The Saints Qualification, Sermon 2
CERTAINE SERMONS VPONUPON HVMILIATION. The second SERMON.
ROMANS 1.18.
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men, which with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse.
WE come now to the matter of Humiliation, contained in these words which I have already opened and shew'd the points that may thence be drawn. The first wherof, which we will begin with, is this:
That the Nature of man is full of all unrighteousnesse and ungodlinesse. Doctr.You know by that which you heard before, how it is gathered. It will be a vaine labour to goe about to prove it, you know how plentifull the Scripture is in it, and you are not so ignorant of the Grounds of Divinity, as not to confesse it. The businesse will be to shew wherein it consists, and how the Nature of man is corrupted, for by making this evident, we shall by the same labour, prove and confirme it to you.
Now the way to evidence this, that the Nature of man is full of all unrighteousnes and ungodlinesse, is to look to the rule. If you will find out the disorder and distemper that any thing is subject to, the way is to looke to the rule to amend it by. Now every Creature hath a law, the Fire, the Water, the Sea, yea, every Creature sensible, and insensible hath a law given to it, which, as they observe, they continue in perfection, and looke how farre they goe aside, that so farre they be imperfect. Now the Law given to man, is the Morall Law and the Gospell, and these two he is to observe. And if you will find out the truth of this, That the nature of man is full of all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse, looke to these two. First, looke to the Law of God, and see if that doe not conclude all men under sin, looke therein to both the Tables. It is true, Hypocrites make a good shew of keeping the first Table, they seeme to be forward in the duties belonging to God; but looke to the second Table, and that discovers them. Civill men seeme to be exact in the second Table, in performing duties to man, but look to the first Table, what their carriage to God is, what little conscience they make of taking his Name in vaine, of sanctifying his Sabbath, of performing holy duties in an holy manner, of love, and feare. This discovers civility: (that is, when there is nothing else but civility.) Againe, looke to sins of all sorts, some grosse sins, Peccata vastantia Conscientiam, crying sinnes, and smaller sinnes too, sinnes of lesse moment, the Law discovers all.
Now, by the Law you must not only understand the ten Commandements, but that rectitude which runnes thorow the whole Booke of God expressed in the whole Scriptures. As in the Scripture, the Law and the Prophets are put together, as if the Prophets were but a Commentary on the Law; looke on the Scriptures, looke upon the straitnesse, the rectitude in the whole Booke of God.
Then when that is done, look on your owne Natures, your owne Errours, the secret windings, and turnings of the heart, your owne thoughts and affections, and see what a disproportion, a dislikenesse there is; see how far you are from that holinesse, that purity, and rectitude described in this Booke of God, for that, I say, you are to understand by the Law. And when you have done that, you shall finde your sins to be exceeding great for their quantity, and exceeding many for their number, and that will amaze you. This amazed Paul, when hee once understood the Law, when he looked on all the parts of it, not only on grosser sins forbidden, but on the rectitude, the holinesse which is required that amazed him, Rom. 7.9. That made sin alive, he was alive before, and sin was dead, but when the Law discovered Lust to be sin, then Sin was alive, and he died. So if wee could see the Law, the strictnesse of it, it would doe thus with us. And marke what is said of the Law, for we may presse the Law long enough, but many are remisse in attending to it. Therefore, to stirre you up (as I know it is but a small matter) I will name but one place, and let that stay in your memories, Matth. 5.11. Heaven and earth shall passe away, but one tittle, one jot of this Law shall not passe away: Marke that, not one jot of the Law shall perish. That is, looke thorow the whole Law of God, take all the Commandements there, you shall give account of every idle word, you must keepe the Sabbath exactly, you must not speake your owne words. Take any Commandement that you thinke the Nature of man is most ready to breake, and consider that saying of Christ, Not one jot of the Law shall perish; heaven and earth shall passe away, but the Law of God in the least part of it shall not perish: That is, there shall not be one of these small things, that the Law commands, but if you neglect it, by disobeying it, God will surely require it; there is not the least thing, wherein you have gone aside this rectitude, and disobeyed this Law, but it shall be required of you. And that is the meaning of that phrase, Thou shalt pay the uttermost farthing. Though we reckon them trifles, the uttermost farthing shall be paid, For this is our fault, though we presse the Law, and tell you of your sins, yet you thinke this is a small thing, and God may beare with me in this, for we be apt to judge of God, as of our selves: A small fault I can beare with in my servant, therefore God may in this dispense with me. We thinke of the Law of God, as of mans law; but we must not judge of God so, we must judge of him according to his owne rule, his Thoughts are not as our thoughts; he hath given a rule, and hath said, The least jot of it shall not passe, but be fulfilled, not the least breach of it, but it shall be requried. Consider this, and it will amaze us, and make us to tremble, when you know that the sins you have forgotten, and the least breach of this Law shall be surely required to the uttermost.
But,Object. you will say, you talke of Impossibilities, which no man is able to performe?
It is true,Answ. it is a thing we are not able to performe: But therein is seene the Terrour of the Law, and that should humble you the more, for I cannot compare the Law to any thing better, than to the Taske-masters in Aegypt, the people had enough to doe, indeed more than they could performe, complaining of their sore bondage; what releefe had they? they are told, they shall give in the same number of Brickes that they did before, and yet shall have no straw; Now how should they do this? So it is with the Law, it commands, Doe this; you complaine, Alas, I know not how to doe it, I have no ability; you bid me make Bricke, but allow mee no straw; that is all one, the same Tale of Bricke shall be required of you, that is, the same measure of obedience that was required of Adam, as if you had the same abilities remaining in you.
And yet God is not unjust, he doth not reape where he did not sow before; he sowed it once in Adam, and consequently in his Posterity. And that no man may thinke this hard, looke to the first sin that Adam committed, and if wee be guilty of that sin, there is equity that the Law be required of us, though we have not ability to performe it. Now, why should it seeme unreasonable that I should be liable to Adams account? Even to the same exactnesse, though I want ability to performe it? It is true, Adam ran in debt, but doe not we pay many debts of our Grand-fathers and Fathers, which wee never drunke for? though we run not into them, yet we stand liable to the payment. In the Law, if a man had committed an offence, and was adjudged to be a bond-slave, it was his particular offence, but were not al his children bond-slaves after him? and yet it was not their offence. So Adam forfeited his liberty, became a Bond-slave to sin and Satan, and the same is the condition of all his Posterity.
And besides the common reason, which is a true one, and a good one, that if in equity we should hauehave stood with him, therefore in equity we should fall with him, I will adde two considerations, and then you shall finde it very reasonable that we should fall with him, and that the same should be required of us, which was of him, though we have not the same ability.
One is, that the Angels (though we did not sin as they did, for they sinned every one in his owne person) are justly condemned, because every Angell sinned himselfe, he committed the sinne, he was the Author of it; and therefore it is reason they should be punished. But come to Adams Posterity, consider that they had a meanes given them, and that they that are condemned (except children) of Adams Posterity, they are condemned for their owne sinnes, they might doe much more than they doe, they sin against the Law, they have, and so they are not only condemned for Adams sin, but for the sins committed in their owne persons. For God intended to give them a second Board after the great shipwrack in Adam, on which they might save themselves if they would, if the fault were not in themselves; for, it is true, they might doe more if they would, they might keepe the Law of Nature better than they doe, and for that they are condemned.
Againe, as we are condemned for Adams sin, though we did not commit it, so we are saved by the righteousnesse of Christ, though we did not performe it; and therefore there is an equity in that regard: Wee can see an equity for our Salvation, and is there not as much equity in the other? that we should stand guilty of it, though we never acted it: For as we are condemned by Adams sin, though not done by us, so are we saved by Christs righteousnesse, though only imputed to us. So that in equity the severe righteousnesse of the Law should be required of us, though we have not power to fulfill it.
Now that we may not stay in Generals only, telling you that the Law of God is holy, and pure, and you carnall, and contrary to it, we will come to particulars. And that we may helpe your memories, observe the breaches of this Law in the severall faculties of the minde. And we will begin first with the Generall: the generall sore over-spreading all our nature, and that is it which the Divines call Originall sinne: first consider that, and see how your nature is full of all unrighteousnesse and ungodlinesse. First, I say, consider your originall sin, and the generall corruption of your nature thereby, Iohn 3.6. Whatsoever is borne of Flesh, is flesh. And Rom. 7.18. I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing. Marke that, he sayes no good thing. Wee thinke wee have something that is good, for all our generall corruption, but there is nothing good at all; As Gal. 3.22. The Scripture hath concluded all under sinne: Not onelyonly all men, but (for the word is in the neuter Gender) all things. Therefore in Gen. 6.5. he doth not only say, The frame of a mans heart is evill but it is only evill, and alway evill. In all actions, at all Times. This is a common Truth, but men consider not of it, they thinke there is some goodnesse in them, they will not be perswaded of this Truth in good earnest. And therefore when a man comes into the state of Grace, it is not mending two or three things that are amisse, it is not repairing of an old house, but all must be taken downe, and be built anew, you must be New Creatures. And therefore God promises, I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit: For all is out of order, and nothing good. And there is an equity in this; for, as in Psal. 49.12. Man being in honour abideth not, but is like the beasts that perish: That is, as God raised man above himselfe, giving him supernaturall glory, in which he was created (for he was created in holinesse, and perfect righteousnesse) so man not keeping this condition, he was cast beneath himselfe. And in this there is equity, that being raised above himselfe, having an holinesse given him transcending common nature, he should now be made worse than himselfe, even as the beast that perisheth. Consider this corruption, and know it is a thing that makes you loathsome in Gods sight. For this, Tit. 1. ult. Men are called Abominable: that is, men that God abhors, as you abhorre the snuffe of a candle, or name any filthy thing your nature abhors; such is the nature of men to God. You know how we hate Toads and Serpents for their loathsome poisonfull nature, though they doe us no hurt. Now God lookes on the corruption of our nature, as we looke on Toads that are contrary to us, against which we have an Antipathie.
It is disputed by the Schoole-men, whether this be unum peccatum, one sin or moe, we may easily answer it: It is one in act, one in essence, but many in vertue, and power, and efficacie. As a seed is one individuall, but it is many, as many branches may arise from it: As Drunkennesse, (which will better expresse it) is but one fault, but it disorders the whole man, neither the head, nor the feet, nor the reason is excluded: So originall sin, though it be but one sin, yet it distempers the whole man, it sets the whol… soule out of order. And when the Instrument the heart, is out of tune, every sound, every action is unsavoury, and sinfull, and thus should you looke upon your selves.
It is further disputed, whether this be privative or positive, likewise I answer, It is only privative, it is nothing but a meere want of righteousnesse: But seeing it fals upon an active subject, as the soule of man is, which is never idle, but ever stirring; thence it comes that the habites and fruits thereof are active and positive. It is true, the want of sight to guide, is enough to cause errour, but the vigour of nature is enough to make it positive. Therefore Divines say well, It is not only compared to Darknesse, which is a meere privation of light, but to sicknesse, where is not only want of health, but corrupt humours which are contrary to health. That is the first thing to be considered, even the corruption of Nature which is in you, which will exceedingly aggravate sin, as I have shewed heretofore, and shall more largely hereafter have occasion to speake of it, Therefore I will say no more of it now, but so much shall serve for the generall Originall corruption that is in us.
And now we will come to the particular faculties,The corruption of the Faculties. and will shew how they are corrupted, that we may know our selves, and the truth of this point, which I am to prove, that the nature of man is full of all impiety and wickednesse.
And first,1The Vnderstanding. we will begin with the Vnderstanding or minde of a man.
In this,1The Vanitie of it. marke first the Vanity of it, How ready it is to attend to trifles; which was the disposition that the Apostle found fault with in his Epistle to Timothy and others, That they gave themselves to Fables, and Genealogies, and this is in every man by nature. How full of questions were the Schoole-men? and so every man is ready to turne Religion into questions of curiosities, which shewes a sicknesse in the understanding, it sets a man on worke to finde out what is propounded to it, that hee may not lose his labour. And thence come so many errors, this is the vanity of the mind. The Lord knoweth the thoughts of men (sayth the Psalmist) that they are vanitie. And this should humble us, that our minds are no more ready to attend the meanes of salvation. As the Schoole-men spent themselves in idle speculations, so are we ready to attend to idle questions, but that which is wholesome and sound we neglect.
2The blindnesse of it.Secondly, consider the blindnesse of the minde, we are unwilling to learne, and so long must needs be in an Errour, and not come to the knowledge of the Lord. To other things we are forward enough, but to doe well we have no understanding. Therefore it is, that men continue ignorant, notwithstanding so much preaching; when they learne other Arts, they are quick and dexterous, but in the things belonging to Salvation, how ignorant doe they continue? The Schoole-men give a good reason of it, and we may take it from them; because spirituall light is above us, it transcends us, we have not enough in us to see spirituall objects, for they be supernaturall, and above our reach, but other things are proportionable to us; Bats and Owles in the night can see well, because the glimmering light, and their weake eyes agree well together: So can we discerne vaine things, but things truly spirituall we doe not: 1 Cor. 2.14. Spirituall things must be discerned by spirituall light, A naturall man cannot conceive of them; Why? They are spiritually discerned, that is, they are above him, and his nature is not able to reach them. Consider that blindnesse in the understanding, that unaptnesse, how quicke and ready men are to bring their owne ends to passe? How wise are they for other things? but they desire not to come to the knowledge of the Truth, and when they apply themselves to it, they profit not by it.
Adde to this blindnesse the unteachablenesse of the understanding,3The V… te…chablenesse of it. the resistance that is in it; for it is not a simple blindnesse, but a resistance of the Truth, and an unaptnesse to receive it. Now this is distinct from the second, which you may see by this comparison. The aire is darke, but it is fit to receive light, if the Sun cast light into it; but the understanding of a man is not so, it is not fit to receive light, but resists it. Philosophers were wont to say, that the Soule, the Minde of a man, is, Rasa Tabula, that having nothing written on it, it is a Table of wax to any thing that is evill, and will receive a quicke impression, but a Table of Flint, of Adamant, to any thing that is good. Therefore the mighty God must write his Law in our hearts, for we want that which is good, and are of our selves unteachable. And therefore this disadvantage we have that preach the Gospell, above others. If an Astronomer come and tell a Countryman, that a Starre were bigger than the earth, it would seeme a strange position at the first hearing, but if he might have liberty to deale with him, and to demonstrate his Grounds, he might make him to beleeve it, and to see reason for it: But we cannot doe so, we can only propound things to Faith, and there is not only a blindnesse in men, but an unteachablenesse, and resistance against the Truth.
Adde to this the incredulity of the understanding, how unapt it is to beleeve.4The Incredulity of it. In other things it is too credulous, and apt to beleeve, and to be deceived with false tales and idle stories; but come to the Scripture, doubts and questions arise. Therefore, this unaptnesse of the minde to beleeve, is to be considered. This I take to be the meaning of that, 2 Cor. 4.4. where it is said, The god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which beleeve not: As if he had said, The light of the Gospell is cleare, you may as well see the light of it, as you see the light of the Sunne at noone-day, but the god of this world hath blinded your eyes, not by a privative extinction of the light, for that is more than the Devill can doe, but by a positive blindnesse, a positive ignorance, that is, the Devill tels you something against it, and that you beleeve: And that is our nature, we are more ready to beleeve the Devill than God. This may seeme strange, yet Eve you know did it, and that sinne is transmitted to all our natures, wee are ready to beleeve false suggestions against the Truth, which weaken faith rather than the sure Word of God.
5The Enmitie of it.Last of all, adde to all this the Enmity of the understanding, which is more than all the rest. Rom. 8.7. The carnall minde is Enmitie against God: That is, the understanding is not onelyonly vaine, ready to pitch on idle speculataions, and not onelyonly blinde, ready to resist, and not onelyonly slow and backward to beleeve, but it is an Enemie, and fights against the Truth; and the reason is in these words: It is Enmity, and why? It is not subject to the Law of God, neither indeed can be; and therefore, it is an Enemy, that is, when the mind of a man lookes on the exactnesse, and strictnesse of holinesse and purenesse that God requires, he doth not meane to be subject to it; and seeing he will not be subject to it, he resists it, fights against it as an Enemy, lookes on it, as a thing contrary to him; did it give more liberty, he would be ready to embrace it, and thinke well of it; but because it is too strict, he breaks these cords, and casts them away, and fights against the Truth, and this is the nature of every man. Now when we say the wisdome of th… flesh is Enmity, we doe not say that men oppose the Truth, for there is not any Truth in Divinity, but a man may fully embrace and assent to it, and yet be an Enemy to Holinesse, to the Image of God stamped therein, to the saving knowledge, that is, the saving manner of knowing the Truths he assents to. Therefore the Apostle saith, Many know much, but nothing as they ought to know: So many may know these spirituall Truths, and confesse them to be good in themselves, and yet may have a reluctance against them, a distaste of them, they savour not the things they understand. Tit. 1. ult. They are to every good work reprobate; which I take not to be meant passively, but actively, that is, men that cannot judge aright of any work, that looke not on it with a right eye, as a thing lovely, and imitable, as right and good, but in this regard they strive against it. Therefore, the Apostle speakes of some that exalt themselves against the knowledge of the truth; that is, that fight and defend themselves against it, that speake evill of the things they know, (for they know them, else they would never speake of them) but they know them not so, as to love them, and delight in them; therefore they resist, and fortifie themselves against the wayes of God, against the strictnesse and holinesse that God requires, and perswade themselves to thinke amisse of them, that they need not to be so exact: This is the nature of every man, and the Enmity of the understanding.
And now my brethren, if the understanding be thus bad, thinke it is no small matter, if the light that is in thee be darknesse, how great is that darknesse? The understanding is that that must guide thee, and when the stearne is out of order, when the Auriga, the Waggoner is blind, or amisse, and sees not the right way, think what a case you are in. But you will say this is Ignorance. But is not this of great Consequence? When a man is blinde he knowes not whither he goes, he is altogether a stranger from the life of God: Therefore first let this humble you, labour to see how your mindes are full of wickednesse, and unrighteousnesse.
2The Depravednesse of the Will▪Secondly, let us come to the will, and you shall finde that to be no lesse corrupt than the understanding; for the will takes every thing as the understanding presents it; and if the understanding, the minde of a man be thus corrupted, the will must needs be corrupted. As a man that lookes thorow a coloured glasse, every thing he sees is coloured; or as a man that hath his Pallate possest with a vicious humour, every thing seemes bitter according to the humour: so the will of man sees every thing thorow the understanding, as we see thorow a glasse, but (Seeing) is not so proper a word to expresse it: the understanding tastes things, it is as the pallate is to the stomacke, when it is out of order, it perverts the wayes of God, it sees no such beautie, nor excellencie in them; and the will disposes of it selfe accordingly. Now you shall finde that the understanding reckons the wayes of God both Enmity and folly, and godly men to be partly fooles, and partly Enemies, and contrary to them. Therefore you shall finde a disposition, an affection, a frame of the will to answer that, mingled partly of hatred, and partly of contempt, and a man partly hates, and partly contemnes, and thinks light of holinesse: And this is the disposition of the will of every man before Regeneration, I say, the holinesse described in the pure Word of God, and expressed in the lives of the Saints, he partly hates as a thing contrary to him, and partly contemns it as folly. But we will shew you the particulars of the will, as we did of the understanding.
Therefore,1Of the Contrariety of the will to God. first consider the Contrariety of the will, it is contrary to God in all things; looke what Gods will is in any thing, you shall finde your will contradicting it, and going a contrary way: It is said of the Iewes, as a thing that exceedingly aggravated their sin, and the miserable Condition they were in, they were contrary to all men; and if it be so much to be contrary to men, what is it to be contrary to God, to resist him, to goe against him? and yet what hee will have done, that we will not doe; and what he will not have done, that we doe, that is the disposition of our will.
2The Pride of the will.Secondly, consider the Pride of the will, how ready it is to exalt it selfe above its measure, for the will of man should be a dependant will, a subject will, waiting on God, as the servant waits on the master, or as the hand-maid waits on her mistresse, that is, a mans will should be disposed in every thing as God pleases. If hee will have him to be poore, in disgrace, or in a lower place and condition, the will should be subject, for we must remember, GOD is the Creator, we are creatures, and must be subject to the will of the Creator; but our Will will not stoope to Gods Will: As Adam would be in another condition than God had placed him in; so we exalt our selves aboue measure, we are not content to be disposed of, to be carried from condition to condition, to have our affaires ordered as God pleases, wee will have plots and projects of our owne, we will shape out our owne Condition, else we murmure and are discontent, and that is the pride of the will.
3The Inconstancie of it.Thirdly, consider the Inconstancie of the will, the weaknesse of it in good things, and its peremptorinesse in evill; in good things our resolutions are weake and inconstant, and as bubles come to nothing; but in evill things we are stiffe and peremptory, and will doe what we list. Our tongues are our owne, we will use them, Who is Lord over us? This is the nature of men, they sweare and breake the Sabbath, they doe it, and will doe it, though they say it not in words, yet God lookes on it, and sees it; many purposes they have, they will change their courses; but what come they to? It is but by accident, when the wind is in that corner, when the weathercocke stands that way, so that there is no constancie in our wils.
Againe,4The Disobedience of it. marke the Disobedience of our will, and that is not a small thing, that is the great and proper fault of the will, that it is disobedient to God, that is, when God commands a thing, and sayes, this I will have done, for the will to be disobedient to it, negligent of it, is a great and fearefull sin, the eating of the forbidden fruit was unlawfull, because God commanded Adam the contrary; If Gods command be on the least thing, the neglect of it makes it a disobedience; when God came to Adam, saith he, Hast thou eaten of the Tree concerning which I have said, thou shalt not eat of it? That is, hast thou beene disobedient? Hast thou broken my Commandement? You see what followed on it. So Saul, when God bade him destroy the Amalekites, you would not reckon it a great sinne to save a few Cattell alive; but because God commanded the contrary, the fault was great. So the Prophet, 1 King. 13. One would not thinke it to be a great matter for him to goe that way or the other: yet because he went that way, God sent a Lion that devoured him. The sin of Disobedience you may thinke a small thing, no man thinks it so grosse a sin as Idolatry, Adultery, and Murther; but see how God judgeth of it, 1 Sam. 15. 23. Rebellion is as the sinne of witchcraft, and stubbornenesse is as Iniquity and Idolatry, that is, thou thinkest it no great matter to save as few cattell, and to keep the King alive, though thou destroyest all the rest: thou thinkest it a small thing, but it is not so, looke what thou thinkest of the sinne of Witchcraft and Idolatry, such is Disobedience. Now let men apply this to themselves, looke what is revealed to you to be a sin, I know this is a sin, I know it is Gods command not to commit it; if thou fall into it, it is now a Disobedience, as Adams was, and as Sauls was, and as the Prophets was, and consider how God will take it; you see how he dealt with them. Come to particulars, doe you not know, it is his Command you should not sweare, not only greater, but lesser oaths? To keepe the Sabbath, to keepe your vessels pure, your bodies cleane, for they are the Temples of God, and therefore that you ought not to defile them with any uncleannesse, Drunkennesse, or Gluttony: Doe not you know, he commands that you should be constant in prayer, that you performe it constantly, and earnestly, and fervently? Now consider what Disobedience is; Remember that speech, Hast thou eaten of the Tree concerning which I commanded, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it? This is the Disobedience of mans will, labour to see this, how apt thy will is to breake the Commandements of God, and how in this respect thy nature is full of all unrighteousnesse, and ungodlinesse.
Next we will come to the Memory,3The corruption of the Memory. and you shall finde that out of order likewise, that the things God commands us to remember, those we are exceeding ready to forget, and the things we should forget, we are too ready to remember, wherein I will be briefe.
First,1In the things we are commanded to Remember. for the things he commands us, he doth command, Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth. In your youth you shall serve me, and yet how apt is youth to forget God? And for the Sabbath he bids us Remember to keepe holy the Sabbath day: How apt are we to neglect it, to disobey it? it is out of our minds. So Psal. 78.11. He would have his wondrous workes, and the great Acts he did for the children of Israel, Remembred, but they remembred not (saith hee) his wonders in Aegypt. And so we may go through any thing else, Hebr. 12. You have forgot the Consolations, &c.
Againe, 2In things we are commanded to Forget.wee are ready to remember what God bids us to forget. We are apt to remember Injuries, yea, one Injury will be thought on more than many yeares good service, or many good turnes. We should not do thus, but should remember the benefits from God and man for the encrease of love. So Idle tales we are ready to remember, but good things, though they be accompanied with the motion, and quickening of the spirit goe out like sparkes in wet tinder, they goe out againe quickly, as if they had not beene. So for hearing the Word, Iam. 1. we are called forgetfull hearers, when we are about that duty, if a tale be told us in a Sermon that we can remember, but what is profitable and wholesome, that we forget. Our minds are like strainers, all the milke passes thorow them; that that we should grow by, that which is wholesome, and necessary for nourishment runs thorow, but the drosse remaines: Trifles and vaine things we can remember, and carry away with us, and this is the sinfulnesse of our memories. You may call it weaknesse of memory, and may thinke that it is not so great a matter. No, it is not the infirmity of thy memory, but the corruption of thy nature, if we forget other things as much, it were another case, but because holy things are spirituall, and the frame of the heart is nought, our corrupt ill disposition makes us ready to forget them; and more than that, there is a carelesnesse in our minds, we regard not the things of God, but every vanity we regard, and our minde is instant thereon, and that is the reason we remember it, but forget the things that concerne God, and our Salvation.
4The corruption of the Conscience.Come we from the Memory to the Conscience. The Conscience of a man is that which should have life; It should be like Iobs last messengers, to bring us word that all the rest is dead: There should be a remaining light of Conscience to tell us that all the rest of our faculties are dead, disordered, and corrupted, but looke upon the Conscience, you shall see how short it is in that which belongs to it, and it is a great matter to have that out of order.
There be but three Acts of the Conscience,In three Acts. and it is disordered in them all.
The first Act of the Conscience is to be a Remembrancer, 1As it is a R…membrancer.to be a faithfull Register, to set all downe, and to present it to us, but it is a false Register; like the Steward in Luke, that when there were hundreds, set downe fifties: So the Conscience sets downe things by halfes, it thinkes not what is done, it recals them not; if it were as it should be, it would recall our sins, and their Circumstances, in another manner than they doe: And so is in that regard corrupt.
The second Act or office of Conscience,2As it is an Instigatour to good, or a Restrainer from evill. Wherein three Vertues are required. is, to instigate to good, and to restraine from evill, but in this you shall finde it exceedingly corrupted.
In this Act there be three Vertues which should be in the Conscience.
The first is Clearnesse; the Conscience should be so cleare as to see all things that are amisse,1Clearenesse. but in this it sailes exceedingly, Tit. 1. It is said, Their minde and Conscience are defiled, marke that; looke as in a Glasse, which is in it selfe cleare, when it shall be covered with dust, it showes nothing, it presents not things clearely, for it is defiled, so the Conscience of man should be cleare as a bright looking-glasse, that should present every thing that is amisse in a mans heart or life, but it is defiled, and you can see nothing by it.
2Sensiblenesse.The second vertue in this Act of Conscience is, as to see sins clearely, so to feele them, to be sensible of them: like a fine flesh which is sensible of the least prick, or like the eye that is sensible of the least mote. Now in this it failes more than in the other; there is a brawninesse growne over the Conscience, and in some it hath lost all sense, and therein you may see the Corruption of it. If you looke to the Glasse, and there finde swearing to be a sin, you are not sensible of it, you feele it not.
3Activenesse.But there is a third Vertue wherein it failes more than in these two. It should stir us up, and give us no rest, till it had constrained us to doe the good thing God commands, and restrained us from the Evill he forbids, it should awaken us, but it being dull and sleepie, stirres up sometimes good purposes, thereby awaking us, but it lets us fall asleepe againe; we can rest in sin, we can sin, and our minds be quiet in it, and can put off our turning to God. This is a great Corruption of the Conscience which should amaze us: This is the sinfulnesse of it, which should perswade us that our natures are full of all unrighteousnesse and ungodlinesse.
3As it is an Accuser, or Excuser.Last of all, the third office or Act of the Conscience, is, to accuse aright, and excuse, and in this we shall see it failes as much as, or more than in any of the other. But you will say, the Conscience is ready enough to accuse; it is true, but the light it hath, by which it is able to see sin, and to accuse us for sin, it abuses, and perverts to a wrong end, for this you shall finde in the Conscience when we preach the Law, and the Conscience should joyne with us to accuse, then it excuses, making every thing seeme small and little. And againe, when we preach the Gospel, and the Conscience should excuse, then it accuses; my sins are so great and many, that there is no mercy for me. And this perverting of the light, this excusing, when it should accuse; and this accusing, when it should excuse, causeth us, Declinare Ictum, to scape the blow of Law and Gospell, and we are robbed of the fruit of both, because the Conscience doth not his part aright. And so you may see how farre off you are from a good Conscience.
But,Object. you will say, I doe many things in secret out of Conscience, and I hope it is not so much corrupted?
I will adde this then to that I said before,Answ. you must know it is not a good Conscience which only suppresseth and restraineth from evill. The matter is, in what termes it stands with God; If it looke on God, as a chast loving wife lookes on her husband, or a son on the father, that out of reverent loving respects, feares to offend him, because they prize their favour more, than any mans favour in the world, and after this manner restraines, it is a good Conscience; but if it restraine us, as a servant is restrained under an hard master, or as a theefe under the Iudge, trembling at his word, at his Iudgement, this is not a good Conscience. Your Conscience may restraine you from many things; nay, you may doe many things in secret between you and God alone, and yet for all this have no good, but an evill Conscience. So you see the corruption of man in the Vnderstanding, Will, Memory, and Conscience. I will adde another, and that is the sensuall Appetite.
5The corruption of the sensitive Appetite.And this you shall finde exceedingly out of order above all these faculties I have named, it is ready to run over, and beyond all measure. By this I understand, that appetite in a man, by which he taketh pleasure in sensible things, such as are conveyed by the eyes, the eares, or the taste; set any object before it, it is ready to run out quickly, by inordinate affections, as to women, to meat and drinke, to any kinde of sport, or recreation, or sensible thing. How corrupt is this sensuall Appetite? How prone to evill? How ready to run out? to breake over the Pale, to goe aside the rule? If any delightfull object be propounded, how ready is it to embrace it?
Object.But, you will say, (and indeed it is Bellarmines quarrelling.) The rebellion of the sensuall Appetite is but naturall, the same that is in beasts, because, before originall sin was committed, he was in the same constitution, there was such rebellion between the sensual appetite and reason, as there is now, and therefore being naturall, it is not sinfull.
But this is his Errour, though every man be hereby ready to excuse himselfe,Answ. thinking the rebellion of the sensuall Appetite not to be so great a matter. But to take his owne words, he saith, the same as it is in Beasts; It is true, if it were with us, as it is with beasts, it were no sin, and so not a thing which gives us cause to be so much humbled: for in beasts the sensual Appetite hath no superiour governour, but is supreme. To expresse it to you, Take an horse in a pasture that is loose, and free, if he run up and downe and play, we finde no fault with him, for he is loose; but if he doth this under the bridle, when the rider is on his back, will you not now reckon him a stiffe-necked horse, and count it a fault in him, for there is a rider on his backe. So for this sensuall Appetite in beasts, where there is liberty, and no superiour command to keepe them in order, the beasts are not to be blamed. But take a man where God hath set reason above the sensuall Appetite, and grace above reason to guide it; in him this sensuall Appetite rebels against reason, which it should obey, and this shewes it to be a great sinne in men, considering that reason should be the rule to guide, and keepe in the sensuall Appetite, for God hath giv…n it for that purpose. Indeed some desires are naturall; Christ desired life, which was lawful, and a right object of desire; but take this withall, it was perfectly subjugated and brought under, and made obedient to the will of God, as his will was holy and sanctified: So we may desire meat and drinke, but many times the Law of God may forbid it, as in many cases it doth, for it may differ from the will of God, as it is holy, and yet in it selfe it may be right. Here is no more but subordination required. But when this runnes out amisse, affecting of things inordinately, though you doe suppresse it, yet that affection is sinfull, and you must be humbled for it; God sees it in you, and it is hatefull, and abominable to him.
These things I should make use of, But I am lesse carefull of that, because all these points are immediately usefull. Why? It is to make you know your selves, and to be acquainted with the corruption of your nature. And doe not you thinke it to be enough, that this be as an hand in the margent, pointing to the corruption of your hearts, or that you may content your selves with the contemplative knowledge of these things, so to cause a new light to shine in your understanding. Our end is to make you examine the corruption of your natures, your disobedience, your rebellions, to see how you have behaved your selves, to be acquainted with your owne particular sins, your owne particular failings, and to labour to bee humbled for them. Otherwise you may have a knowledge of these Truths, but not a saving knowledge, and such as wil be profitable: But this you shal see when I come to make use of them. And now for the Sacrament these things be of speciall use, because, as you heard before out of Levit. 23. On the day of reconciliation, when an atonement was to be made, he that afflicted not his soule, was to be cut off from his people. When we come to the Sacrament, there is a reconciliation, an atonement to be made in a speciall manner; What must you do then? Afflict your soules, consider your sins, see what debts you have run into, see what corrupt natures you have, and likewise know what you have in Christ, and rejoyce therein, (for those must goe together) an humbling of the soule for sin, and rejoycing in CHRIST for your Deliverance from it.
The end of the Second Sermon.