humble they feare themselues they seeke the Lord by prayer and are desirous to be established in the promises of God they are as strong as Mount Sion which cannot be remoued but remaineth for euer Psalme 125.1 Though then we be weake yet our Christ is strong though we haue many enemies yet the Lord hath promised to be our staie against them all Let vs knowe that perseuerance is as well the gift of God as to come at first to God We know what a free gift of God it was that we came to him Hee sought vs when we desired him not he found vs when we sought him not We see how before our calling we closed our eyes and would not see him we stopt our eares and would not heare him we drew backe and refused to goe to him and the Lord was faine to draw vs out so that our beginning came of God who reformed our iudgements and renewed our affections now to be established in seeing hearing and willingly drawing neere vnto God is his onely gift also Well we must be afraide of our selues and suspect our selues For why doe we slip often into such grosse sinnes why are we carried away with our owne affections why doe so many good motions die and perish in vs but only because of our securitie we are not careful to please God we are not afraide to offend God Well if we see that securitie hath bene the cause of our woe let vs labour to be carefull which is the cause of our good if securitie hath bene the cause we feared not let vs now be carefull that we may be afraide of our frailtie and trust in Gods word Otherwise if we be quiet with our selues and yeeld to presumption God will suffer vs to fall This is the cause why our sinnes breake out often to Gods dishonour and to the griefe of our owne consciences because we doe not more carefully to looke our thoughts and watch ouer our words It is added in this verse that I may liue So he saith Portion 10.4 Let thy tender mercies come vnto me that I may liue We see heere that the children of God thinke they haue no life if they liue not in Gods life For if we thinke we are aliue because we see so doe the bruit beasts if we thinke we are aliue because we heare so do the cattell if we thinke we are aliue because we eate and drinke or sleepe so do beasts if we thinke we liue because we doe reason and conferre so doe the Heathen The life of Gods children is the death of sinne for where sinne is aliue there that part is dead vnto God Art thou then giuen to malice to swearing to cursing to breaking of the Sabbath to adultery to filthines to stealing or slandring surely then art thou dead and if God should take away thy life from thee whilest thou art in this estate thy soule should goe sooner to hell than thy bodie to the graue We now see that Gods children finding themselues dull and slowe to good things when they cannot either reioyce in the promises of God or finde their inward man delighted with the law of God thinke themselues to be dead The Prophets meaning is this I am euen as a lumpe of flesh I am like an image or like an idoll of Gods childe I beare the face of his childe but I am as dead and as a blocke or a stocke or an idoll For as an idoll hath eyes and seeth not eares and heareth not mouth and speaketh not feete and goeth not euen so haue I eyes but I see not the glorie of my God I haue eares but I heare not the word of God I haue a mouth but I shewe not forth the iudgements of God I haue feete but I walke not in the law of my God The iust shall liue by faith Hab. 2. Rom. 1. Now I liue no more but Christ liueth in me saith the Apostle Oh that men would consider this that they are dead otherwise than their life is hidden in the promise and they haue no life but in Christ and from his spirit If the Prophet sayd this of himselfe where is the faith of our protestants where is the life of the godly where is their hope of a better life where is their practise of repentance where is the peace of conscience that passeth all vnderstanding where is the ioy of ChristiaÌ„s where is the care of mortification where is the quicknesse of sanctification where are all these become They are sewe and dead to good workes they liue in sinne they be but Christians in name they are very idols There is no life but in the word which we must finde by experience in our selues When Gods children finde this life of God in them then are they merrie and glad but when they feele that God withdraweth his spirit from them then they see how they are dead dull and carelesse as they were wont to be before they were regenerate Shall not this make vs more carefull and zealous of good workes and to be more iealous of our selues Let vs consider this that it is a ioy to haue a life and that euen the life of God the life of Angels the life of Christ when we contemne this life when wee are zealous of good workes when we feele spirituall ioyes when wee looke for a crowne of glorie when we labour to be renewed to the image of Christ. This is an heauenly life and though we will sweate and eate and drinke this is common with the beasts of the field and hauing no experience of faith in vs wee are either dangerously sicke or altogether dead If wee thinke it an hard matter to restore nature in a consumption how hard a thing is it to restore grace and saluation in a consumption of the soule If wee are without hope when a man is in a languishing disease when he hath no delight to eate when hee cannot brooke his meate and his sleepe is gone from him hee cannot labour and Physitians dare not meddle with him what hope is there when we are in such a consumption that the woâ—d which we heare doth vs no good the Sacraments which wee receiue doe vs no comfort prayer doth vs no good and when we cannot abide to labour in good workes surely it is a token we are almost languished to death if wee be not already dead wee are in extreame danger The Lord indeede is gracious and would not our death but if wee bee consuming and see it not if Gods life be going from vs and Sathans life is comming to vs if Gods graces be languishing in vs surely we are as dead Let vs then search our owne corruptione that we may see how neare we are to life or how neare wee are to death whether wee growe or consume whether for the one wee are to feare and pray to God or for the other to reioyce and praise God Thus we haue heard that the faith
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
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
ouercame â—ll corporall feare of 〈◊〉 The r 〈…〉 corporall feare are which so much dâ—unteth the heart is to craue a greater feare of Gods Maiestieâ— the strength whereof may ouermatch the 〈◊〉 feare When the Kings of 〈◊〉 had conspired against the people of God the Prophet of God said vnto them Esay 8. 12. Say â—ee 〈◊〉 A confedâ—racie to all them to whâ—me this people â—â—ith a confederaâ—â—â— neither 〈…〉 nor be afraid of them 13. Sanctifie the Lord of Hostes and let him be 〈…〉 your drâ—â—â— And least we should think that this appertaineth not as well to all Christians as to the Iewes Let vs heare what the Apostâ—â— Peter â—aith 1. Perâ— 3. 14 Blessed are yâ—e if we suffer for righteousnes sake yea feare not 〈…〉 e neither be troubled 15. But 〈◊〉 the Lord in your hearts be ready 〈…〉 were to euery sin â—n that 〈◊〉 you a reason of the â—oâ—e that is in you Were the blessed Apostle sheweth that wee are not readie to make Confession of our hope vntill wee put away this feare and sanctifie the Lord in our harts glorifying his truth in promising and his 〈◊〉 in performing And to applie this to our selues if the Magistrate should bring vâ—to the Racke or torture to betray the good cause of God or innocencie of our brethren let vs rather feare to displease God for his threatnings then man for his punishment And in particular example to applie this doctrine we heare Ierem. 1. 17. what the Lord saith to the Prophet Say not I am a childe c. Be not afraide of their faces for I am with thee to deliuer thee saith the Lord. Here the Lord addeth ver 17. Thou therfore 〈◊〉 vp thy loynes and arise and speake vnto all that I commaund thee be not afraide of their faces least I destroy thee before them In which place the Lord setteth downe a promise to assist him and a threatning to punish him both which did so preuaile that he durst speake boldly and prouoke the King to wrath Acts 5. wee reade that when the Priests and Sadduces being full of indignation laide hands on the Apostles and put them in the common prison Peter the rest of the Apostles answered We ought rather to obey God then men Menace vs say they as much as yee will we care not for it we feare to discredit the blessed promise and lightly to passe ouer the heauie threatnings of our God and wee feare you not Againe this feare was written in the heart of Paul 1. Cor 9. 16. Though I preach the Gospell I haue nothing to reioyce of for necessitie is laid vpon me and woe to vnto me if I preach not the Gospell c. Howsoeuer we thinke this easie to be learned it is doubtlesse most hard to be practised For though Princes doe not their duties yet wee must not therefore rebell against them and though we be persecuted of rulers without a cause yet we must stand in awe of Gods word and our Sauiour CHRIST hath pronounced that whosoeuer striketh with the sword shall perish with the sworde If then either our Princes shall be vngodly or their vnder officers vnfaithfull we must not therevpon grudge to pay tribute to giue taske and to yeeld subsidie but we must doe them euen with conscience as to the ordinance appointed of God knowing and acknowledging that the hand of Gods wrath in their corrupt Gouernment is iustly layd vpon vs for some sinne Wherefore the holy Ghost saith Eccl. 10. 20. Curse not the King no not in thy thought neither curse the Rich in thy bed-chamber for the fowle of the heauen shall carrie the voyce that which hath wings shall declare the matter If then our Princes should vse all their tribute to sensualitie or take vp all their taxes for pleasure withour either feare of God or loue of their Common-wealth yet curse not the King saith the Wiseman no not in thy bed-chamber So that if flesh and blood should moue vs to murmure that wee should be readie to thinke euill of them that are in authoritie the holy Ghost here warneth vs that wee vse no such speeches and put away such thoughts because both our speeches and thoughts stand at the controlling of God his iudgements but we must humbly ascribe it to our sinne that hee withdraweth his grace from them and pulleth his wrath vpon vs. Wherefore if we thinke as many worldly men doe that thoughts are free and are not called into the Court and that euery man is a King in his priuie chamber the spirite of God chargeth our conscience here before the Court of heauen and telleth vs that our chambers are the Lords chambers also and therefore as true Israelites euen in secret we should thinke no guile for the Lord will reueale it and punish it openly yea euen the fowles of the ayre shall bewray our vnfaithfulnes To come lower to our selues because we must not thinke that this affection must be in Dauid and not in vs for so shall we make vnprofitable whatsoeuer is taught whereas the man of God did feare to offend euen when Princes are against him we not onely cannot sustaine so great a triall in the feare of our God but if the losse of any worldly pelfe come to vs we are straight voyde of all feare and cannot abide to be taught any good thought we are vnquiet vntill we haue consulted with wizards witches not withstanding in awe of Gods threatnings against that sinne Deu. 18. 10 Let none be found among you that vseth witchcraft 11. Or that is a charmer or that counselleth with spirits or a southsayer or that asketh counsell at the dead 12. For all that doe such things are abomination to the Lord c. where the Lord counteth no otherwise of these things then of the vp-heape of sinne Againe 1. Chron. 10. 13. it is said that Saul died for his transgression that hee committed against the Lorde euen against the word of the Lord which hee kept not in that hee sought and asked counsell of a Familiar spirit 14. And asked not of the Lord c. where we see that in reckoning Saul his sinne this is the laâ—â— and wrappeth vp all the rest in that hee asked not counsell of the Lord but went to a witch So this was the heape of his sinne this filled the iust measure of his iniquities because when he should haue repented of all other sinnes hee made this the full heape of his sinnes and pulled consequently vpon him the height of Gods iudgements for he was cut off from the kingdome and desperately ended his life Esay â—8 when the Lord reckoned vp the sinnes of the people as their infidelity their obstinacie he commeth at the last to their sorceries saying 19. When such shall say vnto you enquire of them that haue a spirite of diuâ—â—ation and at the south sayers which whisper murmure should not a people enquire at their God from the liuing to the dead
vncleannes securitie and such like sinnes haue so beaten and trampled vpon thy heart that it is euen hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sinne but repent thee of thy former sinne and put away the euill of thy workes and then come to the word with a holy heart and then thou shalt see and feele thy vnderstanding inlightened thy iudgement reformed and all the words of wisedome plaine and easie vnto thee All this is confirmed vnto vs by plaine and daily experience for when a man hath been buffeted with some sinne when he hath yeelded too much to pride worldlinesse anger and such like when he hath fallen into some misliking of the word or of the preacher then in hearing he heareth not and the word is a sealed booke vnto him Contrariwise when men doe most mislike themselues for their sinnes when they be most grieued for their dulnes when they thinke themselues most vnapt and most vnworthie of knowledge and yet desire to finde comfort in the word wish to be inlightened and led into the true knowledge of it then doth the Lord very often giue them the deepest insight into his heauenly mysteries then doth he worke in them a most comfortable feeling then doth he also put and stirre vp most heauenly and holy motions in their minds By all this must we learne many things first when we heare the word without fruite then we must returne into our selues and know that our sinnes are the cause of blockish dulnesse which is come vpon vs. Anger hath troubled our affections and pleasure hath stollen away our hearts profit hath corrupted our iudgements therefore our iudgements doe not yeeld vnto the word it cannot enter into our hearts neither can it worke vpon our affections We are then in this case to bewaile our sinnes to labour for repentance to pray for the spirit of sanctification whereby these sinnes may be consumed and then returne vnto the word with prayer and the Lord wil blesse our vnderstanding Againe when we see our iudgements reformed and our hearts touched so that the word worketh vpon our affections then we must know that the good worke of God hath gone before his mercy hath disburdened vs of the heauie burthen of sin his goodnesse hath emptied our hearts of vnprofitable thoughts and his good spirit hath wrought all in all in vs. Then to shut vp this verse let vs know that as sinne doth hinder and holde the word out of our hearts so doth the loue of the word as it were open the doore of our hearts and make a broad and large passage for the word to enter into vs and to worke that good worke for which it was sent It followeth in the next verse Vers. 7. Depart from a foole when thou perceiuest not in him the lips of knowledge GOD hath ordained that men should liue together that one might bee helpfull to another But there is a neerer bond of friendship when one entreth into league with another or when one maketh choice of another for some neerer bond of friendship affinitie or such like And because this bond cannot stand but where there is a great likenes of conditions and qualities and it is commonly seene that the partie better affected is sooner chaunged therefore in this place we be admonished to beware least at any time we ioyne our selues to those that are foolish and vngodly Not that it is altogether vnlawfull to haue any dealing with them but that wee may not come too neere vnto them For to eate and drinke with them to dwell in the same towne by them and such other common duties be not vnlawfull But to ioyne in marriage with them to make them priuie to to our counsels or to vse them as more neere and speciall friends this is vnlawful and this is here forbidden For little or no good at all can bee gotten by them they will hardly or not at all be brought to goodnesse and such is their subtiltie that one of them is able to peruert the faith or at least to corrupt the manners of very many Good cause therefore there is why we should depart and get our selues from them on the contrary side wee bee taught to seeke out good company and to ioyne our selues to them as neerly as may bee yet with this full purpose of heart that wee may receiue fruite and profit by them Nature doth call vpon vs to doe this the communion of Saints requires it at our hands our own profit should compel vs the examples of euery mā in each calling may moue vs therunto For men doe desire to be in companie of their betters the scholler would be in companie of him that is better learned the worshipful man desireth the companie of the noble man and the honorable delighteth much in the fauour of the Prince Yea in the basest occupations and handicrafts men doe still desire to bee in the company of them that are most skilfull And all this is to obtaine the knowledge of earthly things and the fauour of them that can helpe them how much more then should we desire the companie one of another that we might be helpfull one to another in heauenly things Nay how intirely should wee be ioyned one to another and receiue good one by another in all kinde of goodnesse And yet must this bee done in great discretion for the best men haue their faults Therefore wee must be most carefull as to receiue what good we can by any so to receiue hurt or hinderance by none at all It followeth Vers. 8. The wisedome of the prudent is to vnderstand his way but the foolishnesse of fooles is deceit THat is true wisedome indeede which beginning at knowledge doth goe forward vnto practise and beginning at faith doth further proceede vnto the fruites of faith For vnlesse there be profitable vse of knowledge both in our generall and particular callings it hath neither the sense nor the sauour of heauenly wisedome Then we be here admonished to labour that our knowledge may growe vnto faith and that we builde a godly life vpon faith And that we may thus do we must especially trauell that our hearts may stand in awe of Gods word and that we may haue a charitable and louing heart vnto men This if we can obtaine then shall wee in feare and loue doe the good duties which may glorifie God profit men and haue sure arguments that we haue true wisedome But the foolishnes of fooles is deceit That is they doe either take a wrong course of life or else if they take a right course yet their hearts are not aright and therefore they deceiue both themselues and others All this commeth to passe because with conscience they do not apply euery general point of doctrine to their particular estate and labour not to make practise of it We giue titles vnto men count them wise and politike men that can foresee and preuent worldly displeasure But the
worse than the former times which Salomon saith is follie to aske The sight of some present iudgements are an amazing without knowledge of some of the former times they of the former times doubtfull without these So there are two vses of this prudence and certaintie The third vse is that the workers of vanitie may know that they are seene which thinking they are not say in their secret hearts who seeth they thinke they walke in a clowde but this would restraine them from much wickednesse But there are two sorts of the contrarie the one of them that will not set themselues to inquire what is amisse as those that follow Absalom and Ishmael There be others that see and will not as the souldiers the other are blinde these blinde themselues and the people There must be one Elias to see and that to keepe the wicked in awe To conclude this with Augustine graunt me this one simple request which is that you would come and see and yet after ye shall examine it ye shall finde that there is not any one greater thing to be respected CHAP. XXVII Of faith iustification by faith of iustice and iust men and of feeling THere is a generall faith that is common to the godly with the wicked and a particular faith the generall faith beleeuing that God is and that he is such a God as he is manifested to be in his word the particular faith more neerely applieth the things spoken of God to our selues This particular is either of the Lawe or of the Gospell of the Lawe as an actiue faith of the Gospell as a passiue faith That I call actiue which apprehendeth that which the Law promiseth that is if we keepe euery iot of the Law and continue in it we shall liue by it That I call a passiue faith which apprehendeth that which the Gospell offereth that is righteousnesse done by another and imputatiue not done by vs as inherent as when we seeke the doing of the Law not within our selues but without our selues beleeuing it to be done by another which we so through faith doe attaine as if we should fulfill the Law in our owne persons The actiue faith was in Adam and it may be in the diuell and most wicked and yet none of them hauing the iustifying faith for Adam knew that so long as he kept the will of God he should liue who at that time had not passiue nor iustifying faith because as it was needlesse so it was vnknowne to him no sinne as yet being committed and therefore no obedience of any other Mediatour for the forgiuenesse of sinne required The diuels may haue this to beleeue that had they not broken the law of God they should haue liued and not haue seene damnation so may also the wicked beleeue and yet because neither of these doe beleeue that they shall be iustified before God by the righteousnesse of another couering their vnrighteousnesse they haue not the true iustifying faith The actiue faith is either of the iustice of God or of his iudgements of his iustice either in bidding good things or in forbidding euill things of his iudgements either in promising life to the obedient or in threatning death to the disobedient The passiue faith respecteth both the end which is saluation it selfe and the meanes which bring vnto the end the end as to beleeue that Christ Iesus is made of God to vs wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption the meanes as the right vse of the word prayer and Sacraments c. 2 They which beleeue not Gods word and holy promises cannot perceiue when he fulfilleth them Moses beleeuing the promises of the Manna before did behold and consider of the trueth of all Gods promises when he saw them performed but the Israelites not beholding it before now when God performed it they knew not what it meant This we see in the threatnings of God which when they are not beleeued then if the Lord strike such with sickenes c. they thinke it is fortune or some other chance and so profit nothing by it And so when the Lord helpeth out of any danger and we beleeue not his promise made to vs before then we attribute it to physicke or some other meanes and so are neuer thankefull 3 If we cannot rest by faith in the fauour of God though we want outward things it is certaine that we neuer truely esteemed the fauour of God and those neuer felt truly the forgiuenes of their sinnes which hauing it cannot be content to forgoe other things we must then learne to rest in the fauour of God whatsoeuer it bringeth with it 4 This is true faith when we yeeld to the word and beleeue it though we feele not the effect for when we beleeue after experience this is experimentall and hath not such commendations And this is so also in the threatnings when we measure them not by our senses but when we heare him threaten vs for some sinne which is in vs then we certainly beleeue that he will punish and therefore we tremble and studie to preuent that wrath And as we preuent the threatnings by giuing credit to the bare word so that is true faith in the promises when we beleeue them though we feele not the effect for feeling is the effect of faith Therefore when we are in miserie euen then hearing and recording Gods promises we must beleeue them and rest in them though we feele not present comfort And this is the cause why we cannot see God when he accomplisheth his promise because at the first we did not beleeue his word when we heard it And this is the cause that sinners cannot yeeld when they are punished but doe make a stumbling blocke of that which should leade them to repentance And this is the cause that any of Gods children doe profit in humilitie before God by afflictions because they first gaue some credit to the word though in much weakenes dulnes But the wicked are so by the diuel bewitched that they can profit nothing by their afflictions because they first hardened their hearts against the word 5 Noah Iob Zacharie Cornelius were iust men but we must know the two Courts of Iustice The first is the Kings Bench where yee haue strict iustice the other is the Chancerie where there is a mittigation of that strict course of iustice In the first court there is none found iust in the second court of acceptation some are accepted for iust men By his strict iustice God requireth that we keepe all the commandements that we haue but one ende that we neuer swarue from God In his court of acceptation he requireth first that we haue an endeuour to keepe all a full purpose to haue respect to all to flatter our selues in no sinne but being tolde of it to be readie to lament this God for his Christ accepteth for obedience to all his commaundements Secondly for
of one other thing which I had forgotten before and that is this your loue must spring from that reuerence feare that you must yeeld vnto your husband for true loue is mixt as it were with these two and this is a speciall dutie often repeated in the Scripture that the wife must feare the Husband So that you see Sister that you must not looke to haue your Husband at your becke for your loue but you must render due beneuolence vnto each other For as the bodie of the Husband is not his owne but his wiues so is not the woman 's her owne but her husbands for they are both one flesh as the Scripture doth teach Now if anie doe object that this is the way to bring women into bondage and to be as drudges to their Husbands if they should in this manner be subject vnto them No no it is not so but the most readiest way to procure vnto themselues grace peace of conscience and more sweete libertie whilest they liue in obedience to God and his holy ordinances And therefore the spirit of God admonisheth all women that they be not afraide of any such vaine terror Now further my Brother and Sister that you may keepe your bodies pure and chaste one for the other I would counsell you to beware of being alone with anie when there is feare of temptation vnto euill but bee carefull that you may alwayes haue witnesse of your Christian behauiour and in keeping companie conuenient chuse vnto your selfe such as be most sober and faithfull Well although there bee manie more duties yet I will content my selfe to goe one thing further that is that as you seeke for continuance and increase of loue so you take heede of jealousie for although that true loue is very earnest and mixt with godlie jealousie yet there is a wicked jealousie and that causeth causelesse suspicions which worketh great woe vnto such as giue credit vnto them Take heede therefore my Brother and Sister of this yea though there should seeme iust cause yet giue not too speedy credit vnto them Now if you desire to know in your heart which are vngodly suspicions know them by this token for they will make you more negligent in praying one for another and more slacke in performing all other duties of loue one to another In the eight Commaundement you are charged Brother to vse all lawfull means to prouide for the maintenance of your wife in honest estate else were you worse then an Infidell But I charge you to take heede least through distrust in the prouidence of God you make shipshracke of a good conscience vsing any vniust or vnlawfull meanes And you Sister are commaunded to be a good houswife and to keepe those things together which you haue and so increase them as you may from time to time be helpfull vnto others For if you should consume and waste things vnprofitablie you should grieue and trouble the minde of your Husband who ought to be cased of that care by you And further if it should please God to call either of you to suffer persecution in time of triall the weaker must for the Lords cause giue place to the stronger and desire the Lorde to giue greater strength for we must labour for grace that we may be willing for the Gospell to forsake all things whatsoeuer we haue Out of the ninth Commaundement I will giue you this rule that neither of you blaze abroad the infirmities of each other it is a great enemie to pure loue But if there bee neede of counsell and helpe in any matter then chuse a faithfull friend with consent that may be an indifferent iudge betwixt you And againe in any case tell the truth one to an other for it is a thing diligently to be regarded in these our dayes when as men and women are so full of pollicies and subtil fetches that there is almost no simplicity to be found in anie In the last commandement which concerneth wicked motions and thoughts although there be no consent giuen vnto them you are to consider that your nature will neuer bee freed from them in this life therefore you must prepare to prayer and other heauenly exercises of Faith to striue continually against them Thus I will end beseeching God for Christ Iesus sake to giue you of his spirit that may teach you in these things and enable you to further duties agreeable to his helic wâ—ll to the glorie of his name and your euerlasting comfort O Lord God deare Father for thy welbeloued Sonne our Sauiours sâ—ke make vs thankfull for this thy gracious prouidence towards vs. Oh Lord forgiue all our sins and keepe vs pure both in soule bodie for thine owne Names sake write these instructions in our hearts and giue vs grace to make practise of them in the whole course of our liuâ—s â—uide vs in all things deare Father by the grace of thy good spirit and let the mercifull eye of thy fatherly prouidence watch ouer vs continuallie that wee may be comforted in thy wayes and quickened alwayes to giue thee immortall praise and that through thy deare Sonne Iesus Christ our Lord and onely Sauiour Amen After the exhortation and prayer hee asked the parties to be contracted these two questions 1 Of their consents of parents After their answere of their parents consent to make a faithfull promise of mariage one to another at such time as their parents could agree vpon it they were charged to keepe themselues chasle vntill the mariage bee sanctified by the publike prayers of the Church for otherwise many mariages haue been punished of the Lord for the vncleannes that hath been committed betwixt the contract and the mariage 2. Whether they euer were precontracted Then hee charged them saying I charge you as by authoritie from Iesus Christ in whom you looke to be saued that hauing the consent of your parents and receiued these precepts that I say yee labour to grow in knowledge and in the feare of God And now as in the sigâ—t of God with all such leâ—itie as of others is vsed you must make before the Lord a contract which is farre more then a promise and that on this manner their hands being ioyned â— R. doe promise to thee F. that I will bee thine husband which I will confirme by publike mariage in pledge whereof I giue thee mine hand In like manner doth the woman to the man Then after the prayer the parties are dismissed FINIS A TREATISE OF THE SABBATH IT is written Exod. 20. 8. Remember the Sabbath day to keepe it â—olie c Dearely belâ—ued in the Lord there is no Commandement of Gods part more vrged and of ouâ— parts lesse obserued then this one of the Sabbath wherefore with zeale to Gods glorie and loue vnfained vnto your selues I haue endeuoured in that measure and manner that God hath enabled mee to intreat of this argument The
we may not runne â—oyot but containe our selues in the word and become profitable and comfortable both to others and our selues feare must needs be ioyned with knowledge It is also necessary that knowledge be ioyned with feare first because feare without knowledge may at the last kicke against God as did Paul and the Iewes and Papists of conscience whiles they feared God without knowledge persecuted Gods children secondly because many that feare God aright yet doe hurt in good causes by vndiscreete dealing whereas they had no purpose so to do Knowledge then must direct feare and feare must season knowledge and both must be ioyned together Iob. 31. doth shew notably in many causes how needfull the feare of God is where this is rendred as a reason of many things that he feared God Vers. 80. Let mine heart be vpright in thy statutes that I be not ashamed HE prayed before for good vnderstanding here he prayeth for sound affections this order in prayer must we also vse first to pray for knowledge and then for good affection For good affections without knowledge are nothing worth knowledge without affections is nothing Then we must pray that as we haue greater knowledge than others so our affections may be better than others and our hearts more vpright Hee sheweth that there is no vprightnesse but in the Commaundements therefore what good affections soeuer seeme to bee in Turkes Papists and such as haue not knowledge these cannot bee vpright because they haue not the worde No man can knowe his owne heart but by GOD Ierem 17. and by the word which is of the same nature that God is PORTION 11. CAPH Verse 81. My soule sainteth for thy saluation yet I wayte for thy Word IN this part he sheweth his miseries that he was in and his hope to be deliuered which in the latter end he prayeth for His soule fainteth and this is amplified in the verses following His affliction was great and through the infirmitie of his flesh he was grieued with it The Philosopher thought that it was patience to contemne sorrow not to be moued with it but the examples of Scripture shewe that the children of God doe seele their sorrowe yet they are sustained by waiting for Gods mercies whereby they are at the last deliuered It is necessarie that wee should be touched with our troubles First because if we felt it not wee should be proud as the manner of worldly men is Secondly we should not come to the feeling of our sinnes for which afflictions are sent to vs Thirdly wee should haue no tryall of our Faith Fourthly if we should not know that Gods children had feeling of them then when wee feele them we should bee brought to despaire For then shall wee thinke that wee are not in the number of Gods children and therefore wee should leaue off striuing and giue ouer our good cause and so fall from God But when wee consider that as Elias so all Gods children haue had infirmities Iames 5. and Paul and Barnabas Acts 16. when wee shall see that they which are set before vs for examples were brought to streightnes and that they did not despise them but by striuing ouercame them then if we feele such weaknesse in ourselues wee shall be encouraged to take the Crosse vpon vs with hope that with them wee may ouercome It is good to knowe these things before affliction for the more we profite in this doctrine the better wee shall beare our afflictions When this man was thus afflicted hee waited on the word because of his weaknes and in patience did tarry the Lords leisure neither doubting of his owne cause nor yeelding to the euill causes of his enemies this is patience and this is the practise of Gods children as Iob 33. Then must wee looke for these afflictions because of our sinnes because of the greatnes of the wisdome of GOD and his mercie to deale thus with vs that he may heape vp blessings on vs in this life and euerlasting glorie in the life to come If we cannot abide small afflictions how should wee abide greater Againe some will abide small and short troubles yet if they increase and continue they will faile which sheweth that men haue not Faith to glorifie God For that Faith glorifieth God which belieueth Gods worde to be true and waiteth for the accomplishing of it For because we liue by Faith therefore wee haue neede of patience Hebrewes 10 for the Lorde will deliuer those that are such Psalme 147. Esay 57. For hee will saue them and come to dwell with them because hee hath a pleasure in them Vers. 82. Mine eyes faile for thy promise saying When wilt thou comfort mee THe next verse hath the same meaning the doubling of it maketh it more weighty He saith Word or promise for saluation to shew that the word bringeth and confirmeth our saluation When he saith that his eyes and bodie were troubled he sheweth that the fainting of the soule is the fainting of the body to teach vs in the diseases of the body not only to looke to naturall causes remedies but to haue an eye to the soule remedy that for a wounded spirit who can beare The way to cure the body is to cure the soule first as Psal 103. and healed Iob 33. God speaketh once or twice c his flesh shal be as c. ExaÌ„ple Ezechias was sicke but after his sins by prayer being forgiuen then his disease was healed Esay 28. and Chron. Benhadad was sicke of a 〈…〉 disease yet for his sinnes it could not be helped Iob was a very Lazar for the triall of his faith yet the way for him to recouer saith Elihu was thus to be humbled for sinne and Elihu for this was not reproued but the Lord confirmed his words from heauen Then though Gods children be not chiefely punished for sinne yet because they haue sinne in them therefore they must take this way also As we see Iob confessed his sinnes before he was restored So Hebrew 12. 3. You haue not fought to blood meaning that though God might iustly punish yet he will vse affliction for our triall and withall will kill our corruption Psalme 32. after he had called them blessed whose sinnes c. he sheweth how he was brought to it first by setting downe the corruption of men which God must cure with corrections yea they were so sore on him that his moysture was turned into drought but when he confessed his sinne then the Lord forgaue the punishment of his sinne Must this man be taught by this meanes and haue not we neede of it In the booke of the Chronicles Asa is reprooued because he sought to the Physitians not vnto the Lord. His meaning is not that Asa sought not to God at all but that he sought not chiefely nor first to God so that this is spoken by comparison that he sought not to God so much as to the Physitions
direct a man that is blind Now therefore he teacheth vs to pray that though wee haue the word yet the Lord would inlighten our vnderstandding and affections by his Spirit which may guide vs in our iourney And seeing the man of God hath vsed this prayer before vs wee are to learne that in reading hearing meditating and receiuing of the word wee are altogether vnprofitable vntill the Lord shall take the gouernment of our steps into his owne hand and shall direct vs by his Spirit My steps Loe he prayeth here for affection and not for iudgement as he doth in a verse following where he saith Shew the light of thy countenance vpon me and teach me thy statutes Here the Prophet instructeth vs as well to pray for affection to be mooued by the word of God as for iudgement to vnderstand it For if this were not needful then were this prayer but a vaine babling and often repeating of one and the selfe-same thing contrary to that rule of our Sauiour Christ Mat. 6. 7 When ye pray vse no vaine repetitions as the Heathen for they thinke to be heard for their much babling Why doth this man then vse this repetition Surely because it is another matter greater than we think of He saw there was much blindnes in our minds there is much rebellion in our affections and great sluggishnes in our hearts that without light we cannot tread in the right path yea though wee bee deliuered from by-paths if the candle be obscured and our way darkened yet wee returne to them againe For as a man being in the darke may easily goe out of the way and being out cannot easily come in againe but is faine to wander in vnknown and vncertaine places so if God guide vs not by his word and Spirit wee shall hardly finde the right way of knowledge and if we finde it we can hardly continue in it but may easily goe out of it and being out we can hardly recouer it againe Wherefore hitherto appertaineth the saying of our Sauiour Christ Matth. 7 13 Enter in at the streight gate c. because the gate is streight and the way narrow that leadeth vnto life wherein as it is hard to continue so to goe on either side out of it is most easie We see then how he prayeth that his paces might be guided by the word and that the spirit of God might carrie this lanterne of the word before him without whose guiding we cannot goe three steps but we shall misse of our way and leese the path and being once out we may easily erre and once erring we shall not returne aright Many would thinke this ridiculous but Gods children know by experience that there is a necessarie vse of these things by reason of the blindnes of our minde and that it is a speciall grace of God to be guided by his spiritual grace That no iniquitie haue dominion ouer me The simple sense of this verse is this Lord if thou doest not order my goings surely iniquitie will haue dominion ouer me The end of his request as we touched before is that he might not miscaâ—â—â—e in his way Hee acknowledgeth that a man being out of the way may be enforced to wander and after wandâ—ing can hardly recouer himselfe Wherefore he prayeth to this effect Lord so keepe me that though I â—rre yet I may returne so â—uide me that though I goe out a little yeâ— suffer me not to waâ—der altogether least iniquitie ouer runne me Thus we see Godâ— children feare themselues and why because though the raging raigne of sinne be takeâ— fâ—â—m them â—et the massiâ— lumpe of naturall corruption dwelleth in them and the very daungerous of sinne are very daungerous Wherefore our Sauiour Christ â—aught vs â—o pray Lâ—aâ—â— vs not into temptation the meaning whereof is here of the Prophet plainly set downe which is that though we cannot auâ—ide the causes of temptation which is ouâ— corrupt nature yet that euery man must resist and noâ— yeelde in willing coâ—sent vnto sinne that it should get the dominion ouer vs. It euery Saint of God â—ee commaunded to say this in â—â—uâ—h and not in hypocrisie of heart â—â—â— euery Saint hath neede of this prayer for euery man is subiect â—o temptation and iniquitie in him may haue the vpper hand True it is there are many weakenesses and infirmities in Gods â—â—iâ—â—ren asâ—râ—th and anger yet by how much they be the more and the greater the more and the oftner they are to watch ouer themselues Shall they then giue place and 〈…〉 themselues in anger Some man will say wee are full of corruption wee cannot but often fâ—ll Wee answere we must be the more watie of our selues for it is one thing to be tempted and another thing to nourish and foster a temptation for if a man being pâ—oâ—oâ—â—â— to anger and let the Sun goe downe in his wrath can fall asleepe in his anger and can be angrie still when he awaketh againe the spirit of God there hath not the chiefe rule but iniquitie hath dominion ouer him Wherefore when temptation ariseth let vs learne by prayer to preuent the raging of it As thus Lord I will not thus much trust myselfe that I can match with sinne Lord I haue corruption in me but cleanse thou me from my sinne and let it not vtterly preuaile against me The Saints of God dare not tarrie vntill the dead blowe commeth but they suspect the first strokes of sinne they â—arrie not to be stung to death but they feare the least bâ—zzing of sinne because they may easily be carried out of the way through the deceiuablenes of sinne and the deceitfulnesse of sinne may bring hardnes of heart Wherefore the Apostle Hebr 3 exhorteth them to applie one another with exhortations whilest it is called to day least any of them should be hardned through the deceitfulnes of sinne And the holy Ghost saith Psal 95 vers 8. To day if ye will heare his voyce harden not your hearts Wherefore the Saint of God thus prayeth that if hee should giue a little roome and sâ—â—ll libertie to his affections Gods grace could not continue in him Neither can the children of God being out of the way easily recouer themselues as we may see in Dauid who thought himselfe after that he had sinned to be cast from the presence of God to be for sakeÌ„ of his holy Spirit and vnlesse the Lord would cast him into the wombe againe vnles the Lord would cast him into a new mould there was no hope that he should recouer himselfe The violence of sinne is so impetuous that a man may soone slip and easily fall but hardly rise againe Wherefore the Wiseman saith Prou 28. 14. Blessed is the man that â—eâ—â—th alway but he that hardeneth his heart shall fâ—ll into euill that is blessed is he that in euery action examineth his heart that he fall not Not without cause then haue I this iealousie that when men are
the auoyding of the infection which might be gotten by euill companie For what could preserue a man in Sodome but only his lawfull calling therefore vnles a man haue such a calling to keepe him there he must flie quicklie from the wicked he must flie farre from them he must see them amend before he returne vnto them Dauid did very well see this and therefore he doth in many places crie out against them Away from me yee wicked Woe is me that I haue so long dwelt in Kedar Dauid was not effeminate he had not a womanish heart to crie without cause he felt the smart of it and therefore crieth so earnestly against them he saw no good example he saw no occasion of goodnes he was much hindered in his obedience hee had many pulbackes and other great disprofits By this then we see how needfull a precept Salomon doth here giue vs but the necessitie of this shall more plainely appeare if wee consider either the wickednes of their wicked practises or the hurt which the godly haue receiued by them for the will of the wicked is wholly bent to euill they be euer willing and ready to hurt good people when any occasion is offered their skill is great and their wisedome is answerable to their will And therefore our Sauiour saith The children of this world are wiser in their generation then the children of Light This wisedome we may perceiue in them whether they shew themselues deadly and open enemies or friendly and counterfeited friends for if they professe themselues to be our enemies it is marueilous to see their practises First they will vse all extremitie and hard dealing they will offer violence and oppresse him if it bee possible with wrongfull iniuries and what is their purpose in all this but to prouoke him that is good to requiâ—e euill for euill and so fall from his GOD or at the leastwise to stay and hinder him in the course of his godlines that God may be displeased with him If this thing will not preuaile they will worke another way and labour by slaunders and false reports in such wise to discredit him that he may be vtterly discouraged and caused to forsake his profession And yet they will finde another way if this will not worke they will deuise crafty fetches and practise subtiltie against him they will inuent pestiferous policies and finde craftie counsels to ouerthrow him These and many other wayes haue they to spit their spite and spue out their venemous poyson against the people of God If thus also they cannot haue that successe they looke for if by this means they cannot obtaine their purpose they will take a contrarie course to preuaile that way if it be possible they will fame friendship and become our friends they will flatter vs with faire words and allure vs with their benefits to communicate with them in their wickednes and to be companions with them in their sinnes but when they deale most dangerously when they marke and obserue our dispositions and become appliable to our nature for this meanes will they also vse so malicious are they indeed towards vs. If we be religious they will shape some shewe of religion if we praise anie they will praise him if we mislike or dispraise anie they will shewe their mislike of him Thus in all things they will marke our mindes and our dispositions and will so applie themselues vnto vs that except God giue vs grace they will ouerthrowe vs. Seeing therefore they haue a readie will to hurt vs seeing also they haue great skill to deuise most forcible and politike meanes against vs what worthie account must we make of this precept wherein Salomon teacheth vs how we may keepe our selues from receiuing any hinderance by them Againe if we thinke vpon the hurt that the godly haue had by them or if we consider how they haue bene infected through their corruption wee shall confesse indeed that it is most dangerous to deale with them and it is the best way to keep vs farre from them Ioseph was a good man and indued with great graces he had receiued great increases strength of Faith and had strong temptations yet being daily conuersant among the Egyptians hee learned to sweare by the life of Pharaoh Dauid was a man according to Gods owne heart he suffred much and learned great obedience by his sufferings yet abiding but a while among the vncircumcised Philistims he learned to lie and to dissemble What shall I say of Lot and his familie what danger was he in what losse did he sustaine what hurt had he in his goods in his soule and bodie hee was carryed away with the wicked Sodomites captiue his goods and Cattell were taken from him and though through Gods goodnesse hee was rescued yet he loued Sodome still and would liue in it yea though fire and brimstone were ready to be powred vpon it he must be dragged and drawne out of the Towne or else hee would not easily haue left the place albeit his soule was daily vexed with the filthinesse of their behauiour his wife looked backe when shee was deliuered and therefore she was turned into a Pillar of salt his daughters were so corrupted that they were not ashamed to lye with their father and Lot himselfe learned to drinke wine very liberally whereby hee was brought into a filthy sinne If a man were assured that hee should continue safe notwithstanding all the temptations of the wicked yet the care of his familie and feare of their falling should bee a cause sufficient to driue him from wicked companie But if hee himselfe be touched with a conscience and a feeling of his owne infirmitie what loue of profit what hope of aduautage should keepe him there Lot therefore might plainely see the iudgement of God vpon him and vpon his familie because he would liue and linger so long among those wicked Sodomites Now if these men receiued such deepe and great woundes by wicked companie then who is that man or what is his name that can thinke to stand among them We therfore ought to be most circumspect and carefull to keep vs from the company of wicked men for their heresies will make vs heretikes their carelesnes will make vs vngodly and secure This commandement of flying euill is very generall and may bee extended to all the commandements which we are brought to breake by reason of euill companie Vers. 16. For they cannot sleepe except they haue done euill their sleepe departeth except they haue caused some to fall c. THe law and precept which was prouided for the auoyding of euill company was most effectually set downe in the two former verses The reasons of this commandement do follow in the foure next verses These reasons are in nuÌ„ber two The first is drawn from the peruerse and crooked nature of the will and disposition of wicked men in the 16. 17. and 19. verses The second
shall we auenge our selues vpon men But many men will be content to iudge and condemne this sinne in the Israelites and neuer looke into themselues to see the same but this sinne is as rife now as euer it was and this no doubt is a cause why many cannot profit by the examples of the old Testament because they imagine grossely of the sinnes of that people and thinke that there is no such grosse sinnes now whereas indeed if the case were duely considered the same sinne is grosser now than it was then for as much as the mercies of God are more plentifully vpon vs and with greater continuance than vpon them 13 The children of Israel did so much as in them lay to prouoke Moses diuers times to murmure against the Lord yet we may reade how he yeelded not neither was at any time ouercome except once Numb 20. Psal. 106 for which the Lord said he should not enter into the land of promise and Moses found the truth thereof for when he much desired the same the Lord would not be entreated but he must die in the Mount where all men must learne that they praise not the children of God too much though they be strong haue receiued great gifts for by Moses example they may here see that by such violence of temptation they may fall And againe all Gods children must take heede that they yeeld not to temptations when they are offered for though the occasion be of another yet the cause is in our selues and we shall be chastised for the same if we doe yeeld And againe we must take heede that we doe giue no occasion to the Magistrate or the Minister to murmure least the Lord punishing them we also be depriued of the benefit which we should receiue by them CHAP. LII Of Patience vnder the Crosse. THere is a difference betweene Gods children and others for Gods children haue the patience that others doe want though not at the first yet in continuance though with some infirmitie first because they are perswaded of forgiuenes of sinnes and secondly are sure of their vocation by good workes which are the fruites of sanctification thirdly the knowledge of Gods prouidence which disposeth all things for our good fourthly because they looke for another life and when they faile of any of these then they begin to quaile and the wicked because they vtterly want these therefore they are altogether confounded 2 Patience is not so much in â—â—e outward stilnes of the bodie and shewe of the faee as in the inward quietnes of the heart and meeknes of the spirit Therefore Dauid Psal. 4 biddeth vs examine our selues vpon our beds and be still and Esai 30 the Lorde saith your helpe shall be in silence and peace and therefore Dauid and Iob being in trouble saide they would lay their hands on their mouthes for when a man doth thus possesse his soule in patience he is most fit for the mercies of God and then shall hee receiue the greatest profit by them For as in bodilie diseases to be quiet is a great ease and helpe so it in other troubles whatsoeuer and therefore must we especially labour for it 3 Manie will say that GOD is mightie but they belâ—eue it not as appeareth in that they are ouer fearefull when they bee in daunger whereas Gods children haue some presert feeling thereof and afterward are more strengthened So that if wee cannot trust in God in the want of all helps we doe not belieue this power if wee depend not on him pray not vnto him striue not to obey him we belieue not this For this cause did the holy men write of the power of God which they haue felt that after they may be strengthened and so must we consider of Gods power that we in patience may looke for helpe from God in trouble and in prosperitie see his hand that blesseth the same vnto vs and so vse the same vnto his glorie and giue him all the praise 4 To a good action it is requisite that our intent be according to the word that then our action being good we vse right meanes if our meanes be good then must we haue faith if we haue faith then must we haue sound hearts if our hearts be sound we must deuoure through peace all hindrance and waiting for the good time of the Lord we must possesse our soules in patience 5 There are diuers plaine Israelites that will suffer a vaile to be put before their faces and they will vse them as the Pharisies did Iohn Baptist to obiect him against Christ Iohn and his Disciples fast and why doe others so but to haue a cloake for their wickednesse These are abused for want of wisedome and would mislike their practises in their heart if they could sound the depth of them Praestat esse caudam Leonis quam caput vulpis Better to be the taile of a Lion than the head of a Fox Well it is good to be iust and wise but yet not for our selues but yet such as will not keepe their wisedome to themselues but tell it out or write it come to wrack Because he will not follow the counsell of Amazias See not he hath the reward of the Prophets all the Prophets except foure perished The cause was they were more wise than was for the Princes aduantage In respect euen of God his permissioÌ„ it is iust that the iust should perish we may say is this his reward but we must know that when for corruption of time God his children caÌ„not liue without hazard of their hazard he taketh theÌ„ away neither in so doing doth he breake his promise that giues them for a long life eternall life for a bag of siluer a bag of gold for in so doing he promiseth the lesse and performeth the more We would indeed be the Lords seruants if we saw his seruice would alwaies preuaile but because sometimes we see their seates without honour that serue God we will be none of his seruants or we learne by reason to iudge no action by the person yet we say if he preuailed not he tooke no good course or if we cannot but say he is wise we say he is too wise The Prophet Prou. 30. saith he will write his vision to Ithiel and if Veal be with him to him too or else not the meaning is Ithiel is God with vs he would write it to please God Veal is to preuaile if that be with the other he will haue both else keepe to the other and let Veal alone When a man goeth to the market cum obâ—lo if he like lettesse he may take them giue his ebolum if he like his halfepeny better he may keepe it but if one would haue both ebolum lactucas so if we haue vpright dealing and will esteeme the fauour of men in authoritie better we may change it for that but if we esteeme our vpright dealing better
you haue lost that which Christ hath found but bee thankfull if by hope you can reioyce that Christ hath found that which you haue lost Whose losse of yours and gaine of Christs as it was by the will of God you must yeeld to of necessitie as it was the wisedome of God and mercie of God so to haue it you must resigne him willingly The Lord God who gaue your sonne as a pledge of his goodnes and who hath receiued your son as a pledge of your obedience so ouer reach your griese of nature by hope aboue nature that you may fulfill that remnant of repentance which yet is lent you to the great praise of his holy name and endles peace of your own soule for his Christs sake Amen Maister Greenhams care for the poore Schollers of Cambridge RIght Honourable although it bee a thing well knowne vnto many and specially to your Lordshippe that the number of students in the Vniuersitie of Cambridge is greater of late yeeres than hath beene heretofore yet it may bee many haue not heard neither hath your Honour vnderstood how many of good hope for want of sufficient reliefe haue beene and are forced or tempted to forsake the Vniuersitie Of the which number some haue entered into the Ministerie both vnseasonably and hurtfully some taken vpon them to be pettie scholemaisters vnprofitably some fallen to be seruingmen or to some other meane trades of life inconuenieÌ„tly some haue crept into popish gentlemens houses at home or flying ouer sea haue proued traiterous and vnnaturall Iesuites or Seminarie Priests Besides that which is as true as ruefull some straining themselues for loue of learning to liue in the Vniuersitie for want of necessaries haue either pined away there or shortly after they haue departed from thence or else haue liued there much discouraged to their farre lesse profit in learning Which sore as I haue seene of some to be espyed of some to be pitied euen with desire of redresse yet haue I not seene any sufficient care taken to salue and recouer the same True it is that diuers men of diuers degrees as in the citie and elsewhere haue somewhat largely yeelded their helping hand hereunto but by reason of the multitude of the needie and for that by want either of the wise care in the choise or of a continued ouersight of such as were chosen diuers abuses haue growen in the receiuers the hearts and the hands of the giuers hauing beene much streightned These things often weighed wrought much compassioÌ„ in me so that I haue indeuored according to my power and place a good while to procure some exhibition from diuers for poore learned and godly students in the same Vniuersitie whereunto I was and am induced the rather by a speciall charge of caring for the poore laide vpon me by a speciall occasion at the time of mine ordination into the Ministerie which I willingly went vnder because the holy Apostles Paul and Bâ—rnabas did the same before me Whose wise and worthie dispensation about the Church almes often admonishing me of no lesse wisedome and discretion than of dutie conscience to be vsed in this behalfe And foreseeing some offensiue inconueniences of the sole dealing of one man in so great a cause I haue long thought of some men most meete in many respects to ioyne with me herein And to this end of late I resolued of Maister Whittakers and Master Chaderton who after diuers intreaties and perswasions haue yeelded the right hand of fellowship both carefully and faithfully to labour with me in this matter The reason why I rested rather on them than others was because as by their place and residence in the Vniuersitie so by long obseruation I haue iudged them most meete not onely in regarde of their promise to take paines but also for their faithfulnes and fitnes to doe good in it being men well knowne vnto many Honourable worshipfull rich and mercifull persons And for testimonie of our more faithful seruice herein I in their names do promise to your Honor our speciall care and conscience of imploying that beneuolence without respect of persons vpon those schollers only that either are learned or towardly in learning and the same being religious honest poore and making conscience of the right and reuerent vse of their almes and that so long as they continue to be such Further we shall be readie each other yeere or oftner if your Honourable wisdome shal thinke good to make our accounts to Maister Nowell Deane of Paules Maister Osburne of the Exchequer Maister Doctor Hammond Maister Vincent Skinner or some two of these or any other whom your Lordship shall thinke meete herein Now that with some good authoritie and greater hope of successe this matter might bee performed I come first and principally to your Honour an humble petitioner that you would vouchsafe by your Honorable word and hand to commend and authorize vs as meete men to be imployed in this worke and then if so it seeme good to your Lordship I will repaire in the same suite for like fauour to Sir Frauncis Walsingham Maister Secretary Dauison Sir Walter Mildmay or others of your most Honourable societie whom your wisedome shall aduise me vnto In that I haue beene so bold to mention my selfe in this action I humbly craue your Honours fauourable construction towards me who hauing receiued great mercies of the Lord from the Vniuersitie think my selfe much more indebted to seeke the good therof especially after so long waiting for others to doe it and so now if any will doe it without me or any other meanes more fit than this may be vsed I most heartily wish the same Thus I commend my selfe and the whole cause to your Honours wise and mercifull consideration as desirous of the most fruitfull successe hereof and humbled in mine own vnabilitie to further it FINIS A LETTER AGAINST HARDNES OF HEART I Beseech GOD the Father of IESVS CHRIST to giue mee his good spirit in writing to giue aduice and you in reading to receiue it Amen Since the time that I receiued M. S. Letter wherein he declared his carefull compassion ouer your estate I haue beene not a little grieued because partly for want of a conuenient messenger and partly because of my manifolde distractions with the like occurrences and other waightie affaires I haue beene hindred from writing hitherto vnto you And albeit euen still I bee in the same case yet conscience towards GOD and loue and compassion towards you forceth mee to ouercome lets which hardly I could otherwayes preuaile against And albeit I cannot speake as I would yet of that which I shall write proceeding from the forenamed grounds I looke for some blessing of God through Iesus Christ if you wil not too much faint in faith and yeeld to the aduersarie yea if you will but hope so well of your selfe as in the feare of God I write it I hope of you First whereas it
this that Satan so busily and so fiercely assaileth vs it doth appeare that as once he lost his possession in vs was cast out by one more mightie than himselfe which is Christ so now he findeth no peaceable entrance but a strong and mighty resistance therfore there yet remaineth such part of the former worke which he could not hitherto ouerthrow nor shal be able for euer which is the secret seede of faith still sustained and nourished by the spirit of God in vs when wee would thinke it were vtterly extinguished For as the fire when it wrastleth with the water throwne vpon it ceaseth not till it haue ouercome so this resistance of the spirit against the flesh will not cease vntill the full victorie be obtained and Satan himselfe troden vnder our feet Neither is there any more sure testimonie either of our present deliuerance begun or of our full perfect victory in time to come than this that by the word of God we doe though but weakly resist the temptations of the enemy and continue in the battaile against him mourning indeede and trauailing vnder the burthen of affliction but yet standing vpright before the enemie so that he cannot fully preuaile against vs much lesse ouerthrow destroy vs. But here one thing must carefully be looked vnto that we be not so farre discouraged either with want of feeling or ouerborne with desire of that wee haue not as wee forget what mercie hereto fore wee haue receiued When Iob so earnestly and as one would thinke impatiently wisheth the good things hee had sometimes enioyed he doth not onely expresse the great affection he had to be restored vnto his former estate but also giueth the attentiue reader to vnderstand a secret work of that grace of God from the remembrance of that which had been insinuating an hope of that which should be as the euent it selfe afterward declared which issue of his troubles S. Iames would haue vs diligently to consider when he saith Ye haue heard of the sufferings of Iob and haue seene the end of the Lord. But it fareth in this case with the afflicted soule many times as it doth with those that greedily striue for the goods of this world their affections of hauing more is so strong and doth so violently possesse and carrie them as it not onely depriueth them of the vse of that they haue but also maketh them forget the same and which is yet more protest against it as if they had it not at all So the humbled and afflicted spirit one borne for the time with present griefe and anguish of minde not onely vseth not the comforts it hath and cannot presently discerne but also causeth an vtter forgetfulnes of them and which more is protesteth against them as if they were not yea as we see often in Iob he so complaineth of the contrarie as if the Lord had not only forsaken his seruant but had armed himselfe and did fight against him to destroy him Here therefore we must bridle and chastice our impatient and murmuring spirit and remember that of Iob so farre contrarie to the other that though the Lord should destroy him yet hee will trust in him Neither must we so much vexe and vnquiet our hearts for that we want as labour to make vse of that wee haue which though it seeme little vnto vs for the present yet in truth is more than Sathan by all his force is able to ouercome as may appeare vnto vs by that endlesse resistance which the spirit of God dwelling in vs maketh against him For he that so fighteth is not yet captiue and he that standeth in face of the enemie and endureth all his assaults is not yet vanquished Yea for that hee holdeth out in so great weaknes of his owne against so strong and furious assaults of the enemie it plainly argueth that he standeth by a greater strength than his owne by which as hee is presently preserued that he falles not into the hand of his aduersarie so neede he not doubt thereby to be finally deliuered and crowned with victorie and triumph in despite of Sathan all hee is able to worke against him But the enemie whose quarelling with vs is endlesse as his malice is vnsatiable will not thus leaue vs and giue vs rest then as I saide before it is our best and safest way at once to end all disputation with him And we cānot better shake him off than by exercising our selues in prayer reading and meditation of the word of God and by diligent walking in the works and labours of our calling for there is no greater oportunitie nor aduantage that can bee giuen vnto the aduersarie than if he shall finde vs idle and vnoccupied If the mind be already possessed of and occupied in good things it cannot so easily be transported vnto that which is euill but if he finde the house empty and fit for him he then entreth without difficultie In the question of faith wee haue comfort also from the works and effects thereof in our selues For as the tree is known by the fruites so faith wanteth not her fruites whereby she may be discerned These are of diuers sorts sorrow for sinne past hatred of euill care and endeuour to auoide it both in generall and particular the loue of God and of his righteousnesse desire and care with labour and contentation to please him both in generall and particular duties And here againe wee haue a lawfull and necessarie recourse vnto time past For albeit wee haue nothing to glorie in before God when the question is of the cause of our saluation yet the effects of the grace and fauour of God towards vs in the former fruites of our faith may yeeld vs no small comfort in the time of our heauines and of the anguish of our spirits hereof it is that the Prophet in the Psalmes doth so often protest his obedience vnto God and care to doe his commandemēts hereof it is that Iob vnto the comforting of his distressed conscience remembreth the course of his former life led in the feare of God and obedience of righteousnes For although we may not attribute any merit vnto our workes but must giue the whole glorie of our saluation vnto Christ alone yet our workes doe witnes for vs that we are the children of God because we are guided by his spirit as the Apostle saith though the bodie be dead in respect of sinne yet the spirit is life for righteousnesse sake Also the gracious effects of Christ himselfe dwelling in our hearts by faith are sure certaine testimonies that we are members of his bodie and doe belong vnto him because as branches implanted into him which is the vine we bring foorth fruite according to the nature of the vine It is said we doe yet sinne our answere is that that happeneth vnto vs not from the new creature but from that