CERTAINE Sermons preached of late at Ciceter in the countie of Glocester vpon a portion of the first Chapter of the Epistle of Iames wherein the two seueral states of the riche and poore man are compared and examined the differences in quality and duety betwixt them shewed both directed to such Christian parts and offices as the sufficiencie of the one may and ought to performe and the wants of the other do necessarily require Penned at the earnest requests of diuers well affected Inhabitantes of the place and now published as well for the vse of others as for the further profit of that particular congregation By Philip Iones Preacher of the word of God in the same Towne Allowed by authoritie Imprinted at London by T. D. for Thomas Butter 1588. ¶ To the right Reuerend Father in God Iohn nowe Bishoppe of Glocester and Commendatarie of Bristow Philip Iones wisheth the increase of all good graces fit for the discharge and answering of so great a calling in this life and in the next the fruition of those ioyes which are euerlasting in Christ Iesus PAVL that chosen vessell vnto God Act. 9.15 being appointed a principall instrument or minister for the bearing of his name before the Gentiles and kings the children of Israel hauing passed through the handes of many keepers Centurions Souldiers high priests and gouernours at last appeared in Cesarea before Agrippa the king who beeing desirous to heare him and his cause hauing for that purpose giuen him lawful libertie to speake for him selfe he thought and pronounced him selfe happie Act. 26.2.3 in that hee was called and permitted to answere before him of all the thinges whereof hee was accused of the Iewes chiefly because hee had knowledge of all customes and questions which were then amongst them In like manner I at this time right Reuerend cannot but take my selfe if not in the same degree happie yet in some proportiō fortunate in meeting with this present opportunitie for the vse of free speech to and before you not in the customes and questions of the Iewes but in the thinges that concerne a better state and gouernment seene and exercised sufficiently For I esteeme it no small adiument or furtherance of an honest cause to haue such a Iudge of the controuersie as both in quality is willing to heare in iudgement able to determine according to reason equity although at this time it is not my intention to sollicite you as a Iudge in a cōmon quarrell but to purchase you as a Patrone to a schollers work litle I confes in quantity far from any exact or exquisite thing whether you respect the phrase stile or the maner of hādling thorowout the whole tractate by reason wherof I coulde fully haue satisfied my self either in the close reseruing therof amōg my papers or otherwise in the priuate cōmunicating of the same with my friends but being pressed with the importunities of many good brethren who being present at the preaching haue made report of the fruit benefit they therby reaped therefore would take no answere but the graunt of a publike vse of the same for their further comfort and the profit of others I coulde not in conscience or curtesie denie so reasonable a request proceeding from such Christian cōmendable minds And hauing at the last for their contentment in this one part though leauing them discontented for the rest yeelded to the multitude of reasons wherewith they vrged me I haue taken this course and made this choise in the publishing to vse your Reuerend name and patronage for the same VVherunto besides sundrie effectuall motiues inducing me which for some respects I here suppresse one is of good consequēce meete in this place to bee introduced and specified and that is an earnest desire wherewith I haue for a season trauailed to haue you thorowly acquaynted with the state and trueth of certaine actions of mine which by reason of the practises of suche aduersaries Ezra 4.1 as Iuda and Beniamin sometimes had in a matter not muche different in nature though somewhat in circumstance are so farre from beeing entertayned with lawfull fauour as that they are prosecuted with extreeme displeasure vnder you yea and by you as of late in your heate and passions openly appeared to the great incouragement of the common enemie and no little discomfort of manie that professe sincerely and discreetely I craue pardon if anie syllable sounding to offence bee in my wordes to your selfe or others towards whom my meaning perhappes may seeme to reache for I carrie no purpose to rippe vp particular matters or to make the name of any man odious by complaint but onely a care and conscience to maintayne a good cause to deliuer the trueth of thinges and to preserue from wracke a Christian account and reputation which according to Salomon maketh fatte the bones Prou. 15.30 VVhich thinges I fynde my selfe animated in this sorte or otherwise if occasion bee offered to vndertake vppon this surmise that to your selfe I meane your selfe simplie considered and not by others inchaunted there cannot be a thing of more prompt acceptance then an honest meane vsed to remoue such vnkinde and causelesse opinions as vpon priuie suggestion haue beene too easily conceiued and to scatter such mistes of accusations as by the inuentions of malignant spirits haue beene plotted preferred against my temperate course I speak nothing but that which is common in the knowledge of the world Acts 26.26 as not don in a corner the dealings of some men I will not say monsters being such so many so impudent so malitious so furious against vs as that a way to preuent their mischiefes and a time to breath our selues are hardly recouered from their ordinarie vexations Whereunto when I adde in my priuate consideration the immoderate and fierce proceedings of your self your courts and officers by interrupting the vse of my ministery and stretching the armes of authoritie to the vttermost I may not say beyond law reason and christian conscience to the increase of my disquietinges and the full measure of my molestations I see small cause in common sense of taking any heart or spirite to fulfill my course and to growe on in that spirituall worke whereof a beginning of great hope is already made and a foundation layd amongst them who at this present doe inioy the benefite of my attendance when as those who after a sort naturally by the communitie of office shold lend their shoulders hāds to beare of the blowes and iniuries of hypocrites the broode of vipers doe contrary to the course of nature and duetie ioyne as it is feared with them to strengthen their practises and to giue more life to their deuises for the vtter spoyle ouerthrowe of many good singuler possibilities which thing hath made me of this opinion that either you haue egregiously forgotten my reuerēce to your place person premised or
as it were by the winges in respects of the receite of the graces of God but that there is this scope giuen them that looke howe many good blessings they are made partakers of from God of so many they may freely and without sume be glad and ioyful prouided alwayes that the rule be kepte to make God the foundation of their ioye and in the vse thereof to haue regard of thankfulnesse of the benefite and the prayse of his name If we search the scriptures peruse the histories of the Church we shall read of many things from whence the godly in al ages haue taken occasion to reioyce as of the deliuerance of the faithfull out of the hands of persecutors victory against the enemies returne from captiuitie the free course of the Gospell the obedience and constancie of the brethren the gouernment of a good prince that peace of conscience vpon feeling of the mercie of God many other things which particulers if they happeÌ„ to vs as they haue of old to the Church of God we may in like sort wtout al offeÌ„ce reioyce in theÌ„ as they haue done So that hereby all the carnall reioycings of the wicked are coÌ„demned who many times boast of their sin triumph in doing euill making not God but Sathan whom they serue the foundation of their ioye for when the children of God are in some distresse and any way afflicted then as Tyrus reioyced at the ouerthrow of Ierusalem Ezek. 26.2 saying a hathe gate of the citie is broken it is turned vnto mee for seeing she is desolate I shal be replenished so do the wicked Tyrians of al times clap their hands are well apaid when they see the miseries of the righteous thinking the sight of their calamitie to be a sufficient cause and reason for their execrable melody The proofe whereof is great and large euen amongst vs seeing it can not be denied but that there are such scoffing mates and riming marchants as were in the dayes of Dauid who made songs of his trouble triumphed in his aduersitie Psal 32.15.16 and said a ha a ha our eyes haue seen the man ouerthrowen so these persons when they see neuer so little trouble raised vp against vs that we are molested cited suspended excommunicated indighted inhibited and in such like sort diuers wayes haÌ„dled they cry out there there so we would haue it they make feastes one to another in token of ioy and looke bigge vpon vs as if they would deuoure vs yea they deale as the Pharisies sometimes dealt against Christ Mark 14.11 who when they heard that Iudas Iscariot woulde betray him into their handes they were glad of it and promised him money to doe it so these men reioyce when they can haue any occasion of aduantage by the caÌ„non law the iniunctions or otherwise against vs and both by perswasioÌ„s and promises doe incourage others to work our mischiefe but they reioyce in their boastings al such reioycing is euill Iames 4.16 And therfore we know to our comfort that looke as the Lord brought a most horrible iudgment vpoÌ„ Tyrus for triumphing at the fall of Ierusalem Ezek. cap. 26. 27 so these men shall not escape the force of the Lords wrath who being ielous of his honor cannot abide to see his seruants abused his prophets the apple of his eye made iesting stocks as we do admonish theÌ„ so we aduise all others to be carefull in this case of their mirthes and triumphes not to reioyce in the wickednes of their handes and in the sinnes of others as it is seene nowe a dayes that there are those which take a felicitie and pleasure to make a man by abundance of drinke loose the vse of his senses laughing at his drunkenes reioycing at that which the soules of gods children do moorne for they themselues if there were any feare of God in them should condemne in themselus but such is the desperatenes of this age by reason of our corruptions and want of good discipline that the glory of God lyeth in the dust the way of God is euill spoken of and sin and iniquitie hath gottteÌ„ he vpper hand and trampleth vpon godlines but leauing the sorrow and lamentation for the same and prayer either for the redresse of all things amisse or for the ende and finishing of all things to your Christian soules and consciences I will proceede with the Apostle is the texte who nowe concludeth with the poore man and giueth him a sight of his crowne and glory and cause of ioye consisting in a future preferment or promotion in the wordes in that he is exalted It is a common vse not onely of the spirit of God in scripture but of vs amongst our selues also in the time of a mans trouble to minister comforte vnto him by an argument drawen from the hope of deliuerance and remedie in the ende If ye reade the thirtie and one chapter of the prophecie of Ieremie the whole prophesies of Micha Nahum Abacuck and so to Malachy the last of the prophets ye shall haue sufficient proofe and instance of this matter And in the newe testament yee shall light almost vpon no leafe or page but yee shall finde comforts of this qualitie Mat. 5.12 Luke 12.32 Luke 23.43 Luke 21.28 Iohn 14.18 Acts. 27.34 1 Iohn 2.25 Greate is your rewarde in heauen It is your fathers pleasure to giue the kingdome To day shalt thou be with me in paradise Lifte vp your heades for your redemption draweth neere I will not leaue you fatherlesse but will come vnto you There shal not an heare fall froÌ„ the head of any of you this is the promise that he hath promised vnto vs euen that eternall life with infinite other places of the like importance which course is also followed and taken of vs in our consolations to our afflicted friends because we knowe that there can not bee applied to their consciences a more speciall matter of comforte then hope and assurance of helpe and reliefe at the â—ast The very same maner of incourage ment and cheering Iames doth here lay and spread before the eyes of the poore maÌ„ wishing him to be contented with his state to practise patience yea ioy because the time shall come wherein although he bee now in greeuous miserie and lye in the dust yet hee shal be lifted vp to a supreeme degree and heigth of glorie and shal be made partaker of all the honours and excellencies of the sonnes of God so that if there bee any brother or sister among vs punished and afflicted with any kind of crosse and calamitie whether it be pouertie weakenesse sicknes contempt diffamation or persecution or whatsoeuer else the regarde of the present matter we haue now in hand may in great measure strengthen their feeble armes and solace their heauie spirites assuring them that the said afflictions shall not alwayes continue indure vpon them but shall
that you do wittingly neglect the aduise or rather charge of the most reuerend honorable the Archbishoppe of this prouince whō for dutie honors sake in respect of many his speciall fauors towards my selfe I here reēmber sent directed to you by letter to doe nothing that might tēd to my discourage or troble bearing my self in that lawful answerable sort wherin I haue alwayes squared measured the seuerall parts of my ministratiō whether I haue done so or not I referre the iudgement to the testimonies of all indifferent persons not surprised with malice towards vs nor transported with parciallitie to the cōtrary factiō yea to your self your own sentēce when the time shal come and occasion shal yeeld it self to impart with you the true perfect knowledge of all late accidentes touching both sides and causes In the meane time I conceiue hope of this effect that vpon the perusing of this parte of my poore daily labors which with all submission and regard of duetie I present you your selfe of your wisedome will discerne what great manifest vntruth the aduersaries reportes doe carry with them which spare not to charge my indeuors with bitter inuectiues against persons and seditious speeches against authoritie and the present policie gouernment of our church established Ab vno disce omnes Aenead lib. 2. by this one you may iudge of al my trauels for I my selfe in the feare of God do protest the common audience of our assēblies can wil witnes that the maner method vsed and to be seen herein hath beene and is the true forme of my dayly practise and performance of duetie And I am not in the appurtenances and necessarie adiunctes of my profession so much to seeke but that I know according to the minde of a worthy and famous Prelate of this our age Ioh. Iuellus in lib. de vit Iuel and countrey whose name and memorie amongst vs is better then any sweete and excellent oyntment as the wise man speaketh that the preaching of the Gospell standeth not in an idle and vnfruitfull discoursing of rites Eccles 7.3 and ceremonies but in a sound deliuery and application of doctrine to the conscience of a Christian to worke faith and repentance in the hearers and therefore I doubte not but that howsoeuer hitherto Doeg the Edomite hath curried fauour with his maister by disclosing Dauid 1. Sam. 22.9 and accusing Ahimelech the sonne of Ahitub I meane howsoeuer some whisperers haue preuayled with your good nature for what thing by crafte is sooner abused wresting the same to a hard conceit and misconstruction of vs and our actions yet now vpon this iust and reasonable apologie for our selues your grauitie will borrow and carry Alexanders two eares Bruson lib. 3. cap. 10. one alwayes stopt and reserued for the defendant so shall colours be quickly distinguished from causes and the truth of things shal be receiued and not the informations of those men credited which carry in their bosomes large consciences to dispence with any report be it neuer so adulterate tending to my preiudice And as I doubt not of this so I mistrust not the issue of a further thing to wit that although Agrippa notwithstanding Pauls notable and true declaration Acts. 26.31.32 and the euident immerit of his bondes departed from the common hall doing nothing in his matter speaking well of him and his innocencie but not deliuering him according to iustice and the honour of a king yet your reuerend discretion hauing discouered the pretences of the aduersarie and hauing viewed with a good eye the vprightnes of our cause will not in regard of vs but of the matter directly respectiue to the honour of God and the health of many soules execute with a good conscience that iudiciall prescription deliuered by the Lorde himsefe to Moses not as pertinent to that time and his policie onely Exod. 23.2 but perpetuall for all ages thou shalt not agree in a controuersie to decline after many and ouerthrowe the truth And in so doing I hope the time shall come wherein as in the dayes of Salomon a man may dwell without feare vnder his vine 1. Kings 4.25 and figtree from Dan euen to Beersheba and thus hauing hope for my support I rest for this present commending my self to your good opinion and speech and my poore labor to your protection requesting vpon the ouersight rather your partiall then equall iudgment because of the imperfections scattered in the same the graunt whereof I shall take and repute not onely as a sufficient recompence and satisfaction for this paines but a spurre and prouocation also in time by the will of God to shadowe vnder the breadth of your winges matters of more substance and greater perfection The God and father of our Lorde Iesus Christ the sheepehearde and Bishoppe of our soules who hath furnished you with many good graces multiplie the same in you with all things necessarie for your roome and place that God by you in al your actiōs may be glorified the truth of his worde and mysteries ratified the faithfull disposers thereof cherished and couraged the idle and ignorant ministers the bane of our Church reformed and your selfe in the ende blessed with endlesse felilicitie London May the 17. 1588. The Lordes vnworthy seruant and your suppliant prepared for all godly commaundements and duties PHILIP IONES The text Let the brother of lowe degree reioyce in that he is exalted Againe he that is rich in that he is made low for as the flower of the grasse shall he vanish away Iames 1. verse 9.10 The first Sermon YE heard in my reading the last Sabbath by occasion of the forerunning verse how odious before God hatefull in his sight the sinne of hypocrisie and dubblenesse of mind is especially in religion in the seruice of God when men will beare fayre wether with the world and seeme to carry good mindes and vpright affections towards Sion the true Church of God and yet secretly worke the daūgerous effect of thornes and prickes to the sides thereof As also when men wil make their profession and religion as it were a shipmans hose and an indiferent thing swearing by the Lord and by Malcham Zephan 1.5 1 Kings 18.21 and halting betwixt two opinions as the people whome sometimes Eliah the Prophet sharpely reprooued because they cared not whether they worshipped God or Baall and past not whether they serued God altogether or in parte with whom many of this our age doe iumpe ioyne hands who make conscience of no religion for whether it be the light of the Gospel or the blindnes of poperie and superstition that preuayleth they esteeme not so that it serue for their commoditie and aduantage hauing a heart and a heart as the Greeke worde significantly importeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one for the olde lawe and another for the newe learning as they tearme it
liues are heare subiect to some externall difficulties In the holy storie of Iob we read that when his three friendes hearing of the euil that was come vnto him came from their places to see him and to lament his case with him beheld the great and straunge miserie wherevnto hee was brought and the lamentable plight wherein he stood they were so caried away with the streame of a false imagination and conceit concerning him that whereas before they tooke him for an vpright and iust man and hygh in the fauour loue of God they now vpon the appearance iudged him to be an hypocrite and spared not rashly to affirme that he was in that sort measure iustly plagued of God for his his sins for Eliphaz the Temanite wished him to remēber and cal to minde who euer perished being an innocēt or where the vpright were destroied Iob. 4.7 I haue seen it said he that they which plow iniquitie and sow wickednes do reape the same so cōcluding that Iob could not be innocent or vpright or free from wickednes because the fruit effect of such misfortunes calamities was fallen vpō him And I doubt not but that in the same Eliphaz is a patterne of al carnally minded ignorantly conceited worldlings who vse cōmonly to draw arguments from the afflictions of the children of God cēsuring thereupon that they are not good nor honest nor such as they would seeme to be because they liue not in such a free happy glorious state of life as others doe Wherin they discouer thēselues to be as brutish Now called Malta barbarous as those barbarians of the I le of Melita whereinto Paul happened after his escape from shipwracke who vpon the leaping of a Viper vpon his hande Acts. 28.4 from the fire condemned him by by for a murderer for such a one as vengeance would not suffer to liue This is in cōmon that rash verdits of our Atheistes Epicures Libertines prophane Gospellers who respecting nothing but the outward accident and not considering by reason of their naturall blindnes the course of God in his workes commit sinne in their sentences speaking good of euill and euill of good Ier. 5.20 ill of the righteous well of the couetous whom God abhorreth They may learne to correct their erroneous iudgments both by the sequell of that place of the Acts before cited and by the answere of Iob who to purge himselfe to defend his innocencie against the ouerhastie opinions of his friends affirmed that the Lord knew his way tryed him that he should come forth like the golde Iob. 23.10 meaning that although the world was ignorāt of the true cause of his miserie yet the knowledge therof was with the Lord who vsed the same as a mean to bring to passe his greater profite Let vs make some vse then of this matter for our selues know assuredly that as on the one side it is no sufficient reason to proue the vertue and goodnes of a man because hee hath welth and riches in possession so on the other side it is no necessary conclusion to condemne a man for wicked and vnrighteouse because he is afflicted with pouertie and lacke of sufficient reliefe for himselfe the remembrance and consideration wherof wil work in vs a charitable and Christian opinion concerning our poore brethren not to thinke that they are the worse men in the sight of God because of their harde happe in that case they are our brethren still in profession and essence flesh of our flesh bone of our bone of the same proportion in making and of the same mettle in substance whereof we our selues bee wee neuer so daintie are created and therefore they are not to be vsed of vs with such contempt and indignitie as they receiue generally of the worlde forasmuch as it is not their pouertie that doth either alter their nature which is still common with ours or proue them to be disfauored of the Lord Heb. 12.6 the case so standing that whom God loueth he chasteneth and hee scourgeth euery sonne that he receiueth and the affliction of a base estate is many times to the man rather an argument of the loue of God then a testimonie of his wrath as appeareth expresly by the wordes of the Prophet Dauid who being greeuously afflicted himselfe knowing the purpose of God therein sufficiently doth pronounce a blessing to those that did pittie his case and conceiue a good opinion of him and of all those which should be in the like sort visited for he breaketh forth into this effectuall speech Psal 41.1 blessed is he that iudgeth wisely of the poore the Lorde shall deliuer him in the time of trouble Meaning such a one as doth not condemne that man for accursed whom God doth afflict with pouertie knowing that there are many causes why his hand is in such sort heauie vpon a man Secondly by this appellation and title of brother which the Apostle doth heere apply to the poore man we may learne by his example how to vse our words and temper our speeches concerning men of base place and state To giue them the best stile that we can and to auoyd the intemperate humors of many disdainfull persons who cannot frame their tongues to any indifferent words respecting their inferiors but reuile them and taunte them and loade them with such contemptuous tearmes as are nether comely in their owne mouthes nor in any sorte fitting the persons towardes whom they vse such immoderation Prou. 17.27 Salomon affirmeth that he that hath knowledge spareth his words Iames. 4.11 And our Apostle Iames will haue vs in no case to speake euil one of another A third matter there is also in these wordes which is not to be omitted without note and obseruation namely that in the Apostles directions heere to the poore man and in the vse of his name he doth not cal him the poore brother or beggerly brother but the brother of low degree although in so doing it may seeme that part of his meaning is to increase and magnifie the glorious exaltation of such a man to the kingdome of God which by a comparison made with a precedent basenes is made so much the more high and magnificent by how much the more low and simple his condition was before in the world because that contrary things being one set against another are then most cleerely and perfectly seen what they are yet I doubt not but that the commodities of the low estate of a poore man are heere insinnuated and regarded by the vse of the phrase for the low degree of a man although it bee accompanied with some wants in respecte of the abundance of the richer sorte who are commonly destitute of nothing seruing to the outward prosperitie of this life yet it is free from those hazardes and perilles whereunto the hygh estate of the welthy is continually subiecte
thēselues in conscience are bound vnto Which thing I take to be most requisite for their consideratiō most worthy of their christiā attendance carefulnes that so al stumbling blocks of offence occasions of slander to our common cause may bee remoued wherby the enemy that speaketh euill of vs as of euil doers 1. Pet. 2.12 may by our good works which he shal see glorify God in the day of visitation so that I hope you now conceiue by the premises the ful sense reason of the former allegation or speech of Christ pronoūcing the impossibility of entrance into the kingdome of God against the rich man standing in the difficultie of applying himselfe by occasion of his wealth to the practise of good things and in the impediments which doe accompanie the possession of riches withholding a man from the free course of christian duties obedience which otherwise he might in good measure yeelde himselfe vnto the experience whereof is very large and plentiful amongst vs forasmuch as wee finde not one riche man almost amongest a hundred wel giuen religious zealous a louer of the trueth a regarder of his soule and saluation more then of his luste and pleasure but from the least of them to the greatest Iere. 6.13 with one minde and consent they drawe after couetousneesse following the way of Caine cast away by the deceite of Baalams wages Iude 11. so that wee may runne to and fro by our streetes as by the streetes of Ierusalem Iere. 5.1.5 in the dayes of Ieremie and seeke and enquire in our open places if there bee any one man amongst our great mē that executeth iudgement and seeketh the trueth but wee shall not finde him they haue altogether broken the yoke and burst the bondes and haue not knowen the iudgement of the Lorde so that in this case I cannot resemble our time better then to the time wherein Christ liued wherein the mysteries of the kingdome of God were hid from the wise prudent and men of vnderstanding Mat. 11.25 and were opened to the simple yea vnto babes and wherein the great men the princes the Scribes and the Pharisees and the richer sorte despised Christ and counted the preaching foolishnes but the poore by his owne testimonie Mat. 11.5 and triall receiued the Gospel were not offended in him I will not here although good occasion is offered enter into a rehearsall of the common speeches of our great worldlings and Atheistes who swelling with pride and almost renting asunder with disdaine and rancour because of the libertie of the Gospel and the passage of the word maugre their hearts beards doe breake out into that same wicked aunswere of the Pharisees to their officers concerning Christ who beeing amazed at the grace of his woordes and stricken in their heartes with the efficacie of his doctrines were so farre from doing violence vnto him as the high Priests had commaunded them as that contrariwise they bare witnes of his power and confessed the excellencie of his sayings affirming that neuer man spake as he did Ioh. 7.46.47 But what said the Pharisees are yee also deceiued doe anie of the rulers or of the Pharisees beleeue in him but this people that knowe not the lawe are cursed these are the very formall words of the loose liuers of this time who of purpose to disgrace as much as they can the Preachers of the worde and to diminishe the glory of the Gospel if they coulde doe vsually make comparisons betwixt the base condition of such as are louers of the trueth and diligent hearers of the worde preached and the high degree of those that make a mocke of Christ and apply themselues to the persecuting of him in his saintes and members looke say they what a sort of beggerly and poore fellowes doe follow him such as haue scarce a peece of siluer in their purses or of bread in their houses they are his disciples and are become great holy folkes and will shortly proue Preachers and proceed Doctors but who of vs doe fancie him doe not wee that bee Gentlemen rich men rulers and magistrates speake euill of the man doe not wee report the woorst we can of him among our selues and to strangers doe not wee contemne his pulpit talke make a iest of his threatnings and preferre accusations articles and billes of enditements against him there are none of vs that doe loue him and therefore both hee and they that heare him are deceiued and accursed Thus the Pharisees of our time deale with vs and shewe themselues as it weee in print to bee such maner of men as were the Iewes whose hearts vpon the hearing of Stephens words brast for anger Act. 7.54 and whose teeth gnashed vpon him and such also as were the Priests and captayne of the Temple and Saduces in Ierusalem who being not able to containe themselues by reason of the malicious spirite wherewith they were possessed because that Peter and Iohn did suche and suche thinges in their ministerie Act. 4.1.2 they came vppon them and tooke it grieuously that they taught the people and preached in the name of Iesus the resurrection from the dead but they are condemned by their owne mouthes as euill seruauntes disclayming from the loue and knowledge of that thing and of those men who ought to bee their ioye 2. Cor. 2.16 and pleasure and would bee a sauour of life vnto life in them if they were ordayned to saluation Wee confesse that in externall braueries and in the glorie of fleshe and pompe of the worlde they exceede and goe beyonde vs but this is not a thing that maye breede a iust offence in anie of vs forasmuche as the cause of fayth and religion doeth not hang vppon the sleeues and authoritye of men neither doth consist in multitude nor in the degrees of persons but the same is to be iudged by the eternal and immutable worde of God which is the word of trueth Coloss 1.5 of life of saluation of reconciliation of the spirite the onely rule direction of the faithful so that although the heathen do rage and the people murmure the kings of the earth band themselues and the princes do assemble together yet all this may bee against the Lorde and against his Christ with purpose to cast off the yoke of his seruice Psal 2.2.3 and to breake the band of their obedience for multitude is no priuiledge for trueth neither is gentilitie any warrant for godlines The true wisedome of God which is the Gospel was not known of any of the Princes of the worlde for had they knowen it 1. Cor. 2.7.8 they would not haue crucified the Lorde of glorie And therefore albeit in number we be few in estate poore and in byrth not Gentlemen yet in the knowledge of God wee may be noble in faith riche Iames 2.5 and in the sight of God as precious as the honorable Yea
haue not onely an ende but also a recompence of such glorie at the last as all the miseries of this present time are in no respect worthy of Rom. 6.11 And least any man should mistrust the truth of his promise and stagger with doubt of the assurance it is with diligence to bee marked how of purpose to take away all occasion of such incredulitie the Apostle doth here vse not the future but the present tense he doth not say in that he shal be exalted but in that hee is exalted as though hee were in present fruition already of the ioyes of that kingdome the like or rather more effectuall maner of speaking is vsed by Paul to the Romans where to approue the certaintie of the glorie of the faithfull hee speaketh after the maner of the Hebrewes Rom. 6.13 vsing the time past although the benefite be to come in respect of the time with vs for he doth not say there that God wil predestinate cal iustifie and glorifie the faithfull but that hee hath done these things already and that the gloryfication of the saints of God is as it were past gone a most elegant course of words ratifying and sealing vnto the elect their true and vndoubted blessednes there is no question but that the children of God now liuing as yet carying about them this earthly tabernacle doe notwithstanding in their cōsciences feele as it were the tast begining of those exceding ioyes wherof herafter they shal haue by the mercie of God reall actuall possessiō This place doth further shew what is the proper course of aspiring to the excellēcie preheminēce of the felicitie of Gods kingdome what that meās or ladder is to ascēd or climbe vp by to the gate of perfect glorie not a dayntie and delicate life not a proud and lordly behauiour not a quiet state free from all afflictions and perturbations but humilitie lowlines persecution killing the loosing of the life in this world these are the meanes to steppe vp to the seat and scepter of true and triumphant happines The man that is desirous to come to a vayne of golde hee must digge for it and discend into the bowels of the earth without which discent he shall neuer fulfill his wish Paul proposeth before the Romans and by them before vs the person of Christ for an example in this matter Rom. 8.17 who being the sonne of God by nature first suffered and then was glorified so that we being the sonnes of God by grace adoption and heires anexed with Christ if we purpose to be made partakers of his glory we must first be pertakers of his crosse take that course for our prefermēt which he did The regard of which matter may be a singuler cōfort to al the faithful who by reason of the afflictions of this life are after a forte battered and throwen down in conscience with some naturall distrust of the glorie to come whose weake faith is to haue this support that their trouble and aduersities are the verie high wayes leading to Gods kingdome and their miserie as it were the doore by which they are to enter and passe in so that the feeling of the extremities of this life is no cause why they shoulde feare or bee discouraged but rather is as an indenture and firme obligation confirming the assurance of their future comforts wherof God in his worde hath made them large promises therefore as they are hereby to plucke vp their spirites and to comfort their heartes so on the contrary part those men that receiue their consolations in this life cannot abide the smart of the least afflictiō but shunning it themselues doe labour to increase the same in others and adde to the bonds of the Saintes and playe the tyrants ouer the poore flaying them and selling thē euen for shoes and oppressing them with all burdens they may learne herehence what little cause they haue to reioyce in their lustes or to take pleasure in these actions forasmuch as the time shall come wherein although the poore be made here their footstooles and bondslaues they like Popes riding on their shoulders yet a suddayne change and great alteration shall happen when the poore man shal be exalted and lifted vp to the skies and they shal be taken by the iustice of God and hurled into the depth of hell And that this is true hearken what the wise man saieth concerning the matter who speaking of the different endes of the wicked and righteous man doeth pronounce that at the iudgement of al flesh Wisd 5.1.2 c. the righteous man shal stande in great boldnesse before the face of suche as haue tormented him and taken away his labours but the wicked when they see him shall bee vexed with a horrible feare and shal be amazed for his wonderfull deliuerance and then they shall change their minds and sigh for griefe and say within themselues This is he whō wee sometimes had in derision and in a parable of reproche we fooles thought his life madnesse and his ende without honour but how is he now counted among the children of God and his portion is among the Saintes therevpon they shal breake forth into a condemnation against themselues say we haue erred from the way of trueth the light of righteousnes hath not shined vnto vs and the sunne of vnderstanding rose not vpon vs we haue wearied our selues in the way of wickednes and destruction and we haue gone thorow dangerous wayes but we haue not knowē the way of the Lord further they shall then though too late growe out of conceite with their former vanities of the world and pleasures of sinne which they inioyed for a season and shall crie out what hath pride profited vs or what gayne hath the pompe of riches brought vnto vs for all these thinges are passed away as a shadow and as a poste that passeth by c. Surely if these thinges doe not mooue and cannot woorke the heartes of our worldlings to another conceit of themselues and better course of life then nowe they holde I must needes pronounce they are made not of flesh but of flint and adamant which beates backe the blow of the hammer and will receiue no impression but I hope the best of thē and I doe also pray to God for them that a new creatiō of heart may be wrought in thē that they may be touched with a feeling of their own sinne sense of the necessities of the Saintes of God and may so runne the race of this life that the crowne of righteousnes stored vp for the faithful the high degree of exaltatiō to the glory of the sonnes of God spoken of here by Iames may bee cōmunicated by the mercie of God with them and vs. For the helping forward of which matter in their behalfe I will now trace forwarde in the steppes of the Apostle and goe on with him to the