darkenesse but waxeth pale in the light for as Isidorus saith in the night it shineth like fire but in the day time looketh pale like gold So in the night of aduersity the vertues of Gods children shine most cleere which when men are in prosperity are obscured and couered The godly then count it exceeding ioy when they fall into diuers temptations knowing that afflictions are therefore sent of God for the triall of their faith and this is the first reason of the confirmation taken from the profite of affliction Knowing that the triall of your faith bringeth forth patience Heere is now the second profite that commeth of affliction The second profite of Afflictions namely patience the beauty foundation and crowne of all other vertues A vertue saith Tertullian which hath such a preheminence in the ranke of vertues Tertul. that without it no man can fulfill any precept The praise of patience or doe any worke acceptable vnto God as contrarywise impatience is the mother of all finnes and euery vice may bee ascribed to impatiencie God himselfe is vnto vs a daily example of patience From the example of God the Father which maketh his Sunne to arise vpon the iust and vniust and bestoweth innumerable benefites vpon vnthankefull men and such as fight against him and maketh as though hee saw not the sinne of men Wis 11.20 because they should amend And the same Sonne of God Of Christ shewed his wonderfull patience at his Conception Natiuity Death and Passion hee cured his enemies hee washed the traitors feete and gaue him a kisse Esay 53.7 Hee was led as a sheep to the slaughter and as a sheepe dumbe before the Shearer so opened not hee his mouth When hee was reuiled 1. Pet. 2.23 hee reuiled not againe when hee suffered hee threatned not but committed it to him that iudgeth righteously The faith and patience of Abraham was proued by many and hard peregrinations Of the faithfull by domesticall broyles by the sacrificing of his onely sonne The patience of Esay was proued being cut asunder with a saw Of Ieremy by imprisonements captiuity and stoning Of Micheas by reproches and buffeting Of Elias by the terrible threatnings of Kings in the Desart and of famine Of Iob by his plagues of body and losse of all his temporall goods And to conclude with Saint Paul Heb. 11.25 they chose rather to suffer aduersitie with the people of God then to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season Who now would not embrace this noble vertue who would not aspire to such a treasure But with what Simile should I delineate this noble vertue vnto you Simile Let vs compare it with the purest mettall Patience is like vnto pure gold and that in three respects First Patience compared vnto gold in regard of the soliditie of it for nothing is more solide and compact then gold for being put into the fire it neither cuaporateth or is diminished in the weight or consumed but when through the violence of heat it is dissolued if it haue any admixtion of impurity it is cleansed and becommeth more bright So the patient man hath such soliditie of minde that being put into the fire of tribulation doth neither euaporate through anger and impatiency neither is diminished in the weight of vertue through diffidence and distrust or consumed through pusillanimity or faint-heartednesse but is made the more pure and shineth the more bright in vertue 1. Pet. 1.6 Though now for a season yee bee in heauinesse through manifold temptations that the triall of your faith being much more precious then gold that perisheth though it bee tried with fire might be found to your praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Iesus Christ Secondly in regard of the ductibility thereof in working for gold is so ductible that betwixt the Anuile and hammer without any diuision or interruption of parts it is dilated and extenuated into most thin plates So the patient minde resisteth not persecution but is so flexible that it is not broken through inconstancy not diuided of his persecutor through wrath but is dilated into charitie through patience So were the holy Martyrs when they prayed for their persecutors Thirdly in regard of the tranquility thereof For nothing among mettals in working maketh lesse noise for being stricken it soundeth not as doth brasse and yron So the true patient minde resoundeth not in murmuring cursing rayling or scolding against a contumacious tongue after the example of Christ Who when hee was reuiled 1. Pet. 2.23 reuiled not againe when hee suffered hee threatned not but committed it to him that iudgeth righteously Such also was the patience of the blessed Martyrs which being scourged and buffeted of their persecutors answered not againe nor resisted through impatiency if then wee will retaine this noble vertue wee must in these properties resemble the pure gold Contrariwise the deuill himselfe is the perswader and authour to impatience for not able to suffer that God had made all things subiect vnto man through enuy deceiued he our first parents discontented with their estate which brought all misery to them and their posterity Cain Gen. 4. not able patiently to beare the felicity of Abel oppressed and slew him The Israelites alwaies sinned through impatience The want of patience was the cause that they rose vp against Moses and Aaron yea against the Lord himselfe The Iewes and Gentiles persecuted the Apostles and Martyrs because they could not patiently endure their preachings and reprehensions Here brethren wee see that patience and suffering of aduersity None a perfect Christian without patience is so necessary vnto a Christian man that without it hee can indeed bee no perfect Christian For against the fiery darts of the deuill through innumerable snares through infinite assaults wee must passe through and endure to the end before wee come to our heauenly Country vnlesse therefore wee bee armed with a strong and constant patience wee shall often faint before wee come to the midst of our course Heb. 10.36 Nulla anceps luctamen init virtute sine ista Virtas nam vidua est quam non patientia firmat Prudentius therefore saith the Apostle Yee haue need of patience that when yee haue done the will of God yee might receiue the promise No vertue may endure conflict if Patience bee away For vertue like a Widdow goes where Patience doth not stay As wel saith the Christian Poet Prudentius This is the true patience which is not ouercome with any aduersity and is exercised chiefly in suffering three things which are Oris opprobria corporis flagella damna temporalia the reproches of mens mouthes Patience exercised chiefly in three things the stripes of body temporall losses into which a certaine Schoole-man reduceth all aduersity which the true patience must vanquish First it is not ouercome with opprobrious speeches for commonly the wicked are wont to load the
had threatned if they would not be reformed but walke stubbornely against the Lord that hee would scatter them among the Heathen Leuit. 26.33 and will draw out a sword after them and their land shall be waste and their Citties shall bee desolate Againe Deut. 4.27 and the Lord shall scatter you among the people and you shall bee left few in number among the Nations whither the Lord shall bring you And least any should thinke these threatnings to bee vaine and but words let vs see with what horrible examples the Lord hath confirmed them Hoshea raigning ouer the ten Tribes in Samaria they turned from the Lord and committed all abhominations against him wherefore God stirred vp Salmanazar King of Assiria who after three yeares warre tooke Samaria the Metropolis of that Kingdome 2. Reg. 17. spoyled the Countrey carried away all the people into the most cruell captiuity of the Assirians Secondly the other two Tribes namely the Tribe of Iuda and the Tribe of Beniamin 2. Reg. 25. were dispersed Ierusalem being taken with their perfidious King Zedekia by Nabuchadnezzar with their wiues children and other Princes as Ieremy before prophecied Ierem. 27. then was the Citty ouerthrown the Temple consumed with fire and they that escaped the sword famine fire and pestilence as flockes of Cattell were driuen away into the miserable captiuity of the Chaldaeans Thirdly the Reliques of the Israelites were oppressed and dispersed now by the King of Syria now by the King of Egypt sometimes with ciuill warres among themselues so that wretched Iudaea standing in the midst and addicted sometimes to this side sometimes to that was trodden downe of both and exposed to the direptions of both sides so that many good men not enduring the sight of the prophanation of their Country and holy Things wandred farre and neere Yea some betooke them to the Desart chusing rather to leade their liues with brute beasts then with such kind of men as the History of the Machabees doth testifie and they wandred vp and downe Heb. 11.37 in Sheepes skinnes and in Goates skinnes being destituted afflicted and tormented Heere brethren wee are to obserue two notable Lessons for our instruction First that with all reuerence wee heare and beleeue the word of God that wee may learne thereby to feare the Lord For his word is neuer in vaine nor returneth voide as the Prophet saith Esay 55.10 11 c. Surely as the raine commeth downe and the snow from heauen and returneth not thither but watreth the earth and maketh it to bring forth and bud that it may giue seed to the sower and bread vnto him that eateth So shall my word bee that goeth out of my mouth it shall not returne vnto me voide but it shall accomplish that which I will and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it And the Lord hath in all ages seuerely punished the contempt of his Word and Messengers 2. Chron. 36.15.16 Therefore the Lord God of their Fathers sent to them by his Messengers rising earely and sending for hee had compassion on his people and on his habitation But they mocked the messengers of God and despised his words and misused his Prophets vntill the wrath of the Lord arose against his people and till there was no remedie Secondly to hate sinne and flie from sinne as from a serpent as the cause of all euils and calamities that are in the world The euils of sinne Sinne blindfoldeth the minde taking away the supernaturall light of Gods grace it defileth and spotteth the conscience as a thing most filthy and vnworthy for a man it accuseth vs guilty before God as iniurious to his Diuine Maiestie it impouerisheth vs spoyling vs of all our spirituall riches it dishonoureth vs making vs odious in the sight of God and of his holy Angels in this life is the cause of sicknesse famine sword pestilence and all euils that may happen to the body and of eternall destruction of body and soule in the life to come To conclude seeing that God is the inexhaust treasurie of all goodnesse and sinne separateth from God it followeth then that sinne bringeth vpon vs incomparable and infinite losse for it depriueth vs of God the infinite good Your sinnes haue diuided betwixt your God and you Esay 59.2 If then ô man thou dost so diligently take heed of temporall losse if thou so carefully keepest thy money and treasure how art thou deceiued through blindnesse of minde how is thine vnderstanding darkened with folly how is thy reason obscured by the deuill If thou fearest not to fall into sinne which depriuest thee of God the fountaine of all happinesse Why makest thou so small account of the God of infinite Maiestie Why fearest thou more to loose one peny then by sinning to bee depriued of thy God and through lying deceiuing swearing c. to be separated from him who is insititly good and who hath power to cast both body and soule into hell and without whom there is no blessednesse Thus for their sinnes was that Nation of the Iewes Gods vengeance pursuing them many times dispersed and persecuted But of this the Apostle hath not respect in this place but of the dispersed Christians which for the name of Christ were scattered abroad and persecuted For many out of all the Tribes which professed Christ after Saint Stephen was stoned Acts 7. flying the rage of the Pharisies were scattered in diuers Countries Actes 8.1 At that time saith the Scripture there was a great persecution against the Church which was at Ierusalem The state of the Church Millitant and they were all scattered abroad except the Apostles And heere brethren againe we are to note the state and condition of the Church militant and of all the faithfull while they are in their exile and pilgrimage in this life trauelling toward their Countrey in the way they are to suffer many crosses troubles persecutions and many iuiuries of the world and the diuell and if wee will arriue at the hauen of happinesse and port of felicity wee must follow our Pilot and Captaine Iesus Christ the same way he went before vs Act. 14.22 For through many tribulations wee must enter into the Kingdome of heauen 2. Tim. 3.12 And all that will liue godly in Iesus Christ must suffer persecution It cannot then bee otherwise but the godly going to heauen-ward must be enforced to suffer diuers troubles Pathemata Mathemata Afflictions are instructions These are the trials of the faithfull by which God exerciseth the faith hope charitie and patience of his children and confirmeth them and therefore in the booke of Wisedome this triall of faith is compared to the triall of gold As gold is tryed in the fire Wisd 3.6 so men are tried in the furnace of affliction And againe 1. Pet. 1.6.7 Through manifold temptations yee are in heauinesse that the triall of your faith being
and falshood may bee more aptly diuided into 1 A lie in words 2 In manners 3 In the things themselues In words as the pernitious officious and iesting lie Where I except honestiests hiperbolicall speeches allegories c. which conteine vtilem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a profitable moralizing vpon a fable because there is in it no intent to deceiue neither any inequality betweene the speech and the minde nor will to speake falsely especially if wee haue respect to the equality of the thing The lie in manners includeth all hipocrisie dissimulation flattery c. Natura Cicero frons oculi vultus persaepementiuntur oratio vero saepissimè Nature the countenance the eye M. Curius a noble man in Rome of singular honesty wise dome Bacchus the drunken God of wine whom they honored with beastly ceremonies do oftentimes lie but the speech most often such go in sheepes cloathing but inwardly are rauening wolues Against such the Sonne of God denounceth woe in the Gospell Qui Curios simulant Bachanalia viuunt They Curious graue would seeme to be Yet Bacchus-like their liues we see The lie in substance of things containeth all falshood in buying and selling when naughty and corrupt things are sold and warranted for good or else one thing is sold to the ignorant for another as among the Physitions are many such as false Aloes false Balsamum c. whereby great and intollerable errors are cōmitted by vnskilful Physitians to the destruction of many 1. Thess 4.6 The Lord saith the Apostle is the auēger of such things Now let vs consider how grieuous a sinne it is First How grieuous a sin it is he that lyeth speaketh against God for God is truth and his Law is the rule of truth the lyar therefore sinneth against God himselfe Besides the truth that resteth in his minde against which the lyar speaketh is of the holy Ghost the author of all truth to lie then what is it else but to speak against the truth of God grauen in our hearts and so to bend our tongue against the holy Ghost 2 Euery lie is of the deuill who is a lyer and the father thereof Iohn 8. when hee speaketh a lie he speaketh of his owne And whatsoeuer is of the deuill must needes bee a most detestable vice therefore a wicked spirit is said to speake lies in the mouth of the false Prophets which seduced Ahab 1. Reg. 22. therefore a certaine ancient Writer vpon this place of Iohn the diuill is a lyar c. saith that whosoeuer is a lyer doth as it were couple himselfe with the deuils daughter and hath diuorced himselfe from Verity the off-spring of God For God is the father of truth and verity and a lyer honoureth the deuill as a childe doth his father who so then coupleth himselfe with the childe of the deuill let him looke also for the dowry which he is wont to giue to his children namely eternall damnation Apoc. 22.8 They shall haue their portion in the Lake that burneth with fire and brimestone 3 He that peruerteth the order constituted of God among men he grieuously sinneth and the lyer doth this for the order that God hath appointed is that by words the sense and meaning of the minde should be manifested and therefore words are said to be notes of these things which are conteined in the minde but the lyar saith contrary to that which is in his minde and therefore peruerteth the order of God and grieuously sinneth For this cause the Spirit of God saith Prou. 12. The lying lips are abhomination to the Lord. 4 The lyer saith an ancient Father blasphemeth God as doth the deuill for the deuill as much as in him lyeth Dat esse non enti giueth an essence to that which is not in that he saith that to be that is not but it is onely proper to the power of God to make to be things that are not the lyer therefore sacrilegiously as much as in him lyeth vsurpeth the power of God in affirming and giuing an essence to things which are not 5 What is more cleere then the testimony of the conscience of euery man when he lyeth For there is none that lyeth but perceiueth his conscience to accuse him as a malefactour whereof this is a most euident testimony because he that lyeth would not be counted a lyer nor euer confesse that he hath lyed and why so because it is naturally engraffed in our minds that lying is an euill thing and an offence and wickednesse full of shame and infamy yea the very children when they lie do know they haue done euill by the instinct of nature wherefore being conuicted of a lie they presently blush c. Againe it is a thing among all Nations receiued and obserned that a good man may haue no greater reproach done vnto him then if it be said vnto him tu mentiris thou lyest and what more effectuall then this common iudgement of all Nations to shew the filthinesse of this sinne and how vnworthy it is for a Christian man And surely not without cause for man was created after the image of God and God is Truth what then may bee more vnworthy for a man then to lie and bee a lyer especially seeing that this is the property of deuill as Christ witnesseth in the 8 of Iohn Of this which I haue said wee may easily gather the reasons that should moue vs to cast of lying The motiues and to deale plainely and truely with our brethren First because God in his holy Law hath forbidden vs to lie and commanded vs to speake the truth Secondly because it is very hurtfull to the lyer himselfe for with lying he prouoketh the wrath of God against him Psal 5. Prou. 6. God shall destroy them saith Dauid that speaketh lies And God hateth a lying tongue Wherefore among other causes why the godly are said to be receiued into heauen this is not the least Apoc. 14. Because there was no guile found in their mouthes Againe the lyer looseth his credite among all men so that afterward no man will beleeue him though he speaketh the truth Cicer. in lib. de deuina which Cicero notably expressed saying Homini mendaci ne vera quidem dicenti credere solemus We are not wont to beleeue a lyer though he speake the truth the reason is because Qui semel malus semper praesumitur malus in eodem genere mali It is presumed that he that was once euill is alwaies euill in the same kinde of euill Now it remaineth that I pray and beseech you brethren to whom your life and saluation is deere that yee carefully considering the heape of euils that the wicked tongue bringeth with it you would call daily vpon him in whom it onely lyeth to gouerne the tongue and say with the holy Prophet Psal 141. Set a watch ô Lord before my mouth and keepe the dore of my lips And