casts them vp euery day shall the easier cast them vp at the weekes end and he that casts them vp euery weeke shall the easier cast them vp at the yeeres end but hee that lets them runne on from day to day and from weeke to weeke hee shall finde them so perplexe and intricate as that they shall trouble his best braines to bring all ends together The practise of this continued repenatnce is 1 Hearty confession and bewailing of our sins to the Lord. 2 Carefull watchfulnes ouer our harts to keepe out all sinne 3. Strict examination of our selues at the dayes end and so censuring our selues for that we finde amisse with earnest calling on GOD for greater Grace 3 The third degree is renued repentance Repentance 3. Renued repentance Where is oftentimes discontinued interrupted or at least increases not so as it should therefore euer and anone it is in speciall sort to bee renued Now here are two things to be considered The practise and the times of this Repentance 1 The practise of this repentance what it is 1. The practise wherein it consists Ans 1. In performing the duties of Repentance handled before in generall in a greater measure and a more powerfull manner Acts 2. Corin. 7. 11. speaking of this renewed repentance which some call extraordinary repentance Beholde saith the Apostle what care what cleering c. They had care before but now a greater measure and a more watchfull care 2. In a more strickt examination of our selues Examination of our selues is to bee practised dayly but now a stricter and seuerer and that specially for our estate to godward And therefore this narrow search must discouer some secret infirmities before not found out As in reading ouer our owne workes or writings the second or third time wee espye that which we did not before So in the second reuiew of our liues by renued repentance we find out more sinnes then before 3. In a greater measure of contrition and humiliation as in those Israelites drawing buckets of water in a greater plenty of teares deeper sighes and sobbes 2. The times and occasions of this renued repentance 2. The times They are fiue 1. When wee are to performe speciall seruices to God because then wee may feare least our former negligences may come vp in account against vs therefore we must in speciall sort renue our repentance and so seeke vnto God Thus before the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Paul commands a 1. Cor. 11. 31. Gen. 35. 1. 2. c. renuing of our repentance and a fresh iudging and condemning our selues Thus Iakob renued his repentance before he went vp to Bethell and purged his family of the idolls This God also first cals for before our approching into his presence in the duties of his worship wash you make you cleane and then Isay 1. 16. 18. Come and let vs reason together So oft then as an holy seruice is to bee performed to God wee must renue our Repentance 2. When wee seeke for any speciall blessing at the hands of God Because then our sinnes may interpose themselues and so intercept the blessing desired then are wee especially to renue our repentance As when our aduersaries renue the battell against vs wee are to renew our preparation against them so must we doe heere Thus Isaac when he Gen. 24. Gen. 32. 9. sought the blessing of a good wife went out into the fields into some secret corner or other to pray Acts. 1. in speciall manner vnto the Lord. So did Iakob when he sought the mercy of deliuerance from his brother Esau So the election of ministers in the Primitiue Church was done with prayer 3 In speciall afflictions when God corrects our dulnesse and by them as by whetstones seemes to sharpen our repentance and to put an edge vppon our prayers So did Dauid in the rebellion of his son 2. Sam. 15. 26. 30. 2. Chron. 20. Absolom and Iehoshaphat when the Moabites and Ammonites came vp against him And this is that which the Prophet calls for Search your selues Zeph. 2. 1. search your selues before the decree come foorth c. wishing them in that speciall affliction to enter into a speciall examination and search of all their waies 4 In and after our speciall falls and sinnes whether grosse and more palpable or more secret such as are dulnesse coldnesse security Thus Dauid after his two sinnes of adultery and murther in a most speciall sort renued his repentance in his priuate confession to Nathan and his publique confession 2. Sam. 12. 13. Psal 51. to the whole Church Peter after his deniall went out and wept bitterly So when the Church of Ephesus was fallen into coldnesse and security the Lord calls vppon her to remember from whence Reuel 2. 5. shee was fallen to repent and doe her first workes 5. At the time of death Then because the children of God take their farewell of repentance they take also their fill of it they thinke with themselues this is the last act of my repentance it shall be therfore the best And in death Sathans temptations and consciences accusations will be strongest and therefore our preparation against them must bee more then ordinary On the sixt day the Israelites gathered double Manna because none was to bee gathered by the day following the day of rest So because the time after death is a time of rest and Sabbath from repentance therefore then should there bee a double portion of Repentance Euery motion is the swiftest towards the center It is good indeed to see men ioyfull and comfortable in their death but yet withall if we see them not humbled and penitent wee may iustly suspect their ioy Euen the holy Martyrs who exceeded in spirituall ioy and had the greatest cause of ioy that might bee were yet great in their repentance at their death Hezekiah receiuing the sentence of death turned to the wall and prayed and wept sore 2. King 20. Here mark the preposterous course of the world that make death the time of beginning repentance whereas it is indeed onely the time of renuing repentance begunne and practised before in our life-time Obiect But the thiefe on the crosse began to repent but at his death Ans It was a miracle with the glory whereof our Sauiour would honor the ignominy of the crosse We may almost as well expect a second crucifying of Christ as such a second thiefe Christ then triumphing on the crosse did as Princes doe in the triumph of entring into their kingdomes they pardon grosse offences before committed such as they pardon not afterwards CHAP. XVIII Of the motiues to Repentance from the euill it remooues HAuing thus absolued the doctrine of Repentance it will not bee amisse to close vp this Treatise with some perswasiues motiues wherby men may be induced to the practise of it Indeed the bare necessity of it might mooue but such is our dulnesse that
2. that for all their Psal 127. 2. earely vprising and their late downe-lying for all their carking and plodding they could doe no good without God built the house A wise woman builds the house Prou. 10. And yet withall God must build Prou. 10. the house too saith Dauid Not her wisdome without God So the diligent hand makes rich saies Salomon Pro. 10. 4. But the blessing of God makes rich saies the Prou. 10. 4. same Salomon Pr. 10. 22. Not diligēce without Gods Prou. 10. 22. blessing For otherwise for all the earning of great wages it is but put into a broken bagge Hag. 1. 6. So bread nourishes but withall God blessing nourishes Hagg. 1. 6. The one as the matter the othet as the forme The very heathen apprehended this point very well They made their Goddesse Prouidence to be the midwife of nature shewing that nature could doe nothing without the power of Gods prouidence And hence though the wiser of them acknowledged but one God yet to euery seuerall creature gaue they the name of God as of Ceres to the corne of Bacchus to the wine of Neptune to the waters to shew that the power of God was in these creatures and that it was not so much they but God in them and with them that wrought What a shame then for Christians to repose and secure our selues in these outward meanes Oh when one hath gotten a great liuing and great friends we say oh hee is made for euer God that can breake the staffe of bread can breake the staffe of friends riches fauour and all such meanes as wee trust to As hee did the staffe of physicke to Asa 2. Chron. 15. As he restrained 2. Chron. 15. Dan. 3. the fire Dan. 3. from hurting and from burning so can hee also from helping and from warming If wee want meanes then let vs not onely seeke to them but to God And if wee haue them though in neuer such strength and abundance yet let vs as earnestly craue Gods blessing and helpe as wee would doe in our greatest want For what haue we when we haue the meanes Haue wee God locked vp in the meanes No we haue but dead things vnable to helpe without God Therfore in the fourth petition Christ teacheth the greatest Princes that swimme in wealth to pray for their daily bread as the poorest begger Vse 3 3. This teaches vs neuer to vse meates drinkes marriage physicke recreation apparell habitation or any other of Gods creatures without prayer This sanctifies them all 1. Timoth. 4. 4. nor yet other 1. Tim. 4. 4. wise to goe about any businesse Thus Genes 9. Noah by the sacrifice after his release from the Genes 9. Arke sanctified his dwelling againe on the earth Hence of ancient did the Iewes dedicate their houses Deut. 20 5. The want of this the swinish rushing vpon the cretures makes many houses to be Deut. 20. 5. preyes to the fire theeues diuels and many mens meat to be the same to them that the quailes were to the Israelites Vse 4 4. It must teach vs specially to labour for Gods fauour to get him who is the first cause to bee on our side as our Sauiour aduises the carefull seekers after the second and inferiour causes Matth. 6. 33. Matth. 6. 33. First to seeke the Kingdome of God This is to goe to the fountaine to the well-head Who would goe to an inferiour officer if hee may haue accesse to the highest to the seruant if hee may come to the master If God be displeased with our sinnes then neither sowing eating drinking or labouring shall haue any successe as in the Iewes that neglected Gods Kingdome Hagg. 1. Therefore godlinesse is Hagg. 1. 1. Tim. 6. well called great gaine 1. Tim. 6. because it gaines God himselfe and so his blessing vpon all outward meanes and hee that gaines riches without God what hath he gained but a little grauell Pro. 20. 17. Prou. 20. 17. A sweet bargaine Vse 5 5. In the successe of the meanes let vs be thankfull to God and not sacrifice to our owne nets not applaud our owne wisedome and diligence but let God haue all the praise because without him nothing had prospered And thus much for the ordinary prouidence of 2. The extraordinary prouidence of God God Extraordinary followes but by euery word that proceedes c. that is by any thing else besides bread whatsoeuer God shall thinke good Doct. God is not tied to the second ordinary causes but he can doe that without them which he can do God is not tied to second causes 1. Without meanes with them This will appeare in these particulars 1. God sometimes workes without the meanes at all as in the first creation of the chaos and in Christs healing of many diseases Heere the word that proceedes out of Gods mouth is his owne immediate power He speakes to that and bids that alone effect this or that 2. Chron. 14. 11. It is all one with God to 2. Chro. 14. 11 saue with many or with no power namely of any meanes saue this of his owne immediately 2. God 2. By insufficient meanes sometimes workes by ordinary but those weake and insufficient meanes in the order of nature As when the bunch of figs healed Hezekiahs sore 2. King 20. 2. King 20. as when Iaakobs rods laid before the sheepe of one colour and made them conceiue and bring foorth particoloured ones Genes 30. when the winde Genes 30. brought the Israelites quailes in such abundance Exod. 16. when Gedeons three hundred souldiers Exod. 16. got the victory Iudg. 7. and Ionathan and his armor-bearer Iudg. 7. alone chased away and slew so many of the Philistims 1. Sam. 14. 6. It is not hard to the Lord to 1. Sam. 14. 6. saue with many or few Of the same kinde was it to strengthen Elias so long with one meale that hee should be able to goe forty dayes iourney together in the wildernesse 1. King 19. 8. And to this head 1. King 19. 8. may wee referre that of Merlyn who during the massacre of Paris some fortnight together was nourished with one egge a day layd by an hen that came constantly to that hay-mow where hee lay hid in that danger Thus the oyle in the widdowes cruise and meale in her barreil 1. King 17. together with the seauen loaues and two fishes in the Gospel 1. King 17. insufficient to doe that they did and yet God speaking the word to them they did it So for the apparell of the Israelites which they had when they were young and children in Aegypt to serue them till they were growen men and forty yeeres together in the wildernesse without being worne out And so for our Sauiour Christ to be conceiued onely of womans seede without mans In all these God indeede did worke by meanes but by such as weake and insufficient in the
neuer yet truely humbled for their sinnes 3 In not daring Masterly and Iudge-like to censure 3. In not censuring for the humbled sinner finds so much matter at home within himselfe that he hath no leysure to looke so much into others And therfore though seuere to himselfe yet more milde to others in meekenesse of minde esteeming euery man better then Phil 2. 3. himselfe And those faults he sees in others he takes notice of happily in himselfe or else of others as bad at least of the seedes and inclinations to those sinnes Therefore Iames after he had commanded vs to humble our selues hee addes speake not euill Aut sumus aut fuimus aut possumus esse quod hic est Iam. 4. 10 11. one of another For how doth hee humble and cast downe himselfe that goes about to cast downe others and trample them vnder his feete 4 In abasing and submitting our selues to the lowest and meanest offices of loue to our brethren 4. In submitting to lowest offices Thus the humbled sinner will make himselfe a seruant vnto all and according to the Apostles commandement will serue others by loue and bearing other 1. Cor 9. 19. Gal. 5. 13. Gal. 6 2. mens burdens so fulfills the law of Christ CHAP. IX Of the contraries to Humiliation Despaire and a seared Conscience HItherto of the grace of Humiliation it selfe Now to adde a worde or two of the contraries to it Contrary to godly humiliation or contrition are these two 1. Desperation 2. The blockish the seared and sencelesse Conscience that is past feeling Both these indeed must be auoyded but Ephes 4. yet the latter of the two is more vsuall and more dangerous more vsuall because it is more pleasing to our nature whereas Desperation is more distastefull in regard of the bitternesse And therfore Sathan wants that bait to bring men to despaire which he hath to bring men to senslesse security Therefore heere we may say as they sang of Saul and Dauid Desperation slayes thousands Security Sam. ten thousands euen as more die of intemperancy of diet then are killed by the Sword so though Despaire be more fearefull yet Security is more frequent More dangerous also because Desparation may be turned sooner to good for that the despairing person is touched with the sight of his sins feeles his owne misery But the senslesse conscience is nothing so it hath neither sight of sin nor sense of misery Both these extreames of Desperation and of Senslesnesse come from one cause and that is the neglect of the prickes and wounds of conscience It is a great mercy of God to giue vs so faire warning from a monitour within our owne bosomes The warnings others giue vs wee are ready to except against Wee cannot except against the warnings of our owne hearts But as when milder correction preuailes not with our children wee proceed to seuerer discipline so when Conscience her gentler prickings are neglected shee falles to deeper wounding and cutting when rods will do no good God puts Scorpions into her hands to scourge vs to death Euery little prick of an accusation fetches as it were some blood from thy soule Now if presently with a repenting heart thou wouldest craue the bloud of Christ to be applyed to thy soule the bleeding would be stayed But because thou neglectest the bleeding and thinkest to stay it by base medicines of thine owne therefore the wound bleedes still and thou shalt dye of it And thus we see how desperation comes from the neglect of the pricks of Conscience But againe and that more commonly the Conscience growes seared and past feeling so that a man may now sinne freely and that without controule of Conscience after that hee hath once begunne to despise the admonitions and accusations thereof So we see the Father giues ouer correcting his vnhappy child when hee growes worse for all his correcting of him Thus many mens consciences deale with them speaking in a manner vnto them as God speakes to the Iewes Why should we smite you any more since ye fall away more and more you set light by our warning we will euen giue ouer Isay 1. 5. Conscience is Gods officer and it is set by God to doe the best office that can bee to vs. But when God sees his officer not regarded hee will discharge him of his office When a wound is not taken in time the flesh festers and growes dead and rotten so also it fares with the wounds of Conscience A wounding Conscience neglected will grow a dead Conscience O then howsoeuer thou mayst set light by the checkes and rebukes of men and mayst shake off them yet neuer reiect or con-contemne the checks of Conscience In any case take heed of that for either it will continually ring such a loud peale in thine eares as shall make them to tingle and thine heart to tremble or else that which is worse it shall for euer after hold its peace Doe wee then feele the priuy nippes and secret snibs and pulls of our consciences Let vs giue ear to so wholsome a rebuker Let vs seeke presently to the Lord for mercy and forgiuenesse Let vs humble our soules before him in confession Let vs put Conscience out of office no otherwise then thus that as Conscience hath accused vs to our selues so now we will goe and accuse our selues to our God For if Consciences roddes and checks cannot driue thee to Repentance whose should Many there are that in regard of their places are free from the rods and the cheekes of men as Kings and great ones Who dare checke them None may smite them yet God in mercy towards them will 2. Sam. 24. 10. haue their Conscience to smite them as Dauids heart smote him though a King Conscience takes no notice of Kingship Therefore all euen great States and they of all others must most listen to and heede the voice of Conscience lest otherwise it fare with vs as with those whom great and violent noises continually herd at length make deafe as in those that dwell by the fall of the riuer Nilus Or as it doth with vnlucky boyes who beeing vsed to the rodde at length harden themselues and regard it not CHAP. X. Of the names whereby the second part of Repentance viz. change of heart is set out in Scripture HItherto of the former part of Repentance 2. The second part of Repentance Conuersion where Mourning Humiliation or Contrition The second followeth Turning Reformation or Conuersion where consider wee 1. The Names 2. The Nature 3. The Practise of it 1. For the names they are more especially two 1. The names of it 1. An Hebrew name signifying Turning or Conuersion 2. A Greeke name signifying After-wit or wisdome The first name is a metaphor drawen from trauellers who hauing gone out of their way must come backe againe and returne into the right way if euer they meane to arriue vnto the intended period
and before Ionas 4. 1. 2. God was all one as to haue committed that sinne againe the second time Heere is comfort then euen for relapsed persons that are intangled againe in the same offences whereout formerly they were deliuered by repentance And yet this comfort belongs onely to poore troubled consciences not to presumptuous sinners It is not to encourage any that stands to fall or that is fallen to lye still but onely him that is fallen and feeles himselfe fallen and begins to despaire of recouery to striue to get vp on foote by putting him in hope of a possibility of rising vp againe by helpe of that stone which is Luke 2. set as for the fall so and that much more for the rising againe of many But as for lesser slippes whose experience doth not tell him that euen after repentance he is again and againe hampered in the same snares of anger techinesse lust negligence secret pride hypocrisie vaine-glory c. Though yet the fruit of serious repentance before will appeare in our falling againe that we shall presently catch our selues tardie Therefore we must not be ouer much perplexed in such cases to thinke our former repentance vnsound For repentance doth not wholly take away sinne but onely weakens it lessens and impayres it And as he truely runned who afterward sitteth downe so hee may truely repent of some sin who afterward is foyled by it againe 2 Consectary is that there is no sinne so small but it needes repentance The world thinkes that repentance is onely for more grieuous sinnes as murther adultery oppression blasphemy as for lesser matters they hope they may bee dispensed withall Heere our ciuill men are to bee nipped who put away repentance from themselues because free from grosse scandall Surely though they had no vnbeleefe or prophanenesse of heart which indeede are as heynous sinnes as any yet haue they cause enough to repent if it were but for the very least idle thoughts or wordes they euer thought or spoke The children of GOD whose heart God hath softned by the touch of his spirit will be troubled euen for the least sinnes account ting no sinne little which is committed against so great a God Iohn Husse that good Martyr in his Foxe Martyrol in Epist Hess imprisonment repented for his playing at Chesse because of the losse of time and prouocation vnto anger So Bradford and Ridley for their negligences and secret infirmities euen in good actions as is to bee seene in their letters When Dauids hand did touch but the lap of Sauls garment that touch of his hand cost him blowes and stroaks of heart Euery thing is laid to heart by Gods children such things the world neuer sticks at sinnes of omission as wel as of comission Ephesus is called to Reuel 2. 4. 5. Repentance for leauing her first loue Euen not to increase in grace according to the good meanes and occasions we enioy is a matter that craues repentance fauouring our selues though in neuer so small sinnes cannot stand with repentance which turnes the backe vpon all sinnes whatsoeuer bee they great or be they small CHAP. XII Of the second part of Conuersion Turning to the Lord. THe second part of Turning is turning to the 2. Conuersion to God Lord. In sinne our backs are turned to him In repentance our faces are turned towards him For it is not enough to cease from sinne but withall we must turne to the Lord and set our hearts towards him and his kingdome O Israel if you returne returne vnto me saith the Lord. And let him that stole Ier. 4. 1. steale no more but let him labour and giue to him that Eph. 4. 28. needes For euery tree that brings not forth good fruit shall be hewen downe and cast into the fire Many lead Mat. 3. 10. a ciuill and an honest life not spotted with grosse sinnes yet for all this they haue prophane hearts turned to the world-ward not sauouring or affecting the things of God But here is the very pith of repentance The turning of the heart vpward to Heauen and fixing the eye vpon God and so making towards him with the foote that so it may be said of euery true repentant that his behauiour is as of one that is going vp to the heauenly Ierusalem Luke 9. as it was saide of Christ going to the earthly Ierusalem Oh this one thing showes how little repentance there is in this world when the shame of our affections carries vs downeward to the earth A plaine argument the heart is turned to God For in this regard a Christians conuersation is in heauen because by repentance his eye is now turned to heauen and his feete are carrying him thether apace Phil. 3. 2. This then ministers exceeding great comfort to the poore repenting sinner discouraged with his manifold slippes and infirmities and is brought to doubt of the truth of his repentance by the sense of his many and daily frailties Such an one may remember that repentance consists in a turning of the heart and affections to God not in walking in a way without a stumbling foote Repentance takes not away stumbling it takes not away slipping and sliding of the foote It keepes the face from turning from God and the foote from walking from God It fares with a repentant as with a man going vp an hill who though he may haue many fals and slippes yet still is said to bee going vp the hill because his face is toward the toppe of the hill So it is with the penitent sinner he is turning to God though he haue many falls because his face is set and the maine current of his affections is bent vpon God This therefore be thy comfort thou wentest not out to meete and to welcome sinne but it came vpon thee at vnawares and like a coward comming behind thee strooke vp thine heeles thy feet indeed slid a little downeward but thy face was still vpward But the maine point that heere is to bee insisted vpon is this that repentance alwaies brings with it a wonderfull and a palpable change and alteration of the heart and life When our affections like wilde madde horses are violently galloping to hell the spirit of God by repentance as by a bridle suddenly giues a ierke and turnes them and sets them a going as fast the other way So that those our companions in the broad way stand maruelling at vs that wee breake off company and doe not still continue running out with them into the same excesse of ryot 1. Pet. 4 4. So great is the change that not onely our selues but others also may discerne it as to maruell at it It is compared to the change of darkenesse into Eph. 5. 8. light which who sees it not yea vnto the change of a stone into flesh I will take away the stony heart and giue you a heart of flesh Why doth Sathan bid Ezek. 26. 26. Christ
was to Dauids zeale but as water vpon lyme made 2. Sam. 6. it the more hotter I will be yet more vile And other mens hatred of the trueth did but encrease his Psal 119. 126. 127. Loue They haue destroyed thy Law therefore doe I loue it A worthy example of repentants zeale in this kind was that of that repenting woman who though Christ were at dinner in a Pharises house Luke 7. and much company likely there yet in the holy madnes of her zeale she comes rushing in seeking him whom her soule loued not abashed with the company but before them all falls to kissing and washing the feete of Christ 2. Propertie This zeale of Repentance thinkes nothing too good for God or too deare for him and spares for no cost and charges in the cause of his glory Thus Dauid repenting for his numbring of the people would not haue the place for the altar and the burnt offrings of Arannah for nought but would giue him money for them So the Israelites repenting for their idolatry shewed their 2. Sam. 24. zeale in their costly offerings to the Tabernacle euen Exod. 36. till they were faine to be forbidden to offer So it was with that good woman that poured the box of costly oyntment vpon the head of Christ 3. Property It makes vs draw others to God This our Sauiour required of Peter as a fruit of his repentance that when hee was conuerted hee should strengthen his brethren In our sinnes wee are commonly Luke 22. 32. instrumentall for Sathan to draw others into our sinnes with vs. True Repentance will make vs zealous to bee as instrumentall to bring others to God I would saies Paul that not onely thou but Acts 26. 29. all heere were not onely almost but altogether as I am except my bonds 7. Duetie is Reuenge Here is the demonstration 7. Reuenge of our zeale for God and his word when we reuenge their quarrells vpon their capitall enemy the flesh the corruption of our nature There is much deceit in zeale The zeale of many is only verball It may be heard but not seene but true zeale must be seene as well as heard Come saies Iehu and see what zeale I haue for the Lord. Now as his zeale 2. King 10. 16 was seene in the reuenge which he tooke vpon Baals Priests in the slaughter of them so must our zeale appeare in our reuenge vppon the flesh which wee must wound and daily mortifie This reuenge will shew what affection we beare to our sinnes Before repentance they are so deare to vs that wee cannot endure so much as the reproofe of them but when our repentance comes then comes reuenge and we can brooke not onely reproofe of them from others but vengeance also vpon them from our selues And when once we can come to be reuenged vpon them it is a signe wee account them as enemies For no man desires reuenge but vpon his enemy Salomon knew the right mother of the child by her tender heart and earning bowells which could not indure to see the babe diuided by the sword surely when wee cannot abide the sword of reuenge to wound and slay our sinnes wee haue cause to suspect 1. Kings 3. 27. our repentance for who would bee loath to haue his enemy wounded Now this reuenging our selues vpon the flesh is Generall Especiall 1. Generally this reuenge consists in that which the Apostle calls the beating downe of the body And offering vp our bodies as sacrifices to God both which places I vnderstand of the body of sinne that is the 1. Cor. 9. 27. Rom. 12. 1. flesh which must looke for no better at our hands then a clubbe or a sacrificing knife It must be handled as Sarah handled Hagar roughly Our flesh is of a slauish disposition If a slaue be well vsed hee will grow sawcy and malapert And hee saith Salomon that brings vp his seruant delicately he will bee as his sonne nay hee will ouertop him as Ieroboam did Rehoboam at whom it is thought Salomon aymed Prou. 29. 21. at in that Prouerbe This slaue then must haue a straight hand held ouer it and must be vsed like a slaue to a whip to a cudgell Wee are not debters to the flesh wee owe it no kindnesse no fauour Rom. 8. we owe it nothing but reuenge nothing but blowes and the blue eye that S. Paul gaue it But alas how farre are wee from this how doe we feed and flesh 1. Cor 9. 27. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the flesh against the spirit what ease and content doe wee giue it How doe wee stroake and hugge and cocker it How doe we take thought for it How doe we gratifie it in all things as Dauid did Adoniah Rom. 13. 14. whom hee would not displease from his childhood to 1. King 1. 6. say why hast thou done so 2. This Reuenge is more speciall and it consists in these particulars 1. There cannot bee a greater reuenge then to spoyle our aduersary of his chiefest delight and in stead of that to vexe him with that which is most contrary thereunto Now the flesh in euery one hath some speciall darling sinne wherein shee most delights which is as her right eye in regard of pleasure or as her right hand in regard of profit Now Matth. 5. this right eye must be plucked out and wee must bee reuenged vppon the flesh as the Philistimes vppon Sampson in putting out his eyes And this right Iudges 16. 21 hand must be cut off and the flesh must bee vsed as was Adonibezek Such sinnes as are deerest must Iudges 1. be quite abandoned and the contrary graces must be carefully practised A reuenge it is on our enemy to hurt his body any where but to spoyle him of his eye or hand this is a speciall reuenge The repenting sinner in mortifying the whole body of sinne must do as Cranmer did in the burning of his body he burnt it all but first hee beganne with his right hand So the repentant must labour to consume the whole masse of the body of sinne and bring old Adams bones into ashes but yet let him beginne with the most speciall members thereof Thus did Zaccheus when hee was conuerted His gainefull sinne of wrong and oppression that went first to the pot his right hand went first to the fire Luke 19 8. Halfe my goods I giue to the poore and if I haue wronged any man by forged cauillation I restore him seuen fold Pauls maine sinne was persecution and wasting of the Church and what delight did the flesh take therein but loe how hee practised his owne rule As ye haue giuen your members seruants to vncleannesse and to iniquity to commit iniquity so now giue your members seruants vnto righteousnesse in holinesse As fast as with both hands hee pluckt Rom. 6. 19 downe so fast with both hands he built vp againe The
hoping it should not burne 2. When desiring any blessing of God wee yet refuse and neglect those 2. When we neglect any good meanes appointed for obtaining any desired blessing good means by him appointed for the obtaining of it Exāples 1. In things temporall as if being in sicknes we should refuse physick or in pouerty refuse to work for our liuing or in any danger we yet sit stil hold the hand in the bosome and stirre not looking that God should worke Like the foolish carter that when his cart stucke fast cryed to his god and mooued his lips but not his hands to help himselfe Thus if Hezekiah had refused the bunch of figges or Paul and his companions to tarry in the ship they had tempted God True faith as it wil not vse shifts but in want of meanes make God in stead of them so when meanes may be had will most carefully them As it will not deny God in deifying the meanes so neither will it tempt and mocke God in despising or neglecting the means but it wil thankfully accept and imbrace them as the very hands of God wherby be vses to work So that here to refuse means is as if we should cut off a mans hands then pray him to worke But in the things of this life few there be that neglect meanes nay here we are too ready and apprehensiue of the meanes so that we will rather vse vnlawfull meanes then none all all shall be hid vnder this that we will not tempt God as Ahaz Is 7. 12. Secondly in things spirituall Isai 7. 12. we are more blame-worthy In temporall matters where God oftentimes wold haue vs trust him with out all meanes there we greedily hunt after means but in things spirituall where God cals vpō vs to vse the means for our saluatiō to seek for knowledge as for treasure here we are full of faith and will trust God without vse of any means But this faith which wil not lay hold on the hands and helps which God affordeth vs for obtaining saluationis no faith but a presumptuous tempting of God Men would escape the danger of hell and with Balaam slothfully wish O that wee might die the death of the righteous but their hands refuse to worke the works of God They lie gaping on the bed of idlenesse as though in the mean time God would snatch them vp into heauen in a charriot Peter tels them that refused to walke in the beaten way to heauen and sought saluation Acts 15. 10. Domine Deus sac me in ijs consequendis operam collocare pro quibus obtinendis soleo adte crare by the Law of Moses that they tempted God Act. 15. 10. And heere in was Sr. Thomas Moore his prayer commendable Lord God make me to bestow paines in getting those things for obtaining whereof I vse to pray vnto thee 3. When we vndertake things that wee are not fitted and prepared to goe thorough with As to When we vndertake any thing vufitted and vnprepared pray or preach without some preparation Eccles 18. Before prayer prepare thy soule and bee not as one that tempteth God So when a man vnlearned shall take vpon him the handling of waighty controuersies against the aduersaries when Carolostadius opposed Luthers consubstantiation but weakly and insufficiently Zuinglius sayd that hee was sorry that Non satis humerorum haberet so good a cause wanted shoulders Now for a man that hath but weake shoulders to take vpon him the carriage of a burden requiring Sampsons back were to tempt God Thus doe many offend at this day in vndertaking things aboue their bodily strength as to ride so farre in such a space onely for a little lucre Though this also may be referred to the first head of casting our selues into danger Thus also might Peter tell them that tooke vpon them the bearing of the legall yoake that they tempted God Acts 15. because it was a burden which neither Acts. 15. they nor their fathers were able to beare And thus much of the second temptation The third followes Matth. 4. 8. 9. and Luke 4. The third temptation In it also consider The assault The repulse In the former also consider 1. The assault The Preparation to the temptation The vttring of it The preparation was that he tooke him againe and 1. The preparation to the temptation carried him into an high mountaine which translation I hold not imaginary but as the other to the pinnacle reall and in truth Obiect In the mountaine this sight of all the kingdomes could not bee seene for neither is any mountaine so high neither if there were could they be seene with all their glory in the twinckling of an eye For some are before and some are behinde some on this side and some on that and so cannot bee seene all in the twinckling of an eye Therefore it must needes bee that Sathan represented these things to his eye Now representation needes not a mountaine for that might bee done in a valley Answ The sight that was to be represented being so great and glorious the diuell also would set it foorth euen by the place where he represented ir Besides he might take him into the mountaine that there might bee a conuenience betwixt the sinne he tempted vnto namely ambition and aspiring after high matters and the place an high mountaine or else in an imitation of God taking vp Moses into the Mount The temptation it selfe is two-fold Principall to idolatry to fall downe and worship 2. The temptation it selfe Sathan Subordinate or inducing to the former to affect the glory of the world And this subordinate is two-fold 1. Reall in presenting the sight to his eye 1. Reall 2. Verball alluring by faire promises when he saw the dumbe shew could not preuaile For the first S. Luke sayes he did it in the twinckling of an eye which some think Sathan did the more to set our Lords teeth on water after it by sudden taking it away But it may seem rather to argue satans speedinesse in doing of it For afterward hee sayes not All those things as speaking of things not gone out of sight but All these will I giue thee speaking as of things still in sight Heere wee learne Doctrin 1 The Diuels methode in temptation to reserue his strength for the last place so that his last temptation The Diuels last temptation is commonly the sorest is commonly the sorest Euery motion is swiftest towards the center and some windes are most boysterous in the end The Diuell heerein deales as in warres they place the rascall souldier in the forefront and those of worth come behinde and as Iaakob did when Esau came set Rahel and Ioseph whom he most respected in the last place The two other temptations were slighter but heere Christ feeles the waight of his whole body that before felt but his little finger Many a man could ouercome
are you to beleeue Gods word and in the meane time to bee pinched with pouerty and held vnder in obscurity Can you liue vpon words Come hither to me I will surely make you rich great and glorious in the world if ye will be ruled by me Thus Balak enticed Balaam by gifts and told him the Lord kept him from honor Num. 24. 11. Such a Balak is Sathan promising mountains of gold to seduce vs from the Lord. Like Nebuchadnezzar Numb 24. 11. with his alluring promises as it were the melodious harmony of musicall instruments he bewitches vs and makes vs bow to his golden Idoll Like the strumpet inueigling the youth by telling Prou. 7. 16. him shee had deckt her bed with ornaments carpets laces of Aegypt and perfumed it with myrrhe aloes and cynnamon Surely this golden and glittetering bait of the diuell of all other is most alluring and preuailes most Bounty in a master is a great attractiue to his seruice Can any of the sonnes of Ishai 1. Sam. 22. 7. sayd Saul to his seruants fearing their defection to Dauid can they giue you vine-yards houses c. 1. Sam. 22. 7. when the Diuell then once hath possessed vs with a conceit of his bounty that there is assurance of rich rewards in his seruice and contrarily that in Gods nothing to be gotten but beggery and misery pouerty perseeution then he makes to begin to entertain thoughts of casting off Gods liuery to say as they Mal. 3. The proud wicked are aduanced Malac. 3. It is in vaine to serue the Lord. This temptation had almost puzzled Dauid it brought him neer falling downe his feet had almost slipt Heere was Psal 73. 2. that fearful shipwrack of Iudas vpon the rock of the 30. peeces of siluer He saw that the euent answered not his hopes in following of Christ that same temporall kingdome whereof he dreamed went not forward and himselfe disappointed of such honours and offices as vnder him he expected and long gaped for therfore he now forsakes Christ and hopes for greater matters by the Prelates and so turnes traytor to his master and chaplaine to the Prelates or rather the diuell in the Prelates Here was Demas his ouerthrow The diuell set out the world like a painted and trapped strumpet to his eye caught him persently So that he forsook Paul and embraced the present world 2. Tim. 4. 10. In the purer and primitiue Churches how came there at length such 2. Tim. 4. 10. horrible corruptions and Apostasies but the Diuell bleared and blinded their eies with ambition couetousnes perswaded them that in the simplicity of the Gospell there was little either gaine or glory vnles they corrupted it and turned it into another gospell Thus hath the diuell hatched the pestilent monster of popery out of the cockatrice egge of the loue of this world And at this day what is it that keeps men otherwise wise learned in that rotten religiō but that same golden cup which the whore of Babylon holds in her hands Pomp primacie riches fat Bishopricks Cardinalships and these golden cords bind them fast to this See The Centuriatours interpret this All these will I giue thee thus I will make thee Pope What makes many so violent so virulent against the truth the purer professors of religiō but that they look to climb to rise vp to prefermēt vpon their shoulders As Erasmus noted in his time when he said that Pauper Lutherus multos fecit diuites Poore Luther made manyrich That was it that made so many write raile against Luther because it was a step to preferment In the Common-wealth also in all callings therein this is the cause of the many corruptions that abound because the diuell is taken at his word and men doe verily beleeue that in the way of honesty and sincerity the way is stopped vp and hedged against riches and rising and contrarily is opened in the diuels broade way where they may haue elbow roome enough and doe what they will namely in the way of falsehood iniustice flattery prophanenesse swearing Sabboth-breaking dissembling and time-seruing Now the reason why this temptation so takes is Reason the sympathy our corrupt nature hath with it Naturally we loue this earth and rellish the sauour of it exceedingly O we thinke this a fine thing to liue at ease to swimme in pleasures to haue all that our hearts desire to be honoured and admired of others Many say Psal 4. who will shew vs any good that is Psal 4. 6. any lands liuings honours dignities Nay so doat we on this world that we wait not for the diuell to come and offer vs the sight of our supposed good and so to tempt vs but we euen tempt and prouoke the diuell and as though he were too slow in his office we cry out for him who will shew vs any good who will shew vs the way to get the world and the desireable profits thereof As in Iudas who went first to the diuell in his instruments with his what will ye giue me not hauing the patience to stay the Diuels leasure and to heare him offer This will I giue thee Being so sharpe set on these things the diuell beares vs in hand that the most compendious way to get and hold them is to cracke and craze conscience zeale religion and tels vs that so long as wee stand vpon such nice and curious matters wee shall neuer rise or thriue in the world Nothing is more distastefull to flesh and blood then the crosse and therefore no maruell if Christ haue so few disciples who inuites them to the crosse If any will be my disciple he must denie himselfe and take vp his crosse Nothing againe more tickling and delighting our corruption then the glory of the world and therefore no maruell if the diuell haue so many seruants who inuites them to the kingdomes of the world If any man will worship me all these kingdomes and the glory of them will I giue him Vse This being so dangerous and preuailing a temptation that hath wounded so many it must teach vs to strengthen our selues against it Which that wee may doe two maine remedies must bee vsed Remedy 1 The first is the mortification of our fleshly members the eye and the eare of olde Adam If a man Mortification of our fleshly members should come to a dead man and promise him neuer so many kingdomes and shew him neuer so much honour and glory hee is nothing mooued Now mortification make vs dead men to the world as blinde men to this goodly sight of the world and as deafe adders to the charmes of this charmer Neither then will these goodly things any more tickle vs then a iewell or a pretious stone will do a beast This mortification is that which weanes vs from the world and makes vs to be with Dauid Psal 131 Psal 131. to be to the
And on the contrary Paul speaking of the new man framing and forming him in vs. Gal. 4. 19. vses such a word as signifies an essential and substantiall forme And Heb. 13. heauen is sayd to bee a city hauing foundation No earthly thing hath any foundation but are reeling and tottering whence that phrase of the vncertainty of riches 1. 1. Tim. 6. 18. Timoth. 6. 18. Either they forsake vs liuing or we them dying 4. Meditate of the excellent reward of the life to come Wee must goe vp with Moses into Mount Nebo and see the heauenly Canaan and with Iohn into Gods mountaine and see the heauenly Ierusalem and put downe the diuels mountaine with Gods mountaine and his sight with that sight with that sight which is there when wee shall see what better things wee haue in heauen wee shall scorne the diuels offers and thinke our selues disparaged being Gods sonnes and heires of heauen to be offred such trash And therefore the diuell did not heere as in the other temptations say If thou be the sonne of God because that heere it would haue made against him as being a temptation not standing with the dignity of Gods sonnes If wee could but know our owne worth in being Gods sons and the rich inheritance this sonneship entitles vs vnto wee would scorne this world as much as an honest man hauing a sweet and well-fauoured wife of his owne would doe some filthy druggle and blouzie Postquam in montium verticem ascenderimus parua nobis vrbs moenia etiam videntur c. Sic parua videbuntur otiam diuitia gloria c. cum coelestia respicias Chrys ad pop Antioch Hom. 15. 1. Tim. 6. harlot As on the top of high mountaines the greatest houses and men seeme but small so from the toppe of Gods mountaine all these earthly things which heere wee so admire will seeme but meane and small It is because wicked men are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Peter speakes blinde and cannot see things that are a farre off such as are heauenly that they fall so in loue with the earthly This remedy Paul prescribes 1. Tim. 6. But thou ô man of God flie these things viz. couetousnesse But how Lay hold on eternall life When our desires and thoughts are in pursuit after these earthly things then should we direct them by presenting this other and better obiect of heauenly glory This last meditation serues also to answer that obiection that God rewards not his seruants fulfils not his promises of this life made to them For though he neuer should as hee often doth remember them with temporall blessings yet they are all abundantly fulfilled in the enioyment of that heauenly glory Iob. 22. 24. and Psalm 91. 16. Iob. 22. 24. Psal 91. 16. With long life will I satisfie him and shew him my saluation And therefore as Hebr. 11. God neede not Heb. 11. bee ashamed to bee called our God as falsifying his trueth because hee hath prepared a city for vs which is an vniuersall collection of all blessings All these meditations layd together and well digested wee shall bee able to answer Sathan in this temptation as the King of Sodome was answered by Abraham Gen. 14. 23. God forbid that wee should take so much as a shooe latchet of Sathan least it should Gen. 14. 23. be said Sathan hath made vs rich Now come wee to the Diuels second proofe from his ability in regard that all these things are his by Gods donation and deliuery so that hee may dispense them where and how he will Where wee haue to consider 1. The Diuels lie with the colour of it 2. His slander 3. His craking First the Diuels lie that God had giuen him all the world and the honours thereof to dispose as he 1. The Diuels lie would This is a very lie For Ps 24. 1. The earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof Psalm 75. 6. 7. Psal 24. 1. Psal 75. 6. 7. To come to preferment is neither from the East nor from the West nor from the North But God is iudge hee maketh low and hee maketh high And there was one now in presence who had sayd long agoe By mee Kings doe raigne Prou. 8. And afterward All Prou. 8. 15. power in heauen and earth is giuen to mee Matth. 28. Matth. 28. And who now truely and iustly might haue sayd concerning the deliuery of this power as Zidkiah vniustly sayd vnto Micaiah concerning the Spirit 1. King 22. When went the Spirit of the Lord from me 1. King 22. to thee So when was this power taken from mee and giuen to thee Indeede the Diuell is Gods iaylour and hath the keyes of hell deliuered vnto him hee hath fetters and irons rackes and tortures deliuered vnto him beeing an hang-man and executioner but hee hath not that deliuered vnto him which heere hee speakes off For if it were as hee sayes would hee preferre at any time his enemies to Kingdomes would hee arme them with swords against himselfe Surely Sathan will not bee diuided against himselfe Matth. 12. would hee preferre Dauid Hezekiah and Iosiah to the throne to beate Matth 12. Reuel 2. downe the throne of Sathan Reuelat. 2 would hee preferre such figgetrees to the Kingdome No surely None but Ahabs Neroes and Domitians and such vile brambles that would scratch and tear in peeces Gods Saints Either then the Diuell is a grosse lyer or a most simple foole But the Diuell is no such simple foole as to put a knife into his aduersaries hand to cut his owne throat with And therefore he is a notorious lier If it were as the Diuell would there should bee not onely no good Kings but no Kings at all but Tyrants onely For the Diuell is an enemy to kings because their authority is an enemie to him Iude 18. The cause why the Diuell so ruled then is noted Iudg. 18. to bee this In those daies there was no King in Israel Take wee heede now this being such a lie we beleeue it not The practises of many witnesse against them that they acknowledge the Diuels Lordship for in sicknesse they seeke to charmes and witches for health in pouerty for wealth in obscurity for honour by shifts and wicked meanes If we beleeued that God were Lord good meanes would suffice vs we would seeke all these outward blessings in the wayes of godlinesse and neuer seeke to get them by offending God or otherwise then by seeking him and his fauour who is the bestower of them Thus we see the Diuels lie The colour of the diuels lie Let vs see the colour of it For there is some truth in this which the Diuell speakes and that is this Doct. The Diuels chaine is sometime slackened and God lets him alone in his violent vsurpation and God sometimes lets the Diuell alone in his violent disposing of earthly things disposing of these earthly things and
fell by scorning to submit himselfe subiection to Man-God In Mahomets Alcoran it is said that the Diuell was cast out of heauen because he would not worship man Whereupon Luthers coniecture is pretty The diuell saith he hath bewrayed himselfe It is likely hee foresaw the incarnation of Christ and thence was his fall in scorning to submit himselfe to an inferiour nature And this well suites with that here related that the diuell is so farre from doing homage to Christ incarnate that he requires it from him Heerein wee haue a picture of wicked wretched men who though they haue smarted often for their sinnes as the diuell euer since his fall hath for his pride yet for all that they goe on and grow worse and worse 4. Heere are met together the basest and the worthiest of Gods creatures namely the Diuell and Christ Iesus who is not only a creature as man but also the creatour God blessed for euer Great is the oddes betwixt the diuell viler then the vilest toad and Iesus Christ the Lord of glory whom the Angels adore at whose name euery knee bowess Phil. 2. yea whom once the Diuell himselfe worshipped in heauen and yet this base Diuell would haue our blessed Lord fall downe to him The righteous falling downe before the wicked is like a troubled well and a corrupt spring Prou. 25. 26. How true had this been in Christ If the righteous Christ had fallen before the wicked Diuell for Christ is the spring of all grace to the elect It had beene happy for the Diuell if he could haue done that to Christ which hee wisheth Christ to do to himselfe Iohn Baptist thoght himselfe vnworthy to wipe Christs shooes and yet the Diuell Pope-like thinkes himselfe worthy to haue Christ kisse his shooes Whereby we see that Doct. the more base and vnworthy the wicked are the The wicked by how much the baser by so much the loftier more they seeke to domineere especially ouer the godly as Haman ouer Mordecay Neither must it seeme strange to the godly if sometimes the base refuses of the people the most dunghilly and rascall rake-hels the scumme of the earth viler then the earth rise vp against them and crow ouer them and would haue their neckes vnder their girdles nay vnder their feet since the diuell their master would so haue done with Christ our master The seruant is not aboue his master It was Iobs case and complaint Iob. 30. 1. that they whose fathers hee had refused to set with the dogges of his flockes did mocke him and grinne at him like a company of curres 5. See to what horrible sinnes the Diuell may 5. The best may be tempted to horrible sinnes tempt euen the best What more fearefull then to worship the Diuell in person yet to this sinne is Christ himselfe tempted Be not thou discouraged then if thou bee tempted to grosse and odious sins It was our Lords owne case Thus much for Sathans assault Christs repulse followes 2. Christs repulse Containing First a detestation of Sathans temptatiō Secondly a confutation of Sathans temptatiō First the detestation in the first words Auoyd Sathan 1. The detestation Hence from me Be gone speaking to him as to a dogge This teacheth Doct. 8 1. With what violence temptations especially more dangerous ones are to bee resisted Modest Temptations are violently to be resisted Ephes 6. maidenly and gingerly dealing heere is not good They are called fiery darts Eph. 6. we must therfore deale as in quenching fire Thus violent was Paul when he beat down the flesh as with a club 1. Cor. 1. Cor. 9. 9. and so here Christ deals thus violently with satan He would not endure him nor stand debating with him but commands him away As wicked men deale making themselues intractable to all good perswasions stopping their eares against them Act. 7. Acts 7. So should we do against the diuels enchantments Heerein was Eue wanting 2. Christ before spake more moderately but 2. When wickednes grows outragious we must of lambes become lyons now that the Diuell begins to thrust out his hornes and to shew himselfe plainely Christ takes him vp short and with great eagernesse and indignation bids him Auaunt When wickednesse is more mannerly and doth not so grossely discouer it selfe there is place for meekenesse But when once it growes impudent and outragious away then with mildenesse then of lambes turne we lyons and shew we the spirit of power as Paul against Elymas Act. 13. 10. Nettles if they be handled gently sting the more Therefore of some Paul sayes Rebuke them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cuttingly Tit. 1. 13. 3. Especially should a Christians spirit bee vp 3. A Christian should then be most mooued when Gods glory is defaced when Gods glory is defaced In our owne priuate iniuries mildnes is good but in Gods cause patience is blockishnesse moderation is mopishnesse toleration is cowardice Madnes then is better then meeknes This made Christ giue the Auaunt now to Satan because Gods glory was now specially shot at when the diuell would haue had a diuine worship Numb 12. 3. Moses the meekest man on earth what a spirit had he and how was he blowne vp when the people had made the golden calfe Gods blessing bee on that blessed heart that hath a stomacke against Gods dishonour and entertaines all wicked oathes and blasphemies with this Apage of our Sauiour And woe to them that crie Eugè The second poynt followes The confutation of the temptation Where are two things 2. The Confutation 1. Our Sauiours weapons 2. His manner of handling it 1. His weapon is that place out of Deut. 6. 13. out of this one booke nay almost out of this one chapter hath Christ answered all Sathans temptations Now then if there be such sufficiency in one booke in one chapter of Scripture what is in the whole How is it furnished abundantly with antidotes for euery poyson with medicines for euery disease Tobies fish and others herbs are but idle the diuell fears them as much as he doth the Papists holy water a deuise of his owne Only the Scriptures scare him Obiect If he may be chased away with harmonies as in Sauls case then why not with hearbs saith Gulielmus Parisiensis Answ The melancholly humour being the diuels seat musicke had force to asswage the force of the humor and so consequently of Sathan The musicke disabled the instrument not the Agent dispelled the melancholly not the diuell 2 His manner of handling the weapon And that is in his Allegation 1. His allegation Application 1. His allegation His manner of alleadging is that in alleadging he interprets it First by changing the word feare into worship The reason is because that feare is the more generall word and so comprehends worship the particular And besides feare is the cause of outward worship And heere we learne Doct. 1 1. That where the true feare of