the day-light and of a little childe Buâ— let them couer their sins in the depth of their hearts let theÌ„ hide them with darkenes surely the Lord will keepe them in a register and in time will lay all their sinnes before them that all the world may knowe how they haue buried the long suffering of the Lord in the hollow graues of their hypocrisie Wherefore euery man that wil shew himselfe thus to be perswaded of Gods al-seeing presence must shew it by an earnest care of obedience and a reuerent feare of disobedience whereof the one that is the feare of disobedience is shewed in the first verse of this octonarie the other is shewed in the last Shall we then assure our selues that wee bee perswaded indeede that God doth beholde vs let vs search our hearts whether we haue these or the like affections For dare a subiect in the presence of his prince commit any thing against the lawes for feare of a checke or rather will he not be carefull in the eyes of his soueraigne to do all things to his liking and contentation Dare a good childe in the presence of his father willingly breake his commaundement for feare of controlment or will he not rather endeuour to bee very dutiful for hope of commendation Then doubtlesse without this care and feare wee receiue our soules with this drowsie dreame and vaine perswasion of Gods beholding vs. Wherefore how dare â—hâ— heretikes papists and family of loue perswade theÌ„selues to walke before the Lord seeing they haue not submitted themselues to his word which is the onely instrumeâ—â— that maketh naked the conscience of man as it is Heb. 4. 12. The word of God is liuely and 〈◊〉 operation c. and it is added in the verse following Neither is there any creaturâ— which is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and open vnto his eyes So that they whâ—â—â— are not truely instructed in the word cannot truely haue their sins laide naked and they which haue not their sins laid open cannot in the feare of God forsalâ—e their corruptions Wherefore in like manner all ignorant persons may perswade themselues that they please God and walke before him in care and feare but they doe but deceiue their owne soules But if wee can truly say this with pure triall of it in our hearts it is most certaine it will serue in steade of an hundreth rules besides for the right direction and holy gouernment of our liues In that the man of God saith that he kept both the precepts and the testimonies he giueth vs to vnderstand that if we will in truth be perswaded that God seeth vs in all things we must beleeue his testimonies and obserue his statutes because we can neither beleeue aright vnlesse our faith worketh by loue neither be our workes acceptable but as they be the fruites of faith There is indeede a feare without this faith but it is a seruile and slauish farre differing from that childish and filiall feare which is here vnderstood For as a seruant may obey and doe his outward taske rather for feare of stripes of his master if hee should not doe it then for any pure loue and the childe is in all things obedient not so much that hee is afraide of the rod as he is loth to haue the least displeasure of his louing father so wee may vse the outward obedience in a carnall feare trembling at the seuere threatnings of God as of a iudge but without this wee shall leese the care to please him as loth to be depriued of his fatherly countenance and affection towards vs. So that without this faith we are in danger to walke either in secret pride or else in slauish feare But faith maketh vs come liberally and cheerefully â—o obedience when wee shall see that hee will not deale roughly with vs as iudging vs according to our deserts but as bearing with our infirmities and sparing vs as a mercifull father Neither as dare I affirme did euer any truely obey God which in some measure had not this feare of God before his eyes where by they feared him as a God and loued him as a father Gods children dare not dally with their most priuie thoughts for they know that God seeth in darknes as wel as in delight he is the God of the night as of the day to him they are both as one hee beholdeth their thoughts a farre off and there is no word in their tongu which he knoweth not they know he is priuy to their down lyings and vprisings to their goings out and their commings in neither can they in any place high or low far or neare early or late flie from his al-seeing presence If they doe ill they tarry not long to seeke reconcilement because they knowe that his iudgements are according to truth if they doe well they are not proude of it This worketh in them a wonderfull boldnesse in Gods causes and bringeth them to feare when their cause is not good Againe it breedeth patience in trouble profit in slaunders meeknes when the world contemneth them sene in secret sinnes knowing that when the world hath passed in iudgement on them there â—â—â—ll iudgement in greater truth be giuen of them by Christ. And againe though they escape the iudgements of man yet they shall not escape the iudgements of God But as the Lord throweth the wicked with their hypocrisiâ—s to hell So hee will humble and punish his children with sore corrections So that this is the way of them that walke before the Lord they know in time the Lord will reward and make knowne their secret godlines and in time punish and make knowne their secret sinnes If it come to passe that Gods children forget themselues sometimes to be in their Fathers presence as earthly children reioyce sometimes to be from their Fathers that they might play the more neuertheles after they come to be ashamed and grieued when they consider that all that time their Father espied marked them and though they did forget that their Father saw them being carried away with some strong lust the best they know is to returne in time For then they begin to reason on this mannner Oh what a wretch was I to doe this in the eyes of my God and in the presence of my Father so that as we see this consideration of Gods presence bringeth griefe for sinnes present so it maketh after the examinations of our selues ashamed of sinnes past Wee heard before how it also worketh patience in vs when our good causes haue not good successe because we remember that Psalm 34. The eyes of the Lorde art ouer the iust and his eares are open to their prayers Whereupon we recouer our selues with this and such like meditations Well I am misdeemed I am suspected I see I am ill thought of I know in the end that the Lord seeing my cause to be good to be vsed with a good heart will
and they in whom the spirit of God is decayed through the deceitfulnes of sinne their afflictions also are the punishmeÌ„ts of their sinnes for because they refused the gratious gouernmeÌ„t of Gods mercie in the Gospell therfore hee bringeth them backe to the rigorous gouernment of his iustice in the law till Christ be formed anew in them againe Those onely which are sufficiently called in whome Christ is thus formed their afflictions are no punishments of sinne but Christ suffers with them when they are medicines against sinne much more when they are trialls of Faith and most of all when they are for well doing but all the former suffered themselues Christ suffered not with them because they suffered for sinne 10 Rebecca wished to haue children but when they stroue in her wombe then shee brast forth into words of impatiencie so God giueth to some a desire to be borne againe who when their conception is so painfull and when the spirit and the flesh striue together they would sometime be content to be in the olde estate againe 11 When Moses came downe from the Mount the skinne of his face did shine but only the people did see it hee did not perceiue it So should our righteousnes shine in the eyes of others not in our owne 12 As a Fountaine and all the water that springs from it haue the same qualitie so the heart and the thoughts words and deeds are all of the same nature if one be filthy all be filthie and purge one and purge all 13 God calleth his children out of this world in the fittest time when though they liued longer yet they would be no better 14 If wee loue not Christ more then his benefites euen than our owne saluation wee are not worthie of him Phillip saith Iohn 14. 8. If wee may see the Father it is sufficient And Iacob said it is sufficient for mee that Ioseph is aliue hee cared not for his benefites And Dauid saith as if hee should say no more one thing haue I desired to dwell in the house of the Lord. 15 Wee must at all times â—eare the Worde and vse â—â—â— the meanes oâ— our 〈◊〉 though wee feele our selues most vnwilling thereunto For we know not when God will blesse it or any of them to vs. Yea it may be that when we do but once aâ—â—â—â—t our selues from the hearing thereof such things may be then spoken of as may most serue for our soules health 16 Albeit Marthaes part be the worst because it continueth not yet the world hateth Maâ—ies part which is the best and desireth â—uer to chuse with Martha 17 Looke how much we would come to Christ so much we must come to the Word and Sacraments 18 If wee rest too much in the outward action of the Word and not in the inward affection of the heart we shall be puffed vp and become prophane 19 Many Protestants can say it is God that worketh the will and the deede but in a conceiued imagination not from a perswaded minde and experienced conâ—câ—eâ—ce for if they were perswaded hereof it would greatly humble them and make them to finish their course with reuerence and feare 20 Looke what a man loueth hee wisheth the good thereof 21 Euery one is eaten vp with the zeale of one thing or othâ—r 22 No man can purchase to himselâ—e the glorious â—â—â—â—â— that he loueth God except hee hath a through hatred and detestation of that which â—â—d hateth 23 Then shall wee vnfainedly praise GOD for our â—â—â—â— creation and his Fatherly prouidence watching ouer vs when wee are created a new by the Spirit of God and feele our Redemption in Christ. 24 As farre as the Spirit is aboue the flesh God aboue men Heauen aboue the earth Eternitie aboue frailtie so farre is the new creation aboue the olde for the one is but of mortall and corrupt seede that shall perâ—â—h but the other is of immortall seede and from Heauen a great worke of God which shall abide for euer 25 In temporall things our ioy is greater then the cause in spirituall things the cause is greater than the ioy 26 If this be our chiefest felicitie to be Gods people it hath also the chiefest challenge to our ioy 27 They that be in the hell of things fleshly caÌ„not see the heauens of things spirituall 28 Spirituall thinges are tedious because sense reason and nature cannot taste of such ioyes 29 Gods children being in the world though not of the world but sauouring of the things of the world must be prouoked to this sound ioy and be led from the crackling ioyes which flame vp for a little and make a sudden noise but neuer truely heate or comfort the heart but in death and affliction doe muâ—h shame and feare vs. 30 To bee perswaded of Gods presence in our thoughts words and labours is a pure rule of Christianitie In euery place we are before God but more specially in priuate prayer and most of all in publike prayer 31 As there is no sinne so great but with repentance is pardonable so there is no sinne so little but without repentance is damnable 32 The offence of sinne is not so great as the deâ—ence of sinne 33 One teare of repentance is better then a thousand sack-clothes first our sorrow must bee spirituall then continuall because our sinne breedeth at the heart and buddeth foorth daily There is no greater miserie than to bee without miserie nor greater sorrow then to be without sorrow 34 As the childe breaking one rodde and burning it prouoketh his father to prepare a sharper so a man vnpatiently wrestling with one affliction sent from God and escaping it prouoketh the Lord in greater displeasure to send a sharper scourge 35 The more godly a man is and the more the graces and blessings of God are vpon him the more need he hath to pray because Sathan is busiest against him and because he is readyest to be puffed vp with a conceited holinesse 36 Where the Scripture hath not a mouth we ought not to haue eares 37 Oâ— that one would doe that thing the remembrance whereof â—o long after should bring comfort oh that one should doe that thing the reâ—eâ—oraâ—ce whereof so long after sh 〈…〉 g griefe and yet we so little esteemâ—â—hoâ—e â—â—â—â—gs which might after comfort vs and so little feare those things which mighâ— aftâ—r grieue vs. 38 The â—â—â—â—s is often taken for the morall law of God his precepts for the Ceremoniall Law his Iudgements or Righteousnesse for the â—aâ—ctiâ—us of the Lawe whereby the Lorde â—â—â— accomplisheth his promises for his Children or executâ—th his wrath vpon his â—â—â—mâ—es 39 A though the Lord hath promised a speciall blessing to the publike ministery of his word yet we must not tâ—e his wisedome to any ordinary
but it is the power of Gods presence preparing vs to prayer or some such seruice of God which when we feele if wee fall downe before God in prayer we shall finde an vnspeakable ioy following it but if we cherish it with euill surmises it will leade vs to further inconueniences 77 When we haue greatest cause of ioy for doing some good then it is a good thing most to feare our vnthankfulnes and our selfe-loue and our secure vnkindnes 78 When Sathan cannot get vs to grosse sinnes he will â—ssaile vs with spirituall temptations 79 Nothing in the world will so much feare and shame vs as God in his mercies powred vpon vs which meditation in receiuing graces from God will humble vs from pride in them and keepe vs in feare which be the waies to obtaine new mercies 80 We must beware of smoothering the watch word of our conscience when we are bent to sinne Euery man in his owne conscience is forewarned of sinne though the Lord speake not to him from heauen as he did to Cain 81 As a man being outlawed may take his pleasure for a while but whensoeuer or wheresoeuer he may be taken he must yeeld to that punishment which by verdict is appoynted so the wicked on whom sentence of damnation is already passed may for a while shake off their paines with vaine pleasures but afterward they shall be arrested and carried violently to the place of wofull execution But for the godly which haue the assurance of their inheritance sealed vp in their consciences though they shall be warned in the day of the resurrection to make their open appearance yet as honest men of the countrie shall stand before the Iudge not as fellonious offenders 82 We must first make men by a feeling of sinne to seeke Christ by an holy faith to find Christ and then by newnes of life to dwell with Christ. 83 Balâ—am prayed that he might die the death of the righteous but let vs pray that we may liue the life of the righteous for he liued not the life of the righteous and therefore he could not die the death of the righteous and if we liue the life of the righteous we shall be sure to die the death of the righteous 84 It is a great token of regeneration if we doe not onely sorrow for great sinnes and sigh for small offences but mourne for particular wants of good actions or in good actions for wâ—nt of good affections 85 There is small hope of him which cannot discerne in himselfe the life of the spirit and the life of the flesh and it is to be doubted that he is yet vnregenerate 86 When men being young are too much giuen to carnall pleasures they being old are too much giuen to worldly profit 87 As we haue taken a vaine delight in the vaine course of this life so we must sigh and pray to be delighted spiritually in spirituall things 88 Adam should haue been no worse for his temptation no more than Christ was but that the one yeelded the other did not 89 If the blood of Christ hath washed vs from the guiltines of sinne then the holy Ghost hath purged vs from the filthines of sinne 90 When our sinne hath lesse liking in vs then there is hope that it will decay in vs especially if we sorrow for it when we cannot fully forsake it and labour to forsake it because it is sinne 91 In true mortification we must haue the first motions of sinne and condemne them as accessaries to sinne in conspiring the death of our soules 92 Hypocrisie is seene when sinne lyeth most dead vnder a cloake and most liueth vnder a closet wherewith God is so displeased that when we make no conscience of sinne in close places our priuie sinnes shall breake forth into open places 93 Particular infirmities doe not hinder the preparation of our hearts for the Lord if we haue a true loue of his word as had Iehosaphat 94 Two things are necessarie to espouse vs to Christ the one to vse the pure meanes the other to vse those meanes with a pure heart 95 If we play with our owne affections sinne in the end from sport will spurre vs to confusion For though we be twice or thrice spared yet we must know that the Lord will recompence his long tarrying with wrath 96 Through our corruption we profit more by the doctrine of a man if we thinke he be our enemie than if we thinke him to be our friend for if he be our friend we let it passe as not spoken to vs though the matter neuer so much concerne vs if our enemie if it neuer so little touch vs we thinke it to be spoken against vs. 97 Walking spirits are vndoubtedly not the soules departed but the euill spirits of the ayre 98 It is a great mercie of God to haue a large affection of weldoing when we haue good occasion thereof for God neuer ceaseth in offering occasions but we often cease in hauing affections 99 Obedience is a chaine to tye vp all the creatures of God from our hurt and as a thing to muzzle their mouthes that they cannot bite vs. Againe disobedience breaketh and openeth the mouthes of all things to our destruction 100 If we haue not the fauour of men it is either for the triall of our faith or for want of dutie vnto them that are displeased with vs or because we sought to please them by displeasing of God or because we haue not prayed for them or haue offended God for which he causeth men to be offended with vs. 1 Because we doe not to men the good we should doe God often suffereth them to report of vs the euill they should not 2 Those temptations are most dangerous which haue most holy ends 3 When a man is most merrie he is neerest danger 4 It is the easiest thing in the world to deceiue a good man 5 God hath two hands in the one he holdeth a hammer to breake the proud in peeces and to bray them to powder in the other hand he hath a horne to powre Gods blessings vpon the humble 1. Pet. 5. 5. 6 If a man should be stinted to one meale a weeke he would haue a pined body at the weekes end euen so if our soules be but fed with the word once a weeke they would be as hunger-starued if we could see it 7 You are in earth to follow your calling you are not yet in heauen Adam when he was most holy by creation and free from euery iot of sinne and corruption did walke in his calling appointed of God much more then are we comfortably to follow the Lord his ordinance seeing these outward things did not come in with sinne but were ordained before sinne 8 Whatsoeuer is vpon you
his mercies are most wonderfull there if they bee contemned the iudgements of God ensue most feareful The serpent of all beasts the wisest abusing that wisedome became of all the cursedst Sodome the beautifull valley being puft vp with pride became the filthiest pit The church of the Iewes the valley of vision not vsing it dignitie was as a scattered wildernes Ierusalem is an heape of stones Sion as a thicket the Temple as a vast vessell The Church of Rome refusing Christ is become the seate of Antichrist The churches of Asia lost their candlesticke because light comming to them they loued darknes more than light 66 Vntill a man by feeling the sorrowes of sinnes determineth to arise goe to his father the word doth say he is not come to himselfe as Luk 15. in the lost child contrariwise when a man by feeling the sorrowes of sinne saith he will arise and goe to the father the world crieth with Festus he is besides himselfe too much learning hath made him mad So farre differ the iudgements of the word and of the world 67 As the Serpent was the first instrument of sinne â—o sinne retayneth still a qualitie of the Serpent For first it windeth round about vs as though it would imbrace vs but in the end it playeth the Serpent and with the tayle it doth sting vs. For the sorrowes which belong vnto sinne do not commonly accompanie the fact to be committed but the fault already committed and doggeth the conscience to sting it to death at the time of most aduantage for sinne taketh occasion by the law and deceiueth and therefore sâ—ayeth vs. And let not him thinke that findeth not a present controlement of conscience for euery sinne committed that therefore he hath not offended God for we are oâ—t suffered to haue the spirit of slumber for a while that the spirit of Christ Iesus might more perfitly awake vs. 68 God his children are to reioyce for the day of their Resurrection is their day of Redemption Their iudgement day was when Christ was iudged at what time all that are in Christ were iudged And as the wicked are now damned but then shall haue the sentence of damnation so now the godly are saued but then they shall haue the full testimonie of their saluation by Christ yea with Christ they shall be assistants in iudgâ—â—â—â—â— to condemne others so farre they shall be from comming into iudgement to be condemned 69 Bersillai hauing done a great benefit to Dauid the King could no◠〈◊〉 estimation how sufficiently to recompence it but referred him and his children to â—eat Salomons table Bersillai thought in himselfe this to be so great a recompence that he reâ—use 〈…〉 If it were both in Dauids estimation and in Bersillaieâ— opinion so great a 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 Salomons table how much more glorious a benefit is it to sit at Christ his table 〈…〉 Salomon but a greater than Salomon is present 70 It is our corruption that we are more grieued when we suffer as â—el-doers than when we suffer for euil-doing For this is the logicke of the world I am grieued that I am thus dealt with because I neuer deserued it had I done any thing worthy of punishment it would not haue grieued me though I had beene punished Thou speakest like a foolish man thou knowest not when to be grieued and when â—ot to be grieued For whether is it better to suffer when thy conscience is free and suffereth not or when with thy outward affliction thou art afflicted also of thine owne heart And is it not a glorious thing to suffer for well doing wherein thy cause of griefe is the lesse and an ignominious thing to suffer for euill doing wherein the cause of griefe is the more For if rather the cause of affliction than affliction itselfe should grieueâ— hee then affliction without cause of affliction being for God his cause should rather comfort thee 71 Companie is the best thing and worst thing in the world how much and how 〈◊〉 are men beholding to it it maketh and marreth whatsoeuer commeth neere it 〈◊〉 as wormes do easily breede in the softest wood so doth it commonly spoyle the best â—â—â—â—sition 72 When we haue any crosse it is hard lucke say we Well that luck as you call it and prouidence as I iudge it is often more worth vnto vs than all our substance And why so the reason seemeth simple and yet is most forcible for then we begin to be in necessitie That is as you thinke a cold comfort and I should hardly perswade you that this argument is good For if I shall say that if ye did beleeue ye should see this as sure as your life I know that you would smile at it Notwithstanding it is sure that the sense of our necessitie causeth vs to looke for a remedie the asking of it by prayer doth assure vs to obtaine because of the promise 73 Herein is a difference betweene children and bastards that originall sinne in the refused hath the roote as rottennes the branch as dust the bud as blasphemie the fruite as despaire in the elect being ouerturned with the power of affliction then ariseth in stead of it both the blossoms of rising from sinne and the sweete smelling fruite of conuersion vnto God 74 There is nothing so good but priuie pride will corrupt it nothing so euill but a lye will couer it For priuie pride cast the Angels from heauen exiled Adam out of Paradise ouerthrew the deerest of God his children when they were most full of the spirit and was the last but most fierie temptation wherewith our Sauiour Christ was assaulted It is seene of others before it is espied of our selues it commeth with greatest graces of God whereas other sinnes come with sinne it was the first sinne in God his childe and it will be last For euen when all sinnes seeme to bleede and all graces seeme to stand herein we can be proude that sinne is so dead and godlinesse so abundant in vs. 75 It is good still to attend vpon hearing the word although we feele not that inward ioy and working of God his Spirit which either we haue felt or desire to feele The preaching of the word is God his ordinance if it hath noâ— wrought heretofore though it worke not presently it may worke hereafter And because we know not who is the man what is the time where is the place which is the sermon that God hath appointed to work on vs let vs in all obedience attend on the ministerie of euery man watch at all times be diligent in euery place and runne to euery sermon which we can conueniently because though the Lord touch vs not by this man in this place at this time through such a sermon yet he may touch vs by another Let euery one therefore thus meditate with himselfe Though I hearing am as dead as a stone and
vnder the which we haue bin long coÌ„forted For Gods children acknowledge themselues without ceasing that God hath rods in a readinesse though they see no present euill to beate them from their sinnes bend all their care how they may rather suffer aduersitie to Gods glorie than to sleepe securely in prosperitie vnto their own pleasure Now when the Lord doth as it were hold vs on the racke for these causes before named we must pray vnto him that howsoeuer he keepeth vs in the presse we may haue a breathing while to consider our daies spent in pleasure and to examine our vnthankfulnes which shutteth vp the doore of Gods mercie from vs. And because our afflictions are the sorer when they come the neerer to the soule we may with our selues coÌ„clude to hold on the way of our thorough-faire though we see nothing but thornes of temptations and briers of euill affections so as we must be faine to leape ouer hedges rocks ditches yet must we not cease to continue in Gods seruice For if that were not what triall examination of our faith should there be were we as in a faire medow that we might run on along by the water side in a shade and that there might be nothing but pleasure and ioy all our life time who could vaunt that he had serued God with good affection But when God doth send vs things cleane contrarie to our desires that we must be faine one while to enter into a quagmire and another while to march vpon ragged rockes and stones then we shall haue the vse of a well exercised minde in prayer in repentance and in contempt of this life And why doth the Lord sometime suffer vs to pine away and to languish in continuance of griefe seeing that he could cleane rid vs at the first doubtlesse to this end that we might confesse his mercie more freely and bite of his iustice more sharply Let vs now learne to hold all the passions of impatiencie in bondage both by comparing our euils with the wonderfull mercies of God and our small sufferings with the intollerable conflicts of our forefathers For there is no greater cause of our disparing vnder the crosse thaÌ„ when Satan perswadeth vs that neuer any were handled so roughly or else would beare vs in haÌ„d that although God afflicted the faithfull that haue been before vs yet they were not so weake as we But let vs remember that God hath so pinched his seruants euen them whom he loued and whose welfare was deare and precious in his sight and hath often brought them to such extremities as they were not able to looke vp any more nor wist how to speake nor how to hold their peace Wherefore least our infirmities should ouermaster vs and when temptations are fierce vpon vs we know not where to become let vs call to minde the Saints of God who were constrained with sighes and groanes to stoope vnder the hand of God whose martyrs and tormented children ought to be our looking glasses to the end that by them we may learne that according as God dealeth foorth the gifts of the spirit thereafter doth he send greater afflictions both to make them the more esteemed and also to cause a more plentifull fruite of their faith How did God deale with Abraham not a common man but rather an Angell the tenth part of whose sufferings would make a stout heart to quaile How was Dauid the seruant of God exercised in Gods schoole who felt all Gods darts and had all his arrowes shot at him Thus it is requisite that Gods graces should not be idle in his children but set on worke by afflictions whereby they may be knowne in due time and place How did God play the Lion with Ezechias who as with pawes and teeth bruised and crushed his bones not that we may accuse God of crueltie but that we may see with what anguish the Lord doth sometimes exercise his holy seruants and with what patience he doth arme them who notwithstanding his vehement trials doe stay themselues vpon God accusing themselues saying I will beare the wrath of the Lord because I haue sinned against him and excusing the Lord with all humblenes with Dauid Psal. 114. I know O Lord that thy iudgements are right and that thou hast afflicted me iustly c It is much auailable to mortification and Christian patience also to occupie our hearts in the house of mourning euen in our greatest banquetting and to betake our selues vnto some serious meditation of aduersitie when present pleasures would most diuorce vs from the remembrance thereof So though we haue much in possession we shall haue little in affection and when God doth most aduance vs we shall feare our wants of humilitie and then especially be ransacking our infirmities when the Lord for our triall enricheth vs most with his benefits For if the Lord God by multiplying his mercies increaseth our account we are often to suspect to call to iudgement and to arraigne our selues for the vsing of Gods creatures who often giueth that in iudgement which he might denie vs in mercie and often waineth vs from some things in his loue which he might giue vnto vs in his anger FINIS THE MARKES OF A RIGHTEOVS MAN THe righteous man hath three priuiledges First that he shall neuer perish though he be oftentimes afflicted yea if there be a number of them the Lord will spare the habitation of their place for their sake Secondly if the Lord be minded to bring destruction vpon a land oâ— countrie he will first deliuer the righteous eitner by death or by conueying them to some other place as here he doth Lâ—t and is the children of Israel when Pharaoh was ouerthrowne Thirdly the Lord will not so much punish for the wicked as fauour for the goâ—ly sake and if they fall into the same temporall punishments euen thereby shall the righteous be brought neerer to heauen but the godlesse shall be throwne downe to hell euen as with the same flaile is beaten châ—ffâ—to be burnt and pure corne to be preserued Some thinke that there be none righteous which commeth to passe either through ignorance or because they see the sinnes and loose righteousnesse of others but then the Scriptures should be false which calleth some righteous Then Christ should haue died in vaine and there should be no saluation because none are sâ—ued but the righteous Some think that righteousnes is an inherent qualitie that through works we may be perfectly righteous as of old the Pelagians Puritanes and now Papists and Family of loue But the testimonies of Scriptures which affirm that al our righteousnes is as a stained cloath and that we are not able to answere one of a thousand c. and also the sinnes of those who in the word are counted righteous do proue the contrarie for Abraham sinned after he had beene pronounced righteous in distrusting
the Gentiles but as they may see their estate in the Iewes in which respect it may be profitablie applied to the Gentiles but euident it is that here properly it was spoken to the Iewes For in this place the Prophet sharply reprehendeth them because they kept not their fastings and holy daies aright Howbeit they did not sticke to complaine among themselues that they had fasted that they humbled themselues and vsed all the meanes which their fathers before them had done but all in vaine in that they felt not the like effects which their fathers did Wherefore the Lord by his Prophet answereth them in this sort True it is that yee fast indeed but therewithall yee lie and liue still in your sinnes yee fast but without repentance and so farre are yee from true forsaking of your sinnes that on your fasting daies howsoeuer like hypocrites ye vse the outward action ye exercise crueltie oppression debate and strife and doe ye looke that this holy hypocrisie should be acceptable vnto me No If ye will please me with your fasting repent ye of your sinnes shew foorth your sorrow by the fruits of loue in exercising the works of mercie and compassion which things when I shall behold in you with an vpright heart then I will accept your offering and be pleased with your fasting Againe doe not thinke that I will looke vpon your holidaies so long as ye vse them but vpon custome in hypocrisie making them vnprofitable for my worship and your saluation and repentance vntill such time as ye endeuour a better and more holie vse of them both concerning the pure honouring of my name and the furthering of your owne saluation Behold here say they the Sabbath is abrogated than which they can affirme nothing more contrarie out of this place For here is no abrogating of the Sabbath but an establishing of the true celebrating of the Sabbath with a sharpe reprehending of their corrupt and present estate And as he speaketh against their corrupt Sabbath so he taxeth them for their hypocritical fasting so that if they will haue the Sabbath to be abrogated much more must they driue fasting out of the doores of the Church against which he is most earnest and telling them that their fasts are not in truth the Lord sheweth them with what fasting he is pleased Againe say they see here it is manifest that to cease from sinne in our Sabbath which we must keepe I answere it is the fruite of the Sabbath which we must keepe and therefore because where the meanes are vsed without any effect or fruite there the meanes are nothing the Lord rather vrgeth them to the effects and keeping of the Sabbath with fruite then disanulleth the Sabbath And it is vsuall in the word of God to vse the effect for the cause and the fruite for the meanes as we may see Iam. 1. 27. Pure religion and vndefiled before God euen the Father is this to visit the fatherlesse and widowes in their aduersitie and to keepe himselfe vnspotted of the world Which briefely is as if the Apostle should say this is the effect of true religion when faith doth purely shew it selfe in the workes of loue Againe Ioh 6. 47. 48. He that beleeueth in me hath euerlasting life I am the bread of life Where our Sauiour Christ sheweth that the effect of faith is the eating of Christ his flesh and drinking of his blood So that to vse the meanes without the effect is hypocrisie as also to looke for the effect without vsing of the meanes is foolish presumption Wherfore we affirme that from the mouth of the Lord by his holy Prophet that to rest in fasting and in the Sabbath an outward meane is of no value being separated from good workes the issue and the effect of the same that if we would God should be mercifull to vs we should also shew our selues mercifull to others So then the Lord taketh not here away the one but sheweth the one to be fruitlesse without the other and is so farre from taking away the Sabbath that rather he goeth about to informe them in the true vse of the Sabbath The meaning therefore of the Prophet his word is this If thou wilt not rest in the bare ceremonie of thy holie daies but wilt do thy holy seruice to me and duties of loue to thy brethren then shalt thou shew thy selfe to take true pleasure in God and his worship Where we must learne so to delight our selues with the meanes of our saluation that seeing we can but iâ—part giue our selues vnto them in the weeke daies we should greatly reioyce when the Sabbath day commeth contrary to the practise of the people â—â— Amos his time who would say Amos 8. 5. When will the new moneth be gone that we may â—â—â—â— corne and the Sabbath that we may let forth wheate and make the Ephah small and the shekâ—â— great and falsifie the weights by dâ—â—â—it Wherefore we conclude that here is not the abrogating but the pure celebrating of the Sabbath which appeareth by effect when it draweth vs neerer to God and causeth vs to take greater pleasure in his waies There remaineth that which is Esai 66. 23. And from moneth to moneth and from Sabbath to Sabbath shall all flesh come to worship before me saith the Lord Where it is said from Sabbath to Sabbath behold say they here is set downe a continuall Sabbath to be obserued euery day in the kingdome of Christ and therefore there ought not to be one prescript day onely in the whole weeke But the reason is most weake and containeth a manifest absurditie For if euery day should be a Sabbath and we in the Sabbath are commaunded to doe no manner of worke when should we trauell in our ordinarie callings whereunto the Lord himselfe hath permitted vs sixe daies Thus we see the sixe daies of our ordinarie callings should be pulled away If they say that a man may follow his calling and yet worship God sufficiently and as becommeth the holy Sabbath then they must graunt that we may doe our ordinary workes on the Sabbath as also they suspect the Lord of want of wisedome But if we should looke narrowly into these mens liues we should finde that whilest they crie out to keepe euery day a Sabbath they in trueth in the meane time obserue no Sabbath at all Besides in that there needeth one particular day wholy to be giuen to the Lord it is certaine that the dearest children of God who vpon the other daies redeeme time to Gods worship earnestly desire this Now concerning the place it selfe which they seeme much to misconstrue we must vnderstand two things First it is not simply to be taken but in the way of comparison secondly it is meant of the kingdome of glorie and of the second comming of Christ. In the way of comparison it is vnderstood thus that the people of God should not content themselues to
touching the forgiuenesse of our sinnes and euerlasting life for if we can once be persuaded that Christ is ours wee shall not greatly doubt but that with Christ we shall haue all things needfull for vs. Let vs receiue this benefit though it come alone vea though it bring troubles with itâ— and then for outward things we shall possesse our soules with patience For saith this reuerend man we haue â—o true feeling of the forgiuenes of our sinnes if we cannot when we feele it be therewith contented and readie to forgoe all other things 3. To looke well to our sanctification and regeneration for if the Lord grant vs to be the glorious temples of his most holy spirit wherein his graces may shine he will not deny vs the base things of this life or if he doe we shall haue a good supplie of better things 4. To be well assured of our glorious resurrection for it is far greater to raise vs being consumed to dust than to preserue vs being aliue 5. Faith in Gods prouidence if hee made all things of nothing much more easily can hee preserue things made if hee cares for the beasts much more for mâ—n if for wicked men much more for his children if for his children when they sought him not much more when they seeke him with all their hearts and desire to serue him in holines true righteousnes 6. Lastly learne by examples that it is Gods blessing in the meanes and not the meanes without it which preserue vs. The Fathers before the flood fed on hearbes without flesh or fish and yet liued 700 800 900. yeeres The Israelites liued 40. yeeres without change of garments or any earthly and ordinarie prouision Moses and Elias liued 40. daies without meate These examples teach vs if we haue the meanes not to trust in them if we want them not to distrust in God And thus farre the summe of the second Sermon III. The third is of zeale which teacheth first how God commaundeth and commendeth zeale secondly how he rewards it The rules to know the true zeale of God are these 1. True zeale begins in our selues so proceeds to others and gaine returnes from other men ends in our selues Abraham Iob Moses c. first sinite themselues euer be more zealous against themselues than against other men for by the sense and feeling of our owne sores we be taught to deale more mildly and meekely with the sores of other men 2. True zeale is as willing to be admonished as it is carefull to admonish and that not onely of superiours where we must yeeld of necessitie but also of equals yea of inferiours whom we may seeme to contemne 3. True Zeale is not to bee hot by fits and colde in the ende 4. A very speciall marke of true zeale is this To be comforted in the publike prosperitie of the Church when priuate crosses may make vs â—ad and contrarily to mourne and lament for our brethren when priuate prosperitie might cheere our hearts 5. True zeale saith he will not spare sinne in kindred for that he loueth most naturally that hath learned to loue most spiritually and he loueth most truly that cannot abide sinne in the partie beloued without some wise and discrecte admonition 6. True zeale feareth not the force of the mightie neither is it dismayed at the lookes of the proud 7 True zeale is seene in their cause who can neuer recompence vs againe 8. The last rule of zeale is this to bee humbled in our selues for those sinnes which wee espie or censure in other men and specially such sinnes as wee espie in them which are committed to our charge for that the holy Ghost in his word accounteth their sinnes our sinnes And thus farre the third Sermon IIII. The fourth Sermon is of a good name And here he teacheth vs 1. How deare and precious a thing a good name is 2. Next what singular gainfull fruits and effects it carieth with it how God good meÌ„ are delighted with vs if we haue it 3. How careful we ought to be not to hurt our neighbour in his good name because it is an inestimable treasure which being lâ—st is most hardly recouered 4. With what care conscieÌ„ce we should seeke to find it hauing found it with all endeuour industrie to preserue it 5. He teacheth how a good name good report being good things must proceede from good causes as of vertue godlinesse and good religion 6. He noteth how the world accounteth of Gods children as of monsters if they haue but one sâ—ip and highly esteemes of a worldling for one externall gift of minde or bodie though sinnes swarme in him 7. He teacheth that if we will auoide an euill name we must first auoide all euill surmises and deuises against other men next we must haue a godly iealousie ouer our own waies that they may not breede in men any suspition of euill 8. Lastly men must be plentifull in all good workes all which must be done first with a simple and sincere affectâ—â—nâ— â—â—xt with in â—â—â—â—â—â— and diâ—erâ—tion And thus farre of a good name V. The siâ—t Sermon is of humilitie The contents of it briefly are these 1. Whereâ—ore the Lord humbleth his children before they be crowned 2. How pride rots and marres all good gifts in vs. 3. How dangerous and â—urâ—fâ—â—â— prosperitie is to many 4. How to accept good meanes in time when God calleth vs to repentance 5. How dangerous spirituall pride is to Gods children 6. How feare must increase as Gods gifts increast in vs 7. How euill thoughts doe exercise Gods best children and by what messengeâ— God awaketh them And this is the short summe of the fift Sermon VI. The sixth serues well for Christian parents for the good education of children 1. Hee warneth them that they lament not so much for their children if they bee dismembred or prooue idiots as if they prooue grosse sinners so become worse than idiots For such assuredly without repentance dishonour God greatly in this life caÌ„not escape euerlasting perdition after death but of poore idiots there is mâ—re hope 2. Next he teacheth Parents that when they finde foule sins in their children wisely to consider what causes breed them whether they be not theÌ„selues disobedient to their heauenly father hand haue been to their naturall parents and yet not repented of their sinnes 3. Lastly with what wisedome and affection we must correct our children euer mindfull how that we punish our owne sinnes in them And thus much of the sixth Sermon VII The seuenth and last Sermon teacheth vs 1. That sorrow for sinne is the first step to godlines for saith he it is impossible to hunger after Christ without it 2. That the word of God must effect that sorrow in vs by piercing our hearts and teaching vs that wee haue to doe with God and not with men and this will wound vs with a liuely feeling
an easie thing because it is a thing whereto of necessitie wee must yeeld but also of our inferiours whom we may seeme to contemne For all men will graunt that a child ought willingly to be admonished of his father or a seruant ought obediently to be repreheÌ„ded of his master but few will in practise giue this that a father should listen to the aduertisement of his sonne or that the maister should receiue an admonition of his seruant Howbeit Iob saith he durst not contemne the iudgement of his feruant or of his maide when they did contend with him because in a dutie of pietie he looketh to them not as seruants but as brethren he looked not to the speaker onely which in respect of his calling was his inferiour but vnto the things spoken in the ordinance of God vnto whom Iob himselfe was an inferiour and before whom Iob knew there was no respect of persons Howbeit to correct the preposterous boldnes of some we rather adde this much that inferiours must rather aduise than admonish aduertise rather than reprehend their superiours that so still they may offer their pure zeale of the glorie of God in vnfained humilitie least through their corrupt zeale they doe not onely not profit their superiours but most iustly exasperate them against them For as Magistrates Ministers and maisters by God his ordinance are to admonish rebuke and reprehend so subiects inferiours and seruants by the same rule are to aduise obey and aduertise Thus zeale goeth from respect of the person to the truth of the cause Another propertie of zeale is to be constant not to be hot by fits cold in the end and onely so long as the world fauoureth it must not be earnest in the beginning and secure in the ending but keepe a continuall tenour and temperature Iobs wife seemed to goe farre so long as she could wash her paths with butter Saul and Pharaoh had some good motions by fits vpon some occasion could play fast and loose being of a strange complexion that they could be hot cold in a moment This propertie of zeale teacheth vs how to be affected in the prosperitie and afflictions of the Church namely that the publike prosperitie of Sion should comfort vs cause vs to reioyce when our priuate crosses might make vs sad As Paul being imprisoned was not so grieued at his owne bonds as he reioyced at the libertie of the Gospell of Christ. Againe that the affliction of the Saints should moue vs to a godly griefe euen when in respect of our selues we might greatly reioyce As Daniel could not finde coÌ„fort in his priuate prosperitie though he were in great authoritie and exempted from the common calamitie because he knew the Church of God to be in miserie But to goe forward pure zeale is not blinded with naturall affection but it discerneth and condemneth sinne though it be neuer so neerely resident in our kindred Many offend against this rule who neuer will rebuke sin in their friends euen vntill God reuenge it from heauen where they are farre from true friendship for whereas they might by admonishing them of their faults in time preuent the iudgements of God they do through a false loue and manifest hatred pull the iudgements of God vpon them whom they loue most deerely He loueth most naturally that hath learned to loue spiritually and he loueth most sincerely that cannot abide sinne in the partie loued without some holesome admonition But doe not many now adaies zealously mislike sinne in strangers who will not mislike the selfe-same sin if it come to kindred if it be in our wife in our children oâ— in our parents as though the diuersitie of subiects could make the selfe-same thing sinne in some and not in other some This blinde zeale God hath punished and doth punish in his children Isaac did carnally loue his sonne Esau for meate and for a peece of venison Dauid was too much affected to Absolom for his beautie and to Adoniah for his comely stature so as his zeale was hindred in discerning sinne aright in them Now Iacob was not so deere to Isaac and Salomon was more hardly set to schoole and to take paines But behold God louing Iacob and refusing Esau howsoeuer Isaac loued Esau better than Iacob made Easu most troublesome and Iacob more comfortable vnto him Absolom and Adoniah brought vp like cooknies became corosiues to Dauids heart Salomon more restrained of God leâ—le set by of Dauid was his ioy his crowne his successour in his kingdome This â—â—sease is so hereditarie to many pareÌ„ts louing their children in the flesh rather than the spirit that the holy Ghost is fame to call vpon them more vehemâ—â—tly to teach to instruct and to correct as knowing how easily nature would coole zeale in this kinde of dutie Indeed many will set by their wiues children and kinsfolke if they be thriftie like to become good husbands wittie and politike or if they be such as for their gifts can bring some reuenue to their stocke or affoord some profit vnto theÌ„ how deepe sinners soeuer they be against God that maketh no matter it little grieueth them whereby they bewray their great corruption that they neither are zealous in truth or Gods glorie nor louers aright of their children because they can be sharpe enough in reprehension if they faile but a little in thriftines yet are cold enough in admonition if they faile neuer so much in godlinesse Well let these fleshly zealous men lay to their heart the blind affection of Helâ— who being the deare child of God was seuerely punished of the Lord for that he was not zealously affected to punish sinne against God in his deere children but blessed are they that can forget their owne cause and euen with ieopardie of nature can defend the quarrell of God henceforth labouring to know no man after the flesh but to endeuour spiritually by faith to see and know Christ Iesus so as no outward league doe bleare and dazell our eyes as that we should not espie sinne in the neerest kindred to correct it or that we should not discerne vertue in the greatest aliens to reuerence it Casting off then this vaile of fleshly loue we must labour to loue most where the image of God appeareth most there shew our affections in lesse measure where sinne may be as a marke whereby God restraineth our loue euen to them where nature may soonest deceiue vs. Now whereas many haue great courage to rebuke such as either cannot gainsay them or gainsaying them cannot preuaile against them here commeth another propertie of zeale to be spoken of and that is that it feareth not the face of the mightie neither is it disâ—aied at the lookes of the proud and the loftie Such a courage was in Iob who besides that he made the yong men ashamed of their libertie and afraid of his grauitie made euen the Princes also to
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
in the word make him that hath taught him partaker of all his goods The reason is very good if the schoolemaster taketh paines in teaching the schollers owe to him other necessaries Such is the subtiltie of Satan which rageth and stormeth at the Gospell of Iesus Christ the reaching whereof he seeth is the decaying of his kingdome when as by no other meanes he can ouerthrow the same yet doth he mightily heaue at it by drawing the peoples harts from nourishing and maintaining the Preachers thereof that they being oppressed with penurie might be constrained to forsake their ministerie So that it is no marueile though the Apostle giueth so straight a charge thereof seeing so great danger might ensue If they sowe vnto you spirituall things is it a great thing if they reape of you carnall things If the Ministers giue vnto the people gold is it much for them to giue chaffe againe yet there is a greater difference betweene that that the Minister distributeth among the people that which he receiueth of them than is betweene gold and chaffe For he giueth vnto them by the preaching of the word the kingdome of heauen what treasure may be compared vnto it and will not they giue him of their worldly commodities to maintaine his liuing Truly it were a token of too too much infidelitie and a manifest argument that we are not Christians but very Heathen if we should refuse to nourish the Minister that laboureth for our profit It is manifest in the law that the Priests which waited on the Altar liued of the Altar Euen so hath the Lord appointed that they which preach the Gospell should liue of the Gospell Naturall reason teacheth vs this and yet is it written in the Scripture also that no man goeth on warfare at any time of his owne cost for the souldier receiueth his stipend Neither doth any manplant a vineyard and eateth not of the fruite thereof for to that end doth he plant it because he would enioy the fruite And againe No man keepeth a flocke and eateth not of the milke thereof But if the case standeth so in earthly matters that euery man enioyeth the fruite of his labour and is maintained by the same how much more ought the Ministers and Pastors liue of their flocke to whom they are so profitable and for whose sake they take such paines If therefore you will haue such an one placed ouer you that shall refuse no paines in studying night and day in preaching the word in season and out of season in exhorting and trying all meanes to doe you good and that shall loue you so tenderly that his owne life shall not be deare vnto him for your sake you must know it is your dutie to prouide all things necessarie for him for you must not make him your slaue but you must so minister vnto him that he may giue himselfe wholy vnto the faithfull doing of his dutie that he may not be drawne away with other cares from the same If the Lord hath commanded not to mousell the mouth of the oxe that treadeth out the corxe much lesse to withhold the Minister from things necessarie to preserue his life The labourer is worthie of his wages How wonderfully forward were the Galathians in fulfilling of this dutie when as they would not haue refused to pull out their eyes if it had beene possible and haue giuen them to the Apostle Which words although they be of supererogation yet doe they expresse such loue and readines in administring of their worldly commodities that they would haue pluckt out their owne eyes and giuen them vnto him also if by that meanes they might haue pleasured him Truly there is good cause why they should thus loue and prouide for their Minister which laboureth faithfully for if the childe cannot recompence the paines kindnes of his parents in bringing him into this world and prouiding things necessarie for his education neither the scholler the paines of his maister which hath garnished his breast with wisedome and knowledge much lesse can the childe of God recompence his spirituall father who hath begotten him vnto the Lord. Refuse not them to bestow part of thy worldly commodities vpon him that hath brought thee such heauenly treasure without the which thy estate were more miserable than the condition of brute beasts But because it may seeme very much to the worldly minded man who respecteth nothing but temporall things to thinke that he must be so liberall toward his Minister as to prouide him all things that he hath neede of although the children of God which are alreadie called and haue tasted how sweete the Lord hath beene to them by the Ministers meanes whom the Lord hath vsed as an instrument to bring them home will not thinke it much to do their dutie that very liberally in prouiding for their Pastor you shall vnderstand in what sort you ought to prouide for him First you must see that he hath sufficient for to finde himselfe and his familie necessarie foode and apparell for their bodies Secondly you must giue him wherewith to keepe hospitalitie that hee may be able honestly and decently to entertaine strangers which come vnto him to aske his counsell in matters of conscience concerning their faith and saluation Thirdly you must prouide him bookes for his studie and all such as may enrich his knowledge whereby he may the better hee able to answere and helpe all their doubts which come to him Thus must you prouide for him that he may not be troubled with any cares that may with draw him or hinder him in doing of his dutie And whereas the Apostle saith make him partaker of all your goods it is nothing lesse meant than that your goods should be at his pleasure or that you should make him abound in superfluitie wherewith he should be filled vntill he burst as they say there is no such thing but to prouide for him for those causes aforesaid Heere may they aske a question whether they ought to pay tithe vnto such Ministers as bewicked liuers because we haue spoken onely of the dutie which they owe vnto the true Ministers and faithfull labourers in the Lords busines You shall therefore vnderstand though he be a wicked liuer if he teach true doctrin hold nothing back from him but let him haue his dutie that if it shall please the Lord to conuert him from his wickednes hee may loue you the more dearely and haue the more care ouer you but if hee teach false doctrine not the word of God purely but his owne braines yet because you haue a conscience of disturbing the common weale and seeke rather peace than trouble let him haue his dutie that your diligēce in doing your duty may moue him to a more care of his or else if the Lord doth not giue him that grace yet thereby shall you leaue a testimonie in his conscience to his condemnation Moreouer where any such
we must learne that we set not our harts on these things so as our ioy in them should become either greater or equall with the reioycing in the crosse of Christ but rather that hauing wiues we be as though we had none buying as though we possessed not and vsing this world as though we vsed it not For otherwise the things of this world vanish away and therefore they are no such things as we should desire to stay our affections in them 1. Cor. 2. 2. the Apostle speaking of the like thing saith I esteemed not to know any thing among you saue Iesus Christ and him crucified purposeth not to shew that he knew not any thing else or that he would denie vnto men the knowledge of tongues learning or handicrafts for we know that he was a Pharisie brought vp in good learning at the feete of Gamaliel and how he reporteth of himselfe to speake as much in the tongues as any of the other Apostles and that he was a Tent-maker exhorting also in some of his Epistles men to get their liuings with some honest trade but his meaning is that he thought nothing worthie to be knowne or coueted no knowledge as excellent in respect and in comparison of the knowledge of Christ and him crucified And therefore whereas there were some among the Corinthians a people very famous for their learning and knowledge who pleased themselues in a conceit of their great gifts and sciences the Apostle not wanting these things protesteth vnto them that he neuer made this humane knowledge the full scope drift and foundation of his labours and that he neuer vsed them as the treasure of his heart although he could tell how farre to giue them their reuerence their due time and place in others but that he esteemed them in that measure as they stood him in stead the better to offer his seruice to Iesus Christ. Againe we must not here thinke that the Apostle knew not parents Magistrates and gouernours the gifts of men and the duties to be giuen to euery one of these but if he saw that men did glorie in themselues in their titles in their dignities then he knew them not in the flesh that is he did not esteeme them for those things but so farre he knew them in the spirit as he could reioyce that they were new creatures And therefore men must not think that for these gifts we are all in all but that the crosse of Christ is the marke we shoote at without the which all authoritie learning and knowledge is accursed of God Neuerthelesse we see it is the weaknes of iudgement to reiect all other things in themselues being the good gifts of God as our vnaduised friends haue done as though the knowledge and practise of Arts Sciences tongues and handicrafts did defile a man or as though a man were the more holie for not vsing these outward meanes But in our daies few labour of this disease of such superstitious austeritie and in our carelesse times men are not so much ouerwise and benummed in iudgement in this behalfe but most men on the contrary reioyce either as much or more in these things than in the crosse of Christ and this is the euill wherewith most men haue surfeited this is the euill whereat the Apostle striketh For though men will graunt that Christ is to be reioyced in yet their workes doe shew that they reioyce in some thing more than in the crosse of Christ and if they shew any ioy to religion it is rather done to countenance their owne gifts than to gaine any credit to Christ. How many I pray you in our daies reioyce in open wickednesse as the adulterer in his lusts the wrathfull man in his reuenging the couetous man in his riches the enuious man in his emulation and the ambitious man in his honours Why doe men learne but to get preferment why doe men so labour but to attaine to profit why doe men take such paines but in the end to reape pleasure So farre are we off from reioycing in Christ crucified that men now reioyce in open sinnes and that so manifestly as couetousnes ambition creeping vnder the cloake of vertue pleade for abilitie and maintenance for place and countenance without which as they say a man cannot doe good But these men that thus labour more for promotion profit and pleasure than to find Christ crucified and cannot find the vncomparable ioy if they were new creatures may happily carrie the face of Christians but surely by outward calling as yet they belong not vnto Christ. And what are these outward things to be reioyced in Admit that a man had all learning authoritie riches and credit are they not common as well to the wicked as to the godly are they not so transitorie and insufficient that the more a man hath of them the more he may haue doe they make the possessor the better can they keepe euill from him can they minister comfort to the afflicted conscience can they make vs reioyce in the houre of death or can they saue vs from confusion before God his iudgement seate Surely this is not in wit eloquence learning friends glorie riches and authoritie all which the wicked know better to abuse than the godly to vse but in Christ which was accursed and in his crosse which was a blessing vnto vs. Seeing it is so well did the Apostle to reioyce in this aboue all For were a man neuer so good so glorious so learned so well brought vp of such authoritie he must stoope at God his iudgement seate and there fall like a miserable caitife vnlesse he vsed these things to God his glorie and aboue all reioyced in the crosse of Christ. But now let vs see what is meant by the crosse of Christ. Some vnderstand it of the afflictions which hee did suffer for the profession of Christ because the Apostle saith in another place how he did beare about with him the marks of his sufferings in his body But this sense were too hard to be brooked that we should reioyce in nothing but in affliction albeit this is a truth that we may reioyce in those afflictions which we suffer for Christ his sake Againe the crosse of Christ taken for affliction cānot be said to be a principal cause of the world crucified to vs or of crucifying vs to the world although in some respect it may be coūted an inferior cause Further if we compare this place with other places of the scriptures we shal find it to be vnderstood of the crosse which Christ suffered for vs rather than of the crosse which we suffer for him as 2. Cor 2 2. where the Apostle laboureth to know nothing as heere he reioyceth in nothing more than in Christ crucified as he calleth it in that place or in the crosse of Christ as he speaketh in this place The Apostle his meaning then briefely is this Be it farre from me that I should chiefely
reioyce in any but in Christ crucified because he can present me blamelesse before God his iudgement seate hee hath nailed my sinnes to his crosse he is the immaculate Lambe that was sacrificed for me and will present me as cleare without spot before his father as euer I was created Wherefore Paul knowing the crosse of Christ able to performe all these things good cause there was why he then and we now attaining in some measure to the like knowledge should reioyce in Christ crucified by whoÌ„ we become crucified to the world First we are to note that they that with delight lye in sinne or haue no desire to come out of sinne cannot reioyce in the crosse of Christ. For if thou be filthie and wilt be filthie still in thy flesh how darest thou presume to reioyce in the scourged and torne flesh of Iesus Christ Canst thou ô miser still like and loue this world so much when thou doest more prick and pearce Christ with thy sinnes than euer he was pricked with thornes and nailes or can the thornes of Christ crucified be pretious to thee when the thornes of worldly cares doe so delight and choke thee How canst thou still boyle in thine anger when thou doest remember how mildly Christ crucified suffered the bitter anger of his father for thee Doest thou looke for great matters in this world considering Christ to bee borne for thee so basely to liue so poorely and to dye for thee so painfully Surely thou maist appertaine to Christ in secret election but thy sinnes thus with delight raigning in thee thou hast no assurance of Christ by thy walking Well on the contrarie doest thou thou poore sinner feele the lusts of thy flesh loathsome vnto thee that thou euen quakest to remember the place the time the occasion where sinne ouertooke thee and feelest more terrour to thinke of them than euer thou felâ—st pleasure in doing of them then for thy comfort remember thy sinnes are pardoned the pretious flesh of Christ was torne for thee and that thou seeing the wrath of God due to thy defiled flesh shalt receiue mercie because the crucified flesh of Christ doth acquite the filthines of thy flesh and the punishment due vnto it Againe doth the world begin to be vile in thine eyes and thou art ashamed that thine heart hath been so long set on things below the thornie cares doe now pricke and wound thine heart with sorrow then remember the head of Christ was planted with thornes and Christ for thee despised the world his hands and feete for thee being nailed his side pearced his whole body for thee being crucified Art thou angry with thy selfe that thou hast been so much giuen to anger and canst willingly take iudgement of thy selfe because thou hast abused God his presence and defiled his holy house in comming thither with an angrie heart then remember how Christ for thee sustained the anger of God his wrath to take from thee the imputation of thine anger Canst thou not be content to bee a worme of men and as it were troden on thinkest thou more vilely of thy selfe than of any other art thou now afraid of hypocrisie and feelest thy selfe troubled that thou didst not more earnestly seeke God and neuer didst so much desire the fauour of men as now thou desirest the fauour of God and thinkest it a great mercie to haue one foote in the earth then remember how vile Christ was to make thee pretious to God consider how he was the seruant of all a reproofe of men a worme and not a man troden downe euen of the worst kinde of men that he might free thee from thy vaineglory and secret pride Art thou grieued that thou hast presumed on the mercie of God and doest thou now thinke no more nor so much to be in thee as in other men and that thou art not a sinner alone but a sinner vily infected not resting thy selfe in any opinion of a ciuill life Art thou now as deepely plunged in despaire as before thou wast puft vp with presumption call to minde that Christ was not only reiected of men but of God to bring thee in fauour both with God and men and that he was trobled when he said Father if it bee thy will let this cup passe from mee remember how he laboured in a sweate and agonie not in a cold sweate but so as the warme blood was faine to runne out of their veines behold how hee was hanged betweene heauen earth as spued out of the one and accursed in the other and suffered the heauines of his soule to free thee from presumption by his mightie humilitie to helpe thee from desperation by his painefull crosse To be briefe there are two kinds of men that cannot reioyce in this crosse of Christ the one because they haue an opinion of their own righteousnes the other because they are senselesse for the securitie of their sinnes For the one because the feeling of the sore causeth vs to make much of the salue and the sense of sinne worketh a ioy in the deliuerance from sinne it is sure they cannot reioyce in the forgiuenes of sinne that neuer could lament for the guiltines and grieuousnes of sinne which are the cause of Christ his death Wherefore our Sauiour Christ Luk. 22. seeing certaine women following him with lamentation and mourning that so good a man so innocently should be put to death saith to them weepe rather ô daughters of Ierusalem for your sinnes teaching them that their most speciall cause of weeping was their owne iniquitie which was the cause why now he should suffer death Now then because we are ignorant many see not their sinnes and for that cause cannot mourne for them For they need no ioy that feele no sorrow they neede no comfort that tast no griefe they neede no release that are in no bands and none can truly reioice in the crosse of Christ but they that see their sinnes haue crucified Christ. Wherefore to helpe our blindnes in seeing and numbnes in feeling sinne wee must come to the law of God and to the iudgements of God there with adioyned Why cannot men come to the sight of their sinnes because they know not the lawe Why haue not men a sense of their sinne because they consider not the threatning of the law So that the remedie to make vs see sinne is the knowledge of the law the remedie to make vs feele sinne is the sense of the iudgements of God threatned in the law And why cannot the Papists reioyce in Christ but imagine other histories is it not because they haue imagined a coloured perswasion of the law thinking that the law may bee kept of man measuring the interpretation of the lawe and the obseruation thereof by grosse sinnes and not otherwise as did the Pharisies counting all the spirituall interpretation of the commandements but good counsels not necessarie precepts So that they not seeing the law spirituall nor
who although we haue the generall rule of our doings yet faile in the particular practise thereof I beleeue He confesseth that all wisedome was in Gods word and this although we confesse yet in practise wee often thinke that some wisedome of men must be added thereto But hee confesseth that all wisedome is in the word and that it is sufficient to make men perfect Vers. 67. Before I was afflicted I went astray but now I keepe thy word THis is another reason which moued him to pray that hee might not be as a horse alwayes beaten but teach me that I may preuent these beatings If I be taught of thee I misse not if I be not I erre In prosperitie I could not seeke to be taught but in affliction drawe me thereunto so that now I desire to be taught of thee If prosperitie made this man worse seeing we are in prosperitie let vs be iealous of our selues and now seeke for that which God will bring vs to by affliction and which will bring affliction vpon vs. If hee will heare when wee humbly crie in affliction how much more if wee make our humble suite in our prosperitie Afflictions come because we will not iudge our selues then it is a blessing to haue the word to iudge vs and the Preacher to rebuke vs that our wanton lusts may be corrected Then wee are fond if wee will bee wearie of the word or of daily admonition If the word helpe in affliction how much more in prosperitie if we tend thereto Whom God loueth hee correcteth and wee shall know that God loueth vs when we are corrected if we be made better by it for in it selfe it is a punishment of sinne but when in the death of Christ it is sanctified to vs so that it maketh vs dye to sinne and that sinne is loathsome to vs then is it a token of Gods fauour For afflctions are common to all Eccles. 9. but when we profit by them then are they good to vs. For if good things become hurtfull if they bee not sanctified much more shall afflictions if they bee not sanctified in the death of Christ to make vs examine our wayes and see our sinnes and to driue vs to Christ. But the wicked are either worse or no better Then wee must profit by them or else we make away for a greater punishment Vers. 68 Thou art good and gratiâ—us teach me thy stâ—tutes HE desireth to be taught by God that whether hee were in prosperitie or trouble hee might liue well because prosperitie would make him forgetfull and affliction would ouâ—â— whelme him if God did â—ot teach him This must teach vs that in what state soeuer we be we desire to be taught of God otherwise we shall false After he had shewed that he keepeth Gods commanden eâ—ts he craueth for grace where he pleadeth not his merit Though he kept the word yet he prayeth that he may still be raught because he knâ—w not all and because he was râ—adie to eâ—â—e both in practise and iudgement And tâ—â—s must teach vs not onely to desire to be taught when we eâ—â—e but euen when we doâ— well Hee prayâ—th especially for the teaching of the spirit Vers. 69. The proude haue imagined a lye against mee but I will keepe thy prâ—cepts with my whole heart HE sheweth another cause why hee would be taught and that is hee hath to fight with the world And wee haue the same causes as our corruption and the world The world loueth none but her owne And if we were as zealous as others haue beene wee should be as sore troubled For they are enuious and if wee should fight with them with their owne weapons wee were too weake and therefore wee haue neede to bee helped of God Proud Faith humbleth and infidelitie maketh proud Faith humbleth because it letteth vs see our sinnes and the punishments thereof and that we haue no dealing with God but in the mediation of Christ and that wee can doe no good nor auoide euill but by grace but when men know not this then they thinke much of themselues and therefore are proud Therefore all ignorant men all heretikes and worldlings are proud They that are humbled vnder Gods hands are humble to men but they that despise God doe also persecute his seruants By proude he here meaneth them that had good gifts to teach vs that though wee bee persecuted of them that are in high places yet this is the manner of Gods people These first mocked him part 7. then they did him iniurie part 8. and here they deuise suttle deuices against him and this is the continuall practise of the wicked This is a great temptation to set a faire face vpon an euill cause and to deface a good cause as is noted by the Hebrue word This was great grace that he could withstand it The way is to approue our selues and our cause to God for if we depend vpon men then shall wee be amazed This maketh that true which is Eccles 8. that it happeneth to the good as though they were euill and contra This is the practise of the Familie of loue to raise vp euill reports against the cause of true religion and against the persons and they preuaile much This is the practise of men in these daies to deface the persons by calling them Puritanes and the cause that it will ouerthrow states With my heart The word must haue the whole heart and not a part or else we shall not outstand this temptation He meant that he did throughly meditate not that hee did nothing else For want of this we see that many being well coloured with the word yet doe shrinke when euill reports arise Vers. 70. Their heart is sat as grease but my delight is in thy law HE further sheweth the daunger of this temptation for as they were suttle to deuise wickedly so were they able to bring their wickednesse to passe For by this speech he meaneth that they had all things at their owne will and were through their riches in great authoritie I delight He sheweth how hee ouercame this by fatting his heart with the word as the wicked fatted themselues by their riches or else he should haue been carried away Then let vs neuer rest in reading or hearing the word till wee come to such delight in it as that we fat our selues with it as the worldlings doe with their riches If wee could doe this then should we easily take our hearts from these earthly things for this is the cause that men set their delight on earthly things because they know no better And that they may finde this delight it is needfull that they finde comfort in the promises by the forgiuenes of sinnes by the assurance of Gods fauorable prouidence in this life and euerlasting life afterward which when they feele and finde then shall the word be so sweete that they shall forgoe all things for it Till wee come to this delight temptations
word when we come to it Vers. 78 Let the proude be ashamed for they haue dealt wickedly and falsely with mee but I meditate in thy precepts AS hee had before saide that the godly should be comforted in his deliuerance so here he saith that the wicked should see their wickednesse and bee ashamed either with such shame as might bring them to repentance or which might confound them if they would not repent He prayeth against their enterprises not against their persons nor the image of God in them He hath some prayers giuen by speciall instinct for the ouerthrow of the wicked in other places but here he maketh that praier which the Church ought to make For we cānot pray that Gods people may be comforted in our deliuerance but wee must also pray that the wickednes of the wicked may turne to their shame This being obserued that wee pray not against their person but their enterprise then this that wee simply respect the glory of God and the good of Gods people For if we should doe it of some speciall grudge then should we make Gods glorie a cloke of our euill purpose sin against him We may then pray that the Lord would blesse his word among vs that he would sanctifie vs by it that our good workes might be knowne to others for his glory Therefore we may pray so that it be in loue that the heresies of Papists Families of loue and others may be discouered and ouerthrown and the persons ashamed of their doings They dealt falsely with me This sheweth that their dealings that he praied against and not against their persons because their dealings were wicked and false And this teacheth when we must thus pray euen when their wicked dealings are plaine and their doings false and then may we pray with hope because the righteous God loueth righteousnesse and if the cause be good it will come to a good end For though trueth may be ashamed yet it cannot be ashamed for euer for God will defend his owne cause and though the wicked for a time preuaile yet in the end they shal come to shame This then first comforteth vs in euery good cause that it shall haue a good issue and againe that we take no euill cause in hand for if we doe it will bring shame at the last But I meditate in thy statutes He repeateth the same thing often and surely if the world could not containe the bookes that might be written of Christ and yet for our infirmitie the Lord hath comprised them in such a few bookes and yet one thing in them often repeated it sheweth that the matter is weightie and of vs duly and often to be considered And againe we are taught that that is a thing that none do so carefully looke vnto as they ought And he sheweth that as his enemies sought by euil means to hurt him so he sought to keepe a good conscience that so they might not hurt him Then we must not set policy against policy nor Cretizare cum Cretensibus but let vs alwayes tend to the word and keepe vs within the bounds of that and fight with the weapons that it teacheth vs. And this is the cause that many good men are ouercome by the wicked because they striue with them with their owne weapons and then they must needs be too hard for vs. Againe seeing they neuer want euill meanes because they giue ouer themselues thereto so if we would giue ouer our selues to God and his word and admit nothing but that which agreeeth to the word then should we be made wiser than our enemies Vers. 79. Let such as feare thee turne vnto mee and they that know thy testimonies AS he had not his owne flesh to fight against onely but the world also so hee did not only fight himself alone but seeketh the helpe of others When many see that religion cannot be truely professed but danger will come of it because many set themselues against it they flie from it and goe to the greater part which is the wicked If we will auoyd this let vs ioyne our selues to Gods children and they will helpe vs with counsell and aduise for one may be strong when we are weake another may haue counsell when we shall not know what to do therfore by them we shall be kept from many euill things So Paul 2. Timothie 1. 16. after he had complained of the wrong that many had done vnto him he straightway giueth thankes for the familie of Onesiphorus which refreshed him more than all his enemies could discourage him so that he durst oppose this one household to the whole rabble of the wicked It may also be a comfort to vs when the temptation of Elias commeth to vs to think that godlines were gone out of the world for then shal it be good to set the children of God before vs that we may heare of them and be in their company and so be comforted Againe it is no small thing to be godly indeed for then we shall be a comfort to Gods children when they heare that we continue in godlinesse whereas otherwise we are very many stumbling blocks if we shall be readie to fall or haue fallen Againe the mouthes of the wicked shall be stopped for when the Magistrate Minister and professor continue in holines then though he would speake euill yet his mouth should be stopped and what great glorie should come to God by this so that here is a speciall spurre to moue any to stand and continue in godlines If Dauid did thus desire the company of Gods children what ought we to doe But men know not their wants they know not the communion of Saints therefore they are carelesse of this Yet Paul desired to come to the Romanes that he might receiue mutuall comfort for euery member of Christ hath somewhat wherewith he may doe thee good because he is annoynted with the same oyle that thou art therefore by him thou shalt remember something forgotten or haue thy iudgement reformed in some particular thing But we know not the profit of this because we haue no vse of it In the eight part he said this chiefely that he might doe them good and here chiefely that they might helpe him He sheweth that the feete of Gods children are directed by God and if they come to vs it is a blessing of God if they doe not it is his punishment By feare he meaneth that when good men feare God they haue a chiefe care to please God a chiefe care that they might not displease him but may be approued of him in all their doings He ioyneth knowledge with feare because that knowledge without feare puffeth vp and so becommeth vnprofitable Secondly because knowledge without feare resteth not simplie in the word but seeketh by meanes Thirdly because if men haue knowledge without feare they will not come much to the afflicted because they haue not been humbled Therefore that we may be humbled and that
as wee may shewe as well our infirmities as our excellent graces Againe because hearing is the sense of discipline and many will attend on reading and hearing which will not bestowe time to conferre to pray to giue thankes to meditate or vow their obedience to the Lord he comprehendeth the one in setting down the vse of the other For if in our reading and hearing for want of meditation we doe not profit we are as coloured in the Sunne wherefore wee must admonish and â—ee admonished we must pray and prouoke to pray we must meditate and often thinke oâ— those things which we haue heard or read Indeede knowledge reading and hearing are sweete euen to a naturall man â—ut to conferre to be admonished to pray to giue thankes be things hard and difficult It may be that some can pray to serue the times because of the law which constrained them but how many shall wee finde that doe it priuately in trueth and voluntarily Some read and they rest in the generall rules not making any vse of it to themselues and so learne that which is another mans not appropriating it to themselues for want of meditation Whereof it commeth to passe that wee see many make a learned sermon in generall precepts who when they come to particulars to comfort those that lye sicke or to raise vp them that are tempted for want of practise in themselues can say nothing The very Heathen could grant and you know who speake it that a mâ—â—s life was a cogitation of death But because we can meditate of death for that we ioyne with it the hope of immortalitie I say that a Christian mans life mâ—y well besaide to bee a meditation of the law of God and how hee shall stand before Gods iudgement seate Which meditation in this man of God sheweth that euen from the heart he loueth the law of God If we examine our selues we shall finde our tongues to cleaue to our teeth and to the roofe of our mouthes whereby wee see that we cannot say this with the prophet that from the abundance of the heart our mouth speaketh For we sinde by practise that we heare reade and sing so coldly as we shew that our affections are almost dead within vs. There followeth in the end of the verse continually Wee know by proofe of daily experience that whatsoeuer we loue of that we continually thinke And in that this qualitie or circumstance is ioyned with meditation we are taught that though we must reade heare conferre pray and giue thanks often yet we must meditate continually For as it is absurd to say that a man should be continually reading or conferring so we must know that it is requisite in all these things to examine our selues by meditation whether we reade profitably conferre effectually or pray vnderstandingly That we now haue this continuall meditation we must pray that we may haue a loue to the word Loue indeed were of it selfe eloquent enough if we had it in any good measure but to stirre vp this loue we must vse many reasons about the nature of the word how it is mysticall pure and eternall which when we see in truth we shall loue the word Where he saith in it is my meditation wee must vnderstand that it was no rouing meditation but that it was circumscribed within the compasse of the law of God Now to our profit let vs learne to meditate according to the law of the Lord and so as vnder the generals we may touch the particulars to make the vse of them in our selues Thus we haue seene the cause of this effect to be loue For as the rich men of this world meditate of gathering goods naturall louers of their loue and ambitious men of their preferments so the man of God hauing no greater riches pleasure nor glorie than in the word maketh it his whole delight and studie For where we loue thither loue doth easily drawe our affections with it We haue heard why mention is made only of meditation namely because it is the life of all the other meanes and maketh them more fruitfull and why his meditation was maried to the law euen because it excludeth all vaine collections which proceede of general knowledge Besides therefore is meditation named because it most agreeth with the nature of loue For though we cannot alwaies be reading hearing or talking of those things which we â—â—â—â— we may alwayes thinke and meditate of them Now what is the cause that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is preached and â—o little is practised but because wee vse so little conference prayer and meditation The remedie hereof is to knowe what a sinne this is and that among all 〈◊〉 in the day of trouble none so great to torment our consciences as that we haue tested in a generall 〈◊〉 and â—â—â—â—ng of the word without applying of it to our seuerall practises by meditation He hath shewed now his loue in the verses following hee setteth downe the fruite of his loue For as hee shewed that the word of God is of such nature that aboue all other things iâ— is eternall so also hee sheweth that the effects thereof are eternall And whereas men desire nothing more than that wisedome whereby they may excel their enemies in policie their teachers in doctrine and the aged in counsaile he declareth that hee made this choyse to set his loue on Gods word which performeth all these things As loue then is the mother that breedeth meditation and meditation is the nurse to cherish this loue so here because the argument of the effect doth most with men preuaile hee sheweth the mightie power and operation of the word of God What is the reason why men do not râ—st and stay themselues wholy on Gods law Surely because they are not perswaded that there is such excellent wisedome in the same We see then that wee must learne for the generals to bee wise in sobrietie and according to the word of God knowing that the Scriptures are sufficient to touch to improue and correct and to instruct iâ— righteousnesse that the man of â—â—â—â— may bee absolute being made perfect vnto all good workes 2. Tim. 3. The Wiseman counsaileth vs Eecles 7. 18. that wee should not â—â—â— iust euermuch â—â— make our selues ouerwise least web 〈◊〉 Where he sheweth that this is the way to bring blockishnes to make our selues wiser than God and to deuile to become more iust than the word prescribeth vs. What is the cause why so many are so foolish in their death when they haue ouerreached themselues as Achitophel Surely because the Lord doth inâ—â—uate them whilest they would be wiser than the Lord so that their wisdome is 〈◊〉 into childishnes and their policie commeth to nothing What is the cause that we are no more occupied in the reading and hearing of the word Doubtlesse because it is a base and simple thing in our iudgemenâ—â— and containeth not so high mysteries in it as
shield and I trust in thy word BEcause the Prophet could not perswade himselfe of any other safetie than of the safeâ—â—â—â— which he had vnder the Lord he sheweth that so long as he put his trust in Gods 〈…〉 s he feared nothing And surely this ought to be the principal thing among Christians to looke for none other defence than that which is to be looked for out of the promises of God For what is the cause why when wee are in daunger in pouertie in any distresse wee haue so many by-paths and can inuent vnlawfull meanes and shifts so for our deliuerance but onely because the Lord and his word is not our refuge and our shield For if we were once perswaded that God were our tower to defend vs and our shield to couer vs wee should be staied If wee then call on God in our neede we must know that Psal. 33. vers 18. The eye of the Lord is vpon them that feare him and vpon them that trust in his mercies And that Psal. 145. 18. Hee will fulfill the desire of them that feare him hee also will heare their crie and will saue them And our cause being good we neede not to doubt of him for he hath promised to be our shield and buckler So our Sauiour Christ being tempted of Sathan to turne the stones into bread was moued by him to distrust Gods prouidence What saith he doest thou thinke that if thou wert the Sonne of God thou shouldest bee left in such wants make some shift therefore for thy selfe But Christ knowing God to bee the author of his neede was assured that he would secretly nourish him vntill hee had receiued ordinarie meanes againe and so strengthened himselfe in Gods promises Likewise when we are in need or in perill Sathan will cause vs to vse one shift or other but we must answere him The Lord is my shield and tower I am sure enough and therfore I hate all ill inuentions I put my trust in the Lord. We acknowledge this with our tongue yet it is a hard thing to bee practised to put our trust in Gods word For howsoeuer wee will grant indeede that wee must put our trust in God yet we hardly yeeld vnto this that we must trust in his word but we must here correct this vnbeliefe and learne that if we seeke for helpe at God wee must trust in his word Doth Gods word threaten his iustice and can wee finde in our liues that if wee vse euill meanes we shall be punished Doth Gods word assure vs that God is mercifull and doe we beleeue that Iesus Christ came to saue sinners although we were the greatest and that he came to call sinners and not the righteous to repentance and that Iesus Christ came to saue that which was lost and to refresh all that are wearie and heauie laden Thus the man of God saith portioÌ„ 8. 1. O Lord thou art my portioÌ„ I haue determined to keepe thy law And portion 14. 6. Thy testimonies haue I taken as an heritage for euer for they are the very ioy of my heart Thus he sheweth that we must seeke for that in Gods word which wee seeke for of him For his word is a conduit or waterpipe whereby the Lord conueying his mercies vnto vs will haue them runne through vnto vs. Doe wee beleeue then the promises that God will prouide for vs then let vs beware of al wicked shifts and trust onely in his word For if we beleeue God to be our tower we must looke to Gods word The Heathen men and the prophane worldlings will speake gloriously of the goodnesse of the strength and of the mercy of God but when they come to see it in the word they will erre altogether out of the way whereby they shew how they vtter more in their tongues than they performe in truth For the Lord hath layde that helpe on his word which he would haue vs to seeke for at his hand so Christ by the word put the diuell to flight with these words in effect Thou wouldest haue me Sathan to mistrust my Fathers prouidence and to giue my selfe to be taught of thee but I know he will keepe me in all my necessities and why because he hath said Man liueth not by bread onely but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God the Lord hath prouided ordinarie meanes to nourish me and hath not commaunded that stones should be made bread and why then should I vse vnlawfull meanes Wherefore I will stay my selfe vpon my Fathers prouidence We see he might haue said that God is almightie and strong or that by his mightie power he might haue put off Sathan but he reciteth the words of Moses which he vsed when the Lord so wonderfully had preserued his people the Israelites in the wildernesse without ordinarie meanes We must in like manner when Sathan shall set vpon vs in time of neede say it is written The Lord is iust and true in all his promises It is written The eyes of the Lord are vpon the righteous and his eares are open to their crie nothing wanteth to them that feare him The Lyons doe lacke and suffer hunger but they which seeke the Lord shall want nothing which is good It is written Rom. 8. verse 35. Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perill or sword When we are tempted then with doubting in our selues that we shall not escape we must know that it is written Rom. 8. 31. If God be on our side who can be against vs 32. Who spared not his owne Sonne but gaue him for vs all to death how shall he not with him giue vs all things also If we be tempted to steale we must say as it is written Man liueth not by bread onely but by euery word which proceedeth out of the mouth of God knowing that God is able to preserue vs without ordinarie meanes Vers. 115. Away from me ye wicked for I will keepe the commandements of my God THe cause why the man of God could not so stay himselfe on the Lord was because what way soeuer he turned himselfe he could see no man that would helpe him He had no helpe of the world euery man prouided for himself some shifted this way another that way he could see no good example of any which either beleeued Gods promises to be true or were readie to obey his commaundements Wherefore it is manifest that they were impediments rather than furtherances vnto him For else why should he say Away from me ye wicked c Were there so many impediments in his daies and shall we thinke there are not so many in ours or was that age wherein he liued more wicked than the age wherein we liue First we are nothing like him in good things he had greater graces of God than we haue he had gone further in holinesse than we we liue
of Gods children are not so sirme as that it is neuer shaken they are not alwaies in the tenour and as the Lord giueth them of his grace in measure so hee giueth them at sometimes more at sometimes lesse he often humbleth them with incredulitie to exercise them in prayer and to confirme them the more by his Spirit whereof they haue had a pledge in his word Wee haue learned that the Prophet thought himselfe to haue no life but as he had the feeling of the life of the Sonne of God to be conueyed to him by the spirit of God through the working of the word of God and that as we breathe eate playe and labour wee haue nothing differing from bruite beasts as we haue fiue wits to discourse of things we haue nothing more than the heathen than the Turkes than the vngodly infidels The Scriptures shew that all that liue in ignorance and sinne are dead for they that liue in ignorance sit in darkenes and in the shadow of death as it is in the song of Zacharie and if we liue in sinne the Apostle witnesseth we are but dead Ephes 2.1 The death of sinne is the life of a man and the life of sinne is the death of a man sinne then I meane to liue in vs when wee giue ouer our selues to sin with pleasure and lye in our sinne with delight And yet here is a further thing for the man of God speaketh of the experience of Gods children who when they feele delight in prayer and their inward man delighted with the word of God they thinke they are aliue and that so long they walke in the land of the liuing but when they fal into some sinne and become vnthankfull or pensiue there comes a dulnes and deadnes of heart they are not able to see any difference betweene themselues and the reprobates and finding in themselues such an heape of ill inclinations they think themselues to be dead It followeth in the verse And disappoint me not of mine hope As if he should say O Lord euen as I trust in thy word so my hope is that thy word shall be accomplished As faith is the mother of hope so hope is the daughter and nurse of faith for faith breedeth hope and hope nourisheth faith faith assureth vs of the trueth of Gods word hope waiteth for the accomplishment of it His meaning then is Lord as I trust in thy word so strengthen my faith and disappoint mee not of my hope for howsoeuer the wicked continue for a while I beleeue that I shall haue a glorious end I beleeue it is not lost labour to serue the Lord O Lord I hope to see them troden downe that breake thy statutes Thus we see how Gods children feare their vnbeliefe and nourish their faith with prayer so the true Minister of God cannot but be zealous to stirre vp his people to feruent and frequent prayer We see the one halfe of this Psalme to bee prayer and that in euery portion two or three or foure verses be prayers And the man of God being willing to bring his knowledge to feeling hath still this prayer Stay mâ—e in thy word teach mee thy statutes disappoint me not of my hope establish thy promises to thy seruant For as reading hearing and conferring doe more increase knowledge than feeling so meditating praying and singing doe more nourish feeling than knowledge Had he that had such a faith in Gods word such ioy such delight such life in the spirit neede so often and feruently to pray then I beseech you let vs pray pray pray Vers. 117. Stay thou me and I shall be safe and I will delight continually in thy statutes THis agreeth with that in the verse going before stablish mee according to thy promise Hadst thou need Dauid to be staied didst thou wauer oh how need we to be stayed and to pray against our wauering he meaneth here thus much although I am well minded and delight in thy law yet I am so brittle and so slipperie that if thou stay mee not I shall sall I am gone Oh man of God feeling his owne wants and infirmities I shall be safe that is If I be not stayed by thine hand I shall be at the last cast Psal. 30. 6 he said hee should neuer be remoued here is another spirit where he saith he should be safe But here wofull experience taught him that he durst not be stayed on himselfe whereby he declareth that as without Gods word he could not be safe so come what come would befall what danger could befall in the Lords word he was staied sufficiently Then we are to learne that the promises of God must engender in vs a care and feare of our selues for if we begin once to be quiet with our selues when wee begin to be secure and presumptuous let vs assure our selues that we are not farre from sinne But if we feare that wee are staggering and reeling persons and that we are very slipperie is there not cause of humbling that this humblenes should breed carefulnesse carefulnesse should cause watchfulnesse watchfulnesse should vse the meanes and the meanes should be sanctified by prayer Then come hell come the diuell come the world come the flesh if the Lord stay vs we shall liue and not die we shall surely not miscarie And I will delight continually in thy statutes Wee see here that there is no free will for he prayeth likewise Port. 5. 1. Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes Neither did he promise of himselfe before but did hope in the Lord. Such brittlenes is in the world such sleights in the flesh such slinesse in SathaÌ„ such corrupt examples in the world that vnlesse the Lord stay vs we are so farre off from delight in good that we are ready to fall into great sinnes Euery man therefore is to search his owne heart and by the cause we may come to the effects and by the tree may coniecture of the fruite so by the effects we may iudge of the cause and by the fruite we may iudge of the tree Where is now this delight when we heare the word we heare it with such coldnesse therefore it is a manifest proofe we are not staâ—ed in the Lord. For whosoeuer doth not delight in the word he may deceiue his owne soule but surely as yet he is not staied on God If we are not delighted then are we stâ—ied on our own selues but if the Lord work in vs then shal we feele delight This is a griefe of my soule that I see no delight in the Lords day all things are done for fashion but the power of godlinesse is not among vs. The cause is the want of priuate exercises the want of priuate reading and praying and this bringeth a secret curse of publike exercises and therefore I cannot but so often vâ—ge priuate prayer and meditation Vers. 118. Thou hast troden downe all them that depart from
is it to giue vs his truth to enrich vs with his Gospell and to blesse vs with such abundance of temporall things Oh that this were knowne of vs oh that euery man would say Oh Lord what am I that thou shouldest shewe mee such mercie to giue mee the enioying of thy word and Gospell more than any other and giuing it to mee makest me to vnderstand it aboue many oh what am I that thou shouldest offer to mee this goodnesse I was borne and conceaued in sinne I haue multiplied and enlarged my corruptions both before since my calling my vnthankfulnes is great my vnworthines therefore greater and yet thou hast not ceased to preferre me in mercies before many If we consider the fearefull iudgements of God in consuming all hypocrites who will not say that many haue beene called and few chosen When we shall see I say in the day of the Lord his seuere iudgements to tread downe these hypocrites and cause them to goe from his presence to hell oh how wil we esteeme that we are in Christ and say Oh how loue I thy law For I see thy iudgements are equall and thou dealest not with me in iustice but in mercie not in anger but in loue not in wrath but in pittie therfore they couenant is sweete because I haue deserued thy iudgements and thou hast spared me Vers. 120. My flesh trembleth for feare of thee and I am afraide of thy iudgements HEre may seeme at the first to be some contrarietie betweene feare and loue sith loue causeth not but casteth out feare For he had saide in the verse going before that hee loued the testimonies of the Lord and here he saith that his flesh trembled for feare Wherefore at the first sight here is some shew of contrariety but indeed there is none For he saith My flesh trembleth c. whereby he sheweth that as he loued the law of God in his inward man and with his part regenerate so it is the outward and olde man and the part vnrenued which is full of corruption that did feare So that as hee had Gods spirit to renue his minde hee had this witnesse in him that he did loue the promises of God but because his flesh rebelleth against the Spirit and hee found many corruptions of nature remaining in him and threatning him that after hee was like to fall againe if the Lord yea but a little should leaue him he saith I am afraid least for my vnthankfulnes and vnworthie refusing of thy mercie thou shouldest leaue me to my selfe and so shouldest make a way to thy iudgements Thus there is an harmonie in the Prophet for because as the flesh hath a trembling feare so the spirit reioyceth Thus as wee haue often heard Gods children finde to their comfort in themselues faith in Gods promises and a delight in his word sometime they are grieued for the absence of this sweetnes of faith in the same For as the presence of Gods spirit bringeth ioy so the absence thereof feare as faith breedeth a loue of Gods promises so infidelitie maketh vs afraid of his iudgements Although Noah had great cause to loue the promises of God for his wonderfull deliuerance so he had great cause to feare himselfe that he might haue fallen afterward Lot also hauing good cause to beleeue and embrace the couenant of God for his safegard had iust occasion also to haue suspected himselfe that he was subiect to falling It is said Prou. 28. 14. Blessed is the man that feareth alwaies but hee that hardeneth his heart shall fall into euill For where feare is not there is securitie securitie breedeth hardnesse of heart and hardnes of heart bringeth Gods wrath Wherfore the Apostle writing to the Philippians shewing that God worketh in vs both the will and the deede of doing good least hereby they should draw to themselues security addeth that they must fill the course of their saluation in feare and trembling For if wee doe only well by Gods grace working in vs wee are much to feare the absence of it Wherefore wee see how the man of God did iustly feare his part vnregenerate This feare of Gods children differeth much from the feare of the wicked for it bringeth vs to the Lord and driueth vs not from the Lord it helpeth and hindreth not our prayers it hurteth not but furthereth our duties For it maketh vs to feare least wee should lose Gods grace it causeth vs to waite more and more to haue it and hauing it moueth vs by prayer to continue it When Noah had Gods fauour he feared and being warned of God as Heb 11. 7. of the things which were as yet not seene moued with reuerence prepared the Arke c So Habacuk hearing of the iudgement of God which should fall vpon the faithfull by the Chaldeans saith Hâ—b 3. 16. My bellie trembled my lips shooke at the voyce rottennes entred into my bones and I trembled in my selfe Paul said he preached with feare and trembling Thus wee see how the good Saints of God did feare because they knewe that if the Lord should enter into iudgement with vs no flesh should be saued and that there was nothing in them but of mercie and therefore they acknowledge their weaknes vnworthinesse and wretchednesse Wee see also that Gods children haue diuers affects according to their diuers estates and though sometimes they are quickened through faith other times they are most ready to sinne if they doe not sinne No maruell then though the children of God feare when they see that God restraineth their will the greater their feelings are yet are they mixed with a reuerent feare of Gods maiestie and sight of their own corruptioÌ„s least they should not abide his glorie and least they should not continue in their good things We see moreouer that this feare humbled Noah that the Prophets Apostles spake in feare which the Lord gaue vnto them either to prepare them to some grace which they should receiue or else more zealously to keepe some grace which already they haue receiued And where it might be obiected that loue casteth out feare wee must vnderstand of that seruile and excessiue feare which driueth vs away from God And seeing though wee feele Gods loue by faith wee will feare then much more had we neede so to doe when by infidelitie wee feele not this loue So wee must haue both feare to prepare vs to grace and wee must haue loue to continue vs in this grace And surely onely they with whom this thing hath been familiar doe knowe how loue and feare doe dwell together For as blessed experiencâ— hath taught some that by this feare they haue attained to speciall graces and continued in them by the same so also by wofull experience some haue found that for want â—f this they either haue not tâ—sted of the grace of God or else not continued in the same PORTION 15. AYN. Vers. 1â—1 I haue executed iudgement and iustice
contrarietie betweene vs and others as is betweene light and darknesse God and the diuell But if wee beginne to bee in mammering of Religion and know not what to holde but wauer in all it is to bee doubted that wee shall bee partakers of the common punishment Let vs learne then to shut vp our faith within the compasse of Noah his Arke and not commit it to the broad waters of the wicked world To this ende saide our Sauiour Christ When the Sonne of man shall come where shall hee finde faith in the earth as though hee should say it would be an hard matter to finde faith amongst men We see in this man of God if we will esteeme aright of the law of God we must loue it aboue gold Vers. 128. I esteeme all thy precepts most iust and hate all false wayes HE sheweth that there is no sound loue of good things where there is not an hatred of euill We shall see this by experience he that loueth to keepe the Sabbath he wil hate a prophane breaker of the Sabbath he that loueth chastitie will abhorre adultery he that loueth true dealing hateth all vnrighteousnes and surely if we doe not in truth loue good and hate euill but bee found to halte in hypocrisie wee shall in time be discouered and one day taken in a trip In that he vseth emphatically I esteeme all thy precepts hee declareth that he loued not one or two but all the commaundements His meaning then is this O Lord there is not one of the least of thy commaundements but I esteeme it there is not one way of falsehoode but I abhorre it Now we are to learne not to esteeme well of one commaundement which our nature best liketh and to dispense with another but true christianitie esteemeth all alike euen that most which by nature we are most ready to breake PORTION 17. TETH Vers. 129. Thy testimonies are wonderfull therefore doth my soule keepe them THe selfe same argument is here continued which hee vsed before For hee partly prayeth for graces and partly sheweth what graces hee hath receiued in the first second third and last verses of this Portion hee sheweth his graces in the other hee prayeth for graces As we see the selfe same argument so we see a new reason Thy testimonies saith he are wonderful that â—â— thy lawe hath in it such mysteries as naturall men cannot reach them and therefore loneâ— thy law As if hee should haue said Lord what is the cause that men doe so basely esteeme of the greatnes of thy couenants why doe men so little regard it because they neuer tasted the excellencie of it they neuer felt the wonderfull and powerfull maiesty thereof Why doe â—lay them vp as my soule because in my soule I haue felt by thy word suâ— wisdome â—s eye hath not seene eare hath not heard nor reason able to conceiue And why I pray you in our times doe so few conceiue or conceiuing doe keepe and so esteeme of the word of God because the wise men of the worlde thinke it a thing very easie and they can conceiue 〈◊〉 they list the more common sort of people make â—o more account of iâ— â—han to giue it the hearing and that with their naturall wit and reason onely Some men may tâ—inâ—◠〈…〉 tâ—â—uâ—â— against mens wits but all men may see that that is a mysterie which cannâ—◠〈…〉 by reason and that if it be a thing which by wit and reason may be conceiueâ— and 〈…〉 that it is no mysterie This is the reason why comming to the word we must haue new eyes to see spiritually new eares to discerne new hearts to conceiue Vers. 130. The entrance into thy word sheweth light and giueth vnderstanding to the simple THis is no painted wisedome yet the simplicitie of the word is of more glorie and pompe than all the wisedome of the world besides Wherefore Paul Ephes. 3. prayed that the Ephesians might according to the riches of Gods glorie receiue strength by his spirit in the inner man to comprehend the breadth and height and length and depth of this our Sauiour Christ speaking to Peter of this mysterie attained to by faith saith Flesh and blood hath not 〈…〉 this vnto thee but the Spirit And in Matth. 13 11. where our Sauiour Christ spake in Parables he â—â—â—â—e Because it is giuen to you to knowe the secrets of the kingdome of â—â—â—â—â—n but to â—hâ—m it is not giuen Many may haue the word of God strike their eares they may haue an humane conceiuing of it but few haue the right and spirituall vnderstanding of it When we come then in feare and trembling to heare the word as knowing that of our selues we can neuer vnderstand the word but must craue of God by prayer to be giuen vs by his holy Spirit who as he was the author in giuing it so hee is also the causer of conceiuing it wee are sure we shall vnderstand There is an hearing of the letter and an hearing of the Spirit Why then haue wee so little iudgement and cold affections in hearing and reading but because we heare and reade so malapertly and are not throughly and truely perswaded of the maiestie thereof The Lord is delighted with the soule that is humbled and refuseth the purpose of the proud For what is the cause that so many runne into heresie but because they are proude in their owne conceits On the contrarie if we had this humbled minde we should not be so senselesse in conceiuing nor so soone caried away with the flouds and tempests of corrupt doctrine In that he saith My soule doth keepe them his meaning is that therefore hee laide vp the precepts of God in his heart that hee might haue them in a readinesse when hee should practise them as he saith portion 2. 3. I haue hid thy promise in my heart that I might not sinne against thee The soule is the seate of affections for hee saith that hee had the statutes of the Lord in his affections The seate of diuinitie is the heart wherefore the Scriptures vse so often to say the heart of man is corrupt the Lord searcheth the heart the foolish man hath said in his heart For though the Philosophers saide that the minde was the seate of knowledge yet they could neuer see that the heart is the seate of Christian religion Which if it were in our minde wee should surely be puft vp with it as wee are with knowledge Here is then a triall of our hearts I see many labour after knowledge but fewe after affections This in temptation will not helpe vntill both knowledge and affections be on our sides to resist so that which we haue in knowledge may also be in affections For though wee may learne it and commend it for a while yet surely wee shall haue no profit by it in temptation When we haue none other seate for diuinitie but our heart and doe not place
difference or like danger â—â— their sins Is it not one thing for a man to betray his owne Maister for couetousnes of a little money and another for feare and infirmitie to denie him Is it not one thing to purposâ— well doing yet to fâ—ll for feare and another thing willingly to suffer the dâ—â—â—â—â—â— to carry him from action to action to haue the purse deliuered him to be forewarned of it to take the soppe of him whom he should betray and yet to perseuere in his wickednes Is there no difference betwixt him who when hee had sinned wept and â—ined away for sorrow and another that after he had sinned hauing an hellâ—â—h desperation tooke vengeance of himselfe Thus we see that there is a manifest difference betweene the sinnes of the godly and of the wicked the sinne of the one was not a purposed sinne the sinne of the other waâ— forepurposed the one when he heard of his sinne striued to get out of it the other being admonished was carelesse Finally the one renued himselfe by Faith in Iesus Christ the other hauing sinned vtterly deâ—paiâ—ed For saith the Lord. 2. King 15. 5. Dauid did right c saue onely in the matter of 〈◊〉 tâ—e Hittiâ— did not Dauid else sinne we know he numbred his people â—e would haue killed Nabal he had conceiued an euill of Mâ—â—â—bosheth howbeit the holy Ghost counteth not as it were of these sinnes as being done of infirmitie but saith the spirit of God this was a soule sinne For the other sinnes the Lord would not deale with them but passed them ouer as it were but this sinne must needs be punished And wherein did this sinne become so great aboue the rest did he not first sinne with his eye wherwith he had before almost made a couenant was he not an hypocrite in desiring to hide his sinne when this could not be done he still was deceiued by Sathan and when he saw the fact must needs out and should come to light when it should now be knowne and the woman must be examined what did he then although he had neither hatred to the man Vriah who had deserued wel of him nor earnest loue to the woman yet sendeth he a Captain with his letters whereas in the warres they vse to set for lorne persons in the forefront of the first hand hee had appointed Vriah to be the man in that battaile and still he perswaded himselfe that he killed him not and after to auoid publike infamie he tooke home the woman to him Thus was Dauid deceiued of Sathan both subtillie and dangerously and yet not so but that there is a difference betwixt him and another that should make an occupation of adulterie and still bathe himselfe in filthie loue But the Prophet Nathan comes no sooner to him and telleth him but closely and slenderly of his sinne but see hee is sâ—â—icken to the heart hee controlles him not though he were a King but he admitteth him vnto him and receiueth him humblie He had sinned before but hee did not see it before we see here no presumption for hee flatly accused and not excused himselfe saving I haue sinned against the Lord. Where are they now that will make the sinnes of others placardâ— for their sinnes where are they that will make such grosse presidences for sinning because there are some infirmities and ignorances in Gods children let them consider rightly of these differences of sinnes We see then the plaine meaning of the man of God he prayeth not to haue no sinne within him but that he might noâ—â—ly in sinne There is then a difference betweene affectate ignorance and diuelish presumption and the weake ignorance and infirmities of God his children there is a diffâ—rence betweene sinning in fewe things and sinning in manie betweene sinne committed and repented of and sinne committed without any repentance betweene infirmities and presumptions Wherefore the Apostle saith Let not sinne raigne in your mortall bodies and yet the same man saith Ro 7. that sinne dwelt in him and that he was solde vâ—to sinne There is a difference betweene permitting a Prince as our lawfull gouernor to rule and raigne ouer vs and to yeelde obedience to him willingly and a griuous Tyrant whom wee resist and performe no obedience to him because he commeth with vsurped authoritie who would inforce vs whether we will or no and caryeth vs violently to prison So the meaning of the Apostle when he saith let not sinne raigne is this acknowledge not sinne to be your King delight not in it and if he do come let him come like a tyrant and as one that would hale you into prison that you may shâ—w your selues not to be willingly drawne into his seruitude crie out Oh mortall man that I am who shall deliuer me from this bodie of sin death Is there not then a difference betweene him who when he hath sinned is afraid to pray to God trembleth to come before God feareth euen to goe on the earth and another who when he hath sinned is merry and pleaseth himselfe in it and maketh but a delight a pastime and an occupation of it Is there not a difference betweene him that fighteth boldly and him that will not fight at all against sinne Wherefore though Gods children haue such infirmities yet they vse all meanes to resist them and account much of hearing praying meditating and conferring of the worde that thereby iniquitie might not haue the vpper hand of them Thus we see how the children of God are violently haled to sinne the wicked are voluntarily carried headlong into sinne the godly recouer themselues the wicked fall from sinne to sinne the godly yeeld to admonitions the vngodly thereby are worse and worse Vers. 134. Deliuer me from the oppression of men and I will keepe â—hy precepts AS we haue oft declared it is the lot of Gods children to bee troubled with the vngodly and therefore this man setteth himselfe down as a patterne therein and seeing the Lord Iesus hath made himselfe a chiefe exaÌ„ple in the house of example who is our head it is meere that we who are his members should also suffer troubles that wee may be made like vnto him What is the cause then why wee are so much at quiet with our selues both Minister and Magistrate people and subiect but because we doe not so much resist Sathan fight against the world striue against our selues For we beginning to rebuke the world of sinne the world cannot away with vs and when we stir vp our selues against the diuell he setteth himselfe and all his impes against vs and when wee checke and controll our selues we can neuer finde quiet True it is that sometimes wee shall haue quiet but this is but a breathing time yet that must be fulfilled in the members which was begunne in the head that we being like to him in suffering may also be like to him in glorie remembring alwaies that which
them with that affection wherewith we of them in the like case would be admonished and yet as we also remember to be admonished of them as though we were admonished of God Doest thou loue Gods glorie then wilt thou surely admonish thy brother of sinne Doest thou loue thy brother then wilt thou admonish him with compassion See here is that which teacheth all wisedome I must be grieued for sinne because it is that that casts all mankinde from the Lord because it is such a thing as thrust Adam out of Paradise it is so grieuous a thing that it ouerwhelmed the old world with waters it consumed Sodome and Gomorrah with fiâ—e it crucified Iesus Christ the Sonne of God it is such a thing as is an enemie to God the Father an enemie to God the Sonne and an enemie to God the holy Ghost and therefore I must needes be an enemie vnto it yet I must be grieued as putting my selfe in the like case that the offender is Wherefore many faithfull Ministers of God when they are most hot they haue most heauines in their soules least the curse which they must needs threaten doe turne to the confusion of the persons whom they threaten Thus we see this zeale will teach vs neither to rebuke sinne too coldly nor yet too hotly For we shall not so loue God as we shall abuse man the image of God neither shall we so loue man as we shall hinder or impaire the glorie of God for if we be sorrowfull that God is offended and that man hath offended we shall be sure to make an holy medlie Vers. 140. Thy word is proued must pure and thy seruant loueth it HEre the Prophet shewing his loue to be the cause of his zeale repeateth in effect that which he said before It may seeme strange why the man of God should make mention of this so oft that the word of God is true But we must know that he did it to strengthen his faith in the time of trouble and that then he might not faint We thinke not that there is such need of faith because we feele not the like temptations For they that haue no sight of their corruptions know not their vnbeliefe and they that feele not their vnbeliefe feele not the necessitie of this strengthning of their faith And as they that know not their vnbeliefe know nothing so they that beleeue and see their vnbeliefe know this to be necessarie They then that haue a true triall of their vnbeliefe know this faith to be a rare gift of God So that the Prophet commendeth the word of God here of experience for he saith Thy word is proued most pure His meaning is this This is the cause why I am so zealous euen because I loue thy word and therefore O'Lord I loue thy word because I finde it by proofe to be so pure That we then may make this our rule for examination why are we so cold in zeale euen because we are cold in the loue of the word For as our loue encreaseth so encrease also our delight and griefe our delight to see the thing loued to haue happie proceedings our griefe to see the thing which we loue to be despised This we see to be in euery kinde of loue For a man that truly loueth his wifâ— cannot abide to see his wife contemned and discredited nor the woman that truly loueth her husband can abide to see him reiected and despised When we loue our friend we are grieued to see any contempt offered vnto him This then we see in the nature of true loue to reioyce to see the person loued aduanced or the thing which we loue esteemed and grieued to see either the person or thing so loued to be cast downe and contemned It was a griefe euen to the Heathenish Philosophers to see their doctrine not regarded were they so moued for the small regard of that earthly doctrine which had no exact truth in it but was mingled with infinite errors and vntruths and shall not we much more be moued to see the word of God which hath so exact a truth and no vntruth contemned and little set by wherefore when we haue not this godly griefe in vs it is a manifest argument that our loue is very cold For as our loue is the greater so vndoubtedly our griefe will be the greater and so as our loue is the lesse so will our griefe to see the thing defaced be also the lesse When we haue much delight in any thing we are much grieued and who are more grieued to see the word of God troden downe than the godly because of all other their delight is most in it Not without cause then is this loue commended vnto vs to be a token of our zeale and therefore we see Psalme 67. the Church praiseth and prouoketh all the world to praise God when the word had free successe such is the loue of it to the word of God O let thy people praise thee O God yea let all the people praise thee Oh lâ—t the nations reioyce and be glad c. As then the children of God thinke themselues in ioy and prosperity when the word of God is in prosperitie so it being in any trouble death is not troublesome to them so that by their death and suffering they may any thing confirme the truth and giue countenance to it The Prophet of God sheweth his loue to the word saying All my springs O Lord are in it meaning that all his ioy his delight and affections were wholy set on the word of God Wherefore if there be such ioy in hauing it there must needes be great griefe in wanting it We are herein greatly to condemne our selues that we are no more thankfull for our vnthankfulnes bringeth this secret curse that we are no more zealous because many can hardly iudge betweene fleshly anger and spirituall zeale such is the rare feeling of this true zeale they are readie to imagine that if one be godly zealous they are straightway carnally angrie How necessary a thing therfore it is to know godly zeale all men may see for as we haue said that the Lord threatneth Reuel 3. that vnlesse the Laodiceans would be more zealous and amend he would spue them out that is he would haue no delight in them 〈◊〉 the Lord would as leeue haue vs of another religion as to be so luke-warme in his true religion For as a stomacke is easily brought to prouoke a vomite by receiuing somewhat that is lukewarme so the Lord spueth as it were out of his stomack luke warme professors as them whom by no meanes he can brooke which is a most feareful thing We know that the good father Elie 1. Sam. 3. although otherwise no doubt he was the deare seruant of God was grieued for the sinnes of his sonnes and mourned when the Arke of God was taken was reproued by the holy Ghost that he should loue the glorie of his sons
tell you the word is true and this is mine onely comfort O Lord that though the wicked rage thy promise for euer is vnchangeable Proued true What could deceiue it could the Serpent in Paradise No. What could wash it away could all the flood in the deluge No. What could consume it could all the firie furnace of Gomorrah of Egypt and of Babylon No Looke from the first father of all Adam vnto this day and how many seruants the Lord hath died and sound pure so many examples wee haue of the purenes of the word This then we see is a word pure by proofe We esteeme greatly of armour of proofe which neither the speare could pearce nor the shot of gun batter nor dart in any battaile could bruise oh how hath the word encountered with Sathan and with all his adherents How many darts of the worldlings hath it sustained and neuer yeelded but as a sword of proofe hath not onely striken off the heads of Sathan and of all heresies and schismes but also hath mightily preuailed against powers and authorities and principalities in heauenly things When wee haue an approued medicine we thinke it a thing of great price being such a one as neuer failed but wheresoeuer it was laid it wrought the feate so here is a tried medicine for the soule which neuer did deceiue any that vse it a right This is a most rare medicine and soueraigne salue For neuer sore was so great in mans soule neuer maladie so grieuous neuer corruption of sinne so fare gone neuer was there any wound of conscience so desperate which either this did not cure being vsed or might haue cured if it had been vsed This hath been tried and is approued by all the sicke soules that euer were since the beginning of the world to this day whereof some were deliuered from many sores of their conscience many euen rescued from the depth of their sorrowes We count him a tried friend and approued which in no troubles that euer did befall vs shrunke from vs and failed vs but stood vs in all stead possible but whom I pray you hath the Lord euer deceiued vs that put their trust in him or in whom hath the word of the Lord euer failed which wil stick with vs to the end which will saue vs from all euils accompany vs in all dangers recouer vs in all infirmities pitie and relieue vs in all miseries which will saue vs from hel and will speake for vs before the ludge and pleade our cause and euen whilest life lasteth will still stand vs in stead Wherefore seeing the word of God hath in it such excellencie that it taketh vp all the delights of Gods children and the contempt thereof taketh vp all the sorrowes of the Saints of God seeing for being eaten vp with the zeale of Gods word whatsoeuer we lose in the outward man we gaine and are recompenced for it in the inward man contrarie to the eating zeale in all other things whatsoeuer seeing the neerer wee come to God in his word and the further we go from our selues though we were thrown to the ground wee should be reedified seeing if we were tried in the furnace wee should finde such an happie exchange that as the gold wee should lose no weight but become more pure seeing it only reneuth vs in trouble and we cannot more discredit the word of God than euer to suffer it to be contemned or not sufficiently esteemed as becommeth a thing of such perfection glorie eternitie and exact righteousnes seeing it is such an armour of proofe so tried a medicine so approued a friend let vs craue of God that he would open our eyes and cleere our vnderstanding that we louing it for these causes may zealously be set on fire and truly be grieued to see it contemned Thus we see how exact how pure how comfortable how euerlasting the word is Thy righteousneâ— saith the Prophet is an euerlasting righteousâ—â—â— Psal. 11. thou haâ—â— O Lord set downe a perfit righteousnes which hath been is and shall be for euer one and most constant thine is the kingdome the power and the glorie for euer thy hand is not shortned more than it hath been thy word neuer could be accused onely let vs say Lord increase our faith let vs say Lord giue vs the like faith of thy seruants and wee shall haue like graces with them though not in so large measure as they had Vers. 141. I am small and despised yet doe I not forget thy precepts HIs meaning briefly is this Lord seeing thy word is so pure I loue it for it owne cause though nothing come withall if thou wilt bestowe any thing else of thy seruant I thanke thee if not I loue it still yea though I should suffer discredit for it I am content For I loue thy word because it is a pure word and worthie to be loued with what crosse soeuer it be accompanied As the common prouerbe is Trueth may be blamed but trueth can neuer be ashamed and iniquitie may be ocuered for a time but yet iniquitie one day shall bee discouered It cannot be denied that it is a singular blessing which is said of our Sauiour Christ to grow in fauour with God and man and to be loued of both as it is reported of Samuel because as it is Eccles 7. 3. A good name is better than a good oyntment and Prou. 22 1. is to bee chosen aboue great riches and louing fauour is aboue siluer and aboue gold neither can there come a more grieuous crosse to a liberall nature and stout person than want of it Howbeit to search out the cause of discredit wee must alwayes enter into it whether our conscience telleth vs that wee suffer as well doers not as ill doers For euen the very Heathen said that a mans conscience is as a theater in the world Wherefore if wee suffer discredit iustly because of sinne it is to be lamented but when we haue faith in Gods promises and a good conscience flowing from our faith though we neuer so much bee discredited it is a small thing Great is the loue of our selues and great is the care which we haue to maintaine our credit For many will bee content to hazard their liues which cannot bee conteÌ„t to endanger their good name For if a man liue bereft of his good name he had almost as liue bee bereft of his life And therefore Heretikes as the Familie of loue giue in precept that they should rather die than suffer the credit of their sect to fall And no maruell for they see no better life neither do they feele any true comfort of God in their prosperitie neither can they truly call vpon him in their trouble Thus we see how a name is esteemed in the world This then is a true argument of zeale euen when wee are despised and suffer discredit still to beare good affection to the word For many are liuely and quicke
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
more willingly and easily we are brought vnto If any haue occasion seuen times and often to praise the Lord it is our age who from the abundance of God his blessings should not onely haue our hearts enlarged but also from our aboundance of the heart our mouthes with praises should be filled Because of thy righteous iudgements This is not the onely thing in the word but there are promises and threatnings but the iudgements of God comprehend all in that they are seene as we haue shewed in fulfilling his promises and executing his threatnings True it is we must praise him for the creation of the world for his louing promises made vnto vs but we can neuer see truly the â—rration vntill wee obserue his prouidence neither can we effectually praise him for his promises vntil we diligently obserue his iudgements For then we truely praise God for his promises and threatnings when wee praise him for his executing of them This therefore requireth an experimentall faith and therefore we shal see in all the Psalmes of Moses Deborah Ezechiah Dauid and Esay that it was vsuall to them then to make them wheÌ„ either they had receiued some notable deliuerance or their enemies had some notable ouerthrow or the Church obtained some speciall benefit As after the deliueraÌ„ce by the read sea after they had safely passed through the wildernes and had put to flight the armie of the alâ—â—â—â—s â—â—â— what els doth the History which is 〈…〉 of things pâ—â—t â—â—ach vs but to praise God by â—â—eing God to be such ◠〈…〉 he is in his pâ—â—â—isâ—s Looke what the law generally speaketh of 〈◊〉 concerning these 〈…〉 to be done or lâ—f vndone either of pâ—â—â—â—es or 〈…〉 of the Prophets the things done which were comâ—â—unded 〈…〉 to them which did according to Gods 〈…〉 the 〈…〉 forbidden or else the threatnings executed on them which did â—o 〈…〉 mandemeÌ„t This we shall see wonderfully to increase our faith if we 〈…〉 of the Prophets with the time of the law If we compare our 〈…〉 our Sauiour Christ Matth 24. 24. that there 〈…〉 Christs 〈…〉 to feare that they which would not learne of the truth shall learne of 〈…〉 We may call to mind how many earnest professors in king Edward 〈…〉 papists in Queene Maries dayes and how many heretofore christians â—â— Queene Maries dayes are now become zealelesse worldlings and they that were â—â—en 〈◊〉 â—â—â—â—â—t height they are growne and wee shall see sufficient matter to praise God his righteous iudgements Againe if we consider the great mercy of God 〈…〉 our country men who were in banishment we shall haue great cause to be thankefull Vers. 165 They that â—â—â—e thy law shall haue a greâ—t pâ—â—â—â—â—ritie or rather shall haue no mâ—â—â—â—r of offence or occasion of stâ—mblâ—â—g and they shall haue no hurt THâ—se in seâ—se agree with that which the man of God sâ—iâ—l Port 65. I 〈…〉 libertie for I seeke thy 〈◊〉 In which places the Prophet sheweth 〈◊〉 they 〈◊〉 â—â—aue peace in minde and shall walke at libertie not be entangled they 〈◊〉 â—â—ue no manner of offence neither shall any stumbling blockes be lâ—â—â— in their waies which carefully seeke to obey the will of God This is the benefit of them that know receiue the word in loue that they shall escape dangers doubtes in streights and plagues so that in all thâ—se they shall finde happie issues and wholsome out gâ—â—e in what streights or troubles they aâ—◠〈◊〉 They then â—â—t walke in this knowledge and loue of God his law shall â—â—uâ— this grace and no man shal be able to take it from them seeing then it is 〈◊〉 in vsâ—l to be careful of nothing more then to be directed in our plagues â—et most of vs faâ—lâ— in â—â—◠〈◊〉 to â—â—â—â— by following too much their owne deuises and not the prescript rule of the worâ— Here 〈◊〉 is described the happie estate of God his children that by faith and loue shall 〈…〉 and continually haue the blessing of God watching ouer them in all 〈◊〉 â—oâ—â—gs whatsoeuer tumult come on them yet they shall possesse their soules in patience and not be plunged and ouerwhelmed in these miseries as other men are O most sinâ—ulâ—r commendation of the word in working such peace in promising such successe in our affaires and in deliuering vs from all ill things That loue thy â—â—â— Wee see here is required that faith which worketh by loue for many will say that they beleeue who bewray their want of faith by want of loue It is then that saith which worketh by loue that maketh vs so to delight in the law of the Lord. Herehence commeth so much disquietnes and so many crosse blowes in our atâ—â—mpâ—s because our faith is so small our loue to the word â—o little When we shâ—l 〈◊〉 then the destruction of our mindes so many ditches hedges walles gâ—ins snares we must consider the chiefe cause to be our want of loue to the word not that it alwayes so appeareth â—â— fleshe and blood but that to faith it is apparant which learneth out of the word Iohn 17 In the world â—â—â—â— shall haue troublâ—â— but â—â— me they shall haue pâ—ace as if our Sauiour should haue saide howsoeuer flâ—sh and blood thinke others iudge ouer vs heauen and earth shall passe but his pro 〈…〉 le Yee shall haue peace in trouble for God that hath â—â—oken it is no more liberall in promising than faithfull in performing if theÌ„ we haue trouâ—les it is for want of faith loue of the word And as here is a plentiful comfort for them who loue the word so is there a fearful threatning to the wicked which the Prophet Esay in his 47 48. chapters speaketh there is no peace saith the Lord vnto the wicked but the wicked are like the raging sea that cannot rest whose waters cast vp mire and durt In which place after the Prophet had promised this good successe to God his people hee addeth that the wicked shall not bee partakers of it For as the Sea hoysteth vp and is stirred more vehemently with the tempest and winde and being once moued one waue fighteth with another so that in that continuall conflict much froth and filthie scumme is cast and spued out so so soone as any tempest of temptation hath stirred vp a wicked mans minde and one temptation beginneth to fight with another many foming and corrupt affections are spued out which disturbe the peace of the minde and offend all the beholders God his children seeing those troubles to helpe them which hurt the world finde only the truth of this doctrine howsoeuer in time of prosperitie the wicked would seeme to be in as great quietnes as the other But as the deepe sea in a calme day seemeth to be as still as other waters vntill by the tempest of windes the raging of the one make a plaine difference from the other so the wicked doe seeme to haue as great
thy commaundements are righteous that is there is no one of thy commandements but it hath in it righteousnesse it selfe neither is there any righteousnesse but it is altogether in thy law This is an Hebraisme to call a thing righteousnesse when they wil expresse it to be righteous in the highest degree Wee are here to learne what yeeldeth matter of teaching others and of praising God Euen because whatsoeuer is good it is in Gods law and whatsoeuer is in Gods law it is absolutely good Besides here the man of God teacheth vs that the coldnes of teaching others giuing of thankes proceedeth from hence euen because we want this thorough perswasion that whatsoeuer is in the law of God it is righteous perfit and holy and whatsoeuer is righteous perfect and holy is in it Vers. 173. Let thine hand helpe me for I haue chosen thy precepts HEre we see the effect of the man of God his prayers which hath this sense As I haue prayed for vnderstanding so that now I might see the issue of it let me see O Lord thy fatherly and prouident care of me As afterward he saith Let me see if thou host true iudgement for me For as he praied to be directed by knowledge so he also praieth for the effect of it that he might therby see the merciful hād of God assisting him in al his troubles For I haue chosen thy precepts that is I know I am but a man I haue many iniuries offered me which may hale me this way and that way yet I preferre thy word before all these troubles Wee must not thinke now as the world doth iudge of Gods children that hee chose these as a Mome or of silly simplicitie but his election was with iudgement which proceeded from consulation which cōsultation proceeded of reasons vsed on both sides of his causes so that he made his choyse aduisedly considerately and after long deliberating of the matter he preferreth the word of God before all the pleasures of this life It was not then a foolish precisenes of puritanisine it was no childish simplicitie as of a man who chose this because he knew no other things but it was of wisedome Wherefore the man of God here teacheth that it is not with Gods children as the world deemeth them that is that they be sillie soules simple men and Gods fooles who knowe not what the world meaneth but as the world is of it selfe too wise so it thinketh too hardly of Gods children For it is not to be doubted but that he had many temptations and that he debating them by the wisedome of Gods spirit chose the word of God They are not ignorant what it is to haue worldly wealth and pleasures and earthly commodities but comparing these with the wealth of the soule the pleasures of the spirit and commodities of the world they by iudgemēt and sufficient aduice prefer the word of God And herein is their blessed wisedome that they seeing and weighing both in the ballance being moued on one side by carnal reason and sustained on the other side by spiritual wisdome they refuse the worst and chuse the best contrary to the folly of the world who also hath some sight of them both and yet refuseth most cursedly the word and chuseth most foolishly the pleasures of this life For as the preferring of good things is the blessing of God in the godly so it is a fearefull iudgement in the vngodly in preferring these transitorie pleasures before eternall treasures Againe what is the cause of such halting betweene two professions and of such mammerings in religion surely the want of choise and a purpose not resolutely set in any part in that whilest we will be betweene the flesh and the spirit betweene the Church and the world betweene God and the diuell we know not which side to cleaue vnto For if our choise were made we must not seeke Gods glory and our glory the honour of the Gospell and our owne commendation For vndoubtedly if God his children thus walke in a mammering as though they would giue the Lord the halfe part of their profession and part stakes with his glory shall for their pleasure be sure to seeke paine and seeking sport they shall find smart when they looke for profit they shall haue losse when they sow for glory they shall reape shame This is the singular mercy of God in this world to his children to punish them here and to saue them from the great iudgement to come And as the Lord vsed in mercy these meanes to his to schoole them in their choise so also when they are come to their choise he also in wisedome will trie them Again with permitting the world to offer on the one side preferment or if that serue not on the other side imprisonments he suffereth Sathan either to illude them with faire promises or to terrifie them with fearefull threatnings and giueth leaue to the flesh to assault them with delights or to oppresse them with calamities that he may in truth proue their constancy whether they haue so chosen as they will not repent them or whether their choise be as sure as free For many if they might be basted with glory and estimation and might maintain still their credit wallow in wealth would not care greatly to serue God but without this resolute purpose we shall surely find that when trouble cōmeth we would shrinke away Wherefore the Lord trieth his in the furnace of affliction and in the floods of temptations he gageth them to trie their hearts to find their faith to scoure them from the drosse of infidelitie the drosse of securitie the drosse of hypocrisie as the furnace is not only for the triall of gold but after the trial had to purge it throughly frō corruption Indeed so long as we are led with the cord of our naturall corruptions there is no conflict the flesh rebelleth not against the spirit but when our iudgements are heauenly and our affections spirituall fighting with carnall reason and earthly cogitations then is the maine battell When Sathan seeth a man giuen to the world and as long as he is in a mammering he striueth not with him but when he seeth himselfe forsaken and defied and that Christ Iesus a stronger than he hath made an entrance into the house then he rageth then he vseth his cunning al his shifts and summoneth a Parliament of seuen diuels more who come all together to the casting out of Christ to the discouraging of the man newly called and to make a reentry into his old possession Thus then we shal see he is a roring lion and that our fight is not only with worldly powers but also with spirituall enemies in heauenly things So long as we follow the guise fashion of this world and frame our selues to liue after it we shall be at league with them and they will be at peace with vs if we follow heresies heretikes will not speak ill of
owne nature and kinde are good yet doe become euill sinfull through vs. This may be perceiued in all the parts of our life let vs then a little fee how our corruption deceiueth defileth vs in many things First this is without all controuersie that is onely the corruption of our owne hearts which causeth vs to be slacke in doing good or to leaue it altogether vndone or else to do that which is euill and odious in the sight of God For albeit many causes may be pretended which sometime may haue a shew of goodnesse yet those causes are but corruptions there is no goodnesse in them Some men are kept back from doing good to their familie by catechizing them because they would not haue all meâ—â—â— talke of them and because they would not hazard the credit of their name Some are 〈◊〉 backe from being zealous in godlinesse because they might stil vse their libertie in buying and bargaining whereby they might prouide for their selues and families And for euery thing they doe they will haue a colourable excuse they will doe nothing without a reason But their excuses are but colours their reasons are very rawe not seasoned with the word They are deceiued through the deceitfulnes of sinne their corruption deceiueth them they are beguiled because they make no triall of their hearts The same thing commeth to passe euen in those things which in their kinde are good To leaue sinne is a very good thing yet if wee doe not herein take heede vnto our hearts we may besore deceiued for when wee be minded and doe purpose to leaue sinne let vs consider the cause why wee purpose and goe about such a thing and we shall often finde that it is not the conscience of sinne but the feare of punishmeÌ„t or the shame of the world which moueth vs so to do The adulterer doth many times abstaine from his filthie adulterie not because that sinne is odious in the sight of God but because it will bring him to open shame among men The theefe without any hatred of theft doth sometimes keepe himselfe from the outward act that hee may auoid hanging and the outward danger of the lawe And that the shame of the world and feare of men doth more preuaile with many than the feare of God it may appeare by this that they wil abstaine from such things whereunto there belongeth shame or for which some grieuous punishment amongst men is appointed as for theft murther adulterie c. yet they will passe by great sinnes for which there is no penall statute as swearing c. For if there were any true conscience of sin in them they would make a conscience of all sinnes but especially of these sinnes which in Gods eyes are most abominable Againe we must not rest when we haue left any sinne as though that were sufficient but we must narrowly search into our hearts to see what cause hath moued vs so to doe for if we doe not with sorrow repent vs of our wickednes and leaue it for the feare of God but forsake it either because it will bee no longer profitable vnto vs or because wee be sickly or olde or weake and take no longer pleasure in it then our labour is but lost our hearts haue deceiued vs. And many no doubt are thus deceiued yea they shew that they be deceiued by this that they can still speake of their sinnes without sorrowe and laugh at others which commit the same sinnes Verily if they had repented of their sinnes the remembrance of them would haue bene grieuous vnto them yea they would be very sorie when they saw others fall into the like sinne But seeing they can laugh and make a sport at it when any man doth it as they haue done most sure and certaine it is that their hearts haue deceiued them they are yet in their sinnes though they haue left them outwardly Let vs proceede a little further that we may see into the corruption of our hearts We purpose to deale faithfully we purpose to heare the word to reade it These things in themselues are very good yet if wee be not carefull ouer our hearts their corruption will pollute and defile them For if we be moued hereunto not with any zeale of Gods glorie but with a care of our owne credit not because in Truth wee would countenance the Gospell but because wee would get some countenance by it the thing good in it owne nature is made euill vnto vs and sinfull because our hearts are not right in the thing And how manie bee thus deceiued may soone appeare by the small fruit which most men doe get by the word For when wee see manie very diligent in hearing of the word yet profiting nothing nor desiring to profite it is vndoubtedly true that those men are deceiued by their owne hearts which are not right with God If there were any conscience if there were any heart or spirit in men they would profit something or at least they would be greatly grieued for their not profiting Moreouer when wee haue brought our purpose to practise and haue done any good thing indeed euen then I say may wee be beguiled if wee take not good heede The corruption of our heart is readie to make vs proude of well-doing whereas indeed we should be humbled it is readie to make vs glorie in that for which we should giue glorie to GOD it is readie to make that an occasion of slothfull carelesnesse which should be as a spurre to make vs more carefull Therefore when the thing is done when the worke is wrought and when all our purpose is brought to passe wee must still be carefull ouer our hearts wee must still haue an eye to them that our corruption bee in no wise hurtfull to that good grace which God hath giuen vs. Thus whether wee purpose to leaue sinne or wee leaue it indeede yet we may be deceiued by our hearts if they bee not right in doing of them Therefore aboue all things we must take heede vnto our hearts otherwise we may doe many goodly glorious things in the sight of men yet our hearts wil one day accuse vs for them our conscience will check and controll vs and God which is greater then our consciences will vtterly condemne vs. Now contrariwise when our heart is vpright with God when it is sound and sincere then will the Lord fauourably accept of our doings and through his Sonne he will count them righteous Thus if we with a pure heart doe leaue sinne though the dregs therof remaine with vs if with a good heart to Godward we labour after goodnes though wee cannot doe the good which we would this vprightnes of our hearts doth please God greatly and he will surely pardon the other imperfections through Christ. True it is that no man can say his heart is pure if he compare it with the rule of Gods word or with the iustice of God and therefore
haue committed them They obiect our corrupt nature is disposed to winke at the offences of our brethren I answere howsoeuer corruption may be intermingled yet the first motion of rebuking sinne is of God A good Father said I was neuer acquainted well with any but first I displeased him by admonishing him of some sinne And like as the children of Israel were going but eleuen dayes iourney in thirtie yeeres so we might goe by admonition as farre in eleuen dayes as some without it can doe in many yeeres And as in a lethargie we haue neede of a purgation so when the grace of God freezeth in vs we haue neede of admonition 2 As hee that admonisheth another of sinne and is not grieued profiteth another but not himselfe so he that seemes grieued not admonishing his brother when time serues is not truly grieued 3 In admonishing it is good to obserue the rule of our Sauiour Christ Matth. 18. before wee proceede either to Minister or Magistrate than so doing all things with loue lenitie and prayer wee may not doubt but the Lord will blesse his appointed meanes and so in faith and meekenes offer our selues to him if it be so that wee see no fruite yet wee shall possesse our soules in peace with the conscience of our simple obedience 4 A godly man doubting whether being moued in heart to admonish an vnruly partie by writing and fearing that it would not be profitable hee should continue in his purpose or no he was answered it was a great sin then not to do it and also a great great iudgement of God came on that sin often which was that we should forget the good motion or hauing the good motion we should want oportunitie to doe it wherefore let vs do the thing and leaue the successe to God after we haue prayed for it And if it so come to passe as often it doth that though the action be good our hearts vpright in the doing of it our affection louing considering the thing right and good yet our labours and our praiers be vnfruitfull let vs remember that in all these were secret imperfections and sinnes for the which the Lord might hinder the successe which by deferring hee doth scoure away that afterwards in fuller measure of his mercie when we shall be the better prepared by humilitie to be thankfull he powre out a more rich measure of granting our requests vpon vs. 5 The children of God become better and profite more when they are rebuked and a rebuke is not without effect in anie but in the wicked They that harden their hearts and necks when they are admonished thinke that sharpe handling doth make them worse had neede to take great heede to themselues for if the Lord cannot preuaile by great admonitions nor sharp rebuking he will certainly punish for though he did beare with the often murmurings and many sinnes of the Israelites yet at the last hee sware in his wrath they should not enter into his rest 6 Iethro doth not rashly reprehend Moses Exod. 18. 14. but hee first commeth to the knowledge of the cause and when he saw cleerly that there was an ouersight in his sonne then doth he admonish him giue him such counsell as is agreeable to the word of God The want of this wisedome doth often make our admonitions vnprofitable because we take not aduisement how the case standeth then for that wee doe not labour to haue a sure ground for our counsell out of the word of God If then we will that our admonitions take place let vs first duly consider of the thing it selfe and by the word trie it to be a fault then let vs also labour to haue a way out of the Word whereby the matter may be better handled If this were an ouersight in Moses that hee had neede of an admonition who can exempt himselfe from it None at all but euery man must be content to be admonished yea though it be of his inferiours for so Moses farre excelling his father in graces yet is profitably admonished by him and willingly receiueth it So was Naaman the Syrian admonished by his seruant and Abigail by her seruants and shee did also admonish Dauid the King and Prophet of God Wee must then admonish and be admonished euen by them that haue receiued lesser graces then wee and with all modestie and loue and thanks-giuing as Moses and Dauid 7 The nature of the wicked soone appeareth in admonition who will at no hand bee admonished by the godly albeit the cause be neuer so iust The wicked Israelite could be content to suffer the wicked Aegyptians to whip him but not godly Moses to admonish him The world will be subiect to the world but not to God 8 Wee must learne to admonish speedily after the offence is committed because our nature in good duties and in them especially which haue offence with them is readie to put off we must not-tarrie vntill we meete the offender but goe to him whilest the brunt is vpon vs for our nature is giuen to coole too fast if we plie it not whiles it is hot So our modo and modo neuer haue a modum when wee post it off from time to time and our anger against sinne is quickly shaken while we are hote then and our brother is sicke the equitie of the thing requireth that we should goe to him though otherwise he should come to vs The reason is because after sinne is once committed there is a darknes a dimnes or a myst brought on our soules whereby howsoeuer in iudgement we receiue somewhat of other mens sinnes as Dauid did of his offence that tooke the poore mans sheepe yet wee cānot see our owne Besides there is cast a deformed blemish on the glasse shewing vs our sinne and the diuell so prouiding that sinne neuer dieth we abhorre those meanes which should recouer vs we on our parts receiue our standing to this end to admonish Wherefore Peter not being able to requite Christ for praying for him that satan might not ouercome him is commanded by the confirmation of his Faith to remember to confirme the faith of others And Psal. 26 the Lord is content to set ouer the debt due to himselfe to others And Iohn makes this a speciall note that we are not dying if we loue the brethren The third reason that should moue vs to make haste is this whilest sinne is yet tender greene headed and shamefast whilest it hath blood with blushing in the face whilest it is like a little aspe or like a small corde it is wisedome to admonish the partie of it otherwise it will fall out with vs as with the practise of an ancient Father who planting one yeere pluckt vp the plante with one hand who suffering it two yeeres was faine to pull it vp with both his hands but planting three yeeres he vsed both handes and breast at the length when it was a plant of foure yeeres old hee was
hurt him for though kings did incampe thēselues against him he would laugh them to scorne then had wee neede to bee angrie with our sinnes because they will else throwe vs downe into hell If this word Wrath now will not moue vs surely it would not moue vs to see the mountaine of smoke as that of Sinai 3 Grieuous is the paine and vntolerable is the the griefe of hell fire to be burned is the most grieuous and painefull death that can be it is terrible to euery part of the body for a man to feele his blood and his fat to drop away from him If wee were threatned to hold our hand ouer a fire of wood it would make vs doe any thing yea things vnlawfull to auoide it without Gods especiall grace assisting vs but alasse this is nothing to hell fire and yet we will not auoide sinne which will kindle a fire vnquenchable and our bodies shall neuer bee consumed Nabuchadnezzar had twentie seuen prouinces Daniel 3. and yet but three men amongst all them refused to fall downe to worship the golden image for feare of fire But we neede not goe to Nabuchadnezzars time we may looke backe but into Queene Maries time and see many that for feare of fire did vndergoe things vnlawfull against their owne conscience to their despaire And yet this was but a materiall fire but of the Lords fire we must conceiue otherwise In Esay hee saith hee will haue it made with pitch to make it noysome to our members and he will haue a riuer of brimstone to feed it that it shall not be drawne drie If this be the reward of our neglect why doe wee heape to our selues an heape of chaffe If fire come why will we be as stubble If this argument this firie argument wil not cause vs to feare nothing will cause vs. If as it is said in the schoole nothing mooueth more than that which hath both reason and sense then surely fire may moue vs which both reason and sense doe cause vs so to feare More plainely there are but three things in the world which wil bring a man from wickednesse shame griefe and feare Shame preuaileth a little now adaies because there be so many wicked that will couer anothers shame griefe is put to silence for if that come we say it is an humour and whether it be so or no they will driue it away if they can with merrie companie But when it comes to feare no mirth will serue the purpose as we see in malefactours condemned to death no mirth will make them merie Nay the most sluggish beast the Asse and though yee beate him vntill he die yee shall not get him to goe into the fire for feare and yet wee more vnsensible than any beast will not bee moued a whit And this fire of the Lord is sodaine and continual in that day when no Tertullus can stand vs in stead to plead for vs no bribe will be able to speake for vs for that will be a terrible day for all bribers But suppose he would take a bribe what bribe wilt thou giue him for the sinne of thy soule The whole world is not enough but though it were the whole world shall bee destroyed how then canst thou giue it 4 If we will be truly prouoked to mercie first let vs looke to the Lord himselfe whatsoeuer he can doe there is mercie with him All his wayes saith the Prophet are mercie he hath stepped no where in heauen in earth or in the seas but the Lord hath left some print of his mercie behind him if we could follow him in those paths he wēt in Secondly the earth doth not onely receiue this print of Gods mercy but repaies mercy to vs again and surely if the creatures should not be merciful to vs men were in an euill case Now because all mercie consisteth either in giuing or forgiuing and there is no mercie but it is in one of these two therefore in respect of both these we shall see how the Lord esteemes it First for the mercie of forgiuenesse Matth. 6. our Sauiour Christ his aduise is that if wee please God in this kind of mercy euen in the immediate worship of his name he is content to break off al his right to himselfe that we might pay this debt of mercy to our brethren which is more acceptable to the Lord than any kind of sacrifice whatsoeuer And surely al our sacrifices tend to this one sacrifice of mercy therfore mercy is better than all other sacrifices So that this pention is so grateful to the Lord that performance of this shall stay all other On the other side when this is not done we see Matth. 18. the bringing of our selues in debt with the Lord euen to the summe of a thousand talents doth not so much grieue him as the retaining of this pension from the Lord where for the seruants debt no manner of euill words are giuen but all is forgiuen but after when this seruant denies the pension of mercy then the Lord takes the matter hotly and the other debt did not so much grieue him as this But to examine these things in the ballance of our owne reason if two men are to passe by a place where lies no small danger by reason of the hot pursuit of their enemies and one of them going ouer by a bridge escapeth and when this other is to escape by the same meanes he drawes vp the bridge after him as not content the other should be deliuered with him we would condemne this fact The same is our case we escape sinne the common enemie of our soules onely by the bridge of mercy and now we are escaped safely our brother is to come ouer the same bridge and we pull it vp this is a singular inhumanitie and a high point of profound malignitie though the Lord indeed will make him a new bridge of mercy howsoeuer we shew our malicious minde Now to come to our selues whether is it not vsuall with vs to sacrifice with Caine and yet to knocke Abel on the head and whether we say not Lord forgiue but we forgiue not we forget but we forgiue not we forgiue but we forget not as it pleaseth vs thus to distinguish and let these things speake whether we haue mercy or no. And for giuing which is the other part that it be certaine that God shewes his will herein that he would haue our bowels opened to the poore because he might haue made all rich as well as one rich but that he left some poore to try vs. He had enough in store could haue made the poorest equall with the richest but that he had met with vs that we neede not to complaine and say as some might haply haue done we want some to whom we might shew our thankfulnesse The whole earth is the Lords and what can we giue him our weldoing extendeth
members of the body So that the cause why we shew no mercy is because we cannot perswade our selues to be members Of the primitiue Church and the faithfull congregations gathered by the Apostles it is saide there was but one heart one will among them and therefore no doubt but one body for there can be but one heart in one body and it were monstrous in one body to haue two hearts The lawe of members is that looke what one member receiueth is receiues not for it selfe alone but for all the rest too The eye it sees not to defend and helpe itselfe alone but it sees for the hand for the foote and for the other parts of the body And so by the law of members if wee haue any thing wee must bestow it on the whole body and as well on the foote as on the head Euen so doth one member receiue the benefite of another that as the eye seeth so all seeth as the hand writeth so all write and wee knowe the least benefite or hurt which is in any member is ascribed to the whole body as if but the finger ake we say we haue an ach if the naile be hurt we say we are hurt if the foote be whole wee say we are healed Then if this affection be not in vs mercifully to impart one to another as one member is seruiceable to another mercie is not in vs. If we be grieued for any it is but a complaint of the mouth we can giue him a Lord helpe him but Christ did not onely see one so but he wept ouer him he wept not onely but touched the verie leprous yea and he healed them Well if there be no mercie in vs with what face can we come to the Lord and say giue vs a kingdome let thy kingdome come if wee denie to our brethren the gift of so much as of a peece of bread and how can wee looke vp to heauen with any hope to come thither if we haue laid vp no store there before hand God scummeth away the drosse of his Saints by Crosses yet breaketh not his holy couenant with them but performeth it through many tribulations which they deserue and pul vpon themselues When the Lord threatneth we are often driuē into a secret murmuring and impatiencie of spirit but we must know that his minae be as medicinae the meanes of the Lord are medicines And wee are too nice Christians if wee cannot abide to bee threatned seeing God his iudgements are often greater mercies than euen the continual ordinary mercies themselues Nay because the Lord would not destroy vs hee threatneth vs hee hath not delight in the death of a sinner therefore he threatneth death vnto vs because he would not haue death come vpon vs. For as the mercies of God are iudgments to some that abuse his mercies so the iudgments of God are mercies to others because they cause them to obserue his wil and to enter into a new league with him And this is that the Apostle saith all things turne to the best to them that loue God all things the very melancholie of the diuels euen hell fire for the bitternes of threatnings are fore-warnings to the godly that they should not be destroyed with the world in the ende CHAP. XXXIIII Teaching vs why we are specially to keepe watch and ward ouer our hearts SO corrupt is the heart as being the fountaine of all sinfull actions that although wee shoulde neuer haue patternes of impietie yet our owne heart would schoole vs sufficiently to the waye of destruction Reprooued then bee their Doctrine who thinke that a man is not naturally inclined to euill or that nature is not wholie inclined to sinne but that by example and allurement man is corrupted and infected by others The occasion of euill may bee outward but the cause of it is inwarde not of others but in our selues And good reasons there bee therefore that wee should still haue an eye to our hearts First our hearts doth carrie with it most commonly all our senses so that nature taught men of the world that the eye seeth not but the heart it is not the hand that toucheth but a certaine force proceeding from the heart and exercised by the hand and seeing nor sense left in the body From hence it commeth that great sounds and strange noyses are nothing heard of our eares attending vpon our hearts and our hearts being throughly occupied about some other obiect From hence it is that goodly shewes able to rauish the sight with delight are not so much as seen of vs our eies being wholly restrained about other things whereabout the heart is occupied yea from hence it is that wee stumble sometime on the plaine ground and our feet do faile vs in most faire places our feete attending on our hearts and our hearts being carried vehemently vnto some other matter Although then we ought to keepe with great care our eyes our eares our hands with all other parts of the body yet it standeth vs in hand to keepe diligent watch ward ouer our hearts by which all the other partes are moderated and ruled Another reason why wee should haue speciall regard to our heartes is because they make or marre all our actions If the heart be pure all our affections are pure though Christ through some defectes be mixed therewith if our hearts be not sound but corrupt then the things in their owne nature good by vs are made impure corrupt It is without all controuersie that it is our corrupt nature which corrupteth vs either to be slacke in weldoing or to leaue a good thing altogether vndone to be so prone to euil-doing or to rest too securely in it being done And albeit many occasiōs may be pretēded to stay vs from good which may seeme to carrie some shew of good yet they are deceiuing corruptions and full of rottennesse at the core as experiēce prooueth Some are kept backe from catechising of their familie because they would not be made the by-talke of the people they would not men should talke of them and tear me them a precise company Some goe aloofe and walke along from pure zeale in good works that they might retaine their libertie in buying and selling and so better take order for domesticall expences which they thinke would fall to the ground if God should be purely worshipped And indeed euery thing creepeth vnder colour of a good thing and they will turne out nothing naked but with one ragged reason or other although their pretences be of an ill die or their reasons not able to keepe them from any iniurie of the weather whatsoeuer They are carried away with the deceiueablenesse of sinne their corruption deceiueth them they are beguiled with the diuels sophistrie in putting that for a cause which is no cause at al. But this hypocrisie of hart may appeare not onely in not doing of good which we should doe but
also in doing of good otherwise than we ought to doe To leaue sinne in it owne nature is a commendable thing but if we doe it for feare of punishment or for shame of the world rather than for conscience of sin it is not at all praise worthie The adulterer may restraine his loathsome and sinfull action not for that he feareth to defile himselfe with sinne in the sight of God but because he would not be knowne to haue sinned in the sight of the world the theefe may surcease from actuall theft for feare of the law and to auoide the gallowes but neither of these haue repented of their sin though after a sort they haue left their sin This is manifest in that they leaue not euery sinne as true repentance doth without all exception or dispensation but onely those bloodie faced sinnes which ciuill discipline censureth with shame and suffrings as murther treason adulterie and theft making no bones to commit sins as grieuous before God though not so punishable before men as are swearing prophaning of the Sabbath lying drunkennes such like which sinnes if they were worthy of imprisonment by law either men must change their accustomed course or all the prisons in the realme would not be able to receiue the offendaÌ„ts Such men learne the common statutes and penall lawes of the land the lawes of the Lord the statutes of the highest they will learne hereafter If they had a conscience of sin then it should be in vniuersall not in particular because one sinne is as grieuous to the Lord as another and no sin must haue a placard before his presence Other will leaue sinne because they haue beene in seruice so long and spent their body so much in sinne that now not that their action is lamed but because their abilitie is gone they for feare of some sickenesse will leaue it but if they might runne through a new body they would runne through their old course againe Others haue consumed all to feede and cloath sinne and therefore now because their purse constraineth them not because the law commaundeth them or the curse feareth them they count it for husbandrie to staie a while Others being somewhat politike thinking it good to get some profit that may giue longer life to pleasure hereafter for a while bridle in their wantonnesse whiles they haue gotten some sure hold of their inheritance and after so soone as they haue brought with sorrow their fathers olde age to the graue recompence the diuell with their hote pursuite of sin much more than they lost in their former sparing of sin Others when either for deadnes of nature or want of abilitie or feare of man they dare not or cannot commit sinne in their owne persons yet they drawe ouer as much pleasure as men in their case may doe by commending and chronicling of their owne sins past or by laughing in their sleeues at the artificiall sinning of some other present They can laugh at sinne hartily whereby they shew they cannot mourne for sinne hartily they make a mocke of it therefore bewray they haue little conscience of it and therefore they die in their sinnes howsoeuer they haue left their sinnes To deale carefully in Gods worship and faithfully with man are things both commaunded and commended and yet to doe them without zeale of Gods glory and with a care or our vaine glory rather to win credit to our selues than to gaine credit to the Gospell is neither commended nor commaunded And yet how many beguile their owne soules hreein it may appeare by so many frequenters of the word and so few fruitfull hearers of the word if they profit not it grieues them not if they remember it not they â—est at it if they cannot speake of it they scoffe at it and yet they thinke they be great protestants Many goodly and godly things we may seeme to doe before men and be thought to be petty Angels come out of the cloudes and yet being impoisoned at the hart with vaine glory the Lord hath no delight in vs our owne hearts euen in these glorious workes doe accuse vs our consciences doe controll vs and without repentance God that is greater than our conscience will in the end condemne vs Contrariwise be our action neuer so beggerly for want of abilitie neuer so deformed for want of beautie in the eyes of man yet if it commeth from a sincere heart sound and sincere in the eyes of the Lord it is acceptable and through Christ accounted righteousnes vnto vs. If then for sins sake we leaue sin and leauing sinne repent of sinne repenting of sin leaue sinne though the lees of it remaine in vs if for righteousnesse sake we labour for righteousnesse â—hough an essentiall righteousnesse be not inherent in vs though we do not all good we loue but in loue desire to doe it though we leaue not all sinne we hate but in hatred of it labour to resist it the good we do is accepted the good we desire to do is imputed the euill we leaue is discharged the euill we desire to leaue shal not be imputed True it is indeed no maÌ„ can say my hart is vpright I am pure if he measure himselfe by the rule of the law which thing whosoeuer seeth not by his manifold corruptions as yet he seeth nothing as he should see yet the children of God may say their hearts are right within them when by faith in Christ and a pure purpose to approue themselues vnto God their hearts are purified so as they labour for the death of sinne though the whole body of sinne be not slaine in them and labour for true righteousnesse though the man of righteousnesse be not fully fashioned in theÌ„ This doctrine then hath two especial vses the one to humble vs the other to comfort vs. Good cause we haue to be humbled by it seeing it teacheth vs that the cause of sinne is stil in our selues and cannot be charged vpon any other as the cause thereof For if our corruption were not neither Satan by feare and tyranny neither the world by preferment and glory neither the fleshly delights by subtiltie neither our enemies by their feares and tyrannie could euer preuaile against vs Christ Iesus was thrise vehemently assaulted yet because the Princes of this world could find nothing in him and all his temptations were as a little arrow shot at a brazen wall no corruption being in his heart no guile being found in his lips they nothing preuailed against him Adams heart was corrupted before Adams hand had sinned Sathan doth offer we doe yeeld vnto our temptations he is the occasion but we are the cause of our owne woe The fond sophistry and lying logicke of theeues is here to be withstood who thinke they wash their hands from all sinne by crying woe worth such a man that euer I knew him for had not he constrained me and
serue to nouzell vs in our sinnes because the childe of GOD may come to this through often infirmitie but when hee seeth it it is time to bestirre himselfe and to feare least those fearefull beginnings doe bring him at the last vtterly to fall away 16 The first meanes to keepe vs from hardnes of heart is to feare it long before for if wee once be fallen into this then are wee past all sense and feeling and cannot perceiue it and therefore our case is more fearefull and dangerous as those are which fall into some great disease of the body and know it not Againe if we be not of hardned hearts then the word may worke with vs and all other afflictions may haue their effect and so haue a good end but if our hearts bee once hardened then all our plagues are vnfruitfull vnto vs yea they are nothing else but euen a taste of hell and of those punishments which are and abide for euer So had Pharaoh many and great plagues yet because his heart was hardened he profited not but ranne on forward till he was vtterly destroyed But Iob whom the Lord had not yet forsaken profited by all his miseries had a good and ioyful issue and escaped from them Therefore the children of God doe feare it more than all other punishments and had rather bee plagued with all the miseries of Iob and the botches of Aegypt than with an heart that is hardened It goeth not well with vs then when we feare wordly and bodily punishments more than wee doe hardnes of heart and other spirituall punishments for euen here is a difference betweene the wicked and the children of God for the wicked are euer greatly troubled for feare of outward afflictions but the spirituall punishments of the soule doe neuer a whit affect them Contrariwise the children of God doe aboue all things dread spirituall punishments as for outward troubles they are content to beare them and are grieued no otherwise for them than as they are signes of Gods displeasure this is a good note to trie our selues by The second is a true desire and loue to haue a melting heart to be often touched with the word and with Dauid to desire the vnderstanding of the word aboue all worldly treasures and the light of his louing countenance aboue all earthly helpe or treasure for the worldly men doe greedily hunt after worldly things and thinke themselues best at ease when they enioy them we must then not be like minded to these men but earnestly desire the former and then it will be an vndoubted signe of the spirit of God The third remedie against hardnes of heart is to ioyne to the feare aboue named and continually to labour and striue against it in vsing carefully all those meanes which may serue thereunto and as in our nature there is a continuall desire of earthly things so should wee continually bee moued to pray that in spirit we may daily labour and striue against it and as the husbandman fearing pouertie because his goods decay or his ground bringeth not foorth his fruite doth labour more carefully to lay vp against the time of neede like vnto Ioseph when hee was in Aegypt and as the maâ—â— fearing sicknesse because his naturall powers are weakened or his stomack waxeth weake will by Physicke and other meanes labour to preuent it so wee must doe against hardnes of heart for so long as wee feele taste in Gods word to bee humbled by his threatnings and comforted by his promises if wee striue and contend to growe in grace the Lord no doubt is with vs. But if wee waxe wearie of the world and can feele not taste in it if wee cannot bee terrified by his threatnings nor affected by his promises then is our case dangerous and we haue good cause to feare least the Lord will harden vs therefore must wee in daily hearing and reading of the word labour to come to some feeling of it and in our quiet state whiles the world is with vs lay vp such things in store as may bee able to comfort vs when our ministers are remoued and the world taken from vs. But many will bee like Ioseph to prouide for the dearth but they will not store themselues with spirituall food against the time when the word shall be taken away Now if through infirmitie wee doe fall and the light of the spirit be darkened and our hearts begin to bee hardened then let vs call to minde our former practise which we haue had in the word and remember the care wee had to keepe it and it will be a great helpe to recouer vs againe For Dauid no doubt was very well helped in his greatest conflicts by the remembrance of those places which aforetime he had read 17 When as in receiuing of meate the meate that nourisheth is changed into vs it is far otherwise in the chirurgerie of our soules For in receiuing of the word of the SacrameÌ„ts which feed the soule they are not changed into the qualities of vs but we are chaÌ„ged into them It is the folly of the world now adaies and the euill that troubles not onely the base people but the great also and the wise that they thinke they must giue sap iuice to nourish the word rather thaÌ„ that they should suffer their wisdome to be maintained by the sap of the word and they will set the Lord to learne of them Wel in applying there is a great reason we applie to the heart It is the principall place for God to worke on it is the vsuall place that Sathan most inueâ—gleth and therefore it must needes haue a plaster And here wee inquire not onely Esaus heart who saide in his heart the dayes of mourning for my Father will come shortly then I will slay my brother Iacob Genes 27. 42. but Sarahs heart too who hearing she should conceiue in her olde age laughed in her heart c. So that they must come to this cure Esaus mourning heart and Sarahs vnbeleeuing heart â—ea and with them all hearts Applie the plaster to any place saue to the heart and it will doe no good If the disease come from the heart as all sicknesse of sinne doth lay to the hand the plaster or to the foote or to the face though it heale in one place it will breake foorth in another because vnlesse the heart be well purged and cured it will still minister new matter of corruption into euery part of the body We are not then to be healed at the eare as wee thinke wee may and yet many will not so much as be eare-wise wee must not bee healed in the braine for many will goe so farre in hearing that they may bee braine-wise but wee must be cured at the heart for it is required wee should be heart-wise Well many will come so far too as they will conceiue and iudge well of things so that they growe tongue-wise
and can discourse and talke well of things but yet for that the heart is not truely touched they are as vaine in sinne and as much subiect to pinching sorrowes for sinne as any other Great cause then the fountaines bee staied and the principall parts plastered for if there bee a worlde of sinne in the tongue as Saint Iames saith then there be a great many worlds of wickednes in the hearâ—â—â— there be a beame to be sound in the eye of one hypocrite as Christ admonisheth then there is a whole staâ—ke in the heart CHAP. XXXIX Of Heresie and many corrupt kindes of knowledge and how the diuell pesterâ—th the Church with euill teachers WE must humble our selues to see Heretikes doe more for vaineglorie and for their sâ—ct than wee will doe â—or Gods glorie and for his truth 2 The neerer heresie commeth in likenes to the trueth the more dangerous it is 3 It is a dangerous thing to haue a proudâ— spirit with a vaine minde for theâ—e sinnes leade men to heresie 4 The â—â—ueâ— seemeth to be very strong for as the wise conclude if they that are couragious were also politike or tâ—ey that haue wisedome had also courage none could stand with them Wherefore these are dismembred in men but in the diuell they â—unâ—â—e both together for he is both couragious as a Lion and subâ—ill as a Serpent This is he that foyled all men from the first Adam to the last man in whose hand all the â—athers were no stronger than vanitie and in this age hee hath made the high pinacles of veâ—â—â—e the Iowe shrubs of the earth Besides this combination of strength and wisedome beside this proofe of his courage in all ages Christ himselfe who is his enemie saith â—e is strong Luk. 22. 20. Nay I will adde more Christ that ouercame him pronounceth â—â—m to be a shâ—â—â—d enemy If he hath â—een strong hee is more strong both because the world waxeth shorter and wee grow securer In these latter daies the more the dâ—uâ—â— rageth the more his strength increaseth for anger is the wheâ—â—â—one of strength the elder the world waxeth the more the diuel rageth For as he plaieth with meÌ„ so he practiseth with the world he laâ—eth his sorest siege in his last assault when death beginneth to moderate â—im And no maruell for if he take a foyle or suffer the repulse in our life time he may recouer with ease and come againe with some hope but because in death either now or neuer he must bestir himselfe he followeth with all force Secondly he rageth the more for our security or little accounting of temptation and not serious bâ—thinking of the matter makes him the stronger so as oâ—â— negligence doth inarme his diligence He is strong enough without aâ—â—our yâ—t â—o be sure he will put on armour too Goliah was strong and yet he goâ— armour which sheweth great diligence we are weake and â—eede armour yet seeke it not which sheweth extreame negligence Thus diligent is the diuel Sow no tares nor cockle and yet in the fallow it wil grow fast enough but he cannot conteÌ„t himselfe with that growth but hee wil sow also yea and plough too because he looketh for a plentiful haruest This is his good husâ—aÌ„dry though his crop would be good of it selfe yet he will sow No maruel then though Peter coÌ„tenteth not himselfe to call him a Lion but a ramping Lion and Iohn termeth him not only a Serpent but an old Serpent hauing by experience gotten a perfect habite and Paul ascâ—ibeth to him not onely darts but fiery darts The armour of this enemy is partly the reuelations of flesh and blood partly the corrupt example of the world The diuell hath a motion in vs and straightway it seemeth a reuelation to flesh and blood Doe euill saith the diuell doe so saith the flesh and strikâ—s the matter deeper doe so as Preachers doe it saith the world and this pierceth to the bone If we could wring out these two pieces of armour wee were strong Now the diuell as a Prince Iohn 13. 14. possesseth not alwaies in his owne person but by lieutenants and embassadours who take vp the title of his soule to his interest This deputie or vicegerent is sinne which taketh vs vp as tenants for the diuell and this deputie is accompanied with foure Tetrarches The first is ignorance wher with when hee had taken possession of our fathers they might keepe good houses well enough and haue many gifts indeede for hee knew that for all that they were neuer the neerer to saluation Secondly if the diuell sees knowledge must needes come in and ignorance must needs go out he sendeth out Errour which must make men if they wil needs be knowing either Trinitaries or Arriaâ—s or Anabaptists or such like who may liue well indeed and make a great shewe of godlinesse but all for his greater aduanâ—age to winne the more soules Thirdly Worldlinesse succeedeth who dares play his part euen vppon them that haue pure knowledge whom neyther Ignorance nor Errour could preuaile against but if these preuaile not then comes Hypocrisie and hee will sift vs and search vs to the quick If an Angell from Heauen should withstand vs to the face wee dare boldly pronounce that ignorant erroneous and worldly men such as will take order for God when their barnes are full and all Hypocrites haue surely vncleane spirits breathing in them Ephes. 3 2. 3. 5 There are many kindes of knowledge The common course of the worlde is set down Micah 6 26 Ombries statutes are sought for knowledge of Law-points Christ Matt. 16. complaineth of another kinde of knowledge Yee see in the Euening the skie is red c. but knowe yee the face of the Heauens and are yet ignorant of the knowledge which bringeth euerlasting life A third kinde of knowledge there is spoken of Amoâ— 8. 5. and Prouerhs 20. where a kinde of people had a grace in making of the Ephah small and the Shekle great Wee haue learned a trimme part of knowledge to trippe men in buying and selling Another knowledge there is Ecclesiasticus 30 24. when people keepe much adâ—e about keeping of bullockes and that so farre as they first preferre them but God and his kingdome are sought for afterward Indeed these things are lawfull for him that hath first affected his own soule to seeke the kingdome of God but to make the knowledge of God come after is preposterous There is another knowledge and that is of the law of God which men make so smal account of that the Lord complaineth by his Prophet how hee hath taken paines to write the mysteries of the law and men think it a strange thing the knowledge of God his word is hard to them Well we must enter one way or other and therefore it shall be profitable to search and suruey the wayes One way is
what say you to the Truth of Religion that is among vs why our Doctrine is sound enough that needes not to be spoken of No Yes surely very needfull it is to speake of it Truth indeede runnes about the Church-walles for eares and goeth about the Pillars but it findeth no nearers and as the wise man saith he that hath a Treasure in store and not in vse is as though he had it not so we may say of our Age men haue a little knowledge but for want of vsing it they are as though they had no knowledge and seeing wee hide our knowledge if wee haue it and we cannot speake the truth at our going in and our going out as men are charged by Moses wee cannot be said to haue the truth So in a second degree Paul would haue vs vse the world as though we vsed it not surely had hee made his wish of the Truth as hee did of the world hee had surely had it All our knowledge is a knowledge of the braine it is not a knowledge of the hart for it neuer makes vs set lesse on the score of sinne yee shall see this plaine wee know that fire will burne and because wee know it indeede by no paine almost can wee be brought to put our finger in the fire and doubtles if wee were perswaded that sinne would burne vs as a fire wee would not so easily put our hands vnto it And I would know if a man had a rule or gold-weight whereby he might measure his timber weigh his mettals and yet he neuer vseth either his rule or his weights what good it would doe him Talke of religion and begin to speake of the word and you shall haue manie that will holde you talke a whole dinner time or halfe a day and looke into their liues and common course of their conuersation and they wil falsifie whatsoeuer they haue said so they haue a thing but without all vse of it There is yet another thing mentioned Ephes 6. and that is a gyrdle of Truth it must be tyed to vs but our truth is not gyrt to vs it sitteth not close to vs it will easilie be shaken off from vs if the Crosse come and persecution shake vs a little wee can easily shift it off 4 A man would not willingly dwell by an euill nature and hatred will driue any man a way Truth is hated among vs and no maruell though it delight not to be among vs. If a man should take vpon him to plucke vp an olde-hedge and to admonish one of sinne straight way one Snake or other will bee ready to hisse at him and to sting him for his labour They that should looke to vs are hated and if a man be so bold as to tell a man of his fault he shall haue a rebuke for his paines with this scoffe or the like this is one of the wise generation which can telll the truth so cold an occupation is it to tell the truth So that we are not onely culpable for not hauing Truth but because we haue driuen Truth out of the Land It would grieue me to name mens sinnes herein but yet your selues know that a man will sell credite Faith and all that he hath to set Truth out of the way and shall wee thinke then that Truth hath any heart to dwell among vs seeing wee sell it for two-pence or a groate nay for a paire of old-shooes But let vs know seeing that CHRIST hath pronounced himselfe to be the TRVTH hee hath made these men that sell the Truth guiltie of the sinne of Iudas they sell Christ not for so much but for halfe so much nay for a quarter so much as Iudas sold him For CHRIST is TRVTH and CHRIST is solde 5 Contempt and hatred ouerthroweth all estates if either the Law be contemned or the Law-giuer hated And as in Kingdomes so it fareth for this point in the Church if the law of God be not esteemed then the iealousie of the Lord of Hostes will surely either take away his Law or punish the abusers of it The cause of contempt commonly as they say is familiaritie Familiarity breedeth contempt Indeed the wise men of the world noted that there were three excellent mothers which brought forth three very euill daughters The mothers are these first Familiaritie which is the high pitch of friendship brings vp contempt so the more we enioy the thing loued the viler it growes in our eyes Secondly truth breeds hatred The third is peace and that is the mother of idlenesse and securitie So that whatsoeuer is free in vâ—e once that growes vile as Manna though it were a verie precious thing did in the eyes of the Israelites Yet we must know that albeit somtime these issue from these mothers yet they be not their natural daughters The naturall child of familiaritie is not contempt but it commeth of our corrupt nature which is cleane opposite to the nature of God For as the nature of God is so perfectly good that he doth turne euen very euill things to very good things as the malice of the Iewes in putting his Sonne to death to be a meane of our saluation so our nature is so absolutely euill that it turnes very good things into euill Wherfore retaining this foolish axiome of vanitie that nothing is precious but rare strange things it commeth not of the nature of the thing which is still good but of our nature which no more esteemes it In the first of Samuel it is said the word was precious in those daies which was because it was rare for they accounted highly of Samuel because they had no Prophet long before but we must not doe so neither in other things doe we so Doe we in naturall things contemne the sunne the water and the fire because they be vsuall we doe not Then surely naturally we contemne not a thing for familiaritie but the cause of contempt is the ignorance of the vse of the thing and therefore no doubt as we doe not contemne the sunne the water the fire because we know and are perswaded of the true vse of them so therefore we doe in long vse contemne the word and prayer and sacraments because we know not the necessitie and the vse of them Whensoeuer then we begin to be cloyed let vs know the nature of a sinne doth begin to grow in vs not that in the long vse of the word we are so full of knowledge but for that we know not the vse of it and therefore like swine we leaue the pearle and goe to the shels Greatly therefore are we to pray against this Concerning hatred when the pearles are contemned the Ieweller is wrathfull and when the word is despised the Lord is surely displeased for which cause good men feeling their spirits to grow hot at the sight of such contempt and the contemners seeing themselues to be drawen out
may stay Gods children for a time that they looke not to God nor to their sin yet if the punishment be long vpon them then they lift vp their eyes vnto God Psal. 30. 2 As when a man brought into the iayle conueying him out by bribing the iaylour purchaseth to himselfe greater punishment if after he be taken yet suing to the prince for pardon getteth it and scapeth cleerely so if a man be healed by a witch or wizard which is vnlawfull he deserueth a greater euill if the Lord visit him wherefore let such speedily repent but if we be healed by the Lord and the meanes he hath ordained then wee freely escape and may be thankfull 3 The wise men of Aegypt could not doe as Moses and Aaron in the small creatures where we shall note that witches cannot hurt further than the Lord wil as the diuels paces are also limited and they cannot hurt when nor where they wil but as the Lord is displeased as Balaam confessed And Ahab was not deceiued before the Lord gaue the spirit leaue that so the hypocrisie of men which receiue not the truth in loue may bee detected yea the Lord may afflict his children for a time hereby for to let them see their vnbeliefe and to stay their faith 4 Many not knowing their owne infirmities rashly vow and promise liberally as whores and theeues and therefore anon after returne to their vomit But the children of God knowing their owne weakenes are afraid to make large promises and yet stand more strongly afterwards against sinne CHAP. LXXIII Of the word of God and of the confirmation thereof by wonders THe Lord being about to giue his lawe vnto the Israelites by the ministerie of Moses his seruant doth aforehand warne Moses therof this he telleth him that he wil be seen of him in a darke clowd Of this the Lords strange and wonderfull appearing there are two ends or causes the first was that hee might get more credit to his law and also to Moses the Minister of the law The second was to shew Moses his weakenes infirmitie whereby he might be humbled And for the first wee see that when the Lord would bring to passe any mighty workes he did withall shew such mightie signes as made his works with reuerence to bee receiued and those whom in his businesse hee had appointed Ministers to bee well accepted In the day of Elias when the law had lost credit in the hearts of men and was little or nothing at all regarded then did the Lord wonderfully worke by his seruant Elias and did great things by his hands that credit might once againe bee wonne vnto his law And when hee brought his sonne into the world by whom he would publish the Gospell euen the sauing health of all men such works were shewed as had not beene from the beginnings and such wonders were wrought as made all men amazed at such time as these more than ordinarie mercies were brought and offered vnto the world whereunto these extraordinarie works were coupled and adioyned and therefore such works cannot ordinarily be looked for because they were neuer ordinarie For if such works and signes and wonders should now be looked for and if we should attend vnto them and beleeue them the Lord would then haue warranted them to vs by his word and then hee would haue foretold vs that such things should after come to passe And hath he done this No no hee hath taught vs another lesson and cleane contrarily hath he admonished vs when he biddeth vs beware of false Prophets which come to vs in sheepes clothing and would purchase credit to themselues by lying signes and wonders Seeing therefore that there shall be many such false Prophets especially in the latter daies which shall be sent abroad euen into all places effectually to delude those that haue not receiued the truth in loue And againe seeing the Lord is not bound to meanes but hee will worke when and where and how it pleaseth him that we may wisely iudge of them and discerne the spirit of error from the spirit of Truth and life it shal be profitable for vs to set downe some true notes of those wonders which are set out to vs in the Word if by cōparing them together it may appeare when and how farre they must be receiued and contrarilie when we may and ought to refuse them The first note or difference is in the works themselues the other is in the persons by whose ministery they are wrought for the works themselues which God hath extraordinarily wrought there hath euermore such Maiestie appeared in them that the finger of God might be so plainly seene that all men yea euen wicked sorcerers haue bene brought and forced to acknowledge the same and though the Diuell can turne himselfe into an Angell of Light and his ministers make a shewe as though they were indeede the ministers of righteousnes yet let them worke what they will and say what they can neither their workes nor wordes shall beare such an apparant shewe of Maiestie as the workes of God haue euer done Euery man therefore may plainely see God in his workes and none shall bee deceiued by the othes but those that loue to belieue lyes and are willing to deceiue themselues whome God doth iustlie giue ouer to bee deceiued and to fall from Faith because they loued not to abide and stand stedfast therein For as an Ape of all other liuing things most like a man in shape yet most vnlike of all others in qualitie and condition can deceiue none but euery one will easily know an Ape from a man vnlesse they be fooles or children or such as will bee willingly ignorant so betweene the workes of God and the lying wonders of the Diuell there are so cleare notes of difference that all may easily discerne them but those that shut their eyes that they may not see and harden their harts that they cannot vnderstand The children of God do receiue such wisdome from aboue and such knowledge doth the Lord in mercie bestow vpon them that they are able to discerne the spirits to trie their workes whether they be of God or no and to seuer true doctrine from the false And albeit the Lord sometimes correcting them for their sinnes doe suffer them for a while to bee deceiued and that they might hate falsehood the more doth let them a little bee deluded therewith yet because the Truth of God it cannot faile not an haire of their heads perish it is impossible that they should for euer fall away it is impossible that they should finallie be deceiued and become open enemies of the Trueth or obstinate maintainers of a lye Secondly the Lord did neuer raise vp such extraordinary worke-men or shewe such extraordinarie workes but it was either to confirme the doctrine that had bene taught to get further credite vnto it or else to make it more cleere
they differ The sins of the people moue God to punish them with euill gouernours c. How Christians should communicate good things Preparation to the hearing of the word All our power in prayer commeth from the word The life of faith very secret and often hardly discerned How we must haue not onely a knowledge by the last commandement of our naturall corruption but also an experience Prophaning of holy exercises Note well Sathans diligence We must be as diligent to serue the Prince of glorie as the 〈◊〉 are the Prince of darknes The 〈…〉 the light law Law â—â— Gospell in â—â—â— ages till Christ came No thriuing in sinne The feare of God the strong bridle of the faithfull The great power of Gods feare Thankesgiuing How feruent prayer preuailes with God A sweete consolation The heart whose it is by right A great mercie not to thriue in sinne Patience Hardnes of heart Simile To suspect our own wisedome in matters of saluation Diuers infirmities of men Admonition How can rebuke kindly A good counsell Iudgement To vse well the graces which God hath giueÌ„ vs. The generall promises of outward things 1. Tim. 4. 8 To learne to obserue inward corruption by the outward sense How some respect neither cursing nor blessing Sinne how terrible An experienced faith Gods prouidence The Church hath a mixture of good and bad Simile Our faith the same with the Fathers How the law and the Gospel is to be preached Of profiting by hearing of sermons Of Gods presence and how to present our selues before him in his worship Heb. 11. 26. 27 Differences of sinning in the godly and godlesse How some can correct the same sin in others which they like in themselues How many couer sinne by example What respect God hath to his children in the execution of his iudgements A good signe of Gods grace when Gods sweete blessings make vs more free in his seruice How God accepteth the will in some for the deede Of our happy communion with Christ how thereby wee haue an assurance of all his insearchable riches Iustification sanctification goe together If we respect Christ his Crosse wee may not continue in the filthines of our sinnes How sinne dwâ—lles in the godly How the diuell chuseth the best wits for his seruice How many sinnes may lie couered vnder one How to preserue a teÌ„der conscience to keepe our hearts from hardning How dangerous to reiect grace and light offered How coÌ„trary the iudgmeÌ„ts of the word worldare How sinne 〈…〉 the qualitie of the Serpent The iudgement day of Gods 〈…〉 day of 〈◊〉 redemption To sit 〈…〉 Note â—â— How profitable â—he crosse it Children and bastards how they differ Priuie pride Matth 4. The hearing of the word preached How corruption â—urneth grace into wantonnes How our own kindred may hinder vs with God How to entertaine and loue the Saints How to labour for contentation if we will profit in godlinesse How to attaine the measure of blessings which God hath appointed for vs. A good note of our loue to vertue Not to proceed rashly in iudgement against any man The ende of the wicked Prayer How to cure contention Prayer Selfe-loue selfe-will Pride Admonition Matrimonie Affliction Doctrine How troubled mindes feare threatnings How greatly God is pleased with faith on his prouidence Admonition How to put difference betweene persons The passions of Christ in his death Obserue well the heart in all things How the diuell malignes the best Memorie Wherefore the Lord bids vs flee Fornication but re sist the diuell The zeale of youth and of age The differeÌ„ce between our feelings in our first conuersion and afterwards Simile Prayer The end tries all To be faithfull in our owne busines Anger The godly mans peace Chaplaines Hardnes Iudgements To seeke first the kingdom of God The Diuels registers Sound profession How to hide our treasure How God rewardeth vs. Not to dwell in sinne To empty our selues of euery one Priuate examination and confession * Or spiritual Differences in sinne Children regenerate Affections Tithe Studies A liuely faith Vehement speeches Admonition Death The coÌ„tempt of the Gospell a signe of wrath How to respect aduisedly the workes of God A coÌ„solation to one afflicted Iob. 7. 15. Act. 16. 27. * The afflicted must flie idlenes Sinne. Mirth Griefe Vehement speeches A graue counsell to Ladies To a man of ciuill life much troubled in minde Teachers 2. Cor. 1. 3. Ioy griefe Sabbath How to â—â—rrie our selves in the temptation Few meanes vsed in truth better than many in ceremonie Faith and feeling How God blesseth and directeth the single and simple heart Isaac was blinde and so was Iacob Sinne. Heretikes To lie in any one sinne how dangerous To walke vprightly To thriue in sinne Deceitfulnes of sinne Iohn 3. 4 All must reade the Scriptures Act. 17. Heb. 3. 12. 1. Pet. 3. Reading the Scriptures in the Church Heb. 4. 2. Preaching Hearing the Word Law Gospell Amoâ— Dei amorem proximi geâ—eâ—at Generall obseruations concerning the Dâ—calogue Rules 1. Preâ—â—pt Euill forbidden Good commanded The second commandement Generall euils Speciall euils Occasions of the breach of the secoÌ„d law What wee must tolerate in a Church which lies not in our power to reforme General good Speciall good thing Occasions of good Sufficient prouision for Godâ— sâ—ruie 3. Precept 4. Precept Publike exercises Priuate exercises 5. Precept Triall of the loue of children to Parents Triall of the loue of Parents to children Triall of the loue of Seruants to their Maisters Triall of the loue of Maisters to Seruants The sixt Precept The seuenth Precept A man may commit adulterie with his owne wife Meanes of Chasti ie 8. Precept Idlenesse Restitution 9. Prccept False witnes Psal. 15. Suspâ—â—ion against any man without any iust cause a sinne against the ninth commandement 1. Cor. 13. Charitie suspecteth no euill 10. Precept Motions What motioÌ„s are forbiddeÌ„ in the tenth Commandement How wee be infected with the motions which come from Sathan the world Who is our Neighbour Ioh. 3. Ephès 2. 3. The Mediator described 1. Cor. 1. Faith defined What Creatiâ—â—â—â— Vse of the first article of the Crâ—eâ—e Christ verie GOD. Christ very Man Vse of holie Conception Vse of Christs Prophesie Vse of his Priesthood Vse of Christs kingdome Christs passion most grieuous in bodie and soule Vse of Christs buriall Phil. 3. 9. 13. Rom. 6. 12. Vse of the article of the Resurrection Iohn â— 14. Vse of Chrstes intercession 1. Thess. 4. 26. 1. Cor. 15. Phil. 3. 10. Rom. 12. 13. Church The holie Ghost alone giueth vs the assurance of the pardon of sinnes * By Faith wee come by degrees to feele to haue a comfortable experience of the pardon of sinnes The comfortable vse of all the articles of the Creede Faith onely iustifieth Rom. 3. 28. A reward to workes is promised of Gods free mercie and not for merit Workes Law and Gospell coÌ„demne sinners which
we doe more accuse and condemne our selues than any other doth or can doe and againe if a sinne be not in vs yet we be afraid least it may bee and therefore wee vse meanes against it then if wee bee angrie with the sinne of others we haue this good warrant that our anger is good yea if we be accused or thought to be corruptly angrie either with our own causes or with our enemies insomuch that meÌ„ condemne our anger yet we haue the testimonie of our hearts and consciences to tell that it is not so and therefore herein may we take sound comfort Fiftly some men there are who when they are angrie with one they will bee angrie with all and their anger doth so chafe and ouercome them as it were that they are vnfit for duties either to God or their brethren This anger is altogether fleshly to be condemned That anger then which maketh vs vnfit to heare Gods word to goe to prayer which disquieteth our minds and troubleth vs that anger I say is to be misliked though it were for a good cause and in Gods behalfe for the workes of Gods spirit do not one let or hinder another but rather do further one another insomuch that if we were cold in prayer before yet this earnestnesse in Gods cause doth quicken vs vp and maketh vs very readie vnto prayer if wee were dull in hearing the word before wee are now better affected and this true zeale and anger in the Lords cause and for his glorie will put an edge to euery good thing we goe about True anger doth not let vs from doing our duties vnto God nor diminish our loue towards our brethreÌ„ but rather stirreth vp in vs a compassion ouer them for the wrath of God which wee see hang ouer their heads And for that cause we are in puâ—â— moued to pray for them more earnestly than before so farre are we from taking reuenge yea there is a greater care in vs how we may helpe them out of their sinne than to punish them for their sinne So that heere anger for the sinne is ioyned with a louing compassion ouer the partie and the one doth not so much moue vs to take reuenge of them as the oher doth moue them to pitie their case Here then is a speciall difference betweeâ—â— them for Christian anger hath euer a griefe ioyned with it both for the dishonour of God the hurt of our brother but carnall and fleshly anger hath a ioy and pleasure in it and â—eedeth it selfe therewith and is puffed vp Such godly anger was in Christ against the Pharisies where it is said that hee was angrie and sorrowfull and in another place when hee saw the destruction of Ierusalem for their sinnes for which he had bin angrie with them it is said of him that he wept Likewise Paul threatning the Corinthians that for their sins he would come to them with a rod saith after I am afraid that when I come the Lord doe humble me and I shall bewaile many that haue sinned contrariwise hee describeth fleshly anger to be such as puffeth men vp when they see the sinnes of their brethren Now that we may come to haue an holy anger wrought in vs for sin it is needfull that we labour for that affection which was in the Prophet Dauid when he saith The rebukes of them that rebuke thee haue fallen vpon me Where the Prophet sheweth that euery sin which was committed against God he thought that it was committed against himselfe and was as grieued and angrie therewith because the glorie of God which was committed to his care was stained and God himselfe dishonoured and this did make him angrie and zealous in the cause of the Lord and this zeale must be also in vs. Which that it may be tempered and not too rigorous we ought also to consider how the Apostle Paul appheth the same place when he would exhort them to beare the infirmities of the weake and not to deale ouer sharply with them he bringeth the example of Christ who suffered for the sins of the people as for his owne and so accounted of them So then we ought to thinke that the sinnes which by our brethren are committed are coÌ„mitted of vs and are ours which if wee can doe it will much abate rigour and sharpe dealing in admonition as also in the punishment of sinne The Apostle in another place saith Beare yâ— one anothers burthen and so fulfill the measure of Christ. Now if wee shall ioyne these two affections together in vs first to thinke that euery sinne committed against Gods maiestie is coÌ„mitted against vs and againe that euery sinne which our brother doth we in our own persons do the same the first will breede in vs an anger and zeale for the glorie of God the other will worke in vs patience and compassion because of our owne flesh and of the Image of God which our brother beareth and thereof will come a zealous anger ioyned with loue and compassion of the partie By these notes may true Christian and spirituall anger be tried and discerned from that which is fleshly and carnall that wee may follow the one as commanded in the law and wrought in our hearts by the spirit of God and that we may auoid the other as forbidden in the law and proceeding from the corruption of our flesh that we may neither be fooles which are alwaies angry for euery thing neither of the damnable and blasphemous family of fleshly loue which will not in their perfection be angry at all other differences there bee but if a man doe well consider of these and practise them hee shall easily discerne the rest FINIS A TREATISE OF BLESSEDNES HE may bee saide to haue tasted true blessednesse whom the Lorde before all beginnings hath chosen to saluation whose saluation purposed by God the father is performed by God the sonne to whom the election by God the father and redemption by God the sonne is ratified by God the holy Ghost in whome this assurance of faith is wrought by the word preached faith breeding peace of minde this peace causeth ioy ioy being accompanied with securitie securitie working in loue loue labouring with a care to please God with a feare to displease God from whence issueth a desire of weldoing to others indeuouring to bring them to the peace with God and man which he tasteth of himselfe Lastly he is truely blessed who besides all the former things knoweth how to vse prosperitie moderately and aduersitie patiently wayting and looking for the accomplishment of God his promise in the kingdome of heauen More particularly we will intreate of true happinesse by the causes and by the effects of it The originall cause is the loue of God in ordaining vs to bee heires of life eternall Ephes. 1. 4. Matth. 25 34. Wherein is laide open the bountifull riches of the mercie of God to vs ward in
that before the foundation of the world was laide the foundation of our saluation was made before we sinned the remedie against sinne was found before the maladie the Lord had prepared a medicine before wee were damned he had purposed a way how wee should be saued In respect whereof seeing we are rather to reioyce in this that our names are written in heauen than if wee had power without hurt to treade on Scorpions or had spirites subdued vnto vs Luke 10. 19. 20. wee conclude with the Prophet Psalm 65. 4. Blessed is the man O God whom thou chusest and causest to come vnto thee The substance of this blessednes is our redemptiō in Christ Iesus which is the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world Ioh. 1 29 by whose blood we haue the forgiuenes of our sinnes Ephes. 1. 7 and by whose Spirit when we haue beleeued the Gospel wee haue the earnest of our inheritance Ephes. 4. 14. The excellent price whereof is set out vnto vs herein in that being filthy in the blood of our sinnes he washed vs with his owne blood Heb. 9. 14. in that hee being iust suffered for vs being vniust 1. Pet. 3. 18. in that we being of no strength vngodly he died for vs Rom. 5. 6. in that we being enemies through sinne were reconciled by him to God the Father Rom. 5. 12. Wherefore seeing he is Blessed whose wickednes is forgiuen and whose sinne is couered Psalm 32. 2. let not the wise man glorie in his wisedome as though it made him happie nor the strong man glorie in his strength neither let the rich man glorie in his riches but let him that glorieth glorie in this that hee knoweth the mercie of the Lord wherein consisteth our saluation Ier. 9. 23 24. And let vs all learne the meaning of the salutation of Elizabeth to the virgin Marie Luk. 42. Blessed art thou because the fruite of thy wombe is blessed The formal cause is the illumination of God his spirit making vs capable of the former mysteries sealing them to vs with such assurance in our hearts that wee dare boldly crye Abbafather that wee dare boldly say If God bee on our side who can stand against vs Such blindnesse folly and incredulitie possesseth vs by nature that of our selues we can neither see into these mysteries of our saluatiō nor beleeue the thing we see concerning our comfort vntill we haue receiued of this Spirit which cōmeth from aboue For none commeth to Christ vnlesse the father draw him and how draweth he but by inlightening the hearts of his elect by the holy Ghost Ioh. 6. 44 Wherefore seeing these things are not reuealed vnto vs but by the Spirit 1. Corinth 2. 14. we end with that blessing of the Lord Iesus to Peter Matth. 16. 17. Blessed art thou Simon thou sonne of Ionah for flesh and blood hath not opened this vnto thee but my father which is in heauen The instrumentall cause is partly within vs as faith partly without vs as the word and the appurtenances accompanying the same as Prayer the Sacramēts the discipline of the Church Faith being the ground of things which are hoped for the euidence of things which are not seene Heb 11. 1. doth so applie the promises of God to our proper and peculiar comforts that it sealeth vs vp to the Lord affoording a certaine testimonie to our hearts that we haue not in vaine receiued of the good spirit of God Now because there is a certaine kind of faith which Satan himselfe doth broach in his schoole and propounds as a principle to all his schollers seeing the Papists vrge faith in their vnwritten verities the Familists will haue it in their foolish reuelations The Turke requireth it in his dry speculations of Mahomet and the wizzard will seeme to demaund it in his deuillish incantations we must not beleeue euery spirit but trust to the word onely which is our sure load-starre and touch-stone and being it selfe firme doth make our faith in it most firme sure and vnchangeable This blessednesse to haue the Lord communicate himselfe to vs by his word is priuiledged aboue that praise which the woman gaue our Sauiour Christ Luk. 11. 27. as may appeare by his sharpe answer Yea blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it Wee conclude then with the Psalmist Blessed are they that dwell in the house of the Lord they will euer praise him Blessed is the man whose strength is in the Lord and in whose heart are his waies Psal. 84. 4. 5. If the Queene of Saba coūted those men happy that might stand before Salomon and heare his wisedome 2. Chron 9. 7. if Dauid thought it a high recompence and princelike benefit to preferre the sonne of Barzillai to sit at the table of Salomon how great is our happines to heare the wisedome of Christ how high is our blessednes to sit at the table of the Lord where not Salomon but a greater than Salomon is present where not Salomon but a wiser than Salomon speaketh vnto vs Behold then the causes of true blessednes which are our election redemption illumination sanctification all which are sealed vnto vs by the holy Ghost the spirit working faith through the word preached Christ Iesus so sending his Spirit to renue vs God the Father sending his Sonne to redeeme vs redeeming vs to call vs calling vs to iustifie vs iustifying vs to sanctifie vs sanctifying vs hee sealeth vs by his spirit and so by all these doth hee lay the sure ground-worke of our saluation and eternall blessednes Concerning the effects of blessednesse some are inward and some are outward the effects inward are partly in respect of our selues only partly in regard both of our selues and of others those in our selues are either concerning mortification or about our sanctification The first of these is both truly orderly couched in that sermon of the Lord Iesus Marth 5. where those men are set in the first ranke who are emptied both of the opinion of their owne wisedome and of all perswasion of their owne righteousnesse and of those it is said Blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the kingdome of heauen Now because many haue lost their hold in iudgement who haue not so throughly giuen ouer in affection in the next degree happines is promised to such who are so farre descended into the sight of their owne vilenes and sense of their naturall coruptions that they are not onely conuinced of an vnrighteousnesse inherent in their iudgements but also are much humbled for it in their affections of whom the Lord of comfort hath thus determined Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted Further for that Sathan laboureth and preuaileth much in ouer comming exercised mindes with pettie shames a thing oft incident to afflicted consciences the next be atitude is allotted to them that are meeke in spirit
the secret counsel of the Lord herein we must know that neither the promise of the Lord is so vniuersall that euery particular childe of a faithfull man should be within the couenant for if of many there be but one blessed the promise is performed Yea which more is though that a faithfull man haue neuer a good childe yet if vnto the thousand generation there be but one good the couenant is not broken Neither must wee tie the Lords worke so much to man that a good man may not haue an euil sonne seeing though the Lord visit not his sinnes yet hee may visit the sinnes of some of the forefathers to the third and fourth generation going before To the second I say that an euill father hauing a good child though the Lord shew not mercie to that particular man therein yet he may remember his promise to some of the forefathers in the thousand generation going before And though that an euill man haue no cursed child yet the curse may be accomplished in the third and fourth generation following Wherefore not speaking of election or reprobation which we leaue onely to the Lord to make good or bad according to the good pleasure of his owne will I exhort parents to vse the ordinarie meanes to bring vp their childreÌ„ so as they either by some good tokens may see them the children of God and heires of the couenant or at the least be comforted in their owne consciences if the Lord refuse their children for some cause vnknowne in that to their abilitie they haue vsed all good meanes to bring them vp well and offered them to God And if parents haue cause to be grieued when thus trauailing in good education they cannot see good in their children how much more cause of griefe may they haue when they haue vsed no labour at all to bring them vp in the feare of the Lord and yet many will be grieued for the one that will not be grieued for the other Wherefore let vs learne if we will conueigh Gods blessings to our posterities to vse all holy duties thereunto and on the contrarie if we will be loath to conueigh Gods iudgements to our children let vs carefully auoide all meanes that leade vnto them And surely as it is a blessed thing in the houre of death with Simâ—on to depart in peace leauing our wife children and seruants spouses to Christ children to God and seruants to the Lord so in death no one thing will be more grieuous to a man than the Lords hauing giuen him the charge and dignitie of so many soules to be furthered to saluation that his owne tormented conscience shall presse him how in as much as he could he hath helped them forward to their damnation and so which is more fearefull he shall haue them spuing and foming out in his face continual curses in hell accusing him for euer to be the murtherer of their soules Howbeit I doe not exempt children from all blame so charging the parents as though the children were free from all guiltinesse herein for I am not ignorant that as in the time of Ezekiel so in our dayes youth is readie enough to take vp this Prouerbe The fathers haue eaten sowre grapes and the childrens teeth are set on edge But I affirme that though the occasion be offered of such wicked parents yet the cause of destruction is still in the children themselues And besides that it is sure that the soule which hath sinned shall die the death Seeing also there be some yong men who notwithstanding the great prophanenes of the most the manifold corruptions offered abroade the vngodly examples abounding at home are so mightily preserued by the seede of grace that they escape safely in an holy course of life lamenting when they see the least occasion of euill reioycing in the least occasion of good things the rest who please themselues and hope to shelter their sinnes vnder their parents defaults are plainely left without excuse and are iustly guiltie of the blood of their owne soules Labour therefore ye yong men to wipe away the teares of griefe from your fathers eyes and stay the sorrowfull spirits of your tender mothers and consider with your selues if you haue any good nature in you and haue not buried the vse of common reason what a shame it is to be a shame vnto your fathers to whom ye ought to be a glorie and thinke ye wanton wits that haue not cast off all naturall affections what a contempt it is to be a contempt vnto your mother to whom ye haue offered as it were a despightfull violence in that ye are as it were a corrosiue vnto her heart when as ye should haue bin a Crowne vnto her head The end of al this briefly is thus much that parents hauing children not walking either in knowledge or in a good conscience must make some vse of so iust a cause of griefe examining themselues and accusing their owne soules before the Lord either for that their meeting was prophane to so holy an estate or brutish because they desired rather a seede like vnto themselues in flesh and blood than such as might be like to Christ by grace and new birth or that they begat their of spring as meere naturall or very carnall men or because they either prophanely neglected al educatioÌ„ or monstrously misliked that in their children which they liked in themselues and punished in them their owne corrupt precepts or for that they suffered iniuriously their children to doe euill vnto others which they could not suffer them to doe vnto themselues or vntaught that at home which was taught abroad or in that they doe lie in some sinne vnrepented of or else because they neuer made conscience to bring their posteritie within the couenant of saluation but still loued their flesh in their children not their soules And children must here also learne that it is one speciall propertie of a liberall and ingenuous nature to be carefull so to liue that in time they may bee a glorie to their fathers and a ioy to their mothers which the Lord grant to vs all for his glorie and our euerlasting comfort through Iesus Christ our Lord and onely Sauiour FINIS OF REPENTANCE AND TRVE SORROVV FOR SIN THE SEVENTH SERMON Acts 2. vers 37. 38. Now when they heard it they were pricked in their hearts and saide vnto Peter and the other Apostles Men and brethren what shall we doe Then Peter saide vnto them Amend your liues and bee baptized euery one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sinnes c. IN this portion of the holy booke of God is set downe to vs an effect or rather a fruite of Peter his sermon which hee made for the answering of the slanderous reports of the Iewes at what time they sawe the wonderfull gifts of God sent downe vpon the Apostles In which Sermon the Apostle had pricked their consciences with shewing
them their sinnes telling them of a suretie that their iniquitie was the cause of Christ his death whereby a certaine care began to bee wrought in them in so much that being thus troubled they enquired and saide Men and brethren what shall wee doe Whereupon afterward followed the second Sermon of Peter where hee exhorteth them to continue in their repentance and teacheth vs that if our sorrowe bee good wee must goe forward therein Further hee sheweth them to this ende that they must beleeue that beleeuing they may bee baptized that being baptized they might receiue the gift of the holy Ghost Lastly it is manifest how they hearing that Sermon first receiued the doctrine and after perseuered in the practise of the same Briefly therfore three things are hereto be noted First the fruit of the former Sermon of Peter contained in these wordes Now when they heard it c. Secondly the summe of a new Sermon of Peter in these wordes Then Peter said vnto them Amend your liues c. Thirdly is set downe the fruite of their obedience In the former part of this Chapter we may know the wonderfull workes of God that the Apostles who were neuer brought vp in schooles spake with diuers tongues which when the multitude heard some are said to maruell and to be astonished some mocked them and said They are full of new wine But when Peter with great boldnesse of spirit had in this Sermon which he made set the trueth of God against their false accusations and had preached against their sinne then they left off mocking and were pricked in their hearts Where first wee may note the power of Gods word which onely is able to touch our consciences for sinne For neither the diuersity of tongues nor other gifts of the holy Ghost could prick their hearts as being able onely to cast them into an admiration What more forcible thing than that which causeth a godly sorrow and causeth our consciences to be pricked What so able to pricke our consciences as the word of God Indeede many feele sorrow and are inwardly pricked but because therewith is not ioyned the power of Gods word they bee either senselesse as blockes or in their feeling they be murmurers This commeth vnto vs by the dignitie of Gods word in that no wonders from heauen no miracles on earth can touch our hearts and worke in vs any good fruit without the same For though the Lord should shew vnto vs all the wonders from heauen which he shewed on the old world and on Sodome although he should lay al the plagues vpon vs which he laid on Pharaoh and on the Egyptians without the word of God we should be as vnprofitable beholders as euer were the Sodomites and should become as hard hearted as euer were Pharaoh and the Egyptians so that no iudgement from heauen no trouble from earth can humble vs no blessing from aboue no benefit from beneath can profit vs vntill the word of God commeth which teacheth the olde way to forsake it the newe way to enter into it and the perfect way to continue in it And thus much for the generall scope of this doctrine Now more particularly we may obserue in this first part three things First the power of the word to pricke our consciences Secondly that this pricke must not cause in vs a more rebelling against the word and Ministers thereof but rather a greater reuerence to them both Thirdly such prickes must prepare vs to a greater desire to profit For the first we must know that this is the beginning of repentance this is the entrie to godlinesse euen to conceiue a sorrowe for our sinnes and so bee wounded with a feeling of our euils For as long as men are secure it is not possible that they should seriously apply their mind vnto doctrine neither without the knowledge and feeling of our sinnes can we heartily long for Christ. To this agree the Law the Prophets and the Apostles The law because in all their sacrifices wherein Christ was prefigured was manifested also vnder darke signes the contrition of heart and acknowledging their vnworthinesse The Prophet as Dauid and Esay Dauid in the fourth Psalme and fift verse faith Tremble and sinne not where the Prophet sheweth that this is an effectuall thing to true repentance to quake and tremble for feare of Gods iudgements That wee may then truly examine our selues wee must feare and humble our selues because before trouble terrour and quaking at the iudgements of God we wil neuer be brought to offer our selues to Christ alone In Psalme 51. vers 18. 19. the Prophet likewise sheweth that no sacrifice is acceptable to God without a contrite heart that is neither prayer neither almes-giuing neither praise of thanksgiuing vnles wee bringing an humble and contrite spirit with vs cast our selues downe before his iudgement seate and sue for mercy in Christ. And here marke that he saith The sacrifices of God are a troubled spirit c. where hee vsing the plurall number sheweth that the sacrifices of repentance which must not be one but many are humblenes of the spirit and contrition of heart For the affliction of the soule and contrition of the minde doe so cast vs downe wounded with our sins and humbled with a feeling of Gods wrath as that it maketh vs to acknowledge that we are nothing of our selues and to seeke for our saluation wholy at the mercie of God No marueile then seeing by this meanes we being confounded and ashamed of our selues staying our selues on the only promises of God doe come to confesse our owne nakednes and wretchednes if the Prophet should say that the Lord is pleased with his sacrifice as with the sacrifice of sacrifices The Prophet Esay 40. 6. 7. 8. saith All flesh is grasse and the beautie thereof as a flower of grasse the grasse withereth and the flower falleth when the breath of the Lord falleth vpon it Where the Prophet painting out man in his proper colours and driuing him to seeke out saluatiō not in himselfe but in Christ describeth the outward part of man to be as grasse and by the flower of grasse he sheweth his gifts of minde being vnregenerate as wisdome memorie knowledge and vnderstanding So that when Gods spirit doth but breath on vs all our wisdome all our knowledge riches and authoritie fal before the presence of the Lord of hosts neither can we remaine but only by the word of God whereby we are borne againe Wherefore the considering and meditating of our transitorie estate driueth vs to a contrition and humblenes of spirit Besides the Lord God saith Esay whom the heauens cannot containe nor the earth hold will come and dwell with a lowly poore and troubled spirit and which standeth in awe of his word God doth not accept our sacrifices which are offered without trembling at his word no more than if we should kill a man and choake a dogge