solemnized it himselfe Then it is honourable for the time for it was the first ordinance which GOD instituted euen the first thing which he did after man and woman were created that in the state of innocencie before either had sinned like the finest flower which will not thriue but in a cleane ground Before man had any other calling he was called to be a Husband therefore it hath the honour of antiquitie aboue all other ordinances because it was ordained first and is the ancientest calling of men Then it is honourable for the place for whereas all other ordinances were instituted out of Paradise Marriage was instituted in Paradise in the happiest place to signifie howe happie they are which marrie in the Lord they doo not only marrie one another but Christ is maried vnto them so Mariage hath the honor of the place aboue all other ordināces to because it was ordained in Paradise As God the Father honored Mariage so did God the Sonne which is called the seede of the woman and therefore Mariage was so honored amongst women because of this seede that when Elizabeth brought foorth a sonne she said that God had taken away her rebuke counting it the honor of women to beare children and by consequence the honour of women to be maried for the children which are borne out of Mariage are the dishonor of women and called by the shamefull name of Bastards As Christ honoured Mariage with his birth so he honoured it with his miracles for the first miracle which Christe did hee wrought at a Mariage in Chanaan where he turned their water into wine so if Christ be at your Mariage that is if you marie in christ your water shall bee turned into wine that is your peace and your rest and your ioy and your happines shal begin with your Mariage but if you marrie not in Christ then your wine shall be turned into water that is you shall liue worse hereafter than you did before As he honoured it with miracles so he honored it with praises for hee compareth the kingdome of God to a Wedding and he compareth holines to a Wedding garment And in the 5. of Canticles he is wedded himselfe We reade in Scripture of three Mariages of Christ. The first was when Christ and our nature met together The second is when Christ and our soule ioyne together The third is the vnion of Christ and his Church These are Christs 3. wiues As Christ honoreth Mariage so doo Christs Disciples for Iohn calleth the Coniunction of Christ and the faithfull a Mariage And in Reuel 21. 9. the Church hath the name of a Bride whereas Heresie is called a Harlot Further for the honour of Mariage Paule sheweth how by it the curse of the woman was turned into a blessing for the womans curse was the paines which she should suffer in her trauaile Now by Mariage this curse is turned into a blessing for children are the first blessing in al the Scripture And therefore Christ saieth that so soone as the mother seeth a man child borne into the world she forgetteth all her sorrowes as though her curse were turned into a blessing And further Paule saith that by bearing of children if she continue in faith and patience she shall bee saued as though one curse were turned into two blessings For first she shall haue children and after she shall haue saluation What a mercifull God haue wee whose curses are blessings Who would haue thought that God had hid a blessing in his curse So hee loued our parents when hee punished them that hee could scarse punish them for loue and therefore a comfort was folded in his iudgement To honour Mariage more it is said that God tooke a rib out of Adams side and thereof built the woman He is not saide to make man a wife but to build him a wife signifying that man wife make as it were one house together that the building was not perfect vntil the womā was made aswell as the man therefore if the building bee not perfect now it must be destroyed againe Before God made the woman it is sayd that he cast the man into a sleepe and in his sleepe he tooke a rib out of his side and as he made the man of earth so he made the woman of bone while Adam was a sleepe This doth teach vs two thinges As the first Adam was a figure of the second Adam so the first Adams sleepe was a figure of the second Adams sleepe the first Adams spouse was a figure of the second Adams spouse That is as in the sleepe of Adam Eue was borne so in the sleepe of Christ the Church was borne as a bone came out of the first Adams side so bloud came out of the second Adams side As Adams spouse receiued life in his sleepe so Christs spouse receiued life in his sleepe that is the death of Christ is the life of the Church for the Apostle calleth Death a sleepe but Christ which dyed is called Life shewing that in his death we liue Secondly this sleep which the mā was cast into while his wife was created dooth teach vs that our affections our lusts our concupicenses should sleepe while wee goe about this action As the man slept while his wife was making so our flesh should sleepe while our wife is choosing least as the loue of Venison wan Isaak to blesse one for another so the loue of gentrie or riches or beautie make vs take one for another To honour Mariage more yet or rather to teach the maried how to honour one another it is saide that the wife was made of the husbands rib not of his head for Paule calleth the husbande the wiues head nor of the foote for he must not set her at his foote the seruant is appoynted to serue and the wife to helpe If she must not match with the head nor stoope at the foote where shall he set her then He must set her at his heart and therefore she which should lie in his bosome was made in his bosome and should bee as close to him as his ribb of which she was fashioned Lastly in all Nations the day of Mariage was reputed the ioyfullest day in all their life and is reputed still of all as though the Sunne of happines began that day to shine vpon vs when a good wife is brought vnto vs. Therfore one saith that Mariage doth signifie Merriage because a playfellow is come to make our age merrie Salomon considering al these excellencies as though wee were more indebted to God for this thā other temporall gifts saith House and riches are the inheritance of the fathers but a prudent wife commeth of the Lord. House and riches are giuen of God and all things els yet hee saith house and riches
streames so a pure heart hath pure ioyes Whether it bring to Christ or take any thing from him to thy selfe like all the parts of Popery If it abide all these questions and drawe thee not from any good then thou mayst say it is from God water the seede O Lorde which thou hast sowne Then come to the second examination If I cā make thee discerne whether an other be a Christian by that thou shalt know whether thy selfe be a Christian which that thou mayst come to obserue this direction and thou shalt see of what side thou art It must needes be that they which walke to contrary ends should goe diuers wayes therefore there be mo differences betweene the children of God and the children of the world then there be betweene men beasts First they are distinguished in Will for the wicked striue to bring Gods will to their will like Balaam which when he had an answere stayed for another but the faithfull labour to bring their will to Gods will like Christ which sayd not as I will but as thou wilt They are distinguished in Faith All men haue not faith sayth Paul but the iust liue by faith as if he should say the iust beleeue and the vniust beleeue not The iust beleeue and apply that they beleeue to themselues The wicked may beleeue like the Diuels but their faith is like a gadding hen which carrieth her eggs to other and neuer layeth at home so they beleeue that other shall be saued but not themselues They are distinguished in Hope for because the wicked hope not for any mends of God therefore they neuer defer their reward but if they doe any good they are trumpets of it themselus for feare it should not be blased inough and therefore Christ sayde that the Pharises had their reward already because they were boasters of their works and if they doe no good but euill yet they would be magnified as much for euill as other are for good But the faithfull are likened to handmaides which waite their reward their left hand seeth not when their right hand doth well and they are afraide to take honour of men for losing their honor with God like Iohn baptist which made his vertues meaner then they were and debased himselfe when hee might haue got a name aboue his Lord. They are distinguished in obedience therefore Christ teacheth vs to iudge men by their fruites as an vnfallible rule for the euill tree will bring forth euill fruite and the good tree good fruite and neither can change his propertie although the euill fruite is sometimes beautifull and the good fruite sometimes blasted They are distinguished in Repentance for the wicked doo but weepe for their sinnes past but the godly purpose to sin no more so Pharaoh Saul and Iudas sayd I haue sinned but Shadrach Meshach and Abednego sayd We will not sin therefore the heart of the godly is called a contrite heart but the hart of the wicked is called a hart that cannot repent Beside as Christ cast out a legion of deuils at once so the godly would be purged of all their sinnes together but the wicked neuer consent to leaue al but as Naaman sayd Let the Lord spare me in this so euer he excepteth one sinne which is his beloued sinne like Herod which reformed many thinges and yet wold not leaue his brothers wife They are distinguished in Charitie for ye shal neuer see the wicked loue their enemies and therfore when the Pharises could not loue their enemies they taught that men might hate their enemies and Christ speaking of publicans and sinners exhorteth his disciples not to loue like them because they loued none but their friends They are distinguished in Prayer for the wicked can not pray therefore Dauid saith they call not vpon the Lord as if they had not the spirit of prayer and therefore Christ calleth their prayers babling for they thinke not of God when they speake vnto him They are distinguished in Patience no hipocrite can beare the crosse but sayth like Caine It is heauyer then I can suffer but Paule and Silas sing in prison for a faithfull man would haue something to humble him and reioyceth to beare his maysters marks because the wounds of a louer are sweete They are distinguished in the vse of aduersitie for this is a proper and peculiar marke of Gods children to profit by affliction and therefore we reade not in all the punishments of the wicked that one of them sayd like Dauid It is good for me that I haue bin afflicted They are distinguished in Humilitie for the wicked are not humbled before the crosse like Pharao that neuer sorowed but whē he suffered but the Apostles learned humilitie of their mayster before their persecution came They are distinguished in their iudgement of the worde for to the wicked it seemeth the hardest and simplest and vnpleasantest booke that is and therefore Paule sayth that it is foolishnes vnto them But to the godly it seemeth the wisest and eloquentest and sweetest and easiest book of all other as though God did sodainly bring the vnderstanding of it to them as Iacob sayd of his veneson according to that He that will do his will shall know his doctrine They are distinguished in their iudgement of GOD. The wicked are perswaded now and then of Gods mercie for the present time while they feele it as the Iewes praised him alwayes when he did as they would haue him but they can not perswade themselues that God wil be merciful to them still like Iob which sayde Though the Lord kill me yet will I trust in him therefore the hope of the righteous is called hope in death Beside if the wicked loue God it is but for his benefits as Saul loued him for his Kingdome And this is alway to be noted that in the wicked the feare of hell is greater then their hope of heauen but in the faithfull the hope of heauen is greater than their feare of hell They are distinguished in their delights for the sport of the vngodly is folly like Belshazzars and therefore when they are sicke or troubled they neuer runne to the Word for comfort as though Gods promises pertayned not to them but to feasts or tables or tales or musicke as Saule did to the harpe but all the delights of the godly are like Dauids daunce about the Arke they are neuer merrie but when they are doing well nor at peace but when their prayers haue ouercome God like Iacob They are distinguished in their opinions of death for the faithfull long to bee dissolued and although they might liue euer in continuall prosperitie yet they would not stay so long out of heauen but the wicked would neuer bee dissolued
that day vpon which they receyue like a Schollers Thurseday which he loues better then all the dayes in the weeke only because it is his play day Maruell not now if you haue not felt that comfort after the Sacrament which you looked for for it is comfortable to none but to thē which prepare their harts and examine themselues before because it is not the mouth but the heart which receiueth comfort Now it may be that the most which are heere haue brought a mouth and not a heart these goe away from the Sacrament to despight Christ as Iudas went from the Sacrament to betraye him The other goe away like one which hath receyued a cheerefull countenance of the Prince all his thoughts are ioy and the countenance of the Prince is still in his eye As hee which hath eaten sweet meate hath a sweet breath so they which haue eaten Christ all their sayings and dooings are sweete like a perfume to men and incense to GOD their peace and conscience and ioy of heart and desire to doo good will tell them whether they haue receiued the bare signes or the thing signified Euerie one which receiueth this Sacrament shal feele himselfe better alter it like the Apostles or els he shall finde himselfe worse after it like Iudas Hereby ye shal know whether yee haue receiued like the Apostles or like Iudas Thus we haue ended the doctrin of the Lords Supper Now if you can not remember all that I haue said yet remember the text that is Examine your selues before you receiue this Sacrament hereafter FINIS THE Examination of Vsurie in two Sermons Taken by Characterie and after examined Imprinted at London by Thomas Orwin for Thomas Man dwelling in Paternoster row at the signe of the Talbot 1591. To the Reader HEere thou hast the Sermons which haue bin often desired because of the matter fit for this Citie One sayth that he would neuer speake to Vsurers and Bribe-mongers but when they be vpon their death beds for he which liueth by sin resolueth to sin that he may liue But when he goeth to hanging Iudas will say I haue sinned If I speake not to Vsurers vppon their death-bed yet I speake to Vsurers which shall lye vppon their death-bed Three things do giue me hope One is that all harts are in the hands of God to call them at what houre he list and therefore Saul may become an Apostle The next is that the third crow doth waken moe then the former and therefore after the crowing of other this crow may happily be heard The last is that there is no sinne but some men haue bin reclaimed from it and so may Vsurers from their sinne Therefore goe my booke like Dauid against Goliah and sight the Lords battells against Vsurers The Lord giue that successe to his doctrine in these leaues that it may consume Vsurers as Ioshuah droue out the Chananites before him If I could take but this one weede out of the Londoners Garden I were answered for my health and my strength spent amongst them Reade with thy best minde and thou shal profit more Thine H. S. The Examination of Vsurie in two Sermons The first Sermon Psal. 15. vers 1. 5. Lord who shall dwell in thy tabernacle Who shall rest in thine holie mountaine He that giueth not his money to Vsurie THese two verses must bee considered together because one is the question and the other is the answere Dauid demands who shall come to heauen and GOD tels him that Vsurers shall not come thether as if hee should say They shall goe to hell Therefore as Paule taught Timothie to warne thē which are rich as though they had more neede to be warned than other so this sentence seemeth to bee penned for a warning to the rich because it strikes vpon the rich mans vice I haue spoken of Briberie and Simonie and now I must speake of their sister Vsurie Manie times haue I thought to speake of this Theame but the argumēts which are alleaged for it haue made mee doubtfull what to say in it because it hath gone as it were vnder a protection At last you see it falleth into my text and therefore now I cannot bauke it any longer Therefore if any heere haue fauoured this occupation before let him now submit his thoughts vnto Gods thoughts for I will alleage nothing against it but that which is built vppon the rocke Vsurie is the sin which God wil trie now whether you loue better than his worde that is whether you will leaue it if he forbid it for if hee flatly forbid it and yet you wilfully retaine it then you loue Vsurie better than Gods worde Therefore one saith well that our Vsurers are Hereticks because after manie admonitions yet they maintaine their errour and persist in it obstinatly as Papists doo in Poperie For this cause I am glad that I haue any occasion to griple with this sin where it hath made so many spoyles where it hath so many patrons for it is said that there be moe of this profession in this Citie than there bee in all the land beside There be certaine sins which are like an vnreasonable enemie which will not be reconciled to death and this is one of those euerlasting sins which liue and die with a man For when he hath resigned his pride and his enuie and his lust yet Vsurie remaineth with him he saith as Naaman said Let the Lord bee mercifull vnto me in this let me haue a dispensation for this as though this were a necessarie sinne and hee could not liue without it There be three sinnes which are counted no sinnes and yet they doo more hurt than all their fellows those are Briberie Nonresidencie and Vsurie these three because they are gainful are turned from sinnes to occupatiōs How many of this Citie for all that they are Vsurers yet would be counted honest mē and would faine haue Vsurie esteemed as a trade whereas if it were not so gainfull it would bee counted as great a sinne as any other and so it is counted of all but them which liue by it This is the nature of pleasure and profite to make sinnes seeme no sinnes if we gaine any thing by them but the more gainfull a sinne is the more daungerous it is and the more gainfull Vsurie is the more daungerous it is I will speake the more of it because happely you shall not heare of this matter againe First I will define what Vsurie is then I wil shew you what Vsurie doth signifie then I will shewe the vnlawfulnes of it then I will shewe the arguments which are alleaged for it then I will shewe the punishment of it then I will shewe you what opinion wee should holde of them which doo not lend vpon Vsurie but borrow vpon Vsurie Lastly I will shewe you what they should doo which haue got their riches by Vsurie Touching the