So First, the displeasure of God towards us is commonly expressed in the Scripture by these two things: by shewing his fearful countenance upon us, and by turning his face, or hiding it from us. By shewing his dreadful countenance, is signified his great wrath: but by turning his face, or hiding thereof, is many times more signified, that is to say, That he clearly forsaketh us, and giveth us over. The which significations be taken of the properties of men's manners. For men towards them whom they favour, commonly bear a good, a cheerful, and a loving countenance: so that by the face or countenance of a man, it doth commonly appear what will or mind he beareth towards others. when God doth shew his dreadful countenance towards us, that is to say, doth send dreadful plagues of sword, famine, or pestilence upon us, it appeareth that he is greatly wroth with us. But when he withdraweth from us his word, the right doctrine of Christ, his gracious assistance and aid, which is ever joined to his word, and leaveth us to our own wit, our own will and strength: he declareth then, that he beginneth to forsake us. For whereas God hath shewed to all them that truly believe his gospel, his face of mercy in Jesus Christ, which doth so lighten their hearts, that they, if they behold it as they ought to do, be transformed to his image, be made partakers of the heavenly light, and of his Holy Spirit, and be fashioned to him in all goodness requisite to the children of God: so, if they after do neglect the same, if they be unthankful unto him, if they order not their lives according to his example and doctrine, and to the setting forth of his glory, he will take away from them his kingdom, his holy word, whereby he should reign in them, because they bring not forth the fruit there of that he looketh for. Nevertheless he is so merciful, and of so long sufferance, that he doth not shew upon us that great wrath suddenly. But when we begin to shrink. from his word, not believing it, or not expressing it in our livings: first, he doth send his messengers, the true preachers of his word, to admonish and warn us of our duty: that, as he, for his part, for the great love he bore unto us, delivered his own Son to suffer death, that we, by his death, might be delivered from death, and be restored to the life everlasting, evermore to dwell with him, and to be partakers and inheritors with him of his everlasting glory and kindom of heaven: so again, that we, for our parts, should walk in a godly life, as becometh his children to do. And if this will not serve, but still we remain disobedient to his word and will, not knowing him, nor loving him, nor fearing him, nor putting our whole trust and confidence in him: and on the other side, to our neighbours behaving ourselves uncharitably, by disdain, envy, malice, or by committing murder, robbery, adultery, gluttony, deceit, lying, swearing, or other like detestable works, and ungodly behaviour, then he threateneth us by terrible comminations, swearing in great anger, that whosoever doth these works, shall never enter into his rest: which is the kingdom of heaven. This Homily asserts the amissibility of grace, and the danger of falling into sin and eternal perdition: whereby those who affirm that we may fall foully but not finally, or "once in grace always in grace," may be convinced of their error before it be too late. HOM. VIII. On Falling from God. The Second Part of the Sermon on Falling IN the former part of this Sermon ye have learned how many manner of ways men fall from God: some by idolatry, some for lack of faith, some by neglecting of their neighbours, some by not hearing of God's word, some by the pleasure they take in the vanities of worldly things. Ye have also learned in what misery that man is, which is gone from God: and how that God, yet, of his infinite goodness, to call again man from that his misery, useth first gentle admonitions by his preachers, after he layeth on terrible threatenings. Now if this gentle monition and threatening together do not serve, then God will shew his terrible countenance upon us, he will pour intolerable plagues upon our heads, and after he will take away from us all his aid and assistance, wherewith before he did defend us from all such manner of calamity. As the evangelical prophet Isaiah, agreeing with Christ's parable, doth teach us, saying, That God had made a goodly vineyard for his beloved children: he hedged it, he walled it round about, he planted it with chosen vines, and made a turret in the midst thereof, and therein also a vine-press. And when he looked that it should bring forth good grapes, it brought forth wild grapes. And after it followeth, Now shall I shew you, (saith God) what I will do with my vineyard: I will pluck down the hedges, that it may perish: I will break down the walls, that it may be trodden under foot: I will let it lie waste, it shall not be cut, it shall not be digged, but briars and thorns shall overgrow it; and I shall command the clouds, that they shall no more rain upon it. Isaiah v. Matt. xxi. By these threatenings we are admonished and warned, that if we, which are the chosen vineyard of God, bring not forth good grapes, that is to say, good works that may be delectable and pleasant in his sight, when he looketh for them, when he sendeth his messengers to call upon us for them, but rather bring forth wild grapes, that is to say, sour works, unsavoury, and unfruitful: then will he pluck away all defence, and suffer grievous plagues of famine, battle, dearth, and death, to light upon us. Finally, if these serve not, he will let us lie waste, he will give us over, he will turn away from us, he will dig and delve no more about us, he will let us alone, and suffer us to bring forth even such fruit as we will, to bring forth brambles, briers, and thorns, all naughtiness, all vice, and that so abundantly, that they shall clean overgrow us, choke, strangle, and utterly destroy us. But they that in this world, live not after God, but after their own carnal liberty, perceive not this great wrath of God towards them, that he will not dig, nor delve any more about them, that he doth let them alone even to themselves. But they take this for a great benefit of God, to have all their own liberty: and so they live, as if carnal liberty were the true liberty of the gospel. But God forbid, good people, that ever we should desire such liberty. For although God suffers sometimes the wicked to have their pleasure in this world, yet the end of ungodly living is at length endless destruction. The murmuring Israelites had that they longed for; they had quails enough, yea till they were weary of them. But what was the end thereof? Their sweet meat had sour sauce: even while the meat was in their mouths, the plague of God lighted upon them, and suddenly they died. So, if we live un Num. xi. HOM. VIII. On Falling from God. godlily, and God suffereth us to follow our own wills, to have our own delights and pleasures, and correcteth us not with some plague: it is no doubt but he is almost utterly displeased with us. And although he be long ere he strike, yet many times when he striketh such persons, he striketh them at once for ever. So that when he doth not strike us, when he ceaseth to afflict us, to punish or beat us, and suffereth us to run headlong into all ungodliness and pleasures of this world that we delight in, without punishment and adversity, it is a dreadful token that he loveth us no longer, that he careth no longer for us, but hath given us over to our own selves. As long as a man doth prune his vines, doth dig at the roots, and doth lay fresh earth to them, he hath a mind to them, he perceiveth some token of fruitfulness that may be recovered in them; but when he will bestow no more such cost and labour about them, then it is a sign that he thinketh they will never be good. And the father, as long as he loveth his child, he looketh angryly, he correcteth him when he doth amiss: but when that serveth not, and upon that he ceaseth from correction of him, and suffereth him to do what he listeth himself, it is a sign that he intendeth to disinherit him, and to cast him away for ever. So surely nothing should pierce our heart so sore, and put us in such horrible fear, as when we know, in our conscience, that we have grievously offended God, and do so continue, and that yet he striketh not, but quietly suffereth us in the naughtiness that we have delight in. Then specially it is time to cry, and to cry again, as David did, Cast me not away from thy face, and take not away thy Holy Spirit from me. Lord turn not away thy face from me, cast not thy servant away in displeasure. Psalm li. Hide |