may learn to kisse the sonne Psal 2. lest he be angrie and so they perish in his wrath like Sodome He came in the middle age of the world to shew that he was indifferent for the world to giue light and life vnto all that returne vnto him for God respecteth Act. 10. no persons but euerie man of what nation or countrey soeuer he be that feareth God and worketh righteousnesse is accepted of him and he will fulfill their ioyes through Christ yet not when we will but according to his owne good pleasure wheÌ„ he thinketh good Therefore stay Daniell thou shalt haue thy diner anon the Angell and Habacuc are about it Stay Helias anon 1. Kings 17. Exod. 14. the rauens will bring thee meate and thou shalt haue enough Anon Moses will deliuer Israell So saluation is alreadie prepared of God and hath bene long since with fulnesse knowledge and all excellent gifts and he will giue them to vs when he seeth good but we like whining children that will not stay till their milke be cold but would haue it though they be scalded with it so we would haue the knowledge of God and libertie before we know how to vse it We would know the high mysteries and deepe counsels of God before we know our selues we would haue the libertie of the Gospdll when we know no way how to vse it but in securitie But the Lord he will wisely giue vnto vs as it were our bellies full when he seeth it good and when heseeth vs ready for it who knoweth our hearts better then we ourselues A light to be reuealed to the Gentilos and the glorie of thy people Israell You haue heard Simeon shewing the cause why the Sonne was sent froÌ„ the Father why he became man which raigned before in Paradice What moued God to leaue his ioy and his blisse and suffer more then all the world could suffer together A great cause it is that would make a king leaue his kingdome and fal to beggerie A great and wonderfull cause it was that made Iehouah to come downe from heauen to suffer miserie vpon the earth Two causes Simeon sheweth why this Messias came from heauen The first that he might enlighten the Gentiles which sate in darknesse and the second that he might be the glorie of Israell which gloried in their sacrifices in their ceremonies and so had no glorie before he came but were like the Moone when the Sunne doth shine vpon it or like Rachel which despised Lea and became barren And they despised Gen. 19. the Gentils light like that sonne which was angrie because his lost brother came home Luke 15. againe or like those labourers which checked the Lord of the vineyard because he gaue vnto the other labourers more then he Mat. 20. gaue vnto them But the Gentiles are like Gen. 29. Lea who being despised became frutefull Simeon reioyced in Christ not onely for that he was the glorie of Israell but also for that he was the light of the Gentiles Shall the head be sorowfull because the hand is well nay rather the hand should be glad because the head is well and the head because the hand is well The father should be glad because his sonne is stronger then himselfe the mother should be glad because her daughter is wiser then her selfe the brother should be glad because his brother is richer then him selfe the mistresse should reioyce because her mayd is a better houswife then her selfe But we enuie our brethren and our neighbours because they are better then we and because God hath blessed them with temporall or spiritual things aboue vs if we see that they haue learning then we enuy them for their learning if he haue more gifts we enuie him for his giftes if he haue more knowledge we enuie him for his knowledge if he haue more zeale we enuie him for his zeale if he haue more riches we enuy him for his riches and how can we reioyce when euery bodies good is our euill and euerie bodies ioy is our sorow But fixe your eyes vpon Christ alone and he will fulfill your ioy if you looke not backe to Sodome like Lots wife If you loue ioy and gladnesse Gen. 19. Christ is ioy gladnesse if thou loue comfort why Christ is the comforter of all that beare his crosse if thou loue life Christ is eternall life if thou loue peace Christ is peace if thou loue riches Christ is full of heauenly riches and full of liberalitie to bestow them vpon all such as loue God so Christ is all in all vnto the godly they haue more ioy in Christ alwayes and in all things then the richest and glorious and sumptuous Prince in the world then SalomoÌ„ him selfe had in worldly riches honors pleasures ease or felicitie For the wicked which put their trust in riches make theÌ„ gods of gold and money ease and pleasures though they do all that they can to fulfil their lusts and take neuer so much pleasures and be neuer so merrie yet they can haue no true ioy nor no peace of conscience for all the peace the mirth sport they haue is but deceipt all false and indurable like the grasse greene in the morning and withered ere night But when the Lord doth knocke at their hearts and strike them with a feeling of their horrible transgressions as no doubt he wil then they are all in a maze and they can haue no Isa 48. and 58. ioy no peace no rest but they may say in laughter my soule is sorowfull in ease my soule hath trouble in mirth mone in riches pouertie in glorie shame in life my soule is euen dead in plentie my soule wanteth all things wherein it should reioyce it is destitute of all comfort and possessed with all slauish feares like Cain who being Lord of Gen. 4. all the earth yet had no ioy in it when God had once forsaken him Likewise Saul wheÌ„ 1. Sam. 16. God had forsaken him he had no ioy of all his kingdome nor of all his riches and then who had more ioy Saule the king or Dauid the subiect So then we see that perfect ioy can be had in nothing but in God and in Iesus Christ Wherefore as by the streame you may be led to the fountaine euen so let the ioy and peace of this life serue to leaâ—e vs to God which is perfect ioy and peace there rest like the wise men which were guided by the starre to come to the true sonne of grace Iesus Christ when he was borne and if we rest not in him when we haue found him there is no rest for vs but like the restlesse doue which fluttereth about findeth no rest any way til she returned to the Ark but we seeme as though we sought him and found him when as we do but play the hypocrite Salomon saith that the wayes of a whore are prosperitie
testimonie of your ignorance and then after a litle conference they will graunt that indeed it doth not profit theÌ„ Then we must replie and say God hath made all things to profit vs hath commanded that nothing be vsed vnprofitably no not so much as a vaine word speaking saying that for euerie idle word we must giue account at the day of iudgement Then they replie againe saying Mat. 12. if it do them no good it doth them no harme But we must reply and say it were good to beware least it do thy selfe harme Another sort wil replie and say I pray God I neuer do worse But to such we must answer I pray God you may do better you should first know whether you do not harm before you do it For in deed it must proceed of harme being spoken in doubting without faith for if you beleeued that they were layde vp in peace whome you praye for what need you pray for them at all But it shewes an vnbeleeuing heart and we know that whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne and the Lord will say of them who hath required those things at your hand you haue wrought vanities Now therefore you will not leaue it because you vsed it then will you say also we will not leaue our lying nor our swearing nor our cursing because we haue vsed it It will grieue me if I heare you vse these speeches hereafter hauing no reason nor proofe of Scripture to maintaine it by or to be your warrant in it Therefore I charge you in the name of God that you vse them not but rather when you heare this or aniâ— other sinne condemned to lay hands vpon it see that you put it to death without delay according to the law of God Simeon wished to die and had good cause so to wish because God promised that he should be deliuered from this miserable life when he had scene his glorie and the light of Gentils The wicked wish to die that thereby they might haue deliuerance from their troubles worldly vexations as they suppose which in deed is rather an increasing and aggrauating thereof But the faithfull when they wish to die they do it in great zeale and loue of God vsing it as the best remedie against sinne that therby they might ceasse froÌ„ offending their good God shewing thereby that they are as it were weaâ—ie of the seruice and bondage of Sathan and sinne Therfore they desire death that therin they may glorifie God as in their liues they haue done and sought to do For man was not borne at his owne will neither shall he die at his owne will therfore they as it were begge leaue of God for it Sampson was a figure of Christ in that he Iudg. 16. glorified God at his death more then all his life in killing so manie of Gods enemies I shewed you that they are guiltie that killed themselues with surfets or drunkennesse or intemperat vsing of them selues yea although they teÌ„der their liues neuer so deere yet they are in the guilt because they vse the meanes that dotâ— shorten it According to thy word When Sathan hath once possessed 〈◊〉 theÌ„ profits and pleasures bring vs to our possession and though they do so professe religioÌ„ and godlinesse yet they can neuer haue anie comfort by it all their life For their owne hearts accuse them for hypocrites because they wayte not for the consolation of God according to his word whatsoeuer is not done according to that word can not be acceptable and this word they care not for neither set it in any estimation When AdaÌ„ seeth his nakednesse the suttle serpent can deceiue no longer but before he saw his nakednesse he is euer deceiued and led away with the multitude into innumerable errors Some say they shall be saued by mercy and some thinke by good workes and some by the Popes pardon others say by Purgatorie and these will haue a Masse song for them as long as the world standeth and all for one sillie soule thinking to be saued by it yet see their blindnesse for they seeme to thinke that their torment shall not ceasse as long as the world staÌ„deth else why should they find and hire men to say Masse for theÌ„ so long But these are the fat morsels of Bels priests for this cause is the Popish Creed made verie fauourable to the Clergie Well say that ignorance is the mother of their deuotion for when the couetousnesse of the priests and the ignorance of the people ioyned together then they inuented Purgatorie Masses prayers for the dead and then all their trinkets For if they had not held our fathers in ignorance they would neuer haue bin Papists But when they cast a mist before the eyes of men then the blind fel into the diteh which doth containe so manie grosse corruptions I shewed vpon this woord seruant that the godly would not leaue this priuiledge for all the riches in the world for that they are the seruaunts of God fellowes to Angels and princes for we serue him whom Salomon serued who is blessed for euer Euerie seruingman beares the cognisance of his maister vpon his sleeue But what will the Lord say when he commeth and findeth vs marked with the badge of Sathan surely he will say giue vnto Sathan that which is Sathans for all the houses of Israell are sprinkled with the blood of the Lambe and all Exod. 12. Ezech. 9. Reuel 10. the mourners are marked and al the chosen are sealed with the seale of the liuing God Well was it sayd the poore receiue the Gospell The young men are more forward in the truth and more zelous then the aged Once the younger brother stole away the blessing froÌ„ the elder therefore the elder hated him euen for his zeale wheÌ„ was Iacob hated more then he is now when was he so hated and persecuted as he is now by Esau Yet in the old time men were more zealous in their age then euer we heare of them to be in their youth yea they were zealous in the Lords businesse Age hindered not Noah Gen. 6. from building of the Arke when God commaunded him age hindered not Simâ—on froÌ„ reioycing and mirth when he beheld embraced the Lord Iesus Christ Then old Simeon embraced Christ and he enioyed him with heartie ioy in zeale but now where is old Simeon there are but few of them to be seene comming to the Temple to receiue Christ but now yong men receiue yong Dan. 1. 1. Sam. 2. 3. 1. Tim. 4. PhilemoÌ„ 10 Simeons yong Daniels yong Samuels yong Timothies and yong Onesimus and the yong infants begin to speake againe The yong haue him they are zealous and I hope they wil keepe him though old men neglect him Sathan thou hast too much for nothing alreadie Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace according to thy word for mine eyes haue seene thy saluation He which
is thought to be the best yet the Lord taught not Peter one prayer and Iohn another but taught theÌ„ all one prayer vnto one onely God If per aduenture he will thinke vpon vs that we perish not This if perhaps and peraduenture cost Adam Paradise thrise three wordes were changed the first God said to Adam if thou doest eate of this tree thou shalt surely dye then Euah reported these wordes thus lest peraduenture we dye the Serpent seeing her in such a minde so carelesse or forgetfull of the commaundement he came and quite changed the matter and said you shall not dye thus sinne creeps vpon vs while doubtfulnesse remaineth in vs so God saith you shal be saued the treÌ„bling flesh saith peraduenture I shall c. then coÌ„meth SathaÌ„ he saith thou shalt dye So that if you wil aske Sinners faith what is the faith of sinners or if you would haue it defined it is this peraduenture yea peradueÌ„ture no if you wil aske me whereupon this faith is grounded it is vpon ifs ands this is the faith of the vngodly to say if so be God will helpe vs for they caÌ„not assure themselues of any helpe But we may not doubt of our God and say it may be or if peraduenture for we may freely pray to our God with confidence and may say our God and the God of Ionah wil surely helpe vs and hath helped vs but yet let vs know that we haue sinned like infidels and do deserue to be punished like the Egyptians If so be he will c. This if commeth in like a little leauen which sowreth the whole lumpe of dow and like the moth which eateth the whole wedding garment and this same litle thiefe hath stolen away all the Papistes faith Wickednesse lyeth sicke in bed and calleth to euery one that commeth by call vpon thy god pray for me if so be he will looke vpon vs and helpe vs and so the best hope when the tempest commeth is present death If so be he will thinke vpon vs. Our God thought vpon vs in the time of trouble he thought vpon vs and layd the tempest when our enemies called vpoÌ„ their gods Saints and Angels but what do we meane beloued wheÌ„ mercy is come to send for iudgement for though we be saued with Israell we haue deserued to be plagued with Pharao because we are not thaÌ„kfull for this namely that the Lord hath thought vpon vs in our distresse for he trauelleth with mercie and laboureth till he be deliuered he goeth loden like a bee but wants a hiue There are two hands a hand to giue and a hand to receiue Gods hand to giue and mans hand to receiue the hand of God is a bountifull and a mercifull hand a hand lodeÌ„ with liberalitie full of gracious gifts therefore let vs stretch foorth the good hand to A good hand receiue it thankfully to embrace it cheerfully to entertaine it and carefully to keepe it let vs receiue it by the hand of faith the hand of loue and the hand of prayer for who so commeth with this hand shall be filled and who so commeth without it shall go emptie away because they haue despised the wayes of God for when I instructed theÌ„ Proâ— 1. 24. 25. they would not heare what I taught them they would not learne saith the Lord. And they sayd euerie man to his fellow come let vs cast lots that we may knowe for whose sake this euill is vpon vs. So they cast lots and the lot fell vpon Ionah Now we are come to casting of lots that we may know who troubles the ship for the ship is tossed and readie to sinke but no man will confesse who is the cause thereof therfore they haue concluded among them selues saying come let vs cast lots that we may find him out Danger made them feare and feare made them gather together their wits and droue them into an earnest examination of the cause thereof and perswaded them to vse such meanes to auoyd these dangers as were best knowen vnto them whereupon they prayed vnto their gods seeing they could not mend them then they fall to casting of lots thereby to find out him that was the cause of all this sturre for they thought assuredly this tempest was sent from some angrie god to molest them all for the sinne of some notorious wretch that was gotten in amongst them whom now they labour to find out by casting of the lots They did not vse to cast lots this was no custome amoÌ„gst the mariners but the tempest was so strange that verie infidels might perceiue therin the mightie power of God These were like worldlings which neuer confesse God but when he commeth in a tempest they will not see his mercie vntill his iustice appeare like Pharaos sorcerers which confessed not Exod. 8. 1â— Gods maiestie while they liued at ease but when the Lord plagued them then they cried out this is the finger of God Let vs caâ—t lots The lot fell vpon Ionah in the end not because he was the greatest sinner of theÌ„ all Luke 13. 1. 2. c. for so is the opinion of the common people to censure them worst whom they see most afflicted If anie one be seene to beare his crosse then manie will say this is a wicked man and so thinke well of them selues supposing that God is bent against them to plague them For he correcteth them as he did his Sonne but if iudgement begin at the house of God what shall become of the vngodly â— Pet. 4. 17. 18. Then they said euerie man to his fellow come let vs cast lots that we may know c. Euerie man excuseth him selfe though they be sinners yet they are not great sinners They thought that there was but one sinner among them for euery one of them said it is not I they were not of Dauids spirite who when he saw the people plagued 2. Sam. 24. 10. said Lord it is I. They had past many tempestes before but they neuer cast lots for their casting of lots doth note some speciall danger supposing this tempest to be sent from some angrie god and that for some one mans sinne amongst them therefore they determined to seeke him out by lots and hauing found him to sacrifice him vnto the god that was so offended by him But if they knewe the angry gods they should haue taken their sinnes by the throte and sacrificed them vnto them In that they cast lots it sheweth that their heads were full of doubts in this time of extremitie for the wind sayd I will ouerturne theÌ„ the waters sayd I wil drowne them the ship said I cannot hold them the mariners said we cannot help Ionah nor our selues for God was gone from them and Ionah his conscience accused him within sin was bleeding and God knocked at the dore of his heart saying it is for thee the tempest is come thou fugitiue It doth not
beginneth to roote out some error or superstition at the first shall haue much a do for custome and natural corruption are the first causers of heresie and shall crie against her in the maintenance thereof and withstanders of reformation shall say great is Diana of Ephesus and so for a long time they seeme to wash the Ethiopian or the blacke More the more they wash him the more they gall him and yet he is an Ethiopian still but in the end the Arke standeth and Dagon falleth downe truth triumpheth 1. Sam. 5. ouer falshood hauing got the victorie light chaseth away darknesse with the brightnesse thereof To him that asketh what scripture haue you against it it is sufficient to answer what scripture haue you for it Is not this enough to ouerthrow it that for euerie idle word you must giue account as our sauiour Christ saith And againe saith God who hath required these things at your hands They aske what shall we not say God be with them Why should you I pray Esa 1. 2. Sam. 12. you what said Dauid of his child he said no such thing but thus he is gone and will not returne but I shal follow him If he be a good man we say the Lord be thanked for his deliuerance but if he be not then we say God graunt we may do better then he hath done that by his fall we may learne to rise from sinne Therefore as Iacob said to his wiues Gen. 35. and children giue me your idols that I may burie them so say I vnto you giue me your superstitions that I may burie theÌ„ that they may remaine with you or in you no longer to the dishonor of God offending of your weake brethren or to my griefe for I am iealous ouer you because seeing you are mine and I am yours ô that my voyce were as the whirlwind to beate downe root out and blow away all your superstitions that they may no loÌ„ger raigne among you Now to my text For mine eyes haue seene thy saluation Because the holy Ghost by inspiration had declared vnto him that he should not die til he had seene Iesus Christ therfore the same spirit led him to the temple shewed him that which it promised hauing seene the same he desireth and wisheth to die and be released from this earthly prison that he might liue with God As idle euil wishes are vaine because they are not according to faith nor grounded vpon the word of God so though we aske as cunningly as Iacob and as earnestly as the sonnes of Zebede yet if we aske not in faith according to knowledge Mar. 10. we can not obtaine for we must aske so that we may receiue that we may not returne emptie Then we see that the principal cause that moued Simeon to wish for death was because he had seene his sauiour and the true Messias which was promised by the father figured by the law spoken of by the Prophets and foretold by the fathers and pointed at by Iohn Baptist he embraced What desire should he haue of life when life and ioy and peace and the verie brightnesse of the image of God appeared vnto him for all his life is but a pilgrimage of sorow and of griefe yea a continuall combat with sin therfore what should he feare death But he might haue sayd long haue I wayted in patience but what is all the time that is past and the life that is to come to an ende My kingdome is not of this world and yet I Iohn 18. haue a kingdome whereof I am certified now I see thy saluation thou hast promised and now is thy promise fulfilled therefore blessed are they that hunger and thirst after Mat. 5. righteousnesse for none shall haue this food but they that huÌ„ger for it The murmuring Isrraelites died in the wildernesse might Num. 11. 14. and 16. and 21. c. not so much as see the land of Canaan because they murmured against their God As Moses died on the mount where he saw the land of Canaan so the godly die in the sight Deut. 34. of God in the contemplation of his glorie like Steuen who at the verie instant of Act. 7. his death saw the heauens open and Christ Iesus sitting at the right hand of his father and like Simeon here which died not till he saw the Lord of life and till he embraced him thankfully in his armes Beloued you are not ignorant that the great day of the Lord is neare at hand and therfore they that haue not yet seene Christ they that haue not yet embraced him but still sleepe without oyle in their lamps shall suddenly be ouertaken without the wedding garment and shall be cast into eternall torment for euer Mine eyes haue seâ—ne thy saluation c. Then we see that Christ was no spirit neither was his bodie a fantasticall bodie for if he were a spirit Simeon could not see him if his bodie were a fantasticall bodie then could not he haue embraced him Therfore we see that the wordes of the Scripture are true which saith that Christ was perfect man in all things sinne onely excepted For he sometime wept as at the death of Lazarus and likewise ouer Ierusalem Sometime Iohn 11. Luke 19. Iohn 4. Luke 10. Luke 5. he thirsted as at the well where the woman of Samaria disputed with him also sometime eate as at Marthaes house as also amoÌ„g Publicans and sinners which in euery thing shewed him selfe to be perfect man For mine eyes haue seene thy saluation c. O Lord saith he I desire now to be dissolued and free from the bondage of sinne which so long hath inhabited in my mortall bodie for now he is come by whom thou hast promised to free vs and set vs at liberty he is come by whom thou hast promised to breake the serpents head and he is come that will heale our infirmities and giue strength against sinne and Sathan by faith peace towards God through loue And now saith he I haue embraced him and thankfully do receiue him I beleeue and am perswaded that this is the same Messias whom the Father promised and the Prophets â—oretold all Israel loÌ„ged expected for who is the light of the Gentils the glory of Israel the God of the whole world Simeon was desirous to liue no longer in this mortall life when he saw perfect life but like Adam when he Gen. 3. came out of Paradice was desirous to come in againe or like the fish which is taken in the net out of the sea struggleth to get in againe Seeing now he is come for whom Simeon longed therfore what are the troubles that are past and the sorowes that are come to an end So they which loue the trueth of God and waite with desire to be filled with the knowledge therof such shal not die vntill they haue their hearts
she knowes not whither or like the swallow which by compulsion of the wind flyeth backward forward till it fall into the sea or like Cain whose head was giddie that he knew not whither to go fearing to be slaine of euery one whom he Gen. 4. seeth And cast the wares out that were in the ship into the sea Now the mariners are content to cast their wares into the sea in hope of some furtherance to saue their liues thereby for though many will venter their liues for riches yet they rather part with all their riches then their liues If I regard wickednesse in my heart saith Dauid the Lord will Psal 66. 18 1. Cor. 13. 3. not heare me And Paule saith though I cast my life into the fire if I haue no charitie if I retaine malice in my heart it profiteth me nothing if I cast not away sinne I Cast away sinne or thoâ— castest away all cast away all Some will giue to the poore and yet vse extortion and vsurie to get money by but God saith to such that if they regard wickednesse in their hearts it profiteth nothing Though they thinke them selues beneficiall to the poore thereby yet God will accept of them but as hypocrites he will none of their oblations vntill they haue humbled them selues and reformed their owne hearts before him from such vncleannesse THE PVNISHMENT OF IONAH Ionah 1. 5. 6. 7. 5 But Ionah vvent dovvne into the sides of the ship and he lay dovvne and vvas fast a sleepe 6 Then the ship-maister came vnto him and said vvhat meanest thou ô sleeper arise and call vpon thy God if so be he vvill thinke vpon vs that vve perish not 7 And they said euerie man to his fellovv come let vs cast lots that vve may knovv for vvhose sake this euill is come vpon vs so they cast lots and the lot fell vpon Ionah THey prayed vnto their gods their gods were now deafe whiles they were tossed and Ionah is gone to sleepe when he should haue bene better occupied we come hither to heare the word and here we fall a sleepe but it were farre better we were away for we sleepe when we should heare and so we sleepe in sinne therefore let them now giue eare that are a sleepe and thinke that the shipmaster doth iogge vs by the elbow as he did Ionah Now we are come to Ionah his sleeping not that we should sleepe with him but by his sleeping to be warned of our securitie and we shall see him waked that we may learne to wake with him By Ionah his sleeping we see the nature of all the sonnes of Adam wheÌ„ they listen to the serpeÌ„t they are like chaÌ„gelings For when they forget God and his word and bid conscience adew they sleepe in sinne and sleepe to death like one sicke of the lethargie Ionah his name signifieth a doue as I haue told you and it may well be compared for as the doue being gone out of the Arke could finde no rest for the sole of her foote till she returned into the Arke againe so when Ionah rose vp froÌ„ the presence of the Lord he could finde no rest for his minde neither by sea nor land vntill he returned againe vnto the Lord. The cause of Ionah his going downe to sleepe was to ease his mind for it was grieuously troubled Therefore now ô that Ionah could sleepe till the tempest were past but it will not be for the teÌ„pest is sent purposely to waken him And he was fast a sleepe See how litle Ionah is ashamed of his sinâ— all the world smarted for it and yet he sleepes as if he should say neither the winds blowing nor the waters â—ossing nor the ship reeling nor the wares casting nor the mariners Ionah sleeps whiles all else sturres crying with all this sturre should moue him waken him from his sleepe or raise him from his sinne Now Ionah might say I was a sleepe and all might haue perished for me if one God had not helpt more then all the rest for Ionah sleept but God waked and called to the windes and the waters saying wash him but you shall not drowne him feare him but you shall not kill him whippe him and when you haue whipt him send him to me that I may send him to Niniuie It seemeth that Ionah was fast a sleepe when the windes ouer him blowing and the water vnder him tossing the ship about him reeling the mariners by him crying the wares ouerboord in casting yet Ionah felt nothing but sleept as if there were no sturring We go farre beyond Ionah in securitie for the Lord causeth the tempest to blow downe houses the heauens to thunder ouer vs the earth to quake vnder vs the water to ouerflow the land fire to consume vs and all that we haue frost and snow ready to kil vs with cold and all things in an vprore round about vs thereby alwayes crossing vs one way or other and so to put vs in minde of our dutie the neglect wherof is the cause of all these troubles which the Lord doth send vs but we sleep with Ionah in our negligence voyde of feeling because we consider not nor search out as the mariners did for whose sake these tempestes or troubles are vpon vs whereas euery crosse should â—â—urre vs vp to amendement of life Ionah repented of his disobedieÌ„ce that we should repent of ours should we follow his example wheÌ„ we see it to be so euill that he repeÌ„ted it if we do God will deale more roughly with vs then he did with Ionah for the Lord caused a whale to swallow him and afterward to cast him vp againe but we shal be swallowed of that SerpeÌ„t which neuer restoreth againe He should haue bene their teacher if he were not a sleepe he should haue taught them to pray aright if he had any good feeling in him For all this while we read not that Ionah once condeÌ„ned his thoughts not so much as once to say in him self Ionah take heed what thou doest thou knowest how God may handle thee vpon the waters if thou flye he can ouertake thee or if thou hidest thy selfe he will finde thee out How should we be strong if a Prophet and such a Prophet as was the figure of Christ could not withstand this one temptation but suffred him selfe to be led away so farre that when he should run he lay still and when he should cry he held his peace and when he should preach at Niniuie he is going to loyter at Tarshish and so Niniuie is in her sinne yet Niniuie is in better case then Ionah In Ionah his sleeping we note and obserue In Ionahâ— sleepe two things I Most secure in greatest daunger Act. 12. 21. 22. Dan. 4. 27. 30. Dan. 5. 4. 5. Luk. 12. 19. 20. Iudg. 16. 25 30. SuddeÌ„ly destroyed two things The first is that when we thinke our selues most at rest then we are in greatest
the poore sheepe is thredbare ere he hath done and hath not a fleece left him to couer himselfe withall So he runs froÌ„ Court to Court to sue to plead till he haue speÌ„t his cloake for his coate were it not better to haue cast lots for the coate at first for the law is like a butlers boxe play still on till it come to the candlesticke Therefore it is lawfull for to end a controuersie in a hard matter to vse this meane wheÌ„ other meanes haue â—in tried Now whether it be lawfull to cast dice if lots may not be vsed as I haue proued but in hard matters weighty causes when the thing is doubtful and all good meanes are tried before to auoide strife that question is decided which none but voluptuous Arguments against â—â—cing men make question offâ— namely whether dice-play be a meet exercise for a Christian soule Salomon saith the lot causeth coÌ„teÌ„tioÌ„ Pro. 18. to cease therfore lots are to end striffe but these lots make striffe for before thou takest the dice thou knowest thine own and no man striueth to take it froÌ„ thee but wheÌ„ thou castest the dice thou doest as it were aske whether thine owne be thine own and so makest a strife of no strife Art thou not worthy to lose the gifts of God which venterest to lose them when thou needest not doest thou not deserue to forfeit thine own which art so greedy of anothers that thou wouldest haue his liuing for nothing but for turning of a dye Esau did not sell his birthright so lightly but he had somewhat for it which refreshed his hunger but God hath giuen thee a liuing and thou spendest it vainly But the mariners did cast lots to find out the sinner they did not cast dice to see who should win as dicers do for to whom the lot falls he takes all which deserues to loose all as well as the others and hath no right vnto it by any law for God hath not alowed one man to take an others goods for the tripping of a dye but either they must be merited or they must be giuen or they must be bought or else it is vnlawfully vngodly vncoÌ„scionablely to take them Besides the brawles cousinages the othes annexed to this game which would not agree with it vnles it had bene a meete coÌ„panioÌ„ for them thou takest another maÌ„s goods for nothing whereas God hath appointed thee to get thy liuing with the sweat of thy brows Gene. 3. 19. for thou takest away that which others haue sweat for whereas thou shouldest liue by working thou seekest to liue by playing like the ape which liues by â—oying Doth any dicer thinke he doth well tell me what thinkest thou for euery sinner doth coÌ„deÌ„ne in his prayer to God that which he excuseth before men if they which are gamsters repent it how can they which are gamsters defend it Thou shouldest do nothing but that thou wouldest haue God find thee doing if he should come to iudgemeÌ„t wouldest thou haue him take thee at dice I am sure thou wouldst not haue God see thee so vainly occupied neither canst thou thinke that Christ or his Prophets or Apostles or his EuaÌ„gelists were dicers for no such lots are named in the holy Scriptures yet the Lords day is most prophaned with his exercise cardes and dice tables as though they kept all their vanities to celebrate holy dayes What hast thou to alledge for dice now â—uidence is giuen vp against theÌ„ hast thou any patron to speake for theÌ„ but thy vaine pleasure filthy couetousnes which are condeÌ„â—ed already and therefore haue no voyce by law take away these take away dice. The patron coÌ„demnes the clients wheÌ„ one voyce coÌ„demnes another if the exercise were lawfull such patrons as pleasure couetousnes would not speake for it Take thy pleasure therfore in that which is good the angels wil reioyce with thee if this were good God would prosper theÌ„ better that vse it but neither winners nor loosers are gainers I know not how but there is not so much wonne as lost as though the deuil did part stakes with them draw away with a blacke hand wheÌ„ no maÌ„ seeth for the winner saith he hath not wonne halfe so much as the looser hath lost One would thinke that some of theÌ„ should flow when so many eb there is neuer an eb without a flowing neuer one looseth but another winneth but at dice. What a cursed thing is this that turnes no maÌ„ to good which robbes others beggers theÌ„ selues the schoole of deceit the shop of oths the field of vanities Thou dost not only hazard thy money in this game but veÌ„trest thy saluatioÌ„ castest dice with the deuil who shal haue thy soule For euery thing that coÌ„meth to a maÌ„ he giueth thaÌ„kes but that which coÌ„meth by dice he is ashamed to giue thankes which sheweth that in conscience that gaine is euill gotten and that he sought it without God Can this be good when wâ—â—st men vse it most if it were good the euill would like worse of it then the good but the more a maÌ„ sauoreth of any goodnes the more he begins to abhorre it and his conscience doth accuse him for it as for sinne They which doubt whether God do allow it neede but looke how he doth prosper them that vse it but they trust not in God as the termes of their occupatioÌ„ descries for they cal all their casts chances as though they relied not vpoÌ„ God but vpon chaunce Therefore if dice make strife without cause if they take away others goods for nothing if we may not liue by playing but by labour if they which haue bene dicers repent it amongst their sinnes if the holy men neuer vsed this recreation but the worst most delight in it if thou would not haue God see thee when thou playest at dice nor take thee at it when he comes to iudgement if nothing but pleasure couetousnes speake for them if they do not prosper which take pleasure in it if they trust not vpon God but relie vpon chance if thou doest not onely venture thy money but hazard thy soule then the best cast at dice is to cast them quite away FINIS A PRAYER FOR THE MORNING O Lord prepare our hearts to prayer _â— Lord God our heauenly father we thy poore wretched creatures giue thee most humble heartie thanks for our quiet and safe sleepe and for raising vs vp from the same We beseech thee for Iesus Christ his sake to prosper vs this day in our labor and trauel that principally it may be to thy glorie next to the profit of our Maister and the Common-weale and last of all to the discharging of our dutie in this our vocation Grant deare father that we may cheerfully and conscionably do our businesse and labours not as men-pleasers but as seruing thee our God knowing thee to be the chiefe Maister