tell them to our parents our wiues our children our seruants our friendes and our neighbours that they may bee signed by the same seale and saued by the same grace Thirdly God will haue none other to bee knowen in Israel but himselfe alone Whereby wee are taught not to stand in doubt whom where whē we ought to beleeue feare loue or worship but onely and perfectly to relie on the Lord. 1. King 18. 21. It is not good to halt betwixt two opinions but either we must bee constant professors or obstinate blasphemers I would they woulde consider this that say they know not whether to be papists or protestants for both liue alike and therefore both shall be saued alike But they must knowe that Cham escaped the flood as well as Sem but yet he escaped not damnation so easily and so wicked professors in this life doe many times as well as good but death and iudgement shall trie the cause The reasons first because the halting part is often turned out of the way Heb. 12 13. and indeede it is fearefull that alway euill doth surpasse goodnesse as weedes ouergrowe corne and sicknesse ouer commeth health Therefore let vs beware least when we doubt what is best we take the worst as Ieroboam did Moreouer while we doubt in religion wee are carried away by the craftie deceit of men Ephes 4. 14. For heretikes and euill men doe alway labour first to drawe vs into wauering and then to bring vs into condemnation Let vs then abide in that which we haue heard 1. Ioh. 2. 24. for that which is first is truth and that which is last is falshood Let vs not haue tickling and itching eares such as many in our daies haue which like not our doctrine our preachers our praiers our gouernment our sacraments our people and our prince and what will they doe shortly but fall in dislike with our God and all manner of religion Let vs also learne to bee constant 2. Tim. 3. 14. that we be not mooued from it but as Ioab would not come out of the temple but would die holding the altar by the hornes so let vs die holding fast by our altar Iesus Christ And that seeing we must die let vs die in his armes for his sake to his glorie and our owne saluation The xxx Sermon Vers. 28. And afterward I will powre out my spirite vpon all flesh and your sonnes and your daughters shall prophesie your olde men shall dreame dreames and your yoong men shall see visions 29 And also vpon your seruants and your maidens in those daies will I powre our my spirite THese two verses containe the second part of the spirituall benefits to be powred on them namely the spirite and the graces thereof for when hee saith that he will powre foorth his spirite he meaneth not to diuide the holy Ghost into parcels but by a vsuall figure of the scripture hee putteth the spirite for the graces because wheresoeuer any one grace is there is the holy Ghost 1. Cor. 12. 6 11. By this we may see that the olde fathers and the prophets had some knowledge of the Trinitie of persons in the Godhead for not onely here but in many other places is mention made of the Spirit and we knowe the name of sonne is and was very familiar in the scriptures Hee saith he will powre out his Spirite by a vsuall metaphor taken from water because the holy Ghost is resembled to water Heb. 10. 22. meaning also that hee woulde giue it abundantly in more plentifull manner then heeretofore so that all this pertaineth properly to the kingdome of Christ as Peter sheweth Act. 2. 17. and not to their returne from Babylon By the cohaerence of this verse with the former where is promised knowledge as is heere the holy Ghost wee may note that after God hath giuen vs knowledge hee also will giue vs the holy Ghost Act. 15. 8. so that there is not any one that can assure himselfe that he knoweth God by the word preached but he may also be assured that he is made the temple and dwelling house of the holy Ghost Ioh. 1. 12. this is the onely rewarde in this world of the obedience to the Gospell that we haue the spirit dwelling in vs and opening vnto vs the things of God If the affaires of Potiphar were blessed because he had Ioseph in his house much more blessed are the workes of a christian because he hath the holy Ghost in his hart Oh learne I beseech you to know the Lord by the scriptures for then shall you haue the Lord dwelling in you for then shall not sinne hurt you nor the diuell annoy you you shall not feare any danger nor any death for the spirit shal still comfort you and carrie your spirits into heauen The reasons First because we should euermore haue him in our soules Ioh. 14. 16. the Lord knoweth that wee haue a great deale of sorrow to suffer in the world and therefore he hath prouided for vs a comforter that may helpe vs to beare it and they which care not for their profession care not for the spirit and they which care not for the spirit care not for the Lord. By which we may see how fearefull a thing it is to forsake the profession of the Gospel for then the Lord forsaketh vs seeing vs giue ouer his spirit also the Spirit of the Lord is fire and if it purge vs not it will burne vs. Another reason bicause it may perswade vs that we are in the truth Ioh. 15. 26. for if our profession were but barely gathered out of the scriptures by men then might it be altered as the ministers thereof haue beene altered but the spirit abideth for euer and doth assure our hearts that this Gospell this faith this hope this obedience and this kingdome is the same that Christ taught the saints beleeued good men receiued the disciples liued and all the faithfull haue obtained So that if thou stand in faith and dost peaceably enioy the profession of religion and knowest by the infallible word of God thou art in the way of saluation then reioyce boldly because the holy Ghost is in thy heart as Simeon did when he had Christ in his armes But yet many haue peace in their harts thorough the diuel which are in errour in Poperie in Mahometisme and Idolatrie being perswaded they are in the truth but this perswasion is but counterfaite like as the miracles of the Magitians in Egypt were but counterfaite to the miracles of Moses and therefore not euerie one that is perswaded he is in the truth is to bee thought to haue the holy Ghost but onely they that are perswaded by the scriptures and relye vpon nothing in the world besides Let vs then trie whether as yet we haue had the holy Ghost giuen vnto vs or not for the Lord teacheth Iohn 16. 8. when the holy Ghost is come he will reprooue the
put thee in minde of the maker Because thou art forgetfull let thine inheritance remember thee of heauen let thy purchase remember thee of regeneration let thy fruites remember thee of thy life let thy haruest remember thee of thy death let thy store remember thy soule and let all remember thy poore brother The reasons of this doctrine are these first because the most prophane and wicked idolaters Iere. 4. 17 18 19. thinke that the onely cause of multiplying the fruites of the earth is for the worship of God and therefore who but Atheists can denie the same vnto him for he onely it is that maketh them to growe and blesseth all our stores and therefore most vnthankfull wretches are wee if for all we should render him none againe And this is much to be feared that the little regard which is had hereof in our land is the onely cause why our former yeeres haue brought forth no greater plentie for if we generally regarde the multitude we shall finde that those which haue the greatest fieldes the largest barnes the widest patrimonies and most store of riches haue and do make most bolde with the Lord and come least into his presence Another reason of this doctrine may be this because these benefites are the promised blessings to them that loue him Deut. 28. 1 2 3. which ought euermore to put vs in minde of our loue to God that we might loue him more and more and so receiue of him more and more abundantly let vs I beseech you consider our estate and not fall away from our first loue for seeing we haue had in former times greater plentie then now we haue let vs knowe for certaintie that our store is lesse because our loue is lesse When the Gospell came first among vs how ioyfully did we followe it and how diligently heare it in so much as the preachers being but few we would haue giuen them our owne eies if it had beene possible to doe them good but now we are as wearie of them as the Israelites were of Moses when they would haue stoned him and therefore then were we filled with loue and with plentie but now we are emptied of godly care and plagued with mortall want The vses which arise from the consideration of this point are these first that we desire of the Lorde to haue pitie and care for our lande which is wasted and to cast his eies to our poore and penurious time offamine and dearth Deut. 11. 12. For alas our miserie groweth so great and incurable euery day more more that we haue great cause to feare least his long suffering turne into wrath and our pinching famine into death Who hath beene cast downe throughly not for a day but for a yeere in this occasion surely few or none and therefore is the Lorde as a stranger among vs and as one that tarrieth but for a night O my deere brethren let vs at the length yet learne the true and right way to remedie our euill and to encrease againe the fruites of the earth how haue our pastures beene drowned our medowes ouerflowed our corne blasted and our tilled lande made barren insomuch as we may see or might not long since haue seene how the hils and mountaines wept foorth whole streames of water for their barrennesse Let vs followe their example and be ruled by their line to doe the like for it as it hath done for vs. It is not we see in the planter or in the waterer but in the Lorde that giueth encrease of him let vs entreate this blessing that his hande may bee staied in time before all bee left destitute and the face of our countrey like the lande of Sodom let vs labour in praier as we haue done in tillage let vs bestowe as much cost in supplication to pacifie our glorious God as we haue done in husbandrie to amende our barren lande if he say but the worde all shall bee remedied Oh let vs powre foorth wordes and liues and harts and soules that this may bee remooued Another vse heereof seeing these creatures as great crops of corne large fieldes and other things must onely serue vs that wee may serue God then how fearefull a thing is it to abuse any of these whereby both the worship and workmanship of God are defaced therfore the holy Ghost admonisheth Rom. 14. 20. that we destroy not the work of God for meates sake Some surfet in their abundance to their death other disfigure the good shape of their bodies through pride and vanitie such as are yoong gallants and gentlewomen and the more they haue receiued the more they haue abused some in their ease and idlenes are growne like tunnes in compasse being vnfit for labour vnprofitable to any goodnes and vnwoorthy of any blessinges The labouring mans estate is much to be commended though it be poore yet it is happie he is an image of Adam created to worke he is an image of God created in righteousnes and the image of Christ created for calamitie his health is maintained by labour his bodie is refreshed with rest his minde is renewed with religion and his life is studious of the Lordes worship his hungry morsels make him more thankefull to God then the great delicates of the rich his bare bread and water or small drinke giue him more healthie nourishment then the fowles and dainties of the other his life is wearied with labour his minde is prepared for God and his soule is readie for rest Let vs all liue in this trauaile that we may die in this manner let vs keepe vnder our bodies and lustes as we refraine a yoong colte and let moe bridles of abstinencie and sinceritie curbe shorter all our pleasure and vanitie Another doctrine which we may gather out of this verse may be this that seeing the creatures of God do call vpon vs to worship him and therefore they be helpers vnto vs therein wee gather that our worship of God in this life cannot possiblie bee absolute and perfect that wee shoulde bee alway like affected and obserue time place order and zeale in our religion for heere wee see that the worship of God was violated bicause the fruites of the earth ceased our knowledge is obscured by naturall ignorance our time is omitted through sorrow sickenes care and worldly busines our harts are hindered through feare loue ioy pleasure vanitie and temptation and a thousand other waies shall wee finde that all we can doe in the Lordes seruice is but in part as Paul prooueth 1. Cor. 13. 9 10. How wicked are the bragges of them that boast of their vprightnes whereby they serue the Lorde thinking that there is nothing but of themselues they bee able to performe it But wee must know that the greatest doctor the learnedest preacher and the painfullest hearer cannot comprehende or teach or learne whatsoeuer is requisite to our saluation no not the whole church of God togither so
before the Lord when wee euer meete againe about the like occasion and this I would haue practised both in priuate and publike humiliation The reasons that may mooue vs vnto this dutie to be throughly humbled are these first because the Lorde will not looke on our aduersitie without this perfect and absolute contrition Isa 58. 3. for he then especially looketh to the inwarde disposition of euery soule to see who they be which tremble at his word and iudgements and they which then will not nor cannot there is little hope of grace and goodnesse in them The heathen king of Niniueh and all his subiects had that conscience when the Lord sounded their destruction by the prophet Ionah Ahab mourned when he heard the words of Elijah the prophet and when God speaketh to the Assyrians and Moabites he biddeth them come downe into the dust and ashes to lament their miseries Alas why doe I rehearse either precepts or examples to mooue men vnto this which they would not doe for if their owne liues and bloud and soules will not prouoke them hereunto other mens waies will not perswade them yet let them thus consider that it will greeue them more to loose this their counterfeite humilitie as the Iewes doe in the forenamed place when they shall say we fasted we praied we trauelled and we desired to iustifie our soules and yet their fast shall be as vanitie their praier abhomination and their comming into the Lords presence like his which had no wedding garment and therefore was hee and so shall they bee cast into vtter darknesse Another reason is this because that those iudgements which call for this humiliation must teach vs righteousnesse Esa 26. 9. and so we encrease in righteousnesse as we exceede in humilitie and for this cause we must know that the more religion a man hath the more humble he is and the more hee saith hee encreaseth in goodnesse the more he must studie to shew it outwardly As for those which thinke they serue God well enough when they neither pray with their toongs nor bende with their knees nor vncouer their heads nor mooue out of their houses I leaue them to their fancies let euery beast bird of the aire confute their fancies for the Lord which hath assigned euery member his office will haue euery one to execute it himselfe The vses which offer themselues by the consideration of this point are these seeing we must bee throughly humbled therefore let vs auoide all manner of idlenesse in this worship of God Iam. 2. 19. when we are once perswaded of this point we shall not onely lende an eare to this businesse but thinke all time too little that we spend not herein The poore saintes of God in that forenamed place crie in the night watches as these priestes which lay all night in lamentation and so when the feare of the Lords wrath and the conscience of our owne dangers doe once meete together then there is not any thing that will bee so acceptable to vs as praier This feare will driue from vs our sleepe as the windes driue away the cloudes the sicke man will sit vp the olde man will holde vp his hands the weake man will stand for his life the woman will weepe without ceasing and euery one so touched will auoide all worldly actions then will or rather then must the rich man forsake his counting house the farmer leaue his plough the seruant auoide his rest the labourer neglect his meate and the drowsie person hold vp his eies All the Apostles slept till the high priestes seruants came to take our Sauiour but then they awaked fled for their liues but why did they not wake before in praier that thē they might haue slept without danger oh let vs therefore come both great small to appeere in the Lords presence with al diligence let not any long iourney any lack of prouision any loue of ease any losse of health make vs idle Rise early to praier watch late to lament sleepe little that thou maist spende the more time to gaine thy soules health In the day we labour for our bodies in the night let vs labour for our soules My soule saith Dauid thinketh on thee in the night watches and so let our soules thinke on the Lord when other thinke on their rest and their pleasure Another vse which commeth by this consideration is this that seeing we must be throughly humbled or not at all let vs take for our example the paterne of them that mourne for the dead as the prophet exhorteth Ierem. 6. 26. How many are the teares of them which loose their louing husbands their tender children and their loyal friendes Iacob for feare of this said before hand it woulde make his hoare head goe downe into the graue But so slight is the mourning of many among vs that they neither wette their cheekes for their sinnes nor yet would willingly depart with this life for the enioying of the life to come Surely this is woorthy to be noted in them which earnestly lament the dead that they desire to be with them so let vs desire to be free of this feare of death and sinne with the death of our sinnes and liues let vs so bitterly bewaile our time as we may be most willing to change our life for no other cause then to cease from sinne The Israelites bewailed Moses thirtie daies together and let vs with great and long continuance mourne not for Moses who is in heauen but for our selues who would be in heauen When Naomy bid her daughters Ruth and Orpah goe backe into Moab they wept at her words if they were so vnwilling to liue in Moab and to depart with Naomi why are not wee as vnwilling to liue in this world and to depart with Christ seeing he is our head and we his members we must goe to him and he may not come to vs let vs therefore by his example endure many sorrowes and great dangers that we may be more willing to leaue this life The theefe inclosed in the prison ceaseth from stealing and when wee are closed in iaile of many griefes and clogged with the irons of many crosses then let vs know that we cease from many externall and internall abhominations Yee ministers of my God In this that hee calleth the priestes which serued at the altar the ministers of God he thereby giueth vs to vnderstand whose possession are the ministers namely and onely the Lords Num. 3. 12. The Lord challengeth the tribe of Leui to himselfe to be his peculiar and royall priesthood and the Apostle willeth the Corinthians that they should so thinke of him as of the minister of God and disposer of the secrets of his kingdome and therefore writing to the Galathians hee telleth them hee is not by man nor by the will of man but of God Once in steede of the appointed ministerie were the first borne of euery familie
our selues neuer so sinful Psal 9. 9 10. although we bee neuer so poore in spirit yet let vs know that ours is the kingdome of heauen So that if thou reason with the diuell himselfe who will if it be possible deceiue thy soule telling thee that thou art more vile then others and therefore it is but follie for thee to call on God for mercie yet say to thy soule that the Lord neuer despiseth the sighings of the poore although I haue sinned yet I haue sorrowed although I haue neglected grace yet with the Lord there is more grace be it that I haue no goodnesse in me the more neede haue I to goe to God the author of goodnesse Men seeke not to the phisition in health but in sicknesse and the more desperate is their disease the more speedily they sollicite him and a good phisition commeth quickly so I want the health of my soule and I see death standing at the doore and knocking for me therfore my praier shall goe to the Lord my physition and I knowe that he will speedily come vnto me He abhorreth not my weakenesse he hateth not my person he willeth not my destruction and therefore wil I pray for saluation I am exceeding base but he will bende to me I am very poore but he will giue mee the riches of the spirite I am a sinner and he is a Sauiour why shoulde I not goe vnto him and fall downe lowe vpon his footestoole for hee neuer despiseth the sighing of the contrite Giue not thine heritage That is the people whom thou diddest take vnto thy self aboue al the nations of the world from hence we may obserue as in a singular metaphor how deere the church is vnto God Deut. 4. 20. euen as deere as any mans inheritance is to himselfe for indeed an inheritance doth very fitly resemble and shadow out vnto vs the nature and condition of the church First because it is not woorth any thing except a man do plant sow the same and so is it in the church wherin if the Lord plow not and sow not there can no good thing grow therein Againe an inheritance is sometimes sold away for the barrennes thereof so when the church groweth secure and bringeth not foorth good fruits the Lord giueth it ouer for a season to be spoyled by strangers Againe if an inheritance will no way be amended then is it accursed and burned Heb. 6. 8. so if no means will reclaime the world from their wicked life then he accurseth them and giueth them ouer to the fire of hell Also as a man taketh singular comfort in his inheritance so the Lord doth in his church and as a man hedgeth and encloseth his inheritance to keepe it from being wasted euen so the Lord hath set a brazen wall about his church the which all the diuels in hell shall neuer be able to ouerthrow but men and angels shall fight for their safegarde and maugre sinne and hell they shall endure as the earth doth euen for euer and euer The first reason because hee might powre his blessing on it Esa 19. 25. for hee hauing many most excellent benefits in store hath made choise of his church to powre foorth all that he hath thereupon for whether we consider the blessings of this life or the benefits of the life to come they are all ordained for the good of them that be godly He is wise to instruct vs he is mightie to defend vs he is liberall to maintaine vs he is mercifull to receiue vs for our sakes were the heauens created the earth established the waters remooued and the fruits appointed for our sakes were the angels condemned the sonne of God crucified and the age and yeeres of the world is plunged Another reason because we should be holy vnto him Deut. 19. 2. Of all the creatures of this worlde there is none that can bee holy vnto the Lord saue onely mankinde for they are the image of God and if the lande whereupon Moses stood was holy much more is the land of our harts holy whereupon the Lord himselfe standeth for he raigneth in vs. And this is the cause why the Lorde hath made vs his inheritance that we should serue him in holines and righteousnes all the daies of our life for the heauens are holy whither wee are going the angels are holy with whom we shall dwell the church is holy wherein we liue and therefore we must bee holy or else we are accursed Seeing we are the inheritance of God purchased by his sonne then let not any of vs liue to our selues but to him that redeemed vs 2. Cor. 5. 15. how many waies might I vrge this doctrine that as the earth beareth not fruit for it selfe but for vs so should not we eate the fruits of our owne labours but offer them to the Lord. Our harts are the grounds our bodies are the hedges God his law is the plough the worde is the seede and himselfe is the husbandman Oh let vs not be ploughed and planted in vaine let vs not frustrate the Lords expectation and our soules saluation If we were but seruants yet we ought to worke for our hire but being his inheritance we must liue and die day and night to beare him fruit wee cannot put him away but he may put vs away our fruits do not profit him and yet the want of them will curse vs. Let vs not be for the weedes of sinne nor for pleasures to feede on as bullockes do on pasture-land but let vs bee his garden of sweete flowers his vineyard of fruitfull grapes his field of fine planted wheat and his possession for an euerlasting inheritance Let our words be as gratious fruit let our religion be as pretious pearle let our loue be as rockes of golde and let our bodies bee as fruitfull garners let vs bring him all for first fruits tenthes and offerings and sacrifices that we may be his blessed land vnto the worlds end Another vse seeing we are the Lords inheritance we may see that the Lorde will be very hardly driuen to forsake vs for he gaue a lawe Numb 27. that none shoulde sell awaie their inheritance but at the ende of fiftie yeeres euery one should reclaime thereunto So that if the Lord shall giue ouer his inheritance as hee did Israell Hos 5. 15. the case is very desperate but not perpetuall A man that hath manie barren fieldes doth not presently sell them away no more the Lorde which hath many barren soules in the compasse of his church doth presently forsake them but rather dresseth them by the ministerie of the worde that they may be made fruitefull Oh heare this you that are in the Lordes folde although he beare for a season with your barren hearts and suffer you manie yeeres to lie in rest thinking at the last you will bring him some profit bring it foorth with speede or else knowe that the Lorde which redeemed you from
we aduertise them thereof If this be the commendation of all humane artes and worldly trades that each one leaueth more skill and greater perfection behinde him then at the beginning hee founde why shoulde it not then so fall out in heauenlie workes that euery father for his sonne euery pastour for his people euery captaine for his countrey and euerie doctor for religion shoulde leaue more then was before Surely how great an abhomination is it to see all worldly things growe better and better but all spirituall things to waxe woorse and woorse that we shoulde be better Philosophers since Plato better Phisitions since Galen better husbandmen since Virgill and better Poets since Homer but religion and sanctification being wrote by God himselfe and all the Prophets and Disciples of Christ yet is it in woorse estate then it was in the beginning It should be as golde which is more fined by comming through manie furnaces but it is like not of it selfe to the riuer Nylus which the farther it floweth the more dirt and draffe it draweth with it so euerie man patcheth and peeceth the worship of God that fathers leaue it woorser then they founde it The vses which arise from this doctrine as they are founde in the worde of God are these first seeing wee must be so carefull what we commende to our posteritie first that we leaue not any practise or president behinde vs which we haue not learned of the Lord Deut. 24. 8 9. If in the leprosie men ought to be so carefull where they were assured of apparant danger that not in any thing they must forget the Lords ordinance or adde any more to his commandement vpon paine of so heauie displeasure of his highnes then must all the world be carefull also to frame their actions according to the worde which dooing they shall not deceiue nor be deceiued And first of all we must beware of false and foolish prophesies which being but the dreames of many brainsicke persons haue bewitched the hearts of men that heard them and seduced the liues of some that receiued them and we may reade both in the booke of God and out of the Scripture that princes and countries haue been destroyed thereby Many of the learneder sort are much affected with the prophesies of the Sibilles Methodius and others many of the popish sort are continually contemplatours of the oracles of Briget and other papistical and monastical dreames but aboue all the simple and vulgar people imagine that there is no Scripture like to Merlins prophesie If I shoulde stande in the specialties to shew you when where and wherein the vnstable new fangled minds haue bin deceiued I should rather feed the curious then fill the righteous This shall be sufficient to admonish vs that wee neither presume to make our names famous by this meanes by giuing errours nor yet be so base minded as to embrace and receiue the same for truth whosoeuer hee be that vttereth it because Peter telleth vs 2. Pet. 2. 1. That there shal be false prophets in the church whō we must beware least we fall with them into the same perdition Others there are also which regard neither prophesie nor religion or any other spirituall exercise either feigned or vnfeigned but giue their whole liues and trauaile to an vnsatiable desire of gaine to gather landes and lordships by right or wrong and to leaue great store of wealth to their posteritie let these men bee also warned if they woulde bee warned that they commit not the gaine of vngodlinesse the wages of vnrighteousnesse and the Lordes portion for their inheritance For surely as our Sauiour speaketh Matth. 15. 13. Euery plant not planted by his father shall be pulled vp againe Their houses shall bee ruinous their posteritie infamous their possessions troublesome and strangers shall inherite their labours But in our daies also there is another wicked and wretched president for posteritie to be lamented that so many in this golden age of Christes Gospell are tickled with vaine conceites accounting their glorie if they can prooue the founders of new sectes whereby religion is defamed or penne some idle toyes for histrionicall plaiers whereby many good soules are endangered There are few or no Italian follies Spanish inuentions or French-faynedwanton-volumes but in our daies for the times succeeding they are taught to speake English I thinke for this purpose that now whiles religion ruleth it might bee troubled by them and when christianitie is remooued by their meanes iniquitie may be enthronized I haue read many of them and considered of them too long I must freely confesse that they be the voices forerunning and preparing a way for Atheisme idolatrie heathenisme or any kind of impietie And therfore all good Christians should do with them as the Ephesians did Actes 19. 19. with their bookes for I protest vnto you either you must forsake God or them Secondly wee must make one vse more of this doctrine which is this Seeing we must be carefull for posteritie that we suffer nothing to passe from vs or by vs to them that sauoureth of iniquitie let vs also liuing in these times like to the daies of Christ follow the example of Christ which is to pray for them which shall come after Luc. 22. 31 32. where he telleth his disciples that he hath prayed for them that although sathan should haue them in his fanne to winnow them as a man cleaneth wheate yet should not they faile so likewise Iohn 17. Christ praieth for all them which should beleeue in his name to the worldes ende Now my beloued brethren if you consider the causes why Christ did not onely procure the welfare of his children while he was liuing but also praied for their sinceritie when hee should be dead you shall also finde that we haue all as great cause to pray for our children as then our Sauiour had for his disciples One was because as we heard that they lay open to the malice of the diuell who would trie his vttermost either to make them denie him or to die for him So my deere brethren the malice of sathan is as hote against vs as euer it was against them if he could he would turne our countrie into seas our people into diuels our meate into serpents our drinke into poyson our profession into Atheisme our pleasure into hell And will he thinke you be more fauourable to our posteritie No no assure your selues if he may or might worke his will he would make them as poore as beggers as miserable as Iob in aduersitie and as desperate as Iudas to make their owne handes to bee their owne murtherers hee woulde feede the dogs with their blood the birds with their flesh the rauens with their bowels the infidels with their landes the Atheists with their houses and damnation with their soules pray therefore with teares and zeale that the grones of your hart may preserue the fruites of your bodies Another cause why
these drunkards when they were awaked what they should do not go to their feastes againe or to the vomits againe or to the tauerns or to the ale-houses or to their mirth but he biddeth them go to the house of mourning Weepe saith the prophet and howle that is as if he had said lay away your pleasures and banish all euill companions drinke vp your teares as wine and eate your sorrowes as bread for a sudden calamitie is come vpon you the meate that is in your hand shall not come into your belly and your mouths shall be weaned from sucking and swilling in of strong drinke From hence when the prophet biddeth them to weepe I might note vnto you the nature or rather an inseparable companion of true repentance which is a mournfull heart and a weeping countenance which doth not onely sorrow for the fault but as it were wash away the sinnes of the soule for the teares which we weepe in this life do shew our vncleannes which if they were able they would cleanse away Teares are said to be the blood of the soule because they proceede of a wounded and sorrowfull spirit and therefore let not desperate ruffians and carnall persons thinke that the sighes and groanes and wishes of their hard hearts can goe for payment in the Lords presence or that the bare misliking and leauing of their old sinnes is true repentance for as the wound cannot be healed but the partie shall be payned so the life cannot be amended except teares or true sorrow be expressed But I will come nearer to my purpose for I cannot stande on euery worde and therefore I will onely note that which is fittest and of greatest necessitie The seuenth Sermon IN the next place he biddeth them to howle which is an action properly belonging to wolues and is metaphorically applied vnto these drunkards for they are both deuourers the one of lambes the other of corne both are beastes the one in nature the other in likenes and seeing they haue reioised like beasts now also he biddeth them to lament like beasts And therefore seeing I seldome find this word Howle but it is applied vnto beasts or wicked men I therefore note hereby that the vngodly comming into aduersitie are like to the brutish and vnreasonable creatures They sorrow without hope they weepe without comfort they howle without praier and they haue their wits and their ease taken away at once if they be merry it is for their wealth if they be heauy it is for their want So that then we may say iustly of them as Paule said of some Ephesians they are beasts in the likenes of men the prophet Dauid telleth vs Psal 49. 20. That man being in honour continueth not but becommeth like beastes that perish The wicked being in honour are inconstantly seated that serueth for their glorie but they are like the beasts that perish that sheweth their miserie in prosperitie they are vncertaine in their aduersitie they are vnhappie when they are lifted vp they will be more then men but when they are thrust downe they are founde equall to beasts The prophet Isay cap. 16. ver 7. prophesying the destruction of Moab because of their pride arrogancie indignation and lyes telleth them as this Ioell doth that Moab shall howle vnto Moab and euery one shall howle for the foundation of Kirhareseth shall yee morne and yet they shall be striken Will a man spare a woulfe although he cry bitterly No no for he knoweth he will rauen againe so God will not spare the wicked although they howle mournfully for he knoweth they will sinne againe Looke vpon this you desperate wicked persons and wretched bondslaues of Sathan heere may you see what you will do when the Lords hand is vpon you will you then turne vnto him when hee is turned from you or will you then remember him when your owne memorie is remooued thinke you then to haue power to praie or any hearts to hope in Christ when your reason and heart is taken from you thinke vpon it I beseech you before hande for else you vndoe your owne soules insomuch as when the water floudes of trouble come vpon you as the iust vengeance for your liues then you be filled with easelesse yelling beastly howling vnmercifull suffering intollerable complaining and no manner of relieuing then shall you finde that they which refuse knowledge instruction and correction in mercy shall feele the same in iudgement and you shall wish that you had endured any torment to be released of your present desperation The reasons heere of are plaine first because they cannot vnderstande iudgement Prou. 28. 5. If they bee crossed in their affaires and cast downe in their liues they know not that then they are arraigned before the iudgement seate of God which maketh them as farre without all naturall reason as they were before without all spirituall religion Dauid saide of them that the Lordes iudgements are farre aboue the sight of the wicked and therefore saith hee doe they defie all their enimies alas seelie soules they thinke that other mens harmes doe not warne them and that the Lord will neuer call them to account for their follies They imagine if they please themselues they displease not God and thinke if the hardest fall vpon them that euer can come yet their estate is better then other mens But my beloued saue your soules I beseech you out of Sathans clawes he draweth you on with deceitfull perswasions telling you that in aduersitie you shall be like other men in the meane season your eies are blinded that you cannot see howe heauie the iudgements of God lie vpon you purposing to take you at aduantage in extremitie that in sicknes he will make you raging in famine he will bring you to blasphemie in warres he will make your desperation that which is worst of al in death hee will bring you to endlesse condemnation Therefore thinke I beseech you with your selues and reioice not like beastes and then shal you mourne like beastes learne the course and causes of the Lordes iudgements that you may neuer feele the want of a peaceable and bolde conscience Another reason is this bicause this is onely the prerogatiue of the Lordes children in aduersitie to keepe their soules by patience Luk. 21. 19. Rom. 5. 3. and therefore the Lord will not giue his childrens meate vnto dogges nor yet cast such a pearle before such swine Where there is a dissimilitude of ioy there is also a dissimilitude of sorrow but betwixt the good and bad there is no likenes of their mirth and therefore there shall be no likenes of their woe they are proud when we are poore they are many when we are fewe they are merrie when we are sorrie they are glorious when we seeme comfortlesse and therefore when we are relecued they are distressed God is our comfort but it is their comfort if there were no God the diuell is our enimie but their
shall be of the church triumphant Oh how can they looke euer to come into the heauens which in this life neuer come into the temples nor outwardly obey the Gospell Therefore if euer you will come into ioy and enter into euerlasting pleasures ascend vp to the house of God there dwelleth the Lord you may see him there soundeth his word you may heare it there is giuen the spirit you may receiue it there are gathered the godly you may be with them and there beginneth saluation you may obtaine it If you be high stoope downe to it if you be base arise vp to it if you be rich ride to it if you be strong walke to it if you be lame be carried to it if you be blinde be leade to it if you be sicke long to be in it and if you be old euen there desire to die Runne I beseech you with speed goe with ioy labour with pleasure and desire with zeale to be ioyned to your Sauiour They which forsake it God will forsake them they which despise it God will despise them they which embrace it God will receiue them Let not any thing I beseech you keepe you from the churches seeing you would haue nothing keepe you from heauen Liue with the church pray with the church suffer with the church and die with the church As all the angels appeare before God in heauen so must all the saints appeare before him in earth they which are missed are excluded they which are present shall be blessed Another vse which we must make of this doctrine may be this that it shall be good for vs not only to visite the church but to continue in the assemblies with all diligence Euerlasting is the commendation of Anna Luk. 2. 37. which continued in the temple seruing God day and night and so wee read Act. 20. 7. that the church continued hearing of Paul till midnight It is a thing most strange to see men not onely negligent to come to the church but also being present they are impudent to depart out of the church and who are these but those which come seldome there for by reason therof they haue least taste of spirituall hunger and so are soone wearie of spirituall foode Abide therefore in the congregation for there is alway something behinde woorth the learning when all is done yet tarrie for the blessing as the people did for Zacharie Luk. 1. 21. Come I say with a continued diligence and omit not one time especially vnto that church whereof thou art a member whensoeuer praier or preaching calleth for thee Be assured of this the oftner thou commest the more thou delightest and the more thou art absent the lesse shall be thy comfort If thou wouldest say with Dauid O Lord how sweete is thy word vnto my mouth thou must also first sing with him all the day long is my study therein If woe belong to the Pastor that preacheth not the word then also damnation belongeth to the people that heare not the worde By vse thou shalt thinke a day too little for a sermon and a yeere too little for a praier By continuance thy hard heart will be softened and thy wicked life conuerted A woman married to a stranger by familiar and daily conuersation groweth into great loue where was great dislike so shall thy soule being married to our assemblies which it abhorreth in time to come delight in them most cheerefully which it loathed most wickedly The priests the Lords ministers mourne The better to perswade the people to lamentation hee bringeth in the ministers to moane them shewing that their pastors and spirituall fathers were alreadie in teares for this calamity and therfore also they must follow them By this we may note that the ministers are alwaies the first that come into danger If there be afflictions they are first apprehended if there be famines they are first oppressed and if there be warres they are most spitefully handeled There were seuen thousand good men in Israel but the prophets they were slaine and Eliah being left aboue all other was most of all endangered 1. King 19. 10. 11. There were many faithfull soules in Iewrie at Christs passion but him alone and his Apostles did the Iewes persecute crucifie So that hereby we may appeare to be of all men most miserable The world doth much enuie our honor our liuing and our estimation and our names insomuch as there is not any which hath not beene either enriched by our demesnes or conuerted by our sermons but they holde vs in exceeding hatred Well in this wee will saie with Ieremie This is our portion and we will beare it By this then let them knowe which are entred into our calling or purpose to put on a preachers gowne that his life must be full of danger his danger full of crueltie and he alwaies the foremost in any trouble I will saide the Lord make you to be hated of all men for my names sake Wouldest thou bee a minister of the Gospell thou desirest a woorthie worke Knowe then if thou liue in peace thou shalt bee enuied if in warre thou shalt be derided if thou be rich the world will murmure at thee but if thou bee poore then it will tread vpon thee Thinkest thou to liue easilie thou deceiuest thy selfe thinkest thou to liue in mens fauour thou deceiuest thy soule hopest thou for maintenance beware of flatterie lookest thou for friendship thou shalt receiue enimitie Thou must bee a seruant to seruantes thou must bee a slaue to base mindes and an open marke for wicked toongs Thy owne shall be withholden thy doctrine vpbraided and thy life liue thou neuer so warilie shal be endited Wilt thou please men thou shalt displease God wilt thou please God thou must displease men if thou speake thou shalt bee controuled if thou bee silent thou must be reproched if the worlde laugh on thee the Lord will laugh at thee if it frowne then thou art first in danger The reasons why this should be so are these first bicause in them the Lorde doth punish the whole people Zech. 13. 7. I will strike the shepherd and the sheepe shall be scattered If the pastors be good they are troubled for their people if they bee euill they are troubled for themselues A good man was woont to say that of all creatures a good minister was the best and a bad minister the woorst Therefore they are sometime troubled for the peoples cause yea sometime by the people as Christ died for the people and yet was put to death by the people And the cause is good for if the pastor let any people perish their soules must bee required at his hande so if a good pastor be molested of a bad people not his worde but his bloude shall be reuenged on them So then we are not alway sued for our own debts imprisoned for our owne obligations but being pledges hostages or rather sureties
congregation secondly for the remouing of the campe and lastly when they went foorth to warre because the people might bee had in remembrance before God Although it be hard to shew whether in this discourse following the prophet meaneth the comming of the beastes before named or the comming of the Assyrians their enimies yet the matter is not so necessarie as that we should spende much time therein nor so difficult but it may bee decided and therefore I thinke that here is onely meant the comming of the noysome beastes because the description following is set foorth by similitudes taken from warre and not by flat and euident propositions the which course the Lorde doth take in other places when he noteth an inuasion as in Ierem. 50. In this place wee must first of all handle the blowing of the trumpet which was the priestes office and the cause thereof was to put them in minde of a danger for the people were now assembled and had neede to be terrified to the vttermost to make them humble as we may see the effect Amos. 3. 6. for the trumpet might bee hearde farre and neere as an alarme among vs. Wherefore wee may gather from hence that it is the ministers dutie to shewe the people of the Lordes wrath and the danger which they are subiect vnto for the same Ezech. 33. 2 3 4. if they sound not the trumpet the people cannot be prepared and then shall they endure a double condemnation they beare the Lords arke when they stand al must stand and when they goe all must goe and if they sound the trumpet and tell the dangers onely the disobedient come to destruction And thus wee may see how the hardest burthens and most dangerous are laide on the ministers backes for if they preach men will not beleeue them and then they are persecuted if they preach not God will forsake them and then they are damned being also subiect to all those dangers which themselues doe threaten the which thing might discourage men from that holy function but that the Lorde commandeth vs and enforceth vs thereunto And I woulde God that all the crosses and dangers which waite like pages or rather like iailers vpon the ministers office coulde bee sufficient to denie a passage or entrance vnto the vnlearned and vaine headed persons whereby for euer they might bee excluded from our callings but of this matter sufficient hath beene saide alreadie The reasons are these First bicause God openeth to them either ordinarily or extraordinarilie his purpose which hee will doe in his church for there hath not beene any great calamitie in the worlde but the Lord giueth knowledge thereof before it commeth so that his preachers might bee beleeued and destruction auoided Secondly they are the mouth of God to the church and of the church to God Matth. 18. 20. and therefore what they sounde God soundeth what they binde God bindeth and what they discharge God setteth at libertie yet so as their actions must bee guided by the Scriptures if they will haue God to confirme them The vses which wee are to make of this doctrine are these First that wee doe not onely teach the iudgements but ioyne with our doctrine an outwarde testimonie of their feare and a practise that may serue as a patterne for the people to repent by so the Lorde teacheth Ezech. 21. 6. 7. where the prophet is commanded to mourne bitterly as a man that mourneth for the paine of the raines And the cause followeth that when the people shoulde aske him hee might tell them that he mourned bicause euery heart shoulde melt and euery minde shoulde fainte and euery hande shoulde bee weake and euery knee shoulde fall away like water and what heart of stone or desperate minde coulde see his teares and heare his wordes and yet refraine from weeping It hath beene alreadie shewed that the example of the pastour is the best way to perswade the people and wee knowe by lamentable experience that where the preacher liueth ill his life doth more hurt then his preaching doth good Therefore my deere brethren when wee haue cause to threaten any iudgement of God let vs so temper our bodies as if wee felt it within vs as Ieremie did when hee cried out My bellie my bellie as if the calamitie had alreadie seised vpon vs. Let vs preach earnestlie let vs liue zealouslie and let our wordes and teares be heard in the pulpet and our praiers and feare in priuate communication and full often let vs vrge and constraine our affections that by manie passions as it were by many water drops the hardest heart of stone may be pierced thorough But it greeueth our hart that many preachers in many places when they haue taught most singularly on the Sabbaoth day so soone as the doore is shut some goe to tabling some to carding some to shooting some to bowling and some to banquetting which maketh the people thinke they did but mocke them in the pulpit Another vse which commeth by this doctrine is this that when wee haue so preached and so liued then may wee assure our soules of most excellent comfort as the Apostle doth Act. 18. 6. saie nowe are wee free from the bloud of all men so that a good conscience is the reward of a good preacher which is a greater benefite then any Bishopricke or preferment of the worlde when a man may reioice of his labours So that let euery preacher keepe this ioy and defile not his conscience for the conscience of a learned man once stained and corrupted seldome or neuer is quieted againe Looke vpon Eli his conscience and vpon the prophet which came to Ieroboam who was slaine by a lyon and vpon Ionah when hee was cast into the sea and vpon Iudas the most wretch that euer was borne when hee had betraied innocent bloude I coulde bring manie examples out of other writers if I shoulde not be tedious but of my owne knowledge I speake that I haue seene some in the ministerie endued with rare giftes and excellent learning vsing great diligence in their places yet being giuen ouer through naturall infirmitie their daies haue beene very fewe and very bitter therefore maintaine thy conscience with losse of life and liuing for it is an easier matter to beare all the reproches of the worlde then one of thy owne heart for it will turne the sworde of God in thy owne hande and cause it to wounde thy selfe neither shalt thou bee able to auoide it I grant that men of other callings haue no such dangerous slips therfore looke to thy soule for the diuell in dazeling thy light darkneth al thy people and by making thy owne conscience to accuse thee he will make good men to forsake thee the worlde to wonder at thee the spirit of God to depart from thee Sion my holy mountaine Sion was the hill whereupon the temple was builded for the which cause it is called the Holy mountaine
that they might know that as none but God could be the author of these so none but his maiestie coulde bee the sender of them These heauenly signes or rather signes in heauen are described in the two next verses first the shaking of the world secondly the darkening of the lights and thirdly the great and terrible thunders which should then be heard all which is supported by a strong reason vers 11. By this verse we may first of all learne that the extraordinarie signes of heauen are the forerunners and most euident prophets of calamitie and destruction following Isa 29. 6. God which woulde haue all his iudgements not onely felt but feared doth not let them come stealing on the world as if he could not doe them against our will or not hinder them against their nature but proclaimeth them by manifold fearefull signes in heauen The reasons are first because we should knowe that the euill onely proceedeth from him 2. Sam. 5. 24. it doth not any whit distaine the Lords honor to be a reuenger of sinne vpon the bodies and soules of many thousands but rather it maketh for his glorie for hee must iudge the world in righteousnesse Another reason is because by this meanes the Lorde doth most earnestly affect good mens harts and afflict the wicked Ezech. 32. 9. for the sight of terrible signes cannot choose but mooue the brute beastes of the earth much more reasonable men who are more giuen to feare because they are more giuen to sinne and our Sauiour saith in the gospell that mens harts shall faile them because of the signes of heauen The vses are these first let vs not be superstitious or heathenish in fearing the signes of heauen aboue the rule of faith Ier. 10. 2. For alas what can any planet or any signe doe but by the Lordes assignement and therefore in fearing it superstitiously we feare not God we distrust his prouidence we restraine his power and we cast away our owne confidence and faith It was a great signe in heauen when fire came downe and destroyed Sodom and Gomor and all cities cattel and pastures of the plaine Gen. 19. yet little Zoar was saued standing among them when all the residue were burning about it therefore beware of the slauish feare of the signes of heauen for it is the Lorde that gouerneth the starres Another vse as we are not to feare them too much so wee are not to regard them too little but vse them as promptors and furtherances to another life Luk. 21. 28. when you see these saith Christ then lift vp your heads and know that your redemption draweth neere Be it therefore that the heauens be burning the lights be darkening the stars be falling the earth be shaking and the ayre be thundering yet feare it no more then the Israelites did in Egypt but rather now thinke that the Lord will amaze sinners erect his throne of righteousnes to stand for euermore This must much encourage vs in these our later daies wher in euerie hower we looke for the accomplishing of all the signes before Christs comming and let vs watch for the appearing of our Sauiour that we be not comfortles when other shall bee both witlesse and faithles but know that good men shall stand in the middest of all these terrours and fires as the men did walke in the middest of the Babilonish furnace and not haue one haire of our head diminished When he saith that the earth shall tremble he noteth that earth quakes are notable tokens of the Lordes wrath Psal 18. 7. we are not onely to impute it to the ayre shut vp in the furrowes of the earth as in philosophie they do but we must goe to the principall cause which is the hand of God and the finall cause which is to shew his wrath for in his wrath saith the scripture he casteth downe whole mountaines Oh how terrible is this to consider that the whole earth should be shakē at the chiding of God yet man which is made of earth and standeth on earth and liueth on earth and shall returne to earth againe will not shake or tremble for the same I thinke there is more terrour in the dead bones in the graues then in liuing bodies in their houses The reasons hereofare these because the law of wrath was giuen in fire and earth-quakes Exod. 19. 18. Heb. 12. 18. for God did then shew himselfe most terrible when the mountaine seemed to burne and there was nothing but cursing and death for the law that then was giuen did condemne many millions which now do know the same Againe earthquakes do commonly proceede and goe before the alteration of religion Reuel 6. 12. for as when Iehu altered the idolatrie of Baal the prophets and the God were both displaced so when religion is altered God is as it were displaced and all his seruants persecuted which must of necessitie shew the heauie indignation of God for he will not haue his image defaced nor endure that his glorie should be giuen to another Let vs therefore learne that if the strong earth be not able to abide the wrath of God then much lesse shal weake and sinnefull men Num. 16. 1. Againe let vs learne to preach the word more earnestly by the consideration of earth-quakes We may read Amos 1. 2. that two yeere before the earth-quake the Lord sent him to prophesie as it were to plant the minds of his church that they might haue liued without wauering Now it is well knowen that wee haue had one great and terrible earth quake in our times would God it might so worke that the preachers would for that cause preach more diligently and the people heare more attentiuely least it prooue vnto vs a token of the decay of religion Truely as yet blessed be God religion is not altered but it is much defaced and God graunt that as the earth-quake at the death of Christ was the decrease of Iudaisme and Paganisme but the increase of christianitie so that in our time may worke the like effect and may seale vnto vs the decay of Poperie and heresie but may assure vs of the continuance of veritie and pure religion We might also note out of this verse that seeing the heauens and earth are afraide of him therefore the most guiltles creatures of God cannot abide his anger But this we will deferre vnto the next chapter Againe in that the sunne and moone are darkened we may obserue not onely that God is the author of light and darkenes but also that he will not let sinners in his anger haue any benefit of them Isa 13. 9 10. The reasons are First because they are enimies to good men and good things Exod. 10. 22. Secondly bicause they are ashamed of the sinnes of men as we may see at Christs death Matth. 27 45. Let vs therefore so glorifie God in our places as these creatures do in theirs for they
fruitfull abounding with many a pleasant herbe let not thy hart be barren and stuffed with filthie stinking sins Come to the spirituall gifts of God see how many preachers thou hast to moue thee to repentance it is the end of preaching the fruit of hearing the motion of praier the sacraments signifie it the Spirit worketh it and the whole church of God liueth in it the bishop watcheth for it the doctor teacheth for it the worker of myracles doth witnesse it the poore mans boxe doth prooue it I cannot run ouer al it is sufficient that euery one do prooue it I would to God that any might preuaile The reason because God woulde be neere vnto all that call vpon him Psa 145. 18. he wil cōpasse vs about with a world of witnesses that they may draw vs to him or else to accuse our disobedience whom the heauēs could not win or the earth admonish or the church perswade or the spirite instruct that all these which could not work our health may further our death And seeing in euery place these are manifest in so much as we despise all warnings of God and his creatures it is most equall that we be pnnished with all torments of hell fire Seeing all things are notes vnto vs of the Lords fauour then assuredly if men will shew any care to serue him hee will neuer hide his face or punish vs extremely 2. Chron. 30. 9. Oh what a comfort is this to a troubled soule to haue all the creatures of the world to witnesse the Lords fauour the birds flying the beastes eating the corne standing the grasse growing and the houses ouer our heads are pledges vnto vs of the grace of God Then turne thee and consider not two or three but euery one in their kinde and thou shalt finde inestimable ioy Why doe men complaine for want of grace when all the world is ful of grace it pearseth the stones it cleaueth the rocks it shaketh the trees it quickeneth the beastes and it descendeth to the bottome of the earth onely the soules of men are not capable thereof Beginne now with thy selfe set these creatures as iudge arraigne thy soule as guiltie bring foorth thy guiltie conscience and waite for the sentence of condemnation Oh no saue thy selfe from these frowarde inuentions Turne I say a little shew a willing minde bring a ready hart pray for an ounce of godly sorrow and let the world and the gospell the creatures and the spirite the earth and the church the angels and the beastes encrease the same gather thou the wood they will blowe the fire thy care shall be augmented as the widowes oile by Elishah that thy debts shall be discharged thy trouble shall be eased thy life shall be amended and thy soule shall be blessed Seeing all the creatures of God doe remember vs of his grace then let euery creature be deere and precious vnto vs Gen. 1. 31. as a pledge of his fauour for the Lorde cōmendeth them all to be good And if he which wrought them doe so then much more ought wee for whose sake they were created Let vs then often meditate on the frame of the world the bodies of men the proportion of beastes and the little greene leaues shall minister vnto vs much instruction to reforme our liues we shall finde not one of them made for themselues but all of them for one another and especially for vs. Wherefore it cannot bee that we were borne for luxurie riot pleasure profite sorrowe loue ioy or hatred no not for the possession of our selues but for the possession of the Lord. Consider these things and thou shalt finde all time too little not spent herein and all ioy but vanitie that is not applied to this When thou canst not heare the worde reade it when thou canst not reade then meditate on it when thou art wearie of meditation then turne to the creatures and solace thy selfe in them as in a most pleasant garden of many sweet flowers marke their diuersitie in colour strange in number infinite in making contrarie and yet in vse all one euen for thy sake that thou mightest be for the Lords glorie Marke their growth that thou maist growe so and their death for thou shalt die so and their spring for thou shalt arise in the sommer of all pleasures with them in the kingdome of heauen Mercifull The second reason is taken from the Lords mercie and that therefore if they will repent he will pardon Wherein I might tell you many thinges woorth the learning of the Lordes mercie and shew you by many arguments howe the scripture in many places doth expresse it sometime naturally as to men and beasts Psal 36. 6. sometime to good and bad Mat. 5. to his church through Christ Luc. 1. 78. and all these he meaneth in this place when hee saith that God is mercifull not simply through Christ whereby he saueth his church but also through himselfe whereby he loueth al his creatures From hence obserue that the mercie of God must leade men to repentance 1. Sam. 12. 24. The which is cleane contrary to the course of the worlde which take it for a libertie of sin and make it not a necessitie to repentance but a good childe is more afraid of a gentle and a kind father then of a sterne and seuere and we if we be the children of God must be as much terrified from sinne with the sweete songs of Sion as with the loud thunder claps of Sinai be as subiect to the Lords censure in his sweete mercies as other in the fearfull curses of the Law Therefore let not our time of peace our healthie bodies our large possessions our heaps of treasure our sweete children and all other mercies of God make our harts fat but let vs vse all these to awake vs from sinning and to restraine vs from offending him that defendeth vs with them yea let vs weepe moe teares for hauing them then for wanting them that we may enioy the promises of this life and of the life to come The first reason because they are mercifull which loue mercie and therefore blessed Matt. 5. 7. If we would see a token of our pitifull harts then let vs thinke how the sweete promises of the Gospell haue pearced them It is no wonder to see such bloodie minds in Papists because they make small account of the Lords mercie teaching vs that men may satisfie for their sinne and for this cause they thirst after blood for the breach of their canons But yet let vs beware how we perswade men to relie on the mercie of God for they say wee teach men to trust to mercie and to liue vily but let vs exhort one another in the Lord that we walke woorthie of his mercie and vse his abundant clemencie for a promptor vnto repentance Another reason because God is more delighted with his mercie then with our sacrifice Hos
eares and hand and heart to theirs when they are humbled fall thou downe when they are praying praie with them when they are hearing heare with them when they are singing sing with them and when they are mourning lamenth with them If they ioine in petition to God oh account it happinesse for thee to subscribe thy name for they are blessed that are ioyned to the fellowship of the saints Another vse if wee must seate our selues in most conuenient place to heare then let vs also frequent the places of praier and religion When the church was compelled to a riuers side in steede of a cathedrall church Act. 16. 15. Lydia the purple woman resorted thither and once she had her hart opened and conuerted to the Lord In like manner let vs resort to the churches for at one time or other we may boldly assure our selues that we shall receiue the pledge of life eternall But in our daies men are so affected to this doctrine that the diuell laugheth at it and good men lament it for either they come not at all as the ghestes which were bid to a wedding or else they come without conscience as he did without a wedding garment or else they are present without attention as Eutyches that fell on sleepe at Paules preaching or else they depart out of our assemblies as Iudas did from Christ when hee went to betray him Standing times of praier in the church some say are of Poperie and in the house they are of other condemned for puritanisme so that godly praiers being the sword of the spirite are now growen rustie and dull that few mens sins or liues or harts are parted therewith But my deere brethren come to the times of praier and binde your selues not onely publikely but also priuately with seuere vowes and pay them to the Lord for so shall the fire of the spirite be kindled in you the holy Ghost shall raigne in you the saints shall be comforted by you and you shall trie that all things are possible to a Christian Spare thy people Now we are come to the praier which the prophet teacheth the priestes to make for the people which is thus much in effect Wee haue no refuge but to flie to thee O Lord we are guiltie of the punishment but yet thou maist stay thy hand and spare our liues Giue vs not ouer wee pray thee that our enemies reioice not ouer vs and blaspheme thy blessed name we are the fields of thine owne inheritance reuenge our cause from the handes of strangers oh spare vs that we may serue thee First out of the beginning of this praier we may note that petitioners and those which are suiters to the throne of grace must alway pleade guiltie in the presence of God Luc. 18. 12 13. The example of the Publican prooueth this that the Lord loueth vs better when we tell him of our follies then when we shew him our vertues The Lord which will seldome helpe till there be no helpe but in his mercie biddeth vs alway to condemne our selues so that when wee thinke most basely of our natures and speake most vilely yet truly of our liues and confesse most bitterly against our selues then are we most nigh to the end of our praiers For this cause let vs meditate before praier that we may sufficiently waigh our miseries and more lamentably bewaile our wants and more ardently pray for his mercie that we may more comfortably enioy his fauour The reasons hereof because there is not one man liuing that can bee iustified before God Psal 143. 1 2. but euery man is an vnprofitable seruant for which cause we must alway accuse our sins and call for pardon at the Lords hand This reason being knowen of the baser and wickeder sort they imagine that they haue gained a sufficient charter to continue in their euill why say they the most righteous are guiltie in the Lords sight and what are we more Doe what wee can yet we shall sinne and we can but craue pardon of him for many as well as for few but this is a wicked and an accursed reason For although the best fall into many enormities yet ought not you to sinne good men fall into sinne but you dwell in sinne they are sorrie for them but you delight in them Dauid sinned was therefore Absolom or Achitophel vnpunished because Peter denied his maister might therefore Iudas betray him or because one man falleth into debt by sicknesse may you therefore fall into debt through riot if a sound body doe now and then fall into sicknesse then hee which hath a crazie body had neede to looke to himselfe so if men of sound soules doe fall into euils you which haue sicke soules must bee much more carefull of your health Another reason our Sauiour giueth Luc. 18. 14. for the Lord resisteth the proude and giueth grace to the humble and meeke therefore ought wee to increase in the numbring of our sinnes that the Lord may aduance vs to the beholding of his mercie Let vs be assured if we pray without sorrow we doe but mocke the Lord but if we sorrow with earnest praier we prepare many ioyes for our soules First let vs learne that our praiers must bee ardent and continuall in the eares of the Lord as the Israelites were Iudg. 10. 3. to 13. for as we haue a continuall occasion of sinning so we must take continuall occasion of praying Who is he that hath beene but a little while in the practise of christianitie and hath not learned this lesson My sinnes are euer in my sight too heauie a burden for me to beare therefore as he which is vexed with a continuall want laboureth in a continuall worke and hee which hath a continuall sicknesse turneth on euery side to finde ease so must we which are euermore oppressed with sinne be euermore praying for helpe As the greatest burdens make the porters sweate the greatest drops so will our sinnes if we feele them make vs sweate drops of blood to be released of them therefore pray till thou be heard and take for thy example the poore widow which woulde neuer giue ouer till the iudge had righted her cause neither doe thou cease to pray til thy soule doe cease to sinne Many pray through want but not with want and for grace but not with grace they are cold and not continuall in their suites Who is so hard harted seeing a poore man with as many sores as his body can beare running after him a mile or twaine and begging but a penny that coulde denie him in like manner if wee shewe all our sores and sinnes and miseries vnto the Lord continually that when our voice is wearie our harts may speake and when our harts are sleepie our wounds may crie for mercie so that we may neither eate nor sleepe till we know our sinnes be pardoned Let vs neuer be afraide to come to the Lord notwithstanding we finde
and yet wee which haue more reason are not mollified by the gifts of God or warned by our workes to him or pierced by his commandements but of this inough else where Because he hath exalted This is the reason why the Lord wil bring so sharpe a punishment vpon them because they haue beene so bold as to afflict his people But some may say vnto me did not the Lord sende these creatures to destroy and if he sent them why doth he punish them and if he sent them not how could they come in such swarmes to whom I answere that the Lord sent them and yet they exalted themselues to do it Whereby we may gather that men shall not alway escape vnpunished although they performe that which God commanded for God willed that Christ should be crucified but yet Iudas was neuerthelesse eternally plagued Act. 1. 18. if one man murther another God will haue it so or else it could not be yet shal the murtherer suffer death iustly God will haue good men in his church to be persecuted imprisoned and martyred by the enimies yet woe be to those men and hands that so handle and mangle their godly members The first reason because in these actions men serue not God but their owne will Act. 13. 27. God decreeth it for one cause but they doe it for another as God would haue Christ deliuered for the sinnes of the world but Iudas betrayed him for thirtie peeces of siluer God would haue Christ dye for redemption but the Iewes would put him to death for malice and thus one and the same thing done for diuers causes doth not excuse their malice as we may note in the storie of Ioseph and his brethren Againe as they do it for their owne pleasure so they attribute it to their owne power Isa 10. 13. so wee shall finde many boasting of their wickednes how they haue played the tall fellowes in wounding and killing and whooring and stealing and endicting and condemning and accusing other men when themselues are as guiltie of hell as the other were of death Oh fearefull spectacle of humane infirmitie that we may do that which God willeth to be done and yet we cannot will as God would haue it done No maruell if our life be so separated from God when our will cannot agree with our hand Seeing we may be transgressors in doing that which God commandeth especially when we haue to doe with the godly let vs follow the counsell of Pilates wife which was this that we haue nothing to doe against iust men for God will surely plague vs in the ende Matth. 27. 19. Speake not against them for it shall be rewarded fight not against them for thou shalt be conquered spoile them not for thou shalt be spoyled and accuse them not for thou shalt be condemned They are the eie of God pricke them not they are the Lordes annointed touch them not they are Christs members hurt them not for surely as Saul by striuing against Dauid did spoyle himselfe and as Pharaoh by tyrannizing ouer the Israelites did vndoe himselfe and all his countrey so shalt thou bring both nations and people thy selfe and all thy posteritie into euerlasting woe if thou oppresse the professors of religion Remember if thou chastise them thou art but the rod of God which when corrections be finished is throwne into the fire and euen as now Pilate wisheth though it be too late that he had obeyed his wifes counsell so shalt thou wish if not too late that thou haddest neuer medled against religion Againe let vs learne to frame our wils to God his will and then shall our handes without trespasse worke that which God commaundeth and therefore doe nothing of malice for that is of the diuel do nothing of enuie for that is of sedition do nothing rashly for that is folly but do all things with loue for there is God If thou canst do anything and not breake the bond of loue to God or to thy neighbour thou sinnest not yea although it seeme neuer so sinfull in the sight of man for loue is the fulfilling of the law so then so long as thou workest in loue so long thou doest not offend God and so long as thou doest not offend God so long thou doest not transgresse the law Feare not ô land but be glad and reioice for the Lord will do mightie things In this and in the verses following the Prophet giueth them verie manie exhortations grounded on the neuer failing promise of God First generally in this verse and then more specially in the verses following In this verse hee biddeth them not to feare some will thinke that this exhortation is needles for if they did not feare they could not beleeue his former threatnings To whome I answere that he meaneth they should not distrust the promises of God notwithstanding all the before named iudgements and therefore presently in this verse he telleth them that the Lord will doe for them mighty things By this then we gather that in all good men the promises of God must bee more powerfull then the feare of euill more plainly thus Art thou feared with sicknesse with pouertie with losse of children and such like dangers then remember the promise of God which saith that all shall worke to thy best and that I will not faile thee nor thy seede and such like and so let these promises more comfort thee then thy terrors doe dismay thee So our Sauiour comforted his disciples and in them all of vs Luc. 12. 32. Feare not little flocke it is your fathers will to giue you a kingdome and Dauid saide well to this purpose Though I walke in the valley of death I will not feare for thy rod and thy staffe they comfort me so let vs say with him though we liue in feare of warre and famine and pestilence and diuell and death and hell yet wee will not feare because God hath said they shall not hurt vs. Iosuah was neuer afraid to fight because God had said that he woulde fight for him so let not vs be afraide to fight with sinne to liue in danger to languish in prison and to pine away in famine seeing wee haue the Lords owne promise that none of these shall destroy vs but amend vs. The first reason because his euerlasting loue is the cause of his promise and therefore it will performe his mercie Ier. 31. 3 and if it be euerlasting then is the force thereof now as well as when it was first made and seeing it neuer was nor euer shal be repealed therfore it shall as well strengthen thy soule as the soule of Noah or Abraham or Moses or Dauid or Ieremie or any other Againe euil things are alway cōditionally threatned meaning if men repent not as we may see in Dauid Ahab Niniueh and many other and therefore repentant men neede not feare any danger for they are alway blessed hauing the angels to
goods whereas you should haue laide your goodes at the Apostles feete what will ye doe when the mouth of God shall pronounce your destruction for medling with his tithes and his offerings and his sacrifices and his liuings as the hand of God did Belshazzars depriuation on the wall surely not your knees will bend but your harts wil quake not your countenance will change but your conscience wil tremble not your loines wil be loosed but your liues not your wealth shall be only destroied but your soules bodies for euer euer Secondly we may obserue out of this vers when he saith that they haue caried into their temples his goodlie pleasant things that God accounteth preciouslie of the meanes of his worship howe basely soeuer the world and all worldlings doe iudge thereof Leuit. 1. 2. for he calleth them his goodly and pleasant things The which thing I woulde haue most diligently obserued that wee may so thinke of the thinges of God as the spirite of God doth deliuer them vnto vs that we finde them goodlie as full of grace and pleasant as filled with delight that we may all saie Oh Lorde howe sweete are thy lawes vnto our hearts yea sweeter then honie to our mouthes For carnall minded men see no more grace in a church then in a tauerne nor no more delight in a christian then in a ruffian nor esteeme any whit better of a preacher then a craftesman or finde any more sweetenesse in a sermon then a plaie or take any more delight in the Gospell then in a little pedlars french Oh howe basely are you minded that cannot thinke better of the Lords matters One of you thinke that there is great goodnesse in an eare of wheate another findeth great delight in a fielde flower another sporteth himselfe with the smell of a rose but none of you can feele any pleasure in that corne that bringeth bread of life or that flower that sheweth the worke of life or that rose that offereth the smell of heauen Laie away thy base thoughts of spirituall matters and knowe that the church is the Lordes house who is greater then a king that the preachers are the Lordes stewardes who are better then lordes that the Gospell is thy soules food sweeter than any iuncate that a christian is the Lordes friend better than any rich man that a sermon is thy Sauiours praise higher then any prince and that the fellowship of saints is more woorth then the valour of knights Thinke I saie howe goodly and pleasant are the wordes full of grace the companie full of goodnesse the praiers full of sweetenesse the Psalmes full of melodie and the soules full of sorrowe which are gathered togither before the Lorde in his church The reasons of this doctrine are these First because hee euermore regardeth what himselfe hath appointed Cant. 5. 1. His church is his garden and therefore he hath planted euery flower growing therin wherewithall hee cannot chuse but bee highly delighted as he was at the beginning when hee sawe that all his workes were good Another reason is bicause he punisheth them seuerely that contemne any part of his ordinance Heb. 2. 2. 1. Cor. 11. 30. and therefore he accounteth preciously of his worde which hee defendeth by his power and of his poore saints whom hee maintaineth by his angels and of his mercie which hee manifested in his sonne and of the neglect of his Gospell which hee punisheth by condemnation Let vs therefore honour whom God honoureth Act. 10. 15. and that which God accounteth precious let vs not cast awaie as vile Because Assuerus honoured Haman all the people of his kingdome did him reuerence and therefore because the Lorde thinketh well of the worde and of the Sacraments and of praier and of preaching and of hearing the Gospell let him bee a dead dogge that speaketh against the same But alas alas as Vasthi would not come although the king hir husband sent for hir so will not our Vasthies men women olde and yoong followe religion and come to the Gospell although God our father and Christ our husband send for them neuer so earnestly but she was rewarded for hir disobedience and was diuorced from the king and so I feare will bee the ende of verie many in our daies to be put out of the Lordes fauour and diuorced from the blessings of Christ And again let vs learne to put on our eies of faith that wee may commend that which God commendeth for except wee can beholde the workes of God and the Gospell of God with spirituall eies it shall neuer bee goodly and pleasant before vs and cast away the blockish dulnesse that oppresseth your braines like a drouzie nap in a shining daie which will not suffer you to beholde the light with any comfort But lift vp your eies as the children of light that you may see the beautie of Christes church the riches of the Lords spirit the treasures of the Lordes saintes the ornaments of a faithfull soule and the glorie of another life The children also of Iudah and the children of Ierusalem haue ye sold vnto the Grecians that yee might send them farre from their border This verse contayneth the last cause of the Lordes iudgement vpon his enimies for that they had sold his seed and seruants vnto the heathen nations with this policie because when they were carried far from their own countrey they should liue like slaues without hope euer to returne home againe These Grecians to whom they solde the people of God were Gentiles or heathens the posteritie of Iauan the sonne of Iaphet who was the eldest sonne of Noah And in this that the Lorde now calleth them to a reckoning because they had solde away his people although they were their captiues vnto infidels we may obserue that it is not lawfull to commit the children of the beleeuers into the handes of vnbeleeuers And for this cause it is reported Gen. 12. 5. that when Abraham was commaunded by God to goe out of Haran where all were fallen to idolatrie into the promised lande of Canaan he tooke with him Sarai his wife and Lot his brothers sonne for he would not leaue him in the hands of Terah Abrahams father and Lot his grandfather because with the residue he then was fallen to idolatrie And this example is a sufficient proofe of the matter to teach vs that we should so loue the soules of the righteous seede that we leaue them not resident among the infidels or Atheists or Papistes or other prophane wretches but to our owne cost and labour redeeme them from the diuels tyranny But in this we may lament First that euen in our times we may see many of yeeres of discretion to runne away into papistical and heathenish warres or else to sauegarde themselues vnder the liueries of them that are open enimies to the Gospell and many to binde and put their owne children the fruit of their bodie
deere people in the two first chapters and the other part concerneth their deadly enimies which is deliuered in the thirde chapter That part which concerneth the Iewes containeth most fearefull and forcible reasons to moue their rebellious harts as first a particular rehearsal of those iudgements that now were comming which is in the first chapter and vnto the eighteenth verse of the second Secondly most sweete promises of large liberalitie if yet though sentence of destruction were pronounced they would receiue the pardon before the iudgements is set the stile of the prophet or the inscription of the whole booke contained in the three first verses wherein he describeth the summe of the prophesie by calling it the word of the Lord First by shewing the ministering cause thereof namely The word of the Lord which came to Ioel the sonne of Pethuel verse the first Secondly the subiect or persons whom it concerned in the two next verses by most excellent exhortatiōs first of hearing where he noteth the persons namely the elders and all the inhabitants of the land and then the thing it selfe whether they euer heard of the like in the second verse Heare ye this O elders and harken ye all inhabitants of the land whether such a thing hath beene in your daies or yet in the daies of your fathers c. The other exhortation is to perswade them not to silence the prophesie but to tell and declare it first to their children present Secondly that they shewe likewise the same to other ages following which the prophet expresseth in these words in the third verse saying Tell you your children of it and let your children shew to their children and their children to another generation Thus much for the diuision now to the wordes and exposition Ioel. verse 1. The word of the Lord which came to Ioel the sonne of Pethuel These words of the prophet are thus much in effect This selfe same prophesie which hereafter followeth is the very word of God which he himselfe sent to the people by the ministerie of Ioel the sonne of Pethuel where we obserue these doctrines following First that the sermons of the prophets are the sermons of the Lorde himselfe for so saith this scripture that Ioels prophesie is the word of God In Nehemiah the ninth chapter and the thirtieth verse in that sweete confession which the Leuites made vnto God in the behalfe of that whole people thus they say Thou didst forbeare them many yeeres and protestedst among them by thy spirite euen by the hands of their prophets but they would not heare Euen thus they confesse their rebellion after they had been well whipped with seuentie yeeres captiuitie they had taken foorth this lesson that those despised sermons which once they spurned with their shooes and trod vpon with their feete were now manifestly declared to be the very word of God Wherein no doubt they shewe and testifie vnto vs that the truth of scriptures in the mouthes of Preachers will then be acknowledged when men haue been well nurtured in the schoole of aduersitie in so much that euen these wordes which now are but like the dreames of phrentick men will then become as deere vnto vs as the oracles of heauen Oh how stubborne is the conceite of our hard harts which will not be taught till they smart nor yet be instructed till they be corrected Shall the seruant say he hath no master except euery day he punish his faults or the sonne denie his owne father because in lenitie and fatherly pitie he beareth with his lewdnesse Yet our miserable times are such wherein men thinke preaching to be vaine except in persecution and reading to be needlesse except in calamitie and praier to be friuolous except in their sicknes But bid these wretches to the banket of afflictions wherein they may be throughly scourged with temporall miseries as the proud persons to shame the Atheists to death the swearer to the slaughter the drunkard to famine the gentleman to pouertie and the theefe to the halter then they will crie as lowde as hungrie lions that the scriptures which they neglected the prophets whom they reuiled the sermons which they contemned and the words of preachers which they disobeied are the actes of parliament made by God himselfe like these Iewes which now were humble after they had been in Babylon In the second Epistle of Peter cap. 1. vers 21. the holy Ghost also witnesseth that Holy men of God spake as they were mooued by the holy Ghost What is that but plainly to auerre that not the preachers but the spirit that speaketh in the preachers This also is confirmed by waightie and special arguments or reasons drawne from the very word it selfe First in Numbers the two and twentieth chapter and eighteenth verse where Balaam telleth the seruants of Balaack that if he would giue him his house full of golde he cannot goe beyond the word of the Lord to doe more or lesse If then such sorcerers and diabolicall persons in the cause of God can speake nothing but what he suggesteth much more the prophets and heauenly preachers can vtter nothing but what the holy Ghost inspireth Againe the prophets and true ministers of God for the words sake only aduenture their states and hazard their liues 1. Kings cap. 22. vers 14. 27. which they would not nor could not except vpō sure ground of heauenly warrant Who would except desperate mad men vndoe themselues and suffer most intolerable torments for rebuking of sinne vnlesse they were caried by an ouerruling power euen as Ionah to Niniueth or Micheah to Ahab to eate the bread ofsorrow and drinke the cup of death that when they might ioyfully solace themselues among their friendes or quetly rest in their poore habitations they are sorowfully vexed by their cruell enimies hauing the stinking prison for their easelesse harbour I grant that heathen men haue for vaine deuises endured many torments Popish Iesuits neglecting their owne liues their princes mercy haue do daily imbrace the gallowes but their sufferings are for matters cleane contrary to the worde of truth and therefore with Tertullian it may better be saide to bee desperate presumption then Christian persecution and the diuels souldiers rather then the Lords martyrs Wherein let vs with teares of brine lament our humane miserie that thus casteth it selfe away from worldly comfort and heauenly ioyes vpon bare and weake groundes of vncertaine seruing of God Howe strong are the delusions of subtill Sathan which hath bewitched the mindes of men so farre that they haue also offered their yoong children and tender babes through violent flames for the diuels sacrifice could not their weeping eies and crying teares procure no pittie in their hard harted parents No no where superstition sitteth iudge neither nature nor reason may dare to pleade the cause This is the diuels cunning to bewitch his members imitating the true seruants of God to endure death Augustine said
well Mendacium ex veritate superstitio religionem imitatur Lies come of truth and superstition taketh Religion for a patterne yet for all this lies are not truth superstition is not religion nor the torments which desperate men for euill causes endure shall euer make good mens sufferings to be lesse regarded The sheepe must not leaue off her skin because somtimes the wolfe commeth in her likenesse nor we must lesse esteeme the martyrs paines bicause the diuels souldiers likewise die for his sake by these two reasons it is euident that the prophets sermons are the Lords sermons Nowe let vs make some godly vses of this doctrine The first generall exhortation which we make heereof is that sentence of the Apostle 1. Thess 5. 20. Despise not prophesying That is now it hath been cleerely prooued that the prophets speeches are the oracles of God be not so beastly as swine to tread those precious pearles of deuine wisedome in the filthie dregs and stinking myre of your vaine displeasures It being apparant that God his ministers speake no more without his spirit then the conduit runneth without his fountaines springs those disgracing words which many vse of the spirituall exercises some at their table others in their clossets many at the tauerns and most in their houses are nothing else but meere reuilings and spitefull raylings against the spirit of God Sometimes the preachers want eloquence to smooth the itching eares of gallant persons sometimes they want learning to feede the curious mindes of vaine religion bablers sometimes they want wealth to maintaine their countenance with outward brauerie and sometime they want manners to make them companions to the gentle sort And euerie one of these thinke his sermons and labours in God his church to be nothing worth where he spieth but one want which his vaine conceite desired I like not this sermon saith one bicause he wanted words it was a silly peece of worke saith another bicause it was not bombasted with the sayings of Fathers and he seldome or neuer confuted the papists another saith that the preacher was but a poore beggerly fellowe and therefore it is no matter what hee say none of the great men would haue saide so much and others saide he hath more learning then wit more zeale then behauiour and his confident wordes are impudent speeches vnto all these I say Despise not prophesying See you not howe the diuell driueth you to condemne all for want of one and to a generall neglect for a particular desire shall the spirite of God be blamed because euery mans humour is not satisfied God forbid that such iniquitie should lodge among the professours of religion that those sermons which displease some should be despised of so many there is no pearle which all men will praise there is no garden so pleasant but some will dislike it nor anie house so commodious but some will dispraise it shall wee cast away pearles plowe vp gardens and race downe houses bicause all men are not pleased No verily no more shall prophesying preaching praying and exhorting be reiected although euery mans idle disposition be not answered Oh miserable and lamentable daies wherein men come to the congregation like buyers to a faire and they all crie it is naught it is naught though the Lordes wares be freely solde yet who will buie them at his hands The more plentifully they are offered the more scornefully they are reiected for looke vpon those places where the ministerie hath beene of longest standing and greatest practise where pastors according to the Lords owne hart are planted where the voice of the worde soundeth at least euerie Sabbaoth day I say looke there euen as narrowly as Ezechiel looked ouer Ierusalem and you shal finde them more ignorant in knowledge more lewde in liuing more obstinate in wordes and more disobedient in deedes then other people are Euen thus the diuell laboureth painfully where the Lord speaketh abundantly that he may maliciously condemne where the Lord woulde mercifully saue insomuch that the Lord may say to the congregations of England as he once saide to the assembly of Israel Ierem. 6. vers 10 Vnto whom shall I speake and admonish that they may heare behold their eares are vncircumcised they cannot harken behold the worde of the Lorde is vnto them as a reproch And where the worde of the Lorde can haue no being the wrath of the Lord will take vp the lodging therefore we may say as the prophet speaketh Abak 1. 5. Behold yee despisers and woonder and vanish away for I worke a worke in your daies a worke which you will not beleeue though a man declare it Consider this yee scornefull hearers among vs that God shall punish your contempt with infidelitie and although myracles should be wrought to conuert you yet they shall not profite you euen the myracles of Egypt till yee be vtterly consumed you which with lesse deuotion serue the Lord then your pleasures with lesse diligence followe the Church then the tauerne with more delight exercise vanitie then religion with more labour occupie your trades of life then the words of life euen you I meane are the despisers of heauenly pearles for earthly trash which neuer are pleased with the seruants of Christ It is your condemnation that sleepeth not whose conscience can pretend no excuse at the day of all daies that either yee wanted preachers or leasure or abilitie or time or meanes to beleeue those heauenly oracles Behold this yee despisers and repent shewe your sorrowe by your amendement and redeeme the time by diligence heereafter If the Lorde vtter his voice the earth is mooued and the mountaines tremble Psal 29. Mooue therefore your harts you rebellious sort from the world to god from ignorance to knowledge and from disobedience to faith stirre vp your resty bodies and idle limmes and go from strength to strength till you come to the Lords mountaine let not feare of sicknesse dread of pouertie loue of pleasures desire of profit drawe you from heauen but draw neere vnto God and hee will draw neere vnto you The gates of heauen are open enter you therein Secondly another vse we may adde heereunto is that exhortation of the Apostle 1. Cor. 14. 1. Aboue all other gifts desire prophesie what was more admirable then healing of sicke persons or more commendable then to speake strange toongs or more glorious then to worke myracles or more necessarie then to discerne spirits yet aboue all these saith Paul rather desire Prophesie Neither is it maruell that so great an honour is bestowed on so noble a gift because the Prophets speeches are the Lords sermons Then my beloued as for the merchandise of gold men endure the longest traficke the sharpest pains and greatest charges euen so for the obtaining of prophesie whether it be to preach or heare preachers sustaine my bowels in the Lord Iesus the roughest waies the longest studies the weariest iournies the coldest daies the hottest threats