In which fortie yeares he overthrew them and made an end of them with their sinnes Fortie daies and fortie nightes was the raine vpon the earth when all the inhabitants Gen. 7. 12. of the old world except Noah and his family were drowned In those fortie daies and fortie nights the Lord wiped away all wickednesse and crueltie wherewith the earth was corrupted Forty daies are limited to the people of Niâ—eveh for repentaunce And in that space they repented for they beleeved God as it is in Ionah and proclaimed a fast and put on sacke-cloath Ion. 3. 4. 5. from the greatest of them even to the least of them And to speake according to naturall observation it is noted in mankinde generally that an * Plin. nat hist lib. 7. in proâ—m infant doth seldome or never laugh before he be fortie daies old Here we may see that man â—ath iust cause to bee alwaies sorie and to mourne for his sinnes which are the cause of all the miseries of this life When God establisheth perfect righteousnes vpon earth forty of daies and nightes are spoken of as when Moses was called from the sight of the people he was with the Lord in mount Sinai forty daies and forty nights Exod. 24 18 34. 28. in which he fasted miraculously that so the law of God which hee was to deliuer vnto the Israâ—lites might receiue the more honor and authority And againe fortie daies and 1. King â—9 〈◊〉 fortie 〈◊〉 E 〈…〉 h at the calling of the Lord continued â—â—sâ—ing because hee was the minister that should restore the law to the former perfection thereof And our saviour Christ is said to haue fasted Maâ— 4. 2. â—uke 4 2. 〈…〉 and fourtie mightes before hee beganne his publique life and preaching The end of which fast o◠〈…〉 le as * Vpon the harmony of the â—â—aÌ„gell Mat. 4. 〈◊〉 M. Câ—lvâ— doeth well obsetue was that it should bee a seale to the doctrine of the Gospell which as it is more glorious then the lawe of Moses so was it to bee adorned with miracles and rate signes And after he had suffered his passion and was â—â—sen againe hee was seene of his Apostles by the spice of forty daies Act. 1. 3. In which fortie daies he confirmed vnto them the verity of his â—uâ—â—ection Thus we see where vnto this number forty is vsually applyed in holy scriptures For as teâ—â—e is a perfect and absolute number and all supe 〈…〉 numbers doe arise either by adding vnto teâ—â—e oâ— els by multiplying of ten so the multiplying of ten in this number forty declareth vnto vs the louing kindnesse and mercy of God who giueth vnto men such space of daies or of yeares either to see the confirmatioÌ„ of his truth and his workes or to amend and turne vnto him before they bee destroied for their sins and transgressions And here we may learne that our departing from iniquity our faith and obedience to the worde of GOD must bee effectuall earnest and vnsamed and wee must persevere in the same not for one day but fortie dayes or fortie yeares that is so long as the LORDE vvill haue vs to remayne in the vvildernesse of this world Nowe the cause why the LORDE was displeased with his people fortie yeares was sinne For the Apostle sayeth vvas hee not displeased vvith them that sinned vvhose carâ—â—â—ses fell in the vvildernesse The roote and beginning of all sinne is the naturall corruption or originall sinne vvherein all menne are vvrapped from their mothers wombe and vvherevvith mankinde hath beene infected euer since the fall of Adam This corruption bringeth foorth fruite vnto death by transgressing the law of God We sinne three maner of waieâ— three maner of waies that is in thought worde and deede according to the wordes of our saviour Christ affirming that those thinges which desile a man come from the heart For out of the hearte saith hee come Mat. 15. 19. eviâ—â— thoughts These are sinnes and defile thâ— whole man Murthers adulteries fornications theftes These are sinnes in deed False testimonies slaunders These are sinnes committed in word And now all these transgressions and every one of them as they are committed of men are called actuall sinnes And they are Three sorts of actuall sinnes of three sortes One is counted a sinne of infirmitie into the which the godly and regenerate men of God doe commonly fall through the weakenesse of the flesh Of this kinde of sinne speaketh Paule when he saith the evill which I vvould not that do I. And Rom 7. 19. 1. 〈◊〉 1. 8. of this Saint Iohn saith If we saie that wee haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and the truth is not in vs. The second is a sinne of ignorance committed through lacke of knowledge when hee that sinneth knoweth not that he doeth evill Such was the sinne of Paule before his conversion when hee liued a Pharisâ—â— and persecuted the Christians notwithstanding he had zeale and in his life was vnrebukeable Phil. 3. 6. touching the righteousnesse of the law And of this sinne after he was conuerted hee saith I did it ignorantly through vnbeliefe 1. Tim. 1. 13. The third kind of sinne is a sinne of malice or a sinne of disobedience to the trueth of God when they that haue experience of Gods fauour and goodnesse towards them and know his word to be the rule of righteousnesse will not for all that forsake their owne waies to followe it and to obey it Such was the sinne of Saul when he did not 1. Sam. 15 9 obey the wordes of Samuel being commanded to destroy the Amalekites and all that appertained vnto them This sinne of disobedience was the sinne of the children of Israell for the which the Lord was displeased with them fortie yeares who knowing the goodnesse of God to bee more extended towardes them then any other nation of the earth did notwithstanding disobey his voice and tempte him â—enne tymes as the scripture witnesseth Num. 14. â—2 And therefore they were reiected of the Lord that they should not enter into his rest and were punished in the wildernesse with horrible plagues where their carkeises fell for an example and a terrour to all that should haue thereof This sinne of maliciouse frowardnes disobedience to the word of God is of all other most fearefull is therefore called rebellion 1. Sam. 15. 23. wickednes idolatrie compared with the sinne of witchcraft And of this kind of sinne Iohn saith hee that commiteth sinâ—s of 1. 10. 3. 8. 9. the deuill And whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not This is therefore the sinne that we must beware of We see how fearefully it was punished in Gods chosen people And their punishments as Paule witnesseth being written to admonish vs might if they were 1. Cor. 10. 〈◊〉 well weyed terrifie the stubborne froward generation of this age and might moue those that preferre the
was made a curse for vs. For the plainer vnderstaÌ„ding of this so great a misterie marke a familiar similitude There is a king whose lawes are iust and good and by the law al his enemies which haue rebelled and are founde guilty of high treason ought to suffer death and the sentence of condemnation is already denouÌ„ced against them and there is no hope of life remaining Yet the king hath no pleasure in the death of these rebelles but the law which declareth that he is a most iust king must be fulfilled and therefore the kings owne sonne doth offer himselfe to die to satisfie the law to the end that these men may be acquitted from the iudgment that hath passed against them and now these condemned persons are ransomed and set at liberty but the price of their redemption was paide by the kings owne sonne and it cost him his life Thus was the cause with al the children of Adam We had al rebelled against the king of heaven and earth and there was founde none that kept his lawe none that was righteous 〈◊〉 not one And therefore death was gone over Rom. 3. 10 ail men for asmuch as all men had sinned and Rom. 5. 12. now the sonne of God Christ Iesus taketh our nature vpon him and beeing made like vnto one of vs sinne only excepted he suffereth the cursed death of the crosse for our redeâ—â—tion Here appeareth the loue of God to vs ward and herein standeth the assurance of our salvation that Gods son the king of kings was wounded for our traÌ„sgressions and broken for our iniquities that the chastismeÌ„t Isâ— 53. 5. of our peace was vpon him that with his stripes we are healed And that we might be sure that he hath paid our debts to the vttermost farthing by susteining the infinite wrath that was due to vs the same Prophet saith that he was plagued and smitten of GOD and that hee povvred out his souls vnto death and all this for our transgrestion Isa 53. 4. 8 12. And therefore thou that art a Christian and beleevest vvithout vvaveringe that CHRIST hath suffered these thinges for thee and for thy deliveraunce out of the handes of thine enemies havinge that feeling of thy sinnes that thou feele thy selfe to stande in neede of every droppe of that precious bloode which was shedde vpon the tree of the crosse for the redemption of mankinde thou that hast this faith if thou holde if faste vnto the ende art made partaker of CHRIST And now it is vnpossible that thou shouldest bee damned For there is no condemnation to them Rom. 8. 1. that are in CHRIST IESUS Yea as a Godly Doctor faith Christ the redeemer Martin Luther must bee damned before the elect man can be damned for whom he delivered him selfe to death And another faithfull teacher Bradford the Martyr in his ser of repentance saith if the sufferings of Christihad not bin inough he would yet once more come again yea God the father if the death of his son incarnate would not serue would himselfe the holy Ghost also become incarnate die for vs. Hereof then is that assurance which the elect haue of their health and salvation through the grace of GOD in CHRIST IESVS accordinge to that notable testimony of the Apostle I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor Rom. 8. 38. 39. principalities nor powers nor thinges present not thinges to come nor beight nor depth nor anie other creaâ—ure shal be able to seperate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus If this bee not true why doest thou say in thy creed I beleeue the forgiuenes of sinnes For to beleeue to doubt or to be vncertaine can never go togither The other property of faith that iustifieth is to be assured not only of forgiuenesse of sinnes and deliverance from death but also of eternall life and that we shall be coÌ„municants with our redeemer Christ in the glory that shall bee revealed For if we bee iustified by faith ingraffed into his misticall body according to the meaning of our baptisme we are not onely acquitted from the iudgement of condemnation and saved from wrath but we are also made partakers of all the merits of Christ and they are as surely sealed to be ours as if wee our selues had wrought them For now the kingdome of heaven and the inheritaunce of the blessed life is due vnto vs as to heires annexed vvith Rom. 8. 17. Christ And whereas of our selues wee are without vnderstanding full of iniquity vnholy and lost sheepe The holy Ghost saith that Christ is made vnto vs wisedome and righteousnes 1. Cor. 1. 30. sanctification redemption For as the same Apostle speaketh in an otherplace if God spared not his owne son but gaue him for Rom. 8. 32. vs all to death how shall bee not with him giue vs all things also This is most true as it may be illustrated by example the spouse after shee be once marryed to her husband is not only called after his name but is also made partaker of all things that her husband hath right to his honour is her honour his wealth is her wealth what estimation what dignity and what deserts soever the husbande hath the spouse his wife is made partaker of the same because they two are made one flesh as Mat. 19. 5. saith the scripture even so the faithful soule which is iustified by faith and married to the bridegrome Christ Iesus is fully beautified withall the graces of Christ with his righteousnesse with his innocency with his holynesse with his honour with his glory yea the faithfull are so honored that they shal sit Luk. 22. 30. on seats and iudge not only men but also the Angels themselues Know yee not that wee shall 1. Cor. 6. 3. iudge the Angels how much more thinges pertaining to this life such is the honour that they haue in whose hearts Christ dwelleth by true iustifying faith And thus are they made partakers of Christ But let none of theÌ„ that are hardened in sinne and which delight and take pleasure in the workes of the flesh thinke that they aâ— made partakers of this gâ—ace For without that sure faith wherof you haue heard there is no saluation and where no workes of the spirite nor any token of regeneration appeareth there can be no sound faith and therfore where the Apostle saith that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus Rom 8. 1. he addeth and sheweth who they are which waelke not after the flesh but aâ—â—er the spirit These three things are proper to a sauing faith that thou stedfasthe beleeue in thâ—â—â— heart that thou make consession of thy faith to the worlde be confessing Christ before Mat. 10. 32. Col. 1. 10. m 〈…〉 and that thou be fruitfull in all good vvorkes adorning thy faith with workes worthy amendments of
abstaine from such enemies Strangers and pilgrims doe commonly stand in more feare of enemies theÌ„ they that dwell in their knowne country and among their acquaintance as it appeareth by Iacob howe Gen. 34. 3 〈…〉 he feared the Cananites when his sonnes had slaine Hamor and Sechem He feared because he was a stranger in the land few in â—â—mber in comparison of his enemies So Lot is despised of the Sodomites because Gen. 19. 〈◊〉 he was a stranger and one that had not been borne in that country therefore they regard not his praiers nor his intreaty he made vnto them but bid him bee paâ—king as a stranger This pride of insulting against strangers lyeth as poison within vs all what nation soeuer we be of and vpon any light occasion sheweth it selfe It pleased God therefore Acta 10. 34. who is no accepter of persoÌ„s to bridle such insolencie by his holy word as it is written loue the stranger and againe thou shalt loue the Deut. 10. 19 stranger as thy selfe With a memento that wee haue iust cause so to do For yee were strangers Levi. 19. 34. â—n the land of Egypt Io 〈…〉 hes brethren do behaue themselues in the lande of Egypt with greate humility and a 〈…〉 nde at the rough wordes of Ioseph which they woulde not haue done but for that they were stâ—â—gers in the land few in number And that is it that should cause al strangers and pilgriâ—s to looke to their owne waâ—es to liue warily because they are coÌ„pâ—â—led about with strange people of strange conditions which are many in nuÌ„ber they few Now the state of all true Christians here vpon earth is by the condition and nature of strangers most â—iâ—ly expressed For in the sacred scriptures â—hey are called straÌ„gers The Prophet speaking in the person of the faithfull confesâ—eth that they are so saying I am a Psal 119. 19 Psal 39. 12. stranger vpoÌ„ earth And againe I am a stranger with thee a soiournor as all my fathers were in another place where he coÌ„fesseth his own and his peoples vnworthines he saith we are strangers before thee soâ—ourners â—ike all our fathers our dates are like the shadow vpon the earth 1 〈◊〉 29. 15. and there is none abiding We see that this is true for man so long as hee dwelleth in the tabetnacle of his flesh dwelleth as a stranger among his spirituall enemies vvhich are the lustes of his flesh daily fighting against him and wounding his soule more deadly theÌ„ the multitude of any strange and barbarous people can wound or hurt his bodie vvhen they are mooved to fight against him Man can kill but the bodie but fleshly lustes kill both the soule and bodie too This the Apostle Paule sheweth where hee saith if yee liue after the Rom. 8. 13. flesh yee shall die VVee reade in an heathen vvriter that D 〈…〉 C 〈…〉 de bâ—th Tre. lib. 4. the arrowes of Hercules had beene dâ—pt in the blood of the venimous monster Hidrâ— And therefore whosoeuer was shot of wounded with any of them perished and dyeil without recovery The lustes of the flesh may be compared to such Arrowes for the flesh of al men hath euer since the fal of Adam been infected with the vemme of â—lie old serpent the Deuill And therefore the lustes thereof â—lay the soule with endlesse death of they be not refisted with great vigilaâ—ty For as Iames saith when lust hath conceived Iam. 1. 15. it bringeth forth sin sin when it is finished bringeth foorth dâ—ath Here is the wounde that lust giueth to the soule to wâ—t death which shall neuer haue an end againe the sâ—nâ—e Apostle saith from whence are vvarres Iam. 4. 1. and contentions among youâ— are they not hence even of your lustes that sight in your members here note that he saith your lustes and in your members For if they were not in our members within our bodies we might be safe from the danger of them if they were in our garmeÌ„ts we might haue them washed out or change and put on such as shoulde bee cleane or if they were in some one kinde of meate wee might abstaine from that and liue by other meate But the Prophet saith of them that had fasted from meate your lust remaineth still Isa 58. 4. Or if they were as a plague in some towne or citie or in some mens houses the inhabitants there of might change their dwelling and so avoide them Or if they were in some one countrey more then in another men would be content to leaue that as a wildernesse rather then to die in it even as Abraham forsooke Gen. 12. 10 Canaan and went into Egypt in time of a famine Nay if these lustes were but in some one outward member of the body as in the hand or the foote some men would bee content to cut of that member to saue the rest of the body from infection or death But the scripture saith the heart is deceitfull and wicked Ier. 17. 9. aboue all thinges who can know it here wee see that the principall part of the fleshis infected even the heart and no man can make him a newe heart no man can go out of his own flesh nor change the dwelling place of his soule so long as this life lasteth Luther writeth of one that was grieued Martin Luther of one that intended to bee an Heremite with himselfe for sinne weary with seeing hearing the iniquities of the world which made him forsake the societie of meÌ„ goe into a desert place thinking there to be safe from evill froÌ„ all occasion of sinne but herein he was greatly deceyued for being in the desert he had with him an eartheÌ„ vessell to hold water in this vessell with often falling downe from the place where he would haue had it to stand did moue him to such angerâ— that at the last it caused him to breake it in peeces Then he beganne to consider what his nature was saw that he could haue no peace with himselfe though no maÌ„ disquieted him If this be true as most true it is that in maÌ„s flesh dwelleth no good thing Rom. 7. 18. what excelleÌ„t thing do the Heremits such people as forsake the felowshipe of men vnder a pretense of religion if they abstayne from offending when they want occasion to offende you know that the theese cannot steale so long as nothing is lesâ—e in his way If ther be no battell there caÌ„ be no victorie but we see that the Christians victorie is not gotten by alteâ—â—ng the dwelling place of his body oâ— by going out of the woâ—ld that is out of the â—oâ—ieâ—â—e of men but it must be in the world by â—eâ—iâ—â—ing his daylâ—e aduersaries to keepe himselfe as â—â—mes sâ—â—th vnspoâ—ted of the Iam 1 27. world For Christ will not haue his disciples to be exempâ—ed from the
he is nothing ashamed of his sinne The sinne of whoredome cometh to the leacherous and to the wanton naminge it selfe sweete loue or a tricke of youth and then it is receiued as a delectable guest and not as sinne which stayeth â—he soule Pride in apparel deceiveth the prowd vaine glorious soule vnder the title of cleanlines and decencte because if it come vnder the name of pride it is more odiouse and is knowne to be sinne Neither is there any sinne so soule or detestable which is not smoothed with some faire name and title to cloake it with all For herein is the deceitfollnesse of sinne and here with are men deceyued and hardened that they sinne as with cart ropes and drinke vp iniquitie like water But woe vnto them saith the Prophet thas speake good of euil and euill of good which put Isa 5. 10. darknesse for light and light for darkensse that put bitter for sweete and sweete for sâ—wre Now if you haue not an evill heart of vnbeliefe call vpon the name of the Lord seeke the Lorde while he may be fouÌ„d seeke the knowledge of his waies while it is called to daie that so you may be able to exhorte and instruct one another and to avoide the deceitfulnesse of sinne before you bee hardened and blinded through the craftinesse thereof let vs nowe â—oâ—e togither and pray The thirde Lecture vpon the 14. verse of faith and of the assurance of salvation and â—verlasting felicitie to the true beleevers 14 For we are made partakers of Christ â—f we keep sure vnto the ende the beginning wherevvith we are vpholden THE Apostle having already prooued by plaine and strong argumentes that Christ is the sonne of God and the Messias that should redeeme Israell and hauing exhorted the Hebrewes to beware of infidelity and disobedience which waâ— the cause that their forefathers perished in the wildernesse whose example he layeth before them in the scripture of the Psalmist before alledged now he declareth howe and by vvhat means we are made true members of Christ and fellow heires with him of the celestiall inheritance We are made partakers of Christ saith he if vvs keepe sure vnto the â—nd the beginning wherewith we are vpholden These words lead vs to speak of faith and iustification by faith In the 6. of Iohn it is recorded that when the people which had seene the miracles of Christ asked what they shoulde doe that they Io. 6. 28. might worke the works of God Christ telleth theÌ„ this is the work of God that yeâ— cleeue in him whoÌ„ ver 29. he hath sent And in the 2. of the Actes those Iewes which had heard the sermon of Peter being pâ—icked in their hearts said to the Apostles men and brethren what shall we do To whoÌ„ Act 2. 37. the Apostle Peter answereth ameÌ„d your liues ver 38. be baptised every one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sins And in the 16. of the Acts to the layâ—er or keeper of the prisoÌ„ Act. 16. 30. demanding what he must do to be saued Paule ver 31. Sylas say beleeue in the Lord Iesus Christ These the like placeâ— of scriptures my brethreÌ„ do teach vs principally two things the one is that there is a feare of deatâ— eternall and of Gods iudgements naturally remaining in the hearts of all men according as it is written that for feare of death men are Heb. 2. 15. all their life time subiect to bondage And that is because of sinne and the testimony of a guilty conscience which as wee see vpon any occasion of feare bewraveth that sinne lyeth at the dore The other thing which wee doe heere learne is vvhere the remedie against the strength of sinne the sting of death is to be found namely in the Lord Iesus Christ by beleeuinge in him for among in in there as giuen noâ—e other name vnder heauen wherby we must be saued but by the Act. 〈◊〉 11. name of Christ Iesus who vvas deliuered to death for our sinnes and is risen againe for our instification Rom. 4. 25. As in the time of Moses there was no remedie not cure that could helpe them that were stung with the firie and venemous serpents in the wildernesse but onely the be holding of the braslen serpent which Moses had set vp made the poyson harmelesle Num 21. 9. and saued from death them that were bitten so is there no mediatour nor aduocate in heauen nor in earth nor any oblation or offering of man that can deliuer from the death of the soule and breake the force of the poyson of sinne but onely true faith which is the eie of the soule wherby we behold him that was figured in the brassen serpent and is lifted vpon the tree of the crosse for the health and saluation of all that beleeue This is the wedding garmente which whosoeuer hath not put on is in danger to be cast into vtter darkenesse where shall be weeping and guashing of teeth This is the faith wherby Mat. 22. 12. 13 the iust do liue This is the begining where with wee are vpholde which we must keepe sure vnto the end In the text it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the beginning of the substaunce And some translate it the foundation of the assurance vvhich foundation is the sounde doctrine of the Gospell of CHRIST apprehended by faith or according to Chrisostomes exposition faith it selfe For that is the organe or instrumente whereby we are made partakers of Christ VVee finde in an other place of this Epistle that the Apostle vseth the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Heb. 11. 1. definition of faith By this phrase therefore the beginning of the substance vnto the ende is meant nothing else but continuance or perseverance in the faith of Christ according to that to the Coloss 1. 23. If yee continue grounded Col. 1. 23. and established in the faith These and the like places in the scriptures which speake with this conditioÌ„ if ought not to be so vnderstood as if any of the faithful that are elected to life eternal could perish or fall away froÌ„ grace but they do effectually exhort vs to be the more strengthened in the spirit against the weaknes of the flesh the coÌ„tinual al teÌ„ptatioÌ„s of this life that would gueÌ„ch our faith For there are many imperfectioÌ„s in the faith of the godly so long as they liue vpon the earth And the narrownes of our harts is such that we cannot comprehend as wee ought to doe what God will doe for vs but yet the gates of hell and the stormes of this life that neuer put out the candel of Gods elect which is their faith This faith therfore is here called the substance or vnholding or sure standing by a the vse of building for as no building canne stand vvithout a sure substance or foundation to stande vpon
a humane hardening or the hardening of God and the the hardening of man and yet the one of these doeth not harden without the other for God hardeneth not Pharaohs heart but that Pharaohs owne will is the cause of it his hardening proceedeth not from any other but froÌ„ himselfe And therefore the scripture saith that Pharaoh hardeâ—ed his heart Neither for al that Eâ—od 9. 34. doeth Pharaoh harden his owne heart but God doeth it iudicially or according to his secret iudgements for the kings heart is in the hand of the â—ord Pro. 21. 1. But when it is said that God hardeneth the heart we must not so vnderstand it as if God should make that hard which before was softe and tender or of it selfe was not hard For the truth is that all men are borne with a hard heart and darke vnderstanding even with a heart of stone like the Adamant of the which wee haue heard already And for this cause the Lord saith by his Prophet I will take away the stoâ—â—◠〈◊〉 36. 26. heart oâ—â— of your bodie and I will giue you an heart of flesh God therefore is saide to harden the heart when as he denieth his grace and the fire of his holy spirite to molâ—â—fie and soften that which is naturally hard even as when the heat of the fire is denied to the softening of the hard and vntempered waxe This is called of some a prâ—vatiue hardening because God detaineth his grace from men for iust causes which are not knowne to vs. Beside this God hardeneth after an other manner when he doeth not only suffer the heart to remaine in that hardnesle and obduration which it hath by nature but doeth also externally harden it more and more by his ministers For as we may see in 〈◊〉 Pharaoh was made more obstinate hard-hearted by the ministery of Moses and Aaron then he was before hee had heard â—hese men And in these daies we haue too much expetience hereof by seeing vngodly men to become the more froward and malicious the more that they heare Gods worde and are taught by his ministers This is Gods iudicial hardening of the heart whereby in his iust iudgementes hee punisheth the former sinnes of men and for this purpose he commandeth his ministers as it is written Make the heart of this people â—at make their eares heavie Isa 10. shut their eies least they see with their eies and heare with their eares and vnderstande with their hearts and convert that I might heale theÌ„ Here we see how and wherefore God hardeneth the heart Now the humane hardening or the hardening attributed to man himselfe is that which the text that we handle warneth vs to beware of if yee heare his voice harden not your hearts This hardening of the hart is nothing else but a voluntary purpose and intent of man to continue in sinne and not to follow nor obey the doctrine of Gods everlasting trueth howsoeuer it be preached vnto him as hereof we haue examples in king Saule in Iudas in Iuhan the Apostaâ—â— and others ' but specially in Pharach whom the scriptures do set before vs as a notable paterne of a disobedient and hard-hearted man After this maner thhrefore the Israelies in the wildernesle hardened their heartes by grudging and bitter strining against Moses when they wanted water notwithstanding they had the word of the Lord among them This is it Exod. 17. which the Apostle putteth vs in minde of when he saith harden not your hearts as in the pâ—ovâ—â—ation And this is the hardening wherewith man hardeneth his heart even his own perverse will and purpose of sinning wherin he persisteth and so becoÌ„meth the minister of death perdition to his own soule Now the cause of all hardening of the heart is sin and the custome of sinning For Moses saith Phiraoh sinned againe and hardened his hearte Exod. 9. 34. There Pharaohs sinne goeth before the hardening of his heart VVherefore consider how fearefull and dangerous the custome of sinne is it bringeth hardnesse of hearte which denyeth obedience to the worde of God and despiseth his holy ministery and so groweth to fulnesse of sinne the wages whereof is death eternall Let the consideration Rom. 6. 23. of these thinges cause you with feare reverence to hear the Gospel of your salvation and before you come to heare it bee careful as the Apostle exhorteth to cast away euery thing that presseth downe and the sinne that Heb. 12. 1. hangeth so fast on that wheÌ„ the Lord speaketh by the mouth of his messâ—gers you may haue cares to hear hearts to vnderstaÌ„d be in a readmes to heare his voice to say with Samuel speake Lord for thy servaÌ„t heareth Here 1. Sam. 3. 10 we see that as there was a voice hard so there was a readines to hear it Here â—od did speak here man was prepared to heare him But this exaÌ„ple of obedieÌ„ce preparatioÌ„ to heare the Gospell which is more glorious speaketh better thinges then the law is too rare in our age For most men and women though they resort to church and to Christian congregations are yet in the time of divine exercise of the word of God more ready to speake then to heare They are more ready to pray by themselues and to offer vp a sacrifice of their owne superstition then either to heare reading or preaching of the holy scriptures or to consent with one mind to the common praters of the whole church if the time so require yea and some are not content to be thus farre superstitious but wil also giue themselues to read on some praier booke when God speaketh to them out of his booke of life Such blinde devotion of men and private repeating of words out of due time and place must needes be a sacrifice not accepted but reiected of God For it cannot be the fruit of faith because you haue not so learned Christ and whatsoever saith the Apostle is not of faith is sinne Rom. 14. 13 Marke a speciall doctrine of that famous preacher Salomon touching this point take heede to thy foote when thou enterest into the house Eccl. 4. 7. of God and be wore neere to heare then to giue the sacrifice of fooles for they know not that they dâ—â— evill If they know not that they do evil then they do it of ignorance But it is evil saith he and we are taught that Christians must abstaine not onely from evill it selfe but from al appeâ—â—â—nce of evill Yet because nothing is so 1. Thess 5. 22. evill but if it be commonly vsed seemeth to be good and men will needs defend it so to be as in this case some are wont to say that when they giue themselues to pray privatly in the church they doe it that they may be the better prepared to serue God But as the Apostle saith to the Corinthians which came disorderedly to the receiving of the
same Moreouer let no man flatter himselfe thinke that he is safe from Gods iudgmentâ— if he hath noâ— so tempted God as the Israelits did in the wilderâ—es or if he hath not so murmured against his ministers as they did but let him rather coÌ„sider whether his faith and obedience hath bene so tried as theâ—â—s was whether without murmuring distrust he hath gone through the fire water of temptation which they were brought vnto for their triall according as the scripture witnesseth thou shalt remember all the way Deut. 8. 2. which the Lord thy God led thee this fourtie yeare in the wildernes for to humble thee and to proue thee to know what was in thine heart whether thou wouldest keepe his commandements or no. Here we see that the Lord exercised the Israelits with great daungers and many difficulties of the terrible wildernes for to humble them and to know whether with sound and faithfull heartes they would cleaue to him abide his triall If thou hast not then bene exercised with diuers temptations as they were or if thou aâ—t not yet come into the day of triall perswad not thy selfe that all is well with thee because thou standest when none doth sight against thee Say not like the church of the Revel 3. 17 â—aodiceans that thou art rich because thou knowest not thy wretchednes pouertie and that thou hast neede of nothing because thou seest not thy nakednes It is an easie thing to ouercome where theiâ— is no battell to promise to thy selfe the victorie before thou aâ—t tried That lesson of the King of Israel is worthy to be remembred let not him 1. King 10. 11. that gâ—rdâ—th his harâ—es boast himselfe as hee that putteth it of And that of the Apostle is a notable warming let him that thinketh hâ—â— 1. Coâ— 10. 1â— standeth take heede least he fall Thirdly specially let vs here learne that if such sinnes iniquities as are equal to the sinns of the Israelits in the wildernes be not visited with the like plagues as theirs were they shall not therfore escape vnpunished For there is a iudgment to come the Lord hath sworne that the vnfaithfull vnrighteouse which disobey his word shall not enter into his rest This is a sure testimonâ—e that putteth away all doubt for if anoath for Heb 6. 16. confirmation among men be an end of all strifâ— as are the wordes of the Apostle how much more doth it take away al occasioÌ„ of doubting when the Lord almightie bindeth himselfe with an oath The interrogation which the Apostâ—e vseth in these wordes to whom sware hee that they should not enter into his rest doeth more significantly expresse the punishment of not obeying And here is also vsed a figuratiue kind of speech wherby lesse is said theÌ„ 〈◊〉 vnderstood wherby we gather that there are dreadfull punishments ordeined for all obstinate vnbeleeuing sinners For what ensueth from not eÌ„tering into the rest of immortality but to haue thy parte portion with them which are shut out of the citie of â—od what part haue they the holy Ghost declareth in these wordes the fearfull and vnbeleeuing and the abominable Revel â—1 8. murtherers wheremongers sorcerers and idolaters and all â—â—ers shall haue their portion 〈◊〉 the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the seconâ— death This is the wages of sin disobedience although the time of payment be deferred vntill the haruest of this world yet this cuppe of vengeance is prepared for all the workers of iniquitie which shall not enter into rest And therefore as one father saith he that doeth euill ought to feare the more if he be not punished in this world for then hee is to drinke the deeper of Gods wrath in the iudgment to come These things being most true let it not greeue thee that art a true Christian though sinners doe flourish for a time and though thou see the vncleane conuersation of wicked and profane people to abound in the earth and yet in the meane while thou thyselfe doest suffer affliction and art tried with diuerse adueâ—sities Remember for all this that God is good to Israel and the damnation of his enemies sleepeth not It cannot be denied but that many of those sinnes which God in former ages did so 〈…〉 ly punish for an example vnto the world do now reigne in the worlde and yet are 〈◊〉 visited vvith the like seueritie and puniâ—hment because as we reade God hath 〈…〉 a day in the which he will iudge the Acts 1â—â—1 world 〈◊〉 rightousnes And therefore as it is well obseâ—â—ed of Chrysostome many of those sinnes for the which the world was drowned in the dayes of Noah are day he committed in the world yet â—od bringeth not Geâ— 7. â—1 2â— 23. a â—loâ—d to drowne the world as he did then because there is a â—â—ood of wrath ordeined for them in the world to come Many of those sins for the which Sodom Gomorrah were consumed with fire and brimstone from heauen are still practised in the world Gen. 19. 24. 25. and yet the Loâ—d raineth not fire out of heaven to destroy them that do such thinges because he hath appoynted for them the â—iâ—e that â—hall neuer be quenched Many are they which speake against Gods word and persecute his church as Pharaoh did yet Exod. 14. 27. 28. are not choked with the sea water as Pharaoh and his â—eruantes were because the bottomlesse sea of perdition is reserued for them Many do murmur against heauen dislike of Gods ordinaÌ„ce as the Israelits did in the wildernes and yet are not destroyed with firy serpents with other plagues as Num. 21. 5. 6. they were because the worme that neuer dieth shall hereafter torment them Many there be which take bribes giftes vnlawfully as Gehazâ— did yet they are not stâ—ikeÌ„ with the foule disease of leprosie as he was 2 King 5. 27. because they shall be plagued after this life where there shall bee weeping and gnashinge of teeth And againe many do lye dissemble in matters of religion as Ananias Sapphira Act. 5. 5. 10. did and yet are not punished with suden death as they were because death immortall euerlasting waiteth for theÌ„ These thinges are thus applied of * Chrissostom 1 Chrysost in Act. Apo. c. 5. hâ—m 12. for this cause when the Apostle Peter saith that God spared not the angels that had sinned but east them downe into hell that 2 Pet. 2. 4. 5 6. he spared not the old world that he turned the citâ—es of Sodom Gomorah into ashes hee doth not say that God did then with the like punishmeÌ„ts cut of the false teachers of whom he speaketh such as walkâ— like the Sodomits after the flesh in the lâ—st of vncleannesse but he gathereth therby that the Lord knoweth