reward as I cease not to be it in their death and then so much the more not as the masters of this world their seruants dead dead their seruices and therefore doe we reade so often The God of Abraham of Isaac and of Iacob For the loue of my sernant Abraham for the promise of the eternall God is eternall suruiues his seruants and their seruices Therefore the Apostle said p. To me to line is Christ to die p Philip 1. to die is gaine so also Christ shall be magnified in my body whether it be by life or by death In a word serue thou in this life according to thy calling according to mine whosoeuer it bee howsoeuer froward hee be to thee be not dismayed thou losest not thy paines q Ephes 6. Tit. 2. The seruant serues his master with good will the subject his prince he serues the Lord hee doth the will of God not of men with good will doing seruice as to the Lord and not to men But let theÌ„ relie also on him trust to this reward and not to men For hast thou r Gen. 3. 32. Incob serued an vngratefull Laban the best of thy yeares in the scorchng heate of the Sunne by day in the frost by night and the Lord hath euidently blest thee to his profit it may be to thy dammage Feare not sayth the Lord For I am thy reward Thou hast passed ouer the Iordan with thy staffe and behould thou art become two bands Hast thou faithfully serud a prince or the state of a kingdome and God hath he vouchafed to worke amongst them by thy hand and they repay thee with coÌ„tempt with hatred yea with iniuries doe not bemoane thy selfe doe not bely thy self or derogate from thy selfe whatsoeuer happens thee thou hast serued according to confidence and not according to fauour and not according to anger thou hast serued the Lord thy God and not men The Lord is faithfull saith the Apostle is faithfull s Heb. 11.6 He that commeth to God must beleeue that hee is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seeke him That is to say that it is not more true that God is then that it is consequently true that his reward is with true that his reward is with him that he is the reward of them that serue him euen of those that in the consideration of his calling take their condition in good part vndergoe ioyfully all bitternes and their charges and burdens scarce tolerale and supportable for the most part in themselues lesse for being lesse acknowledged but least acknowledged of them whom they serue Israel also I meane the Church is she hardly opprest in Egypt Iosephs seruices are they there forgot yea turned into torments and punishments to make and bake brickes to gather straw to feele the rod of the taske-masters the discretion of the exacter the seuere corrector Let him not doubt but that hee shal be drawne away with an out stretched arme a strong hand that God shal be glorified in deliuering his people in chastising Egypt But know also Israel and doe not abuse thy selfe that thy reward is not in this soyle in the slime and mud of Nilus Thou art there a stranger how fertill soeuer it be but thy reward is in Canaan in the true Canaan in the heauenly There properly Shalt thou laugh at the cry of the oppressors at the noise of people there maist thou say assuredly t Va. 14.4 How hath the oppressour ceased and what is become of the Scepter of the rulers Yea comest thou thus farre O seruant of God whosoeuer thou beest to receiue amongst thine owne amongst his owne hard handling yea euen death for thy paines and pay Thy pay and reward for that thou hast assisted them with counsell in their perplexities with aide in their aduersiries thou hast made no reckoning of thy life of thy dignitie of all that man ciuily esteemes most and that because many times they shall want an onyon or melon or somesauce of Egypt not necessary things but things superfluous yeeld not vnto them but â—â—fly bend and harden thy selfe against them to doe them good For how often haue they murmured against Moses and haue not they knocked downe the Prophets and did they euer reuerence them but when they were dead and would they not stone our Sauiour and haue not they forgot the Lord their possession Yea how often haue they kicked against him Now who art thou then what are thy seruices that thou expressest either lesse or better and the greater they shal be seest thou not that proportion ably they are often followed with enuie yea with hatred and reproach yea though the Lord should say vnto thee as he said vnto Moses u Numb 14. I will smite this people with the pestilence and disinherite them and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier then they Doe not consent vnto their euil their punishment no not vnto thine owne good say rather Lord what will the Egyptians say The Lord was not able to bring this people into the land which he sware vnto them therefore he hath stane them in the wildernesse Pardon I beseech thee the iniquitie of this people according vnto the greatnesse of thy mercie and as thou hast for given this people from Egypt even vntill now x Luk. 23.34 For give them father said our Lord Christ For they know not what they doe Yea euen bee willing to sacrifice thy selfe for them to make thy seife an anathema accâ—rsed because Certes thy reward is not here nor of here beneath it is from a boue and it is there also and therefore be not offended if the wicked doe prosper It belonges to the men of this world to seeke it here on earth to expect it of men Contrarie wise it is said vnto vs y Matth. 3.11.12 Blessed are yee when men shall reuile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of euill against you falsely for my name sake reioyce and bee exceeding glad for great is your reward in heauen Great in it selfe and indeede what is there great but God No lesse great in regard of the faithfull For z Psal 8.4 What is man that thou art mindfull of him and the Sonne of man that thou visitest him And therefore it is added very great or exceeding great in him and of him for God is all sufficient to himselfe and therfore super abounds vpon all creatures of his fulnesse haue they all receiued but so much the more in vs for the due wages of all men was death and what haue the best men of all but that which they haue receiued and is it not then grace vpon grace and not salary and besides what can wee doe that can oblige God or make him beholden vnto vs seing that a Psal 16. Our goodnesse sayth the Psalmist extendeth not to him For what can wee suffer that is worthy him Seeing sayth the Apostle that b Rim. 8.18 The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to bee compared with the glorie which shal be reuealed in vs. But Certes where c Rom. 5.20.21 sinne abounded grace did much more abounde that as sinne hath reigned vnto death euen so might grace reigne through righteousnesse vnto eternall life by Iesus Christ our Lord. Grace verily most abounding drawn from the depth of the treasures of the mercies of God our father reconciling his elected and chosen in his Sonne the seede of Abraham according to the flesh but the ioy of Abraham according to the promise in whom he hath called vs iustified sanctified and glorified vs In whom and for whose sake he will be heere of meere good will our Shield in heauen aboue freely our Reward And therefore again and again feare not Israel feare not any true Israelite for d Psal 11.2 Blessed is the man sayth the Psalmist that feareth the Lord he shall not be affrayde of euill tydings the euill always weaker then goodnesse the goodnesse it selfe camping alwayes about him camping for him he shall be alwayes sayth he enuironed with all kind of blessings he shall abound in them because he shall enioy and possesse from this very time forward here on earth this good thing in hope assured fully to enioy it in Heauen aboue in the glory of the Father To whom with the Son and the holy Ghost be ascribed all honour glory power and dominion for euer and euer Amen FINIS
the meteors arme themselues together against vs against the Church let vs say with Dauid t Psal 46.3.4 Though the waters thereof roare and be troubled though the mountaines shake with the swelling thereof there is a riuer the streames whereof shall make glad the city of God The infirmitie and basenes of the Church contemptible to the eyes of vaine men a smal brooke in comparison of these impetuous torrents the current of the Ocean shall not cease to subsist nor omitt to streame and runne on The faithfull shall strengthen and harden himselfe a gainst their stirrings or rather trembling for the wise man saith u Ecclesiast 34.16 God is his mightie protection and strong stay a defence from heat a couer from the sun at noone a presernation from stumbling and a helpe from falling Yea the Lord himselfe saith x Isa 43.2 When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee and through the riuers they shall not ouerthrow thee when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt For I am thy Sauiour His prouidence in a word is vnto him both a counsell and a rampier against all accidents against all cases and haps because there are no chances in respect of God Let the tirants of the world insence themselues and rage the people murmur mutin thunder the Ilāds the ends of the world conspire against the Church the Lord will speak to the soules of his seruant y Isa 7.4 Feare not neither be faint hearted for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria and of the sonne of Remaliah It shall not come to passe the Lord shall gather the hearts of the Kinges and Captaines of nations when and as he listeth All the z Psal 78. choler and anger of man is to him but as much subiect and matter of glory and fame The nations conspire a Isa 8.12 Let them take counsell together and it shall come to naught Let them combinde and band themselues together and they shall bee crusht and bruised onely let vs sacrifice vnto the Lord of Hoasts let vs serue him and let him be our feare and not the fury of these mortal men b Isa 51.12 of these men of grasse as the Prophet speaketh that cannot subsist against him that hath stretched forth the heauens and laid the foundations of the earth whose hand wee haue so often felt to our comfort and his arme for our deliuerance For saith the Lord c Cha. 13. Where is the fury of the oppressour And hast thou not seene the endes of the world to tremble my people not withstanding haue gone their way in peace and hast thou not seene them fall before my face before my sword as dust before my how as stubble Yea let the powers of the aire the principalities of the world the rulers of the darkenesse of the world the spirituall wickednesse in high places d Ephes 6. With whom the faithfull are to wrastle euery day saith the Apostle let them come shall wee yeeld our selues shall wee faint and leese courage but rather we will say the Lord is with vs what neede wee feare e 1 Cor. 10.13 He is faithfull who will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue that we are able He will strengthen vs against the deuill he hath f Colos 1. created all things that are in heauen and on earth visible and invisible whether they bee thrones or dominions or principalities or powers all things were created by him and for him let vs bouldly say and therefore for vs and therfore for his Church Let vs therefore oppose the thrones and celestiall dominions against the powers of the ayre the armies of Angels against the legions of Sathan against their malicious practises the holy conduct of the Angels whom God causeth to campe about his children to assist them in their way in all their paces yea the most slipperest that they stumble not against the gates of hell against the deuils that can nothing against the faith of Christ against his members that haue no power vpon Iobs Cattle vpon the hogges though they roare neuer somuch but as much as God vnbridleth them But let vs say ouer and aboue and that without excesse These deuils themselues cannot be but for vs in as much as they are for God their malice turnes to his seruice is at Gods pay and wages and therefore at ours For if Sathan afflict Iob in his family in his person the Lord knowes how farre and how long and limits him the righteousnesse and patience of his seruant shines and appeares the more and his condition is the better for is at the last If the Deuill puts in the heart of Iudas to sell the bloude of the righteous to betray and deliuer the sonne of God into the hands of the Iewes let vs adore God banish all feare He is sould but far far from their intention for the ransom of our soules he is deliuered for the remission of our sinnes of those sinnes that cause the quarrell betweene God and vs of those sinnes where with Sathan alone did preuaile did braue it out against vs and therefore to his confusion to his ruine and that of his kingdome on the otherside for the saluation of the world of men Dare we say that this feare doth assure vs euen against God against his iustice against his anger certes we may seing that in this feare of children of wrath we are made the children of his mercies seeing we may say vnto him with Dauid reserue O Lord the greatnes of thy power to try the strēgth vpon the children of death we are contented with thy clemency because there is no condemnation to the true seede of Abraham g Rom. 8.1 To them saith the Apostle which are in Christ Iesus For in this Isaac in this alone is the true seede On the other side make what couenant thou wilt with all that which makes it selfe to be feared in the world without out this feare thou wilt feare all things not the elements in their fury only but euen the leaues yea the dust not the armes offenssiue the armour and armies alone but how great soeuer thou beest the flies and Caterpillers not onely the principalities of the ayre or the powers but also their corruption but their infection yea their very breath yea that which is the least perfect which hath the lest power in the world For saith the Lord h Isa 28.15 18. Though thou hadst made a couenant with death and wert at agreement with hell yet your couenant with death shall be disanulled and your agreement with death shall not stand when the ouerflowing scourge shall passe through then yee shall be trodden downe by it And they that haue cast their eyes towards Ethiopia that haue i Isa 20.5 gloried and vanted of the helpe of Egypt shal be afraid and ashamed thereof contrariwise happy is hee that feares the Lord and beleeues in
him For the wicked tremble where there is no cause of flight or feare k Prou. 19.26 But in the feare of the Lord is strong confidence and his children shall haue a place of refuge A Sanctuary for Abraham when Sara his wife his flesh and bones is at the discretion of the Philistin according to the iudgement of the flesh there saith the Scriptures l Gen. 20. Sure the feare of God is not in this place Notwithstanding God caused himselfe to be feared there for his seruant that feared him A shelter for Iacob in this feare against the fury of Esau God sendes before him an army of Angels changeth ouer and besides and turnes that cruell heart to fauour him So far forth that Saul is afraid of Dauid that great king of a sheep-heard because saith Samuel the Lord was with him Elisha on the other side besieged in Dothan by the king of the Assirians in stead of fearing them takes it away from others and giues them courage m 2 King 6.16 Feare not sayth he to his seruant for they that be with vs are more then they that be with them An army that he shewes him God opening his seruants eyes at his request a mountaine full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha for his succour inuisisible before to his faith much more to his eyes and how often is our helpe at the dore which we see not from how many dangers doth God deliuer vs which we feele not What then is it in the power of man of flesh and bloud not to feare the creatures and so powerfull so many perils whereunto hee is subiect euery moment Nay God forbid yea it is as little in his power as to feare God himselfe to feare God and not to feare the creatures spring from one fountaine and that fountaine is God himselfe faith the gift of God that prints in vs his feare ought also to wipe out of vs all other feare and therefore he that bids vs feare not adds sometimes but beleeue yea which is more hee that bids vs beleeue and feare not in commaunding it workes it in vs by his word this powerfull word to create in vs these qualities which we haue not no lesse powerfull then in saying Let their be light let the waters bring forth This word bringes forth causeth them to bring forth those things that were not and therefore is it sayd I will command my blessing vpon you because that his sayings is a doing his word an act his blessing a good deed a certaine effect of his good will towards his children On the other side I will dread before you to make your way plaine I will put into the hearts of your enemies to forgoe you their place they shall beate you another time in one quarter and you shall flie away seauen wayes namely according as you shall feare mee or not feare me Because it is God alone that can giue or take away this feare in his blessings or curses as to create all other things But yet wee must be well assured that hee that gaue these qualities vnto Abraham and to our fathers according to the ability and capacitie of their infirmity in commanding recōmending them vnto them by mouth giues them to vs at this time asking them of him with hart in the name of his welbeloued as the Apostle saith n Iam. 1.6 Aske in faith nothinge wauering Our Lord himselfe saith o Ioh. 14 15. 16. Aske my father in my name Aske and it shall be giuen you For in this feare there is confidence saith the wise man Confidence that proceeds from faith faith that assures vs of Gods loue towards vs breeds in our hearts a loue towards God Two loues springing from one fountaine the first takes from vs or diminisheth in vs the feare of creatures p Rom. 8.31 For if God be for vs who can be against vs The second a reflection of the first which giues vs his feare the feare of a Sonne towards his father no more of a slaue towards his master nor of an offender towards his iudge A feare to offend his gentlenesse not to prouoke his anger Now it is this faith also which alone is capable in Abraham in all the faithfull to take this shield that God presēts to take it I say not by the merit of workes which it brings forth what are they Nor for the dignitie that is in her for what is infirmitie but in the apprehension of his mercie in his gratious promises For I am thy shield sayth the Lord vnto Abraham the Lord an infinite essence a holinesse not to be approched by sinners a consuming fire that deuours them where is then the hand that supports it yea that takes it that can beare it but by him take it but by himselfe Surely wee haue no other hand to lend then that of faith and hee himselfe giues it vs. And againe this faith hath no holde but by his promise this shield cannot bee handled nor welded but by faith in God grounded on his promises Otherwise who would be so rash that durst presume to arme himselfe with his power or couer himselfe with his goodnes to stand and shelter himselfe therewith and vse it as a buckler against the creatures against the creator but by himselfe and therefore it is sayd that by faith Abraham left his countrey obeyed to the voice of God euen so farre as to offer his onely sonne Who r Rom. 4. against hope beeleeued in hope kept and looked for an issue and posteritie from barrennesse afterwards ſ Heb. 11. of a child whom hee led to death and in fine millions of his onely sonne refelling and beating backe all temptations with his shield But it was also expresly sayd that it was grounded on the promises Behould then how Abraham euery true Israelite hath the Lord for his shield takes hold of him by faith keepes him by his promise What neede he then feare what that this shield is not bigge enough to couer him strong enough to defend him Why hee couers the whole world with his shadowe hee couers particularly his Church vnder his winge It is not such a t Isa 28.20 narrow couering wherewith the Prophet threateneth vs When wee pretend to couer ourselues against him without him against the Creator by a pretended agreement with the creatures with death the graue and hell Contrariwise saith Dauid it is a shield of saluation yea saluation it selfe hee that retires himselfe thereto u Psal 91. Shall abide vnder the shadow of the Almighty is couered with his feathers his truth the faithfulnesse of his promises serues him in steade of a Target though a cloud of arrowes should fall vpon him it cannot hurt him no plague saith he shall come nigh thy dwelling much lesse nigh his person Doth the world beate vs with losses and calamities i Iob. 5.21 22. Thou shalt not bee afraide of destruction when