all but vnto such as doo acknowledge it with thankes gyuing accept it with ioyfulnesse and become his seruauntes in newe obedyence and then they are called iuste or ryghteous by imputation and therefore it is sayde The iuste shall lyue by fayth Nowe because God is knowen to be mercifull Rom. 1.17 there be that follow their owne lustes and appetites and put of from day to day their returning vnto God buylding neyther on fayth nor yet on Godes mercye but on their owne lustye wylles and desires and that buylding cannot stande neyther can that be a sufficient pleasing of God that is done without fayth Yea Iames. and yet fayth of it selfe in some poyntes fayleth that is where it doth trouble or is inconstant Mat. 7.21 as for example The Diuels beleeue but they tremble Agayne Not euery one that sayth vnto mee Lorde Lorde shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but he that doth the will of my father which is in heauen But this fayth fayleth Howe ye shall know true fayth because it tasteth of weakenesse feare and synne The true fayth is tryed by constancie in Trybulation as appeareth in Saint Paul to the Thessalonians 1. Thes 3.5 and by perfecte Loue as appeareth in Saint Paull to Timothye where he sayth The ende of the commaundement is loue 1. Tim. 1.5 out of a pure hart and of a good conscience and of fayth vnfayned The true fayth hath a frée accesse vnto God with boldnesse Eph. 3.12 By true fayth we resist the Diuell and ouercome the world 1. Iohn 5.4 as S. Iohn saith This is the victory that ouercommeth the worlde euen our fayth And Peter saith 1. Pet. 58.9 your aduersary the Diuell goeth about like a roring Lion séeking whom he may deuour whom resist stedfast in fayth by true fayth we are preserued vnto saluatiō as Peter saith Which are kept by the power of God through fayth vnto saluation 1. Pet. 1.5 After all this we must consider that as knowledge goeth before fayth so perseuerance and stedfast continuance followeth after fayth which stedfast continuance hath béen founde in all the godlye Patriarches Perseuerāce Prophets and Apostles vnremooueable and which is so necessary in a christian man and so muche required in a Christian man as fruit is expected of the trée without the which the trée is not estéemed for it is the tryall of a man in temptation or affliction For the Diuell will séeke to remooue hym the world will séeke to shake him the flesh wil seke to weigh his Anker then if he be vnstedfast or if he be not founde to be the good fighting souldier of Christ what auayleth all his christian doctrine yea wat auaileth his sworde and buckler if he run away from his aduersarie as Demostenes Demostenes hauing written in his Target 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good fortune as who woulde say fortune was his guide yet in the face of his enemie he ranne away so that whether it be in prosperitie to hold fast the Lord and not to be vainely puffed vp in the worlde nor to settle his heart in the world nor to turne his eies away from his poore brethren not to oppresse nor couet or desire an other mans goods This is stedfast abiding in the Lorde in prosperitie Or whether it be in aduersitie to be patient in all tribulations to be thankefull for all crosses and to tarrie the Lordes leasure to suffer euery burden that is layde vpon hym whether it be sickenesse pouertie imprisonment slander or whatsoeuer Christ sayde He that wyll be my disciple must take vp his crosse and follow me He sayd not take his crosse and stande styll or goe backe but to followe hym this is stedfast fayth in aduersity As touching his persecution which is that we shoulde not slyde backe from almightie God there are many notable examples in scripture of it Iosu 1.8 Iosuah sayth Let not this booke of the lawe depart out of thy mouth but meditate therein day and night that thou mayest obserue and do according to all that is written in it The Prophet Dauid sayth in his fyrst Psalme Psal 1.12 Blessed is the man that hath not walked in the counsell of the vngodly c. But his delight is in the lawe of the Lord and in his lawe will he exercise hym selfe day and night Iob sayth Although he kyll me I will not forsake hym Our Sauiour Christ sayth happie is he that continueth vnto the ende By the lawe of reason we ought so long to be the Lordes Heb. 8.13 as the Lord is ours but Christ Iesus is ours yesterday and to day and for euer he findeth vs euery day comforteth vs euery day sendeth to vs his grace euery day encreaseth his blessinges on the earth for vs euery day Euen so euery day we should be faythfull and stedfast seruauntes vnto hym Psal 116.33 The Prophete Dauid desireth the Lord to teach hym the waye of his statutes and he would kéepe it vnto the ende Besides these benefites knowledge New birth Phil. 1. faith and perseueraunce which we gather out of the word of God we fynde the regeneratiō the new byrth or new shaping of our selues for that in déede we were disfigured by reasō of Adams fall and lost the shape of righteousnes true obedience which now in Christ are accepted and nowe we shoulde fashion our selues not according to Adā in disobedience the lust of the flesh but according to the children of God and like our forerunner Christ Iesu as Saint Paul saith 1. Pe. 1.23 Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Iesu Of this newe birth the Apostle speaketh Being borne a newe not of mortall séede but of immortall by the worde of GOD who lyueth and endureth for euer O what great comforte do the decayed members of Adam receyue by the word of God when by reading or hearing it they sée their restitution in Christ Iesu how muche we are bound to almightie God for his worde Peace Also in the worde of God we finde peace euen that peace which is concluded by God to vs ward Which as the Apostle sayth Ep. 2.13.14 Passeth all vnderstanding for as much as he was to stoute an enemie to be set agaynst vs great was our ouerthrowe where he was an aduersary and there our Citie was like to be sackte and we confounded in our dwellinges Where the Lorde besieged it but nowe in Christ Iesus ye which were once farre of are made néere by the blood of Christ For he is our peace which hath made of both one and hath broken the stop of the partition wall And he hath commaunded his disciples that into what Cittie Mat. 10.13 towne or house so euer that is worthie that they came into their peace shoulde cōe vpon it This peace if it be well weied and well considered what the value of it is it shal be
â—m 3.4 be the helme and guyde of the shyp of our body néedes must the ship run at large whose guyde is vnrulie â— Cor 15. S. Paule recording the wordes of Menander sayd Euill words corrupt good manners Likewise Dauid describing the vngodly among other things sayth Vnder his tongue is vngodlines and vanitie â—am 3.6 Yea Iames sayth The tongue set among our members defileth the whole body and setteth on fire the course of nature and especially you shall note it in those whose inclination is to euill and in whom there is founde a towardnes and a wylling readines to a wanton wicked and filthy life wherfore I fréendly admonish with S. Paul Fornication â—ph 5.34.5 and all vncleannes and couetousnes let it not be once named among you as it becommeth Saintes Neyther filthynes nor foolish talking neyther iesting which are thinges not comelye but rather gyuing of thankes Last of all there remaineth an other sustenaunce to carnall pleasure which is immoderate diet Immoderate dyet an â—â—imâ—â—d to all temperancy an ouerthrowe of knowledge a râ—fer out of reason a disfigurer of shape and a murtherer of vertue Likewise a fréede vnto vice a maintainer of appetite and a copartner with â—â—â—â—lines for if you behold the man in â—â—ned eyther to gluttony or drunkennes you beholde him that dooth so stuffe the flesh as he séemeth to be wylling to féede the effectes and desires thereof whych appeared shamefully bothe in Lot and in Holophernus to their confusion And as Marcinus sayth Tu ganea indulges Ciprian sectare nefandam So thou doost fauour gluttony that in the ende thou doost nourish venerye The wise man sayth Ecc. 31.30 Drunkennes encreaseth the courage of a foole till he offende it dimisheth his strength and maketh wounds Also in the Prouerbes of Salomon Pro. 23 31 32 33. Looke not thou vpon the wyne when it is red and when it sheweth hys colour in the cuppe or goeth downe pleasantlie in the end therof it wil bite like a serpent hurt like a Cockatrice thine eyes shall looke vpon strange women and thy hart shall speake lewde thinges Héerein you may sée the lewde forces of excessiue wine it maintaineth venery gyueth courage to offende diminisheth strength woundeth stingeth as a serpent hurteth like a Cockatrice turneth the eyes to straunge women and maketh the hart speake lewde thinges what greater ouerthrow can there be to the honour and dignity of a man Now beholde what God pronounceth against such In the Prophet Esay hée sayth â—sa 5 11 Woe vnto them that rise vppe earely to folow drunkennes to them that continue vntill night till the wine doo enflame them And a little after in the same Chapter â—rse 22 Woe vnto them that are mighty to drinke wine and to them that are strong to powre in strong drinke â—el 1 5 Likewise the Prophet Ioel cryeth out at them Awake ye drunkardes and wéepe and howle all yée drinkers of wyne because of the newe wyne for it shal be pulled from your mouth Nowe because mans nature is apt and prone héerevnto God did not onely gyue a threatning to this reason to be terrified but an order to his bodye to be mortified and therefore ordeyned and proclaimed fasting Fasting as a most godly and commendable constitution of the body in temperancye and that wee shold so order our dyet that we shoulde be féeders of nature and not releuers of appetite neyther should this fasting supersticiously consist in the choyse of meates and drinkes as the Maniches did August dâ—moribus Manich lâ— 2 cap 13 which refrayned flesh and yet in other dainties were distenti crepantes but rather that we shoulde take to relieue nature and no more To this ende sayth Caluin was fasting ordeyned Institu li cap 12. secâ— 15 first to supprosse the flesh least that it shoulde were wanton Secondly they should be the better gyuen to prayer and thirdly it should be a testimony vnto humility in those that did vse fasting orderly that is to saye in refraining ouermuch stuffing and pampering of the bellye the Lord God graunt it spéedily in all good Christians for his Christs sake Amen A prayer O Mercifull God forasmuch as wee see that we are but very dust and ashes and though wee growe vp gloriously as the flower of the fielde yet we are cut downe quickly and wyther as the grasse and forasmuch as out of this corruptible nature of ours proceedeth no good thing but wicked thoughtes deuilish inuentions and moste damnable actions VVe humbly beseech thee gyue vs grace that wee may so beholde our vile nature and wicked inclination that we may be ashamed at the fruites thereof that by shame we may be â—â—uen to shun the wickednes of sin and forced to shadow our selues vnder the winges of thy protection and learne to put on the beautye of thy sonne Iesus Christ that in him wee may bee restored to the shape and forme of vertue and godlines to the honour and glory of thy holy name through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen Howe many greeuous enemies we haue by reason of sinne COnsidering howe ouglye and monstrous sinne is in the mind fleshe of man Chap. 3. and howe diuerse it is in hys wyll as it is a thinge impossible to proportionate it so is it a thing so detestable that by reason therof I meane sinne onely we haue many most gréeuous and intollerable enemies As for example Gods vengance and wrath our owne conscience death and damnation of the which some of theÌ„ are enemies vnto our sin fréends vnto vs as are Gods vengeaunce and our owne conscience and some of them are fréends vnto sinne and enemies vnto vs as are death and damnation but by reason that sinne raigneth in vs and we fauour it and water it and cannot nor wyll not seperate our selues froÌ„ the hazarde of it but kéepe a society wyth it Wée are like the Corne that is is found among the chaffe which is gathered vp cast into the fire and so they perish togeather Euen so when sinne is founde to excéede in our mortall bodies and that we ouermuch defile the house of the Lorde I meane his Temple he shal come with his Fanne in his hand and purge hys flower and that séede which is not séene but couered with the Chaffe and dust of the flowre shall be cast away and that man whose multitude of sinnes doo couer him so that neyther repentaunce nor any good conuersation doth discouer vndoubtedly eyther the broome of Gods vengance shall swéepe him away or els the worme of his conscience shall gnaw him or the sting of death shall confound him or els the fire of hell shall consume him for all these are enimies vnto vs for sins sake Nowe therefore least sinne myght raigne among vs too aboundantly without the cutting off of the buddings and blossomes of it either with amendmeÌ„t with grace or with feare I wyll laye
clogging accusing pressing down as a heauy lump of lead shaming at condemning our own reasons and wils for giuing entertainmeÌ„t vnto sin in asmuch as sometimes ye shal find the tormeÌ„ts gréeues of conscieÌ„ce to worke greater sorrow care in our minds theÌ„ if we were either in prison or ready to goe to execution and although there bée 2. consciences the good and the bad Two consciences forasmuch as I write vnto the good people of God I will haue to doo but with the conscience of the good referring the other to his continual hardnes And although oftentimes we sée not the conscience of the good by their wickednes of sin for that they are not yet called yet if theyr consciences do not shew her force of accusation no doubt it is imprisoned and so hid in the great heape of corruptioÌ„ that though it cannot now speake in the end wil breake foorth that we sée in many disordered personnes in these daies which in the hardnesse of their hartes haue contynued in theyr sinne a long tyme vntouched or vndisclosed Yet in the ende when God wyll call them or sathan bring them to shame or wheÌ„ no man can iustly accuse them how be it suspect them of euill liuing being called to examinacion before any magistrate then who can better accuse then the conscience who doth first condemn and then strike a great feare in the ende produceth two witnesses that is eyther the stammering tongue or els the blushing face to accuse the guilty wyth hys owne mouth and make him speake although he sée eyther shame to discredite him or the magistrate to punish hym or the Gallowes to confound him Therefore is the conscience called Mille testes a thousand witnesses because it dooth more euidently know that which is hid in him then a thousand men and dooth boyle and burne in the harts of wicked men like a fire As Tully sayth Nolite putare quemadmodum in fabulis sepenumero videtis In oratione pro Roscio eos qui aliquid impie scelera te que commiserunt agitari perterreri taedis ardentibus sua quemque fraus suus terror maxime vexat suum quemque scelus exagitat amentiaque afficit suae malae cogitationes conscientiaeque animi terrent c. Thinke not as Poets haue fayned that they that haue committed something vngodly or wickedly are vexed and scourged with burning Torches it is our owne guile and our owne feare doth most trouble vs it is our owne wickednes doth torment vs and amaze vs our owne wicked thoughts and consciences that dooth affright vs c. There is a great accusation of the conscience in the hart of the sinner as when the Scribes and Pharisies had taken a woman in adultery they brought her to Christ to sée what sentence he woulde gyue against her because they hadde found in Moses Lawe that such a one should be stoned to death but they dyd it not for Iustice but to tempt him Then he writ wyth hys finger on the ground and said béeing vrged by them for his sentence Let him that is among you without sinne cast the first stone at her And when they heard it Ioh. 8.7.9 being accused by their owne consciences they went out one by one beginning at the eldest euen vnto the last It is most true that Iuuenall sayth â—â—t 13 Euasisse putes quos diri conscia facti Mens reddit attonitos et surdo verbere caedit Doost thou thinke he can escape whoÌ„ the conscience of a moste horrible facte maketh amazed and whippeth with a deafe scourge And as the same Iuuenall saith in an other place Nocte dieque suum gestat in pectore testem But day and night where that he goe or rest hee â—till doth beare a witnes in his brest Conscientia S. Paule speaking of the Gentiles sheweth that they haue the effect of the Lawe written in their harts their consciences bearing witnes Rom 2 15 and as long as we liue in this worlde God graunt that this witnes may alwayes stirre and sting vs till we be ashamed of sin vnlesse after this life it be opened as in an inditement to accuse at the iudgment seate Reu. 20 12 as Iohn maketh mention And I saw the dead both great small stand before God and the (a) That is their consciences bookes were opened and an other booke was opened which is the booke of life the dead were iudged of those thinges which were written in the bookes according to their works Thus we may sée the conscience in thys world that accuseth and the conscience in the worlde to come that condemneth God grant the we may in this worlde so behaue our selues as with Horace to say Hic murus ahaeneus esto This is a brasen wall when a man may knock his breste and say I knowe nothing héere that maketh me ashamed or a feard Miscellan prelect sepâ— time Toâ— primi He that wyll sée more of the conscience let him looke in the Bishoppe of Exceter hys booke Not in Ally though indéede he wryte of conscience at large But D. Wolton that is now Bishop who wryte larger in his booke called the Conscience dedicated to a godly zealous knight S. Iohn Gilbert mine olde good master louing fréend a fit Patrone for such a booke and title there he shal find inough touching the conscience The third enemy vâ— to sinne An other most terrible enemy vnto mankind for sinnes sake is death who by reason that our bodye is all spotted corrputed with sinne hath his lawfull accesse vnto mankind and foloweth him step by step from place to place of what estate or degrée soeuer he bée either King Prince Duke Marques Earle lord baron knight or whether he be rich or mighty wise or politike tyll at last he plucketh him downe and depriueth him of life wife children houses lands goods and all those thinges in the world wherin he setled his hart The cause of this his power is that man beeing corrupted wyth sin is rewarded with death a certaine appoyntment of God in our first parent for his sin and disobedience â—n 2.17 As appeareth in Genesis 2. In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death In that he dyd eate he disobeyed and so sinned which sinne hath runne into all hys posterity by discent hetherto â—m 5 12 and shall vnto the worlds ende and that is the cause that Death triuÌ„pheth ouer vs in this world in ouerthrowing vs. S. Paul sayth Stipendium peccati mors â—om 6 23 The rewarde of sinne is death Likewise the Apostle Iames sayth â—m 1.15 When lust hath conceaued it bringeth forth sinne and sin wheÌ„ it is finished bringeth foorth death So that there is no doubt among men but by reason of sinne death hath taken hold in them â—om 5.12 and as sin is entred into all the worlde as the Apostle sayth euen so death
is like to run vpon all theÌ„ which are in the world by reason of sinne But now some will obiect Obiect that whether wée sinne much or little it is all one for we are assured of death thereby not regarding the multitude of sinnes but as it were féeding the inclination of sinne knowing that there is but to the one and to the other a death for a rewarde But I answer Resp if any man shall therevpon boldly presume on sinne and feede the humor thereof Short de terrible Deu. 30.18 he shall not only hasten death vnto him but also plucke vpon him a most terrible death as appeareth in Moses If thy hart turne away so that thou wylt not obey but shalt bée seduced and worshippe other Gods and serue them I pronounce vnto you thys day that ye shall surely perish you shal not prolong your daies in the lande S. Paule charging the Corinthians for abusing the sacrament sayd 1 Co. 11.3 For thys cause many are sicke among you and many fall on sléepe And yet it is not a generall rule that they which are cutte off that theyr dayes are shortned thorough sinne for Iohn Baptist and the Innocents that were murthered by Herode are no such examples for such the Lord dooth not onely take away because they are vnworthy of the worlde but sometimes they are arguments of condemnation vnto their oppressers again in them was not séene such manifest sin wherby they did drawe vnto theÌ„ Gods wrath to cut of their dayes but in those in whom plentifulnes of obstinate sin doth raigne vndoubtedly they shorten their dayes as on the otherside they which serue the Lord and followe hys precepts and lawes their daies shal be prolonged 〈◊〉 â—0 20 As appeareth in the commandements Honour thy father and thy mother that thy daies may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giueth thée K n 20 6 Was there not xv yeeres added to Ezechias in seruing the Lord. The prophet Dauid saith â—sal 34 12 What man is he that listeth to liue wold faine sée good daies kéepe thy tongue froÌ„ euil and thy lips that they speake no guile The very same like wordes hath the Apostle Peter also when the Lord appeared vnto Salomon in Gibeon Pet 3 10 and had giuen him the excellency of wisedom he aduised him saying â— Kin. 3 14 If thou wilt walk in my waies to keepe my ordinances and my commandements as thy father Dauid did walk I wil prolong thy daies And yet not only this blessing of prolonging of daies shal be giuen to the seruaunts of God but euen in the ende they shall die a peaceable death as happened to the good king Iosias to whom the Lord said 2 Ki 22 2â— for his good embrasing of the booke of the Law and fearing him Beholde I wyll gather thée to thy fathers thou shalt be put in thy graue in peace and thine eies shall not sée all the euil which I wyl bring vpoÌ„ this place O good God what sweeter wordes to a christian hart and what greater ioy to a good conscience then to depart in peace the neither God in vengeaunce nor the worlde in exclamatioÌ„ lay any thing to our charge neyther this length of life nor this peaceable death shal be assured to the vngodly and wicked but as I said their daies shal be cut of and their end shal be in terror feare as it appeareth in Ezechiel Ezech 14 either by famine pestilence sworde or wyld beasts Howe terrible was the death of the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomor O howe lamentable and most dreadfull was the ende of Hierusalem when it was sackt by Tytus and Vespasian Howe fearefull was the end of Iezabell being rent a sunder with dogges and deuoured by peece-meale How was the ende of rebellious Absalon which was caught from hys horse and hanged by the haire Howe odious was the ende of Antiochus which putrified and rotted where he lay that hys Chamberlaine coulde not abide his smell Most horrible was the ende of Holophernus who was beheaded in hys drunken sléepe and all these wyth a great many more abridged their daies and ended them in most terrible and fearefull manner and that for their wicked and abhominable lyuing in most detestable sinne and wickednes some in horedome some in pryde some in disobedience some in extortion some in tyranny and cruell murther c. I remember I was by the bedside of an olde preacher Hunting 〈◊〉 who diâ—n frooâ— Zelâ—â—d who lay in his death bed and sayd vnto me Euen as the water which is poysoned killeth all the multitude of fish in it so I tell thée in thys world the whole ayre is so corrupted with the sinne of man that I doubt mée it wyll bring all the world to a confusion in a short time I pray God deliuer me and giue England repentant harts The most horrible and most fearefull enemy that yet was spoken of agaynste the sinne of man is hell The last enemy to sinne a place of damnation for euer without release appointed for sathan all such as haue stoutly serued him without veyling theyr banner of repentaunce to almighty God an enemy so dreadfull as me thinkes the verye remembraunce of so terrible a place should séeme to reuoke and drawe backe a sinner although he had neuer so great a delight in his iourney A place not onely full of all paynes torments but also continuing and enduring for euer and euer a place voyde of release or mitigation of paynes thether commeth neyther mercy nor bayle compassion nor pittye The lamentable out cryes and scriches of them that are tormented doo neuer come from thence vnto the eares of helpe or vnto the compassion of pitty Esa 30 33 It is described in the Prophet Esay Topheth is prepared of olde it is euen prepared for the King hée hath made it déepe and large the burning thereof is fire much woode the breath of the Lorde like a fire of Brimstone doth kindle it He speaketh figuratiuely that as the state of heauen in many places of the new Testament is set forth by similituds because other wise we cannot conceiue of it euen so hell in this place is called Topheth Topheth which was a vallye of the children of Hinnom néere Ierusalem 2 Ki 23 10 where the childreÌ„ were sacrificed to Moloch which was a great Image of brasse Lyra. proportioned like vnto a man and being holow within it should first be made fire redde hote and when the child shoulde be put into it and closed vp then the priestes would make such a noise with Targets and timbrels that the parents should not heare the voice of the infant whereby they myght be moued to coÌ„passioÌ„ but beléeue that the infant died peaceably with out paine and that the Gods did presently receiue the soule of the infant this was their abhominable Idolatrye in thys vally néere