which they planted not at least vnto which they gaue no increase vpon others increase of vertuous children whereby their posteritie is preserued vpon others the free passage of his word which a long time had been obscured by ignorance the mother of deuotion as the shauelings call it but vnder a stepdame of destruction as we perceiue it though he bestowe but some one or two of his blessings vpon vs yet how much are wee bound for these blessings to sing praise and honour and glory vnto him that sitteth vpon the throne and vnto the Lambe for euer But vpon whom hee hath bestowed all these blessings O how strictly by good cause are they bound to magnifie the Lord and to reioyce in God their Sauiour Examine then your owne consciences I beseech you whether God hath bestowed all these blessings vpon you or no and if he haue O what Psal 99. Psal 96. great cause haue you to come before his face with praise to sing loud vnto him with Psalmes to worship to fall downe before him to giue vnto the Lord the glory of his name to bring an offering of thanksgiuing and to enter into his courts with praise And yet who knoweth whether the Lord hath greater blessings for you in store yee may bee sure hee will pull downe the mightie from their seates and exalt the humble and meeke Surely the Lord doth vse vertue as a meane to bring vs to honour and whosoeuer you shall see endued with the vertues of this Text I meane with seeking vnto God with prayer and puritie of life yee may bee sure there is a blessing reserued for him of the Lord yea such a blessing as though his beginning be but small yet his latter ende shall greatly encrease God encrease the loue of these things in our hearts and make vs worthy of Christs blessings which hee hath plentifully in store for vs that after hee hath heaped temporall blessings vpon vs hee would giue vs the blessing of all blessings euen the life of the world to come FINIS Maries Choyce Luke 10. 38. 39. c. 38 Now it came to passe as they went that hee entered into a certaine towne and a certaine woman named Martha receiued him into her house 39 And shee had a sister called Marie which also sate at Iesus feete and heard his preaching 40 But Martha was cumbred about much seruing and came to him and sayd Maister doest thou not care that my sister hath left me to serue alone Bid her therefore that shee helpe me 41 And Iesus answered and said vnto her Martha Martha thou carest and art troubled about many things 42 But one thing is needefull Marie hath chosen the good part which shall not be taken away from her AS Christ had shewed himselfe louing vnto Lazarus and his sisters in raysing him Iohn 11. from the death of the body and then from the death of the soule so doe they heere shew their thankful minds to Christ again the one by receiuing him into her house the other by entertaining him into her heart As hee was God he was receiued of Mary as he was man he was receiued of Martha They both desired to entertaine our Sauiour as Iacob and Esau desired to please their aged Gen. 27 Father but Mary made choyce of the better part and was preferred before her sister as Iacob sped soonest of most daintie venison and preuented his brother of the blessing And although the care of Martha in entertayning of Christ be not to bee misliked yet Maries diligence in hearing his doctrine is of purpose preferred to teach vs that it is much better with Mary to study in the word and first to seeke the kingdome of God then with Mat. 6. 35 Martha to labour in the world and to neglect that heauenly kingdome And yet notwithstanding such is the corruption of this rustie age that our greatest care is to prouide for this present life as the Rich man Luke 12. inlarged his Barnes wherein to put his store for many yeares but wee neuer or very late remember to prouide for the life to come like that other Rich man Luke 16. that neuer thought of heauen till he was tormented in the flames of hell In the 11. of Iohn Christ is sayde to loue the whole Familie and here hee is sayd to come vnto them For whom hee loueth hee cannot chuse but visite like the friendes of Iob that came to comfort him in his great aduersitie Iob. 2. yea and the greater loue hee beareth vnto any the oftner hee will resort vnto them yea hee will come and dwell with them Iohn 14. 23. Like Iacob that came downe into Egypt to his beloued Sonne Ioseph and dwelt in Gen. 47 Gen 45. Goshen But Christ is yet more kinde then Iacob was for hee came not till hee was sent for with horses and chariots but Christ came of his owne accord to this beloued familie Thus doth hee alwayes preuent vs with his blessings before hee was desired hee came into the world hee called his Apostles before they came to him and before hee was requested hee came vnto this noble house O happie house that entertained such a ghest but thrice happie inhabitants to whome such a ghest woulde vouchsafe to come When hee came to the swinish Gadarens they desired him to depart out of their coastes preferring their swine aboue their Sauiour but this godly family Luke 8. receiued him into their houses preferring their God before their golde and the health of their soules before their worldly wealth They receiued him into their house who had not a house wherein to put his head Wherein their hospitalitie is commended and shall certainly bee Mat. 8. 19 rewarded at the dreadfull day for with this and such like workes of mercy the Lord shall answer the sentence of iudgement which is to bee denounced against the wicked that neuer exercised those workes of mercy Let vs learne by their example to bee harberous and giuen to hospitality which is so often commended vnto vs in the Scripture and shall bee so richly rewarded at the last day Those godly Fathers Abraham and Lot entertained Angels in the habite of strangers so wee may daily entertaine Christ Iesus in the habite of a poore Gen. 18 Gen. 19 man of a blind man of a lame man and whatsoeuer is done vnto any of these that are his members hee accounteth and accepteth as done vnto himselfe Now as the vertue of hospitalitie is commendable in all sorts of men so is it more especially commended to the Ministers who are expresly commaunded by the Apostle among other things to bee giuen to hospitalitie 1. Tim 3. 2 Num. 35 Vnto the Leuites in the time of the lawe the Lord appointed cities of refuge to signifie that the Ministers house should bee the poore mans harbour and his store their treasure but the true Ministers of our daies haue no cities of refuge for
TWO SERMONS OF Ionahs punishment Preached by Maister Henry Smith And published by a more perfect Copie then heretofore LONDON Printed by T. D. for Cuthbert Burby 1607. THE FIRST SERMON OF the punishment of Ionah Ionah 1. 4. 5. 6 4 But the Lord sent out a great wind into the Sea and there was a mightie tempest in the Sea so that the ship was like to be broken 5 Then the Mariners were afraid and cryed euery man vnto his God and cast the wares that were in the ship into the sea to lighten it of them but Ionah was gone downe into the sides of the ship and layd downe and was a sleepe 6 So the ship-maistr came to him and said vnto him what meanest thou O sleeper Arise and call vpon thy God if so be that God will thinke vpon vs that we perish not THE sinne is past but punishment is to come for after disobedience followeth wrath the heauie companion of wickednesse For although shee loue not sinne yet shee will be alwayes where wicked nesse is yea also full of strength like a Lyon which will not be tamed Hee that made the windes commanded them and they obey his voyce the windes and the waters obey him but man will not obey him Hee saith not that a winde arose but saith The Lord sent great winde Therefore we see the cause of this tempest and so of Ionahs punishment The iust Iudge of the whole world may not suffer sinne vnpunished therefore hee sends the Lord sent out a mightie winde Then it was not by chance nor yet by witchcraft for the Mariners notwithstanding they were infidels were not so grosse as to ascribe it to any such cause but rather thought it to bee sent from some reuenging power beeing prouoked to indignation by some particular person among Psal 107. 25 to 31 them that had committed some hainous fact else why did they cast lots to know him and find him out that had sinned and whose sinnes did procure this tempest to bee sent Though this winde had almost drowned Ionah yet hee said The Lord sent it so the Lord sendeth wind to bring ships to land in safetie and the same Lord sendeth winde to drowne and breake and sinke other ships Therfore Iob said when hee was bereft of all his substance at Iob. 1. 21. once and left as poore as might bee that the Lord had taken them from him who had first giuen all to him adding also thanksgiuing euen for the persecuting hand of God which did so molest him If some had so much losse by tempest as Iob and such dangers as Ionah they would surely say with Iob blessed bee the name of the Lord for it But Iob. 2. 9. moe it is to be feared would say with Iobs wife Curle God and die And there was a great tempest in the Sea First God spake gently to him Arise Ionah goe to Niniuie then he would not goe but seeing wordes would not serue the Lord would take another way and try whether that could make him obedient to his voyce So the Lord caused a mightie tempest to arise in the Sea like the messengers that were sent to compell folkes to come to the banquet that seeing the commaundement could not the tempest might beare rule For vnlesse it be an imperious crosse wee will not yeeld so head-strong is sinne Therefore it is said that God sent out a great winde so that there was a mighty tempest that sinne might haue the foile and God the victorie Hee that sayles to Tharshish or whether hee is forbidden to goe would haue as good wind as hee that sayles to Niniuie or whither hee is commanded to goe But he that doth one thing for another shall receiue one thing for another as Achab did who hoped according to the saying of foure hundred false Prophets to goe vp and prosper but hee went vp and perished As surely as Ionah thought to arriue at Tarshish so surely the Spaniards thought to arriue in England but as Ionahs companie wondred at this tempest so at these Spainards destruction their fellowes at home wondred yea were astonied how their inuincible power could bee destroyed But God is strong enough for them that kicke against him and disdaineth to bee crossed of dust and ashes And there was a great tempest in the sea The ship went on roundly for a time the Prophet sleeping the Mariners sporting their sayles flaunting the waters calming the winds guiding so merrily sinne goes on before the tempest comes The winde blowes not yet therefore goe on yet a little and yet a little more but suddenly the tempest rushes vpon them before they are aware of it and tumbles them vp and downe and suddenly all is like to be vndone Hee came to the hauen and paide the fare and entred the ship and hoist vp sayles and went on forward and all to flie from God but now it appeares hee fled not from him but to him Therefore Dauid sayth If I take the mornings wings and flie aloft loe thou art there If I goe into the neithermost depth thy hande will finde me out therefore whither shall I flye from thee So that when we thinke that we flie from God in running out of one place into another wee doe but runne from one hand to the other for there is no place where Gods hande is not and whither soeuer a rebellious sinner doth runne the hand of God will meete with him to crosse him and hinder his hoped foâ— successe although hee securely prophecieth neuer so much good vnto himselfe in his iourney What had hee offended the windes or the waters that they bare him such enmitie The windes and the waters and all Gods creatures are to take Gods part against Ionah or any rebellious sinner for though God in the beginning gaue power to man ouer all his creatures to rule them yet when man sinnes God giueth power strength to his creatures to rule and bridle man Therefore hee that euen now was Lord ouer the waters now the waters are Lords ouer him But if Ionah had thought that God would haue brought things to passe he durst not haue beene so bold in this enterprise Therefore wee may see that sinne hath no eyes while it is on doing Tush sayth the soole it is faire weather yet while he goeth to the stockes So that the ship was like to be broken Wee haue heard of the cause and greatnesse of this tempest the effects follow whereby the greatnesse of it is the better exprest First in the ship then in the Mariners The ship was like to be broken The ship was faire and goodly so strong that it might haue encountred with instruments of warre and so sure made that it might haue endured great tempestes and made manie voyages Yet now with one tempest and at one voyage it was so deformed so weakned in such a taking that it was like to bee shiuered in pieces and all because Ionah was in it Such
and so sleeping sinne and sleepe in sinne therefore let them now giue eare that are asleepe for wee are come to Ionahs sleeping not that we should sleepe with him but by his sleeping to be warned of our securitie and wee shall see him waked that wee may learne to wake with him Ionahs fast sleeping is noted to declare the occasion of the ship-maisters speech to Ionah but chiefly to note the dead securitie of Ionah in his sinne for as much as though the mariners cryed for feare and cast out their goods nay the very senslesse shippe seemed to feele the anger of God and to cry to Ionah by rowling and cracking yet Ionah was not once moued thereat but lay still fast a sleepe So by Ionah his sleeping wee see the nature of all the sonnes of Adam when they listen to the Serpent they are like changelings they are cast into a dead sleepe for when they forget God and his word and bid conscience adiewe they sleepe in sinne and that to death like one sicke of the Lethargie Ionah signifieth a Doue Ionah therefore was nowe indeed Ionah I meane like the Doue which Noah sent forth of the Arke for as the Doue being gone out of the Arkecould finde no rest for the sole of her foote till shee returned into the Arke againe so when Ionah rose vp from the presence of the Lord he could find no rest for his minde neither by Sea nor land vntill hee returned againe vnto the Lord. For the cause of Ionahs going downe to sleepe was it seemeth to ease his minde for it was disquieted he felt it grieuously troubled the conscience of his sinne tormented it Therefore now O that Ionah could sleepe till the tempest were past but it will not be for the tempest is sent purposely to wake him And he was fast a sleepe See how little Ionah is ashamed of his sinne all the world smarted for it and yet hee sleepes as if hee should say Neither the windes blowing nor the waters roaring Ionah sleeps while al else stirre nor the ship reeling nor the wares casting nor the Mariners crying with all the stirre could moue him waken him from his sleepe or raile him from his sinn Now Ionah might say I was a sleepe and all might haue perished for mee if one God had not helped more then all the rest for Ionah slept but God waked and called to the windes and the waters saying Tosse him but you shall not drowne him feare him but you shall not kill him whip him and when you haue whipt him send him to mee that I may send him to Niniuie Ionah was fast a sleepe when the windes ouer him were blowing the waters vnder him tossing the shippe about him reeling the Mariners by him crying the wares in ouer-boord casting In all the stirre Ionah felt nothing but slept as if there were no stirring Yet wee goe farre beyond Ionah in securitie for the Lord causeth the tempest to blow downe houses beside vs the heauens to thunder ouer vs the earth quake vnder vs the water to ouer-flow the land about vs the fire to consume all that wee haue before vs the ayre with cold ready to kill vs and all things in an vproare round about against vs thereby alwayes crossing vs one way or another and all to put vs in mind of our duetie the neglect whereof is the cause of all these troubles which the Lorde doth send vs but wee sleepe more deadly then Ionah in our negligence voyd of feeling because wee consider not what wee haue done wee looke not backe on our sinne yet euery crosse should cause vs to examine our selues throughly and leaue no sinne vnviewed that wee might liuely feele our wickednesse and so duely repent it and soone finde release of our miseries therefore if wee sleepe still and will not bee wakened God will deale more roughly with vs then hee did with Ionah for the Lord caused a Whale to swallow him and afterward to cast him vp againe but we shal be swallowed of that serpent which neuer restoreth againe Hee should haue beene their teacher if hee had not bin asleepe hee should haue taught them to pray aright if he had had any good feeling in him But all this while wee read not that Ionah once condemned his thoughts nor so much as once said to himselfe Ionah take heed what thou doest thou knowest how God may handle thee vpon the waters though thou flie hee can ouertake thee though thou hide thy selfe he will find thee out though thou giue thy selfe to sleepe hee shall giue thee no rest and awake thee to thy greater woe How should wee be strong if a Prophet and such a Prophet â—s was the figure of Christ In Ionahs sleepe tvvo things 1. Most secure in greatest things Acts. 12. 21. 22. Dan. 4. 27. 30. Dan. 5. 4. 5. Luke 12 19. 20. could not withstand this one temptation but suffer himselfe to bee led away so farre that when he should runne hee lay still and when hee should cry he held his peace and when he should zealously bestirre himselfe hee is fast asleepe In Ionah his sleeping we obserue two things the first is that when wee thinke ourselfe most at rest then wee are in greatest danger when ship-wracke is most likely then Ionah is a sleepe when Herod is vaunting then he is stricken when Nabuchadnezzar is in his greatest pride then he is turned out when Balthazar is banquetting the hand writ his condemnation when the rich man saith vnto his soule Thou hast enough then his soule is taken from him when the Philistines are sporting then the roofe is falling so destruction ouertaketh sinners when they least Iudg. 16 25. 30. Suddenly destroyed thinke of it like a Leopard which is taken while hee sleepeth or a bird when she singeth therefore suspect thy pleasures like a bait The second note is the nature of sinne which is here expressed while it is a doing to be not bitter but sweete not 1. Sin pleasant whiles it is in doing 2. Kings 5. 27. 30. Gehezies briberie Gen. 9. 21 Noahs wine Dauids adultery 2. Sam. 11 〈◊〉 4. Pro. 10. 24. 33. painefull but pleasant like a harlot which sheweth nothing but her brauery and beautie Adam swallowed the forbidden fruite with pleasure Gehezie lyed for gold with gladnesse Noah dranke his wine with mirth Dauid committed whoredome with delight so sinners go on merrily till wrath ouer-takes them at vnawares like the foole I wil sit a little longer and fold my hands together a little yet a little and a little longer till pouertie come as an armed man and Gods iust iudgements as the whirle-winde suddenly vnresistably then though thou hast gotten gold with Gehezie or honours with Haman or Naboths vineyard with Ahab or all the delights of the world if thou haue not an assurance of thine owne saluation if sinne be still pleasant if it bee not bitter in thy belly though it bee sweete in
10 1. Sam. 9. his good lot or chance to bee King therefore the Lord appointed that he should be annointed before he was chosen by lots Acts 1. Pro 16 33. Againe Matthias is chosen by lots to the Apostleship in stead of Iudas so that it is lawfull in some causes to cast lots so that they doe attribute nothing vnto them and acknowledge that the lot is cast into the lap but the disposition thereof is from the Lord for they must not say that it is their chance fortune or good lucke for so they make an Idole of it and rob God of the honour due vnto him For it was not Saules fortune to be King but Gods mercy it was not Achans chaunce to bee caught but Gods iudgement Lots may be vsed to preuent strife when all other meanes haue beene vsed and sometimes before al other meanes when in wisedome it is thought the besâ— meanes Brethren often and godly at first deuide them inheritance by lots as the Children of Israell deuided the land of Canaan Therefore in the Church of Geneua there is an order that in the time of plague there should bee a house set apart for the sicke to lodge in and least they should bee vncomforted they chuse out a Minister by lots to doe it So they cast lots Now wee are come to put vpour selues to the Court of Lawyers to see if they will doe any thing for God for conscience or for loue viz that they would end mens suites quickly and let the poore Clients haue equitie Some say that Lawyers bee good vntill they bee Counsellers like Lyons which will be gentle vntill their tallons grow bee not offended but amend for malice speakes not I am perswaded that if the lots were cast to see who troubles the ship it would fall vpon the Lawyers be not offended but amend for malice speakes not A poore Client commeth forth accusing one and going home accuseth a hundred for so many seeke to gaine by him so few seeke to further him and so many seeke to hinder him that all his gaine is but labour and losse For a small matter many will come to law to striue for that which with reason might easily bee attained without such contention and others seeke to enrich themselues with contending for a small matter with their neighbours yet in the end loose that they sought and that they had beside and so they contend and striue about a thing commonly till the Lawyer hath gayned more by them then the thing which is in controuersie is worth These are like the Mouse and the Frog which stroue so long about Marsh-ground that at length the Kite came and tooke them both from it Others will come vp to Law about a small matter and therein so intangle themselues that they cannot rid their handes of it vntill it haue almost vndone them like a silly sheepe that is hunting of a flie which runneth from bush to bush and euery bush catcheth a locke of him so that the poore sheepe is threed-bareere hee hath done and hath not a fleece left him to couer himselfe withall So hee runs from Court to Court to sue to complaine to plead till he haue spent his cloke for his coate were it not better to haue cast lots for the coate at first for the law is like a Butlers boxe play still on till all come to the Candlesticke Therefore it is lawfull to end any controuersie in a hard matter to vse this meane Now whether it be lawfull to cast dice if lots may not bee vsed as Solomons wordes Prouerbes 18. 18. The lot causeth contention to cease compared with Heb. 6. 16. proue but in hard matters and waightie causes when the thing is doubtfull and all good meanes are tryed before to auoyd strife that question is decided which none Arguments against dicing Pro. 18. but voluptuous men make question of namely whether dice-play bee a meete exercise for a Christian soule Salomon sayth the lot causeth contention to cease therefore lots are to end strife but these lots make strife for before thou takest the Dice thou knowest thine owne and no man striueth to take it from thee but when thou castest the dice thou doest as it were aske whether thine owne bee thine owne and makest a strife of no strife Art thou not worthy to loose the giftes of God which venturest to loose them when thou needest not Doest thou not deserue to forget thine owne which art so greedy of anothers that thou wouldest haue his liuing for nothing but for turning of a die Esau did not sell his birth right so lightly but he had somewhat for it which refreshed his hunger but God hath giuen thee a liuing and thou spendest it for nothing The Mariners did cast lots to finde out the sinner they did not cast dice to see who should winne as Dicers doe for to whom the lot falles hee taketh all which deserues to loose all as well'as the other and hath no right vnto it by any lawe for God hath not allowed one man to take anothers goods for the tripping of a Die but eyther they must be merited or they must be giuen or they must be bought or else it is vnlawfull vngodly vnconscionable to take them Besides the brawles the cosenages the othes annexed to this game which would not agree with it vnlesse it had been a meete companion for them Thou takest another mans goods for nothing whereas God hath appointed thee to get thy liuing with the sweate of thy browes for thou takest away that which others sweat for and whereas thou shouldest liue by working thou seekest to liue by playing like as the ape which liues by toying Doth any dicer thinke hee doth well Tell mee what thinkest thou for euery sinner doth condemne in his prayer to God that which he excuseth before men if they which are gamesters repent it how can they which are gamesters defend it Thou shouldest do nothing but that thou wouldest haue God finde thee doing if hee shoulde come to iudgement wouldest thou haue him take thee at dice I am sure thou wouldest not haue God see thee so vainely occupied neither canst thou thinke that Christ or his prophets or Apostles or Euangelists were Dicers for no such lots are named in the holy Scripture and yet the Lords day is most prophaned with this exercise cards and dice as though they kept all their vanities to celebrate holy daies what hast thou to alledge for dice now euidence is giuen vp against them hast thou any patron to speake for them but thy vaine pleasure and filthy couetousnesse which are condemned already and therefore haue no voyce by lawe take away these and take away dice. The patron condemnes the clients when one voice condemnes another if the exercise were lawfull such patrons as pleasure and couetousnesse would not speake for it Take thy pleasure therefore in that which is good and the Angels will reioyce with thee if this were
no more then it was vnlawfull for Peter to sleepe but when Christ Mat. 25. was preaching it was no time for her to bee so busie in seruing no more then it was time for Peter to sleepe when Luke 5. Christ willed him so earnestly to watch and pray When Christ preached out of Simons shippe to the people that stood vpon the shore it was no time for Peter to play the fisherman But when Christ had left speaking and commaunded him to launch into the deepe then it was time for Peter to let downe the net There is a time wherein wee ought to labour in our vocation and a time wherein we ought to heare the word and as we may not vtterly neglect our lawfull callings to follow sermons so must we not bestow the Sabboth which is consecrated to the seruice of God in following the workes of our vocation All things haue their appointed time sayth the wise man Ec 3. and euery thing is seemely in his conuenient season but when things are done preposterously and out of order there followeth confusion Although Martha did not heare Christ yet did shee labour for Christ many in our dayes will neither labour for Christ nor heare of Christ but as the Israelites were Num. 21 wearie of their iournie in the wildernesse and loathed that heauenly Manna so these men are wearie of euery godly exercise and are soone cloyed with the word of God The fiue foolish Virgins wasted their oyle to no purpose and while they went to buy were excluded the marriage Mat. 25 and these foolish men spend this time of grace vainely and wantonly as though after this life there were no time of Iustice and vengeance to bee feared The day serueth for their pride or profite the night is spent in sport and pleasure and no time is left to heare the Worde When wee are praying they are playing When wee are preaching they are eating and drinking like the old worlde that eate and dranke that married wiues and gaue in marriage while Noah was preparing the Arke for Gen. 6. Heb. 11. 1. King 18 the sauing of his household And as Baals Priests wounded themselues to serue their idole so these men take dangerous courses and strangely trouble themselues to serue the deuill Now Martha findeth her selfe agreiued and begins Gen 37. 1 Sa. 17. to enuie her sisters exercise as Iosephs brethren enuied him for his dreames and the sonnes of Ishai that disdained their brother Dauid for his forwardnes in the combate with Goliah These two sisters that in other thinges agreede so well together in this doe differ so much that Christ must haue the hearing of the matter and decide the controuersie Martha playeth the plaintife and accuseth her sister Marie the defendant answereth by her aduocate and Christ himselfe that tooke vppon him the office of an aduocate is become the Iudge and giueth sentence on Maries side Martha complayneth of her sisters slothfulnesse and seemeth after a sort to blame our Sauiour for winking at it requiring him to see the matter redressed speedily But Christ reprooueth Marthaes curiositie and then excuseth yea and commendeth Maries care In Martha it appeareth how willing wee are to please ourselues in our owne conceits and how ready to conceiue amisse of others doings yea sometimes to preferre our owne defects before the perfections of other men If Dauid chasten his soule with fasting it shall bee turned to his reproofe If he put on sackcloth to testifie his contritiō they Psal 69. iest at him and the drunkards make songs of him If Iohn Baptist be temperate in his apparell and diet they will say Luke 7 33 he hath a deuill If Paul answere discreetly for himselfe hee shall bee charged to bee mad with ouermuch learning Act. 26 Luke 7. 34. yea if our Sauiour Christ himselfe frequent the company of sinners to reclaime them from sinne they will not sticke to call him a friend and companion of Publicans and sinners Amongst vs if there bee any that bee more forward in religion then the rest and more diligent to heare the word as Mary was there shall not want some or other to censure them at their pleasure yea to find fault and to condemne them for so doing yet are not the godly to be discouraged herewith or to desist from their godly exercises for as the Lord answered for Mary when shee held her peace so the Lord will defend their cause and take their part against their aduersaries The Lord cannot abide to heare his seruants ill spoken of but is alwayes ready to maintayne their right and to answer for them Hee will not suffer Laban to speake an ill word Gen. 3. 24. Nu. 12. to his seruant Iacob And if Aaron and Miriam murmure against Moses the Lord will punish it with leprosie What a comfortable thing is this to the godly that the king of kings will take their parts and will not suffer them to sustaine any wrong Hee is a most sure and trusty friend that will not abide his friendes to bee back-bited or ill spoken of but eyther hee will answere in their defence or he will find some meanes to stop their mouthes and restraine the slandrous tongues of their enemies as sometime hee stopt Balaams passage when hee went to curse Gods people and caused the dumbe beast to speake and reproue Nu. 22. 2. Pet 1. 5. the madnesse of the prophet rather then he would haue his people to be cursed The repetition of Marthaes name argueth the vehemencie and earnestnes of this admonition The Lord is faine to bee very earnest and importunate with vs before hee can reclaime vs. So when God spake vnto Abraham bee called him twise by name Christ called Peter thrice by name Iohn 21 to cause him make his threefolde confession Gen. 22. to make amends for his three-fold deniall And when the Lord spake vnto Samuel hee called him 4. seuerall times by name before hee answered for such is the 1. Sam. 3. great mercie of God that hee is content to admonish vs often of our dutie and such is the dulnesse and peruersnes of our crooked nature that wee cannot bee gained by the first admonition but the Lord must call vs often and earnestly before we will hearken vnto him There are two things in the speech of Christ to be obserued The first is his modest reprehension of Marthaes immoderate care the other is his friendly defence of Maries choyce Though Martha was very carefull to entertaine Christ in the best maner yet if hee perceiue any thing in her worthy reprehension hee will not sticke to tell her of it hee will not sooth her in her saying nor smooth her in her owne conceit for all the trouble and cost that shee bestowes vpon him If wee be often inuited to some mans table and kindly entertained it would be vnkindly taken if wee should find fault with any disorder but for as much