is he from casting off and disclaiming his people in their pouertie and tribulations as that at no other time in this life he doth more professedly acknowledge them and publish the tendernes of his affection towards them As what greater testimonie can there be of loue and kindnes then this that their enemies be his enemies their friends his friends their benefactors so graced and esteemed of as if they were become his creditors We haue seene in some other place before that he which oppresseth the poore reprocheth him that made him but he Prou 14. 31. honoureth him that hath mercie on the poore And our Sauiour himselfe professeth that he presently obserueth euery where all the mercie that is shewed by any to his poore seruants and how he will requite the same hereafter in calling them as blessed ones to the fruition with him of his Mat. 25. 34. c. celestiall kingdome and why he will render them so great a reward because they fedde him in his hunger gaue him drinke in his thirst and cloathed him being naked c and after what manner they performed these duties vnto him by exercising the same towards one of the least of his brethren First he is obeyed therein requiring such care to be had of Reasons 1 his needie and distressed people and the greatest loue is shewed to him for whose sake those poore Christians are so mercifully intreated Secondly the parties thus relieued are the sonnes of God and the brethren of Christ as by the scripture last alledged appeareth and what tender-harted father or well affected brother would not gratefullie take the succour and reliefe that is ministred to his deare children or brethren in their necessities Thirdlie they are neerer to our Lord Iesus Christ then one brother is to another or child to the father for they are members of him flesh of his flesh bone of his bones and as much regarded of him as the apple of his eye and therefore he is interessed in the fauour that the least or feeblest of them shall find at any time Encouragement for men to bestow willingly cheerfully and Vse 1 liberally on the poore Saints sithence their beneuolence is sure to finde so good allowance and will certainlie procure so large a compensation Can they put their stocke into a surer hand for safety without any perill of losing Or can they meet with a more commodious banke for gaine as to haue the principall doubled and tripled increased more then ten thousand fold If they would haue their states sufficiently prouided for and their hearts cheerfull during life and their consciences comfortable at their death and soules and bodies happie and glorious for euer thē let them so imploy their portion and all the abilitie that is in them that men may receiue protection reliefe counsell comfort or some refreshing from them and they may expect this munificent and kinglie retribution from the Lord. Reproofe of their follie which misguiding their affaires without iudgement are willing to doe nothing for them by whom they looke to be answered nothing for they account all that to be lost which man repayeth not See how vnthristily they deale and what euill husbands they are for their soules in defrauding themselues of so great a commoditie as they should haue gained by taking God for their pay-master It is not onelie a iust precept but wise counsell which Christ giueth in the Gospell as by the promise therevnto annexed is manifest When thou makest a dinner or a supper call not thy friendes nor thy brethren nor thy kinsmen nor thy rich neighbours lest they bid thee Luk. 14. 12. 13. 14. againe and a recompence be made thee But when thou makest a feast call the poore the maymed the lame and the blinde And thou shalt be blessed because they cannot recompenco thee for thou shalt be recompenced at the resurrection of the iust Ob. But must men be careles of their states in prouiding for their saluation Is all to be done for the soule and nothing for the house What shall I leaue my Children Answ Prouidence for thy euerlasting state doth nothing impaire thy present state and thy liberalitie doth augment and not diminish thy childrens prosperitie Is the Lord so barren of wisedome or destitute of power as that he cannot inrich the one but hee must impouerish the other Or that he cannot helpe the father without hurting the childe Ps 112. 2. c. A godlie man is described in one of the Psalmes to be mercifull and full of compassion and righteous But how then goeth the world with him and his posteritie His seede shall be mightie vpon the earth the generation of the righteous shall be blessed Riches and treasures shall be in his house and his righteousnes remaineth Ps 37. 25. 26. for euer And to the same purpose it is said in another Psal I haue bene young and am old yet I neuer saw the righteous forsaken nor his seede begging bread But hee is euer mercifull and lendeth and his seede enioyeth the blessing Consolation to Gods afflicted children which are in wants or feares or other calamities that their case is not helples though they cannot helpe themselues For as much as the Lord vndertaketh to satisfie those that shall be helpfull vnto them it is not to be doubted but that some bodie will take his word and shewe that mercie He is not out of credit though vnbelieuers dare not trust to his promise for he hath many friends manie seruants many children which will be ready for his sake to doe all the good they can for anie of his that stand in neede of their aid Who would not thinke himself an happy man if he might haue opportunitie to doe seruice to the King by pleasuring his sonne vpon anie occasion especially in a weightie matter being required and encouraged by him with promise of great reward and preferment to do it Then doubtles shall the King of kings finde many loyall and well minded subiects who for his sake and their owne will not be wanting to his distressed children whom for the same end he bringeth into such aduersitie Doth not our Sauiour intimate as much when he recounteth not onely the varietie of afflictions which hee sustained in his mēbers but likewise the readines of comforters to relieue him When he was hungrie some fed him whē he was thirstie some gaue him drinke when he was naked some clothed him when he was sicke some visited him when hee was in prison some came vnto him still as his neede required so were they prest with remedies to succour him Verse 18. Correct thy sonne while there is hope and let not thy soule spare which is to kill him COrrect thy sonne while there is hope chastise thy children of either sexe both by tongue hand with rebukes stripes being yet young tender not growne stubborne stiffe-necked incorrigible and past hope of amendmēt before they are accustomed to
dazeled with the glittering glosse and brightnesse of golden bribes that they cannot apprehend the foulest matters which al the Country euidently behold and cry out vpon Verse 9. Who can say I haue cleansed my heart I am pure from sinne VVHo can say Who can truely and with good warrant affirme I haue cleansed my heart I haue vtterly and for euer freed my selfe from all vnlawfull desires delights purposes cogitations and motions He beginneth at the heart because it is the Fountaine or at least the Cesterne from whence corruption floweth which yet must be vnderstood of his owne naturall power and not of grace and of perfection and not of sincerity for the Prophet doth truely professe that he had cleansed his heart though in his temptation it seemed to be in vaine Psa 73. 13. which he did by the spirite of God and in part and by degrees I am cleane from sinne my nature soule and wayes are all pure nothing can be laid to my charge for vnlawfull thoughts vnrighteous actions vnfruitfull speeches good dueties at any time omitted or sinfull workes euer committed meaning by that interrogation that no man hath power so to walke nor any reason so to boast Notwithstanding this is nothing against that saying of S. Paul Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Rom. 8. 33. chosen It is God that iustifieth For he there speaketh of that innocency that the godly attaine vnto by remission of their sinnes in Gods presence who hauing receiued satisfaction for them from Christ imputed them to him and fully acquitteth them and Salomon here speaketh of another matter that no man is throughly purged from originall corruption and the impure humours that issue out of it Neyther let any man obiect that of S. Iohn Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not for he speaketh not 1. Joh. 3. 9. in that place of the practise but the dominion of sinne that a regenerate man yeeldeth not obedience vnto it as a slaue to his Master but is taken captiue or receyueth a wound as a Souldier from his enemy ¶ The best shall haue corruptions and sinnes cleauing to them Doct. so long as they liue As euery sonne of Adam sauing Christ our Sauiour is or hath beene defiled by generation and conception so none of them can wash any part of their filthinesse without his helpe neyther may any looke for an absolute purity in earth by his assistance for that in his holy wisedome he reserued as a prerogatiue proper vnto his owne person not admitting of any copartner therein Here vpon certainty of his ground he proposeth the point by way of demaund making a challenge to all the world knowing that no man could euer steppe forth and iustly say I am entirely innocent I was neuer culpable or at this time I am as good as I ought to be and as Gods law requireth And in Ecclesiastes vpon like assurance hee affirmeth the same with an asseueration saying Surely there is no man iust in the Eccl. 7. 20. earth that doth good and sinneth not And S. Iames comming behinde Iam. 3 2 very few in sanctification and holinesse of life dooth yet professe this against himselfe as well as others In many things we sinne all as if he should haue said we children of men we elect we Christians we Disciples of Christ we Apostles we that are counted chiefe among the Apostles we all and euery one of vs in diuers things doe faile of our dueties First that conflict which is betweene the flesh and the spirite Reas 1 the one resisting the other in the most righteous and best graced of all Gods people is an vndenyable argument heereof We read Gal. 5. 17. of none that hath more preuailed against the flesh by mortification or shewed forth better fruites of the spirit by viuification then Paul and yet he complaineth that When he would do good Rom. 7. 19. 21. euill was present with him that hee did not the good which hee would but the euill which he would not that did he Secondly our Sauiour directeth so many as may call God their heauenly Father daily to pray Forgiue vs our debts and the blessednesse of Abraham and Dauid and all that euer Christ Rom. 4. 6. hath redeemed with his blood consisteth in the remission of sinnes which maketh it apparant that euery childe of God is daily attainted with the guiltinesse of sinne Thirdly how commeth it to passe that all men are obnoxious to so many chastisements and afflictions and subiect to death and mortality but that they haue their faults If there were perfect innocency in them no strokes of corrections could light vpon them for it would not stand with the iustice of the Lord to scourge such as are free from offending And the soule could haue no passage out of the body to part company one from the other but by occasion of the corruptions that are in them both Confutation of the Papists which ascribing to the death of Vse 1 Christ the beginning of iustification doe impute the perfection of it to their owne worthinesse by infused grace whereby they thinke themselues able to fulfill the law of God and more then that to adde an ouer-plus by workes of supererogation which may goe for payment of their fellowes debts and so they doe not onely deliuer themselues from damnation but are become pettie Sauiours or peeces of Sauiours to others Which are to be pittied for their ignorance and rated for their presumption taking vpon them to be Christ his fellowes not knowing that Gods law requireth an exact obedience with fulnesse of loue perpetually beyond all that any meere man since Adams fall could possibly performe And it serueth also to ouerthrow the hereticall opinions and to pull down the proude conceits of the Catharists or Puritanes which brag of such a perfection of purity already attained vnto as that they neede no further to be purged from corruptions Instruction for euery man to looke warily to himselfe that he be not circumuented by Satan since such a treacherous foe as sinne is doth lie continually in waite as neere him as may be euen in his owne breast to betray his soule into his hands And seeing all haue their faults and are vnable to stand before the iudgement seate of God in their owne righteousnesse therefore none should be ouer rigorous in censuring of others and passing too heauy a sentence of condemnation against their poore and weake brethren for their infirmities Verse 10. Diuers Waights and diuers measures euen both these are abhomination to the Lord. DIuers Waights one heauier another lighter and diuers measures one greater another lesse to buy with the greater weight and greater measure and to sell by the lesse or lighter or with a iust weight and measure to sell to the wiser sort and with the vniust to the simpler whome they may easily deceiue both these and all such kinde of craftie and couetous dealing are abhomination
manner because there is a shewe of wisdome and policie for gaine safety by gratifying of them in respect of the bribes which they will giue to haue their turnes serued and the mischiefe which they will worke to those that proceede seuerely against them to ouerthrow the iust man in iudgement this is the effect that commonlie insueth vpon the fauor that is shewed to the wicked and maketh the sinne double In so much as vnrighteous malefactors are spared so much the harmlesse and innocent are oppressed that hand which lifteth vp him whom it ought to beat downe will beate downe him whome it ought to lift vp Either of these were great offences alone but verie grieuous when they are both conioyned together It was a foule fault to seeke the release of Barrabas which had deserued to die but to haue him deliuered that Christ might be crucified was intollerable wickednes and yet it would haue bene more notorious and detestable if Christ had bin condemned to die by the practise and perswasion of Barrabbas which thing sometimes befalleth the members of Christ by th' instigation of the successours of Barrabbas The Shechemites aduentured to doe that which is here condemned and therefore they felt the penaltie which here is threatned they would set vp Abimelech to be king because he was of their bloud and slue the other sonnes of Gideon for his sake and at his request but in the end they found it not good to Iudg. 9. 45. accept of the person of the wicked and to ouerthrowe the iust for they and their Cittie were destroyed for taking part with their wicked kinsman and offering violence to the righteous children of Gideon See Chap. 17. verse 15. Verse 6. A fooles lippes come with strife and his mouth calleth for stripes Verse 7. The mouth of a foole is his owne destruction and his lippes are a snare for his soule A Fooles lippes come with strife the wicked talke of a graceles foole his rayling slandering lying backbyting challenges comparings nipping and gyrding doe as directlie tende to quarrels or brablings as if they had legges to goe vnto contention which is especially to be vnderstood of them that be froward proude giuen to scoffing and others of like nature disposition and his mouth calleth for stripes the words of his mouth do prouoke and euen call for blowes and punishments by his desire vpon others but by desert and effect vpon himselfe The mouth of a foole is his owne destruction his vnaduised and intemperate speeches bring his owne ouerthrow and his lippes are for his soule that matter which his lippes doe maliciouslie or rashlie vtter is an occasion and meanes to intrappe him to the hazard of his state life and saluation ¶ Euill words are most pernicious to those that speake them Doct. Ecclesiastes affirmeth that the lippes of a foole deuoure himselfe And in the twelfth Chapter of this booke the euill man is Eccl. 10. 12. saide to be ensnared by the wickednesse of his lippes and diuers such sayings are to be found in the former Chapters which Prou. 12. 13. were verified in Doeg in Haman and Daniels aduersaries whose tongues were sharpe and keene to cut their owne throates but blunted by the good hand of God that they could not hurt his seruants whome they strooke at with their bitter accusations First the tongue is an edge toole and requireth the skill of Reasons wisedome and the strength of grace to handle it If it be well managed it is a weapon defensiue if otherwise it is as much offensiue to him that abuseth it who euer holdeth the point and edge in his owne hands smiteth at others with the hilts Secondly the Lord is wont to render such men their owne measure and maketh them fall into the pittes which with their harmefull tongues they haue digged for their brethren They which by lying and traducing would defame others by the discouerie of their liues are made infamous themselues and as they would haue hurt thereby the state of them whome they falslie accused so their owne states are impaired by actions and suites arising vpon their slaunders So it falleth out with fierce and furious fellowes and gibing-mates and challengers that seeking either the disgrace or blood of their neighbours they receiue contempt and wounds to themselues And so speede conspirators and traiterous people they maligne the life of the Prince and peace of the Countrey and therefore doe practise the ruine of both but it pleaseth God to make both to stand and manie of them to fall and let the rest beware that they drink not of the same cup with them although for a time they be too much fauoured Thirdly it is iust and righteous with the Lord to call all vngodly men to accounts before his iudgements seate not onely for their wicked workes but sinfull words yea for euerie idle word as our Sauiour foretelleth then they shall finde to their Mat 12. 36. endlesse woe this Scripture to be fulfilled that the mouth of a foole is his owne destruction and his lippes are a snare for his soule Admonition to be more afraid of speaking sinfully then of Vse all that sinfull men can speak against vs because they can onely attempt thereby to hurt vs if wee be vpright with the Lord and hee will hide vs from the scourge of their tongues that though they blame vs for a time yet they shall not shame vs for euer though they worke our trouble or death as they did Naboths yet not our destruction as they could not doe his but their owne euil tongues will effect mischiefe against themselues for punishment of bodie and perdition of soule for euer Then if thou wouldest rule thy tongue better that it draw thee not into such dangers thou must not suffer sinne to raigne in thy life nor to rule in thy heart which will commaund thy mouth and ouerrule thy tongue and the Lord by his righteous prouidence doth manie times giue them ouer to the follie and violence of their lippes to their shame and miserie which will not be guided by the wisedome and vertue of his lippes to their glorie and happines Verse 8. The words of the tale-bearer are as stroakes and they goe downe into the inward parts of the bellie THe words of the tale-bearer the malicious accusatiōs which whisperers doe secretly mutter against men behinde their backes are as stroakes as wounds that are giuen by weapons they doe them as much hurt by seeking their infamie or trouble or by alienating the mindes and good opinions of their friendes and neighbours from them as if they had smitten them with a sword and they goe downe into the inward parts of the belly they are like vnto dartes wherewith men are dangerouslie wounded piercing as it were into the verie intrailes See Chapt. 12. verse 18. Verse 9. Euen he that is negligent in his businesse is a brother to a waster HE that carrieth himselfe slothfullie in the
causeth heauie sleepe to fall and a deceitfull person shall be affamished THe dangerous effects of sluggishnes are here set downe and described whereof some are sinnes and heedfullie to be shunned and others are punishments thereof and greatly to be feared The first is immoderate and excessiue sleeping whereby mens callings and labours are neglected their time lost and their wits and sences dulled and this groweth partly from the abundance of humors by which the head is oppressed partlie from the want of cheerfulnes whereby the heart should be refreshed and therefore obserue that all sluggards are lumpish and like dead men sauing when they be about the practise or proiect of some thing vnlawfull This drowsinesse of theirs and disposition to sleepe they are charged with and challenged for in the sixt Chapter How long wilt thou sleepe ô sluggard when wilt thou arise out of Prou. 6. 9. thy sleepe c. The second is deceitfulnesse beeing inferred in the latter clause as that which insueth both vpon slothfulnes and sleepines For they that lose their time can neither get wealth well nor keepe that which others haue formerly gathered by their trauell Then must they needs fall into indigencie and want and beeing not able to sustaine the violence thereof for none are so impatient of pouertie as those who retchleslie throwe themselues into it they will liue by their wittes and shift for themselues by falshood and indirect courses The third which is the punishment of all the former is famine and miserable necessitie which their fraude and deceitfulnes doth double vpon them and not preuent or diminish Or if it fall out that some by wrongfull dealing are holpen in their state for a time yet it turneth to their greater hurt and deeper decay in time following or if they thriue euen to their liues end by their vniust and fraudulent practises yet they shall rue it in the worldes ende for the miseries and plagues that will come vpon them as Saint Iames doth testifie The sense therefore of the sentence is this Slothfulnes causeth Iam. 5. 1. men to be sleepie and deceitfull and hee that is deceitfull sleepie or slothful shall be affamished ¶ Slothfulnes is a vice verie hurtfull both to bodie soule and Doct. 1 outward estate Drowsines is noysome to the bodie and for healths sake to be auoyded Deceitfulnes is pernicious to the soule and for conscience sake to be abhorred and affamishment is the desolation of the state tending towardes the destruction of life and therefore is with due circumspection and prouidencie to be preuented The euils that slothfulnes bringeth See Chap. 12. Vers 24 ¶ Affamished c. Vnrighteous dealing bringeth that miserie Doct. 2 vpon mens heads which they are most afraid of What thing is so dreadfull grimme and horrible to all worldlie men as penurie and neede Gods wrath is not the diuell is not death is not damnation is not hell is not though all these in time will be for doe they not prouoke Gods anger and make themselues a prey to the diuell and cast themselues into the mouth of death damnation and hell it selfe to purchase profites and keepe of pouertie And yet mistaking their way the faster many would runne from it through the by-paths of craft and iniustice the more hast they make towards it till at last they be deuoured of it See Chapt. 10. Vers 4. 12. V. 27. Verse 16 He that keepeth the commandement keepeth his soule but hee that despiseth his wayes shall die HEe that keepeth the commandement which in the integritie and vprightnes of his heart obserueth the law of the Lord to walk in the same althogh he cannot fulfill it beaking it as little as he can thogh he cannot obey it so fully as he would is huÌ„bled for his faults wheÌ„ he seeth his sins traÌ„sgressions keepeth his soule himselfe a part being put for the whole he preserueth the life both of his soule and bodie from an vntimely death eternal destruction not by the merit of his obedience but by the mercie of God that rewardeth him for it But he that despiseth his wayes maketh no account how or after what sort hee doth liue nor hath care to be directed by the prescript rule of the holie word of God shall die shall certainely perish and be destroyed for euer at the last though peraduenture he be spared for a season Thus standeth the opposition Hee that keepeth the commandement and regardeth his wayes shall liue but hee that breaketh the commandement and despiseth his wayes shall die ¶ So much conscience as anie man maketh of obedience to Doct. Gods will so much assurance he hath of saluation and safetie They that haue great care to shewe themselues obsequious and faithfull vnto him haue great cause to looke for protection and blessednes from him they that are more remisse in performing those duties which his commandemeÌ„ts require must needes be more abridged of that comfort which his promises doe offer and they which refuse to submit themselues to the authoritie of his word or to do him anie seruice at all must well vnderstand that they are not to expect from him anie preseruation or fauour at all but rather punishments and vengeance Let vs vs attend to the testimonie of Dauid who speaketh his knowledge and that by the experience which himselfe found in this case Because saith hee I kept the wayes of the Lord and did not wickedlie against my God for all his Lawes were before mee Ps 18. 21. 22. c. and I did not cast away his commandements from mee I was vpright also with him haue kept me from my wickednes therefore the Lord â—â—warded me according to my righteousnes and according to the purenes of my hands in his sight With the godlie thou wilt shew thy selfe godlie with the vpright man thou wilt shew thy selfe vpright With the pure thou wilt shew thy selfe pure with the froward thou settest thy selfe to wrestle Thus thou wilt saue the humble or poore people and wilt cast downe the proude lookes First nothing is more acceptable or better pleasing to the Reasons Lord then obedience faithfully performed to his will neither doth any thing more offend him nor so much inceÌ„se his indignation as the contempt small regard of his coÌ„mandements For what saith Samuel to Saul touching this same point Hath the Lord greater pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as when the voyce of the Lord is obeyed Behold to obey is better then sacrifice and to hearken is better then the fat of rammes But rebellion is as the sinne of witchcraft and transgression is wickednes and as idolatrie Secondly they that are beleeuers and obedient haue Iesus Christ for their mediator and redeemer and how then can 2. Pet. 28. but they be saued but to them which be disobedient at the word he is a stone to stumble at and a rocke of offence and how then can it be that they should
not perish The Lord himselfe is the keeper of them that serue him his eyes are ouer the righteous and his eares are open to their praiers but Ps 34. 15. 16. the angry face of the Lord is against them that doe euill to cut off their remembrance from the earth Lastly the promises and blessings of life saluation and happines Luk. 11. 28. Deut. 28. 1. are all assured to them that heare the word of God and keepe it to them that diligently obey the voyce of the Lord their God and obserue and doe all his commandements and the threates for death destruction and miserie are directed against those that shall despise his ordinances and whose soule abhorreth his lawes so Leuit 2â— 14. 15 that they will not doe all his commandements but breake his couenants Instruction to deale soundly for our selues and make cleere Vse and manifest the good estate of our soules confirming our hope with sure and infallible proofes of regeneration and grace and not seducing our hearts with fallacious and guilefull illusions The Apostle would not haue any man seeme to himselfe Gal. 6. 3. 4. that he is somewhat when he is nothing deceiuing himselfe in his imagination but admonisheth euery man to prooue his owne worke and then he shall haue reioycing in himselfe onely and not in an other All the euidence that many haue of their saluation is this that their acquaintance who yet are vnacquainted with their hearts and the course of their behauiour commend them for Christians and hope well of them and so their whole comfort stands in the opinions which their neighbours conceiue and not in any assurance that themselues obtaine And diuers conclude of their owne safetie by no other argument but onely the sight of other mens perills that their life and condition must needes be good because the course and case of so many leaud persons appeareth so bad and so the very foundation of their confidence is nothing else but a sandie comparison 2. Terror for impious profane persons which blesse themselues when God curseth them which arrogate the promises of life when he denounceth the threates of death which haue a roote of bitternes Dau. 20 19. in them and say peace shall be to me although I walke according to the stubbornnes of mine owne hart If they persisting in this their stubbornnes perpetuall peace Gods seruants walking faithfully before him shall finde eternall miserie for he is as iust to execute his threatnings as kinde and gracious to performe his promises Now it is impossible for Gods children to perish as it is for his owne nature and being to faile and therefore behold the damnable state of these presumptuous miscreants If they wil be blasphemers if they wil be scoffers at religious exercises If they profane the holy sabbath which the Lord hath instituted to be sanctified if they will despise the authoritie of their gouernours if they will be proud and high minded if they wil be vnmercifull and cruell if they wil be vnchast and filthy or intemperate drunkards or couetous earth-wormes or false singered or false tongued or allowe themselues in any kinde of vicious behauiour let them proceed in their leaudnes and God will proceed in his righteousnes their securitie will bring them no safetie the more they contemne his words by sinning against them the more he will glorifie his words by manifesting the iustice and veritie of them And this may also serue to admonish all to beware how they neglecting the commandements so strictly to be obserued in steed thereof prescribe to themselues a worship which the braine of man Mat 15. 9. Col. 2. 20. hath inuented and the will of man imbraced without warrant of and therefore contrarie to the word and will of the Almightie As these are not to be numbred among the Atheists because they be not so impudently impious as they be so neither are they to be reckoned among true worshippers because they want that humilitie and vprightnes which they haue For superstition in gendred by pride and sound religion gotten by grace are so opposite and contrarie one to the other that no man can possibly haue in him the habite of them both together And if the keeping of the commandements be of such importance for the tranquilitie of the conscience to giue satisfaction therto for the certaintie of saluation then dissembling Christians also and fruitlesse professours of the Gospell must needes be voyde of all sound comfort For though they speake of goodnes yet they onely speake and practise not and though they heare the voyce of God yet they be hearers onely Iam. 1. 22. and not doers of the word as S. Iames saith deceiuing their owne soules whereas the promise is made to them which are not forgetfull hearers but doers of the worke that such shal be blessed in their deeds For where knowledge profession and transgression concurre together the sinne is the greater because it is scandalous and wilfull and the burden thereof the heauier because the heart is more priuie to it selfe of guiltines and apprehensiue of punishment Verse 17. He that giueth freely to the poore lendeth vnto the Lord and the Lord will repay him his reward HE that giueth freely which out of his compassion and mercie without any carnall or corrupt respect of his owne aduantage ministreth foode apparell harbour or any kinde of helpe and comfort by word or deed to the poore to them that are in affliction of what sort soeuer especially if they be Gods faithfull seruants or seeme to be such lendeth to the Lord not that he is beholden to vs or receiueth any benefite at our hands for what can we giue that he lent not to vs nor is his owne nor in his power to take and dispose of to whom he will without our leaue but he is pleased so to accept of our beneficence to our brethren as if himselfe were thereby gratified and had a good turne done to him for men are many times pleasured by that which is lent them in their neede and are glad to buy the vse thereof with loane and therefore it is Ps 112. 5. noted as a worke of mercie from a good man not onely that he bestoweth gifts but also that he lendeth freely So then God vouchsafeth to repute that which is paide vnto him though imperfectly too and scarce by the halues to be as it were a courtesie and kindnes from vs as if some thing of ours were deliuered to him And the Lord will repay him his reward he will as faithfully recompence the mercifull man as if he were bound thereto and as an honest borrower will be carefull to pay that which he oweth For of his grace he maketh himselfe a debter to them which are more in his debt then their body and soule and all that they haue is worth Whatsoeuer good is done to godly men afflicted is accepted Doct. of God as done to himselfe So farre
blewnesse of the wound sharpe corrections and seuere punishments which are argued by the effects or fignes thereof serueth to purge the euill is the ordinance of God together with rebukes and instructions to draw diuers persons that will not otherwise be reclaimed out of their sinnes and the stripes within the bowels of the belly such strokes as pierce inwardly make the heart to ake not that in chastising it is lawfull to strike so hard or so much or to vse such rods or scourges as will pierce into the intrailes for that were to indanger life and to put to death but hee sheweth the manner how the euill is cured where the correction taketh good effect that it entreth into the inward parts affecteth the soule with sorrow and feare and not onely the body with paine and smarte that the minde is no lesse touched with it then the flesh In this sense was the same word vsed in the seuen and twentieth verse The light of the Lord searcheth into the bowels or chambers of the belly Seuere corrections are sometimes to be vsed as good Doct. medicines against great sinnes These are to be inflicted by all sorts of Gouernours Ecclesiasticall Ciuill and Domesticall but in such different manner as the diuersity of their places and callings doth require Saint Iude doth direct the Church as to haue compassion on some and winne them with lenity and mildenesse Iude 23. so to saue others with feare and with her sharpe censures to plucke them out of the fire And in the law the Magistrate was prescribed that if the offender were worthy to bee beaten hee should cause him to lie down to be beaten before his face according Deut. 25. 2. 3. to his trespasse vnto a certaine number Fortie stripes he might cause him to haue but not past And as touching parents and such as rule in families we shall not neede to produce any testimonies hauing in the former chapters in sundry places met with texts for that purpose First the Lord hath in his ordinance appointed the same for a helpe and remedy against strong corruptions they Reas 1 are as potions launcing letting of blood and cauterizing from him and therefore they to whom it apperteyneth are inioyned to exercise them as his hands for those purposes Secondly he giueth a blessing thereto in due time for the sauing of the soules and amendment of the wayes of his Elect people so censured or punished as was to be seene in the iucestuous person vpon whom S. Paul required to be 1. Cor. 5. 5. layd that fearefull penalty of excommunication that he should be deliuered ouer to Sathan and excluded out of the Church vntill he repented It appeareth that he was wakened thereby that he was terrified with feare that he was pearced with sorrow for the Apostle afterwards informeth the Corinthians that it was sufficient for him that he was rebuked of many So that contrariwise they ought rather to forgiue him and comfort him least the same should be swallowed vp with ouer-much heauinesse And for corporall punishment why may not the Master expect the same blessing vpon it for his seruant and the Magistrate for his subiect which the Father hath a promise of for his Sonne it being annexed to a Precept in this manner With-hold not correction from the Prouer. 23. v. 13. child if thou smite him with the rodde he shall not dye Thou shalt smite him with the rodde and shalt deliuer his soule from hell Thirdly howsoeuer the worke of correction be vnpleasant for the present both for him that is driuen to giue it and to him that is compelled to beare it the one doing that which he thinketh to be tedious and the other suffering that which he feeleth to be painefull yet in the end they shal both find comfort if they yeeld obedience to the Lord therin for as the agent and superiour hath done the duty of loue and shewed himselfe faithfull so shall the patient and inferiour inioy and acknowledge the benefit of such a kindnesse and shew himselfe thankefull Such an happy successe on both sides doth the Prophet Zachary speake of for the reforming of false Prophets and insufficient Ministers saying When any shall yet prophecy his Father and Mother that begate Zach. 13. v. 3. 4. him shall say vnto him thou shalt not liue for thou prophecyest lyes in the Lord and his Father and his Mother that begate him shall thrust him through when he prophecyeth And in that day shal the Prophets be ashamed euery one of his vision when he hath prophecyed neither shall they weare a rough garment to deceiue But he shall say I am no Prophet I am an husband-man for man taught me to be an husband-man from my youth vp And one shall say vnto him what are these woundes in thine handes Then shall he answere thus was I wounded in the house of my friendes Instruction to them to whome is committed the office of Vse Gouernment that they exercise discipline as wise Phisitions minister physicke when it is needfull that which is wholsome some so much as is requisite and in such manner as may best helpe the working of it Neuer to correct but when there is iust cause nor any other persons but such as are in fault for it is as great an iniury to inflict punishment vpon the innocent and such as are guiltlesse as it is an absurdity to apply a corrosiue or launcing knife to the sound and whole parts of the body Surely it is not good to condemne the iust nor that Prouer. 17. v. 26. Princes should smite such for equity And as care is to be had that the iust be not punished because that were to make a wound and not to heale one so is it not meete that the wicked should be spared least they perish by their malady of sinne through want of so necessary a medicine but let a right end be alwaies proposed and moderation and iustice vsed rather to heale his sinnefull hart that doth offend then to ease his wrathfull stomacke that is offended And let them also be admonished whose vlcers of vicious behauiour are to be tented with the rodde of correction that they take not the outward application of stripes or other punishments to be sufficient for their curing The humours that doe feede their sores doe issue from their soules whatsoeuer their faults be and therefore they must haue Godly sorrow and humiliation applyed inwardly vnto them or else all the strokes that light vpon their bodies will doe more hurt to conuince them of obstinacy then worke any good for their amendment And so after man hath done with chastisements they prouoke God to beginne with plagues and curses and then their bodily paine which they made not better vse of will be a foregoer of their spirituall torment from vvhich they shall neuer bee deliuered Happy therefore is he that striketh his hart with Godly internall griefe or feare when God or Man doth smite his flesh with externall afflictions or scourges for that short and momentary smart and mourning is made a meanes of his reuocation and so by consequent of his perpetuall comfort and blessednesse FINIS