not one of any sort whatsoeuer that doth not take part with their maister against the doctrine of the truth They all sauour of impiety and frame themselues to the humour of the high Priest Mat. 26.47.51 Iohn 18.18 The seruants assisted Iudas in apprehending Christ They attended in the house for any further imployment And when the Priest began to raile vpon him and to spit at him Mar. 14.65 the seruants were ready to smite him with their rods Yea we see euen the maids against the modestie of their sexe grow sawcy and malepert to meddle in the cause and businesse whereof they haue no knowledge Doctr. Wicked maisters haue their seruants of their owne disposition Psal 133.2 They were al trained vp to persecute religion godlines Where we see the picture of a wicked family They all agree to persecute Christ his Disciples Wicked gouernours of families for the most part haue all their seruants of their own diposition According to the common prouerbe Like maister like man As the ointment that was powred on Aarons head ran downe to his beard and so to the very border of his garments So the impiety and wickednesse of the maister runneth about through the whole family infecting and corrupting all that are in it It is in the family as it is with a fish that first taketh his infection at the head And therefore as good Father Latimer said If the head of the fish be sweet all the body is sweet but if the head stincke all the body will soone be naught So in like manner if the head of a family be good it is a great meanes to make the whole family good but if he be naught there is little hope of all the rest We see the truth of this in the example of Herod Luke 23.11 who when he began to offer indignity to our Sauiour Christ all his traine were ready to ioyne with him And when wicked Ahab could not abide the sincere ministery of the word 1. King 22.8 because hee was reproued by it all his seruants were ready to feed him vp in his humour As we see in the messenger that went to call Michaiah who told him that all the other Prophets declared good to the King with one accord I pray thee 13. faith he let thy words be like theirs and speake thou good And when the good Prophet would not flatter but told the King plainely what he should trust to Zidkijah 24. the Kings Chaplaine smote him on the cheeke As in the comonwealth if the magistrate be profane the subiects are little better Pro. 29.12 as Salomon saith Of a Prince that hearkeneth to lies all his seruants are wicked So in the family which is as it were a little comonwealth in it selfe if the ruler be wicked his children and seruants are corrupted The reason is because the example of a gouernour in his house is as it were a lawe For children are naturally giuen to imitate their parents and seruants thinke it a commendation for them to be like their master either in good or euill Yea for the most part they desire to fit themselues to their maisters humors If the master be giuen to whoredome 2. Samu. 11.4 his owne seruants wil be his bands pandors as we saw in the seruants of Dauid If hee would haue any man that stands in his way closely murdered his seruants will bee forward to effect it 15.16 as Ioab was in the case of Vriah yea though it be his owne brother as we see in the seruants of Absalon 2. Sa. 13.28.29 1. Sam. 28.7 If Saul haue a desire to consult with a Witch his seruants will quickly hound her out So we see in our owne experience at this day if the maister be a Papist the most of the seruants leane that way If he be a Neuter his seruants haue no great religion If he be profane and make no conscience of swearing and breaking the Saboth his seruants will follow his steppes Yea it may be obserued that let a man that is truely religious or a godly minister come into some houses where the maister is voide of the feare of God and he shall be abused and disgraced of all the seruants euen from the greatest to the least So that a maister may be knowne by the conuersation and disposition of his seruants Vse 1 This doctrine serueth first for maisters to admonish them first to take heed that neither by precept nor by their practise they draw their children and seruants to euill Dauid protesteth for himselfe Psal 101.2 that he would walke in the vprightnesse of his heart in the midst of his house So should it be with all gouernours that they may neither harten their families in euill nor hinder them in good Seruants thinke themselues priuiledged by the examples of their maisters yea for the most part examples preuaile more then stripes If they be good it is an exhortation to the seruants to draw them to good but if they be euill it is a prouocation vnto euill Yea they effect as much in the soule as the sight of Iacobs roddes wrought with the Ewes Gen. 30.37.38.39 when in ramming time they were laid before them in the watering troughes And therefore as the Queene of Sheba pronounced the seruants of Salomon happy 1 King 10.8 that stoode euer before him and heard his wisdome c. So on the contrary side miserable is the state of those seruants that dwell in profane and wicked houses where there is nothing but examples of impiety Many parents and maisters doe complaine that their children and seruants though they heare good Sermons euery Saboth day yet they reape no profit And no maruell when as the euill example they see at home doth them more hurt then all the Ministers paines in the Church can doe them good especially considering that their nature is farre more apt and prone to euill then to good And this is the chiefest cause of all the disorder that is in families Though seruants were little acquainted with sinne before they may learne it of their maisters Heb. 2.13 Iohn 17.12 Ad magistrum respicit quicquid a discipulis delinquitur Bern. apolog ad Guiliel Abbat Omne quod per. per à magitur te praesente id tibi turpius Bern. de consid lib. 4. Vera est sententia qui cum emendare alium possit negligit participem se procuâ—dubio delicti constituit Bern. devijs vitae But let all such masters take heed for the time will come that they shall giue a strict account to God for all that are vnder their charge O what a comfort would it be to their soules if when they shall be called to this account they could say in truth Behold here am I and the children which God hath giuen me or as our Sauiour Christ saith Those that thou gauest me and committedst to my charge haue I kept and none of
peece bringeth in another A Scholler though he be neuer so apt capable to conceiue of his lecture assoone as his Master readeth it vnto him yet if hee doe not meditate of it afterwardes it will profit him but a little so in like manner though a man doe neuer so rendily apprehend the doctrines of the word yet if hee doe not by meditation call them to remembrance and as it were riuet them into his mind they will easily be forgotten And therfore Psal 62.11 Dauid saith that when God spake once he heard it twice Namely he heard it once in the Tabernacle from the mouth of the Minister and by meditation at home caused his memory to repeat it to him againe And this should bee the practise of vs all if wee desire to reape any found benefit by the word Before the Cocke crow thou shall denie me thrise Our Sauiour Christ being God and knowing what should come to passe foretold that Peter should deny him It was decreed before that it should so fall out and it could not otherwise bee Why then may some say is Peter to bee blamed Nay rather why should not his fact bee excused seeing hee did no more then God had determined and Christ foretold Quicquid patimu◠mortale genus Quicquid facimus venit ex alto Sen. Mala. 3.6 Isa 14.27.24 For the resoluing of this question We are to know that it is true indeede that all things that are done in the world fall out by the prouidence of God and that his purposes can by no meanes bee altered as the Lord saith I am the Lord I change not And in another place The Lord of Hosts hath determined it and who shall disanull it And a little before Like as I haue purposed so shall it come to passe and as I haue consulted it shall stand For as the Apostle saith Iam. 1.17 With God their is no variablenesse nor shadowing by turning Yea it is true also that seeing Gods prouidence is the first immutable cause of all things it doth impose such a necessitie vpon all second causes that their effects cannot bee hindred nor the manner of doing them bee changed nor the time of producing them bee deferred And yet neuerthelesse man in all his euill actions must needes be culpable For it will not follow from hence that the will of man is any way forced or compelled but that it doth willingly and of the one accord desire whatsoeuer it will For God ruleth and gouerneth the will of man according to the nature of it and no otherwise Now the nature of the will is to will whatsoeuer it lusteth whether it be good or euill freely and willingly not by constraint or against the will for otherwise it were no will but a nilling tather So that Gods foreknowledge is no cause at all of the euill actions of men And this Peter Martyr illustrateth by an apt similitude Pet. Martyr Loc. com clas 2. cap. 2. Wee saith he doe often stand by and behold men playing together at some game notwithstanding wee cannot say that the knowledge and sight which we haue of their gaming doth impose any necessitie vpon them though while wee behold them in their game they doe necessarily play As therefore that necessitie doth not infringe the nature of their will so likewise the foreknowledge decree of God doth not compel the will of man But it will be obiected why doth not God ouer-rule the will of man seeing he is able and hinder him from falling into sinne I answere that man indeed who is vnder the law if hee should not hinder euill from his neighbour when it lyeth in his power should be blame-worthy as our Sauiour saith Marke 3.4 that not to saue life when a man hath ability to doe it is to kill But God is aboue the law and therefore that is good in him which is euill in man Yea hee doth it alwayes to a good end For hee knoweth that man being by nature euill cannot but sinne vnlesse hee be preuented by the especiall assistance of his grace and that he cannot but fall vnlesse the staffe of his spirit doe support him Psal 23.4 and yet in great wisedome he suffereth him to fall partly to declare his iustice in punishing of sinne Gualt in Zech. Homil. 5. partly to manifest his mercy in pardoning sinne and partly to shew man his frailty and weaknesse that he may be more heedfull for the time to come Thus God directeth the sins of the godly and the wicked to a good end that the one may become more wary afterwardes and the other besides their meaning and intent may execute the iudgements of God Thus was Dauid by his adultery made more temperat thus was Peter by his deniall made more stout in confessing of Christ and thus was Paul by his cruell persecutions made more feruent and earnest in preaching of the truth a Deus sicut bonarum naturarum optimus creator est ita malarum voluntatum iustissimus ordinator Vt cum malè illae vtuntur naturis bonis ipse bene vtatur etiam voluntatibus malis de Ciu. Dei lib. 11. c. 17. And to this purpose Saint Augustine hath a good saying That God as hee is the best creator of good natures so hee is the most iust orderer and disposer of euill willes that when they vse their good natures ill hee may vse their ill willes well b Quis tam impiè desipiat vt dicat Deum malas hominum voluntates quas voluerit quando voluerit vbi voluerit in bonum non posse conuertere Euch. ca. 97 And in an other place Who saith hee is so wickedly foolish as to say that God cannot turne to good whatsoeuer euill willes of men he will when he will and where he will Wee must not therefore cast the cause of our sinnes vpon God as though wee were any whit the more excusable because we doe nothing but what God hath fore knowne and determined Iudas in betraying Christ did no more then God had determined for our Sauiour saith The sonne of man goeth as it is written of him Yet Iudas is not excused for all that No Christ pronounceth a woe against him and saith it had beene good for him if hee had neuer beene borne Mat. 26.24 The Iewes in crucifying of Christ did no more then that which God and his counsel had determined to bee done Act. 4.28 2.23 3.18 And yet their deede was most damnable and accursed in the sight of God Pharaoh in opposing himselfe so rebelliously and stubbornly against God what did hee else but that which the Lord foreknew and fore tolde also to Moses and Aaron Exod. 3.19 7.3.4 And yet for all that the Lord is iustly glorified in his confusion Exod. 9.16 God hath decreed and as our Sauiour Christ saith it cannot bee auoided but offences will come and there is a necessary vse of them for the triall of Gods elect and
so a weake Christian that by all good meanes guardeth himselfe from occasions of euill is more like to bee preserued from sinne then hee that presuming of his owne strength is carelesse of danger and therefore shunneth no prouocations whereby he may be ouercome In the Hall This action of Peter in it selfe was not simplie euill For howsoeuer hee was among the prophane seruants of the high priests yet he had nothing to doe with them there was no societie at all betweene them yea the end of his being there was farre different from theirs For they were there to doe seruice to the high Priest in abusing and disgracing of our Sauiour Christ but hee was there as hath beene said in an honest affection to his Master to see what would become of him But though the occasion of his being in this place was honest and the end good yet the very place it selfe and the companie is hurtfull to him and ministreth diuerse occasions and temptations of sinne Hee had preserued himselfe from this fearefull fall if hee had fledde with the rest of his fellowes and hidden himselfe as they did Joh. 18.18 But when once he was bold to enter into the Hall of the wicked high Priest though hee did it not with any purpose to denie his Master yet there he met with temptations wherby he was ouercome He sate among the prophane persons by the fire to warme himselfe but it had beene better for him to haue frozen with colde rather then to indanger himselfe in this manner Doct. We must shun the company of wicked men This example doth teach vs not to sorte our selues nor to conuerse with wicked men euen in things otherwise not vnlawfull least by their familiarity wee bee drawne to sinne This Apostle Peter who whiles he was in the companie of his fellow Disciples Mat. 16.16 did confesse Christ Iesus to be the sonne of God and our redeemer now ioyning himselfe with these prophane and lewd persons Pro. 4.14 is brought in shamefull manner to denie him 15. Noluit non Deus negligenter audire quod tam diligenter studuit enarrare Si enim nec folium de arbore sinc causa nec vnus ex passeribus sine Patre caelesti cadit super terram putem ego de ore Sancti Euangelista superfluum defluere verbū Bern. super Euang. Missus est Homil. cap. 1. For this cause the holy Ghost presseth this dutie in so many places of the Scripture It is the exhortation of Salomon Enter not into the way of the wicked and walke not in the way of euill men Auoide it and goe not by it turne from it and passe by Where we see the holy Ghost cannot satisfie himselfe in vrging this dutie We may not thinke that this is any idle repetition to set downe one precept in so many wordes No it were blasphemie to imagine an idle sillable to be in the Scriptures It is set downe therefore to teach vs that the duty is of great moment and chiefly to bee regarded of vs. Yea this Apostle labouring to confirme the new Conuertes amongst many other exhortations he vrgeth this with great vehemency Saue your selues from this froward generation Imploying that the performance of this dutie was as much as their soules were worth Which Salomon also insinuateth in another place Act. 2.40 saying Forsake the wicked and yee shall liue And Dauid maketh it a marke of a true member of the Church Pro. 9.6 that in his eyes a vile person is contemned And his owne practise was answerable hereunto as himselfe testifieth I haue not saith hee Psal 15.4 Psal 26.4 haunted with vaine persons neither kept company with the dissemblers I haue hated the assemblie of the euill and haue not companied with the wicked 5. And great reason is there why all the children of God should be carefull to performe this duty Iam. 4.4 for first all wicked men are Gods enemies Exod. 20.5 As St. Iames saith whosoeuer will be a friend of the world as all vngodly persons are maketh himselfe the enemie of God Yea they hate God and his seruice and worship as the Lord himselfe saith And therefore how can they that professe themselues to be the children of God hold any familiarity with them It were treason in a subiect to liue in friendship with one that is a professed enemie to the King Much more is it treason in the subiects of the King of heauen to haue society with those that are deadly enemies to his maiesty And therefore when Iehoshaphat otherwise a good King would ioyne in league with Abah a wicked wretch Iehu the sonne of Hanani the seer welcomed him home with this salutation 2 Chron. 19.2 VVouldest thou helpe the wicked and loue them that hate the Lord 2. They are odious to God as they hate him so he hates them as Dauid saith Thou hatest all them that worke iniquity Now we should all be perfit Psal 5.5 Mat. 5.48 1 Pet. 2.9 as our Father which is in heauen is perfit And we should shew forth the vertues of him that hath called vs out of darknesse into his maruellous light This therefore being a vertue in the Lord wee should labour to imitate it As the Lord commendeth the Church of Ephesus for it Thou hatest saith he Apoc. 2.6 the workes of the Nicolaitans which I also hate And this doth Dauid professe of himself I hate the works of them that fal away Psal 101.3 Where by the way hee teacheth vs how our hatred must be qualified namely that wee must not hate the persons but the workes of wicked men For as for their persons they are the creatures of God yea and our owne flesh as the Prophet saith And for a man to hate his owne flesh it is vnnaturall Isa 58.7 Ephes 5.29 Psal 139.21.22 But their vices and sinnes we are to hate euen with a deadly and a perfit hatred 3. They are the Deuils weapons whereby he doth more preuaile with Gods children then by any other meanes Other occasions are dumbe and cannot plead for themselues but by our own tongues But these will be importunate suiters to drawe vs to sin And therefore they may be well called euen the Deuills strength without whose helpe his assaults are but weake But then are they most powerfull when they are of our kindred or such as we loue fauour then especially if they be wittie they are most pernitious a Sub specie incunditatis venenum infundunt bonis Ambros Offic. lib. 1. c. 20. Pro. 18.8 Psa 119.21 for whiles with their witte they make vs merry their words as Salomon saith of the flatterer goe downe into the bowels of the belly and fill euen the inward parts with deadly poyson 4. Their company is dangerous For the wrath of God hangeth ouer the head of all wicked and vngodly men as Dauid saith Cursed are they that doe erre from thy commandements
sponsus incipias contemnere sodales hanc continuam visitationem non iam gratiae attribuas sed naturae Hanc autem gratiam cui vult quando vult sponsus attribuit non iure haereditario possidetur Aug. in scala Paradysi Which treatise some ascribe to Bernard vnder this title descala Claustralium Feare not O Spouse saith he despaire not thinke not that thou art contemned if the bridegrome hide his face from thee for a time for all things shall worke together for thy good and thou shalt gaine both by his comming and by his departing he commeth for thy benefite and he departeth for thy benefit he commeth to comfort thee he departeth to make thee more heedfull least the greatnesse of the consolation should lift thee vp least if hee were alwayes with thee thou shouldest begin to despise thy fellowes and to attribute this continuall visitation not any more to grace but to nature But God giueth this grace to whom hee will and when hee will it is not helde by inheritance Secondly God doth it sometimes to trie vs. Not as if he were ignorant of vs for he knoweth what is in man Ioh 2.26 But that we may better knowe our selues So it is said of Hezâ—kiah that God left him to trie him 2. Chron. 32.31 and to knowe all that was in his heart And for this cause was the Apostle Peter left to himselfe at this time Hee had a great conceit of his owne strength before as though hee could haue done more then all the rest but now the Lord a little withdrawing his assistance he seeth there is no more in him of himselfe then in another man Thirdly God doth it to chasten some secret sinne in vs whereof wee haue not yet repented For it is nothing but iniquitie that separateth betweene God and vs Isa 59.2 and causeth him to hide his face from vs as the Prophet saith But assoone as euer we haue found out that sinne and vnfainedly humbled our selues for it vnder his hand he returneth againe to our comfort Fourthly because we doe not vse Gods graces well when we haue them but waxe proud of them as the Apostle saith he was left to bee buffeted of the messenger of Sathan 2. Cor. 12.7 Vulgare prouerbium est quod nimia familiaritas parit contemptum Rececedit ergo ne forte nimis assiduus contemnatur Aug. vbi supra least he should bee exalted aboue measure through the abundance of reuelations Yea such is our corruption that if we should neuer feele any want of grace we should in time begin to contemne God himselfe It is a common prouerbe Too much familiaritie breedeth contempt And therefore the Lord departeth from vs sometimes least being with vs continually he should be contemned Fiftly because wee desire them no more earnestly For if we could pray earnestly to God for his grace Iam. 1.5 he that giueth to all men liberally and reproacheth no man as Saint Iames saith would bestow it vpon vs. But our negligence and carelessenesse in this case doth euen deserue that God should forsake vs as the same Apostle saith Yee get nothing because yee aske not * Recedit vt ab sens magis desideretur desideratus auidius quaeratur diu quaesitus tandem gratius inueniatur Aug ibid. Quamuis subinde suis dominus in certamine ne desictant adiutorium tribu t permâ—ttituâ— tamen fâ—tigaâ—i propriae infirmitatis onâ—re praegrâ—uata mortalitas sed cum in se ipsa nullum virtutis inuenit firmamentum ad poscendum diuinae pietatis citò recurrat auxilium Fulgent de oret compunct cordis ad Probam Epist 4. Praeterea ne exilium depute mus pro patria arram pro praetij summa venit sponsuâ— recedit vicissim nunc consolationem affereâ—s nunc vniuersum statum nostrum in infirmitatem commutans paulisper nos permitâ—it gustare quà m suauis est antequam plenè sentiamus se subtrahit qâ—asi alijs expansis supra nos volitans prouocat nos ad voâ—andum Augustinus ibidem Cant. 2.9 Quis non remissius tepidiùs aâ—iet eum quem se cogitat necessario deferturum quando ne hominem amicum possit quisquam amare fideliter quem sibi futurum nouit inimicum Augustinus de Ciuitate Dei Lib 12. Cap. 20. 1. Cor. 10.13 Therefore God doth worthily withdraw himselfe from vs that when wee foole the want of his presence wee may more earnestly desire him and desiring may more diligently seeke him and hauing once besought him may at the last finde him to our greater comfort Last of all the Lord doth it to make vs more earnestly to long after that full perfection of grace that shal be in the Kingdome of Heauen If the Lord should neuer denie vs grace in this life nor should be ouer ready to set downe our rest here and should soone growe out of loue with any better estate And therefore that wee may not take the place of our banishment for our countrie as Saint Augustine saith nor the earnest of our inheritance for the full payment the Bridegrome commeth and departeth by course some times ministring comfort and sometimes changing our whole estate into weaknesse He suffereth vs to haue a little tast how sweet he is but before we can fully feele it he with draweth himselfe and as it were flouttereth ouer vs with his winges to prouoke vs to slie vp to heauen But howsoeuer the Lord for these and other causes best knowne to himselfe doth forsake his children for a while yet this is our comfort hee neuer forsaketh vs totally nor finally Yea euen when hee seemeth most of all to forsake vs hee standeth behinde the wall and looketh at vs through the chinckes of the dore as Salomon saith Where he compareth the Lord to a nurse that sometimes hideth herselfe from her child to see what shift it can make without her but still her eye watcheth ouer it that it take no hurt So though the Lord seeme to hide himselfe from vs in some temptations yet his gracious eye still attendeth vs and will not suffer vs to bee tempted aboue our strength Cant. 2.6 but will giue an issue with the temptation And if at any time wee feele our selues in danger of fainting then hee runneth to vs with all speed and putteth his left hand vnder our head and his right hand doth embrace vs. This Doctrine serueth first for admonition For admonition For it admonisheth Vse 1 vs to despaire of our owne power and of all strength of the flesh yea euen to renounce our selues and all confidence in our selues It is the Deuils pollicie to make vs ouerweene of our selues and to presume of that that is not in vs and all to bring vs to confusion For hee knoweth that a man is neuer nearer vnto shame then when his heart is lifted vp with a fond conceit of his owne worth As Salomon saith Pride goeth before destruction Prou.
siely gyrle and shee not free but a bondmaide bearing no great office in the house but onely keeping the doore is made an instrument to beate downe that high conceite he had of himselfe And this is the Lords ordinarie proceeding with proud persons Doct. God beateth downe the pride of men by vile and base meanes 1. Cor. 1.27.28 Hee vseth many times euen by vile and base meanes to subdue and punish their pride According to that speech of the Apostle God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and God hath chosen the weake things of the world to confound the mightie things And vile things of the world and things which are despised hath God chosen and things that are not that is things which in mens account are nothing worth so abiect and base that they are not regarded to bring to nought things that are Thus dealt the Lord with Pharaoh King of Aegypt he was so proud at the first as there was no dealing with him he scorned that God should command him to let his people goe Exod. 5.2 Who is the Lord that I should heare his voioe and let Israel goe I knowe not the Lord neither will I let Israel goe But God made him knowe before hee left him and that euen by the weakest meanes that could bee He could haue hissed for some warlike nation Isa 5.26 to haue van quished him and led him away captiue Jer. 52.9 as he dealt with Zedekiah He could haue sent Lions to haue slaine him as hee did to the Assyrians that dwelt in Samaria 2. Kings 17.25 2.24 Hee could haue sent Beares to haue torne him in peices as hee did to the children that mocked Elisha Exod. 8. But he vseth none of these meanes Vide Aelianum var. Hist. lib. 14. cap. 4. but onely sendeth frogges and lice and flies and such like vile and weake creatures to plague him and to checke his pride And indeede euen these things which in themselues are contemptible were a greiuous annoyance to him vers 3. and to the whole Land For his very bed-chamber yea his bed it selfe was pestred with frogges c. In like manner Goliah that mightie gyant of Gath 1. Sam. 17.9.10.50 that defyed all the Host of Israel with proud and brauing termes as if none had beene able to fight with him and ouercome him was quelled by little Dauid with a sling and a stone Judg. 5.29 4.21 So Sisera the captaine of Iabins Host that came against the Isralites in such confidence of the victory Iud. 9.53.54 was slaine by Iael a weake woman with a naile and a hammer And Abimelech in the hight of his pride was also brought to his death by a woman who from a tower cast a peice of a milstone vpon his head and brake his braine pan And Herod who was lifted vp and swelled in pride at the voice of those flatterers that told him he spake more like a God then a man was suddenly smitten by the Angell of the Lord Act. 12 22.23 Brentius in Luc. 22.56 and was eaten vp of wormes And indeed this is a worthy punishment for pride that the more arrogant a man is the more hee should bee shamed and deiected Luc. 18.14 as our Sauiour Christ saith He that exalteth himselfe shal be brought lowe And therefore Peter is worthily more disgraced then his fellowes because hee had arrogated more to himselfe then they though without cause Vse 1 This may admonish vs to labour for humilitie to thinke basely of our selues and to bee lowly in our owne eies and so shall we be more acceptable to God Our Sauiour Christ hath euer beene louingly affected towardes those that were of humble mind When that good Centurion had such a base conceit of himselfe that he thought not himselfe worthy that Christ should come vnder his roofe oh how highly our Sauiour commendeth him I haue not found saith hee Mat. 8.8.10 Mat. 3.11 11.9.11 so great faith no not in Israel Iohn Baptist confessed of himselfe in all humilitie that he was not worthy to beare the shooes of our Sauiour Christ But hee affirmeth of him and that very earnestly that he was a Prophet yea and more then a Prophet yea that among them that are begotten of women there arose not a greater then Iohn Baptist The deeper the Well is the sweeter is the water so the more humble any man is in his owne conceit the more acceptable hee is to God And indeed if we could seriously consider how vnable we are of our selues to doe any thing that is good without Gods assistance wee should see there were no cause for vs to be proud Nay if wee had any found grace or vertue at all in vs their would be no place left for pride For as wee see the sunne the higher hee is in the firmament the shorter shadowes he maketh and the neerer he comes to the earth the shadowes of all things are the longer So vertue grace the higher and the more eminent it is the lesse oftentation it maketh Whereas on the other side where grace is wanting there is nothing but pride and arrogancie euen as the eares of corne that haue nothing in them but light stuffe stand perking vp aboue all the rest but they that are laden with full come hang downe their heads Secondly this may be a good warning to vss not to contemne Vse 2 nor despise the meanest persons no nor the vilest creatures in the earth because we see God can make them instruments to correct our pride 1. Sam. 17.42.44.49.51 The proud vncircumcised Philistim when hee saw poore Dauid come to him with a staffe in his hand he disdained him and threatned to giue his flesh to the foules of heauen and to the beasts of the field Quem vidit dies veniens superbum hunc vidit dies fugiens iacentem Yet this Dauid by Gods assistance brought him groueling to the earth and afterward cut off his head with his owne sword Yea wee see how troublesome euen gnattes and fleas are vnto vs in Summer time And indeed there is not the weakest creature in the world but if God arme it against vs it is strong enough to chastise vs for our sinnes As the Lord calleth the grashopper the canker worme Joel 2.25 the caterpiller and the palmer worme all of them in themselues silly creatures his great host which he sent among them And there is a memorable history of the Archbishop of Mentz that hauing put a great number of poore people into a barne promising them some almes and hauing set it on fire ouer their heads the mice that were in it by the iust iudgment of God pursued him to death Sphinx Aenig mat And we read of a whole towne in Spaine that was vndermined and cast downe with conies And diuerse people haue beene driuen from their habitations by the annoyance
ibid. The droppes of raine are but little in quantity and yet they make great shoures and cause mighty floods which beare down all before them f Parna saepe scintilla conteÌ„pta magnum excitauit incendiuÌ„ Qu. Curt. lib. 6. Wee see that many times a little sparke of fire neglected causeth a great burning and a little fire as S. Iames saith kindleth a great matter Iam. 3.5 And therefore if wee desire to preserue our selues from comming to the height of sinne to commit all vncleannesse with greedinesse as the Apostle saith Ephes 4.19 g Mens christo dicata sic caueat minora vt matora quia a minimis incipiut qui in maxima proruunt Bera de ordine vitae Non solum grauia sed leuia peccata cauenda sunt Multa enim leuia vnum grande efficiunt Bern. de conscâ—aedâ—s cap. 46. Wee must not onely take heede of grosse and hainous sinnes but euen of small sinnes Yea wee must as well beware of the least as of the greatest for according to the prouerb Many littles make a great and they that begin with little sinnes we see by experience do often rush into greater Secondly wee must be carefull to preuent the first beginning of sinne and labour to kill it in the first sprouting h Principijs obsta sero medicina paratur Dum mala per longas invaluere moras Ouid. de remed c. Opprime dum noua sâ—nt subita mala semina morbi Nam mora dat vires Ibid. Phisitions giue vs counsell in the diseases of the body to stop the beginnings least by continuance of time they grow inueterate as wee see by experience Many a disease that might easily haue been cured at the first and many a wound that might soone haue beene healed if it had beene looked to in time afterward beeing suffered to continue ouerlong Vse 2 doe prooue incureable So should we doe in the diseases of the soule euen labour by all good meanes to preuent them when we perceiue them growing vpon vs at the first Men are carefull to kill serpents in the shell and rauens in the neast and cubbes in the earth before they begin to run and all to preuent the danger which otherwise might grow by them if they were let alone g So must wee doe with our sinnes labour to strangle them euen in the birth that they may be like an abortiue fruit and neuer come to perfection The fire when it is newly begun to burne is easily quenched with a little water i Cura in ipso vtero pâ—ssimae matris praefocari germen Bern. de consider lib. 3. Gual in Hos Homil. 21. but if by negligence and delay it gather strength it rageth exceedingly and can hardly be extinguished In like manner sinne at the first beginning might easily be ouercome but if it be suffered to grow to any height it will be a most hard matter to suppresse it As the Crowe being about to breed first gathereth little sticks and other matter to make a neast and then layeth egges which by her heat she cherisheth til her yong ones be hatched brought forth So the Deuill being about to produce sinne first hee gathereth a great many vaine and idle thoughts whereof he maketh his neast in the heart of man and there layes delights as it were his egges which hee so long nourisheth fostereth till his young brood of sinne bee hatched by consent and after brought foorth by operation as S. Iames liuely describeth the beginning and birth of sinne Euery man saith hee is tempted when he is drawne away by his owne concupiscence and is entised Then when lust hath conceiued it bringeth forth sin and sinne when it is perfitted bringeth forth death Iam. 1.14.15 Now as hee that would hinder the breeding of the Crowe doth either pull downe the neast as soone as it is made or breake the egges or at least killeth the birds before they can flie so if we desire to stay the birth of sinne we must resist it in the very first thought of it not giuing entertainment thereunto and if the Diuell doe buzze ill thoughts into our harts against our wills we must take heede wee yeeld not consent vnto them at the least if we haue consented let vs vse all good meanes to preuent it before it come to action And the rather because the longer we giue entertainement to any sinne the harder it will be to ouercome it The spreading of sinne is like the spreading of the pestilence which first infecteth the aire the aire beeing infected corrupteth our breath and that conuaieth the infection into the vital spirits and the bloud and so it ouer-spreadeth the whole body and is past recouery so sinne by little and little and by degrees getting hold in the heart disperseth it selfe into all the parts both of body and soule so as without the grace of God there is no meanes to bee freed from it The longer that the Diuell or any sinne hath had possession in the heart the harder will it bee to dispossesse them Wood that hath long laine soaking in the wette will bee long before it receiue fire so the longer that any mans heart hath beene soaked or steeped in sinne the longer will it be before it receiue any impression of grace a Quae praebet latas arbor spatiantibus vmbras Quo posita est primum tempore virga fuit Tunc poterat manibus summa tellure reuelli Nunc stat in immensum viribus aucta suis Ouid. de remed Nil assuetudine maius Oâ—id de arte amandi A young plant may easily be pluckt vp by the roots but if it grow till it be a great tree it can hardly be remoued So long as there is nothing but dust in our floores a light broome will serue to sweepe it away but if it be stiffe clay a broome will doe no good there must bee a spade to spittle it out In like manner so long as our sinnes are young they may with little labour be rooted out but if once they be confirmed in our hearts wee shall finde it a very hard matter to displace them Hence it is that the prophet Ieremy saith Can the blacke Moore change his skinne or the Leopard his spottes then may you also doe good that are accustomed to doe euill Ierem. 13.23 Giuing vs thereby to vnderstand that it is the most difficult thing in the world for a man to leaue a custome or an habite of sinning euen as for a blacke Moore to be made white who is naturally so blacke as there is no meanes to alter his hewe Though a man should wash him with nitire and much sope yet it would not preuaile And therfore it is grown to a prouerb that when a man vndertaketh any impossible thing which cannot bee effected bee is said to wash a blacke Moore b Ars sit vbi a teneris crimen condiscitur annis Ouid. Epist Difficulter reciduntur vitia quae
the Lord may demand his debt though we be vnable to pay it Againe the Lord vrgeth the performance of these things for this end to shew vs our weaknesse and infirmitie which before wee knew not and so by this meanes euen against our will driueth vs to the throne of grace that we may finde grace to helpe in time of neede Heb. 4.16 Furthermore these precepts for the most part are intended to such as haue the grace of God in them whereby they are inabled to doe much in the furtherance of their owne saluation As Saint Iohn saith Euery man that hath this hope in him 1. John 3.3 purgeth himselfe euen as Christ is pure Last of all they are inioyned in respect of the endeauour wee should vse and the meanes which wee should apply our selues vnto for the effecting thereof For when a man doth carefully vse those holy meanes which God hath appointed then hee may bee said in some sort to wash himselfe c. So that God doth not mocke vs in commaunding these things Gualt in Zecha Homil. 1. but they rather mocke God that boast of their owne weake and feeble strength and waxe proud against his grace euen of those gifts which hee hath giuen them Secondly we are to consider man as hee is in the very act of his conuersion where in respect of the grace which outwardly preuenteth him his will is merely passiue hee being in the hands of God Rom. 9.21 euen as the clay in the handes of the potter for all his strengrh is extinguished whereby hee might either prepare himselfe vnto grace or receiue it of himselfe when it is offered For as the Apostle saith hee is dead in trespasses and sinnes Ephes 2.1 Colos 2.13 Now a dead man is merely passiue in the worke of his viuification and hath no abilitie to stirre hand or foote in the furtherance thereof no more then Lazarus had power to come out of the graue till Christ called him Ioh. 11.43.44 Yea a man is not onely dead but also stubborne and froward of himselfe and can doe nothing but rebell against God till hee bee wrought vpon by his grace As our Sauiour saith No man can come to me except the father draw him Dei est inquam Dei est omne quod possumus Cyprian lib. 2. Epist 2. Ioh. 6.44 But yet in respect of the time wherein his conuersion is wrought a man is not like a stocke but while he is healed by the holy Ghost he is also actiue In the verie act of conuersion the will of man is not idle nor without all motion and sense as a dead image but it followeth the spirit of God that draweth it for in one and the same moment God moueth and boweth the will and causeth vs to bee willing indeed but yet so as all the efficacy of the worke is from the spirit of God who of vnwilling maketh obedient of slow and dull hee maketh vs runne As the Apostle saith of himselfe that howsoeuer hee did wholly oppose himselfe against God before his conuersion yet when the Lord had wrought vpon his heart hee was not disobedient to the heauenly vision Act. 29.19 a Non violenta necessitate sed insundendo suauitatem per spiritum sanctum Epist P. Diaconi aliorum ad Fulgentium c. For God doth not draw vs by any violent necessitie but by sweetning and softning our heartes by his holy spirit And to this purpose is that speech of Saint Augustine b Deus cuius potentie non est numerus vel terminus cuius misericordia supra omnia opera eius quandoque ex lapidibus suscitat filios Abraha dum duros nolentes acquiescere cogit vt velint Aug. in scala parad Ambros de vocat gentium l. 2. c. 9. Phil. 4.13 Rom. 8.13 God saith he whose power is infinite and boundlesse and whose mercy is ouer all his workes sometime euen of stones raiseth vp children vnto Abraham whiles hee maketh them that are hard and vnwilling to consent and become willing Thirdly man is to bee considered as hee is after his conuersion Where because the grace of God beareth rule there is a readinesse to obey and a constancy to perseuer but still proceeding from the spirite As the Apostle saith I am able to doe all thinges through Christ which strengthneth mee And exhorteth vs to mortifie the deedes of the flesh but not by any power of our owne but by the spirit And thus wee see that man of himselfe hath no free-will to any thing that is good nor any abilitie to cooperate with the grace of God Secondly this doctrine serueth for our humiliation and Vse 2 to beate downe our pride For if there be no goodnesse nor any aptnesse to that which is good in vs why should wee bee lift vp with any conceit of our selues Rather let vs glorifie God with acknowledgment of our pouerty and by earnest prayer craue the assistance of Gods grace for effecting the worke of our conuersion and for the performance of those duties which God requireth of vs. And thus doth the Church of God in diuers places Iere. 31.18 Lament 5.21 Conuert thou me and I shall be conuerted And turn thou vs vnto thee O Lord and wee shall bee turned Da domine quod iubes iube quod vis Soliloq cap. 18. And Saint Augustine had that sweete prayer oft in his mouth Lord giue grace to doe what thou commaundest and then commaund what thou wilt Otherwise there can bee no good looked for in any of vs. And therefore Moses maketh this the cause why the people were no more mooued to repentance by all the gracious proceedings and administrations of God towardes them in the wildernesse Deut. 29.4 namely that the Lord had not giuen them an heart to perceiue nor eyes to see nor eares to heare vnto this day Doct. The remembrance of the word of God will recouer a man from his sinnes Remembred the wordes of Iesus This is the last occasion of the Apostle Peters repentance Hee remembred the wordes of Christ wherein he forewarned him of his fall and withall considered that hee had done accordingly and this wrought vpon his heart to moue him to repentance which doth teach vs that the remembrance of the worde of God is an excellent meanes to recouer Gods children from their falles This is confirmed by the testimony of the Apostle Saint Iohn 1. Iohn 3.9 where he saith that Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not for his seed remaineth in him c. that is to say hee sinneth not impenitently hee lyeth not along in sinne though sometimes through infirmitie he fall into sinne yet the seed of Gods word alwayes abideth in him and straightway reduceth him into the way againe And Dauid maketh the remembring of the word of God and the examining of a mans life thereby an effectuall meanes to redresse his wayes yea though hee be a
wickednes out of his remēbrance Yea there are many that haue neuer a word of Scripture besides which yet haue this sentence at their fingers ends for they make it the very Necke-verse of their soules It cannot be denied but the saying is true for it is the holy word of God c Omni homini in hac vita potest vtilis esse paenitentia quam quocunque tempore homo egerit quam libet ini quus quam libet annosus si toto corde renunciauerit peccatis praeteritis pro ijs in conspectu Dei non solum corporis sed etiam cordis lachrymas fuderit malorum operum maculas bonis operibus diluere curauerit omnium peccatorum indulgentiam mox habebit Nunquam peccanti indicta esset pro peccatis deprecatio si deprecanti non esset remissio concedenda Aug. de fide ad P. Deacon And without all doubt repentance may bee very profitable for euery man in this life which at what time soeuer a man shall performe though he bee neuer so wicked and haue neuer so long continued in his sinne if with his whole heart he renounce his sinnes past and in the sight of God shed for them the teares not of body only but of his soule and shall endeauour to wash away the staines of his ill deedes by good works he shall straightway obtain the pardon of all his sinnes For God would neuer haue enioyned a man to craue the remission of his sins if he had no purpose to grant it c But as God is true in his promises to such as doe repent so is he also true in his threatnings to impenitent sinners And d Qui verus est in promittendo verus est etiam in minando Aug. de vera faals paenit cap 7 though he haue promised pardon to him that repenteth f Firmissimè tene nullatenus dubites neminem hic posse hominem paenitentiam agere nisi quem Deus illuminauerit gratuita sua miseratione conuerterit Aug de fide ad Pet. Diaconum cap. 28. 2. Tim. 2.24.25 Jere. 31.18 Lament 5.21 Psal 80.3.7.19 Rom. 9.18 yet he neuer promised repentance to him that continueth in his sinnes Neither is it in any mans power to repent when hee will No as all other good gifts came downe from aboue from the Father of lights so repentance also is his gift e Qui promisit paenitenti veniam non promisit peccauti penitentiam And we are to beleeue it as an article of our faith that no man can heere repent vnlesse God enlighten him and conuert him by his free mercy And therefore the Apostle exhorteth Timothy to suffer euill men patiently prouing if God at any time will giue them repentance c. And for this cause the Church of God doth so often vse this prayer Conuert thou me and I shall be conuerted Turn us againe vnto thee O Lord and we shall be turned Turne vs againe O Lord God of hosts c. And as repentance is Gods gift so is he a most free giuer he is not tyed to any man But hee giueth it as it pleaseth him selfe For he hath mercy on whom he will and whom he will he hardneth And as Esau could not obtaine the blessing which once hee contemned though hee sought it with teares Heb. 12.17 So if a man contemne the meanes of repentance in his helth it may bee hee shall not obtaine it when he lieth a dying But there is say they one example in the Scripture of the theefe on the crosse who had spent all the course of his life in sinne Luke 22.43 and yet repented at the last gaspe and was receiued to mercy But alasse one swallow maketh not summer And of one example without a precept nothing is to be concluded The Lord in greate wisedome that men at the last gaspe might not altogether despaire hath left one example of extraordinary mercy in this case and he hath left but one that no man should take occasion to presume And yet such is the peruersenesse of our nature that this one though but one in all the Bible and that an extraordinary one and that for this one many a thousand haue perished serueth to encourage vs to loosenesse of life What folly is this against all sense and reason to set our selues in a way wherein so many haue miscarried Would not all men condemne him of madnesse that should go about to spurre his Asse till he speake because Balaams Asse did once speake Num. 22.28 Iosh 10.13 2. King 20.11 or him that should thinke to haue the Sunne in the firmament either to stand still or to go backe againe because it did so to Ioshuah and Hezekiah So it is as great madnesse in any man to harten himselfe in his sinne by this one example And if we mark it well we shall find in this one for that little time that hee liued more excellent good works then many of vs performe in all our liues For he confesseth his sinnes and earnestly prayeth for pardon of them Hee sheweth a meruailous strength of faith in Christ that he did acknowledge him to be his Sauiour and a King when hee was in the lowest degree of his humiliation euen when hee hanged vpon the Crosse He reprooueth his fellow-theefe for blaspheming of Christ and patiently submitteth himselfe to his deserued punishment These and many other notable fruits of faith appeared in this Conuert euen in this short time wherby it is likely that if he had liued he would not haue beene inferior to any of the Saints But because God hath neuer made any such promise that a man may repent at his owne pleasure a Multos solet serotina paenitentia decipere Aug. de vera falsa paenitentia cap. 17. Vit vt fiat fructuosa non sit sera Aug. in Psal 52. Psal 32.6 2. Cor. 6.2 and because late repentance is seldome true repentance therefore it is good for euery man to lay holde of repentance whensoeuer God offereth any meanes thereof The scripture giueth vs no day at all in this case but alwaies vrgeth the present time There is indeed an acceptable time as Dauid saith and a day of grace But the Apostle telleth vs it is presently to be imbraced Now saith he is the accepted time now is the day of saluation and it may bee either now or neuer And therefore the Prophet exhorteth saying Seeke the Lord while he may be found and call vpon him while he is neer Isa 55.6 Is there a time then when the Lord will not be found and is there a time when he will be far off from men yes doubtlesse there is a time when God will absent himselfe as the Prophet Hosea saith Hos 5.6 c. Prou. 1.28 They shall goe with their sheepe and with their bullocks to seeke the Lord but they shall not find him for he hath withdrawne himselfe from them And therefore to conclude this point
they trust not in vncertaine riches If there were not a disposition in them hereunto this charge were needlesse It is the corruption of our nature that is the occasion of all Gods precepts Moreouer a couetous man for gaine will not sticke to worship Images Let a man come to him as the Deuill did to Christ Mat. 4.8.9 with abundance of wealth and say all this will I giue thee c. hee will quickly fall downe and worship the most abhominable Idoll in the world Againe false swearing and perjurie which is a breach of the third commandement is many times a branch that springeth from this cursed roote when as men set not only their tongues but their honesty also to sale for aduantage And for the Saboth there is no greater cause of the prophanation thereof then couetousnesse Luk. 14.18.19.20 For men haue their Farmes to see or Oxen to attend or merchandise to follow or one businesse or other that they cannot come to the exercises of religion Or if they doe come for fashion sake or for feare of law and sit before the Minister Ezech. 33.31 yet as the Prophet saith their heart goeth after couetousnesse Or if they doe attend for the time yet presently they depart away to their worldly businesse Luke 8.14 and so the cares of this world choake the word and make it altogether vnprofitable And as couetousnesse treadeth vnder foote all the duties of the first table so also it neglecteth all the duties of the second It will cause a man to rebell against all his superiours that God hath set ouer him No bond either of nature or dutie can preuaile where couetousnesse beareth sway How many inferiours haue beene corrupted with money to betray those whome they should haue loued As Iudas here was hired to betray his Master And Dalilah was allured by bribes and rewards Iudg. 16.5 c. to betray Samson her beloued into his enemies hands But wee neede not goe farre for examples in this case There was neuer nation vnder heauen had greater experience hereof then this of ours in the daies of our late Soueraigne Elizabeth of blessed memorie Morton Saunders Parrie Lopes c. Euery yeare there rose vp some vnnaturall wretches who not regarding the oile of the Lord wherewith shee was annointed sought by all meanes possible to cast her sacred Crowne to the ground and to lay her Honour in the dust and to betray their natiue Country which should haue beene most deare vnto them into the hands of forraine enemies It is the cause of much murder and bloud shed as Salomon saith Prou. 1.19 Such are the waies of euery one that is greedy of gaine hee would take away the life of the owners thereof Whosoeuer standeth in his way betwixt him and his lands he saith as the husbandmen did in the Gospell Come let vs kill him that the inheritance may be ours Mat. 21.38 And thus did couetous Ahab cause innocent Naboth to bee put to death that hee might possesse his vineyard 1. King 21.2 It lay very commodiously for him and was a continuall eie-sore to him and therefore he must haue it though it cost the poore man his life Yea many times it maketh men so vnnaturall Filius ante diem patrios inquirit in annos Ouid. Metam lib. 1. that they doe not spare the life of their owne parents At least it they proceede not so farre yet they are as sicke of the Father as may bee and wish him faire laid in his graue that they may enioy his liuing It causeth cruelty and oppression as the Prophet saith Micah 2.2 They couet fields and take them by violence and houses and take them away By hard and vnconscionable dealing they grinde the faces of the poore yea they plucke off their skinnes from them Isa 3.15 Micah 3.2.3 and their flesh from their bones yea they breake their bones and chop them in peeces as for the pot and as flesh for the Caldron and they leaue not the bones till the marrow Zeph. 3.3 It causeth whordome and adulterie As wee see by common experience that many both men and women by gifts are drawne to embrace strange flesh and to forget the couenant of their God as Salomon speaketh Prou. 2.17 It is the cause of theft and wrongfull dealing It was couetousnesse that made Achan steale the things consecrated to God as himselfe confesseth I saw saith he Josh 7.21 among the spoile a goodly Babylonish garment and 200. shekels of siluer and a Wedge of gold of fifty shekels waight and I coueted them and tooke them And it was couetousnesse that made Iudas a theefe Joh. 12.6 when as carrying the bagge he falsly purloyned that to his owne priuate vse which was giuen by others to the common benefit of Christ and all his Disciples Yea which is the worst theft of all it maketh a man a theefe to himselfe whiles he defraudeth his owne belly to increase his wealth Now he that is a theefe to himselfe whom will hee spare as Sirach saith cap. 14.5 a Opum vt suarum habet curaÌ„ verum ijs vt ex alienis nihil capit emolumenti Diog. Laert. in vita Biâ—nis He carketh and careth for his riches as if they were his owne but he reapeth no benefit by them as if they were another mans And herein couetousnesse sheweth her selfe a most cruell Tyrant Shee leadeth a wretch vp and downe through fields and woods by sea and by land and all to heape vp a deale of wealth and when he hath done shee only giueth him leaue to looke on it but not to vse it Shee maketh him toile and take great paines to fill his barnes and his garners his coffers and his chests and then shee hideth the keyes and denyeth him the vse of all So that he is like the Asse that carryeth a heauie lode of gold and siluer all day and at night eateth hay himselfe b Diuitias locupletis habes animum sed egeni O suc cessori diuâ—s egene tibi Sphinx aenigmat In a word hee hath riches in great abundance but withall he hath a beggarly minde and howsoeuer hee be rich to his heire yet he is poore to himselfe It causeth lying As the Souldiers that kept Christ his Sepulcher were hired with large money to report when Christ was risen from the dead Mat. 28.12 13. 2. Sam. 16.3.4 that his disciples came by night while they slept stole him away It causeth slandering As Ziba in a greedy desire of Mephibosheth his liuing falsly slandered him to the King of no lesse crime then high treason Finally it causeth many men to beare false witnes in matters of controuersie As there is a wicked generation that c Ego vero libenter mentiar tua causa si quando me vis peierare paratuÌ„ fore scito Cic. pro Qu. Rosc Comaedo haunteth Westminster Hall stiled by the name of