so froward a generation and hereof they must be so much the more carefull because the wicked by such slippes and infirmities will not onely take occasion to discredite them but euen to speake euill of al their profession yea and to blaspheme the glorious worde of God and his eternall trueth Then if we be carefull of our owne good name if we haue any zeale of God his glory if we haue any care of the worlde if we haue any loue of the sainctes then let vs carefully shun all and euery infirmitie whereby Gods name is dishonored his glorious Gospel blasphemed his children greeued and we our selues discredited amongst the wicked And thus much for the open and outward sinne As open and outwarde sinne committed in the sight of man hath alwayes the punishment of an ill name ioyned with it so also secret sinnes which are hidden as it were in the darke corners of our hartes do bryng vs out of fauour and credite with God and when we are out of credite with him then doth he further make our sinnes knowen vnto men for our further discredite For nothing is so hidden which shall not be brought to light and nothing so secret which shal not be discouered euen in the sight of the worlde And that we may be the further perswaded of this let vs all know of a suretie that the Lord hath many meanes to bryng such thynges to light For he can make the fieldes to haue eyes to see our wickednesse he can make the woodes to haue eares to heare our vngodly counselles yea he can cause the walles of our bedchambers to beare witnesse against vs of our sinnes committed vpon our beddes if this will not serue he can go further and cause our friendes to fall out with vs and the men of our counsell to bewray our wickednesse and though we had not any such purpose when we make him priuie to our deuises yet in displeasure the Lord doth cause him all at once to breake out the matter yea rather then thou shouldest beare no reproch for thy secret sinnes the Lord will cause thine owne mouth to testifie agaynst thee and thine owne wordes shall get thee discredite For eyther vnawares thou shalt bewray thy selfe or in thy sleepe by dreames thou shalt make the thing knowen or in thy sicknesse thou shalt raue of it or in some fransie thou shalt vomit it out or els the torment of thy euyll conscience shalbe so sharpe that euen to thine owne shame and confusion thou shalt confesse thy fault Last of all when thou thinkest or deuisest euyll agaynst thy neighbour though it be neuer so secretly yet besides all the former the Lord hath an other meanes whereby he will bring thee to discredite for it and this is a very vehement suspition raysed vp in the hart of him of whom thou deemest this euyll for as it often commeth to passe that good motions which aryse secretly in the minde for the good of others do cause that other men do thinke wel of thee though they did neuer heare of thē so doubtlesse doth it come to passe in euyl motions Thou deuisest euyll agaynst another he in some strange maner hath a hart burning and ielowsie ouer thee Thou thinkest hardly of another man he also is hardly perswaded of thee Thus the lord doth cause thee to be discredited in the hartes of others as thou meanest euil against others in thy hart True it is that the partie may sinne and doe very ill if he suspect without iust cause and in as much as he doth thus suspect through an immoderate loue of himselfe yet the worke of the Lord is here somtime to be considered who seeing the cause to be iust doth stirre vp such suspitions in his minde Then to returne to our purpose If we wyll auoyde an euyll name then we must auoyde all euyll surmises and deuises agaynst others and this the Scripture doth also forbid vs. For Eccle. 7. the Wyse man from the moūth of God doth forbid vs to thinke yll of the King in our bed chambers because that byrdes and other dumme creatures shall disclose the thing rather then it shalbe kept close This then must make vs afrayde to do euyll or imagine ill on our bed or to declare our deepe counselles euen vnto them that lie in our bosomes and this as it is a good meanes to prouide for a good name so it is a speciall rule of all godlynesse when we be afrayde not of open sinnes alone but euen of the secrete cogitations of the hart Thus we haue heard the first step that leadeth to a good name The second remayneth to be declared and that is a godly ielowsie ouer a mans owne doinges that they may not breede suspition of euill For it doth often come to passe that albeit a man doe not that which is simply euill yet he may iustly be suspected and suffer some blemysh in his good name and for this cause doth the Apostle charge vs To procure honest things in the sight of God and man For this cause he commaundeth vs that If there be any thing honest or If there be any thing of good report that we must folow and that we must imbrace It is not enough therefore that men do say I did thinke no euyll I meane no harme For if through want of care or of discretion thou haue ventured vpon the occasion thou hast geuen great matter of euill speaches to thy great discredite If then we will auoyde this euill name we must auoyde all thinges that bryng it For when men wyll care lytle to giue occasion then the Lord doth cause an euyll report to be layde vpon them that those which in deede are desperate may suffer iust discredite and they that be otherwise may be reclaimed from the same And surely such is the crookednesse of mans nature that yf the Lord should not take this course euen his chyldren woulde fall into many sinnes therefore it is most requisite that men be mindfullto auoyde occasions and so much the rather because as it is commonly sayd Eyther God or the Deuil stand at thy elbow to worke vpon thee Let vs see this in some example of our common lyfe Thou art a night goer walking abrode at incōuenient times at that time some thing is stolen and thou art burthened charged with it Agayne thou vsest to deale too familiarly and lightly with a Mayde she is gotten with chylde and the fault is layde on thee hereof thou hast giuen suspition because thou hast bin a night goer and such a one as hast dealt wantonly with the Mayde albeit thou be free from the very fact Now yf thou be the chylde of God and yf thou be guyded by his good spirit then will he teach thee to take profite by this false report and to say thus with thy selfe Lord thou knowest that I am cleare from this very acte yet it was my sinne to giue any such occasion whereby men might
suspect me this sinne O Lorde I am guyly of and I know thou for this sinne hast afflicted me iustly yet deare father I see thy mercie in this that whereas in deede I haue committed many sinnes thou hast passed ouer them and taken this whereof I am not so much guyltie so that now mercifull father I do rather suffer for righteousnesse then for my transgression and my sinne yea holy father I do beholde thy tender mercy in this towardes me that by this euyll report thou goest about to stay me from the sinne and to preuent me that I may neuer fall into the same wherefore seeing it hath bin thy good pleasure to deale thus with me beholde Lord I do repent me of my former sinnes and promyse before thee euen in thy feare neyther to do this nor the like sinne hereafter See heere I beseech you the good profite which a good chylde of God through Gods spirite will take of this slanderous reproch after he hath receiued some godly sorow for geuing the occasion of that report But beholde the contrarie worke of Satan in the hart of vnbeleeuers for he will soone teach them their lesson and cause them to say thus What doth the churle accuse me without a cause doth he father such a villanous acte vpon me who neuer deserued it at his handes surely he shal not say so for nought I will make his saying true and wil do the thing in deede Consider then this you that feare the Lord and see in how tickelysh state they do stande which haue geuen occasion and in what great danger they be to be brought to to commit the same or lyke sinne afterwarde Therefore yf any man wilbe sure to keepe his good name then must he keepe him selfe from all such occasions as in any wyse might impayre or hinder it And this much for this second step whereby we ryse to a good name Thus we haue heard of two degrees towarde a good name in the auoyding of euil and the occasions thereof And these in deede haue a great force to stay an euil name but surely they be not able to buylde vp a good name credite among men To these therefore there must be added a third thing which hath most speciall force to this purpose and that is that we be plentifull in good workes This doth our sauiour charge vs to be carefull of when he sayth Let your lyght so shyne before men that they may see your good workes Many men repine at the good report of an other mā and they be greatly greeued because they them selues be not in the lyke or some greater credite But alas they shoulde rather be greeued at them selues because the fault is in them For they regarde not to doe good they are carelesse of good workes and therefore the Lord is carelesse of them and their credite Well then he that wylbe commended must do the thynges that be commendable he must doe good workes yea he must do good and pursue it yet we must know that it is not one good worke nor two nor three that can gayne vs a good name in deede but it is required of vs that we be Riche in well doing and continually geuen to euery good worke For as pretious oyntment whereunto a good name is lykoned is made of many and most excellent simples so a good name cannot be gotten but by many and most excellent vertues Now when we feele our selues affected to good and to all maner of goodnesse then are we warely to see to two thynges First that all our workes be done with a simple and sinceere affection secondly that they be done with good discretion For when a thyng is done vndiscreetely and without aduice it looseth the grace and beautie of the deede and therefore though the thing be good yet no great prayse doth come of it because it was not done with good discretion likewise when men do things with sinister affections and to some other ende then to the glorie of God they do commonly loose the price of their doinges and hereof it commeth to passe that many men which do good workes to merite by them or to win the fauour of their superiours or to be of good report amongst the people or to some such other ende when I say men do things to this ende the Lord punisheth them with the contrary and in steade of deseruing glory he powreth confusion vpon them in steade of honour he geueth contempt and in steade of riches beggarie And albeit men may pretende the glory of God and face out their wickednesse with a fresh colour yet the Lord will bring their wickednesse to lyght And truely it is marueylous to see how the Lord layeth folly vpon such men so that although that in their wysedome they thinke to bleare the eyes of all men yet the simple sort doth beholde their foolysh shyftes to their discredite therefore when thou hast done well and yet art ill reported off do not straight way storme agaynst him which hath raysed vp this report on the neyther do thou ouer hastely cleare thy selfe but rather before the Lord examine thine owne hart and see with what affection thou hast done it And if we finde wickednesse in our hartes then let vs be humbled before the Lord and know that he hath caused vs to be thus euill spoken off first to correct and secondly to try vs. For when the Lord doth see vs lyke Scribes and Pharisees seeking rewardes then he doth punish vs with the losse of our labour and with shame among men to see if thereby he can bring vs to the fight of sinne which before we neither woulde nor could see And agayne when we haue thus done he doth trie vs whether there be any goodnesse in our harts which may moue vs to continue in well doing notwithstandyng we be euyll spoken off Heere then we see what fruite we must make of such reportes namely they must first bring vs to a sight and feelyng of our sinnes and secondly they must cause vs with great vprightnesse to continue in well doing True it is that a man may be accused to haue had this or that purpose in his doinges although he haue done the thinges in the simplicitie of his hart but when a man through examination doth finde his hart vpright then he receyueth great comfort by it then he may commend him selfe vnto the Lord and his cause into his handes for the Lorde maynteyneth good tongues and hartes but he will cut out the tongue that speaketh lyes He will cause the ryghteousnesse of the ryghteous to shyne as the noone day and as the Sunne after a cloude but the wicked shalbe couered with their owne confusion as with a cloake This shall the godly see and reioyce therein but the mouth of the wicked shalbe stopped Thus we haue runne through these thynges whereby a good name may be gotten and not only that but wherby a man may be preserued in a
good name and credite and therfore surely more to be regarded and obserued of vs. For first of all we see what force the good credite of the reformed Churches hath to perswade men to imbrace trueth and how soone men wilbe moued to continue stedfast when they see the steadfast continuance of good men in all godlynesse Agayne we know what great offence is geuen to the weake when whole churches or some perticuler persons do not stande in credite nor maynteyne by goodnes their good name which they had gotten by great vertues The very heathen did see this and therefore they say it was as great a prayse to keepe prayse as to get it yea and when they saw what great inconuenience it would aryse when men did not satisfie the expectation of the people they thought much better neuer to haue any good report among men then to loose it after it had bin gotten therefore to shut vp this whole matter in one word if any man if any household if any towne if any countrey be carefull to haue an honest report amongst men then they must eschew euyll and doe good then must they seeke peace and pursue it and if once hauing gotten a good name they would gladly keepe it thē they must vse the same meanes c. so shall they haue it both of God and man Now because men do suffer much discredite and are very yll reported of amongst men it shalbe good to consider what profite and vse we may make of such reproches and euill reportes and this we shall do the better if we consider and know vpon what groundes these reproches do arise First therefore we must learne that men may be ill reported of eyther for euill or well doing When men therefore are euill spoken of they must trie first whether it be for euil or good and if it be for euill then must they go a degree further to finde whether it be for some euill worke which they haue committed or for some occasion which they haue giuen When a man is euill reported of for some euil deede he hath done that euyll deene of his is eyther manifestly knowen or els vnknowen And sure it is a thyng most common amongst men to suffer discredite for open and grosse sinnes yet very fewe doe rightly profite by it For some are shamelesse and care not what men say of them and therefore in deede are vnfitte to receyue any profite by suche reportes therefore after the most sharpe and seueere censure of the Churche they must be committed to the handes of the Magistrate to be punished in the purse and the body and yet surely suche are their whoryshe faces that there is small hope of amendement in them For it doth often come to passe that they which wyll not profite by the Churche can not receyue profite by the Magistrate Therefore after all this they must be left to the Lorde to worke yf it be his wyll by some extraordinarie meanes vpon their hartes which are exceedyngly hardoned Other some there be who being put to open shame are sorowful in deede but this sorow is because they susteine open shame rather then for this that they haue sinned agaynst the Lorde These are in some degree better then the former and yet they come not so far as they ought to do For the deuill hauing bewitched thē doth perswade them that it is no such matter as men would make it and that as a wonder lasteth but nine dayes so this shame shalbe of no longer cōtinuance Thus they are letted so that the shame can not sinke into their hartes there to worke godly sorrowe which may bryng foorth vnfeygned repentance This is dayly seene in Theeues and Whores and suche lyke malefactours who though they make large promises of amendement yet the punishment being passed they fall into their former filthinesse agayne but some thynke that they do dissemble and deale deceitefully but I thinke that they thinke as they speake and that they speake with sorow and griefe For will a Theefe purpose to steale agayne when he is to be hanged Will a childe purpose to play the wanton when he is a beating no doubtlesse but in the one there is chyldishnesse to speake without aduice in the other is seruilenesse to be mooued with nothyng but present feare I graunt in deede that there is hipocrasie in them yet that grosse hipocrasie whereby men labour to deceyue others is not in them but that most close and most dangerous hipocrasie whereby the deuill hath beguyled their owne hartes through his subtiltie This witcherie of the deuill I say is the cause why many promysing amendement doe not performe the same Thus we see how men doe misse of that profite which ought to be reaped of open shame We therefore are to take a better course and to labour that as our faces do blushe before men so our soules may be confounded before the Lord that being throughly humbled vnder his hande by godly sorow it may please him in mercie to rayse vs vp Now if we doubt whether our sorow be sounde or no let vs try it by these two rules First whether we can with contented myndes take the punishment as a correction from the Lord and yet mourne and be greeued for the sinne and yet in such maner as geuing place to Gods iustice in punishyng we can labour for mercie in the forgiuenesse of sinnes Secondly eyther when we could keepe the sinne close we can yet with Dauid freely confesse and say Agaynst thee O Lord haue I sinned This if we can do it is a sure argument that our sorow is godly and that we haue profited well by that reproch which our sinne did bryng vppon vs. As the sinne is sometyme so euident that it can not be couered so agayne the sinne in deede may be committed and yet eyther not knowen nor suspected or els probable by suspitions when the sinne is in this case the Lorde may cause a man that hath so sinned to be accused or euyll spoken of for that sinne Heere the partie offendyng must first learne to deale wysely and in suche maner as the sinne may be kept close styll yf it may be done without any other sinne But yf an othe of the Lorde be required then yf we giue God the glory though it be with our owne shame and confesse the fault Secondly that for the profite that must be made of such reportes we must learne with thankefull hartes to receyue this mercifull chastisement of the Lorde and acknowledge it to his prayse for he might haue punished vs for those sinnes which were manifest yet he hath passed ouer them he might haue made these knowen but he spared our name and our credite therefore for a seconde fruite this mercie of the Lorde must leade vs to repentaunce and to an earnest sorow for all our sinnes For it were too too grosse that we shoulde continue in sinne because we can not be conuicted of sinne For