is not mine but Gods counsel by the Apostle with whose words for this time I will end My brethren watch ye stand fast in the faith quit you like men and be strong THE III. SERMON PRO. 6.12 Walketh with a froward mouth c. WE haue heard of the names of Belial and how they do set foorth his nature Now it remaineth that we consider of his actions whereby he is also described aswell as by his names And first of those which set foorth his outward behauiour where the first member to be ripped vp is his mouth which for the qualitie is very euill for it is froward and for the quantitie is exceeding great for it is full of frowardnes as that which is accustomed to speak froward things He walketh with a froward mouth or as Tremelius translateth it ore peruerso with a wry mouth or a mouth drawne out of fashion The mouth is put here Metonymicè for that which proceedeth out of the mouth that is froward speeches and crooked constructions c. Walking is put Metaphorically for a custome and continuance in the said frowardnesse And albeit I deny not but that sometime the man of Belial may stumble vpon a good word or yeeld a good reason or vtter a wise sentence or speake to one friendly or salute courteously or discourse learnedly or determine iudicially c. all which Belial can do when he is not prouoked to anger or when he is soothed or is in his good moode as they say yet for all this he is noted for one that walketh with a froward mouth because commonly and for the most part his words are peeuish and peruerse and ordinarily like Nabal he is who was so wicked that a man could not tell how to speake vnto him And therfore because of his vsual maner of frowardnes he is said to walk not with a wise mouth nor with a courteous mouth c. but with a froward mouth for denominatio fit â maiori partè the denomination of any thing say Logitians is taken from the greatest part as the Blackmore is called blacke though his teeth be white because all his bodie is blacke That a froward mouth is a note of a wicked man shall easily appeare if we consider two things First the right vse of his tongue or the end for which it was giuen Secondly the true difference betweene the wicked and the godly in the vse and abuse of the tongue Of the first he may be instructed in diuerse places of the Scripture but especially three One is in the old Testament the other two are in the new that in the old Testament is the 45. Psalme where in the beginning of the Psalme the Psalmist calleth his toung the pen of a readie writer But what is it that he will write that is what will he declare or set foorth He sheweth in the first verse in generall tearmes first that it shall be of a good matter to shew that the tongue was made to set foorth none but good matters but what matters doth he meane He saith that he will intreat or discourse of the King meaning Salomon his Maiestie his beautie his riches his power his wisedome his vertues his ornaments his honorable mariage with the Queen of Egypt and vnder all these he meaneth to shadow out the vnspeakeable Maiestie of Christ and the excellent dignities and prerogatiues of Christ his church For otherwise he might seeme onely to set his mind to commend men and to flatter Princes which is a thing condemned by Iob when he saith Shall not my maker confound me if I giue titles vnto men But frō this place of the Psalme we may learne that our toungs are giuen vs chiefly to set foorth the glorie of God and those things that may tend to the extolling of Christ and his kingdome and to the alluring of others vnto the loue of Christ. But why doth he compare the tongue vnto a pen Surely for three causes First because as the pen sheweth what the mind thought so the tongue should expresse the zeale of the heart Secondly as the penne doth his message without blushing so the tongue must speake nothing that a man may be ashamed of but should boldly iustifie the same And thirdly to shew that there must be that consent between the tongue the heart that is betweene the pen and the mind of the writer As the toung is compared to a pen so also to the pen of a swift writer and that for three causes First to shew that as swift writing is a signe of one that is well practised in writing so the toung should not be slow but swift and well practised in the praises of God Secondly to shew that it must dispatch much in a short time and not a little in a long time as the hand of a swift writer doth Thirdly to shew that the tongue must euer be renewed and corrected as the pen of a swift writer that writeth much must be stil renewed and corrected And so much for this place of the Psalme The vse of the toung may further be learned out of two other places in the new Testament whereof the first is of S. Paul and the other is of S. Iames that of Paul is in the 4. of his Epistle to the Ephesians 29.30.31 verses Let no corrupt communication saith he proceed out of your mouths but that which is good to the vse of edifying that it may minister grace vnto the hearers and grieue not the holy Spirit of God by which ye are sealed vnto the day of redemption Let all bitternesse and anger and wrath crying and euill speaking be put away from you with all maliciousnesse be ye courteous one to another To shew that our toungs are giuen vs as well for the building vp of others in goodnesse as the helping of our selues and therefore must be accustomed to words of grace and not vnto corrupt speeches For as the benefite of the one is great both to our selues and to others so is the hurt also as great of the other both to others and also to our selues To others corrupt speeches are very hurtfull for if only good speeches and words of grace serue for the vse of edifying others in grace and goodnesse as they do witnesse the Apostle in the forenamed place then corrupt speeches can serue to no other vse but to destroy and pull downe men from goodnesse and to infect them with euill Be not deceiued saith the Apostle in another place 1. Cor. 15. euill words corrupt good manners to shew that some thinke otherwise but they are deceiued There be two sorts of people that are deceiued with a wrong opinion as touching euill words First he that speaketh them next they that heare them and neither of both suspecting any hurt to grow thereby but vnto both the Apostle saith be not deceiued The wicked and prophane person
God but to his owne destruction Now thē when we haue by the grace of God found out the cause of our euill to be an euill heart in our selues we may truly say of our harts as Dauid did of Doeg and prophetically of Iudas Psalm 55.12 Surely mine enemy did not defame me but it was thou my familiar friend which was bred and borne with me euen thou my heart with whom I haue bene so familiar that hast wrought me the greatest part of my woe Of the same iudgement is the Apostle Iames Let no man say when he is tempted I am tempted of God for God cannot be tempted with euill neither tempteth he any man But euery man is tempted when he is drawne away by his owne concupiscence and is enticed Then when lust hath conceiued it bringeth forth sinne and sinne when it is finished bringeth forth death Erre not my deare brethren Where the Apostle plainely sheweth vs two things first that such is our impudencie shamelesse ignorance and presumptuous blind boldnesse by nature that rather then we will acknowledge our selues to be in fault and to be the cause of our owne euill we will not sticke to lay the fault vpon God and make him the cause of euill As our first parents did the woman blamed the serpent and the man blamed not simply the woman nor himselfe at all but the woman forsooth which God had giuen him Secondly that whosoeuer thinketh that God is the cause of his euill and not that his owne corrupt hart is wholly the cause thereof the force whereof is so great both to entice and draw vnto euill to conceiue and to bring foorth euill doth erre and is deceiued Hereof it commeth also that the word of God cannot enter into many it cannot fasten vpon their hearts because their hearts are full of leud things Like the Inne where Christ was borne there was no roome for him in the Inne and therefore he was faine to lye in the stable And in many though it enter yet it tarieth not but departeth away presently saying as Christ said when the Iewes sought after his life Arise let vs go hence as being vnwilling to lodge in so filthie a place and amongst his enemies And hence it is likewise that the Preachers words come out from many when they repeat a Sermon as Thamar did from Amnon when he had defiled her with her garments all rent and torne If pure wine be put into a filthy and vncleane vessell in powring it foorth againe it will appeare what stuffe was in the vessell for they come out together so if wholesome doctrine be deliuered to a leud heart in the rehearsing thereof it will appeare with what manner of vnderstanding and affection he heard it Such caskes do many bring with them to put our Sermons in that either runne out like Siues or else are defiled with ignorance or malice or preiudicate conceipts that it wold loth a man to heare it come from them For though it came to them in a princely robe yet it commeth from them like a beggers cloke yea though it came to them with a louely countenance yet it commeth from them like a filthie carrion dragged and haled in the miry streetes amongst dogges that a man would thinke the Preacher had bene out of his wits to deliuer such matter or in such manner as they vtter it or else which is the right that they wanted both wit and vnderstanding or grace or conscience or honestie or all that heard the Sermon to report it in such a leud manner But the best is the shame turneth to themselues and no bodie is so much defiled with such hearts as the owners thereof So saith our Sauiour Christ Those things which proceede out of the mouth come from the heart and they defile the man for out of the heart come euill thoughts murders adulteries fornications false testimonies slanders these are the things which defile the man meaning him that is troubled with them as if he did but vomite vpon his owne clothes that speaketh from a filthie heart And verily they are but fooles that do so for what wise man will carrie one with him still that shameth him wheresoeuer he goeth A leud vnreformed hart is such an vnmanerly companion that doth nothing else but discredite our persons deface our religion grieue our friends harden our foes aduance the Diuell prouoke the Lord marre all the good things that come neare it and alwaies annoy shame and vexe the owner Lot had much ado with the Sodomites but none did more dishonour him then his owne daughters Noah was vexed with the old world but none did him so much shame as his owne sonne Dauid had many enemies but none put him in such feare and danger as his owne Absalom Sampson had much ado with the Philistines but his owne heifter his wife ploughed vp his riddle to the aduantage of his enemies Our Sauiour Christ had many enemies yet none like Iudas who was alwaies in his companie So euery man yea euery true Christian shall haue many enemies crosses troubles and dangers but his owne heart is his greatest enemie which doth flatter him most and deceiue him soonest which for want of godlinesse cannot be content with that it hath which for want of contentation cannot be in quiet for want of quietnesse cannot haue any ioy of any thing that it enioyeth which for want of heauenly wisedome cannot deuide his times aright nor tell how to deale with all sorts of people which for want of patience cannot beare an iniurie or put vp a wrong for want of mercifull affections cannot tell how to forgiue offences for want of charitie cannot tel how to construe things well for want of the feare of God cannot haue a good vnderstanding for want of a good vnderstanding peruerteth the straight waies of the Lord which for want of humilitie cannot see the meaning of Gods wayes which for want of a lowly affection cannot tell how to seeke peace for want of Gods grace cannot acknowledge his fault and for want of remorse of conscience cannot repent him of his leudnesse Such a heart is the heart of the wicked Belial which being fraught with leud things disordereth distempereth and shameth all the life of that man that hath it and is ruled by it And so much for the third point in handling whereof we haue seene that all the cause of outward disorder and trouble is within a mans owne hart of the other three points in the next Sermon Now let vs pray THE VI. SERMON PRO. 6.14 Leud things are in his heart OVt of these words ioyned with the rest of Belials description we haue hitherto learned three excellent and worthy points of doctrine First that Belial is no better within then without Secondly that the heart and whatsoeuer is in the heart of man is knowne to God who will also iudge a man according to that which is
of him auoide his conditions and escape his punishment And this worke as you know good brethren I called the vncasing of the hypocrite wherein I shewed you first what is hypocrisie namely a counterfeiting of religion or any religious dutie or a doing of that which we do onely to be seene of men and yet seeme to be such as would approue our waies in the sight of God professing the loue and feare of God when there is no such matter in vs. For which cause they are most fitly compared to players who make a shew of doing that which they do not indeede and represent those persons which they are not Next how many kinds of hypocrites there be some being publike some priuate some religious some ciuill Lastly we tooke a particular view of some speciall hypocrisies described by our Sauiour Christ in the 23. of Mathew from the 14. verse to the 23. whereof the last was of them that seeme to make a conscience of trifles and none of waightie matters which Christ calleth straining of gnats and swallowing of camels all which for breuities sake I do omit because there are many mo yet behind to be vncased whose acts and monuments are truely recorded whose visages and pictures are plainely deciphered and whose bowels and inward parts are deepely searched and whose iuglings and dissemblings are all fully discouered by Christ the searcher of hearts in the forenamed 23. chapter of Mathew and diuerse other places beside Wherein our Sauiour Christ we see is not sparing but plentifull not mild but seuere not short but long not negligent but painefull and neuer hath done with them but euer anone meeteth with them remembreth them and neuer lets them passe vntill he hath marked them with his blacke cole of deepe dislike and deadly detestation and still warning his disciples to beware of hypocrits and their leuin of hypocrisie whereof but a little sowreth and spoileth the whole lumpe Now seeing our Sauiour Christ bendeth all his force as it were against hypocrisie and the doings of hypocrites I see no reason that any should be offended that I do so too For hypocrisie in religion is like Iudas amongst the disciples a faire spoken theefe but a cunning and daungerous traitor readie still to betray both Christ and all Christianitie into the hands of their enemies onely she saith as Esau said The dayes of mourning for my father will come shortly and then I will kill my brother Iacob that is I onely want and waite a time to do my feates in Besides those actes which our Sauiour Christ hath alreadie noted in the Scribes and Pharises to the 25. verse of the 23. of Mathew we find in the verses following diuerse other parts of their hypocrisie seuerely taxed and liuely described by him whereof some be in actu some in potentia that is some be present and some are to come By the former he sheweth what is alwaies the present behauiour of hypocrites euen when they are at the best by the latter he prophecieth what they will be when time shal serue and that he sheweth in the 34. verse where he saith that they which now for the present do garnish the sepulchers of the righteous shall one day both kill and crucifie scourge and persecute both Prophets and wise men in their sinagogues and from citie to citie But for the present thus it is with them First they make cleane the outside of the cup and platter but within they are full of briberie and excesse these he further likeneth to whited tombes which appeare beautifull outward but are within full of dead mens bones and of all filthinesse applying his similie vnto hypocrites thus So are ye also for outwardly ye appeare righteous vnto men but within ye are full of hypocrisie and iniquitie Christs meaning is that all hypocrites care is to approue themselues in the sight of men by setting faire shewes vpon euery thing but before God they are most wicked abominable like the harlot who to please straungers is very diligent and carefull and towards others is very courteous and sober and kind but towards her owne husband is most sauage impudent and shamelesse In the next place Christ sheweth what friends and welwillers hypocrites are vnto the Prophets that is to the Preachers of Gods word but you must note that is to them that were dead and that they are great friends to them appeareth two waies First by the cost that they are at in decking their Tombes Secondly by blaming of their forefathers by whom the Prophets were persecuted and iniuried while they were aliue And thus would they get a good opinion amongst men by reuerencing the memorie of the Prophets and holy men of God For while they did thus counterfeit a loue vnto their persons they seemed to yeeld to their doctrine and who would not take them now for most faithfull followers of their doctrine and most zealous seruants and worshippers of God It was a thing very plausible to decke the Tombes of the Prophets and to erect monuments for them For by this meanes saith Caluin quasi ex tenebris eruebatur religio vt in suo honore staret religion was as it were plucked out of darkenesse and set vp in her due honour But indeede they meant nothing lesse then to restore the doctrine of the Prophets which by their death might seeme to be put out And yet being both straungers vnto the propheticall doctrine and also most deadly enemies vnto the same they wold bestow goodly Tombs vpon thē being dead as though that they and the Prophets had stood both for one and the same cause And this saith Caluin is vsuall with hypocrites to honour the holy seruants of God pure teachers of the word after their death whom they could not endure being aliue And for this M. Caluin doth yeeld a very singular good reason This cometh not only from the corrupt custom of the vulgar people saith he sed quia duris seueris correptionibus molesti ampliùs non sunt mortui cineres non agrè in illis colendis euanidā religionis vmbram ostentant qui loquentiū vocibus ad insaniam aguntur But because their dead dust and ashes are no longer troublesome vnto thē with hard and sharpe reproofes therfore it doth not grieue them to make shew of a vanishing shadow of religion in reuerencing thē being dead who were driuen to madnes rage with their liuely voices The world because it durst not wholly despise God or at least rise vp openly against him as it were in armes hath inuented this deuice to worship the shadow of God for God himself in like maner doth reuerence the shadow of the preachers Prophets for the doctrine it selfe What need we go any further for an exāple of this play then to the Popish church who are not content with that lawfull and due reuerence that is giuen to the Apostles blessed Martyrs of Christ but will bestow
another mans mouth hauing layed of purppse a heape of preiudicate conceipts and vnchristian surmises before them as so many stumbling blockes and erected a number of proud and disdainfull opinions and euill constructions of euery thing as rampiers or bulwarks against the truth because they meane not yet to forgo their sins nor to part with their painted visor I cannot tell what to say vnto them but euen leaue them to the Lord their hypocrisie I will not censure it is like the darkenesse of Aegypt that might be felt I am sorry to heare that any should haue the word of God in respect of persons contrarie to the rule of Saint Iames pretending to regard it if one man speake and professing a contempt of the same because another man hath spoken it whom they hate as Achab did hate Micaiah for no other cause but because he prophesied not good but euill vnto him that is he did not flatter him in his sinne as others did and therefore he hated him these men shew with what good deuotion they come to the preaching of the word of God If they might chaunge their Minister they thinke that they should chaunge affections but they are deceiued for as the Poet could say and that truly so say I Coelum non animum mutant qui transmare currunt they change the aire and not their nature which go beyond the sea as appeareth by those that haue separated themselues from our Church assemblies in England Schismatikes they were here and so they are there In like manner hypocrites which haue the word in respect of persons Non mentem sed ministrum mutant they may well change their Minister but their mind they change not their sinnes they leaue not it is no part of their meaning what shewes soeuer they make except God of his great mercy worke a wonderfull alteration It seemeth that such persons are of that opinion that Diues was of in hell who thought that his brethren which were aliue would repent if Lazarus might haue bene sent vnto them from heauen he was well acquainted with their humour for belike when they were all liuing together on earth neuer a one of them cared for their ordinary teachers but saith the holy Ghost they haue Moses and the Prophets amongst them if they wil not heare them let them pretēd what they list neither would they repent though one should come from the dead vnto them Many will tell vs that another man hath sayd as much and more then such and such whom the people mislike and it is well taken Such a one may say any thing say they and no offence will be taken against him we maruell that they should take it so ill from one more then another to these we answer 1 How well soeuer they take it from one or from another nothing is reformed they will giue all the hearing but see if any reformation follow from one more then another 2 The cause why they do not so breake out against one man for the same doctrine aswell as against another is because his time is not yet come as Christ sayd in Luke 22.53 When I was daily in the Temple with you you layed no hands on me but this is your houre and the very power of darkenesse Euery man hath a time appointed him of God a time to be promoted and a time to be persecuted a time to be regarded and a time to be reiected a time to be made much of and a time to be set at naught and when the date of the one is expired then the other taketh place Now to conclude if any man thinke that I haue dealt too seuerely against hypocrites or that I might haue caried a lighter hand toward them then I haue done seeing as there is no man but is stained with some hypocrisie much or little in the sight of God at the least or that in the applicatiō of any point of doctrine in the vncasing of the hypocrite I haue too particularly and directly aimed at some and namely at the partialities and wilfull winking at grosse abuses by Churchwardens and other Ecclesiasticall officers with them contrary to their oath and a good conscience whereby God is dishonoured and his worship is contemned his Sabbaths are polluted his Church vnreformed and whereby the wicked are strengthened and the godly despised whereby his blessings are restrained and his iudgements hastened vpon vs then this is my answer That in both as I take it I haue had my warrant from the word of God which is a sufficient stay vnto my conscience howsoeuer amongst the vnregenerate and wicked hypocrites it is a matter of least waight and therefore with them of all authorities least regarded And for the first haue I dealt more seuerely against hypocrites then the Scripture and namely our Sauiour Christ or haue I handled it worse then it deserueth Hath the hypocrite any wrong to haue no more but the truth sayd and proued against him Or what is his seruice so well pleasing to God or the Church of God so much beholding vnto him for his shewes and shadowes or rather his trecheries and cousinages that he of all other may not be vncased I speake not now of secret hypocrisie whereof euen the regenerate faithfull are guilty in their best actions before God and for which all of vs must desire mercy at Gods hand in the bloud of Christ but of that hypocrisie which raigneth in the wicked and of such hypocrites as are professed hypocrites professed I meane in their owne hearts whose desire is nothing else but to be seene of men and nothing lesse then to approue themselues and their doings in the sight of God Euery one is stained with some lust which is adulterie before God with some malice which is murther before God and with some enuie which is theft before God and with some couetousnesse which is idolatrie before God and yet euery one is not to be called an adulterer nor a murtherer nor a theefe nor an idolater because those grosse sinnes are not the studie nor the profession of the regenerate but they studying professing and indeuouring to serue the Lord in sinceritie truth and vprightnesse of heart and to deale with men in all good conscience are called sincere and iust men as Iob was and being in Christ Iesus through his righteousnesse imputed vnto them they are iust before God Hypocrisie properly is a sinne against the third Commaundement for none more then the hypocrite doth take the name of God in vaine who still for the most part maketh religion a cloke for all maner of iniquitie which cloke of theirs when it is once espied or taken from them they cry out and rage as men vtterly forlorne and vndone For take away their clokes their signes and their shewes and then are they naked and ashamed both before God and man and as sinceritie graceth the godly before God so hypocrisie graceth the wicked before men which is
the poore the lame the maymed and the blind and thou shalt be blessed because they cannot recompence thee for thou shalt be recompenced at the resurrection of the iust that is if thou regardest a good reward indeed then rather call the poore then the rich What recompence this is that shall be giuen in behalfe of the poore Christ also sheweth in Mat. 25.34 where he sheweth that it shall be said to them on the right hand Come ye blessed of my Father inherite the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world for I was a hungred and ye gaue me meat c. for in asmuch as ye haue done it to one of the least of these my brethren ye haue done it vnto me that is I take it as done vnto my selfe which you haue done vnto these poore ones that beleeue in me and for whom I haue died What manner of reward is this We may well wonder at this reward as Mary did at the Angels salutation for the Angell did not salute her as her neighbours vsed to salute her and God doth not reward his children in whom for his beloued Sons sake he taketh delight as men reward their friends Amongst men ye shall haue a dinner for a dinner and one good turne for another but here is a kingdom giuen for giuing a peece of bread or cloth or drinke or cōfortable speeches which they haue not giuē neither as owners therof but as stewards put in trust from God And what kingdome No lesse then the kingdome of heauen And how not as a lease or a farme or a coppie hold for yeares but as an inheritance of their Father for euer And this shall be giuen them in possession with al the grace and glorie that can be not in the presence of some few persons of this place or that countrey but before all the inhabitants of the whole world at the sight and hearing wherof the wicked and vngodly hypocrites who sold their good deedes for worldly praise and filthie lucre as prophane Esau did his birthright for a messe of pottage shall euen gnash with their teeth for griefe and consume away like the smoke against the wind through extremitie of feare griefe and shame being withall at the same instant ouerwhelmed with the most dreadfull and intollerable sentence of Gods euerlasting curse which in like manner is set downe alreadie Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the diuell and his Angels from which the Lord for his rich mercies sake in Christ Iesus deliuer vs all Now my brethrē by this time I hope you be perswaded that there is nothing lost by that which a man doth vnto God in secret or vnto any of Gods Church for the loue of God For God that is loue it selfe and infinite in loue cannot but infinitely reward the loue of his children which any way they haue shewed vnto his Maiestie especially seeing as he crowneth not our gifts to him but his owne gifts in vs which we receiued first of him And what can we desire more Would we be seene when we do well behold who seeth vs euen God our heauenly Father who is all in all who cannot deceiue any nor be deceiued by any Wouldest thou be rewarded for that thou doest and would we not loose our labour for a toy or a trifle as many do then behold our heauenly Father is readie able and willing to reward vs with a kingdom of eternal happinesse onely let vs be content with his reward and tarrie his gracious leisure Would we be openly rewarded and graced by some great person before many and before our enemies that they might be ashamed and before our friends that they might with vs reioyce and triumph ouer them then behold we haue our hearts desire our heauenly Father will not onely most bountifully reward vs but also in the open presence view and hearing of all the whole world will blesse vs where all Kings and Emperours and Tyrants shall appeare and stand naked and many of them shall shake and tremble for extreame feare and horrour of their owne conscience and Gods vengeance Blessed be the most glorious name of our heauenly Father for euer Amen As we haue heard what is to be shunned and what is chiefly to be respected in giuing of almes so now it will not be amisse to speake something though but briefly of almes it selfe and therein to see first what this word almes doth signifie Secondly to what end or for what cause God did ordaine that almes should be giuen and taken or why he would haue any occasion thereof in the world Thirdly how men may be moued or induced to giue almes And lastly to whom almes must be giuen For the first the word almes is deriued of the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth mercie Therefore as that is called grace which is giuen of grace so that is called mercie which is giuen of mercie Almes then is some benefite that is bestowed freely vpon the poore and needie onely of a mercifull and pitifull affection and fellow feeling of his griefe and want So the Samaritane is said to haue shewed compassion and mercie vpon the wounded man when he powred oyle into his woundes and holpe him vp to his beast and laid out money for him at the Inne and gaue his word for him this was a right almes giuer which gaue of pitie and was moued by mercie which is nothing else but a griefe and sicknes of the mind for anothers miserie and makes a man readie to releeue the same And of almes some is true and some is false that is true almes which comes from them that giue of mercie and compassion or feeling of anothers miserie who is sicke and troubled in his mind vntill his brothers miserie be releeued That is a false almes which comes from hypocrites who giue not of any mercie or compassion but of some other straunge affections seeking either to winne fame or to auoid shame or because they are compelled by law to giue something For otherwise if they should see their poore brother in neuer so great need alone and no bodie by them to see them when they giue or if there were not others to giue before them and to wonder at them for their hardnesse of heart or some law to compell them they would go by him and come by him too often inough and let him die too for want before they would part with any thing to saue him That our almes may be true almes or mercies gift indeed it is not so materiall how honest or dishonest how good or how bad he be to whō we giue nor whether it be much or little that we giue but with what mind we giue Discriminat in hac causa non dati sed dantium diuersitas saith a learned Writer It is not the diuersitie of gifts but the diuersitie of giuers that make the difference in this cause
and as we are appointed by order of law and ciuill pollicie yet still in compassion As for counterfeits idlepacks they must be wisely looked vnto and seuerely punished when they are found out as Iosua did who punished the Gibeonites when they counterfeited themselues to be farre trauellers when they were his next neighbours Some become miserable through gaming tipling carrowsing through idlenesse and bad companie keeping to these belong a threefold almes instruction correction and yet some contribution too as is allowed vnto malefactours in prison vntill by order of law and sword of iustice a riddance may be made of them if otherwise they will not be reformed for by the rule of the word he that will not labour must not eate Now let vs praise God THE ANATOMIE OF BELIAL SET FORTH IN TEN SERMONS vpon the 12.13.14 and 15. verses of the 6. Chapter of the Prouerbes of Salomon The summe whereof is set foorth in the next Page Imprinted at London by Richard Field for Thomas Man 1602. A Table shewing the generall contents of the Sermons following The Anatomy of Belial hath two parts 1. The description of a wicked man and he is described here two wayes 1. By his names that are here giuen him viz. 1. A man of Belial that is a lawlesse man 2. A man of vanitie that is vnprofitable 2. By his actions and they be two fold 1. Outward and they be two fold 1. His speeches and they be described by two adiuncts 1. Of their quality which is euill for they be froward 2. Of quantitie which is great for they are cōtinually froward 2. His gestures al which be significāt and tending to mischiefe and they be of his Eyes Fingers Feete 2. Inward of the hart and they are set forth 1. Generally Lewd things are in his hart 2. Particularly by noting two vile odious properties springing frō a lewd hart 1. That he is giuen to imagine and surmise whose imaginations are 1. Euil 2. Continually euill 2. That he raiseth vp contentions 2. His destruction and that is amplified by noting 1. The maner of the comming which is fearful in regard of 1. The speedinesse 2. The suddennesse 2. The continuance of it which is long yea euerlasting without ende for he shall neuer recouer THE I. SERMON PRO. 6.12.13.14.15 The vnthrifty man or the man of Belijal and the wicked man or the man of vanity walketh with a froward mouth 13. He maketh a signe with his eyes he signifieth with his feete he instructeth with his fingers 14. Lewd things are in his heart he imagineth euill continually and raiseth vp contentions 15. Therefore his destruction shall come speedily he shall be destroyed suddenly without recouery THis text may well be called the Anatomy of Belial because it searcheth and openeth euery veine of him and euery sinew of him to the very heart and to that which is in the heart as Anatomies do and sheweth the causes of euery spirituall disease and the effects of euery cause and what it is that bringeth the wicked man to his wofull end as Anatomies doe And that so liuely that if any man desire to see a liuely picture and a true Anatomy of Belial indeede let him with patience marke and behold the hand of Gods Spirit while Belial is a ripping vp and he will say as the people sayd of another action of our Sauiour Christ we neuer saw such a thing Mark 2.12 But all is done and must be done to this end that we may know our selues And this indeed is therefore made the Anatomies speech or poesie Nosce teipsum know thy selfe as if he should say why dost thou stand still gaping and gazing vpon my naked bones or prying into my bowels entrails or iudging of my heart c. good leaue hast thou so to do but learne by me then what thou art and what thou shalt be thy selfe This Anatomie is altogether spiritual and hath in it two parts First the description of a wiked man secondly his iudgemēt He is described two waies first by his name secondly by his actions His name setteth out his nature and it is double first he is called in the Ebrew tongue A man of Beliall that is a lawlesse person Secondly he is called in the same tongue A man of vanitie that is a man altogether vnprofitable As he is described by his names so also is he knowne by his actions and they be of two sorts outward and inward his outward actions are also two fold his speeches and his gestures His speeches are set forth by two adiuncts or circumstances first of their quality then of their quantitie for their qualitie they be very euill for they be altogether froward for their quantitie they exceede for he walketh with a froward mouth that is he is continually froward His gestures are also obserued the gestures of his eyes of his fingers and of his feete and all of them are very significant and tending to set forward sinne The inward actions of his heart are layed forth two wayes First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or in generall tearmes saying Lewd things are in his heart Secondly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or in particular obseruations by noting two vile properties arising from a lewd hart First that he imagineth euill continually Secondly he raiseth vp contentions After his description commeth his iudgement and that is to be destroyed and this destruction is amplified further by shewing the fearefull manner of the coming thereof for it shall come speedily without delay and suddenly without any warning before he looketh for it Secondly the euerlasting continuance of it for it shall be without recouery In the Scripture we reade of a Leuite that cut his wife in peeces when others has wickedly abused her to the death and sent her quarters vnto the twelue tribes of Israel with this motion and message Consider the matter consult and giue sentence But here the Lord hath cut Belial in peeces who was the cause of his owne death and hath hanged vp his quarters as it were in his word which he hath sent into all parts of the world that his people might consider the matter consult and confirme the sentence of the Lord and also take example by him least we come into the same case But before we come to the particular examination of Belials markes it shall not be amisse to enquire of three very necessary points The first is to what end this description is made Secondly whether we may by the same description take vpon vs to iudge who is a man of Belial And thirdly what may be learned from the coherence of this text with the rest of the Chapter For the first point Machiuels and Atheistes thinke that all the Bible and all preaching and all religion is but matter of pollicy to keepe men in awe and so consequently that this that is sayd of Belial is so too For that diuell that told Adam that
be giuen to God and after the homeliest fashion too without any holy reuerence or due preparation the other halfe to the world or the flesh or the diuell or al and that with all deuotion and earnestnesse of affection These may well be likened to the idoll of Achab to whom Baals Priests cryed O Baal heare vs. But what said Elias Crie lowder for it may be that your God sleepeth or pursueth his enemies or else he talketh with some bodie or is in his iourney So if the Minister of Christ would haue Belial to heare him he must crye lowder O Belial heare vs for it may be that the men of Belial are a sleepe and must be awaked or pursuing their enemies or setting their rackes or casting ouer their vsurie bookes or selling their wares or viewing their grounds as Nebuchadnezzar did his pallace or running after their bowles or playing at cardes or pursuing of their vanities And that see others of the inferiour sort and they become as deafe too as their betters If a man cry neuer so lowd to these Belials it will not boote for they are as deafe as Baal and if there be no lawe to compell them to sanctifie the sabbath in better sort we do but loose our labour Herod would heare Iohn Baptist so Iohn would let him alone with his brothers wife so would many also now be hearers of the word and reuerence as much the Preacher as euer Herod did Iohn so they may haue a dispensation for some speciall sinne of theirs which doth yeeld them some filthy gaine or beastly pleasure But Herod was a man of Belial for all his deuout hearing of Iohn and so are these kind of hearers too for he cast off the yoke of mortification and so do they Well if we will be Christians indeede as well as in name we must put on the yoke of obedience to Christs lawes What he saith we must beleeue what he commaundeth we must obey what he promiseth we must desire what he threatneth we must feare what he suffereth we must partake what we vnderstand not we must reuerence what we like not we must at the least affect it what we brooke not we must yet hunger after and what cup he hath drunke to vs in we must desire to pledge him in the same with all our heart and count ourselues not worthie of such an honour when we haue obtained of God so great a fauour We must then deny our selues willingly and for his sake take vp the crosse chearefully for this is Christs lawe we must heare his voice and follow him for this is Christs lawe we must often remember him by worthie receiuing his holy supper for this is Christs lawe we must do to the poore what we would do to him for this is Christs lawe we must loue one another as he hath loued vs for this is Christs law we must suffer reproches and rebukes for his sake for this is Christs lawe we must learne to forgiue our enemies as he hath forgiuen vs for this is Christs law In a word we must mortifie all our euill lusts and affections and make our members weapons of righteousnesse for this also is the law of Christ. For this cause the word is called a candle to light vs in darkenesse a sharpe sword to cut and deuide vs a hard hammer to driue and breake vs and a burning fire to purge consume vs by ruling our liues wherby both yong in yeres and yong in knowledge are to redresse their wayes Psal. 119.9 And the obedience of a Christian is nothing else but a following of that light a suffering of that sword to hew and cut him of that hammer to breake and batter him of that fire to purge and consume him of that fanne to winnow and cleanse him and of that plough to breake and till him and all this with patience gladnesse and thankfulnesse A dutie this is very painefull for flesh and bloud to performe and therefore is called in the scriptures a cutting off the hand a pulling out of the eie Mat. 5.29.30 A cutting of the throat Pro. 23.2 a weaning of the soule Psal. 131.2 and a crucifying of the flesh with the affections and lusts therof Gal. 5.24 To shew that is is as hard a matter by nature to forgo our sinnes as our eyes or our hands or our liues Yet because grace doth go beyond nature and goodnesse is stronger then euill and the spirit doth ouercome the flesh and faith beginneth where reason endeth therefore Christs yoke is called easie and his burden light Mat. 11.26 For he hath borne it for vs and doth beare it in vs and beareth vs too and therfore it is light to him that would beare it as Salomon saith All the words of God are plaine to him that will vnderstand and straight to them that would find knowledge Prou. 8.9 Nay more as the birds fethers are a benefit vnto her and not a burden because they carrie her vp from the snare of the fowler so the seruice of Christ it no burthen vnto vs but a benefite because it freeth vs from the bondage of the Diuell Therefore let vs go on my good brethren without fainting Let xs resolue to put on the yoke of Christ to be obedient vnto the Gospell to cast off our lazinesse in the seruice of God and to cast away our sins of profite and pleasure though we go through honour and dishonour as we must like the yoked oxe that haleth his burthen after him through thicke and thinne Many defie the Pope and thinke then that they are good Christians and yet are lawlesse in their affections The Turke the Iew the Saracene and the infidell can say so much but except your righteousnesse exceede the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees ye cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen saith Christ so except our righteousnesse exceede the righteousnesse of the Turkes and Saracens we cannot be saued Therefore as we defie Poperie so we must be carefull to imitate Christ and to glorifie him by the subduing of our carnall lustes and desires The commendation that Saint Paul gaue vnto the Thessalonians was for that they turned from their idols vnto the liuing God 1. Thes. 1.9 But what commendation shall we deserue if we forsake Poperie and serue other sinnes if we leaue the Papistes and ioyne with Atheists Machiauels and Libertines The yoking of a Christian Dauid calleth a waining of the soule to shew that we long after libertie as the child doth after the breast that is to cry for it when we cannot get it Now in waining of the soule we must do as nurses do in waining of children they first annoint their breastes with some sower things to bring the child out of loue withall then they prouide some other wholesome foode for the child so we must haue before our eyes the discommodities of the world and the miseries of vanitie
their soules health in English Well let vs take heede that we continue not stil so vntoward to serue God to learne his most glorious will least God giue vs ouer againe in his iust iudgemēt to walke in ignorance to beleeue lies Popery groweth apace in many places Papists are very bold doubtlesse they see it is to be feared too much inclinatiō aptnes both in som teachers much of the people to receiue their Popish trash again that is the matter Popish pictures shew thēselues in euery shop street almost many think there is great deuotiō stirred vp by the sight of thē yea they hope of a mery world towards And doubtlesse the Papists cannot brew so fast but as they hope others will be as ready to drinke Well the Lord in mercy looke vpon vs our Christian gouernors that we may be more more forward apt to the embracing setting forth of his holy truth Gospell to our liues end Amen Now let vs pray THE V. SERMON PROV 6.14 Leud things are in his heart WE haue heard before how vaine and lawlesse the man of Belial is how froward and peeuish how counterfeit cunning in his outward behauiour now we are come to the cause of all and to the digging vp of that which is the fountaine of all his distemperature and disorder and that doth the holy Ghost here shew vs when he saith Leud things are in his heart as if he should say it is no maruell though his behauiour be so bad and barbarous so vile and full of leud actions when his heart which is the fountaine of all his actions is full of leude things Then first here let vs consider what is meant by the hart And next what profitable doctrines may be gathered from this sentence and the coherence thereof with the rest of the wicked mans description By hart in this place he meaneth not the fleshly and materiall heart which is the good creature of God but the corrupted and depraued qualities of the heart For the heart is put sometime for the whole inward man as in 1. Pet. 3.4 Let the hid man of the heart be meeke and quiet sometime for the thoughts and affections for the will and vnderstanding as in 1. King 3.9 Giue me an vnderstanding heart the prayer of Salomon That is giue vnderstanding vnto my hart mind or soule for hee had a hart before So that in the heart is vnderstanding but in the wicked it is leud vnderstanding because he vnderstandeth leude and vile things best And in Gen. 6.5 it is said The imaginations of the thoughts of mans heart were euill continually to shew that thoughts and imaginations lodge in the heart but in the man of Belial they are leude and wicked In the 23. of the Prou. 26. the Lord saith My sonne giue me thy heart that is the affections of thy heart as thy desire thy loue thy ioy thy feare thy trust thy zeale thy delight thy sorrow as if he shold say if thou desirest any thing desire me if thou louest any thing loue me if thou ioyest in any thing ioy in me if thou fearest any thing feare me if thou trustest any trust me if thou be zealous for any thing be zealous for me if thou sorrowest for any thing be sorrowfull that thou canst not do thy dutie to me as thou oughtest and these things I leaue not to thy choise but see thou do them indeed Now all these affections are in the wicked man of Belial but they are leud and not for the Lord. In the fourth of the Hebrewes 12. the word of God is called a deuider of the thoughts and intents of the heart so that in the heart lye thoughts and intents that is purposes conclusions and determinations but in the wicked they are all leud and naught So that the meaning of these words Leud things are in his heart is that the man of Belial vnderstandeth leud things he thinketh and studieth leud things he purposeth and intendeth leud things he desireth and affecteth leud things yea he deuiseth and contriueth nothing else but leud things This anatomizing and discouering of Belials hart in this sort with the rest of his behauiour in other parts of his bodie teacheth vs many excellent pointes of doctrine for our instruction 1. That the man of Belial is no better within then without 2. That whatsoeuer a man is without yet God doth iudge of him by that which is in his heart 3. That the cause of all outward disorder is in the heart 4. That a man cannot be a good man vntill the hart be reformed 5. That the word of God is of that nature that it discouereth the hidden things in the heart 6. That the same word of God which sheweth vs the corruptions of our hearts doth also shew vs to reforme the heart Of the first That a wicked and prophane man such as Salomon here speaketh of is no better within then he is without but rather worse is euident both by this and diuers other places of holy Scripture Here he saith that as he is froward in his speeches and dissolute in his outward behauiour so his heart is leud and wicked So that if the hart be naught all is naught If there be any goodnes in his heart it must be either in his vnderstanding or his will or his affections but the subiect of all these is leudnes therfore within there is no better then without but rather worse In the 6. of Gen. verse 5. it is said That mans wickednesse is great and his heart is also euill continually The Psalmist saith The foole meaning a wicked man hath said in his heart there is no God his waies are corrupt and become abhominable there is not one that doth good no not one The Apostle Paul searcheth euery part of the naturall man within and without and findeth all alike Roman 3. from verse 11. to 19. Let him be asked the question and heare his answer And first of his vnderstanding What vnderstanding hath the vnregenerate or naturall man None There is none that vnderstandeth saith he meaning the things of God How are their affections bent What do they not desire to know God No saith the Apostle There is none that seeketh God What is there none better then another No saith the Apostle They haue all gon out of the way they are made altogether vnprofitable there is none that doth good no not one But let vs make a better search it may be there is some goodnesse in some secret corner or in some of their members What say you of their throat Their throat saith the Apostle is an open sepulcher from whence proceedeth nothing but stinke and rottennesse to infect the aire How are their toungs vsed To deceipt saith the Apostle What is vnder their lippes The poison of Aspes And what in their mouths Abundance of cursing and bitternesse They are swift
no scholler if he please their humor he is the onely man and no man may come neare him If he vse to repeat his doctrine then he is tedious and wanteth matter if his deliuerie be mild then he is afraid to displease if it be bold and seuere then he is peremptorie and proud If a man vrge the law then he driueth men to desperation if mortification he driueth men into melancholy dumpes and frayeth them out of their wits If we vrge iustification before God by faith in Christ onely then they imagine that we denie good workes If we preach good workes then we are Popish if we teach that men must not pray to Saints nor for the dead then they imagine we deny prayer if we say that the salutation of the Angell to Mary is no prayer then we deny part of the new Testament if we say the Creede is no prayer then we deny the Creede if we preach against common vaine and needlesse swearing then they imagine vs to be Anabaptistes and deny both the vse of an oath and magistracie if we speak against gaming dancing other prophanations of the Lords day then they imagine that we allow Christians no manner of recreation If we preach against any sin that they vse then we preach of malice and against them if we teach doctrine which they conceiue not then there is no edifying in our sermons if they like it not then they imagine that no body else doth regard it if they come to heare vs then we are beholding to them for their presence if they wil not heare vs yet they imagine that we must speake though it be to the wals If they let their children or seruants be catechized by the Minister then they imagine that they do their Minister a great part of friendship in gracing of him if they say ouer their stint of prayers then God is beholding to them and heauen they must haue of merit If they heare sermons then they imagine all is well as though God were pleased with eare-seruice onely and alwayes they imagine grossely of spirituall things like Nicodemus who when Christ spake of being borne againe imagined that he must go againe into his mothers belly And as these Belials are themselues such do they imagine all others to be for as to him that hath an ague all things seeme vnsauourie so to him that hath an euill heart of his owne all mens doings seeme to be euill to verifie the saying of the Apostle in Titus 2.5 To the pure all things are pure but to the vncleane and impure nothing is pure but euen their minds and consciences are defiled and that is the cause why all things seeme euill vnto them because their minds and consciences are defiled But who are pure wil some say are not all men sinners and doth not sinne defile euery mans minde It is true that all men naturally are defiled with euill imaginations Gen. 6.5 but by faith which is through the grace of God in Christ the hearts of the elect are regenerated and purified because it apprehendeth the bloud and spirit of Christ to cleanse vs from sinne past and to preserue vs afterward from the dominion at the least of sinne to come like physicke restoratiue and preseruatiue For where a iustifying faith is there is a fanctifying grace And where faith is Mistresse there is charity handmaid which is of that excellent nature and disposition through the education and instruction of Gods Spirit who begate her that she iudgeth the best of euery thing that may be well interpreted 1. Cor. 13. And so much for the qualitie of Belials imaginations which is euill for so saith my Text and experience confirmeth no lesse but that he imagineth euill Now let vs consider of the other adiunct of Belials imaginations and that is adiunctum quantitatis an adiunct or circumstance of quantitie the euill of his imaginations is of an exceeding great quantitie for he doth not onely imagine euill and make the worst or euery thing but he imagineth euill continually Continually saith the holy Ghost to shew that the man of Belial is alwayes at worke This word noteth in the wicked man two things First diligence Secondly perseuerance in euill Great is the diligence of wicked men in sinne for they lose no time They cannot sleepe saith Salomon except they haue done some euill No Sleepe departeth from their eyes vntill they haue caused some to fall Like gamesters who cannot find the way to bed vntill either they haue lost all their money or caused others to lose all They continue day and night they are as diligent in the seruice of the diuell as the diuell himselfe is is hunting after mens soules for he goeth about continually like a roaring Lyon seeking whom he may deuoure and so do his men of Belial seeke whome to deface and deuoure This note of continuance cometh in like a barre in the armes of the wicked to put a difference betweene them and the godly For though the godly or regenerate do sometime fall into euill surmises and bad imaginations through naturall weakenesse and corruption of heart yet they continue not in it Shall we continue still in sinnes saith the Apostle that grace may abound God forbid No they dare not continue in a sinne they are euer checking and controlling their wayes and confessing their sinnes and condemning themselues and forsaking their euill imaginations And if they fall againe into the same sinne as oftentimes they do it is with a greater detestation and lothing of the same sinne and with a greater and more earnest striuing against it afterward And yet the godly are not so simple and foolishly credulous as to beleeue euery faire tale or to be in league with euery flattering face or to shake hands presently with euery new acquaintance nor to trust euery promise and protestation without any maner of trial nor to make the best of that which is of it selfe naught and apparantly euill nor to be free from all suspition where there is iust cause to suspect and in so doing they are not to be condemned but rather to be commended for as charitie is not suspitious without cause so is it not foolish and blockish when there is cause And seeing as our Sauior Christ himself hath ioyned the innocency of the Doue and the prudency of the Serpent together simplicitie and discretion as a most fit match and well beseeming a Christian soule let no man separate them asunder but be simple wise too And hereof we haue diuers examples in the Scriptures Abraham imagined that in Gerar his wife might be abused and he slaine for his wifes sake and not without iust cause for he saw that the feare of God was not in that place to shew that when good men haue to deale with those that feare not God they may very iustly imagine that they shall not be well dealt withall Iacob suspected that al
was not wel towards him and not without iust cause for he saw that his vnkle Labans countenance was not towards him as in times past and againe he marked how Labans sons murmured against him Iudah imagined Thamar his daughter to be a whoore though he knew not then who she was and not without iust cause for she sate by the waies side with her face couered after the maner of whores in those daies in that country The watch-men of the tower in Israel imagined rightly that it was Iehu who came towardes that place because his marching was furious like the marching of Iehu who belike was knowne to be a hote man All which examples do teach vs that when there is iust cause of suspition and likely tokens of danger and euill we should not be secure simple but wise to see danger and prouident to auoide it for that is the part of a wise man saith the Wise man to see the plague a farre off and to flie from it as Eliah saw by a cloud that arose raine comming a farre off and caused the King to prouide for it before it came And someime the godly haue imagined in good pollicie of a thing otherwise then they haue known the thing to be as Ioseph did when he made his brethren beleeue that he tooke them for spies when he knew them to be no spies And somtime by the outward likelihoods as they coniecture of a thing and are deceiued as Isaac by feeling of Iacob in rough skins imagined it had bene Esau and Samuel by the countenance and stature of Eliah imagined that he was the man that should be the Lords annointed but he was deceiued So Elijah seeing none to stand for the glory of the God of Israel but himselfe imagined that he in that case was left alone but he was deceiued In the imaginations also which commonly men haue of themselues there is great difference betweene the wicked and the godly for the godly being in some measure through the grace of God priuy to their owne corruptions and infirmities do still imagine and that truly that they come short of doing their dutie to God suspecting and fearing their owne ignorance and negligence as that godly zealous and couragious reformer of religion Nehemiah did who when he had most exactly and stoutly reformed the Saboth day he desired God to be mercifull vnto him euen in that point And though S. Paul that worthy Apostle of Christ knew nothing but wel by himselfe in his ministerie yet did he imagine and that rightly that something might be amisse and therefore said Though I know nothing by my selfe yet am I not thereby iustified And sometime the godly do imagine that they are forsaken of God when they are not forsaken which fearefull coniectures and desperat imaginations do arise somtime by the slie suggestions of Sathan through want of faith to resist him sometime of melancholy impressions in the godly and those are to be helped by phisick and good company keeping and sometime from the affliction and wound of conscience groning vnder the hand of God especialy after some relapse into some old sinne againe Which kind of imaginations are to be altered into more comfortable and wholesomer perswasions by spirituall phisicke that is by the wise handling and discreete applying of the promised mercies of God in the Gospell tempering therewithall the threatnings of the law either more or lesse according as the spirituall phisition shal see the partie more or lesse humbled or not at all if he be too much humbled and cast downe alreadie But the wicked being blinded with selfe-loue and bewitched with the vanities of this world and benummed with the long custome of sin go on still drinking in sinne as the horse drinketh in water and imagineth that he is well when he is gotten into the fooles paradise and goeth after his filthy pleasures as a bird to the snare and like an oxe to the slaughter Pro. 5. Nebuchadnezzar the King of pride strouting himselfe in his pallace imagined that he was admired of all the world but was deluded as it were by his owne shadow and derided of God and man In like maner vaine men and women ietting vp and downe in the world like hobby horses in all brauerie with their traines after them and pedlers packes about them with a companie of circumstances in strange and wild fashions imagine that they are honored and admired of all men whereas indeede they are wondred at of the wise and almost of all men for their vanitie and excesse Againe where there is no feare they imagine feare to be and where there is both feare and shame and deadly danger too they promise vnto themselues al peace and security suspecting nothing like the mother of Sisera the Ladies of King Iabins Court who imagined and could imagine no otherwise that the cause of Sisera his long staying was for no other end but to deuide the spoile when indeede he was spoiled himselfe and that by a woman too So the rich man in the Gospell hauing gotten much wealth about him imagined that he should liue many yeares at ease but he was deceiued for euen that very night following was his soule fetched away Wherein is verified the prophecie of the Psalmist The wicked whatsoeuer they imagine vnto themselues shall not liue out halfe their dayes namely that themselues dreame of Therefore to shut vp this point as before we haue bene taught by the names of Belial which signifie lawlesnesse and prophanenesse to looke to our selues that we be not lawlesse and prophane by the mouth of Belial to looke to our speeches that we walke not with a froward mouth by the gestures of Belial to looke to our outward behauiour that it be in sobrietie and simplicitie and by the heart of Belial to watch ouer our owne hearts that leud things haue no residence in them so now by the imaginations or mentall images of Belial framed in the shop of his braine of the leud stuffe in the store-house of his heart let vs be admonished to looke carefully vnto our imaginations that they be not euill false vncharitable vaine wrong crooked Let vs take heed that we make not our hearts which should be the temples of God Sathans ware-houses or store-houses nor our heads his shops and worke-houses let vs learne to iudge the best and alwayes charitably of other mens persons and actions where it is possible to affoord a good construction And where there is iust cause of feare and suspition there let vs learne to be wise and not too simple and carelesse Let vs take heed that we be not deceiued with the enchantments and bewitching vanities of the world nor yet blinded with the false loue of our selues In a word seeing as the imaginations of Belial are for their qualitie euill and for their quantitie vncessantly euill and seeing that continuance or dwelling in
Oh that we saw sinne in that shape comming toward vs that we see him in when he goeth from vs then would we as much loth it as before we loued it for all sinne is in the end both lothsome and wearisome Therefore the vngodly being in hell do crie out of their folly and say how haue we wearied our selues in the waies of wickednesse And to the same agreeth the Prophet Esay There is no peace to the wicked saith God but they are as the raging sea that alwayes casteth vp mire and dirt to shew vs that if we would find rest we must not enter into the waies of wicked men for there is no rest in their wayes And the wise man saith That to the wicked there is sorrow euen in laughter to shew that the mirth of wicked men is but from the teeth outward The Apostle Paul to shew the fruit of sinne asketh this question What fruit saith he haue you of those things whereof ye are now ashamed To shew that the best fruite that sinne bringeth forth is shame and confusion as Adam was not ashamed vntill he had transgressed so is it still with all Adams posteritie And here in my text it is sayd that the wicked shall be destroyed As a thing that is altogether vnprofitable much hurtfull amongst men is destroyed that is is either rooted vp or burned with fire or cast into the riuer or throwne out into the high way for men and beasts to tread vpon or caried out into the fields for the foules of the ayre to deuoure or buried in dunghils and ditches so shall the wicked be destroyed and come to naught and the remembrance of them shall perish from the earth And good reason for to what purpose should the vnfruitfull tree stand to do nothing but comber the ground To what vse serueth vnsauoury salt but for the dunghil When the brasen serpent maketh men to fall from God what must be done withall but breake it in peeces Now who more vnfruitfull then the wicked therefore when their appointed time is come they must no longer trouble and comber the Lords orchard nor hinder the common wealth of Gods Israel What more vnsauourie then vngodlines or who more vnprofitable then the vngodly Therfore where should their place be but vpon the dunghill Who cause others to fall from God but wicked serpents or serpentine wicked men with brazen faces and yron neckes as the prophet speaketh therefore God must needes breake them in peeces like a potters vessels and make them like Nebustan yea he shall bruise them with a rod of yron by which we may see what account God maketh of the wicked which are lawles obstinate and how litle cause there is why the godly should either esteeme of them or stand in awe of them Therefore they are compared to things of most light account in the word of God They shall be as chaffe saith Dauid yea as the lightest or vnprofitablest chaffe which the wind driueth away from the face of the earth The Lord shal tread them vnder his feet sayth he in another place They shall be as stubble sayth Malachi the fire of the wrath of the Lord of hostes shal consume them All which places do shew that as much reckning is to be made of chaffe of dirt of drosse and of stubble as of a wicked man that is lawlesse in his own affections Whatsoeuer their estate and degree be all is one to the Lord be they poore or rich there is no respect of persons with God if men be rich or worshipfull or noble or beautifull or strong or wittie or learned if they be wicked and prophane like Belial they are but rich chaffe worshipful drosse noble dirt strong stubble beautifull dung like Iezabel who after she had painted her face was throwne out of the windowes for dogs meate and what the dogs left was dung for the earth Shall Iezabel escape or be fauoured because she is a Queene and faire without No she shall be more cruelly destroyed and deuoured of dogs because she was of cruell and dogged conditions towards the seruants of Gods Shall Achab escape the bitternes of death because he is a King Nay but as his sword hath made many womē childles in Israel so shal his mother be made childles he shall be hewne in peeces like an oxe in the shambles If Herod will so farre forget himselfe as to take vnto him the glory that is due to God euen Herod shal be destroyed of lice If Nebuchadnezzar wil take no warning of his pride but heare the judgements of God against him as a dreame surely Nebuchadnezzar that great and proud King shall be turned forth amongst the beasts But we be Christians and baptized will some say All is one for that neither circumcision auaileth any thing nor vncircumcision but a new creature But at Easter we will be holy and receiue the Sacrament and then we hope that God will not destroy vs. Yes the sooner for that if thou be a wicked man For this cause saith Paul are many afflicted and many are dead because they haue receiued the Lords supper vnworthily Will you steale and rob and lie and whore and deceiue and swearefalsly saith the Lord by Ieremey and then come into my house where my name is called vpon If the Lord doth detest the companie of wicked men in his house much more then at his table But wil God destroy the work of his hands wil he destroy man whom he made after his owne image Yea verily because man through his wickednesse hath defaced that glorious image of righteousnesse and true holinesse he shall be defaced and destroyed himself God made man righteous saith Salomon but man hath found out many inuentions Thus we see that there is a time of wickednesse and a time of vengeance and when the measure of the wicked is filled vp then shal they be emptied and filled with wrath because they are vessels of wrath Then shall be fulfilled the saying of the wise man in the tenth of Prou. verse 7. The memoriall of the iust shall be blessed but the name of the wicked shall rot to shew that the wicked who like Hanun the Ammonite stunke in the nosthrils of Gods Israel while they liued shall be in name when they are dead like rotten carrion which lieth stinking in a ditch and euery one shall loath and abhorre the sent of him The light of the righteous saith Salomon in another place reioyceth but the candle of the wicked shall be put out that is when they haue wasted themselues out they shall leaue nothing behind them but a filthie name to offend the cares of such as feare God and to shame their posteritie and to annoy all men like a stinking snuffe of a candle burnt out in the socket which is so noisome that euery one shall crie fie vpon it tread it out But this reckening
euill custom may be broken off The folly of those that thinke custome will excuse them and grace theÌ„ Another difference betweene the wicked and the godly Zeale in the godly seemeth to be frowardnesse The smoth words of the wicked are dangerous The minister of Christ shall be counted froward and malicious if he reproue sin Reprehension wholesom thogh not toothsome 2. Tim. 4.3 True loue appeareth in plaine dealing The more the minister loueth truly the lesse he shall be loued Ier. 20. Eze. 33. Act. 17.18 Act. 26.25 Act. 2.13 Psal. 1.1 Ro. 6.1 Act. 9. Of blind gestures He coÌ„uterfeiteth in religion He counterfeiteth in ciuill affaires Pro. 7.14 Euery meÌ„ber of the body is bound to his good behauiour Gen. 4.6 Pro. 7.13 Esa. 3.16 Mat. 6.16 Psal. 44.13.14 Mat 27.39 Against the slander of Papists Tit. 2.11.12 Our behauiour must be in Sobriety Simplicity How charity is broken by signes Chastity is assaulted by signes Pro. 17.24 Luk. 19.40 This precisenesse doth much trouble Libertines Luk. 19.27 Psal. 2.3 Psal. 12.4 This precisenesse is called in Scripture circumspect walking Why we must walke circumspectly The second point Sins walke Ro. 6.12.13 The tyranny of sinne described Mat. 8.9 How sinne entreth Of the subtilty of sin We are to pray against the trecherous motions to sinne The third point How hypocrites are deceiued Sin is like poyson And like leauen Luk. 12. 1. Kin. 14.6 Iudg. 12. Slubboleth Halting iudgling in Gods matters will easily be espied if meÌ„ be awake Act. 24.27 Pro. 7.10 c. 2. Sam. 16. The hypocrisie of popery how it is discouered Num. 23. It is a fault in Christians not to marke how God doth note out the wicked Pro. 10.10 All these notes must be taken together The fourth point The wicked are cunning and painefull to their owne confusion Esa. 36.21 37.1 Ioh. 8.6 We may reproue sinne by our gestures How vainâ— men shew their dislike of the truth Especially at Sermons The force of outward signes and gestures The fift point The pronenesse of men to euill and vntowardnesse to learne the truth is a great cause of Anti-christs aduancement Those that are apt to learne lies shall be giuen ouer of God to beleeue lyes Mens inclination to popery maketh Papists and popery to grow The cause of Belials distemperature What is meant in the Scripture by the hart The first point If the hart be naught al is naught Psal. 41.1 A description of a naturall man The second point 1. Sam. 16.7 Ier. 17.10 The skill of Papists The villanies of Papists Their ceremonies Prayers InquisitioÌ„s 2. Sort. Politicke Protestants Psal. 10. Amnons disease Absaloms practise Machiauels name opened How carnall pollicy doth make much of religion Religions complaint Deuouring gulfes Politicke practises against the Ministers of Christ. Politicke and cruell practises against the common wealth Of the fox and the lion Vsurers kindnes in lending of money Pro. 23.6.7 Pro. 26.24.25 Mat. 2. Mat. 22. A necessary admonitioÌ„ The third point Iosh. 7. Of good cometh no thing but good Christ is called a rocke of offence but is no cause of offence Ioh. 1. How Christ is an occasion of falling Cal. de scandalis Some are like the Spider Psal. 55.12 Iam. 1.13.14 15. 2. points to be obscrued in the words of Iames. Into a leud heart the word cannot enter In an euill heart the word cannot abide Similiâ— A leud hart maketh a leud report of a Sermon Mat 15.18.19 A man of a leud hart doth most shame and annoy himselfe 4 4 The heart must be reformed before one can be a good man Pro. 4.23 Mat. 15.19 Gen. 27. Psal 41.6 Similitude Iudg. 16.15 The heart like a great coÌ„mander Ezec. 33.31 Exod 35.21 22.29 Psal. 45.1 Psal. 108.2 Pro. 23. Vers. 12. 17. 19. 26. Too many such now adaies The principall care of most meÌ„ when the sabbath day commeth The hart is still of the old fashion We blame others wheÌ„ our selues are in fault How a good heart is to be grounded and bounded What religion will do if it be lodged in the heart Luk. 19. Ioh. 5. Light excuses serue them that haue no list to serue God 5 5 Of the nature and power of the word of God God needeth no informatioÌ„s What maner of God we serue Psal. 119.9 Ier 20.9 1. Cor. 14. A double vse of the former doctrine 1. King 19.14.18 Psal. 19.12 1. Ioh. 3.20 How a man may be acquainted with his owne hart Pro. 5.23 Note that Ier. 43.3 2. King 6.8 Heb. 4.12 The sixt point Psal. 119.9 Psal. 103.3 Ier. 17.14 Act. 8.22 Act. 15.9 Our preseruatiue Mar 13.33 Luke 22. The soules armour Ephes. 6.12.13 c. A helmet A brest-plate A girdle A sword A shield Shooes Prayer continuall and feruent 1 1 For her selfe 2 2 For others 4. things to be prayed for 1 1 The heart renued and cleansed 3. things to be learned by the words of Dauid in Psal. 51.10 1. 2. 3. 2 2 Sanctification Psal. 119.34 A sauing knowledge 2. Sa. 11.15 3 3 Perseuerance or constancy Psa. 86.11 Gen. 34. 4 4 A quiâ—kning spirit or cheerfulnesse The first enemy neglect of the meanes Outward Psal. 119.9 Heb. 4.12 Inward Act. 16. Gen. 1.2 Ioh. 1.3 How daungerous a thing it is to giue ouer the hearing of the word A desperate kind of reasoning God hath fore ordained the meanes as well as the end Mal. 3.14 Iob. 21.15 Of recusaÌ„ts that refuse to heare the word there be two sorts 1. Schismatikes 2. Afflicted conscieÌ„ces Cant. 3.1.2.3.4 1. Enemie vnbeleefe Mat. 13.58 Mar. 9.23 1. Tim. 1.13 3. Enemie custome of sinne Io. 2.4 Heb. 3.12 The Apostles counsell A double reason of the former counsell A cursed guest a wretched hoast Brotherly loue how it worketh Obiection Ier. 17.9 Pro. 20.9 Psal. 119 5. verse 10. Psal. 51.10 Answere Act. 23.1 Gen. 6. Imaginations come of thoghts Of Belials meÌ„tal images why they are so called Esa. 46. Dan. 3. Of Belials maisters workhouse warehouse and ware The greatnesse of Sathan Reue. 12. 2. Sam. 15.7 1. Kim 21.9 Pro. 7.14 Ezec. 33.31 1. Sa. 25.10 2. Sam. 10.3 Mat. 11.18 Act. 28.4.6 Ioh. 12.5 Ioh. 3. Tit. 2.5 Obiection Answer Act. 15.9 2 2 Of the quaÌ„titie of Belials euill imaginatioÌ„s Pro. 4.16 Rom. 6.1 The wisedome of a Christian. Gen. 20.11 Gen 31.2 Gen. 38.15 2. Kin. 9.20 1. Sam. 5.16 What imaginatioÌ„s the godly haue of theÌ„selues Nehe. 13.22 1. Cor. 4.4 What the wicked do being blinded bewitched and benuÌ„med Pro. 5. Hobby horses Iudg. 5.30 Luke 12.19 Psal. 55. An exhortation vpoÌ„ the premises ContentioÌ„ like a dog and a lion Stirred vp by Belial The tree of wickednes The wicked loue to be soothed flattered Esa. 57.20 2. Tim. 3.13 Pro. 26.21 Pro. 13.10 Phil 2.3 Pro. 28.25 1. Sam. 23.27 Ioh. 7.43 Ioh. 8.1 Act. 23.6.7 The Pope raiseth contention betweene Princes and why Pope Hildebrand Why Papists set strife betweene the Ministers Church gouernors Sathans drift in raising contention betweene Teachers Pastor and people Neighbour and neighbour Man and wife The secoÌ„d point How Pro. 26.20 Of talebearers Pro. 25.23 Two theeues 1. The reporter 2. The receiuer Of beleeuing tales 2. Sam 16.3.4 Mat. 10. Mat. 5. 1. Sam. 31.20 Ruth 2.11 2 2 Taking all things in ill part Ioh. 8.22 Ioh. 9.34 3 3 Intermedling in other mens matters 1. Tim. 5.13 Pro. 21.9 19. 2 Sam. 6.7 Pro. 21.27 Iob. 21.21 22. Luk. 12.14 2. Sam. 15.2.3.4 The practise of petty foggers and hungry Lawyers Mat. 5. We may meedle to make peace but not strife A necessary question Answer Luk. 19.40 Hest. 4.19 Act. 19.14 1. Sam. 25. The greatnesse of this sinne is shewed 1 1 By the testimony of God against it Pro. 6.16.17.18 The second consideration sheweth the greatnesse of this sin of raising contention The daughters of contention Pro. 20.12 A strange yet a common monster Contention destroyeth vnity Phil. 2.2 What true vnity is 2. Kin. 9.22 1. Ki. 18.18 Eph. 4.3 The excellency of Christiâ—n vnity Col. 3.14 Psal. 133. Psal. 1.1 Pro. 22.10 The make-bates annoy themselues Pro. 26.27 Ier. 7.19 Pro. 24.21 Gal. 5.22 4 4 The difference betweene the coÌ„tentions of the wicked and of the godly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Tim. 2.24 Ier. 15. Luk. 13.24 Gen. 6.3 Psal. 95.10 Apo. 12.7 1. Cor. 9.24 What it is to trouble Simile When men are in greatest danger Achab and Elijah contend Who troubled Israel How Elijah behaued himselfe before the king How to answer Papists and Atheists when they call the professors of the Gospell troublesome fellowes Iosh. 7. Gen. 34. Gal. 1.6 Peter Mart. loc com How the magistrate is to be obeyed Act. 4.19 Nehe 13.17 Who are now adaies accounted troublesome 2. Cor. 6.8 Tit. 1.9 1. Cor. 11.19 Gal. 5.20 Gen. 1.9 The truth cannot come forth without striuing Ioh. 16.21 Apo. 12.2 Gen. 29.32 Ier. 9.3 Two spurs Apo. 3.15 A preseruatiue A restoratiue The manner of contending is to be respected Act. 24. The armes of a Christian The wisedome of the serpeÌ„t 4. Things noted in the doue 1 1 Meeknes 2 2 Harmelesnesse 3 3 Ielousie 4 4 Mourning Esa. 38. 1. King 3. Speciall rules to contend by 1 1 In Gods matters Pro. 6.4 Iam. 1.19 Psal. 131.1 Act. 15.7.12 c. 1. Cor. 14.29 2 2 What to do in our owne causes c. 1. King 3. Pro. 23.6 Pro. 18.23 An Embleme of two pots Pro. 26.24.25 Pro. 22.24.25 Pro. 26.9 Sinne like a Bee Heb. 11.25 Luk. 16.25 Pro. 5.3 Psal. 73.5 c. Iob. 21.8.9 â— Esa. 57. Pro. 14.13 Rom. 6. Why the wicked shal be destroyed Psalm 1. Psal. 119. Mal. 4.1 No respect of persons with God 1. Cor. 11. Eccle. 7.31 Pro. 10.7 Pro. 19.9 1. Pet. 3. Psal. 55.23 Luke 12.19 Iob. 20. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Sodainly Mat. 24. Mar. 13. Obiection Answere Fallacia accidentis Phi. 3.18.19 Esa. 28.15 1. Ki. 1â— 24 1. Pet. 4.17 Eccles. 9.1.2 Iâ—h 1◠〈◊〉 2. Men caÌ„not repent wheÌ„ they list Psalm 7. Iob. 20.12 Eccles. 11.3 A Popish errour That is hell fire Esa. 30.33 Plessy de verita Christ. relig 1. Obiect Answere A notable speech of Alexander What be the goods of good men 2. Obiect Eccles. 7.17 Esa. 57.1 Answere The world like a stage play 3. Obiect Answere 4. Obiect Answere The vses of the former doctrine Psal. 37.1.2 Mat. 11.23 Ioh. 9.3 Psal. 41.1.4 Num. 16.26 Luke 13.3.5
vnto God his right as well as vnto men and therefore he was a religious ciuill honest man Some seeme to be religious without ciuilitie as the harlot whom Salomon describeth in the 7. of the Prou. who prateth of her peace offerings and paying her vowes while notwithstanding in her hushands absence like a dishonest filth freely violateth her mariage vowe made vnto him by prostituting her bodie vnto others and as Iezabel religiously proclaimeth a fast while most vnciuilly and with barbarous crueltie she depriueth innocent Naboth both of his life and liuing and as those do that deuide the spoiles of the Church among them deuouring as Salomon saith the sanctified things then enquire after the vowes that is make shew of religion But they that haue neither ciuilitie nor religion in them are like Esau who hated his brother Iacob because God blessed him and like Hanun the Ammonite who misused Dauids messengers which were sent of good will to see him and like Doeg the Edomite who laid handes vpon the Priestes of the Lord and slue them when euery bodie else refused to touch them And such commonly are the men of Belial and the men of vanitie Good honest men they are counted among such as themselues are but he is a good man indeed and greatly to be lamented when he is gone that vpholdeth Gods true religion and with Cornelius feareth God with all his houshold and giueth much almes to the poore and with Iob sheweth himselfe a iust man and one that worshippeth God aright becomming also as Iob did an eye to the blind a foote to the lame and a father to the fatherlesse Such doth God choose for good men and such must we choose to conuerse withall not such as spend their time in ridiculous sports and vain pastimes which vanish away like the wind and smoke without any profit to those that haue delighted in them For Dauid saith in the 26. Psalme I haue walked ô Lord in thy truth and presently addeth I haue not haunted with vaine persons neither keepe I companie with the dissemblers I haue hated the assembly of the euill and not companied with the wicked to shew that whosoeuer consorteth himselfe with vaine and euill companie cannot walke in the waies of the Lord and therefore let them that desire to walke in the waies of Gods truth take heede that they haunt not with vaine persons but hate the assemblies of the wicked as Dauid did And further here is to be obserued a difference betweene Adam and Ish both do signifie man but the first noteth the matter of which man was made that is red earth or as Tremelius hath translated it the dust of the earth which is the worst of all the earth and good for nothing Earth is good for something and clay is good for something and sand is good for something and marle is good for something and dung is good for something but dust is good for nothing except it be to put out ones eyes and of that was man made which is good for nothing The confideration whereof may greatly humble vs when we beginne to thinke well of our selues to waxe proud of Gods gifts and to despise our brethren But the man of Belial is so called to shew that such a one is the vilest mā that liueth yea viler then the earth and according to his name so is his nature for of a word that signifies the vilest earth is his name deriued accordingly all his studies cares and communications are earthly and prophane All which the Apostle noteth in one word when he saith they mind earthly things Phil. 3.19 A God they haue but it is their belly a glorie they haue but it is their shame enemies they are but it is to the crosse of Christ and an end they haue but it is damnation saith the Apostle Ish also is a man but it noteth a man of strength and signifieth strength of the Latines it is translated vir à virtute that is a man of manhood or strong of strength or vertuous of vertue because if manhood strength and vertue be not found in man where should they be looked for And Adam is translated homo de humo that is taken out of the ground because of all that God made nothing was made of the earth but man And in our English toung we say of one that is valiant vertuous and actiue that is a man indeed And the Philosopher could say by the light of nature non vestis sed virtus facit hominem Not vestures but vertues make a man which is quite mistaken in these daies and that saying wholly inuerted for most men hold and by their practise do vphold that non virtus sed vestis not vertue but brauery makes a man But why is Belial called Ish which is a word of strength vertue and perfection What vertue excellencie or perfection is in earthly vaine Belial Surely no goodnesse is in him and yet is he Ish he is vir a man indeede but a man whose strength is wholly applyed to vanitie He doth excell but it is in contriuing of mischiefe he is quicke witted but it is in disgracing of truth and her friends They are wise saith Ieremie but it is to do euill They are expert saith Esay but it is to drinke wine and strong drinke They can take no rest saith Salomon but it is onely till they haue made some to fall Such were they that watched all night to take Christ they were Ishim men indeed They ranne to fetch him vineger with gall to drinke which wold not go nor creep for a drop of cold water to haue done him good Such are all those lawlesse and dissolute persons that can beate their braines and breake their sleepe and go late to bed and rise early in the morning and trauell hard all day yea day and night by sea and by land farre and neare refusing no paines neither sparing for any cost nor fearing any colours but most audaciously put forth themselues to speake to practise what mischiefe they can against godlinesse and vertue against honest men and good causes and standing as stoutly in defence of vanity and wickednesse These haue a kind of felicitie and dexteritie in gracing of the bad and in disgracing of the good and do very often strongly preuaile in wicked enterprises And this must teach vs first not to be dismaied when iniquitie doth preuaile for the very names that are giuen to wicked men do shew no lesse but they shall preuaile for a time which is to verifie the Prophesie of our Sauiour Christ who foretold that before the end of the world wickednesse should preuaile and iniquitie get the vpper hand Secondly it doth admonish the children of God who are haters of wickednesse to be Ishim that is strong and wise and valiant for God and good causes as Ish-auen the vaine man is for the Diuell and wicked enterprises And this