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A10931	Certaine sermons preached and penned by Richard Rogers preacher of Weathersfield in Essex, directly tending to these three ends. First, to bring any bad person (that hath not committed the sinne that is vnpardonable) to true conuersion. Secondly, to stablish and settle all such as are conuerted, in faith and repentance. Thirdly, to leade them forward (that are so setled) in the Christian life, to bring foorth the fruite of both. Whereunto are annexed diuers godlie and learned sermons of another reuerend and faithfull seruant of God, Mr. Samuel Wright, Bachelor of Diuinitie, late president of Sidney Colledge in Camebridge, deceased, tending also to the same ends, with diuers particular points in both, profitable and fit for these times.	Rogers, Richard, 1550?-1618.; Wright, Samuel, d. ca. 1612. aut	1612 (1612)	STC 21203; ESTC S116121	188,868	230

CERTAINE SERMONS PREACHED AND PENNED BY RICHARD ROGERS Preacher of Weathersfield in Essex directly tending to these three ends First to bring any bad person that hath not committed the sinne that is vnpardonable to true conuersion Secondly to stablish and settle all such as are conuerted in faith and repentance Thirdly to leade them forward that are so setled in the Christian life to bring foorth the fruite of both WHEREVNTO ARE ANNEXED diuers godlie and learned Sermons of another reuerend and faithfull seruant of God M r. SAMVEL WRIGHT Bachelor of Diuinitie late President of Sidney Colledge in Camebridge deceased tending also to the same ends with diuers particular points in both profitable and fit for these times 1. IOHN 5.13 I write vnto you that beleeue in the name of that Sonne of God that yee may know that yee haue eternall life and that yee may beleeue in the name of that Sonne of God LONDON Imprinted by FELIX KYNGSTON for Thomas Man 1612. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE EDVVARD DENNY Lord Baron of Waltam c. IT is recorded in holie Scripture right Honourable that Iehoshaphat King of Iudah much renowned for his pietie did send out his Princes to teach in the Cities of Iudah By which act of his and the setting downe of it by the holie Ghost although I goe not about to confound their office and dutie with the Prophets and Leuites yet they are not on the other side to be taken and counted as nothing I meane both his act and the report of it by the holie storie For though they did not preach to the people in the cities whither they came hauing Leuites with them to doe that seruice yet their countenancing authorizing and backing of the Leuites who did teach the people indeed is not without cause said to be a preaching seeing it made way to the people receiuing of it with much more readinesse and cheerefulnesse then otherwise they would haue done yea they were much more incouraged to the zealous embracing and professing of it with fruits following and that by the aduancing and magnifying of it by such noble and worthy persons then might haue bin looked for at their hands otherwise For though the word of God and the pure doctrine taught out of it be of sufficient authoritie to draw and perswade the hearers to submit themselues to it yet considering the blindnes vntowardnes and rebelliousnes of mans heart against heauenly things a number would neuer haue set foote in the holie place to heare for all the report that might haue come to their eares of the price and benefit of the glad tidings preached if they had not been incouraged and brought on by such worthie examples Oh wee know what force there is in such meanes In so much as euen with vs howsoeuer there are of the Nobilitie many who haue the preaching of the Gospel in singular account yet the people that dwell farre off from them and be not seated neere to them they I say hearken not after them neither are any thing moued by them But where such are seene by the people that liue by them to haue the preachers of the word in high account for the message they bring and to bee subiect to the holie doctrine which they teach euen that is a strong cord to draw the inferiour sort to shew reuerence to the ordinance of God and to cause them to think that if such great persons so highly esteeme of their ministery and message that there is doubtlesse some great matter that moueth thē to it And though that be not all neither is of any power to conuert the heart for that is the proper worke of the holie Ghost yet many are at the first brought on to receiue the preaching of the Gospell who after feele the power of it also and enioy the benefit of it when yet their first beginnings therein are chiefly occasioned by the zeale and forwardnes of such good patternes And this is one cause Right Honourable why we Gods Ministers doe much wish and pray for the superiours and great persons and especially those who are noble and growing toward the highest places that they may be sincere and zealous for the truth because though they be no Preachers as neither Iehoshaphats Princes were yet wee know how greatly they may set forward preaching and honour God in going before the people in their holy course I say we pray that many of them may be such euen as wee highly praise God for those who are such alreadie And as wee are glad to see them fauourers and followers of that which we preach by the authoritie of God one father of vs all so we desire which is the next thereto that they would be patrons of our writings which we set foorth with the same mindes for the common edification of the Church of Christ that when it is seene that such as are in high place and zealous professors of the truth also do make account of them there may be farre greater hope that many others will doe the same And therefore I humbly craue of your Honour that I who haue presumed to dedicate these few Sermons to your Honour may be with your good liking allowed so to doe The which though they be things of small account as they are commonly reckoned to be yet I would not haue offered them if I had thought they might not promise that good to the Church which I know your Honour is willing to further Besides if there be any thing in them worthy your accepting and reading they are your due by good right and the testimonie of my thankfull heart and the best that I haue to present to your Lordship who though you neuer saw my face yet euen vpon report of me to your Honour did giue me cause to haue you in daily remembrance while I liue But a word is enough of this To lay out the matter of the Sermons I thinke it not meete to bee tedious to you about it and the rathe for that it is in the short Epistle to the Reader done sufficiently further then thus to signifie that the thing which is chiefly aimed at in them among many other to good purpose is to giue helpe to the Reader as need shall require to make his calling and consequently his election as the Apostle Peter willeth sure And thus not to bee further tedious to your Lordship I end praying God that as hee hath honoured you in a double manner so he would accompanie your earthlie honour with abundance of such blessings as are wont to goe with it and multiplie your best honour with the varietie and increase of his heauenly graces From Weathersfield this 20. of Aprill 1612. Your Honours in all humble dutie to commaund in Christ RICH. ROGERS TO ALL TRVE CHRISTIANS AND WELWILLERS TO to the Gospel or such as yet are further off from the power of it whom the Lord in time may call Richard Rogers wisheth al good that they want to

things straight do bow them a contrarie way that so they may the easilier bring them betwixt both which is to be straight and right so the Lord when he entends to make a proud man humble and meeke he will breake his heart with sorrow and affliction wherewith when hee hath been throughly exercised he is the fitter to be brought to the meane betwixt both that is broken-heartednes and humilitie For as a log in the deepe mire hauing long lien therein is so fastened to the place as it is impossible to remoue or pluck it out vnlesse it be loosened and turned into another place but being so handled it may with ease be taken out Euen so if a man set vpon his dregges I meane being riuited into his sinnes be not loosened from them by some terrour and heart-smart though hee be brought neuer the neerer to repentance thereby yet he shall if he be such a one as God wil shew mercie vnto hee shall I say much more easily be perswaded thereto According to that which wee say in our common speech and that truly of a wicked man bent to his will and to liue licentiously that hee is neuer like to amend and come to good vnlesse the Lord awake him by some great affliction This manner of Gods dealing with men to bring them to so happie an estate by so vnlikely meanes and so farre off should teach the men of this age that wisedome hauing knowledge which the ignorant cannot learne that in their troubles and astonishments they should not think that they are punished seeing God taketh delight therein and so wax hardened but to know that they not humbling their hearts to seeke the Lord by preaching and by Gods benefits they haue need to be awaked by his iudgements and that he doth therefore afflict them that they may know they are farre gone in their euill course that so they may lay surer hold of his word and take direction and counsell from thence to be brought to God But let vs see how God wrought by the second meane that was farre off and so how hee brought him on by degrees to true conuersion This second meane was Pauls care of him in his desperate estate to hinder and disswade him from offering violence to himselfe and his kindnes towards him in ouercomming euill with good For whereas the Iaylor had shewed himselfe cruell towards him when he had giuen him no cause so to doe and therefore looked for no good will at his hands if possibly he should stand in neuer so great need thereof behold hee had no greater friend then him whom he had deserued to be his greatest enemie for euen by him was his life preserued This when he weighed and considered which hee could not but see Paul so earnestly beseeching him to doe himselfe no harme who had not otherwise been held back from killing himselfe I say when he laid these things together he was againe amazed at this but in another manner and better then before For before his heart was troubled desperatly thinking what losse he was like to haue but now hee was moued in a more commendable manner to see Pauls vnlooked for kindnes towards him This began to draw his heart towards Paul which we know must needs be a great change from that which was before And by this we may mark the beautie of vertue and grace in Gods seruants how greatly it moueth the hearts euen of wicked men Surely if they were carefull that their light might shine in good conuersation among men they should not a little prouoke them out of their bad course and to bee in loue with a better I doe not denie but it most moueth them when it bringeth any benefit to them as heere Pauls loue and care did to the Iaylor they had double force to worke vpon him And although it helpe much I grant to the further drawing him on toward goodnesse yet that only was not to be seene in him but that did beate into him a perswasion that he was a good man and was able to doe him good also and therefore a little after he desired to know of him how he might be saued So that kindnes and harmelesnes and other fruits of loue if they were more vsually and plentifully shewed foorth by Christians they would vndoubtedly pearce the hearts of many wicked men and cause them to thinke that they are farre from the course which they should walk in For though many scorners and profane persons doe trample goodnesse and good men vnder their feete yet the beautie of pietie and Christianitie doth much moue and auaile with many As we see by Peters words to Christian women where he saith Let the wiues be subiect to their husbands that euen they that obey not the word may without the word be wonne by the conuersation of their wiues But especially if Gods seruants would as opportunitie is offered shew their loue in seeking to win them to God and to help them towards eternall life much more should they perswade them to forsake their bad course and to embrace a better As our Sauiour Christ talking with that woman of Samaria brought her to repentance And this be said of the second meane of the conuersion of the Iaylor though farre off which as it was a degree before the former so they who are moued as hee was are sensiblie set forward as he was though I denie not but that many comming thus farre and further from their euill course may yet be farre enough off from true conuersion But let vs heare the third meane which the second now spoken of procured and brought foorth and that is a neerer degree to goodnesse then the former And this it is that he conceiued so well of them of Paul and Silas I meane that for all the commandement of the Magistrate hee brought them out of the prison and fell downe before them in token of reuerence to them and so fell to neere acquaintance with them who being good men it gaue hope of his further good taking by them And here I will stay a while to teach how we may profit by this To this end this I say that as his neere clinging and cleauing to them was another meane to bring him to true conuersion euen so God vseth the familiaritie and acquaintance that wicked men haue with his seruants to this end that they may distaste their former course and bring them to heare the word preached and so in time to be changed Thus many become beleeuers in Christ by companie and acquaintance with Preachers who being appointed by Christ to be fishers of men doe shew the loue to them that Christ shewed to themselues before that if they be men of God indeed they will lay open to them their treasures which they haue gathered out of the hoard of the Gospell and impart the same vnto them For although many of that profession I meane the Ministerie

are hoarded vp in the word for vs to make vs happy forasmuch as they are drawne out from thence no other way but by thirsting after them and by it we are made partakers of them as the blessed Virgine saith in her song The Lord filleth the hungry with good things and sendeth the rich or full empty away which is the cause why the poore people of God doe shew their thirsting desire not onely many other wayes but also by this namely in their ordinary labour and trauaile to heare the word of God preached that sundry miles off from their dwelling place if they haue it not there though it be with mocking and taunting them for it by such as are far from thirsting after it themselues The third cause why God requireth thirsting is because we should otherwise neuer know how exceedingly we are beholding to him for the variety of grace and good things which we receiue thereby frō him as faith patience the forgiuenes of sins c. For so Salomon saith in the Prouerbs The person that is full despiseth an hony combe but vnto the hungry soule euery bitter thing is sweete So that we feeling such neede of them as that our soules should faint and be starued without them we see and acknowledge that which we could not haue done without it neither would easily beleeue it namely that the Lord loueth vs dearely and that his mercy is great towards vs yea and that in things of the best kind which others hauing offered them of God as well as we doe set no store by them and all because they feele no want of them but could as they thinke be well enough without them And thus much of the causes of thirsting The third followeth and that is how long wee should thirst For it seemeth vnreasonable to many that we should be held alwaies at one point as that either we should euer be thirsting for one grace or if that be not required of vs yet that we should bee thirsting still after some other To the which the answere is that we must alwaies be thirsting euen so long as God hath any good grace to giue and till he be wearie of bestowing vpon vs. Which seeing it shall neuer be while we remaine heere God being a wel-spring and fountaine of all good things neuer drawne drie and more readie to giue then we to aske it is for our singular benefit and not a bondage that we may be alwaies thirsting for so long there is stil some good comming towards vs and otherwise we were not liable to the liberall offer which God maketh heere by the Prophet neither were we the persons to whom he speaketh in saying Ho euery one that thirsteth come to the waters and drinke But yet this I say further that in this manner we should thirst namely for any grace till we receiue it if it be heere to be enioyed or a sure grant of it if we cannot partake it heere that in the life to come we shal haue it and we are not to thinke that when we haue obtained any gift or grace of God that we are commanded still to be asking of one and the same thing which to do were against common sense and reason but for a greater measure of it as encrease of faith loue and patience when we haue alreadie receiued a part in them and for such things as we yet want with the like appetite to desire and thirst for them as at the first anguish of mind and wound of conscience we did long for the forgiuenesse of our sinnes And this of the time how long we ought to thirst which is the third point in this first part The fourth followeth namely how we should come to thirsting and how it should be vpholden which being such a worthie gift of God had not need to be neglected but as an appetite to bodily food for the preseruing of health is by all meanes to be maintained and sought The meanes are neither costly nor hard to come by as in bodily dainties it fareth but readie and at hand Euen to see our wants in grace and emptines thereof as how weake our faith is how faint our hope how cold our loue and how hardly we haue proofe of our patience Also to obserue our corruptions as touchinesse frowardnes vncleane desires wrath desire of reuenge c. and in what bondage they hold vs. If we obserue these in our selues they will make vs desire the sincere milke of the Word to guide vs aright also to watch and pray sigh and groane that we may resist the euill and nourish the good For as the husbandman by toiling and sweating at hay and haruest prouoketh the bodily thirst so we labouring with our hearts to plucke vp and to plant as there shall be cause shall thirst till wee obtaine that which wee goe about and desire And God who calleth vs to it and promiseth largely to satisfie vs will not mocke vs but do as he hath said that is to say satisfie our soules with good things And thus we come to thirst But when we see our hearts thus possessed and taken vp with the feruent and constant desire of the good things which we would haue we must also be perswaded to labour readily and willingly as need shall require whether it be by prayer conference or the like to obtaine them remembring that which is said in the Psalme that wisdome and so all the parts thereof is to be sought out that is with all diligence of those that haue pleasure therein But one obiection heere I will answere which troubleth some and that is that they say In the beginning when men turne to God first they thirst and cannot be satisfied to their quiet and contentment but they see no such thing in them after I answere though all shew it not after as they did at first by complaining asking questions and lamenting their wants to other yet they long and thirst for that which they see needfull for them and yet wanting but they do not shew it so much and that is wisdome which other vnexperienced and more weake in knowledge and faith cannot do but must shew their thirsting as I said and it may be perceiued of themselues to be so by their daily care and diligence to nourish the old grace they haue alreadie and to obtaine new and by the course of their life it may be perceiued of others but if they grow full they be in ill case Thus the first branch of the three in this first part hath bin handled namely who they are whom God calleth out by the Prophet from the rest of the people to take part in the best tidings that euer were or can be brought from him and that is all such as thirst The second branch followeth and that is what are the good things that they shall haue which thirst The benefit which they shall enioy is answerable to their thirst

with afflictions and those that they haue laid on them be not sore nor grieuous therefore when any come vpon them of any waight indeed they cast them off as impatient in bearing the burthen Neither let any say to me this that the children of God are alwaies vnder the crosse neither are they long without some afflictions seeing their life is compared to a sowing in teares For notwithstanding this many are their outward blessings also especially where the pure preaching of the Gospell is enioyed for many troubles may be easily swallowed vp where that is to helpe to digest them And yet what poore and weake commendation may be giuen of the ioyfull welcoming of the troubles which are sent to such for the most part And this to be true which I say those times do proue wherein they haue some load of affliction laid vpon them for what earnest seeking to God is in them or patience to beare them Indeed if they continue or waxe more grieuous so that they can neither auoid them neither is there any hope of earthly helpe left vnto them to come out of them then perhaps and not till then for the most part when they see no other remedy it may be seene that God is sought vnto seriously and then they stirre vp their faith to lay hold of assistance from God with some confidence when all other helpe faileth For example when by some sore visitation and sicknesse that is like to be vnto death God awaketh any of his the disease permitting and giuing libertie to the partie afflicted for some sicknesse is more violent then other it may be seene sometime that he lieth more like vnto one that preacheth and giueth encouragement and exhortation to repentance ioyfully rather then as one readie to die but how rare is this to see for in many smaller troubles perhaps patience will hardly be found And whereas some of Gods corrections cause sorrow only to the afflicted without paine to the bodie as the losse of friends or goods some cause sorrow that commeth from paine as sicknesse and grieuous diseases it may be that the former may worke some good now or then but for the most part the latter if extremitie hinder not leaue the best fruit behind them Howsoeuer it be there is no doubt but that this grace is too much wanting and the rather it is the lesse sought seeing we leane too much to temporarie holds and stayes and for that our hearts runne after earthly things inordinately as health riches peace c. though we see by long experience that there is no hold of them nor any safe resting in them And this lingring heere like Lots wife must be purged out of vs and chased from vs or else we shall degenerate from the faithfull in former ages and shew too truely that we be not led with their spirit when we being so nestled heere can so hardly go out of our selues to welcome the troubles which God sendeth to weane vs from hence and do not rather pray that we may reioyce vnder them and be thankfull in them The third thing in this first part of the text is that euill persons shall haue small cause in the end to reioyce of their hard proceedings against the seruants of God howsoeuer they pursue them with great delight for God will surely take part with them against their enemies As heere we see in the Iailer whom he terrified while Paul and Silas sung for ioy in so much that he and other his companions when they heard it might see that they had a God that could and would comfort them when hee himselfe their wicked aduersarie thought he had loaden them with anguish and sorrow and that this their God could astonish him with feares and desperatenesse when they whom he oppressed were merrie How God doth this in the world to come it is cleere enough by that Scripture to the Thessalonians where it is said That it is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble his and to them that are troubled rest when the Lord Iesus shall shew himselfe from heauen with his mighty Angels in flaming fire Indeed in this world that is not alwaies seene but yet God doth it euen heere also while he professeth that he will blesse them that blesse his and curse them that curse his and while he sheweth fearefull iudgements vpon them who did sore vexe his good seruants and constraineth other to crie out and with their owne mouthes to acknowledge that he plagueth them for their sakes whom they hated and persecuted For examples of the first kind Zidkiiah is one the arch-prophet of Baal who did not only feed Ahab with lies and false messages as from God when he demanded of him what the will of God was in a doubtfull and waightie case but also smote Micaiah the true Prophet of the Lord and withstood him for speaking the truth For this very cause he was constrained afterwards with feare to hide him from chamber to chamber Another example of the first kind is Corah with his companie for resisting and rising against Moses the true seruant of God charging him to be an vsurper of the Priests office and to take too much vpon him and himselfe to bee Gods true Priest for the which as Moses witnesseth he was swallowed vp of the earth with those which were of his conspiracie Examples of the latter sort is Pharaoh who after ten warnings by God in strange punishments for not letting the people of Israel go to serue the Lord out of his land but pursuing them still euen into the sea was in the middest thereof drowned when he was constrained to confesse that the Lord tooke part with Israel against him all the Egyptians saying We will flie from the face of Israel for the Lord sighteth for them against the Egyptians Another example is Iudas who betraying his Master into the hands of the high Priests for money was compelled to confesse before them that set him on worke in a most heauie torment of conscience casting the money againe before them I haue sinned in betraying the innocent blood By all these it appeareth that they shall haue small cause to glorie of their winnings in the end who offer hard measure to Gods people the Lord himselfe crying out thus vnto them Touch not mine annointed nor do my Prophets no harme Neither let any obiect heere that they know them not to be such for so they will affirme in their mad mood and raile on them who yet when they will speake as they are perswaded in good aduisednesse will say of them as Saul did of Dauid that he was more righteous then he and as the King of Babylon said to Daniel thou art the seruant of the most high God So let faithfull Christians rest in their innocencie and in the witnesse of a good conscience and let them count it banquetting

many other of like sort which where they are intertained can it be chosen but that iniquitie should abound there So that this second sort doth also fill the world with sinne And seeing this kinde of people is so common euery where that they goe for honest men and good Christians and they walke vncontrolled and vnpunished and thereby are the lesse noted to be so euill as they are the Lord doth oft take the matter into his owne hands to detect and bewray them So as either they fall to some sinne for which the Magistrate taketh them in hand such was Achan and he that blasphemed in Leuiticus who both were put to death and thrust out from amongst their neighbours or else God punisheth their sinne himselfe directly by letting them lay violent hands on themselues as did Ahitophel The third sort who cause iniquitie to abound are the hypocrites properly so called who professe religion and take the word of God into their mouthes but they hate to be reformed and boldly affirme that they know God but in their deeds they denie him and say Lord Lord but doe nothing lesse then go about to fulfill the will of the Lord. These cause the holy word of God to be ill spoken of which they heare and talke of more then the most of others do And will not sticke to commit sinne the more boldly vnder a colour and cloake of holines which behauiour of theirs being a practise and common course of liuing with them so that daily much euill is wrought by them all that list may see that these also as the two former sorts that I say no more of them as being so well knowne doe cause iniquitie to abound The fourth sort are they who are not properly called hypocrites with the former although hypocrisie beare much sway in them but they in many things doe obey God and the course of their liues is much more framed after Gods word then all the former if they were put together also they doe more streightly vrge good order in others as their place will giue thē leaue yet in some things they will not be brought within compasse but are wedded to their will and know that they do ill some sin they intertaine and take libertie to commit being not willing to search their hearts nor to looke into their waies and so they deale also about faith they hold a confused perswasion and hope that they shall bee saued but they cannot bee brought to trie it and therefore they are destitute both of it and good life Now these also howsoeuer they come neerer a godly life then any of the former and that by many degrees yet because they in some things giue themselues leaue to offend and dishonour God and doe not feare the Lord with all their hearts and in one thing as well as in another seeke to please him therefore God abhorreth their sacrifice of praise and prayer and curseth the obedience which they offer vnto him And therefore the Apostle S. Iames hauing to deale with such people said vnto them whosoeuer shall keepe the whole law and yet faileth in one point he is guiltie of all For hee that said Thou shalt not commit adulterie said also Thou shalt not kill Now then though thou doest none adulterie yet if thou killest thou art a transgressor of the law And thus whiles they haue all their doings reckoned against them for sinnes as it hath been proued that the best of them are no better they come within the ranke of them who multiplie iniquitie and cause sinne to be increased Obiect And if it be obiected that there be other sorts of people besides these foure who increase sinne in the land Answ I answere that some of Gods children by their infirmitie are in shew like the former yet because they would not sinne and doe breake out rather of infirmitie then wilfully and wittingly to lie therein and doe endeuour in one thing as well as another to please God therefore they are not said to increase sinne who doe faithfully labour to suppresse and keepe it downe both in themselues and others And such must the other foure sorts be before the Lord will count and take them for his Thus it is manifest who they be that fill the world with sinne that none can be ignorant of it who is not wilfully blinde Now it remaineth what these should doe that is before all things that they repent and seeke mercie and hold it by faith both which as they haue sufficient cause to looke after with all speed because without the one it is impossible to please God that is faith and without the other I meane repentance and amendment of life the vengeance of God cannot bee auoided so they haue two great incouragements to set them forward to seeke both this being added if they feele what neede they haue thereof as all may see they haue and that very great and then if they desire earnestly to be partakers of them they be not farre from them The first is that the Lord hath other sheepe which are not yet of his fold and hee counteth many to be his people who are not yet called to know that they are his who may by the preaching of the Gospell be added to his faithfull ones And in hope hereof they should giue all diligence to waite vpon the Lord in his ordinance for this blessing The second is this that they search and trie their waies what is amisse in them though they shall neuer finde out the hundreth part of the sinne that is in them and then consider the woe they are in thereby which if they can bee perswaded to doe it is the most direct way to make them turne to the Lord both in imbracing Gods promise of mercy which then belongeth to them by Gods free grant and also in reforming their liues from the which by their sinne they were estranged Both these kindes of turning to God the Prophet Ioel exhorteth the people vnto saying read your hearts that is by searching into them to see the foulnes of them and not your garments and turne to the Lord your God And Ieremy in his Lamentations doth the same when he saith Search your wayes and turne againe vnto the Lord. And this is the onely way for such as haue brought themselues out of fauour with God and drawne downe his wrath vpon themselues by multiplying iniquitie to recouer themselues againe that they may both break off the course of their wicked liues and also be healed and deliuered from that vengeance of God which tooke hold of them before This I haue thought good to say of this first sort of people and of the foure kinds of them all which doe fill the world with iniquitie who least they should too sleightly regard that which hath been said to perswade them to faith and repentance I thought it not amisse to

while some that take vpon them to preach are vnsound in religion some ignorant some stuffe their sermons with authorities of men whereas it is the word of God that hath authority ouer mens consciences some go aboue the peoples capacity and reach few preach diligently constantly and carefully that I speake not of the lose and dissolute behauiour that is not tolerable amongst their hearers how should preaching keepe the credite that it ought to be in and bee like to drawe or perswade people to faith and repentance Nay what greater cause is there of the generall ignorance carelessnes and profanes of life in the people then these and such like abuses seene in the Ministery And while they he thus farre out of the way them selues they are yet more bold to open their mouthes against the diligenter sort who knowing that Christ requireth it at their hands that as they loue him they should feed his sheepe and his lambes doe of conscience seeke to discharge their duties and they are therfore cried one of as doing more then they need And whiles this is suffred what hope is there that any great remorse for sinne or pricke of conscience should be wrought in the people by their standing vp amongst them or any true hope of eternall life wrought in many But these things being remoued and good preaching and liuing in stead thereof interteined and practised such a Ministery as it is highly pleasing to God and commanded by him so it giueth good hope of gathering a plentifull people vnto him As for the profane speeches of them which count the preaching of Christ and suffering for his name to be foolishnes let Saint Paul put them to shame if not to silence who hath taught them if they will learne their answer from him that they whom God wil saue shall and must by this obtaine it or else they shall neuer haue it I haue now spoken of the first point that the end of this great worke of Christ namely preaching is to conuert the bearers thereof to God now the second in this first part followeth and that is this Though that be the ende of it yet the most part commonly regard it not neither consider it but goe away without that blessing Euen as our sauiour here chargeth these cities for their contempt saying If some yea such as in your own iudgement are profane and worldly had seene and hard the great workes of God that haue been done among you they had repented but ye haue not done so vnto this day The complaint is iustly made of the like carelesnes in all ages that when the people had the Prophets and Apostles yea our Sauiour himselfe by whom they might haue beene made happy and with the eyes of faith seene the saluation offred them yet they sought not to know the things that concerned their peace Noah the preacher of righteousnes was dispised and laughed to scorne when he told them of the destroying of the whole earth by water and yet he gaue them an example by his preparing the Arke and so they had a double motiue to beleeue it Esay crieth out when he saw the people made a mocke at his preaching and a iest of his children whom he begat to the Lord thereby saying turne away from me and let me weepe bitterly and labour not to comfort me because the people perish Ieremy to whom they of Anathoth answered preach no more to vs in the name of the Lord for we will not heare thee but preach vnto vs pleasant things bewailed them thus Oh that mine eyes were a fountaine of teares that I might weepe bitterly for the losse of this people Iohn Baptist when he saw the Pharisies come to his Baptisme of whom Christ said to his Disciples except your righteousnes exceed theirs ye cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen said to them O ye generation of vipers who hath taught you to flie from the vengeance to come Bring forth fruites of amendment and say not with your selues we haue Abraham to our father And how our Sauiour lamented the people as many places testifie so that one doth liuely proue O Ierusalem Ierusalem which stonest my Prophets and killest them whom I haue sent vnto thee how oft would I haue gathered thee together as the henne doth her chickens but thou wouldest not Behold thy dwelling shall be left to thee desolate And againe O that thou haddest knowne in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace but they are hidden from thee And Paul oft turned from the Iewes and refused to teach them because of their contempt All the which with others many like vnto them doe proue euen as our Sauiour foretold that it should be in these latter dayes as it was in the time of Noah and Lot that for all the cost the Lord bestoweth vpon the people in sending the glad tidings of saluation amongst them yet admirable and fearefull to say few receiue and imbrace them but it commeth to passe what by mens rebelliousnes and vnthankefulnes and all the ingines and allurements that stand vp in their way that they that come forwardest a very few excepted be but as Agrippa that is almost Christians One would thinke that when God hath done more for one place and people then for others And that he hath giuen to it for a long time sound and sauory instruction while others haue wanted it that he should looke both for much people there and those also well seasoned although it be not so among others but when they shall faile there how iust cause shall he haue to expostulate with them and to complaine as Christ doth here that they contemned and set light by his kindnes And yet where almost shall hee find it otherwise If not as he found it among the Iewes to whom he spake in the tenth of Iohn verse 32. where he sayeth many good workes haue I shewed you from my father for which of these workes doe ye stone me yet at least as is mentioned in the fifth of Esay vers 4. that when after great cost bestowed vpon his vineyard he looked that it should bring forth grapes it brought forth wilde grapes So it was with them of whom we read in the Prophet Michah who acknowledged that they owed much to God and desired much more at his hands but what fruit did they yeeld him euen wilde grapes euen false and feined repentance for that which was true and sound For that they could not hitte vpon when yet excepting that they offred him seruice with their great cost For thus they say as one man Wherewith shall I appeare before the Lord and bow my selfe before the high God Shall I come before him with burnt offrings and with calues of a yeare olde will the Lord be pleased with thousand of rammes or with ten thousand riuers of oile Shall I giue my first borne of

seeing Saint Peter saith he doth not this but when need is for hee doth nothing needlessely nor without cause therefore wee must know that it is needfull that it should be so yea and that also though they be sharpe and fierie The Lord knoweth what is best for euery one of vs. And it is meet that wee should be well perswaded hereof also both because we doe so soone shrinke backe at the very hearing that any crosses are comming towards vs and also for that we must enter into the kingdome of heauen by bearing our part in them And for these causes and for that they are layed on vs by him who doth all things well and for the good of his therefore we must both stoope to them willingly and looke vp to him who hath smitten vs that he may heale vs. And the Lord sheweth vs many other reasons why he leaueth vs thus to be subiect to many tribulations though hee be not bound to shew vs any euen for that we be not fit to vse prosperity well a●y long time together and therefore that we may not bee poisoned therewith and so perish with the world thereby he weaneth vs from the baites thereof by afflictions The vse of this is of two sorts Vse 1 The one that we should prepare for them before as Christs doctrine teacheth when he foretelleth that in the world we shall haue tribulation and as Iobs example incourageth who in the middest of his prosperity did looke for his change Vse 2 The other vse is that we should take vp our crosse daily and that with a willing and ready minde as in Luk. 9.23 we are taught and pray that we may doe so to the end our ioy may be all as S. Iames promiseth it shal be if wee receiue them in that manner And this for the first point As we haue heard that these Churches had been vnder persecution so yet now it appeareth that they had rest from it at this time here mentioned Whereby God would haue vs learne that he doth not afflict long but as Hosea speaketh after three dayes that is after a short time he wil returne and deliuer and so though heauines indure for a night yet ioy shal come in the morning For he will not suffer the rod of the wicked to lye alwaies vpon the lott of the righteous lest they should reach forth their hand to iniquity But further he blesseth them oft and sundrie wayes more then is easily perceiued both that it may be seene that godlinesse is not without reward no not in this life and also that God can afford good things vnto his seruants though he sometime afflict them And to come to particulars he giueth freedome from persecution and sendeth outward peace whereby we may liue safely vnder our vine and vnder our figtree as it was in the dayes of Salomon Which benefit if we haue so long enioyed and yet cannot price it in any sort according to the value of it but count it common wee may aske of them who are or haue been in the heate of persecution who can readily tell how much this peace and rest from persecution is worth how many precious liberties it holdeth from vs and how many good things it depriueth vs of All which we partake who haue freedome from that persecution and enioy this outward peace which I speake of Among the which these are none of the smallest that as wee enioy our habitation peaceably thereby so wee haue the benefit of the vtterance of our commodities and the exchange of our wares and safe trauelling from place to place all which bring freedome from feare and other vnquietnes And which maketh all these to be sauourie and to be enioyed with more sweetnes by this freedome from persecution where wee liue vnder a Magistrate that is a maintainer and defender of true religion we enioy also the benefite of the Gospell truly preached which is the pearle so highly prized by our Sauiour Whereas in domestical at home and forraine warre abroad as also in persecution all these commodities are wanting In the booke of Iudges wee reade that when there was no King in Israel euery man did what seemed good in his owne eyes In the daies of Iael the high waies were vnoccupied and the trauellers walked in by-waies for feare of the enemies the townes were not inhabited And in the desolation of Ierusalem as we reade in the Lamentations she was left solitarie Iudah was carried away captiue the waies of Zion lamented because no man came to the solemne feasts as they had been wont to come vp with mirth and ioy all her persecuters tooke her in the streights By which it may be seene what a benefit peace and freedome from persecution is which should cause vs when we may enioy them to studie to doe all the good that wee may possibly in them which only is to make the right vse of them And so did the Churches here when they had them but a while But what haue we done in the golden dayes of our peace for these fifty full yeares inioyed It may truly be said it hath bin worse with the most part then if they had bin wanting For then should there neuer haue such foule and horrible sinnes bin committed as through and by meanes of peace and prosperity al places well nigh haue been tainted with Besides many haue neuer the more peace with God Note for all the peace that hath been in the land neither once looke after it no nor with men saue in euill otherwise at warre no nor in their owne houses but are at strife and contention in brawling and railing euen betwixt man and wife nor with themselues which is most diuellish What quietnes haue many but when they haue what they would and while their lusts be satisfied which peace forsaketh them in euery blast of affliction else they are euer vnquiet and vexed within themselues for euery thing that goeth against them But seeing the vses of outward peace are set downe in the text I wil follow that in the laying out of them To begin with them therefore it is said first that they did edifie and build vp themselues In what It must needes be that the holy Ghost meant in such inward grace as inabled them to shew it foorth outwardly in their liues before men as the feare of God knowledge faith hope care to please God and such like in which it is said after they walked amongst men And therefore outward duties cannot bee meant thereby seeing the performing of them was another vse of their peace spoken of afterward seuerally by it selfe And how did they build vp themselues thus in grace It was by vsing all holy meanes for that purpose both publike and priuate as the hearing of the Apostles doctrine praying and vsing other godly fellowship together So that this is as much as if it were said that