murmuring and grudging nature whensoeuer our flesh by any occasion is prouoked thereunto FINIS OF ZEALE THE THIRD SERMON Reuel 3. 19. Be zealous therefore and amend AS Zeale can neuer be sufficiently commended so much lesse may it effectually be perswaded to many howbeit that wee may shadow out some Anatomie thereof let vs first see how God commendeth it then how hee rewardeth it that so wee may the more freely with greater authoritie speake of the thing it selfe What is the vse of the first foure Commaundements but that wee should with zeale worship the Lord The first precept chargeth all men charwith the matter of God his worship shewing what it is The second geth vs with the manner prescribing how wee must vse it The third imposeth on vs the right end of his worship and teacheth why we must doe it The fourth commaundement pointeth the time and instructeth vs when wee must solemnely professe and exercise this worship of God Concerning the large promise offered to pure zeale what is greater than that the Lord should binde himselfe to aduance them into the chaire of honour before all the world who will honour him Againe that he will defame them most surely with some notable marke of infamie that dishonour him yea and he will vomit them vp as a loathsome burthen to testifie his vtter misliking of them First now let vs consider how true zeale beginneth in our selues and taketh his proceedings to others For neuer can that man be zealous to others which neuer knew to be zealous to himselfe And as zealous men in their ascendent begin at themselues and goe to others so in their retrograde they come from others end in themselues If we consider the zeale of Abraham Moses Iosua Samuel Daniel Iehosaphat Ezekiah we shall neuer see expressely in the word that at any time they were more zealous to others than to themselues We see on the contrarie how it hath beene a fearefull note of hypocrites and such as haue fallen from the liuing God that they haue waded very deepely into other mens possessions gored very bloodily into the consciences of others who neuer once purged their owne vncleane sinkes at home noâ— drew one drop of blood out of their owne hearts How zealous as wosull and late experience still crieth in our eares were some great reformers of the Church who were readie to burst their bowels with crying against disorders abroad and yet neuer reformed their owne consciences at home noâ— found themselues any whit grieued for their owne sinnes These men being so zealous to others but onely through some secret loue of the world when they had that they sought for made knowne their hollow and rotten zeale in that without any griefe of conscience they could rush into a profound worldlinesse and without all godly sorrow could aâ—ter they had satisfied their greedie and fieshly zeale nâ—t onely more hardly â—eare vp their owne consciences but also be so chaunged that they sowe vp theiâ— lippes and â—pare their words from speaking in the like manner againe to others and so are neither zealous to themselues nor others True zeale casteth the first stone at our selues and plucketh the beame out of our owne eyes that we may the better draw the more out of anothers eye And this is the condemnation of the world that euery man can prâ—e and make a priuâ—e search into the wants of others but they account the same wants no wants in themselues The father saith thus the child dâ—th so the child saith in this dutie doth his father faile the husband knoweth what the wife should doe the wife seeth the duties of her husband we thinke in this particular another should behaue himselfe but yet the father repenteth not of the sinnes which he did being a child the child repenteth not of his sinnes being a father we call not in our consciences for those things which we dare challenge and one out for in others Here offereth it selfe the second propertie of zeale that it is sincere and in the truth it vrgeth our selues more than others it maketh vs the most seuere censurers of our owne soules it is strictest to our â—elues offereth libertie to others and this simplicitie appeareth either in inward corruption or in the liberrie of outward things the first whereof doth so humble vs in the wants present and in those corâ—uptions which hang behind vs that we are zealous of those secret â—uils which are not onely vnespied of others but euen vnknowne also to our selues Although the whole world cannot charge vs with want of dutie yet considering our priuie corruptions wee daily declaime against our selues and say with the Apostle though our consciences do not oppresse vs yet herein we are not iustified Yea such ought to be ouâ— familiaritie and acquaintance with secret infirmities in ourselues so grieuous ought they to be in our eyes in our eares to our faces that where we shall see heare and behold the sinnes of others they may be more tollerable and so learne by the sense of our owne sores to deale more mildly and mâ—ekely with the sores of others Neither doe I meane that we should make other mens sinnes no sinnes and that wee should haue no kinde of censure vnto others but that there should be that holy mixture in vs of the zeale of Gods glorie and sight of humaine corruption that for the one we may not spare to rebuke any sinne and for the other wee may moderate our rebukes with mildnes and meeknes Abraham was so strict to himselfe that he would not take of the King of Sodom so much as a threed or a latchet and yet he would not deny Aner Echol and Mamre their libertie Iob would not permit to himselfe nor denie to his children their libertie of feasting so that it is rather a Pharisaicall pride than a Christian zeale to be too tetricall in vrging of others so farre that whosoeuer in euery point is not pure and precise as we we cast them off as dogs and prophane persons and such as are vnworthie of any account or countenance This then must be our pedagogie in this point that as for the glory of God which is deere vnto vs we are not to leaue the least sinne vnespied or the least meanes vnattempted to aduance the glory of God So for the grieuousnes of sinne for the easines to fall into sin for the vilenes of corruption which we haue obserued in our selues for the knowledge of the wrath of God for sinne in vs we are loth for loue to see our brother either so vilely infected so perillously endangered to goe without our louing admonition both to draw him out of his sinne and to rescue him from the wrath of God due to his sinne Further this attribute of true zeale maketh vs as willing to be admonished as carefull to admonish and that not onely of our superiours which is
must labour to remooue this mountaine of sinne in our selues so finding how ougly a thing sinne is and that by experience in our selues we shall neither flatter others in their sinne nor yet rebuke them too rigorously For he that doth so trauaile with his owne heart shall loue that good thing in another which he liketh in himselfe and shall be grieued for that sinne in another which he hath found grieuing before in himselfe For as we hauing been in sicknesse and are recouered can by the smart which we haue felt pitie the smart of mother and can tell how comfortable health is to another which we haue found comfortable to vs euen so we can shew compassion to them which are stung with sinne as feeling the burden therof in our selues and can reioyce at the libertie of conscience peace of minde in others which we haue reioyced at in our selues because in suffering miserie we haue learned to offer mercy let vs see this doctrine more plainely We shall see some very warie in vsing a ceremonie and peraduenture not without cause because it is not necessarie to edification in the Church of God and although it may be that they thinke it lawfull in respect of the thing and in respect of themselues yet because it is not expedient they willingly refuse it and will not meddle with it and then if others doe not so but thinke it lawfull to be worne and therefore vse it here through loue the matter being about a thing indifferent they must learne to beare with them Others there be who vnwilling to vse it themselues iudge straight all others as heinous offenders that vse it Let vs learne this of Abraham who refused to take so much of the Egyptians himselfe as a shooe-latcher and yet to others that would take he would not deny the law of armes He confesseth that he refused for his nephewes sake and therefore gaue libertie to others to doe as they would See this good father was more streight to himselfe than to others and gaue more libertie to others than to himselfe So Paul seeing that in some places he could not so conueniently liue of other mens charges as at Corinth and Thessalonica although at Colossos he receiued somewhat where they were more able to bestow on him refused to take any thing would he that all men should be tied to his example to doe the like surely no for what one thing doth he labour about more than this that Ministers ought sufficiently to be prouided for For we see he was strict to himselfe in many things yet euermore he left libertie vnto others as we may see Rom. 14 1 Cor 8. and 10 where he entreateth of the vse of things indifferent Wherefore he would haue Christians of this minde that they might say thus with themselues I can doe this by Christian libertie but if it be any hindrance or offence to my brother or any slander to the Gospell I will not doe it if they doe it not so they make conscience of other good things I will not in this wage warre with them I will not oppose battaile against them but to ioyne with them in greater and better matters through loue I will pardon the lesse We must now most streightly deale with our selues both for these reasons alleaged as also because we know what mercies of God we haue receiued more than others we must giue libertie vnto others because we know not whether they haue receiued the like gifts graces and mercies of God as we haue If this had been vsed long agoe what vnitie had there been established in the Church of God for want of this what troubles haue risen therein Here we must beware that we flatter not a man no not in the least sin that is farre froÌ„ the nature of loue whereof we speake but we must so tolerate as we purpose not to let any man lie in sinne but labour to reclaime it yet aswaies with the zeale of Gods glorie and the hatred of his sinne and with the spirit of meeknes and pitie of his person Wherefore here doth fitly come in the sixt rule which is that then we shall most surely know when our zeale is right when we are much moued when God is much grieued and we are much grieued because our brother hath so offended Here is an excellent and infallible difference betweene godly zeale and fleshly anger When the griefe of our brothers falling meeteth and is mixed with the anger of his sinning against God our anger shall not feede it selfe vpon the partie because of our wrath but of his sin because of our zeale In pure zeale therefore there must be anger for offending God and griefe because our brother hath offended When our Sauiour Christ went about to heale the man that had the withered had the Pharisies that stood by murmured because he would heale on the Sabbath day it is said that he looked about him angerly and yet it is added that he sorrowed for the blindnes of their hearts Marke here in this notable example how anger and sorrow meete together Anger that men should haue so little knowledge of God and loue of their brother sorrow that through ignorance they were so fouly ouerseene So likewise in zeale of his father Christ looked on Ierusalem with an hatred to their sinne and yet with a pitie to their miserie which was at hand he wept ouer it Mark this in al the Prophets from time to time whether it hath not bin so in them Looke on Esay on Ieremy on 〈◊〉 on Daâ—â—â—â—â—â—â—â— â—â—â—â—◠〈◊〉 of spiritâ—â—ey â—â—d not vtter their words and when they most threatned the people for their sinnes they were most grieued and feared least they should fall vpon them This is a blessed temperature thus to mingle griefe with zeale But that it is an ouerreaching zeale where our zeale feedeth more of the person than of the sinne Wherefore we must craue this speciall grace at the hand of God by prayer to be gouerned by a right zeale and that we may truly discerne the difference betweene fretting anger and pining zeale Samuel spares not Saul in his sinne but notwithstanding his great authoritie in zeale of Gods glorie he telleth him flatly that he is a sinner and yet alwaies was he bent to lament for Saul and to pray for him If we keepe this golden mixture we shall stop the mouth of the aduersaries who accuse vs to be too full of rancor and malice if we be angry as enemies to their sinne but are grieued in that for sinne they are become enemies to God If then we admonish others and he angrie with them not as seeking any reuenge of our selues but as doing it of necessitie because otherwise we shall be guiltie of dishonouring God and shewing our selues to be angrie against our will and that we doe it onely for Gods cause and therewithall remember our selues to be but men subiect to the same we shall admonish
case and that wee be as it were vtterly lost and past hope of recouerie there is no praise of redemption Heere then is the power and profit of our redemption that when all sinnes goe ouer our heads and heauen and earth the Sunne and Moone and the Starres come as it were in iudgement against vs yet a cleare and full raunsome shall be giuen into our hands wherewith to purchase our redemption and so to procure our perfect deliuerance beyond all expectation and so as it were to fetch something out of nothing We see for example in sicknes to haue either little daunger or in great daunger to haue deliuerance by present meanes is nothing but in extremitie and perill when Physicke can doe no good and make nothing for vs to keepe vs from the graue then aboue and beyond all this to be rescued therefro and to recouer our life from the pits brinke is a worke highly deseruing So though God driuevs to ordinarie meanes this is not to withdraw our redemption in vsing the meanes but to traine vp our faith that after hee may make knowne that he hath an helpe beyond all helpes and much redemption And this is needfull for vs to learne for if the meanes be manie we rest in them but if they be fewe and faint the meditation of this redemption will be most comfortable 15 It is an experiment of Gods Children that by prayer sinnes receiue their deadly wound and a temptation by resistance yea we shall finde it both sooner to depart and to recompence the present and little paine with an after and longer pleasure and contrarywise the not resisting thereof causeth it the further to feed in vs and the small present pleasing of our selues is payed with a long bitter griefe of conscience afterward 16 If we will truely learne how to auoide sinnes let vs remember oft what punishment we haue felt for sinne If wee will be kept from vnthankfulnes we must oft call to minde the things that the Lord hath done for his glorie and our soules health in vs. Sicke and sicknesse 1 THis I take to be a fitte prescription to all parties afflicted First to labour to haue peace of conscieÌ„ce ioy of the holy Ghost through the assurance of their sinnes pardoned in Iesus Christ then to be carefull to vse the meanes which may nourish their inward peace ioy thirdly they must reioyce and recreate themselues in wisedome and well-doing with the Saints of God and holie companie and lastly they must refresh themselues with kitchin physicke and a thankefull vsing of the creatures of God 2 It is not good to vse that for dyet which is prescribed for physicke for that will not worke in the extraordinarie neede of the bodie which is vsed as ordinarie in the state and time of health 3 He marked two things commonly neglected he saw that men being in daunger of death would bee prayed for in the Church but they would not haue the Church giue thankes for their recouerie Againe hee saw that women would giue thankes after their deliuerance which is a Christian dutie well beseeming them but they would not before aske the prayers of the Church And seeing it is so rare a blessing to haue the fruit of the wombe seeing sometime the mother sometime the children sometimes both died and that the gift of both is a worke passing the Sunne the Moone and the Starres it were nothing superfluous or burdensome in such cases to pray and to be thankfull 4 It is the wisedome of God ioyned with mercie for the preseruing of his Children in humility and thankfulnes if they forget to spie out and to be humbled for their inward corruptions either to let them fall into some sinne to punish their pride and sway of their owne wit or else which is his more mercifull chastisement to breake them with some crosse vntill their harts be bruised Hereof it commeth that the Lord is constrained to correct our haughtines and coole our courage by some kinde of affliction because we are ready to breake out in time of prosperitie Wherefore to cut off the occasions of sinne which Sathan would finde out in our proude flesh after long time of health the Lord sendeth some sicknes or some weaknes vpon vs to cut short our hornes wherewith by reason of long wealth wee would like Buls of Baâ—an push at the godly the Lord sendeth fire theeues and oppressions to let vs bloud in our riches least wee should â—e too rancke and grow into a surfet The best way in the middest of our prosperitie is to labour to thinke wisely and lowly of our selues and to walke fearfully as being now most jealous ouer this our corrupt nature which least feareth when Gods graces are greatest and namely as of all blessings this is one of the greatest â—uen in abundance health credit and authoritie to carrie as humble and meeke an heart and faithfull a spirit as wee would or ought to haue euen when we come out of some affliction So this of all the plagues is the greatest to be pricked and not to feele to be striken and not to be humbled for it And yet it is no great commendation to bee made better by affliction But this is the praise of godlinesse to grow on more in prosperitie then not to forsake our first loue then to enter into a lowly conceit of our selues for as it is a signe of a more liberall and ingenuous nature to learne more by lenitie than by seueritie or if he slip to recouer himselfe as carefully at the sight of another corrected before him as if he were beaten himselfe So it is a token of a minde more reformed to haue a bruifed minde rather with the â—aste of Gods mercies than with the terror of his iustice or if he see but an inckling of Gods displeasure breeding as much to strike his heart as if the heauie hands of a fearefull scourge were vpon him And here we must beware that we lose not the fruite of the least crosse for if we breake not our hearts with a little affliction we shall afterwards become blockish in greater Wherefore seeing it is a token of a melting heart to bleed at the least blow and it is a signe of a senselesse minde not to be touched vntill the sword hath tasted deeply of our blood let vs pray for the first grace of Gods children not to neede to be corrected or for the second to be the better by the least correction or at the least that the Lord let vs not goe so farre as neither prosperitie nor aduersitie can doe vs good Sathans practises 1 SAthan is readie euer to make vs most vnwilling to that wherein the Lord will most vse vs to the greatest good of his Church 2 We must pray that the Lord giue not that measure of leaue to the diuell that we giue out to sinne but that he would rather make Sathan
A conflict of the flesh and spirit and therein by practise the power of the spirit geting the vpper hand Rom 7. 23. 7. A sowing to the spirit by the vse of the meanes as of the word prayer c. 8. A purpose vnfained vpon strength receiued of vowing ones selfe whollie to the glorie of God and good of our brethren 9. A resignation of our selues into Gods hands 10. An expecting of the daily increase of our soules health our bodies resurrection 11. The forgiuing of our enemies 12. An acknowledging of our offences with a purpose truely to leaue them 13. A delight in Gods Saints 14. A desire that after our death the Church of God may flourish and haue all peace 15 A spirit without guile that is an vnfained purpose alwayes to doe well howsoeuer our infirmities put vs by it These are sure notes of our election wherein if anie bee short yet let him but see into his heart if he desire and long after these graces and remember Nehem 11. Psalm 10â— 18. Psalm 119 6. 40. 37. A TREATISE OF A CONTRACT BEFORE MARIAGE After prayer hee spake as followeth THat none of vs might doubt whether there bee iust occasion of this manner of our meeting or no wee are to call to minde euen from the Heathen that the light of nature taught them that there was a solemne promise to be made of the parties that should bee maried before they were to be ioyned in marriage and that was called the espousage and therefore we were the more to be blamed if we should neglect so good a custome especially being commended to the chosen people of God as we may gather of his words for we reade that the Lord God made a law concerning the espoused persons that if they were vnfaithfull of their bodies they should be condemned as adulterers euen as well as the maried parties Mary also was affianced vnto Ioseph before the solemnising of their mariage And the vse of the Church standeth with good reason for that the neglect of it is an occasion that many are disappointed of their purposed mariages because some of them through inconstancie goe backe It is very meete also that they should haue some instructions giuen them concerning the graces and duties that are required in that estate that they may pray vnto the Lord and so be prepared and made fit to be publikely presented to the congregation afterwards Now further as concerning the nature of this contract and espousage although it be a degree vnder mariage yet it is more than a determined purpose yea more than a simple promise For euen as he which deliuereth vp the estate of his lands in writing all conditions agreed vpon is more bound to the performance of his bargaine than he that hath purposed yea or made promise thereof by word of mouth although the writings be not yet sealed euen so there is a greater necessitie of standing to this contract of mariage than there is of any other purpose or promise made priuately by the parties These things obserued I purpose as God shall giue me grace to giue some lessons how you must prepare your selues to liue in the estate of mariage I will for the helpe of your memorie deale in this sort and order first briefly going through the Articles of your faith and then through the Commandements noting some especiall duties fit for this purpose As concerning your beleefe in God the Father you know brethren you must beleeue in him as being creator of all things and also the gouernour and preseruer of the same you must also vnderstand that he created man according to his own image and gaue him the preheminence gouernment of the woman for the helpe of the man that he might be furthered in the seruice of his God So you must much more look that you be not hindred from the Lord by your wife for there are many whilest they desire mariage so long as their hope is deferred they are carefull in the discharge of their dutie but afterward once enioying those things they looked for they waxe more negligent than they were before greatly dishonouring God by their vnthankfulnes And it may be the onely fault of man if he be not helped by his wife to grow in godlines for I thinke that euen Euah in moning her husband Adam to eate of the forbidden fruite had been an helper vnto him to bring him acquainted with the malitious enmitie of Satan against them both if according to the great measure of graces he had receiued from the Lord he had bin more faithfull in obeying the will of God and had wisely rebuked his wife And againe although the woman was the occasion of sinne yet the force of sinne to the corruption of mankind came into the world by the sinne of the man For so the Apostle saith Rom 5. As by one man meaning Adam sinne entred into the world and death by sinne and so death went ouer all men for as much as all men haue sinned So much more the grace of God and the gift of grace which is by one man Iesus Christ hath abounded vnto many And in the 3. of Genesis we reade that the eyes of the woman were not opened vntill the man had eaten of the fruite but so soone as he had eaten the eyes of them both were opened they knew that they had sinned Therefore I gather thus much that rebuke should haue preuailed more to conuert her than her mouing of him to transgresse should haue been able to peruert him I speake not to excuse the woman for I know the Lord was displeased with her and for that cause hath laid a special punishmeÌ„t vpoÌ„ her in the painful bringing forth of children But that I might shew the great charge that lieth vpon the man to stay the corruptions of the woman by reason of the authority which the Lord hath giuen him ouer her which I would haue you brother diligently to consider of And you my sister must take profit by calling to minde that this was one end of your creation that you should glorifie God in being an helper to your husband therefore take heede that you be not a hinderer vnto him to trouble him or to vexe his heart whereby he should be lesse fâ—uitfull in his calling but be you cheerful towards him so that although he should haue little comfort in al other things yet he may finde great cause to reioyce in you And this you must know that as it is required of your husband to seeke for wisedome to be able to gouerne you so the Lord requireth of you to be subiect vnto him remembring also that as God hath inioyned you silence in the congregation so you must seeke for instruction at his mouth in your priuate chamber Another thing I would haue you both to coÌ„sider of in this point of your beliefe is faith in Gods prouidence And marke that well I shall say vnto
contrariwise if you be vnmindfull of God hee will not suffer you to finde the benefits of thesâ— one by the other The second Commaundement which requireth of you to worship God after the true manner that hee appointeth in his word teacheth you thus much that you must nourish your lâ—e in this estate by the practise of things whereby he is worshipped and honored of vs nâ—mely by hearing and reading of his holie word and by the vse of the Sacraments For that same that is sâ—irred vp and nourished by this meanes is most pure and will longest endure wheâ— fâ—â—â—thly loue soone vanisheth and fadeth away In the third Commandement as you are trusted with the glorie of God so you are charged bâ—oâ—hâ—r thaâ— you abuse not his Name if you be faithfull vnto the Lord in seeking his gloâ—ie and the aduancement of his truth and of the kingdome of Iesus Christ preferring it in all things as is meete then surely will the Lord blesse you and prosper your wayes but if you fall away and slide into any heresie and so dishonor his Maiestie then will God certainly plague you in his wrath and he will make that which you desire to haue greatest comfort in turne into a curse vpon you And I would haue you remember to this ende how God the Lord dealt with wicked Amaziah who for the prophaning of Gods glorie and worship had the hart of his wife drawne from him and so to his great reproch became a notorious whore So likewise my sister that you dishonour not God as being a meanes of withdrawing your husbands heart from the duties of his calling but nourishing Faith and a good conscience in all things with him so will the Lord for his owne Names sake blesse you together For you shall finde it true which hee hath spoken Them that honour mee I will honour and them that despise mee shall be despised But beware I say that you giue no occasion of falling away or back sliding vnto your husband least God also bring shame vpon you by him by giuing him ouer to some sinne I speake not this as thogh I doubted these things in either of you both for I hope of better things of you but in speaking to you I admonish my selfe wishing that wee all take heede that wee fall not as the wicked and sinners into the hand of God for he will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine I will speâ—ke nothing of the fourth Commaundement onely referring you to that I taught publikely this day concerning the conscience wee ought to haue in the true and spirituall keeping of the same The fifth Commandement teacheth you to be obedient and to relieue and obey your husband And marke this Sister I shall now say vnto you if you had neuer so manie gifts if you had the wisedome of Abâ—gael and all other graces which are in any woman yet if you wanted obedience to your Husband I tell you true that you are nothing worth and you could haue no part in Iesus Christ who denieth himselfe to be the gouernour of anie that will not acknowledge their Husband to be their head Therefore Sister let others doe as they list but bee you in the number of those that doe feare GOD and as the daughter of Sara by doing well who yeelded reuerence to Abraham and is commended in the Scripture for her dutifull speech shee alwayes vsed vnto him calling him Lord or Sir Now Brother remember that you must so gouerne as you must giue account of the manner of your gouernment euen vnto GOD himselfe Besides where there is greater dignitie there must you knowe that there are greater graces required and in ruling well there are manie speciall duties to be performed Therefore you must behaue your selfe wiâ—ely least you dishonour your selfe by abusing your authoritie for it is a daughter of Israel that is committed vnto you and one that is fellow-heiâ—e of the same grace in IESVS CHRIST with you Againe you must consider that a woman is a very fraile creature and may soone be discouraged when as there ought to be more constancie and stayednes on your part Therefore in the sixt Commaundement God forbiddeth all churlish behauiour all lumpishnes and all vnkindnesse and discurreous speeches charging you also to beare with manie weaknesses to the ende they may bee most quietly reformed And you Sister are forbidden all fullennesse and that you also for your part take heede of all bitter speeches and of naughtie names which wee heare throwne out of some women of vnquiet spirits and if you will haue your infirmitie cured by gentlenesse then deale you in like manner towards your husbands For it cannot be but occasions of vnquietnes will sometimes be offered on either part and therefore in many things you must willinglie beare each others burthen Besides this Sister there is a dutie required in this Commaundement that you take care of the health of your Husband in dressing meates wholsome for him And this shall bee a meanes that his heart shall be more bent in all louing affection towards you In the seuenth Commandement there are many things to be noted but I can but touch some one or two at this present for want of time the speciall vse and substance of it is this much that you liue chastly in this estate and that you keepe the mariage bed vndefiled and let me giue you both this warning that you take heede in the beginning marke what I say least that which ought to be a meanes to further chastitie should turne to the hinderance of you Therefore pray to God to giue you grace that you may be soberly affected in all things and namely in the vse of mariage and repent of that which is past if you haue any way offended the Lord in this behalfe For many failing in repentance for their former sinnes fall afterward vnto their vncleannes againe As for you Brother true loue towards your wife will bee a notable stay from all corruptions this wee reade of Isaack Gen 24. 67. because he loued Rebecca very dearely he had no more wiues but her albeit in those dayes it was a grieuous sinne euen amongst many of the faithful they had at once more wiues than one Therefore when you are from her abroade make a couenant with your eyes and let not your heart wander after any other but thinke vpon your owne wife and delight your heart in her continually and pray earnestly vnto God for her and so will the Lord increase your loue vnto her and moue her heart also to delight and long after you So must you sister that the same blessings may ouertake you as surely if you embrace his feare and walke in his wayes he will blesse you as well in bearing of children as in other his manifold graces which he hath in store to bestow vpon you Heere also I must by the way admonish you
an easie thing because it is a thing whereto of necessitie wee must yeeld but also of our inferiours whom we may seeme to contemne For all men will graunt that a child ought willingly to be admonished of his father or a seruant ought obediently to be repreheÌ„ded of his master but few will in practise giue this that a father should listen to the aduertisement of his sonne or that the maister should receiue an admonition of his seruant Howbeit Iob saith he durst not contemne the iudgement of his feruant or of his maide when they did contend with him because in a dutie of pietie he looketh to them not as seruants but as brethren he looked not to the speaker onely which in respect of his calling was his inferiour but vnto the things spoken in the ordinance of God vnto whom Iob himselfe was an inferiour and before whom Iob knew there was no respect of persons Howbeit to correct the preposterous boldnes of some we rather adde this much that inferiours must rather aduise than admonish aduertise rather than reprehend their superiours that so still they may offer their pure zeale of the glorie of God in vnfained humilitie least through their corrupt zeale they doe not onely not profit their superiours but most iustly exasperate them against them For as Magistrates Ministers and maisters by God his ordinance are to admonish rebuke and reprehend so subiects inferiours and seruants by the same rule are to aduise obey and aduertise Thus zeale goeth from respect of the person to the truth of the cause Another propertie of zeale is to be constant not to be hot by fits cold in the end and onely so long as the world fauoureth it must not be earnest in the beginning and secure in the ending but keepe a continuall tenour and temperature Iobs wife seemed to goe farre so long as she could wash her paths with butter Saul and Pharaoh had some good motions by fits vpon some occasion could play fast and loose being of a strange complexion that they could be hot cold in a moment This propertie of zeale teacheth vs how to be affected in the prosperitie and afflictions of the Church namely that the publike prosperitie of Sion should comfort vs cause vs to reioyce when our priuate crosses might make vs sad As Paul being imprisoned was not so grieued at his owne bonds as he reioyced at the libertie of the Gospell of Christ. Againe that the affliction of the Saints should moue vs to a godly griefe euen when in respect of our selues we might greatly reioyce As Daniel could not finde coÌ„fort in his priuate prosperitie though he were in great authoritie and exempted from the common calamitie because he knew the Church of God to be in miserie But to goe forward pure zeale is not blinded with naturall affection but it discerneth and condemneth sinne though it be neuer so neerely resident in our kindred Many offend against this rule who neuer will rebuke sin in their friends euen vntill God reuenge it from heauen where they are farre from true friendship for whereas they might by admonishing them of their faults in time preuent the iudgements of God they do through a false loue and manifest hatred pull the iudgements of God vpon them whom they loue most deerely He loueth most naturally that hath learned to loue spiritually and he loueth most sincerely that cannot abide sinne in the partie loued without some holesome admonition But doe not many now adaies zealously mislike sinne in strangers who will not mislike the selfe-same sin if it come to kindred if it be in our wife in our children oâ— in our parents as though the diuersitie of subiects could make the selfe-same thing sinne in some and not in other some This blinde zeale God hath punished and doth punish in his children Isaac did carnally loue his sonne Esau for meate and for a peece of venison Dauid was too much affected to Absolom for his beautie and to Adoniah for his comely stature so as his zeale was hindred in discerning sinne aright in them Now Iacob was not so deere to Isaac and Salomon was more hardly set to schoole and to take paines But behold God louing Iacob and refusing Esau howsoeuer Isaac loued Esau better than Iacob made Easu most troublesome and Iacob more comfortable vnto him Absolom and Adoniah brought vp like cooknies became corosiues to Dauids heart Salomon more restrained of God leâ—le set by of Dauid was his ioy his crowne his successour in his kingdome This â—â—sease is so hereditarie to many pareÌ„ts louing their children in the flesh rather than the spirit that the holy Ghost is fame to call vpon them more vehemâ—â—tly to teach to instruct and to correct as knowing how easily nature would coole zeale in this kinde of dutie Indeed many will set by their wiues children and kinsfolke if they be thriftie like to become good husbands wittie and politike or if they be such as for their gifts can bring some reuenue to their stocke or affoord some profit vnto theÌ„ how deepe sinners soeuer they be against God that maketh no matter it little grieueth them whereby they bewray their great corruption that they neither are zealous in truth or Gods glorie nor louers aright of their children because they can be sharpe enough in reprehension if they faile but a little in thriftines yet are cold enough in admonition if they faile neuer so much in godlinesse Well let these fleshly zealous men lay to their heart the blind affection of Helâ— who being the deare child of God was seuerely punished of the Lord for that he was not zealously affected to punish sinne against God in his deere children but blessed are they that can forget their owne cause and euen with ieopardie of nature can defend the quarrell of God henceforth labouring to know no man after the flesh but to endeuour spiritually by faith to see and know Christ Iesus so as no outward league doe bleare and dazell our eyes as that we should not espie sinne in the neerest kindred to correct it or that we should not discerne vertue in the greatest aliens to reuerence it Casting off then this vaile of fleshly loue we must labour to loue most where the image of God appeareth most there shew our affections in lesse measure where sinne may be as a marke whereby God restraineth our loue euen to them where nature may soonest deceiue vs. Now whereas many haue great courage to rebuke such as either cannot gainsay them or gainsaying them cannot preuaile against them here commeth another propertie of zeale to be spoken of and that is that it feareth not the face of the mightie neither is it disâ—aied at the lookes of the proud and the loftie Such a courage was in Iob who besides that he made the yong men ashamed of their libertie and afraid of his grauitie made euen the Princes also to
those Elders which are appointed to watch and looke to the manners and behauior of the children of God if they execute this charge faithfully be had in double honour but aboue all let the faithfull Ministers such as labour in the word be honoured for why the other are ouerseers of your outward behauior but these haue an other manner of office they watch ouer your soules which tendeth to the saluation both of body and soule Moreouer it is requisite that they also feare the Minister or else can they in no ease reuerence and honour him for where feare is not all honour is absent and so consequently all dutie extinguished And this feare must not be a fained and counterfeited feare but when he shall come before the Minister to aske him any question he must consider that he commeth to talke with the messenger of the Lord whom he ought to heare as well as if the Lord himselfe were present For this is most certaine where a faithful Minister is that doth sincerely and purely preach the word it is all one as if the Lord himselfe dwelt personally among vs and his owne selfe hath verified the same saying He that heareth you heareth me And therefore it behooueth vs to giue a proofe of our feare loue and obedience towards the Lord by receiuing his word with such feare and reuerence as beseemeth his subiects although the same proceede out of a mortall mans mouth It is a common thing among vs the Embassadour of a Prince is receiued with great honour reuerence yea his message is to be receiued as vndoubtedly as if the King were present himself yea they that shall despise his authoritie shall be as hainously accounted of as if they resisted and rebelled against the Kings owne person And shall the Embassadours of the liuing God who is King of all Kings be receiued lesse worthily than the other whose authoritie is both greater and the message waightier Truly whosoeuer shall take scorne to yeeld this dutie of feare and reuerence vnto the Minister let him be assured that he scorneth not him but the Lord that sent him But some will obiect what shall we make a God of our Minister and is he so to be feared as you say I answere thee that I meane nothing lesse nay I hold him accursed that shal chalenge such dignity vnto himselfe But this feare must ye yeeld not to the person but to his office which is by the word of God to remit your sinnes and to giue you assurance that they are washed away by the blood of Christ if you be truly penitēt for them and that you are made heires of the kingdome of heauen whereof you need not to doubt On the contrarie if you be not penitent by his office hee hath authoritie to binde sinnes here on earth iustly to euerlasting condemnation which the vnpenitent may be as sure to suffer as they see the light of the day feare him therefore I say not as he is a man but as the Minister of God With what a reuerend feare did the Galathians receiue Paul his owne selfe doth report that they receiued him as an Angell of God yea more than so they receiued him as Iesus Christ himselfe And that was not for the excellencie of his person which hee testifieth was simple base vile and to all the world contemptible yea and subiect to all infirmities but they receiued him with such feare and reuerence for that excellent message which hee brought vnto them for those glad tidings which hee published among them and for that hee was a Minister of the Gospell of Iesus Christ which is the power of God to saue all the beleeuers Thus reuerently must all Gods children feare their Minister euen for the worthines of his office and ministery for if they should not feare him they could not in any case obey the word when hee doth sharply reproue them for their sinnes but euen as a light wife so long as her husband pleaseth her so long and no longer will she be obedient vnto him for if he shew a sharp countenance of very loue to driue her from some lewd cōditions then will she begin to scorne to fret and chafe and in stead of obeying him she will deadly hate him and despise him so is it with the people if they stand not in feare of the authority which God hath giuen him they will obey him no longer than he preacheth pleasant things for when he shall touch their consciences with threatning the iudgemēts of God against their sin then can they not abide him but harden their hearts not against him but against the Lord which hath sent him and so fall away to their vtter destruction the children of God must therefore feare their Minister and be obedient to the word of truth which hee bringeth vnto them When the people are come thus farre that they will willingly obey the Minister and that with feare and reuerence submit themselues to bee guided by the pure word of God they must shew further their dutifulnes towards him and must also bee readie to doe for him whatsoeuer lieth in their power which thing S. Paul earnestly desireth of the Thessalonians Wee beseech you brethren that yee acknowledge them which labour among you and are ouer you in the Lord and admonish you that you haue them in singular loue for their workes sake Where the holy Ghost sheweth a reason why they should acknowledge their Ministers which carefully faithfully doe execute their office which is for their workes sake his exhortation is in effect thus much Brethren this one thing doe I heartily craue at your hands that you be not so obliuious as to forget those which labour among you in the Lord and are by his appointment euen of great mercie towards you placed ouer you to the end they may admonish you of your sinnes and to stirre you vp by the word of God to a more zeale of the glorie of God and to walke more circumspectly before him I beseech you I say be not forgetfull of them but haue them in a singular loue yea let nothing be dearer vnto you than such for this worke sake which they haue taken in hand for I tell you truly there is no labour vnder the Sunne so profitable vnto you as this which bringeth not store of corruptible siluer and gold not large kingdomes and empires of this world which shall perish and come to an end but this profit commeth of their labour euen the saluation of your soules such a treasure as all the world no not a thousand worlds are comparable vnto it for this cause loue them Besides this it is their dutie also to prouide for him all things necessarie for that he may haue to supplie his want at their hands as we may by diuers places of the Scripture proue In the 6. to the Galathians the Apostle giueth this commandement Let him that is taught
who although we haue the generall rule of our doings yet faile in the particular practise thereof I beleeue He confesseth that all wisedome was in Gods word and this although we confesse yet in practise wee often thinke that some wisedome of men must be added thereto But hee confesseth that all wisedome is in the word and that it is sufficient to make men perfect Vers. 67. Before I was afflicted I went astray but now I keepe thy word THis is another reason which moued him to pray that hee might not be as a horse alwayes beaten but teach me that I may preuent these beatings If I be taught of thee I misse not if I be not I erre In prosperitie I could not seeke to be taught but in affliction drawe me thereunto so that now I desire to be taught of thee If prosperitie made this man worse seeing we are in prosperitie let vs be iealous of our selues and now seeke for that which God will bring vs to by affliction and which will bring affliction vpon vs. If hee will heare when wee humbly crie in affliction how much more if wee make our humble suite in our prosperitie Afflictions come because we will not iudge our selues then it is a blessing to haue the word to iudge vs and the Preacher to rebuke vs that our wanton lusts may be corrected Then wee are fond if wee will bee wearie of the word or of daily admonition If the word helpe in affliction how much more in prosperitie if we tend thereto Whom God loueth hee correcteth and wee shall know that God loueth vs when we are corrected if we be made better by it for in it selfe it is a punishment of sinne but when in the death of Christ it is sanctified to vs so that it maketh vs dye to sinne and that sinne is loathsome to vs then is it a token of Gods fauour For afflctions are common to all Eccles. 9. but when we profit by them then are they good to vs. For if good things become hurtfull if they bee not sanctified much more shall afflictions if they bee not sanctified in the death of Christ to make vs examine our wayes and see our sinnes and to driue vs to Christ. But the wicked are either worse or no better Then wee must profit by them or else we make away for a greater punishment Vers. 68 Thou art good and gratiâ—us teach me thy stâ—tutes HE desireth to be taught by God that whether hee were in prosperitie or trouble hee might liue well because prosperitie would make him forgetfull and affliction would ouâ—â— whelme him if God did â—ot teach him This must teach vs that in what state soeuer we be we desire to be taught of God otherwise we shall false After he had shewed that he keepeth Gods commanden eâ—ts he craueth for grace where he pleadeth not his merit Though he kept the word yet he prayeth that he may still be raught because he knâ—w not all and because he was râ—adie to eâ—â—e both in practise and iudgement And tâ—â—s must teach vs not onely to desire to be taught when we eâ—â—e but euen when we doâ— well Hee prayâ—th especially for the teaching of the spirit Vers. 69. The proude haue imagined a lye against mee but I will keepe thy prâ—cepts with my whole heart HE sheweth another cause why hee would be taught and that is hee hath to fight with the world And wee haue the same causes as our corruption and the world The world loueth none but her owne And if we were as zealous as others haue beene wee should be as sore troubled For they are enuious and if wee should fight with them with their owne weapons wee were too weake and therefore wee haue neede to bee helped of God Proud Faith humbleth and infidelitie maketh proud Faith humbleth because it letteth vs see our sinnes and the punishments thereof and that we haue no dealing with God but in the mediation of Christ and that wee can doe no good nor auoide euill but by grace but when men know not this then they thinke much of themselues and therefore are proud Therefore all ignorant men all heretikes and worldlings are proud They that are humbled vnder Gods hands are humble to men but they that despise God doe also persecute his seruants By proude he here meaneth them that had good gifts to teach vs that though wee bee persecuted of them that are in high places yet this is the manner of Gods people These first mocked him part 7. then they did him iniurie part 8. and here they deuise suttle deuices against him and this is the continuall practise of the wicked This is a great temptation to set a faire face vpon an euill cause and to deface a good cause as is noted by the Hebrue word This was great grace that he could withstand it The way is to approue our selues and our cause to God for if we depend vpon men then shall wee be amazed This maketh that true which is Eccles 8. that it happeneth to the good as though they were euill and contra This is the practise of the Familie of loue to raise vp euill reports against the cause of true religion and against the persons and they preuaile much This is the practise of men in these daies to deface the persons by calling them Puritanes and the cause that it will ouerthrow states With my heart The word must haue the whole heart and not a part or else we shall not outstand this temptation He meant that he did throughly meditate not that hee did nothing else For want of this we see that many being well coloured with the word yet doe shrinke when euill reports arise Vers. 70. Their heart is sat as grease but my delight is in thy law HE further sheweth the daunger of this temptation for as they were suttle to deuise wickedly so were they able to bring their wickednesse to passe For by this speech he meaneth that they had all things at their owne will and were through their riches in great authoritie I delight He sheweth how hee ouercame this by fatting his heart with the word as the wicked fatted themselues by their riches or else he should haue been carried away Then let vs neuer rest in reading or hearing the word till wee come to such delight in it as that we fat our selues with it as the worldlings doe with their riches If wee could doe this then should we easily take our hearts from these earthly things for this is the cause that men set their delight on earthly things because they know no better And that they may finde this delight it is needfull that they finde comfort in the promises by the forgiuenes of sinnes by the assurance of Gods fauorable prouidence in this life and euerlasting life afterward which when they feele and finde then shall the word be so sweete that they shall forgoe all things for it Till wee come to this delight temptations
thunderbolts And if we consider it well if one be slauish the multitude is as a waspe the great man like a Lyon with bloodie â—eeth and therefore of greater force If we vrge the multitude a man may caution against them they are but sculles without braines authority is a great scholler if such a Rabbi be of the opinioÌ„ it is not like they should be out of the way Men commonly say that there are but the great matters of the Church and common-wealth to be cared for other matters are but rattels for children to play with But Dauid prayeth as well for the little hils as for the great mountaines and Christ saith we must be faithful in little and if we cannot better one talent the Lord should do iustice if he shuld put no moe into our haÌ„ds Elihu supposeth that in the Rabbins must needs be wisedome yet after he perceiueth that the greatest is not the wisest but the inspiratioÌ„ of the Almighty giueth wisdome Kimkie writeth that in their colledges they suffered the younger schollers to speake first to shew their opinions that they might not be oppressed with the authoritie of the elders and then afterwards the Rabbins and this order is kept in diuers Vniuersities vntill this day Many will say I had rather erre with Plato than speake truth with another a most prophane sentence And marke how these men going thus against the holy Ghost doe euen destroy Logike it selfe For what argument is this such a one saith it therefore I may doe it It is not against reason And to doe that which is nought and then to affirme it by authoritie young schollers haue learned to hisse it out and yet our Rabbins vse it themselues and cannot learne to denie it when it is vsed of others Againe in authoritie we know that it is required both that the author be not deceiued for if he be blind the blind followeth the blind also that we be sure that he will let vs know the truth But the holy Ghost saith all men are lyers therefore they will deceiue and our knowledge is in part euen in that part of our ignorance may the controuersie fall out and all our goodnesse is as a stained cloth and therefore no warrant is for vs in men but in God onely who hath all skill goodnes and therefore him we may follow not men and vnlesse Christ come down and worke among vs we may follow no mans example Cursed is the man saith the Lord Ierm 17. that maketh flesh his arme This Axiome and error was once in diuinitie The Pope cannot erre therfore the curse of God was on it we at this day denie it and say Pope Councels Church may erre This we say and hold in diuinitie but in morall matters wherein are most slippes wee haue let in the former Axiome Here Protestants will set themselues vp a Pope yea many Popes but the curse of God remaineth on it for flesh is their arme With great reason therefore the holy Ghost setteth it downe This were plaine enough if men had not a prodigious spirit of errour in them but for all this this is the fig-tree still and they that haue eaten the forbidden fruit come hither for fig-leaues Rabble such a one Looke through the bookes of the Prophets and you shall heare the people alwaies answere our fathers did it our Princes gaue vs leaue our Prophets defended it Let vs resume the argument of the Eunuch to Micheas he saith behold all speake good to the King for therein lieth the force of his argnment for it is as forcible to a carnall man to say the King would haue it so as all the Prophets to denie it Now I will shew you how a King was moued with this argument that you may see the force of it 1. Sam. 29. Dauid must be gone from Achish to morrow before day saith the King looke you be gone Why saith Dauid what haue I done thou hast done good in my sight saith the King neither haue I found any euill in thee Why then must I goe my Princes fauour thee not saith the King they thinke thou art not good Is that enough Dauid proceedeth and defendeth himselfe The King replieth thou art in my sight as an Angell of heauen but the princes of my people will haue thee gone Here the King is carried away with his Rabbins A strange thing that the King should thrust him out whom his owne heart iustified for two or three sonnes of Beliall Ioh. 7. they send to Christ two or three to entrap him in his speech they returne and say we neuer heard man speake as hee doth this was it onely that caried them Doe any of the Scribes and Pharisies or of the rulers fauour him But Ioh. 19. yee shall see the strangest thing of al they would haue Christ to be put to death wee haue a law say they by which he must dye The maior followeth for he made himselfe the sonne of God the law is Leuit. 24. So that their syllogisme might seeme very good but their minor was naught Well the law would nothing moue Pilate therefore they seeke a new argument for Pilate and that is If you let him goe Pilate you are not Caesars friend Presently against his owne conscience hee condemneth him to death Will you not doe it why Caesar will haue it so yee see then what force is in this Logicke argument and no doubt it will moue vnles wee put off both Pilates and King Achish nature 12 Euery sin hath two reasons for it an open and a secret reason the open is to blind the world withall yee shall see it in Iudas his open reason was the poore better it is the poore should bee prouided for than waste should bee made his secret argument was the bagge hee carried the bagge and paid himselfe for the carrying So that whatsoeuer they pretend the secret reason is the bagge The second argument is made out of the Smiths forge but schollers cannot answere it By Diana wee get our gold saith Demetrius and therefore great is Diana So that Diana shall be great if wee can get by het This is their secret argument profit makes it honest Thirdly we set downe with our selues euen to consume our selues so we may get And for this looke 1. Sam. 23. in Sauls oration Hearken yee sonnes of Iâ—mini can this sonne of Ishai giue you fields and vineyards and make you captaines ouer hundreds and thousands No no it is I that can doe it and will yee then follow him So that he that can preferre you or giue you a field or a vineyard either in Church or Common-wealth him yee follow So Balaac saith to Balaam Why come ye not when I sent for you am not I able to preferre you So that is alwaies their inward argument whatsoeuer is pretended outward Their fourth reason is this It is foolish to stand against him the King
qualitie of a sinner Sinnes are made so much the higher greater the more that a man is bound vnto equitie for the more and greater benefits he hath receiued of God so much the more is he bound to doe his will Thirdly it is waighed and noted in the qualitie of the matter whereabout the sinne is committed for a sinne against mans person or name is greater than against his substance or goods but those sinnes are most grieuous which are directly done against God which doe impeach and touch his Maiestie so neerely piercing him as it were to the quicke as distrust despaire blasphemie idolatrie c. Fourthly sinnes measured by meanes of the end which the sinner bendeth to for the worse that the intent or purpose of the sinner is the more grieuous is his sin Fiftly circumstances are to be respected of time and place Sixtly of the very deformitie of sin it selfe according to it selfe the which is alwaies so much the greater and more loathsome as the vertue is more excellent and worthie which is contrarie to it whereupon as the loue of God is the highest vertue so on the contrarie part the hatred of God is the greatest vice S. Gregorie saith A vile and stinking carrion is more tolerable to mans sent than a sinfull soule vnto God So then if we feare and be vnwilling to appeare vile filthie and detestable before the holy and most worthie Maiestie of God and if we abhorre that the countenance of our Creator should be turned from vs let vs then auoide sinne with all carefulnes and pure affection within and without for no deformitie can so disfigure vs in mans eye as the reasonable soule by sinne is deformed and made vile and hatefull in the eyes of God and before his sight for by sinne the soule of man is made like the diuell himselfe 16 Euill doers shunne the light what they cannot auoide they endeuour to conceale they do things they shame to heare of they walke disorderly and thinke to shroud themselues in the cloudes That which the feare of God cannot cause thē wholy to auoid that the shame of men enforceth them to conuey frō the eyes of the world So sin is ashamed of it selfe and sheweth that God had naturally implanted in all a sentence and condemnation against sin which though we commit yet committing it we condemne it and because we condemne it in our selues we conceale it from others Yet many haue so depriued themselues of this naturall remorse they open the face of sinne to the view of all men let a man shut his eyes neuer so close How earnest was Athanasius with the Emperour sharply to correct the Pastors in his time going from their flock If for the reuerence of their persone saith that good man thou wilt not constraine them to dwell with their flockes suffer me to auoide them out of thy gouernment and if God aske me a reason why I do so I will shew it him And yet these sins being written in the open foreheads of many in this land how many doe pull downe their hearts one whit the more for it Thus to walke in sinne without shame at all is it marueile if the godly bewaile to see it If there were but one vniust man iniquitie for this one mans sinne were lamentable much more when whole families when whole streetes nay when whole townes and cities are such the case is to be lamented And be it that generally the common sort of men be so ill inclined yet so long as the Ministers be vnpolluted with blood there is hope the rest may be recouered but if they be as a theefe that laies waite for his pray And liuing not onely of but from the altar work euill in the eyes of the people what then can be hoped for Yet hope of better is not only cut off if those that be in authoritie correct both the one and the other and censure both people and Pastors But if a state be so ruinous that they do the greatest wrongs which sit in the highest roomes when iniquitie authoritie kisse each other when the workers of iniquitie will not be controlled and cannot be corrected then it is a time of mourning and lamentation If the Prophets in their daies did bewaile such things what should we doe whom God hath cast into such daies wherein we see the bookes had and read wherein iniquitie is prescribed As for swearing and prophanenesse these are the sins of poore men they that will beare a top in the world must now think oppression and adulterie be things indifferent so far are the precepts of iniquitie spread euen in our highest places This thou feest O Lord and canst thou suffer it that what thou condemnest for a crime we should account it vertue When such things are among vs and suffered and practised in stead of harmonious songs the musicke of Ierusalem should be to lament Otherwise it will bring those times when it will be our greatest mishap that euer we haue been happie so much our present sorrowes shall be augmented by our by past ioyes Then it will be time to burne our Crowne to ashes when for these abominations we that seemed as Gods shall be trampled vnder foote as dung when the Nobles that are as the purest gold become to be as earthen vessels when our Ministers that were honorable shall become contemptible when the Babylonians shall drink in our holy and honourable vessels of Gods worship Oh that this could teach vs wisedome to make the bowels of the poore the coffers of our treasures Yet herein is not all our sinnes deserue a greater scourge Our children for whom we would not promise an heauenly inheritance shall wallow in their owne blood before our faces when that comes to passe though thy childe be deare yet remember that he should not haue been so deare to thee as he that shed his blood both for him and thee And yet beyond all this our ground shall be burnt to the ground our vines shall drie our trees shall be eaten vp with fire our pastures scorched as an heath our sumptuous buildings shall be ruinous houses our fields shall be like vnto the paued allies and our cities shall be as a plowed field the enemie shall finde a Paradise and shall leaue vs a wildernesse But you will say what is all this to vs as yet I answere if the least of the Saints which be precious stones in the Lords Sanctuarie be better than all buildings in the world who can think of our spiritual vastation and not to haue his countenance sad with the remembrance therof Hath not the Lord euen in our daies and in our eyes puld off the bark from euery pleasant tree how hath he made it bare is there one branch which the enemy hath not made white How do the heards pine away how do the flocks perish That which the Paliner-worme hath left
to them There was a voyce put vp for making a golden Calfe and there was not one against it There was a voyce what should be done with Iesus and all cried crucifie him Another was whether God should be God or Bâ—al should be God and none held with God but Eliah Also whether Christ or Barrabas should be loosed and all chose Barrabas And in a good matter whether Ioseph should goe into the pit or no and all but Ruben consented he should In religion we can grant that vniuersality is no note of the truth and if any obiect vnto vs what so many Princes so many Nobles and yet haue they not the true religion we can answere out of Paul not many noble not many mighty hath the Lord chosen but in our life we caÌ„not be drawne to confesse the same Wherefore let vs beware of following the multitude 5 Particular examples may be made generall instructions when the cause of them is generall When an example is grounded vpon a generall equitie then may it be followed but when it hath some particular respect and contrarie to the generall equitie it may not be followed though it were well done Yet that was not well done of Zipporah because it was the office of a man to doe that she did as appeareth Gen. 17. for in that the Lord departed it was rather for the faith of Moses than that the thing was right So was it in the example of Simeon and Leui who sinned yet had the Lord more respect of their fathers faith to crowne it than of their sinne to punish it yet was it still sinne Therefore when we cannot doe well as we thinke because of others as wife friend husband c let vs know that the fault is in our selues for if we were faithfull they should be so farre from hindering vs that euen by vs perhaps they might be saued 1. Cor. 7. 6 It were a good thing to make other men our looking glasse and in their falles and infirmities either to behold ours present or to suspect them to come 7 It is not good to binde any to our examples 8 It is euermore a safer thing to insist in the generall rules than in the particular examples 9 We may not follow euery good example in Scripture and when we follow any we must looke we haue the same spirit and the like affection 10 Many call euill good by speaking for it by not speaking against it by defending it in themselues defending it in others who are worse than Saul 1. Sam. 15. for after a while he bethought himselfe he coÌ„fessed but these men after they haue once taken vpon them to defend a sinne will defend it still they will dwell in it liue in it die in it goe to hell in it Proctors they are of ill causes parasites I would they were only in comedies such as sowe pillowes Ezech. 13. and Psal. 10. such as they Act. 12. the voyce of a God such as Absalom 2. Sam. 15. that said that all matters that came before him were good These perswade others to sinne either by shew of reason Gen. 3. or by shew of religion as Absalom did or by shew of stature Ioh. 19 we haue a law by faire promises as the diuell to Christ all this I will giue thee or by saying ye shall finde more ease Ieroboams reason for the Calfe with a Pilate voyce or if you will not say as Nâ—buchadnezzar saith you shall into the furnace But some of these doe say 1. I neuer spake word in commendation of this or that euil matter But haue ye not heard the common saying * the thing it selfe speaketh The heauens declare the glory of God Psal. 19 and yet speake neuer a word Their actions speake lowder and plainer than their tongues These in iudgement absolue Barrabas and condemne Christ and so bestow on the euil such things as belong to the good They bestow preferments on them that least deserue as Ieroboam did the Priests office on the basest sort of the people and so it is in our times for many haue places both in Church coÌ„monwealth which can serue for nothing but to be coÌ„sonaÌ„ts alwaies following the sound of their vowels hauing none of their owne 2. Some speake not against sinne when Hely had let his sonnes faults passe God said he hououred them more than him God counteth vs honoured of sinne when we see and say nothing Psalm 50. When thou sawest a theefe c. Though we doe but stand by and looke on as Paul did we are made allowers of the fact So Peter makes the Iewes Act. 4. You haue killed the Lord of life We say the gardiner is the cause that weeds doe growe because he letteth them grow And so it may be said in Church and common-wealth of them which will not rebuke sinne when they may because they will not be medlers 3. But some haue a little more care but yet thinke it sufficient to be of Gamaliels minde Let it alone if it be not of God it will come to nought loth to speake against euill and so they see it and say nothing 4. Or as those which say something but yet as good as nothing as Ely did ye doe not well my sonnes they speake as a seruant to his master softly because he would not wake him they hit peraduenture the skirt when they should smite the head and sometimes misse altogether or hit those they should not 5. Or seeme to speake somewhat roundly but be so short witted or so short winded that they cannot speake much a little they doe and soone leaue off as King Ioash 2. King 13. 14. 10. 11. 6. Some speake out of time when they first let an ill matter passe then they speake against it 7. But some are worse than all these which giue men some morsell to stop their mouth as Aeneas is said to giue Cerberus a soppe that he might not barke or muzzle theÌ„ that they cannot speake taking away their tongues and liuings or prescribe what they shall say as Micah 2. 11. Prophesie of wine or as Amazias said to Amos Prophesie not against Israel Amos 7. 11. 12. 11 Wee must learne a Logick of the holy Ghost Exod. â—3 2. to answere the topicks of the world which defend their doings by Others doe so and learnedner and wiser than you haue dâ—â—â— it And indeed we must not onely forsake a multitude but we must also adde this to dissent from the traditioÌ„s of the elders It commeth all to one end for it differeth not whether we say many or one great one as many for if one thing be equiualent to a multitude we may say as the Hebrue and the Greeke doe that they are al one ten shillings and an angell are all one There be that thinke it is of more force many smite like haile stones but great men like great