of the ignoraunt that desire to leade an holy and godly life Gracious and righteous is the Lord being no praier as also the other two verses following but a meditation betwéene the praier in the verse before and the verses next after them wee haue to learne generally this profitable doctrine Doct. 1 1. Doct. It is the dutie of all that pray to GOD séeing the malice of Sathan who séeketh to make vs quaile in them as also the weakenesse of our corrupt nature for perseuering feruently zealously in it to vse al the good means that possibly we can * Simil. Euen as fire had need of wood or the like matter to maintain it as a torch requireth waxe to continue it Euē so meditatiō in the mercy righteousnes of God is necessary to stay our Zeale in Praier but especially to meditate vpon the goodnesse and righteousnes of the Lord in keeping his louing promises that thereby our prayers may be more zealous and feruent The 1. Reason Our experience teacheth vs that it is an hard and difficult matter to hold on zealously therein The faithfull perceiue in themselues except they be stirred vp with newe prickes that they shall languish in their Prayers so corrupt is our nature so weake in good thinges so malicious is our enemy Sathan also to cause if it be possible our prayers not to be feruent The vse is When we féele our selues so weake in Praier that we beginne to languish that we presently meditate on the goodnes and righteousnes of God so shall wee come the better prepared to Praier as Dauid was Gratious and righteous is the Lorde therfore he will teach sinners in the way Doct. 2 The 2. Doctrine God teacheth sinners in the way of godly life 1. Reason He is gratious for hee hath mercy on whom he will Rom. 9. 2. Reason The Lord is righteous he kéepeth his promises Vse The vse is To teach vs to acknowledge that our regeneration sanctification repentance mortification of the flesh viuification of the spirite conuersion humilitie loue patience and all other gifts are not of our selues but are procéeding from the goodnesse loue and mercy of God towards vs. Vse 2 2. Vse It confuteth the Papistes distinction of Gratia operans and Cooperans Gratia operās cooperās Bellarmine Cap. 2. thus doth define and distinguish them Gratia operans est quae facit vt velimus that is It is the working grace which maketh vs to wil that which is good Gratia cooperans quae facit vt quae voluerimus impleamus that is Helping grace or grace working together with vs is that which causeth vs to fulfill or do that which we will or desire This then is his mind that God only worketh the beginning of euery good action that is the consent of the will but the accōplishmēt of the action is not only of God but he worketh together with man The Iesuite would illustrate his matter with this similitude As if it were expediēt for a man to saile into the East countries and yet he is vnwilling his friend cōmeth perswadeth with him prouideth things néedfull for the nauigatiō as mony victuals such like though his friend may say I only was the cause that he tooke this nauigation in hand yet can hee not say that I onely caried him to that place but helped him onely So saith he God only worketh the beginning of any actiō by perswading the wil but he is helping onely assistant to man in the finishing thereof Lib. 1. de gratia cap. 14. 1. Reason This similitude is very insufficient the things here cōpared together are altogether vnlike for what presumption is it to match the workes of man with the power of God First man draweth only by perswasion he hath no power ouer anothers heart but God is greater then our hart he doth not onely apply perswasion vnto it but bendeth turneth it as August de correptione gratia cap. 14. Deus magis habet in potestate hominum voluntates quam ipsi suas GOD hath greater power ouer the willes of men then they haue themselues Secondly all the helpes that man prouideth or ministreth for any action are externall But God is aiding and assisting euery where by his power and worketh mightily in the inwarde man We sée then the insufficiēcy of this similitude Secondly although it were a méete and fit comparison yet we know that similitudes proue not no more doth this it néedeth not therefore any large confutation Gratia operās et cooperās vel adinuans This Distinction of Grace that it should be sometimes the principal chief and only working cause in man and another while but aiding and assisting onely and that man should be ioyned with God as a fellow worker in any good action is a blasphemous doctrine That the will of man worketh together with Grace as it is Causa phisica a naturall cause of such actions as are wrought by man not respecting the quality and goodnesse of them but the worke onely wée deny not but the grace of God onely is Causa moralis the morall cause of euery good action As they are but actions and operations so they procéed from the will of man but as they are good or commēdable so they are the workes of God God worketh the will the deed Phil. 2.13 As he worketh the will so also he worketh the déed The will God onely worketh Ergo Againe 1. Cor. 15.28 That God may be all in all But God should not be al in all in euery action if man should be ioyned as a fellow worker S. Iames saith Iam. 1.17 Euery good and perfect gift is frō aboue Ergo no good gift nor worke is from below that is of man either in part or in whole Our Sauior Christ saith Without me you can do nothing Of which words Augustine writeth thus Non ait August cōtra Epistolam Pelagii lib. 2. cap. 8. Sine me difficile potestis facere aut Sine me nihil potestis efficere sed Ne facere quidem He saith not Without me you can hardly do any thing or Without mée you cannot finish any thing But You are not able to do it at all But if so that in any good actiō God should worke part man part then might man worke somwhat that is his part without Gods help As if God do but helpe to worke what is that els but to giue power more easily only to worke As though man without that helpe although more hardly of himselfe might do it But al this is cōtrary to that doctrine of our Sauiour Without me you can do nothing The fourth Sermon vpon the 25. Psalme the 9. and 10. verses 9 Them that be meeke will he guide in Iudgement and teach the humble his waies The sence is THey that are truly humbled in themselues and repose their whole trust and confidence in the Lord they shal taste feele how gratious
a father he is to his children Therefore Iudgement and way signifie none other thing then the gouernment whereby he sheweth himselfe as an excellent good father to his children Doct. 1 The 1. Doct. The poore in Spirite onely are directed by the Lord to haue a right iudgement in all things that concerne the glory of God the saluatiō of their soules The Reason is God resisteth the proud 1. Pet. 5.5 such as are wise in their owne conceit Decke your selues inwardly in lowlinesse of mind for God resisteth the proude and giueth grace to the humble Math. 13.11 And he answered said Because it is giuē to you to know the secrets of the kingdome of God The vse is That we pray to God to giue vs his spirit of iudgement of the workes of the Lord. And first of his word Let vs consider how gratious the Lord is to them that are méeke to them he will open his iudgements which to the prowde are secrete vnknowen as to the Papistes many others A foolishnes of self estimation of self-wéening of our selues that wée are of some value is so rooted in man possessed with the spirit of pride that it is very hard to bring thē euen vs regenerate to a right vnderstāding of our owne wāts so as we might be cléere from all pryde presumption Concerning the doctrine of Election Reprobation Wheras the Apostle knew that flesh blood would dispute Why should God elect some refuse other some Rom. 9.20 he answereth But O man what art thou which pleadest against God Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it Why hast thou made me thus vers 21. Hath not the potter power of the clay to make of the same lūpe one vessell to honour and another to dishonour And this he setteth downe after that he had alledged the obiections wherein men thinke thēselues to haue a faire colour to dispute against God and to demaund why hée should destroy those whom he hath created why he should put difference betweene one and another without knowing any causes so that the one should be loued the other refused Therfore whēsoeuer any such temptation hath taken hold on vs let vs pray vnto GOD to make vs lowly and poore in Spirite then shall we haue a right iudgement of his secrete mysteries and wonderfull workes When we treat of Gods word euery man almost falleth to it at aduenture and euery one shootes out his verdit as though they reasoned but of moon-shine in the water so vnreuerently wée speake thereof The things therein contayned be such as passe all mans vnderstanding and yet notwithstanding it is manifest that some are bold to treat of Gods high mysteries without reuerēce which ought to rauish our wits to wonder at them which with al feare trembling we ought to honour I say we are bolder to babble of them then if a man spake of a matter but of 5. shillings value or of some trifle I know not what And what is the cause thereof but that men haue not cōsidered how God hideth ouercasteth his owne secrete determinatiōs hath in his holy Scriptures vttered vnto vs his wil whereunto it behoueth vs to be subiect We sée on the one side how the Papistes blaspheme God wresting falsifying marring corrupting the whole holy Scripture so that they spare not to scorne God his word And why They neuer knew what it is to haue a right iudgement in Gods will word they are possessed with the spirit of pride the spirite of sound iudgement is farre from thē they scorne at our answere when to their demand Who shal iudge of the true meaning sence of the Scriptures we say The holy spirit shal doth lead not onely the whole Church but euery particular singular member of the Church into all truth Campianan ratione Sophismat Also there are drunkards which could find in their harts to subdue God in their fantastical mind Yf they were the wisest men in the world the best séene in the holy Scriptures yet shall they be faine to stowpe to this point that Gods purposes are aboue our reach But they are vtterly dull brutish there is neither skill nor reason in them the wine ouer-mastereth thē they are worse then swine yet will néeds be Diuines and wil controll things in such sort that if a man should now beléeue them he should be driuen to forge and frame a new Gospell Let vs alwaies know that whensoeuer wée speake of God of his workes or of his word they are high matters On the other side what is it that we cā bring forth of our selues except wee be truly humbled what is that little that wee can conceiue in our vnderstanding Euen wordes without knowledge Let men put themselues into the balance and they shal be found lighter then vanitie it selfe as it is said in the Psalme Psal 62.10 So much the more it behooueth vs to marke this doctrine that there is neither skill aptnesse nor iudgement in vs to entreat of Gods workes or his word except he vouchsafe by his blessed Spirite to direct vs. Let vs therfore pray vnto his diuine Maiesty to vouchsafe of his vnspeakeable mercy and goodnesse to powre downe his holy Spirite into our hearts that whereas by the fall of our first parents our Iudgements concerning Gods mysteries his workes and word are corrupted and therefore haue néed of direction that by the same Spirite of truth and iudgement wée may be ledde into all truth and iudgement so shall wée iudge according to his holy will Let vs also mislike our selues to the end wée may resort vnto him to find the goodnesse there which wanteth in our selues that thereupon it may please him so to gouerne vs by his holy Spirite that beyng replenished with his glory wée may haue wherewith to glory not in our selues but onely in him And teach the humble his way Text. Doct. 2 2. Doct. The Lord will surely teach the humble the way of his gratious fauour The Reason is Vnto him that hath it shal be giuen by him As the Lord hath giuen him humility which is a spirituall gift and grace bestowed vpon the elect onely whom he especially loueth as a father Psalm 103. much more will he cause him to tast of his prouidēce which extendeth it selfe in respect of sustentatiō not onely to the wicked but to euery liuing creature be it neuer so base Vse The Vse is That wee magnifie the glorious name of our good and gratious Father who so mercifully causeth vs the childrē of wrath to become his children by adoption and assureth vs without all doubting of the continuance of his fauour towards vs. This doctrine of Gods fauour towardes the humble his children is comfortable to our conscience and therefore the longer to be vrged and taught Euery man naturally séeketh to comfort himselfe some by voluptuousnesse some by worldly wealth some by
notwithstanding God findeth meanes whereby the euill that is in Sathan and in our selues are turned to our good And here we sée how S. Paul was cured as it were Heb. 2.14 with a medicine as he himselfe confesseth after he had spoken of those high Reuelations which God gaue him 2. Cor. 12.1 2. Co. 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9. It is not expedient for me no doubt to reioyce for I will come to visions and reuelations of the Lord. ver 2. I know a man in Christ aboue fourteene yeeres agone whether hee were in the bothe I cannot tell or out of the body I cannot tell God knoweth which was taken vp into the third heauen ver 3. And I know such a man whether in the body or out of the body I cannot tell God knoweth ver 4. How that hee was taken vp into Paradise and heard words which cannot bee spoken which are not possible for man to vtter ver 5. Or such a man will I reioyce of my selfe will I not reioyce except it bee of mine infirmities ver 6. For though I would reioyce I should not be a foole For I will say the truth but I refraine lest any man should thinke of me aboue that hee seeth in me or that hee heareth of me c. to the end of the ninth verse God hath prouided for me that I should not exalt my selfe too much Loe here a good preuision and very profitable for him For we know that pride is ready to throw vs headlong into hell and there is nothing that more prouoketh Gods displeasure then it For hee must of necessitie shew himselfe an enemie to the proude and to such as presume aboue their owne strength after what maner so euer it bee And S. Paul was in the same daunger if God had not remedied it In what sort did hee it It was saith Paul by sending me the messenger of Sathan to buffet me Sée how Sathan worketh in S. Paul euē by Gods permission And what was the issue Questionlesse he meant vtterly to haue ouerwhelmed him and his intent was to haue drawne him into wickednesse to the end that hee would haue him haue giuen ouer the seruice of God and by little little to haue withdrawne himselfe from Christianitie by reason of the wearisome miseries and troubles which he endured without ceasing Behold heere Sathans purpose Notwithstanding this God purposed another end to binde his deare seruant that he should not forget himselfe and so exalt himselfe to the great displeasure of God For this cause he was buffetted The Apostle doth purposely chuse the phrase of buffetting God vsed him not as a man of armes that fighteth in the fielde to giue him a glorious victorie but buffetted him like a boy to his shame and reproach Thus the holy Apostle whome God had endued with so excellent gifts of the holy Ghost was so farre made an vnderling to Sathan that he as it were spit in his face and wrought him many other villanies We sée then how God turneth the euill into good when hee maketh all Sathans stings to serue vs as medicines whereby he purgeth vs of the vices that Sathan hid in vs. And therfore we haue cause to praise God in al respects yea euē although at the first sight his iudgemēt séemeth to our imaginations ouer-boysterous and that by our fleshly vnderstanding wee cannot vnderstand them When we haue well considered all these and many more of these his mercies we shall euer haue wherewith to glorifie and magnifie our good God and father To bee yet better confirmed in this truth let vs consider how afflictions serue for our profit and saluation First for as much as the reliques of sinne abide still euen in the perfectest in this life which maketh them hardned in their sinnes Fruite to awake vs out of our sinnes Rom. 12.1 and inclined to offend GOD we haue néede of helpes to be awaked to be humbled and drawne from our sinnes to kéepe vs in the time to come and so to dispose vs to a perfect obedience holy and acceptable to God And to this end tend the afflictions of them which kéepe the couenaunt and testimonies of God his deare children which for this cause are called chasticements corrections and medicines of our selues Iosephs brethren Gen. 42 21. The children of Iacob hauing committed a detestable crime in selling their brother Ioseph neuer thought of it vntill they being in Egypt oppressed with reproches and imprisonment called to mind their sin saying one to another Surely wee haue sinned against our brother for we sawe the anguish of his soule when hee besought vs and we would not heare him therefore is this trouble come to vs. Manasses king of Iudah Manasses hauing set vp Idolatrie persecuted those that would haue purely serued the Lord 2. Chro. 33. so that Ierusalem was full of bloud and hauing shut his eares to the admonitions of the Lord in the end was taken by the army of the king of the Assyrians bound with manacles fettered in chaines and carried prisoner into Babylon Then being in afflictions he was excéedingly humbled before God hee praied to the Lord and was heard and carried backe vnto Ierusalem The fifth Sermon vpon the 25. Psalme the 11 and 12. verses 11 For thy name sake O Lord be mercifull to mine iniquitie for it is great THis is a prayer of the holy Prophet king Dauid after his holy meditation of the vnspeakable mercy and eternall truth of God in kéeping his promises to them that truely worship him and obey his holy lawes Two special branches it containeth The first an earnest and zealous prayer to GOD for his name sake not for his merites to pardon his sinne Secondly is a déepe search of them without soothing excusing or hiding them Text. For it is great The forme that the Prophet obserueth in ioyning this prayer to his former meditation of the mercie and truth of GOD towards them that obey him is this When he had throughly meditated with himselfe that God was good gracious towards his seruants he considered himselfe acknowledging that except the Lord of his great mercie would pardon his great and gréeuous sinnes he should be none of them Therfore he praieth as the like he did at another time before when hee spake of the reward which God layeth vp for the faithfull that kéepe his holy Lawe Psalm 19.10 Psal 19.10 11 12. And more to be desired meaning the holy lawes of God thē gold yea then much fine gold sweeter also then the hony the hony cōbe verse 11. Moreouer by them is thy seruant made circumspect in keeping of thē there is great reward vers 12. Who can vnderstand his faults clense me frō my secrete faults that GOD for his name sake would pardon him The sence is briefly this My sinnes O Lorde as a great burden sore oppresse mee for whose sake except thou pardon them of thy
mercy I am excluded from being in the number of them that kéeping thy couenant and Testimonies receaue thy great mercies and true promises Therefore O Lord séeing I see how farre I am from kéeping the same by heaping vp daily howrely so many and greeuous sinnes I humbly euen for thy glorious name and not for my deserts sake beséech thée to pardon and forgiue them all so shall all thy pathes be mercy and truth to mée Doct. 1 1. Doctrine Whosoeuer desireth that all thinges that the Lord doth to his Church procéeding of his mercy and truth should turne to his good that hée may be not onely a member of it but also with it to be partaker of his mercies must feruently zealously and earnestly pray vnto God that for his names sake he would vouchsafe to pardon him al his sinnes The 1. Reason is Except our sinnes be pardoned which without our prayer to GOD shall neuer bée all that the Lord doth to vs shall euen our meate drinke hearing the holy worde receiuing the holy Sacramentes temptations afflictions prosperities and what else soeuer wée receyue from his hand redound from him not of his mercie and so hée a blessing but from his wrath and so bée a curse against vs. Vse The vse thereof is First let vs striue against that temptation which perswadeth vs to cease praying to God for remission of our sinnes Sathan our aduersary tempteth vs on the right hand and on the left that is by aduersity and prosperity By aduersity to distrust in God as he tēpted our Sauiour when he was hungry to diffidence and distrust in the prouidence of God when he perceiued that by aduersity he could not preuaile to ouercome him he tempteth him by his confidence Math. 4. Luk. 4. That séeing he trusted in Gods protection that therefore if hée cast himselfe downe from the pinacle of the Temple he should be protected of the Lord by the ministery of his holy Angels Lo we sée that by his confidence he would haue him to tempt God Euen so he tempteth vs if he perceiue that we haue no faith he will perswade not to pray for it if he sée that we are perswaded that the Lord loueth vs he will perswade vs that we need not pray to him for that which we already haue for although we are in our consciences to the great comfort thereof in all afflictions perswaded that the Lord loueth vs yet notwithstanding we must continually pray to his maiesty for the fame and the forgiuenes of our sinnes els we kéepe not his testimonies so by consequence it is but a vaine perswasiō that we haue that God fauoureth vs which may proceede from an opinion thereof onely which the infidels may haue but as for a true faith they onely that haue the Spirite of Praier and exercise the same haue it and so by consequence they onely shall receyue remission of their sinnes Let vs therefore resist this temptation Let vs vse this holy exercise for thereby we both encrease in godlines and all things that the Lord doth to vs euen temptations and afflictions shall redound to our good and from the Lords mercie Text. For thy names sake be mercifull to my sinnes Doct. 2 2. Doct. We must be perswaded that God when he forgiueth sinnes doth for his owne sake not for any other cause whatsoeuer pardō the same The reason is He is good and gracious of himselfe Vse The vse is That we acknowledge that there is none other name giuen vnder heauen whereby we are saued that our sinnes are forgiuen vs without the which there is no saluation but onely the name of our Lord Iesus none other meanes none abilitie power aucthoritie in any neyther in man or Angel but in the Lord onely * Similit Euen as an horseman holding the reynes of his horse guideth him as he wil euē so the Lord holdeth vs to guide vs at his pleasure either not to pardō or to forgiue vs our sins Act. 10. God holdeth the reynes in his handes to guide men at his pleasure and if it please him to punish our sinnes we haue nothing to reply why he should not condemne vs and if it please him of his great mercy wholy to pardon vs who shall resist him who shall let him to shew vs fauour True it is that this is strange to mans vnderstanding at the first sight For seing that God accepteth not the persons of men we aske wherefore he forgiueth some forgiueth not othersome wherfore tolerateth he the wicked seing him so disorderly Then may we trouble our heads to be curious to know wherefore doth the lord so deale But what cōclusiō must we make Euē only to refer al things to his wisdome purpose knowing that it is not in vs to rule him we cānot cōprehend those thinges that are aboue our reach And if it please God to forgiue vs let vs vnderstand that it is not for our deserts but of his frée mercy through Iesus Christ onely And this must bee well marked because the matter that I haue already spoken of comming naturally into mens imaginations hath béene the cause that false wicked doctrines haue ouerflowed in Christendome Psal 25.12 What man is hee that feareth the Lord Him wil he teach the way that he shall chuse The 2. part of the fifth Sermon 12. What man c. The sence is ALthough we know not of our selues what is right acceptable and pleasant to the Almightie what we might to Gods approuing and our owne profiting elect and chuse so that we feare the Lord in suffering our selues to be directed by him to a godly life wee shall alwayes find him a sure and holy guide vnto vs. Doct. 1 1. Doct. Whoso doth feare the Lord shall by his holy Spirite be directed how to frame his life The reason is Iob 1.1 Iob by fearing God is said to eschue euill was an vpright man and a iust man Vse The vse is That wee pray feruently vnto the Lord our God to giue vs his holy Spirite that wee thereby may lead our liues in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the daies of our life Luke 1. The feare of GOD is not a slauish feare Rom. 8. but filiall yea it is a reuerence and an honor which wee owe and performe vnto the Lord our God séeing he is our good and gracious God mercifull master and louing father Haue wée then the feare of God before our eyes Then without all doubt all other things we estéeme not in comparisō of doing him homage seruice and honor then we will wholly addict our selues to his seruice It also comprehendeth the knowledge of our good God Do wee know him Then we do it in such maner as hee hath vttered made himselfe to be knowen not otherwise that is that he is our maker our maintainer and one that hath shewed such fatherly goodnesse towards vs that wee of dutie
is affirmed in the secōd place are like a yong Lion which is couragious For he goeth on his way boldly and swiftly without returning backe for feare of any The reason is For that being at peace with God hauing a good cause and a sound conscience he dreadeth no obiection nor daunger This same Integritie therefore is like Noahs Arke wherein he was preserued whē others that were without perished It is like the red thred which the spies of Ioshua gaue to Rahab which was as a charter whereby shée claimed her life when the rest were destroyed which had not the like So is this vprightnes of smal reckoning I cōfesse with men of this world which thinke that there is none other heauē but earth But as Rahabs thred was better to her then all her goods substance when the sword came so vprightnes is better to Gods children then all the world when death commeth If they haue this within they care not nay they néed not care what can come without If Sathans buffetting come this is an helmet of proofe if Sathans dartes flie this is a shield to quench them if floods of troubles come to carrie vs away this is a shippe to beare vs vp if all the world cast myre and filth in our faces wée are not a whitte the more deformed but still beautifull For the Kings daughter is all beautifull within Psalm 45.13 Let vs haue regard to a good conscience and because it is so precious a iewell I wish all persons that as yet neuer laboured to get a good conscience now to begin Reasons to induce men thereunto are sound and good First you séeke day and night from yéere to yéere for honors riches pleasures which you must leaue behind you much more ought you to séeke for this vprightnes cōsidering that conscience will be with you in this life in death at the last iudgement and for euer 2. Reason He which wanteth a conscience purged in the bloud of Christ can neuer haue any true lasting comfort in this life Suppose a mā were arraied in cloth of tissue set in a chaire of estate before him a table furnished with all daintie prouision his seruants monarches and Princes his riches the chiefest treasures kingdomes of the world but withall suppose one standing by with a naked sword to cut his throate or a wild beast ready immediatly to pull him in péeces now what can wee say of this mans estate but that all his happines is nothing but woe and misery And such is the estate of all men that abounding with riches honours and pleasures carrie about them an euill conscience which is as a sword to slay the soule or as a rauinous beast ready to sucke the blood of the soule and to rend it in péeces 3. Reason He which wanteth a good conscience can do nothing but sinne his very eating and drinking his sléeping waking and all that he doth turneth to sinne the consciēce must first be good before the action can be good if the roote be corrupt the fruites are answerable 4. Reason An euill conscience is the greatest enemy that a man can haue because it doth execute all the partes of iudgement against him It is the Lords Sergeant God néedeth not to send out proces by any of his creatures for man the conscience within a man wil arrest him and bring him before God It is the Gaoler to kéepe man in pryson in boltes and irons that he may be forth comming at the day of iudgement It is the witnes to accuse him the iudge to condemne him the hangman to execute him and the flashings of the fire of hell to torment him Againe it maketh a man to be an enemy to God because it accuseth him to God and maketh him flie from God as Adam did when he sinned Also it maketh a man to be his own enemy in that it doth cause him to lay violent hands vpon himselfe become his owne hangman or his owne cut-throate And on the contrary a good conscience is a mans best friend when all mē entreate him hardly it will speake faire and comfort him it is a continual feast and a Paradise vpon the earth 5. Reason The sacred scripture sheweth that they which neuer séeke for good consciences haue terrible endes For either they die blockes as Nabal did or desperate as Cain Saul Achithophel and Iudas 6. Reason Wée must consider often the terrible day of iudgement in which euery man must receyue according to his workes and that we may be then the better absolued the best way is to séeke for a good conscience for if our conscience be euill and condemne vs in this life God will much more condemne vs. And whereas we must passe through thrée iudgemēts the iudgemēt of men the iudgement of our consciences and the last iudgement of God we shall neuer be strengthened against them and cleared in them all but by the séeking of integrity and a good conscience Psalm 25.22 Deliuer Israel O God out of all his troubles The 2. part of the tēth Sermon THe Prophet by this clause sheweth what manner of aduersaries they were against whome he complained to God Domesticall enemies it is probable they were which as a disease inclosed in the bowels of a mā tormented vexed the people of God For by the word Deliuer or Redeeme we gather that the Church of God was with great seruitude gréeuously oppressed Therefore I doubt not but the Prophet in praying to bée deliuered both himselfe particularly the Church generally from their troubles prayeth to be deliuered from the hands of Saul other tyrants that were for this purpose to torment and persecute not onely the Prophet but the whole Church vnder his tyrannicall gouernment The sence is O Lord our God I hūbly beséech thée for Christes sake to redéeme not only me thine vnworthy seruant but also thy whole Church which is greatly vexed and miserably kept in seruitude by Saul and other tyrants O Lord we are thy seruants and the shéep of thy pasture and thou art our Shepherd thou art our father and wée thy children therefore wée beséech thée extend thy fatherly compassion to deliuer vs thy deare children out of our miseries so shall wee both in this lyfe and that to come glorifie thy holy name world without end Doctr. The Doctrine is Wée must in all our troubles pray to GOD not onely for our selues but for all the whole Church to bée deliuered from our miseries The Reason is If one member suffer other must needs suffer 1. Corinth 12. Vse The Vse Let vs therfore performe this dutie towards the whole Church that shée may also do the like for vs then shall wée bee assured that the Lord will deliuer vs when hée séeth it méete for his glory and our good seing he hath promised to graunt the requests of his spouse the Church This grace the Lord graunt vs all for his mercies sake to whome with the Sonne and the holy Ghost be all glory wisedome thankes honour power and might both now and for euer Amen Soli Deo gloria