The Way to True Peace and Rest, Sermon 11
THE ELEVENTH SERMON VPONUPON ISAIAH, CHAPTER 38.
16 O Lord, to them that ouerliue them, and to all that are in them, the life of my spirit shall be knowne: that thou causest me to sleepe, and hast giuen life to me.
17 Behold, for felicitie I had bitter griefe, but it was thy pleasure to deliuer my soule from the pit of corruption, for thou hast cast all my sinnes behind thy backe.
18 For the graue cannot conf…sse thee, death cannot praise thee, they that goe downe into the pit, cannot hope for thy truth.
19 But the liuing, the liuing shall confesse thee as I do this day, the Father to the children shall declare thy truth.
20 The Lord was readie to saue me: therefore I will sing my song all the dayes of my life in the house of the Lord.
21 Then said Isaiah, Take a lump of dry figs, and lay it vponupon the byle, and he shall recouer.
22 Also Hezekiah had said, What is the signe that I shall go vp into the house of the Lord?
IN our last lesson, welbeloued in Christ Iesus, the King entred into the second part of his song: And first of all as ye heard,Recapitulation. he bursteth foorth of hand into the praise of God. Then after he setteth downe the greatnesse of the benefits receiued in two words, with the chiefe comfort that he found. And in respect the comfort flowed from the word of God, he entered into the commendation of the word of God. Then first of all, whilest the King is musing and pausing vponupon the greatnesse of the Lords benefits, and rauished in admiration of the greatnesse of the workes of God, he cannot containe himselfe any longer, but the bursteth foorth into the praise of God and saith, what shall I say? A patheticke and abrupt kind of speech, whereby he testifieth that his tongue would not serue him to expresse the matter, his heart was so swolne with praise, that he was not able to vtter it in any quantitie of words. In this doing, suppose his words be few, yet he sheweth himselfe more thankfull then if he had vttered a million of words. So thankfulnesse standeth not in the multitude of sillables and voyces, but it standeth in the heart and dispos…ion of the soule. Where the Lord findeth the heart thankfull, there is no word that can flow from that heart but it is acceptable. And howsoeuer the Kings words be few, yet in his words he granteth three things. First, he granteth the benefit was free and freely bestowed. Secondly, he granteth that he hath nothing to render for it; yea not so much as one word, much lesse a deed. Thirdly, he letteth vsus see that howso…er he was not able to answer to the worthinesse of this benefit, yet he was not idle, but he vttereth praise as God gaue him the grace; for it is not possible that a good conscience and a godly soule can altogether forget God, but in the due time it will euer thanke God for his benefits; so …at whosoeuer either forgetteth or casteth off this exercise, they testifie their wealth to be euill purchased, and that there is a curse hanging ouer them and their riches both; which curse appeareth either in their owne times or suddainly after in their prodigall posteritie. Therefore ye that would hauehave the curse remooued in time, learned to thanke God for his benefits, that ye may possesse them with the blessing of God to you and yours. Therefore he taketh vp the greatnesse of the benefit, and comprehendeth it vnderunder these two words, He said, and he himselfe did it: he said it in his promise, he did it in accomplishing of his promise; he did it and said it himselfe, that the whole glorie of the worke should appertaine to him; he said it freely, for the King confessed that he deserued the contrarie; he did it as freely in keeping his promise. For suppose all the world be false, yet God remained true: ye see how properly he taketh vp vnderunder these two words the merciemercy and truth of God: his merciemercy in promising, & his truth in accomplishing. All the promises which the Lord maketh, they flow from his merciemercy, and all his accomplishings, they flow from his truth. His promises from mercy, why? He is debtor to no man: His accomplishings from his truth, why? He is truth it selfe, and there is no promise that he hath made but he will keepe, yea he will inuert nature rather, as it appeareth in the drawing backe of the Sunne whereof ye heard: and heauen and earth shall perish ere a iot of his promise faile. Yet notwithstanding this is true, that there is such a constancie and fidelitie in him, all these promises will not auaile vsus, except the Lord prepare our hearts; yea except he sanctifie our hearts by meanes of faith, that in our soules we may see this truth, we shall neuer regard it; and except he giuegive vsus a heart to apply this truth, all the promises which he hath made, and is to make, serue for no vse to vsus. Therefore it is the dutie of all Christians to be instant in crauing, that the Lord would prepare their hearts by faith, that seeing him in their minds, and feeling him in their hearts, they may find his merciemercy and truth, and repose in them for euer. After this we entred into the recommendation of the word of God, and generally we praysed the word from this, that we hauehave the benefit of this temporall life by it; as this is true in generall, so he goeth forward, and praiseth the word from his owne experience in particular, and he granteth that not onelyonly he hath the benefit of this temporall life by the word, but of the spirituall also. And as he hath the life whereby he liueth in his body by it, so he hath by it the life whereby he liueth in the soule. For as there is a life and death of the bodie, so there is a life and death of the soule. The life of the bodie may be conioyned well with the death of the soule; for we may liue in the bodie, and be dead in the soule at one time. Also, the death of the bodie may stand with the life of the soule: for we may depart from this life, and go to a better. The life of the bodie standeth in the presence of the soule, but the life of the soule standeth in the presence of the Spirit of life: except our soules be borne anew againe by the vertue of that Spirit of life, it is not possible that we can see God and taste of his ioy. For by nature we are not onelyonly hurt, lame & maimed, but altoge…her dead in sinne: so that looke how voide a corps is of a naturall life, as voide are we of a heauenly and spirituall life. The reason is this, where death hath place, there life must be wholly put out: But by nature death hath place in vsus: therefore the spi…ituall life must be wholly put out. If the Spi…it of life be wholly put out, there remaineth not so much as a breath, out of the which any good cogitations or actions may proceede. If so be there is not so much as one breath, where is all that free-will of the Papists, where is that integritie which remaineth in the filthie nature? Then I say, we naturally remaine in the death of bodie and soule still, vntill that by the pa…ticipation of the Spirit of life which dwelleth in the bodie of Christ, vntill I say, that this Spirit free vsus from sin and death: And so vntill this time we shall neuer mount aboue the clouds, nor see the face of God. And therefore as I exhorted you the last day, so I insist in the same exhortation now, that eueryevery one of you marke and perceiue your selues, whether you hauehave such a life begun in you or not. I gaue you three effects which will neuer deceiue you. The first is, if ye find your selues refreshed and recreate in your spirits from the terrours of your conscience and the feare of sinne; which recreation and refreshment of the spirit, is called that peace that passeth all vnderstanding, whereof the world is ignorant: he that findeth any of this, if it were neuer so little within him, no question he hath this life begun in him, and the more this peace is augmented, the more the life groweth. But this peace groweth by remoouing of sinne. Therefore our whole studie should be to remooue sinne: for the onelyonly thing that troubleth the conscience is sinne. Take away sinne, the conscience shall be at rest: Wherefore this was the chiefe effect I willed you to take heede vntounto. The second effect is ioy and reioycing vnderunder trouble: For we see trouble of the owne nature bringeth not foorth this effect, but rather bringeth foorth sorrow, heauinesse and lamentation: Then when our spirit is so disposed, that vnderunder trouble we reioyce and glorie in it, this is the Spirit of life. This ioy is not in all troubles, it is not in the trouble which we procure, but onelyonly in the trouble which we sustaine for righteousnesse sake, and which we sustaine for Christ his sake. The third effect is, if ye hauehave a louelove of God and good men, and a hatred of euill; where these effects are in any measure, no doubt but the Spirit of life is there. As by the contrary, where there is a louelove of wicked and euill men, no question, let them speake of Christ as they will, the spirit of the diuell hath full dominion. This Spirit of life we shew was entertained by nourishing of the knowledge of God, when we edifie our selues in our most holy faith, when we nourish the exercise of prayer. As by the contrary the Spirit is put out, when by our euill doings we put out the knowledge of God, when we diminish our perswasion of his merciemercy in Christ, & fall from the exercise of prayer. Then ye that hauehave this life begunne nourish it by well doing; for by well doing, no question our faith is corroborate. Delight therefore in well doing, sow in the Spirit and not in the flesh, run not with the thiefe, nor consent not with the murtherer: for so ye shall be participant of their punishment; but sow in the Spirit, and of this ye shall reape an euerlasting and comfortable life, where otherwise, of sinne, ye shall reape nothing but shame and euerlasting condemnation. I hauehave discoursed long on this head, because it is very necessarie, and I would wish you to consider of these things. Thinke on the great benefits of God granted vntounto this countrey: Thinke againe vponupon our ingratitude and vnnaturall behauiour. There is no Christian that will weigh these two in one ballance, but he shall conclude that it is wonderfull why the Lord suffereth iniquitie in this countrey so long to be vnpunished. Formerly when there was but crums of the bread of life, they ran to seeke it, so that they compassed both sea and land, and spared neither trauell nor cost to be ingrafted into the kingdome of Christ: But now when there is plentie of it, we hauehave taken such a lothsomnesse thereof, that we abuse the liberalitie of God offered to vsus, and turne his grace and merciemercy into vengeance on our owne heads. For as to the multitude, ye see that they hauehave alreadie preferred the leauen of the Pharises, and gone to mumchances, mumries, and vnknowne language wherein they pudled before. As to the noble and gentlemen, they are so drunken with sacriledge, that rather then they will render these goods, they will hazard both bodie and soule. There is none but they see this, and hauehave cause to lament it. I cannot but be rauished in admiration when I see these two, to wit, the more that light is offered, our hearts are the harder; the more that light groweth and knowledge increaseth, conscience decayeth; as if knowledge and conscience could not dwell both in one country. The more light increaseth, the more well doing decayeth: which testifieth that the darknesse wherein the Papists liued, keeping a conscience in respect of vsus, shall rise and condemne vsus that in so great light hauehave lost all conscience. This is a part of my wonder. Now what must follow of this? The Apostle, Heb. 6. letteth vsus see, that the ground which is often watered and refreshed with raine in due season, and in the meane time bringeth nothing foorth but briers and thornes, which are onelyonly meete faggots for the fire, shall be burnt vp in the Lords iudgement.Application. To apply this, howsoeuer the iudgement be delayed, of necessity there remaineth an vtter burning vp, which consumption must be the greater, the greater that the light is: For the greater light, the greater contempt; and the greater contempt, the heauier must the iudgement be. And surely, I looke with my selfe and am in a constant expectation, that except matters proceede otherwise in this countrie then they hauehave done, it shall be made a spectacle to all other countries in the earth. Thus farre we proceeded in our last exercise.
Now in the end of the 16. verse, he continueth and he prayseth that same blessed word of God, from other effects which he found in his owne person, and in the end of this verse he saith; By the benefit of the word I hauehave obtayned health of bodie: For as sicknesse had taken all strength from me, and had spoiled me of my force, by the benefit of the word I am restored to my strength, to my force and wealth againe: Yea not onelyonly by the benefit of the word am I restored to my health, but by the same benefit I am preserued in my health, and continue therein. So that looke from the beginning: First, he ascribeth the life of the bodie to the word: Secondly, he ascribeth the life of his soule to the word, he ascribeth the health of his bodie and soule to the word: And last of all, he ascribeth the continuance of the health of bodie and soule to this word. What comfort is there to be found, but it is in the word? What comfort can a Christian heart wish, but it is in the word? Yea I say more, it is not possible to the mouth nor to the heart of man to expresse the comfort which the soule hath in this word. It is not possible to the mouth to vtter the ioy which it worketh in them in whom this Spirit is effectuall. Notwithstanding all this great benefit that floweth of the word, let vsus see who runneth to this word to seeke comfort? If we looke to the prophane multitude, yea to the best of vsus all, there is neuer a one that runneth to this word vntill all worldly comfort do faile vsus: But when nature and all naturall meanes hath left vsus, then we run as it were compelled to the word; yea we are so late in running, that oft times we get an euill answer when we come, and the gates are violently shut vppon vsus, as they were on the foolish virgins. Well, the word is daily and continually sounded: Therefore seeke to get comfort of this word in time. Looke that ye heare this word with great reuerence, and studie to practise it dayly more and more in your daylie life and conuersation.
Now in the 17. verse of this Chapter he noteth the time:Diuision. First, when he fell into this disease: Secondly, he letteth vsus know the manner how he was deliuered. As to the time when he fell into it, he saith it was in time of peace, after he was deliuered from the hands of Sanacherib, and when he was at ease in great wealth and abundance; and as he himselfe confesseth, when he was beginning to forget God and to abuse the great benefit of his deliuerie; at that same time God beginneth to pull his eare, and he casteth him out of the hands of a fearefull warre into the hands of a terrible plague.
I marked in the entry of this Chapter some things vponupon this circumstance. And therefore I content me onelyonly with this obseruations; We may perceiue by this same circumstance, how hard a thing it is to flesh and bloud to beare the cup of great wealth and long health euen. Yea it is a thing altogether impossible to flesh, to beare the cup of prosperitie and health equally any long space, but except the Lord exercise vsus by one exercise or other, hold vsus in awe and tune our eare, like fed horse we begin to repine.
Therefore I say, seeing this is a common sicknesse vntounto all flesh (as I hauehave spoken) we hauehave to seeke our counsell of Agur the sonne of Iake, who fearing to fall into these inconueniences desireth two things of God: first he prayeth that he will remooue all vanitie and lying words from him; that is, that he will remooue and forget his sinnes, and deliuer him from euill. Secondly, that he will neither tempt him with ouer great abundance, nor yet with ouer great pouerty; that he would not tempt him with ouer great abundance, lest should forget him, nor yet with ouer great pouertie, lest he should speake euill of him; but chiefly he craueth of God that he will grant vntounto him his daily bread; that is, vntounto eueryevery one of vsus according to the nature of our calling and estate, so much of these temporall goods as he knoweth meetest for his glory and our saluation. Then to eschue the inconueniences of abundance, which do make vsus forget God, & of pouertie that maketh vsus to blaspheme God, beg of God that he would grant you your dayly bread.
But I pray you, what maruell is it,Application. that a wealthy and glorious King in the time of his greatest prosperitie should fall into the ignorance of God? What maruell is it that a King, who commonly taketh vntounto him an absolute power, and hath none about him but flatterers for the most part; and who continually drinketh in vanitie at all his senses like water, what maruell is it that lie fall into the ignorance of God? when we see our owne meane Lords who are not Kings, to fall into such proud contempt, that they are alwaies readie, as appeareth, to take vp open warres against God? so that Iulian was no greater profest enemie then they are like to be if they continue. Suppose a King fall into this ignorance of God, what maruell is it, seeing that these meane Lords in very meane wealth do the like, yea and the greater? Well this King was chastised in the merciemercy of God, that he should not fall into the condemnation of the Reprobate. And that man if he be not chastised in time by the merciemercy of God, he shall find it terrible to fall into his hands. It is terrible to fall into the hands of a consuming fire: sport with flesh as they please, but iest not with God; he shall find in experience if he runne out this course, that he shall curse the day of his birth, & disclaime the houre that euer he saw this light, except that same God whom he blasphemed, preserue him in merciemercy.
In the end of the verse he letteth vsus see the manner how he was deliuered,The manner how the King was deliuered. and he sheweth in the end of that verse, that it pleased the Lord to turne his bitter bitternesse into a farre better contentment of spirit. The way whereby he did it was this, he remooued his sinnes from him, he forgaue him his iniquitie; for except the Lord had forgiuen him his sinnes, it had not bene possible that the bitternesse of his soule and conscience could be remooued. Then so soone as he turned him to his God, acknowledged his life by-gone, and sought merciemercy by all manner of waies, as sometimes by word, by groning, by teares, by sighs, by dolorous moane and lamentation, and by all kind of humble gesture, he obtained merciemercy: so that the Lord did cast his whole sinnes behind his backe. The cause that moued the Lord to shew mercy, he noteth in the middest of that verse. There was no occasion in the King, for he deserued the contrary; it was onelyonly the louelove of the Lord, onelyonly the kindnesse of the Lord in Christ Iesus his Messias, who was to come of this King himselfe.
In the manner of his deliuerance, this King acknowledged three things which are worthy of marking. First, the King acknowledgeth,Sin is the only thing that is punished in the wicked, & purged in the godly. that sinne is the onelyonly cause of our misery, whether it be in our conscience, body or soule; surely this King speaketh very true. For there is nothing that God can hate in vsus but sinne, there is nothing that he can correct in vsus but sinne; there is nothing that his furious iealousie can burne vp but sinne; there is nothing that he can purge in vsus but sinne. Take away sinne, and the punishmēt of the wicked shall ceasse: yea, there shal be no such thing as a wicked one, and the purgation of the godly shall not neede. So both punishment and purgation shall ceasse, sinne being taken way; for sinne is the onelyonly thing that is punished in them, and purged in vsus. Now this King acknowledging this, ranne vntounto God, confessed his sinnes, & found mercy.Lesson. So note the lesson: Whether the Lord visite vsus with trouble of body or conscience, seeing that sinne is the cause of our trouble, let vsus runne the high way to God, examine our by-past life, acknowledge our offences, and run vntounto the throne of grace for mercy: And whosoeuer runneth to that throne, shall find merciemercy in the day of his greatest necessity; this is the first thing that he acknowledged.
The second thing that he acknowledgeth is this; he acknowledgeth the remission of his sins,Remission of sinnes cureth all diseases. (the best and surest cure that can be applied to any disease.) For there cannot be a better cure, nor a surer cure, then to remoue the cause of the disease: Therefore the remouing of sinne cureth the disease. The vnhappy world when they are visited with any disease, they runne onelyonly to the body, and seeke the cause of the disease onelyonly in the body, as though the body had the onelyonly wit; they runne neuer to the soule; when in the meane time the body is but an instrument to the soule. For if the soule were well, it is impossible that we could be diseased. Therefore, seeing the cause of the disease lurketh in the soule, when the Lord visiteth you with any disease runne to the soule, acknowledge that sinne is the cause, lay the fault where it is, and craue mercy of God; for this is the ready way to cure our diseases. Would God this lesson were learned, for if it were well obserued, we should not see so many kinde of pestilent diseases raging in this countrey, as at this day we do.
The third thing the King acknowledged, is, that it is not his owne integrity that procured his deliuerance; he acknowledgeth, that it was not his innocency in life, nor his good deedes, as may appeare in the beginning of the chapter: For in his prayer he appeareth to hauehave made an ostentation of his good deedes and innocency of life: but here in the end of this verse he resolueth this doubt, he letteth vsus see it was the merciemercy of God in Christ Iesus, that was the onelyonly cause of his deliuerance. Thus farre for the meaning of the words.
Now let vsus marke the forme of speech: The forme is this, because (saith he) he hath cast all my sinnes behinde his backe. This forme of speach is borrowed from our custome. For those things that men may not behold, that are filthy and abhominable, we cast them behind our backe that we may not see them.When God forgiueth he also forgetteth. Now sinne being the onelyonly thing which is abhominable in the presence of God, when he forgiueth vsus our sinnes, he is said to cast them behind his backe. The only thing yt hideth the countenance of God from vsus, is sin; for there is nothing that can separate man from his creator, but sinne onelyonly. And what lose we, when we are separate from the countenance of God? We lose true pleasure and perfect pleasure: There can neither be true nor perfect pleasure, but in the sight and countenance of God. And whilest we are by sinne debarred from his countenance, we are depriued both of true and perfect pleasure. Then the diligent care of a Christian should stand in this, that sinne debarre him not from the countenance of God: But we should be diligent in begging mercy for Christ his cause, that enioying his countenance, we may hauehave satiety of pleasure to last for euer. The second thing that I marke in these words, is this: Where he saith, He hath cast all his sinnes, &c. he saith not, he hath cast a part, and l…ft another part: he saith not, that he hath forgiuen veniall sinnes, and left mortall sinnes; but he sayth, all sinnes, of what sort, ranke, or degree soeuer they be, he hath cast them all behinde his backe. Al these sorts of sinnes that seuer vsus from God, and deteine vsus from his countenance, may be all brought vnderunder these three sorts. VnderUnder the first I vnderstand this originall corruption, this foule puddle, this rotten root, of the which all these rotten fruits do flow and proceede: This corruption, in the which we are both conceiued and borne, which maketh vsus the children of wrath, dead in sinne, and in …he vncircumcision of our flesh. VnderUnder the second sort, I comprehend all motions, cogitations, and actions of our whole life, whereby we decline neuer so little, and go aside from that perfect duty which we owe to God and to our neighbour: So, in a word, I comprehend vnderunder this second sort, all our actuall sinnes. This naturall corruption, which we call originall sinne; by the which it cometh to passe, that suppose the substance of our body and soule be not abolished, yet both body and soule is so hurt, changed and altered, that they appeare not to be the thing they were at the first. For as to the body, by reason of this corruption it is subiect to death, and from death it is resolued to powder and ashes: As to the soule, suppose the substance of it decay not, yet ye see the qualities of it are so altered and changed, that the light of the vnderstanding is turned in darkenesse, the integrity of the will in wickednesse, the vprightnes and intention to good, is turned in a declining from good, and in a bent purpose to do euill. And shortly, in a word, by this corruption we hauehave lost the image of God, which shined so brightly in vsus in our creation. VnderUnder the third sort of sin, I vnderstand the lacke of the obedience, and want of the accomplishment of the Law. For by nature in our first creation, we were not onelyonly bound to abstaine from sinne, but to accomplish all righteousnes, and to conforme vsus to the will of God perfectly in all things. Now by this corruption we faile in this poynt, as well also as in the rest, and so we are guilty of all sortes of sinne; and being guiltie of all sortes of sinne, of necessity we must be subiect to death and condemnation, for the reward of sinne (as the Apostle saith) is death. Now the King sayth not, that the Lord hath freed him from one or two sorts, and not deliuered him from the third; bur he saith he hath deliuered him from all his sinnes, and consequently from death and condemnation. For this is the custome of God in Christ, if ye mark it wel, from the time he beginneth to call his children to repentance, and to worke with them inwardly, he forgiueth them not a part of their sins, but from the time he enters to this worke, at an instant he forgiueth them all the sinnes of their whole life past, present, and to come; as the Parable, Mat. 18.23. testifieth, where ye see the Lord forgiueth the whole debt. The reason of this is Christ his Sonne, who tooke our debt on him, and was surety for vsus; he died not for a part of our sinnes onelyonly, nor satisfied not his Father for a part onelyonly, but for the whole businesse: And therefore the debt being once payed, the Father cannot require further; and so when he beginneth to forgiue vsus our sinnes, he forgiueth vsus all our sinnes, simul & semel. The remission of sinnes is freely offered to all flesh in Christ, by the publishing of the Gospell, and is freelie applied by the working of the Spirit of God, and is receiued onelyonly by the hand of faith which is in the heart. Except the Lord purifie the conscience, cleanse the heart, and open it, as he did Lydias heart, offer what remission ye will, it is not possible we can apply it vntounto our selues, except the conscience and soule be recreated in the sweetnes and peace that floweth out of Christ. Offer remission neuer so oft, the conscience dare not be so bold as to apply it to it selfe. And therfore the whole study of a Christian should stand in this, that he be not deceiued with presumption in steed of faith, which presumption in the end, tendeth to desperation. And l…t vsus not be flattered by eueryevery sleight faith & light opinion that flieth in the fantasie: For iustifying faith must open the heart and be digested in the heart inwardly, that the heart may be turned thereby. For where the heart is onelyonly touched with a light taste which is not stedfast, incontinently as soon as the truth cometh, this taste is spued forth: but where this grace is digested in the heart, in such sort yt the stubbornnesse of our will is abated, our vnderstanding changed, & our affections altered, no question, we hauehave accesse to God, and seeing him in our minde, and feeling him in our heart, there is no storme that can make vsus to runne from him, but the greater the storme is, the nearer we will draw to him. Seeing we know there is a better life with him then is here, all this is the duty of a Christian: therfore eueryevery one of you, trie your hearts and mindes, vrge God continually, by importunate suiting, and wring this grace out of him, that it may please him to open our hearts. For except the heart be opened, that yee may feele the sweetnesse, & that your will and affections be altered, it is not possible that ye can be inclined to good. Desire of God therefore increase of faith, that we may abide the storme, blowe when soeuer it will.
Now, ere we go from the words of this verse, he sayth, It is he that hath cast all my sinnes, &c. God onelyonly forgiueth sinner.Which he is this? God the Father, Sonne, and holy Ghost, three persons, one God, hath done it, no creature but God onelyonly. And ye see, as ye may reade, Luke 5. yt the Pharisies were not ignorant of this, that God onelyonly might forgiue sinnes. For in that same place Luke, 5. in that conference which the Pharisies hauehave, they say , What a blasphemy is this? Who hath power to forgiue sinnes, but God onelyonly? Now, looke to the behauiour of Christ after these words, who pa…tlie by his silence approueth them, & partly by a miracle he ratifieth their speach to be true, that God in heauen hath onelyonly power to forgiue sinnes; & there is a good reason, euen in our naturall iudgement, that ratifieth this to be true; for who hath power to forgiue the debt, but the creditor? Now, God onelie is our creditor, therefore God onelyonly hath power to forgiue; for it is the law of God that is transgressed: For all sin is the transgression of ye Law, & therfore al sin offendeth him, mediatly, or immediatly: and seeing he prope…ly is offended, he onelie must forgiue. As to Christ Iesus man, he hanging on the crosse, craueth merciemercy for his murtherers, o… God his Father, and saith, Forgiue them Lord, for they know not what they do. And when he himselfe forgiueth sinnes, in this he testifieth, that he is true God, as the Ancients gathered well by this effect that he forgaue sinnes, that he was not a simple creature, but true God also: & where the Church is said to forgiue sinnes, they remit in the name & authority of Christ Iesus; or else when they forgiue, they may be called pronouncers and publishers of Gods remission. For in vttering his word, they shew themselues to be his mouth, & not their owne mouth. As to vsus that are brethren, we are said to forgiue others, & we forgiue others indeede, but our remission relieueth not the man of his guiltinesse, but the guiltinesse remaineth euer in the soule, vntill God remoue it: And in respect the guiltinesse remaineth vntill it be remoued by God, & none hath power to wash away the guiltinesse but God; therefore it is God properly that is the forgiuer of sinnes: and for this cause it is, that Dauid in his 51 Psalme cryeth out and sayth, Against thee, against thee onelyonly I hauehave sinned. Now seeing it is he onelyonly that forgiueth sinnes, let vsus seeke remission at God and no other.
The last thing that I marke, is the cause that moued God to forgiue him his sinnes:The cause that moued God to forgiue him his sinnes. he saith, because he loueth his person, and for this louelove that he did beare vntounto him, he neither suffered the bitternesse to remaine in his soule, nor his body to see the graue. It is confessed by the King, that there was nothing in himselfe worthy of this louelove: Therefore he is not loued for his owne cause; of necessity then, he must be loued for that mans cause that took away his sinne. Now reade ouer ye Scriptures, what man is that who hath taken away our sinnes, taken on him our debt, & discharged him honestly and honourably of it, euen he that is God and man also, Christ Iesus; and therefore in these same words, quietly he acknowledgeth his sins to be remoued for the louelove which God did beare to him in Christ Iesus, who was in his loynes as yet according to the flesh. I say, there was no man able to beare and discharge this burden, saue this man which is God also; able because he was God, and as he was able, so he discharged this burden in his owne time. And Christ is iustly the onelyonly Mediator betwixt God and Man. And therefore whom the Lord loueth, he loueth in him: and to whom the Lord sheweth merciemercy, it is for his cause onelie. For why? he perfectly satisfied for the whole businesse, which may be easily seene in these three points. For fi…st he deliuered vsus from these sinnes, which we call actuall sinnes. And how? by his perfect satisfaction, whereby he satisfied fully in suffering hell in his soule, and death in his body, and that on the crosse. And so freed vsus from these actuall sinnes, and the punishment thereof: So that in this point he is a perfect Mediatour.
Secondly, he deliuered vsus from the puddle and rotten roote, from the which they proccede. For ye see Christ Iesus was conceiued in the wombe of the Virgin, and that by the mighty power of his holy Spirit. So that our nature in him was fully sanctified by that same power. And this perfect purity of our nature in his person, couereth our impurity: for he was not conceiued in sin and corruption as we are, but by the power of the holy Spirit, who perfectlie sanctified our nature in him, euen in the moment of his conception. So he being throughly purged, his purity couereth our impurity.
Now in the third point also he is a perfect Mediatour, for he not onelyonly satisfied for our sinnes, but he accomplished the whole law for vsus, yea and more then the law required; for the second Table requireth onelyonly that we should louelove our neighbour as our selfe. But Christ did more then this: for none loueth his neighbour so, that willingly he will die for him. So Christ in dying for vsus, sheweth that he loueth vsus more then the law required: And so he not onelyonly accomplished the law for vsus, but did more then the law required.
Now this perfect righteousnesse of his cometh in betweene vsus and his Father, and couereth our rebellion and disobedience; or else we could not be free from condemnation in this point also. All these, to wit, perfect puritie, perfect satisfaction, and perfect righteousnesse, are to be found in Christ perfectly. And therefore onelyonly merciemercy and remission of sinne is to be sought for in him, and he that hath not Christ to be his intercessor, that man shall neuer taste of merciemercy.
Now let vsus go to the application: what manner of intercession can Christ make for that man that blasphemeth his Father? It is not possible that the Son can interceede where the Father is blasphemed wilfully and willingly. Yea of all iudgements this is a most terrible iudgment, where the spirit of blasphemie hath such power, that he maketh a man to vtter such voyces against his maker. Thus farre concerning these words.
Now in the next two verses he giueth two reasons,The reason… wherfore the Lord forgaue him his sinne…. wherfore the Lord forgaue him his sins, and deliuered him from the death of his bodie; and he sheweth in that 18, and 19 verses, that the Lord in this worke had his owne entrie and speciall respect to his owne glorie, which glorie he saw would be aduanced more by the lengthening of his dayes then otherise by the shortning thereof. Secondly, that the benefit of his deliuerie would be a matter of praise to al generations to the end of the world: For it is said, The fathers shal instruct their children; and so fathers and children in their extremities they shall runne to God for the like merciemercy. Now for these two ends, that God might be praysed of the King in his owne person, and of his posteritie, and of all the posterities thereafter, the Lord bestoweth this benefit vponupon the King, and giueth him health.
I take vp the reasons in these two verses, the 18. and 19. And the first reason is taken vp in the 18, and beginning of the 19. for there he saith, The graue cannot confesse thee, death cannot praise thee: As if he would say, dead men and buried cannot praise thee, as we do in these bodies of ours in the land of the liuing, liuing in thy Church here. Dead men that rest in their graues cannot looke for the accomplishment of thy promises. And if I were dead and my bodie in the graue, I could not looke for the accomplishment of thy promise in giuing me a sonne. It is onelyonly the liuing, the liuing that is able to praise thee. There he doubleth the word, to let you see that they must be endued with a double life that praise the Lord aright. They must not onelyonly be endued with the life of the bodie, but also they must liue in their soule. Now the King saith, I being restored to this double life, both in body and soule, I shall praise thee. For none can praise thee worthily as I do this day, but they that are aliue as I am. This is the first reason.
They that are dead in their body leaue not off the execise of praise in …heir soule.Now to examine the words, he meaneth not that they who are dead and buried leaue off this exercise; onelyonly he meaneth that they who are dead and buried will not praise God in their bodies, will not praise him as we do here on earth. And therefore we must not thinke that they leaue off this exercise. Yea by the contrarie we must beleeue, that the soules of the Saints departed are more busie in this exercise then when they were aliue: and how prooue I this? The nearer the soule is vntounto God, the greater pl…asure and delight it taketh in him; but after it is departed out of this life, it is so much the nearer coupled with God. Therefore it taketh the greater pleasure and delight in him. Now the greater pleasure it taketh in God, the greater praise it must giuegive to him: for pleasure cannot come into the heart, but it must redound backe to him that gaue it. Therefore the nearer the soule is conioyned with God, it praiseth him so much the more. Now after the death of the bodie, the soules of the faithfull are more straightly coupled with God: therefore after death they praise him ye more. Where Christ hath dwelt once in this life, suppose the bodies die and be resolued in powder by reason of sinne; yet the soule liueth by reason of righteousnesse. Yea suppose the body be dissolued, yet that Spirit of life that dwelt in the soule, raiseth thy soule to heauen: euen as the Spirit of life that dwelt in Christ Iesus raised his bodie from the graue. And as the Spirit of life is the onelyonly cause that made vsus to praise him in our bodies: so that same Spirit maketh vsus to praise him out of these bodies; by reason, suppose we be absent in bodie, yet are present in our soule with the Lord. For the words Rom. 8, are these. If Christ dwell in you, suppose the body be dead by reason of sinne, yet the Spirit is aliue for righteousnesse sake. The meaning of the words is, suppose they that are departed leaue off to praise the Lord in their bodies, and in the earth (which he calleth the land of the liuing,) yet they leaue not off at all.
Now of this I shall marke one or two things.1. Obseruation. Take vp the end wherefore the Lord deliuereth any person, citie or country from any trouble within or without; the chiefe end of his deliuerie is this, That that person, citie or countrey, may serue as an instrument to preach his benefits, to sound his praise, and to render vntounto him heartie thanks for it. Are our sinnes forgiuen vsus to this end? is there any countrey or any citie set at libertie to this end that we should prouoke God to anger by heauier sinnes againe? Is this the end wherefore he forgiueth sinnes? Is this the end wherefore he bestoweth his benefits, that we should vse them as weapons to fight against himselfe? Is not this rather the high way to kindle him to greater seueritie? and to sharpen his furie against our selues? Yea, and what exception I pray you can we vse in his greatest seueritie, seeing we hauehave prouoked it our selues? I speake it to this end: there is not a person in particular, nor any in generall, but of naturall knowledge they will say; There was neuer a greater benefit bestowed on a countrey, then in releeuing vsus of the feare of that barbarous Nation; he must either confesse this, or he is an asse. This benefit if it were rightly measured and considered, (reade ouer the Scriptures, conferre benefit with benefit, miracle with miracle, all circumstances being well considered,) ye shall finde that since the children of Israel came through the red Sea there hath not bene a greater. To what end deliuered he vsus? is it that we should prouoke him with greater sinnes? Looke since the feare of these strangers past, what sinne is there but this countrey hath defiled her selfe with it? See ye not slaughter in greater measure, oppression, murther without any merciemercy, see ye not all law and equitie trampled vnderunder foote? And briefly, see ye not this confusion risen to such a height, that eueryevery Lord in his owne bounds is a King? what sort of birth (I pray you) shall this confusion bring foorth? At the last it must bring foorth one of these two of necessitie, and take heeed, ye may chance to see it, except the Lord preuent it. Either the supreme magistrate and inferiour magistrates must concurre in one voyce to put an end to this confusion, or the confusion (out of doubt) shall put an end to him. I am assured one of these two must follow; for the weight of his wrath which hangeth ouer this land is insupportable; the earth is not able to beare this birth of our iniquitie; and if there were no other punishment, as I hauehave often said, the earth shall be compelled to spue foorth the inhabitants ere God want meanes to punish. As this is true in the countrey in generall, so it is as true in this Citie in particular; for it neuer came yet (for the most part) in your hearts to thanke God aright for your deliuerie. Therefore the Lord is beginning to let you see that he can raise strangers, men who hauehave the hearts of strangers among our selues: he hath meanes enough in the middest of our owne bowels to punish this countrey, suppose he seeke not strangers. But indeed in this late brag of our neighbour Lord, he desireth you to go backe to the consideration of the greatnesse of the last benefit: And if ye acknowledge it rightly and be thankfull for it, there is no domesticke force ye neede to regard. For as to the force that can proceede any way from that man, ye know it. And surely it would appeare to me, that that man hath sold himselfe to iniquitie; and the end will declare it, except the Lord preuent him with his vndeserued grace, which I desire most heartily. Although in the meane time, suppose there be peace promised, yet stand ye on your guards, and let it not come to passe by your misbehauiour and backwardn…sse, that the glory of God and the libertie of this Citie be impaired in any wise, but stand on your guardes, that as this Citie hath bene a terrour to euill men before-time, so it may terrifie him also. For no question, where God and a good quarrell concurre, that side shall hauehave the vpper hand. This onelyonly by the way. For it becometh me of my dutie to maintaine the good cause, and to instruct you in this point of your dutie.
The second thing that I marke:2. Obseruation. ye see the glorie of God is euer conioyned with the life of his owne, so that we cannot aduance Gods glo…ie, but we shall further our owne saluation; and we cannot neglect the one, but we shall neglect the other. Seeing th…n that these two are necessarily conioyned, for Gods sake let eueryevery one remember to set forward the glorie of God in his life so farre as he may, according to his estate and calling. This life is so miserable in it selfe, and there is none that seeth the confusion of this countrey to grow so fast, that can looke for any redresse of these things in his own time. So here beneath is no comfort, all runneth on to such a desolation and miserable confusion, that of all liues of the earth our liues were most miserable, if we had not a sight of a better. For all ioy to be looked for here beneath is taken away. Well, I leaue this second part and come to the last. The third part of this song is in this 20. verse, which is the conclusion of the whole song.
In this conclusion the King testifieth, that he will not onelyonly praise God for the present, for the benefit which he hath receiued, but he maketh a solemne promise, that so long as he liueth he will neuer forget this benefit, all the dayes of his life he will praise him, yea praise him in his song, he shall praise him with his instrument, and he shall praise him publikely in the house and congregation of the Lord, because the benefit is publike: he shall praise him in his bodie, because he receiued the health thereof, and he shall praise him in his soule, because he is restored to the wonted ioyes thereof. This I thinke be the meaning of the last verse.
The King in thus doing sheweth himselfe to be verie thankfull; and if that good seruant of God shew himselfe so thankfull, how much more should we whom he deliuereth, notwithstanding we cast our selues headlong into our diseases by our owne follie? But there is neuer a man so soone as the heauie hand of God is off him, but he returneth with the Sow to that same puddle wherein he was, & with the dogs to that same vomit againe. As to the praise I hauehave spoken of it before. I insist no further, but go to the last.
The last two verses are added to, and as it appeareth, appertaine not to the song, but to the historie; howsoeuer they are added to I will not dispute, it hath pleased the Spirit of God so to do, and so it should please vsus. I hauehave spoken of the last verse of these two alreadie, and will not repeate. As to the first of the two: ye see there is an iniunction giuen by the Prophet to the King, to take a lumpe of drie figs and make a plaister, and lay it vntounto the byle, and it shall be whole: This iniunction is obeyed by the King.
Of this iniunction it would appeare, that the Prophet playeth the part of a Physition, rather then of a Prophet of God. For this Simple which he biddeth him apply, pertaineth to the Physition of the bodie: so that it appeareth, he rather doth the office of a Doctor of Physicke then of a Prophet. Yet howsoeuer it would appeare so, it is not so: for the Prophet was occupied at this time in vttering of his commission: in the which he doth nothing whereof he hath not a warrant. Therefore in the same words he doth nothing vnbeseeming the part of a true Prophet, and he hath his speciall warrant in this doing.
Now what is the reason,Why the Lord worketh by means and second causes. when as the Lord might hauehave done this without any ordinarie meanes, yet he biddeth the Prophet applie the same plaister? He doth this, no question, for these three ends. First, to let the King see by this doing,First end. he would not hauehave his ordinarie meanes nor second causes be contemned. And suppose he may worke without them, yet he hath appointed secondarie causes to bring about his effect, which he will not hauehave contemned. The second end which was the chiefe end,Second end. he saw that the Kings faith was but weake; for the Prophet promised that within three dayes he should passe vp to the Temple, and the Kings sore was not come as yet to a maturitie, but raging on him: so he thought this almost impossible, and could scarsly apprehend the truth of this promise. Now to support his faith he vseth an externall obiect: For the more and the more pithie the obiects be, the more our faith is stayed and confirmed. Therefore in the Sacraments we hauehave so many obiects to our eye, to our hands, & all to strengthen our faith. And so he giueth him this meanes to strengthen his faith, & to assure him that it should come to passe which the Prophet promised.
The third end is,Third end. to teach him that the Lord is the onelyonly Physition, as well of the bodie as of the soule: he hath command ouer all remedies, and so he may stay or further the effects thereof as he pleaseth, and consequently he hath command ouer all diseases. This is certaine, and therefore except the blessing of God concurre with these seconda…ie things, there is no physicke can auaile or profite. And it is so to be thought of Physitions, as of the husbandmen and their husbandrie: Ye see when the husbandmen hauehave done their whole exact trauell, so that they hauehave left nothing vndone that in them lieth; yet if the Lord giuegive not increase, they are disappointed of their trauell. Euen so, suppose Physitions propound remedies to be applyed with all diligence, yet if the Lord blesse not the worke, if he abstract his effect or power from the second causes, it is not possible that the patient can be cured. So he teacheth the diseased and all Doctors of Physicke these two lessons: First, he teacheth the Patient to desire of God that he will giuegive leaue to the meanes to worke some good effect; and let the Doctor craue on the other side, that the Lord would blesse his worke, that it may redound to Gods glorie and the comfort of the Patient. And where God is begun with, and ended with, no doubt but the worke shall hauehave a good issue. Therefore in all troubles, let eueryevery one hauehave recourse vntounto God, and in God vse his creatures, and so God shall blesse you and the creatures both in his Sonne Christ Iesus: To whom be all praise, honour and glorie both now and euer. Amen.