renewed in knowledge wait at the gates of Wisdom shut not thy heart and eyes from the beams of this blessed light 3 Grow up in holiness and righteousness as God himself is not only free from all evil but infinite in goodness most just most holy and as hee letteth his light shine before men so must thou let thy light shine before men that they may see thy good works Matth. 5.16 2 Cor. 7.1 cleanse your selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit that yee may grow up to full holiness This holiness must not only fence the heart from uncleaneness but the eye the ear the mouth the hands and feet and all the members when they bee ordered according to the Word prescribing rules for them all Rule 2. VVhen thou feelest grudgings of diffidence arise and Satan will urge thee how thou canst think thy self respected of God being beset with such a world of trouble and almost drowned in a sea of vexations without bottom or bank Now call to mind and set before thee Christs blessed example in whom as in a glass thou mayest see the sharpest of thy sorrows in any kind not only sanctified and sweetned but mingled with admirable love of his Father VVhat evil befalls thy body and soul or thy estate inward or outward which he hath not born and broken and yet never the less loved of his Father Thou wantest comforts of body House Land Meat Money hee had not a foot of land not a house to hide his head in not any money till he borrowed of a fish not a cup of cold water till he had requested it of the Samaritan who would give him none Thou wantest friends respect in the world yea where thou well deservest yea where thou mightest justly expect it Remember it was his case his friends became his foes his scholar a Traytor the world hated him causeless he came to his own and his own received him not he was without honour in his own Countrey hee had evil repayed him for good he wept over Jerusalems misery but Jerusalem laught at his Thou wantest peace of conscience canst not see a clear look from God nor feel any ease from the sting of thy sins thy sorrowful mind dries up thy bones all outward troubles are nothing to this But remember that never was any so laden with the burden of sin as Christ when his bitter torment expressed such words as these My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee 3 Rule From these crosses by which Satan would drive thee from God Sundry waies of God drawing neer his Saints in their troubles labour to see how near and graciously God draweth towards thee and thus beat him with his own weapon 1 The Lord helpeth forward our salvation by them being sour sawces to bring us out of love with our sweet sins and of this evil world plowing of ground kills the weeds and harrowing breaks the clods they be the Lords sharp salves to draw out our secret corruptions and the Lords sope to wash foul linnen white they bee the Lords ushers to teach us his statutes to teach by a little smart both what thou hast deserved in the life to come and what Christ hath suffered for thee in bearing the whole punishment of all thy sins to teath thankfulnesse for contrary blessings by poverty sickness trouble men learn to bee thankful for wealth health peace to teach pity and compassion towards the misery of others to teach circumspection in our waies and more care of obedience to all Gods Commandements 2 The Lord by crosses tryeth and exerciseth the faith patience and sincerity of his servants whether they will hold out as Job for as a man by wrestling knows his own strength better than before so is it here 3 The Lord is never nearer his children than in trouble in fire and water in six troubles and in seven to support them with strength and patience to give a blessed issue and useâ— and turn it to his own glory in their mighty deliverance and to their best all things are turned to their best to recompence their light afflictions with an eternal weight of glory As Christ said of Lazarus This sicknesse is not to death but that God may bee glorified John 11.4 so wee may say This poverty loss disgrace c. is not to the utter undoing of a man but that God may have glory in his deliverance and glorification So much of the third drift of Satan in this first temptation now of the fourth In that the Devils last drift in it is to have Christ in his want and hunger to use an unlawful means of supply note that Doct. 4. It is an ordinary instigation and temptation of the Devil To use unlawful means to help our selves is diabolical or a Devillish spirit to use unlawful means in our want to help our selves Because Christ had no ordinary means of getting bread hee must provide for himself by extraordinary Gen. 25.29 32. Esau comes out of the field weary and hungry and almost dead for meat how must hee supply his want Sell thy birth-right said Satan and so hee did Peter was in great danger in the High-Priests Hall how must hee help himself out of their hands Deny thy Master said Satan forswear him and curse thy self and thus hee gat out Saul was in great straights God was gone from him hee was not answered by Urim nor Oracle how shall hee do for counsel hee must go to the witch of Endor and so the Devil sends him from himself to himself who can tell him more than all his Vrim his Dreams his Prophets Sarah wanted a Child shee had a promise of one but shee laught at that Gen. 16.2 yet must she have one another way shee gives her maid to her Husband and shee brings an Ismael a mocker and persecutor of the promised seed Reasons 1 Satan sees how easily hee can weaken our confidence in God seeing wee are ready to trust more in the means than in God hee knows our infidelity which makes us hasty and soon weary of waiting 2 Hee knows how derogatory this is to the promise truth power and providence of God who can sustain his children as well above means without means yea against means as with them His hand is not shortened that he cannot help 3 Hee easily draws on this temptation under of a colour of necessity which wee say hath no law but falsly Hence is the common speech of the world to defend any injustice Why I must live I must not put forth my wife and children to beg I must so exercise my calling as to maintain my wife and family I must utter my wares though I lye and swear and exact and deceive and so under a colour of good and pretence of necessity no wickedness comes amiss in the course of ones trade Use 1. This teacheth us to bewail the pittiful estate of numbers of men taken in this snare of the Devil as 1 Numbers of
taught to bring them in by evil means both of them accursed by God and the gainer for them 3 All actions which are brought to pass by unwarrantable means are likewise to bee suspected not to bee of God who ordereth due and lawful means to good and lawful ends and hath as many pipes to convey good unto us Zach 4 2. as eyes to provide for it Saul must needs know his condition was unhappy and his business unprosperous when he must run to the Witch to help himself So their cause is worse than naught that run to the Wizard for help in diseases and losses Gâ—d is gone from them and the remedy is farre worse than the disease Yet hâ—w common is not to seek to them by night as Saul did but even by day as nâ—t ashamed of it Herod he would not break his oath no that was not for his credit but he might well know it to be a wicked one which could not bee kept but by murther of John Baptist Obj. Why what would yee have him forsworn Ans He had brought himself into such a snare as either he must bee forsworn or a murther Now of these to have broken a cruel and wicked oath should have hindred murther which is a sin in an higher degree against God and man and to keep a wicked oath is worse than to make it This is rather to be thought of because even godly men themselves are too ready to effect good things by bad means as Jacob will get the Blessing by lying Rahab will save the Spies by a lye Lot will save his Guests by prostituting his own Daughters In which how ever the Lord sometime commends the fact and faith of the parties yet he never commends the manner which blemished both the doers and the actions The rule that wee must walk by is in Rom. 3.8 We must not doe the least evil for the greatest good Therefore let us take heed of these base tricks of the Devil to effeâ—t our desires by wicked means Many condemn good men because they stand nicely upon some small things which if they would yeeld unto they might doe themselves and others great good but they have learned another lesson not to doe the least thing against their Conscience to procure themselves the greatest good God need not their error to glorifie himself and doe his people good by 4 That religion which is set forward by bad and wicked means is to be suspected and condemned true religion was ever maintained by truth simplicity humility patience mercy love meekness c. But the Church of Rome must needs defend a bad cause the means are so extreamly wicked as violence and power trechery and subtilty fire and sword murthers and Massacres King-killing and Powder-plots lyes and equivocations and what not It was once said Omnia venalia Romae at Rome all things are saleable and now it may be said Romae omnia venialia at Rome all things are pardonable One demonstration for memory sake That religion which upholds it self 1 By ignorance as the Mother of devotion 2 By disgracing and reproaching the holy Scriptures abhorring them no less than a Thief doth a pair of Gallows and warning men to take heed of them 3 By upholding Images and Image-worship 4 Perjury by freeing subjects from the Oath of Allegiance 5 Disobedience yea rebellion to Princes and Parents 6 Murder and Massacres of all Princes and people Kings and Kingdoms by sword fire poyson powder ponyard openly or trecherously 7 Adulteries and fornication by their Stews and Sheet-punishments yea with large revenues by them 8 By Lies Legends lying and Straw-miracles notable tricks and collusions as once in the Images of the Heathens the Devil often spake but the Priests in stead of the Devil speak through Images and make them move sweat nod c. to deceive simple people I say such a religion cannot bee of God because the means of advancing it are from the Devil But the Romish is such a religion therefore c. Vse 2. Here is a glass for liars and boasters to see their faces in and their resemblance to their father the Devil He promiseth an whole world when all ptoves but a shadow and image He takes upon him to dispose all things in the world as though they were his whereas we must goe to our heavenly Father the Father of lights for every morsel of bread Wherefore whosoever would any way advantage himself by lying or deceiving it is manifest the spirit of the Devil ruleth in him And therefore cast off lying as a ragge and relick of natural corruption and speak every man the truth to his neighbour Ephes 4.25 It is a received opinion in these days that Qui nescit dissimulare nescit vivere No dissembler no man and plain-dealing is a jewel but he that useth it shall dye a beggar and some men are too honest to thrive in the world such common speeches argue the common breach of this Commandement But know 1. How farre are we degenerate from our fore-fathers they lived simply by their hands according to Gods Ordinance but now many live by their wits whence it is that Trades are called Crafts and Mysteries because more live by craft and the sin of their trade than the trade it self 2 The Lord is the avenger of all such wrong by secret cousnage and lying for he sees that thou deceivest him that trusteth thee and because it is hidden from men his own hand must revenge it 3 What a shame is it and slander to Christian profession that men professing salvation by Christ should so carry their trades as a man that comes to deal with them must come so suspitiously as if he were to fall into the hands of so many Theeves and having dealt with them hath just cause to say that he might find more just dealing with Turks and Infidels Whereas if this vice were put off a childe might traffique in the dark without delusion The same of Boasters who brag of things they have not As Job speaks of the Leviathan of the Sea so may we of the hellish Leviathan He is the King of all the sons of Pride As 1 Many bear themselves out in fine apparrel and bravery when indeed nothing is their own if their debts were paid And if every Bird had his own feather they might well goe naked 2 Others to raise themselves make no bones to lye and magnifie their estate as the often experience of the world shews that Widows and Widowers promise great things of themselves and much wealth whereas the greatest wealth prove debts 3 But if you will see the very natural portrayture of the father the Devil if yee will hear his very voyce look upon the Bishop and Pope of Rome For 1 He hath engrossed all the Kingdoms of the earth into his own hands saying All these are mine yet not directly but in ordine ad Deum 2 I give them to whom I will I can set up and thrust
as 1 To serve God is to reign and to be a King over the world fleshly lusts c. and to suit with Saints and Angels 2 God hereby becomes our protector maintainer and revengeâ— a David often prayeth Lord save thy servant teach thy servant revenge the cause of thy servant c. 3 Servants of unrighteousness meet with the wages of unrighteousness 4 All our comfort in crosses and afflictions stands in our service of God and a good Conscience or else we have none 5 To fear and keep his Commandements is the whole duty of a man and that which makes him fâ—lly happy Notes of a good servant of God 1 Labour to know the will of the Lord which hee hath revealed in his Word as David prayed Psal 119.125 For in the Scripture hee hath laid but our work for us and let us expect our calling to every business there let us be ready to hear not lightly absent nor present for custom but conscience 2 Let us serve him in affection and be glad to doe any thing to please him and grieve when we fail either in doing that wee should not or in not doing that we ought or not in that manner that may please the Lord. 3 Be ever imployed in his work How know I a mans servant but by his labouring in his Masters business Yee are his servant to whom yee obey Rom. 6.16 and Joh. 15. Yee are my Disciples if yee doe whatsoever I command you If I see a man spend his time in the service of sin of lusts of games pleasure the world c. I know whose servant he is certainly he is not in the service of God hee is not in Gods work 4 Intend thy Lords profit and glory A good servant knows his time and strength is his Masters and hee must bee profitable to him and seek his credit It will be with every servant of Christ as with Onesimus Phileus 11. being converted howsoever before grace he were so unprofitable and pilfering as he was unfit for any honest mans house and much more the house of God yet now he profits the Lord and credits him and takes not his meat and drink and wages for nothing 5 A good servant sets forward his Masters work in others hee will provoke his fellow-servants and not smite and hinder them as the evil servant did he will defend his Lord he will venture his life for him he will stand also for his fellow-servants while they are in their Masters business he will be a law to himself if there were no Law no Discipline he will not idle out his time his eye is upon the eye of his Master his mind upon his account his endeavour to please him in all things Vers 11. Then the Devil left him and behold the Angels came and ministred unto him HAving by the assistance of God now finished the two former general parts of this whole History which stood in the 1 Preparation and 2 The combate it self we proceed to the third and last which is the issue and event of all which affordeth us the sweet fruit and comfort of all our Saviours former sufferings from Satan and of our labours and endeavours in opening the same In this issue two parts are to bee considered 1 Christs victory 2 His triumph His victory and conquest in that the Devil left him His triumph in that the Angels came and ministred unto him In both which shine out notably the marks of his Divine power which even in all his lowest abasements did discover it self to such eyes as could see it and gave shew of a person far above all that his outward presence seemed to promise as for example His conception was by the Holy Ghost His birth as mean and base as might be but graced with a Star and the testimony of Angels and his Circumcision with Simeons His Baptism performed by John in Jordan but graced by his Fathers testimony and the Spirits descent in a visible shape of a Dove His civil obedience causeth him to pay tribute but hee sends for it to a Fish His person was called Beelzebub but Beelzebub confesseth him to be the Son of God At his Passion what greater infamy than to be hanged between two Theeves What greater glory than to convert and save one of them At his apprehension they that took him fell backward to the ground Joh. 18.6 In death he trod upon Deaths neck and being shut up in the Grave he opened it So here he is carried and recarried in the hands of the Devil but as one weary of his burden hee is forced to leave him on the plain field and to give up the bucklers because a stronger than hee is come This is the great mystery of God manifest in the flesh 1 Timothy 3.16 In the victory of Christ consider three things 1 The time when the Devil left him Then 2 The manner hee departed from him 3 How long hee left him and that is in Luke for a season Then This particle may have reference to three things 1 When the temptations were ended saith Luke namely all those which his Father had appointed him to indure at this time in the Wilderness For as the Son of God knew how much to suffer so Satan would not give over till hee had spent all his powder and had exercised all his malice in these most hellish Temptations wherein hee used all his skill strength and malice if he might possibly in this seed of the woman overthrow all the Sons of men and in the Head kill all the members Whence wee may Doct. Observe The obedience of the Son of God who stood out resolutely and departed not the field at all nor expected any rest till all the Temptations for this time were ended Christ could have confounded Satan in the beginning of the temptations and so have freed himself from further molestation but he continues and abides all the trial to the end And why Reason 1 His love to his Father made him submit himself to the lowest abasement even to the death of the Cross and refuse no difficult service for which his Father sent him into the World of which this was a principal The speech of David was most proper to this Son of David Behold here am I let the Lord do with mee even as hee will In his greatest agony hee said Not my will but thy will be done For he that loveth God his Commandements are not grievous to him 2 His love to his Church made him stand out the uttermost peril in this dangerous combate Eph. 5.25 Christ loved his Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and exposed himself for it and made himself liable to all wrongs and dangers for it as a loving Husband steps between his Wife and danger 3 Hee persisted in the Combate to teach us to hold out after his example in temptation and to expect freedome from temptation when wee have indured all but not before It is absurd to expect the
but it is nothing less than true obedience for 1 He came of his own motion but went away by Christs who spake a powerful word which he could not nor durst resist 2 He goes when hee can stay no longer his commission for this time was now expired his liberty was restrained the temptations were ended God permits him now no further and now he leaves the Son of God and so left he Job in the same reason when he had vexed him as much as he could obtain leave to doe 3 Satan could not change his wicked nature in leaving Christ hee leaves not his malice against him only hee leaveth the exercise of it for the present 4 He returns again afterward and sets upon our Saviour with new assaults which is a plain argument he went now against his will Doct. To doe that which God commandeth and to leave undone that which he forbiddeth is not always a sign of true grace The Devil is commanded to give over tempting of Christ and he giveth over is commanded to be gone and he goeth yet this is no argument of true grace and that which is incident unto the Devil cannot be a sign of grace in any man but as there is a forced and feigned obedience in Satan himself so in all his instruments which proceeds not from any true grace let them flatter themselves in it never so much Cain offers Sacrifice as well as Abel and brings a shew of obedience but his heart being filled with murderous thoughts was voyd of all grace Balaam was commanded not to curse the people of God and hee professed that if Balac would give his house full of silver he would not doe it as if hee had made great conscience of Gods Commandement but it was much against his will for having received an answer from God not to curse them he would not be answered but went again and again to know the mind of God not content to test in that answer with which he was not pleased And after that he giveth balac wicked counsel to send his people to Sittim to offer to their Idols where Israel was likely to fall in love with women and so commit fornication with them by which he brought the curse of God amongst them whereby numbers of them were destroyed Here was a seeming obedience without any grace in the heart Exod. 8.19 Jannes and Jambres and the rest of the Enchanters of Aegypt stood out in resisting Moses and Aaron so long as they could and then gave over but not of any conscience but because in the plague of the Lice they saw the finger of God against which they could not prevail The like was the obedience of the Jews when they desisted from persecuting the Apostles Acts 5.35 because Gamaliel a Doctor of the Law perceived that they did fight against God Adde hereunto the example of Judas who after his sin of betraying his Lord made a fair shew of repentance confessed his sin restored the mony bewayled and justified his Master but all this without all grace in his heart for he went away and hanged himself 1 A man only by repressing and restraining grace Reasons may both doe many things which God hath commanded and leave undone what God hath forbidden as Haman refrained himself from Mordecai Hest 5.10 though his heart was full of wrath chap. 3.5 Many other things might hinder him from the present execution of his rage against Mordecai as that Mordecai was as in a Sanctuary the Kings gate that he was the Kings servant that it was better to reserve him to a shameful death and effect it by a kind of form of Law than to embrue his own hands in the bloud of the Kings servant and so endanger himself But the chief cause is Gods restraint of wicked mens fury that they cannot execute what they can determine against his Church though hee use sundry means to restrain them Nay further a wicked man may be restrained from some evils which the child of God may fall into he affects an outward form and credit and glory of an outward profession sometimes and to attain this end in which he notably deceives himself he cannot enjoy the pleasures of sin with greediness not because he conscionably hateth these sins but hee is bridled with the credit of his profession 2 Obedience proceeding from true grace is so qualified Conditions of sound obedience â—our as neither Satan nor any wicked man is capable of it For 1 it is an effect of the love of God and of goodness Deut. 30.20 Choose life by loving the Lord and obeying his voice and cleaving unto him Josh 22.5 Take heed to the Commandement and Law which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you that is that yee love the Lord your God and walk in all his waies and keep his Commandements and cleave unto him Love excludes all coaction and constraint Now wicked men resembling their Father the Devil cannot love God nor goodnesse but notwithstanding all their pretences are haters of God and enemies of righteousnesse they care not for his favour above life they love not his presence nor to bee with him nor his Image in his Child nor his will in his word nor his house nor his holinesse to resemble him nor his glory but are more troubled at the loss of a grain of their honour than all his 2 This obedience is a daughter of faith for without faith it is impossible to please God whereas wicked men have nothing above corrupt nature much less such a supernatural indowment as faith is which so uniteth unto Christ as it makes him more precious than all the World 3 It proceedeth from a man wholly renewed and changed such good fruit must come from a good tree which is the work of sound grace onely 1 The understanding is inlightened to discern between good and evil according to Gods Word 2 The will is sanctified and made willing 3 The heart is purified by faith and made a good treasury to send out good speeches and actions 4 The conscience is purged and being perswaded of the love of God in Christ it seeks to preserve it self good and pure and in all his waies out of Conscience indeavours in the good that God requires and avoids the evil which hee forbids 5 The affections are renewed and are sweetly perswaded by Gods Spirit to hate all evil and cleave to that which is good to grieve they can do no more glory to God but are at their best very unprofitable But wicked men are never a whit changed but are all impure even their mindes and consciences and out of the abundance of the heart the tongue speaketh the hand worketh neither can a bitter fountain send out sweet waters 4 Sound Grace within sendeth forth an obedience which is cheerful 1 In the undertaking love makes labours light and nothing is hard to a good will 2 In the manner of doing it is not forced but lead ruled by the word
rather than over-ruled by power it laies by all dialogue dispute murmuring and desire of dispensation 3 In the measure of doing it will indeavour in all the Commandements and all duties no man so wicked but hee can do many things as Herod but hee cannot yield to all 4 In continuance and conclusion of that hee doth it holdeth on in doing things purely for a good end for Gods glory and not by fits and starts but perseveres to the end and the crown of the work In all which a wicked man comes short for whatsoever is forced or feigned must bee heavily entered on and more heavily ended besides whatsoever is from such an one is joyned with reigning sin which hales and tugs him backward and toils him out before hee bee half way in any good work 3 How often doth the Lord reject the sacrifice of the wicked their oblations their fasts their prayers their temporary yea miraculous Faith their almes and charity yea their confessing and Preaching of Christ as in the last judgement all which had they been fruits of sound grace they had been acceptable But God looks not so much to the matter of the work as the person working the manner of working and the end of the action Vse 1. Well as Satan goes away when hee can stay no longer and so his obedience is forced so doth sin from most men when they can keep it no longer and so that which seemeth obedience in them it is no better than the Devils obedience in this place Vse 1. Many refrain many sins for fear of Hell and the curse of God they dare not hold their sin any longer whereas they are as much in love with it as before as Moses his Parents kept him so long as they durst before they exposed him to the waters so dearly love men the children of their own corruption What thank is it for a Robber or Felon to leave robbing and stealing for fear of hanging If there were no Law nor Magistrate hee would to his own calling again because hee is no changeling So what thank is it for a man to avoid sin because of damnation here is no fear of God but fear of evil no love of God but self-love And yet this is the restraint of most men whom Conscience no whit bridleth Why do men abstain from open wronging of men by Robbing Stealing Murthering they will say for Conscience But then the same Conscience would keep them from all secret deceit lying and cousenage and then the same conscience would keep them from all other sins also as swearing drinking dicing carding gaming pride wantonness and the rest A good conscience in one thing is a good conscience in all 2 The like is the obedience of many sinners that are still in league with their sins Many filthy unclean whoremongers and harlots have left their sin but it is because it hath lest them they have broken their strength and either age or diseases in their bodies hinder them oh now they will pretend Conscience But they can as filthily speak and as merrily remember their mad pranks as ever they acted them they want onely a body no minde will or affection to commit over the same things again Many Prodigals have left their sin because their wealth hath left them and poverty feeds upon them Many quarrellers and swaggerers have left off such furious courses why perhaps they have gotten some maim or mischief or perhaps they fear whether they can do so again safely or no and this is all the conscience that hath calmed and quieted them but what obedience is this Is that an obedience to God for a Dicer or Gamester to forbear play or rather as it is his theeving when he wants mony to stake 3 In Gods service what makes men come to Church to hear and Pray Every man saith Conscience Yea but good Conscience works powerfully upon the Will what then means the unwillingnesse of men and heavinesse who are so far from apprehending their week-occasions as if they ask their own hearts they must tell them that on the Sabbaths of God were it not for fear of law and shame of men both which are often forgotten they would not come at all Here is obedience much like the Devils because they are of the Devils teaching The like of many servants and Childrens obedience whose comming to Church to hear their duty is meerly forced by the compulsion of Masters and Parents and hath as little comfort in it as the Devils obedience 4 The like is to bee said of late Repentance at the time of death when the sinner hath held his sin so long as hee can then hee would bee rid of it Indeed his sin leaves him but not the curse of it but hee is so far from leaving it as were hee to live over his daies again hee would put as much life into his sin as ever before Late repentance is seldome true ever suspicious Why do many rich men never do good while they live but live as unprofitable and hurtful as swine till they come to the knife but then when death is binding them they will give somewhat to good uses to the Poor for a Sermon c. Why what moves them Conscience they say But it is an accusing Conscience crying out against their oppression usury wrong cruelty and deceit and now this wicked Conscience would stop its own mouth by offering to God some trifle of that hee hath robbed For were it a good conscience why doth hee not leave some part of his wealth for God before it wholly leave him Were it a free-will-offering why comes it so late why doth hee not good while hee hath time Gal. 6.10 Surely God likes a living Christian for any man will bee a Christian dying Neither is it thank-worthy to give that which a man cannot keep And commonly such gifts do more good to others than the giver himself Which is not spoken to hinder men from doing good at their deaths but to provoke them to do good before that time And yet better late than never Let us examine all our obedience by this ground and bee sure that it differ from the obedience of Devils and wicked men And that by these rules 1 God loves truth in the inward parts and refuseth all that obedience which follows not sanctification of the Spirit duties without must flow from graces within Examine now thy inward change wee are his new creatures created to good works joyn that in thy actions which the Devil divorced the inner man with the outward the subjection of the soul with the obedience of the body 2 Examine thy love in thy obedience that because the love of God constrains thee thou doest what hee commands and whether thou preferrest the Commandement of God which is ever-joyned with his glory above all the World and thy obedience above thy profit credit case pleasure mens favour or dis-favour whether thou canst obey God against all these This was
Abrahams love to God in so difficult a Commandement as the killing of his Son But Satan here went away not for love of God but for fear and being forced 3 Examine thy manner of obeying whether it bee a willing and ready obedience If I do it willingly saith the Apostle I have a reward and Rom. 6.17 Yee have obeyed from the heart or heartily And such obedience 1 Repineth not as giving God any thing too much though the dearest things of all 2 Deviseth no excuses as Saul when hee did but half the commandement pretended sacrifice and the peoples instance 3 Seeketh no delaies I made haste and delayed not to keep thy righteous judgements Psal 1 19. 4 Doest thou obey in all the Commandements 1 The commandement of faith in the Gospel as well as the actual obedience of the Law for one is as acceptable as the other 2 Obeyest thou the Commandement as well of doing good as of abstaining from evil for the Devil here abstains from this evil of tempting Christ but can never do any good hee joines not these Commandements in his practice as Gods Spirit doth in his precept Isa 1.16 17. 3 Makest thou conscience of the least commandement as well as of the greatest for all of them have a stamp of God upon them makest thou conscience of small oaths vain words roving thoughts 4 Doest thou obey constantly for love is strong as death and much water cannot quench it But alass much obedience is like that of Davids false friends Psal 18.44 45. strangers shall bee in subjection to me but they shall shrink away For a season Luk. 4.13 III. The THIRD point followeth to bee considered namely how long Satan left our Lord not for ever after but for a while and surely he stayed away but a little while For if wee look into the holy story wee shall see the whole life of Christ almost to bee a continual temptation and how Satan from time to time partly by himself and partly by his Ministers assayled him This we shall see how sundry waies Satan molested him and tempted him 1 in his ministery 2 his life 3 his death 1 In his ministery hee was tempted both in his Doctrin and Miracles For his Doctrin the Scribes and Pharisees often sought to catch advantages against him as in the case of the Bill of divorce Mat. 19.1 and of the woman taken in adultery Joh. 8. which by Moses Law should bee stoned but Master what sayest thou The Sadduces also tempted him in the case of the woman that had seven Husbands whose shee should bee in the resurrection Matth. 22.23 And the Lawyer concerning the great Commandement of the Law vers 35. As for his Miracles the seal of that Doctrin they tell him to his face that he cast out Devils by Beelzebub Mat. 9.34 1.2.24 2 In his life and civil Obedience The Pharisees take Counsel together how they might entangle him in his talk about paying tribute to Caesar Matth. 22.15 And when hee ate meat in Matthews house Matth. 9.11 they asked why hee did eat meat with Publicans and sinners and therefore hee was one of them Simon the Pharisee seeing Mary Magdalen annointing Jesus his feet with pretious ointment and washing them with tears and wiping them with her hairs said Surely if this man were a Prophet hee would know that this woman is a sinner and not let her meddle with him How often did they murmure at him and lye in wait for him and take up stones to stone him and rail upon him with most despightful words calling him Beelzebub a Samaritan a glutton a loose companion running up and down with noted sinners in all which Satan was the chief agent 3 But above all other temptations those were most fierce and furious with which hee was afflicted torn and tormented about the time of his passion and on the Cross For then as himself witnesseth the Prince of the World came upon him with all his train Joh. 14.30 hee came in himself and whole Legions of wicked Angels with him as the Apostle plainly implyeth Coloss 2.15 Hee spoiled Principalities and Powers and triumphed over them on the Cross Now or never Satan must win the field this is the last act Christ was never so beset with misery Satan never had him at such an advantage before now Gods whole wrath is upon him and now the Devil and his Angels set upon him so sore that in his Agony in the Garden hee sweats drops of water and blood and on the Cross hee cries out My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee Those were more secret temptations of Satan and his instruments but let us see with what hellish darts they pierced him openly upon the Cross not to speak of those which hee endured all the time hee was in examination condemnation and leading to execution For 1 They hang him between two theeves as an arch-rebel and of all sinners the greatest and dart against him the same temptation with that in all this History that hee was not the Son of God If thou be the Son of God come down from the cross certainly God would not let his Son hang there but thou art a deluder an arch-seducer of the people 2 They tempted him with fear of death Matth. 27.42 hee saved others himself hee cannot save this is a wise Saviour indeed hee cannot escape death in whose hands hee is sure enough and even overcome already of death and yet hee will bee a Saviour 3 They tempted him with utter rejection from God as the most damned reprobate that ever was Hee trusted in God now let him deliver him if he will have him but hee can neither deliver himself nor God will have none of him hee abhors him and will cast him presently to Hell These and a number of the like was our Saviour molested and tempted withall secretly and openly even then when the wrath of his Father seised upon him So as truely the Evangelist might say that Satan left him but for a season Doct. Christian life is but an entercourse of quiet and trouble sometime Satan leaves Christ but hee comes again and renews his temptation so it is with the members who have much war but some peace many troubles but some breathing-time This truth wee will a while discover both in the state of the whole Church of God from time to time as also in some particular members thereof What a night seemed to oppress the Church in the cradle when wicked Cain slew righteous Abel so as all religion and true worship seemed to bee destroyed in all Adams posterity having onely Cain left But shortly after God gave Adam a Seth in whom the Church was restored and preserved and pure religion propagated In Henochs time how was the worship of God prophaned when the Sons of God married the daughters of men which was the cause of the flood but afterward it was restored by Noah and Sem and by him continued to Abraham Now
God having in Justice put them under his power Now although Christ did most powerfully spoyl Satan of his dominion which he had in the souls of men this being the of his power but possessed and disposed by him and ruled at his will and pleasure For First who would think him possessed that can fall down on his knees make a solemn profession and confession of Jesus Christ that he is the Son of God and the most high Mark 5.7 and make loud prayers unto him as acknowledging him to be the Lord of glory and yet all these are the speeches and behaviours of a man possessed not with one or two but with a Legion of Devils Luke 8.28 What doe the Devils honour Christ who fear nothing more than that he should be honoured and hate nothing so much as he No but all this confession and worship was by constraint partly because they knew him a Prince and a Judge whose power they could not resist and partly they flatter him to obtain more gentle entreaty at his hands than they deserved so many a man professeth Christ but you shall observe at least he may himself that many foul spirits breath in him for although hee know Christ as the Devils did yet he obeyeth him not he would fain resist him if he were strong enough to make his part good against him which because he cannot doe he will give him fair words and call him Lord and Master he will pray to him in sickness or distress but it is but to get out of his hands and keep his wonted hold still If the power of Christs word come near him he can begin to accuse Christ and Christian profession of unpeaceableness and tormenting him before the time for what time would please these that Christ should come unto them he can ask Christ and his Ministers what they have to doe with him and Christ shall be blamed because he cannot be at peace for him if he would let him alone all should be well and quiet but the Ministery and Discipline are intollerable let Christ preach and he will preach him too so it be such a Gospel as bringeth no repentance or amendment of life to himself but he may remain where he was even in the Graves already lodged with death When hee cannot doe the greater mischief that he would he would doe the lesser if hee can if he cannot hinder the Ministery he can deprave it wherein as in all the rest he shews himself at the command of that wicked spirit who when he could no longer torment the man would drown the swine Secondly although the Devil might be forced through the power of Christ to acknowledge him the holy one of God so as themselves might continue Devils still yet who would think him guided by any other than a good Spirit of God that should extol the servants of Christ their persons their Ministery their doctrin for would any conceive that the Father of Lyes would praise the truth and yet mark what a large testimony the Devil himself in the Maid gave of Paul and Silas These men are the servants of the most high God which shew unto us the way of salvation and this she did many days A t s 16.17 Why did not the Devil know that they were the greatest enemies he had upon earth Yes he did but he must sometimes transform himself into an Angel of Light he must colour all his Lyes with some truth which is undeniable hee can lay all his falshoods upon appearance of truth as his eldest Son Mahomet enlarged the praises of Christ and his Disciples to overthrow Christian religion withall he hath his fetch to make men beleeve there is an agreement between Christ and his Apostles and himself or that they needed his testimony who therefore put him to silence and would receive no commendation from him but for praises returned sharp rebukes Even so many men can praise good men and Ministers before their faces whom they know to bee deadly enemies to their vices not for love of their vertues but lest they should use them and can call them honest men to try if by that they can hinder them from doing the duty of honest men as the Devils called Paul and Silas the Servants of God lest they should shew themselves so by dispossessing them Besides they would seem herein to bee better than they are and therefore will honour the Gospel and bringers with their mouths whereas in their hearts they cannot abide that the doctrin of it should bee in sincerity either published or practised the name of Christianity and of the Gospel pleaseth them well enough so as the power and fruit of it come not neer them But as the Devil had no sooner praised the Servants of God but presently hee changed his coppy and never left persecuting them till hee had cast them into prison got them soundly beaten set fast in the stocks and after sent out of the City even so many who now commend the person and doctrin of the Servants of God presently shewing what spirit guideth them can accuse them to bee mutinous and seditious troublers of their City and State and raise up the whole City and stir up the wrath of the Magistrates against them that so under pretence of the Wâ—rd or Law or Peace or Order the true Ministers of God shall bee wrongfully condemned and cast out Thirdly Who would think that hee could be haunted with a wicked spirit that can see his sin 1 Sam. 24.17 18. confess it with tears and indignation against himself openly justify the righteousness of Gods children and yet in the example of Saul wee see that a soul possessed of Satan may do all this For as it is in bodily possession though the Devils desire is incessantly to hurt and vex the poor creatures yet by Gods over-ruling power hee is forced to give them some respite and though hardly yet sometimes departeth from them and not alwaies but sometimes casts them into the fire and sometimes into the water Luk. 9. So is it in spiritual possession the Lord for the common good bridleth often the rage of the Devil in his instruments that they cannot alwaies exercise it as they would but they have their fits sometimes that is some strong lusts which Satan watcheth and putteth himself into as Judas his Covetousness invited the Devil to enter into him and also sometimes again they have their good moods and seem to bee come to themselves but long stay they not here but in a moment are changed and cast into their fits again Thus in a good mood Saul could confess his wickedness and Davids innocency and lift up his voice and weep and David was now his good Son and who but hee but presently the good spirit went and the evil spirit came upon him and hee became more tyrannous and furious than ever before even so some there are who seem to have remorse of conscience for sin they will confess their
wickedness with tears pray for pardon promise amendment beg prayers of others as Pharaoh one would think them very penitent themselves think they are so also but the Moon changeth not so often as these spiritual lunaticks who hence may know that the evil spirit hath taken possession of them because they are never long in a good minde These few notes instead of many I thought good to set down to help men that are desirous to see how secretly Satan worketh in their souls and how hee can cunningly most forceably keep possession when hee seemeth most to disclaim it that thus they comming to perceive the disease may run out of themselves to seek for remedy Which what it is wee are now in the next point to declare The third point in the words to bee considered is The mighty power of Jesus Christ who onely could heal those that were thus oppressed and enthralled by the Devil and here consider 1 The ground 2 The proof or manifestation of it The ground was because God was with him How God was with his Son and how with his Servants It will bee objected that God is said to have been with many of his servants who yet had not this power as with Joseph Joshuah Moses and others Answ God was indeed with them onely by manifesting his presence in some powerful or loving effect which hee wrought in by or for them But never was God present with any of his Saints as hee was with his Son who had not the vertue onely and power of the God-head effectually and energetically working with him which was all they had but the god-head it self was after a sort bodily with him yea the fulnesse of the God-head was not only with him but in him bodily Col. 2.9 as elsewhere God is said not onely to bee with Christ but in Christ reconciling the world unto himself 2 Cor. 5.19 So as hee of himself performed the works which proceeded from him which they did not and his actions as from himself were divine Quest Why then doth not the Apostle more shortly and plainly say that Christ was God as that God was with him Answ Hee might indeed have so said as truely but for the time spareth the weakness of his hearers contenting himself to deliver Doctrin as they were able to receive it in great wisdome by little and little instilling into their minds the knowledge of Christ and by degrees laying such grounds and foundations as whereby themselves might more easily rise to that high point of Divinity which the Apostle calleth a great mystery namely God manifested in the flesh 1 Tim. 3.26 Secondly For the proof or manifestation of this Divine power of Christ Christ powerfully treadeth Satan under his feet â—n overthrowing the power of Satan and treading him under his feet is evident in the Scripture The first promise that ever was made to man fallen is That this seed of the woman should bruise the Serpents head According to which prophecy hee not onely put Satan to flight in his own person Mat. 4. but took also his strongest holds where hee had strongly fortified himself in the persons of others as every where the History of the Gospel recordeth Hee rebuked the unclean spirits and made them cry for grief and anger Mark 9.25 Hee forced them to silence and would not suffer them to confess him Mar. 1.25 By his very word hee chained and bound them whom no bolts could hold nor any other means subdue such was his power and glory though men saw little of it that the Devils could neither fly from him nor yet abide his presence A whole legion of them ran to meet him a far off and worshipped him Mar. 5.6 most submisly intreated him that hee would not torment them and earnestly sued unto him that seeing they could no longer inhabit the man they might have power over the swine By all which examples and many more that might bee added appeareth what command Jesus Christ hath over the Devils and that by his onely word hee healed all those that were oppressed by them Quest It is true that Christ hath this power and glory in himself How the power of Christ foyleth Satan for us because God is with him but how commeth this power to bee so saving and soveraign unto miserable creatures who are held under the power of the Devil and that most justly Ans In healing all our diseases Mat. 8.16.17 among which this cute is numbred wee must knit and combine those two things which in Christ were inseparable namely his glory and his grace the latter of which makeeth the former soveraign unto us and appeareth in two actions in removing from us the next causes of all our diseases namely our sins For as the Physician in working a cure first removeth the distempered humours of his patient which are the matter of the disease so doth our heavenly Physician imply that this is the beginning of his cure and therefore often his first word is Thy sins are forgiven thee and his last word is goe and sin no more lest a worse thing befall thee 2 By taking our diseases upon himself which 〈◊〉 Physician doth or can do but this Lamb of God taketh away the sins of the world by taking them upon himself for he bare our infirmities Col. 2.22 and carried our sorrows and sins in the body of his flesh even to the cross where they were fastned with him buried them in his grave yea cast them into Hell and there left them by which most glorious triumph of his the snares and letters wherewith wee were chained to death and the Devil are broken and our souls as a bird are escaped Christ onely by his Pâ—opes power casteth out Devils Hence note 1 That no man can cast a Devil out of a possessed party or ever did as a principal efficient cause but as an instrument and that onely by this power of the Lord Jesus to whom all power in heaven and earth is given and to whom all the honour of this power must bee ascribed for what power can countermand Satans but onely Gods I grant Satan may give place to beelzabub and depart his habitation for his greater advantage and forsake a body to get faster hold upon the soul or to delude many beholders but such hostile conquest over Satan argueth a mighty power of God which all the Devils in hell cannot resist Secondly That whosoever finde themselves any way molested of Satan must hasten themselves to Jesus Christ who onely can batter down the holds of the Devil In all thy spiritual captivity repair unto Christ and work their deliverance Feelest thou thy self held under any spiritual captivity or bondage doth the Law of evil present with thee toyl thee with heaviness and unchearfulness to any thing that is good seest thou in any measure Satans secret trains working against thy salvation Oh come unto Christ not faintly as the Father of the possessed child Mark
must labour to espye Satans suggestion in it together with our own inclinations to swallow down all such temptations and forthwith to cast our eyes upon such Scriptures as may bee back-biasses to our natural motion Satan alloweth his servants stones for bread Vse 3. Note the cold comfort that Satan affords his followers when they need bread hee offers them stones as with Christ here Matth. 7.9 What man is there among you that if his Son ask him bread will give him a stone as if hee had said No Father that loveth his childe can bee so unnatural but Satan who cannot but bee an unnatural murtherer here for bread offers the Son of God a stone It is clean otherwise between God and his children for if Fathers which are evil can give good things to their children much more our heavenly Father giveth good things to them that ask him even things according to their need Your heavenly father knoweth that yee stand in need of all these things If they have need of Christ the bread of life he gives them this bread of life If they need the Holy Ghost hee gives the Holy Ghost to them that ask him that is not only beginnings of grace but increase of it in greater measure and a comfortable feeling and fruition If they need temporal mercies he gives them more than they ask as Salomon yea above all they are able to ask or think VVho would not think himself happy to bee Gods favourite rather than stand to the Devils wages who for bread will reach him stones Use 4. The way to get bread Gods way to get bread contrary to the Devils in three things is not at the Devils appointment to turn stones into bread or use unlawful means but 1 To fear and serve the Lord Exod. 23.25 If thou wilt serve the Lord thy God he shall bless thy bread and thy water the good land and all the fruits of it were promised to the Israelites so long as they were Homagers to God no good thing shall be wanting to such Psal 34.10 If we serve him we shall never need turn stones into bread even as Christ here did not who refusing Satans offer was refreshed of the Angels 2 To live in an honest and lawful trade of life painfully Gods ordinance is that in the sweat of thy brows thou must get thy bread the earth brings not forth so naturally now as at first yet at first Adam must Till the ground 3 In our lawful Calling to depend upon Gods blessing which maketh rich leaving all the success to God and this will make us content with that estate which God maketh our portion by good means Vers 4. But hee answering said It is written Man liveth not by bread only but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God IN this answer of our Saviour repelling the Tempter four things are to bee considered 1 The manner 2 The affection negative But. 3 The matter of it a testimony of Scripture It is written 4 The parts of this testimony 1 Negative Man lives not by bread only 2 Affirmative but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God The manner and quality of the answer appears in the whole answer that it was 1 A reasonable 2 A meek 3 A modest answer First it was a reasonable answer our Lord did not shake off the Temper without an answer though he deserved none but to shew that hee did not refuse the motion of a wilful mind but upon just ground he makes him a sufficient answer whence our Saviour would teach us that Doct. If we be to deal with our most deadly adversaries Christiâ—â— must be reasâ—â—able to most â—nreasonable â—dversaries Reasons suppose them as malicious as Satan to Christ yet we must doe nothing nor speak nothing of a wilful mind but take the guide of reason and the ground of conscience with us For 1 The will of man not ordered by reason is like a wilde Colt without a Rider most untamed and untractable most hateful to God and most hurtful to men and a note of man reserved to the Judgement of the Great Day to bee punished is to bee presumptuous and stand in his own conceit 2 Pet. 2.10 2 Reasonable men must have reason for their actions at the least for herein is a difference between the beasts and men they are lead by sense and appetite but men by reason from which if men depart they degenerate into beasts being lead with sensuality 2 Pet. 2 1â— 3 Our Saviours example carrieth us further that we should not only bee lead by reason in our affairs but by reason sanctified and renewed reason directed by the word and this not only here but in all his course of life Mar. 10 40. when he refused the unreasonable request of the Sons of Zebedeus hee gave a just reason saying It is not mine to give but shall bee given to them for whom it is prepared I must not give the chief seats in my Kingdom according to kindred and affection but according to my Fathers election When he rebuked Peter and called him Satan he giveth a reason for such unwonted sharpness For thou art an offence unto me thou savourest not the things of God thou wouldest hinder mans Redemption and Satan could have done no more Matth. 16.23 Acts 1.7 when the Disciples would know of Christ at his ascension when he would restore the Kingdom to Israel he denies their request and gives a reason It is not for you to know this my father hath put times and seasons in his own power yee have another task to bee witnesses to me c. intend this look to your Apostleship Vse This reproves the frowardness and unreasonable wilfulness of men and especially in their dealings with their adversaries taking violent courses not respecting conscience religion nor reason it self but standing upon their will and saying This I will doe let see who shall hinder me and let him undoe it if he can Now perswade this man Oh but let not passion guide you but shew your self a man cast away this impotent and womanish reason to such as are bruitishly destitute of reason I will because I will No hee is an enemy to all your perswasion his will out-runs his wit and reason his lust is his law his conscience and his religion But if any thing can reclaime such a man if he be not rather an Heathen than a Christian let him set Christs example here before him who would not be wilful without reason to the Devil himself in a most devillish motion and wilt thou to thy brother to thy neighbour yea to thy wife children c. Either set thy self to walk in thy Lords steps or get thee another Master Five reasons of Christs meekness to Satan Secondly this answer of Christ was a most meek answer Christ was omnipotent able with a book to have confounded the Devil hee might by his power have driven him back
unlesse hee were madd neither is it charity nor humanity to take money for a duty the nature of which is to bee free Charity seeks not her own and much less other mens but of these sorts of wicked men the speech is true Their mercies are cruel As charitable as that Usurer is so conscionable is hee that follows His conscience will not suffer him to take above the law not above ten in the hundred and that he hopes he may according to the wholesome laws of the Land Answ Where were his conscience if the Law of King Edward the sixth were revived whereby it was utterly forbidden according to the Canon of Gods Word and the ancient Canons of the Church but for the Statute now in force enacted Eliz. 13. c. 8. 1 I say it alloweth no usury but punisheth the excess of it 2 The title of the Act is An Act against Usury How then is it for it 3 It calleth usury a detestable sin how then can it secure thy conscience 4 All usury above ten in the hundred is punishable by the forfeit of the usury 5 What if the Laws of men should permit what Gods Law condemns is it not plain that this conscionable man flyeth Gods law to shelter his sin under mans as though the Laws of man were the rule of conscience and not Gods laws or as if the law of an inferiour can dispense with the law of the superiour or as if Moses permitting one evil in the Jews namely the putting away of their wives for preventing a greater did allow thereof or warrnnted the sin to the conscience of the hard-hearted Husband Wee conclude then that the Usurer lives not by any word of God but against it And to these adde the bands of this sin the Brokers to Usurers that live or raise gains by letting out other mens mony I will say no more to them but if hee bee shut out of heaven that lends his money to usury be shall hardly get in that is his Agent And humane Laws condemn theeves and accessaries It is a Statute of Henry the 7. Anno. 3. that all such Brokers for usury shall pay for every default twenty pounds and suffer half a years imprisonment and bee brought to the open shame of the Pillory It is just with God that Saul and his armour-bearer should fall together and dye on their own swords IV. Such live not by any word of God as encroach upon the Sabbaths of God by labouring either in themselves or in their servants as 1 by buying or selling wares Neh. 13.18 2 By works of the six daies whether in harvest or caring time Exod. 16.29 34.21 Neh. 13.15 3 by travelling for gain or pleasure For the Sabbath was made for our spiritual profit it is a day to give and collect almes and not gain Manna it self must not bee gathered on the Sabbath much lesse must more ignoble sustenance if it bee sought it shall not bee sound Object 1 May I not do a little to set forward my work for the beginning of the week Answ No Manna might not bee sought though early in the morning and though it was but a little way off and required little labour Object 2 May I not take a fair day when it comes the weather being uncertain and catching Ans Thou mayest as well say May I not take a purse when it comes wilt thou bee a theef and rob God of his due Should not ill weather and Gods judgements rather force thee to Repentance and obedience than to sin Object 3 It lies me upon a bond my estate and many poor men depend upon mee Answ First pay thy bond to God saith and obedience never brought losse with it and better were it to loose a little commodity than Gods favour and a good Conscience nothing is so heavy as Gods curse for this sin V. Common Gamesters and such as make a gain of play live not by any word of God it is a common theft and they come directly under the eight Commandement and that Precept of the Apostle Eph. 4.28 Let him that stole steal no more but rather labour with his hands And as they live out of a calling so their course is an unjust taking into their possession that which no law of God or man doth warrant them by any manner of lawful contract See August Epist 54. and the Civil law and Fathers condemn that gain which is gotten by play In the same rank of theeves are they that live by keeping dice-houses or gaming houses and such places of lewd resort Use 4. Let us take some rules whereby wee may comfortably pass our lives according to Gods Word and avoid all these sins against it There are three 1 Concerning our calling 2 our states 3 Our maintenance of life The first Rule concerning our Calling is this The carriage of our calling according to Gods Word is a special part of that word of God by which man must live Quest How may I carry my calling according to Gods word Answ By these means 1 Wee must make choice of such callings for our selves and ours as bee profitable for the Church or Common-wealth there bee many vain and new-fangled inventions which rather maintain sin than bring any good to the Church or Common-wealth But God therefore bestoweth variety of gifts to furnish men to the variety of callings all for the common and every ones private good 2 Seeing not the having of a Calling but the right use of it glorifieth God wee must use our callings with the practice of sundry vertues 1 In faith and obedience to God Faith makes our persons obedience makes our actions approved of God yea every duty of our calling ought to bee an obedience of faith looking at the commandement and promise the Commandement keeps us within the compass of our callings the promise secureth us of good success A good action not warranted by a calling is sin 2 In diligence not wilfully neglecting but serving and redeeming the means of Gods providence Every man must abide in his calling and keep him in his way for so long hee is sure to bee provided for thus bee avoides idleness and destruction and maintains the order and rank wherein God hath set him 3 In cheerfulness not carking or excessively careful but doing the labour and leaving all the success to God Some are heart-lesse in their calling because it brings in so little profit and return and labour as the Oxe who must go out his journey but without cheerfulnesse or heart which God looks for in all our duties Such should consider 1 That Callings were not onely ordained to get money but help us cheerfully through our way and contain us in a course wherein to please God 2 That the goodnesse and worth of a calling is not to bee measured by that profit it brings in to us but by the publike benefit and as it is rightly used God may bee served as well in the basest as in