men to relieue them And therfore when the Angels came to him in the forme of men hee is noted by the holy Ghost to haue entreated them yea to haue as it were compelled them to eate meate in his house Good Lot folowed his steps wayting in his doores or gates to harbour poore straungers and therefore when the Angels came into Sodom Gen. 19.1 2 3. like straungers and pilgrimes hee compelled them in some sort to enter into his house and to take such lodging and entertainment as his state was able to afforde And hereby some as the Apostle noteth haue receiued Angels into their houses vnwares Heb. 13.1 But nowadayes there are many that are so farre off from this liberalitie that they will shut vp their gates euen in this great time of scarcitie The like hath not as I suppose of so long continuaunce béene in this Realme of England in many ages when many hundreds are ready through want of foode a lamentable case to bee considered which for our sinnes for which GOD is so highly displeased with this land especially our contempt of the holy Religion the breach of the Sabboth the blaspheming of the holy name of God vncharitablenes with infinite more the Lord doth inflict vpon them and vs in the time of refection And which is more detestable so hard are the hearts of many that they haue not onely not relieued them but rated them Is that the worst No. They haue which will make a good heart euen to melt and as the Prophet Ieremie saith Lam. 2. his eyes faile with teares his bowels swell his lyuer to bee powred foorth vpon the earth to thinke of their crueltie euen to whip them away from their gates Againe other some of great reuenewes because they will not kéepe hospitalitie nor relieue the poore at home they giue vp house and either soiourne and table with some friends or els take a chamber in some Citie or Towne where they will kéepe no house at all but with a man and a boy and that seldome liue both meanely basely and obscurely to the blemishing and slayning of their credite and worship for euer Euen they whose lands and possessions are worth peraduenture fiue hundred pound yea it may be a thousand pound yéerely whose parents and auncestors kept twentie or fortie men I allow not of Idlenesse but I commend maintaining them in a Liuerie maintained great hospitalitie to the great reliefe of al the poore Country about them euen they I say doe so And yet will al their reuenewes scarce serue to maintaine their small port withall notwithstanding that they so racke their lands raise their rents and exact such fines and incomes as they make two fold so much more of their liuings now as their forefathers did in times past Now it may profitably be demanded how they carrying so lowe a saile can spend so great reuenewes which before times maintained so many score and relieued so many thousands of poore I answere first Gods curse is vpon all they haue and then how can it be otherwise Secondly they spend it for the most part either in sumptuous apparell gorgeous buildings both which are too rife at this day in England or els in feasting and banqueting in ryoting and gurmandizing besides other chamber-workes which I blush to name For as the Apostle saith It is a shame once to name those things which are done of them in secrete God turne their hearts and giue them grace to containe themselues within themselues to maintaine hospitalitie for the reliefe of the poore and to vphold that porte worship and credite which their forefathers did Our Sauiour Christ saith Mat. 10.42 That a cup of cold water giuen in his name shall not bee left vnrewarded And the Apostle Paul calleth it Phil. 4.18 an Odour that smelleth sweete a sacrifice acceptable and pleasant to God Alas consider wherfore did God giue you such great store of riches and large possessions in this life aboue your brethren was it not to doe good with them and to helpe them that haue néede Know you they were not lent you to spend in ryot and excesse in pride or gluttonie drunkennesse or chambering no nor in hawking nor hunting nor in any such kind of vanitie No No it will not at the great day of accompt the day of iudgement goe for payment when it shal be said Luk. 16. Giue an accompt of thy stewardship for thou must no longer bee steward I counsel you therefore to learn of the vniust steward to make you friends of the wicked Mammon And to bend my speach to all generally I counsell you to study to bee more carefull in relieuing the poore distressed members of Iesus Christ euery one according to that portion which the Lord hath bestowed vpon you that so you may be counted the Lords faithfull stewards meete to inherite that kingdome which the Lord hath purchased for all them that walke in his pathes kéepe his couenant and testimonies verse 10. All the pathes of the Lord are mercy and truth to them that keepe his couenant and his testimonies Text. The Exposition By pathes in this place the Prophet vnderstandeth the whole regiment of God wherewith hee ruleth all thinges that he hath created The sence is Whatsoeuer the Lord doth towards them that kéepe his couenant and testimonies whether it be that he afflict them or whether he suffer them to fal into sin he therby sheweth mercy kéepeth the truth of his promise towards them Temptations wherwith Sathan assaulteth vs are not the least afflictions which God as with a salue doth eure our soules with When God giueth him power to wound the children of GOD he permitteth it to humble them to the end that when they be so grieuously tormented and do yet still resist the assaults that are made vpon them they should vnderstand Simil. that that commeth not of themselues but that they bee vpheld otherwise that is to wit by the grace of GOD and by the power of his holy spirite To this purpose it is that the Apostle Paul in the 8. Chapter to the Rom. 28. verse saith Also we know that al things worke for the best vnto them that loue God euen to them that are called of his purpose So then when God giueth Sathan leaue to tempt the faithfull ordinarily it is to serue thē as it were with a * Euen as an holesome medicine although biting grieuous to the flesh doth cure the diseases of the bodie euen so temptations of Gods children doe cure their soules medicine And heerein we sée the vnspeakable and wonderfull mercy and goodnesse of our gracious God in turning euill into good For what can Sathan and sinne bring but rancke poyson and venim Yea hee hath nothing but death for he is called the Prince of death So then whatsoeuer Sathan can effect it turneth altogether to mans destruction and to the drowning of them in endlesse damnation And yet
saith that our louing Lord and swéete sauiour Iesus Christ hath of his mercies not of your merits for you haue none reconciled you to God his father and to wash and clense you hath shedde his precious bloud that he hath paid the price of your ransome that by his righteousnesse you might be acquited and by this meanes become holy and acceptable to GOD our heauenly father the knowledge of these things is to the end wee should throughly cleaue vnto him say What meanes haue we to be saued by but onely by the frée grace of God seing that our Lord Iesus Christ hath of his infinite goodnes made full and sufficient satisfaction for vs and to the ende that our faith should rest therupō But may we lie still and sléepe like Swine No. No. We must awake we must repayre by Praier to God say Wherein is our welfare Euen in the death and passion of our Lord and sauiour Christ Iesus Therfore we must seeke it there for wée shall neuer finde it elsewhere neyther with men nor Angels And how must wee seeke it but by Praiers and supplications Then let vs pray vnto him and say O Lord seing thou seest vs farre from all goodnes giue vs the true feare of thee send downe thy holy Spirite into our hearts to reforme renue and direct vs in our waies True it is we are wretched sinners but forasmuch as we are members of the mysticall body of thy deare sonne our sauiour Christ Iesus we pray thee make vs righteous through him True it is that we are polluted and full of spottes but his precious blood can cleanse vs we are guilty of euerlasting death and in bondage to it but our sweet Sauiour and Lord Iesus Christ hath set vs free from it Wherefore O gracious God fill thou vs with thy holy sweete spirite that by his strength wee in our pathes and waies that we haue chosen may be ledde and conducted suffer vs not for any temptation to fall from thee What man is he that feareth the Lord Him will he direct in the way that hee shall chuse Text. Doct. This beyng an Interrogation wee learne this Doctrine Litle is the flock and small is the number of them which truly feare the Lord. The reason is For although the most men seeme to pray the greatest nūber frequēting the assemblies where the word is preached as for others they euidently openly professe thēselues that there is no feare of GOD before their eyes séeme many times like painted Sepulchers faire without and foule within like Copper which resembleth Golde when it is not it like stage-plaiers that seeme to be Kinges and Princes when in deed they are starke and very beggers when they seeme as if they repented when their liues and conuersations doe euidently shew that they are not in substance that which thy seeme in shew Therefore most rare is the feare of God to be found whereby it cōmeth to passe that iustly vpon great cause the Lord depriueth the wretched and miserable worldlings of the Spirit of counsel and wisedome Vse The vse is That wee pray vnto God to giue vs his holy blessed spirite that wee seeme not to feare the Lord when wee are farre from it but that he will sanctifie our harts with sincerity that all hypocrisie being remoued farre from vs we may be so directed by the same spirit in our way that other seing our good workes may glorifie our father which is in heauen And forasmuch as hypocrisie is so great and gréeuous a sinne as that it not onely deceyueth men but so displeaseth the Lord as hee many times although not alwaies nor al such persons plagueth and punisheth them in this life but much more in that to come Apo. 21. who shall haue their partes with the fearfull and Adulterers in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death I thinke it conuenient to handle this point seing that the most are such that they seing how odious it is in the sight of GOD may not onely detest it but also vtterly flie from it as a most mortall and deadly enemy Euen as the fowler A similitude of a painted Oxe to take the silly birds which with a painted Oxe which is not an Oxe but vnder the shape and likenesse thereof lieth in waite for the poore birdes that hee might take them and kill them So he which with a counterfaited and fayned holinesse will colour and couer impietie wicked purposes or whatsoeuer is against the will word of God hath not the feare of God but vnder the colour and shape of godlinesse and honesty séeking the prayse and glory of the world hée casteth in his head and worketh by degrees the ruine decay vndoing of others that hée may compasse their goods lands and possessions and gaine some honour and dignity among men 2. Tim. 3 5. Such men haue a shewe of godlinesse but as the Apostle saith haue denied the power thereof And although some hypocrites will sometimes seeme to forsake their riches and lende some to their neighbors and bestow some vpon the poore yet still the marke and leuell they shoote at is to augment and encrease them A similitude of the soaring hawke for the silly bird For euen as the swift hawke entending to take the birde that flieth doth not presently when she seeth her seyse vpon her but rather at the first with fetching a compasse séemeth to forsake her but at the second or third flight she goeth towards her with a wonderfull force and incredible swiftnesse to take her in the ayre and to rend her in péeces Right so do hypocrites for at the first sight they will séeme not to regard neither thee nor thine but to continue the riches and promotions of the world but then they come and counterfeit a simplicity fowling for a greater matter then they presently sée and reaching at some greater promotion and higher dignitie then the present time and occasion doth offer but at the second or third flight when all thinges aunswere their expectation thou shalt perceiue that with all spéede and gréedinesse they will lay hold on those things which thou supposedst they had contemned These are doubleharted men they haue wicked lippes and handes that worke iniquitie these are sinners that go two waies and eternall woe is their reward The hypocrite goeth two manner of waies when he laieth vp one thing close in his hart the other he sheweth in his actions speaketh one thing doth another Such an one was Herod Math. 2. pretending a great deuotion towardes Christ and that he would worship him when hée was whetting his sword to destroy him True Christians lead their liues although not in perfection according to their profession and as S. Iames saith do shewe their faith by their workes All hypocrites whatsoeuer they would séeme to be do so farre differ from true Christianitie as the drosse of
notwithstanding God findeth meanes whereby the euill that is in Sathan and in our selues are turned to our good And here we sée how S. Paul was cured as it were Heb. 2.14 with a medicine as he himselfe confesseth after he had spoken of those high Reuelations which God gaue him 2. Cor. 12.1 2. Co. 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9. It is not expedient for me no doubt to reioyce for I will come to visions and reuelations of the Lord. ver 2. I know a man in Christ aboue fourteene yeeres agone whether hee were in the bothe I cannot tell or out of the body I cannot tell God knoweth which was taken vp into the third heauen ver 3. And I know such a man whether in the body or out of the body I cannot tell God knoweth ver 4. How that hee was taken vp into Paradise and heard words which cannot bee spoken which are not possible for man to vtter ver 5. Or such a man will I reioyce of my selfe will I not reioyce except it bee of mine infirmities ver 6. For though I would reioyce I should not be a foole For I will say the truth but I refraine lest any man should thinke of me aboue that hee seeth in me or that hee heareth of me c. to the end of the ninth verse God hath prouided for me that I should not exalt my selfe too much Loe here a good preuision and very profitable for him For we know that pride is ready to throw vs headlong into hell and there is nothing that more prouoketh Gods displeasure then it For hee must of necessitie shew himselfe an enemie to the proude and to such as presume aboue their owne strength after what maner so euer it bee And S. Paul was in the same daunger if God had not remedied it In what sort did hee it It was saith Paul by sending me the messenger of Sathan to buffet me Sée how Sathan worketh in S. Paul euē by Gods permission And what was the issue Questionlesse he meant vtterly to haue ouerwhelmed him and his intent was to haue drawne him into wickednesse to the end that hee would haue him haue giuen ouer the seruice of God and by little little to haue withdrawne himselfe from Christianitie by reason of the wearisome miseries and troubles which he endured without ceasing Behold heere Sathans purpose Notwithstanding this God purposed another end to binde his deare seruant that he should not forget himselfe and so exalt himselfe to the great displeasure of God For this cause he was buffetted The Apostle doth purposely chuse the phrase of buffetting God vsed him not as a man of armes that fighteth in the fielde to giue him a glorious victorie but buffetted him like a boy to his shame and reproach Thus the holy Apostle whome God had endued with so excellent gifts of the holy Ghost was so farre made an vnderling to Sathan that he as it were spit in his face and wrought him many other villanies We sée then how God turneth the euill into good when hee maketh all Sathans stings to serue vs as medicines whereby he purgeth vs of the vices that Sathan hid in vs. And therfore we haue cause to praise God in al respects yea euē although at the first sight his iudgemēt séemeth to our imaginations ouer-boysterous and that by our fleshly vnderstanding wee cannot vnderstand them When we haue well considered all these and many more of these his mercies we shall euer haue wherewith to glorifie and magnifie our good God and father To bee yet better confirmed in this truth let vs consider how afflictions serue for our profit and saluation First for as much as the reliques of sinne abide still euen in the perfectest in this life which maketh them hardned in their sinnes Fruite to awake vs out of our sinnes Rom. 12.1 and inclined to offend GOD we haue néede of helpes to be awaked to be humbled and drawne from our sinnes to kéepe vs in the time to come and so to dispose vs to a perfect obedience holy and acceptable to God And to this end tend the afflictions of them which kéepe the couenaunt and testimonies of God his deare children which for this cause are called chasticements corrections and medicines of our selues Iosephs brethren Gen. 42 21. The children of Iacob hauing committed a detestable crime in selling their brother Ioseph neuer thought of it vntill they being in Egypt oppressed with reproches and imprisonment called to mind their sin saying one to another Surely wee haue sinned against our brother for we sawe the anguish of his soule when hee besought vs and we would not heare him therefore is this trouble come to vs. Manasses king of Iudah Manasses hauing set vp Idolatrie persecuted those that would haue purely serued the Lord 2. Chro. 33. so that Ierusalem was full of bloud and hauing shut his eares to the admonitions of the Lord in the end was taken by the army of the king of the Assyrians bound with manacles fettered in chaines and carried prisoner into Babylon Then being in afflictions he was excéedingly humbled before God hee praied to the Lord and was heard and carried backe vnto Ierusalem The fifth Sermon vpon the 25. Psalme the 11 and 12. verses 11 For thy name sake O Lord be mercifull to mine iniquitie for it is great THis is a prayer of the holy Prophet king Dauid after his holy meditation of the vnspeakable mercy and eternall truth of God in kéeping his promises to them that truely worship him and obey his holy lawes Two special branches it containeth The first an earnest and zealous prayer to GOD for his name sake not for his merites to pardon his sinne Secondly is a déepe search of them without soothing excusing or hiding them Text. For it is great The forme that the Prophet obserueth in ioyning this prayer to his former meditation of the mercie and truth of GOD towards them that obey him is this When he had throughly meditated with himselfe that God was good gracious towards his seruants he considered himselfe acknowledging that except the Lord of his great mercie would pardon his great and gréeuous sinnes he should be none of them Therfore he praieth as the like he did at another time before when hee spake of the reward which God layeth vp for the faithfull that kéepe his holy Lawe Psalm 19.10 Psal 19.10 11 12. And more to be desired meaning the holy lawes of God thē gold yea then much fine gold sweeter also then the hony the hony cōbe verse 11. Moreouer by them is thy seruant made circumspect in keeping of thē there is great reward vers 12. Who can vnderstand his faults clense me frō my secrete faults that GOD for his name sake would pardon him The sence is briefly this My sinnes O Lorde as a great burden sore oppresse mee for whose sake except thou pardon them of thy