Divine Cordials, Sermons · Sermon 6
Sermon VI.
EZRA 10. the laſt words of the firſt Verſe.
There aſſembled to him out of Iſrael a very great Congregation of men, and women, and children; for the people wept very ſore.
VVE come now to the firſt fruit of Ezra his humiliation, and that is the convening of a great Congregation to him; before that he had humbled himſelfe, as we have heard, we finde not that any took it to heart, although their ſinnes occaſioned it; but this compaſſion of his, made them congregate, and weepe very ſore; ſo that Ezra hath here the glory of being an example of goodneſſe to others; and it is as great a glory as can be in this life, for a man to goe before others in well doing: it was ſo here with Ezra, he begins, and the reſt follow: What a glory was it to Abraham, that among all the men in the world he ſhould be called the friend of God? What a glory was it to Sarah that ſhee, above all other women, ſhould be called the mother of beleeving women? What a glory was it to Salomon, that he ſhould be the firſt man that ſhould build a Temple to God? What a glory was it to Hezekiah, that he ſhould be made choice of to reſtore the Paſſeover, which for ſo long a time had been intermitted? What a glory was it to David, that he led the people into the houſe of God, with the voice of ſinging and praiſe? Pſal. 42.4.42 Pſal. 4. It is a great commendation which Saint Paul gives to Epenetus, 16 Rom. 5. hee calls him,Rom. 16.5. the firſt fruits of Achaia unto Chriſt. Ye know, the firſt fruits were ever beſt pleaſing to God, and ſurely, for a man to be the firſt in a Countrey, which ſhall give up his name to Chriſt, it muſt needs be a very great honour; Chryſoſtome ſaith on that place, if it be ſuch a matter to be great in the world, what is it then, to be eminent for Piety? Nay, ſaith hee, this good man was not onelyonly the firſt fruites of Achaia, but he was a door or entrance to all that beleeved in that place: ſo it was a great glory to Mary Magdalene, that our Bleſſed Saviour would vouchſafe to appear to her firſt after his Reſurrection: and it was no leſſe glory to the people of Antioch, that they above all others ſhould be firſt called Chriſtians; it was no ſmall honour to the Theſſalonians, which Paul teſtifieth of them, in the 1 Theſſ. 1.7. that they were enſamples to all that beleeved in Macedonia and Achaia; 1 Theſſ. 1 7.and hee ſaith as much to the honour of the Corinthians, 2 Cor. 9 2.2 Cor. 9.2. that their zeal had provoked very many.
It is to ſtirre us all up to this holy pride, to be the firſt in good actions: Hee that did firſt invent Printing, his Name will be famous to the end of the world: ſo now, to be the firſt that beleeves in a Towne, to be the firſt that puts a good law in execution, to lay the firſt ſtone in a Pious worke, this is no ſmall, but a very great honour: but on the other ſide, what a ſhame is it for a man to be the firſt that ſhall break a good Law, to be the firſt that ſhall invent a new faſhion, to be the firſt in inventing wicked games, and new wayes of drinking? nay, there have been thoſe that have invented new pleaſures, as Sardanapalus; and new torments, as in the Primitive times, the firſt experiment whereof, was made upon the poore Chriſtians; and in the Rom. 1.30. among the catalogue of ſinnes and ſinners there ſpoken of,Rom. 1.30. ye ſhall finde inventers of evill things, to be of the number: O it is an evill thing to be ſuch, and yet we have ſuch as theſe in theſe times; what ſtrange oathes are coyn'd and deviſed now adaies? they are ſuch, as I feare once to name them: what ſtrange faſhions are invented by others? ſuch as our Fore-fathers never knew nor ſaw: what ſtrange wayes of drinking have the ſons of Belial deviſed? by the yard, by the dye, by the doſen, by the ſcore: nay, what beginners of ſtrange opinions have wee amongſt us? and what ſtrange kindes of cheats are there in the world? they are ſuch, as no warineſſe of Laws can take hold of the Authours: wee wonder at new diſeaſes that come amongſt us every yeere, but we may ceaſe to wonder, when we conſider what new ſinnes be every day committed: therefore God ſends ſtrange diſeaſes amongſt us, becauſe we are guilty of new impieties: in the Name of God, let us affect being firſt in well-doing; but let us not ſo much as move to be the laſt in evill: I will not excuſe him that followes an ill example, but his judgement ſhall be greateſt, that gave an ill example, that digged the pit for another to fall into; for our Saviour hath ſaid it, Woe be unto him by whom the offence comes. But will ſome ſay, I could be content to follow any in a good way or worke, but I would faine have others ſhew me the way: To whom I anſwere, that if Noah had ſtood upon this, he had never built the Arke; and if Nehemiah had ſtood on this, the walls of Hieruſalem had not been re-built: had the Leaper in the Goſpel ſtood on this, he had never returned to give thankes, for ten were cleanſed, onelyonly one returned to give our Saviour thanks: ſo if the Samaritan had ſtood on this, the poore man that lay by the high-way ſide half dead, had died outright: how can the Kingdome of heaven ſuffer violence, if men ſtrive not to goe before each other in goodneſſe? We ſay, he is an ill horſe that will not lead the way, but only follow; and I will not give a button for that Chriſtian, that will doe no more then he ſees others doe: How doe yee in your affaires in the world? if a commoditie come from beyond the Seas, of which you ſtand in need, doe you ſtay till others bid money for it? no, but with all ſpeed, yee get it into your owne hands, and ſhall there be ſuch a moderation in ſpirituall things? well, take heed of this, elſe that may befall you, which befell the Scribes and Phariſees, Publicans and Harlots will goe before you into heaven: be perſwaded then to be the firſt in good actions, and when thou art in a good way, keep in it; for unleſſe thou perſeſevere in well-doing, it will availe thee nothing, that thou wert once good: it did Judas no good at all to be of the twelve, when once he fell away; and it ſhall not doe man any good, to lay a good foundation, if he build not a good ſtructure upon it; for to begin in the ſpirit, and to end in the fleſh, to ſet out good Wine at the firſt, and then that which is worſe, is the Devills banquet, and no other. Further, as Ezra had the honour to be an example to others in goodneſſe, ſo now ſee the effect of it, [a great company of men, women and children aſſembled together.] And why ſo? Doubtleſſe for no other cauſe, but to humble themſelves, as he had done: So efficacious and powerfull is the example of goodneſſe in great ones: ſee it in Joſhua, when he proteſteth, that he and his houſe will ſerve the Lord, the people preſently ſay, that they alſo will ſerve the Lord. Joſh. 24.15.18. the like wee ſee in Nehemiah, Joſh. 24.15.18he no ſooner ſhewed himſelf willing to reedifie the walls of Hieruſalem, but all the people ſet their heart and hand to the worke: wee ſee the ſame in the King of Nineveh, as ſoone as hee put on ſackcloth, all his Subjects did the like: it is ſaid of Auguſtus, that in his time Rome was full of Schollers, becauſe he affected Learning: in the time of Commodus, it was full of Fencers, becauſe he loved that exerciſe; and in Nero his time, it was full of Muſitians, for he took great delight in Muſick: thus that old verſe is verified, Regis ad exemplum totus componitur orbis, all men compoſe their manners to his who is their Governour; the truth is, the example of great ones, is the Load-ſtone, which drawes inferiours after it; that is the Compaſſe, by which moſt men ſaile: and as it is ſo with thoſe who be great in the State, ſo with thoſe which are eminent in the Church, their Godlineſſe drawes many to goodneſſe: how admirable is that which Nazianzen reports of St. Baſil, he ſaith, he thundered in his Preaching, and lightned in his converſation; hee was like another John Baptiſt, who was a burning and ſhining light, Jo…n 5.35.Joh. 5.35. hee burned in himſelf by ſincerity, and ſhined to others by a godly converſation: and what was the effect of this? wee finde in the ſame verſe, that all men rejoyced in his light: thus it was with Ezra, in our Text, hee weeps and mournes, and that ſo workes upon the people, that they are preſently moved to doe the ſame.
Ʋſe 1 It ſhall be to all great ones in the world: let them that be high in the State labour to be good, for they be in oculo mundi, in the eye of the world, and if they be not godly, their failings be taken notice of more than others, and though their offences be but ſmall, yet they hurt much by reaſon of their example: a Wem in the backe, is not ſo much as a Wart in the face, becauſe the one is hid, but the other is obvious to all beholders; and a private mans ſinne is nothing ſo great as the ſinne of a publike perſon, for the errors of great men are obſerved ſtrangely: as yee ſee it is with the Sunne, when it is not eclipſed, few look upon it, but when it is in an Eclipſe, all mens eyes almoſt are fixt upon it: ſo it is with the ſinnes of eminent perſons, their failings, though ſmall, runne into the obſervation of many, when as great ſins of private men are ſcarce taken notice of. Neither is this all, but by this meanes other men are heartned on in ſinne, for inferiours take a liberty to ſin, when they ſee their ſuperiours doe the ſame; ipſi non ſolum corrumpuntur, ſed alios corrumpunt, they are not onelyonly corrupted themſelves, but they corrupt others by their evill example; they poiſon many by their vitious life, which is as a canker that frets, and as a gangrene that corrupts, and they doe not more hurt by their ſinne, then by their example.
Ʋſe 2 In the ſecond place, let it be a Uſe to thoſe who are eminent in the Church, ſuch as Ezra was▪ let them not onelyonly Preach, but live well; for if Aaron ſhall have his bells, but not his Pomegranates, he may ſound well, but he will ſent ill: if a Phyſitian ſhall preſcribe that Phyſick to another in the ſame diſeaſe with himſelf, to recover him, and yet will refuſe to uſe it himſelf, what can men ſay leſſe, then that he is an enemie to his owne health? and when Miniſters ſhall Preach that to others, which themſelves will not practiſe, is the next way for them to be caſt-awayes: neither is this all, but by an ill life they infect many; it is ſaid of Saint Paul, Gal. 2.11.14.Gal. 2.11.14. that when he came to Antioch, hee withſtood Peter to the face, becauſe he had compelled the Gentiles to live as the Jewes: we muſt not thinke, that Peter uſed any violence to conſtraine them, but they took boldneſſe by his example, and therefore as Paul ſaith there, hee was to be blamed. Let all ſuch therefore be exhorted, not to binde heavie burdens upon others, which themſelves will not touch with one of their fingers; if they doe, I know it will be laid unto them, Medice cura teipſum, Phyſitian heal thyſelf▪ and for you that be the people, not to leave you without an admonition, it will advantage you nothing to ſay, that your Governours and Miniſters have been bad, and therefore you are no better, but remember what our Lord and Maſter ſaith, Doe what they ſay, not as they doe: therefore, when you have holy Precepts and Patterns, make conſcience to follow them: but if neither of theſe will prevaile with you, judge whoſe fault it is, if ye faile, and fall ſhort of your Salvation, [there aſſembled a very great company of men, women and children, for the people wept ſore:] the ſinne was great and generall, therefore all aſſembled, that they might be humbled together: the point of Doctrine which ariſeth hence is this.
Where the ſinne is generall and epidemicall, good reaſon that all ſhould be joyned together in humiliatition: in the 1 Sam. 7.6. the people had committed a great ſinne,1 Sam. 7 6. therefore they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water, and powred it out before the Lord, and faſted on that day, and ſaid, Wee have ſinned againſt the Lord: they were conſcious to themſelves, that all had ſinned, therefore they were all humbled:Neh. 9.1, 2. the like wee ſee in Neh. 9.1, 2. it is ſaid, All the children of Iſrael aſſembled with faſting and ſackcloth, and earth upon them, and confeſſed their ſins, and the iniquities of their Fathers: and Joel calls for this,Joel 1.14. Joel 2.15, 16, Joel 1.14. and 2.15, 16. and this is that which Solomon preſcribes as a generall receipt, in time of affliction,1 King. 31.39. 1 Kings 8.38, ſaith he, What prayer or ſupplication ſoever be made by any men, or by all thy people Iſrael, which ſhall know every man the plague of his owne heart, and ſpread forth his hand toward this Houſe▪ then hear thou in Heaven, thy dwelling place, and forgive, and doe, and give to every man according to his wayes.
When wee ſhall ſee that the ſinnes of the times doe overflow,Ʋſe and be grown up to heaven, as at this time they are; it ſhall be fit, though a publik humiliation be not preſcribed by Authority, to make our humiliation generall by every mans ſorrowing for his own ſinnes. (Beloved) were it not for ſome faithfull Moſes that intercedes for us, this ground would not beare us; but as for the ten thouſands of Iſrael, they are ſo farre from humiliation, that as God complaines,Iſa. 22.12, 13. Iſa. 22.12, 13. When he called to weeping and mourning, to baldneſſe and to girding with ſackcloth: they would admit of nothing but joy and gladneſſe, ſlaying Oxen, and killing Sheep, eating fleſh, and drinking Wine, ſaying, Let us eate and drinke, for to morrow we ſhall die. Which of us is there, but muſt needs confeſſe, that our ſinnes deſerve the wrath of God▪ Shall we all cry guilty? and ſhall wee not all be humble? It is fearfull; The Court complaines of the City, and the City of the Court, and the Countrey of both, when as all are in fault: O ſay they in the City, Thoſe of the Court are ſo horribly wicked that we are all like to ſmart for their prophaneneſſe: and ſaith the Court, Such is the cheating of the Citizens, that they will draw downe judgements upon us all: thus one accuſes another, but in the mean time, who ſmites his hand on his breaſt, and ſaith, What have I done? Well, every man muſt have a hand in the generall humiliation, becauſe all have been guilty of provoking God to indignation; therefore he that excepts himſelf, deceives himſelf: Great judgements are now upon us, and greater are feared and expected, becauſe deſerved; therefore let us humble our ſelves in the preſence of Almighty God, that thoſe judgements which are feared, may be recalled, and thoſe which lie heavy upon us, may be removed from us. But marke the particular numeration which die Spirit of God mak…s, [men, women, children.] Firſt men, and good reaſon men ſhould lead the dance, and goe before the reſt in a good way: Abraham went firſt out of his Countrey, and Sarah followed him: it is ſaid of Elkanah, That he went out of his City yeerely to worſhip, and to ſacrifice to the Lord in Shiloh, and be carried his two wives with him. Men ſhould lead the way to their Wives, for it is a ſhame unto men, that women ſhould excell them in goodneſſe: it was ſo with the wife of Phinehas, 1 Sam. 4.21.1 Sam. 4.21. ſhe was a gracious woman, but hee was a ſon of Belial: ſo it was alſo with Abigail, ſhee was a vertuous woman, but Nabal her husband was wicked: nay, if a man be good, yet if he be exceeded by his wife, it is a ſhame to him; Manoah the father of Sampſon, was a good man, but if wee marke what is recorded of his wife and him, we will ſay, that his wife was the better of the two: out of doubt, the Shunamite was a good man, but of the two, his wife was the better, for ſhe gave him counſell to make that good proviſion for the man of God, 2 Kings 4.9, 10. and in the time that our Saviour was on the earth,2 King. 4.9, 10. there were divers women famous for goodneſſe: I preſſe it no further then thus; you that are men, I confeſſe, you have more honor put upon you, then women have, and I know, you are apt enough to arrogate as much to your ſelves; but take heed that whilſt you goe before them in honour, that they prevent you not in the beſt things; if it ſhall be ſo, I ſay no more, and I cannot ſay leſſe to you, then Jacob ſaid to Reuben, Your dignitie is gone. the ſecond ſort of people ſpoken of, are [Women,] and indeed the ſervice of God is charged upon them, as well as upon men, as in the 1. Tim. 2.10.15. 1 Pet. 3, 4. and they ought to joyne in humiliation, as well as men:1 Tim. 3 10, 15. 1 Pet. 3.4. nay marke in the 2. of Joel; The Bride is charged to come out of her bride-chamber, to mourne; Joel 2.ſhee that might pleade moſt exemption, is not excepted: And when the King of Nineveh made that Edict, that all ſhould faſt, it were a fond thing to thinke, that women were excluded:Iſa. 32.12. in Iſa. 32. 11. the Spirit of God ſaith, Tremble ye women that are at eaſe, be troubled yee careleſſe women: ſtrip ye, and make ye bare, and gird ſackcloth on your loines: ſo that it is charged on that ſex, to be humbled, as well as upon men; and ye muſt know, that the ſins of women draw on judgements, as well as the ſinnes of men: in Jerem. 7.18. The womens making cakes to the queen of heaven, Jere. 7.28.did provoke God to anger, and haſtened his judgements upon the land: and the daughters of men drew on the deluge, as well as the ſons of God: It were a poore thing to think, that God hated the perjuries of Troy, and loved the perjuries of Rome, that he hated the ſins of men, and loved the ſinnes of women; this cannot be imagined of him, who is a God of pure eyes, and hates ſin, whereſoever he findes it.
Let me preſſe that which hath bin ſaid upon you of that Sex,Ʋſe that ye may humble your ſelves for your ſinnes: there is much cauſe for it, as your vanitie in apparell, your going beyond your means and calling, your negligence in Gods Service, your idolizing your children, your froward behaviour to your husbands; theſe and many more ſinnes whereof you are guilty, call for your repentance and teares: and let not the faireſt of you all feare that the ſhedding a few teares will ſpoile your beautie, but if you ſhould chance to hurt your faces by weeping, I am ſure you would doe good to your ſoules: I read in the Eccleſiaſticall Story of one Pambus, who ſeeing a woman dreſſe her ſelfe curiouſly and laſciviouſly, he could not forbeare weeping, and being demanded the reaſon, he gave two reaſons for it, firſt, that he was not ſo carefull for his ſoule as ſhe was for her tiring; ſecondly, that ſhe wept not for her ſinnes, which drew teares from his eyes: and ſhall others weepe for the ſinnes of women, and not they for their owne ſinnes? in the name of God humble your ſelves in his preſence, that when he ſees you poore in ſpirit he may exalt you. Thirdly, [The children came,] What? the children joyne in humiliation? Yes, why not? for God was offended, and they had reaſon to be humbled for it. Secondly, though they were not actors in ſinne, yet they were guilty of Adams tranſgreſſion. Thirdly, they could not excuſe themſelves, for beſides their originall ſinne, they had committed many actuall ſinnes; for I ſuppoſe none came to this aſſembly, but ſuch as were of ſome underſtanding, and ſuch, though little ones, are proud and wanting in duty to parents, and love to brethren; and ſuch will ſpeak wickedly and falſely, before they can talke perfectly: there have been excellent vertues found in little ones; Samuel, when he was a child, miniſtred before the Lord; and in the time of our Bleſſed Saviour, the children cryed, Hoſanna to the King of Iſrael: I therefore direct my ſpeech to little ones, let ſinne be deteſted by you in your younger yeeres, learn the trade of fearing and ſerving God, when you are young, and it will never be forgotten as long as you live. The ſecond thing ſet downe in this verſe is, [that the people wept very ſore.] What was the reaſon? the Reaſon ſhall be the Obſervation.
Great ſinnes muſt have a great meaſure of ſorrow. In Pſal. 6.6. David having committed great ſins,Pſal. 6.6. made his bed to ſwim, and watered his couch with his teares: Nay, he made them not onelyonly his Phyſick, but his meat,…ſa…. 42.3. Pſal. 42.3. My teares have been my meat day and night: it was thus with Peter, hee had committed a foul ſinne, in denying his Lord and Maſter, therefore hee went out and wept, foreign, bitterly: it was ſo with Mary Magdalene, ſhe was a great ſinner, therefore ſhe ſhed many teares: and the inceſtuous Corinthian grieved ſore for his foul ſinne: the Church ſaith in the Lamentations, Mine eyes drop down daily; the teares ſtood ſtill in her eyes, and trickled down her cheeks in great abundance, becauſe ſhee knew her ſelf guilty of many ſinnes: This is that which Cyprian ſubſcribeth to, ſaith he, as wee are ſenſible of great ſins, which we commit, ſo let us ſpend teares in abundance for them.
It is to cenſure the ſlightneſſe of ſorrow which men beſtow upon their ſinnes,Ʋſe though great and grievous: but if the heart be a daily fountaine of ſinne, as ſure I am it is, I know no reaſon, but our eyes ſhould be Rivers of teares: ſeeing wee have deſerved to be in that place, where is nothing but weeping and wailing, there is good cauſe wee ſhould weep here for our ſins, that we may avoid thoſe eternall flames; Nay, though God have pardoned our ſins, yet let us remember them with griefe and ſorrow, that we may be the more humbled for them: ye lay your fleſh in brine, to keep it from putrefying; and there is no better way in the world to humble us, then to call to minde our former iniquities: Yee ſay, much rain makes the high-wayes foul, and ſo it is▪ but the more teares we ſhed, the cleaner will our ſouls be; for repentant teares cleanſe better then either Soape or Nitre. To conclude this verſe, all the people ſaw Ezra mourne, therefore they weepe with him: from whence I collect thus much;
Sin muſt have ſorrow at one time or other: ſaith the Wiſe-man,Prov. 29.6. Prov. 29.6. In the tranſgreſsion of an evill man, there is a ſnare: and the trueth is, in the commiſſion of every ſin, a ground is laid for ſorrow; nay, let me tell you, the ſweeter ſinnes have been to men, the ſoarer ſhall be the remembrance of them, when God ſets them before their eyes.Job 13.26. See it in Job, 13.26 Thou writeſt bitter things againſt mee, and makeſt me poſſeſſe the iniquities of my youth. The ſinnes committed in youth, men account the ſweeteſt ſinnes, and yet the remembrance of theſe was moſt grievous to Iob. Wee ſee the ſame in David, when hee had committed that ſweet ſinne, as men call it, and had layn nine Moneths in it, at laſt hee calls it to remembrance, and it brought him ſo much grief, that he thought hee had loſt the favour of God, and therefore hee ſaith, Reſtore unto me the joy of thy ſalvation. But it will be ſaid, wee finde it not alwayes thus, for there are ſome that ſinne, and never have ſorrow in all their lives, but dye in peace: I wil ſuppoſe this, but yet the Doctrine is true, for I ſay, ſinne muſt have ſorrow at one time or other, and if ſuch men have not ſorrow here, to be ſure, they ſhall have it hereafter.
Hearken to this you Epicures of the World, you that ſwallow downe ſinne, as the fiſh doth water, who ſtraine neither at Gnats nor Camells, but ſpend your time in eating and drinking, in ſinging and dancing; the time is comming, when you ſhall mourn while others laugh; therefore think on ſinne now, that you may ſorrow for it, before it be too late; hic mordeant, ne in aeternum excrucient, let thy ſinnes bite thee here, leſt they torment thee for ever hereafter: teares will doe thee good now, but if once a man be over the threſhold of this life, though then hee would weepe a whole Ocean of Teares, they would doe him no good.