leaue and liking of his Lord that called him His owne conceipts must yeelde vnto his calling and his fancies must not make him craze his faith It is better to beate them as Abraham beat the Birds that hindred him then by bending to them to breake lose from his calling or to be beat from his businesse as being vnworthy of it or vnfit for it And in a word no feare must fray him no terror must amaze him nothing must make him flie oft of the hookes Shall the obstinacy of the people Although saith Chrysostome I be not ignorant that I speake in vaine yet will I not giue ouer for so doing I shall be excused before God although no body would heare me in 3. Chap. Ioh. And it may be with continual shewring vpon them their harts will at length relent and waxe soft Shall their rage their choler The frantique saith Augustine will not be bound neither would such as are troubled with a lethargie be roused but charity perseuereth to castigate the frantique to stirre vp the lethargique to loue theÌ„ both Both are offended but both are loued Both of theÌ„ being molested so long as their disease coÌ„tinueth doth take it ill that you shold so trouble theÌ„ but both of them being cured they do reioyce Shall threats disgraces Shall the malice enuy of the wicked was not Christ disgraced maligned calumnized euill inâ—reated Were not all his Apostles hated persecuted Shall pouerty driue thee froÌ„ thy calling or make thee to faint in thy calling Was not Christ poore to Man that he might make thee rich to God And were not his Apostles poore Gloriosa in sacerdotibus Domini paupertas Pouerty saith Ambrosâ— is glorious in the Priestes of God A crosse it may be to them but not a curse Paul was a man of much affliction yet saith he Seeing we haue this ministery as we haue receiued mercy we faint not Non fecisse sed perfecisse virtutis est To worke is not so commendable as to continue constant in working till the work be brought to perfection Ministers must be like the salt waters which hauing once begun to flow continue flowing till they come to their full sloud A candle being once lighted burneth on so long as it lasteth except it be put out with violence Euen so they as candles being once lighted set in the church as in a candle-sticke to giue light vnto the people by holding out the lampe of light that is the word of God they shold burne bright continually Aliis inseruientes semetâ—psos consumentes spending themselues like lamps or torches in seruing shining vnto others Salomon left not building of a temple for the Lord made of lifelesse stones vntill it was built vp So should they continue coÌ„stant in building his teÌ„ple made of liuing stones till it be brought to perfection if in this life it were possible They should do their best indeauour and languish not Vt desint vires tamen est laudanda voluntas Paul laboured constantly in his calling till God cald him away by death Possidonius saith that Augustine preached the word of God coÌ„stantly Vsque ad ipsam suam extremam aegritudinem vnto the extremity of his sicknes Fox saith of Bradford that preaching reading and prayer was his whole life These are good patternes and worthy imitation Peter saith that he ought in equity to put them in mind of their duty whiles he continueth in his earthy tabernacle The Minister and his Ministery should cease together and not one before another Paul commandeth Timothy to exercise himselfe in and to adâ—iâ—â— himselfe vnto reading exhortation and doctrine and to continue in learning If wee would duly consider that by preaching the couenant of grace is reuealed that Gods oracles are explained and his dispersed sheepe brought home and nourished that faith is thereby wrought and confirmed and the children of God begotten and conserued that his house is builded his field is eared his scepter erected his throne established his kingdome augmented and Sathan eiected vndoubtedly it would moue vs to a continuall and constant execution of our office without either fainting in it or forsaking of it The Sun we see neuer ceaseth moueing all the while his course is vnfinished The Laborers in the parable wrought vnto the euening euen till their Lord set and sent his Steward to call them from their worke So we that are the Lords labourers appointed by him to worke in his vineyard and set in the Church as the Sunne in the heauens to giue light vnto his people must labour constantly and moue continually till our course be finished and our taske be ended we must not giue ouer till our houre-glasse be runne out till our Sunne be set and the Euening of our life be shut in or vntill our Lord and Maister shall call vs from our worke or send a Messenger to fetch vs. Salomon saith In the morning I sowe thy seede and in the euening let not thine hand rest All men ought to be constant in their labouâ—s and neuer be weary of well doing much more therefore Ministers whose labours are most excellent commodious who ought to be to al other men as that cloudy and fiery pillar was vnto the Israelites which led theÌ„ and let them see their way to Canaan God commaunded that there should be Light alway shining in the Tabernacle The Church militant is Gods spirituall Tabernacle Ministers are the Light that must shine vnto all the members of the Church yea to those that yet sit in darknesse in the shadow of death and that constantly alwaies and without intermission The Lord required a sacrifice of 2 Lambes to be offered day by day continually And it were not vnfitting if ministers did daily in their prayers present and consecrate their people like those Lambes vnto the Lord. Their duty consisteth not wholy in preaching to them but also in praying for them for the prosperous estate of the whole Church I haue set watchmen vpon thy walles O Ierusalem saith the Lord which all the day and all the night continually shall not ceâ—se Ye thaâ— are mindfull of the Lord keepe not silence giue him no rest till he repaire and set vp Ierusalem the praise of the world No man saith Christ that putteth his hand to the Plough and looketh backe is apt to the kingdome of God He is in truth neither a fit man for the kingdome of grace nor a fit Minister for the Gospell of the kingdome The Lord hath put the sword of his Spirit into our hands He will haue vs to hold it constantly and to shake and brandish it continually neuer ceasing to kill the sins of the people with it and causing them continually to die an euerlasting death to sin in this world that they may liue an euelasting life from sin in the world to come and that being couered with
great Husbandman bestoweth not his paines alike vpon them all In like manner the Church of God as a sumptuous and stately building receiueth and entertaineth many into her God is the principall and commander of all the rest And all the faithfull which being simply by themselues considered are exceeding many are his houshold seruants which abide and liue in her and are all maintained prouided for by the Lord that great house-holder And as houses are ordinarily made of diuers things or if there be an house built all of stones yet one stone differeth from another either in quantity or in quality colour or scituation So in Gods house which is made of liuing stones one stone one part differeth from another There is a fundamentall and chiefe corner stone which is Iesus Christ that Liuing stone euen Life it selfe and the Wel-spring of all our life and there are also vpper stones which are of lesse importance And of these some are better coloured then others some are larger and some are lesser some exceed others in grace and shal excell them also in glory Againe some are cut out of the Rocke before others and put into the building first and many which the builder medleth with last may be made more comly glorious then some others which were hewed out and set in the building before them For all their preferment all their comlinesse is at the free disposement of their Architect Furthermore as diuers things must be prepared before a field can be taken in and seuered from other groundes before it will bee fit for seede and plants some labour must be spent about it so before the Lord doth call take vs to be a field vnto himselfe out of the barren heath and wide wildernesse of this sinfull world before he sowes the seeds of his graces sets the pleasant plants of true christiaÌ„ vertues in our hearts he prepares and fits vs ordinarily by the ministery of his word ioyning therewith sometimes also crosses and aflictions and some other things which he hath prouidently prepared and wisely directeth for our good And euen as wood stone brick lime and such like things as concurre to the making of an house must be fitted and layed together before the house can be made so the Lord doth prepare and vnite the faithfull together that they may be one indiuidual and entire building And vntill they be all collected compacted fast together Gods house shall not be fully finished And as stones in an house cannot without mortar be layed fast and firme neither can the posts the beames and spires be well and surely ioyned without pinnes nailes or barres of yron euen so the liuing stones of Gods house the true members of his Church cannot be closely coupled and strongly knit together without true Christian charity and his most holy Spirit Againe as all things concurring to the building of an house being well composed do make much for the beauty of that house so all the faithfull being cunningly compact and laid together of God as it were by line leuell do make for the statelinesse and glory of his house which consisteth onely of Beleeuers And as all the parts of a field the variety of hearbes the diuersity of fruits and the comly orders and rankes of plants do greatly commend and set forth the field in which they are euen so the Church which is Gods field is greatly beautified and adorned through the multitude great diuersity of her members which are as it were sundry sorts of sets or hearbs as also by reason of that comly order which he the Husbandman hath set among them Moreouer fields are not in their perfect glory so soone as they be taken in and the plantes and seedes that are set and sowne in them come not presently but by degrees to their full perfection and growth So the Church is peâ—fited by degrees her plantes grow vp by little and little and the seedes of Gods graces which are sowen in our hearts spring vp grow and multiply by degrees and not all at once The flints the stones and stinking weedes are not all remoued and gathered out of vs at the first The hardnesse of our hearts the flintinesse of our affections and the weeds of wickednesse are not at one instant but by degrees remoued and taken away And as no field is inclosed and taken out of the heath or common in one moment of time but one part after another So God doth not take in the whole Church and by effectuall vocation seuer her and call her out of the world and inuiron her with his fauour reuealed to her at one point of time but he doth it by degrees at seueral times in that order and maner which in his wisedome he seeth most beseeming and which before all time hee did with himselfe decree In like maner also as no house is built vp all at once but by degrees so is the Church in generall and we that are her particular members erected and perfited by peecemeale and in processe of time And we do not attaine to our ful perfection whiles we liue heere For there is no man iust in the earth that doth good and sinneth not The clearest riuer hath some mudde in the bottome and the healthiest body hath some corruption in it So the purest soule is notwithout some sin Regeneration doth not in this life wholly extirp originall corruption but onely weaken abate and wast it by degrees For while we liue sinne shall not dy but death that receiued life from sin must be the death of sinne Our sins and we shall dye together And when the threed of this momentany life is cut asunder by death and a dissolution or diuorcement made betwixt those two parts of man which God did at the first vnite and wedde to make a perfect man the one must for a time returne vnto the earth and the other shall be taken vp into heauen thereto receiue both perfect grace perfect glory when God shal after a time repeale end the separation reunite them then they shal iointly receiue both holines happines in al perfection without future alteration in the paradise of God In whose presence there is fulnesse of ioy and at whose right hand are pleasures for euermore It is true indeed that we are perfect in this life in two respects First in regard of the perfection of parts because like inâ—ants we haue all the parts of a christian God hath giuen vs all his graces though we haue theÌ„ not in their full perfection And secondly wee are reputed perfect in Christ our head being clothed with his perfect righteousnesse And for this cause the Church is sayed to be faire beautifull comly vndefiled and pure to wit because she is inuested in the spotlesse and pure robes of Christs absolute most meritorious holinesse and obedience which is imputed to her and accepted as her owne But if we
the Lord and he shall nourish thee The wicked that are strangers and enimies vnto his Church from the wombe he will surely punish He will breake their teeth and crack their iawes They shall melt like ice and consâ—me like snailes He will carry them away as with a whirlewind in his wrath Thou O God shalt bring them downe into the pit of corruption the bloody and deceiptfull men shall not liue out halfe their daies Finally seeing we are Gods field building we are al taught to loue one another We are not two houses but one we are not two fields but one And therfore as one we ought to loue and embrace one another It were a prodigious sight to see one stone in a building to iustle with another We are as Liuing stones in Gods spirituall building let vs therefore by loue lie close by one another let vs not iustle one another If an house be deuided against it selfe how shall it stand We are Gods house houshold-seruants therefore we must not be diuided against our selues lest his house fall downe vpon our heads Diuision is a forerunner of destruction Therefore as one stone in a building beareth vp another somtimes a little one bearing a greater and sometime the greater bearing a lesser euen so let vs beare vp and beare with one another let vs not fly out of the wall let vs not stomacke enuy one another alwaies remembring that we are the stones of one building and all laid by one Maister-mason Corne in one field plants in one Orchard trees in one wood flowers in one garden and vines in one vineyard do grow together without molesting and hindring one another They stand together without discontentment they shroud and harbour one another We are the corne of Gods field the plants of his orchard the trees of his wood the flowers of his garden and the vines of his vineyard and therefore we should stand together without contempt discontentmeÌ„t we ought to shroud and shilter one another Now therefore as the elect of God holy and beloued put on the bowels of mercy kindnesse humility meekenesse long suffering Put away wrath anger malice cursing and hate not one another For he that hateth his brother is in darkenes But let vs loue one another for loue coÌ„meth of God and euery one that loueth is borne of God Wouldest thou know that thou art in the state of life Then loue thy brethren We know saith Iohn that we are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren he that loueth not his brother abideth in death Wouldest thou know that thou louest God Then loue the children of God For euery one which loueth him that did beget loueth him also which is begotten of him Wouldest thou abide in the true light Then loue thy brother For he that loueth his brother abideth in the light there is none occasion of euill in him Wouldest thou be like the Lord that did beget thee Then loue for God is loue Wouldest thou be obedient vnto God TheÌ„ loue thy neighbour for his commandement is that thou shouldest loue thy neighbor as thy selfe Finally wouldest thou shew thy selfe a true disciple of Christ thy Sauiour Then loue thy fellowes For by this shall all men know saith Christ that ye are my disciples if ye haue loue one vnto another Let vs therefore affect one another with true loue We are the sons of one father the children of one mother the teÌ„ple of one God the field of one husbandman the house of one inhabitant the branches of one vine the stones of one bilding and the plants of one field let vs therfore keepe peace with our selues embrace one another in the armes of amity So shall Gods house continue his throne shall endure his field shall prosper we our selues shall flourish our ioys shall be increased and our enimies shall be defeated of much aduantage Thus much concerning the instructions which arise out of the consideration of these two titles together It remaineth now to set downe those that may be gathered from theÌ„ being distinctly considered by themselues And of the former first CHAP. 4. We must keepe our selues wholly for God We must be content with his husbanding We must striue to be fruitfull in good things They are to be dispraised that are barren FIrst forsomuch as we are GODS field we must beware that we giue not our selues to any from him We are not our own to dispose of as we list our selues but his that hath bought vs and taken vs in for himselfe Let vs therefore take heed that we suffer not our selues to be sowne with corrupt seed to be set with the plants of wickednesse Let not the diuell sow the tares of wicked errours and filthy sinnes within thee Thou art Gods keepe thy selfe cleane and pure for God Secondly seeing we are Gods field let vs be content with his husbandnig of vs. The ground doth patiently beare the Plowman and his Plow the sower and his seed without the least resistance So let vs be content to beare with meekenesse Gods plough and his ploughmen his seed and sowers Let vs endure all things which he hath in his wisdome ordained to breake vs vp to make vs faire and fertile his Word his Sacraments his Ministers his Orders Let vs not repine and storme against them but subiect our selues and beare them meekely without resisstance Thirdly we are taught to be fruitful vnto God in faith loue repentance and obedience The good ground which receiueth good seed is very profitable to the owner sending forth plenty of fruit EueÌ„ so we being sowen with the good and wholesome seed of Gods word we ought to bring forth fruit aboundantly that our owner may haue a plentiful crop It is a cursed ground that receiues seed yet affoordeth either nothing or nought but weedes We are Gods field aâ—d therefore we should not be like the field of the sluggard that is ouergrowne with thornes nettles If a field be broken vp with the plough and if good seed be not sowen therein it will bring forth more store of weeds then if it had laine vnplowed So if the seeds of Christian vertues be not sowne in our heartes and fructify in our liues now that we haue ben broken vp with the plough of Gods word we shall more abound with the stinking weedes of wickednesse then if we had neuer felt that plough Let vs therefore looke to our selues and labour to be fruitfull in good thing Apply thine heart to instruction and thine eares to the words of knowledge He that followeth after righteousnesse and mercy shall find life righteousnesse and glory Now that we may be fruitfull we must performe these duties following First we must roote those sinfull weedes out of our hearts which oppresse and choke them Breake vp your fallow ground and sow not among the