Accaron or Ekron 2. Rog. 1.3 with whom Ahaziah contrarie to the word of the Lord consulted Baal was a common name of all the Idols which were worshipped of the infidell nations that bordered vpon Palestina or Iurie the Caldeans called it Bece adding for difference sake some other name as Beelphegor the Idoll of the Moabite â—â—alpear the Idoll of the Amonite c. This Idoll was called Beelzebub because of the multitude of flies that swarmed about the Temple of this Idoll because of the many sacrifices which there were slaine The Iewes in contempt did call the Diuell by this name the prince of the Dinels because he is the prince that ruleth in the ayre the Prince of the darknesse of this world Ephes 2. 6. and had sub Vexillo suo exercitum diabolorum like flies swarming in the ayre 3. verse 16. In others which tempted him seeking a signe from heauen and these were of the Scribes and Pharisies Mat. 12 which were not ashamed by extenuating to calumniate this notable myracle collatione imparium crauing a more excellent myracle to be shewed in the skie either that he should raise vp thunder as in the time of Samuell 1. Sam. 12. or to call for fire from heauen as Eliah did 1. Reg. 18. or to make the Sunne to stand still Ios 10. or the Sunne to goe backward 2 Reg. 20. or to raine downe Manna from heauen as in the Desart but this they craued to a peruerse end that they might take occasion hereby to blaspheme and the more quarrell with him and therfore Christ called them an euil and adulterous generation Mat. 12. And these are the effects of this myracle per accidens proceeding from the peruerse malice and hatred of the Scribes and Pharisies Obser Doct. HEere obscrue out of the 15. chap. 16. vers that nothing can bee safe from the viperous teeth of the Sycophaut as we may see in the diuers iudgements which the beholders of this myracle had of Christ The same chaunced to Iohn Baptist Mat. 11. to Steuen Act. 7. to Paul whom for preaching of Christ they sought to kill Act. 9. and at this day this is too common in the world for there are not wanting certaine peruerse criticall and malicious maleuolent ceÌ„surers which are readie to giue their peruerse iudgements of good men and to traduce whatsoeuer they speake or doe well imitating Xoilus heerein who being asked why hee spake euill of all men answered quoniam malefacere Cum velim non possim Aelian vaâ—hist lib. 11. but as long as thou doest well feare nothing the bitings of viperous tongues thinke that the same measure was offered vnto Christ the seruant is not greater then his Maister if they haue called the Maister of the house c. Mat. 10. imitate Plato heerein who when it was tolde him that many rayled vpon him answered At ego sic viuam vt illis fideâ— non habeatur 2 Note here the nature of the wicked there is no vertue so excellent nothing so well done nothing so worthily commended and extolled by the voice of all good-men which the wicked do not carp at dispraise euen as if he put a staffe or a peece of timber halfe way into the water that part which is in the water seemeth crooked and broken and the other straite when indeede it is all alike straite so the same action which to an vpright iudgement seemeth well done and praise worthy to the wicked it seemeth crooked and defectiue not that it is so but by reason of their depraued and corrupt iudgement which deceiueth them because they looke into the actions of others through the water of enuie and malice If thou be humble and lowly they will iudge thee abiect and vile if patient white-liuered and a dastard if studious an hypocrite if frugall a nigard and couetous if silent they wil iudge thee a foole if talkatiue a babler if deuoute a dissembler if thou doe iustice they will count thee cruell if pittifull remisse and corrupt if milde they will contemne thee if liberall they will count thee prodigall if sparing a myzer c. And nothing may be so well done but that enuious and wicked men will take occasion thereby to backbite and slander thee euen as a great Riuer receiueth into it selfe all other Riuers that come and the fire conuerteth into it selfe all things it taketh the Serpent eateth the sweete flower and conuerteth it into poyson out of which the Bee sucketh honie so the wicked at the verie same thing take occasion to murmure and dishonour God by which the godly are incited to loue praise and serue the Lord. For when Christ did many myracles the high Priests and Pharisies consulted how they might put him to death Now if thou demand of the high Priests and Pharisies why they would kill Christ 1. they will answere for this man doth many miracles Io. 11. But if thou aske of Peter Iames Iohn and the rest of the Disciples why they beleeue in Christ forsake all that they haue and follow him they will also say because he doth many myracles which none but the Messias could doe therefore we beleeued in him followe and serue him If you aske why the people did praise extoll Christ they would say because the dumbe spake c. But if ye ask the Pharisies why they mocke and blaspheme Christ they will also say because the dumbe spake c. What is the cause why this one myracle bringeth forth such contrarie effects surely because the hearts of both are diuers and different Whereby it commeth to passe that what to the one is a medicine and present remedie to the other is a deadly poyson O that many also at this day were not like vnto these Pharisies which when they should bee conuerted by Christs myracles wonne with his benefits and their hearts mollified and euen melt with the loue of God they take occasion thereby to become worse and more obdurate in their sinne Is it not an inestimable benefite that when thou committest so many and great sinnes yet God patiently suffereth thee expecting thy conuersion this goodnes of God which should so enflame thy minde with his loue so binde thy affection vnto him that thou shouldest not dare to offend so louing and mercifull a God thou abusest to presume the more boldly to commit the greater sinne adding without any feare sinne vpon sinne and saiest God is mercifull hee is a good God he came into the world suffered death vpon the crosse to saue sinners Indeede he is infinitely mercifull else would he not suffer thee to make his mercie and goodnesse an occasion of sinne and a cause of thy further wickednesse and the crosse which he endured to destroy the Kingdome of the Diuell to take occasion thereby the more boldly to sinne and to vphold the Kingdome of the Diuell Knowest thou not O wrech that this bountifulnesse of God leadeth thee to repentance but thou after c. Rom.
best legacie they may leaue them As Plut. de garru reporteth of Scylurus the Scythian who had 80. Sonnes who at his death bad his Sonnes to bring him a sheafe of arrowes which he deliuered vnto his Sonnes commanding each of them to breake them in peeces all at once which when not one of them could doe hee himselfe pulling them out one by one easily brake them before their faces shewing them by this parable the truth of that which Salo. teacheth Pro. 18. That a brother vnited to a brother is like an impugnable Citie and their counsailes like the barre of a Pallace which cannot be broken for if their contentions bee such much more their concorde and vnitie But to learne this point I may send you as the Apostle did the Corinthians to the schoole of nature 1. Cor. 11. Nonne ipsa vos natura hoc docet This reciprocall and mutuall concord nature her selfe teacheth vs in the fabrike and structure of the bodie for she hath made most parts 2. or double germana gemella as hands feet eyes eares nostrils signifying hereby that all these for mutuall help not hurt are so distinguished that they might the better succour helpe one the other Now if the hand which God created to helpe one the other neglecting this should hurt one the other or if the feete which were created to beare one anothers burthen leauing this should supplaÌ„t one the other or if the eyes which like Caleb and Iosuah are fellowe spies in the Microcosme and little world of the bodie should not looke for one anothers helpe but looke asquint at the good of each other were not this vnnatural and monstrous in the bodie how much more monstrous is it for vs which are brethren and Christians all members of one bodie to liue in discord and seeke the hurt one of another For the nearer the cause is of coniunction the greater must needes bee the wrong which doth dissipate it The woundes which Brutus his friend gaue to Caesar went nearer his heart then all the stabs of his foes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quoth hee and thou also my sonne Brutus This made Dauid complaine Ps 55. If mine enemie c. So monstrous and barbarous a thing it is to beare enmitie with them especially to whom we owe most loue and affection Wherefore as Salo. sent the sluggard to the Emmet to schoole that hee might learne to laboure Pro. 6. Esay the vngratefull to the Oxe and Asse to learne thankfulnesse Esa 1. Ieremie the neglecter of season to the storke and crane the Turtle and the Swallow to learne the opportunitie of time Iere. 8. and our Sauiour the worldling to the Rauens to learne Gods prouidence and contentation Mat. 6. So may I send the refractarie and contentious persons to behold the frame of the world which preacheth concorde and vnitie vnto man We see the celestiall Orbes and Spheares of heauen though their motions be diuers and their reuolutions thwartingly crossing one another as Eras in pacis quaerimonia saith yet are they euer constant in the first couenant of peace wherein the God of vnitie at first placed them The Elements though in nature contrarie and in operation opposite as drought and moisture colde and heate yet concordi pace ligantur they all conspire together in a friendly temperature for the preseruation of mans bodie The beasts of the field the fishes of the Sea the fowles of the ayre in their proper kinds armentatim pascunt gregatim natant turmatim vâ—lant saith he feede by heards swimme by companies flie by flockes and all to preach concord and vnitie vnto man The verie Serpents bite not one another The rauenous fishes deuoure none of their owne kind the most greedie birds and beasts will not prey vpon their like and shall man more vnnaturall then all other creatures be diuided seeke the spoyle one of another and worse then the Tygers Dragons and Serpents worke the destruction one of another which yet are bound together by God with more bands of amitie then all the rest When God created man he created him alone but vnicum as a thing of vnitie without diuision when all other creatures were made couples twoes Gen. 1. Which one though the Creator made 2. by after creation yet made he these 2. one againe by coniunction of marriage vt sciamus quâm concorditer viuere deberenous Aug. 11. de ciuitate dei cap. 21. that thereby we might knowe how peaceably we should liue together in one minde Wherefore brethren let the sanâ—e minde What shall I say with the Apostle the sâ—â—e minde that was in Christ Iesus Phil. 2. No I dare not I am out of hope of it he was such a louer of men that he laid downe his most precious life and suffered the most ignominious death to saue man his most rebellious enemie But if not the same yet let the like minde be in you Be ye followers of Christ as deare children walke in loue Ephes 5. Nay let but the mind of beasts to them of their owne kinde be in you For where as all motions of enmitie in them be but single and peculiar to their owne nature they all concurre togither in one man as all riuers runne into the sea Man to man is in heade craftie as a Fox in greedinesse like a Wolfe in fiercenesse like a Tyger in tongue as venemous as the Serpent in their euill eye as deadly as the Cockatrice in bloodie hands resembling the crueltie of Lions And whereas the integritie of our forefathers brought forth this Prouerbe Hoâ—o homini Deus This corrupt age hath turned Deus into Lupus from a preseruer of man into a deuourer of man to spoile one the other nay Homo homini Damon to imitate the Diuel one towards another in enuie c. And surely what should more linke our mindes together then the verie name of a Christian if we had spirituall eyes to looke into it We are all borne of one immortall seede in one wombe of the Church growing vp in one bodie to the full stature of Christ as members knit together by one spirit all trauailing to one Chanaan and hope of our calling seruing all one Lord professing all one faith hauing all made the same vowe in Baptisme In rebus tam multis consortium in vitatam inexplicabile dissiaium sayeth one In so many things fellowship and in life no friendship all one bodie and in the members no simpathie in all one spirit and in the affections no harmonie all one hope of heauen and in coheires no simphonie all one Lord and in fellow seruants no vnitie all one faith in opinions no simmetrie all sworne in one Baptisme and in fellow souldiers no symmachie all adopted by one father and among brethren no fraternitie so many ones and no vnitie This of all other is Argumentum maximi monenti saith a father the most inducing motiue and strongest argument that may be vnto loue that
hearts be hardened in sinne and so sinne growe into an habite but without delay cast of your olde sinnefull conuersation and be renued in the spirit of your mindes and betime put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse Ephe. 4.23 O consider that in thy first estate thou didest fight against the flesh the world and the diuell but if thou still addest sinne vpon sinne thou prouokest besides these another enemie wicked custome which will wage hostile warre against thee drawe thee after it and will bring thee into that wretched estate that thou shalt not feele the malice of sinne but drinke in iniquitie like wine and so be the more hardly conuerted Let vs flie all occasions auoyde the societie of wicked men the lillie is hardly preserued vnhurte among those thornes And so in this a respect the last state of sinne is worse then the first 3 Thirdly the last state of sinne is worse then the first in respect of God because the farther the sinner departeth from God the oftner he returneth like the dogge to his owne vomite and as the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire â— Pet. 2.22 The more God departeth from him and giueth them vp to their harts lust to a reprobate minde vnto vile affections Rom. 1 vers 24.28 As the physition giueth ouer the sicke which through his intemperancie and disordered life falleth many times into a relapse of sickenes Wherefore the Lord complaineth against Babel Ier. 51. We would haue cured Babel but she could not be healed forsake her c. And euen as a trauailer the more he goeth on his way the farther he is from the place from whence hee came so the greater sinne and more often that a man committeth the farther is he still from God But marke heere the policie of Sathan when hee cannot drawe a man especially such as haue bin exercised in godlinesse at one pull from God he laboureth to effect this pedetentim paulatim by little and litle euen as feuers and other infirmities of the bodie are the forerunners of death so many infirmities of the soule goe before the committing of many sinnes in action Thou commest deuoutly daily to prayer by litle and litle thou growest more colde at last thou waxest keycolde and vtterly neglectest the dutie of prayer Thou repayrest zealously to neare the word preached hee it be euery day in the weeke at last thy zeale waxeth more colde then thou saist it is sufficient to heare a Sermon vpon the Sabboth day in the end thou sayest to what purpose is so much preaching and so by litle and litle sathan draweth thee to despise Preachers and contemne the word of God and by degrees bringeth thee to vtter destruction So our Mother Eue by litle and litle fell from God first she beheld the Tree in the midst of the Garden that it was a faire Tree and pleasant to the eie then she desired the fruite next she plucked it and did eate and so transgressed Gods commandement Gen. 3.6 So Caine from a litle enuie which at first might easily haue bin suppressed giuing place to the diuell his hatred so increased that it grewe at last to murther Take heede therefore principiis obsta resist betime lubricus est serpens antiquus whose first suggestions if they be not resisted totus in intima cordis dum non sentitur illabitur Isidor The diuell is a slipperie serpent whose head that is his first suggestions if they be not resisted he windeth in his whole bodie ere thou be aware And that he may the sooner withdrawe vs from God he laboureth first to corrupt and falsifie the election of our will which one calleth amoris affectionum bilancem the ballance of our loue and affections whereby it commeth to passe that in the estimate of our loue we so litle esteeme God and the heauenly good things that in our election we preferre the creature before the creator and transitorie things before the heauenly So the Iewes Christ and Barrabas being put in this deceitfull ballance in their choise Barrabas waighed downe Christ Math. 27. Because they more esteemed Barrabas then Christ Thou wilt say that the Iewes deserued eternall torments for that they so vniustly did ponderate the different worthynes of these 2. But if one should demaunde of thee whether thou louest Christ or Barrabas no doubt thou wouldest say Christ but if thou makest choise of one worse then Barrabas what wilt thou say what if thou more esteemest sinne then Christ thou takest from thy neighbour his substance thou betrayest thy soule vnto the diuell thou wilt sweare and forsweare to increase thy wealth and for the gaining of one groate thou forsakest Christ dost thou not now more esteeme thy gaine then God Dost thou not loue sinne and the diuell more then Christ and seeing the diuell is worse then Barrabas and thou louest the diuel more then Christ it necessarily followeth that thou art worse then the Iewes And what is the cause hereof but the ballance of loue or hatred which is placed in thy will which sathan adulterateth and falsifieth in the estimate of this loue and inclineth it to the worst And so as the sinner through the malice of his will turneth away from God so God turneth his face from him which is the greatest of all euils And euen as the farther one goeth from the Sunne the longer is his shadowe for in the euening the Sunne declining euerie thing hath the greater shadowe so the farther a man departeth from God the greater shadowes of worldly vanities followe him for what are all earthly things which so greedily we desire but shadowes as the wicked themselues but too late shall confesse Wisd 5. All those things are passed away as a shadow And the farther we plunge our selues in the loue of the world the farther stil we are from God and therefore the more difficill our conuersion And euen as the Sunne the farther it departeth from any Countrie the more colde and barraine it maketh it contrariwise the nearer the Sunne directeth his course to any region the more warme and fruitfull it is and the sooner it bringeth forth fruite so the nearer our Lord Iesus Christ the Sonne of righteousnesse is vnto vs and with his presence and hoâ—e beames of his grace holy spirit collustrateth our soules the sooner and more aboundantly we fructifie be conuerted bring forth the fruits of pietie to the ioyfull and blessed haruest of eternall life But when Christ the true Sonne of righteousnesse departeth hee leaueth the soule desolate barraine vnfruitfull and openeth the gate vnto all vices And therefore the Lord saith by his Prophet Hose 9 1â— Woe be vnto them when I depart from them For as the spirit of God dwelling in our hearts maketh the way of vertue easie and pleasant so the absence of Gods spirit when through sinne we greeue the spirite of God maketh the way of repentance difficill and vnpleasant And so in this respect the last state of the sinner is worse then the first Wherefore brethren I beseech and exhort you in the bowels of mercie of our Lord Iesus Christ that yee would euer remember this wholsome caueat of our Sauiour Io. 5.14 Sinne no more least a worse thing happen unto thee Take we heede of often back lyding Remember Lots wife Luc. 17. Gen. 19.26 For if we after we haue escaped from the filthinesse of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and of our Sauiour Iesus Christ are yet intangled againe therin ouercome our later end wil be worse then the beginning 2. Pet. 2.20 Let vs take the present opportunitie of repentance let vs not thinke to find it more easie heereafter when all the causes of difficultie are increased by adding sinne vpon sinne When an euill custome hath taken a deepe habite in our hearts when sinne by continuance bringeth a plea of prescription when the diuell hath more strongly fortified his Castle which is our soule when God which is our light is departed farther from vs when the powers of our soules become more weake by receiuing of many wounds and more insufficient goodnesse To conclude againe I exhort you brethren that taking pittie vpon your selues whiles yet this life lasteth whiles yet there is time for mercie while the the Iudge himselfe calleth you to repentance louingly expecteth you offereth his grace reacheth out his hand to receiue you before the gate of heauen be shut against you that yee would in time prouide for your selues that walking the way of repentance the hand of the Lord guiding directing you yee may come after this earthly Pilgrimage into the blessed Chanaan of eternall felicitie where shall be eternall health and healthfull eternitie where our ioy shall neuer decrease nor loue euer waxe colde euen that blessednesse which the eye hath not seene the care hath not heard neither hath entred into the heart of man which God hath prepared for them that loue him 1. Cor. 2.9 To whome with the Sonne and the holy Ghost 3. persons in one most glorious Trinitie one God in Vnitie might maiestie be all honour praise power and dominion now and for euer more Amen FINIS