the messenger looke for at king Dauids hand when he told him of Absaloms death and behold the King fell to weeping and crying out for the death of the traytor What praise and encouragement did Ioab the Kings Generall with all the Captaines of the armie looke for at the Kings hand and loe they were deceiued of their expectation for the King would not so much as once shew himselfe vnto them till he could not chuse Dauid deserued both loue and commendations at Hanuns hands whē so kindly he sent Embassadours to see how he did but instead thereof that wicked Ammonite construed euery thing to the worst suspecting them to come as spies into his land and so vsed them accordingly with all spite and shame shauing their beards off by the halfes and curtalling their garments by their buttockes And euen so many times it falleth out in the world when a man thinketh to do for the best it falleth out for the worst Is there any thing then more miserable then to hunt for the praise of men Achitophels counsels were for a while esteemed of as the Oracles of God but at the last his wisedome was turned into folly by Hushai Dauids friend whereupon the foolish hypocrite and hypocriticall traitor went home and for sorrow hanged himselfe And so is it vsually in the world many carrie all the credite for a time and afterwards when others come in place that shal excell them in one thing or other then they are no bodie What is then more miserable then to make the praise of men the end of our labor The children of God see this and beleeue it and haue good experience of it and therefore they make no reckening of it but resolue with themselues as the Apostle hath taught them We must passe through honour and dishonour through good report and badde report through praise and dispraise The counterfeit secketh onely for honor and there he resteth the hypocrite hunteth after praise and commendation and there he resteth but through dishonour and bad report he would passe and not stay there but as if one were no more to be regarded then the other but both to be despised alike The Apostle telleth vs that we must passe through both and go on in our holy courses like waies that bring vs to our iourneis end wherof some be faire and some be soule so must we accompt of the praise and dispraise of men For we haue a iourney to make vnto the kingdome of heauen wherein we must imitate wise trauellers who when they come to a fowle way they are not much troubled though it doth moile them and somewhat hinder their pace but they go on the more warily And whē they come to faire waies and pleasant fields and well furnished Innes they do not there set downe their rest but go on their iourney with more boldnesse and comfort The chiefest thing that they respect is not so much the foulenesse or fairenesse of waies or weather as that they be not out of their right way Euen so in our spirituall iourney while we walke the pathes of God we shall passe through the blind lanes and deepe sloughes of reproches and priuie slaunder through many a storme of tempestuous spirites What then We must go on for all that but so much the more circumspectly and warily After that we shall meete with friends and come to faire waies of peace and tranquilitie and the pleasing winds of good report and commendation wil blow vpon vs what then shall we there rest as though the end of our iourney were for to come to a greene way or to a pleasant wind no but we must go on still keeping a good conscience to cheare vs vp withall and the better our way be and the more temperate the aire be the more chearefully and comfortably should we persist in our heauēly iourney not so much standing vpon these accidents of praise and dispraise of liking and disliking of stormes and calmes as whether we be in the right way or no taking heede that we go not too fast for feare of tyring nor too slow for feare of casting behind and comming too late But vaine hypocrites onely talke of going this iourney they do not meane to trauell it indeede but make a shew of such a thing trauelling and professing religion and ciuilitie so long as they may be assured of easie iourneis good prouision faire weather and pleasant waies or else they are vndone If they know that dishonour and bad report lye in their way they will not set out And if they see that they shall be praised and well esteemed for their labour they will then go and run themselues out of breath too for all that they do is to be praised of men but of all men they are most vaine and miserable for they haue their reward and what is that else for the vncertaintie thereof for the deceitfulnesse thereof for the breuitie thereof for the vnprofitablenes thereof for the daunger thereof considering also the paines they take for it and the feares and cares that they are vexed withall for it and the manifold siftings and censurings they endure for it and how often they loose their expectation reaping the clean contrary to that which they looke for These things being well considered I say what else is the reward of hypocrisie compounded of but of vanitie and misery it selfe THE VIII SERMON MAT. 6.2 Verily I say vnto you they haue their reward IF godlinesse should be no better rewarded then with the praise of men then were true Christians of all men the most miserable and Christianitie it selfe were a miserable profession For in this life their lot is to be hated and scorned molested and persecuted for their vertues sake The world loueth his owne saith Christ but me it hateth and you it shall persecute for my names sake yea for my names sake they shall speake all manner of euill saying against you falsely If the world will not loue vs then it cannot like of vs if it doth not like of vs then it cannot commend vs if it cannot commend vs then it must condemne vs if it cannot loue vs then it must hate vs and if it can neither like nor loue vs what reward then must we looke for in the world not promotion but persecution not life but death Sometimes the wicked will seeme to commend and loue those that feare God and hate wickednesse but then I would wish the godly to beware most of all and to cast a double feare First least they haue put forth their hands vnto some wickednesse that is done something that liketh the wicked and offendeth God Secondly if they be free that way then let them feare lest some snares and baites be laid to entrap them in their goings The Scribes and Pharisees and Iewish Elders did often commend Christ but neuer for his good Good Maister say they we know that thou carest for no man and teachest
the mother the second is the daughter The first is the poyson the other is the signe thereof or the breaking out The first is the fountaine the second is the streame The first is the coale the second is the flame The first is the cause the second is the effect of the same The first is the theefe the second is his accessary The first robbeth God of his honour the second doth publish it Therefore both the first and the second be damnable neither the first nor the second are sinnes veniall as the Papists say but both the first and the second the mother and the daughter without faith and repentance are sinnes eternally mortall And therefore our Sauiour Christ saith here Take heede of them as if they were some dangerous enemies to the soule The first thing therefore to be taken heed of is all inward desire of vaineglory or worldly praise and that is forbidden in the first verse where our Sauiour saith Giue not to be seene of men that is with an intent purpose or desire that men should see thee and commend thee for it Publicke giuing is not forbidden for Christ saith Let your lights shine before men that they may see c. But vaineglorious giuing in publicke is forbidden and therefore he doth not simply say Do not your almes before men but addeth to be seene of them condemning that end which is first in heart though last in act So in Math. 5.16 he saith not Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie you but that they seeing your good workes may glorifie God your heauenly father who worketh both the will and the deed So then we see that it is not simply euill to do good workes in the view of men nay rather it is good so to do to glorifie God and encourage others God is much glorified when his children walke like their father being mercifull as their heauenly father is mercifull though not in that degree of mercie yet in mercy of the like nature heauenly bountifull free and harmelesse By the death of Christ he was knowne to be the naturall sonne of God and by the good life of Christians aswell as by their death it may be knowne that they are the adopted sonnes of God For when Christ died there was a strange alteration of nature the earth did shake the powers of heauen lost their power the graues opened the dead arose there was darknesse vpon the face of the earth as if day had bene turne into night which when men saw they confessed yea the very enemies of Christ himselfe confessed to the glorie of the diuine power saying doubtlesse this was the sonne of God So when Christians dye to the world and liue vnto God when they by the power of Gods spirit do crucifie sinne and quicken righteousnesse there is also a great alteration in nature their nature is refined by grace their night is turned into day and their day into night their present shame is their glorie and their former glory is their shame their dead affections are raised vp the deuowring graues of their hard harts being opened and now they speake and do and studie otherwise then they did and not like other men In a word as Christs death was not like other mens death so Christians liues are not like other mens liues Christs funerals were solemnized by the Sunne and the Moone by the powers of heauen by the graues and the dead by the earth and the stones and all the insensible creatures whereof in their kind some blushed some trembled some fainted and all mourned for the death of their Lord and feared seeing such things happen to their Soueraigne an vtter dissolution of themselues and all nature These things were not looked for in the world nor regarded at worldly mens funerals yea such as beseeme not the Princes of the nations so Christians liues and deaths too are solemnized and graced with the ornaments of the spirit and the ioy of heauenly Angels with the fruites of righteousnesse the applause of the godly things not regarded of the wicked nor beseeming the helhounds of this world But doubtlesse when men see these lights they must needes glorifie God and say God hath done great things for them and when the wicked themselues see such an alteration in them as they may stand a farre off and wonder at but neuer attaine vnto they must be enforced spite of their hearts to giue God the glorie as Achan did saying this is the truth and so it was and as the Iewes did doubtlesse these were good men the sonnes and daughters of God A man may by their behauiour know of whose bringing vp they were by their habite and spirituall attire a man may discerne them to be the Citizens of the heauenly Ierusalem Blessed be God in so much as they must go a little farther with the wicked in the book of Wisedome and say we are fooles and they are wise howsoeuer we counted their life madnesse before we are they that played the madmen and haue wearied our selues in the wayes of vnrighteousnesse And with Balam Oh that we might dye the death of the righteous and that our last end might be like vnto theirs And thus we see how for the glorifying of God in this life it is necessary for Christians to exercise workes of mercy as giuing of almes and other good workes appointed of God in his word euen before men As it is necessary for the glory of God so also is it as necessary for the encouragement of the godly And first of the painefull Pastor and Minister of the word and then of other Christians To the godly Minister it is no small comfort and encouragement when he shall see the Lords people vnder his charge fruitfull in good workes aswell as in good words For then shall he see the fruite of his labours when after his labour he seeth them fruitfull in all maner of good workes and on the other side when they receiue the word in vaine he may feare that he hath laboured in vaine in vaine I say as touching their conuersion though not simply in vaine otherwise for the word of God is neuer preached in vaine whether men beleeue it or no heare it or no being euer either a sauour of life to life or of death vnto death and comming as the raine which neuer returneth in vaine but either watereth the earth or drowneth it and maketh the ground to bring forth either corne or cockle sweet flowers or stinking weedes whereof the one shall be preserued and the other rooted vp and cast out vpon the dunghill The husbandman is encouraged to follow his husbandry when his vines are fruitfull and his haruests plentiful growing timely ripening kindly yeelding abundantly and no lesse is Gods husbandman the minister of the word encouraged by the timely growing kindly ripening and plentifull yeelding of his charge the Lords husbandrie after he hath taken
most impiously vpon them that worship that is due to God and professe that they cannot honour them inough when in the meane time by their raging against the faithfull which follow their steppes and doctrine they do plainely shew howe they would vse the Apostles and Martyrs if they were now aliue againe and did performe that dutie which they did when they were on earth For why else do they with such rage burne and flame out against vs but because we desire to haue that doctrine to be receiued and to flourish which the Apostles and Martyrs haue sealed with their bloud Let them then a dorne the images of the Saints with their frankensence candels flowers and all kind of pompe as long as they list saith Caluin if Peter were now aliue they would surely pull him in peeces if Paule were amongst them they would certainely stone him if Christ himselfe were aliue and amongst thē they wold rost him to death with a softfire And do not diuerse Protestants play the same part who will seeme to make much of some Preachers and giue them good entertainment as Herod did Iohn Baptist and yet persecute with might and maine their owne Pastors for teaching the same doctrine which they do Or for the couering and cloking of their speciall and beloued sinnes will seeme to the world to be religious by hearing the preaching and entertaining of the persons of Preachers at their houses thinking themselues then safe as Micah did when he had a Leuite in his house when in their harts they do vtterly loth and detest the sinceritie of that truth and the strictnesse of those courses as puritanisme and too much precisenesse which they vrge And what is the religion of all such but a play to be seene of men In the 33. verse of the former 23. Chapter Christ being about to conclude his Sermon doth more plainly vncase these hypocrites and layeth them wide open to all the world telling what they are what they must looke for and what his seruants must look for at their hands What they are he sheweth when he saith O Serpents and generation of vipers to shew that they were not only enemies to the doctrine of the Prophets but most pestilent enemies to the whole church of God and like vipers will not sticke to eate out the very bowels of the Church their mother to maintaine their owne state and pride What they must trust vnto if they truly repent not he sheweth when he saith how should ye escape the damnation of hell As if it were a thing almost impossible for professed hypocrites to repent and be saued So hypocrites we see by Christs example are to be handled though they be the great maisters of Israel their vizards are to be plucked off and they are to be laid open to the view of the world and to be haled by force as it were before the tribunall seate of Gods iudgement What Gods seruants must looke for at hypocrites hands when time shall serue howsoeuer they seeme now to heare them and to entertaine them our Sauiour Christ sheweth when he saith he will send Prophets and wise men and Scribes among them that is men endued with all manner of learning and qualified with aboundance of Gods graces but they shal scourge them and persecute them from citie to citie yea euen in Ierusalem the Lords Prophets shall be killed and the messengers of the most high shall be stoned to death In times past their rage was such against the holy Prophets that neither the holinesse of the Temple nor reuerence of the Altar whereupon the sacrifices were offered could stay them from shedding of innocent bloud As for example the bloud of Zacharias the sonne of Barachias meaning indeede him that was the son of Iehoiada the priest whom Christ calleth Barachias that is the blessed of the Lord of Barach and ias which is the blessed of the Lord as M. Caluin noteth because he had spent his whole life in the worship and seruice of God And this is vsuall in Scripture to giue vnto men besides their proper names other names of speciall signification either for their consolation or for their humiliation So Iacob was called Israel that is preuailing with God and Salomon Iedidah that is beloued of the Lord and Iames and Iohn Boanerges that is sonnes of thunder and Iehoiada Barachias that is the blessed of the Lord. So terroris gratia to terrifie him Bashur that misused Ieremy was called Magor Misabib that is feare on euery side And Naoim in the bitternesse of her soule would be called Marah that is bitternesse But now to the matter of Zacharias the sonne of Iehoiada Barachias the blessed of the Lord. Of whose martyrdome and the cause thereof we may reade sufficiently in the second of Chronicles the 24. chapter from the 17. verse vnto the 23. So likewise in time to come they which now boasted of the Prophets Tombes amongst them and of learned Preachers in their sinagogues should through the iust vengeance of God be giuen vp to such a reprobate mind that they should shew all kind of raging crueltie against the same Prophets whom they so much seemed to reuerence God graunt this prophesie may neuer take place amongst vs if it be his will but surely it is much to be feared that if time should turne and religion alter which our sinnes haue iustly deserued it will proue too true For hypocrites will play the hypocrites and shew them selues in their colours when all is done euen as the Blackmoore will be blacke if all the water in the sea were spent in washing him For they that are so forward now in colour of their office and pretence of lawe to abuse Gods Ministers as many be what would they do if they had Prince and Prelates and lawe and all to backe them They that now in the publike and authorized profession of the Gospell and vnder the gouernment of so gracious and Christian a Prince as we haue who esteemeth of the true Ministers of Christ in the Church as of the soule in the bodie the Lord long preserue her amongst vs are not ashamed to contriue wicked plots and diuellish deuises to call their Ministers names into question by suggesting vnto great persons most impudent lyes and shamefull slaunders and that vnder pretence of their office and vpon the credite of their oath They that now so abound in malice against their Minister for speaking but the truth that when they can find no matter against him at home can send an hundred miles for matters obiected and answered ended and finished ten yeares ago and to reuiue matters whith haue bene dead and buried so long time like those that in Queene Maries time digged vp Bucers bones out of the graue to endite them and burne them what cruell persecutors would these become if time did serue What would not these men do against the poore seruants of Christ if Queene Maries time shold come againe
and better entertained then his betters and how glad such and such were of their companie and I know not what Did you note how attentiue he was saith he when I spake such a thing Did you not marke how he smiled ar such a word Did you see I pray you how he tooke me by the hand how courteously he entertained me how he bad me sit downe what commendations he gaue me he said he neuer sawe a thing better done nor heard a speech that better pleased him in all his life All this while the foole is counting his chickens as they say before they be hatched But if one come in his way and seeme to take any manner of exception to anything or to aduise him in such a point or such a point or that he be not so highly applauded and regarded for this and that action or for this and that speech or for this and that circumstance wherein he pleased himselfe then his comb is cut and a cloude is ouercast his glorie is eclipsed his market is marred and he must cast about againe how to haue his cake better baked another time for that time he cryeth as Caesars Parrot did Operam oleum perdidi I haue lost both labour and cost Then he vexeth himselfe againe in musing and studying what should be the cause of so hard successe I beleeue saith he that some bodie hath angred him he was so melancholike or I may thanke such and such that had told some tales against me And then is the poore foole beset and hemmed in with a number of odde surmises and conceipts and imaginations whereof euery one doth haunt him and pull him like the furious spirite that haunted Saul If all for the present runnne currant and answere his desire then he thinkes himselfe a iolly fellow and who but he with such and such that haue taken good liking of him and there as one come to his fooles paradise he sets downe his rest But now beginneth a new peece of work that is how to keep this credite and commendation wholly to himselfe and not be dispossessed For what if the wind turne and afterward by some mishappe or other those parties that so magnified him before will not vouchsafe so much perhaps as to salute him or speake kindly vnto him or to conuerse with him as in times past or send for him as they were wont to doe or giue him so much as a good countenance as nothing is more vsuall in the world then such alterations in the mindes of men So was it with Iacob and Laban When Iacob had taken exceeding great paines in his Vncle Labans seruice and was still the same man that he was wont to be carefull of his Vncles good yet when Laban saw him to prosper and thriue well he enuied him and Iacob perceiued it well inough by his countenance for saith he to Rahel and Leah I see your fathers countenance that it is not toward me as it was wont Nowe the godly can make vse of such things as not to trust in men nor to set their hearts on the world but to walke wisely c. But they are no whit dismayed at such alterations and chaunges but knowing that the world is euer like it selfe and is no chaungeling except it be from euill to worse they go on still in doing their dutie making themselues merrie at the feast of a good conscience before God whose glorie and fauour are the markes that they aime at and in him onely they trust But the hypocrite is then much vexed and troubled and new feares and thoughts arise in his hart casting about how to recouer that countenance and commendations which he hath lost that is how to get the shadow that goeth from him To this end he resolueth with himselfe to make friends to frame new deuices to vse all the art and skill that his braine can affoord practising promising and bestowing much against his nature flattering here and lying and dissembling there much against his conscience he must creepe to one and crouch to another and sooth vp all beyond all modestie and reason backebiting this bodie and accusing another bodie and censuring of euery one to feede mens humours against all honestie and equity for by honest and simple dealing it cannot be obtained And thus by this little you may see what paines what charges what cares what feares and doubts and inconueniences a man must vndergo that will hunt for the praise of men is not then the reward of hypocrisie a miserable reward and they miserable fooles that take such paines and vexe themselues so for the getting of that which is vainer then their own shadow The hypocrite before he hath his reward must not onely take great paines be at much cost and vexe himselfe with many cares feares and foolish conceipts which is a maruellous miserie but also be subiect to the censures and iudgements of euery one his name must be called in question vpon euery occasion that is offered to speake of him his whole life ripped vp and all his actions sifted and scanned at euery mans pleasure some will commend him some will condemne him some will admire him some will deride him some will say he is a good man some will say he is a bad man and a deceiuer And what a miserable thing is this for a man to haue his name thus haled and pulled like a bone among dogges and to be like a tennise ball tossed vp and downe and canuassed at euery mans pleasure and all for a vaine shadow which the more he followeth the more it flieth from him The Apostle therefore in Gal. 5.26 disswadeth vs from vaineglory in this maner Let vs not be desirous of vaine glorie saith he prouoking one another enuying one another To shew that the fruites of a vaineglorious mind are but prouocations to euill and the reaping of enuie which like a monstrous monster will spoile her selfe to hurt another A miserable reward then is that which setteth the enuious man a worke and prouoketh others also to sift vs and to practise against vs. And this is not all but when the hypocrite hath taken all this pains and endured all this sifting he oftentimes commeth short of his expected hope and therein they are most miserable like the builders of Babel Tower they looked for a great name and loe they reaped a great shame For Babel that is confusion fell vpon them They serue long for Rahel and the world sendeth Leah in her stead which they like not so well They runne many times with newes when they haue no thankes for their labour like the man that ranne to tell Dauid of Sauls death who looking for some reward or thankes at the least at Dauids hand lost his life for his labour What paines did Ioab take with the host of Israel to quench the rebellion of Absalom and to kill Absalom that monster in nature who first kindled the fire What thankes did
some to Noblemen some to Gentlemen some to Lawyers some to Bishops and some to their officers and all retaining to great men in the world that they should be spared for their maisters sake which partiall dealing may well befound in the world but in the word it cannot be for the word of God is of that largenesse that it compasseth all of that brightnesse that it discouereth all of that maiesty that it astonisheth all of that power that it apprehendeth all and of that authority that it commandeth all Neither can any sinne or sinnes withall the shiftes and deuises in the world escape the power and censure of that word which hath once spoken the word and proclaimed it to all the world that whatsoeuer is done in secret shall be preached on the house top that is shall be made knowne to all the world Therefore thinke it not strange good brethren if you find your selues touched and rifled too when you heare a Sermon for the word of the Lord being deuided aright will do both Say not as Achab sayd to Eliah Hast thou found me ô my enemy when your secret and deare sinnes are by the power of the word rightly handled and applied by your Pastour or whosoeuer else for God hath found you out as he did find out Adam hidden amongst the trees of the garden or else we should haue lost our selues for euer and therefore let vs be thankfull to his Maiesty for so great a mercy for it is great indeed and not be angry with his ministers who do but hold vs the glasse while we see therein our spots Neither say you as the proud Iewes did to Ieremy This is not the word of the Lord which Ieremy speaketh but he speaketh as Baruch the sonne of Neriah prouoketh him For it is the nature of the word to tell you all that you haue done as Christ told the woman of Samaria Againe here we may further obserue how great sins and small sins are knit together as great theeues and little theeues lye all in one prison go all in one line stand all at one barre and haue all one maner of triall where we are to note that Gods Spirit is not so carefull to sift out the lesser offences of men but the greater also For as he is the Iudge of all men so he dealeth vprightly in equity with all men and not as the Scribes and Pharisees nor as their Apes the Papistes who straine gnattes and swallow camels while they vrge the tithing of mint and cummin and rew and let the weightier matters of the law go by who make the breaking of a Popish ceremony or dirty traditions of men a mortall sinne but neuer vrge matters of substaunce either in matters of faith or manners Neither are Gods lawes like the Spiders webbe that catcheth onely little flies but like the net that taketh the Lion as well as the Hare which straightnesse and vprightnesse bewraieth the crookednes of men For first how contrarie to Gods course is the practise of Antichrist and Papists For how precise are they in the searching out of toyes and trifles ceremoniall and circumstantiall things and punishing men for the omission of them But for the profaning of the Sabboth for the insufficiency of vnpreaching Ministers for the contempt of Gods word and such like things they are not so precise nay scarse do they account of them as of sinnes This also reproueth many professours of the Gospell which will seeme to make a conscience of many matters of lesse moment in others and dispence with very foule abuses as of swearing gaming c. both in themselues and in their families Whereby all of vs are to be admonished to take that course that Gods Spirite taketh here and that is to be as zealous agaynst one sinne as against another and to bend our force against the greatest as well as against the least and to pull out as well the beames as the motes out of our owne eyes as well as out of other mens And so much for the doctrine that ariseth of the coherence or ioyning of this text with the rest of the Chapter Now let vs pray THE II. SERMON PROV 6.12 The vnthrifty man or the man of Belijal and the wicked man or the man of vanity IN the former Sermon we haue heard to what end this description of a wicked man is made and how far we may go in iudging him Now let vs cōsider of his marks by which he is known as the Leopard by his spots and the blacke Moore by his skin And first of his names and they be two The first is Adam Belijahall the second is Ish-auen which in our English Bibles are translated the vnthrifty man and the wicked man the wordes in the originall text are more significant Adam Belijahall is a phrase whereby the Hebrewes do vse to note out a dissolute and loose man a lawlesse person without a yoake that giueth himselfe to do what he list and is not vnfitly translated an vnthrifty man ab effectis from the effects of lawlesnesse because such commonly neuer thriue nor come to any good end So is this word Belial taken in diuerse other places of the Scripture as in Deut. 13.13 Wicked men are gone out from among you meaning children of Belial as they are called in the originall These like lawlesse persons haue drawne away saith the text the inhabitants of their city vnto other Gods So likewise is it taken in the 19. of Iudges verse 22. where it is sayd That as the Leuite and his wife were making merry at an old mans house who gaue them entertainment in their iourney the men of the city euen men of Belial sayth the text meaning dissolute and lewd persons giuen to all wickednesse beset the house round about and smote at the doore and enforced the old man the maister of the house to bring foorth his guest vnto them where most villanously they abused the Leuites concubine all night vnto death In like sort it is taken in the first of Samuel 2. Chapter 12. vers where it is sayd that the sonnes of Ely were men of Belial that is giuen to all wickednesse In this sence it is vsed also or abused rather in the 2. of Samuel chap. 16. ver 7. where that cursed Shimei being a man of Belial himselfe doth most vndutifully raile vpon King Dauid his Lord and Soueraigne saying Come foorth thou man of bloud and man of Belial And in the new Testament it is also so taken in the 2. to the Corin. the 6. Chap. and 15. vers where the Apostle saith What fellowship is there betwixt Christ and Belial That is there is no fellowship betwixt Christ and lawlesse persons that are giuen to wickednesse And thus were dissolute persons called among the Iewes The Lord calleth such a kind of persons A stiffe necked people in Exod. 32.9 Alluding to vntamed oxen which will not vnlesse
and the paines that follow sinfull pleasures and then let our soules be fed and nourished with the sweet foode of the heauenly word of God And then feare not for as Abraham found a sacrifice where he looked for none euen so if we be as readie to sacrifice our sinnes as he was to sacrifice his sonne at Gods bidding we shall find new comforts and pleasures where we looked for none And as Sampson first slue the lion and afterward found a sweet hony combe in the dead lions belly so if we wil arme our selues to slay our sinnes which like ramping lions do meete vs in the way we shall by the power of Gods spirit ouercome them and after that find a most sweet hony comb of Gods mercy in Christ Iesus by whom we haue ouercome sinne and Sathan to our euerlasting peace and consolation He that can truely say with Dauid vnto God Thou shalt guide me by thy counsell shall follow with Dauid and say assuredly Afterward thou wilt receiue me to glorie And he that is not come to that point is as yet at a miserable passe for the Lord in the first of Prouer. sheweth that because he hath called to the foolish to make them vnderstand his words and they haue refused to be instructed or to be guided by his counsell he will laugh at their destruction and mocke when their feare cometh vpon them yea when their feare shall come vpon them like desolation and their destruction like a whirle wind When affliction and anguish shall come vpon them then shall they call vpon the Lord and he will not heare them they shall seeke him early but they shall not find him Thus saith the holy Ghost they shall eate of the fruite of their owne way and be filled with their owne deuises To which the Apostle agreeth and telleth the men of Belial that as they regard not to know God euen so God wil deliuer thē vp to a reprobate mind to do things that are not conuenient And moreouer saith Christ Those mine enemies which would not that I should raigne ouer them bring hither and slay them before me A fearefull thing therfore the children of God pray heartily Thy will be done in earth ô heauenly Father as it is in heauen and with the Church in the Psalme Not vnto vs ô Lord not vnto vs but to thy name giue the praise fighting continually against their affections because they fight against their soules And as the oxe is not readie to worke vntill he be vnder the yoke so Gods children thinke not themselues readie to serue God vntill they haue put on the yoke of Christ and then they say as Dauid said I am readie ô Lord to do thy will And this shall be a singular comfort vnto vs at the houre of death to remember that we haue striuen against our affections and earnestly laboured and prayed to obey God which the man of Belial or lawlesse dissolute person neuer did And so much of the wicked mans first name The second tearme or name that is here giuen to the wicked man is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ish auén vir nihili saith Tremelius that is a man of no worth Auen signifieth both iniquitie and vanitie therfore the house of idols is called Beth-auen because idols are vaine things and idolaters are vaine wicked persons therefore lawlesse loose men are called Ishim auen because such are both vaine and wicked yea more full of vanitie and iniquitie First they are vnprofitable pursuing as it were the wind and the smoke secondly they are practisers of mischiefe and wrong This is profanenesse from which the Apostle dehorteth vs in the twelfth to the Hebrewes and 16. verse where Esau is propounded as a most liuely image of such prophane persons as preferre earth before heauen the world before the word gold before godlinesse the bodie before the soule and the shadow before the bodie as Esau did a messe of pottage before his birthright and as the Israelites preferred onions before Manna and as the Iewes did Barrabas before Christ. Such were they that said in Ier. 43. It was well with vs when we made cakes for the Queene of heauen as many say now adaies It was neuer merry world since we had so much preaching it was a good world when we could go to the Abbeys and other religious houses and haue our bellies full of good cheare for nothing Ieremie is a babler said they and preaching is babling say these But what were they and these too Surely but Ishimauen prophane persons This vaine profanenesse and prophane vanitie is called finenesse of wit now adaies whereby many prophane and vaine persons get their liuing which is nothing else but plaine and lewd shifting This is a matter that men make no reckening of but such a one is viler then the earth Yet the custome of the wicked is to commend such saying such a one is a good honest man and doth no bodie any harme which is vntrue For Ish-auen the vaine man is also a wicked man that is hurtful vnto others And if it were granted that he did no man harme yet is he no good man but a prophane beast and most wicked to Godward An honest man they say he is but of what religion is he what religious exercise doth he frequent How doth he serue God with his familie what striuing hath he against his imperfections When doth he enter into priuate prayer for strength against his speciall sinnes and temptations What care hath he to bring vp his children in the feare of God He may be an honest man and yet a prophane man for honestie is two fold ciuill and religious Some are ciuill honest men and not religious some are religious honest men and scarce ciuill some are neither ciuill nor religious and some are both ciuill and religious Examples we haue in the Scriptures of all these The Barbarians in Miletum were ciuill honest men whose ciuill courtesie and courteous ciuility appeared in that kind entertainment which they gaue and that abundance of necessaries which they ministred vnto Paul and his weather beaten company But religious honest men they were not that is to say such as giue God his due for they had not so much as the knowledge of the true God amongst them as doth appeare by those extremities that they ran into at the sight of Paul For one while they rashly iudged him to be a murderer and that was when the Viper leaped vpon his hand another while they did superstitiously suppose him to be a God and that was when he shooke off the Viper and had no harme In the first of Kings the 14. chapter and thirteenth verse it is said of Abijah the sonne of Ieroboam that when he dyed all Israel mourned for him because there was found in him some goodnesse toward the Lord God of Israel that is he was a man carefull to giue
all manner of euill saying against them falsly for his sake And such as Dauid was shall not want Zibaes enough in Court and countrey and citie and euery where euery great man yea euery one that is in authority hath such hangbies too many about him to hurt honest men in their credite if they take not heede of them Surely at another time Dauid did passing well when he forbad the publishing of Sauls death amongst the vncircumcised at Gath and Askalon lest they should insult reioyce at the death of the Lords annointed the king of Gods people to shew that if we must not alwaies publish euen true things that are notoriously and famously knowne when the concealment of thē may be more for Gods glory much lesse ought we to deuise or to publish or to credit false rumours slaunderous reports against the Lords annointed or any of the Lords people which tend to no other end but to the dishonor of God in defacing of his seruants In the 2. of Ruth ver 11. there is a notable pattern or exāple for newes mongers All is told me saith Booz vnto Ruth that thou hast done vnto thy mother in law since the death of thy husband how thou hast left thy father and thy mother and the land where thou wast borne and art come vnto a people which thou knewest not in times past By which relation of Booz vnto Ruth we may learn that the vertuous acts of good men are to be spoken of to their cōmendation comfort to the drawing on of others aboue all in all to the glory of God And that if we will needs be discouering of mens liues doings we should speak of their good deeds and vertuous acts not stand raking still in their corruptions and infirmities as the maner of most men is in reporting not to eclipse their vertues but to shew all to the full as he did that told Booz of Ruth but so will Belial neuer do The 2. way which the man of Belial taketh for the raising of contētions is a wilfull peeuish taking all things in euill part construing them to a wrong sense like the malicious Iewes who alwaies drew the heauenly words of our blessed Sauiour frō the right meaning when he spake of the temple of his body shewing how that shold be destroied within 3. daies builded again they maliciously construed his words to be meant of the temple of Ierusalem When he spake of going to a place whither they could not come vnto him they presently asked if he wold go kill himself Whē the blind man being restored to his sight by our Sauiour Christ did but answer the Iewes vnto their question shewing how he came by his sight maintained the deed of our Sauiour Christ they captiously tooke him at the worst as though he went about to teach them Iohn 9.34 So do all wicked lawlesse Belials Answer their demands questions with some reasons that they cannot gainsay then we go about to teach them and then to a braule Speake merrily and familiarly thinking no harme against any man they take it as a deriding and scoffing at them and then to a braule Do but a little reuerence vnto them then they thinke that they are despised Do much reuerence them and then they take it as if we mocked them Admonish them counsell them reprehend them they are aloft straight and take it that we command them that we iudge them that we condemne them they will not endure it Their felicity is great that they take in descanting vpon the Princes lawes vpon the Preachers liues and doctrine and the doings of all men In a word say what you will do what you can meane as well as may be meant be familiar or be strange eate or eate not pipe or mourne all is one nothing is well taken at the wicked Belials hands and so long what can be looked for but contention The third way whereby he raiseth vp contention is by busying and medling in other mens matters which belong not vnto him and that before he is called thereunto whereof some be women some be men Of contentious and busie bodied women the Apostle speaketh thus Being idle they learne to go about from house to house yea they are not onely idle but also pratlers and busie bodies speaking things that are not comely Salomon speaking of contentious women saith It is better to dwell in a corner of the house top then with a contentious woman in a wide house To shew that there is small ease or rest to be looked for with a contentious woman And in the 19. verse he saith it is better to dwel in the wildernesse then with a contentious and angry woman To shew that there is more comfort and rest to be looked for amongst the wild beasts then among contentions women Of busie headed men some are intermendlers in Church matters and some in common-wealth matters Of the first sort are such as Vzzah was who put his hand vnto the Arke of the Lord to hold it vp from falling when he had no calling thereunto The Lord was very wrath with him for it and in his iust vengeance stroke him downe for it euen in the very place with present death If the Lord were so angrie with Vzzah who in feare and of a good intent did but touch the Arke of God then what must they looke for who of a wicked intent to carpe and cauill maliciously and proudly meddle with the holy things of God and matters of Gods Church without any calling too The sacrifice of the wicked is an abhomination sayth Salomon how much more when he bringeth it with an euill mind Euen so the medling of the wicked in Gods matters which belong not vnto them is an abhomination much more when they meddle with a wicked mind and that also to do hurt thereby When Peter of meere curiosity was inquisitiue to know what should become of Iohn Christ gaue him a very round checke for his labour saying What is that to thee follow thou me To shew that it is a foule fault to neglect our owne callings and to be curious and inquisitiue about other mens affaires which pertaine not vnto vs and God will surely rebuke such curious persons Yet how many at this day do imitate Peter in his vaine curiositie or curious veine not fearing or regarding the rebuke that they shall haue from God for their labour What thinke you of Bishops their calling say some of this mans gifts and that mans teaching say other Euery cobler and pedler or tinker and prentise must know these things and haue an oare in the Church gouernours boate and hereof arise contentions and schismes and factions and rents in the Church of Christ. In the meane time examine them how they haue followed Christ themselues a thing indeede whereunto they are called alas they can say
the way of God truly there is the baite then comes the hooke Is it lawfull to pay tribute to Caesar or no Now Christ knowing their subtiltie gaue them no thankes for their commendation but called them tempting hypocrites saying Why tempt ye me ye hypocrites And will the wicked deale better with the members then they did with the head These men are the seruants of the liuing God saith the cunning maid to Paul and Silas or rather the diuell by whom she wrought and they bring vnto vs the way of saluation This was not for the good of Paul and Silas but to haue them apprehended the more speedily and handled the more seuerely It was a cunning sleight of Sathan and therfore Paule and Silas rebuked her for her labour being grieued to be commended by such a one and commaunded the spirite in the name of Christ to come out of her In a word the cōmendatiōs of the wicked are but traps their tables but snares as the prophet Dauid calleth thē And for all this seeing that it cannot be denied but that loue and commendation amongst men is a good blessing in which sense it is sayd that both Christ and Iohn Baptist and others were in fauour both with God and man and godlinesse hath the promises both of this life and of the life to come that is the blessings of God both temporall and eternall belong vnto godlinesse it must also be granted that euen the godly themselues which are so much hated and scorned in the world by the wicked of the world haue had haue and shall haue their part in that blessing of renowne fame and commendation yea a good name shall follow them to their graue and liue after them too in the world to the high glorie and praise of God who doth so honour his seruants which haue honoured him and to the comfort of their friends the encouragement of the weake and to the shame of the wicked They shall haue praise indeede but as the brother whom Paule commended to the Corinthians had whose praise sayth he is in the Gospell that is in embracing the Gospell or else in setting foorth of the Gospell as Luke did whereby his loue and zeale and godlinesse towards Christ were manifested to his great praise and commendation for vertue and piety is worthy of praise as vice deserueth the contrary therefore Peter sayth to seruants This is praise worthy if a man for consciēce toward God endure grief suffering wrōgfully And the Apostle Paul saith Whatsoeuer things are of good report if there be any vertue or any praise that is if there be any thing indeed praise worthy thinke on these things And God forbid seeing as God hath giuen such a blessing to his seruants and their vertues amongst the godly but that we should giue vnto vertuous men and fearing God their due praise and commendation When poore Mary shewed her loue to the person of Christ in annointing his body with sweete and precious ointment and her humility in wiping his feete with the haire of her head Christ told her that wheresoeuer his Gospell should be preached that deede of hers also should be published for a memoriall of her to shew that the vertuous acts of the Saints are not to be curied in obliuion but to be had in a thankfull remembrance vnto God The Lord in his word hath crowned his seruants with fame and renowne which neuer sought it but fled from it both according to his promise and also his gracious and wonted manner of dealing Those that honour me shall be honored of me saith the Lord. 1. Sam 2. there is his promise his manner is to giue his seruants more then they seeke for or desire as when Salomon desired not riches but wisedome to gouerne Gods people well God gaue him both riches and wisedome too so when the godly desire that only Gods name may be hallowed and cry with Dauid Not vnto vs not vnto vs ô Lord but to thy name giue the praise then doth the Lord giue them that thing which they desire and that also which they craued not and that is commendation from his owne mouth and a part in his owne ioy Wel done good and faithful seruant there is their commendation Enter into thy masters ioy there is their ful reward And thus is Moses become famous for being Gods Embassadour to King Pharao and his Captaine generall ouer the Lords army from Aegypt to the land of promise Thus Ioseph is famous for his chastity and faithfull seruice and the midwiues of Aegypt are renowned for sauing the childrens liues against the Kings commandement How famous is Deborah for iudging of Israel and Iael for nailing of Sisera Captaine of King Iabins host vnto the ground How famous is Dauid for conquering of Goliah and for his zealous courage in fetching home of the Arke Now is Eliah famous for reprouing King Achab and the widow of Sarepta for nourishing the Prophet Salomon is famous for building of the Temple the three children for contemning the Kings displeasure and Daniel is famous for his being cast into the Lions den Now Iohn Baptist is renowned for telling the King of his fault and loosing of his head for the same Peter for his sound confession Paul for his heauenly conuersion be both famous and renowned by the holy Ghost whose praises are in the word spread throughout the whole world So are all the holy Martyrs which suffered for the testimony of the truth and all Christian benefactours with the streames of whose loue and liberality many Churches Christians Vniuersities and schooles of good learning and nurseries of good arts and sciences haue bene watered and refreshed most famous and renowned in the Church of God And all these hauing shunned as much as they might all worldly praise and glorie in the world haue found most high praise and renowne with God and all the godly in the word of God and their praise is not of men but of God As for wicked hypocrites it is not so with them but as the godly are crowned with perpetuall fame and renowne so the wicked are and shall be crowned with euerlasting shame and reproch Cain is infamous and his name doth stinke for murthering his brother Abel Putiphars wife is infamous and her name doth stinke for her lewd tempting and false accusing of Ioseph Pharaoh is infamous and his name doth stinke for his cruel handling of the Israelites Doeg the Edomite is infamous and his name doth stinke for accusing and killing the Lords holy Priests Micol is infamous and her name doth stinke for scoffing at the zeale of Dauid her Lord and husband Iezabel for her whoredomes and murthering of Naboth for his vineyard is infamous and her name doth stinke Hanun is infamous for misusing of Dauids messengers and Ammon doth stinke before all the Israel of God vnto this day Sanballat and Tobiah for hindering the
building of the Lords Temple and holy Citie Haman for seeking the death of the Lords people Herod for murthering the young children Ananiah and Saphira for dissembling with Peter and lying to the holy Ghost Simon Magus for his offer of mony for the gifts of the holy Ghost Elimas for withstanding of Paul Tertullus for his accusing of Paule Iudas for betraying of his Lord and maister The Gadarens for preferring their swine before Christs doctrine All these and euery one of them are become infamous and do stinke before God and man and their reproch and shame shall neuer be blotted out For the word sayth The memoriall of the iust shall be blessed but the name of the wicked shall rot And in the 13. of the Prouerbes 9 verse The light of the righteous reioyceth but the candle of the wicked shall be put out To shew that the name of the wicked is no better then rotten carrion at the stinke whereof euery one that passeth by shall stop his nose and the discoursing of their liues shal be as noysome in hearing as the stinking snuffe of a candle burning low in the socket that euery man shall say put it out fie vpon it away withall And this is the righteous iudgement of God vpon the wicked which regarded not to glorifie God but themselues therefore to giue them vp to such vile affections and lewd actions as can breede nothing in the end but a rotten and stinking name But wicked hypocrites will take a good order for that they can haue such as themselues to perfume their doings while they liue with braue commendations to whom they say as Saul sayd to Samuel Honour me before this people And when they dye there are inough that will for a small reward be hired to commend them in a Sermon to the skies and then we can haue Pamphlets printed and Epitaphes engrauen vpon our tombes which will keepe our names from rotting Besides all this we will giue some gownes and money to the poore which we can no longer keepe and may well spare and all this put together will cast a most sweete smell Surely for the godly that liued well and died in the Lord it will for their life is like a waxe candle made and compounded of sweete matter which men are content it should burne out because when it is our it will cast a most fragrant and sweete smell but the life of the wicked is like a candle made of filthy stuffe which men will not suffer to burne out because it is no sooner out but it stinketh all the house ouer Although you commend it neuer so much yet men will not beleeue you that it was like that of waxe nay if you praise it wil they not laugh you to scorne and think you mad or drunken or senslesse Euen so is it with him that praiseth a wicked man either liuing or dead what doth such a preacher but play the foolish Herald and go about to perswade men that a stinking snuffe is as good as a sweete waxe candle or that filthie puddle water is as wholesome and as sweete as rose water Many such there are in the world who while they so preach the auditors that haue indgement and knew the life of such a man as well as he if not better sit and smile to themselues and wonder that any man either for money or monies-worth should be hired to become so voide of sense And whereunto shall we compare such Sermons and Epitaphs better then vnto flowers and herbes that are strawed and pricked vpon dead corpses buried only in a winding sheet Those flowers may well be laid vpon the dead corpes for a shew or to keepe men from smelling ill aires and may go with him to the graue but to keepe it from rotting and putrifying from corruption wormes and stinke they cannot So such high commendations bestowed vppon vnworthy persons as Papists Atheists drunkards whoremongers and such as liued most prophanely and irreligiously and so died for ought that any man can tell without repentance or any life of Gods Spirit in them are sweete herbes and faire flowers bestowed vpō them for ornament sake to please their friends but to preserue their name from rotting stinking they cannot by any meanes for God is iust who hath sayd Those that dishonor me I will dishonour as for that stinking and rotten cōmendations that they haue bestowed vpon thē by such as theēselues who also hunt after the like things it is all For they haue their reward are they not then in a miserable case But yet this is not all for when the hypocrites reward is come to an end which soone it doth like a thing of naught that is soone ripe and soone rotten and when the date of his good deedes or rather glorious sinnes is expired then must he come to a new reckning for all his hypocrisies and trecherous robberies committed against the glory of God while he hath abused the name of God and taken vnto himselfe all that praise which was due vnto God onely like those kind of fellowes which come to men in the Princes name to take vp their goods as it were to the Princes vse and then appropriate them wholly to themselues And for that they haue both robbed God of his glory and made his most glorious name and sacred religion their cloake and couering while they haue most profanely played their parts therewith to the great dishonour of his Maiesty and the spoile of the Church and oppression of their brethren And seeing as in their best deedes they haue made more account of mens praise then of commendation at Gods hand their iudgement is from euerlasting decreed and already is sentence gone foorth against them which can neuer be reuoked and that is to haue their part and portion with the diuell and his Angels in hell torments for euer where they shall not onely be depriued of Gods gracious presence which is true felicity and fulnesse of ioy for euer but also ly languishing not for a yere or two nor yet for a 100. nor a 1000. nor 10000. nor a 100000. nor a milliō of thousands of yeares for thē there were some hope that their paine would one day end though it were long before and intollerable in the meane time but for euer euer perhaps with many of those also whose vaine praises they haue in their life time so much hunted after where the one shall curse each other and their rewards yea the persence of each other and remembrance of their mutuall folly and vanity of the one in giuing of the other in seeking and taking the glory from God euen the remembrance I say of this their former vanity folly misery madnesse and impiety shall like an euer gnawing and tormenting Serpent sting wound and torment their consciences for euermore Yea if there be any paines or torments in hell greater then other they shall surely fall to the hypocrites lot