sorts 1. This word signifieth Faith by reason of the conuenience of them and because that true Fatth comprehendeth assured knowledge and trust Heb. 6.11 We desire that euery one of you should shew the same care for the full assurance of hope vntill the end 1. Pet. 3.18 Be alwaies ready to giue an answere to euery man that asketh you a reason of thâ— hope that is in you 2. Sometime it designeth the goods hoped for Gal. 5.5 Wee through the spirit wayte for thâ— hope of righteousnesse through Faith Colloss 1.5 For the hope sake which is layd vppe for you in heauen whereof yee haue heard before by the word of truth Titus 2.13 Looking for that blessed hope and appearing of that gloly of that mightie God c. 3. It is taken for the support and ayde which man perswadeth himselfe to finde in God or in his creatures Psal 65.6 Thou art the hope of all the endes of the earth and 142.6 I haue sayd thou art my retreat my hope or my portion Esay 20.5 They shall be confounded by reason of Cus which is their hope or that which they looke vppon This word properly taken signifieth a durable affection of heart raised by God by the which wee wayte for the good things difficult but possible to obtaine and such as not without cause wee desire to obtaine The Principall efficient cause of Hope is God who giueth it to his elect Rom. 15.13 c. Thâ—ss 2.16 Now as our Faith by the meanes of the word preached and heard commeth of the fidelitie and truth of God if you consider the neerest cause for certaine Hope proccedeth of Faith for being certaine of Gods truth wee giue credit to his word in the which hee promiseth vs excellent things in hope to receaue them at the time prescribed to giue them Heb 11.1 The Apostle sheweth the obiect of our Hope to wit saluation in heauen saying that wee are saued by Hope that the Hope which is seene is not Hope for why should any man hope for that which hee seeth Rom. 8.23 Whereby wee gather that Hope regardeth the things absent and to come also that it consisteth in the trust which wee haue to obtaine and possesse those things according to the decree and promise of God The subiect of Hope is such a one as that of Faith the which hath Hope for effect and fellow during the whole course of this present life Faith is the proper goods of the elect of God who accepâ— Iesus Christ for their onely sauiour anâ— mediator To them then belongeâ—… Hope the which sayth the Apostle Heb. 6.19 wee haue as an anchor oâ— the soule both sure and stedfast and â— entreth into that which is within the vaile The forme of our Hope is the trust which the holy Ghost giueth vs that wee shall not be tempted beyond our strength that the afflictions shall be mitigated that God will deliuer vs from all euils and daungers and will saue vs in his heauenly Kingdome The end is to stay vntill that according to the good pleasure of God wee be put in possession of the good things which he hath promised vs. If he be slack wayte thou saith Abacuck chap. 2. vers 3. for he will not faile to come and will not tarry Let vs then conclude of all that hath been sayd A definition of christiaÌ„ Hope that Christian Hope is a gift of God the Father to all the elect in Iesus Christ by the holy Ghost for the vpholding of their Faith consisting in a trust to obtaine the goods to come by the vertue of the which the same elect are assured that one day they shall be freed from all euils to enioye those goods in the Kingdome of heauen Her faire priuiledges In the writings of the Prophets and Apostles are found many goodly priuileges of this true Hope Wee will note some of them 1. It trusteth in God alone who is called the Hope of his people and Dauid in sundry places protesteth that hee hath put all his Hope in him 2. Remembring that malediction and curse is pronounced in the 17. Chap. of Ieremie against him that setteth his Hope in man and who taketh the flesh for his arme it taketh heede carefully of trusting in creatures 3. It is our Helmet against the mortall strokes of Satan as the Apostle speaketh of it 1. Thess 5.8 saying let vs be sober putting on the brestplate of loue and of the hope of saluation for an helmet 4. It is the Faithful coÌ„panion of afflictioÌ„ for righteousnesse and the ioye of the Faithfull as sayth S. Paul Rom. 5. 12. Experience bringeth Hope Also reioyce in Hope 5. It is confirmed by the remembrance of the goods receiued of God and by the reading of his word It conducteth vs to heauen it is liuely and immortall it vpholdeth vs inuincible it deliuereth vs from the feare of men maketh vs happie as infinite testimonies and examples verifie 6. Let vs adde that as there is but one Fayth also we haue but one hope You are called sayth S. Paul Ephe. 4.4 In one Hope of your vocatioÌ„ Also there is but one onely body one onely Spirit one onely Lord one onely Faith one Baptisme one onely God and Father of all one holy Ghost and one celestiall inheritance Wherevnto God of his mercie bring vs. FINJS A TREATISE OF CHRISTIAN CHARITY Then speciallie of the workes and exercises of the children of God THe Charitie of Christians towards God and their neighbours The excellency of christian Charitie that Charity which the Apostle calleth the end of the commaundement 1. Tim. 1.5 which commeth of a pure heart of a good conscience and of a faith vnfained is surely a precious guift of the Lord besides this heauenly wish Peace be with the brethren and charitie with faith from God the Father and from the Lord Iesus Christ Ephe. 6.23 Besides it is called the fruit of the Spirit Gal. 5.22 The fruit of the Spirit is Charitie ioye peace patience benignity goodnes loyaltie gentlenes temperance There we see a stately and diuine band of the Mother and her eight daughters Thirdly Charitie commeth of Faith for Charitie loueth and jmbraceth that which Faith sheweth maketh known vnto her so that Faith is as it were the Mother of Charity and of these two heauenly vertues commeth hope wherof we haue already spoken This Charitie whereof we speake is attributed to those whome closed and conioyned with that spirituall knot which S. Pauâ— calleth The bond of perfectnesse Colos 3.14 doe studie to keepe me Vnity of the spirit by the bond of peace Ephe. 4.3 forbearing the one the other in Charity and whome the same declareth that they appertaine to Iesus Christ Whose whole kindred is named in heaueÌ„ earth Ephes 3.15 These brethren kindred are those that by Christ haue in one selfe-same Spirit Entrance to the Father Ephe. 2.18 Wherevppon hee concludeth and sayth You are then no more strangers and
incessantly and that hee feeleth in his conscience an vlcer which tormenteth and hindereth him from resting at his ease By meanes wherof if wee will retaine Faith and enioye the comforts which it bringeth vs we must necessarily walke roundly and applye our selues to doe all things which God in his law hath shewed vs to be agreeable vnto him to the end that our conscience doe not accuse nor reprooue vs nor presse jmportune nor condemne vs. For if our heart reprooue vs as saith S. Iohn God is greater then our heart to reprooue vs. ◠Iohn 3. So that the man that will not make shipwracke of his Faith as some haue done as saith the Apostle must indeauour to walke alwayes in all his waies in a good whole and wholesome conscience 1. Tim. 1. Psal 119 as Dauid singeth Blessed are those that are vpright in their way and walke in the Law of the Lord. And also speaking of the faithfull man Psal 112. Surely he shall neuer be mooued but the righteous shall bee had in euerlasting remembrance He will not be affraid of euill tydings for his heart is fixed and beleeueth in the Lord. Remedies for this euill Euery one must then indeauour to conforme himselfe and all his actions to the will of God doing according to the portion and measure of grace which hath been imparted vnto him that which is contained in his Law Psal 15. For as saith Dauid He that shall conuerse in this sort and would go thus need not feare to be ouerthrowne but such a man God will blesse He shall receaue a blessing from the Lord Psal 24. and righteousnes from the God of his saluatiō This is the generation of them that seeke him of them that seeke thy face that is Iacob If then we will appeare before the face of God in assurance let vs walke before him in all feare Let vs flie from euill and follow that which is good Let vs withdraw our selues from vice and apply our selues to the exercise of piety as much as we can We see that our first parents whilest they continued in the obedience of God they were familiar with him and spake with as great assurance as one fellow doth with an other But when they had disobeyed him and eaten of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good from evill against his will they began to decline fly frō his face and to haue him in such great horrour that there was nothing more fearefull vnto them then to find themselues in his presence Which happened vnto them of nothing else but by the disobedience which they had borne to God of the euill conscience which followed which made them thus timerous and fearefull ¶ Hypocrisie contrary to Faith Whence commeth this contrarietie HIpocrisie is also contrary to Faith because it setteth onely the appearance of things before it and Faith to the contrary preposeth always the truth of them Iohn 18. as saith Iesus Christ when Pylate demaunded him Art thou King Iesus answered Thou sayest it that I am King I was borne for it and for that I am come into the world to giue testimonie of the truth Whosoeuer is of the truth heareth my voyce By these words hee teacheth vs that the faithfull regardeth alwayes the truth and setteth it before them whereas to the contrary the Hipocrite contenteth himselfe with the appearance The one loueth the things that are of massie gould and the other the things guilded onely Conferēce differēce betweene Faith and hipocrisie Esay 29. Which is the cause that God who is true also loueth the truth and roundnesse in all things and abhorreth hipocrisie as it is written in Esay This people draw neere me with their lips but their heart is farre from me And Iesus Christ in S. Mathew Euery one that sayth Lord Lord Mat. 7. shall not enter into the kingdome of Heauen but he that doth the will of my Father which is in Heauen Many shall say to me in that day Lord haue we not prophesied of thy name And haue we not cast forth Diuels in thy name And haue we not done many vertues in thy name And then will I say openly vnto them I know you not depart from me ye doers of iniquity And also in S. Iohn Iohn 8. reproouing the word of the Iewes who sayd they were the children of Abraham and of God said vnto them If you were the chilrren of Abraham you would doe the workes of the children of Abraham Now you seeke to put me to death that am a man who haue told you the truth the which I haue heard of God Abraham did not that you do the workes of your Father And the Father that you come of is the deuill and you will doe the desires of your Father He was an homicide from the beginning and hath not perseuered in the truth for the truth is not in him Euery time that he preferreth lies he speaketh of his owne for he is a lyar and the father of lyes And because I say the truth you beleeue me not It is also the cause for the which in the gospell of S. Mat. Mat. 23. he reproueth the Scribes and Pharisies that they were Hypocrites because they did onely clense the outside of the cup and the dish but that within they were full of rapine and excesse And addeth farther that they were like vnto white sepulchers which seemed faire without but within are full of dead mens bones and of al filthinesse Likewise also sayth hee you shew your selues iust men outwardly but within yee are full of hipocrisie and iniquitie The Apostle sayth to the Romaines That he is not a Iew who is so outwardly and that is no circumcision which is made outwardly in the flesh but hee is a Iew which is so inwardly And circumcision is that which is in the heart and minde not in the letter whereof The prayse commeth not to men but to God Dauid also speaking of those that shall bee lodged and shall converse in the Tabernacle of the Lord sayth Psal 15. it shall bee Hee that walketh vprightly and worketh righteousnesse and speaketh the truth in his heart And in the 24. Psalme Who shall ascend into the moūtain of the Lord who shall stand in his holy place Euen hee that hath innocent hands and a pure heart which hath not lift vp his mind vnto vanitie nor sworne deceitfully Wee must not thinke that that those hypocrits who are like vnto brokers whose commodities are not loyall rather nothing but old patcherie and deceit can be agreable to God who loueth integritie simplicitie and roundnesse in all things And doth not as men who affect flatterie and paye themselues easily with false coyne and when it is well stamped although it be falsly metled ¶ Superstition is contrary to Faith SVperstition is also contrary to Faith The nature of Superstition because it is alwayes in doubt and floting like
disordinately taking pleasure to doe evill and seeking the occasions and the meanes to follow and satisfie our worldly desires and appetites we should not be freed but should shew thereby that wee are yet slaues to sinne and that wee did not participate any whit in the benefits of Iesus Christ who came into the world to no other end but to deliuer vs from the miserable seruitude of sinne and set our consciences vppon full and entire libertie Wee must then endeavour and jmploye our selues with all our might to liue well to shew that wee are francke and free and that our condition is no more servile as it was in the time of our jgnorāce 1. Cor. 15. Instruction to holines of life Is it not a thing more than reasonable that we that are regenerate by the grace of god by the Faith of Iesus Christ who is the Adam that is to say the celestiall man should beare his jmage and his apparant token not onely in the forehead of our bodies but also in our whole life and in all our actions And we must to shew that we are children of Abraham and by consequent heires of the promise which was made him resemble the starres of Heauen in light Gen. 15. in brightnesse and in puritie the which may bee manifest to all the world not onely in prosperity that is to say when things happen to our minds and that the daies are faire and cleare but also in adversitie when the night seemeth very darke vnto vs and the darknesse spread vpon vs and all our affaires having beene created and since bought and redeemed by the grace of God to the end that God might bee glorified in vs. We must then withdraw our selues out of all myre and filthines and from all thinges in generall that might bee an occasion to the jgnorant and vnfaithfull to blaspheme the name of God Rom. 2. by reason of our wicked life and conversation But what if as sayth the Prophet the just can liue no otherwise but by faith because the reward of sinne is death must we not necessarily if wee bee faithfull and desire to come to life abstaine from all those things which may bring vs to death Abac. 2. Rom. 6. The Prophet asketh Psal 15. Who is he that shall conuerse in the Tabernacle of the Lord and that shall be so happie as to haue a sure habitation in his holy mountaine He answereth He that walketh vprightly and worketh righteousnes and speaketh the truth in his heart He that slandereth not with his tongue nor doth euill to his neighbours nor receaueth a false report against his neighbour Which he yet repeateth elsewhere saying Psal 24. Who shall ascend into the mountaine of the Lord and who shall stand in his holy place Euen he that hath innocent hands and a pure heart which hath not lift vp his mind vnto vanitie nor sworne deceitfully He shall receaue blessing from the Lord and righteousnes from the God of his saluation This is the generation of them that seeke him This is Iacob Then must all Christians to shew that they are true not hipocrites nor dissimulate studie and exercise themselues to follow vertue and to flye from and detest vice and that they endeauour to resemble Gods Angels otherwise they are but shame and scandall in the house of God to dishonour it the which should bee adorned and hung with all holinesse as it is written in the 93. Psalme Thy testimonies are very true holynesse becommeth thine house O Lord Miserie of the hipocrites and prophane persons for euer Such kind of folke thē as liue wickedly in the Church of god are like so many warts in a body which serue but to disfigure it and as rottonnesse in a peece of timber Wee must not thinke that wee can dwell long in Iesus Christ who is the true sappe of the vine if we beare no fruit for he that is barren and fruitlesse Iohn 15. is cast away and dryeth then is gathered together and cast into the fire where it burneth It is that which we ought to vnderstand if we doe not our duty to doe well and to withdraw our selues from all jniquitie as much as possible we can For to be able to rule the state of our life so well that we should not offend in any thing which is commanded vs of God in his law Rom. 7. it were jmpossible for vs to attaine to such perfection in this world But aa sayth S. Ambrose vpon S. Luke Our perfection consisteth more in affection then in effect As the Apostle sayth to the Romanes That the will is present with him but that hee findes not the meanes to performe that which is good It is then a great shame to a body that is in the Church of God to make profession of his religion in words and shew only if his life and manners be nor correspondant to the words which he hath in his mouth to the semblance which he maketh to be a Christian man as the Prophet sheweth very well in the 50. Psalme Call vpon me in the day of trouble so will I deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me But to the wicked he sayth What hast thou to doe to declare mine ordinances that thou shouldest take my couenant in thy mouth seeing thou hatest to bee reformed and hast cast my words behind thee For when thou seest a theefe thou runnest with him and thou art partaker with the adulterers Thou giuest thy mouth to euill and with thy tongue thou forgettest deceit Thou sittest c. To whom they are like Such people are like vnto a musty vessell wherein the good wine bejng filled it marreth and corrupteth presently or to a stinking channell by the which the faire cleare water which passeth through it corrupteth and stinketh Also doe all the graces of God which are powred vppon such persons they are so farre from waxing better thereby and amendment by the receit of them that to the contrary they grow worse and worse and it had been good for them that they had neuer tasted the good woord of God nor the heauenly guift nor the powers of the age to come because that it by reason they haue abused thereof serueth them for nothing but to keepe them the farther from God and to bind them to a more greeuous condemnation seejng that in themselues they crucifie the sonne of God and expose him to opprobry for the earth which often drinketh the raine that falleth on it and bringeth forth fruite to those that fill it receaueth the blessing of God but that which bringeth foorth Thornes and Thistles is rejected and neere vnto the curse whose end tendeth to be burned The second thing ioyned to Faith THe other thing which is inseparably joyned to Faith is Charitie Charity inseparably cōpanied with Faith and the loue which wee beare first to God louing him with all our heart with all our strength with all