heat of prosperity but keepeth still the same minde the same constancy the same tenor of of vertue Simile And euen as the skilfull sea-faring man is not daunted with euery storme nor giueth ouer for a contrary winde but laboureth with perseuerance against the winde vntill he commeth to the hauen And as the hound followeth the Hare through brambles thornes hedges vntill he catch her So we must not giue ouer our purpose of wel-doing for any aduersity difficulty or temptation but with perseuerance to ouercome the troublesome stormes and waues of this world vntill we come to the safe hauen and port of euerlasting life 1. Cor. 9. So runne that yee may obtaine Simile The wicked contrarywise may be likened to a rotten worme-eaten apple which falleth from the Tree before it bee ripe when the sound grow fast vntill they come to maturity So they that are putrified and worme-eaten through custome of sinne fall away from a good purpose through want of perseuerance with a little winde of temptation Hee is as the chaffe which the winde scattereth away from the face of the earth Psal 1.5 Who euer continued in wel-doing and found not the mercy of the Lord Mar. 16. Ioh. 20. Mary Magdalen perseuered at the Sepulchre and the Lord first apeared vnto her The woman of Canaan perseuered in prayer vnto the Lord Math. 15. and ceased not at so many repulses and therfore heard these words O woman great is thy faith bee it vnto thee euen as thou wilt The importunate friend in the Gospell who knocked at his friends dore crauing to borrow three loaues Luk. 11. obtained that by perseuerance which for friendship he could not To conclude the people continued with the Lord three daies in the Desart and our Sauiour rewarded this their perseuerance with a notable miracle whereby both their bodies were fed and which is more their faith also confirmed O brethren that wee would perseuer thus in prayer and in our good purposes in hearing the word in meditation of heauenly things c. O that they which spend whole daies and nights in play cards dice and filthy pleasures would spend but one day with the Lord in prayer godly meditation c. How farre greater would their gaine bee then what they get by vaine pleasures But what say I one day I would to God they would bestow but one houre in a day in this duty great surely then would bee the profite they should get thereby c. And thus through perseuerance patience hath her perfect worke in vs it followeth that yee may bee perfect and entire lacking nothing Here the word perfect signifieth stable constant persisting to the end in the profession of the Gospell For God vseth patience as an instrument and meane to make vs perfect Now in that some in Scripture are called iust and perfect men Math. 2. Luk. 2. Math. 5. Math. 19. Perfection two waies taken as Ioseph and Zacharias be yee perfect as your heauenly Father is perfect Wee must vnderstand that perfection is two waies taken either absolutely or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is in respect of some other thing The absolute perfection is such which can not bee encreased but is so full and absolute as nothing may be added vnto it In this degree of perfection no man in this infirmity and weaknesse of nature is perfect the iust falleth seuen times a day and therefore the very Apostles prayed the Lord to encrease their faith Luk. 17. And the Apostle speaketh of himselfe and of all the Saints of God in this life Rom. 7.18 For I know that in mee that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing for to will is present but I finde no meanes to performe that which is good That wee might vnderstand that in the most perfect dwelleth the body of sinne as he saith againe O wretched man that I am Rom. 7.24 who shall deliuer mee from the body of this death For the second which is in deed the perfection of Gods children it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 certae cuiusdem rei respectu tantum onely in respect of some certaine thing so was Ioseph Iob Zacharias called iust or perfect men not because they were absolutely perfect but because they had attained to the perfection of sundry vertues as farre forth as of men this life might be attained Thus the godly are called perfect either in comparison of the wicked in respect of whom Gods children are holy and in comparison of them perfect Or because the measure of their gifts and graces and the vertues to which they aspire by the imputation of Christs perfection are reputed perfect and made acceptable vnto God Wee are now therefore in the way where wee are tending towards perfection and shall at last obtaine the same in our Country and as all our righteousnesse is of faith so as our faith doth increase in vs so doth also our righteousnesse and perfection What this perfection is in this life the Apostle notably explaneth Phil. 3.12.13 Not as though I had already attained to it either were already perfect but one thing I doe I forget that which is behind and endenour my selfe to that which is before This the Apostle teacheth by an elegant Simile taken from runners in a race But what do these valiant runners in a race In dies vlterius They forget that which is behind That is first they neuer looke backe nor regard how many paces they haue runne but what yet remaineth farther for them to runne that with an vnwearied course they may hasten to finish it going still farther neuer declining from the marke and goale vntill they haue attained the same Secondly they indeuour to that which is before they haue their eyes and minde intent and fixed vpon the marke to which they runne and will by no meanes diuert either minde or eyes from the same Herein consisteth our Christian perfection in this life and therefore hee addeth Let vs therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded The vse beloued wee should make hereof is The Vse that seeing by patitience vnder the crosse and afflictions of this life we increase in godlinesse and grow towards perfection and this our aspiring towards perfection and growth in godlinesse is by the imputation of Christs perfection accepted and accounted for perfection before God O then let this moue vs to hold fast this exhortation of the Apostle Brethren count it exceediug ioy when yee fall into diuers temptations Knowing that the trying of your faith bringeth forth patience And let patience haue her perfect worke that yee may bee perfect and entire lacking nothing The third Sermon 5 If any lack wisedome let him aske of God which giueth to all men liberally and reproacheth no man and it shall be giuen him 6 But let him aske in faith and wauer not for hee that wauereth is like a waue of the sea tost of the winde and
as to effeminate ioyfull and delicate men the bait of lechery and vaine-glory to Stoicall sterne and angry men the baite of wrath and pride c. And which is most to bee feared he worketh not this by himselfe onely but also by his seruants and instruments And euen as a Prince or noble-man riding a Hunting or Hauking hath many hunters and seruants that accompany him and whatsoeuer is taken in hunting is ascribed all vnto the Prince The deuill hath his agents So the deuill hath his gard hath his hunters to take soules For what else shall wee call the whoorish woman Note this the fraudulent friend the alluring companion him that keepeth a house of play and baudry but the diuels Huntsmen for so the Lord himselfe calleth them Ier. 5. There are found among my people wicked persons that lay waite as hee that setteth snares they haue made a pit to catch men What remaineth then brethren but that we hearken to the counsell of the blessed Apostle 1. Pet. 5.8 Bee sober and watch for your aduersary the denill as a roaring Lyon walketh about seeking whom hee may deuoure Yee had need to bee very carefull and vigilant for yee haue to do with a most vigilant enemy which compasseth you with a greedy desire to hurt you seeking not onely whom hee may wound but also kill and deuoure Simile If any Souldier or Marriner should fall into the hand of the Turke and bee carried vnto Constantinople though he would greatly feare to fall into the hands of so cruell an enemy of the name of Christ yet hee hath some hope of redemption for siluer and gold may redeeme him but if hee fall into the hands of the Lystrigons or Canibals which as soone as they haue taken men presently deuoure them aliue What hope then remaineth O man created after the image of God that thou mightest enioy eternall blessednesse take heed of this cruell enemy which as a bloudy beast destroyeth and deuoureth men trust him not enter into no friendship with him there is no hope of fauour to be expected at his hands The third kind of temptation is presumptionis of presumption whereby man tempteth God as when men abuse Gods patience and suffering to a security of sinning flattering and deceiuing themselues in the mercy of God and finall repentance Ephes 4. and in the meane time wallow in their wickednesse sin with greedinesse saying I haue sinned Eccles 5. and what euill hath happened vnto me The Lord hath mercy in store for vs all hee will receiue me whensoeuer I come I will repent at the houre of death and I shall doe well enough c. This is a presumptuous tempting of God an abusing as Paul saith of the riches of Gods goodnesse patience and long-suffering and those doe Thesaurizare sibi iram in diem irae Rom. 2. Heape vp vnto themselues wrath vnto the day of wrath Here let vs learne brethren how dangerous a thing it is to deferre repentance and while wee haue time not to turne vnto the Lord Surely it is a fearefull thing for a sinner to passe the whole race of his life in pleasure and to protract repentance to the last minute of our life A wise man repaireth and couereth his house in Summer least he be anoyed with the stormes of Winter The prouident Saylor when the sea is calme and the weather faire prepareth all things necessary against a tempest least being preuented with a storme he laboureth in vaine The breach in a Citty-wall in time of peace and not in the brunts of battell is to be repaired And Alexander is reported to haue disgraded a Knight because he was then preparing his armour when hee should encounter with his enemies So shold we betimes while opportunity serueth prouide vs of things necessary for our iourney towards our Country I meane repentance and amendment of life without which wee shall neuer attaine to our wished end For if we be slack herein and do foolishly deferre it till the future time death may preuēt vs while we are a preparing Augustine Cum vult improbus homo non potest quia quando potuit noluit ideo per malum velle perdidit bonū posse Non facile inueniuntur in aduersitate praesidia quae non fucrunt in pace quaesita Luk. 14 31. and cast vs into eternall torments Truely saith Augustine when the wicked would he cannot because when he could he would not and therefore through the euill of his will he lost the good of his power And in an other place Succours are not easily found in aduersity which were not sought in time of peace Our Sauiours example of the King teacheth vs this What King saith he going to fight with another King sitteth not downe first and taketh counsell whether hee bee able with tenne thousand to meete him that commeth against him with twenty thousand O thou vnhappy and foolish sinfull man which wagest warre with the highest King euen the King of Kings whose beck all things obey by whose prouidence all things are gouerned whom the Angels do serue whom the deuils do feare whose power is greater then heauen and earth can comprehend who hath the keies of life and death in his hands What is this thy vaine confidence vpon what counsell rebellest thou against thy God Dost thou trust vnto the health of thy body and a long life O vaine man thou trustest then to a broken reede which by the sinne of thy first parents is brused and crased with a thousand chinckes of infirmities and laid open vnto death why dost thou not then craue of him the conditions of peace why takest thou not truce with him why with all humility dost thou not conuert vnto him with true repentance craue pardon for thy sinnes while hee is yet farre off Wee reade of Alexander Alexand. that mighty Monarch of the world when hee besieged any rebellious Citty at length he would hang forth a Candle burning before the gates of the Citie and proclaimed that if before the same was out they would render the Citie hee would receiue them into fauour if not they might know that there was no hope of mercy While then the Lord calleth vs and offereth his mercy vnto vs ô let vs come by repentance least when it is too late the dore of mercy bee shut and it happen to vs as it did vnto Esau who found no place of repentance Heb. 12. though hee sought it with teares Woe bee vnto them which onely with their life giue ouer their sinnes which will then repent when they can sin no longer Peccata tunc te dimiserunt Augustine non tu illa saith Augustine Then thy sinnes haue left thee and not thou them And againe When I come to old age thou wilt say then I will repent Quare hoc fragilitas humana presumat cum diem vnum in potestate sua non habeat Augustine Wherefore doth humane frailty
hearts are carried away with diuers affections Ecles 2.10 So that this of Salomon may be verified in them Whatsoeuer mine eyes desired I with-held it not from them I with-drew not my heart from any ioy Those idle hearers our Sauiour likeneth vnto seed sowen among thornes stones Math. 13. or in the high-way Simile And are not many like vnto away in which if there lie any mony or thing of value it stayeth not long there but is taken vp of trauellours but if it be a clout or some vile thing it is let alone there is none that taketh it vp So scurrile things vnhonest speeches filthy songs wee receiue into our hearts and fixe in our memory as things very precious but the diuine and pretious iewell of Gods word is straightway forgotten the deuill catcheth it away and why because wee are like the high-way wee are hearers and not doers What shall I say Simile Hee that heares the word and doth it nor is like vnto him that carrieth his aduersary with him which will accuse him and deliuer him to the Iudge to be condemned The word which I haue spoken shall iudge you in the last day Iohn 12. Mat. 5.25 Againe agree with thine aduersary quickely whiles thou art in the way with him least thine aduersarie deliuer thee to the Iudge and the Iudge deliuer thee to the Sergeant and thou bee cast into prisou Will you know what an aduersary the word of God is to the wicked How the word of God reproueth it crosseth all their desires it standeth by and reproueth them to their faces it telleth the wicked that their palate is infected their taste corrupted the sweet seemeth bitter vnto them and bitter sweet it telleth them that they are like vnto swine which haue no smelling and therefore they willingly wallow in the mire which if they had in them a spirituall nose a sound iudgement they could not endure their owne stinke by reason of the filthinesse of their swinish liues It telleth them that they are neere vnto death and must giue account vnto God for the least sin they commit and that if God doth not punish them in this life hee hath reserued them to the more seuere punishment in the world to come It telleth them that no sin shall escape vnpunished nor no vertue be defrauded of a reward It denounceth woe woe woe vnto them if they repent not betime woe bee vnto them in their life woe vnto them in their death and woe be vnro them after death O what a terrible litigator is this brethren agree with this aduersary betime while thou art in the way of this life Bee yee doers of the word and not hearers onely Contend not with it striue not with it repine nor at it for thou shalt neuer ouercome it For a while happily you may plead excuses extenuate your sinnes sed tandem tandem causa cadetis but at length your cause shall faile and bee ouerthrowne and thy conscience it selfe being illuminated and better informed by reason shall one day condemne thee and deliuer thee into hell neuer to come out from thence so great is the summe of thy debts which thou shalt neuer bee able to pay Our Sauiour ioyning the hearing and doing of the Word together Math. 7.24 saith Whosoeuer heareth the word and doth it is like vnto a wise man which hath buth builded his house vpon a rocke c. bee yee therefore doers of the word and not hearers onely c. Many can boast that they haue heard a Sermon this day or that day yet diminish they nothing of their pride and other vanities neither haue they left their boyling malice their swelling hatred their cursed coueteousuesse their fleshly pleasures neither abate they any thing of their wanton banquets their riotous feasts neither stay they their bribing hands their slanderous mouthes their blasphemous tongues their lying lippes neither refraine they from pestilent vsury cruell oppression violent extorsion fraudulent dealing with their neighbours Therefore saith the Apostle Bee yee doers of the word not hearers onely The third sort are these which heare the word with all diligence and haue a care to practise the same and endeuour to square their liues by the line thereof these onely are pronounced blessed by the mouth of Christ himselfe Luk. 11. Blessed are they which heare the word of God and keepe it and shewing whom hee counteth for his brethren hee saith that they are his mother and his brethren Luke 8. which not onely heare but do the word of God And If yee know these things Iohn 13. happy are yee if yee do them Wee all make profession of Christ and say wee haue faith when wee neuer go about to bring in tune our iarring liues to this vnison Faith indeed is the foundation saith the Apostle but where is our Christian building 1. Cor. 3. O build vpon it build vpon it bee yee doers of the word This then shall bee my counsell and request to you all euen for Christs sake and so I will conclude I beseech you be attentiue Yee Gentlemen Gentlemē build vpon this your faith in Christ the workes of clemency iustice and liberality that yee may bee indeed such as your names do import this is the first I would haue you to build vpon your faith Oppresse not your poore Tenants with vnreasonable rents and heauy fines Esay 3.15 What haue yee to do that yee beat my people in peeces and grinde the faces of the poore saith the Lord euen the Lord of Hostes Giue one part of your substance vnto God another to the poore and with the rest vphold an honest estate and calling this is the second Be humble not proud of Gentility and riches but remember yee must all die returne naked into the earth and giue account to the supreme Iudge for all your actions let this be the third so shall you not bee hearers onely c. Yee Marchants Marchāts build you also three things vpon your faith in Christ Play not the vsurers and prostitute not your mony to vnlawfull gaine this is the first Doe not adulterate or falsifie your mony or wares let this be the second Deut. 25. Haue not in your houses two weights and two measures one to buy with and another to sell with for this is abhomination to the Lord let this be third so shall you not bee hearers onely c. Yee Yong-men doe not impinguate and pamper vp your flesh Yong men least like an vntamed horse it doth recalcitrare lift vp the heele against you but chastice the same with fasting imbrace sobriety let this bee the first stone you lay vpon the foundation of your faith Inure and exercise your selues in the wholsome discipline of learning least idlenesse effeminate your mindes and sathan make it a seed-plot of al vices which like Pthisicorum Febris a feuer hectick will cleaue euer after to your bones and