preuaile against vs and to this end let vs know as our Sauiour Christ saith to his Disciples Yee haue neede of patience so wee haue neede of knowledge of faith of hope of loue and other graces of the spirit of God for Sathan will not onely assault vs but perhaps continue his siege battery a day a weeke a moneth and giue vs no respight and though he will sound the retreate and depart sometime for a season as Saint Luke Luk. 4. saith yet he will returne againe perhapes another way and set vpon vs by some other meanes therefore arme your selues saith the Apostle and resist him and if this battell seeme hard and tedious vnto vs remember in what cause we fight and for what crowne our Sauiour Christ saith in the Reuelation He that ouercometh shall inherite great and glorious things and Paul saith The Saintes shall iudge the Angelles that is the deuilles Paul saieth to 1. Cor. 6. Timothy I haue fought a good fight and then he addeth I looke for the Crowne the Saints in heauen that are now crowned haue come vnto it thorow many temptations and tribulations therefore let vs harken to the Apostles exhortation be strong in the Lorde put on the whole armour of God and resist in the euil day and the God of peace shall treade Rom. 16. downe sathan vnder ouâ— feete shortly ⧠The Houre-glasse of Mans life PSALME 90. 12. Teach vs so to number our dayes that we may apply our hartes to wisedome THIS whole booke is called the booke of Psalmes because it contayneth in it for the most part matter of praise and thankesgiuing though there be many other doctrines mingled therewithall They are called the Psalmes of Dauid because he compiled most of them not because he made them all for this was made by Moses as yee may see by the title of it We call this the 90. Psalme because it is bound with the Psalmes and standes in the place of that number but it is intituled and that more fitly agreeing with the matter of it A prayer of Moses In which Moses setteth forth the estate of mans life generally and perticulerly of the people of Israell in the wildernesse where he saw many thousands of them that came out of Egypt dye some by one meanes and some by another as it is more largely recorded in the booke of Numbers Now Moses considered that many of their forefathers liued almost a thousand yeares whereto hee hath respect in the 4. verse where he saith One thousand yeâ—res in thy sight is but as yesterday and the life of man was growne shorter and shorter and in his time ordinarily it was not one hundred yeares as appeares in the 10. verse The dayes of a man are threescore yeares and tenne or perhaps fourescore which was nothing to their fathers how much lesse when they were cut off by strange punishmentes in the middest of their course and dyed thicke and three-fould without warning Now after the mention of those things he breakes out into this speech Teach vs to know our dayes that we may apply our harts to wisedome In which words are two things to be considered first a petition secondly a reason of the petition The petition is in these first wordes Teach vs to number our dayes The reason is in these other wordes in the end of the verse that we may apply our hartes to wisedome Wherby we are taught first of al that there is a number of euery mans dayes for this difference to be considered betweene this life and the next life this life hath an end therefore it is called temporall the next life endes not therefore it is called eternall the certaine number of our daies is knowne Iob. 14. 5 to God and not to vs. But he doth not desire to know the certaine number of his dayes but rather the vncertaine number of them that is that God would teach them to know the breuity and shortnes of mans life Therefore he sets it downe by dayes not by yeares and this he desires not for himselfe only but for the people and therefore he saith not teach me but teach vs to number our dayes Now according to Moses prayer God hath taught vs this point in the Scripture that all men are mortall and must dye as the Lord saide to Adam In the day that thou eatest of the tree in the middest of the garden thou shalt die although the diuell who for that cause our Sauiour Christ saith Iohn 8. Was a lyer from the beginning spake contrary and said to Eue Thou shalt not die at all yet indeed Adam died for although he dyed not by by yet he was a dead man because sentence was passed vpon him and all his life afterward was but a dying life euerything then sauoring of death and euery day beeing a step vnto death If any will inquire what death is to speake generally it is a seperation from the condition of this mortall and temporall life but to speake more properlye it is a seperation of the soule and body as the ioyning togeather of the soule and body at the first was the cause of life as it is said God breathed into Adam the breath of life and Gen. 1. man was made a liuing soule so the seperation of the soule from the bodye is the cause of death as Christ saieth to the ritch man This night they shall fetch away thy soule thou shalt dye This Adam by his sinne brought not onelye vpon himselfe but vpon all his posteritye as Paul saieth Rom. 5. By man sinne entred into the worlde and death by sinne and death went ouer all men forasmuch as all men haue sinned therefore it is saide not onely of Adam himselfe but of dyuers of the fathers that were his posterity to shew the trueth of Gods threatning to Adam In the daye Gen. 5. thou doest eate of such a tree thou shalt dye And to shewe the falcehoode of the diuelles promise to Eue that though sâ—e did eate it she should not dye at all such and such a one liued thus many hundred yeares but he dyed for though the day be neuer so long at length comes euensong Heb. 9. the Apostle saith It is appointed to al men once to dye after that comes the iudgement when all men are dead then comes the general iudgemeÌ„t but when euery one dyes then comes his perticuler iudgement as appeares in the example of the ritch man and Lazarus for as the day of death leaues vs so the day of doome shall finde vs therfore Dauid when he laye sicke said I goe the waye of all the worlde for death is as an vnpartiall iudge that is indifferent to all poore and rich Iob speakes of some men that would seeke death either for the auoyding of present sorrow or procuring of future ioy but whether a man seekes it or no he shall be sure it will seeke him We read of a HeatheÌ„
would neuer haue thus often and earnestly willed vs to put on the whole armour of God Some Christians when they do but heare how this man and that women is troubled and tossed with terrible and tedious temptations of Saâ—han are discouraged before it come at them but when they beginne to feele the diuelles assaultes and bickeringes in themselues they conclude they shall neuer be able to holde out but God hath not left his Church in such a desperate estate but hee hath prouided meanes of escape from their enemies therefore here the Apostle willes vs to vse it Armour of God He telles vs againe it is the armour of God that must doe it the armour of men will not doe it it is not humane power pollicie or ciuility that can withstand this enemy but the munition that comes out of the Lordes armourye for though the diuell be strong yet there is a stronger as the Apostle sayeth 1. Ioh. 4. 4 Greater is hee that is in you then hee that is in the world though his ingens and artillery be sharpe and dangerous to hurt vs yet there be instruments and weapons of greater force to preserue vs. This armour hee sets downe in the 14. 15. 16. 17. and 18. verses following verity he compares to a souldiers girdle that will fence vs against all Sathans temptations to hippocrisie herisie and lying righteousnesse he compares to a souldiers brest-plate that will fence vs from all Sathans temptations to iniustice and â—â—iury hope he compares to a souldiers helmit or head-peece that head-peece that will fence vs from his temptations to discontentednesse fainting and wearynesse faith he compares to a souldiers shielde or buckler that will fence vs from Sathans temptations to diffidence and dispaire the knowledge of the worde hee compares to a souldiers sworde that will fence vs from the temptations of ignorance and disobedience prayer he sets in the last place not that it must be vsed last but first and last therefore for breuitie sake he putteth it insteade of all the rest for the Scripture in other places makes mentioÌ„ of other vertues necessary to arme vs against other vices as humility that will fence vs against the diuels temptations to pride and vaine-glory temperance that will feare vs against his temptations to ryot and excesses in meate drinke apparrell recreation or any thing chastity that wil fence vs against his temptations to vncleanenes and adultery loue that will fence vs against his temptations to hatred and reuenge brotherlye kindenesse that will fence vs against all his temptations to morosotie and strangenes meekenesse that will fence vs against his temptations to wrath and waywardnesse patience that will fence vs from his temptations to murmuring vnlawful meanes vsing heauenly mindednesse that wil arme vs against all Sathans temptations to prophanesse and worldlinesse But the Apostle dooth onely set downe these few that he nameth in this chapter either because these vertues were most wanting in the Ephesians as his manner was to speake fitly to the persons and purpose or els because these were sufficient to answere to the partes of a souldier from whence he takes his metaphor The Papistes appoint other armour to withstand and driue away the diuell as crucifixes Agnis dies a part of Saint Iohns Gospell about a mans necke crosses made on the forhead and brest holy water ringing of belles but these neuer came out of Gods armory If this were the armour to withstand the diuell withall the Apostle forgotte himselfe that he tould vs not of it neither here nor else where Againe if this were good armour for that purpose the wickedest man might withstand the diuell aswell as the godliest man for who cannot make a crosse on his forhead weare a crucifixe about his necke sprinkle himselfe with holy water c. But that this is not the armour against the diuell appeares hereby that those who haue beene most superstitious in these things haue beene and are the vassels of Sathan and carryed at his pleasure to Idolatry heresie blasphemy adultery and such haynous sinnes But the furniture wherewith we must withstand the deuill is the armour of God that is prescribed to vs in this chapter in the rest of the Scripture that is the gifts and graces of regeneration and sanctification as sound knowledge vpright hartednesse vnfained faith and hope a iust and chaste minde an humble spirite sober and louing affection and a good conuersation it is that which the Apostle hath set downe in a word in the 4. chapter put on the new Ephe. 4. man which is after God created in righteousnesse and true holynesse and this is the cause that the diuell dooth carry men to many and dangerous sinnes because they haue no grace nor deuine power to resist him the cause that he carries men to hipocrisie and lyes is for that they want the girdle of vertue the cause that he carries them to iniustice and wrong is they want the brest-plate of righteousnesse see the cause that he carries men to any other vice is because they want the contrary vertue And marke he wills the Ephesians and vs the secoÌ„d time to put on not a part but the whole armour of God if a souldier be naked he may easily be hurt any where if he be armed but in some place he may be wounded on that part that lacketh but the Apostle would haue vs to bee wholely armed that wee may be foyled no where neither in our iudgement in our affection nor in our conuersation the cause that some of Gods seruantes haue taken dangerous falles hath beene the want of some of their armour how coulde Salomon haue beene so foyled as hee was if hee had not wanted sobrietye had Dauid receaued such a view of Sathan thinke wee if hee had put on chastity Some thinke if they haue a little knowledge they are christians good enough alas that is but one part a man may haue knowledge what to beleeue what to doe and what to suffer and yet be farre enough of from the practise of it a Christian must be a generall man therefore saith the Apostle Peter Ioyne vnto your faith vertue to vertue â— Pet. 1. knowledge and to knowledge patience and to patience temperance and to temperance godlinesse and to godlinesse brotherly kindenesse and to brotherly kindenesse loue For there is no vertue or gift of regeneration but we shall haue occasion to vse diuers times in our life One being aduised by his friend to ride with a weapoÌ„ answered what needes that seeing a man shall meete with a thiefe but once in seauen yeares but saith he if a man want it that once it is once too much but we shall meete with this enemy euery day and shall finde by experience that all our Christian preparation is little enough to maintaine our pure religion and keepe our Iam. 1. selues vnspotted of the world that yee may be able to c. Without this
in the life to come must labour to be partly and truely wise in this worlde therefore Moses saith heare Teach vs so to number our dayes that wee may aâ—ply our heartes to wisedome And marke that hee saith Apply our harts to wisedome Not our eares to heare of it onely nor our tongues to speake of it onelye but our heartes to thinke of it and he meanes not a few wandering thoughtes of wisedome but a serious and conscionable bending of our iudgement and affection to those things that wisedome requires that we may looke both neere enough what we are now and farre enough what we shall bee afterwarde and thinke of it soone enough and thinke of it long enough It is not enough to heare a funerall sermon to speake of death but to thinke of it nor to heare of heauen speake of better life but thinke of it what it is to haue it and what it is to want it Marke he makes to consideratioÌ„ of death a reason to apply our heartes to wisedome we are so vnapt to goodnesse that wee had neede of reasons to perswade vs to euery good thing and wee are so apt to foolish things that we had neede haue some reasons to perswade vs to wisedome now there is no reason of more force then this that our life is shorte and vncertaine and wee cannot tell whether wee haue a weeke a daye or an houre to learne this long lesson There is nothing can teach a man better how to liue then to thinke euery daye to dye the wise man saith If thou wouldest remembeâ— thy end thou shouldest not sin Ezechias when the message of death came to him how profitable were his meditations Iacob Iosua and Dauid how carefull Esai 38. were they to instruct their families and to doe such things as were to be done when they did see and say we goe the way of all the world therefore saith Salomon It is better to go into the house of mourning then into Eccle. 7. the house of banqueting For he that is wise will lay it to his hart Philip king of Macedon appointed his chamberlaine euerye morning to cry vnto him Phillip remember thou art mortall and must dye and it is saide to this day Presbiter Iohn hath serued to his table a deathes head in a platter to put him in minde of his mortallity and many men it seemes to the same end doth weare a deathes head in a ring on their finger nay euery one dooth weare death it selfe in his finger for euery ache and euery paine doth put a man in minde though he be now well he shall be sick though he now walke strongly he shall lye weake though he now liue he shall die Therefore saith Moses Teach vs so to number our dayes that we may apply our harts to wisedome for forgetfulnesse of death is the cause that we apply our hearts to follye as the fiue foolish Virgins who thought not of preparing themselues till the Bridegrome Mat. 25. came As many put of repentance till the last and are busiâ—d about any thing saue that is most necessarie Moses knew that both wise and foolish dye but diuerslie Wise men dye and doe after death receiue the rewarde of their wisedome fooles dye and receiue the fruite of their follie Therefore let vs apply our hearts to wisedome that whether Christ send for vs by his Angels wee may bee receiued into Abrahams bosome or if we tarry till he come himselfe we may be receiued into the wedding chamber The reward of Religion and Godlinesse and punishment of irreligious wickednesse LVKE 16. 19. There was a certaine ritche man which was clothed in Purple and sine linnen and fared well and delicately euery day 20. Also there was a certaine begger named Lazarus which was laide at his gate full of sores 21. And desired to be refreshed with the crummes that sell from the ritche mans table and the dogges came and licked his sores 22. And it was so that the begger dyed and was carryed by the Angels into Abrahams bosome the ritch man also dyed and was buried 23. And being in hell in torments c. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30 THis text stands of two parts the first is a Historie the second is a Parable the Historie continues vnto the 23 verse Wherein our Sauiour Christ setteth forth an example of a ritch man whom he describes by his apparell by his diet by his death buriall of a poore man whom he describes by his name by his infirmities other circumstances The Parable continues from the 23. verse to the end of the Chapter wherein our Sauiour Christ by parabolicall speeches for our capacitie sets forth such things as else we could not conceiue For where it is said the ritch man being in hell should lift vp his eyes and see Abraham and Lazarus and should speake to him with his tongue and Abraham should heare him and answere him againe These things must be vnderstood after the maner of Parables for the ritch mans body was not in hell but in the graue it is said hee was buryed onely his soule was in hell therefore hee had not the vse or gouernement of his eyes to see of his eares to heare nor of his tongue to speake neither were the bodyes of Abraham and Lazarus in heauen that they should heare the ritch man or speake vnto him therefore the rehearsall of corporall sight hearing and saying is after the manner of Parables for our capacitie and instruction that we might know how the estate of the good and bad shall differ in the next life from that it is in this life how they that haue heere serued God reuerenced his worde loued their brethren fathfully done their duties and paciently borne their crosses shall in the next life be comforted and rewarded and those that haue here dishonoured God contemned his word neglected their brethren and not done nor suffred such things as God would haue them shall in the next life bee perpetually punished and in vaine shall desire the least mitigation of their miserie The drift of our Sauiour Christ in this example is to discourage the Pharises from their wickednesse or else in this ritch man to behold their doome to incourage his disciples in vertue and goodnesse and so in this poore man to beholde their reward The ritch man is set in the first place because in this life he had the preferment and he is purposely described to haue the world at will for the backe and the belly he had asmuch as hart could wish for the backe hee was cloathed with Purple a colour both costly and goodly for the sight and fine linnen softe and easie next the skinne for feeling for the belly hee fared deliciouslie that is hee had many pleasant and daintie dishes of meate and that not once or twice a weeke but euery day hee had also diuers other things answerable and suteable to these as a
but the daughters of Sara must looke to the fashion of holy women The want of religion in many women is seene in their apparrell their harts being as hollow as their verdugales their mindes being as light as their feathers and their thoughtes as changeable as their fashions Peter hauing praised and pressed this garment of meekenes he saith Holy women and Sara did weare it and it made all the rest the more comely for it made them subiect to their husbandes as Sara obayed her husband and called him sir the wante of meekenesse hinders subiection for the wordes of the mouth and workes of the handes followe the motions of the minde if the affections bee disordred thereof growes disordred wordes and â—ctious Sara beeing sâ—nctyfied and â—neekened by the grace of God vsed reueâ—end wordes to her husband and called â—im Lord or sir shewing herselfe to be his â—feriour and not Will Dicke the like as many doe speaking to their husbande 's as to their kitchinboyes and as she vsed reueâ—end speeches so actions she obeyed him â—s we may see in Genesis when her husband Gen. 18. commaunded her to prouide meate for the Angels We vse to say when any doe a thing that belonges to their calling their coate sits neuer the worse to their backe so when a woman shall doe a necessary or indifferent thing at the commaundement of her husband though she be in her Sunday robes it is nothing vncomely but makes it seeme the more holyday like but I meane not to stand vpon the duties of wiues to their husbandes seeing my purpose was chiefly to teach Gentlewâ—men perticulerly in the matter of attire and not all women generally in other behauiour Now as these that heare sermons vse to say that was a good lesson for such a one so men like well to haue women taught their duties but not to heare of their owne therefore though I omit it the Scripture doth speake of it and others haue written it and the Apostle Peter also after in this Chapter doth shew what bee the duties of men aswell as of women Husbands saith he dwel with your wiues as men of knowledge that is know what you must yeeld to them aswell as what yee may require of them therefore if your wife bee ignorant you must teach her as Paul saith Women must 2. Cor. 14 learne of their husbands if she offend admonish her as Iacob did Rachell if she be heauie Gen. 30. you must comfort her as Elâ—anah did Hanna if shee bee weake you must beare 2. Sam. 1. with her and Peter saith after If shee giue good counsell you must hearken to her As God said to Abraham Hearken to thy wife who said cast out the bond-woman and her sonne God giue both husbands and wiues wisedome loue meekenesse and all inward graces that they may shew forth outward goodnesse ¶ A caueat for craftesmen and Clothiers IAMES 5. 1. Goe to now yee ritch men howle and weepe for the miseries that shall come vpon you 2. Your riches are corrupt and your garments are moth-eaten 3. Your goulde and siluer is cankered and the rust of them shall be a witnesse against you and shall eate your flesh as it were fire yee haue heaped vp treasures for the last dayes 4. Behold the hire of the labourers which haue reaped your fieldes which is of you kept back by fraude cryeth and the cryes of them which haue reaped are entred into the eares of the Lorde of hoastes THis Epistle was written to all the Iewes that professed Christ and the Gospell among whom as it is in all Churches their were some that rested in an outward profession and neglected a good conscience and conuersation as yee may see in the former chapters Those which were such hipocrites among them that the Apostle dealeth against were specially rich meÌ„ for although it may be there were some poore amoÌ„g theÌ„ that were bad enough as it is euery where yet the Apostle saw speciall cause to inuay against the ritch for in the second chapter he speakes for the poore Hath not God saith he chosen the poore of this worlde that they should be ritch in faith And speaketh against the rich Doe not the ritch oppresse you by tirannie saith he and in this chapter he saith The ritch men howle and weepe for the misery that shall come vpon you the labourers wages that you keepe backe by fraude cryeth against you and in the 7. verse he speakes to the poore and â—aith Be patient therfore brethren till the comming of the Lord which dealing of the Apostle I would haue an answere â—o their accusation who chalenge the Minister for speaking so much against the â—â—ch and so little against the poore reade â—he Scripture and yee shall finde the ritch â—eprooued tenne times to the other once â—he reason is because they are most faulty and the reason of that is as I take it because most corporall discipline is vsed against the poore and therefore most spirituall discipline had neede to be vsed against the other Hee hath in the former Chapters exhorted these ritch men to repentance Nowe hee commeth to threaten them with Gods iudgementes saying Goe to you ritch mâ—n weepe and howle for the misery that shall come vpon you c. Some may aske if the Apostle doth condemne ritches or if he doth meane all ritch men I answere no for ritches beeing gotten by good meanes are the blessing of God and there haue bin diuers good ritch men as Abraham Iob and others and no doubt there were some good among these people but the Text shewes that hee speakes of such ritch men as got their ritches euill and vsed them not well and yet they did laugh as appeares in the fourth Chapter but he telles them heere there is Iam. 4. 9 cause of weeping There was cause they should weepe for their sinnes because they abused their riches letting them rust and Motheate when the poore had neede of them and because they defrauded and oppressed the poore yea because they killed the iust letting them starue for hunger and colde but because they were hardned in their sinnes he willes them to weepe for their miseries not for the miseries they were presently in for they now wallowed in wealth But for the miserie that should come on them when they should giue account how they had vsed their talent as yee may see in the example Mat. 25. of the vnprofitable seruant and in the Luk. 16. example of the ritch glutton It were a merry worlde if it might goe alwayes with such men as it dooth now but they shall change a coppy as wee saye Now because these men were secure and thought of no afterclappes he calles them to consider their misery in time to come for where sinne goes before if repentance comes not in the middest distruction shal be the end Where hee biddes them howle the worde importes such a lamentation as arises from the certaine