vertue honor vpon others wherby their persons are inuested with maiesty vpon others comlines whereby the other two are graced vpon others orchards which they planted not or at least vnto which they gaue no increase vpon others increase of vertuous children whereby their posteritie is preserued vpon others the free passage of his word which a long time had beene obscured by ignorance the mother of deuotion as the shauelings call it but vnder a stepdame of destructiō as we perceiue it though he bestow but som one or two of his blessings vpon vs yet how much are wee bound for these blessings to sing praise honor and glory vnto him that sitteth vpon the throne and vnto the Lambe for euer But vpon whom hee hath bestowed all these blessings O how strictly by good cause are they bound to magnifie the Lorde and to reioice in God their Sauiour Examine then your owne consciences I beseech yee whether God hath bestowed all these blessings vpon you or no and if he haue O what great cause haue yee to come before his face with praise to sing lowde vnto him with Psalmes to worship to fal downe before him to giue vnto the Lorde the glory of his name to bring an offering of thanksgiuing and to enter into his courts with praise And yet who knoweth whether the Lord hath greater blessings for ye in store ye may bee sure hee will pul downe the mightie from their seate and exalt the humble and meeke Surely the Lorde doth vse vertue as a meane to bring vs to honor and whosoeuer you shall see endued with the vertues of this texte I meane with seeking vnto God with praier and puritie of life ye maybee sure there is a blessing reserued for him of the Lorde yea such a blessing as though his beginning bee but small yet his latter end shal greatly increase God increase the loue of these thinges in our hearts and make vs worthy of Christs blessinges which he hath plentifullie in store for vs that after hee hath heaped temporall blessings vpon vs hee would giue vs the blessing of all blessings euen the life of the world to come FINIS MARIES CHOICE Luke 10. 38. 39 c. 38 Now it came to passe as they went that hee entred into a certaine towne and a certaine woman named Martha receiued him into her house 39 And she had a sister called Mary which also sate at Iesus feet and heard his preaching 40 But Martha was cumbred about much seruing and came to him and saide Maister doest thou not care that my sister hath left mee to serue alone bid her therefore that she helpe me 41 And Iesus answered and said vnto her Martha Martha thou carest and art troubled about many things 42 But one thing is needefull Mary hath chosen the good part which shall not be taken away from her AS Christ had shewed himselfe louing vnto Lazarus and his sisters in raising him from the death of the bodie and then from the death of the soule so doe they heere shewe their thankefull mindes to Christ againe the one by receiuing him into her house and the other by entertaining him into her heart As hee was God he was receiued of Mary as he was man he was receiued of Martha They both desired to entertaine our Sauiour as Iacob and Esau desired to please their aged father but Mary made choise of the better part and was preferred before her sister as Iacob sped soonest of most dainty venison and preuented his brother of the blessing And although the care of Martha in entertaining of Christ be not to bee misliked yet Maries diligence in hearing his doctrine is of purpose preferred to teach vs that it is much better with Marie to study in the worde and first to seeke the kingdome of God than with Martha to labour in the worlde and to neglect that heauenlie kingdome And yet notwithstanding such is the corruption of this rusty age that our greatest care is to prouide for this present life as the rich man Luke 12. that inlarged his barnes wherein to put his store for many yeares but wee neuer or verie late remember to prouide for the life to come like that other rich man Luke 16. that neuer thought of heauen till hee was tormented in the flames of hell In the 11. of Iohn Christ is said to loue the whole familie and here he is saide to come vnto them For whome hee loueth hee cannot choose but visite like the friendes of Iob that came to comfort him in his great aduersitie yea and the greater loue he beareth vnto any the oftner hee wil resort vnto them yea he will come and dwell with them Ioh. 14. 23. Like Iacob that came downe into Egypt to his beloued sonne Ioseph and dwelt in Goshen But Christ is yet more kind then Iacob was for he came not till hee was sent for with horses and Chariots but Christ came of his owne accord to this beloued familie Thus doth hee alwaies preuent vs with his blessings before he was desired he came into the world he called his Apostles before they came to him and before hee was requested hee came vnto this noble house O happie house that entertained such a guest but thrice happie inhabitants to whome such a guest would vouchsafe to come When hee came to the swinish Gadarens they desired him to departe out of their coastes preferring their swine aboue their Sauiour but this godlie familie receiued them into their house preferring their God before their golde and the health of their soules before their worldlie wealth They receiued him into their house who had not a house wherein to put his head Wherein their hospitalitie is commended and shall certainly bee rewarded at the dreadfull day for with this and such like workes of mercy the Lorde shall answere the sentence of iudgement which is to bee denounced against the wicked that neuer exercised those workes of mercie Let vs learne by their example to bee harborous and giuen to hospitalitie which is so often commended vnto vs in the Scripture and shall bee so richly rewarded at the last day Those godly Fathers Abraham and Lot entertayned Angels in the habite of staungers so wee may dayly entertayne Christ Iesus in the habite of a poore man of a blinde man of a lame man and whatsoeuer is done vnto anie of these that are his members hee accounteth and accepteth as done vnto himselfe Nowe as the vertue of hospitalitie is commendable in all sortes of men so is it more especiallie commended to the Ministers who are expreslie commaunded by the Apostle among other thinges to bee giuen to hospitalitie Vnto the Leuites in the time of the lawe the Lord appoynted cities of refuge to signifie that the Ministers house shuld be the poore mans harbour and his store their treasurie but the true Ministers of our dayes haue no cities of refuge for others
saluation And for this cause haue I made choise of this part of Scripture as of a light to shine vnto vs in darkenesse a direction to our steps and a lanthorne to our paths while we wander through the boistrous waues of this wicked world The text is playne and obiect to euerie mans capacitie naturally budding vnto blossomes The first contayning our duetie which we are to performe towards God The second Gods promises if we performe this duty Our duetie towards God is implied in these three conditions First If thou wilt early seeke vnto God Secondly If thou wilt pray vnto the Almighty Thirdly If thou bee pure and vpright so that the whole consisteth on these three poynts First what it is that God requireth namely a diligent and speedy search in these wordes If thou wilt seeke early Secondly how thy search is to be made in prayer in these wordes If thou wilt pray to the Almighty Thirdlie what effect these thinges ought to worke in vs a puritie and sinceritie of life in these words If thou be pure and vpright As our duety towards God consisteth in three points so Gods blessinge towards vs is also three-fold answerable to the same First for seeking he promiseth he will awake vnto thee Secondly for praying vnto him he will make the habitations of thy righteousnesse prosperous Thirdly for being pure and vpright he wil make thy latter end increase exceedingly yea though thy beginning be but small First therefore concerning the search it is a worke both in desire and labour to be ioyned to God In the Psalme this standeth for the burthen of the song They called vpon the Lord in the time of their trouble and hee deliuered them It is but Aske and haue seeke and find knocke and it shall bee opened vnto you Sauing that here these thinges are to bee regarded to wit how by whom and when we must seeke the Lord. How First faithfully for if yee haue but as much as a graine of mustard-seede and say vnto this mountaine Remoue it shall remoue and nothing shall be vnpossible vnto you Then next humbly for it is the humble petition that pearceth the skies that shewed the Publican to depart home to his house more iustified then the boasting Pharisie and they alone that be humble and meeke finde rest for their soules And last of all continually for wee must not faint in well doing because the reward is not promised to him that doth but to him that contiuneth to doe But wee may long seeke and neuer finde except wee seeke the Father by the Sonne For no man knoweth the Father but the sonne and hee to whom the Sonne shall disclose him he is the way the trueth and the life and no man commeth to the Father but by him There is one God and one mediatour betwixt God and man the man Christ Iesus So that if we sinne wee haue an aduocate Iesus Christ the just and hee is the propitiation for our sinnes onely let vs seeke the Lord while he may be found And to this ende the worde Seeking is vsed in this place that we may learne that as the heauens and the planets and the whole frame of nature were ordayned to finish their course by motions and operation so man as hee was ordained to a most blessed and happie ende should attaine thereunto not by sloth and idlenesse but by an earnest seeking of the same The kingdome of heauen is like a treasure which cannot bee found without seeking and digging It is like the precious pearle for which the wise Merchant was content not onely to seeke but to sell all that he had to buy it God hath placed vs here in this world as husbandmen to plough vp the fallowe of our hearts as labourers to worke in his vineyarde as trauellers to seeke a countrey as souldiers to fight the battell of the Lorde against the flesh the world and the diuell And for this purpose hath hee proposed vnto vs an vntilled lande a vineyarde a triple enemie to fight against that wee might remember that wee must till the ground if wee will reape the fruite that wee must prune the vine if wee will drinke of the grape that wee must fight if we will ouercome He that tilleth the land sayth the wise man shall bee satisfied with breade but hee that followeth idlenesse shall be filled with pouerty Idlenesse is a moath or canker of the mind and the fruits thereof are wicked cogitations euill affections and worse actions corrupt trees without fruit twise dead and plucked vp by the rootes engendering in the mind a loathing of God and godlines Eschue therefore idlenesse I beseech ye and by the want ye finde in others learne instructions for your selues Bee not forgetfull howe busie your enemy is if he finde ye idle first hee putteth yee in minde of some vanitie then offereth opportunitie to practise then hee craueth consent and if yee grant him that hee triumpheth by adding practise hee leaueth no meanes vnattempted whereby hee may subuert and bring ye to perdition To one as to Eua hee promiseth the knowledge of good and euil Another he seduceth with lying speeches as he did Pharao the king whom hee deceiued by false Prophets To the Iewes he pretended the temple of the Lord. To the heathen hee shewed vniuersalities and antiquities And to omit particulars hee leaueth no men vnattempted whereby he may entangle the soules of the simple and wrap them in the snares of death Flie idlenesle therefore and seeke vertue and the way thereof seeke learning as for a iwell make diligent search and inquisition after her seeke earlie and seeke late in the morning sow thy seed and in the euening let not thy hande rest seeke him in the day of trouble and he wil deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie him Seeke him there is the commaundement hee will deliuer thee there is the promise and thou shalt glorifie him there is the condition To disobey the commaundement is rebellion to distrust the promise is infidelitie to refuse the condition is vile ingratitude Wherefore let vs seeke and seeke earnestly with a feruent spirit and humblenesse of heart and let vs perswade ourselues that there is no seeking without finding no opening without knocking The second circumstance to bee considered in this point is to whom wee must seeke for these thinges Our direction is made vnto God For euery good and perfect gift is from aboue descending from the father of lights And as for many causes we are to seeke God and to God alone so especiallie for these foure First because we haue nothing of our selues nor of anie other creature but whatsoeuer we haue wee haue it of God for what hast thou that thou hast not receiued in him wee liue wee moue and haue our being Art thou wise in thine owne conceit O remember that the wisedome of the world is foolishnesse with God O consider
with his own bloud spurting and gushing fresh from his ribs the shadowe of death was vpon his eies O what griefe could be like to this or what condemnation could be so heauie sith there was no wickednes in his handes sith he was the brightnesse of his fathers glorie and the sunne of righteousnes that shined in the worlde as to see his daies at an end to see such throbbing sighs and carefull thoughts without cause of his so deeply ingrauen in the tables of his breast But was this all no my brethren sith his excellencie was such aboue al creatures that the world was not worthy to giue him breath it was a greater griefe vnto him to see himselfe made a worme and not a man a shame of men and contempt of the people to see his life shut vp in shame and reproches howe could it but shake his bones out of ioynt and make his heart melt in the middest of his bowels who was euer so full of woe and brought so low in the dust of death vpon whom did the malice of Sathan euer get so great a conquest This though it were exceeding yet it was not all no it was but a taste of griefe in comparison of the rest beholde therefore if your wearie eyes will suffer you to behold the depth of all miseries yet behind the sinne that he hated hee must take vpon his owne bodie and beare the wrath of his father powred out against it This is the fulnesse of al paynes that compassed him rounde about which no tongue is able to vtter or heart conceiue the anger of the father burneth in him euen to the bottome of hel and deepe sinke of confusion it wrapped him in the chaines of eternall death it crucified him and threw him downe into the bottomlesse pit of calamity and made his soule by weeping and vvailing to melt into these bitter teares trickling from his eyes O God my God why hast thou for saken me O that my head vvere a vvel of waters and a fountaine of teares that I might weep day night at the remembrance hereof but least I linger too long about one flowre vvhile I haue many to gather I vvill conclude this point thus in a worde Sith Christ hath suffered these and an infinite number such like torments for our sakes it is blasphemous once to dreame or imagine anie to bee more willing to helpe vs than hee nay he is more readie to heare our prayers than we to offer them vnto him insomuch as he complayneth by the Prophet Esay I haue beene found of them which sought me not al the day long haue I stretched out my hand vnto a rebellious people which walked in away that was not good euen after their own imaginations And vnto Ierusalem hee saith O Ierusalem Ierusalem how often would I haue gathered thee together as the henne gathereth her chickens but you would not Wherefore to ende this pointe Seeke for knowledge as for a treasure and for wisedome as for the wedge of gold of Ophir No mention shall be made in comparison of it of Corall Gabish or that pretious Onix For wisedome is more precious then pearles But aboue al things seeke it where it may be found and where is the place of vnderstanding Surely man knoweth not the path thereof the deep saith It is not in me the sea saith It is not in me death and destruction say We haue heard the same thereof with our eares all creatures say it is not with vs but God vnderstandeth the way thereof and vnto man he saith The feare of the Lorde is the beginning of wisedome and to depart from euill is vnderstanding The thirde circumstance is when wee must seeke vnto God and holy Dauid answereth Early euen in a time when hee may be founde Let vs redeeme the day which we haue foreslowed so many dayes wherein wee haue so long hardned our hearts let vs take vp this daie and make it the daie of our repentance let vs make it a daie of newnes of life as it is the first daie of the new yeere let euen this moment be the last of a sinfull life and the first daie to godlines And as the wise man saith Make no long tarrying to turne vnto the Lorde and put not off from day to day for suddainely shall the Lords wrath breake and in thy security thou shalt be destroied and shalt perish in the time of vengeance Art thou a Magistrate placed in high roome and authoritie and seated in the throne of dignitie then vse not this thy might to wrong and oppression grinde not the faces of the poore swell not with pride despising his lowe estate Sel not thy righteousnesse for siluer preferring the marchants of Babylon before the citizens of Ierusalem Art thou a priuate labouring man Doe thy duetie trulie be subiect and liue in dread to displease the good magistrate Art thou olde and hast consumed the flowre of thy youth in wantonnesse breake off thy course and frame thy selfe to sobrietie giue the water no passage no not a little for if it haue neuer so little issue it will ouerflowe thee and if thou doe slacke the raines neuer so little thy sinnes will carrie thee like a wilde horse thorow brambles and bushes and will leaue no soundnes in thy flesh worke this reformation in thy selfe betimes euen to daie euen this first daie of the newe yeere If you wil heare my voice harden not your hearts Art thou young and doest begin to flourish like the yong palme tree O consider that the onely way to retaine the blossoms of thy beautie and to keepe thy flowre from withering and thy leafe from fading away is to seeke early vnto God and to apply thy minde to vnderstanding to preuent the morning vvatches and to giue thy bodie to bee moistened of the morning dew For beside the good houres that are vvell imploied in some good studie and holie exercise earlie rising bringeth health to thy body and increaseth the number of thy daies Seeke therefore and seeke earlie consecrate your selues Nazarites vnto the Lord touch no vncleane thing giue no prouocation to the flesh Striue with the cocke in watchfulnesse and rise with the chirping of the birdes sacrifice your bodie a sweete smelling sacrifice vnto the Lord. This sacrifice is like a sacrifice of fine flowre it is like the fat taken from the peace offring yea it is better than any sacrifice it is like the flowre of roses in the spring of the yeere and as the lillies in the springs of water and as the branches of Frankincense in the time of Summer and as a vessell of masty golde beset with rich stones as a faire Oliue that is fruitfull and as the tree that groweth vp to the cloudes Hauing spoken of the Search it followeth that I speake of the manner how it is to bee made In prayer by these wordes If thou pray vnto the Almightie I shewed