TWO LEARNED AND GODLY SERMONS Preached by that reuerende and zelous man M. RICHARD GREENHAM on these partes of Scripture folowing The first Sermon on this text A good name is to be desired aboue great riches and louing fauour aboue siluer and golde Pro. 22 1. The second Sermon on this text Quench not the spirit 1. Thessa. 5 19. LONDON Printed by Gabriel Simson and William White for William Iones dwelling neare Holborne Condite at the signe of the Gunne where they are to be solde 1595. Two learned and godly Sermons preached by that reuerende and zelous man M. Richarde Greenham and the first of them is of this text folowing A good name is to he desired aboue great riches and louing fauour aboue siluer and golde Prouerbes 22.1 ALl that is to be desired of a man is this that he be vertuous godly and truly religious this because it is in it selfe most excellent most contrary to our nature therfore the Scripture vseth many argumentes and reasons to perswade vs thereunto as in this place where the Wise man would stirre vs vp to the loue of Vertue by settyng before our eyes two principall effectes and fruites which we may receiue by it The first of these is A good name The seconde is Louing fauour both which as they do proceede from vertue and godlynes so they do mainteyne and encrease one another for as a man findeth much fauour with those which do speake and report well of him so those that wyll shew a man louing fauour wil or at the least ought to shew it in this that they can willingly afforde him good report Now that both these are preferred to great Riches both these are accompted better then Golde and much Siluer and surely who so euer is truely wyse will make this accompt of them who so euer doth rightly know to discerne what is good he wil first and especially labour for them for a good name doth commende vs to God and to his holy Angels in whose eyes those vertues wherof a good name doth arise are most acceptable but Riches are not able to do this no the abundance of siluer is often an occasion of sinne whereby we are cast out of the fauour of God Againe where as riches especially if they be euilly gotten doe cause men many times to hate vs this good name and this louing fauour doth win the hartes of many yea it doth sometimes cause our enemies to be at peace with vs. And this euer hath been and euer wilbe most certaine and true whether we loke to prosperity or aduersity whether we loke to the cōmon callinges of this ciuill life or the calling of the Church for such is the corruption of mans nature that naturally they do not loue the Magistrates that God hath placed ouer them but when the Magistrate hath gotten a good report by the due execution of iustice by his pitifull dealing with the poore and by his fatherly fauour to all that be good then will his subiectes loue him then will they imbrace him then wyll they wyllyngly commit their matters into his handes and then will they with faythfull and friendly hartes cleaue and sticke fast vnto him To be short that Lawyer hath most clyantes that Phisitian hath most patientes and that Merchant hath most customers whose vertuous and godly dealing hath gottē them a good report In the callinges of the Church this also is true for if any Preacher by the faythfull discharge of his duetie and by his godly lyfe haue once gotten the fauour and friendshyp of men how gladly will men heare him how quietly will they be ruled by him in what simplicitie will they make their griefes knowen vnto him and how carefull will they be to procure his good That Schoolemaister also that hath the name of learning to teach of discretion to rule and of godlines to trayne vp his Scholers in the feare of God he neuer wants Scholers but the best men of all sides will flocke vnto him Contrary wise yf any of them be discredited through an euyll name yf the Magistrate be accompted an oppressour or a tyrant yf the Lawyer be reported to deale deceitefully yf the Minister be corrupted eyther in doctrine or in lyfe yf the Scholemaister be once knowen to be vnsufficient in learning vnwise in gouerning prophane and of no religion then wil all men be afrayde to haue any dealinges with thē those things are often found true in peace and prosperitie but in aduersitie as in the time of warre in the time of sicknes and in the time of want and pouertie they be found most true Wil not all the poore commonly in the time of warre seeke some ayde at the Magistrate who in the time of peace did good vnto them nay rather will they not al with one consent come togeather to helpe and defende with all their might and with life it selfe seeing he hath vsed all good meanes to saue and defende their liues Contrariwise how many Kinges how many Captaynes how many Magistrates haue euen in their greatest needes been left and forsaken of their Subiectes and souldiers because they haue too sharply and vnmercifully ruled them And which is more then this the Subiectes haue procured the death of their Princes the Souldiers haue layde violent handes vpon their Captaynes and the Tenantes haue been the first that haue layde violent hands vpon their Land-lordes because no pittie no compassion no friendshyp nor louyng fauour hath been shewed vnto them Agayne if Magistrate Minister or Maister or any other man by exerciseing or executing the dueties of loue haue won the hartes of the people and gotten a good name among them then in his sicknes they wyll pray for him they will visite him and they will beare with him a part of his griefe Agayne what can be more comfortable to a man then this This wyll glad him at the hart and this wyll turne his bed in all his sicknes in pouertie also he is most sonest holpen which hath the best name and hath obteyned through vertue most fauour with men for good men do consider their owne cause in him therefore are most ready to helpe him the euyl and vngodly men although they bare him no great goodwill yet they are forced to helpe him partly because his godly lyfe doth witnes vnto their soules that he doth deserue to be holpen partly because the Lord doth turne their hartes to fauour him The Widowe therefore that came to Elisha for helpe vsed this argument to perswade Elisha O man of God sayth she my husbande is dead and dyed in debt but he feared God therfore helpe I pray thee seeing the creditours are come and immediately Elisha did helpe her On the other side yf a man be euilly reported of yf he be a theefe an adulterer an athist an idolalour a riotous person or a man of hard dealing if such a man be once brought to some low sayle if he once fall into
so froward a generation and hereof they must be so much the more carefull because the wicked by such slippes and infirmities will not onely take occasion to discredite them but euen to speake euill of al their profession yea and to blaspheme the glorious worde of God and his eternall trueth Then if we be carefull of our owne good name if we haue any zeale of God his glory if we haue any care of the worlde if we haue any loue of the sainctes then let vs carefully shun all and euery infirmitie whereby Gods name is dishonored his glorious Gospel blasphemed his children greeued and we our selues discredited amongst the wicked And thus much for the open and outward sinne As open and outwarde sinne committed in the sight of man hath alwayes the punishment of an ill name ioyned with it so also secret sinnes which are hidden as it were in the darke corners of our hartes do bryng vs out of fauour and credite with God and when we are out of credite with him then doth he further make our sinnes knowen vnto men for our further discredite For nothing is so hidden which shall not be brought to light and nothing so secret which shal not be discouered euen in the sight of the worlde And that we may be the further perswaded of this let vs all know of a suretie that the Lord hath many meanes to bryng such thynges to light For he can make the fieldes to haue eyes to see our wickednesse he can make the woodes to haue eares to heare our vngodly counselles yea he can cause the walles of our bedchambers to beare witnesse against vs of our sinnes committed vpon our beddes if this will not serue he can go further and cause our friendes to fall out with vs and the men of our counsell to bewray our wickednesse and though we had not any such purpose when we make him priuie to our deuises yet in displeasure the Lord doth cause him all at once to breake out the matter yea rather then thou shouldest beare no reproch for thy secret sinnes the Lord will cause thine owne mouth to testifie agaynst thee and thine owne wordes shall get thee discredite For eyther vnawares thou shalt bewray thy selfe or in thy sleepe by dreames thou shalt make the thing knowen or in thy sicknesse thou shalt raue of it or in some fransie thou shalt vomit it out or els the torment of thy euyll conscience shalbe so sharpe that euen to thine owne shame and confusion thou shalt confesse thy fault Last of all when thou thinkest or deuisest euyll agaynst thy neighbour though it be neuer so secretly yet besides all the former the Lord hath an other meanes whereby he will bring thee to discredite for it and this is a very vehement suspition raysed vp in the hart of him of whom thou deemest this euyll for as it often commeth to passe that good motions which aryse secretly in the minde for the good of others do cause that other men do thinke wel of thee though they did neuer heare of thē so doubtlesse doth it come to passe in euyl motions Thou deuisest euyll agaynst another he in some strange maner hath a hart burning and ielowsie ouer thee Thou thinkest hardly of another man he also is hardly perswaded of thee Thus the lord doth cause thee to be discredited in the hartes of others as thou meanest euil against others in thy hart True it is that the partie may sinne and doe very ill if he suspect without iust cause and in as much as he doth thus suspect through an immoderate loue of himselfe yet the worke of the Lord is here somtime to be considered who seeing the cause to be iust doth stirre vp such suspitions in his minde Then to returne to our purpose If we wyll auoyde an euyll name then we must auoyde all euyll surmises and deuises agaynst others and this the Scripture doth also forbid vs. For Eccle. 7. the Wyse man from the moūth of God doth forbid vs to thinke yll of the King in our bed chambers because that byrdes and other dumme creatures shall disclose the thing rather then it shalbe kept close This then must make vs afrayde to do euyll or imagine ill on our bed or to declare our deepe counselles euen vnto them that lie in our bosomes and this as it is a good meanes to prouide for a good name so it is a speciall rule of all godlynesse when we be afrayde not of open sinnes alone but euen of the secrete cogitations of the hart Thus we haue heard the first step that leadeth to a good name The second remayneth to be declared and that is a godly ielowsie ouer a mans owne doinges that they may not breede suspition of euill For it doth often come to passe that albeit a man doe not that which is simply euill yet he may iustly be suspected and suffer some blemysh in his good name and for this cause doth the Apostle charge vs To procure honest things in the sight of God and man For this cause he commaundeth vs that If there be any thing honest or If there be any thing of good report that we must folow and that we must imbrace It is not enough therefore that men do say I did thinke no euyll I meane no harme For if through want of care or of discretion thou haue ventured vpon the occasion thou hast geuen great matter of euill speaches to thy great discredite If then we will auoyde this euill name we must auoyde all thinges that bryng it For when men wyll care lytle to giue occasion then the Lord doth cause an euyll report to be layde vpon them that those which in deede are desperate may suffer iust discredite and they that be otherwise may be reclaimed from the same And surely such is the crookednesse of mans nature that yf the Lord should not take this course euen his chyldren woulde fall into many sinnes therefore it is most requisite that men be mindfullto auoyde occasions and so much the rather because as it is commonly sayd Eyther God or the Deuil stand at thy elbow to worke vpon thee Let vs see this in some example of our common lyfe Thou art a night goer walking abrode at incōuenient times at that time some thing is stolen and thou art burthened charged with it Agayne thou vsest to deale too familiarly and lightly with a Mayde she is gotten with chylde and the fault is layde on thee hereof thou hast giuen suspition because thou hast bin a night goer and such a one as hast dealt wantonly with the Mayde albeit thou be free from the very fact Now yf thou be the chylde of God and yf thou be guyded by his good spirit then will he teach thee to take profite by this false report and to say thus with thy selfe Lord thou knowest that I am cleare from this very acte yet it was my sinne to giue any such occasion whereby men might
suspect me this sinne O Lorde I am guyly of and I know thou for this sinne hast afflicted me iustly yet deare father I see thy mercie in this that whereas in deede I haue committed many sinnes thou hast passed ouer them and taken this whereof I am not so much guyltie so that now mercifull father I do rather suffer for righteousnesse then for my transgression and my sinne yea holy father I do beholde thy tender mercy in this towardes me that by this euyll report thou goest about to stay me from the sinne and to preuent me that I may neuer fall into the same wherefore seeing it hath bin thy good pleasure to deale thus with me beholde Lord I do repent me of my former sinnes and promyse before thee euen in thy feare neyther to do this nor the like sinne hereafter See heere I beseech you the good profite which a good chylde of God through Gods spirite will take of this slanderous reproch after he hath receiued some godly sorow for geuing the occasion of that report But beholde the contrarie worke of Satan in the hart of vnbeleeuers for he will soone teach them their lesson and cause them to say thus What doth the churle accuse me without a cause doth he father such a villanous acte vpon me who neuer deserued it at his handes surely he shal not say so for nought I will make his saying true and wil do the thing in deede Consider then this you that feare the Lord and see in how tickelysh state they do stande which haue geuen occasion and in what great danger they be to be brought to to commit the same or lyke sinne afterwarde Therefore yf any man wilbe sure to keepe his good name then must he keepe him selfe from all such occasions as in any wyse might impayre or hinder it And this much for this second step whereby we ryse to a good name Thus we haue heard of two degrees towarde a good name in the auoyding of euil and the occasions thereof And these in deede haue a great force to stay an euil name but surely they be not able to buylde vp a good name credite among men To these therefore there must be added a third thing which hath most speciall force to this purpose and that is that we be plentifull in good workes This doth our sauiour charge vs to be carefull of when he sayth Let your lyght so shyne before men that they may see your good workes Many men repine at the good report of an other mā and they be greatly greeued because they them selues be not in the lyke or some greater credite But alas they shoulde rather be greeued at them selues because the fault is in them For they regarde not to doe good they are carelesse of good workes and therefore the Lord is carelesse of them and their credite Well then he that wylbe commended must do the thynges that be commendable he must doe good workes yea he must do good and pursue it yet we must know that it is not one good worke nor two nor three that can gayne vs a good name in deede but it is required of vs that we be Riche in well doing and continually geuen to euery good worke For as pretious oyntment whereunto a good name is lykoned is made of many and most excellent simples so a good name cannot be gotten but by many and most excellent vertues Now when we feele our selues affected to good and to all maner of goodnesse then are we warely to see to two thynges First that all our workes be done with a simple and sinceere affection secondly that they be done with good discretion For when a thyng is done vndiscreetely and without aduice it looseth the grace and beautie of the deede and therefore though the thing be good yet no great prayse doth come of it because it was not done with good discretion likewise when men do things with sinister affections and to some other ende then to the glorie of God they do commonly loose the price of their doinges and hereof it commeth to passe that many men which do good workes to merite by them or to win the fauour of their superiours or to be of good report amongst the people or to some such other ende when I say men do things to this ende the Lord punisheth them with the contrary and in steade of deseruing glory he powreth confusion vpon them in steade of honour he geueth contempt and in steade of riches beggarie And albeit men may pretende the glory of God and face out their wickednesse with a fresh colour yet the Lord will bring their wickednesse to lyght And truely it is marueylous to see how the Lord layeth folly vpon such men so that although that in their wysedome they thinke to bleare the eyes of all men yet the simple sort doth beholde their foolysh shyftes to their discredite therefore when thou hast done well and yet art ill reported off do not straight way storme agaynst him which hath raysed vp this report on the neyther do thou ouer hastely cleare thy selfe but rather before the Lord examine thine owne hart and see with what affection thou hast done it And if we finde wickednesse in our hartes then let vs be humbled before the Lord and know that he hath caused vs to be thus euill spoken off first to correct and secondly to try vs. For when the Lord doth see vs lyke Scribes and Pharisees seeking rewardes then he doth punish vs with the losse of our labour and with shame among men to see if thereby he can bring vs to the fight of sinne which before we neither woulde nor could see And agayne when we haue thus done he doth trie vs whether there be any goodnesse in our harts which may moue vs to continue in well doing notwithstandyng we be euyll spoken off Heere then we see what fruite we must make of such reportes namely they must first bring vs to a sight and feelyng of our sinnes and secondly they must cause vs with great vprightnesse to continue in well doing True it is that a man may be accused to haue had this or that purpose in his doinges although he haue done the thinges in the simplicitie of his hart but when a man through examination doth finde his hart vpright then he receyueth great comfort by it then he may commend him selfe vnto the Lord and his cause into his handes for the Lorde maynteyneth good tongues and hartes but he will cut out the tongue that speaketh lyes He will cause the ryghteousnesse of the ryghteous to shyne as the noone day and as the Sunne after a cloude but the wicked shalbe couered with their owne confusion as with a cloake This shall the godly see and reioyce therein but the mouth of the wicked shalbe stopped Thus we haue runne through these thynges whereby a good name may be gotten and not only that but wherby a man may be preserued in a
good name and credite and therfore surely more to be regarded and obserued of vs. For first of all we see what force the good credite of the reformed Churches hath to perswade men to imbrace trueth and how soone men wilbe moued to continue stedfast when they see the steadfast continuance of good men in all godlynesse Agayne we know what great offence is geuen to the weake when whole churches or some perticuler persons do not stande in credite nor maynteyne by goodnes their good name which they had gotten by great vertues The very heathen did see this and therefore they say it was as great a prayse to keepe prayse as to get it yea and when they saw what great inconuenience it would aryse when men did not satisfie the expectation of the people they thought much better neuer to haue any good report among men then to loose it after it had bin gotten therefore to shut vp this whole matter in one word if any man if any household if any towne if any countrey be carefull to haue an honest report amongst men then they must eschew euyll and doe good then must they seeke peace and pursue it and if once hauing gotten a good name they would gladly keepe it thē they must vse the same meanes c. so shall they haue it both of God and man Now because men do suffer much discredite and are very yll reported of amongst men it shalbe good to consider what profite and vse we may make of such reproches and euill reportes and this we shall do the better if we consider and know vpon what groundes these reproches do arise First therefore we must learne that men may be ill reported of eyther for euill or well doing When men therefore are euill spoken of they must trie first whether it be for euil or good and if it be for euill then must they go a degree further to finde whether it be for some euill worke which they haue committed or for some occasion which they haue giuen When a man is euill reported of for some euil deede he hath done that euyll deene of his is eyther manifestly knowen or els vnknowen And sure it is a thyng most common amongst men to suffer discredite for open and grosse sinnes yet very fewe doe rightly profite by it For some are shamelesse and care not what men say of them and therefore in deede are vnfitte to receyue any profite by suche reportes therefore after the most sharpe and seueere censure of the Churche they must be committed to the handes of the Magistrate to be punished in the purse and the body and yet surely suche are their whoryshe faces that there is small hope of amendement in them For it doth often come to passe that they which wyll not profite by the Churche can not receyue profite by the Magistrate Therefore after all this they must be left to the Lorde to worke yf it be his wyll by some extraordinarie meanes vpon their hartes which are exceedyngly hardoned Other some there be who being put to open shame are sorowful in deede but this sorow is because they susteine open shame rather then for this that they haue sinned agaynst the Lorde These are in some degree better then the former and yet they come not so far as they ought to do For the deuill hauing bewitched thē doth perswade them that it is no such matter as men would make it and that as a wonder lasteth but nine dayes so this shame shalbe of no longer cōtinuance Thus they are letted so that the shame can not sinke into their hartes there to worke godly sorrowe which may bryng foorth vnfeygned repentance This is dayly seene in Theeues and Whores and suche lyke malefactours who though they make large promises of amendement yet the punishment being passed they fall into their former filthinesse agayne but some thynke that they do dissemble and deale deceitefully but I thinke that they thinke as they speake and that they speake with sorow and griefe For will a Theefe purpose to steale agayne when he is to be hanged Will a childe purpose to play the wanton when he is a beating no doubtlesse but in the one there is chyldishnesse to speake without aduice in the other is seruilenesse to be mooued with nothyng but present feare I graunt in deede that there is hipocrasie in them yet that grosse hipocrasie whereby men labour to deceyue others is not in them but that most close and most dangerous hipocrasie whereby the deuill hath beguyled their owne hartes through his subtiltie This witcherie of the deuill I say is the cause why many promysing amendement doe not performe the same Thus we see how men doe misse of that profite which ought to be reaped of open shame We therefore are to take a better course and to labour that as our faces do blushe before men so our soules may be confounded before the Lord that being throughly humbled vnder his hande by godly sorow it may please him in mercie to rayse vs vp Now if we doubt whether our sorow be sounde or no let vs try it by these two rules First whether we can with contented myndes take the punishment as a correction from the Lord and yet mourne and be greeued for the sinne and yet in such maner as geuing place to Gods iustice in punishyng we can labour for mercie in the forgiuenesse of sinnes Secondly eyther when we could keepe the sinne close we can yet with Dauid freely confesse and say Agaynst thee O Lord haue I sinned This if we can do it is a sure argument that our sorow is godly and that we haue profited well by that reproch which our sinne did bryng vppon vs. As the sinne is sometyme so euident that it can not be couered so agayne the sinne in deede may be committed and yet eyther not knowen nor suspected or els probable by suspitions when the sinne is in this case the Lorde may cause a man that hath so sinned to be accused or euyll spoken of for that sinne Heere the partie offendyng must first learne to deale wysely and in suche maner as the sinne may be kept close styll yf it may be done without any other sinne But yf an othe of the Lorde be required then yf we giue God the glory though it be with our owne shame and confesse the fault Secondly that for the profite that must be made of such reportes we must learne with thankefull hartes to receyue this mercifull chastisement of the Lorde and acknowledge it to his prayse for he might haue punished vs for those sinnes which were manifest yet he hath passed ouer them he might haue made these knowen but he spared our name and our credite therefore for a seconde fruite this mercie of the Lorde must leade vs to repentaunce and to an earnest sorow for all our sinnes For it were too too grosse that we shoulde continue in sinne because we can not be conuicted of sinne For
or of our redemption iustification by him yea speake of that high and waighty heauens of glory wherewith the elect shalbe crowned all this moueth not we are litle affected therewith vnlesse God giue vs of this good spirite to profite by the same The Apostle therefore with good reason gaue this precept and we for many causes are to lysten vnto it least by any meanes the spirit of God be quenched in vs and so we depriue our selues of all the fruites Now whereas the Apostle sayth Quench not the spirit it may appeare he speaketh to those that had already receyued it For as the fire can not be sayd to be quenched where it is not so they can not be sayde to quench or loose the spirit which haue not as yet receyued the spirit Then know that this precept doth properly belong to them that haue receyued the spirit of God and they especially are to make a speciall vse of it for the other it can not profite them vnlesse that as the seede lying in the grounde a long time doth afterwarde budde and become fruitefull so they continue in their myndes tyll they haue tasted in some good sort of the spirit of God and then breede in them some carefulnes that they do not quench it Well then to them that haue felt and founde the spirite of God in them to them sayth S. Paul in this place Take heede that ye quench not the spirite Of this if we do somewhat seriously consider these questions will offer them selues and soone arise in our mindes First how we may know whether we haue the spirit of God or no. Secondly if we haue it whether it may be lost or no which if they be well and sufficiently considered wil doubtlesse giue great force to this precept For the first yf we will know whether we haue the spirit or no we must surely vnderstand that as he knoweth that he hath lyfe which feeleth it in himselfe so he best knoweth whether he haue the spirit of God that feeleth the spirit working in him If we will further know by the peculiar working and effectes of the spirite then let vs marke these First of all if there be nothing in man but the nature of man if nothing but that may be obteyned by the nature and industrie of a man then surely in that man is not the spirit of God for the spirit is from God it is from aboue it is aboue nature and therefore the Apostle doth set the spirit of God against the spirit of the worlde when he saith We haue receiued the spirite not of the worlde but of God Beside the spirit of God is eternal and endureth for euer but all the doinges and deuises of men they perish and in time haue an ende Therefore though a man haue wysedome with great knowledge though in wit and skill he passe and excell the common sort of men yet if from aboue he haue not bin inlyghtned if from heauen his wysedome be not sanctified his knowledge shall decay his wysedome wyther like grasse and as yet he hath not tasted of the spirite of God that endureth for euer And therefore sayth S. Paul We teach the mysteries of God which none no not the Princes and the men of this worlde which are aboue others most excellent are not able to vnderstande Secondly consider whether there be in thee any alteration or change for the wyse men that were expert in nature coulde say That in euery generation there is a corruption so that as seede in the grounde so sinne in our natural body should decay that the new man might be raysed vp the spirit of God taking possession in our soules Therefore the Euangelist Iohn doth make this the first worke of the spirit that it shall rebuke the worlde of sinne and this so needefull that without it there is not the spirite of God neyther yet can Christ come and enter into that man Hereof it was that Christ compared the Iewes to Chyldren in the market place who woulde not daunce though they were piped vnto and the reason was because they had not first learned with Iohn to mourne for they that by the preaching of Iohn learned to lament their sinnes for their sinnes were pensiue nay rather their owne soules they receyued Christ they daunced and reioyced to heare the ioyfull tydinges of the Gospel Therefore Christ saith That the Whores and Harlots entred into the kingdome of heauen seeing they lamented their sinnes before the proude Pharisees which with no remorce were touched for their sinnes And for the same cause it is that Christ calleth vnto him them onely that laboure and are heauie loden teaching them that yf they finde not sinne a heauy loade and burthen to them they haue not the spirit of God neyther are they fitte to receiue Christ. Then to be rebuked of sinne is the first worke of the spirit which the spirit worketh in vs by these degrees First it rayseth vppon vs a great and generall astonishment because of all these great and greeuous sinnes that we haue committed and this doth strike vs downe it doth terrifie vs and holde vs amazed woonderfully then it dealeth with vs more perticularly and besides that it bringeth vs vnto a speciall griefe for speciall sinnes doth bereaue vs of our chiefe desires and bringeth vs out of conceite of the best thinges that are in vs for then it doth display vnto vs the vanitie and darkenesse of our vnderstanding how vnfit and vnmeete we are to vnderstande and conceaue the thynges that do aboue all others especially concerne vs then doth it let vs see the peruerse corruption of our iudgement that before God and in thynges belongyng to God we be bruite beastes not able to discerne thinges that differ nor to put a sounde difference betweene good and euyll then doth it let vs see that our reason is vnreasonable nay that it is hurtfull vnto vs a great enemie to fayth and a great patrone of infidelitie and vnbeliefe When it commeth to our affections it turneth thē vpside downe it turneth our myrth into mourning and pleasure into paynefulnesse and our great delyght into most bitter griefe If it proceede further and come once to the hart and to the stomacke and courage that is in vs then it cutteth vs to the quicke then doth it at once throw vs downe in humility vnder the hand of God for whyle we had to deale with men we were as stoute as any and would not start for the best We had reason to see for our selues and courage to defende our selues agaynst all them that dyd deale with vs but now the spirite draweth vs into the presence of God it letteth vs see that we haue to do with God and that our strength is weakenesse in respect of him Then our hartes begin to fayle vs then do we lay our handes on our mouthes and dare not answere then do we quickly take vp our crosse because the Lord himselfe hath done it
Beholde here now the spirite worketh beholde how sinne is corrected and who so can beholde here this in him selfe may assuredly say that the spirit of God is in him that it is not in vayne in him it is myghtie and liuely in operation in his hart And the thirde note and effect is the bringing forwarde of this worke vnto iustification for when as the spirite hath brought vs thus farre then doth it beginne to open vnto vs a doore vnto the graces fauour of God it doth put it into our mindes that there is mercie with God and therefore styrreth vs vp to seeke mercie at his handes after that it doth let vs see how Christ suffered to take away the sinnes of the worlde that in the righteousnesse of Christ we may looke to be iustified before God And this it doth not let vs see only but doth effectually worke a sure perswasion of it in our hartes and confirmeth the same by two notable effectes The first is a ioy vnspeakable and glorious wherwith our hartes must needes be taken vp and rauished when we see our selues by the righteousnesse of Christ the free mercie and grace of God redeemed from death delyuered from hell and freed from the condition of the wicked The second is the peace of cōscience which in deede passeth all vnderstanding While sinne and the guilt of sinne remayned there was no peace no rest no quietnesse to be founde but feare with terrours without and troubles on euery side But when sinne is once nayled to the crosse of Christ when the guilt of sinne is taken out of our consciences and the punishment thereof far remoued then must needes ensue great peace for our enemies dare not proceede against vs our sinnes are forgiuen vs and God is at one with vs and for this we haue the warrant and testimonie of the spirit Can flesh and blood perswade vs of it can any creature assure vs how God is affected towardes vs no doubtless And therefore where this ioy and this peace is there must needes be the holy ghost the author and worker of the same for as no man knoweth what is in man but the spirit of man which is in him so none knoweth the will of God but the spirit of God and therefore it is the spirite of God that must certifie our hartes and spirites of the same And hereof doth aryse that which we take as the note when we see in our selues to wit the basenesse and vnablenesse that is in vs to do good for when a man doth finde fauoure with God from the forgiuenesse of sinnes then the loue of God cōstrayneth him that ioy which he conceiueth inforceth him and putteth lyfe into him for the performance of these thinges which are pleasing vnto God then he beginneth to finde himselfe not onely retayned from euyll but applyed and framed to that which is good then is his vnderstanding inlyghtened to see into the mysteries of godlynesse and into the great rocke of his redemption and into whatsoeuer concerneth the sauing health of his soule then is his iudgement reformed and he is made able to iudge betweene false religion and pure betweene the workes of the fleshe and the spirite that which is good and that which is euyll and displeasing in the syght of God Then are his affections in some good measure altered his desire is set not vpon earthly but vpon heauenly thinges his ioyes are not in the earth but in the heauens his anger is wasted and spent not vpon his owne priuate cause and quarrels but vpon his owne sinnes and whatsoeuer hindereth the glory of his God This is the lyfe of God in him thus he lyueth that hath receyued the spirite and thus he leadeth his lyfe continually for they that haue receyued the spirit are led by the spirit and do lyue accordingly brynging foorth the fruites of the spirit But this hath weakenes ioyned with it and men through frayltie may fall and therefore their lyfe is sayd To be hid in Christ because in full and perfect maner it doth not appeare therefore yf notwith standing these fraylties and falles we will know whether we styll retayne the spirite of God we must search our selues and try our hartes by these rules First if through frayltie we haue fallen for who is he that falleth not If we will then know whether by our fall we haue lost the spirite of God let vs see what lyking or mislyking we haue of sinne for if after our fall we do holde our formed hatred of sinne and the more we fall the more through deadly hatred we conceaue agaynst sinne vndoubtedly the frayletie hath not as yet depriued vs of the spirite Secondly come and see how it standeth with thy sorow for so long as this sorow encreaseth for thy sinnes it cannot be thought that sinne and the fleshe hath vtterly quenched the spirit in thee Thirdly try thy care and if thou grone in a godly care both how thou mayst be able to wage battayle in the playne fielde with sinne and how thou mayst preuent him in all his policies thou hast a further assurance that sinne although it be as great as Goliah yet it hath not preuayled agaynst thy poore and litle Dauid I say agaynst those fewe and small graces which the good spirtie of God hath bestowed vppon thee but the last it is most certayne and that is this When thou art carefull to redeeme that which by thy fall thou hast lost and hast a care to runne so much faster forwarde by how much more thou hast been letted by thy fall then it doth appeare that the spirite is in thee yea lyuely and mighty in operation and such as shall neuer be taken from the vntyll the day of Christ. Thus may we in some good and competent measure proue whether we haue the spirit of God or no for where the fruites are to be founde there is also the spirit of God For further confirmation whereof we may note the manner of speache where he sayth Quench not the spirit We do commonly say the fire is quenched where the light and heate there of is taken away and in deede nothyng can properly be sayd to be quenched but the fire Now wheras the Apostle saith quench not the spirite he giueth vs to vnderstande that the spirit is in some respect lyke vnto fire therefore if we do but a lytle consider of the nature of fire we shall the better iudge of the spirit And among others we finde these properties of fire First it wil consume thynges consumeable and therefore lyghting vpon straw or stubble or such lyke it bryngeth them to ashes Secondly it doth purge and purifie those thinges that can abide to be purged and this it doth fyrst by taking away the superfluitie of drosse that hath ouer couered the thing to be purged Secondly by making the thing it selfe purer purer Thirdly it geueth light in the darkest places But last of all it geueth heate