Ephe. 5.16 we are in these long sittings to consider the losse of time for Saint Paul to the contrarie commandeth vs to redeeme time But how By forsaking the lustes of the flesh that wee may the better and the rather employ our selues in our vocation If sitting at such long feasts we would enter into meditation and think that we sit there in the presence of God who beholdeth how vnprofitably we wast time which is so precious glutted with delicacie when many others starue for hunger we would be euen ashamed and say what doe we here Doth this life beseeme the children of God Doe we thus watch for death and the day of iudgement Likewise albeit the soule bee not fed with past three or fower Sermons in a weeke while the bodie hath at the least fourteene yet will we complaine of the preacher if he stand aboue his houre and neuer finde fault with a feast that lasteth fower or fiue For custome and inclination breedeth content It would be thought strange if a man to a feast should bring his black hower glasse for a full end as he must to a Sermon 10 Some excuses men will aledge yet grounded likewise vpon vice And indeede this obstinate continuance in excessiue and sumptuous banquets proceedeth of the ambition and vaine glorie before mentioned Euerie man seeketh to make shew of his riches and liberalitie aboue his companion No man will remaine endebted to him that inuiteth him to a feast Euerie one thinketh that he shall be noted of pouertie or pinching if he do not as an other man But why should he not rather looke to bee reputed sober a reformer a man willing to giue example to others to chaunge vice into vertue Poâ—tius Cato Liuie lib. 34. A certaine heathen sayth Where there is a law for sobrietie and modestie which a man obserueth it is not to bee imputed to pouertie couetousnesse or sparing but to obedience and obseruation of the law How much rather ought wee Christians whome God by so manie preceptes and decrees hath commaunded to keepe modestie and sobrietie constantly to reiect such reproches of the world and the flesh and to bee content with the testimonie of our owne consciences that our modestie and sobrietie proceedeth from the feare of God and a feeling of our owne duties which bindeth vs to yeeld obedience to his ordinances But we cannot resolue so to doe Why Because that still wee will seeme better then other men greater then wee are and of more abilitie then wee may beare Oh cursed ambition and pride Which to maintaine wee doe reiect the will of God wee offend our neighbours and wee neglect the releefe of the poore If thou sayest thou art able Remember that thy abilitie commeth of God who hath not giuen it thee to boast of but that thy plentie may bee an argument to releeue those that neede and to magnifie the riches of the goodnesse and power of God to his glorie 11 Well doe wee confesse that God aloweth vs to feast and thereof we haue examples in the holie Scriptures neither doe wee restraine men to bread and water or halfe an howers respite God hath created meate and drinke to bee vsed Yet that according to the exhortation of Iesus Christ wee may Amend our liues it must bee in sobrietie and modestie They must bee powdered with Christian speeches and discourses beseeming Gods children There must bee no excesse either in plentie in delicacie either in long sitting Wee must remember the needie and such as are in tribulation Amos. 61 Our guestes must bee such as to maintaine amitie and to take occasion to prayse God To conclude the roote of ambition that lurketh therein must bee plucked vp that contrariwise in the aboundaunce of Gods benefites wee may confesse his liberalitie to his glorie Let vs not expect others to bee examples of our duties but let vs purchase this holie glorie in the sight of God to bee the first that through his grace shall reforme our selues in practise of the saying of Dauid O Lorde I haue made hast Psal 119.60 and delayed not to keepe thy commaundementes Of Voluptuousnesse in generall Chap. 15. THe vanitie and excesse in banquetes before reprooued doeth heere minister occasion to speake of the lustes and pleasures of the flesh first in generall Then perticulerlie in some kindes as in drunkennesse gluttonie licorousnesse and fornication As concerning voluptuousnesse in generall wee haue a number of sayings euen of the heathen whereby with common consent of all the world and in all ages the same haue beene reproued and condemne as daungerous pernitious and not beseeming man Architas the Tarentine sayde Cicero in his booke of olde age there is no pestilence more mortall then voluptuousnesse adding that thereof proceede all treasons against the countrie subuersions of common wealthes secrete communications with enemies to be short that there is not any enterprise so wicked but by voluptuousnesse a man may bee wrought thereunto And proceeding in his argument by many reasons he proueth that nothing is more repugnant to the excellencie of man or more detestable and pernicious then the same And concludeth that there can bee no fellowship betweene lust and vertue and therefore that in the kingdom of voluptuousnes vertue cannot subsist He saith farther that about the same time that Cayus Fabritius was sent to King Pirrhus hee heard that at Athens there was one that maintained that euery thing that man doth ought to haue relation to voluptuousnesse and that when two Romaine Lordes heard him talking thereof they wished that the Samnites and King Pirrhus then their enemies might be perswaded to that doctrine that so they might with greater facilitie be ouercome The like did Antistenes hearing one commaund pleasures also wish to his enemies As also the like counsell did Cyrus follow and put in practise against the Lydians Iustine in his first booke whom he had subdued for taking away their horse and armour hee commaunded them to follow theyr lustes and pleasures to the ende that thereby loosing their accustomed valour and vertue they might together therewith forget also all courage to rebell 2 This voluptuousnesse engendereth so manie vices and villanies that such as compare it to a dreame the pleasure whereof at a mans waking vanisheth awaie doe say somewhat yet nothing to the purpose The Emperour Adrian goeth a little farther when he compareth it to pils outwardly fairely guilt and rouled in Sugar but within full of bitternesse Yet goeth he farther then they all which sayth that pleasure and sorrow are twinnes For pleasure is no sooner hatched but repentaunce is at hand holding her as it were by the head readie to supplant her And thereupon some haue saide that shee resembleth a smile which presently is turned to sorrow and teares And indeede pleasure flyeth and slideth away leauing rather cause of repentaunce then occasion of remembraunce Other haue compared her to a painted sepulcher faire without but within full
the same as before wee haue more at large declared In the second booke c. 17. of Adulterie and all fornicatiō Princes therefore and Christian magistrates that inflict no punishment for adulterie are vnexcusable in the sight both of God and men And they must thinke that as such iniquitie doeth prouoke Gods wrath not against the adulterers onely but also against the whole nation where it is tollerated so by not punishing it themselues doo maintaine the wrath of God as a fyre kindled to consume both them and their subiects To whom by such slacknesse and conniuence they also giue head to commit it wythout all feare The Emperour Iustinian in a decree whereby he ordayneth death to baudes that make sale of women or maidens for fornication In the Nouell Constitutions Rub. of Bauds Gen. 38.24 doth adde this Wee beleeue that thorough this our care to maintain chastitie our common wealth wyll take great increase and that God will graunt vs all prosperitie We reade that the Patriarke Iuda when hee sawe that his daughter in law Thamar whome hee had promised in marriage to his sonne Sella had played the harlot hee condemned her to die euen to bee burned Wherein the Magistrates of our time are to note three points that may induce them to doo their duties First that albeit the persons bee not yet married but betrothed onely yet as is aforesayd this adulterie deserueth death Secondly that adulterie was punished wyth death namely by fyre euen before the lawe giuen by Moses Thirdly that no kindred or friendshippe shoulde withholde the Magistrate from punishing adulterers And heereof we haue an instance in Zaleucus the Locryan Lawyer Val. Max ca. 5 Aelian l 1◠hee hauing ordained that both the eies of an adulterer shoulde bee pulled out when his owne sonne was taken wyth that fault would needes haue two eyes lost and so caused one of his owne and another of his sayde sonnes to be plucked forth 61 It is therefore a great reproch and slacknesse in Christians so to mitigate the punishment of this sinne that they haue shewed themselues in manner neuer touched with the abhomination of such iniquitie In the dayes of the Emperour Iustinian adulterers were put onely to some fine of monie which might in deed somewhat restraine the poore but the rich thereby tooke occasion to commit it the more as thinking themselues quit for a smal summe of monie True it is that by vertue of some decrees of the said Iustinian the women taken in adulterie were thrust into some monasterie But what else was this but formally to oppugne the saying of Saint Paule who commandeth that the woman who cannot containe should marrie In the Councell of Tibur it was decreed that if the woman that had committed adulterie Counsell of Tibu◠holden the yeare 895. cap. 46. Counsel of Orleance cap. 1. Causaid constitui mus 17. q. 4. could retire and saue her selfe in the Church shee should not bee redeliuered into the handes either of her husband or of the Iudge The lyke was also decreed in the first Councell at Orleance where it was moreouer ordained that if her husband or the Iudge did redemaund her shee should be redeliuered but with an oath that they should doo her no hurt vpon paine of excommunication And thus dyd the Cleargie in those daies drawe vnto them the notice and iudgement of adulterie whether to purchase thereby the fines for their owne profite or for anie more vilanous or detestable purpose But as by that meanes they were wylling to saue and preserue the bodyes of the adultresses so haue they strained the soules to the end to cast them headlong into euerlasting death The Counsell of Elibertin cap 18. In deed in a Councell holden in Spaine it was decreed that if a Bishoppe a priest or a Deacon were taken in adulterie hee should neuer againe be receiued into the peace and reconcilement of the Church no not in the houre of death Also that this rule should bee in force against all other persons vpon theyr seconde offence And therefore sayth Saint Cyprian in his dayes some Bishoppes woulde not receiue adulterers to the peace of the Church But hee was of opinion to vse some moderation least sinners should fall into desperation and that desperation should draw them on headlong into all wickednesse And therefore sayth hee The Councel of Ancyra Cap. 20. it were good they shoulde trye theyr repentaunce wythout limitation of time which notwithstanding by one Councell was appointed to be seuen yeres 62 Thus may wee see whereinto those men do fall that will be wiser and shew more mercie than God But mortall man notwithstanding whatsoeuer authoritie hee pretendeth must not alter the decrees of the liuing Lord. And the Lord hath commanded that adulterers should bee punished with death Neyther is there in manner anie nation in the world but agreeth to this iudgement of God as wee haue before declared If therefore wee would obeye God in punishing adulterie with death his wrath would be turned from vs and wee should bee freed from thousands of questions difficulties that growe vppon the sparing of theyr liues and men standing in more feare of God would not so soone abandon them selues thereto In olde time theeues were not by anie lawe eyther of God or man punished wyth death but adulterers were but now contrarywise theeues must die for it and adulterers must escape in manner scotfree Is not this a token that Christians are more feruently bent to the preseruation of their goods than of the chastitie or honour of their wiues They alleadge the example of Christ who dismissed the woman that was taken in adulterie with out condemnation Iohn 8. But as Christ came not to execute the office of a Iudge neither would vsurp it so when he had asked her whether the sentence of the Iudges had condemned her and vnderstood no before he dismissed her hee sufficiently declared that if sentence had bene passed he would not haue hindered the execution 1. Cor. 10.8 And therefore by the premises let all Christian Magistrates vnderstand that it is theyr dutie to punish such iniquitie and with all remember that whatsoeuer slacknesse or negligence shall bee found in them shall not remaine vnpunished And so let them in holines resolue straightly to forbid this abhomination of adultry to stop the course of it and to take away all allurements entisements thereto and that with such punishment that all other may feare to commit the like iniquitie Let them also diligently see to other fornication that it escape not vnpunished as remembring the vengeaunce that the Lorde did take of the like when for the same in one daie he slew twentie and three thousand 63 Namely let them not suffer among their subiects any stews tauernes or other receptacles of adulterie for hire which serue as baites allurements and meanes to defile and destroy both bodies and soules for euer also to prouoke Gods
strengthned theÌ„selues to wickednes saying Rom. 2.4 Psal 94 Tush God seeth not Is it not a manifest deniall of God to imagine him to be blind But as he addeth Is it not an extreame folly to thinke that he that formed the light and gaue sight to the eie seeth not but is blind Or he that formed the hart of man so knoweth the depth thereof doth not also see the workes of the same 6 Behold how wherfore we feare man more than God confessing God with our lips we deny him in our works which truly is a mere folly And in deed naturally we most feare him that hath most power and meanes to execute his threats him whose threatnings are most dangerous hurtfull to conclude euen him whose threatnings are not in vain but most certaine Any one wil sooner feare the threatning of a man than of a childe of a magistrate than of a priuate person the losse of life than the penaltie of some portion of money the threatninges of a sober man than the scolding speeches of a foolish and hairbraind woman But is not God more able than man to execute his threatnings All creature are at his commandement to do his will euen Angels men or deuils The aire through corruption to infect the sea to ouer whelm vs the land to swallow vs vp and the beasts to deuour vs. Wanteth he arrows in his quiuer to shoot forth at men With how many strange horrible plagues did he smite the Egyptians What water pooles found he wheÌ„ all the world was so drowned that the waters stood fifteen cubites aboue the highest mountains in the world Exod. 5.9.10 Ge. 1.7 Let vs read the 26. of Leuit. the 28. of Deut. there note with how many sorts of plagues calamities he can wil punish such as rebell against his commandements neither can anie counsell or strength withstand him Act. 17.26 Contrariwise what power hath man to hurt sith that in God he liueth he moueth hath his being What may hee doo against his will without whose power he cannot stir one finger liue one moment or haue anie being 7 Secondly how farre may mans threatnings extend Euen to the losse of goods and those bodies that are subiect to death But God hath power ouer all soules and therefore Iesus Christ admonisheth vs not to feare those that kill the bodie and no more Luk. 12.4 but feare him sayth he who when he hath killed hath power to cast into hell yea I saie feare him Neither can man afflict but for a time but Gods punishments are euerlasting and without end The threatnings of man are many times light and vaine yea and soone altered and reuersed but as God is righteous and true so his threatnings are euermore put in execution either in this world or in the world to come vnlesse we preuent them by Amendement of Life Nahum 1 The mightie God saith the Prophet Nahum is ielous and the Lord reuengeth and hath wrath at his commandement The Lord will take vengeance of his aduersaries and reserueth wrath for his enemies The Lord is slow to anger but he is great in power and will not surely cleere the wicked The Lord hath his waie in the whirle wind in the storme the clouds are the dust of his feete He rebuketh the sea and he drieth it and hee dryeth vp all the riuers Bashan is wasted and Carmel and the flower of Libanon is wasted The mountaines tremble for him and the hils melt the earth is burned at his sight yea the world and all that dwell therein Who caÌ„ stand before his wrath or who can abide in the fiercenes of his wrath His wrath is powred out like fire and the rockes are broken by him If the power and will of God be such in the execution of his threatnings euen threatnings not against the body only but also against the soule then in reproofe of this folly to feare man more than God doth the Prophet Esay iustly say Esa 2.22 Cease you from the man whose breath is in his nostrels for Whreein is he to be esteemed Againe Esa â—1 12 Who art thou that thou shouldest feare a mortall man and the sonne of man which shall be made as grasse and forgettest the Lorde thy maker that hath spread out the heauens and laide the foundations of the earth The rather therefore to amend our liues let vs hereafter bee better aduised in fearing God more than man so esteeming more of God than of man or rather not esteeming man but in God withall let vs remember that those men haue reason to feare man that feare not God more than man 8 The third proofe consisteth in this That we repose more trust in man than in God And this folly proceedeth from three originall springs First wee are so brutish that as beastes apprehend no more than is before their eies so wee beleeue no more than wee see We see that men haue meanes to helpe vs but we see not God neither knowe his power And this is the cause that we trust more to man that promiseth our sustenance than to God who promiseth to prouide for vs Mat. 6.26 neuer to forsake vs yea than to God who sendeth vs the schoole of soules hearbes flowers of them to learne that man being farre more excellent and precious in the sight of God ought wholy to rest vpon him for his sustenance and life 9 Secondly we are so addicted to the flesh that we accompt nothing to be a blessing but what delighteth the flesh And so when men do promise things fit and commodious for the same we trust to them more then to God who promising many blessings assistance and reliefe doth not alwaies fulfill those promises after the lustes of the flesh but to the good of the spirite and saluation of the soule Thus albeit he performeth to vs more then it seemeth he hath promised namely spirituall and eternall gifts in stead of carnall and temporall yet can not our flesh comprehend that hee hath fulfilled his promises Thus when in sickenes pouerty or prison man promiseth recouery assistance or deliuery we trust more in him then God who in his word maketh the like promises For flesh knoweth no other reliefe succour or deliuerie then that which is bodily which God often times changeth into spirituall and euerlasting more excelent in deed yet lesse knowne to man 10 The third cause resteth in the time of performance of promises God in his wisedome doth sometimes vse long delaies as flesh doth imagin in the performance of his promises Wherupon man naturally whot impatient beholding that which he esteemeth neerer and more redy at hand trusteth more to man then to God Rom. 5.4 Hereto we may add that as S. Paul saith Experience engendreth hope And therfore as man findeth helpe and reliefe in men who being of abilitie doe also loue him And on the
more of man than of God and that confessing God with our lips we renounce denie him in our hearts and workes That we may therefore Amend our liues let vs renounce this so pernitious solly to esteeme more of man than of God And contrarywise let vs loue and feare God reposing our whole confidence in him onely as in him who only is vnto vs all in all for man is nothing but in God The third Folly To thinke that we shall liue euer Chap. 4. ANtigonus who succeeded Alexander the great in parte of his dominions beeing recouered of a certaine sicknesse sayde Plut. in his Apothegines That by the same among other documentes hee had learned that hee was mortall Wherein hee layeth open the common opinion of man who thinketh that hee should liue euer And in deede such is our inclination to incredulitie that vppon the long delaâ—e of anie thing that wee haue a while expected wee conclude that it will neuer come to passe So the euill seruant mentioned by Saint Mathewe seeing his master tarrie awaie so long Mat. 24.48 imagined and concluded that hee woulde neuer come 2. Pet. 3.3 Heereto hath the saying of Saint Peter relation In the last dâ—ie there will come mockers which will saie Where is the promise of his comming for since that our fathers dyed all things continue alyke from the beginning of the creation Thus wee see how the scorners only of the delaâ—e of the comming of Christ can take occasion to beleeue that hee wyll not come at all As also when God himselfe by his seruants threatneth them wyth death they turne it to a scorne saying Let vs eate and drinke Esa 22.13 Esa 28.15 to morow we shall die Again We haue made a couenant with death and with hell we are at agreement Though a scourge run ouer and passe thorough it shall not come at vs. Euen so we likewise when we heare of death yea and dayly see the examples thereof yet because it forbeareth vs a while taketh no hold of vs do imagine with our selues Cicero in hiâ— booke of old age that it shall neuer come at vs. And this is it which a certain Ethnike the prince of all Latine Orators signified Where he sayde that there is no man so ouer taken with age but that hee weeneth to liue yet one yere longer Thus doth he thinke to liue euer considering that albeit he hath liued a hundred yeres yea two hundred yet still he is of opinion that hee may liue one yere longer and when that is past yet one yere more and so by one and one for euer 2 This doth the common course of man confirme Wee all with our lippes do confesse that once we must die and that death is the gate either to heauen or to hell which not withstanding what one person doth liue as either hoping to goe to heauen or fearing to goe to hell If we see that resolutely within two or three dayes we must die then is there none of vs but is sorrie that he offended God that euer he liued in fornication drunkennesse deceit ryot and other excesse in a bad conscience deuoide of the feare of God Then will we desire to recouer that we may Amend Then will we vow to God that if he will prolong our liues we will walke vprightly Then will euery one with that he had cut off some of his pleasures and excesse to the end therewith to haue releeued the necessitie of the poore Then who could not be content wholy to haue beene giuen to the seruice of God to haue had more care of his soule then of his bodie of the life to come then of the life present We confesse that when death draweth neere we will vse these and such like complaints and lamentations Yet now whiles God graunteh vs time and meanes to liue according to the same why doe we it not Wherefore do we not make hast to liue in like sort as being at deaths doore we wish we had Surely because wee neuer thinke to die 3 When a man after condemnation is returned to prison all his mind runneth vpon death he detesteth his former life he falleth vpon his knees to pray to God he regardeth no soft bedding delicate fare or costly apparell Yea if he bee such a one as feareth God all his cogitations are bent to life euerlasting and forgetting the world and worldly businesse hee conceâ—â—eth great ioy in that he is so neere the gate and possession of the kingdome of heauen This sentence of death passed vpon vs the first day that wee came into this world Our soules are as in a prison in our bodies wee attend onely the time of execution wee all confesse wee must die yet wâ—t wee not whether within a day or an houre All this notwithstanding who either feeleth or sheweth himselfe readie or who prouideth to die as doth he that hath receiued his sentence from an earthly iudge But what is the cause of this our dulnesse and folly Euen because wee thinke not to die but doe imagine that our liues shall last for euer 4 If either woman or maiden preparing costly rayment with exquisite attires wherein to shew her selfe at some marriage feast shoulde beginne to finde her selfe euell at ease and withall that her Doctor or Phisition hauing felt her poulse shoulde assure her to dye within one fortnight would shee thinke any longer to proceede with her pompe feasting and pastimes No shee would then fall to weeping and prayer to giuing of almes and reprouing the vanitie of the world shee would aduertise her coÌ„panions to beware and to auoid the same But God who knoweth the length of our daies hath alreadie warned vs of our death hee saith it is at hand he hath not promised fourteene dayes neither two nor one no not one houre Wherefore doe our mindes then runne vpon the course of the world Why doe we so delight in vanitie ryot and excesse Wherefore doe wee not rather employ our selues vpon meditation of heauenly and eternall felicitie And why doe we not bestow our time in such workes as in our death may minister comfort and ioy Forsooth because we thinke to liue euer 5 Wee do reade of Philip king of Macedon and father to great Alexander that euery morning one of the gromes of his chamber at his first waking saide vnto him O king remember thou art a mortall man There is also a common posie written vpon many tablets and ringes Cogita mort that is Thinke to dye Why Was kinge Philip so forgetfull of his mortalitie that hee must be put in minde thereof euery day Or must wee Christians bee put in minde of death by painted tablets or ringes But as the end as well of the speech to the king as of this tablet tendeth onely to aduertise vs to liue as wee shoulde dye so are they likewise obiections to conuince vs of such folly and giddinesse as maketh vs to thinke that we
of which two or three are spent so that now we are come to the last If a thousand and fiue hundred yeeres and more are with him but as one houre then can 70. or 80. be but one minute how long so euer we account theÌ„ It is therfore extreame folly to thinke to liue euer not to see death coÌ„sidering that our longest life is but a momeÌ„t 11 Sith then that this false opinion causeth vs to forget heauen for earth the soule for the bodie heauenly treasures for earthly goods that we may the rather Amend our liues let vs be of another mind and now being throughly perswaded that wee must die and that shortly that there is nothing more certaine than death or more vncertain than the houre of the same In summe that our life is but as the course of a day or of an hour yea rather as a minute of time let vs so liue as if wee were euery day to die yea euery hour of the day let vs liue in such sort as at the houre of death wee may be glad that we had liued let vs imploy this day hour or minute of life vpon such things as may tend to the ioy glory euerlasting let vs walke this day as if this night we should come to the eternal habitation let vs not build where we cannot long continue but in heauen where wee shall dwell for euer let vs make our prouision not where our piâ—grimage is so short but that we may liue wher we shal remain for euer let vs take heed that the thorns of this world catch no hold of vs to detaine and hinder vs in our course to heauen from whence he that is excluded is for euer accursed The bel at the gate ringeth the porter crieth out Make hast let vs remember the ten virgins Math. 25.1 take oyle in our lamps that when the bridegrome commeth wee may go into the marriage For one daie or houre or one minute of carnall pleasures let vs not depriue our selues of perfect ioy which shall neuer be taken from vs let vs indure stormie weather for one daie that wee may haue a thousand millions of yeeres of fair weather let vs patiently beare the tribulations of one moment of time which will breed vs great comfort for euer let not the reuenue of one maÌ„s life whose life is but a day depriue vs of the riches alotted to the life of Christ Ioh. 16. â— who liueth for euer let vs not for one apple which euen alredy beginneth to rot loose the euerlasting fruit of the tree of life 2. Cor. 4.17 for the purchase of goods which immediatly we must leaue let vs not forsake the tresures which we may inioy for euer 12 To coÌ„clude sith vndoubtedly we must die we know not the time which surely wil be shortly let vs liue as men alredy adiudged to death let vs liue as not knowing the houre thereof yea let vs liue as knowing it to be at hand And because it is so harde a matter to perswade vs that we must die that shortly let vs say with Moses the maÌ„ of God Teach vs O Lord to number our daies Psal 90.12 that we may apply our hearts vnto wisdome This praier seemeth of smal importance For who cannot reckon from 70. or 80. yeres But herein he sheweth mans dulnes that he cannot comprehend the shortnes of his life by counting that it is not past 70. or 80. yeres at the most Also that the holy ghost must teach vs that as he addeth we may apply our harts to wisdome Therby shewing that the knowledge of the shortnes of this life shall endue vs with wisedome to shun the vanities thereof that wee may apply our mindes to those things whereof the blessed fruit shal remain with vs for euer Thus we see how by renouncing this folly namely To thinke to liue euer and by beleeuing that we must all die that shortly we shall bee better aduised so amend our so short life that at the departure therefro we shall through Christ enter into life euerlasting The fourth Folly Not to know wherefore we liue Chap. 5 THe folly to think to liue euer is as we haue shewed great yet is theâ— another as great no lesse pernitious that doth accoÌ„pany it namely That we know not wherefore we liue And in deed if you question with men and aske them to what end God hath created them or wherfore they liue for the most part you shal haue either no answere or an answere to no purpose Ther are as is aforesaid four sorts of creatures in the world amoÌ„g whoÌ„ man is the most excellent yet aimeth lest at the purpose of his creation First some haue essence only as the earth the sea the stones such like creatures secondly some with essence haue life termed Vegetatiue as trees hearbs thirdly some with essence life haue sense or feeling as fishes soules beasts and so forth Lastly there is man who with essence life sense or feeling hath also vnderstanding reason Now aske of man wherefore God created the earth he wil say for the habitatioÌ„ both of men beasts the nourishing of hearbs and trees Wherfore the sea riuers for nauigation nourishmeÌ„t of fishes Wherefore stones to serue for buildings secondly wherfore God created hearbes and trees hee will saye for the foode of man and beast thirdly wherefore God created fish soules and other creatures hee will saie some for foode others for draught and burden and others for other vses Yea and ascending higher he will say that God created the sâ—â—â— to giue light to minister heate the ayre â—o giue breath so of other creatures Lastly aske of man him selfe wherfore God created him to what end he liueth he will answere That he knoweth not Or if he tell his mind plainely he will say for him selfe The poore artifiâ—er to nourish his family the marchant to enritch himselfe The Courtier or Captaine to grow into reputation to attaine to dignity or honour others who are worse then beasts to take their ease Generally all in this life to prouide themselues of whatsoeuer the lusts of their flesh may desire To be briefe experience doth euidently declare that there is not almost any that knoweth wherefore he liueth or that referreth not his life to som other end theÌ„ he should 2 This is a folly worthy great reproofe that man endued with vnderstanding can yeeld a reason for the essence and life of other creatures yet himselfe being the most excellent of all others wotteth not wherfore he liueth or wherfore God hath giuen him vnderstanding This is a most pernitious folly and replenished with all ingratitude for whereas all other creatures created for man do coÌ„tinually tend to the end purpose of their creation namely to serue man in giuing him all thinges needfull for his maintenance man only not knowing wherefore he liueth inuerteth
neuer haue beene annoyed with heate or colde that doe so molest him Moreouer this vse of garmentes doeth testifie vnto vs. Gods goodnesse and mercie towardes vs in that hee ministreth wherewith to releeue our necessities and so bindeth vs more and more to praise him To make therefore our garmentes a pompe and shew whereby to bee honored and glorified is the reuersing of the vse of them and manifest sacriledge against God Yet is this corruption so common that there is none no not the little children but will boast of gay garments Let vs therefore that haue more wit then children euen vs I say especially that are instructed in Gods word and know the originall and vse of garmentes in liew of seeking glorie in the same learne by them to humble our selues and to render all thankes and prayses to God to whome it appertaineth 8 For a third remedie let vs remember what a folly yea what an extreame iniquitie it is to take more care for garmentes for the bodie then for ornaments for the soule For as the bodie being of more valew then the garment wee will sell or pawne foorth the garment for to feede the bodie so ought wee to leaue all affecton to beautifie our bodies the better to tende to the adorning of our soules And hereto doth Saint Peter exhort vs 1. Pet. 1 3. saying Let not the womans apparell be outward with broydered heare or golde put about or in putting on of apparell but let the hid man of the hart be vncorrupt with a meeke and quiet spirit which is before God a thing much set by The same doth S. Paule also confirme saying Let women araie themselues in comely apparell with shamefastnesse and modestie 1. Tim. 2.9 not broidered haire or golde or pearle or costly apparell but as becommeth women that professe the feare of God with good workes If wee dwel in a borrowed house looking weekly when we must depart wee wyll neuer trouble our selues wyth anie cost or fitting of it as wee woulde doo if wee were sure to remayn in it all the daies of our liues And what is the bodie but a house lent vnto the soule from whence it looketh dayly to departe What reason haue wee then so to care for adorning the bodie which shortly must rot and perish so to neglect the soul which is immortal Men commonly doo care to be more honestly appareled when they are to meet at some banquet or marriage or to come before some honourable personages than ordinarily when they conuerse wyth inferiours Now wee as concerning our bodies doo conuerse wyth men lyke vnto our selues but as concerning our soule with God and his angels to whome it is lifted vp now by faith but at death really Is it not therefore repugnant to all order and reason to care more for the beautifying of the bodie than for adorning of the soule 9 Some man wyll saie Why albeit we beautifie our bodyes yet doo wee thinke vpon the adorning of the soule But this is a mere abuse for it is an olde saying that the great care to prouide for the bodie is an euident token of the neglect and small affection to adorne the soule Who can saie that hee is loth to burne his house when hee layeth burning coales hard by a stacke of strawe Naturally wee are inclined to ambition and pride and what is all this pompe prouision for the bodie but wood and straw kindled by the fyre of our Ambition Humilitie modestie charitie chastitie and holinesse are the chiefe ornamentes of our soules and is there anie thing more contrarie to these vertues than Ambition pride crueltie lust and prophane liuing which all doo appeare in these pompes and ornamentes for the bodie Well may wee confesse that there bee some more proude in theyr paltrie peltes than many in theyr sumptuous apparell When Antisthenes ware a turnde cloake Socrates tolde him that hee discerned his vaineglorie and ambition through the rentes of his cloake Contrariwise queene Heste rprotested before God that shee tooke no more pride in her most rich apparell The last book of Hest 14.6 than in base and defouled clothes But we speake of that which is common with men as experience sheweth For in deede wee shall finde few in whome ambition or desire to bee thought rich or noble or among women to appeare fayre is not the verie originall foutnaine of theyr sumptuous apparell pompe and beautifieng of the bodie 10 Some will reply did God create golde siluer silke and such like to no vse We confesse he created them to vse but not to abuse of his liberalitie to take occasion to praise him but not to extoll our selues And truely it is a great abusing of Gods creatures when we employ them to maintain our pride and ambition and in liew of reseruing al honour and praise to him that is the giuer of them to minister offence to our neighbours Againe it followeth not that the vse of silke and golde permitted to Kinges Princes and people of like calling should equally bee permitted and commanded for euerye Marchaunt and Artificer Princes may without reprehension or blemish of pride weare that which Marchaunts and Artificers cannot vse without note of pride and presumption True it is that the more modestly that any shall vse it the more commendable it is But it were but a trouble to pollicie and conscience without reason or ground to submit all person of whatsoeuer calling to Marchaunts attire as also it is not conuenient to abase Marchaunts into poore Artificers apparell 11 Yet is there another point to be considered God as to another purpose is afore said hath made men not Lordes but stewards of his goods with condition that they shall giue accompt of the same And in that respect it is lawfull for men of honour and calling honourably to cloth themselues so long as they also reserue meanes and clothe the poore members of Christ And indeede this sentence which he will pronounce in the day of iudgement Depart from me ye cursed into eternal fire Mat. 25. for I was naked and ye clothed me not c. might make those to tremble whose superfluitie and excesse in apparell would wel suffice to cloth the poore members of Iesus Christ But this sparingnes is an euident signe of incredulitie as Saint Iames noteth Iam. 2.15 tearming it to be a testimonie of a dead faith when we cloth not those that bee naked The silke ribbands and lace that couer the cloth the edgings passements and purles added to stuffe of it selfe curious enough the ringes enriched with precious stones the golde the siluer and pearle wherewith the bodies are decked vp shal in the day of iudgement arise against those that take no pitie of the poore that lay vpon straw went woolward and quaking for colde for want of garments Let those that dispence with such sumpteousnes and excesse examine their owne consciences whether they doe to others as they would be
will take no pleasure therein Dronkennesse sayth Plutarch is a passion full of tumult deuoyde of sense and reason Many sayth Augustine transported with wine haue committed most wicked and detestable murthers The example of great Alexander is notable who in his dronkennesse slew Clytus one of his deerest and most faithfull seruants which when he knew hauing disgested his wine hee woulde haue died for sorrow Heereto may wee referre that notable saying of Pythagoras that the vine yeeldeth three grapes the one of pleasure the second of dronkennesse and the last of outrage is also the saying of Anacharsis that the first draught is for thirst the second for sustenance the third for pleasure and the fourth ingendereth wrath And which is more the dronken man is a lyon to himselfe in that hee iniureth and wasteth both his bodie and his goods Bas Ser. against Dronkards It is maruell sayeth Basil that the bodyes of dronkardes beeing by nature of earth beeing so moistned do not dissolue into claie and morter Plut. Sim. dis li. 3.4.5 August to a holy virgin To such men sayth hee the soule is but salt to preserue the bodie for a time from rotting Dronkardes sayth Plutarch doo soone wax olde balde and graie before theyr time As Alexander the conqueror of so many kingdomes was ouercome by wine Seneca in his 84. Ep. to Lucil so many townes long time besieged haue beene taken and burned while the watch men haue beene dronke and a sleepe Seneca speaketh more largely What calamities saith hee haue growen of dronkennesse By her haue strong and most warlyke people beene deliuered to theyr enemies by it haue townes that haue long helde out agaynst the enemie beene opened and taken by it haue whole Nations Iust l. 1 that obstinately haue reiected the yoake of dominion of others bene subdued To be short such as in warre haue bene inuinsible haue by wine bene ouercome Iustine propoundeth a notable example in the Scithians of whome he saith that they were ouercome first by wine then by wepons Neither are we to maruel that it commeth so to passe for the dronkard peruerteth all that hee gouerneth hee maketh his bodie to reele he along he stoppeth and reuerseth the principall actions of his soule he drowneth the shippe that he guideth he ouerthroweth the chariot that hee driueth he looseth the army that hee leadeth but which is the fulnesse of his mishap by dronkennes becomming twice a childe hee reiecteth the gouernment of others but chiefely the couenant of God and so casteth himself headlong into ruine and euerlasting damnation 7 As Iesus Christ admonisheth vs to amend our liues so truely shoulde the consideration of the premises moue vs to shunne this accursed dronkennesse as a pestilence as Aeschilus in old time called it But especially the remembrance of the spirituall dangers mischiefes and inconueniences euen of euerlasting death the fruites of this dronkennesse ought mightily to mooue our heartes wholly to renounce it First as there is no exercise more profitable for the children of God for theyr saluation or wherein God is greatlyer glorified than in prayer thankesgiuing and praises to the Lord so is there nothing that sooner quencheth the vse of the same than dronkennesse Also if ordinarie sobrietie yea euen extraordinarie fasting bee sometimes requisite in praier that wee may bee the better disposed thereunto what can the dronkardes praiers bee but either none or meere mockeries And how shall we reade Gods worde or heare anie sermon when our heads are fraught with wine or strong drinke Againe if the sober doe many times fal on sleep therat what are we to expect of the dronkard but brutish sluggishnesse which depriueth him of all profite by the word of God And is there anie greater miserie than voluntarilie to depriue our selues of the fruite of praier Gods word When the Secretarie or Counseller is to conferre with his prince about matters of great waight or importance shal he make himselfe dronke or come dronke into his masters presence If wee ought dayly to praie vnto almightie God and by reading wherein truely consisteth and dependeth mannes great felicitie heare him speaking vnto vs doo not wee when we are dronke depriue our selues of this so familiar profitable and most comfortable communication with God 8 Againe how can a man that is giuen to dronkennes imploy him selfe in his vocation It is not for kings O Lemuel sayde his mother vnto him Prouer. 31.4 It is not for kings to drinke wine nor for princes strong drinke least hee drinke and forget the decree and chaunge the iudgement of all the children of affliction And in that consideration the holy Apostle Saint Paul ordayneth 1. Tim. 3 3.8 Tit. 1.7 Leuit. 10.9 Num. 6.3 Esay 5.11 that Bishoppes Elders and Deacons should not bee giuen to wine to the ende the better to discharge theyr offices Likewise in former daies the Priests in their wayting time and the Nazarites might drinke no wine Esay also speaking more generally declared this inconuenience thereto adding a threatning of Gods horrible iudgement for the same Woe bee vnto thē sayth he that rise vp early to follow dronkennesse and to them that continue vntil night till the wine doth inflame them And the harp and violl timbrell and pipe and wine are in their feasts but they regarde not the Lordes worke neither consider the worke of his hands August in his 231. sermon of shunning dronkennesse 9 But let vs more particularly enter into consideration of the inconueniences and mischiefes growing of dronkennesse to those that are giuen thereto First as a long and sore raine sayeth Saint Augustine moystneth the earth and so conuerteth it into mire that it cannot bee tilled to bring foorth fruit euen so our bodies distempered with too much wine cannot receiue the spirituall husbandrie neyther yeeld anie fruite beseeming the immortall soule Chrisost ho. 1. vpon these wordes Modico vino c. Wee are sayth hee farther to beware that our bodyes ouer moystned with wine growe not as it were into saltes or marishes where ther groweth nothing but weeds frogges serpents and other lyke beastes The dronkard sayth Chrisostome is a voluntarie deuill deuoid of excuse for his destruction or obloquy with men Dronkennesse sayth Saint Augustine is the mother of all wickednesse the argument of all offences the roote of all transgressions Aug. to a holy virgin distemperaunce of the head destruction of the senses a storme of the tongue waues of the bodie shipwracke of chastitie losse of time voluntarie madnesse infamous languishing corruption of manners dishonour to lyfe reproach to honestie and death of the soule Then hee addeth Dronkennesse is an amiable deuill a licorous poyson and a sweete sinne Hee that hath it hath not himselfe and hee that is dronke doeth not simply sinne but is wholy conuerted into sinne In a mightie storme sometime both the shippe and the men are saued by casting the goods into the sea
talke with their parents and feele a feruent desire to be soone there euen so we if we remember that in heauen we haue treasures of eternall riches an vndefiled inheritance immortall and incorruptible which is reserued for vs a heauenly father that loueth vs in his welbeloued son our elder brother Iesus Christ in glory the angels holy spirits in ioy and that wee their fellow burgesses haue our portion in all these goods and are euen vpon the point to be really in heauen with them why should we not be rauished with a feruent desire to be lifted vp thether and with S. Paul to say I couet to be dissolued and to be with Christ Phil. 1.23 what letteth vs when wee feele how hardly wee are entreated and what mortall wounds our soules doe daylye receiue by offending God through their corruptions to say with S. Paul Rom. 7.24 O wretched men that we are who shall deliuer vs from this body of death Shall not the very feeling of so grieuous and so many bodily afflictions whereto we are subiect in this strange land cause vs seruently to pray to be deliuered from the same 2. Cor. 5. 1. especially considering that we know as S. Paul saith that when the earthly habitation of this lodge is destroyed wee haue a building in God euen an euerlasting house in the heauens which is not made with mans hand And in this respect we that abide in these earthly dwellinges doe groane vnder our burdens for we desire to bee clothed with our habitation which is in heauen as knowing that remaining vpon earth wee are absent from the Lord for we doe walke in saith and not by sight albeit we trust loue rather to be estranged from this body and to dwell with the Lord. 7 Howbeit attending vntill we may be really there both in body and soule let vs be there in spirit let vs be conuersant in heauen and begin to feele the felicity wherof we shall hereafter haue full and perfect fruition in this conuersation with God with the angels and with the holy spirits let vs more and more learne the language and maners of heauen to the end wee may resemble the angels saints there dwelling When Moses had conuersed with God forty daies vpon the mountaine Exod. 34.29 at his comming downe his face shined and glistered with the heauenly glorye so will it bee with vs by then we haue for twenty or thirty yeares bene conuersant in heauen we shall become heauenlye and spirituall both in worde and deed euen as by experience wee see that when a countryman hath dwelled some twenty or thirty yeares in the Court he forgetteth his country speech and course of life and groweth to be as good a courtier as if he were borne in the Court Our earthly talke and communication our worldly course of life and the corruptions of the flesh that beare but too much swaye in vs doe but ouer manifestlye shew how little we are conuersant in heauen and consequently doe testifie that we account our selues Burgesses of earth and not of heauen That wee may therefore amend let vs continually thinke that heauen is our true countrey that wee are Burgesses thereof that there we haue our parents and blessed brethren the treasures of ioye and glory an immortall and incorruptible enheritance and that we are at the very point of going thither to take possession as in truth wee doe euery houre looke for the time of our departure let this holye meditation make vs to conuerse in heauen and to liue as heauēly people setting our harts vpon our treasure let it euen make vs to forsake the speeche habit fashions and manners of those among whom wee are for a short time strangers that we may enure our selues to the language and holy life of the burgesses of heauen and angels with whom we shall liue for euer Let it withdraw our affections from all that we must leaue at our departure out of this forrain country least otherwise we lose the incomprehensible goods that are prepared for vs in our heauenly and eternal country let it cause vs to renounce al that might detaine vs in this country replenished with misery and calamity that cheerefully we may aspire to our country which aboundeth in ioy glory and al felicity Let it enforce vs to say with Dauid Woe is me that I remaine in Mesech Psal 120.5 and dwell in the tentes of Keder That is to say among barbarous nations that loue not the Burgesses of heauen let the hard vsage of the prince of this world in this strange country make vs to couet to liue among the blessed Cittizens of the kingdome of heauen let all our thoughtes words cōmunication testifie that in spirit we are already there yea let all our works be preparatiues and pathes to lead vs therinto and to these ends let vs ouercome all that might break of or hinder our so happy iourney from earth to heauen 8 We must moreouer remember that we are pilgrimes and trauellers and therefore for the attaining to the place whereto wee are trauelling wee must beware of three points First of turning backe againe Secondly of turning either to the right hand or to the lefte Thirdly of standing still The offending of God and transgressing his commaundementes is a going backe againe for as in walking after his woorde and in his feare wee goe to God to heauen and to euerlasting life so by sinning in liewe of going forwarde wee slippe backe and drawe toward death as we haue before more at large declared We cannot therefore turne backe that is to saye offend God but with this condition that wee shall fall into ruine and euerlasting perdition much like vnto him who flying from his enemies that pursue him in liewe of sauing himselfe in some towne turneth backe towardes them and so putteth himselfe into their handes neither are we without many and mighty enemies that pursue vs and labour to make vs to turne backe by offending God and these must wee fight against Deerely beloued saith the Apostle Saint Peter 1. Pet. 2.11 I beseech you as strangers and pilgrimes abstayne from fleshly lustes which fight against the soule Let vs diligently note that hee heere saith not against our goods to rob vs of them neither against our bodies to murder vs but against our soules to induce thē to offend God so to drawe them into euerlasting damnation And heereof haue we a notable example in the person of Iob Iob. 1. he was a iust man one that feared God and eschewed euill and so walked in the waye to heauen but Satan would withstand him and therefore commenced warre against his soule but how true it is he seemed as if he would haue fought against his goods in causing them to bee taken away against his children in procuring their death and against his body in vexing it most cruelly yet was it properly the soule that he assaulted as himselfe
our bodie lyfe or earthly goods for anie offence coÌ„mitted by vs doth without comparison more daunt and quaile vs than the desert of euerlasting death and the losse of the kingdome of heauen 4 Let vs therefore plainly confesse the truth that naturally wee loue the bodie better than the soule the goods commodities of this temporal life better than the tresures of eternity And consequently that in lieu of seeking first the kingdome of heauen and the righteousnes thereof and thereupon expecting that all other things shall be giuen vs according to the promise of Christ wee contrarywise setting the caâ—t before the horse doo first and much more seeke that which concerneth the bodie and this present life than anie thing that toucheth the soule the kingdom of heauen And yet he that knoweth not that the body is more than the soul hath no soule neither hath anie vnderstanding or reason and is no man but a beast And he that confesseth not the kingdome of heauen to be infinitly better than all the kingdomes of the world sheweth himselfe to bee most peruerse and malitious 5 That we may therefore correct these corruptions so amend our liues Math. 13.44 45. let vs remember that Iesus Christ likeneth the kingdome of heauen to a treasure hidde in the field which when a man hath sound he hideth it and for ioy thereof departeth and selleth all that he hath buieth that field Also to a pearle of great value for the purchase wherof the marchant selleth al that he hath But what was this so excellent treasure or pearle of so great price euen the Church or holy ministerie The kingdome of God in vs and the kingdome of glorie in heauen This kingdome of heauen therfore must we first especially seeke after and after the example of those marchants sell all we haue that is to saie forsake all that we account to bee precious concerning this life that wee may inioy this kingdome of heauen 6 And in deede first they that beeing members of the Church doo vse the holy ministerie are accounted to bee the children of God and members of Iesus Christ who also imployeth this holie ministerie to driue from them the kingdome of Sathan and to establish his And so are they gotten on to the first step and entered in at the first gate In the meane time because there be also hypocrites that do enter and abide there for a time in shew keeping the place of Gods children it is requisite moreouer that the kingdom of heauen be in vs. For as all they that are possessed with righteousnesse Rom. 14.17 peace and the ioy of the holie Ghost which Saint Paule calleth the kingdome of God are certaine to enrer into heauen so is it in vaine to pretend to enter into the kingdome of God which is in heauen vnlesse the kingdome of heauen which is the gate be first in vs that is to saie if we haue not the true knowledge of God and of his sonne Iesus Christ a liuely fayth a feruent charitie vnles wee increase in sanctification of bodie of soule and of minde vnles in our selues wee do feele a good conscience conioyned with peace and ioy in the holie Ghost and vnlesse wee bee regenerate in newnesse of lyfe As also Iesus Christ himselfe doth plainly say That vnlesse wee bee borne againe wee cannot see the kingdome of God And in deede it is written Iohn 3.3 1. Cor. 6.9 That neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor wantons nor theeues nor couetous men nor dronkardes nor euill speakers nor rauishers shall inherite the kingdome of God Yet before hee pronounceth this sentence hee wakeneth vs saying Deceiue not your selues to the end that casting off all illusions and sweete baites of the world the flesh and the deuill we may be assured that by amendement correcting of these vices and other lyke corruptions we shall inherite the kingdome of God Wherefore as where there bee two gates to a towne it is not inough that wee enter the first vnlesse wee also passe through the second so is it not inough that wee beeing members of the Church vsing the holie ministerie which we haue sayd to be as the first gate to the kingdome of heauen vnlesse wee thence proceede to the second in liuing as true and liuely members of the Church declaring the effectes of the holy ministerie by the testimonies of our faith mortification of the old man newnesse of lyfe in briefe by dayly amendement For albeit wee haue preached the worde of God yea and wrought myracles yet shall wee not therefore enter into the kingdome of heauen vnlesse wee also amende our liues as Iesus Christ also sayd Not euery one that saith Lord Lord Mat. 7.21 shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but hee which doth the will of my father which is in heauen Manye will saye vnto mee in that daye Lord Lord haue we not by thy name prophecied and by thy name cast out deuils and by thy name done many great workes Then will I professe vnto them I neuer knew ye Departe from me ye workers of iniquitie 7 The parable of the seede sowen in sundry sorts of ground doth euidently declare that for the establishing of the kingdom of heauen in vs Mat. 13. also that we may assuredly enter into the kingdome of God which is in heauen we are to amend in three points First as the seede that fell by the way side and so was deuoured by the soules of the aire so must we beware that our harts be not so hard and impenitent that the woorde heard when it cannot enter into theÌ„ vanish away and be as it were euen violently caught away by satan Secondly we must be so firmly resolued to beare in patience the losse of parents brethren sisters goods dignities yea euen of life that being possessed with this good humour of patience a good conscience and faith the sunny heat of persecution may not make this sacred seede vnfruitfull or vnprofitable or cause vs to forsake the Church which is the kingdome of heauen and so fall againe vnder the tiranny of Satan as a dogge to his vomite or a washed sow to her myre Thirdlye 2. Pet. 2.12 as the seede that fell among thornes coÌ„meth at the last to be choaked vp and stiffeled so must we beware that the cares of worldly affaires the earnest desire of the coÌ„modities of this transitory life do not choak vp the good seede of the heauenly doctrine These three pernicious inconuemences must we auâ—id and amend in case we desire to enter into the kingdome of God that is in heauen 8 Now where it is said in this parable that only the fourth part of the seed did bring forth fruite we are thereof togather for the inducing of vs to ameÌ„dmeÌ„t of life that the number of those that shal be saued in the kingdom of God which is in heauen shaâ—be small and this doth our
shall not dye Which truely is a great folly 6 Wee commonly vse to say that experience is the fooles sâ—hoole-house The reason For that albeit they bee not capable of discourse and reason yet at the least by experience they can learne that apples and peares will at length rot that greene trees once cut downe doe grow feare that grasse mowen downe doth wither that flowers gathered doe fade for all this doth experience by the effectes teach them And this doctrine of experience is so certaine that if a Philosopher shoulde goe about to proue the contrarye by reason and discourse as for example That fire is cold and snow hot he should shew himselfe but a foole readie to be referred to the schoole of experience and willed to put his finger in the fire or hand into the snowe Yet are our selues more foolish in that so much experience cannot perswade vs to beleeue that man is subiect to die 7 Where the Apostle sayth that it is appointed that all men shall die Heb. 9.27 He sayth no more than hath bene confirmed by a contynuall course from the beginning of the world And thereof doth the holy Ghost offer to our view the registers and tables As in the fifth Chapter of Genesis Moses writeth that Adam liued 930. yeeres then died Seth liued 912. yeeres and then died Malaleel liued 895. yeeres and then died Iared liued 962. yeeres and then died Methuselah liued 969. yeeres and then died Lamech liued 777 yeeres and then died Is not heere a table which most liuely doth represent vnto vs our mortalitie or that we also must die And in deede if they that liued nine hundred yeeres and vpward coulde not finally be exempt from death how thinke we with whome the strongest and of best constitution doo not liue much aboue 70. or 80. yeres at the most and yet few so long to liue euer not to die Dauid was better aduised when he sayd What man liueth and shall not see death Psal 8â— 49 Shall he deliuer his soule from the hand of the graue 8 But let vs leaue this little discourse to such as haue as lyttle reason and proceede to the mirrors and looking glasses that God setteth before vs. Can wee walke thorough the Churchyardes and by the graues and sepulchers and not bee admonished of death Can wee see a dead corse carried to the ground or heare the bells ring for a funerall but the same shall bee vnto vs as a heralde crying in our ears O men remember that you are mortal Are not the heads and bones of the dead packed vp in charuell houses or laid by the walls so many witnesses that we also must die The world hath continued 5530. yeres yet doth experience teach vs that if so many millioÌ„s as in all that long time haue liued Gen 5.24 Heb. 11.5 â— King 2.11 not one hath escaped death but only Enoch Elias who both were traÌ„slated saw not death Of whom then haue they that now liue purchased exeÌ„pption froÌ„ death nay contrariwise senteÌ„ce is past that they also must die Psal 82.6 Dauid speking to the kings princes of the earth saith thus I haue sayd ye are Gods ye are all the children of the highest But ye shall die like men ye princes shall fall like others Is it not then a double folly in vs yea are we not more foolish than the veriest fools that in this vniuersal continual schole of experience that hath stood euer since the beginning of the world we cannot yet learn that we must die 9 But behold yet an other great abuse This life which we take to be immortall is of very small continuance We thinke to liue vpon the earth for euer and yet we liue but a small time Psal 90.10 Moses in his Canticle saith The time of our life is threescore yeares ten if they be of strength fourescore yeres Of euery thousand that come into the world hardly shal you find two or three that liue to 70. or 80. yeres yet Moses in the same Canticle saith that this long life of 70. or 80. yeares is soone gon and we flee away What shall wee then say of the life of 40 30. or 20. yeares Wised 5.8 In the booke of Wisedome we reade that such as looked neuer to die but liued in pleasures wealth and honour did notwithstanding plainely confesse their folly abuse saying What hath pride profited vs or what hath the pompe of riches brought vs All those things are passed away as a shadow as a post that passeth by As a ship that passeth ouer the waues of water or as a bird that flieth through in the ayre or as when an arrow is shot as a marke Psal 102.12 1. Chron. 29.15 Psal 144.4 Iob. 8.9 Psal 103.15 Esay 40.6 Psal 73.20 Iob. 8.9 Iob. 7.6 Iam. 4.14 In how many places doth the holy Ghost coÌ„pare mans life to a shadow going vanishing away How often to the grasse yesterday green this day cut down withered How often to a flower yesterday flourishing this day gathered faded How often to a dream or to a nights watch Iob saith that we are of yesterday And in an other place My daies are swifter then a weuers shitle S. Iames compareth our life to a vapour which appeareth for a while then vanisheth away Yea the heathen haue also noted it of whom one doth say In our birth we begin to die an other that life is a race from one mother to another namely to the earth An other That man is a bubble And another being demanded what the life of man was made no answere but entred into his chamber straight came forth againe And being required of an answere said that by his going comming forth he had answered Therby signifying that life is but a passage in out Yet do we not so take it We resemble those who beholding the index or hand of a Dial do by their sight deny that it goeth albeit experieÌ„ce of euery half houre do shew the contrary For so do we imagine that the course of our liues wasteth not 10 But reckoning the life of a childe first by dayes then by weekes Gen. 47.9 so by moneths and yeeres before wee bee aware his life is run euen to death The Patriarch Iacob after hee had liued 130. yeeres said vnto Pharaoh that his daies had bene short the rather in respect of his auncestours who had liued 800. or 900. yeeres What comparison may wee then make where the strongest that now are do not liue aboue 70. or 80 yeares 1. Ioh. 2.18 with the eternity that shall ensue this present life It is not as a drop of water in respect of the whole sea So S. Iohn calleth the time froÌ„ the coÌ„ming of Christ in the flesh to the consuÌ„mation of the world the last hour fitly diuiding the continuance of the world into three or foure houres
owne and welbeloued Sonne Iesus Christ What mercy goodnesse and loue shineth in this redemption That he so loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne to the end that all that beleeue in him might not perish Ioh. 3.16 1. Ioh. 4.9 but haue life euerlasting What a seale of his truth in that notwithstanding the ingratitude and vnworthinesse of the world he yet in his appointed time sent the seed of the woman promised to our forefathers Gen. 3.15 to breake the Serpents head To be briefe what power shewed he in this redemption wrought by Iesus Christ Gal. 4.4 wherein he surmounted and ouercame the deuill sinne death and hell But what doth such an image of God so expressely represented before our eyes in the person of our Lord Iesus Christ accomplishing our redemption shoot at but to giue vs to vnderstand and earnestly to feele the wisedome holinesse righteousnesse mercy truth goodnesse loue and power of God the father of Iesus Christ That we might loue him put our trust in him cleane vnto him call vpon him acknowledging him to be the inexpuiseable fountaine of al goodnesse and so glorifie him And the rather because by this meanes we are reclaimed from death and euerlasting damnation we bee made the children of God through the same Iesus Christ and inheritors of his kingdome and glory Rightly therefore doe we say that the ende of our redemption shoulde tend to encrease our knowledge of God that we may glorifie him That it is the dutie whereto Saint Paul exhorteth vs saying You are bought for a price 1. Cor. 6.20 therfore glorifie God in your body in your spirit for they are Gods Also in another place Eph. 1.6 God hath chosē vs to him throgh Iesus Christ according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace 8 Ther is yet another consideration When Christ gaue sight to the blind raised the dead healed the sicke wrought other like miracles Mat. 9.8 Luk. 13.13 the same were so many testimonies seales of his diuinitie consequently arguments to induce men to glorifie him As he himselfe saith speaking of the sicknes of Lazarus This sicknes is not vnto death but for the glory of God Ioh. 11.4 that the sonne might be glorified therby For his raising frō death was a testimony of his diuine power But we al are naturally as concerning the soul dead in sin blind sicke of a hūdred diseases And as the soule is more excellēt thē the body so the illuminating restoring to life curing of the diseases of the soule are miracles more excellētly representing the deuine power grace then those of the body Of necessity therefore these miracles being performed in vs through faith in Iesus Christ do bind vs to glorifie him And how By effectual demonstration that where we were blind sicke dead in spirit we are now illuminated cured raised againe to life And indeed the motions affections holy works of Gods children being assured testimonies that in soule they be illuminated risen againe are the true meanes to glorifie God Contrariwise if we walk as men yet blind in the darknes of ignorance as men sicke polluted in vice corruption as men yet dead in sin We doo so much as in vs lieth abolish the miracles of Iesus Christ consequently his glory In this respect Saint Peter saith Haue your conuersation honest among the Gentiles 1. Pet. 2 1◠that they which speake euill of you as of euill doers may by your good works which they shall see glorifie God in the day of the visitation Mat. 5.16 And in the same sence saith Iesus Christ Let your light so shine before men that seing your good works they may glorify God your father 9 But what argument is this to glorifie God in our holy conuersation good works Because as we haue before said shewed the same be testimonies effects of our spiritual resurrection consequently of Gods power goodnes mercy toward vs. Wherupon the ignorant seing that we who in the time of our ignorāce were dead in sin giuen ouer to all vice corruption since we were illuminated in the truth of the Gospell haue by this spiritual resurrection declared such an alteration in vs that now we are contrariwise become as it were new creatures walking in purenes holines loue may also glorifie God in two sorts First in this miraculous alteration that they see in vs as being a worke truely proceeding of the power and goodnes of God Secondly in this that by such miracles they be moued to allowe and embrace the same religion which we professe as being conuict that it is truely of God not of man Psal 65.1 To conclude where Dauid crieth out O God praise waiteth for thee in Sion He manifestly declareth vnto vs that they which be regenerate through the redemption in Iesus Christ are burgeses of Sion and members of the Church bound to praise God And also that we frustrate God of his dutie and expectation Psal 119 175 if we refer not out whole liues to his glory saying with Dauid O Lord let my soule liue that I may praise thee 10 The secōd principal end of our life should tend to attaine to life euer lasting John 3.16.17 And indeed In as much as God hath sent his Son into the world that the world through him might be saued that he so loued the world that he hath giuē his only begottē son to the end that al that beleue in him might not perish but haue life euerlasting It thereby appeareth that as the end of our redemption accomplished in Iesus Christ is the sauing of the elect so we that beleeue in him shoulde in all the course of our liues aime at this To bee saued by him Otherwyse wee doo so much as in vs lieth reuerse that excellent and wonderfull work of our redemption God hath created man without comparison more excellent than beasts yet if man be not saued nor attaineth to life euerlasting hee is much more miserable than the brute beast which passing ouer this life a great deale more easilye than man after death feeleth no euill and contrariwise the man which aimeth not at this lyfe euerlasting after all his calamities both bodily and ghostly tribulations in this life at his death entereth into incomprehensible and eternall torments If man who naturally desireth felicitie could comprehend the felicitie of such as attaine to the kingdom of heauen likewise the miserie and woe of those who at their decease doo passe into euerlasting death the very horror of the death of these wretches together with the soueraigne felicitie of the blessed would make him earnestly to couet after life euerlasting to esteeme this incomprehensible felicitie to be one of the principall endes of his lyfe Such therefore as doo neuer propound the kingdome of
heauen for the scope of theyr liues are no men but beasts for they neuer thinke their souls to be immortall they beleeue not that they must die neither doo they remember that after death there is a hell and eternall fire prepared for those who liuing heere doo neuer seeke after lyfe euerlasting Yea Mat. 16.26 VVhat doth it auaile a man saith our sauiour Iesus Christ to winne the whole world and to loose his owne soule Luke 9.23 This lyfe beeing vnto him a high waie to death and to a firie torment that shall neuer be quenched 11 Let vs not therefore make riches honour or other carnall commodities the leuell of our liues but let vs aime at the celestial and eternall life as Iesus Christ admonisheth vs saying Iohn 6.27 Labour not for the meate which perisheth but for the meate that endureth to euerlasting lyfe Againe Seeke first the kingdome of God and his righteousnes Mathew 6 33. and all other things shall be ministred vnto you But we cannot attaine to this eternall lyfe without the knowledge of God that wee may put our trust in him call vpon him in all our necessities obey his commandementes and with thankesgiuing acknowledge that all goodnes commeth from him And in deede wee cannot trust in God neither call vpon him vnlesse we bee assured of his wyll and power to helpe vs neither can we obey him with anie kindly obedience which consisteth in loue vnlesse we knowe how deeply we be bound both to loue and obey him as also we cannot acknowledge all goodnes to proceed from him vnlesse we knowe him to be the fountaine of all goodnesse This therefore must be the end of our life euen to increase in the knowledge of God that by reposing our confidence in him by calling vpon him by obeying him and by acknowledging him to bee the fountaine of all goodnesse wee may attaine to lyfe euerlasting 12 True it is that in the creation of heauen earth and in the conduct and gouernment thereof he reuealeth himselfe vnto vs maketh vs to feele that he is a God almighty al wise al good well dooing howbeit especiallye in Iesus Christ as is aforesayde doo we knowe God God I saie our God father and sauiour almightie wise holy righteous mercifull good and true And this is the knowledge wherein God is truely glorified and by the which wee obtaine life euerlasting as Iesus Christe himselfe doeth teach vs Iohn 17.1 saying Father the houre is come glorifie thy sonne that thy sonne also may glorifie thee As thou hast giuen him power ouer all flesh that he should giue eternall life to all them that thou hast giuen him And this is life eternall that they know thee to be the onely verie God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ. And in deed as when a man is loth to go out of his way it is requisite he shuld know both whether which waie to go so haue we both in Iesus Christ very God very man For in that he is God Augustine of the Citie of God li. 11. c. 2 and consequently life to him we must go in that he is man by him we must come vnto God and bee vnited with him that wee may obtaine life euerlasting And in that sense doth he call himselfe the way Iohn 14.6 the truth and the life If he be the life he is the place whether we must go if he be the way by him we must trauell to attaine to life euerlasting As also by calling himselfe the truth he teacheth vs that hee is the accomplishment and truth of al that afore time was figured touching life euerlasting the meanes to attaine to the same Thus the second principall end of our life should consist in knowing of God through his sonne Iesus Christe and knowing him to put our trust in him to call vppon him to obeye his commandementes and to acknowledge him to be the fountaine of all goodnesse that so wee may glorifie him and glorifying him attaine to life euerlasting 13 Moreouer the end of glorifying of God our saluation wyll be a ready meanes to make vs to liue according to God for it will be a continual aduertisement rule to bridle vs from al thoughts affections words and deeds contrarie to the glorie of God the saluation of our soules considering that beeing contrarie thereto they ouerthrow the two principall ends of our life 14 Now let vs come to the third end of our life which is to bee considered in the particular vocation of euerie man This ende ought not to bee our profite honor or other carnall commoditie but that in seruing of men we may serue God God the creator and redeemer can well inough preserue both our bodies souls without the ministery of men but thus far he honoreth vs as to vouchsafe to worke his workes by vs. 1. Tim. 4.16 And in this consideration doth he giue and hath giuen vs shepheards ministers of his word to the end as S. Paul saith to saue those that harken vnto them by illuminating their hearts creating saith in them by reforming them to obedience through the means of the holy ministery with the efficacy of his holy spirit blessing the labors of his seruants In this respect also vouchsafing there should be food for the body he hath appointed some to be husbandmen to til the earth some to be millers and some to be bakers For the furnishing vs of apparell that some should be shepheards some shearers of sheepe some carders some spinsters some weuers fullers diers tailers c. For the prouiding of vs of houses that some should be carpenters masons c. To be briefe that there should bee an infinit number of artificers and marchants whose function is to furnish all things requisite for the entertainment and maintenance of the bodie Hee also ordaineth kyngs princes and magistrates by their authoritie to keepe euery one within the compasse of his vocation and so to execute theyr office in the maintaining of the good and punishing the wicked Thus God fulfilleth his work will in the preseruation of our bodies saluation of our souls Col. 3.24 by the emploiment of men in his seruice euery one according to his vocation Neither is there so much as the bondman but doth serue God by seruing his Lord as S. Paul saith That by faithful seruice to their masters they serue the Lord. 15 Hereby it appeareth that the end of mans life ought to rest in the seruing of God by seruing of men in their vocation It doth not therefore consist onely herein that the artificer should get sufficient to maintaine his family the marchant to obtaine ricâ—es other men credit dignitie and carnall commodities For this is the seruing of our selues not of God albeit men for the most part do thus corrupt prophane their labors workes life liuing to another end than they ought And in
beast that hee knew nothing and that in the sight of God he was but a beast Ieremie touched with the same errour Iere. 11.7 entereth into argument with God demaunding why the wicked shoulde prosper and the righteous bee in tribulation Ioâ— 11 6.7 Psal 22.2 Psal 13.2 Psal 79.5 Psal 77 10. Esa 49.14 Iob also confesseth that it troubled him and made his flesh to tremble How often doth Dauid complaine resting onely vppon the outwarde shew of his troubled estate as if God had forsaken him as if hee had forgotten him as if hee had beene angrie with him as if hee had withdrawen his grace mercy from him The Church of Israel considering her afflictions entered into opinion complaint that God had forgotten forsaken hir To be briefe al men naturally haue respect to the outward apparance deeming such as doo prosper to be blessed the afflicted to be accursed 2 This peruerse iudgement proceedeth of another folly and abuse euen this That wee imagine that all grace sauour blessing and felicitie resteth onely in honour riches and carnall commodities But as this sparke of the image of God sometimes giueth light to our mindes that all thinges depende vppon Gods prouidence yet fall wee into this errour to thinke that God in his wrath and displeasure reiecteth all those that are afflicted and that contrarywise hee loueth and fauoureth such as doo prosper and thereof wee conclude that the afflicted are accursed and the wicked blessed As for others who attribute all to fortune and aduenture and knowe no other good or felicitie but this lyfe they lykewise fall into the same errour as thinking all that prosper in this lyfe to bee blessed and the afflicted to bee accursed And this causeth the wicked to flatter and harden theyr heartes in all iniquitie Much lyke to the Sicilian tyrant who when he had despoiled the temple of all the golde therein Dionisius hauing a fayre winde vpon the sea sayd You see that the immortall Gods doo fauour sacriledge and Church-robbers The lyke blasphemies doth the prophet Malachie attribute to the wicked in his dayes saying It is in vaine to serue God Malach. 3.4 and what profite is it that wee haue kepte his commandements and that wee walked humbly before the Lorde of hoastes Therefore wee count the proude blessed euen they that worke wickednes are set vp and they that tempt God yea they are deliuered Besides what is the reason that many hauing knowledge of the truth doo yet rest plunged in idolatrie And others also that had forsaken it do returne therto but euen that considering of the outward apparance of Idolaters inioying their goods dignities and carnall commodities and the afflictions of such as followe Iesus Christ they thinke them to bee more blessed than those that carrie the crosse of Christ 3 What lykewise is the reason that so much people yea euen so many nations which professe religion doo giue ouer themselues to vnlawfull traffique to fraude deceit and other iniquities Euen this that they imagine that those men which doo most abounde in riches and carnall commodities albeit wrongfully gotten are neuerthelesse more blessed than the poore afflicted that walke sincerely and vprightly Our sight is so thicke and our eyes are so dimme that we cannot penetrate beyond the outward prosperity and come to the sight of the iniquity that lurketh vnder the same which is vndoubtedly accursed by God bringeth forth mischief notwithstanding whatsoeuer colour it be shaddowed and clothed withall We discerne onely the prosperitie of the one and the affliction of the other but doo neuer looke to the cause and end of the same We see the garment onely and not the bodie or the bodie but not the soule the outward worke but not the workeman 4 Let vs therefore applie this to our purpose In the first Psalme it is saide Blessed is the man that doeth not walke in the counsell of the wicked nor stand in the waie of sinners nor sit in the seate of the scornefull And this may wee well beleeue if wee but looke vpon the wicked the sinners and scornefull eyther vpon a scaffolde or vpon a ladder readie to be executed to the death or cast into hell But if thou considerest these wicked ones these sinners and scorners clothed in wealth adorned with honour reioycing in carnall commodities thy minde will alter For casting thy eâ—e vppon the garment the delight of the flesh thou wilt thinke them blessed yea thou wilt not beleeue the doctrine of Dauid who sayth thou canst not bee blessed vnlesse thou renouncest the wicked course of the wicked and sinners Thou resemblest those who seeing a man in a goodly bed serued with all dainties and with sound of musicke doo thinke him much blessed but himselfe contrarywise feeling the intollerable anguish of the gout or collike will complaine as a miserable and wretched man 5 This folly also to iudge by the outward apparance is so much the greater as that thereby wee doo conclude that wee are brute beasts voide of an immortall soule Likewise that beeing beasts wee are more miserable than all other beasts Beasts fishes or souls haue easier liues than men especially than the children of God who aboue all other are subiect to tribulations These creatures wanting vnderstanding doo manye times passe ouer the whole course of theyr liues without feeling anie calamitie vntill death whereof likewise they haue no apprehension They liue without care sorrow or other passions that trouble man And therefore if man as beasts haue no immortal soule these creatures are more blessed than hee and consequently the wicked that liue at ease and in prosperitie are much more blessed than the afflicted children of God if after death they haue no feeling of good or euill But if wee bee fully resolued that man is not a beast but hauing an immortall soule is after his death to looke to go either to heauen or to hell we will no longer by the outward apparance iudge that the beast much lesse the wicked man in all his triumph is more happie than the afflicted children of God Luke 16.19 If afflicted Lazarus and the rich man triumphing in pleasures had had no immortall soules men might with some reason haue adiudged Lazarus accursed and the rich man blessed But that iudgement is to passe vpon beastes onely For as for them beeing no beasts but endued with immortall soules albeit the rich man was honourably buryed and Lazarus with beggerie yet the rich mans soule beeing cast into hell fire cryed out that hee was and is accursed and that the soule of Lazarus beeing by the Angels lifted into heauen was is blessed We read that Croesus king of Lidia inioying great abundance of wealth Plu. in the life of Solon and all other prosperitie that might make a man blessed in this worlde on a time demaunded of Solon one of the seuen wise men of Greece whether he thought there were anie man more blessed
than himselfe But Solon answered that no man was to bee called blessed before his death Rightly did Solon there reproue the folly of Croesus who thought himselfe blessed in vncertaine prosperitie As Solon lykewise being accounted so wise shewed his follye by signifying in such an answere that Croesus had bene blessed if he had continued in such prosperitie vntill his death Yet if Solon iudged that Croesus coulde not thinke himselfe blessed in all his prosperitie what would hee haue iudged if he had beene a Christian and had seene the change of Croesus prosperitie not into that calamitie that befell him when Cyrus afterward tooke him prisoner but euen into hell and death euerlasting Might hee not and that iustly haue sayd that Croesus notwithstanding his prosperitie euen albeit the same had stuck by him vnto his death was neuer blessed but most accursed 6 Plato a Heathen confirmeth the same by a notable discourse Plut. in his consolation to Apolonius which Plutarch indeauouring to comfort Apollonius vppon the death of his sonne doth alleadge This euermore sayth hee was one resolute opinion that whosoeuer departed this lyfe had liued vertuously at his death he was transported to the Ilands of the blessed and there feeling no inconuenience inioyed soueraigne felicitie And contrarywise they which liued wickedly and vniustly were sent into the prison of iustice and vengeaunce called Tartarum At the first sentence was awarded by liuing Iudges and while men were yet aliue but the same daie that they were to die Howbeit there grewe such abuse heerein that complaint was brought from the Ilandes of the blessed that some were sent thether that had beene wicked and peruerse liuers And thereuppon was the occasion of such abuse examined which was sounde to proceede of this that iudgement was giuen while the men yet liued clothed with honourable carcases wyth riches nobilitye and other lyke qualities In respect whereof they found many witnesses who making their apparaunce before the Iudges affirmed for them that they were men that deserued to passe to the sayde Ilandes of the blessed The cause of the errour once found out it was decreed that from thence forth ther should no iudgement passe vntill after death when the soules should bee depriued of theyr bodies and that also not by men yet aliue and subiect to bee abused by the outwarde shew but by spirites who should see nothing but the spirits and naked soules of those whom they were to giue sentence vppon to the ende that they which in this world had wrought wickednesse in theyr honourable bodies clothed with nobilitie riches and such other qualities might bee sent to tormentes and contrarywise that they who during theyr liues had kepte righteous hâ—lye and vertuous soules albeit in poore abiect and afflicted bodies might passe into the Ilandes of the blessed This was the discourse of a Heathen man who had attained some sight of the truth albeit intangled in ignorance and errour yet fitly confirming our argument namely that wee must not iudge of mannes felicitie or miserie by the outwarde apparance 7 This folly of iudging by the outward apparance doth yet proceede farther For it can take no place at the least wherein to stay and settle it selfe in mans heart but onely among those that denie Gods prouidence namely those that thinke there is no righteous God that administreth iustice For confesse that there is a God and that hee is righteous and thou canst not iudge of mans felicitie or miserie by the outward shew Thou canst not I saie iudge whether hee that liueth in prosperitie be blessed or another in affliction cursed For sith most vsually the wicked do prosper in this lyfe and contrarywise the children of God haue most trouble what should become of Gods iustice whose nature is to rewarde euill to the wicked and good to the good A certaine Bishop of Verdune in his Chronicle reporteth that one Almauri king of Ierusalem on a time demanded of a certaine Doctor howe he could proue another life after this The Doctor asked him whether he beleeued there was a God Which when he had graunted It sufficeth sayd the Doctor For if there be a God he is righteous if hee bee righteous he must administer iustice in rewarding the good and punishing the wicked Nowe thy selfe sayde hee hast knowen such a wicked man who alwayes liuing in pleasure and honour slept in peace Thou knewest such another a verie good man in continuall tribulation euen to the death If therefore there bee a righteous God it cannot bee chosen but there is another lyfe wherein this good man resteth nowe in blisse and the wicked man in woe Whether this was a true reporte or but a fiction for example and doctrine yet doeth it surely most playnelye teach vs that hee that by outwarde prosperitie iudgeth a man to be blessed and by tribulation to bee accursed denyeth a God in that hee denyeth his iustice The doctrine of this historie or example doeth Saint Paul also confirme saying That the tribulations of the faithfull layde vppon them by the wicked that are in prosperitie are a manifest testimonie of the iudgement to come farre other than the fooles do by the outward apparance imagine The reason hee also addeth saying 2. Thes 1 For it is a righteous thing wyth God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you and rest to you that are troubled Which iustice if it be not executed in this life he concludeth that it shal be in the latter comming of Iesus Christ to iudgement 8. It is blasphemie against God sayth Dauid to saie that he will not regard mans transgressions to punish them according to his iustice Wee will not therefore saie Psal 10.13 that the sinner liuing in pleasure alreadie condemned in the sight of God and waiting but the houre of eternall death can bee blessed or more blessed than the faithfull and troubled man who walketh through tribulations to take possession of the kingdome of heauen For if by outward apparance wee iudge the wicked man that is in prosperitie to be blessed and the good man that is in affliction accursed we shall abolish Gods iustice yea euen God himselfe And this is the rather to bee noted to the end that when the children and seruants of God doo finde themselues sometime pricked with this temptation they may the better stand vpon their gard with constancy to resist the same 9 Some men in olde time reiected the booke of Ecclesiastes Philast in his catal of heretikes c. 132. Iac. Chrisost polit in the preface before the com on the Canticles thinking that Salomon wrote it in his olde age after hee had beene carryed awaie by the multitude of his wiues Alleadging that in that booke hee placed mans soueraigne and chiefe felicitie in the pleasures and lustes of the flesh as if there were no other lyfe after this Some Epicures lykewise in our time doo abuse it to the lyke purpose alleadging that there
is nothing better than to take pleasure for at death they see not what becommeth of the soule of man no more than they do of beastes wyth many other such lyke speeches which tend to that purpose But they themselues are in deede verie beastes so to vnderstande and misconster it For Salomons meaning tended rather to confirme the same which wee doo seeeke to mayntayne namely that no man may by the outward shew iudge of mans felicitie or miserie because all things fall out alyke to the one and to the other And that is his meaning where he saith Man knoweth not eyther the loue or hatred of God toward him Eccles 9.1 Eccle. 3.19 if he wil iudge by the outward shew Then hee passeth to beasts saying No man seeth what becommeth of the soules either of man or beasts namely with bodyly eyes Eccl. 8.12.13 But when he addeth that It shall bee well with them that feare the Lord and doo reuerence before him but it shall not be well with the wicked hee shall be like a shadow because hee feareth not before God When also he exhorteth to keepe Gods commandementes protesting that it is the whole duetie of man and that concluding his speech hee saith Eccl. 12.13.14 that God will bring euerie thing to iudgement that man hath done throughout the whole course of his life withall adding that the spirite shall returne to God that gaue it Hee doth sufficiently shew that hee beleeued the immortalitie of the soule and the lyfe euerlasting But where hee seemeth to commend those that take theyr pleasures Eccl. 5.17 saying It is comely to eate and drinke cheerefully hee meaneth in the common opinion of the foolish and vnaduised who resting vppon this lyfe and the iudgement of felicitie or miserie by the outward shew without remembring that mans soule is immortall d◠imagine him to be as a beast among whom such as are best vsed are most happie Howbeit as man is a creature of much more excellencie than a beast and yet if we regarde but the outwarde shew of this lyfe the beast is much more happie than man So we must necessarily beleeue that there is another lyfe after this and therfore conclude that it is meere folly to iudge of mans felicitie or misery by the outward shew Psal 37. 10 Neither is it in vaine that Dauid so earnestly exhorteth vs to take heed of this folly and error to iudge by the outward shew as also he is neuer weary of admonishing vs not to enuy those who outwardly seem happie but constantly to depend vpon the Lord and to walke vprightlie in his sight And in deede this iudgement by the outward shew is not onely repugnant to faith but vtterly abolisheth the same and not faith onely but also hope and desire to walke in the feare and obedience of God The Apostle to the Hebrewes sayeth that Faith is the ground of thinges which are boped for Heb. 11.1 and the euidence of things which are not seene Saint Paul also teacheth vs that hope is of thinges which wee see not Nowe the foundation and obiect of faith is the worde of God Rom. 8.23 pronouncing and assuring vs that the righteous and holye suffering persecution for his name are happie well beloued and blessed of God yet canst thou not see this but with the eye of faith and therefore in iudging of a man with thy bodily eye to be accursed in his tribulations thou dost abolish faith Hope is founded vpon the promise of celestiall spirituall and eternall goods to come If therfore when thou seest a faithfull man in trouble thou presently dost iudge him to be accursed thou dost abolish hope which regardeth not the time present but to come Againe if we were to depend vpon the externall iudgement and to say that the wicked that are in prosperitie are blessed who will dispose himselfe to endure pouertie and other afflictions by walking vprightly and in holinesse Nay will not all men rather apply themselues to fraud iniury extortion and other iniquitie sith ritches honour and other carnall commodities will redound to their blisse and felicitie 11 By the premisses we may see what a dangerous and pernitious folly this is to iudge of mans felicitie or miserie by the outward shew wherby we abolish the immortalitie of the soule God and his righteousnesse saith hope and all care and desire to walke in the feare of God That we may therefore Amend our liues let vs hereafter be better aduised and iudge of mans felicitie or miserie not after the outward shew Mat. 5. but according to the infallible and assured testimonies of Gods word Thus when the eare shall heare these sentences Blessed are you poore in spirite Luk. 6.28 Amos. 6.1 that hunger and thirst and that mourne Blessed are you when men hate you and cast you forth and say all manner of euill against you for the sonne of mans sake Againe Woe be to you rich men woe be to you that be satisfied and reioyce wee bee to you that liue at ease in Sion Faith will iudge according to Gods word that the faithful in affliction are blessed and the wicked in prosperitie most accursed Yet if the eye beholding the ritches honour and commodities of the wicked shoulde iudge them to be happie faith leaning to the testimonie of Gods word will beate downe and suppresse the false iudgement of the eye concluding that it is meere folly to iudge of mans felicitie or miserie by the outwarde shewe And albeit the worlde and the flesh doe cry out to the contrarie yet will we harken to and stedfastly holde this sentence pronounced by him who is trueth it selfe saying Say yee it shall bee well with the iust for they shall eate the fruite of their workes but woe bee to the wicked Esa 3.10 11. who seeketh after iniquitie for the rewarde of his hand shall bee giuen vnto him 10 Let vs remember the contents of the 92. Psalme where Dauid exhorteth vs to praise God to declare foorth his mercie and truth to reioyce in his workes to crie out that they are glorious his thoughts very profoūd What thoughts works Euen that the wicked doe spring vp like grasse and all workers of iniquitie doe flourish that afterward they may bee rooted out for euer And heereof to giue vs the more assurance directing himselfe to God Psal 92. he saith For loe thine enemies O Lord for loe thine enemies shall perish and all workers of iniquitie shall bee destroied But the righteous shal flourish like a Palme tree shal grow like a Cedar in Libanon Such as be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courtes of our God They shall bring foorth fruite in their age they shall bee fat and flourishing To declare that the Lord is righteous and that no iniquitie is in him And in as much saith hee as man resembling a brute beast knoweth nothing and that the foole
the holy supper to the end that by participation in his body bloud we might the more be strengthened in this assurance that Christ is ours together with all his benefits so feede our soules spiritually to life euerlasting And indeed as ther is no saluation but in Christ so doth not Christ any whit profit vs except we belieue that he is ours together with all his benefits Well is he presented vnto vs in the preaching of the Gospell but ther be yet two other points those very notable in the cōmuniō of the holy supper For God who in his preaching speaketh generally to al men in his holy supper directeth his particular promise as it were by name to euery the cōmunicants therin And not so satisfied he also deliuereth them a seale and visible token to assure thē that his pleasure is that Christ with al his benefits should as certainely belong to euery of thē as they see touch and tail that they be partakers of that bread wine that is deliuered vnto thē He thē that careth not to be cōfirmed in this assurance that Christ with all his benefits is his is possessed with too much pride if hee thinketh it needles either that he prophane it as not feeling what a comfort and ioy it is to haue assuraunce of his saluation in Iesu◠Christ The second reason is that we presenting our selues at the Lords table may by so doing make as it were a publike protestation that we haue no fellowship with Idolaters and heretickes neither with the world But that we take our selues to be the children of God the mēbers of the body of Christ that we looke for life and saluation through him onely and so shew forth the benefit of his death al this in remembrance of him to his glorie The first reason declareth how necessary the vse of the holy supper is in regard of our selues The second how requisite it is to the glorie of God and the edification of our neighbours We might also add a third reason That is that the holie Supper is a seale of our vnion knitting together into one bodie vnder our head Iesus Christ as S. Paule expressely saith That we who are many are but one bread and one bodie because we are all partakers of one bread And thus those men that voluntarily do abstaine therefro do depriue their soules of their food Christ of his glorie and by their euill example doe minister offence to their neighbours To conclude They seperate or rather keep them selues seperate from the bodie of Christ Hereby it appeareth that they which be negligent and care not for communicating in the Lords Supper when he giueth them opportunitie do deserue not onely not to be accompted members of Christs Church Nomb. 9.9 but also to incurre the most horrible iudgement and vengeance of God As God in old time declared by Moses That the man that did not celebrate his passeouer should be cut off from among the people and beare his owne sin because he offered not the offering of the Lord in due season 2 Againe we see in sundrie reformed Churches a number of negligent hearers of sermons but yet are there many more that care not for communicating in the Lords Supper and that vpon sundry considerations first some that liue in bad consciences in whordome theft drunkennesse or other iniquities from which they are not determined yet to abstaine do forbeare the communion as doubting least they should aggrauate their condemnation according as saith S. Paule 1. Cor. 11. He that eateth and drinketh vnworthely eateth and drinketh his owne damnation These men doe resemble those who lyuing in fornication do refuse to marrie least thereby their fornication which they are not minded to giue ouer should be the more grieuous as being conuerted into adultery They may also be likened to those who hating their neighbours when they say the Lords prayer Our father which art in heauen c. do leaue out this petition forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespas against vs as imagining that if they should say that they should pray to God not to forgiue their owne sinnes because they forgiue not their neighbours But as they who lyuing in fornication and will not marry least they should forsake their adultery are in a wofull estate so the others that aske no forgiuenes for their transgressions and seek to continue in hatred against their neighbours are worthy double condemnation one in respect of their hatred that they continue the other for their sinnes for the which they aske no forgiuenes Euen so they that forbeare the holy Supper in respect of their bad consciences do pronounce sentence against themselues namely that they deserue double death first for their sinne which they do continue in wicked consciences and secondly because they seperate themselues from the communion of Christ in whom onely is the fulnesse of life What shall they then doe Let them put away their wicked conscience Let them dissolue the bands of Sathan Let them come forth of hell If they say that they can not so farre master their affections Why haue they married themselues to fornication hatred theft and other like iniquities vpon condition that they will neuer be diuorced from the same surely that is a token that they do not steadfastly beleeue that there is a hell prepared for such liners Or at the least the pleasure that they take in their sinne doth quench all remembrance thereof Otherwise the sole apprehension of this horrible and vnquenchable fire would force them to giue ouer the wickednesse that leadeth and draweth them thereto And indeed if in a mightie tempest they should chaunce to finde themselues vpon the sea in daunger of drowning they would a thousand times protest to forsake their bad consciences that so they might submit themselues to the obedience of God But how can they lie downe and sleepe vpon a pillow of fornication theft hatred and other wickednesse giuing themselues as a pray to Sathan if God in his long suffering should not recouer them Let them flatter themselues at their pleasures for if they continue in abusing the pacience of God and abstaining from the holy Supper to the end to goe on in a wicked conscience their estate is most woefull and accursed As he therefore who wanting the gift of continencie and liuing in fornication ought to abhorre it and to prouide himselfe of a remedie by marriage so as often as they haue aduertisment or heare of the celebration of the Lords supper let them at the least thinke themselues wakened and summoned to renounce their wicked consciences and by participating in the holy supper to seperate themselues from the societie of the wicked to glorifie God and to be confirmed in faith and courage to goe forward from good to better 3 Others doe forbeare the communion because they will not submit themselues to Ecclesiasticall orders and discipline If wee might admit
for otherwise God would more plentifully distribute them to his welbeloued children in Iesus Christ whereas contrariwise they are more common to the wicked who for the most part are better prouided of them whiles the poor is more aduanced to the kingdome of God The gallant Bridles golden Sadles do nothing amend the horse but rather his agilitie nimblenesse and strength Euery beast saith Epictetus is estemed by his virtue shal man be so by his wealth Musicall instruments are to no vse to him that cannot play vpon them so are riches vnprofitable to him that cannot vse them As the horse is of no vse without a bridle so are riches without reason Wel may they make a vicioâ—s man more honorable in the sight of the world but as faire Tapisserie which couereth soule broken walles Besides they are endued with another dangerous vse for they draw flatterers who are eueÌ„ so many poisners of vertue How many other dangers are they also subiect vnto Lay not vp for your selues tresures vpon the earth Mat. 6.19 saith Iesus Christ wher the moth canker corrupt and where theeues breke through and steale Whereof wee haue experience enough in so many banquerupts robberies by sea and by land and persecutions for the name of Christ besides that albeit a man hath the vse of them whiles he liueth Seneca in his prouerbs 1. Tim. 6.7 yet at death he must forsake them To this necessity is euery couetous man driueÌ„ neuer to doe good vntill his death according to the prouerbe then he leaueth his goods to his heires And indeed as we came naked into the world Eusch in the life of Constantine lib 4 so must we certainely carrie forth nothing with vs. Great Constantine speaking to one of his courtiers said Oh couetous man how farre shall thy insatiable couetise extend Then with a Iaueling that he had in his hand marking out a mans length vpon the ground he said vnto him When thou hast gotten all the world yet at the last thus much must be thy portion if thou canst obtaine that Let the couetous man therfore that mindeth to Amend according to Christes exhortation diligently thinke that in lou ng and desiring riches he loueth and coueteth vanity he loueth coueteth the thornes that choake all vertue yea he loueth coueteth the rootes of all mischiefe the fountaines of al vice In liew of coueting if he haue any let him imagine how to auoide then allurements abuses as vnderstanding that in riches in stead of vertue felicitie he shal find occasion of corruption misery 13 The third remedy consisteth in careful meditation vpon the horrible vengeance grieuous punishmeÌ„t which the couetous meÌ„ must of necessity expect from him who iustly detesteth such vice Are we not already to note this one pointe that as charity is the gift of God proceeding from his fauour grace so contrariwise couetousnes is a vengeance which he poureth vpon those whoÌ„ for their sins he hath giueÌ„ ouer into a reprobate sence as S. Paul also noteth God so detesteth the couetous persoÌ„ that if any of those that professe his word doth giue himselfe to that vice Rom. 1.29 1. Cor. 5.11 S. Paul willeth vs to hold him excoÌ„municate not to eate or conuerse with him And this he saith to confirme that which he hath said in another place namely that the couetous man shal not enherite the kingdome of heauen in that sence doth S. Iames summon theÌ„ to Gods iudgement seate admonishing theÌ„ to consider of his horrible vengeance 1. Cor. 6.10 Iam. 5.1 Now saith he ye rich men houle ye weepe for your miserie that is at hand your riches are corrupt your garments are motheaten your gold siluer is cankered the rust of them shal be a witnesse against you shall eate your flesh as it were fire ye haue heaped vp treasures for the last daies Behold Gregorie in a certaine Homely Augustine vp on the words of the Lord. Ambrose of Naboth the Iesralite Augustine in a certaine Sermon the hire of the laborers which haue reaped your fields which is of you kept backe by fraud crieth the crie of them which haue reaped is entred into the cares of the Lord of hoasts The couetous maÌ„ saith S. Gregory in this life burneth in desire to get care to keep that he hath but hereafter he shall burne in fire of euerlasting tormeÌ„ts What a madnes is it saith Augustine to win gold to loose heaueÌ„ The couetous man saith Ambrose hath as it were steppes to couetousnes the more that he climeth the higher that he goeth the greater is his fal What shal be his last fal for gathering saith Augustine coÌ„sidering that he hath lost himself before he make any gain Couetousnes is a horrible giddines which maketh man insatiable to climbe high that he may fall low to kindle the fire of Gods wrath that he may feel the euerlasting slaine therof to lose the celestiall tresures to get terrestrial riches which fil him with vice misery 14 If they say that in this life at the least they shall reape coÌ„moditie plesure felicitie by theÌ„ let them think how miserably they are therin deceiued First be they such beasts as they cannot consider what this life is If they cannot deny but they must die what coÌ„tentation can they reape in cutting the wood making the fagots wherwith they shal hereafter burn for euer we read of an Ethnike who being demaÌ„ded whether he had rather be Socrates wise vertuous or Crassus welthy lustful answered in life he would wish to be Crassus but in death Socrates which he said in respect of the felicitie and reputation which hee imagined in Socrates after his death and he had some reason if being Crassus in his life time hee might haue beene conuerted into Socrates at his death But sith that might not bee he confesseth that he who in this life is Crassus vnlesse he be a beast deuoide of soule is in death most wretched as consequently also in life which in such men is no other but a path to woe an encrease of miserie Are not these couetous men then in this life miserable considering that they bee wretched except they bee beastes in that it is a heauie curse to them that they be men endued with immortall soules If there remained in them any sparke of the image of God If they had any remorse of conscience would not the same be to theÌ„ a tormentor vrging them to exclaime that they are miserable in the middest of al then wealth As if a man vexed with the Gout or with the Collicke should lie in a rich bed and haue al pleasures that might be so that to mens seeming he should be thought most blessed yet in himselfe he should feele all miserie and sorrow Againe albeit such were the dulnes of his conscience that he
For the least that we can say of dances is to cal theÌ„ vnfruitful considering they also are in many sorts hurtfull as hereafter we wil declare 6 The same Apostle in another place propoundeth two sorts of works or fruits viz. Of the flesh of the spirit Gal. 5. but sith we cannot without great impudencie place these dances among the fruites of the spirit we must in reason acknowledge them to be the works of the flesh And indeed in dances we find the same pollution insolencie the S. Paul expresly mentioneth among the works of the flesh but not that temperance which he tearmeth the fruit of the spirit 1. Ioh. 2.15 Iohn saith Loue not the world neither the things that are in the world and for example which they be he nameth Lust of the flesh lust of the eyes pride of life Is not al this found in dances No doubt theÌ„ they be of the world not of God And so consequently as he addeth Who so loueth them the loue of the father is not in him If in a picture we see some eating drinking some dancing so forth will we terme this a picture of the children of God not rather a representation of the world Againe to what end is dancing but to delight the world the flesh As the affectioÌ„s of the flesh be enemies to god so he that loueth the world maketh himself an enemy to God It therfore plainly appeareth in this prohibition of Saint Iohn that we should not loue the world dancing is forbidden and applying our selues therto we must needs fal at enmitie with God Ephe 5.4 Mat. 12.36 7 Saint Paul willeth vs to abstaine from al folish vaine speeches as things not beseeming the Saints And Iesus Christ saith that in the day of iudgement we shall giue accompt of euery Idle word If the holy Ghost condemneth al tauntes quippes pleasant and idle talke that tend onely to delight the companie and consequently beseeme Apes and iesters but are not any way conuenient among Christians and the children of God surely the sollies mirth vanitie of dances are without comparison more vnseemly among the Saints and rather to be condemned Ephe. 5.16 The Apostle representing vnto vs the time that wee haue lost during our ignorance whiles we yet serued the Deuill the world and the flesh exhorteth vs to redeeme it And how In forsaking the pleasures of our flesh for the price of the purchace But doe we obey his admonition when we loose the whole day yea and spend the night in dancing making our selues besides wearie and vnfit for our vocation in the morning 8 The holy Scripture in many places exhorteth vs to be sober modest 1. Pet. 5.8 Phil. 4.5 Luk. 12.35 Phil. 3.20 1. Thes 5.6 1. Pet 5.8 Col. 3.5 Gal. 5.24 1. Cor. 9.27 Eccles 7 3. Mat. 16 24. Phil. 2.11 stedfast in al parts of our life to haue our loyns girt vp that is not to suffer the affections of our soules to cleaue to the ground in the desires and vanities therof to haue our conuersation in heauen to watch to mortifie our members to crucifie our flesh and the lusts thereof to tame and subdue our bodies to goe rather to the house of mourning then of mirth that is to say to seeke meanes to quench our pleasures vanities by the representation of death to deny our selues to beare our crosse to weepe when the world reioyceth To be short to employ our selues in our vocation in feare trembling But such as vse dancing do little thinke vpon these rules and duties of Gods children The onely remembrance of these exhortations and admoniâ—ions might suffice were they not desperate to make them renounce such vanitie insolencâ—e lightnes yea euen to abhorre and detest them If when they were in the châ—efe of their dance God should send some extraordinarie thunder or earthquake they would straight leaue off Yea if the same should long continue with other tokens from heauen then would all this mirth and vaine dancing bee conuerted into sorrow and griefe for their dancing and so their consciences would testifie that dances are repugnant to that disposition that should be in vs to watch for the comming of the Lord. 9 Now to proceede to another consideration By three principal points we may iudge whether our deeds and works be good First whether they concurre with our vocation Secondly whether they edifie our neighbours Lastly whether they tend to the glory of God As concerning our vocation it coÌ„sisteth in this That we being freed from sin do she from it and shunne all apparance of euill As touching edification the same resteth in this that our conuersation be such as may beseeme the profession of the Gospell that others may be induced to embrace follow the same And for the glory of God Saint Paul saith Whether we eate or drinke or whatsoeuer we doe let all be done to the honour and glory of God Now we referre our eating and drinking to the glorie of God when wee vse the same in sobernesse and thankesgiuing that wee may euerie of vs bee the better disposed to serue God in our vocations The like is in our sleepe and all other the recreations of our bodies or mindes But is not dauncing directly repugnant to our vocation because that where we should shunne sinne and all apparance of euill with all occasions and allurements thereto it ministereth nothing but apparance and entisement to the same Likewise for the edification of our neighbours This folly and vanitie is to no other vse but to be an offence vnto them in that thereby the dancers seeme to inferre that the Gospel therein concurreth with the world and the flesh considering that we that professe the Gospell and therefore ought to renounce such vanitie are so bent giuen thereunto And as touching the glorie of God what dancer dare be so impudent as to mayntaine that God is glorified in dancing either that hee danceth to the ende to glorifie God or to bee the more apt to serue him in his vocation Moreouer the rule of good workes resteth not in the custome and vse of the world but in the testimonie of the will of God Rom. 1â— â— Fashion not your selues like vnto this world sayth Saint Paul but proue what is the good will of God As for dancing wee must therefore place it among the wicked woorkes because it is repugnant to our vocation to the edification of our neighbours to the glorie of God and to the rule of his will Rom. 14.23 Agayne if euerie worke that is not of saith bee sinne as Saint Paule affirmeth and that there can bee no faith without the testimonie of Gods will let our dancers eyther prooue that it is Gods wyll that they shoulde dance or else acknowledge and confesse that dancing is sinne 10 Furthermore let vs consider the persons If they be stroken in yeeres dancing is an vnseemly lightnesse
wherein euery one being a pray vnto Satan runneth and casteth himselfe headlong into death and euerlasting destruction But the end of the ministery tendeth to assemble from this dissipation the elect in Iesus Christ to make them pertakers of that saluation that is in him And this doth the other similitude of the building of the body of Christ confirme for as they which are seperate from Christ our life are in death so the meanes to reuiue and saue them resteth in this that we be builte and engraffed into the body of Christ that we may be saued in him and thereupon doth S. Luke say that by the preaching of the Apostles God did dayly adde to his Church such as should be saued In this sence also are Ministers called Fathers Acts 2.42 engendring children to God because he vouchsafeth so to vse their ministery 1. Cor. 4.15 that they who by nature are the children of the deuill doe become the children of God and heires of euerlasting saluation The principall end therfore of the holy ministery is to withdrawe men from death and destruction Cipri in his Ser. of fall and to make them partakers of saluation and life euerlasting And therfore as S. Ciprian saith The shepheard can receiue no greater hurt then in the hurte of his flocke and this doth S. Paul sufficiently shew in his owne person saying I feare least when I come 2. Cor. 12.20 I shall not finde you such as I would and least my God abase me among you and I shall bewaile many of them which haue sinned alreadye and haue not repented of the vncleannes and fornication and wantonnes which they haue committed 3 And indeede as they which shal be saued by their ministery shal be as S. Paul calleth them their crown Phil. 4.1 glorie ioy in the day of the Lord they that shal win most to righteousnes shal shine as the Starres for euer so contrariwise Dan. 13. 3. the bloud of such as shall perishe through their owne negligence shall be required at their handes as the Lord doth protest by the Prophet Ezechiell saying Sonne of man I haue established thee to be a scoute ouer the house of Israel thou shalt giue eare to the worde of my mouth Ezech. 3.17 and shalt warne them from me When I shall say to the wicked thou shalt surely dye and thou giuest not him warning neither dost admonish him to departe from his wicked way that he may liue the same wicked man shall dye in his iniquitie but his bloud will I require at thy handes Heb. 13.17 Prosper of Contemplatiue life li. 1. God also establisheth Pastors ouer his flocke as the Apostle saith vpon condition to be accomptable vnto him for them in the day of iudgement If he saith a good old father to whom the dispensation of the word is committed be afraide or ashamed to reproue offenders albeit for himselfe he lead a holy life yet shall hee perishe through his silence And so what shall it auaile him not to be punished for his owne sinne when he shal be punished f r the sinnes of others 4 Now to satisfie this end of the saluation of men by the ministery the first principall duty consisteth in preaching the worde of God Rom. 1.16 which S. Paul therfore calleth the power of God to saluation to all that beleeue and this is it that hee teacheth in the sentence before alleadged saying Take heed vnto thy selfe and vnto learning for in doing thus thou shalt saue both thy selfe and those that heare thee The same maye wee also note in the other sentence 1. Tim. 4. 16. where the Lord saith I haue ordained thee a light to the Gentiles that thou maist be a saluation to the ends of the earth Acts 13.47 And truely how are the ministers the light of men to saue them but by preaching Christ also if it be so that we be saued by faith that faith commeth by hearing the word of God likewise that we cannot heare without a preacher It followeth the duty of the minister is to preach so to saue Rom. 10. Marc. 16.15 In this sence doth Christ commaund his Apostles to goe preach throughout the world adding this that he that beleeueth shal be baptised shal be saued for this cause doth S. Peter commaund them to feede the flock of Christ cōmitted vnto thē 1. Pet. 5.2 And S. Paul so earnestly cōmendeth this duty to Timothy and in his person to al Ministers 2. Tim. 4.2 Preach the worde saith he be instant in season and out of season improue rebuke exhort with all long suffering and doctrine yea he adiureth him in the name of God and of our Lord Iesus Christ who shall iudge both the quick and the dead in his apparition and kingdome 2. Tim. 4.1 to employe himselfe in this duetie whereby he declareth that they cannot neglect this dutie but they must hainouslye offend God and feele the vengeance of the soueraigne Shepheard of the sheep whē he shal appeare in iudgement as S. Paul also saith Woe be to me if I preach not The same Apostle saith If any man desireth to be a Bishop 1. Cor. 9.6 1. Tim. 3.1 he desireth an excellent worke But all titles and professions be knowen by the workes proper vnto them as hee is knowen to be a tailor that cutteth out and soweth garmentes he a shoemaker that maketh shoes hee a phisition that imploieth himselfe in curing of sicknesses and so of others And so likewise is a Bishop a Pastor and a Minister knowne in that he preacheth and teacheth the word of God 5 Howbeit as the Phisition who ordeineth a potiō which in liew of health procureth death is not a Phisition but a murderer so is it with the Pastors that doe preach lyes in stead of trueth and the inuentions and traditions of men in stead of Gods word and therfore did Iesus Christ enioyne his Apostles to teache men to obserue all that he had commaunded them Mal. 28.20 and the same doth Ieremy note Ier. 1.6 saying The Lord stretched foorth his hand and touched my lips and said vnto me Beholde I haue put my words in thy mouth The same doth the Lord also teach to Ezechiel saying Sonne of man I haue made thee a watchman ouer the house of Israel Ezech. 3.17 and 33.7 Thou shalt hearken to the woorde of my mouth and shalt warne them from me This duety is very plainely and expresselye by the Lord commended vnto al Prophets and Ministers in that speaking to Moses he saith Deut. 18.18 I wil raise them vp a Prophet like vnto thee from among their brethren and I will put my woordes into his mouth and he shall saye vnto them all that I shall commaund him 1. Cor. 11.23 It is therefore their duety to propound nothing to the Church either in doctrine or for the seruice of God but what they haue
waie euen so are the ministers of the word bound to al these the like duties toward the members of their Church And in case they be negligent herein they shall surely feel the iust reproofe vengeance of God as wee reade of the pastors of Israel to whome by the Prophet Ezechiel he obiecteth saying The weake haue ye not strengthned the sicke haue yee not healed neither haue yee bound vp the broken nor brought againe that which was driuen awaie neither haue ye sought that which was lost Ezech 34 4 18 Agayne as it is the pastors duetie not onely to preach the word but also to administer the Sacraments so are they carefully and faithfully to beare themselues in the vse and administration of the same to the glorie of God the edification of the Church First as concerning the outward forme of administration as well of Baptisme as of the holy Supper of the Lord they are to followe the ordinance of Iesus Christ himself that alwayes they may with a good conscience protest with Saint Paule where hee speaketh of the holy supper and saie that they haue deliuered to the Church the same that they receiued from God And as for those whome they should admit to the Sacrament concerning Baptisme they ought to baptise the children of the Christians 1 Cor. 11 23 as in olde time the children of the Iewes were circumcised by the expresse commandement of God But if anie who being growen in yeeres haue not bene baptised but craue Baptisme him ought they first to catechise and instruct and heerein in olde time they were greatly exercised wheÌ„ the Church was to be gathered from among the Gentiles as wee reade of Origen that hee vsed extreame diligence in catechising so that considering the great number that came to him to bee instructed whereby hee had scarce leasure to breath for from morning till euening one after another Eus lib. 1. c. 15 they came to bee catechised that hee might the better performe this dutie with some ease he chose Heraclas to catechise the nouices while himselfe instructed such as were somwhat entered into the knowledge of the doctrine 19 Saint Augustine hath written a whole Tract of the manner how to catechize the first beginners in Christian religion Augustine of Catechising the ignorant c. 7.19 26. Idem ca. 8. 9. Idem cap. 1 15. And the same should all ministers of the worde diligently reade to the end to learne what they are chiefly to teach in catechising Also howe to teach each one according to his calling that is the learned after one manner and the ignorant and simple after another The same which hee writeth of the dutie of Catechising which was in vse in his dayes might at this daie make vs to blush for shame considering the small instruction now practised among Christians euen by those of the reformed Churches And this I speake not in respect of the administration of Baptisme for it is giuen to babes but because that afterward there is such neglect of the instruction in the heauenly doctrine whereby they might make profyte of theyr baptisme and bee prepared to the participation in the holye supper of the Lord. And in deede as in olde time they instructed the new conuerts to Christianitie so long that they were able to make confession of theyr faith before the Bishoppe and the people that they might bee baptised so they that were baptised in their infancie when they came to the age of discretion were by theyr parents presented to the Bishoppe to bee examined according to the forme of the Catechisme then in vse and to make like confession of theyr Christianitie as dyd the Heathen conuerts at theyr baptisme And when these children had thus made profession of theyr faith the Bishoppe layde his handes vpon them and prayed to God to giue them his holie spirite and so dismissed them 20 It were to bee wished that the lyke order were perfectly re-established and better obserued in the reformed Churches that thereby youth might bee instructed and consequently better prepared to receiue the holy communion As also for those who hauing professed another doctrine and religion doo desire to ioyne with the reformed Church and to bee admitted to the communion It is meete the minister should haue some knowledge of theyr instruction and manners to the ende hee might receiue such as are capable catechise those that need instruction admonish others who by theyr offensiue conuersation doo shew themselues vnworthie to be admitted to the holy supper of the Lord. But as for such as are alreadie admitted as members of the Church communicants in the holy supper they are to bee exhorted according to the doctrine of S. 1 Cor. 11 28 Paul to proue themselues so to be still receiued vnles by some scandalous behauior shewing themselues rebellious against admonition and giuing small likelyhood of amendement they manifestly doo declare that they doo vnworthily eate and drinke of the Loâ—des cup to theyr owne condemnation 21 To alleadge that by offering themselues to the Lords table they testify that they will allow the doctrine and liue like Christians as the onely example of Iudas crieth out to the contrarie so will experience declare that there may bee abuse Luke 22.21 1. Cor. 11.29 Heb. 13 And therefore seeing that they which communicate vnworthily do eate drink their iudgement the ministers that are to render account to God for the soules to them committed must not so neere as they may admit anie to communicate vnworthily to his damnation for otherwise themselues also should bee guiltie of their bloud before God Chrisost vpon Mat. hom 3. and of the prophaning of the holy supper of the Lord. And therfore was S. Iohn Chrisostom bitterly offeÌ„ded with such priests and pastors as for feare of the mightie and rich durst not put back anie that came Their bloud sayth hee shall bee required at your hands if you feare mortal man he wil despise you if you fear God man will honor you Let vs not be therfore terrefied with scepters diadems or purple for here haue we a greater power For my part I will rather offer my bodie to the death and suffer my bloud to be shed than I will be partaker in such pollution Saint Ambrose shewed himselfe verie constant resolute in this dutie Zozom Eccle. hist l. 7. c. 24 Zozom Eccle. hist l. 6. c. 34 when he put the Emperor Theodosius from the coÌ„munion yea euen thrust him out of the Church because of the innocent bloud that at his commandement was shed at Thessalonica As also we reade of the Emperor Philip the successor of Gordian who beeing a christian and purposing to ioyne with others at the last watch of Easter was by the Bishop commaunded to ioyne with the penitents because of many euils which he had committed whereto hee readily obeyed confirming his deuotion by action as Eusebius saith 22 As therefore the
absurditye forged in their own brains they may cauil and reiect this doctrine of predestination and consequently deny the worde of God let them rather acknowledge their ignorance and confesse that they ought to beleeue and doe that which God saith albeit they cannot comprehend the reason therof and not complaine in their false conceits and so reiect the euident testimonies of the holy scripture Secondly in as much as God who knoweth both the elect and the reprobate commaundeth all to amend 2. Tim. 2.19 Iohn 13.8 with what conscience can they which know not whether they be of the number of the reprobates think to exempt themselues from their due obedience or alleadge that it were in vaine in case they were reprobates for they cannot deny but that all men are bound to obey God vnder paine of damnation euen albeit they could not comprehend whereto this obedience should serue yea or that of their obedience they should not looke to reape any benefite or profit 2 Thirdly such as God hath forsaken and so are reprobates can neuer amend and therefore it is a false presupposion to say that it were in vaine for them to amend in case they should be of the number of the reprobate considering that it cannot be that the reprobate should amend as if a man should say seeing that hee that sinneth against the holy Ghost shall neuer obtaine remission of his sinne it is in vaine for him to amend this speech presupposeth false namely that he can amend so likewise that it is in vaine for a reprobate to amend is a false imagination because no reprobate can amend Againe the same which those men doe confesse must be done for the bodily life Mat. 12.31 because they know not how God hath ordained therof doth condemne them in that which they alledge concerning the soule for not knowing how God hath ordeined of their bodily life or death they can confesse that they must eate and drinke to preserue life and neuer alleadge that it is in vaine in case God hath decreed that they should dye the next day In matter therefore of the soule they are likewise to confesse that they ought to amend and neuer to alledge that it is in vaine in case their place be among the reprobate otherwise that which they eat and drinke for the preseruing of their transitory liues wil beare witnesse against them that the allegation of this abâ—urditye by themselues forged doth in matter of the soule proceede either of grosse ignorance or of malice and peeuishnesse 3 Moreouer as the effect of Predestination sheweth it selfe either by the obedience or disobedience to Gods worde so they which say that if they be not of the number of the elect it is in vaine for them to amend doe teach men to take the marke and way of the reprobate which is not to amend rather should the horrible punishment of the reprobate induce them to amend in hope that by amendment they may grow into the number of the eiect Marc. 1.15 To conclude where God preaching his Gospell declareth that it is his will that thou shouldest beleeue amend and be saued Mat. 4.17 Why dost thou reiect his reuealed wil vnder a pretence that thou wottest not what hee hath determined of thee in his secret counsaile Why dost thou not rather giue credit to his protestation Ezech. 33.11 who saith I will not the death of a sinner but rather that he should conuert and liue Conuert therfore and liue and forsaking that wicked suggestion of the deuill who saieth Peraduenture it is in vaine for thee to conuert for if thou beest none of the elect thou shalt not liue doe God that honor to beleeue that hee is true and the deuill a lyer for in that doubte whether thou beest elect or no know thou that conuersion and amendment is a token fruit of thy election and contrariwise obstinacie and proceeding in wickednes is a manifest signe of reprobation 4 Let vs now come to the other proposition If we be elect say they we cannot perish and therefore need not to amend First this is the speeche of a hyreling who properly feareth not to offend God but to be punished by God for that he would not amend but for feare of damnation Secondly in as much as by the amendement of our liues God is greatly glorified and our neighbours edified Confesse that either thou makest no accompt of the glory of God or the saluation of thy neighbours or else that thy speeche is peruerse when thou saiest Being elected I cannot perish and therfore neede not to amend for albeit amendment should stand thee in no stead yet is it requisite and meet that thou shouldst amend were it but to glorifie God Mat. 22.37 and to helpe to the saluation of thy neighbour and heereto art thou bound because God commaundeth thee to loue him with all thy hart and thy neighbour as thy selfe Thirdly thou dost plainely beat downe this purpose of election which S. Paul doth propound Eph. 1.4 when he saith God hath elected vs that we might be holy and vnreproueable As if a Souldier saith I am enrowled and therefore I need not to fight wil not euery man say that he doth but mocke for hee is not enrowled for any other end euen so doe wee mocke with God if we say that being elected we need not to liue vertuously considering that contrariwise we are elected onely to this end to be holy 5 Again election to saluation doth not abolish but establish the second causes and the meanes by God ordeined for the attayning therto And indeed God for the sauing of his elect hath ordained that they should beleeue in Iesus Christ that to procure beleefe they should heare the Gospell that they should pray to God to giue them his holy spirite that they should amend and walke in his feare and that they should be exhorted to these duties God I say hath in his wisedome ordeined all these meanes whereby to bring his elect to eternall saluation What rashenesse is it therfore in man to vpholde that the elect neede not beleeue in Iesus Christ heare the holy Gospell or amende their liues To be shorte that they neede not the meanes ordeyned by God for the bringing of them vnto life euerlasting Is not this to seeke to be wiser then God to striue against his wisedome to reuerse his will and to abolish the meanes whereby hee hath ordeined to bring the elect to saluation When therefore to the end to bring the doctrine of predestination into hatred thou saiest that thereof it doth necessarily followe that the elect need not to heare the Gospell to beleeue in Iesus Christ to amend their liues to praye to God or to be exhorted to these duties thou seest that it is all false and that contrariwise God will saue his electe by these meanes which in his wisedome hee hath ordeyned Necessarilye therefore the elect must be saued yet by
he is not a God a farre off onely as is aforesaid but also a God neere at hand As likewise how often is it noted by the Euangelists Math 9.4 Luke 5.22 Math. 12.25 Luke 6.8 that hee did both see and know the thoughts of those that went about to tempt him or that hatched anie other conspiracie or that had any bad opinion of him 12 Dauid in his owne person doth very aptly represent vnto vs this prouidence of God seeing all things and beeing in all places saying O Lord thou hast tried me and knowen me thou knowest my sitting and my rising Psalme 139.1 thou vnderstandest my thought a farre of thou compassest my paths and my lying downe art accustomed to all my waies For there is not a worde in my tongue but loe thou knowest it wholy O Lord Thou holdest me straight behinde and before and laiest thy hande vpon me Thy knowledge is too wonder full for me it is so high that I cannot attaine vnto it namely in all and by all to comprehend it Whether shall I go from thy spirit or whether shall I flie from thy presence If I ascend into heauen thou art there if I lie downe in hell thou art there let me take the wings of the morning and dwell in the vttermost parte of the sea yet thether shall thy hand leade me and thy right hand holde mee vp If I saie yet the darknes shall hide me euen the night shall bee a light about me yea the darknes hideth not from thee but the night shineth as the daie the darknes and the light are both alike For thou hast possessed my raines thou hast couered me in my mothers wombe Thine eies did see me when I was without forme for in thy booke were all thinges written which in continuance were fashioned when there was none of them before Beholde heere an excellent description of Gods prouidence which declareth vnto vs the efficacie of this title Emanuel giuen to Iesus Christ and consequently teacheth vs that hee seeth and knoweth all that wee thinke saie or do for all is open in his sight for he is with vs and in vs wheresoeuer we become 13 The knowledge and feeling of this truth may bee to greate purpose to induce and resolue vs to amend our liues For what I praie you is the spring of such abundaunce of iniquitie as wee see at this daie among men Euen this false perswasion or rather astonishment to imagine that God is blinde and seeth not the works and thoughts of men Psalme 59.8 They prate with their tongues sayth King Dauid speaking of his enemies and swordes are in their lippes For saie they who heareth vs Heereof haue wee a notable example in the ninetie foure Psalme O Lord sayth Dauid how long Psalme 94. how long shall the wicked triumph They prate and speake fiercely all the workers of iniquitie vaunt themselues They smite downe thy people O Lorde and trouble thy heritage They slaie the widdowe and the straunger murther the fatherlesse yet they saie The Lorde shall not see neither will the God of Iaacob regard it But let vs now see how hee reprooueth the blindnesse and pride of these wicked ones Vnderstand yee vnwise among the people and yee fooles when will yee bee wise Hee that planted the eare shall hee not heare And hee that formed the eie shall hee not see Or hee that chastiseth the nations shall hee not correct euen he that teacheth man knowledge The Lorde knoweth the thoughts of man that they are vanitie As Dauid also hauing rehearsed the wicked cruell enterprises of his enemie obiecteth vnto him that in his heart hee sayth God hath forgotten him hee hath hidden his face Psalme 10.11 and will not see him What moued Caine to bring his brother into the fieldes and to bee so bolde as to kill him Euen this false opinion that God dyd not see him And this dyd hee verie manifestly declare in that when God asked him where his brother was hee aunswered I knowe not Haue I the keeping of my brother Gen. 4.8 As if hee woulde haue sayde that God had not anie reason to put that question to him considering that hee was not appointed to keepe him and therefore without blame hee might bee ignorant where he was 14 But what shall wee saie of Dauid a man that did so greatlie feare God when he committed adulterie with the wife of Vrias made him dronke and afterward slew him by the handes of his enimies thereby thinking to hide his iniquitie from men Must it not needes bee that at that time hee was much ouerseene when hee woulde imagine that God dyd not see him Yet is this the ordinarie perswasion of those that giue ouer themselues to wickednesse and consequently the fountaine of an infinite number of sinnes and iniquities that they commit vpon an imagination that God seeth them not Otherwise what an impudencie were it in man to commit adulterie to bee dronken to deceiue his neighbour to backbite c. if hee coulde thinke within himselfe God is with mee I am in his fight hee heareth me he seeth me commit this wickednesse And yet how often doo men commit all these iniquities euen whoredome dronkennesse deceit and backbiting in the presence of God from which they will verie diligently forbeare in the sight of men 15 That wee may the rather therfore amend our liues let vs remember Emanuel that is that God is with vs euen in vs ioyned and vnited vnto vs. And withall let vs well thinke that hee seeth and knoweth all our thoughts words and workes as is before declared yea let it be a strong bridle to withholde vs from wickednesse as Salomon teacheth vs saying Why shouldest thou my sonne Prou. 5.21 delight in a straunge woman or imbrace the bosome of a straunger Seeing the wayes of man are before the eyes of the Lorde and hee pondereth all his pathes Prou. 15.3 And in another place The eyes of the Lord are in all places to beholde both the good and badde Ribby one of the wise men of the Iewes in olde time to this purpose dyd verie aptlye saie Graue these three thinges in thy minde and thou shalt neuer sinne Drus Apoth of the Hebrues Arabians l. 1. namely that there is an eie that seeth thee an eare that heareth thee and a booke wherein all thy wordes and deedes are written Neyther let vs thinke when wee neglect our dueties in releeuing the poore that God knoweth it not albeit wee alleadge that wee knowe nothing of theyr want or had not wherewith to helpe them If thou forbearest sayth Salomon to deliuer those that are ledde to bee slaine and such as are at deathes doore by thinking that thou wilt saie I knew not of it hee that pondereth the heartes doth hee not vnderstand it And hee that keepeth thy soule knoweth hee it not Or will not hee recompence euerie man according to his workes God knoweth
heereof wee haue examples and assured pledges in his deliuery of his people Exod. 14. whom he led dry foote through the sea Dan. 3. Dan. 6. in the three Hebrew Princes in the burning furnace and in Daniel in the Lyons denne 19 Finally he is called the Father of eternity thereby to teach vs that it is he that poureth forth his blessings vpon vs all the dayes of our liues and will continue vnto vs the fruition of the same with wonderfull encrease eternally and infinitely in his kingdome and glory and hereof to assure vs Mat. 28.20 1. Thes 4.16 he hath promised to be with vs euen vnto the end of the worlde And S. Paul saith that he will then lift vs vp into heauen into the house of God his father there to abide with Iesus Christ the immortall King 2. Tim. 1.10 who through his Gospel hath brought vs to light life and immortalitie This eternitye of ioy and glory should binde vs greatly to loue Iesus Christ to obey him and to put our whole confidence in him considering that it is he by whom we are by whome we shall continue to be and be for euer blessed Let therefore these tytles wonderfull Counsailor strong and mighty God Prince of peace Father of eternity be alwaies in our sight and in our mindes to the end that as Iesus Christ to whome they be giuen doth commaund vs to amend so we diligently amēding our liues may finally by a happy path replenished with all blessings proceeding from the wisedome power and goodnes of Iesus Christ attaine to the fruition of the wonderfull and perpetually perdurable felicity which this wonderfull and father of eternity shall giue vs to enioy continually and without end The sixt cause of amendment deriued of these two names Iesus Christ. Chap. 6. THe angel of God being sent vnto Ioseph when the virgine was conceiued Mat. 1.21 declared vnto him that she should bring forth a sonne and commaunded him to name him Iesus and for a reason of this name added That he should saue his people from their sinnes according whereto as also to shew that he is our Sauiour the angel that declared his natiuitie to the Shepheards said vnto them Luke 2.11 This day is borne the Sauiour which is Christ As therefore it is this Christ that commandeth vs to amend so the consideration of these two names may stand vs in great stead to moue vs to yeeld vnto him al obedience and so to amend our liues First this name Iesus signifying a Sauiour admonisheth vs that by nature we are lost and that there is no other saluation for vs but in him onely as it is written Act. 4.12 that There is no other name vnder heauen giuen vnto man whereby we must be saued This onely tytle therefore of Sauiour doth already binde vs to acknowledge that we are not our owne but his that hath saued vs from euerlasting destruction and that in that consideration we are bound to deny our selues that we may liue 1. Cor. 19. not to our selues neither after our discretion and will but according to the good pleasure of our Sauiour so that not liuing to our selues but he liuing in vs we may amend our liues 2 But let vs moreouer consider what manner of destruction this is wherefro he hath saued vs it is from the fire of hell from the curse and wrath of God from darkenesse from the woorme that will euer be gnawing and from the sorrowes that engender eternall weeping and gnashing of teeth this is a merueilous enforcement of our duetye to amend And indeede if thou fallest into a deep riuer in apparant danger of drowning if any man should cast thee a rope or himselfe leap into the water to saue thy life thou canst not sufficientlye confesse and acknowledge thy selfe his debtor to doe him pleasure and seruice all the dayes of thy life But we were not onely in danger of falling into hell but were already fallen euen from our infancy and dayly through our sinnes fell deeper and deeper yet Christ cast vs not in a rope to pull vs vp and saue vs but threw himselfe into our sea of woe into our hel to be shorte into horrible death wherein wee were drowned to plucke vs foorth with what affection then ought we to say vnto him Lord we are more then bound to loue honor serue please and obey thee in all that we may with our whole hearts all the dayes of our life Ionas being in the bottome of the sea in the Whales bellie protested that being deliuered hee would sacrifice to the Lord a Song of thankesgiuing Ionas 2.10 that hee would paye vnto him his vowes namely besides his prayses that he would no more disobey God but readyly and willingly would obeye him as in effect he well shewed when being againe commaunded to go to Niniuie he went boldely and spake freelye in the name of God Now if we could feele according as we ought that our sinnes doe dayly cast vs into the bottome not of the sea but of hell and that by them not a fish but the deuill doth swallow vs vp what protestations would we make to Iesus Christ to holde our liues and saluations of him in case he would vouchsafe to plucke vs out of this pit and gulfe of death how feruently would we vow to praise him and to renounce all rebellion and disobedience and to amend our liues Being therefore by such a Sauiour drawen out of such a gulf of death are we not bound to perfourme such vowes and by amendment of life to correct our passed disobedience with Ionas and to become ready and willing to doe whatsoeuer he shall commaund vs If thou beest vpon a scaffold ready to bee beheaded for thy drunkennesse or adulterye and thereupon hast a pardon and thy life saued vpon condition thou fallest no more thereinto how hartily wilt thou promise with thy hand subscribe and with thy tung swear that thou wilt neuer more cōmit adultery or drunkennes that thou wilt abhorre all tauerns and drunkards all whores and bauds and to be short amend thy life Now Iesus Christ hath saued thee not from an apparant danger of death but euen from death it self and not from the death of body but from euerlasting death And what doth he require of thee he cōmandeth thee to amend thy life art thou not bound so to do shuldst thou not feele thy hart euen open to promise and sweare to amend and to shun al occasions that might procure thee to displease and offend him 3. How often doth the Lord represent to his people of Israel their deliuery out of Egipt thereby to make them to vnderstand how much they are bound to loue him and to keep his commaundements as a preface at the publishing of his law hee maketh this protestation I am the Lord thy God that hath brought thee out of the land of Egipt out of the house of bondage And in another
place Exod. 20 I am the Lord thy God that hath brought thee out of the land of Egipt keepe my statutes and my lawes and doe them Again Leuit. 19.36 Prophane not the name of my holines for I will be sanstified among the children of Israel I am the Lord that do sanctifie you Leuit. 22.32 and that haue brought you out of the land of Egipt to be your God Moreouer he commandeth all parents to shew their children of this bond wherein they stand bound to obey his commaundements saying When thy sonne shal hereafter aske thee saying What mean these testimonies and ordinaunces and lawes Deut. 6.20 which the Lord our God hath commaunded you thou shalt say vnto thy sonne Wee were Pharaohs bondmen in Egipt but the Lord brought vs out of Egipt with a mighty hand And the Lord shewed signes and wonders great and euill vpon Egipt vpon Pharaoh and vpon all his householde before our eyes And brought vs out from thence to bring vs in and to giue vs the land which he sware vnto our fathers Therefore the Lord hath commaunded vs to doe all these ordinances and to feare the Lord our God that it may goe euer well with vs and that hee may preserue vs aliue as at this present Michens 6.1 And whereas their children in the dayes of Micheas did not walk according to this bond to obey Gods commandements he sharply reproueth their ingratitude saying My people what haue I done to thee or wherin haue I grieued thee Answer me for I haue caused thee to returne out of the lande of Egipt c. And this doth he alledge to shew that he had iust cause as the prophet declareth to take the mountains and the foundations of the earth to witnes and iudge of his iust complaint and accusation against the ingratitude and disobedience of his people 4 If the deliuery from the bondage of Egipt were iustly obiected to the people of Israel to remember them of their duetye to loue God and to walke in his holy ordinances how much rather ought this name Iesus by aduertizing vs of our deliuerye from the bondage and cursed tiranny of the deuil and out of the furnace of euerlasting fire make vs bonde and affectionate to the loue of Iesus and louing him with our whole harts to amend our liues according to his commaundement Zachary the Father of S. Iohn Baptist saith in his song that this was the oath that hee sware to their father Abraham Luke 1.73 that he would giue to his people That being deliuered out of the hands of their enemies they should serue him without feare in holines and righteousnes before him all the daies of their liues Here doth he speake of the deliuery which Iesus hath purchased for vs in sauing vs from the power of the deuill of hell and of all our other enemies What an ingratitude were it then in vs that the remembrance of this name Sauiour putting vs in minde of this happy deliuerance from the power of the deuil and other our enemies should not so kindle our harts as wholy to dedicate them to his seruice and to thinke our selues blessed if we could please and obey him in amending our liues 5 But this obligation will the more plainely appeare if we consider the reason of this name added by the Angell saying For hee shall saue his people from their sinnes Firste he sheweth that sinne is the way to destruction and death euerlasting Rom 6.23 as the Apostle Saint Paul saith The reward of sinne is death Now in as much as God is righteous it was expedient for our saluation that this Sauiour the righteous should by dying for vs satisfie for our sinnes Rom. 6.6 Rom 6. Col. 2.11 and as there is in vs besides the sinnes that dayly we haue and doe commit the olde man that is to say the vice and corruption the fountaine of the same so this Iesus crucified with him this olde man and corruption which Saint Paul so often tearmeth sinne and the body of sinne to the ende to mortifie him in vs and so to deliuer vs from him that through our transgressions we should no more fal into the pit of hel S. Paul writing to the Romains doth at large represent vnto vs these two benefits of Iesus the first tending to iustifie vs in the sight of God the other to testifie our iustification to the glorie of Iesus And therefore the same Apostle maketh as it were an inseparable coniunction of those two benefites saying Iesus Christ is made vnto vs wisedome 1. Cor. 1.30 and righteousnes and sanctification and redemption 6 The consideration of the first benefite That hee hath satisfied for our sinnes should most liuely kindle our heartes to loue him feruently and so in folowing his commandement to amend our liues If I should owe a man some notable summe of monie and not hauing wherewith to paie hee in compassion should acquite me the greater the debt were the greater cause should I haue the more should I be bound to loue and please him as Iesus Christ himselfe sayde vnto Simon Luke 7.40 But who is able to comprehend the greatnesse of the debt of our sinnes which this Sauiour hath paide for vs that they might not bee imputed vnto vs but bee quite discharged and blotted out How great therfore should our loue be towards him as also our care and feruent affection to obey him when he cōmandeth vs to amend or how much ought we to abhor the displeasing of him wherby we againe binde our selues to euerlasting death 7 As concerning the other benefite Inasmuch as hee hath wyth himselfe crucified our olde man and so put to death our vice and corruption What a madnesse were it in vs to reuiue nourish and maintaine these our Sauiours enemies and mortall poisons of our soules euen the souldiers of that infernall Pharaoh which labour agayne to plunge vs in the furnace of eternall fire If wee see a mad dogge euerie man laboreth to kill him and therefore what should wee thinke of him that should seeke to preserue him or after hee were dead to reuiue him againe if hee might Woulde not men thinke him to bee an enemye to mankinde yea euen worthy to bee rooted out and is not this sinne and corruption in man euen as badde as a madde dogge Are not the bitinges thereof deadly This madde dogge hath Iesus Christ slaine in crucifying him with himself that so hee might die in vs. Are not we therfore verie miserable wretches that will hearken to the world and the flesh and so reuiue nourish and maintain sinne in vs as delighting in the damnable bitings thereof which breede vnto vs euerlasting death Our olde man sayth Saint Paul was crucifyed with Iesus Christ to the end the bodie of sinne might bee extinguished Rom. 6.61 6. 8. that wee might no more serue vnto sinne Againe Beeing deliuered from sinne yee are made the seruants of
and cheerefull in the seruice of God 1. Ioh. 2.20.27 of the effect heereof is the name of oyle and oyntment giuen vnto him How then can wee saie that we are annointed with the spirite of Christ so long as we doo not amend our slacknesse in the seruice of God growing forward in strength and disposition to imploy our selues cheerfully therein Luke 3.16 11 To conclude hee is called Fire for two considerations First because it is hee that refineth burneth and consumeth our vicious lusts which are as the superfluities and excrementes of our soules and on the other side it is hee that kindleth our heartes in the loue of God and feruent desire to serue and honor him But if we perceiue no effects of this fire of the holie Ghost in vs â—ourning consuming our vice and corruption that by amending our liues wee may growe in purenesse and holynes With what conscience can wee saie that the spirite of Christ is in vs As this spirit cannot be dead neither can it bring forth vicious or corrupt fruit Likewise if wee increase not in zeale and loue to God this want of the operation of the holy Ghost is an assured testimonie of that hee is not in vs Exod. 8.19 21.18 Luke 11.20 Luke 1.66 because wee feele not his fire heating vs in the loue of God Finally the holy Ghost is called the finger and hand of God because that by him hee exerciseth his vertue and that by his inspiration wee are regenerate into heauenly life that wee may no more bee driuen or lead by our selues but bee gouerned by his motion and operation If therefore wee denie not our owne wisedome and the affections of our flesh and so suffer our selues to bee guided and lead by the hand of the holy spirite wee doo wrongfully challenge the name of Christians and boast of the spirite of Christ dwelling in vs. Thus this name Christ aduertising vs that hee hath receiued the holie spirite to make vs partakers thereof according to the measure to euerie one ordained ought to bee vnto vs a mightie inducement and sharpe spurre to mooue vs to amendement of lyfe 12 This vnction of the holy spirite dyd our Lorde Iesus Christ receiue to the end to exercise three offices requisite to our saluation namely to be our king our Priest and our Prophet And this also to represent vnto vs how deeply this name Christ bindeth vs to amend our liues First for the office of king Iohn 18.36 If his kingdome be not of this world as himselfe confessed before Pilat but spiritual we are to correct our false imaginations that leade vs to seeke the world in his kingdome as looking that hee shoulde giue to his seruants great riches honorable offices and other carnall commodities For it is the part of the princes of this world to present earthly kingdoms to those that reuerence them Math. 4.9 but as for our king Iesus Christ hee willeth vs to seeke all the felicitie that hee promiseth in heauen And therefore when wee are persecuted or otherwise afflicted wee must correct this false opinion of thinking our selues miserable or that our king hath no care of vs For contrarywise afflictions should make vs to lifte vp our heartes to heauen the dwelling of our king where hee hath layed vp the treasures ioyes and glorie of his kingdome Secondly sith hee is our king that hee may raigne in vs wee are warned to forsake the worlde sinne and the deuill his enemies so that hee onely raigning in vs mortifying sinne may make vs to denie the world and strengthen vs against Sathan Let not sinne sayth Saint Paul raigne in you Rom. 6.13 Iohn 16.33 Rom. 16.20 Luke 1 74 to obey the lusts thereof And Iesus Christ sayth Bee of good cheere for I haue ouercome the world And the Apostle promiseth vs that God will tread downe sathan vnder our feet Thus this king hauing deliuered vs out of the handes of our enemies bindeth vs as Zacharie sayth Without feare to serue him in righteousnes and holynes all the dayes of our lyfe and so to amend Let vs also remember that the scepter of a good pastor is deliuered vnto him blessedly to guide his sheepe that shall heare his voyce Psalme 2. and by amendement followe him As also hee hath an iron rodde to bruse as a potters vessell all such as shall rebell against him Let vs therefore amend and renounce euerie thing whereat this king may be displeased that we may bee happily gouerned by the sheepehooke of our good shepheard and not brused wyth the iron rodde of this iust king that breaketh those that wythout amendement of lyfe doo continue in vnbeleefe and obstinate in their sinne The kingdome of Sathan from which Christ hath redeemed vs doth consist in darknesse infidelitie and bad conscience and all vice silthynesse and corruption Contrariwise the kingdom of Iesus Christ consisteth in light in knowledge of the true God and his sonne Iesus Christ in faith loue holynes patience and other like vertues These are the true effectes of the spirituall kingdome of Iesus Christ We must therefore effectually shew that wee are transported from the kingdome of Sathan to the kingdome of Iesus Christ But how By amending our liues and growing more and more in faith loue patience and holynesse to bee short in all good workes and vertues required in the subiects of this spirituall king Iesus Christ 13 The second office of Christ is to be our high Priest who offered himselfe a sacrifice vnto God that by his death hee myght satisfie his iustice and so reconcile vs to him Who is there then among vs that representing to himselfe that it is the welbeloued sonne of God and the prince of glorie that giueth himselfe not to a common death but euen to the shamefull and cursed death of the crosse together with the apprehension and feeling of the wrath and terrible indignation of God ingendering in his bodie horrible terrour and mortall anguish in his soule And all this for his enemyes by nature the children of wrath poore sinners and the bond men of Sathan What man is there I saie that meditating vpon these things shall not bee euen rauished in admiration of his incomprehensible loue towardes vs which loue Saint Paul doeth at large and verie often make mention of Is it possible that this name Christ Rom. 5 Ephes 2 representing vnto vs this priest thus offering himselfe in such a sacrifice for vs poore and abhominable sinners and consequently the apprehension of his incomprehensible loue towards vs should not rauish and force our verie soules to loue him wyth all our heartes our mindes and our strength and through feruent loue to obey his commandement of amendement and to abhorre to thinke saie or doo anie thing that may displease this Christ our high Priest 1. Cor. 16. 22 If anie man sayth the Apostle Saint Paul loue not the Lord Iesus Christ let him bee had
him and in offending him to cast our selues into the gulfe and bottomlesse pit of this eternall wo The same is an euident token that wee are either Atheists or Saduces that beleeue neither the resurrection of the bodie nor the immortality of the soul To be short neither heauen nor hell 10 When therefore we heare that Christ to the end to induce vs to amendement alleadgeth this reason For the kingdome of heauen is at hand Let vs stedfastly beleeue that there is a kingdom of heauen replenished with glorie immortall ioy let the apprehension of such a felicitie inflame our harts with a feruent resolute desire to denie our selues the world and the flesh so to amend our liues that louing God and our neighbors and endeuouring to yeld vnto him all obedience we may conforme our actions to his holy and good will as in hart to seeke nothing so much as to please him and to abhorre nothing more than the offending of him Let vs alwayes thinke with our selues that wee are no beasts who after death haue no feeling of good or euill but contrariwise let vs consider that at the seperation either of the body or of the soule the soule must goe either to heauen or to hell also that the bodye must followe after yea night and day let vs thinke and meditate vpon the difference that shal be betweene those that shall goe into the kingdome of heauen and the others that shall departe into hell 11 Let vs remember that not for a thousand yeares but euen for euer and infinitely we shal be either in soueraigne blisse or in extream misery Can we then possibly apprehend the glory and felicity of this kingdome of heauen Mat. 7.13.21 Luke 13 2◠without vnspeakable ioye and feruent desire to attaine thereto either consider of the cursed estate of the reprobate without trembling and feare let vs therfore think vpon the saying of Christ Labour to enter in at the narow gate least when you shall say Lord open vnto vs the gate of the kingdome of heauen that we may come in he answereth I know ye not depart from me ye workers of iniquitie There shal be weeping and gnashing of teeth when he shall see Abraham Isaac and Iacob and all the prophets in the kingdome of God and your selues shut out at dores Let vs beholde the difference betweene the two theeues that were hanged on either side of Iesus Christ of whom the one departed into hell Luke 23.39 and the other ascended into the kingdome of heauen as Iesus Christ sayde vnto him This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise Let vs looke vpon the soule of Lazarus by the Angels caryed into Abrahams bosome where it rested in ioy as hee testified Luke 16.19 and the soule of the cursed rich man cast into torments as S. Luke witnesseth and himselfe confesseth saying I am tormeneted in this flame When he praieth to be refreshed with a little water but was denyed To be short let vs beholde the great multitude of the blessed that stood before the throne and in the presence of the Lambe clothed in long white garments with branches of palmes of victorye in their handes seruing God day and night gouerned by the Lambe and by him leadde to the liuely springes of water Apoc. 7. 9. and withall let vs looke vpon the others speaking to the rockes and mountains saying Fall vpon vs and hyde vs from before the face of him that sitteth vpon the throne and from the wrath of the Lambe Let vs I say beholde them cast into the lake of fyre and brimstone to be tormented day and night for euer Apoc. 6.16 Apoc. 19.20 and 20.15 For who is it that will not be earnestly touched in hart hastely to departe and retyre out of the way into hell and diligently and constantly to walke by amendement of life into the kingdome of heauen Can it be possible if we should not think vpon them or can God think vpon them and not amend either can we amend and not feel our selues blessed by being gotten into the way of such a felicitie Apoc. 6.16 that wee may constantly perseuere vntill that God fulfilling his worke in vs doe receiue vs into the fruition of this kingdome of heauen to enioy the same for euer and euer The ninth cause of amendment taken hereof that the kingdome of God which we looke for in heauen doth admonish vs that we are strangers pilgrimes and trauelers in this life Chap. 9. THe holy scripture doth many times tearme vs strangers pilgrims and trauellers neither is it onely as it was with Abraham Gen. 23.4 when he spake to the Cananites saying I am a stranger and a forrener amongst you and as it is daylye with those who flying from persecution and forsaking the land of their natiuitie doe goe to dwell in another prouince and kingdome wherein they are strangers but we are so tearmed in respect of the kingdome of heauen our true and eternall countrey And indeed if we be Burgesses of heauen Eph. 2.10 Prosper in his sentences out of August Sent 17. as S. Paul teacheth we are strangers to the earth according to the saying of S. Augustin also All they that belong to the heauenly Cittie are pilgrimes and strangers in this worlde so long as this their tēporary life doth continue they do liue in an others countrey And that wee maye the better vnderstand this we call that land our countrey wherein we were borne and brought vp wherin our parents and ancestours successiuely haue made their abode and wherein we haue our principall goods possessions and inheritances Now whence doe we take our spirituall birth but frō our father which is in heauen Phil 3.20 where doe we receiue the soule of our spirituall birth but in the Church which is the kingdome of God or where is the house of our father but in heauen and there dwelleth our eldest brother Iesus Christ and al other our brothers and sisters in him 1. Pet. 1.4 Moreouer our treasure immortal inheritāce vndefiled and vncorruptible are reserued in heauen as saith S. Peter for vs that beleeue in Iesus Christ heauen is then our true coūtrey and in respect thereof are we here called strangers pilgrimes and trauellers on the earth 2 This doth the Apostle writing to the Hebrews euidently declare Heb. 11.13 where speaking of the ancient fathers he saith All these died in the faith and receiued not the promises but saw them a farre of and beleeued them and receiued them thankefullye and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth For they that say such things declare plainely that they seeke a countrey And if they had beene mindefull of that countrey from whence they came out Gen. 12.1 they had leisure to haue returned But now they desire a better that is an heauenly Wherfore God is not ashamed of them to be called their God for he
whereby we may appeare cleane holy and righteous before God and shall we returne to plunge our selues againe in the cursed and damnable filthinesse of our corruption and vice I haue washed my feete saith Christes spouse Cant. 5.3 how shall I soyle them againe We must either remaine filthy and infected in the sight of God or else wee must be washed againe in the bloud of Iesuâ— Christ doe wee not then make too good a penyworth either of our soules or of the shedding of Christes bloud let vs therefore to this purpose thinke vpon the earnest exhortation of the Apostle saying He that despiseth Moses law dieth without mercy vnder two or three witnesses Heb. 10.28 Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye he shal be worthy which treadeth vnder foote the sonne of God and counteth the bloud of the testament an vnholye thing wherewith he was sanctifyed and doth despite the spirit of grace For we know him that hath said vengeance belongeth vnto me I will recompence And againe the Lord shall iudge his people 3 The second benefit of this kingdome is peace euen this peace with God and in our consciences wherof S. Paul speaketh saying Being iustifyed by faith we are at peace with God through Iesus Christ Rom. 5.1 In the fourth book cap. 5. As we haue at large before declared let vs heere remember First what it cost Iesus Christ it was requisite that in his soule he should feele the fearefull terrors of Gods wrath and indignation when he bowed his face to the earth that hee might lifte vp ours to God that we might finde his so fauourably enclined toward vs when he through anguish and feare sweat water and bloud thereby to minister rest and quietnesse to our soules to be shorte when hee sought against the powers of hell to reconcile vs to God yet doth euen one sinne disturbe this peace and kindleth Gods wrath and indignation against vs and wee must either abide plunged and swallowed vp in terrible anguishe and feare or else we must bee freed therfro by the sufferings of Iesus Christ If after a long woful war peace be once coÌ„cluded how feareful are men of breaking of it least they should fall againe into like afflictions And shal we be so vnthankfull to Iesus Christ and such enemies to our owne good that for a little fleshly pleasure for obeying our couetous affections our ambition lustes and other corruptions we should offend God and break this blessed peace kindling his terrible wrath against our soules and so bringing them into cruell and perpetuall torments truely we doe but too euidently declare that either we are one desperate or that wee make small acccompt of those terrible feares that Iesus Christ indured for vs yet is there no such tormentor as a conscience burdened with sinne 4 The third fruit of this kingdome is the ioy not the ioye of the worlde and of the flesh accursed in the sight of God but as Saint Paul addeth Iohn 16.21.24 Iohn 15.11 Mat. 24.51 Ioy of the holy ghost which Iesus Christ hath promised vs saying your ioy shal be full and shall neuer be taken from you Heere is a singuler benefite for as the incomprehensible torments of hel are in the holy scriptures signified by the weeping and gnashing of teeth that shal be among the reprobate so is the felicitye of the elect signified by this ioy as Iesus Christ noteth where he giueth vs to vnderstand that in the day of iudgement God will say to all the faithfull Mat. 25.21 Mat. 26.37.38 Heb. 5. 7. Enter into your maisters ioy This ioy did Iesus Christ purchase with many sorrowes and teares as the history of the Gospell doth note that himselfe said Now is my soule heauy euen to the death And the same doth the Apostle writing to the Hebrewes affirm saying In the dayes of his flesh he offred vp praiers supplications with strong crying to him that was able to saue him froÌ„ death he was also heard in that which he feared Were it not therefore meer madnes and folly to conuert this soueraigne felicitie of ioy so dearely purchased for vs by Christ into damnable sorowes and teares yea euen into weeping and gnashing of teeth by giuing our selues to sinne and so drawing vnto vs the effect of this common and true sentence For one pleasure a thousand sorrowes 5 It is a coÌ„mon saying that men shuld not open or read any letters that come when they are ready to sit downe to meate for feare of troubling the benefit of meat or drinke by some bad newes therein peraduenture contained how miserable then are wee who euen already tasting this ioy of the kingdome of heauen doe voluntarily disturbe and conuert it into teares by offending God for in truth we might finde matter enough of sorrow if wee could but apprehend what a woe it is to departe forth of the kingdome of God to become bondmen to the diuell our capitall enemy this woe being indeed the iust reward of sinne If at a marriage feast there should chance some such debate that some one of the company should perhaps hurt or kill the Bride the whâ—le feast and all the triumphes thereof would be dashed and conuerted into weeping and mourning And what doe we when being in this in the kingdome of heauen we commit any iniquity but kill both soule and body euen with euerlasting death true it is that hauing offended God we do not so soon seele this sorrow trouble of minde and this commeâ—h of our owne dulnesse not because we deserue it not but because God beareth with vs otherwise vndoubtedly the onely feeling of one onely sinne would drowne vs in sorrowe and feare of Gods wrath let therefore the remembrance of this kingdome which consisteth in righteousnes peace and ioy of the holye ghost cause vs to abhor all iniquity to the end that amending our liues we may retaine this blessed kingdome of heauen and neuer change this righteosnes into iniquity this peace into war trouble of conscience and this ioy into weeping gnashing of teeth 6 And that we may the more earnestly be stirred vp hereunto let vs consider the difference between the kingdom of heauen of satan if the kingdom of heaueÌ„ consisteth in righteousnes peace and ioy of the holy ghost the kingdome of satan contrariwise must needs consist in wickednes trouble of conscience sorrow and heauines let vs therfore imagine a man whose sins being imputed to himself he must appeare before God clothed in wickednes sin to receiue sentence of eternall death and in him let vs coÌ„sider the fear terror arising of his apprehension feeling of Gods wrath displeasure let vs marke his gnashing of his teeth his howling lamentations yea euen himselfe dissolued into weeping teares Gen. 4.13 Mat. 25.5 Act. 1.28 Gen 27.18 Heb. 12.16 Apoc. 6 16. Luke 13.30 Apoc. 9. 6. Let vs look vpon Cain exclaiming that his paine is
greater thē he is able to beare vpon Iudas who feeling his cōdemnation for the auoiding of the apprehension of death killed himselfe vpon Esau hauing sold his birthright for a messe of red pottage wept because he see no remedy for his mithap vpon those who apprehēding the cōming of Christ to be their iudge do cry to the rocks and mountains saying Fall vpon vs and hide vs from the wrath of the lambe In breefe vpon al those that seeking after death death shall flye from them to the end that dying they may liue and liuing they may alwaies dye On the other side let vs beholde a faithfull man the childe of God in his soule possessed of this kingdome of heauen assured that the righteousnes of Christ shal be imputed vnto him wherby he shal vndoubtedly be iustified in the sight of God feeling peace and quietnesse in conscience and replenished with spirituall ioy is there any man that is not vtterly desperate or besides himselfe that will not accompt such a one to be blessed and the other accursed let vs therefore haue alwaies the state of this kingdom of heauen in our view that abhorring our vice and corruption we may tremble at all motions to offend God and so constantly resisting the world the flesh and the deuil wee may endeuour more and more to amend that in our soules wee may retayne this blessed kingdome which consisteth in righteousnes peace and ioy of the holy Ghost The eleuenth cause of amendment taken of the kingdome of heauen signifying the Ministery Chap. 11. WE haue before declared that by the kingdome of heauen is signified also the holy Ministery this kingdom of heauen and holy ministery doe represent vnto vs many notable reasons that doe binde vs ought to make vs affectionate to amendement First the same which Iesus Christ himselfe saith to his Apostles Luke 20.16 is spoken and ment by all faithfull Pastors Hee that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me and in this same sence doth S. Paul testifie of the Thessalonians When ye receiued of vs the word of the preaching of God ye receiued it not as the word of men 1. Thes 2.13 but as it is indeed the worde of God 2 When we go to hear a Sermon we are to think with our selues that we are going to heare God speake vnto vs by the mouth of a man and therfore let vs in all humility reuerence and faith hearken vnto him and let vs beleeue that hee declareth vnto vs these things which we ought to beleeue to be saued which we ought to do in obedience to the wil of God and for the amendmēt of our liues let vs be desirous to know it attentiue to heare it readye to beleeue it to yeeld to God all obedience let vs thinke that we cannot despise that which in the Sermon is preached vnto vs but we must also therby declare that we doe not beleeue either that it is God that speaketh or that the doctrine is true and as it were a great impiety Mat. 10.14 Mark 6.11 and horrible incredulity euen to thinke it so the iudgement that he wil execute against the contemners of his word shal be most fearful Whosoeuer saith Iesus Christ wil not receiue heare your words Gen. 19. whē you depart his house or the town shake of the dust of your feete for a witnes against them whereby I say vnto you it shal be easier for Sodom and Gomorra in the daye of iudgement then for that towne Let vs represent to our view this fire falling from heauen burning and consuming the towne of Sodome Gomorrha and others there about with all the men women and children Mela. Chron. lib. 2 Egesippus l. 4 c. 18 young olde and all then cattel euen the verie towns and conuerting the Cities thereof into a stinking and polluted lake for the compasse of eight Dutch leagues with other notable testimonies of Gods wrath And let the contemplation heereof make all such to quake for feare as despise and contemne God when he speaketh to them by the mouths of his seruants the ministers 3 When our Lord Iesus Christ by breathing vpon them had inspired the Apostles with the holy Ghost Iohn 20.22 Acts 13.46 hee also gaue vnto them and to all faithfull pastours power by preaching of the worde to binde the vnbeleeuers and to vnbinde such as conuerting themselues should truly beleeue in Iesus Christ Whereupon Saint Paul beholding the stubbornnes of the Iewes who obstinatly reiected the doctrine of the Gospell he bound them with protestation that he was free from theyr bloud that forsaking them in the bonds of their incredulity vnder the power of Sathan he went to preach to the Gentiles Now if we see an offender bound fettred brought before this Iudge and thence carried to the fyre who wil not take compassion and horrour thereat How then are men so senselesse and dull as in theyr incredulitie and obstinacie in euill dooing not to apprehend the bondes of theyr sinnes whereof Sathan hath taken hold to pull them into eternall fire 4 Moreouer if the simple ignoraunt and such nations as neuer heard the preaching of Gods worde by offending God doo make themselues worthie of death and eternall damnation What excuse may they pretend in the iudgement of God to whom he hath reuealed his will by the preaching of holy doctrine in case in sted of amendement they remaine obstinate in euill dooing Luke 12.47 The seruant sayth Iesus Christ that knoweth his masters will and doth it not shall bee more grieuously punished than hee that knew it not For as we haue before declared so it is not simple transgression but euen contempt and misprision agaynst the maiestie of God If beeing vppon thy iourney thou knowest not the right way and some man comming by sheweth it vnto thee art thou not well worthie to go astraie and loose thy selfe if voluntarily and wittingly thou takest another cleane contrarie But what doo the ministers of the word in theyr sermons Doo they not shewe the waie to heauen to the end that men may take and follow the same Or doo they not declare in how many sorts men by straying amisse doo take the path to hell with the remedyes howe to retire and turne backe therefro 5 But doo the ministers of the word thinke it inough to say Beholde yonder is heauen or the ware to heauen walke therein Do they not also shew what benefites wee haue receiued of the Lord for the which wee are bound to loue serue and worship him and withal to amend How oft doth Moses and other of the Prophets propound the great benefite of the peoples deliuerance out of Egypt thereby to induce them to obedience But especially howe many earnest exhortations to amendement doo the Apostles gather in propounding the incomprehensible benefit of our redemption wrought by Iesus Christ Is it not then an intollerable ingratitude to denie to
If God sayth hee spared not the Angels that had sinned but cast them downe into hell 2. Pet. 2.4 and deliuered them into the chaines of darknes to be kept vnto iudgement Neither spared the olde worlde but saued Noah the eight person a preacher of righteousnes and brought in the floud vpon the world of the vngodly And turned the cities of Sodome and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them ouerthrewe them and made them an example vnto them that afterward should liue vngodly and deliuered the iust Loth The Lord knoweth to deliuer the godly that honor him out of temptation and to reserue the vngodly vnto the daie of iudgement to be punished Saint Iude in stead of the example of the floud propoundeth the vengeance of God poured vpon the vnbeleeuing Israelites in the wildernesse Also Iude vers 5 making mention of the horrible punishment fallen vpon Sodome and Gomorrha sayth that they were set forth for an example and suffered the vengeance of eternall fire When therefore wee heare the threatnings of the liuing God by the mouth of his seruants let vs make hast to conuert to the Lord in amendement of lyfe lest by our obstinacie as Saint Paul sayth and our hearts not knowing howe to repent we heape vp wrath for the day of wrath Rom. 2.5 and of the manifestation of the iust iudgement of God who shall render to euerie man according to his workes 10 Inasmuch therefore as through our infirmitie albeit wee bee taught the waie to heauen and that we bee put in minde to walke in the same by representation of benefits receiued of promises of blessings to come yea euen of threatninges with the examples of vengeance we neuertheles cannot desist from offending of God and so from turning out of the waie of saluation and lyfe euerlasting The ministers of the word doo moreouer vse reprehensions reprouing our sinnes and offences thereby to reduce vs into the right waie and in respect of our slownesse to doo good and to amend our liues they also vse vehement exhortations yea they do euen praie adiure and intreate vs in the name of God to amend and to walke in the feare of God And where wee haue many noâ—some hinderances that trouble vs and quaile our courages 2. Thes 2.11 they do likewise propound vnto vs mightie consolations in the woorde of God to the end wee may cheerefully and constantly proceede in the waie of saluation What man therefore inioying the holy ministerie can excuse himselfe in the sight of God in case hee doo not constantly resolue to amend his lyfe and dayly to put the same in practise How horrible a iudgement shall he deserue that is so hardened in wickednesse and so tied in the chaines of Sathan that there is no light before his eyes no path to the waie of saluation no feeling of Gods benefites no remembrance of his promises no feare of his threatninges no apprehension of the examples of his vengeance no reprehension no exhortation no consolation that can bee of strength and sufficient to moue his heart to amend Be not these men then that remaine thus obstinate without amendement euen monsters in nature 11 Now as the administration of the Sacraments is one part of the holy ministery let vs first see how forcibly our Baptisme shuld moue vs to amend our liues Baptisme is the seale of the couenant of God comprehending especially two graces namely remission of sinnes our regeneration or spirituall renuing When the children of Christians therfore are baptised the same is as if God speaking by the mouthes of his ministers shoulde saie O my people acknowledge my great mercie and goodnesse towards these little babes they are conceiued in sinne borne in iniquity by nature the children of wrath yet doo I aduow them for mine their sinne a d corruption is washed awaie in the bloud of Iesus Christ I doâ—â—nite and ioyne them vnto him to the end that being grafted into his death and resurrection they may bee regenerated theyr olde man bee mortified and themselues become newe creatures in my sight In them do I seale these graces whilest they be yet babes before they know me euen before they haue done anie good that so they may be acknowledged to bee meerely free to my glorie Is not this a great bond vnto children to binde them as they come to age to loue God who loued them before they knew him and to doo the dutie of children because hee aduowed them to be his children euen before they hadde done anie good Surelye loue should beget loue and loue feare to offend and feare to offend amendement of lyfe If by Baptisme wee bee regenerate and made the children of God are wee not bound to liue as the children of God and as it may beseem the holynes of such a father The kings children doo not apply theyr minds to handle crafts but to works fitting their greatnes much lesse then should the children of God applie themselues to the works of the darke Such as by Baptisme are recalled from death should doo no deadly works they that by Baptisme are incorporated into Iesus Christ ought so to be guided by his spirit that as it is the soule that worketh all the workes of the bodie so the spirit of Christ as it were the soule of this new man Iesus Christ being considered as vnited with his bodie there should be no motion thought worde or worke but such as should proceed from the spirite of Iesus Christ in all fulnesse dwelling in him and in vs his members according to the measure limited to euery one of vs. 12 Moreouer if by Baptisme we be grafted into Iesus Christ we must bring forth fruit worthie of Iesus Christ Iohn 15 5. Hee that dwelleth in me sayth he and I in him beareth much fruit If wee speake of trees experience teacheth vs that the signe that is thereinto grafted doth in such wise drawe awaie thâ— sappe and force thereof that it bringeth forth fruit according to it selfe kinde not after the kinde of the tree whereinto it is grafted but wyth Iesus Christe it is contrarie for they that are grafted in him doo in deede gather strength from him yet so that they alter their nature bring forth fruit not after the kinde of Adams children but of Iesus Christe into whom they are grafted And therefore as it were a monstrous matter to see an apple tree whereupon nothing had beene grafted beare acornes so is it as straunge and repugnaunt to reason that they who by Baptisme are ingrafted into Iesus Christ should not bring foorth the fruites of righteousnesse according to his kinde Lykewise if Baptisme bee a pledge of our regeneration of necessitie the workes and affections of our first generation according to the which we are full of corruption and wickednesse must cease and be mortified and now we must shew forth the fruits and effects of our regeneration in newnes of life sith by our baptisme our olde
to the workes of darkenesse What an ingratitude will it be in vs who by nature are Gentils if when the kingdom of heauen is thus come vpon vs by the preaching of the Gospell we make no accompt thereof neither haue any care to amend our liues according to the cōmandemēt of Iesus Christ how mightily wil the deuil possesse vs vnlesse by the ministerye of the holy ghost he be expelled to the end to make roome for the kingdome of heauen in vs 8 Iesus Christ saith The men of Niniue shall rise in iudgement with this generation and condemne it for they repented at the preaching of Ionas and beholde a greater then Ionas is heere Againe Mat. 12.41.42 The Queene of the south shall rise in iudgement with this generation and shall condemne it For she came from the vtmost partes of the earth to heare the wisedome of Salomon and beholde a greater then Salomon is heere Woe thē be vnto vs if hearing the Gospel of our Lord Iesus Christ Rom. 13.12 we doe not obey his commandement and amend It is now time that we should arise from sleep saith S. Paul for now is our saluation neerer then when we beleeued by the preaching of the gospell and were before vnbeleeuers The night is past and the day is come let vs therfore cast away the works of darknes and put on the armour of light so as we walk honestly as in the day not in gluttony and drunkennes c. 9 This kingdome of heauen is at hand and dayly gathereth vpon vs in two maners which for a conclusion wee will heere adde First all faithfull beleeuers doe know and are assured that at the separation of the soule and the body the soule shal be exalted into heauen with Christ Now as dayly this seperation doth by death drawe neerer and neerer to the faithfull so doth the kingdome of heauen also come vpon them how carefull therfore should we be to amend our liues and to prepare our selues to make our entry into heauen the holy Ghost protesteth that there shall enter no vncleane thing Apoc. 21.27 neither any that worketh abhomination or lyes We must therefore put of all the workes of the flesh which are as S. Paul noteth adultery fornication vncleannesse wantonnesse idolatrie Gal. 5.19 witchcraft hatred debate emulation wrath contention sedition heresie enuie murther dronkennes gluttonie and such lyke And afterward protesteth that they which commit these things shall not inherite the kingdome of God Let vs then beware of delaying of this amendment least in a matter of such importance we bee surprised we haue not two soules that we may hazarde one If the day of death findeth vs a sleepe in our sinnes woe be vnto vs let vs remember the saying of S. Peter The end of all thinges draweth neere 1. Pet 4. Be ye therfore sober and watchfull in praier Euery of vs shall in our death finde this end of all things and indeed let vs look vpon a rich man caried dead out at dores and we shall see that all is at an end with him neither hath his body any more then his length of ground 10 Let vs therefore remember to be sober not in workes of pietie for in them we cannot be too plentifull neither in sinne for we must vtterly abstaine therefro wherin then euen in thinges appertaining to this present life 1. Cor. 7.29 by practising this admonition of S. Paul And this I say brethren because the time is shorte hereafter that both they which haue wines be as though they had none And they that weep as though they wept not And they that reioyce as though they reioyced not And they that buy as though they possessed not And they that vse this worlde as though they vsed it not for the fashion of this worlde goeth away And I would haue you without care Here doth he shew that the sobriety whereto S. Peter exhorteth vs doth admonish vs that there is drunkennesse not onely of the body but also of the spirite And indeede where Iesus Christ saith See to your selues Luke 21.34 that your harts be not ouercome with gluttony and drunkennesse neither with the cares of this life He doth sufficiently declare that there is another kinde of drunkennesse then either with beere or wine And that is when the care for the things of this life whether of warre or marchandise or of landes and possessions of wiues or of children doe so feaze vpon and entangle our mindes and affections that we are diuerted letted frō that which is required for the seruice of God and the saluation of our soules if a man rise in the morning and goe to the Tauerne and tarry there all day and at night commeth home drunke and so againe the next day and the next and all the weeke long and neuer thinketh vpon his famely but letteth his wife and his children sit staruing at home wil we not say that he is a drunkard and in case he continue this course a moneth or two will we not reporte of him as of a perfect and desperate drunkard What shall we then say of those that doe so set their harts and mindes vpon the affaires of this life that so soone as they are vp in the morning they are presently at the Tauern of those cares wherein they delight and whereto they so giue themselues that they care neither for the kingdome of heauen the seruice of God nor the saluation of their own soules which is more during this repast at home their mindes are in their tauernes yea and which is worse whether they speak to God in their praiers or that God talketh to them by sermons their mindes are so wandering that immediatly they are in this tauerne of worldly cares and affaires and that so deepely that they neither hear God speaking to them neither wot what themselues doe say to him for there is no more but the body that speaketh or heareth euen a body as it were without a soule for their minde is in their Tauerne If they then follow this course not one moneth or sixe or tenne neyther one yeere but ten twentie thirtie yea euen to the death may we not well call them perfect drunkards Likewise as to that tauerne that beareth the name to haue the best drinke or wine the drunkards will soonest resort as seeking occasions to be drunk so these spirituall drunkards doe seeke after townes and places of most practise where there is great dooinges which breede encrease of cares that likewise they may be the more drunken in them 11 This is an excessiue and most pernitious drunkennesse yet ouer common among christians and therefore let euery man examine him selfe that knowing it he may amend And indede sith the kingdome of heauen doth dayly approch to the faithfull by death we are in duty to beware according to Christs admonition that our harts be not ouercome with this drunkennesse of cares least that day ouertake
For sith from them we cannot expect this soueraigne felicitie namely to liue in peace in honesty and piety vnlesse they also be guided or strengthened by the spirite of God in their charge our desire and necessitie to enioye it doe sufficiently admonish vs feruently to praye vnto God for them And whereas Kinges were in those dayes idolaters hee addeth this farther reason that God desiring the saluation of all men that is to saye men of all callinges and that they should be brought to the knowledge of the truth wee might by our praiers obtaine that the idolatrous and peruerse Magistrates might be conuerted and saued as well in respect of themselues as for the happy conduct and gouernment of their subiects 12 Now if we be bound to pray for idolatrous and peruerse Magistrates how much rather for those whome God hath already in mercy vouchsafed to illuminate or adopt for his children and to constitute to be protectors and nurses in his Church Pro. 11.14 Both reason and experience doe shew what a benefite it is to haue such Iudg. 2.19 8.33 1. Sam. 7 13 Where the Gouernour is vnwise saith Salomon the people are scattered And it is with them as with a shippe that wanteth a Pylot or guide We read that when the iudge or gouernour of Israel was dead the people returned to their wickednes And it is noted in this historye that all the time of Samuel the hand of God was heauye against the Philistines and it is truely a great fauour and grace of God when he giueth vs good Magistrates as Hyran King of Tyre said vnto Salomon 2. Chro. 2 11. Iob. 34.30 Esay 3.3 Because God loued his people he made thee to raigne ouer them and contrariwise he maketh an hypocrite saith Iob to raign for the sinnes of the people And in the same sence doth God threaten to send children to be Princes and effeminate persons to beare dominion Sith then it is so great a benefite of God to haue good holy and vertuous Magistrates is it not our partes feruently and continually to pray to God still to send vs such to preserue them to guide them by his holy spirite and to blesse their counsails and labours to his glory and to the good and saluation of his people 13 It also hath beene the continuall custome of all Christian Churches to make publique supplications for Kinges Princes and Magistrates and thereof wee haue a formularye written by that good Father and Doctor Tertullian And the reformed Churches of our dayes doe also recōmend and ordinarely vse the same dutie for in trueth there is no seruice that the Magistrates ought more to desire and require of their subiects then that they should praye for them And in this respecte Dauid a King after Gods owne hart and endewed with such excellent graces knowing neuerthelesse how highly he stoode in necessitie of the praiers of his people framed them that excellent praier for their prosperitie which we doe reade of in the twentith Psalme Eusebius reporteth that the Emperour Constantius Euseb in the life of Const lib. 1. lib. 4. Euseb in his Ec. hist lib. 10 and cap. 8. lib. 1. of the life of Const the Father of great Constantine protected his house by the praiers of such as feared God Also that his Sonne Constantine the great imitated his pietye For knowing as the saide Eusebius writeth that the praiers of good men those that feared God did greatly conduce to his preseruation he instantly required them to pray for him and commaunded the Bishops by name to imploy themselues in this duetye and contrariwise he reproued the Emperour Licinius for banishing the Christians out of his Courte alleadging this reason that hee depriued himselfe of the fruit of their praiers 14 Seing the fruit of praier for the Magistrate is such how vnthankfull are those subiects that will not feruently employe themselues therein especially considering the good and prosperity that themselues are to reape thereof we may truely say that the vsuall negligence of the people in employing themselues in this duetye doth many times procure God to giue vs Kinges and Magistrates in his wrath to chastice our ingratitude and slackenesse in matter of such importance That we may therfore amend our liues according to the exhortation of Iesus Christ let vs diligently employe our selues in this so profitable necessary a dutie wherby we may alwaies haue good holye and vertuous Magistrates that vnder their conduct and gouernement we may liue happily and beare to them all loue and reuerence yeelding vnto them voluntarilye all subiection and obedience and employing our bodies and goods in their seruice and assistance with assurance that in so doing and in praying vnto God for them as is aforesaide the Lord will blesse them and vs with them and by them Of the duety of the Pastor and Minister of Gods woord to his congregation Chap. 8. IT now remaineth that wee speake of the duties of the Pastors and Ministers of Gods worde to their Congregations and of their congregations vnto them As concerning the Pastors dutye the same may be referred to the principall end of their vocation togither with whatsoeuer is requisite thereunto This end is the saluation of the soules redeemed with the bloud of Iesus Christ as the Apostle writing to Timothy doth note saying Take heed vnto thy selfe and vnto learning 1. Tim. 4.16 continue therein for in doing thus thou shalt saue both thy selfe and them that heare thee This is their principall end euen to saue soules and indeed S. Paul applieth to his Ministery this sentēce of Esay spoken in the person of the Lord I haue ordained thee to be a light to the Gentiles Esay 49.62 Acts 13.47 1. Cor. 3.1 Acts 13.26 Rom. 1.16 2. Cor 5.18 that thou maist be a saluation to all the ends of the earth True it is that God onely is the Sauiour also that he can saue without the ministery of men but it pleaseth him so to vse their seruice that S. Paul therfore calleth the Ministers of the word coadiutors and workemen with God therefore the doctrine that they preach is tearmed the worde of saluation and the power of God to saue all that beleeue likewise where the holy ministery is called the ministery and word of reconciliation with God the same is only to teach vs that where we be by nature the children of wrath and consequently in death the ende of the holy ministery is to withdraw saue vs by reconciling vs to God and making vs acceptable to him in his welbeloued sonne 2 Heerto must we also referre the saying of S. Paul that Iesus Christ gaue some to be Apostles Eph. 4.11 some to be Prophets some Euangelistes some Pastors and teachers for the gathering togither of the Saintes for the worke of the ministery and for the edification of the body of Christ. For sinne by seperating vs from God did engender this cursed dissipation