decay of loue to God and the best things is said of our Sauiour heere to be occasioned as otherwise so especially by the multitude of great sinners and the beholding of such wicked examples of men as fill the world with iniquity and offences For oh when men shall be alwaies cloyed with the loose and professed ill behauiour of such as they liue amongst as righteous Lot was with the filthines of the stincking Sodomites it is not easily seene what force is in it to dampe and quench goodnesse in them that behold it and that sometime at the first but when afterwards they shall not be able to wind out from their company and their prouocations of them but that they shall be alwaies crossing their good course disgracing their innocent liues cauilling at their zeale in seruing God and bearing downe all honestie as it were a streame yea and more then all this hunting threatning and disquieting them that cannot approue their bad conuersation what straits thinke we shall they be in yea how hardly shall they be able to withstand their leaud examples but rather in time be corrupted by them And especially if these that thus vex them be men of authoritie and haue power to hurt them as well as a mind to trouble thē they shall find how true this Scripture is through the abundance of iniquitie the loue of many shall wax cold And if euill words alone be able to corrupt good manners how much more wicked life also wherof bad talke is but limbe or arme and especially if this be in the wealthie and great men So that it may be rightly said O good companie and holy examples how much worth are ye How happie are they who may enioy you if they can see It is doubtlesse a corner of heauen to be associated to such both in mariage and neighbourhood in comparison of the hellish companionship of the other And this be said briefly of these three what this loue is that Christ speaketh of that it is cooled and how namely by much iniquitie in others Obiect 1 And although many may perhaps heere obiect and say thus cannot such as haue receiued the doctrine of the glad tidings with comfort and been purged thereby from their old conuersation can they not hold their confidence and reioycing of their hope vnto the end as they began Obiect 2 And againe if any hauing felt the vnspeakable loue of God shed into their hearts by the holy Ghost haue at the first enioying of this grace set their loue on God in a most feruent manner as they haue good cause so to do and haue in like manner loued his people who are fellow heires with them of the glorie to come and the Word and the Minister by whom they were begotten to the assured hope of immortalitie if they haue done this say they at the first is it not meete that they should much more do this afterward If when they did but taste of Christs louing kindnesse at the beginning they were thus affected should they not much more do this after long experience and proofe of the benefit thereof many yeeres after Answ To both these obiections one answere may serue Namely that it is meete it should be so that men should hold both their confidence in God and continue their vnfained loue feruently to all these mentioned as at any time they did neither can I excuse the contrarie But yet we must consider that it is verie hard and difficult so to do and that it requireth the whole heart to be taken vp with it and possessed of it And this is a great hinderance to it if there were no other but it that such must liue and haue to do with the prophane sort of people who doe many wayes prouoke discourage and worke vpon them Indeed it must be granted that the euill heart is a maine hinderer from this holy course which I doe not say as though I would take vpon me to excuse or defend them who are waxen cold in the duties of loue for which they had sometimes been commended but rather to aduise such as are to stirre vp men to continue their first loue Note that they may exhort and perswade them to it wisely and in all kindnesse not hotly roughly and rashly as though words may force it when all good encouragements are little enough to perswade to it For though Christ foretell heere that through the abundance of iniquitie the loue of many shall waxe cold as thereby casting a reproch vpon such as shall verifie his words yet we that are the Lords remembrancers and haue experience of the frailtie that is in our brethren being priuie to our owne must in shewing how easily they fall from this grace or any other by all good meanes labour and helpe them to preuent it or if they haue alreadie fallen to reclaime and call them back againe But if by none of these meanes we preuaile with them know they that they shall fall from this their loue to their cost and beare their burthen whosoeuer they be For to speake as the truth is what can they do either more vnbeseeming their holy profession or the Lords vnspeakable kindnesse then to reward him after such a manner And after an heartie acknowledging of Gods great loue to them at their first tasting the sweetnes of it afterwards to forget it or vnthankfully to bring it into a common and meane account The Hebrewes who had in like maner offended were reproued sharpely by the author of the Epistle written to them in this manner Now call to remembrance the dayes that are past wherein after ye receiued light ye endured a great fight in afflictions being made a gazing stocke to them in reproches and were companions with such as were so tossed to and fro and suffered with ioy the spoiling of your goods knowing that ye haue in heauen a better and enduring substance And will ye now cast away your confidence which hath so great recompence of reward The same reproofe though not in the same particular thing the Apostle gaue the Galathians who when they had receiued such manifest gifts of the holy Ghost by his preaching that they were cleere patterns of excellent Christians to many and after that were so bewitched by the false Apostles that they ioyned the obseruing of the law with faith he spake thus to them O yee foolish Galathians who hath bewitched you that after ye haue begun in the spirit ye will now bee made perfect by the flesh that is by the keeping of the law The redresse and remedie to recouer this decayed loue is that which saint Iohn giueth to the Church of Ephesus against the same disease when they had left their first loue saying remember from whence thou art fallen and repent and doe thy first workes Wherin he teacheth vs as he did that people that this decay in our loue to Gods ministerie and people must bee called to
mind and considered duely what a great sinne it is then truely lamented pardon craued with the prayer of faith and full purpose and endeauour against the same after and then to set afresh vpon the practise of christianity againe and neuer to thinke it well vntill this remedy be vsed This is to be done when this loue is decayed which to doe is a certaine violence vsing against our selues by more then an ordinary turning to God againe and a wary walking afterward to preuent the like And heâ—re I thinke it very meete to admonish you the more earnestly to beware of and to preuent this sin for two reasons which I vrge out of the text The one this the other followeth afterward seeing it shall bee the case of many to fall thus for so our Sauiour foretelleth saying because iniquitie shall abound the loue of many shall waxe cold And if many be like to fall thus what are we in this age to whom this watchword shall come that we should looke to auoide the danger of it vnlesse we be daily and much occupied in laboring and endeauoring to shun and preuent it And for mine owne part I am not ashamed to confesse if any lesse experienced herein regard the word of him that hath troden in this way before them that for more then thirtie yeares I haue feared the loosing of this first loue by reason of the strong prouocations thereto that I haue obserued from time to time to arise one after another by meanes whereof I haue seene good cause to auoide the same with all possible care that so doing I or any other in like state may much the better finish our course with ioy And yet this caueat I would might be well marked that all zeale in our first receiuing of the Gospel and beleeuing in Christ hath not been to be commended as that which may of necessitie vrge a Christian to the retaining and continuing of it afterwards as if it were a part of our first loue when as it is not to be denied that there was in our first beginning as there is daily in those who are effectually called to beleeue vnto saluation especially of the ignoranter sort much good meaning without knowledge and much froth in a great deale of zeale so that it should vnwisely be done of Preachers and farre from good discretion to vrge vpon them their former practise simplie without respect had of zeale voide of good ground and warrant of Gods word As for example many well minded when they were first brought to the true imbracing of the Gospell thought that all other who were not as themselues and iumpe of their fise and measure in zeale were to be iudged and censured as they thought good namely to haue had nothing in them neither were to be kept companie with whereas both themselues bewray their owne weakenes sufficiently all may see and beside who doubteth but that such as are teachable should be well hoped of and incouraged to be stedfast in the good things wherein they had well begun and so to be brought on to the receiuing of faith and the bearing of Christs yoke as true Christians doe Another great weakenesse hath possessed others and as full of error that in their zeale at their first beginning they haue thought that they must oft breake off their necessarie worke to pray and reade yea and that in the time of doing of their worke they must be praying rather then minding of and duely regarding the busines they had in hand Then the which what might be thought more sauoring of ignorance and blindnesse whereas they ought to haue knowne and been perswaded that God hath appointed a time to pray and all other things to giue place thereto when opportunitie serueth but yet in time of necessarie businesse that the same should be faithfully and diligently attended and followed and the mind not to be carried after other matters seeing God is serued therein euen as he is in reading praying and the like Also many haue fondly and falsely been perswaded that whiles they are occupied in holy exercises as prayer reading conference then they haue been more holy then others of their brethren but if they haue by frailtie failed therein yea or by other waightie occasions or if they haue waxen afterward more dull through want of knowledge or forgetfulnes vnfitter to Gods seruice then they were before then they haue iudged themselues the worst of all Gods people if they haue not denied that they were any of them at all Many such weaknesses which yet they count points of holines accompany the most of Gods faithful ones of the ignoranter sort at their first entrance into Christ who seeing better things are found in them are not imputed to them by the Lord but yet must they not for all that be iustified in them and borne with neither thinke that all things wherein they haue a good meaning must be holden for a vertue Euen as Naaman the Syrian being brought from his idolatrie by the Prophet Elisha and perswaded to worship the true God Iehoua only did in zeale and of a good meaning desire of him that two mules load of the earth that was in the land of Israel might be giuen him wherupon he might stand to offer sacrifice when he should come home as though that earth had been holier then that which was in his owne countrie Likewise Mary Magdalene and the other good women whom Christ before his death had most sweetly seasoned and perfumed with the odours of his heauenly doctrine so that they beleeued in him and followed him came of a zealous mind the third day after his buriall to the sepulchre to see him supposing that he had been still dead and not risen againe and brought sweete ointments with them to annoint his bodie By the which ceremonie and custome vsed to their dead in those dayes although they did confirme their faith in the hope of the resurrection after the manner of their Fathers who did so yet who doubteth but that they were led with blind zeale therein toward Christ both in seeking him that liued among the dead and also in going about to annoint Christs bodie as if it should haue putrified in the sepulchre like other mens By this that hath been said it is manifest that all things that the faithfull do in a good meaning are not to be paternes for themselues or others to follow vnlesse they haue had good warrant for the doing of them and especially at their first conuersion Thus much for the caueat or watchword before giuen namely that all zeale in good people at the first ought not to be taken for sound and substantiall I will now proceed Remember therfore that I set downe two reasons why Gods seruants should take heed in a speciall manner that they be not made cold in their loue as Christ hath foretold it shall be the case of many by meanes of the wickednesse which
CERTAINE SERMONS PREACHED AND PENNED BY RICHARD ROGERS Preacher of Weathersfield in Essex directly tending to these three ends First to bring any bad person that hath not committed the sinne that is vnpardonable to true conuersion Secondly to stablish and settle all such as are conuerted in faith and repentance Thirdly to leade them forward that are so setled in the Christian life to bring foorth the fruite of both WHEREVNTO ARE ANNEXED diuers godlie and learned Sermons of another reuerend and faithfull seruant of God M r. SAMVEL WRIGHT Bachelor of Diuinitie late President of Sidney Colledge in Camebridge deceased tending also to the same ends with diuers particular points in both profitable and fit for these times 1. IOHN 5.13 I write vnto you that beleeue in the name of that Sonne of God that yee may know that yee haue eternall life and that yee may beleeue in the name of that Sonne of God LONDON Imprinted by FELIX KYNGSTON for Thomas Man 1612. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE EDVVARD DENNY Lord Baron of Waltam c. IT is recorded in holie Scripture right Honourable that Iehoshaphat King of Iudah much renowned for his pietie did send out his Princes to teach in the Cities of Iudah By which act of his and the setting downe of it by the holie Ghost although I goe not about to confound their office and dutie with the Prophets and Leuites yet they are not on the other side to be taken and counted as nothing I meane both his act and the report of it by the holie storie For though they did not preach to the people in the cities whither they came hauing Leuites with them to doe that seruice yet their countenancing authorizing and backing of the Leuites who did teach the people indeed is not without cause said to be a preaching seeing it made way to the people receiuing of it with much more readinesse and cheerefulnesse then otherwise they would haue done yea they were much more incouraged to the zealous embracing and professing of it with fruits following and that by the aduancing and magnifying of it by such noble and worthy persons then might haue bin looked for at their hands otherwise For though the word of God and the pure doctrine taught out of it be of sufficient authoritie to draw and perswade the hearers to submit themselues to it yet considering the blindnes vntowardnes and rebelliousnes of mans heart against heauenly things a number would neuer haue set foote in the holie place to heare for all the report that might haue come to their eares of the price and benefit of the glad tidings preached if they had not been incouraged and brought on by such worthie examples Oh wee know what force there is in such meanes In so much as euen with vs howsoeuer there are of the Nobilitie many who haue the preaching of the Gospel in singular account yet the people that dwell farre off from them and be not seated neere to them they I say hearken not after them neither are any thing moued by them But where such are seene by the people that liue by them to haue the preachers of the word in high account for the message they bring and to bee subiect to the holie doctrine which they teach euen that is a strong cord to draw the inferiour sort to shew reuerence to the ordinance of God and to cause them to think that if such great persons so highly esteeme of their ministery and message that there is doubtlesse some great matter that moueth thē to it And though that be not all neither is of any power to conuert the heart for that is the proper worke of the holie Ghost yet many are at the first brought on to receiue the preaching of the Gospell who after feele the power of it also and enioy the benefit of it when yet their first beginnings therein are chiefly occasioned by the zeale and forwardnes of such good patternes And this is one cause Right Honourable why we Gods Ministers doe much wish and pray for the superiours and great persons and especially those who are noble and growing toward the highest places that they may be sincere and zealous for the truth because though they be no Preachers as neither Iehoshaphats Princes were yet wee know how greatly they may set forward preaching and honour God in going before the people in their holy course I say we pray that many of them may be such euen as wee highly praise God for those who are such alreadie And as wee are glad to see them fauourers and followers of that which we preach by the authoritie of God one father of vs all so we desire which is the next thereto that they would be patrons of our writings which we set foorth with the same mindes for the common edification of the Church of Christ that when it is seene that such as are in high place and zealous professors of the truth also do make account of them there may be farre greater hope that many others will doe the same And therefore I humbly craue of your Honour that I who haue presumed to dedicate these few Sermons to your Honour may be with your good liking allowed so to doe The which though they be things of small account as they are commonly reckoned to be yet I would not haue offered them if I had thought they might not promise that good to the Church which I know your Honour is willing to further Besides if there be any thing in them worthy your accepting and reading they are your due by good right and the testimonie of my thankfull heart and the best that I haue to present to your Lordship who though you neuer saw my face yet euen vpon report of me to your Honour did giue me cause to haue you in daily remembrance while I liue But a word is enough of this To lay out the matter of the Sermons I thinke it not meete to bee tedious to you about it and the rathe for that it is in the short Epistle to the Reader done sufficiently further then thus to signifie that the thing which is chiefly aimed at in them among many other to good purpose is to giue helpe to the Reader as need shall require to make his calling and consequently his election as the Apostle Peter willeth sure And thus not to bee further tedious to your Lordship I end praying God that as hee hath honoured you in a double manner so he would accompanie your earthlie honour with abundance of such blessings as are wont to goe with it and multiplie your best honour with the varietie and increase of his heauenly graces From Weathersfield this 20. of Aprill 1612. Your Honours in all humble dutie to commaund in Christ RICH. ROGERS TO ALL TRVE CHRISTIANS AND WELWILLERS TO to the Gospel or such as yet are further off from the power of it whom the Lord in time may call Richard Rogers wisheth al good that they want to
things straight do bow them a contrarie way that so they may the easilier bring them betwixt both which is to be straight and right so the Lord when he entends to make a proud man humble and meeke he will breake his heart with sorrow and affliction wherewith when hee hath been throughly exercised he is the fitter to be brought to the meane betwixt both that is broken-heartednes and humilitie For as a log in the deepe mire hauing long lien therein is so fastened to the place as it is impossible to remoue or pluck it out vnlesse it be loosened and turned into another place but being so handled it may with ease be taken out Euen so if a man set vpon his dregges I meane being riuited into his sinnes be not loosened from them by some terrour and heart-smart though hee be brought neuer the neerer to repentance thereby yet he shall if he be such a one as God wil shew mercie vnto hee shall I say much more easily be perswaded thereto According to that which wee say in our common speech and that truly of a wicked man bent to his will and to liue licentiously that hee is neuer like to amend and come to good vnlesse the Lord awake him by some great affliction This manner of Gods dealing with men to bring them to so happie an estate by so vnlikely meanes and so farre off should teach the men of this age that wisedome hauing knowledge which the ignorant cannot learne that in their troubles and astonishments they should not think that they are punished seeing God taketh delight therein and so wax hardened but to know that they not humbling their hearts to seeke the Lord by preaching and by Gods benefits they haue need to be awaked by his iudgements and that he doth therefore afflict them that they may know they are farre gone in their euill course that so they may lay surer hold of his word and take direction and counsell from thence to be brought to God But let vs see how God wrought by the second meane that was farre off and so how hee brought him on by degrees to true conuersion This second meane was Pauls care of him in his desperate estate to hinder and disswade him from offering violence to himselfe and his kindnes towards him in ouercomming euill with good For whereas the Iaylor had shewed himselfe cruell towards him when he had giuen him no cause so to doe and therefore looked for no good will at his hands if possibly he should stand in neuer so great need thereof behold hee had no greater friend then him whom he had deserued to be his greatest enemie for euen by him was his life preserued This when he weighed and considered which hee could not but see Paul so earnestly beseeching him to doe himselfe no harme who had not otherwise been held back from killing himselfe I say when he laid these things together he was againe amazed at this but in another manner and better then before For before his heart was troubled desperatly thinking what losse he was like to haue but now hee was moued in a more commendable manner to see Pauls vnlooked for kindnes towards him This began to draw his heart towards Paul which we know must needs be a great change from that which was before And by this we may mark the beautie of vertue and grace in Gods seruants how greatly it moueth the hearts euen of wicked men Surely if they were carefull that their light might shine in good conuersation among men they should not a little prouoke them out of their bad course and to bee in loue with a better I doe not denie but it most moueth them when it bringeth any benefit to them as heere Pauls loue and care did to the Iaylor they had double force to worke vpon him And although it helpe much I grant to the further drawing him on toward goodnesse yet that only was not to be seene in him but that did beate into him a perswasion that he was a good man and was able to doe him good also and therefore a little after he desired to know of him how he might be saued So that kindnes and harmelesnes and other fruits of loue if they were more vsually and plentifully shewed foorth by Christians they would vndoubtedly pearce the hearts of many wicked men and cause them to thinke that they are farre from the course which they should walk in For though many scorners and profane persons doe trample goodnesse and good men vnder their feete yet the beautie of pietie and Christianitie doth much moue and auaile with many As we see by Peters words to Christian women where he saith Let the wiues be subiect to their husbands that euen they that obey not the word may without the word be wonne by the conuersation of their wiues But especially if Gods seruants would as opportunitie is offered shew their loue in seeking to win them to God and to help them towards eternall life much more should they perswade them to forsake their bad course and to embrace a better As our Sauiour Christ talking with that woman of Samaria brought her to repentance And this be said of the second meane of the conuersion of the Iaylor though farre off which as it was a degree before the former so they who are moued as hee was are sensiblie set forward as he was though I denie not but that many comming thus farre and further from their euill course may yet be farre enough off from true conuersion But let vs heare the third meane which the second now spoken of procured and brought foorth and that is a neerer degree to goodnesse then the former And this it is that he conceiued so well of them of Paul and Silas I meane that for all the commandement of the Magistrate hee brought them out of the prison and fell downe before them in token of reuerence to them and so fell to neere acquaintance with them who being good men it gaue hope of his further good taking by them And here I will stay a while to teach how we may profit by this To this end this I say that as his neere clinging and cleauing to them was another meane to bring him to true conuersion euen so God vseth the familiaritie and acquaintance that wicked men haue with his seruants to this end that they may distaste their former course and bring them to heare the word preached and so in time to be changed Thus many become beleeuers in Christ by companie and acquaintance with Preachers who being appointed by Christ to be fishers of men doe shew the loue to them that Christ shewed to themselues before that if they be men of God indeed they will lay open to them their treasures which they haue gathered out of the hoard of the Gospell and impart the same vnto them For although many of that profession I meane the Ministerie
that is first such an heart as they might feare him for therefore their answere was disliked although their words were good because they proceeded not from such an heart But this speech of the Lord in this manner vttered raiseth a doubt in the hearer what hee should meane by wishing such an heart as though the feare of God could not grow in any heart and likewise come from it and if it bee so what heart is that hee wisheth vnto them To the which may be answered that the feare of God and obedience to his commaundements doe not come from euery heart neither doth such fruite grow in euery garden Note and it must be such an heart indeede as cannot be matched neither hath any fellow or companion But what manner of heart is that you will say you doe not vnderstand what hee meaneth I answere therefore further that by such an heart he meaneth in one word an heart conuerted to God more particularly an heart broken with sorrow for sinne and the feare of damnation yet quieted againe and eased by beleeuing the remission of sinne and sanctified also to newnes of life Euen such an heart is fit to breed the feare of God and in such an heart it can dwell and in no other And that is called by our Sauiour a good heart which onely and no other can bring forth good things For so he saith a good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things and contrariwise so that if the heart be good that is truely turned to God then it is fitted for that which God here wished to his people that is to feare him and keepe his commandements and not else Now for proofe that it must be thus the scripture is cleare and plentifull As first that the heart must bee wounded for sinne and broken with sorrow and feare till it bee sicke againe is prooued by the words of our Sauiour where hee saith The whole haue no neede of the Physitian but the sicke And they in the Acts were pricked in conscience for their wofull estate before they came to Peter to aske how they might bee healed but then they came to him and the other Apostles though they had railed on them before and said Men and brethren what shall we doe As if they should haue said in this our distresse and dispayring in our selues what helpe can ye minister vnto vs or ease vnto our soules This contrition and sorrow is one of the three things which helpe to make the euill heart good And yet this without the other two is nothing to this purpose but fit onely to raise vp flashes and feares of hell to the tormenting of the conscience and the holding of it in slauerie and bondage for which cause it is called of the Apostle the spirit of bondage But this being rightly vsed maketh a most direct way to the renuing and changing of the heart that it may be good To proceede therefore the second thing required to make the heart good is faith vnfained that the afflicted minde may see and beleeue the sinnes of it to bee pardoned to the easing and quieting of it which then standeth in need of it and most earnestly desireth it and the Lord hath giuen a free grant of it vnto such as are thus prepared for it by earnest desiring it euen as in the forementioned place the Lord saith I am a physitian for the sicke and in another place I will giue the water of life vnto such as thirst which the sicke and troubled conscience hearing counteth it the happiest and welcomest tidings that could be brought vnto it and so by due and aduised considering it laieth holde of it though weakely and by little and little the Lord inabling the partie and so beleeueth that it is as effectuallie offered to him as to any of Gods children that haue already imbraced it And this mightily worketh both to ease and quiet and also to quicken him who was before so cast downe and troubled And thus to passe to the third thing requisite to the reforming and rectifying of the heart that the true feare of God may proceede from thence the partie being thus perswaded of the loue of God and the free remission of sinne and what vnlooked for contentment he hath thereby breaketh forth into the praise of God with admiring his kindnes and saith what thankes shall I giue vnto the Lord for his vnspeakeable mercy vnto me What shall I offer vnto the Lord for this his great goodnesse And so hee being constrained by the loue of God so shed into his heart is perswaded and inabled in good sort to goe about the dutie which God requireth indeuoring and purposing to walke before him in vprightnes and innocencie for euer after And this desire of his not being frothie and rash stirred vp of more and painefull feare as in many wicked ones it is but proceeding from faith which worketh by loue and from the certaintie of the fauour of God assured to him by the holy Ghost is not a suddaine passion in him which is hot and feruent for the present onely but comming from so good a foundation and ground sanctifieth him effectually by working a dislike of euill because it is euil and an heartie and vnfained loue of al goodnesse which grace being thus wrought in him is the third thing required to the changing of the heart and turning of it vnto God And this must go with faith as we are taught in the Epistle to the Corinthians where he saith Seeing we haue these promises let vs clense our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit and grow vp to full holines in the feare of God With this agreeth that of Saint Iohn that if we haue the hope which is the daughter of faith we purge our selues from sinne as it commeth to our sight Thus I haue shewed what graces of God must necessarily be planted in the heart that it may bring foorth this fruit I mean the feare of God that so it may become such an hart as God heere wisheth the people when he saith oh that there were such an heart in them Now that the Christian Reader may not be deceiued in iudging whether he hath such an heart or not I will adde some caueats about these three properties which make the heart good that he examining and obseruing them may see whether he haue them or no. And to begin let him know that about the first of them which is pricke or wound of conscience and feare of Gods displeasure for the same I giue these two caueats or watch-words The one is this that if God presse our consciences with the powerfull preaching of his word Note and accuse and arrest them thereby that we in no wise resist that worke of grace but submit our selues thereto seeing he vseth to do so to them whom he will saue The other that being
part of the text in which hee setteth downe the fruit of such an heart and life and that is twofold one redounding to the parties in whom they are the other to their posteritie and children And the blessing annexed is one to both that is to say prosperitie and welfare both temporall and eternall For so hee saith That it might goe well with them and their children for euer So that the Lord would haue vs know that all in whom there is such an heart that they doe feare God and indeuour to keepe his commaundements alwaies shall prosper and be well liking in that course For by saying it shall goe well with them his meaning is they shall see Gods blessing so to accompanie them in that course of life as they shall confesse it to be to their exceeding good liking and so as in no other they could finde the like by many degrees And yet this is not to bee vnderstoode of outward prosperitie peace and welfare in riches honour and such like simplie but conditionally so farre as they be good for Gods children Whereof the godly for the most part are voide and this hungrie scrambling world will keepe them farre enough off from them and yet this is no cause of griefe to them neither God prouiding better for them that they should be lesse wedded to this world But God principallie meaneth hereby that hee will make their life pleasing and comfortable to them with inward peace and gladnesse of heart which farre surmount the other and yet as hee seeth it expedient they shall haue sufficiencie of the other also All men much desire peace euen with men they finde malice and contention with the vnquietnes that goeth with it to be tedious troublesome and vnwelcome to them and euen outward peace to be imbraced And so we are willed by the author to the Hebrewes saying follow peace with all men so as it goe with holinesse as if he should say although it flie from you yet let it not goe but pursue it till ye obtaine it For it is a singular gift of God to liue without feare by men one man being vsually as the prouerbe saith a wolfe nay a diuell to another But if men had as good insight into the worth and price of the inward peace namely to be without feare of Gods displeasure and the burden thereof and what is the libertie and holy securitie of his beloued ones they would much more desire that yea although they wanted all which a man may want hauing it Oh! to be without feare of condemnation the iudgement day and of the day of death whose sting being plucked out is not fearefull to Gods people and contrariwise to bee in that account with the Lord that nothing shall bee wanting which is good for them for so the Prophet saith The Lord is my shepheard therefore shall I want nothing we may continually wonder that God will be so bountifull to loue them here to their end and after to receiue them to glorie And yet when I haue said what I can of this matter I must leaue it raw and vnperfect but that we may know by a little what the whole meaneth in some sort But heare in few words what the scripture speaketh to this purpose Hee that walketh vprightly saith Salomon walketh boldly therefore safely Saint Paul speaking of the like saith He that walketh after this rule peace shall be vpon him S. Peter The eyes of the Lord are euer ouer the righteous his eares are open to their praiers but the face of the Lord is against them that doe euill and who is he that shall harme you if ye follow that which is good For such shall see good daies that is leade an happie and blessed life But whilest I thus speake casting downe all pompe of the world at the feete of godlinesse as it were me thinkes from hence somewhat is to be answered to such as obiect thus Obiect what is there such gaine in godlinesse Is it an estate so highly to be magnified Surely then the wise men of the world are deceiued who count it the greatest bane to their pleasures Answ I say it is so to sinfull pleasures with the which what wise man would meddle or haue to doe Note But it seasoneth our lawfull delights and brings them into their kinde that they become sweet and pleasant without any danger as roses in a pozie rather then growing vpon prickes whereas they not being ioyned with godlines they bee no better then poyson and as it maketh Gods chastisements to be easilie borne so it maketh prosperitie doubly pleasant Oh great is the gaine of godlinesse which hath the promises of this life and of the life to come Therefore much to bee lamented and bewailed is the estate of all such who are strangers to it and much more they who shunne and loath it as they who are spoken of in Iob Who say to the Lord depart from vs we desire not the knowledge of thy waies Who is the Almightie that we should serue him and what profit shall we haue if we should pray to him Oh this woful progenie who can sufficiently lay forth the vengeance that hangeth ouer it For if God begin iudgement amongst his owne what shall the end of them be that obey not the Gospell as S. Peter speaketh And if the righteous be scarcely saued where shall the vngodly and the sinner appeare What is become of the generations of all those who in their daies went about to iustle godlinesse to the walles Who counted it foolishnesse and contrariwise the greatest happinesse to inioy the pleasures of sinne for a season As Iezabel the mistresse of persecutors and Corah with his company the rebell against Gods faithfull Ministers and Haman the proude a deadly enemie to all that worshipped God truely Did not these with their companions finde that they met with their match And did they not leaue sufficient testimonie behinde them that their glorie was their shame and their happinesse had been to haue loued that which they loathed and pursued in the seruants of God I meane true godlinesse Euen so the liues of those whom they persecuted is blessed euen as their memorie also is and so shall all they be that follow their steps accordingly as the Lord saith here It shall goe well with them that feare me and keepe my commandements And so I conclude this poynt maruailing at them who thinke it more then needeth to bee more forward this way then others and therefore speake euill of vs because we walke not after the same excesse of riot that they doe But one thing more is to be marked that to all the prosperitie which Gods seruants shall inioy in this present life of which I haue said somewhat this he addeth that it shall also goe well with them hereafter euen for euer which saying of his maketh vp to the full whatsoeuer might
seeme to be wanting For what can be further desired then that after such a sweet and plentifull partaking of Gods benefits and that in his fauour while we liue here yet that the best should be behinde namely to inioy fulnesse of pleasures at Gods right hand after wee goe hence and that for euer Yea and this in the middest of the anguish and torture of the reprobate For so our Sauiour saith when the wicked shall bee at their wits end then looke vp saith hee to his and lift vp your heads for your redemption draweth neere meaning that the effects thereof shall then appeare And therefore S. Peter teacheth a most singular vse of this that the Lord shall come to iudgement in a fearefull manner to the wicked but to the euerlasting comfort of his elect agreeing with that which the Lord requireth here saying Seeing these things must be what manner persons ought we to be in holy conuersation and godlinesse Now it followeth to shew what the fruite of a godly life is to the children of them that leade it as I haue done alreadie to themselues who are parents for such a promise God maketh to them and so the Lord speaketh here that it may goe well with them and with their children So that Parents fearing God doe thereby prouide well for their children as well as for themselues and deriue Gods blessings to them aboundantly which promise is confirmed by the Lord in the second commaundement where he saith He will visit the sinnes of the fathers vpon the children vnto the third and fourth generation of them that hate him and shew mercie vnto the thousand generation of them that loue him and keepe his commaundements This is also further confirmed by the contrarie in Deuteronomie where God speaketh thus to the people of Israell Because thou diddest not serue the Lord thy God with ioyfulnesse and a good heart for the aboundance of all things therefore these curses shall be vpon thee for signes and wonders that is euident signes that he is offended with thee and vpon thy seeds for euer And if it be so then it followeth that if we loue our children we should indeuour aboue all things to leade a godly life Which is vrged by the Lord at mens hands in the entrance into their mariage that couples should be espoused to him before they be so one to another And it may be truly said that they set not by neither care for the welfare of their children who doe not first regard their own good and welfare of their soules by walking obediently vnto Gods commandements themselues And how vnnaturall a thing is it that any should bee the meanes to bring children into the world to send them to hell And that they should be so pitilesse as to cast their poore shiftles progenie vpon the curse of God more grieuous then if it were vpon the swords point and that through their sinne and wickednesse For thereby that is by bad example giuing they make them like themselues as much as in them lieth For as by a godly care in themselues and a christian education of them they commonly haue the fruite thereof in their children that by the blessing of God they be religious also so a thousand to one if in the profanenesse of themselues the children become faithfull and good christians but if they doe no thanke to them they did as much as in them lay to make them prooue otherwise Obiect And whereas many of them will be ready to obiect that they will bee vnruly and disordered howsoeuer they bring them vp in the feare of God and good instruction yea though they be carefull also themselues to walke vprightly in their whole course before them Answ they may be answered that it falleth not out oft to be so but we should trust God for that and commit the successe to him by doing our duties conscionably towards them And if it please God that the meanes shall not alwaies take effect partly lest wee should ascribe the good successe to our selues and so take the glory from him and partly for other causes vnknowne to vs let vs leaue Gods secrets vnto himselfe but there shall be alwaies cause enough why God doth so and to iustifie him seeing few are so carefull about the good education of their children but that they may be iustly charged with default that way This be said of the fruit that shall follow the godly life of parents in their children that they shall prosper and it shall goe well with them as with their parents in respect of other who liue among them and best of all hereafter when they goe hence For they shall be receiued with their parents into the paradise of God into an habitation not made with hands but euerlasting to the which our Lord Iesus is gone before to prepare a place for them and all his to the which he vouch safe to bring vs euen speedely to whom with the father and the holy Ghost be ascribed all honor praise and thanks for euermore FINIS TWO SERMONS VPON MATTH 13. vers 45.46 Vers 45 Againe the kingdome of heauen is like vnto a Marchant man that seeketh good pearles Who hauing found a pearle of great price went and solde all that he had and bought it THe summe and effect of this Parable is this that how base and vile soeuer the Gospell seemes in the eyes of men yet whosoeuer commeth to finde the worth price and excellencie of it will giue all that he hath to get it and will rather part with all then he will forgoe it For here by the kingdome of Heauen that I may shew what is meant by it wee are not to vnderstand the place of the blessed mansion of the faithfull after this life whither Christ is ascended though the words are thus to be taken sometimes as in Matthew I say vnto you that many shall come from the East and from the West and shall sit downe with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of heauen neither is it taken for the absolute kingdome of God whereby he guideth and gouerneth all the world and all his creatures from the greatest vnto the least of them neither lastly is it taken for that especiall rule and regiment which Christ as the head hath ouer the Church his bodie which is likewise called a kingdome after a more especiall manner but here by kingdome wee are to vnderstand the Gospell of the kingdome as it is called in Marke Iesus went forth into Galile preaching the Gospell of the kingdome and in diuers other like places And this Gospell of the kingdome is not only in many places of this Chapter but most euidently in the 21. Chapter of this Euangelist called the kingdome of God in these words Therefore I say vnto you the kingdome of God shall be taken from you and giuen to a nation that will bring forth the fruite thereof
are hoarded vp in the word for vs to make vs happy forasmuch as they are drawne out from thence no other way but by thirsting after them and by it we are made partakers of them as the blessed Virgine saith in her song The Lord filleth the hungry with good things and sendeth the rich or full empty away which is the cause why the poore people of God doe shew their thirsting desire not onely many other wayes but also by this namely in their ordinary labour and trauaile to heare the word of God preached that sundry miles off from their dwelling place if they haue it not there though it be with mocking and taunting them for it by such as are far from thirsting after it themselues The third cause why God requireth thirsting is because we should otherwise neuer know how exceedingly we are beholding to him for the variety of grace and good things which we receiue thereby frō him as faith patience the forgiuenes of sins c. For so Salomon saith in the Prouerbs The person that is full despiseth an hony combe but vnto the hungry soule euery bitter thing is sweete So that we feeling such neede of them as that our soules should faint and be starued without them we see and acknowledge that which we could not haue done without it neither would easily beleeue it namely that the Lord loueth vs dearely and that his mercy is great towards vs yea and that in things of the best kind which others hauing offered them of God as well as we doe set no store by them and all because they feele no want of them but could as they thinke be well enough without them And thus much of the causes of thirsting The third followeth and that is how long wee should thirst For it seemeth vnreasonable to many that we should be held alwaies at one point as that either we should euer be thirsting for one grace or if that be not required of vs yet that we should bee thirsting still after some other To the which the answere is that we must alwaies be thirsting euen so long as God hath any good grace to giue and till he be wearie of bestowing vpon vs. Which seeing it shall neuer be while we remaine heere God being a wel-spring and fountaine of all good things neuer drawne drie and more readie to giue then we to aske it is for our singular benefit and not a bondage that we may be alwaies thirsting for so long there is stil some good comming towards vs and otherwise we were not liable to the liberall offer which God maketh heere by the Prophet neither were we the persons to whom he speaketh in saying Ho euery one that thirsteth come to the waters and drinke But yet this I say further that in this manner we should thirst namely for any grace till we receiue it if it be heere to be enioyed or a sure grant of it if we cannot partake it heere that in the life to come we shal haue it and we are not to thinke that when we haue obtained any gift or grace of God that we are commanded still to be asking of one and the same thing which to do were against common sense and reason but for a greater measure of it as encrease of faith loue and patience when we haue alreadie receiued a part in them and for such things as we yet want with the like appetite to desire and thirst for them as at the first anguish of mind and wound of conscience we did long for the forgiuenesse of our sinnes And this of the time how long we ought to thirst which is the third point in this first part The fourth followeth namely how we should come to thirsting and how it should be vpholden which being such a worthie gift of God had not need to be neglected but as an appetite to bodily food for the preseruing of health is by all meanes to be maintained and sought The meanes are neither costly nor hard to come by as in bodily dainties it fareth but readie and at hand Euen to see our wants in grace and emptines thereof as how weake our faith is how faint our hope how cold our loue and how hardly we haue proofe of our patience Also to obserue our corruptions as touchinesse frowardnes vncleane desires wrath desire of reuenge c. and in what bondage they hold vs. If we obserue these in our selues they will make vs desire the sincere milke of the Word to guide vs aright also to watch and pray sigh and groane that we may resist the euill and nourish the good For as the husbandman by toiling and sweating at hay and haruest prouoketh the bodily thirst so we labouring with our hearts to plucke vp and to plant as there shall be cause shall thirst till wee obtaine that which wee goe about and desire And God who calleth vs to it and promiseth largely to satisfie vs will not mocke vs but do as he hath said that is to say satisfie our soules with good things And thus we come to thirst But when we see our hearts thus possessed and taken vp with the feruent and constant desire of the good things which we would haue we must also be perswaded to labour readily and willingly as need shall require whether it be by prayer conference or the like to obtaine them remembring that which is said in the Psalme that wisdome and so all the parts thereof is to be sought out that is with all diligence of those that haue pleasure therein But one obiection heere I will answere which troubleth some and that is that they say In the beginning when men turne to God first they thirst and cannot be satisfied to their quiet and contentment but they see no such thing in them after I answere though all shew it not after as they did at first by complaining asking questions and lamenting their wants to other yet they long and thirst for that which they see needfull for them and yet wanting but they do not shew it so much and that is wisdome which other vnexperienced and more weake in knowledge and faith cannot do but must shew their thirsting as I said and it may be perceiued of themselues to be so by their daily care and diligence to nourish the old grace they haue alreadie and to obtaine new and by the course of their life it may be perceiued of others but if they grow full they be in ill case Thus the first branch of the three in this first part hath bin handled namely who they are whom God calleth out by the Prophet from the rest of the people to take part in the best tidings that euer were or can be brought from him and that is all such as thirst The second branch followeth and that is what are the good things that they shall haue which thirst The benefit which they shall enioy is answerable to their thirst
be in loue with their example and good course euen as a sweet smell or a beautifull creature prouoketh to the liking thereof And that which he speaketh of them he affirmeth of all which are his true Israelites and faithfull people And hereof it is that they enioy and attaine to many fruits of the spirit because they loue and long much after them and euery one hath the greater measure of them the more stedfastly that he beleeueth God will grant them And so on the contrarie it is verified in others which is written Wo be to them which are full for they shall hunger wo be to them that are rich for they haue their consolation For they who thirst not for heauenly grace to refresh them and make them well liking to God and his people shall turne their thirst after the pleasures of sin and the vnsauourie froth of their euill hearts till hauing their fill of them they cast vp their sweet morsels as their bane and poison And this shall suffice to haue said of this verse for our instruction and comfort The summe whereof is not only that they who hartily long for the great benefit of assurance of Gods loue shall haue it beleeuing it because God hath promised it to them but euen other grace also as willingnesse and fitnesse for the duties of their particular calling as Salomon in the third of the Kings and the Publicans and souldiers in the third of Luke obtained which is a singular gift of God with the former Also they shall haue patience yea and ioy in tribulation mercifulnes and liberalitie to the needie contempt of the world willingnesse and readines to die and a supplie of all other wants which all being enioyed as they may be heere are another manner of portion then all abundance of corne wine or any other thing that is earthly and yet they shall to their good contentment haue their part in these also Now followeth the reprehension in the second verse But heere we must marke that he reproueth not them whom he before called in their thirsting after heauenly things to be satisfied therewith For all may see there was no cause why he should find fault with them who did that which he required but he reproueth them who did not thirst nor set their delight on the best things telling them that they bestowed their labour and trauell vpon that which could not profit but deceiue them For by money in this verse hee meaneth their precious labour and care and by bread he meaneth that which in the first verse he did by wine water and milke that is the substantiall and true nourishing food of the soule As if he should say why are ye so vnthankfull nay so wilfully foolish that when God hath freely offered his bountifull kindnesse to you to drinke of the water of life you affect it not but rather reiect it and in the meane while wearie and trouble your selues about that which cannot satisfie or giue you contentment For to speake as the truth is men are so bewitched by the diuell that they had rather wander vp and downe in by-wayes and crosse pathes erroniously and to follow their owne opinions in seeking eternall life till they be wearied rather then to rest in the safe way which God offereth them And when he hath reproued them for this great fault he exhorteth them to be wiser and to heare him attentiuely in shewing them a better way euen the right and true way to happinesse that is by thirsting after it as the other did mentioned in the former verse and so doing he sheweth them what a worthie fruit they should reape thereof euen all abundance of things worthie to be desired and rest to their soules thereby which he meaneth by that allegoricall speech when he saith Eate that which is good and let your soules delight in fatnesse Thus much for the meaning of this verse now briefly looke wee into the reproofe and exhortation therein contained and consequently what fruit will follow if they be both regarded In the reproofe we are taught as well as they to whom the Prophet wrote and the wofull experience of this age doth shew that he did not onely expostulate with his owne nation at that time but that he hath also iustly inueighed against all Adams posterity in what age soeuer For all men naturally are caried away with this frenzy that in seeking of eternall life they doe all erre and are deceiued and do chuse rather to follow their owne fancie and conceit then the voice or word of God He speaketh not to them who being drowned in a deepe forgetfulnesse of God and themselues doe not almost thinke of the welfare and saluation of their soules he complaineth not I say of such whose number yet who doubteth but that it is exceeding great yea and that all such are further off from eternall life then the other but to them hee directeth his words who desire life in some sort and yet know no way thereto but wander vncertainly they know not whether So that heere are all such condemned as seeke amisse and toile themselues to come to happinesse any other way then God teacheth in his word and all their labours and trauels that way are called of him vnprofitable and ill bestowed cost Whereupon we may iustly complaine of the wofull estate of sundrie kinds of people among vs and lay forth their misery as cleerely as if it were seene in a glasse And first of all they who are teachers or be taught in the Romish synagogues may manifestly see how they incur the bitter and iust reproofe of the Prophet in such sort as they shall neuer bee able to winde themselues out of it For to yeld them that which truely we may we denie not but that there are of them which toile and trauell to goe to heauen though this must be knowne also that others of them couer their knaueries with a colour of their religion and either know that they are misled or at least hold their profession for their ease and bellies sake euen these who seeke the way to heauen which are the simplest minded amongst all the rest of their religion are they against whom the Prophet enueigheth As for the wilfull and subtill among them they are much further off and almost without hope But the simpler are also deceiued with a false worship of God and vse it after the fond and superstitious conceits and dreames of their owne braine though onely of meere ignorance of whose doings yet the Lord more iustly complaineth then he doth of those to whom these words were directed when hee saith who required these things at your hands For in vaine doe they worship him teaching and receiuing for doctrines the traditions of men To enter into particulars is infinite Obiect And whereas it will be obiected that they take great paine and bestow much time about the same Answ I answere the rightlier do the
they vsed all diligence and armed themselues now while God gaue them this little breathing from persecution that so by their confidence pure heart good conscience loue and patience and other grace they might be fit to leade a godly life in the world with ease and strengthen themselues against falles and the baits of sin on euery side And it is manifest to all of vs who can iudge that by such meanes and a sound ministerie watching praying and the like the Church of God can grow in grace and no otherwise And that they did thus it is apparent by that which we reade in the second of the Acts where it is said that they were daily in the temple and continued in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and prayer And this vse should all true particular Churches and people of God make of their libertie of peace and of liuing free from persecution From the which God hath a long time freed many of his good seruants in this age howsoeuer some are much and oft vnder the crosse yea and that right heauie and sharpe such therefore should glorifie God by bringing forth fruit not in a common sort yea al possible good should be done of them and not omitted For as for priuate lets and those which are vsuall may more easily be ouercome either inward corruptions or outward ill examples or other discouragements as long as the word of God may haue free passage to be sincerely preached But if outward peace alone be counted so great a benefit and such holy and fruitfull vse made of it Note then how much more should we thinke so when that one is accompanied with abundance of other good things when health wealth friends and fauour of the godly shall go herewith and meet altogether in one person what manner of people ought such to be in all godlinesse And how God looketh for it that it should be so that place of Deuteronomie doth liuely shew Where Moses saith that we must serue the Lord with all ioyfulnesse and a good heart for the abundance of all good things The meditations of such mens harts should be acceptable to God and to follow the metaphor of building vsed heere a little the people that is so blessed of God should do as builders are wont that is to pull downe the ruinous corners set vp new frames in their roomes so should Gods seruants plucke downe the old ruines and breaches of their corrupt hearts as anger wrath impatience bitternesse and such like vncleane lusts and set vp mercie tenderheartednesse loue zeale faith and such like Yea and more particularly according to the diuers ages of Gods children they should exercise themselues that is to say the tender consciences and yong beginners should haue their thoughts and meditations about the fauour of God desiring aboue all things to be assured of it the middle aged Christians and such as are somewhat stayed in faith and the feare of God should chiefely be occupied in striuing against their lusts and fighting with them the ancient and experienced who haue done both these should much be taken vp in calling to mind what they haue heard of Gods manner of dealing in guiding his Church and the fruit thereof and in declaring to other and what they haue seene and found themselues worth the reporting to be in the seruing of God that thereby they may be encouraged to walke fruitfully and circumspectly still as they did long before and not to be led away from their stedfastnes in their Christian course by the error of the wicked as hauing found that course by long proofe to haue been the most gainfull of all other vnto them These vses and the like all sorts and ages of Gods people ought to make of Gods blessings towards them and of freedome from trouble But do the people of this age thus for that were a kind vse of peace and his other benefits and would well become them No for in this land these fiftie yeeres now fully passed what knowledge might haue been so that one might haue been able to teach another and there might haue been that grace of the spirit which might haue seasoned Christians hearts no lesse sensiblie then the dew doth moisten the mountaines So that our Church might haue been a paterne to others as the Thessalonians were examples to all that beleeued in Macedonia and Achaia and it might now haue been verified if euer in any age since the Apostles time that out of the bellies of beleeuers might haue flowed riuers of waters of life whereas except some persons heere and there there is great ignorance vnfaithfulnesse hollownesse securitie vncharitablenesse maliciousnesse and what not of that kind I speake not of the disorders of life for they are more fitly to be reprooued in the next vse which the Churches made of their peace but of the grosse distemperatures of the heart for although these times of prosperitie and peace haue been the fittest seasons for men to encrease in goodnes and grace euen as the haruest is to gather in the corne yet whether we enquire into particular Churches or persons we shall find nothing more true then this that peace and plentie haue poisoned for the most part the enioyers of them But if the people of God whom I teach now to make this vse of his blessings were not wound in by the diuels cunning sleights among the rest of the world it were the lesse maruel but euen they cannot be sholed out from them but haue their teeth set on edge with their courses by liuing among them and beholding how they runne headlong into all excesse by meanes of their prosperitie so that euen they forget their couenant made with God that is that they should endeuour to vse soberly in this present world all their lawfull liberties till with shame and sorrow afterward they are faine to returne againe to repentance And thus many euen of them not holding gouernment ouer their hearts breake out into offensiue life and become eye-sores to their brethren who will not be pent in to keepe the bounds of vnoffensiue walking till experience constraine them to wish they had been wiser and before their straying out so far to haue kept themselues well while they were well And this teacheth vs that Moses saw good cause to giue this warning to Gods people when they were to go to the land flowing in abundance of Gods blessings out of the barren wildernesse saying When the Lord hath brought you into that land with great and goodly cities which ye builded not and houses full of all manner of goods which ye filled not and welles digged which ye digged not and vineyards and oliue trees which ye planted not and when ye haue eaten and are full beware lest you forget the Lord which brought you out of the land of Egypt out of the house of bondage Now to make vse of this in
that he would be reuenged vpon them to whom he answered am not I vnder God or doe not I feare God as if he should haue saied dare I by any such doings prouoke God So that by all this which hath bin said it may easily be gathered that we are not to rest contented with the well ordering of our hartes alone but we must also testifie it by the gouernment of our liues And this is the second vse that these Churches made of their peace and rest from persecution which is commended by the holy Ghost to all true Christians to follow them in and to teach them that when God enlargeth their liberties and multiplieth his blessings vpon them they should not as the men of the world doe eate and drinke and sleep and play as though they should neuer be called to their account for the mispending of their time and the ill vsing of his benefits but rather they should know first that all Gods good blessings are talents committed to them of their heauenly father and therefore that they should occupy them carefully and faithfully till he come to demand how they haue vsed them and what good they haue done with them And secondly that they should consider that it is the very end why God hath freed them from many great calamities and set them at more liberty then sundry others of their brethren to the end that they may thus honour him with a godly and a fruitefull life which they that want them can hardly doe So that although he is not a Christian who is onely one in outward shew as Paul speaketh of the Iew yet whatsoeuer inward grace men haue it must be testified by forsaking all sinne outward and by a godly life both in their word and deed This did that noble gouernour Iosua with high commendation regard and this vse he made of Gods fauours that as in godly zeale and other grace inward he excelled others so he professed boldely that whatsoeuer others did in and about their religion he and his house would serue the Lord. And the example of Dauid was whiles he liued of great force and to this day an example worthy to be followed Who when he saw that God had giuen him rest from his enemies on euery side he could not tell how he might sufficiently rest and content himselfe in shewing himselfe thankefull and therefore resolued to builde an house euen a temple to the Lord for all the people to worship him in And al such as haue duely considered and throughly weighed Gods louing kindnes to them haue euer thought it their duty to consecrate themselues wholly both soule and body as the Apostle also wisheth and earnestly exhorteth vnto the Lord. Which practise in men as it is the most beautifull sight to behold as Balaam was constrayned to say of Gods people how goodly are thy tents O Iacob and thine habitations O Israel so it is blessed to themselues who are such and to those who wish well to them according to another of his prophecies where he sayeth blessed is he that blesseth thee and cursed is hee that curseth thee But doe we make this vse of our peace and other fauours of God which we inioy to professe our selues such as indeuour to walke vnoffensiuely and without reproofe in the middest of a froward generation which hateth to be reformed And they who go indeed for beleeuing Christians and are so counted doe they glory in nothing more then in glorifying God Then should their innocency breake forth as the light and their vprightnes shine as the noone tyde Then should such be examples in communication and conuersation to the shame of their enemies and accusers As God be thanked some doe and yet acknowledge themselues in humility to be farre frō that they ought to be that is vnprofitable seruants But howsoeuer they who beleeue in Christ are careful to doe good workes as occasion shall be offered yet if they should not be commended till the ignorant and profane should doe it they were not only like to go away with little allowance but euen with great disgrace and reproch seeing they count the best the worst and haue no other cause to speake il of them then this that they be so vnlike themselues in euill As S. Peter sayeth therefore they speake euill of such because they walke not after the same excesse of riot that they doe But to say no more of this it may appeare that they which make right vse of their peace and other sweet benefits which God bestoweth vpon them are herein commendable that they not onely haue the feare of God in their hearts but they are as carefull to walke in it through the whole course of their liues It followeth in the next words that as they walked in the feare of the Lord so did they also In the comfort of the holy Ghost For so are the words to be red as I haue saied before not as in some translation they are set downe namely thus And were multiplied by the comfort of the holy Ghost but they ought not so to be taken neither is this reading according to the Greeke coppy Therefore to follow the first translation the third vse that they made of their peace is set downe namely that they passed their dayes and walked through them comfortably and in ioy and gladnes of heart And in these words note two things The one is the vse they made of their peace namely that they liued comfortably The other how or by what meanes they did so for we know that all such as liue in peace and haue rest from persecution do not for all that liue comfortably The meanes whereby they obteined it was their godly life for they building vp themselues in grace and walking in the feare of the Lord did thereby obteine this also to liue comfortably By the first of these two we all who professe the feare of God are taught to make this vse of our freedome from great affliction and trouble to liue ioyfully and to delight our selues in the Lord and in his al sufficiency Which thing one would thinke is more then God would affoord vs. For there is no greater blessing inioyed in our life then to reioyce aright and to liue comfortably we see how greedily al earthly delight and pleasure is laied for and imbraced and yet it is all but a shadow of this that I speake of euen as this holy and heauenly ioy is but a glimpse and taste of that which is eternall And but that the Lord hath giuen this liberty nay commandement to seeke this ioy we might easily be perswaded that it is aboue our reach and not to be inioyed of vs in this vale of misery wherein we liue And yet as great a gift and as precious as it is he is forced to hire vs to it by promises and incouragements as in the Psalme saying delight thy selfe in the
be gotten kept and recouered being lost which that you may the better regard and diligently attend vnto Know this of a suerty that he that is not in some measure partaker of this ioy here shall neuer be partaker of the ioyes in heauen For as our spirituall life whereby we liue in Christ is not begun but in this life soe certaine and doubtlesse it is that this ioy which is a fruite of that life must either be begun here or we shall neuer passe into them ioyes in the kingdome of heauen Despise therefore this ioy and scorne it as many doe who count it but a fantasie and withall thou refusest the ioyes of heauen whereof this ioy is but the beginning On the contrary procure keepe and encrease this ioy and these are a certaine and sure pledge vnto thee of the ioyes of the life to come And the more thou canst fill and fraught thy selfe with this ioy the nearer doest thou come vnto the life of the Saints in heauen For this ioy here on earth and that in heauen is not differing in kinde But the ioy of the faithfull militant is the same with that of the faithful triumphant The same I say for the nature and kinde of the ioy though not for the degree and perfection of it So that as I said the more we grow on in this ioy the nearer we come to the blessed life of the Saints triumphant Let vs then see by what meanes this ioy of heauen may be here begun in vs on earth And first this is a cleane an euident trueth that we can neuer attaine to any true and sound ioy in the Lord vntil we be by faith in Christ recōciled vnto him For vntill then so far ar we from taking any ioy in him that we take the greatest pleasure in estranging and withdrawing our selues so far as can be from him As Adam before he was reconciled vnto God after his fall he could not endure the sight and presence of God but hid himselfe amongst the trees of the garden As well can the theife take pleasure in the presence of the iudge that is to condemne and pronounce sentence of death vpon him as we can reioice in God the Iudge and the auenger of all our sinnes committed against him Now then that we may know how this reconciliation is to be made with God without the which we cannot ioy in him we are in it to proceed by these three degrees First we are to come to the knowledge of our sin by the Law of God we are to bring the Law rightly taught and vnderstood of vs as a light into our hearts to see what heapes of filthie sins lie in euery darke corner of our hearts to see what are the duties required in euery seuerall precept and how we haue omitted them what sinnes are condemned in euery precept and how and in what degree we haue sinned in the commission of them Secondly we are to weigh the iudiciall sentence of the Law against vs. Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things written in the Law to do them And then not to blesse our selues that yet all shall be well nor to make a league and couenant with hell and death which shall not be kept but in token we beleeue our hearts must be filled with sorrow and all our vaine reioycings are to bee turned to mourning till we melt and relent be abased and humbled thereby and brought to an vtter despaire of all helpe in our selues Thirdly being thus truly cast downe in our owne soules we are then to learne to know what meanes God hath appoined to free vs from the bitter curse of death and hell The meanes he appointed for the freeing vs were the death passion and y e obedience of Christ Iesus that he might vndergo the curse and wrath of God for such lost and forlorne ones as we are and that we might be freed from it and so make a full and perfect satisfaction for vs and fulfill the Law that his obedience might be imputed vnto vs. But yet this passion and obedience of Christ are not ours except they be applied to vs by faith in the promises of the Gospell These promises therefore are to be knowne and then by faith to be laid hold on the promises tending to this purpose are euery where very comfortable and plentifull in Scripture Ioh. 3.14 As the Serpent was lift vp in the wildernesse so must the Sonne of man be lift vp that whosoeuer beleeueth should not perish but haue eternall life For God so loued the world that he sent his onely begotten Sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue eternall life Which being so how can it be that we being freed frō the sting affrighting and thundring threatnings of the Law and translated by this faith into y e glorious liberty of the sons and daughters of God but that wee should bee exceedingly rauished in ioy at this so vnspeakable loue and mercie of God vnto vs If onely we were freed from the curse of the Law which is eternall death and torment and had only this hatred of God turned from vs that he should no more hate vs this were cause enough one would thinke if we did duely consider it of great reioycing But truly to beleeue that God should further loue vs and loue vs as it were aboue his owne Sonne that he should wound him to spare vs and curse him to blesse vs that he should kill him to quicken vs that he should abandon and forsake him that he might againe take and receiue vs this I say to beleeue it cannot but cheare and reioyce the saddest heart and heauiest soule that euer was It is said in the Acts All that beleeued continued in the Apostles doctrine and ate their meat with gladnes and singlenes of heart This faith made them all though they were in a most dangerous estate in regard of the world and the enemies they had in it to reioyce and be merrie in the Lord notwithstanding all the snares and dangers that infested them on euerie side And the Apostle Peter writing to all the dispersed beleeuers of the Iewes in many countries in his 1. Epistle 1.8 saith Ye beleeuing in him that is in Christ though you see him not you reioyce with ioy vnspeakable and glorious Though Christ were absent in bodie yet this faith of theirs in him made them all to reioyce with vnspeakable and glorious ioy as the people of Samaria did after they beleeued in Christ Thus then we see briefely what is the only way to attaine and come vnto this ioy heere in this exhortation of the Apostle commended vnto vs. But I haue both in a direction and in Sermons handled this at large and will say no more of it Let vs now see when we haue it how we may both keepe and encrease this ioy in our hearts And this is to be done by many meanes
truly penitent that vsed these ceremonies Therefore according to his meaning let vs learne this that when we make account that we do repent let vs see that it be true and heartie not fained and hypocriticall And therin we must see that we be setled and stablished not flitting nor off and on as the manner of the most is to offer to God such cracked halfe seruice Now as by repentance heere he meaneth the whole conuersion of a man which consisteth in the pricke of conscience faith in Gods promises and care of amendment of life so must mens repentings be and not be patched and pieced with shreds and rags of our owne deuising but currant and approued hauing all these three parts in it For else as a ragge it will soone weare away whereas it is to be preserued vpholden and continued and the longer we liue to be better testified that it is true and vnfained indeed And thus do and prosper such a foundation laid shall be fit to be builded vpon proportionablie and when wee haue thus begun in the same manner go we forward till we and all other that list may see that our repentance is that which is not to be repented of And for want of this as they who did neuer rightly begin shall haue nothing whereof they may reioyce whatsoeuer their shewes be so they who haue begun well yet without such a proceeding shall euer be readie to stagger and to doubt whether they did euer rightly begin to beleeue and repent or no which who doth not see what a continuall disquietnes and discomfort it breeds whereas they who are setled and commendablie go forward shall hold the confidence and reioycing of their hope vnto the end And this of the whole FINIS TWO SERMONS VPON ACTS 9.31 Then had the Churches rest through all Iudea and Galilie and Samaria and were edified and walking in the feare of the Lord and the comfort of the holy Ghost were multiplied HAuing in some of the former Sermons taught that Christiās should passe the whole time of their dwelling heere in holy feare of offending God and namely that part of their life which is passed in outward peace and prosperity which blessing of God the most part doe greatly abuse I thought it both verie pertinent and also profitable to shew and set downe some examples of such as haue done so and examples not of one man two or three but of whole particular Churches who may be paternes of well vsing outward peace and rest from persecution and trouble to the worlds end Here therfore in this text I meane to lay out the meaning thereof you may see people of no long continuance for the most of them in the profession of the Gospell who as they had been hardly holden vnder of trouble and persecution in all the three places of Iudea Samaria and Galily and yet reuolted not from their religion neither fainted in their hope so now when God gaue them a breathing time as it were of outward peace and rest from their former persecution they neglected not the occasion offered them but tooke the opportunitie to benefit themselues in the practise of godlinesse to their high commendation and to the example of all posteritie that should come after them For they vsed all good meanes both in communion and meeting together publikely and priuately by hearing the Apostles doctrine and conference of the same and euery one by himselfe in reading and prayer to set themselues forward therein And by these and such like meanes they builded vp themselues in sauing and effectuall knowledge in faith hope patience loue and other graces of God and rested not there but also shewed the same forth in their liues before men with great ioy of heart to themselues Neither was this their holy and heauenly course without fruit for the Lord blessed it abundantly to the praise of his name in the conuersion of many For so it is said in the text that they were multiplied that is the number of them who were beleeuers in Christ was encreased the Lord adding vnto them that is to the Church through the good example which they gaue many euen of the bad sort which liued among them And so the word multiplied is to be vnderstood as in the originall tongue most clearely may appeare and not as it is taken in some translations that is to say that they were multiplied by the comfort of the holy Ghost for that altereth the sense of the place which is this as I haue said that the faithfull were multiplied encreased in number other who had been vnbeleeuers before being brought to the faith and not as the translaters take it that the comfort of the faithfull was multiplied Thus much be said for the coherence of this text with the former and for the laying out of the meaning of it Now follow the parts of it and they are generally two The one is the setting downe of the state of these Churches of Iudea Samaria and Galilie at that time namely that they were not vnder persecution as a while before they had been but they had rest from it The other part is the vse that was made of it amongst them The vse of this peace or rest from persecution was made by two sorts of people· the one was the faithfull and beleeuers the other those which beleeued not The vse that the faithfull made of it was threefold the one that they for their owne parts grew in grace and in the gifts of God For it is said they were edified that is builded vp if ye aske wherein the answere is in faith and the fruits of it as Iude in his Epistle wrote to the Churches that they should be builded vp in their most holy faith The second vse they made of their peace was that they did shew foorth the same grace and faith in their liues before men for so it is said they walked through the course of their liues in the feare of the Lord. The third was they did by both prouide and procure to themselues a sweete and a sound comfort in their liues which few heere enioy for so it is said they were comforted by the holy Ghost The vse the bad sort and vnbeleeuers made of it was this that they learned by the examples of the other to embrace the Gospell and to be good in that time of rest from persecution and became followers of the Churches for they would not haue been multiplied if the other had not been added to them But to begin before I speake of outward peace and rest from persecution first let it be marked that those Churches were before this vnder persecution to teach vs that although God loue his people dearely and can afford them his good benefits of all sorts in this life as he bestowed the best vpon these yet he seeth it good to exercise them with sundrie afflictions as he saith whom I loue I correct And
seeing Saint Peter saith he doth not this but when need is for hee doth nothing needlessely nor without cause therefore wee must know that it is needfull that it should be so yea and that also though they be sharpe and fierie The Lord knoweth what is best for euery one of vs. And it is meet that wee should be well perswaded hereof also both because we doe so soone shrinke backe at the very hearing that any crosses are comming towards vs and also for that we must enter into the kingdome of heauen by bearing our part in them And for these causes and for that they are layed on vs by him who doth all things well and for the good of his therefore we must both stoope to them willingly and looke vp to him who hath smitten vs that he may heale vs. And the Lord sheweth vs many other reasons why he leaueth vs thus to be subiect to many tribulations though hee be not bound to shew vs any euen for that we be not fit to vse prosperity well aâ—y long time together and therefore that we may not bee poisoned therewith and so perish with the world thereby he weaneth vs from the baites thereof by afflictions The vse of this is of two sorts Vse 1 The one that we should prepare for them before as Christs doctrine teacheth when he foretelleth that in the world we shall haue tribulation and as Iobs example incourageth who in the middest of his prosperity did looke for his change Vse 2 The other vse is that we should take vp our crosse daily and that with a willing and ready minde as in Luk. 9.23 we are taught and pray that we may doe so to the end our ioy may be all as S. Iames promiseth it shal be if wee receiue them in that manner And this for the first point As we haue heard that these Churches had been vnder persecution so yet now it appeareth that they had rest from it at this time here mentioned Whereby God would haue vs learne that he doth not afflict long but as Hosea speaketh after three dayes that is after a short time he wil returne and deliuer and so though heauines indure for a night yet ioy shal come in the morning For he will not suffer the rod of the wicked to lye alwaies vpon the lott of the righteous lest they should reach forth their hand to iniquity But further he blesseth them oft and sundrie wayes more then is easily perceiued both that it may be seene that godlinesse is not without reward no not in this life and also that God can afford good things vnto his seruants though he sometime afflict them And to come to particulars he giueth freedome from persecution and sendeth outward peace whereby we may liue safely vnder our vine and vnder our figtree as it was in the dayes of Salomon Which benefit if we haue so long enioyed and yet cannot price it in any sort according to the value of it but count it common wee may aske of them who are or haue been in the heate of persecution who can readily tell how much this peace and rest from persecution is worth how many precious liberties it holdeth from vs and how many good things it depriueth vs of All which we partake who haue freedome from that persecution and enioy this outward peace which I speake of Among the which these are none of the smallest that as wee enioy our habitation peaceably thereby so wee haue the benefit of the vtterance of our commodities and the exchange of our wares and safe trauelling from place to place all which bring freedome from feare and other vnquietnes And which maketh all these to be sauourie and to be enioyed with more sweetnes by this freedome from persecution where wee liue vnder a Magistrate that is a maintainer and defender of true religion we enioy also the benefite of the Gospell truly preached which is the pearle so highly prized by our Sauiour Whereas in domestical at home and forraine warre abroad as also in persecution all these commodities are wanting In the booke of Iudges wee reade that when there was no King in Israel euery man did what seemed good in his owne eyes In the daies of Iael the high waies were vnoccupied and the trauellers walked in by-waies for feare of the enemies the townes were not inhabited And in the desolation of Ierusalem as we reade in the Lamentations she was left solitarie Iudah was carried away captiue the waies of Zion lamented because no man came to the solemne feasts as they had been wont to come vp with mirth and ioy all her persecuters tooke her in the streights By which it may be seene what a benefit peace and freedome from persecution is which should cause vs when we may enioy them to studie to doe all the good that wee may possibly in them which only is to make the right vse of them And so did the Churches here when they had them but a while But what haue we done in the golden dayes of our peace for these fifty full yeares inioyed It may truly be said it hath bin worse with the most part then if they had bin wanting For then should there neuer haue such foule and horrible sinnes bin committed as through and by meanes of peace and prosperity al places well nigh haue been tainted with Besides many haue neuer the more peace with God Note for all the peace that hath been in the land neither once looke after it no nor with men saue in euill otherwise at warre no nor in their owne houses but are at strife and contention in brawling and railing euen betwixt man and wife nor with themselues which is most diuellish What quietnes haue many but when they haue what they would and while their lusts be satisfied which peace forsaketh them in euery blast of affliction else they are euer vnquiet and vexed within themselues for euery thing that goeth against them But seeing the vses of outward peace are set downe in the text I wil follow that in the laying out of them To begin with them therefore it is said first that they did edifie and build vp themselues In what It must needes be that the holy Ghost meant in such inward grace as inabled them to shew it foorth outwardly in their liues before men as the feare of God knowledge faith hope care to please God and such like in which it is said after they walked amongst men And therefore outward duties cannot bee meant thereby seeing the performing of them was another vse of their peace spoken of afterward seuerally by it selfe And how did they build vp themselues thus in grace It was by vsing all holy meanes for that purpose both publike and priuate as the hearing of the Apostles doctrine praying and vsing other godly fellowship together So that this is as much as if it were said that