obedience because the Lord hath in former times executed his iudgements he will shew himselfe righteous still and therefore the Prophet gathereth that though the wicked bee not all presently punished yet they are all accursed and in time they shall be punished By erring hee meaneth not euery slip but the falling away from God Vers. 22. Remoue from me shame and contempt for I haue kept thy testimonies IN this confidence that the Lord will destroy the wicked hee assured himselfe that hee would defend him against those that set themselues against him The iudgements of God then haue these two effects first to humble him secondly to comfort him as portion 7. and 15 so that he feareth when his heart is broken hee also loueth when he receiueth hope of helpe in confidence whereof he maketh this prayer The vse of Gods iudgements vpon others must we make to ourselues first that we be brought to acknowledge our deserts and so feare and to behold his iustice that we may haue assurance of mercy This is hard to flesh and blood for some can be brought to reioyce at the destruction of others and cannot feare some when they are feared cannot receiue comfort But those which God hath ioyned together let vs not seperate therefore let vs make these vses of Gods iudgements His prayer is this Lord let not mine enemies which pursue an euill cause let them not haue their desire in bringing mee to contempt least whiles I labour to keepe thy Law and â—m become contemptible thy Lawe also should receiue some blot First here we see that it is no strange thing that they which keepe Gods CoÌ„mandements should be standred and therfore we must reforme our iudgement which is ready to condemne those of whom they heare an euill report Secondly seeing hee prayeth against contempt he sheweth that contempt is the greatest crosse that can come to the childreÌ„ of God for many could loose their goods which yet would be grieued for the losse of their name hee here prayeth so not onely because of that naturall cause which hee had but chiefely because his name was ioyned with the glory of God All the punishmteÌ„s of Christ did not so much grieue him as wheÌ„ he was reproched therfore the diuel chiefely goeth about this that when this coÌ„meth to passe that all speake euill of vs we might doubt whether our cause were good or no so fal away therfore the Prophet prayeth thus earnestly against it When we are brought to contempt for our deserts we ought not otherwise to be grieued than that God is dishonoured but when hee shall by this meanes bring vs to the knowledge of our sinnes then shall wee bee content to shame ourselues because thereby we shall glorifie God Vers. 23 Princes also did sit and speake against mee but thy seruant did meditate in thy statutes HE was thus abused euen by Princes these did speak against him eueÌ„ in iudgement whither he was drawne as a malefactor therefore he praieth thus earnestly against it We must then prepare ourselues for euill words not only of the coÌ„mon sort but also of the chiefest Dauid had coÌ„fort in Gods statutes When we are thus dealt with rightfully then let vs be humbled but if in a good cause we be thus dealt with then let vs take heed for the diuel wil goe about either to make vs vse vnlawfull shifts meanes as to reuenge to lie or to contend by our owne wit and policie and to flatter and confesse that to bee a fault which is none or els altogether to despaire of helpe or to be carelesse of our calling and to cast it off that thereby he may haue more aduantage for he will make vs wearie of wel doing by trouble therfore many are ouercome thereby The helpe against al these is Gods word for that will assure vs that our cause is good and that God will helpe vs therein Vers. 24. Also thy testimonies are my delight and my counsellours BY this meanes had hee help by the Word by making it his delight and counsellour for this the diuell in trouble will goe about to bring men to their wittes end or else to breake their hearts and make them faint and a wounded spirit who can beare He put not away craft with craft but made the commadements his counsellours whereby hee first learned wisdome then good meanes to withstand the wicked Hereby then we shall not onely haue wisedome but also comfort we are not come yet to be called afore Princes yet who so will liue godly in Christ shall haue troubles though not alwaies in goods nor life nor banishment yet in reproch and contempt euen from thy wife thy seruants thy children thy neighbours c. The word teacheth that reproch is not without cause for when the wayes of a maÌ„ please the Lord the righteous shal be his friend the beasts of the field shall be at league with vs therefore there is some sin in vs which the Lord by this meanes would correct then let vs first looke to that and then seeke to the word that there we may find comfort wisdome to sustaine vs. For this is the cause that we are without comfort in our trouble because we meditate not in his statutes make them our counsellors If thou be Gods child and despisest lighter troubles hee will send greater till he haue broken thy heart but if thou belong not to God the curse shal be hid from thee thou shalt be eaten vp before thou be aware Thou must not striue with the diuels weapons as to requits euill for euill for fire is not quenched with fire but with water euill is not ouercome with euill but with good and therefore rough speeches must be ouercome with gentle and euer when thou art vncourteously dealt with then consider thine owne sinnes and labour to feele them and thy heart shall be brought downe for then shalt thou be brought to the presence of God who wil not suffer thee to be honoured because thou hast not honoured him c. yet consider that he doth but fatherly correct thee and therefore put thy trust in him Marke what wisdome he hath giuen to his children in the like troubles and then goe to him by prayer and lay open thy selfe to him with hope and faith and thou shalt haue comfort But if when the tentation commeth we cannot come to the word and to prayer that thereby we may finde comfort we haue not laid vp the word in our heart though we can say it all by heart therefore wee must turne a new leafe and learne after to lay vp the word in our heart PORTION 4. DALETH Vers. 25. My soule cleaueth to the dust quicken me according to thy word THe comfort and wisedome which he had was by vicissitude and change sometime comfort sometime sorrowe so Gods children finde this change both into ioye and sorrowe those know this that haue experience of it others knowe it
behold here the blessing of God he will blesse â—ts and satisfie the hungrie soules The Lord requireth nothing of vs but to mistrust our reason and to suspect our affections but to be teachable in spirit to hunger in heart and thirstingly to long after his word which if we shall doe we shall receiue increase of knowledge and amendment of life For to them that as meeke schollers wil be taught of Gods spirit and submit their reason to the simplicâ—tâ—e of the word the Lord saith Matth. 5. Blessed anâ— the poore in spirit for theirâ—s is the kingdome of heauen Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousnes for they shall be filled But here may seeme to mans reason a great repugnance to the verse aforegoing The entrance into thy word sheweth light and giueth vnderstanding to the simile For hee had shewed in the verse going before that the testimonies of the Lord were wonderfull not in part â—â—â— meaning that all therein was mysticall and here he saith that the very entrance into Gods word giueth light and vnderstanding to the simple We answere that the law or especially the second table of it may bee conceiued by reason but it is nothing so in â—â—â— doctrine of faith which is here meant in this word testimonies which we shewed to bee taken for the couenants of God The doctors of reason I meane the papists say the word is not to be taught to the common people because it is mystical but they neuer knew not by good experience felt that the Scriptures of God were easie to them that would submit themselues to them and vse them familiarly Others indeed may read see and heare them but they shall be as Parables and enigmaticall vnto them If then wee did see this aright that that which the wisest man cannot conceiue the simplest soules may attaine to if they will be taught of God would it not take vp our affections This made our Sauiour Christ say I thanke thee O Father Lord of heauen and earth that thou hast hia these things from the â—â—â—â— and prudent and hast reuealed them vnto babes euen so O Father was it thy good will and pleasure As if our Sauiour Christ should haue said O Lord I see the wise men haue great conceiuings and yet they attaine not to thy word yet to them that are humble and poore of spirit I see thou makest it knowne Did our Sauiour Christ giue thankes for this thing and shall not we for whose example these things were done We can giue thankes for our wits and for our memories but what is that to the purpose our wit may rather hinder vs than further vs in the true knowledge of the Lord vnles it be humbled and subiect to Gods spirit But here is a great cause of thankefulnesse that the simple shall vnderstand these mysteries not as we shewed before such as haue no conceiuing at all but such as acknowledge their simplicitie and hunger after the word euen as we also grant that wisemen shall haue this vnderstanding if they will denie their reason and stir vp affection For as all wise men shal not be debarred from this priuiledge so all simple men shal not be preferred thereunto For neither wisedome in it selfe nor simplicitie in it owne nature doe either further or hinder hereunto But alas I see how loath men would bee to lose their worldly wit and how they seeke after praise and commendation for the same but few eyther with like affection desire spirituall vnderstanding or sorrow in any like measure when they haue it not Deut. 4. 6. That is your vnderstanding and wisedome in the sight of the people saith A Moses That the Lord permitteth you so neere to approch to him and to bee taught his ordinances and lawes What then meane these speeches of them that hunt so much after worldly wit Why doe you thinke I am a foole Doe you thinke I am an asse and haue no wit to conceiue what things be as well as other men Doe you count me but a dul head Surely they are too proud and too much blinded in their owne conceits Wherfore the Prophet doth shew vs that as the mysteries of Gods word are reuealed to them that are simple of vnderstanding so are they to theÌ„ that are zealous in affectioÌ„ The cause then why we do no more profit by the word is because wee doe not denie our reason wee haue not affections that hunger after it nor loue to make vs pant for it which things if we did we should surely be satisfied Indeed the Lord giueth vnderstanding to whom he pleaseth where he purposeth to bestow so great a blessing hee giueth grace also more aboundantly to suboue their reason And as simplicitio cannot of it selfe bee a cause of spirituall vnderstanding but as it sooner bringeth vs to a sight of our wants and maketh vs the more to long after Gods word so wisedome is no cause of hinderance but as wee resting too much in the feare of reason cannot easily be brought to the simplicitie of Gods word And if the entrance rudiments and principles of religioÌ„ giue such knowledge and the very catechismes yeeld such vnderstanding what is to be hoped for when wee attaine to riper knowledge when wee haue more vnderstanding when wee haue more affections well let vs then examine our owne hearts herein when wee begunne were wee delighted with vnderstanding and did our vnderstanding moue in vs such affections and in our proceedings is our vnderstanding lesse and our affections fewer or doe we not thinke still of our ignorance and desire to haue our iudgemeÌ„t clearer we are in a dangerous estate we must suspect our selues Sathan wil bewitch vs and tel vs that this is a paradoxe that after so long hearing and reading we should still be ignorant and that still we haue neede to hunger after the word It is therfore the great mercy of God that to the receiuing of so singular a benefit he requireth nothing of vs but the acknowleding of our ignorance and bewayling of our wants Hee would that we should still put our selues in minde of this one thing that though we haue not this vnderstanding in the highest degree or in an hundred fold yet we must haue it in some degrees either in threescore fold or in thirtie fold we must vexe grieue and trouble our selues for this affection For where it is the heart is a liberall and free ruler of our affections and where it is not we must learne to lay violent hands euen on our affections We are to shew that which we omitted in the latter ende of the verse going before Because I loued thy law c. Heere the prophet sheweth that the loue which hee did beare to Gods lawe was so great that it could not satisfie him but still hee thirsted after it and thirsting did pant Loue as we say alwaies setteth a price of things nothing is too deare no trauaile
who hearing the word were neither hote nor cold Seeing then we are rather Laodiceans than Dauids wee must crie Lord giue vs vnderstanding that we may liue Then let vs learne by other mens harmes which is a princely and heroicall kind of teaching For as Princes children are taught themselues in their owne persons but are not beaten seeing rather others beaten before them so the Lord preacheth to our persons but punisheth other persons round about vs sparing vs that we by their sinnes and stripes may learne to amend and to repent in prayer There is a winter after haruest after heate colde and it is vsuall with the Lord to tempeâ— his blessings most sweete with some crossings most sower Wherefore let vs pray with our Prophet for the vnderstanding of God his word not onely to be bettered in our mindes but also reformed in our liues Then no diuell no hell no plague no pestilence shall hurt vs yea those troublesome trials which vnto others are testimonies of God his wrath shall be vnto vs seales of his loue which although the world cannot discerne yet by faith we shall both finde it and feele it PORTION 19. COPH. Vers 145. I haue cried with mine whole heart heare me O Lord and I will keepe thy statutes Vers. 146. I called vpon thee saue mee and I will keepe thy testimonies IN the last verse of the former part he set downe the righteousnesse of GODS lawe hee prayed therefore that hee might haue vnderstanding and liue and therefore they that are ignorant haue no life in them because life is onely reuealed in the word Sinners then hauing not receiued the word are dead for the life of sinne is the death of man And our first father was dead when hee had sinned and they who liued in pleasure and all other sinners are dead though they for a while prolong their life on earth yet at death the soule goeth to hell and waiteth there for the bodie and this cuise waiteth on all Cursed are all that continue not in all things c. and after Gods great suffering they shall be cut off Hee knew that the beginning of this life was in the word and hee also knewe that the continuance of it was in the word by the grace of God and therefore hee laboured to haue it increased by the word because he was conuinced by his infirmitie that hee might lose it as Adam did and therefore hee seeketh to finish the course of his saluation with feare If Dauid whose zeale had consumed him did yet in this sort pray how much more ought we which for euery light trouble are discouraged in our dutie He prayeth for the vnderstanding of the word because the diuell wil be ready to allure vs from the word if we be inclined thereto as he dealt with Christ when he laide our scripture against it And yet he liketh not of those that rest in the literall sense but hee craueth the spirit to teach him according to the word for the spirit quickeneth and flesh and blood doth not reueale these things and all that are of God must bee taught of God Isa. 54 yet alwaies agreeable to the word Now in this part he prayeth that he may haue vnderstanding and ease from his trouble this request he groundeth on these reasons first of his earnestnes in the foure first verses secondly in respect of his enemies in the sixt verse and thirdly in respect of Gods mercies in the fift seuenth and eight verses In the foure first verses he setteth downe his earnest desire and zeale that he had and he prayeth that he may haue a good conscience in the first verse and faith in the promises in the second verse teaching that these two were al the comfort that he had in trouble when he suffered for well-doing and had his sinnes forgiuen and had the fauour of God Then if we will stand in trouble let vs labour to be grounded on the promises of forgiuenes of sinnes of a new life of his fatherly prouidence and let this purge vs from sin and if we can doe this then nothing shall seperate vs from God as Paul saith Rom. 8. and againe he saith there is no condemnatioÌ„ to them that are in Christ for they haue his spirit to purge them from sinne and to strengthen their faith The want of these causeth men to step backe and the weakenes of our faith the carelesnes of these causeth such feare in Gods children and such shrinking for the diuel layeth their sinnes to their charge which they see not discharged and their faith is weake and therefore they are diuing vp and down And surely trouble must come to all for so it is ordained though to some lesse than others and therefore when it commeth we are faint if we haue not been carefull to keepe a good conscience and to strengthen our faith But if we haue done thus then shall death be pleasant vnto vs for wee shall be blessed Apoc. 12. and our workes shall follow vs that is our faith and the fruites of our faith Againe if wee suffer for our sinnes c. then wee want faith and a good conscience and therefore we murmur and crie out yea and goe to witches and wisards Yea Gods children though they come not to this grosse sinning yet they inwardly grudge and they haue secret murmurings because they haue failed in strengthening their faith keeping a good conscience but the children of God that make Christ all in all they say the Lord giueth and the Lord taketh this is the patience of Gods children And Iob did not faile till his faith failed and though his three learned aduersaries reasoned against him to proue him an hypocrite yet his conscience sustained him and therefore reckoneth vp his vertues chapter 28. and 31. And he also confessed his faith I know that my Redeemer liueth this was his faith and this was his conscience that in his trouble sustained him These things haue no lesse fruite in prosperitie for the want of them cause men to lift vp themselues on high but the word represseth pride lust and loue of worldly things so that they are â—â—uÌ„â—le in prosperitie for the worldlings seeke after the things of this world because they neuer felt the peace of conscience they seeke their owne glorie because they neuer felt what the glory of God was and neuer seeke knowledge because they know not what the soule is Yea the children of God because they labour not continually to keepe a good conscience and to strengthen their faith they are carried away with the loue of earthly things after the example of the wicked for prosperitie is as a floud which carieth all things with it and as well good as bad and therefore they are often caried away with the loue of these outward things But the children of God which doe diligently labour after these things they behaue themselues so as that God may be glorified by their prosperitie and aduersitie
points of the Law yet hee purposeth rather to shew how hee was no notorious sinner or such a one as did fouly and grâ—ssely forget the Law So his meaning is thus much in effect Although I haue offended yet haue I not cast thy Law behind my backe I find and confesse how of frailtie and infirmitie I haue offended â—â—â— not maliciously and obstinately Wherefore although we cannot be free from all sins yet we must beware of presumptuous â—â—â—â— and although we are weake yet we must not willingly and wittingly depart from the law What then is the cause why oft it is so long ere we be deliuered euen because wee lie in some secret sinne For wee must plead our cause in a right plea if wee will pleade with God if we suffer as wel-doers wee may pray to the Lord for defence but if wee suffer as euill-doers we must labour to repent Wherefore in all discredit reproches and ignominies we must labour to say in the trueth of our hearts I haue not forgotten thy Law Vers. 154. Pleade my cause and deliuer me quicken me according to thy word THis agreeth also in the second place with the second verse of the 16 Port whereof we spake before Answere for thy seruant in that which is good The children of this world are wiser in their kinde than the childreÌ„ of God the man of God had such enemies as in subtilties were wiser in force stronger and more valiant than hee which made him enforce his praier to the Lord that he would be his tower against their assaults and his aduocate against all their policies Thus we see he trusteth not to the equitie of his owne cause but to the Lord whereby wee may gather that the cause why our oppressors preuaile oft against vs is because wee trust too much in our owne wits and leane too farre vpon our owne inuentions opposing subtiltie to subtiltie one euill deuice to another matching and maintaining policie by policie and not commit our cause to the Lord. Wherfore in such a case we are to pray to the Lord to put wisedome into our mouthes that wee may bee taught what to speake and strength into our hands that we may know how to fight Quicken me according to thy word whether the Prophet desireth to be quickned corporally or spiritually whether for that hee was readie to be swallowed vp of his aduersaries or for that hee needed some inward comfort or whether it were for both it is not greatly materiall but I thinke we may safely take it in both senses For if he were quickned in the spirit he knew that the other comfort would follow after So that if we vnderstand it spiritually he prayeth that by faith and quickning grace hee might be encouraged to goe on forward and that he might no more faint hereafter than he had done heretofore Without which grace supporting and renewing him he was like to quaile vnder the burden Thus we see Gods children are often at deaths dore in body and soule and therefore had neede to pray to be quickned In that he addeth according to thy word he giueth vs to wit that all our helpe is in the word of God and that all our helpes which proceede not from the word and promise of God in the end become vaine Although this doctrin seemeth at the first to be a common thing yet the onely cause why wee so often faint vnder the crosse is because wee forget Gods promises or elâ—e we cannot beleeue that the truth of them particularly belongeth vnto vs. And this is that that maketh the very children of God so often to stagger the want whereof is great Suppose yee saith our Sauiour Christ that the Sonne of man when he commâ—th shall find faith on the earth whereby he noteth what an hard thing it is to haue true faith which so is fixed in God as neuerthelesse there is no faith but in his word Verse 155. Saluation it farre from the wicked because they seeke not thy statutes HE said in the portion going before they are farre from thy law here he saith they seek not thy statutes in which words he expresseth his meaning more plainely In the former place he saith they were farre from the law here he confesseth they sought it not at all His meaning of this verse is thus much I see their manners are wicked I know they cannot prosper in them for thou art the iudge of the world therfore they haue no interest to saluation And why there is no coherence betweene wickednes and saluation If we were in truth perswaded of this we would not so ly in sinne For if we did surely beleeue that saluation pertaineth to none but to them that keepe a true faith and therewith labour to ioyne a good conscience how durst we be so bold Idolaters so prophane swearers so vnreuerent breakers of the Sabbath If blasphemous mouthes were throughly perswaded of this would they not tremble and quake that now mocke and scoffe at the ministerie and ministers of the word we see then how pâ—arcing words these are They that depart from God by going to wisards they that go farre from his word by changing his holy Sabbath which is as a day of medicine for the soule into an hurtfull day the Lord will also depart from them the Lord will be farre from their saluation All sinnes wherein men lie and continue put them far from saluation But who then shall be saued euen they that labour for faith and a good conscience Who then shall be damned they that are farre from faith and seeke not Gods law As this doctrine is to the terrour of the wicked so it maketh for the comfort of the godly We see the vngodly proue very couragious and thriue very notably in their sinne not being presently punished because such is our corruption that vntil we taste some outward smart we become hardned This declareth in that we abstaine from sinne onely for punishments sake and we would sinne at riot were there no punishing that we are but Hypocrites and such from whom saluation is farre off Well if saluation be farre from them that seeke not Gods law then may we gather on the contrarie that saluation is neere them that seeke his law for like is the rule of contraries If we then labour for faith and a good conscience we may assure our selues of saluation Wherefore wouldest thou haue assurance to be saued let the word be neere thee in thy mouth and in thine heart Rom 10. 8 Let it dwell plentifully in thee with all manner of wisedome Col. 3. 16. Here is also a good rule as we see whereby we may discerne who be good and who be euill Here the Lord hath set downe one stedfast order which is a touchstone to trie al men and howsoeuer we account of it it is alwaies the same and like to it selfe condemning sinne commending holines Oh to what extremities should we be brought in these
is not so iust and mercifull as they say if there be no God there is neither heauen nor hell or if there be any the ioyes are not so eternall nor the paines so continuall as some haue taught Why then doe I sell my certaine pleasures in this world for vncertaine pleasures in the world to come This diuellish illusion so farre preuailed that he stole an horse for which he was apprehended imprisoned arraigned condemned but by the prouidence of God he conferring with a godly Minister confessed himselfe an Atheist whereupon suite was made and granted for his reprieuing vntill the next Assise in hope of his conuersion in which time he would willingly graunt all generall truths taught him with liking of his teachers but could not by any thing be brought from his Atheisme The Assise following drew neere he is to be executed the place is assigned the person needs must be executed who when he should be turned from the ladder cried thus For Christs sake stay my life whereupon he spake these or the like words Well let the world say what they will doubtlesse there is a God and the same God is iust for euer to his enemies and euerlastingly keepeth his mercies with his children now turne me ouer and so he made an end of his speech and of his daies 2 He feared rather Atheisme than Papisme in the Realme for many hauing escaped out of the gulfe of superstition are now too farre plunged and swallowed vp of prophanenesse thinking either that there is no God or else that he is not so fearefull and mercifull as his threatnings and promises commend him to be Calling 1 A Certaine man afflicted in minde began through the temptation of Sathan to mislike his calling and chaunged it afterward he thought this calling that calling to be vnlawfull and so was almost brought to mislike all He felt on a time a great paine in his legge and being desirous to goe from his bed to his table for a booke he could not his legge remaining sore Then remembring that it was said in the Scripture If thy foote offend thee cut it off he straight way laying his leâ—ge on a blocke and taking a hatchet in his hand stroake off his legge not feeling paine the veynes being so torne he could not but bleed to death how be it he dyed very penitently so dangerous a policie so perilous a temptation is it to leaue our callings as things vnlawfull 2 A godly Gentlewoman said that euen in her ordinarie labour she tasted oft of as heauenly meditations as if all things ordinarie laid aside she had giuen her whole minde to attend vpon the spirit of God in quietnes of studie She also said that we are like children who need not once to be bid to aske things necessarie but twice to be thankfull for mercies receiued 3 As in mariage though the parties met in the flesh without any sanctified meanes to assure themselues to be ioyned of the Lord yet if God afterward giue them grace to liue holily in their meeting he sheweth that not onely their corrupt meeting is pardoned but that now their meeting is blessed so if entring into a calling for want of gifts and affections we haue no assurance at the first of a warrantable calling yet if God afterwards furnish vs with able gifts and sanctifie vs with pure minds he doth not onely shew vs that our former sinne is pardoned but also that he is well pleased with our calling whereunto he hath so blessed vs. 4 No trouble should hinder vs in our calling vnlesse it be in a case of meere vngodlines for if for euery trouble or for many troubles a man may forsake his calling he should be out of all for euery calling hath both lets and troubles 5 To one that asked his aduice whether he might auoid the doing of a thing wherevnto he was called because he felt corruption in himselfe he said In auoiding societie you should couer but not cure your infirmities and though you depart from men yet you cannot goe out of your selfe 6 Vnto one that was willing to change his feate for the corruption of the place where he dwelt he said Wheresoeuer he purposed to liue as a Christian the crosse would follow him because that Christ would follow him and because on the earth are some good men and some euill but when we come to heauen all would be good and therefore there shall be no trouble 7 He said he neuer looked for a better estate than that wherein he was but often prepared himselfe for a worse 8 Whensoeuer we are out of our place and calling Sathan hath a fit occasion of temptation Care 1 VVHere there is an immoderate care of outward things there commonly is little care of inward good things for if one haue inward good things they so content the persons that haue them that they labour not much for outward things if they want them and desire them the carefull seeking of them bringeth a godly neglect of outward things 1. Cor. 7. 30. 31. Censures 1 IT is a marueilous thing that many will make more of a small infirmitie in another although that they see that the whole course of their life is truely to please God than they make of grosse sinnes in themselues notwithstanding they take no course at all in their life to please God Conference 1 BEing desirous to speake to the profit of others he said that he obserued such a silence in men as none could well breake into it often such a libertie of speech as none can take hold of to turne it to good he obserued the cause of such silence to be some great griefe or some deepe meditation occupying the mind or some deadnes of spirit or some worldly shame or some desire to speake and the Lord staying the speech or the carelesnes in them that should heare it in that they doe not desire it The remedie against this is either in humilitie to aske some question or to speake somewhat and not to giue place to such deadnes 2 In the most abrupt and disordered speeches of men he thought God disposed them for his profit though presently reason could prompt no reason why they should speak so yet long after it would He was much affected with the fact of Iosias who would not be moued with the speech of wicked Pharaoh but entring battell was slaine whereupon he would say that no man was so good but the Lord would sometime let him fall into some euill for his further humbling and no man so euill but the Lord did conuey goodnes into him at sometimes to make his condemnation the greater Conscience afflicted 1 A Certaine man some yeares afflicted in conscience said his continuall agonies were as great as the paines of a man readie to die and that he felt so small comfort in Gods countenance that he would willingly haue suffered his
Sathan went about to leade him 9 Hee had often in his publike ministerie and priuate conference a sudden failing in memorie so as by no meanes hee could recouer himselfe in those things hee purposed to speake in which case he vsed this remedie presently to groane in his hart and to humble his soule vnderneath the holy hand of God not busilie to stand troubling and tossing his memorie because he knew and had often prooued that this was the best way to turne away this euill 10 To reade and not to meditate is vnfruitfull to meditate and not to reade is dangerous for errours to reade and meditate without prayer is hurtfull 11 The cause why our meditations and prayers are no stronger in the night is because we ioyne not with meditation the examination of our hearts vpon our beds which if we did in some truth it would keepe vs from drowsinesse and want of reuerence in our prayers as well as worldly men are kept waking by thinking on worldly matters Here we are taught by Dauids example when we want the more solemne and best meanes to make a supplie by often and sincere vsing of such priuate meanes as we can Ministerie Ministers 1 WE must neuer be so moued at the reproches of enemies as at the not profiting of friends that is such as be or ought to be the ioy crowne and glorie of our ministerie for whom wee haue prayed and with whom we haue trauailed for their saluation For as these men alone giue all the credite to our ministerie in well-doing so they doe farre more discredite it by euill doing then all others at whose hands we looke for no such things And for this cause wee may not be so moued to see the common sort of people offend because what maruaile is it if they faile in duties when others which are continually taught doe so often slip and fall 2 Ministers should most frequent those places where God hath made their Ministerie most fruitfull they should heerein be like the couetous man that where they haue once found the sweetnes of gaining of soules thither they should be most desirous to resort 3 Hee feared much the preposterous zeale and hastie running of young men into the Ministerie because as iudgement so also stayednesse and moderation vse experience grauitie in ordering affections and the hauing some masterie ouer corruption was needefull in him that should teach others And hee obserued the extreame in our age to be contrarie to that in the first age wherein men being but slenderly brought vp it was very long ere they were vsed in the Church but now education being bettered they are too soone imployed Too hastie a triall must not be made of mens giftes to their hurt that vse them and that haue the vse of them 4 If we aske whether a man may not lawfully desire to be in the Ministerie or no I answere that in the Ministerie are two things a worke and a worship a dutie and a dignitie The worke and dutie to the glory of God and the good of his Church a man may desire The worship or dignity to serue our couetous mind is not to be desired It is good before we come to the complete function of the Ministery there should be some training vp by degrees in the schooles of the Prophets Acts 20. Wee reade of the training vp of certaine Disciples at Corinth and at Antioch Paul was first a Disciple then an Apostle Ioshua vnder Moses Samuel vnder Ely Elisha vnder Elias Salomon vnder Nathan Baruch vnder Ieremie Timothie vnder Paul were trained vp And surely it is a diuine policie first to be of the childreÌ„ of the Prophets then a Prophet theÌ„ a Pastor First Christ calleth some to be domesticall Disciples Luk 6. After he sendeth them forth Luk 10. And then they preach most fully wheÌ„ after his Ascension they had receiued the holy Ghost Now if this order were in the Prophets times why should it not be much more in ours In the common-weale there is a training vp of the Gentrie before they be installed into Magistracie In the Court no man at the first is admitted to the highest titles and functions but according to their gifts practise In naturall things wee will not commit our bodies to euery Physitian professor but make enquiry after him who hath had the longest experience Then it is good first with Ioshua Samuel Elisha Salomon Baruch and Timothie to be humbled then with Moses Ely Elias Nathan Paul to be honored For what age requireth this more then our headie olde age of the world Wherein young men are some what forward and young men haue younger iudgemeÌ„ts younger affections vnseasoned speeches and vnseasoned speeches bring retractions and retractions bring their discredit Mirth 1 WHen a Gentlewoman asked him if he were not sometime merrie Yes saith he we are often merrie and sometimes we are afraid of our mirth Mercies 1 THe way to see the length depth breadth and heigth of Gods mercies is first with shame and sorrow to see the length c. of our owne sinnes Memorie 1 THe best arte of Memorie is to be humbled at Gods threatnings and comforted at his promises for sure it is that exceeding griefes or exceeding ioyes leaue great impressions in vs. 2 The best arte of Logicke is to reason E conuerso out of that saying of Paul There is no temptation hath ouertaken you but it hath ouertaken others And to say thus There hath no temptation ouertaken others but the same may ouertake vs. This will teach vs to speake charitably and profitably of other mens infirmities Markes of the children of God 1 THere be some notable markes to know whether our iourney be to heauen or to hell first if a man be so close that he will not open his way whither he purposeth to goe yet you shall spâ—e out his intent by obseruing which way his carriage is sent if our carriage goe after the flesh to the flesh we shall come if after the spirit to the spirit we shall come Secondly if a man conceale his voyage yet you shall discerne him by his inquirie this way or that way if he aske which is the way to Canaan and where the way lieth in the wildernesse it is an argument he is going to the promised land Thirdly albeit he would keepe his iourney neuer so priuie yet he is bewrayed if when in hearing a man speake against his countrey and dispraise his Prince and people his blood beginneth to rise he findeth himselfe grieued and standeth in defence of his countrey So if when men disgrace Gods word speake euil of his Ministers or reproch his Saints we finde our selues moued and not able to containe our selues from reprehension that is a token we are trauailing towards heauen Occasions of euill 1 GOdly men are not in danger of grosse wicked women wherefore we must haue a greater carefulnes of our selues when we are in companie
I am wont to be comforted And though my former old and secret sinnes descrue that I should not only be giuen ouer to infidelitie but also that it should be in me without griefe and remorse â—et Lord forgiue me my sinnes new and old forgiue me my vnthankfulnes increase my fâ—ith And grâ—â—t good father when thou shalt restore to me this gift of faith againe that I may vse it in feare and shew it in fruites Or if this doe not preuaile giue your selfe with all humblenes to reade the word of God especially his promises and be still attending vpon the meanes waiting when the Lord shall in large your heart Or if this do not helpe goe to some faithfull brother confesse your selfe to him acknowledge your weakenes to him and be not ashamed to giue God the glorie by shaming your selfe and opening your corruption to him that so he may pray for you whose prayer according to the promise of God made to his holy ordinance herein Iames. 5 vndoubtedly shall be heard in the appointed time Thus hauing prayed by yourselfe and with another and vsed the meanes of reading for your recouerie though you haue not present reliefe yet in meekenes of minde and patience of your spirit goe to your calling knowing that your prayers and the word of God being as seede must haue some time betweene the sowing of them and the reaping of the increase and fruit of them Aboue all reason not with your temptations dispute not with the diuell as though you could preuaile of your selfe And as I would not you should dispute with your temptation so I would not you should despise it and make no account of it for in both are extremities If you take it too much to heart or maruell how you should ouercome such a temptation it will make you dull or desperate If you account of it too little and maruell how such things should come into your head which was not wont to be so it will make you not to striue and you shall be swallowed vp before you be aware If you account of it too fearefully Sathan will oppresse you before you begin to fight If you account of it too lightly the diuell needes not to wrestle with you you will ouercome your selfe therefore feare in respect of your selfe fight boldly in Christ tremble at your owne corruptions but rest and trust in Christ your saluation If still you are tempted and no body by you write your temptation and offer it to God by prayer and promise to him that you will aske counsell at his word at the mouth of his minister when he shall giue you iust occasion If all this helpe not comfort your selfe with this pledge of Election that you are ioyed when you feele your beleefe and you are grieued least you displease God by your vnbeleefe and know that as there is a vicissitude of the meanes of saluation which you must vse so there is also a vicissitude of temptations whereof this is one against which you must striue 12 Vnto one that was tempted with worldly shame and thought the distemperature of his minde proceeded thereof he said on this sort First know that Sathan hath no absolute power but a power by permission to trie vs against which we must arme our selues ly faith which will assure vs that either the Lord will mittigate our temptation if our power and patience be not great or else if he â—â—large the triall he will increase our strength according to the proportion of our temptation We must also pray that the Lord giue not out that measure of leaue to the diuell which we giue out to sinne to worke rebellion in vs against his maiestie but that he would rather make Sathan a Chirurgion to shew vs our sinnes than a Sergeant to coÌ„found vs for them It is the pollicie of the aduersarie to perswade many that the weakenes of their body and feeblenes of their braine proceedeth of their temptations when indeed it commeth of their vnstained mindes wandring too much after the motions of the diuell in that they not resting on the word nor depending on Christ nor contenting themselues to be tried nor comforting themselues by meditation attend too much and confer too often with the diuels illusions and temptations and so they complaine of the effects and not of the causes of the temptations being more grieued for their present sufferings than for their sinnes past The roote of this worldly shame is pride and haughtines of mind which is a priuie euill and hardly will be beaten into the head of them that are infected with it But sure it is that we would neuer be so grieued for the losse of a thing if we did not too much desire it and too immoderatly vse it whilest we had it Ioh. 12. 42. Which sinne of haughtines the Lord seeing in his children that they are more humbled with the losse of worldly credit than with the sense of their sinnes and losse of his glorie he striketh them with the want of that thing which is most precious vnto them because they made no conscience of that honour which is most prâ—cious vnto him Wherefore this is the best remedie rather to be grieued that we feele not our sinnes to be pardoned with God than that we are knowne to be sinners against men and that we be readie to shame ourselues that God may haue the glorie acknowledging shame and confusion and the whole pit of hellish temptations to be due vnto vs and glorie praise and compassion to be the Lords only For this is a speciall worke of the child of God by temptations rightly humbled when he is readie to shame himselfe for his sinne to glorifie God in his mercie 13 Vnto one that thought himselfe to haue sinned against the holy Ghost he said Sathans temptations follow our affections for if we lightly account of sinne he bleares our eyes still with Gods mercies If we begin to make a conscience of sinne he loadeth vs with the iudgements of God being as readie now to aggrauate this sinne more than it is in it selfe as before he would extenuate it to make it seeme lesse than it was Howbeit said he to the man thus afflicted I will say vnto you as Samuel said to the people after they had confessed themselues to haue sinned against God with a great sinne True it is said Samuel not flattering them in their iniquities ye haue sinned greatly notwithstanding if ye will feare the Lord and serue him and heare his voyce and not disobey the word of the Lord ye shall follow the Lord your God but if ye will not obey the voyce of the Lord but disobey the Lords mouth then shall the hand of the Lord be vpon you 1. Sam. 12. 14. So I will not lesâ—en your sinne but I say you haue sinned a great sinne before the Lord in that you made a mocke
we be not too quiet in sinne that we please not our selues in a generall good and in a perswasion we haue heard enough but still let vs labour for the word for I dare say that all our power in prayer commeth from the word euen as the life that is in a tree is inuisible and yet by the fruites comming out in due season is discerned of all and as the life of a childe is a thing not seene but by mouing going and feeling is easily perceiued so the life of faith is a thing very secret and yet by the effects of it at one time or other is discerned of good men There may seeme to be workes and yet not faith and there may be faith and yet not workes by and by following Many men thinke the word now preached not to be the right word because few men are brought to the obedience of God by so long preaching of it But we must rather reason the contrarie this is a sure note it is the true word because it is so much refused and men are made the worse by abusing the word which as it would make them better and doth make better all that obey so it maketh worse all that doe not receiue it in loue that they may be saued 2. Thess. 2. 11. AN OTHER ADDITION OF AN HVNDRED GRAVE COVNSELS OR DIVINE APHORISMES IF you desire to heare the word with profit obserue these things before you goe to the Church humble your selfe in prayer to God that he may prepare your vnderstanding affection and memorie to receiue and that the Preacher may speake to your conscience after in hearing with some short prayer applie the seuerall threatnings promises and instructions to your owne estate when you are come home from hearing change all that you remember into prayer and desire God that you may remember it most when you should practise it and vse to teach others and to conferre of the things remembred it is a good way to remember a thing diligently to remember the reason of it 2 The cause why our meditations and prayers are no stronger in the night is because we ioyne not with meditation the examination of our hearts vpon our beds which if we did in some truth it would keep vs from drowsinesse want of reuerence in our prayers as well as worldly men are kept waking by thinking of worldly matters Here we are taught by Dauids example when we want the more solemne and glorious meanes in dignitie to make a supplie by often and sincere vsing of such priuate meanes as we can 3 It is better to offer a voluntarie and free sacrifice in respect of Gods mercie as doe the Angels than a violent and constrained obedience as doe the Diuels And this dareâ— say that though the fearefull pronouncing of the curse the wrath the iudgement of God be fearefull in the law yet the denouncing of our separation from Gods kingdome of the gnawing worme of the second death is farre more fearefull in the Gospell which by how much it is the more proper seate and treasurie of Gods mercies so when thundrings and lightnings doe proceede from thence they are the more piercing 4 Two notes to discerne good Christians from hypocrites First whether they complaine of their owne wants and corruptions Secondly whether they speake with griefe and compassion of the infirmities of others 5 To one that seemed scrupulous in wearing the Surplice and Cap and notwithstanding stood in neede of greater things he said As I will not for all the world aduise you â—o weare them so I would counsell you to be well grounded ere you leaue them least you shaking them off â—ather of light affection than of sound iudgement afterward take them againe to your great shame and the offence of others 6 The greater gifts we haue the flesh is the prouder and Sathan the readier to assault vs. 7 The Church is to feare and expect some notable affliction when long ease and prosperitie haue bred either superstition or prophanenesse 8 Thinke not with thy selfe if I were in such a place if I were in such a calling or if it were such a time if I had obtained such a thing or if such a trouble were past then I would serue God then I would take another course though the time were changed and these things changed yet if thy minde were not chaunged thou wouldest be of the same opinion still and though these lets were râ—moued yet the diuell would put more great impediments into thy minde to hinder thee still but redeeme the time present doe good while thou mayest serue God to day for who knowes whether thou shalt liue till to morrow God hath left to man the time past to repent of it and the time present to consider of it but the time to come hee hath wholly taken to himselfe to dispose of it Thou maist imagine the time to come but if thou hast beene deceiued in the time past art deceiued of the time present much more thou shalt be deceiued of the time to come Say not then I will doe such a thing and such a thing hereafter doe something now for art thou a Papist Hast thou free will If thou finde thy selfe vnfit now thou shalt find thy selfe more vnfit hereafter if there be manie occasions to hinder thee now there will bee moe occasions to hinder thee hereafter 9 The persons afflicted are either the reprobate or Gods elect the children of wrath or the children of God The afflictions of the reprobate are the punishments of their sinnes here they suffer some in hell they shall suffer all torments here for a time there for euer here a little there vnmeasurable Gods children are either his children onely by election and not by effectuall vocation or else such as are called in Christ. The affliction of Gods children not effectually called are the punishments of sinne God will haue them vnder the rigor of his iustice to make them meet to receiue the grace of his mercy Gods children not onely by election but also by effectuall vocation are of two sorts they are either such as are not sufficiently called which are more out of Christ then in Christ or else they are sufficiently called in whome Christ liueth Againe those that are not sufficiently in Christ which are more carnall than spirituall are of two sorts they are either babes in Christ in whome there hath bene no more working of the spirit or such as haue had a greater worke of God in them in whom the spirit is quenched those that are but babes in Christ and continuing babes still in whom there is but a little worke of God and great abundance of flesh their afflictions are the punishments of sinne because they will not bee gouerned by the rule of Gods spirite God will haue them ruled by the rodde of affliction
conuey themselues vnto warmer climates vntill the spring time and man alone either vnsensibly doth not foresee or vnaduisedly will not auoide the perillous times to come To conclude Matth. 16. 2. 3. our Sauiour Christ reprehendeth the follie of Pharisies saying When it is euening ye say Faire weather for the skie is red 3. And in the morning ye say To day shall be a tempest for the skie is red and lowring O hypocrites yee can discerne the face of the skie and can ye not discerne the signes of the times True it is that this spirituall vse and holy meditation of the creatures of God should be our whole life howbeit because our distractions in our lawfull and ordinarie callings will not permit this so fully in respect of our finite nature we must remember on the Sabbath day to vse a recouery and by Christian diligence to make recompence for our former negligence herein And in so heauenly a varietie which both by precept and practise we haue receiued of our forefathers for this purpose we shall much profit and set forward this exercise if in wisedome of the spirit we endeuour to frame our meditations especially about those things whereof by reason of our callings in respect of our countries in consideration of the season of the yeere we haue most speciall occasion offered Now if by reason of some dulnes or deadnes by the corruption of nature and secret punishment often incident to the dearest children of God we cannot so reuerently cheerefully and comfortably doe these duties required by our selues alone we may humbly vse the remedie which by the communion of Saints the Lord in this case hath prouided that so frequenting the holy companie of the godly learned and zealous vnto whom the Lord hath giuen greater libertie both of graces and of spirit we may be humbled in regard of our owne wants and take the supplie by them in them that if we cannot either for ignorance or blockishnes reade the things heard compare the places by publike ministerie receiued pray for the fruite of them if we be not able to refresh our selues with considering the workes of God then we must attend vpon the reading conferring and praying thanksgiuing singing and meditations of others that so at the least we may either haue our iudgements cleered or our affections better stirred vp Neither must we blush or be abashed to acknowledge our wants vnto our brethren but with all humilitie earnestly deale with them and enquire of them how they can compare and reconcile the places deliuered how they can amplifie it by meditation how they feele their affections renued how they can frame a prayer of it how they can gather of the creatures and workes of God some fruitfull matter of thanksgiuing that by their godly participation we may haue either our ignorance helped or our infirmities relieued For vndoubtedly this is the cause why so many doe rather in ignorance and deadnes beare the Sabbath as a burthen euen in that they are ashamed by asking the helpe of others to bewray their ignorance or display that corruption of nature which indeed they see and seele in themselues Against which worldly and carnall shame we must fight if euer we will triumph ouer that endlesse shame of the wicked and prouoke our selues by that wholesome and mutuall societie which becommeth the children of God either for the increase of spirituall gifts or for a charitable supporting of the infirmities one of another And these briefly be the exercises of faith and repentance whereby we may either stirre vp our selues or be stirred of others Now it remaineth to intreate of the duties of loue because the Lord his Sabbath is not a day of knowledge alone but of loue not onely of hearing the word by preaching but also of doing the word by practising and these duties either respect the persons of our brethren or they concerne such things as are about our brethren The things concerning their persōs are either in regard of their soules or of their bodies the exercises respecting the things that are about them are either appertaining to their goods or to their credite The duties vnto the soules of our brethren are to teach the ignorant to bring sinners to repentance to bind vp the wounds of them that are afflicted in spirit to comfort the weak to strengthen the hands that fall downe and the knees that are readie to faint to stirre vp them which be dul to admonish the vnruly to confirme the faith of them that beleeue to encourage them in weldoing which haue begun well and to rebuke the wilfull offenders And though these should be the exercises of euery day yet especially they belong to the Sabbath wherein we make a supplie of the wants which we haue on the weeke daies The duties of loue required to the bodies of our brethren are the visiting of the sicke the relieuing of the imprisoned the helping of the poore and miserable the feeding of the hungrie the cloathing of the naked the comforting of the distressed the bestowing of our goods on them that are needie In the primitiue Church as they did euery Sabbath receiue the Sacrament so they laide something downe to the vse of the poore which they did both to giue some thankefull testimonie how the Lord the weeke before had blessed them as also to shew some godly token of their pittie to their afflicted brethen Concerning the exercises of loue towards the credit of our brethren if we shall heare of any secret reports tending to the discredite of others wee must not onely carefully suppresse it but wisely endeuour to recouer their former credite This requireth heauenly wisedome both to admonish the author of euill reports as also to signifie vnto the man euill spoken of what hazard and shipwrake of his good name is pretended yet still concealing the person and vrging the report that if the partie be guiltie he may the sooner step out of his sinne the Lord hauing discharged such a warning peece against him or being guiltlesse that he rather seeke to proue by the rumor than to pursue the author But alas the sinne of our age hath not onely brought in the ignorance and banished the practise of this Christian dutie but also which more is in stead of healing we would the credite of others and it is hard to discerne whether there are more willing to report euill or not vnwilling to heare euill reports of others Who seeth not the common profession of our Sabbath to be a table talking and vaine babling of the infirmities of others tossing to and fro the credit of our brethren as a tennis ball and this not onely vsed among brainsicke and vnstable women whose tongues labour of some greater infirmitie but also of men who vndiscreetly either set abroch or draw out to the full measure and past measure the discredit of their neighbours so that they are so farre from saluing such sores
if thy brother repent seauentie times seauen times thou shouldest forgiue him doth he perswade him truly confessing that hee will forgiue him and shall not then the Lord be mercifull vnto thee if thou confesse in giuing thee remission of thy sinnes and sanctification from thy sinnes Yea God is more mercifull than man when man truly confesseth We are to pray that the ministery may be recouered that the Ministers being humbled the people may also ioyne with them Another kinde is to confesse to men and not only vnto God otherwise it is hypocrisie as it is though we confesse to men and not to God We must confesse to men when we owe some dutie or when we are to receiue a benefit by them We owe them dutie when we are admonished secondly when we haue offended them They that vse good meanes and come by authoritie we must confesse vnto theÌ„ Mat. 18. Where there must be a yeelding or a proceeding with farther processe Luk. 17. It is required that a man should acknowledge or he cannot haue forgiuenes Where men offending are admonished I will confesse say they vnto God not vnto you when as the Lord requireth that it should first be done vnto men First reconcile thy selfe to thy brother then vnto God We offend our brethren when we iniurie them secondly when we are authors or counsellers of them vnto euill or thirdly when we giue them euill example Whether we haue iniured them in their bodies goods or good name Leuit. 6. 4. the same day the sacrifice was to be offered the same day must satisfaction be made And where iudgement is threatned men refusing to satisfie the parties God will not forgiue who is also offended for God requireth confession and man satisfaction Many haue charged others to do euill and haue wrought euill with others the one being humbled the other will not be perswaded it is so but hauing hurt them in their soules though by confession we cannot recouer them yet we must shame our selues vnto them that they may haue the cause of sinne vpon themselues If thinking of these things in our studies yet if we practise them not our prayers will not be acceptable We are to receiue benefit when we would haue aduise from them or would be comforted of them and we would haue aduise when we are tempted vnto sinne or accused in our consciences for sinne Though men cannot accuse vs yet there are many times speciall sinnes that we cannot get peace with God for or power to ouercome them these must be confessed to men that we may get strength in wisedome Iam. 5. Where I take acknowledging to be more than confession for a man cannot acknowledge a thing but he must needes confesse it but he may confesse and yet not acknowledge And there the Apostle speaketh of recouering one from sinne when they are tempted as the whole scope of the place sheweth In accusation the Diuell will lay sinne to our charge and the conscience is feared both in reason and affection then there must be recourse to our friends Experience wofull enough will witnes this some for light matters haue hanged themselues who if they had opened their griefes might haue beene recouered as some haue beene whose throats haue beene ripped and others who haue beene found lying in the waters God hath appointed a communion of Saints and if we will not partake of their counsâ—ile we may be brought downe for not disclosing as others haue beene There is another higher sight of diuinitie and better faith of godlines when there is griefe for sinne or for temptation to a sinne or thirdly for lying in sinne and not getting out of it and also for being prouoked to grosse sinnes Many men lying in a sinne when neither by praying nor fasting nor hearing nor otherwise they can get out of it they must seeke for strength at others and desire their prayers The Papists will haue vs bound to the Ministers S. Iames more large To come out of sinne is the best way to shame our selues and acknowledge it and this meanes vsed plainely will driue Satan away for comming neere vs. The temptations are many times strange thoughts to blaspheme God and iniurie highly whom most we loue and many such like things The family of loue had these temptations and many others who haue bene giuen ouer grosely because fighting with an euill conscience they did not vse the meanes of getting out And these are laid vpon men for corrections for things past for remedies for things to come to passe and for prouocations vnto prayer No remedie is so great as to disclose them to thy friend who loueth thee and will pray with thee Choyse must be vsed of those in whom we will disclose especially of a spirituall father must our choyse be spirituall for discerning well of the temptation and for wisedome in prescribing a remedie Not those who say it is fond lessening the sinne which should be waighed as it is that the iust proportion of Gods iudgement may be seene neither to those that shal aggrauate it least they terrifie thee too much When sinne fighteth then learning will not so much preuaile Satan is such a subtle Sophister A father he must be a brother a sister a righteous man as S. Iames saith who must haue the affection of a father for compassion taciturnitie and not vpbrayding Compassion that the heart may bleed as of a tender father and mother that though the sin be not ours yet we may haue a fellow feeling for the mercifull is blessed which followeth the poore in spirit Taciturnitie that the sinne being close it may neuer goe further thaÌ„ the cause is Vpbrayding is such a thing as it feareth many because it is the propertie of worldly men to keepe men vnder by that meanes but these fathers may not doe it Though it be true that many meeting such a father they will not vse him as a father which appalleth the spirit of a good father who if in wisedome hee shall but touch any thing that may be thought to be disclosed he is thought to doe it to vpbrayd them FINIS THE SIXTEENTH SERMON Galath 6. vers 14. 15. Be it farre from mee that I should reioyce but in the crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ whereby the world is crucified vnto me and I vnto the world For in Christ Iesus neither circumcision auaileth any thing nor vncircumsion but a new creature HAuing finished in a late Treatise the doctrine of the true obseruation of the Sabbath as a furtherance to nourish religion in them that are alreadie called we now haue purposed considering the small proceeding in Christian profession which ought to be found in this ripenes of the Gospell more glorious and abundant to entreate of such matter as being most agreeable to them that as yet haue not tasted how sweete Christ is and his Gospell very profitable for our senseles age wherein Christ is almost vtterly forsaken may breede some loue of religion
obserue with what delight of heart cheerefulnesse of countenance volubilitie of speech nimblenesse of wit strength of memorie and dexteritie of the whole man they goe about euery good thing and what is the cause of all this God putteth into them his good spirit and maketh all things as it were possible vnto them Hee that knoweth not this bee hee Minister or Auditor knoweth little of the Christian combate Is this so 1 humble thy selfe vnder the mightie hand of God that he may exalt thee in due time 1. Pet. 5. 7. 2 despaire not though sorrowe come in the euening ioy may come in the morning they that sowe in teares shall reape in ioy 3 censure not when men are not alike cheerefull in diuine duties especially Ministers who oftentimes partly for their owne sinne and partly for the sinnes of their auditors who either pray not for them or loue them not or grace them not or are not worthie of the best things are put to silence Augustine reporteth of himselfe that at his meditations of many sermons hee was often most cheerefull in the Pulpit on the suddaine heauie And I heard once a godly man in the like case speake thus to his auditors I was neuer so humbled as this day the Lord hath humbled mee in my ministery because you haue not assisted mee with your prayers A willing patient louing and charitable auditorie setteth an edge vpon the zeale of the Preacher 4 art thou dull waite for this quickening for in comming it will come and will not tarie That Martyr founde it who after the combate of many a dayes conflict cryed out euen at the stake Austine it is come it is come Mistris Honnie-wood that worthie woman found it after many yeares conflict betwixt frayletie and faith and here the Prophet Dauid found the same 5 vse all holy meanes to stirre vp the graces of God in thee as men doe to rayse vp one out of a dead sleepe the neglect whereof is the graue of many graces 6. feare this relapse into deadnesse of spirit after some extraordinary ioye and when you haue most meanes It is strange to see what readinesse there is in many people that want Gods word to goe many a mile for it to studie and talke of it and what small account it is made of amongst them that haue it in abundance 7 take heed of the soules languishing no consumption is like to this For by them c. Quickened hee was as hee saith by GOD but yet also by the word soundly preached sauingly vnderstood and particularly applied to the conscience This then doth the power of CHRISTS death make a man indeede to dye vnto sinne then doth the power of his resurrection make him to walke on in newenes of life No Aqua-vitae or caelestis like vnto this by which wee haue inward peace of conscience and an outward obedience to GODS commaundements Dauid reioyced in this blessing so ought wee wee desire to bee euer quicke and cheerefull to all good duties it is onely GOD by his spirit in the word that can giue it ¶ Vers. 94. I am thine saue me for I haue sought thy precepts IN the former verse the Prophet felt the spirit of God stirring vp his heart to beleeue Gods promises heere it becomes the spirit of supplication for he yet feeling terrors within and troubles without crieth to his Sauiour Saue me ô Lord. Yea Dauid but thou art a grieuous sinner thinkest thou that God will heare sinners didst not thou affirme Psal. 66 18. if I regard iniquitie in mine heart God will not heare me why then prayest thou vnto me why Lord I am thy seruant and the Sonne of thine handmaide I am thine saue me yea but many very hypocrites will say that they belong vnto me how prouest thou that thou art mine He that seeketh to know and doe thy will he is thine but I haue sought to know and to doe thy will therefore I am thine and this is the summe of this verse Saue me Saluation then belongeth to the Lord. Psal. 3. 8. yea it belongeth to him alone he saueth both man and beast an horse is a vaine thing in the day of battell neither is any man deliuered by mans might He is that Aiacis clypeus vnder which we are safe those Eagles wings vpon which we are carried that strong tower to which we must resorte and a very present helpe in the time of trouble when neither the wisedome of thy minde nor the strength of the body nor the gold in thy chest nor the endeuours of thy friends nor the multitude of an armie nor the defensed citie can doe thee any good then the name of the Lord is a strong tower euery righteous Dauid may flie vnto it and is deliuered How often doth God complaine of Israel that they had trusted in man and in the power of man and did not make him their saluation It is mans nature to relie more vpon outward meanes as physicke in sicknes friends in disgrace an hoast in warre c. then vpon God But he that without this captaine will conquer shall haue Zenacharibs reward without this Pilote will enter vpon the sea shall haue Pharaohs reward without this Physitian will be cured shall haue Asahs reward and he that will pray vnto any other for helpe saue the God of Israel shall in the ende haue the reward of Bâ—all Prophets When all saile vs God will not saile vs. Cast thy burthen vpon the Lord and he will nourish thee Psal. 55. 23. cast your care vpon him for he careth for you 1. Pet. 5. 7. Saue me with the Prophet let vs at all times in all places for all persons vpon all occasions call vpon God For 1. it is his commandement 2. a part of his worship 3. an honour to him 4 a testimonie of our faith 5. it distinguisheth him from idols vs from idolaters 6 By it we obtaine all things 7. our many wants moue vs to this dutie 8. all nations call vpon their Gods shall not Ionah call vpon his God 9. By it we talke with God 10. the contrarie argueth an Atheist Psal. 53. 4. Say therefore in all troubles Saue me ô Lord for thy mercy sake 1. But remember that thou must call vpon God alone forsaluation The Gentiles that know not God haue many other Sauiours the idolaters that knowe not God aright haue many also But cursed is the image and the image maker an idol is nothing nothing worth it workes nothing The learned Papist knoweth this the ignorant must not 6. If they would not haue the poore people to adore their breaden God why doe they make it at sometimes to bleede or their wooden gods why doe they cause them sometimes to speake otherwhiles to sweate many times to smile and oftentimes to stretch forth the hand to receiue oblations offered vnto them Origen saith well Impossibile est vt qui Deum rectè nouit supp ex sit statuae It is impossible that he
the Prophet here setteth downe by proofe in his owne person Neither must wee thinke that as it were with a trumpet he doth here blow and sound forth his owne praise but rather by his example is desirous to stirre others vp Vers 98. By thy commaundements thou hast made mee wiser than mine enemies for they are â—uer with me THe first of the particular effects is contained in these words By thy coÌ„mandements thou hast made me wiser than mine enemies Wee see how men now adayes straine their wits to match their enemies in policies deuices but few thinke on this sound meanes whereby we shall surely preuaile against them Now if it be so that whatsoeuer is written is written for our instructioÌ„ and comfort in making mention of the meanes the Prophet of the Lord doth teach vs that it was no extraordinarie worke of the Lord proper to him but a meanes appointed of God for vs all to follow Whereby hee teacheth vs that God will blesse vs to attaine to the like wisedome if we will endeuour to vse the like meanes To apply this to our profit wee must gather the particular out of the generall doctrine on this manner whosoeuer shall haue the commaundements of God euer with him hee shall be wiser then his enemies than his teachers than the ancient but Dauid did so or wee doe so therefore Dauid and we shall finde this wisedome But some man will say Experience teacheth vs a cleane contrarie doctrine that Gods children are not so wise in their light as the children of this world are in their generation I answere That it is true experience prooueth and our Sauiour Christ teacheth but this I adde that the experience commeth from our small sight of the word and not for any want of the word it selfe when Gods children haue it on their side And our Sauiour Christ his speech tendeth rather to shew what it is through our corruption than what it ought to be so that iustly he vseth it to our shame Indeede ciuill wisedome which choketh in them all temptations with worldly delights hauing the diuell to be their schoole master doth worke in them a contentation of minde while for a season they smother as they thinke the iudgements of God breathing vpon them And because on the contarie the spirits of Gods children are occupyed in heauenly things yet often the flesh so laboureth against the spirit that whilest they would be wiser than the Lord or would vse any indirect meanes against their enemies or in vsing good meanes faile in prayer or in not staying themselues on Gods prouidence and appointed time of deliuerance it commeth to passe that they are ouercome But whilest they renounce themselues and their owne wisedome and craue counsaile of God in his word and the direction of his Spirit by prayer whilest they vse good meanes in a good cause and keeping a good conscience waite on the hand of the Lorde they shall bee sure to haue the ouerthrowe of their enemies Proofe doth teach vs that a silly soule in the Countrey which walketh in the wayes of the Lorde will soone discouer the shifting pollicies of a worldly learned man brought vp in the Vniuersitie because the wrath of the Lord hangeth ouer the one and his mercifull spirit watcheth ouer the other But so long as wee will shoote with Sathan in his owne bowe and repell policie with policie what follie shall be found in vs though we can howle loftily with the wolfe and deale cunningly with the Grecians when as the Lord will neuer suffer a good cause to be maintained by euill meanes Some of vs seeke the word but in seeking it we rest in our owne good meaning not humbling our selues before the Lord but our wisdome herein must come from the spirit For we can no more by the eie of reason see the light of the word then Howlets looke vpon the bright Sunne Wherefore the Lord will haue vs in all controuersies with our aduersaries to depend on him and to know that the cause must not depend on our owne shoulders then must we by faith in the bloodshedding of Christ beleeue that our sinnes neither new nor old shall hinder the helping hand of the Lord. We must trust on Gods prouidence and promises and stay our selues by prayer on his wisedome if we look to be wiser than our aduersaries An excellent example hereof we haue to proue that secret sinnes not repented of may hinder the Lords dealing with vs against our enemies We read that after that filthy incest mentioned in Iudg. 17. which made the Leuite whose wife was abused to cut her in twelue peeces and send her through all the parts of Israel there was warre betweene the Beniamites and Israel and the Beniamites being but few in number and maintaining an euill cause in two battels ouercame the Israelites vntil at length they humbled themselues with prayer and fasting and repented of that euill which was amongst them so that in the third assault the Lord gaue his people strength mightily to preuaile against their enemies So we may haue a good cause and vse good meanes and yet for want of reconciling our selues to God for some sinne new or old we may suffer the ouerthrow If then our cause be good we must vse good meanes faith in Christ trust in his prouidence and staying our selues on his wisedome Doe we not see by experience how the Martyrs of God humbling themselues on this maner preuailed in mightie power against their accusers Deut. 4. Moses sheweth that the enemies of God were driuen to confesse that only Gods people were wise euen because God gaue them good lawes This was it that made Ioseph wiser than his brethren Moses wiser than the Egyptians and Daniel than all the Magicians of Babylon and Dauid than all his politike enemies Marke I pray you all figuratiue hyperbolicall and darke speeches the Metaphors and Parables which are in the word of God and you shall finde that they were learned people to whom the bookes were written and had attained that measure of wisedome and knowledge which in our time none can vnderstand but they which are brought vp in learning which thing we may also obserue in them of whom the Histories of the booke of God are written and yet who were more blockish then the Iewes after they had transgressed so obstinately the law of the Lord But shall wee vnderstand this as though the children of God were in euery particular action wiser then the wicked ones No but onely in those things and then wherein and when they vsed this wisedome of the Spirit and gaue themselues and their causes to be gouerned according to Gods word Looke on Dauid who though hee was wise so long as he kept a good conscience yet harkening to policie and not willing to stay himselfe on the simplicitie of Gods word how suddenly was hee ouercome and yeelded so farre that he dissembled euen
policie and his teachers in wisedome so now he sheweth how he went before his elders in prudence and vnderstanding He was wiser than his enemies Why because in all his attempts deliberated not with flesh and blood but asked counsaile of the Lord by the word and by prayer He excelled his teachers in good learning wherefore because he contented not himselfe to stay on the naked rules by them deliuered but further laboured with his conscience to make the vse of them profitable to himselfe He ouer-reached his ancients Why because he euer had a speciall care to keepe a true faith and a good conscience whereof many had made shipwracke Whereof then commeth it to passe that the scholler is often better than his maister commeth it not from hence because the Lord worketh according to his will and bestoweth like effects where like meanes are vsed blesseth and curseth depresseth and raiseth vp according to the vsing and not vsing of necessarie meanes By meditation the iudgemēt of the godly is refined by musing the wicked grow by high degrees to the mysterie of iniquitie For as they be much giuen to this kinde of occupying their mindes so Sathan doth most thereby conuey himselfe into them putting such platformes and deuices into their head that otherwise were wonderfull to come into a mortall mans minde So then they that doe not rest in hearing and reading but endeuour by meditation to finde and draw out an vse of it in themselues wonderfully doe profit and mightily excell others Let vs not rest in our ouersights but stirre vp and prouoke our affections to take a new view of those things which we haue heard whereby we may gather more vnto our selues than that which we haue heard And why Man is a creature reasonable and by the light of nature can thus reason with himselfe if this be true then the contrarie is false if it holdeth in the greater then it holdeth in the lesser If this good thing hath good effects then tho contrarie euill hath ill issues See how knowledge by meditation doth increase Againe because euery member of Christ is annointed with knowledge according to that measure which the Spirit worketh as well the hearer as the speaker may profit by vsing the meanes For by meditation the iudgemēt is refined the wit helped the memory strengthened and stirreth vp affections as thus Is this good I will doe it Is this the obedience rewarded I will obey it Is this forbidden I will auoide it Is this threatned with so fearfull iudgements I quake and tremble to thinke of it By the helpe of this many will speake on a sudden because they speake out of the experience of their owne consciences when the learning of others is in their teachers head or else in their booke It is then the righteous iudgement of God that we are so vnapt to practise wanting dexteritie of wit bereaued of sound iudgement besides many other punishments due to the contempt of Gods word when our owne conscience shall accuse vs saying This good thou mightest haue had this comfort thou mightest haue enioyed hadst thou meditated on the word There remaineth the thrid effect which is in these words I am wiser than the ancient c. Oh notable wisedome that made him wiser than gray haires which are of longer experience He doth not compare himself with dotish old men but the wise Ancients in whom though not the quicknes of wit yet the pith and marrow of knowledge remaineth Neither doth he speake this so much to praise himselfe as to stirre vp others If then we shall see a comely old man speaking law on the bench and desire to heare some wise experience the man of God here telleth vs the way how before those times we may attaine vnto it And through the blessing of God on those meanes the graces of God shall be greater in young yeares if we labour for knowledge and with knowledge ioyne conscience and with conscience practise For the high way to knowledge is to meditate with our knowledge and to tremble in our hearts at the maiestie of the word not ceasing to labour with our selues vntill by musing we haue felt some comfort Here of it proueth that they which haue heard the word of God but a yeare haue more profited thā they which haue heard it sixe yeares For vnto him that hath more shall be giuen and from him that hath not euen that which he hath shall be taken from him If we obserue it we shall finde prophane Protestants who now haue seene three Gouernments which both are ignorant in knowledge and haue gotten many placards and curtaines for their grosse sinnes This may teach vs to see into Gods iudgement who punisheth so seuerely the decay of faith as also the mercy of God towards them that lay vp in their hearts the meditation and in their liues the practise of that which they haue heard I see no more fearefull tokens of the desolations of our times than that men promising whole worlds vnto themselues seeke so much for themselues that they neither desire Gods glorie nor the Churches profit A man may talke with a great Reader and there be some good things in him but talke with an exercised minde and you shall finde in him farre greater and more excellent wisedome Why doe not the old Protestants grow in knowledge as they grow in age but because they doe not vse to meditate Many men seemed to haue good gifts great knowledge and dexteritie of wit who now are destitute and barren of all these heauenly graces What is the cause surely the want of faith and of a good conscience doth make vs faile in many good things or else the cause may be some secret sin not repented of why there is such store of ill and such barrennes of good things So that the Lord striketh many with such follie that they which sometimes tasted of the good graces of God are now become dull heads Another reason why old men doe not grow in knowledge is because the more they haue the more they doe desire Many are so vaine and light that a man shall assoone bring an hogge from his haunt as them from their delights so the Lord doth make them end their age and life in worldlines which spend their liues and youths in vanities If we see one giuen to vanitie what say we Oh there is a wittie yong man if we see one giuen to worldlines what say we Oh there is a iolly thriuing fellow and thus for want of a sanctified wit and sight we remaine fooles and vnthrifts in spirituall things But it standeth with the righteous iudgement of God that they should be depriued of the vnderstanding of heauenly things which so greedily turne al their wits to worldlines On the contrary where we make conscience to meditate we growe from a small graine of knowledge to an whole field of vnderstanding For wee see many vsing their wits to
worldlinesse die in folly because the Lord recompenceth the vanitie of their youth with ignorance in their age So it is the mercy of God to giue them comfort of conscience in their death which haue had care of his word in their life Now we see because some men thinke so basely of the word of God how the Prophet hath commended it by the effects found by experience in himselfe Againe he sheweth that this was not in him by any particular prerogatiue of Gods spirit although the spirit wrought wonderfully in him but that it earne by vsing the mâ—â—â—â—s of the word Teaching vs that as hee was wiser than his enemies because in all peâ—ils â—â— asked counsel of the word wiser than his teachers in that he rested not in their vniuâ—â—s 〈◊〉 but by meditation did appropriate them to himselfe and wiser than the Anâ—â—â—â— because he learned as well to line according to the word as to loue it so we also vsâ—â—g â—â—◠〈…〉 shal find the like effects though not in like measure By which effects we 〈…〉 out these meanes wee become foolish dolâ—â—ish and blockish The word of God 〈…〉 a â—â—easure that if such an holy thing bee cast to swine I doe not douâ—â—◠〈…〉 see our God will execute his heauie vengeance and iudgements Wherof now 〈…〉 it to passe that wâ—â—â—â—â— young men die olde fooles emptie of Gods gracâ—â—f 〈…〉 youth were well brought vp of their parents as Iohaz vnder Iâ—hoiada who also whilâ—st they did look into their former life and repent spake very effectually aginst sin but in their age haue not so much knowledge as before but because they continue not in the faith and in a good conscience It were better to preach to one that neuer heard of Iesus Christ than to such an old ProtestaÌ„t because the one is thankful the other is vnthankfull Tell me O man I speake vnto thy conscience when thine eye did see into the word when thine eare did heare it when thou diddest looke into thine owne conscience when thou feltest sweetnesse in Gods promises wheÌ„ thou diddest tremble with seare of Gods iudgements and diddest delight in the wayes of the Lord Oh how quiet was thy conscience what comfort didst thou finde in thy minde Oh how whole an heart was in thee And on the contrary when neither Gods promises were sweete nor his iudgements fearefull nor his waies pleasant vnto thee oh how cold was thy zeale how weake was thy conscience how feeble was thy heart in good things We shall see some now adayes and that many being but priuate men speake with greater knowledge and conscience than a Preacher Why may a Preacher spend his breath his strength and his life in preaching and so small profiting commeth of it euen because he preached well and practiseth ill Wherefore we see here how necessarily vpon the foresaide effects the Prophet pronounced as followeth Vers 101. I haue refrained my feete from euery euill way that I might keepe thy word SEeing the Lord will put much into their hands who handle a little well wee must expresse our knowledge by life and our profession by practise If a man would consider how fearfully the Lord hath made him how woÌ„derfully he hath redeemed him with what power he hath conuerted him should he spend his youth in vanitie or his age in worldlinesse and so become depriued of all Gods graces in death Looke into the former times Ioseph being but seuenteene yeeres old was wiser than all his brethren young Samuel was wiser than old Ely Moyses than the Egyptians Dauid than Saul Salomon was wiser in his youth than the gray haires Daniel Azariah Mishel wiser than all the Astrologians Chaldeans and Magicians Timothie being but young was preferred to the Euangelistship Paul wiser than all the Apostles Behold our age how mercifully the Lord hath blessed many young men and why are ancient men now so barren of knowledge euen because they are barren in a good conscience There was in time past lesse knowledge more practise lesse science more conscience lesse vnderstanding more wisedome but now there is more knowledge and lesse practise because men labour not to keepe the word of God in a good conscience When wee shall see therefore heretikes growe wiser then Preachers Idolaters wiser then true Professors some young impes of Sathan wiser then olde Ancients in the house of God we must knowe they are made so foolish either because they are not of a good conscience or lye in some secret sinne Would it not grieue a good 〈◊〉 to labour many Winters and Sommers and in the end to finde no Haâ—uest what 〈◊〉 full thing thinke you would it then be to a Minister after he hath long trauailed to â—â—â—â— no fruit The Lord vndoubtedly will punish such fruitlesse Professors with hardnes of heart iâ— they will not heare with care that care may cause prayer that prayer may bring forth meditation and meditation may haue in fruit in godlinesse and practise in perseuerance In this verse then the Prophet declareth that as before he vsed the right meanes to godlinesse and therewithall had the proofe of good effects so now he had power from God to resist all lets hinderances and encombrances therunto Whereby hee teacheth vs that these two things especially make to attaine true godlinesse the one to vse good meanes thereto the other to auoyde carefully all occasions which may hinder vs from the same Neither must wee thinke that all these things can be done presently for if Rome was not built all in one day who would thinke IerusaleÌ„ should be built in one day Surely the necessitie of this practise is such that vnlesse men make couenants with themselues and bind themselues as it were in body and soule to auoid occasions of euill they shall neuer attaine to true godlines Manie will confesse that they ought and will learne the way to holinesse of life but in the meane time because they will not forsake their euill wayes they faile in their purpose To the bettter vnderstanding of the Prophet we must vnderstand that euill wayes are in two things considered either as they be euill in their owne natures or as they be euill by circuÌ„stance the first all men will confesse to be auoided as full concupisceÌ„ce wrath murther malice such like and yet the cause why many men are lesse carefull in holy things is because they make no conscience to stay euill things noâ— to vnburdeÌ„ themselues of all worldly delights But what is the cause that thou canst not ouercome worldlines and vanitie thou dost not consider that thy reason is corrupt and that if thou fightest not against thy corrupt reason thou canst not auoide corrupt affections If a man would fight against Ambition he must not first fight against the thing it selfe but against his own reason leauing him there unto which on this manner perswades him If I may attaine to such dignitie I shall
wife goods lands friends parents children yea and peraduenture also it will cost thee the losse of thine owne heart blood It is more chargeable than some thinke it is and that it is the cause why they make so little account of it Now there are some which care not what it costeth them so that it may be had with ease but such must know that it is as laborious as costly For before thou canst attaine vnto it thou must trauaile in heart and in soule with weeping with sighing with much fasting with prayer with watching with meditation of the word of God and in practising of all the commandements of God Thou must trauaile in compassion towards all men thou must take paines in doing thy dutie towards thy superiours and in relieuing the needie and such as are in distresse Finally it is a most painfull way to passe and many there be which deceiue themselues entring into it without preconsideration either of cost or paines I tell you in the houre of death in the day of iudgement in persecutions in trials in banishments many shall see and know that they haue deceiued themselues for that they haue not duly thought of these said charges neither is it onely chargeable and troublesome but also there are in it many and great perils and dangers many battailes must be fought before thou canst come vnto the end thereof Now for a man not onely to be greatly chargeable but also to haue great troubles many battels betwixt the flesh and the spirit this is a sore and a great temptation thou must fight with all thy affections with thine owne reason thou must be prepared to fight with fleshly ioy Loue Feare sorrow Anger Meekenesse Softnesse neither is this conflict as the passion of anger which endureth but for a moment but this combat against affections is to be taken in hand diuers and sundrie times and continueth a long time euen during the whole life And though we receiue many blowes and are sometimes as it were drawne backe yet we must to it againe Those I say which meane to inherit the kingdome of heauen must renounce their owne reason and fight against their owne iudgement As for example in anger many will burst out to fighting and why because that their owne reason teacheth them that they are abused contemned and despised and this is it which deceiueth many because they doe not striue and contend with their owne reason but rather doe thus thinke with themselues according to the manner of men what is the reason why we should doe this or why we should doe that why we should lose our wiues children goods and lands this reason then of ours must be fought against and ouercome But when a man hath ouercome his reason and knoweth what things to be angrie for and what things to be patient in what to loue and what to hate then shall he the better walke rightly but for as much as a man must fight both with his reason and his affections this is a hard battell For though a man haue ouercome his reason yet his affections may still â—e head strong in him yea so strong as they shall carrie his reason iudgement headlong Here then ariseth a greater fight than before before the affections can be ouercome but when reason affections ioyne together that a man hath to deale with them both then ariseth a most deadly fight insomuch that a man shall very hardly ouercome them and yet wee haue more enemies to fight withall than these Wee must fight on the right hand and on the left on the right hand with fame and glorie and on the left hand we are to fight with wealth and riches and with credit and all things in the world If God shall vouchsafe to giue thee riches take heede that thy heart be not set vpon them wherfore when thou whosoeuer thou art art blessed with a good report or with the riches of this world take heede and beware of pride vaine glorie and ambition for if the childe of God doe not forecast these things he may easily be ouertaken and wee see many who when they are in lower estate behaue themselues like honest men and as becommeth the children of God but when they come to any preferment and promotion then they are altogether carried away with the vaine glorie of this world Thou must not onely fight with faire and good reports but thou must also fight with reproches and this is no small combate for hauing riches and glorie thou maist escape pride and ambition but if indeed thou professe the truth thou canst not escape reproches Wherefore if this be not foretâ— ought and looked vnto betimes if a man â—e not well armed against this he cannot be able to withstand it but it will make him goe backe from the truth which he hath professed alas will he say I labour to doe good I endeauour my selfe to keepe a good conference in all my dealings yet loe how I am contemned and how I am accounted a Precâ—sian and an Hypocrite We must also figâ—t with losses and want of liuing and in this point we see many to be ouercome when as therefore the Lord hath brought vs vnto a low â—bbe we must take heede that we be â—o shifters For when by a simple and godly liuing many cannot thriue and prosper in this world then fall they to vnlawfull meanes and now adaies rather than a man will be in want hee will take two or three liuings wherefore this temptation of want is very great and therefore so much the more to be looked vnto Likewise when a man must fight with banishment losse of friends or such like then the anguish which ariâ—eth thereof it draweth from him many bitter sighes and deepe groanes and through sorrow of heart he is brought vnto strange thoughts wherefore except a man doe acquit himselfe with these and the rest it will goe hard but Sathan will haue the victorie for it is a very hard matter to endure them There is another thing to be taken heede of and that is this when Sathan shall behold the corruption of a man either which is within him or which is outward for whether it be inward or outward it will serue his turne as it is in Ephes the 6. He is spirituall wickâ—dnesses in heauenly things he is a spirituall enemie and in this world he is Principalities and Powers Therefore I say when he beholdeth thy corruptions he commeth to worke vpon thee and stirreth vp thine owne conscience and thine owne reason to accuse thee and to condemne thee then like a spirituall enemie he commeth to intoxicate thine affections and moueth thee sometimes with losses sometimes with profit sometimes with pleasures sometimes with ioy sometimes with sorrow when I say he doth thus bewitch thy reason and affections and doth thus infatuate thy wits and intoxicate thy braines here is a very dangerous fight And herein may a man
easily perceiue that Rebecca had not such a conflict when the two yong babes were within her as thou shalt haue when Sathan beginneth thus to worke And for this cause was it that the Church in Baptisme did appoint that euery one should euen then prepare himselfe to fight with the Diuell with the world his owne affections and all the lusts of the flesh Now when a man hath once entred into this fight and for want of due considerations is not able to goe further because he looketh not vnto the charges thereof then what will bee saide of him Behold the foolish builder loe the vnwise souldier and is not this a great reproch Satan shall laugh at vs herein And this defect in fore casting and premeditation is the cause that some men are carried away from the trueth by this meanes and by that meanes but fewe continue stedfast in it vnto the end Hence it commeth to passe that so many being grounded in the pleasure of this life swell in ambition and are as it were choaked with delights in pouertie some runne to vnlawfull slâ—fts many by reproches and taunts fall away some burst with anger and some are either carried away with grieuous errors or else with Idolatrie because they doe not consider that Satan is a spirituall wickednesse in heauenly things Some come to drowne and to hang themselues and all for want of consideration Wherefore it behooueth all men to bee most circumspect and warie in this that they consider what that is which they bee to take in hand before they enter rashly into it But yet Satan hath another shift when hee cannot cause vs to bee carelesse and negligent in premeditation then hee will make vs to trust too much to our owne strength as hee did moue Peter to doe who if Christ had not prayed for him and if he had not been grounded on the rocke before hee had vtterly â—â—scaried otherwise hee maketh vs to be ouer circumspect and warie in this behalfe as hee did Ananias and Saphira Againe if he see that thou makest a conscience to offend the Lord then hee will set before thee the waight of thy sinnes and the great dangers that thou art in that thereby hee may moue thee to despaire but if hee perceiue that thou art carelesse in offâ—nding God then will he set before thee the mercies of God that thereby thou maist presume O most perilous temptation when on euery side Satan shall seeke to entrap thee and bring theâ— vnto destruction Some againe he maketh thus to thinke Alas if I shall giue my selfe to this seuere and strict examination of my selfe then I shall bee plunged into extreame sorrow and griefe and brought into melancholie oâ— I shall neuer be mine owne man I cannot begge I cannot abide for the words sake to lose my country my wife children and such like and therefore I can neuer come to be a Christian. Thus hee causeth thee onely to see and looke into the perill which shall come vnto thee in professing the word of God but the price of thy saluation and me ioyes of this life to come he neuer telleth them to come into thy minde and this is also a most perilous temptation Thus the diuell by one meanes or other goeth about to deceiue vs either he maketh vs to thinke that the way is not dangerous or else that it is so dangerous as wee shall neuer bee abie to get through it But notwithstanding these great and manifold combats as the hope of profit doth moue the builder to goe on forward in his building so must wee in our spirituall building in hope of some especiall commoditie not leaue off but goe on forward And as in warie the hope of victorie doth stirre men vp to continue to fight so seeing oâ—â— vâ—ctorie is alreadie gotten by Christ let no labour stay vs let no dangers hinder vs but let vs go on forwards both in our building and warre Let vs consider that we fight not in our own strength but vnder Christ Iesus who hath gotten the victorie for vs who fighteth for vs he hath ouercome Satan in all his temptations and accusations so that he shall neuer be able to ouercome vs either in the sinne of presumption or desperation We may not therefore be now driuen backe the cost of our warfare must not frav vs Christ Iesus will minister harnesse strength weapons vnto vs and he will get the victorie for vs. The great and heauie iudgements of God against sinners let vs set before our eyes the comfortable sayings of the holie Scriptures as this Esay â—1 The wolfe shall lie with the lambe the Leopard shall lie With the kid and the calfe and the Lion and the fat beast together and a little childe shall leade them Whereby is meant the mightie power of Christ in regenerating our corrupt nature which is as fierce as a Lion and as sauage as a wolfe or also if wee relie vpon Christ Iesus he is able to turne the hearts of the cruelâ—st to pitie vs. Thou must beleeue that Christ by his mightie power hath begotten the aâ—ew and hath deliuered thee as it were out of the mouth of the Lion and therefore in no wise bee dismaid but comfort thy selfe and beware of fearefull desperation When our Sauiour Christ saith that it is as possible for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of God as it is for a Cammell to goe thorowe the eye of a needle O this is a fearefull saying but againe it is a great comfort when hee saith that with man this is vnpossible but with God all things are possible It seemeth to a couetous man to bee a very hard thing to depart from any thing but when Christ Iesus shall be the mightie worke of his spirit truly touch the heart of Zacheus hee can make him willingly to giue halfe of his goods vnto the poore and if that he hath imured any man to restore the same foure fould That was a hard and fearefull saying of Saint Paul 1. Corinth 6. and 9. verse Neither Fornicators nor Adulterers nor Idolaters nor Wantons nor Buggerers nor Theeues nor Couetous men nor Drunkards nor Railers nor Extortioners shall inherit the kingdome of God But that which followeth was most comfortable vnto the Corinthians and so it is most comfortable vnto vs And such saith hee were some of you but yee are washed but yee are sanctified but yee are iustified in the name of the Lord Iesus and by the spirit of our God Loe here how Corinth was once a wilde and brutish people but after their calling they became sound in faith and were made the Church of God And in Titus 1. verse 12. Paul saith That the Cretians were alwaies liers euill beasts and slow bellies and saith hee this witnesse is true wherefore rebuke them sharply that they might become sound in the faith Whereby wee see how these wicked people were by Faith purged and made the