre a man may goe in the profeſſion of the Goſpell, and yet be a reprobate.
2 Becauſe they that hauehave giuen their names to the ſtrumpet of Babylon do vponupon this place build their doctrine, for the finall relapſe of the Saints of God; I ſhall not erre from the meaning of my text, if I anſwere this ſecond demande; whether a Sonne of God ſanctified with the blood of the covenant may fall away. Of theſe at this time.
The firſt marke, wherewith men, ſwallowed vp of ſo monſtrous a ſinne, are here noted, is common to them, together with the elect and choſen of God. They may bee ſanctified with the blood of the covenant, foreign. Some read it per ſanguinem foederis, in the Vulgar and Eraſmus it is, per ſanguinem Teſtamenti. Wee may not diſallow of either of theſe read…ngs. For though the word foreign doe properly ſignifie a teſtament, and is often ſo vſed, Heb. 9. yet alſo it fitly anſwereth to the Hebrew wo…d foreign and ſignifieth pactionem viventiū, conventionem inter …i…entes, an agreement or covenant betweene the living. In which ſenſe it is vſed by the expoſitors of the Old Teſtament in many places. I cite only one. 1. Sam. 11.1 When Nahaſh the Ammonite had beſieged Iabeſh Gilead, the men of the citie ſaid vntounto him, (as the Seaventie doe expound it) foreign, make a covenant with vsus, and wee will be thy ſervants.
Theſe two ſignifications of this word, doe very fitly agree with the reſpects of that covenant, which God hath made with his people. For it reſpecteth God, & it reſpecteth man. God was displeaſed, becauſe man had ſinned. Hence was it neceſſary that an agreement ſhould be made; God was to be appeaſed, & man was to make ſatisfaction. God required (and that worthily) the paine of death for ſatisfaction: of which durſt man hauehave adventured to make payment, needs muſt he hauehave been ſwallowed vp thereof.
Nothing then remained for the making of this agreemēt betweene God & vsus, but that the Sonne of God, very God & very man, ſhould interpoſe himſelfe. Which already is performed. For he being in the forme of God, Phil 2 6.and thinking it no robbery to be be equall with God, hath made himſelfe of no reputation, hath taken on himſelfe the forme of a ſervant, & was made of the ſeed of David according to the fleſh: and being thus humbled, hee hath vndertaken to ſatisfie his angry Father for vsus, and in fulneſſe of time became obedient to the death, to that death of the Croſſe; and ſo hath wrought our reconcilement. And now hee ſitting at the right hand of his Father in the higheſt heauens, holdeth for vsus in poſſeſſion an eternall inheritance; and becauſe the right of this inheritance is purchaſed by him for no leſſe price, then the ſhedding of his moſt pretious blood, hence it commeth to paſſe, that the agreement, reconciliation, and atonement, the covenant made betweene God and vsus (that he will be our God, and we ſhall be his people) may beare the ſhew, & hauehave the name, of a Teſtament. For, he that made it was dead; though now he liueth, and liueth for evermore.
It was not the blood of buls, nor of calues, nor of goats, nor the aſhes of a heyfer, that could make vsus acceptable to the Lord: but the blood of Chriſt, who through the eternall Spirit offered himſelfe without ſpot to God; that is it, that purgeth our conſciences from dead workes to ſerue the liuing God. And for this cauſe, is Chriſt the mediator of the new Teſtament, (foreign Heb. 9.15. in which chapter this word foreign is often vſed in the ſame ſignification) for this cauſe. I ſay, is Chriſt the mediator of the new Teſtament, that through death, which was for the redemption of the tranſgreſſions in the former Teſtament, they which were called, might receaue the promiſe of eternall inheritance. In regard of Chriſt thē, whoſe death hath made the covenant betweene God and vsus to bee of force, this covenant may very fitly be called a Testament: and this reſpect of him, that dyed for vsus, warranteth both thoſe expoſitions; that for the word foreign, we may read either Covenant or Teſtament.
foreign] The blood of Chriſt [which in the conceite of the Nestorians differeth nothing from the blood of any other creature, and is in the iudgement of ſuch, as ſin willingly, after that they hauehave received the knowledge of the truth, but common blood, as it were the blood of any other man] this blood of Chriſt, is here called the blood of the Covenāt, or the blood of the Teſtament; becauſe, as Theophylact and Aquinas do both note, the new Testament was confirmed by the blood of Chriſt. And this is the Teſtament: After thoſe dayes, ſaith the LORD, I will put my lawes in their mind, Heb. 8.10. & 10.16.and in their heart will I write them; and I will be their God, and they ſhall bee my people; and I will bee mercifull to their vnrighteouſnes; and their ſinnes and their iniquities will I remember no more.
This new Teſtament, by which that other is diſanulled and waxed old, is confirmed by the blood of Chriſt. Now may we be bold to enter into the holy place: a new and living way is prepared for vsus through the vaile, which our Apoſtle, Heb. 10.20. affirmeth to be, the fleſh of Chriſt.
With this blood of the covenant, the ſinner againſt the Holy Ghoſt, is in my text ſaid to bee ſanctified. foreign, with which blood, though now he account it common and prophane, he was ſanctified. I may not ſtand to remember you of the many ſignifications, by which in many places of the Holy Scriptures, theſe words, Sanctus and Sanctificare, are expoūded: diverſe of them are impertinent, (and ſhould bee wreſted) to the place we hauehave in hand: for the vnderſtanding of which, it may ſuffice, if we cōſider, firſt, that God alone is properly holy, ſecōdly that all mans holineſſe is from God. God muſt not onelyonly helpe, but doe alſo all in all; or elſe, man cannot be ſanctified.
Theſe points are vndoubtedly beleeued of vsus, and neede no proofe. Yet for explications ſake, wee may briefly note, that whatſoever men doe truely call Iuſt, the ſame in relation to God, muſt be called, and is, truely holy: and therefore, that God being alone abſolutely Iuſt, muſt of neceſſitie alone be abſolutly Holy: that is, God being Iuſt with that vniverſall and moſt perfect Iuſtice, yea himſelfe being his owne Iuſtice, it muſt needs be, that he is (as the Seraphins, Eſai. 6.3. and as the foure beaſts, Revel. 4.8. hauehave made proclamation) Holy, Holy, Holy, LORD God Almightie; thriſe holy, that is, moſt Holy.
I will not here diſpute, whether in thoſe places the Spirit of God noteth the three perſons in the Trinity, by thriſe repeating the word Holy. I knowe that many of the ancient, and ſome of our later writers, hauehave ſo iudged of thoſe places, and vſed thē, as teſtimonies, to confirme ſo maine a point of religion. VntoUnto whoſe iudgements herein I need not doubt, nor will refuſe, to yeeld reverence. Yet may I wiſh, and I ſhall wiſh no more thē Calvin doth, on Eſay 6. that if at any time we are to deale with Arrians, and are againſt them to maintaine & proue three perſons in one divine eſſence, that we would be carefull to vſe teſtimonies of greater ſtrength. For thoſe enimies of the bleſſed Trinitie, when they are aſſayled with ſuch teſtimonies, which may as naturally bee expounded otherwiſe, are ſo farre from yeelding to the truth of that doctrine, as that they become much more obſtinate and overthwart.
But to our purpoſe: the Seraphins and the foure beaſts proclaiming, the LORD God Almightie to be Holy, holy, holy, doe teſtifie, that all the waies of God, even all his moſt ſevere iudgements are iuſt, and vpright, and holy, howſoever they may ſeem vntounto men. This threefold repetition of the word, makes the ſenſe to be, as if they had ſaid; God of all is moſt Holy, and to bee hallowed of all. Neither is this kind of ſpeech altogether without example. For God willing to let Zedechias vnderſtand of the vtter and finall ruine of his kingdome, bids the Prophet ſay from him vntounto the prophane and wicked King, Ezech. 21.27. I will overturne, overturne, overturne it, and it ſhall bee no more, vntill (the Meſſiah) come; his right it is, and I will giuegive it him: as if the Lord had ſaid; aſſuredly and without repentance will I overturne, and bring to ruine the kingdome of Zedechias; ſuch force doth the repetition giuegive the ſpeech. And as there, ſo here; God is Holy, Holy, Holy: without doubt Holy, onelyonly Holy, moſt holy.
Holyneſſe becommeth the houſe of God for ever, ſo wee read Pſal. 93.5. I will not reſtraine it to any particular houſe. Vnderſtand it, if you will, of the palace and baſilicke of the great King, or of the Temple of Ieruſalem, which the childrē of God in former times had reſpect vntounto; or of any other Temples on the earth now conſecrated to the ſervice of God; or of your private ſelues, for your ſelues alſo are the Temples of the Lord; the ſaying ſtands firme without contradiction; Holyneſſe becommeth the houſe of God for ever. And hereby hath God ſet a barre about his Temples, as he did about the mount, to keepe out beaſts and brutiſh men. For as his Temples vponupon the earth none ſhould, ſo that other farre more ſacred, which is in Heaven, none ſhall, ever enter into, that is, vnholy, and vncleane.
The Apoſtle, Heb. 7.26. deſcribing the ſanctity of Chriſt, ſaith, that, ſuch an high prieſt it became vsus to hauehave, which is holy, harmeleſſe, vndefiled, ſeparate from ſinners, and made higher then the Heavens. Where the latter attributes, doe only expound the former; and it is, as if the Apoſtle had ſaid, to be holy is nothing elſe, but to be harmeleſſe, vndefiled, and ſeparate from ſinners: for whoſoever is harmeleſſe, vndefiled, and ſeparate from ſinners, he is already made higher then the Heavens. Thus we ſee, that God alone is naturally, properly, and abſolutely Holy. Wherevpon it followeth neceſſarily that all mans holyneſſe is from God. Which was the ſecond point to lead vsus to the vnderſtanding of this place, where the wicked are ſaid to bee ſanctified.
It is a true rule, which may be collected out of Saint Cyrils treaſurie lib. 3. cap. 1. Quae in Deo ſunt naturaliter, ea in creaturis eſſe poſſe participatione. Such things, as are naturally in God, may be in Gods creatures by participation: as, when we doe participate the effects and ſimilitudes only of thoſe attributes, which eſſentially and naturally are in God. So may we be ſaid to be partakers of the divine nature, when thoſe moſt great and precious promiſes are given vsus, 2. Pet. 1.4. There he teacheth vsus, that we hauehave all good things from Gods free promiſe; thereby are we delivered from the corruption of this world, frō thoſe ſinnefull luſts which we carry about vsus; and ſo are made foreign, partakers of the divine nature, in a ſort like vntounto God. For by divine nature in that place is not meant foreign, Gods divine eſſence, but participatio qualitatum, certaine qualities, which the power of God hath wrought in vsus, that by them his image, in vsus now a long time defaced, may be reſtored againe.
In the Scriptures we are charged to be perfect, as our Heavenly Father is perfect; to be mercifull, as he is mercifull; to be Holy, as he is Holy. Where we muſt not thinke, we are enioyned to hauehave ſuch perfection, mercifulneſſe, holyneſſe, as is eſſentially in God [that is not communicable to any creature:] but then are we perfect, mercifull, and holy, according to that charge, when we are fulfilled with the effects, with the image and ſimilitude of that perfection, mercifulneſſe, and holyneſſe, which is in God. The ſame may be ſpoken of wiſedome, goodneſſe, iuſtice, & other like proprieties of God. We are then wiſe, then good, then iuſt, when there appeareth in vsus the image and ſimilitude of Gods wiſedome, goodneſſe, and iuſtice. It being true then, that God alone is Holy, and man not holy, but by participation only; as if it ſhall pleaſe God, by his power and grace to ſow in the hearts of ſinnefull men ſome ſeedes of his owne ſanctity; and to effect, and to make to ſhine in their liues & converſations the image and ſimilitude of his owne holyneſſe; it remaineth a truth not to be contradicted; All mans holyneſſe is from God.
Now becauſe the Spirit of God commeth to, and worketh in diverſe men, diverſely, and in diverſe meaſures; we muſt know, that holyneſſe, a gift of that Spirit, is not in all mē after one ſort. We may therefore note a generall ſanctity, and a speciall ſanctity, appliable to the differēce of ſuch, as liue within the boſome of the militant Church; wherein there are not only godly men, and holy men, but counterfaits and hypocrits; not only gold, but droſſe too; not only wheat, but chaffe alſo.
The speciall ſanctity, I call that, by which the true beleevers in Chriſt, are truely, properly, & indeed ſanctified before God, by the holy Spirit. They in whom this ſanctity ſhineth, were elected from everlaſting, according to the purpoſe of him, which worketh all things after the counſell of his owne will; and according to that his purpoſe are they called; and ſo are iuſtified; and by the Holy Ghoſt are not only taught the trueth in vnderſtanding, but alſo in heart are truely renewed and regenerate. It is manifeſt by that indiſſoluble chaine of fiue linkes, Rom. 8.29, 30. For whom God knew before, them hath he predeſtinated, them hath he called, them hath he iuſtified, them hath he glorified. This true holyneſſe is meant by the Apoſtle, Eph. 1.4. where he ſaith, That God hath choſen vsus in Chriſt, before the foundation of the world, that we ſhould be Holy. And what is this, to be Holy? It is expounded in the ſame place; even to be without blame before God in louelove.
The ſame is meant, Epheſ. 5.26. there it is ſaid, that Chriſt gaue himſelfe for the Church, that he might ſanctifie it. And what is this, to ſanctifie the Church? It is expounded in the wordes following; even to cleanſe it by the waſhing of vvater through the word, that he might make it vntounto himſelfe a glorious Church, not having ſpot or wrinckle, or any ſuch thing; but that it ſhould be holy, & without blame. Other like places might be alleaged out of the Holy Scriptures, which I omit. By theſe we ſee, that speciall ſanctity, making vsus spotleſſe and without blame before God, what it is.
The generall ſanctity, I call that, by which the Church viſible and militant, conſiſting of good and evill, of diſſemblers and hypocrites as wel, as of the Godly, is called, though not truely and properly, yet foreign, in a figuratiue kind of ſpeech, tota ſancta, the Holy Church: and that eſpecially in regard of him, the holy of holies, that moſt Holy one, who dwelleth in the Church, and ſanctifieth them that beleeue in him: & againe in regard of ſuch, as in the Church are in deed and truely holy. Neither ſhould this ſeeme ſtrange, that hypocrites, diſſemblers, and godleſſe men are called holy. For whoſoever giuegive their names to Chriſt, and are baptized into his name, though all of them be not truely grafted into Chriſt, nor all of them be truely baptized into Chriſts death and reſurrection; that is, though all of them be not new borne & regenerate; yet in the Scripture phraſe, after the cuſtome of the Scriptures, they are al called Holy; and hauehave other ſuch titles given them, as indeede may beſeeme the bleſſed of the Lord.
In this ſenſe, St Paule ſaith, that all the Romanes are Saints, beloved of God, Rom 1.7. and that all the Galatians are ſonnes of God, Galat. 3.26. and that all the Corinthians are waſhed, and ſanctified, and iuſtified, 1. Cor. 6.11. And ſo ſaith St Peter of all the Iewes which dwelt here and there throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Aſia, and Bithynia, that they were a choſen generation, a royall priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, 1. Pet. 2.9. The Scriptures are very plentiful in gracing the ſonnes of darknes (ſuch as fall away from the truth) with beautiful and glorious titles, to take from them, againſt that great day, all excuſe. In Heb. 10.26. they are ſaid to hauehave receaved the knowledge of the truth. & in my text, they are noted to be ſāctified with the blood of the Covenant. In Heb. 6.4, 5. they are reported to hauehave been once lightned, to hauehave taſted of the heavēly gift, to hauehave been made partakers of the Holy Ghoſt, and to hauehave taſted of the good word of God, and of the powers of the world to come. In 2. Pet. 2.20. we read, that they hauehave eſcaped from the filthineſſe of this world, through their knowledge in our Lord and Saviour Ieſus Chriſt. In Mat. 12.43, 44. wee finde, that they hauehave ſwept and garniſhed their houſes after the departure of the vncleane ſpirit. And in Mat. 13.20. Chriſt telleth vsus, that they heare the word, and incontinently with ioy receaue it.
This at the firſt ſight may ſeeme to be that veſture of needleworke, wrought with diverſe colours,Pſal. 45.14. wherewith the Queene was cloathed: it may ſeeme to be that roabe of Adam, that his roabe of innocencie, of holyneſſe, and of the grace of God, wherewith before his fall he was inveſted. To hauehave receaued the knowledge of the truth; to bee ſanctified with the blood of the Covenant; to hauehave beene once lightned; to hauehave taſted of the heavenly gift, of the good word of God, and of the powers of the world to come; to hauehave beene made partakers of the Holy Ghoſt; to hauehave eſcaped from the filthyneſſe of this world; to hauehave the vncleane ſpirit departed from vsus; to heare the word, & incontinentlie with ioy to receiue it; are they not ſweet bleſſings deſcending frō the LORD of lights? What could God hauehave done more vntounto his vineyard, then he hath done vntounto it?
Yet ſee the crookedneſſe of the nature it hath: in ſteed of good grapes, it brings forth wilde grapes, briars, and thornes. The Queene may be ſtript of her Iewels; Adam ſpoyled of his roabes, and the ſoule of man may be robbed of her ornaments & rich attire. For all thoſe before recited graces may be loſt; the poſſeſſours of them may ſo fall away, as that it ſhall be impoſſible for them to be renewed againe by repentance. And then for their ſinne there remaineth no more ſacrifice, but a fearefull looking for of iudgement, and violent fire, wherewith they muſt bee devoured.
Which being ſo, it followeth, that the places now alleaged muſt be vnderſtood of that generall ſanctity, by which mē may be ſaid to be ſanctified, iuſtified, cleanſed, waſhed, and the like; though not truely, nor before God, yet in the face of the Church, & before men; as it were ſacramentally; & ſo muſt we expound this clauſe of my text: where we ſee, that hee that treadeth vnderunder foot the Sonne of God, may bee ſaid to bee ſanctified with the blood of the covenant. And ſo he may be ſanctified; but how? The meaning is; he may be ſanctified, not truely, nor before God, but in the face of the Church and before men.
Hitherto hauehave I endeavoured to make plaine the firſt mark, by which back-ſliders frō the truth are in my text noted; namely that they are ſanctified with the blood of the covenant. The queſtion ariſing hence, may out of that which already is delivered, eaſily be anſwe…ed. The queſtion is, How farre forth a man may be ſanctified with the blood of the Covenant, and yet be a reprobate?
I anſwer thus in generall; To be ſanctified only in the face of the Church, and before men, doth not exempt a man from being a reprobate. Or thus may the queſtion be propoſed.
How farre a man may goe in the profeſſion of the Gospell, and yet be a reprobate?
I anſwere thus in generall; So cary thy ſelfe outwardly in the profeſſion of the Goſpell, that no exception may bee taken againſt thee; let thy life be ſuch, as that the Sons of God, which liue with thee in the boſome of the ſame Church, can iudge no otherwiſe of thee, then of a rightfull heire to eternall happineſſe; be it, that they thinke of thee much better, then of themſelues, yet will not all this exempt thee from being a reprobate. What thou art inwardly and in the ſight of God, God alone knoweth; he alone is foreign, and ſees, and knowes thy heart. Since thou haſt giuen thy name to Chriſt, and haſt had the waſhing of the new birth, the Church in charitie muſt iudge of thee, as of one truely grafted into Christ, and truely regenerate; but (I ſay) what thou art inwardly and in the ſight of God, God knoweth: examine thou thy ſelfe.
More particularly I anſwer thus: As I ſaid before; foreign and foreign, in a figure, and according to the cuſtome of the Scriptures, all that are in the Church, though they all be not of the Church and truely holy, are notwithſtanding called holy, and are ſaid to be ſanctified with the blood of Chriſt. Now of ſuch as are ſaid to be ſanctified, when indeed they are not ſā ctified, there are two ſorts.
Some there are, that hauehave Chriſt much in their mouthes, but nothing at all in their hearts or vnderſtanding. They knowe him not; yet as they ſee others doe, ſo doe they; with others they worſhip and confeſſe him. Much like them, of whom our Saviour ſaid to the woman of Samaria, Ioh. 4.22. Yee worſhip that, which yee know not. And becauſe this confeſſion of Chriſt, in ſuch as are borne anew of water and of the Spirit, is an outward teſtimonie of an inward new birth, hence it commeth to paſſe, that ſuch mere talkers of Chriſt (if their liues be not exceeding wicked) may be ſaid to be regenerate, iuſtified, & ſanctified. Theſe goe not beyond one ſtep in the profeſſion of the Goſpell.
Others there are, which poſſeſſe Chriſt not only in their mouthes, but alſo in their vnderſtanding. Theſe of all reprobates goe fartheſt in the profeſſion of the Goſpell. So farre they goe, as that it is impoſſible for man to diſcerne betweene them and Chriſts ſheepe, though they bee but goats; betweene them and true Chriſtians, though they bee but hypocrites. For they are kept in the ſame paſtures, and ſolded in the ſame fold with vsus; and doe ſo behaue themſelues in obedience to the word and diſcipline of the Church, as that by vsus, they muſt needs be taken for true members of Chriſt. And becauſe this their knowledge of Chriſt, is in the elect the beginning of regeneratiō, hence it cō meth to paſſe, that theſe men, though indeed they are not borne a newe, may yet be ſaid to be regenerate, iuſtified, & ſanctified. Thus we ſee how farre a reprobate may goe in Chriſtianitie.
The elect out-goes him by one degree; for he receaues Chriſt not onelyonly into his mouth or vnderſtanding, but into his heart alſo: he receaues the word, not only into his mouth, to talke of it, or into his vnderſtanding to knowe it, but into his open and enlarged heart to embrace it. And ſo is he ſanctified in mouth, in mind, in heart; and being ſo ſanctified, he chearefully runnes forward in that race of righteouſneſſe, wherein through Ieſus Chriſt GOD hath freely placed him, that being conducted by his Spirit to walke in good workes, hee may make his calling and election ſure.
Now to conſider, that a man ſanctified with the blood of the Teſtament, may account that blood vnholy and prophane, may trample vnderunder foot the ſonne of God, and may despite the Spirit of Grace; will not this moue our hearts to wiſdome? To cō ſider, that men, living as we liue, and profeſſing as wee profeſſe, may vtterly and finally fall away from Chriſt and Chriſtianity; will not this in ſome meaſure caſt vsus downe? Happily browes of braſſe, necks of yron, and hearts of flint, will here proclaime their ſtubborneſſe. But (dearely beloued in the Lord) if we are choſen out of the world; if in Chriſt wee are annointed and ſealed; if our building be of God, not made with hands, but eternall in the heavens; the conſideration of theſe things, whereof wee hauehave heard, will remember vsus, that it is now time wee ſhould ariſe from ſleepe; yea, it will cauſe vsus to vſe all diligence, in working our ſalvation, in attaining vntounto faith, in dying vntounto ſinne, in living vntounto newneſſe of life.
Wee ſee how farre reprobats may goe in the profeſſion of the Gospell. If we goe no farther, but ſit downe and reſt with them; yea, if we be wearie, before we hauehave gone ſo farre as they; if we come ſhort of them in the duties of religion, can wee in reaſon looke to be rewarded better then they? Shall Herod feare, & reverence Iohn Baptiſt, and heare him gladly, and yet be damned? & ſhall we nor feare, nor reverence Gods Miniſters, not heare thē willingly, and yet be ſaued? Shall Pharaoh, Saule, and Iudas, confeſſe their ſinnes, and yet be damned? and ſhall we hide our ſinnes, and yet be ſaued? Shall the wicked confeſſe Chriſt with their mouthes, and knowe him in their vnderſtanding, and yet be dā ned? and ſhal we vſe our mouthes only to ſweare, to blaspheme, to lye, to speake evill of others, & keepe our vnderſtanding, (like a faire and cleane table booke) without all godly knowledge, and yet be ſaued?
Surely, the ground that beares bryers and thornes, is reproued, is neere vntounto curſing, and in the end muſt be burned: ſo ſaith the Apoſtle vntounto the Hebrewes, ch. 6.8. where, ſee how one plague followeth vponupon the necke of another; firſt reproving, then curſing, then burning, and all, for the ground that beares, bryers and thornes. The Apoſtle in the verſe following modeſtly & kindly qualifieth his ſpeech; But (ſaith he) beloved, we hauehave perſwaded our ſelues, better things of you, though we thus ſpeake.
Should we thus ſpeake of theſe vnprofitable dayes, we are perſwaded better things? Doubtleſſe wee ſhould ſeeme to you, to walke before you in the ſpirit of falſhood, and flatterie. For you know, that wee cannot but knowe, that ignorance in the moſt, and Atheiſme in many, growes to a head, and doth advance it ſelfe.
I ſhall not need, for ignorance to want witneſſes; I will content my ſelfe only with the ſervants of your families. Some of them (I doubt not) are better learned in the ſchoole of Chriſt, then their fellowes; but I feare me, it may too truely bee verified of the greateſt part of them, which Chriſt ſpake of the Samaritans, that they worſhip that which they knowe not: and it is credible, that in their hearts there is an altar erected, ignoto Chriſto, to the vnknowne Chriſt.
For the advancement of Atheiſme, I need no witneſſes. Too many now, hauehave put on the cloake of policie; they finde ſo good patrons. They are content to confeſſe Chriſt, yea and doe willingly alſo receiue him into their vnderſtanding, that they may be able to talke of him; they would forſooth, be like Chriſtians, if for nothing elſe, yet only for preferment ſake. Wo vntounto ſuch profeſſours of Chriſt; they are that bad ground, which beares briars and thornes, and therefore may looke for the plagues attending them; they are reproved, are neere vntounto curſing, and muſt be burnt.
As for vsus (beloved in the Lord) let vsus be th…t good ground, ſpoken of by the ſame Apoſtle, Heb. 6.7. The raine, that moſt ſweet raine, diſtilling from no clowdy region, but from Gods moſt gracious f…vour, This Sermon was preached Ian 1599.hath now theſe forty yeares and better, watred this our ground, why then ſhoulde it not bring forth hearbs meete for the husbandman, that dreſſed it? Let vsus doe our beſt, to plucke vp by the roots …ll briars, and thornes, and weedes, that the hearbs may be ſeene. For it is warranted by the Holy Ghoſt; that the earth which drinketh in the raine that cō meth oft vponupon it, and bringeth forth h…arbs meet for them, by whō it is dreſſed, ſhall receiue bleſſing of God. Since then by Gods gracious favour, we hauehave receaved Chriſt into our mouthes, to confeſſe him; and into our vnderſtandings, to knowe him; let our hearts be opened and enlarged to embrace him So ſhall we be ſanctified in mouth, in minde, in heart; and be moſt willing to runne forward in that race of righteouſnes, wherin through Ieſus Chriſt God hath freely placed vsus, by whoſe ſpirit beeing guided to walke in good workes, we, (leaving farre behinde vsus all reprobates) ſhall make our calling and election ſure. Now God graunt vsus ſo to do, for his welbeloved Sonne Ieſus Chriſt his ſake. Amen.