they lived wee shall finde nothing whereof wee may glorie For indeede it was the Egypte of superstition and spirituall darkenesse and therefore as * Deering vpon the epistle to the Hebr. lect 24. one hath lefte in writing vpon this Epistle to the Hebrewes if wee goe after Baalims vvhich our fathers haue taught vs wee shall bee fedde vvith the wormwoode vvhich our fathers haue leaten Yea let vs assure our selues vvee shall bee beaten vvith more stripes then our fathers if vvee will wittinglie treade in their steppeâ— For as Bulliuger saith if thy forefathers Bulliuget vpon thâ— Apoc. set 35. bad had the like opportunitie vvhich then neglectest vvhat a space vvould they haue runne afore thee And therefore as it shall bee easier for Tyrâ—â— Luke 10. 14. and Sâ—lon at the day of iudgemente then for them that heard Christ and saw his miracles and were not the better therefore so I may say it shall be easier for our forefathers at that day then for them which bring forth no good fruite nor make profession of the trueth beeing preached and made knowne vnto them vvhich hath not beene so revealed to our fathers as it is now to the people of our daies The seconde cause why the Apostle reciteth 2 this scripture of David is that with the example and punishmente of them that tempted and hardened their heartes in the deseâ—te hee mighte terrifie the Hebrevves and make them more carefull to receiue the vvordes of exhortation and to obey the voice of Christ the mediatour of the new testament whose voice as he is greater then Moses so shall they draw vpon them great erpunishment which neglect to heare it The children of Israell of vvhom mention is heere made after they vvere delivered out of Egypt by Moses for al that they had seene the works of God his miracles which he wrought for them in Egypt at the redde sea yet they tempted him in the wildernesse and doubted of his â—goodnesse and providence towardes them and said is the Lord among vs or no because they had not Exod. 17. 7. water at their pleasure This was the provocation which is here mentioned wherewith the Lorde God was tempted in the vvildernes of his own people after that he had delivered theÌ„ out of the hands of their enemies And againe when they should haue gone out of the wildernesse into the land of Canaan to possesse it and to dwell therein where they should haue had rest peace and prosperity yet they beleeved not the worde of God * The chil-dren of Israel are coÌ„manded to goe vp and possesse the land which God had said before them but they say they will sende men to search out the land Deur I. 21. 22. and therefore the Lord sâ—â—ll bearing with them biddeth them len Num. 1â— â—3 how be it the event and issue of their sending declareth that it came from the peopleâ— disobedience to the word of God for the years in which they did bâ—â—râ— their iniquity in the wildernesse are measured with the number or the daies in the which they had searched out the land of Câ—naan Num. 13. 14. 33. 34. but sent twelue men a man out of every tribe of the children of Israell to search the land to know what maner of land it was and whether they might obtaine it or no as if the living God and Lorde of the whole earth which had done so many thinges for them shoulde not nowe bee able to subdue their enemies and to giue them the land according to his promise And when the twelue men returned after fortie daies from searching of the lande and brought with them of the fruite thereof to shewe to all the congregation of the children of Israell tenne of the twelue brought vp an evil report slander vpon the land to these ten men the whole assembly gaue credite and their words to them seemed to bee true And therefore they murmured against Moses and Aaron and would haue made a Num. 14. new captaine to bring them againe vnto Egypt but Ioshua and Caleb two of the twelue that had searched the land al the multitude would haue stoned with stones for the truth sake which these two men reported of the land because they perswaded the people not to rebel against the Lord. Thus the Israelites that came out of Egypt tempted the Lord in the wildernesse and provoked him to anger by following the counsels of their owne harts therefore the Lord saith of theÌ„ as it is in this text they erre â—ver in their hearts and what was then their punishments as I liue saith the Lord I wil surely do vnto you even as ye haue spoken in mine ears Num. 14. 28. 2â— your carkases shall sal in this wildernesse c. And so it came to passe for of the sixe hundreth thousand which came out of Egyptâ— and vvere able to discerne betweene good and evil none but two men Caleb the sonne of Iephiumeth and Ioshua the sonne of Nun which constantly as the scripture saith followed Num. 32. 12 the Lord did enter into the land of Canaan to inhabite it all the rest were consumed in the terrible wildernesse according to the worde of the Lord for Moses saith and the Lord was Num. 32. 13 very angry with Israell and made them wander in the wildernesse fourty yeares vntill all the generation that had done evill in the sighte of the Lorde were consumed And here the text saith therefore I sware in my wrath if they shoulde enter into my rest Where it is said in my wrath we are to vnderstand that God who is a spirite immortal infinite and incomprehensible with whome is 1am 1. 17. no variablenesse neither shadow by turning is not subiect to any of these passions which the scriptures seeme to attribute vnto him as wrath ielousie greefe repentance and the like But these things are figuratiuely applyed to God after the manner of men for our vnderstandinge sake vvhich are not able to conceiue of heavenly things without metaphors allegories â—arables and similitâ—â—es borrowed from earthlie and naturall things which are therefore so much vsed in holy scriptures for ouâ—â— learning And heere by the name of wrath or anger is set foorth the determinate sentence of Gods eternall iustice against sin and disobedience And when it is said that he sware it teacheth vs feare and consirmeth to vs that Gods threatnings fall not to the grounde without Augustine in Psal 95. full effect For as Aurelius Augustine saith vpon this place iurantem hominem debes timere thou oughtest to feare when a man sweareth least for his oths sake he should do that which is * As Herod did Mar. 6. 26. when he caused Iohn Bapsist to be beheaded against his will howe much more saith he oughtest thou to feare when God sweareth who can sware nothing rashlie his oath is a sure confirmation Wheras in deed as another father saith
clemencie favour you wil accept of it as a mite of a willing minde and vnfained good will And in that I haue therein alleadged other authors beside the holyscriptures I did it of care to haue every truth confirmed in the mouth of approved witnesses I neede not heere speake of your Lordships good desertes I know that a vertuous man loueth not to heare his owne praise for it is better to be a good man indeede then in mens opinion to bee so accompted Wherefore as GOD hath exalted you to honour and dignitie and as a learned young man hath lately written to you hath made you a keeper of many vines and as we see hath wrought in you a notable care vnder her Maiestie to provide for the well-fare of his Church so I beseech him that is Lord of Lordes long to preserue your honour in al safety and to increase in you his giftes of grace to the setting forth of his glory to the continual good of his church finally to your owne eternal comfort through the merits of his sonne Christ Iesus And wheras the world is in danger of eternal perdition as great part through irreligiousnes and atheisme without either knowledge or true feare of God and a great part through affected ignorance and obstinate frowardnesse in Popish customes wee are to pray dayly that it may please God to wake men out of the sleepe of sinne and voluptuous living and by the power of his holy word still to weaken the kingdome of sinne and of Antichrist and to call those that are to bee called to the knowledge of his trueth while it is yet called To day Your Honours most bounden Oratour HVGH ROBERTS THE CONTENTS OR BRIEFE summe of the Lecture vpon the latter part of the third Chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrewes set downe in order as followeth 1 The first Lecture vpon the 7. 8. 9. 10. and 11. verses of the authoritie of the word of God of the speciall causes why this scripture being part of one of the Psalmes of David is alleadgeâ— by the Apostlâ— writing to the Hebrewes 2 The second Lecture vpon the 12. and 13. verses of the fruâ—t of an evill heart of mutuall exâ—â—â—tation and of the dectit fullnesse of sinne 3 The third Lecture vpon the 14. verse of faith and of the assurance of salvation and ever lasting felicitie to the true beleevers 4 The fourth Lecture vpon the 15. verses of the necessitie of hearing the word of God how the bardening of the heart is to be vnderstood and of the errour of praying in the church specially in the time of publique 〈◊〉 or of câ—mmon prâ—â—ers 5 The fifth Lecture vpon the 16. and 17 verses of the wickednesse of mâ—ns nature all â—en are naturally bent to idolatrie we must imitate the faithfull though they be but few in number or in one age whom God raiseth vp in all ages to confesse his name of Gods long sufferance bountifulnes towards inners of sinne and the fruit thereof 6 The sixth and last Lecture vpon the 18. and 19. versest of the punishment of theâ— that obey â—â—t the Gospell though for a time they be borne with and liue in a floâ—rishing states what the tokens of Gods iudgâ—ents which befal in the world and wherewith some men are visited should profit vs the word of God is the iudge of men which word is to be obeyed while the day of grace lasteth THE FIRST LECTVRE VPON the wordes of the Prophet David alleadged by the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews cha 3. ve 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. of the authority of the word of God and of the speciall causes why this scripture of the Prophet is here alleadged with the application thereof 7 Wherfore as the holy Ghost saith to day if yee will heare his voice 8 Harden not your hearts as in the provocation according to the day of temptation in the wilderâ—esse 9 Where your fathers tempted mee proved mee and saw my workes for â—iâ— yeares long 10 When fore I was grieved with that generation and said they erre ever in their heart neitheâ— haue they knowne my waieâ— 11 Wherefore I sware in my wrat if they shall enter into my rest IN the begining of this chapter men and brethren beloved in Christ the Apostle that was the author of this epistle exhorteth the Hebrewes or Iewes to whom he writeth to consider Christ Iesus the Apostle high Priest as he faith of our profession of Chrstianisme he compareth him with that great and renowned Prophet of God Moses because the lewes did magnisie the remebrance of Moses by whom God had planted and established both the religion civill government of the people of Israel and therfore it is writen of him there arose not a Prophet since in Israel like vnto Moses who the Lord knewe Deut. 34 10 face to face And for this cause in the ninth of Iohn the Iewes stand so precisely vpon the authoritie of Moses and say we be Moses diseiples To 9. 28. 29. we know that God spake with Moses Now to proue that Christ far excelleth Moses in honour and authoritie the Apostle vseth two notable and familiar arguments The one he draweth from a comparison betweene the builder the house which he hâ—th builded Châ—ist is the builder of his spirituall house which is the church Moses was but one part of the building therefore Christ is aboue Moses The other from a comparison betweene the heire or the naturall sonne and the servant of his house Christ is the sonne Moses was but a servant therefore Christ is more honourable then Moses Here vpon the Apostle inferreth thâ—t all the faithfull which professe Christian religion are the house of Christ if they persevere and continue in his grace vnto the end But because without faith it is vnpossible Heb. 11. 6. Row 10. 17 to pleâ—se God and without the hearing of the word of God faith is not attained and without a good heart there cometh no prosite Heb. 42. by hearing Therefore that they which heare the word of God may be effectually ioined to this building of the house of God and that they may be so prepared to heare this word that it may be so prepared to heare this word that it may not be vnto them a favour of death vnto death but of life vnto life the Apostle â—â—leadgeth this scripture out of the Psalmes of David the authoritie whereof Psal 95. he attributeth to the holy Ghost who spake by the Prophets And here we learne that the holy scriptures which we heare or read thought they be named after that Prophet that Apostle or that Evangelist by whom they were ministred or written are not with standing the liuely oracles of God and the very words of the holy Ghost who inspired the Prophets â—nd holy Ghost who inspired the Prophets and holy men and moved theÌ„ to speake as they were taught and directed from aboue according as
Lordes supper haue yee not houses to eate and to drincke 1. Cor. 11. 22. in So I may say to such meÌ„ if you wil pray alone and pray privatly haue yee not houses and privat places to pray in ought yee not at home and before yee come from home to prepare your selues to remember that going to church you go to appeare before the Lorde to heare his voice for the attaining of faith and to praise him with the congregation And for this cause as a learned painfull teacher in these daies hath writteÌ„ ought M. Perkiâ—s vpon the fourth commandement wee on the Sabboth day to arise early in the morning that wee may prepare our selues to the better sanctifying of that day And this preparation as he saith consisteth in private prayers and taking account of our severall sinnes but no man can be ignorant that privat prayers must be referred to privat places and time convenient For as Salomon saith to all thinges there is an appointed t 〈…〉 Eccle. 3. 1. But if you thinke that the temple or materiall house where we assemble our selues for diuine exercise can make your prayers more holy then your heartes from whence they proceed can make them yee are then indeede super 〈…〉 For the Lord of heaven and earth dwelleth not in temples built Act. 17. 24. with hâ—â—ds Neither is one place of the earth in respect of the place it selfe more acceptable to him then an other For now the temple at Ierusalem which was called the house of prayer hath an end And as the scriptures affirme you your selues if yee be true Christians are the temple of the liuing god 2. Cor. 6. 16 1. Cor. 6. 19 No place therefore as one father saith doeth sanctifie or make holy the man that is in it but rather the man the place yet for the defence of this evill custome of praying in preposterous maner some say it is a decent order for meÌ„ wheÌ„ they come into the church to kneele downe and pray The coÌ„trary is rather true for it is an affected disorder and betokeneth what of reuerence to the word of God his ordinance for some meÌ„ to be at their own praiers wheÌ„ the whole assembly doth either heare the word or pray otherwise with one accord This is not according to the rule oâ— the Apostle with one mind and with one â—onth to prayse God except they Rom. 15. 6. that wil pray by themselues when time and place serue not therevnto haue another God beside the father of our Lord â—esus Christ Where Luke writeth how the Apostles recemed the holy Ghost vpon the day of Pentecost he saith that then they were all with one Act. 2 1. accord in one place And for this cause hath Christ promised to be in the midst of them that Mat. 18. 20. are gathered together in his name assuring vs of his spirituall presence to be with vs if ther be vnitie of faith Christian concord in our assemblies And this vnitie is when as the Apostle exhorteth all speake one thinge are knit together in one minde and in one iudgment without distentions But for al this some meÌ„ 1. Cor. 1. 10 because they will not seeme to do otherwise then they haue bene accustomed can cavill say that because praier is good it is good to pray alwaies therfore they wil repeate their praiers when they may be seene of meÌ„ and when other men pray not These are like the Heretickes which were called Euchites Euchits or Psalliapistâ—s for that they were woÌ„t to spend much time in praying and to repeate their praiers as it is recorded of them so hastely and with swiâ—tnes of tongue as if God had beene to be serued with lippe labour This is contrarie to the rule of the Apostle Iames which saith let everâ—e man be swifte to heare slow to Iam. 1. 19. speake And the sonne of Sirach saith to the same effect â—e swift to heare good thinges For Eccl. 5. 1â— shall the naturall men of this world be swift ready to hear the couÌ„sel of a lawyer or advocate in some earthly matter shall not Christians be more careful ready to he are the counsell of God which is able to make them wise vnto salvation Yet some will say that when they pray they are carefull to serue GOD and they meane well and therefore they will do it at church and regard no time But as one hath truely said a good meaning doth not excuse an evill act and this we may see to bee most true if wee remember the punishment of Vâ—zah who without doubt meant well in that he put his hand to the arke of God and helde 2 Sam. 6. 6. it because the oxen which drew it did shake it But because he had no warrant from God so to do the Lord smote him that he died in that place And it is probable that Saul meant well in his owne opinion when he spared the fat beasts and the best of the sheepe and of 〈…〉 15. 〈◊〉 the oxen of the Amalekites because he would sacrifice them vnto the Lord. But what saith the oracle of God to him hath the Lorde as ver 22. great pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as when the voice of the Lord is obeyed behold to obey is better then sacrifice and to harken is better then the fat of Rammes Beholde here how acceptable a sacrifice it is to harken to the voice of the Lord. And contrariwise learne of Salomon how abhominable the praier of them is which will pray and wil not heare the law of the Lord he that Pro. 28. 9. turneth away his â—are from hearing the law even his praier shal be abominable Let no man therfore harden his heart and preferre superstition before truth that his praier be not abominable but acceptable beeing offered in due season and proceeding from faith knowledge which is by hearing and hearing by the Rom. 10 17. word of God As the ministery of the newe testament is principally divided into the ministration Act. 6. 4. of the word and praier so in the time of teaching the minister is the mouth of God vnto the people and in the time of publicke praiers he is the mouth of the people to offer their sacrifice to Godâ— and he that despiseth or regardeth not these things despiseth not man but God For these very words of the text if yee heare his voice harden not your harts declare vnto vs that when we heare that doctrine wihâ—h teacheth vs faith in the son of God and repentance from dead workes it is God that speaketh vnto vs by the moâ—th of men and he requireth at our handes that sâ—lâ—ng as it is saâ—a to day that is so long as we may heare the voice of the new couenant of grace we be more neere to heare it then to giue the sacrifice of fooles For ought
among those murmuring people which obeyed the word of the LORDE as Moses and Aaron Caleb and Ioshua vnto those few we must haue an eâ—e and not vnto the multitude of sinners For the LORDE saith thou shalt not follovve a multitude to doe evill Exod. 23. 2. neither agree in a controversie to decline after manie and overthâ—ovve the trueth And therefore vvicked is that common saying vvhich hath beene alleadged of the Papistes communis error facit 〈…〉 s a common errour or consent in evill standeth for a law Notwithstanding that at all times and in all places the more parte of men which are evill giue euill examples to drawe others vnto sinne vvhich is the cause that Christ saith woe bee vnto the worlde because of offences for it must needes be that offences shall Mat. 18. 7. come c. Yet as the Apostle speaketh we are Heb. 12. 1. coÌ„passed about with a great cloud of witnesses or goode examples which we must imitate so loÌ„g as we liue in the wildernesse of this world We haue the Patriarchs the Prophetes and the Saintes of the old testament Wee haue Christ himselfe the authour and finisher of nor saith we haue the Apostles Confessours and martyrs in the time of the new testament for an example to suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake and in all thinges to obey the will of God And vvithin the period of these last fiue hundreth yeeres euen in the florishing time of Antichrist we haue those faithfull coâ—sesâ—ours though they were but few in number that we haue heard of which haue resisted Antichristian iniquitie euen vnto blood we haue them I say for an example of loue and long patience witnessing vnto vs that in those dayes of desolation and popish tyrannie all did not prouoke the Lord nor fall away from the right saith For as in the dayes of Elâ—ah when that 1. King 19. 10. wicked woman Iezebel hade persecuted the Lordes Prophetes and when the true worship of God seemed to bee vtterlie abolished oâ—t of the land seuen thousand were reserued though none of them was knowne ver 18. to Elâ—ah which had not consented to idolatrie so in the dayes of our forefathers many thousandes did obey the Gospell of saluation did not defile their garmeÌ„ts with Popish idolatrie and of them the Lord hath made some to bee knowne to the worlde and their memoriall to remaâ—ne as monumentes of his grace for our comfort and example And to come to examples neerer to our time to our selues I haue heard it credibli reported that when here in EnglaÌ„d within these * When this was preached iâ— was the yeare 1598. fiue fourtie yeeres many of the Saintes and true beleeuers did constantly suffer martyrdome for the testimonie of the word of God ther were here in Sussex whole parishes of men and women which for all the heat of that greeuous persecution in the The constancy of suâ—â—ex people in the prosession of the Gospell dayes of Queen Mary came not at the false church not bowed the knee to the idole of the Masse beside those that were martyiâ— which with their blood haue sealed the confession of their faith And as it is best knowne to them that professe religion haue long knowne this countrie there were also diuers which testified their loue obedience to the Gospell by assembling together at coÌ„uement times in woodes and â—â—liâ—aâ—ie places where they had the word of saith puâ—elie taught the sacramentes administered The Lord protecting theÌ„ from the cruelty of those daies These are as cloudes of witnesses for our example that we should follow their faith obedience to the word of God And now in our dayes notwithstanding that the love zeale of many doeth waxe colde and that the dâ—rnell and wilde oates doâ— over-growe the good corne that for the most parte wee canne see nothing but the multitude of luke-vvarme and irreligions people yet are there many faithfull witnesses sincere professoures of the Gospel of God among vs. But alas as the world is alwayes like it selfe we are so far from following the saith example of the Saintes that while they liue among vs we cease not to speake euil of them to persecute them â—hus we see that the Lord leaueth no time no not when it seemeth that the professors of his name are rooted out of the earth without worthy vvitnesses of his trueth whose steppes wee must tread in vnlesse we will runne in the broad waye that leadeth to destruction It followeth but with whome was hee displeased fourtie yeeres was hee not displeased with them that sinned vvhose carkeâ—ses fell in the vvildernesse Heere commeth the long suffering and bountifulnesse of God to be considered who neuer destroyeth any people nor any childe of man for their wickednesse before they be sufficiently warned and haue time to repent and to turne from their evill waies if they will Before hee brought a stoode of waters to drowne the olde worlde hee gaue them that then had sinned the space not of fortie but of three times fortie yeares â—or â—epentance Hee Geâ— 6. 3. burned not the cities of Sâ—dom and Gomorah with fire and brimstone from heauen Geâ— 19. 24. 25. 〈◊〉 Pet. 2. 8. before hee had giuen them time to amend and warning from day to daie by righteous Lot And of that vngodlie woman Iezabell the Lord saith I haue giueÌ„ her space To what end to repent of her foâ—nication shee repented not so Rev. 2. 20. 21. here the holy Ghost saith that forty yeares he was displeased with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt So long endured hee their maners and intollerable rebelling against his word in the wildernesse Here we may learne as the Apostle warneth vs to walke circumspectly to â—edeeme Eph. 5. 15. 16. the time remembring also what hee saith of them that abuse the time of repentance despisesâ— thou the riches of Gods bountifulnesse and Rom. 2. 4. patience and long sufferance not knowing that the bountifulnesse of God leâ—â—eth thee to repentance â—et a Christian therefore be careful to vse wel the time wherein he liuetâ— considering that while he is in this world he is in a wildernesse of innumerable dangers and temptations wheâ—e it be hooveth him to watch and to be circumspect or els he is in a desperate case heapeth vnto himselfe wrath against the day of wrath whosoeuer he be that despiseth Gods long patience Fortie yeares This number fortie is oftentimes vsed in the holy scriptures and is commonly applied to the time of repentanceâ— of abolishing of sinne and stablishing of righteousnes And it teacheth vs that the works of God are perfect and that when he beginneth he maketh an end As here fortie yeares he was displeased with the Israelites in the wildernesse according to the number of the Num. 14. 33. 34. daies in the which they had searched out the land of promise
In which fortie yeares he overthrew them and made an end of them with their sinnes Fortie daies and fortie nightes was the raine vpon the earth when all the inhabitants Gen. 7. 12. of the old world except Noah and his family were drowned In those fortie daies and fortie nights the Lord wiped away all wickednesse and crueltie wherewith the earth was corrupted Forty daies are limited to the people of Niâ—eveh for repentaunce And in that space they repented for they beleeved God as it is in Ionah and proclaimed a fast and put on sacke-cloath Ion. 3. 4. 5. from the greatest of them even to the least of them And to speake according to naturall observation it is noted in mankinde generally that an * Plin. nat hist lib. 7. in proâ—m infant doth seldome or never laugh before he be fortie daies old Here we may see that man â—ath iust cause to bee alwaies sorie and to mourne for his sinnes which are the cause of all the miseries of this life When God establisheth perfect righteousnes vpon earth forty of daies and nightes are spoken of as when Moses was called from the sight of the people he was with the Lord in mount Sinai forty daies and forty nights Exod. 24 18 34. 28. in which he fasted miraculously that so the law of God which hee was to deliuer vnto the Israâ—lites might receiue the more honor and authority And againe fortie daies and 1. King â—9 〈◊〉 fortie 〈◊〉 E 〈…〉 h at the calling of the Lord continued â—â—sâ—ing because hee was the minister that should restore the law to the former perfection thereof And our saviour Christ is said to haue fasted Maâ— 4. 2. â—uke 4 2. 〈…〉 and fourtie mightes before hee beganne his publique life and preaching The end of which fast o◠〈…〉 le as * Vpon the harmony of the â—â—aÌ„gell Mat. 4. 〈◊〉 M. Câ—lvâ— doeth well obsetue was that it should bee a seale to the doctrine of the Gospell which as it is more glorious then the lawe of Moses so was it to bee adorned with miracles and rate signes And after he had suffered his passion and was â—â—sen againe hee was seene of his Apostles by the spice of forty daies Act. 1. 3. In which fortie daies he confirmed vnto them the verity of his â—uâ—â—ection Thus we see where vnto this number forty is vsually applyed in holy scriptures For as teâ—â—e is a perfect and absolute number and all supe 〈…〉 numbers doe arise either by adding vnto teâ—â—e oâ— els by multiplying of ten so the multiplying of ten in this number forty declareth vnto vs the louing kindnesse and mercy of God who giueth vnto men such space of daies or of yeares either to see the confirmatioÌ„ of his truth and his workes or to amend and turne vnto him before they bee destroied for their sins and transgressions And here we may learne that our departing from iniquity our faith and obedience to the worde of GOD must bee effectuall earnest and vnsamed and wee must persevere in the same not for one day but fortie dayes or fortie yeares that is so long as the LORDE vvill haue vs to remayne in the vvildernesse of this world Nowe the cause why the LORDE was displeased with his people fortie yeares was sinne For the Apostle sayeth vvas hee not displeased vvith them that sinned vvhose carâ—â—â—ses fell in the vvildernesse The roote and beginning of all sinne is the naturall corruption or originall sinne vvherein all menne are vvrapped from their mothers wombe and vvherevvith mankinde hath beene infected euer since the fall of Adam This corruption bringeth foorth fruite vnto death by transgressing the law of God We sinne three maner of waieâ— three maner of waies that is in thought worde and deede according to the wordes of our saviour Christ affirming that those thinges which desile a man come from the heart For out of the hearte saith hee come Mat. 15. 19. eviâ—â— thoughts These are sinnes and defile thâ— whole man Murthers adulteries fornications theftes These are sinnes in deed False testimonies slaunders These are sinnes committed in word And now all these transgressions and every one of them as they are committed of men are called actuall sinnes And they are Three sorts of actuall sinnes of three sortes One is counted a sinne of infirmitie into the which the godly and regenerate men of God doe commonly fall through the weakenesse of the flesh Of this kinde of sinne speaketh Paule when he saith the evill which I vvould not that do I. And Rom 7. 19. 1. 〈◊〉 1. 8. of this Saint Iohn saith If we saie that wee haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and the truth is not in vs. The second is a sinne of ignorance committed through lacke of knowledge when hee that sinneth knoweth not that he doeth evill Such was the sinne of Paule before his conversion when hee liued a Pharisâ—â— and persecuted the Christians notwithstanding he had zeale and in his life was vnrebukeable Phil. 3. 6. touching the righteousnesse of the law And of this sinne after he was conuerted hee saith I did it ignorantly through vnbeliefe 1. Tim. 1. 13. The third kind of sinne is a sinne of malice or a sinne of disobedience to the trueth of God when they that haue experience of Gods fauour and goodnesse towards them and know his word to be the rule of righteousnesse will not for all that forsake their owne waies to followe it and to obey it Such was the sinne of Saul when he did not 1. Sam. 15 9 obey the wordes of Samuel being commanded to destroy the Amalekites and all that appertained vnto them This sinne of disobedience was the sinne of the children of Israell for the which the Lord was displeased with them fortie yeares who knowing the goodnesse of God to bee more extended towardes them then any other nation of the earth did notwithstanding disobey his voice and tempte him â—enne tymes as the scripture witnesseth Num. 14. â—2 And therefore they were reiected of the Lord that they should not enter into his rest and were punished in the wildernesse with horrible plagues where their carkeises fell for an example and a terrour to all that should haue thereof This sinne of maliciouse frowardnes disobedience to the word of God is of all other most fearefull is therefore called rebellion 1. Sam. 15. 23. wickednes idolatrie compared with the sinne of witchcraft And of this kind of sinne Iohn saith hee that commiteth sinâ—s of 1. 10. 3. 8. 9. the deuill And whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not This is therefore the sinne that we must beware of We see how fearefully it was punished in Gods chosen people And their punishments as Paule witnesseth being written to admonish vs might if they were 1. Cor. 10. 〈◊〉 well weyed terrifie the stubborne froward generation of this age and might moue those that preferre the
abstaine from such enemies Strangers and pilgrims doe commonly stand in more feare of enemies theÌ„ they that dwell in their knowne country and among their acquaintance as it appeareth by Iacob howe Gen. 34. 3 〈…〉 he feared the Cananites when his sonnes had slaine Hamor and Sechem He feared because he was a stranger in the land few in â—â—mber in comparison of his enemies So Lot is despised of the Sodomites because Gen. 19. 〈◊〉 he was a stranger and one that had not been borne in that country therefore they regard not his praiers nor his intreaty he made vnto them but bid him bee paâ—king as a stranger This pride of insulting against strangers lyeth as poison within vs all what nation soeuer we be of and vpon any light occasion sheweth it selfe It pleased God therefore Acta 10. 34. who is no accepter of persoÌ„s to bridle such insolencie by his holy word as it is written loue the stranger and againe thou shalt loue the Deut. 10. 19 stranger as thy selfe With a memento that wee haue iust cause so to do For yee were strangers Levi. 19. 34. â—n the land of Egypt Io 〈…〉 hes brethren do behaue themselues in the lande of Egypt with greate humility and a 〈…〉 nde at the rough wordes of Ioseph which they woulde not haue done but for that they were stâ—â—gers in the land few in number And that is it that should cause al strangers and pilgriâ—s to looke to their owne waâ—es to liue warily because they are coÌ„pâ—â—led about with strange people of strange conditions which are many in nuÌ„ber they few Now the state of all true Christians here vpon earth is by the condition and nature of strangers most â—iâ—ly expressed For in the sacred scriptures â—hey are called straÌ„gers The Prophet speaking in the person of the faithfull confesâ—eth that they are so saying I am a Psal 119. 19 Psal 39. 12. stranger vpoÌ„ earth And againe I am a stranger with thee a soiournor as all my fathers were in another place where he coÌ„fesseth his own and his peoples vnworthines he saith we are strangers before thee soâ—ourners â—ike all our fathers our dates are like the shadow vpon the earth 1 〈◊〉 29. 15. and there is none abiding We see that this is true for man so long as hee dwelleth in the tabetnacle of his flesh dwelleth as a stranger among his spirituall enemies vvhich are the lustes of his flesh daily fighting against him and wounding his soule more deadly theÌ„ the multitude of any strange and barbarous people can wound or hurt his bodie vvhen they are mooved to fight against him Man can kill but the bodie but fleshly lustes kill both the soule and bodie too This the Apostle Paule sheweth where hee saith if yee liue after the Rom. 8. 13. flesh yee shall die VVee reade in an heathen vvriter that D 〈…〉 C 〈…〉 de bâ—th Tre. lib. 4. the arrowes of Hercules had beene dâ—pt in the blood of the venimous monster Hidrâ— And therefore whosoeuer was shot of wounded with any of them perished and dyeil without recovery The lustes of the flesh may be compared to such Arrowes for the flesh of al men hath euer since the fal of Adam been infected with the vemme of â—lie old serpent the Deuill And therefore the lustes thereof â—lay the soule with endlesse death of they be not refisted with great vigilaâ—ty For as Iames saith when lust hath conceived Iam. 1. 15. it bringeth forth sin sin when it is finished bringeth foorth dâ—ath Here is the wounde that lust giueth to the soule to wâ—t death which shall neuer haue an end againe the sâ—nâ—e Apostle saith from whence are vvarres Iam. 4. 1. and contentions among youâ— are they not hence even of your lustes that sight in your members here note that he saith your lustes and in your members For if they were not in our members within our bodies we might be safe from the danger of them if they were in our garmeÌ„ts we might haue them washed out or change and put on such as shoulde bee cleane or if they were in some one kinde of meate wee might abstaine from that and liue by other meate But the Prophet saith of them that had fasted from meate your lust remaineth still Isa 58. 4. Or if they were as a plague in some towne or citie or in some mens houses the inhabitants there of might change their dwelling and so avoide them Or if they were in some one countrey more then in another men would be content to leaue that as a wildernesse rather then to die in it even as Abraham forsooke Gen. 12. 10 Canaan and went into Egypt in time of a famine Nay if these lustes were but in some one outward member of the body as in the hand or the foote some men would bee content to cut of that member to saue the rest of the body from infection or death But the scripture saith the heart is deceitfull and wicked Ier. 17. 9. aboue all thinges who can know it here wee see that the principall part of the fleshis infected even the heart and no man can make him a newe heart no man can go out of his own flesh nor change the dwelling place of his soule so long as this life lasteth Luther writeth of one that was grieued Martin Luther of one that intended to bee an Heremite with himselfe for sinne weary with seeing hearing the iniquities of the world which made him forsake the societie of meÌ„ goe into a desert place thinking there to be safe from evill froÌ„ all occasion of sinne but herein he was greatly deceyued for being in the desert he had with him an eartheÌ„ vessell to hold water in this vessell with often falling downe from the place where he would haue had it to stand did moue him to such angerâ— that at the last it caused him to breake it in peeces Then he beganne to consider what his nature was saw that he could haue no peace with himselfe though no maÌ„ disquieted him If this be true as most true it is that in maÌ„s flesh dwelleth no good thing Rom. 7. 18. what excelleÌ„t thing do the Heremits such people as forsake the felowshipe of men vnder a pretense of religion if they abstayne from offending when they want occasion to offende you know that the theese cannot steale so long as nothing is lesâ—e in his way If ther be no battell there caÌ„ be no victorie but we see that the Christians victorie is not gotten by alteâ—â—ng the dwelling place of his body oâ— by going out of the woâ—ld that is out of the â—oâ—ieâ—â—e of men but it must be in the world by â—eâ—iâ—â—ing his daylâ—e aduersaries to keepe himselfe as â—â—mes sâ—â—th vnspoâ—ted of the Iam 1 27. world For Christ will not haue his disciples to be exempâ—ed from the