commaundement hee will deliuer thee there is the promise and thou shalt glorifie him there is the condition To disobey the commaundement is rebellion to distrust the promise is infidelitie to refuse the condition is vile ingratitude Wherefore let vs seeke and seeke earnestlie with a feruent spirit and humblenes of heart and let vs perswade our selues that there is no seeking without finding no opening without knocking The second circumstance to be considered in this point is to whome wee must seeke for these things Our direction is made vnto God For euery good and perfect gift is from aboue descending from the father of lights And as for manie causes we are to seeke to God and to God alone so especiallie for these foure First because wee haue nothing of our selues nor of any other creature but whatsoeuer wee haue wee haue it of God for what hast thou that thou hast not receiued in him wee liue we mooue and haue our beeing Art thou wise in thine owne conceit O remember that the wisdome of the world is foolishnes with God! O consider that the naturall man vnderstandeth not the thinges of God! these things are hid from the wise and prudent and are reuealed to babes and sucklings Alas what were man if hee were once left to himselfe a map of miserie and a sinck of calamitie Alas howe were hee able to resist the fierie dartes of the aduersarie who continually goeth about like a roaring Lion seeking whom hee may deuoure Heere yee may note first his malice for hee dailye accuseth vs before the cheefe Iudge of the Kings benche when he cannot preuaile in this court but seeth his billes of accusation repelled then hee remooueth the matter to the Court of our owne consciences where on the one side he laieth the bookes of the lawe and statutes made against sinne on the other side the billes of accusation brought in against vs out of the bookes of the lawe alledging these strict places against vs The soule that sinneth shall dye the death Curssed is hee that abideth not in euery pointe of the lawe to doo it On the other side hee bringeth in consciences to witnesse against vs and then inferreth this harde conclusion Therefore there is no hope of saluation Then if hee see that wee appeale from iustice to mercie and say At what time soeuer a sinner repenteth the Iudge putteth all his wickednesse out of his remembrance hee dealeth with vs as craftie worldlings deale in matters of lawe who when they see their matters passe against them in higher Courtes bring downe their case into the countrie to bee decided by the neighbours who either for their simplicitie cannot or for their fauour dare not iudge of the trueth of the matter So our aduersarie though GOD himselfe doo discharge vs though our conscience testifie our innocencie yet hee accuseth in the third Courte before men where hee is bolde to powre out his whole venome and poyson of his malice against vs and to forge what lyes and slaunders and Libels hee list because hee knoweth they shall bee receiued as true Thus hee accused Christ Iesus our blessed Lorde and Sauiour before Poncius Pilate and caused diuers false and vntrue witnesses to come in against him But if hee were malicious onely to wish our destruction and not mightie to wreake his mallice we should haue little cause to feare but hee is mightie therefore hee is termed a Lyon the power of darknes the great Dragon which drew to the earth the third part of the starres of heauen that is with earthlye temptation to haue ouerthrowne them which seemed to shine in the Church of God as Lampes and starres O then how easie is our ouerthrow if the Lord did not hold vs vp which shine not as starres in heauen but creepe like wormes on earth Yet if hee were but malitious and mightie it were better with vs but he is fierce and therefore called a roaring Lyon who laying waite for the bloud of the godly stirreth vp bloud-thirstie persecuters to make themselues drunk with the bloud of the Saints as most grieuouslie hee did from the time of Iohn Baptist to the reigne of Maxentius the space of 294. yeares slaying some by the sworde burning other with fire hanging some on the Gallowes drowning some in Riuers stabing some with forkes of Iron pressing others to death with stones deuouring many thousands of the tender Lambs of Christs flock To this mallice might and rage is added his subtile policie which hee vseth in circumuenting the faithfull he dooth not pitch his tentes in anye one place but walketh about from place to place to spie out his best aduantage in the night hee soweth Tares and in the daye hee hindereth the growth thereof Hee proceedeth after further and added to his pollicie industrie he considereth our natures dispositions to what sinnes wee doe most incline and therevnto hee applyeth himselfe sometimes by flatterie sometimes by feare sometimes by feeding our humours hee subtillie entiseth vs sometimes by violence hee goeth about to enforce vs somtime by changing himselfe into an Angell of light hee endeuoureth to betraye our soules into his hands and in whatsoeuer estate hee findeth vs he thereby taketh occasion to lay siedge to our soules Thus yee see noted in a worde the force of our aduersarie examine nowe your selues whether yee haue anye thing in your selues and you shall find nothing but weakenesse and corruption It is God that giueth strength to the mightie wisdom to the prudent knowledge to the vnderstanding hee teacheth Dauids hand to fight and his fingers to battaile hee giueth strength to his armes to breake a bowe euen a bow of steele wherfore let neither the wise man glory in his wisdom nor the strong man in his strength but let him that glorieth glory only in the Lord. Secondly we are to seeke vnto God alone because none is so present as he for God because hee is almightie and with his power filleth both heauē and earth is present alwaies with them that feare him and readie to succour them in distresse The Lorde is neere to all that call vpon him in truth he heareth our gronings and sighes and knoweth what things are necessary for vs before we aske The third reason why we must seeke vnto God is none is so able to helpe vs as he but of this I shall haue particular occasion to speake when I come to this point and pray to the Almightie The fourth reason why wee must seeke Christ alone is because there is none so willing to helpe vs as he It is a great courage to vs to make sute when we are perswaded of the willingnesse of him to whome we make sute and I pray yee who was euer more carefull for our saluation and more watchfull ouer vs then the Lord who euer put his trust in him and was confounded In this respect he is called a Father because as the father tendreth his sonne so
the Lorde dooth all those that put their trust in him Can there bee any more willing to helpe vs then Christ whose whole head was sicke and whose heart was heauie for our sakes yea in whose bodie from the sole of the foote to the crowne of the head was nothing but woundes and swellings and sores but alas this was nothing to that he suffered for our sakes He was compassed about with feares and horrors till his sweat was drops of bloud his bones brused in the flesh hee was whipped and scourged and chastised with sorrows till he cried out in the bitternes of his soule O Lord if it be possible let this cup passe from me The heauie hand of God was so grieuous vpon him that it brused his very bones and rent his reines a sunder he could finde no health in his fleshe but was wounded yea wounded to the death euen the most bitter death vpon the crosse His tender fingers were nayled to the crosse his face was wrinkled with weeping wailing his sides embrued and gored with his own bloud spurting gushing fresh from his ribs the shadow of death was vpon his eies O what greefe could bee like to this or what condemnation could bee so heauie sith there was no wickednes in his hands sith he was the brightnes of his fathers glorie the sonne of righteousnes that shined in the world as to see his dayes at an end to see such throbing sighes and carefull thoughts without cause of his so deeply engrauen in the tables of his brest But was this all no my brethren sith his excellency was such aboue al creatures that the world was not worthy to giue him breath it was a greater greef vnto him to see himselfe made a worme and not a man a shame of men and contempt of the people to see his life shut vp in shame and reproches how could it but shake his bones out of ioint make his heart melt in midst of his bowels who was euer so ful of wo who euer bin brought so low into the dust of death vpon whom did the mallice of Sathan euer get so great a conquest This though it were exceeding yet it was not all no it was but a taste of greefe in comparison of the rest behold therfore if your watrie eyes will suffer yee to behold the depth of all miseries yet behinde the sinne that he hated he must take vpon his owne bodie and beare the wrath of his father powred out against it This is the fulnesse of all paines that compassed him round about which no tongue is able to vtter nor heart conceiue the anger of the father burneth in him euen to the bottome of hell and deepe sincke of confusion it wrapped him in the chaines of eternall death it crucified him and threw him downe into the bottomlesse pit of calamitie and made his soule by weeping and wayling to melt into these bitter teares trickling from his eyes O God my God why hast thou forsaken me O that my head were a Well of waters and a fountaine of teares that I might weepe day and night at the remembrance heereof but least I linger too long about one floure while I haue many to gather I will conclude this point thus in a word Sith Christ hath suffered these and an infinite number such like torments for our sakes it is blasphemous once to dream or imagine any to bee more willing to helpe vs then he nay he is more readie to heare our prayers then we to offer them vnto him insomuch that hee complaineth by the Prophet Esay I haue beene found of them that sought mee not all the day long haue I stretched out my hand vnto a rebellious people which walked in a way that was not good euen after their owne imaginations And vnto Ierusalem hee saith O Ierusalem Ierusalem how often would I haue gathered you together as the Hen gathereth hir Chickens and you would not wherefore to ende this point Seeke for knowledge as for a treasure and for wisdome as for the wedge of golde of Ophir No mention shall be made in comparison of it of Corrall Gabish or that precious Onix For wisdome is more precious then Pearles But aboue all things seeke it where it may bee found and where is this place of vnderstanding Surely man knoweth not the path therof the depth saith it is not in me the sea saith it is not in mee death and destruction say wee haue heard the fame thereof with our eares all creatures say it is not with vs but God vnderstandeth the way therof and vnto man he saith The feare of the Lorde is the beginning of wisedome and to depart from euill is vnderstanding The third circumstance is when we must seeke vnto God and holy Dauid answereth Earlie euen in a time when he may be found Let vs redeeme this day which wee haue foreslowed so many daies wherein we haue so long hardened our hearts let vs take vp this day and make it the day of our repentance let vs make it a day of newnes of life as it is the first day of the new yeere let euen this moment bee the last of a sinfull life and the first day to godlinesse And as the wise man saith Make no long tarrying to turne vnto the Lord and put not off from day to day for suddenly shal the Lords wrath breake and in thy securitie thou shalt bee destroyed and shalt perish in the time of vengeance Art thou a Magistrate placed in high roome and authoritie and seated in the throne of dignitie then vse not this thy might to wrong and oppression grinde not the faces of the poore swell not with pride despising his lowe estate Sell not thy righteousnesse for siluer preferring the Merchants of Babilon before the Cittizens of Ierusalem Art thou a priuate labouring man Doo thy dutie truelie bee subiect and liue in dread to displease the good Magistrate Art thou olde and hast consumed the floure of thy youth in wantonnesse Breake off the course and frame thy selfe to sobrietie giue the water no passage no not a little for if it haue neuer so little issue it will ouer-flow thee and if thou doo slack the reynes neuer so little thy sinnes will carrie thee like a wilde horsse thorow brambles and bushes and will leaue no soundnesse in thy flesh worke this reformation in thy selfe betimes euen to day euen this first day of the new yeare If ye will heare my voyce harden not your hearts Art thou young and doost begin to flourish like the young Palme tree O consider that the only way to retaine the blossome of thy beautie and to keepe thy floure from withering and thy leafe from fading away is to seeke earlye vnto GOD and to applie thy minde to vnderstanding to preuent the morning watches and to giue thy body to be moystened of the morning dew For beside the good houres that are
well imployed in some good studie and holie exercise earlye rising bringeth health to the body and encreaseth the number of thy dayes Seeke therefore and seeke earlie consecrate your selues Nazarites vnto the Lorde touche no vncleane thing giue no prouocation to the flesh Striue with the Cock in watchfulnes and rise with the chirping of the birds sacrifice your bodie a sweet smelling sacrifice vnto the Lord. This sacrifice is like a sacrifice of fine floure it is like the fatte taken from the peace offering yea it is better then any sacrifice it is like the flower of Roses in the spring of the yeere and as the Lillies by the springs of waters and as the branches of Frankensence in the time of Summer and as a vessell of massie gold beset with pretious stones as a faire Oliue that is fruitfull and as the tree that groweth vp to the clowds Hauing spoken of the Search it followeth that I speake of the manner how it is to bee made In prayer by these wordes If thou pray vnto the Almightie I shewed ye before the force of our aduersarie receiue nowe a Sheeld against his force euen the shield of praier Hee is not to be resisted by ringing an hallowed bell not by sprinkling of holy water not by the relikes of saints not by our owne workes merits for these are weapons of his own making but by an earnest seeking to GOD which search and seeking must bee made by prayer against which his poisoned venome taketh no effect It is his mallice that accuseth praier pleadeth thy case before God and repelleth all his accusations for all the prophets doe witnes that whatsoeuer we aske in praier if we beleeue we shal receiue it It is his rage and furie that should terrifie vs nay that prayer that strengthened Sampson to rent a yong Lion as one should haue rent a Kid hauing nothing in his hande shall smite and shutte vp the mouth of this Lion As for his pollicie and walking vp and downe seeking to deuoure vs it cannot preuaile for the prayer of the faithfull shall saue them the Lord shall raise them vp if they haue committed sin it shal be forgiuen them after this conflict ended they shall triumph for euer with Iesus Christ our Sauiour But in any case see you vnite to your praier knowledge that ye be not seduced to offer your petitions to strange gods as Saints stockes or stones Then consent that we aske only in the name of Christ Iesus not for any desert of our own for whosoeuer beleeueth in Christ shall haue remission of sins hee shall not perish but haue life euerlasting he shall not come into iudgement but shall passe from death to life Lastlie a confidence which is a certaine perswasion of Gods fauour and mercy towards vs this is that praier of which the Lambe testifieth that whatsoeuer we ask by this praier it shal be giuē to vs by God the father A thing dearly beloued so precious that nothing is more accepted in heauen nothing more gratefull to God a seruice commanded of God himselfe taught by Christ our Sauiour and frequented by the Angels a thing of more force with God then any oration of the eloquent Hast thou not heard how the Sunne stood still in the firmament and was not suffered to run his course Iosua and Ezechias prayed and the Sunne stood still Hast thou not heard of the stopping of the Lyons mouthes Daniell praied and his praier stopped the Lyons greedy and deuouring throtes the waters of Iorden were dryed vp yea the Israelites prayed and the waters stood about them like vnto a wall Hast thou not heard of the deuiding of the red sea the Israelites praied and Hast thou not heard howe the fierie furnace lost his heate the three children prayed and the fier lost his heate Hast thou not heard how the heauens were opened and shut Elyas prayed and the heauens were shutte vp three yeeres Elyas prayed and the clowdes powred downe raine from heauen O sure Fortresse more forcible then anye engine and stronger then the gates of hell and to conclude the sum and substance of all in few words the only thing whereby mortall men haue the clouds and the stars the Angels and all the powers of heauen at commandement For as Deborah sung in her song They fought from heauen euen the starres in their courses fought against Sisera so all creatures haue been subiect to the prayers of the faithfull to reuenge the Lordes quarrell to helpe the Lorde to helpe the Lorde against the mightie Prayer hath euer bin the cognisance the victorie and the triumph of the faithfull for as the soule giueth life to the body so prayer giueth life to the soule O that I could engraue the loue of it in your hearts as with a Diamond and so instill your mindes that my wordes might bee prickes vnto your consciences and thereby giue yee occasion to pray often It is a wonderfull mater to be able to perswade men but if praier be able to perswade the liuing God oh how great is the force therof it goeth through the clowds and ceaseth not till it come neere and will not depart till the most high haue respect therevnto O that you would therfore pray often and learne of Christ the most absolute patterne of our life to pray continually He praied in his baptisme in the wildernesse in preaching in working of miracles in his passion on the mount in the Garden in his last supper in cōmending his spirit to God at al times in al places that he might leaue vnto vs an example of the same It followeth and to pray to the Almightie To those three former reasons which I brought why wee must seeke and pray to God alone I added this as a fourth because there is none so able to help vs as the Lord. He that putteth his trust in the Lord shall be as mount Sion If God bee on our side who can be against vs It is God that iustifieth who condemneth The Lord destroieth the counsaile of the Heathen hee maketh their deuises to be of no effect Christ is the Angel of great counsaile wisedome and vnderstanding and there is no deuise against the Lord. The world notwithstanding is come to that frame that euery man hath gotten him a strange kind of beleef Some beleeue not the law but the prophets some be perswaded in the supremacie but not in the sacrament some in free will but not in merit some in inuocation vpon saints but not in purgatorie some in pilgrimages and pardons but not in Images some like the doctrine wel enough but not the preachers the most beleeue little yet many beleeue somwhat few beleeue all therefore to deale plainly because plaine dealing is best you must not beleeue by the halfes I meane you must not repose some trust in God and some in Saints but
prouide foode for the bodie hir greatest care was to enterteyne Christ and to make him good cheere to testifie hir thankfull minde vnto him that had doone so great things for them hee had raysed hir brother Lazarus from death to life therefore hee was worthye to bee well enterteyned If Elias deserued to bee well dealt withall at the hande of his hostesse whose sonne he had restored to life or Elysa deserued such enterteynement for hir sonnes reuiuing then surelie our Sauiour Christ was worthie to be welcome hither where hee had raysed Lazarus out of his graue wherein hee had lyne by the space of foure dayes before It was well doone therefore of Martha to shewe hir thankefull minde vnto Christ but it was not well doone at that time to shewe her selfe thankefull in that manner it was then time to heare the worde for at that time Christ preached the worde it was no time for hir to spende that time in other affayres and to neglect the greatest affaire the meanes of hir owne saluation It was not vnlawfull for Martha to labour no more then it was vnlawfull for Peter to sleepe but when Christ was preaching it was no time for hir to bee so busie in seruing no more then it was time for Peter to sleepe when Christ willed him so earnestly to watch and praye When Christ preached out of Symons ship to the people that stoode vppon the shore it was no time for Peter to play the Fisherman But when Christ had left speaking and commanded him to launch into the deepe then it was time for Peter to let downe the net There is a time wherein we ought to labour in our vocation and a time wherein we ought to heare the word and as we may not vtterly neglect our lawfull callings to followe sermons so must wee not bestow the Sabaoth which is consecrated to the seruice of God in following the workes of our vocation All things haue their appointed time saith the wise man Eccle. 3. and euery thing is seemely in his conuenient season but when things are doone preposterously and out of order there followeth confusion Although Martha did not heare Christ yet did she labour for Christ many in our dayes will neyther labour for Christ nor heare of Christ but as the Israelites were wearye of their iourney in the wildernesse and lothed that heauenly Manna so these men are wearie of euery godly exercise and are soone cloyed with the word of God The fiue foolish Virgins wasted their Oyle to no purpose and while they went to buie were excluded the marriage and these foolish men spende this time of grace vainely and wantonly as though after this life there were no time of iustice and vengeance to be feared The daye serueth for their pride or profit the night is spent in sporte and pleasure and no time is left to heare the worde When wee are praying they are playing when we are preaching they are eating and drinking like the old world that eate and dranke that marryed wiues and gaue in mariage while Noah was preparing the Arke for the sauing of his houshold And as Baals Priests wounded themselues to serue their Idoll so these men take dangerous courses and strangely trouble themselues to serue the diuell Nowe Martha findeth hir selfe agreeued and begins to enuie hir sisters exercise as Iosephs brethren enuyed him for his dreames and the sonnes of Ishai that disdained theyr brother Dauid for his forwardnesse in the combat with Goliath These two sisters that in other things agreed so well togither in this doo differ so much that Christ must haue the hearing of the matter and decide the controuersie Martha plaieth the Plaintife and accuseth hir sister Marye the defendant answereth by hir Aduocate and Christ himselfe that tooke vppon him the office of an Aduocate is become the Iudge and giueth sentence on Maryes side Martha complaineth of hir sisters slothfulnesse and seemeth after a sorte to blame our Sauiour for winking at it requiring him to see the matter redressed speedily But Christ first reprooueth Marthaes curiositie and then excuseth yea and commendeth Maries care In Martha it appeareth howe willing wee are to please our selues in our owne conceits and how ready to conceiue amisse of others dooings yea sometime to prefer our owne defects before the perfections of other men If Dauid chasten his soule with fasting it shall bee turned to his reproofe if hee put on Sackcloth to testifie his contrition they iest at him and the drunkards make songs of him if Iohn Baptist be temperate in his apparrell and dyet they will say hee hath a diuell If Paul answere discreetely for himselfe he shall bee charged to bee mad with ouermuch learning yea if our Sauiour Christ himselfe frequent the companie of sinners to reclaime them from sinne they will not sticke to call him a friend and companion of Publicans and sinners Among vs if there be any that be more forward in religion then the rest and more diligent to heare the worde as Marie was there shall not want some or other to censure them at their pleasure yea to finde faulte and to condemne them for so doing yet are not the godly to bee discouraged herewith or to desist from theyr godly exercises for as the Lorde answered for Mary when shee held hir peace so the Lorde will defend their cause and take their part against their aduersaries The Lorde cannot abide to heare his seruants ill spoken off but is alwayes ready to mainteine their right and to answere for them He will not suffer Laban to speake an ill worde to his seruant Iacob And if Aaron and Myriam murmure against Moises the Lorde will punish it with leprosie what a comfortable thing is this to the godly that the king of kings will take their parts and will not suffer them to susteyne any wrong Hee is a most sure and trustie friend that will not abide his friend to bee backbited or ill spoken of but eyther hee will answere in their defence or hee will finde some meanes to stop the mouthes and restraine the slanderous toungs of their enemies as somtime he stopt Balaams passage when hee went to curse his people and caused the dumbe beast to speake and to reprooue the madnesse of the Prophet rather then he woulde haue his people to bee curssed The repitition of Marthaes name argueth the vehemencie and earnestnesse of this admonition The Lord is faine to be very earnest and importunate with vs before hee can reclaime vs. So when God spake vnto Abraham hee calleth him twise by name Christ called Peter thrise by name Iohn 21. to cause him make his three-fould confession to make amends for his threefold deniall And when the Lorde spake vnto Samuel hee called him foure seuerall times by name before hee answered for such is the great mercie of GOD that he is content