proclaime thy owne worth for he that seeth in secret will reward thee openly But because there are more rare therefore I hasten to the next Thirdly there are that giue and drop siluer but not with discretion to those which either haue no need or are not worthy Some feed the Spaniel I meane the Sycophant who neuer will leaue begging while any continues giuing some feed the Gray hound the riotous prodigall some the Mastife the gullet theefe still gaping for more some the Curre the criticall slanderer for whom the hooke is a fitter morsell then the bait some to the Cormorant which study nothing but Apicius in his art of Munchers whose greatest manhood is seene at the table in quartering and caruing dead carkases but this is giuing of the childrens meat to dogs some againe to the poore but not so made of God but from the Deuils bones and books cards and dice wine and women and such like husbandry Fourthly there are that regard not how they giue they giue but with grudging with pining with pinching with constraint being drawne like a Beare to the stake they part from a penny as from a drop of blood nor will they be any further bountifull then the statute law compels them Fifthly there are that giue but regard nor the time for either they giue when there is no need or when they can no longer keepe the poore shall be fed at their dore when they are carryed to their graue and so bee clothed when they must be naked for which charity they are more beholding to their testament then will for it should not haue beene giuen if it could haue beene kept And for this they are more beholding to their death-bed then them where it often falleth out that the poore mourne indeed not so much for their death as for that they dyed no sooner Here is a generation of crooked carnall and faithlesse giuers like Saint Iohns generation of vipers which although they continue giuers shall not be gainers whom yet I forewarne to fly from the wrath which is to come by bringing forth fruits worthy of amendment of life Let this lastly be the vse for obedience Vse 4 Wherefore dearely beloued whilst the wizards of the world like to that couetous Cardinall which preferred his portion in Paris before his part in Paradise exercise themselues wholly in ioyning house to house and land to land and account it the greatest point of cunning to gaine and retaine good estates good farmes good fields good friends good houses good horses good clothes euery thing else good for themselues but neuer exercise themselues in Doing good to others let vs all of vs if we would be accounted godly wise and prouident indeed be most of all carefull and earnest for the world which is to come wherewith that we may be really possessed and so royally blessed let vs neuer be weary of well-doing for in due time we shall reape if we faint not And for you whom it hath pleased God to endow with a more liberall portion of the things of this life so to account it the best Christian policie by your good works on earth to lay vp treasures for your selues in heauen and and euery day to bring in somewhat into Gods Exchequer as the Israelites into the Tabernacle the remembrance whereof may long after both in life and death comfort you It is an hard sentence of some Casuists concerning their fellowes that few rich mens Confessors shall be saued for that hapily they dawbe vp their consciences with vntempered morter soothing them vp in their sinnes let this be the care of those whom it may concerne For vs wee desire to be faithfull to God and you and therefore roundly tell you Doe good O ye rich men if euer you looke to receiue good if you be not rich in good works you cannot be rich in heauen as Cyrus said that he made himselfe rich while he enriched his friends so lay vp treasures for your selues in heauen whiles you make the poore your friends on earth If you looke for the interest of glory in heauen you must pay the principall of beneficence in earth Be not therefore like mount Gilboah fruitlesse and barren Be not like the Oliue tree which when Goats lick it fruitfulnesse doth leaue it Be not like a Vine tree the more boughs the lesser and sewer grapes Be not like a Cloue tree so hot by nature to rob the neighbour plants of moisture But be thou like that tree of Dauid planted by the waters side by regeneration bringing forth fruit in due season by sanctification whose leaues shall not fall by continuation Goe thou and doe likewise bring forth and multiply if euer thou hope to be planted in the new Ierusalem thou must bring forth twelue manner of fruits yea the leaues must bee beneficiall Bring forth then not flowers or flourishes blossomes or semblances onely but fruits not fruit of the world for that 's folly nor fruit of the flesh that 's frailty nor fruit of the eyes that 's fancy but meet fruits for contrition of heart reformation of life sanctification of soule Let not the children of this world excell the children of light they are fruitfull but not beneficiall multum sed malâ—â—â— there is greene fruit of imperfectnesse red fruit of blood thirstinesse yeallow fruit of gall and bitternesse 〈◊〉 colored fruit of drunkennesse earth-colored fruit of couvetousnesse pale-colored fruit of lasciuiousnesse these are trees but not of Gods planting these the Deuill plants suggestion waters continuance encreaseth necessity ripens iudgement gathers and bell burneth Be not thou like vnto those Indian Pandorae of whom it is reported that they haue white hoare heads in their youth and black haire in their age Or like Hermogenes of whom Antiochus said that hee was in his childhood an old man and in his old age a child be not thou more expert vnder thy Catechizers in principles of piety and as thou growest vpward in yeeres to grow downewards in grace like the she Wolfe which they say hath an yeerly defect in her procreation the first time she beareth fiue the secoÌ„d foure the third three the fourth two the fifth one and then remaineth barren the child of God must not so doe he must goe from strength to strength and grow from grace to grace bringing forth most good in their age like Caleb strong in his old age for gouernment and warre like Ruth shewing more goodnesse in the latter end then beginning like the Sunne in the Firmament which is swiftest at his setting so the sonnes of God must be best at their ending Let a good Christian be like vnto a sheepe in which euery thing is good and vsefull his fleece good his fell good his flesh good his entrals yea all is good and so a sanctified Christian is a seruant to all the seruants of God euery good gift in him is profitable to some he lendeth his fleece clothing the naked to some his bread in feeding the hungry to some his eyes in becomming a guide to the blinde to some his strength in becomming feet to the lame to some his vnderstanding in becomming an instructer to the simple at all times and to all persons in all places Doing of good Wherefore let vs be of Vlysses minde in Euripides 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. let vs see our Tombes honored by Doing good while we liue this is the way to make our names truly famous and our memories eternall here lasting hereafter euerlasting here renowned among men there crowned among Saints and Angels in the Kingdome of glory FINIS
FAITH AND GOOD VVORKES Vnited IN A SERMON PREACHED at the Spittle vpon Wednesday in Easter weeke 1630. By RICHARD REEKS Minister of the word at Little Ilford in Essex LONDON Printed by THOMAS HARPER for IOHN HARRIGAT and are to be sold at his shop at the signe of the Holy Lambe in Pater Noster Row MDCXXX TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL SIR THOMAS FANSHAVV Knight Grace and Glory Right Worshipfull I Haue made bold to dedicate this Sermon to you for that as your affection to Religion loue to learning hatred of superstition and schisme hath rightly honored you so also you proceed euery way to adorne your eminent calling Praerogativam generis similitudo morum magis sibi vendicat quà m ordo maiorum The congruity of manners not the pedegree of ancestors hath the prerogatiue of noble birth wherein although you may plead both yet you are more dignified by the former The Lord hath exalted you to eminent place in the Commonwealth wherein you haue approoued your selfe faithfull to God and his Church so that you are of the number of those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Agapet which are able to doe good not which need good to bee donne vnto That therefore which is herein required as touching doing good in this contemplatiue but cold age you haue both in generall and particular so well performed that you stand as a Lampe burning and light shining vnto others to follow your worthy example wherein nothing remaineth but that you be found faithfull as you haue beene vnto death that God may giue vnto you a crowne of life such shall the prayers of him be for you and yours which resteth Your worships in the best seruice euer to be commanded RICHARD REEKS Auspicante Deo Textus legitur in Psalmo xxxvij vers 3. Trust in the Lord and doe good so shalt thou dwell in the Land and verily thou shalt be fed THere is no faith where there is either meanes or hopes difficulties and impossibilities are the true obiects of beleefe Gods charges are oftentimes harsh in the beginnings and proceeding but in the conclusion alwayes comfortable God deferres on purpose that our trials may be perfect our deliuerance wellcome our recompence glorious This knew the holy Psalmist the Prophet Dauid right well and therefore through more then much experience penned this Consolatory Song or Psalme as it plainly appeareth by the argument of it throughout Wherein the Princely Prophet most grauely preuenteth many distrustfull doubts and feares which might in the contemplation of Christianity the comparison of the same with the present gliding delight of the wicked at any time arise in the minds of Gods seruants and followers Here by the way it may bee easie to obserue how hard a thing it is to be a Christian In this respect his meditation affording him not more griefe then wonder And here to keepe his station is hard but to remoue harder One while he scarce restraineth his vnruly desires from euill ofter can finde no list to good sometime he purposeth well and when those thoughts not his begin to lift him from the earth loe hee that rules in the ayre stoops vpon him with powerfull temptations or the world puls him downe with a sweet violence so that it is hard to say whether he be forced or perswaded to yeeld here is much weaknesse more trechery good duties seeme harsh and can hardly escape the repulse or delay of excuses and not without much strife grow to any rellish of pleasure and at the best cannot auoid the mixture of many infirmities But this is not all O God! what aduersaries hast thou prouided for vs weake men What difficulties What encounters Malitious and subtle spirits an alluring world a Serpentine and stubborne nature distrustfull feare neither the least nor last enemie of mankind which though our eyes behold yet with such amazement because crossing carnall reason that from hence ariseth eyther a slauish feare whereby when we see the number and the happinesse of the wicked we like cowardly Israelites are ready to flie and plead their measure for our feare who is able to stand before the sons of Anak Or if not feare so that as we can we weakly resist yet are we foyled with indignation and enuie fretting our selues because of the vngodly and being malicious against the euill doers vers 1. Or which is worst of all heereby we are so stupified that fayth for a while seeming not to haue any being impious and prophane Atheisme stealing on vs maketh this question whether there bee a God or whether blinde chance and fatall necessity and fortune doe not hand ouer head moderate all things heere below So that at some time or other it is hard euen for a beleeuer not to be an Infidell at least in conceit looking carnally to haue God at a bent and if hee come not at a call how easie to cast him off and to betake vs to our owne no lesse idolatrous then ridiculous shifts like the Chinois whipping their gods when they answer not Whereas as the Prophet heere exhorteth his holy ones wait long and seeke him and not onely in their sinking but from the bottome of the deepes call vpon him and though hee kill them still put their trust in him To which purpose in this text is sayd Trust thou in the Lord c. It is not my purpose to spend any time in speaking concerning the authour of this sacred hymne who as it appeareth by the argument of it was Dauid the King neyther will I insist vpon that excellent order Alphabetically heere vsed for the auoyding of tedious prolixity according to the number of the Hebrew letters The Hebrewes in their songs as it might be shewed did follow the method Alphabeticall as some thinke heereby to helpe the memory Others as Vatab. tell vs there is no certayne reason of this versifying Apparet vulgatam carminis rationem fuisse It appeares to be an ancient and vulgar custome Others as Hierom auerre that they were written in Saphick verses to which purpose hee alleadgeth Origen and Philo. Others suppose this order was vsed not onely to help the memory but also to note the worthinesse of the matter And this last opinion may we in this place first of all incline vnto this Psalme being Alphabetum quoddam pijs omnibus discendum vt nouerint vbi sita sit foelicitas beatitudo as Vatab. elsewhere Heere the care of the holy Ghost is especially to bee noted for mans saluation not onely to make the way most plaine for vnderstanding but also the Scriptures as familiar as our A. B. C. for our best conseruing and retayning in our memory So that this Psalme is like Habakuks vision he that runneth may read a lecture of comfort in euery letter and may moreouer well remember what he readeth But what should I stay on that of S. Hierom. in his epistle to Paulus Vrbicus diuiding the whole Alphabet into seuen connexions interpreteth the two and twenty
the precept as touching our faith trust thou in the Lord. Hauing then thus farre acquainted you with the scope of the holy Ghost at large that the children of God when they see themselues in great misery and the wicked flourishing as a greene Bay tree ought not to bee amazed at this nor to fret hereat or be filled with indignation or because they are like a fat Oxe fatted for the day of slaughter whereas the children of God must bee exercised with many afflictions lest with the world they should be condemned 2 That their light afflictions which are but temporall may be crowned with glory which is eternall And for this cause to trust in the Lord whence I obserue that in all troubles and trials whatsoeuer Doctr. and at all times we ought confidently to trust in the Lord. 1. The place is a confirmation of this truth Illustr as it is vsed here by way of precept trust thou in Iehouah To this purpose is that of Dauid in God is my saluation and my glory the rock of my strength and my refuge is in God Trust in him at all times yee people poure out your hearts before him God is a refuge for vs. In which the Prophet not only biddeth and exhorteth vs to trust in him but moreouer addeth a reason drawne from the profitable effect of such confidence because he is a refuge to helpe vs and deliuer vs. To this place is that of Solomon Pro. 3.5 trust in the Lord with all thy heart and leane not to thine owne vnderstanding 2 This hath beene the practise of the children of God in all troubles and in all times as is proued from the example of that godly and faithfull King who when the Moabites and Ammonites came against him to battell after he had prayed vnto the Lord for helpe and deliuerance as the people went forth into the wildernesse of Tekoa 2 Chro. 20.20 Iehosaphat stood and said Heare me O Iudah and yee inhabitants of Ierusalem trust in the Lord your God so shall yee be established beleeue his Prophets so shall yee prosper An example we haue in good Iacob who trusting in the Lord was not afraid to returne to his owne Country notwithstanding the malice which his brother Esau had conceiued against him Gen. 31.3 because hee beleeued that God who commanded him to goe would also defend him The like might I say concerning the rest of the Patriarchs Noah Abraham Lot Isaac Ioseph Dauid Daniel together with the sacred quire of reuerend antiquity summoned by the Author to the Hebrewes who through faith subdued Kingdomes Heb. 11 3â— wrought righteousnesse obtained the promise stopped the mouth of Lions quenched the violence of the fire escaped the edge of the sword waxed valiant in battell and turned to slight the armies of Aliants By euidence whereof we see that if we trust in God and cast our care on him he is such a father of mercies and God of all comfort that he will also care for vs. For which cause our Sauiour said to his disciples let not your hearts be troubled you beleeue in God beleeue also in me Ioh. 14.1 c. A little faith then euen as small as a graine of Mustard seed is able to make vs list vp our heads in the middest of all troubles and to remoue euen Mountaines of distrusts out of our soules Therefore in the description of the spirituall armour faith is compared to a buckler or shield Ephes 6.16 which guardeth especially the head and heart that is as it may be construed the vnderstanding and will ut non turbetur intellectus Diez com 1. in fest Phil. Iacol non formidet affectus that we be not troubled in our vnderstanding nor made fearfull in our affection By faith the children of God haue beene more bold then Lions and enabled to doe euen all things When Taxaris saw his Countriman Anacharsis in Athens he said vnto him I will at once shew thee all the wonders of Greece Lucianus in Scytha visâ— Solone vidisti omnia in seeing Solon thou seest all euen Athens it selfe and all the glory of the Greeks In like manner I may tell a true Christian hast thou saith and assured trust in the Lord thou hast more then all the wonders of Greece vpon the point all the wonderfull gifts of grace for faith is a mother vertue from whence all other spring and without which our best actions are but splendida peccata shining sinnes Rom. 14.24 most necessary then that we trust in the Lord. And not without great reason 1 Because if we trust not in the Lord as touching grace we are dead 1 Reason as long as we liue we breath and labour for life euen in death faith is the life of grace the death of all sinne Hab. 2.4 hence it is said the iust man liueth by his faith and liuing hereby his soule trusteth in the Lord hee looketh cheerfully to God hauing the spirit of boldnesse insomuch that we may say of him Si fractus illabatur orbis impavidum ferient ruinae if the mountaines should be remoued and cast headlong into the Sea still hee standeth his ground yea Terra fremat regna alta crepent ruat orcus ortus Si modo firma fides nulla ruina nocet If that all the world should crack in peeces neuerthelesse he standeth fast and firme grounded on the rock fixed like the Mount Sion Psal 129. not to be remoued at any time by any meanes for he trusteth in the Lord and vnder the shadow of his wings is the righteous mans refuge till the tyrannie of Satan Psal 57. sinne death and hell be ouerpast for he hath if I may so say the life-blood of the soule true faith in the Lord and relieth on his promises and therefore cannot miscarrie Whereas on the other side a faithlesse man and distrustfull in all troubles whatsoeuer is ready not onely to sincke vnder his burden but also to giue vp the ghost It is with them as it was with Nabal a distrustfull person hath a head like Nabal a heart like Nabal when he heareth of any troubles and crosses not to be vndergone but which hee hath escaped ignorantly â— Sam. 25.37 His heart presently dieth within him and he becommeth as a stone Physitians tell vs that in mans body the arteres running along the veines do beat vpon them and stir vp the blood lest congeling it should waxe cold so in the soule of the godly true fayth beateth in time of all distresse and keepeth it aliue in the wicked as in Nabal it moueth not and therefore in necessity either they die with griefe as he did or with Achitophel hang themselues or with Saul run in distresse to the witch of Endor to hell for helpe whereas the children of God wait vpon him for deliuerance with patience and with confidence trust in the Lord. Because fayth is the only meanes wherby
giue thee when thou hast it by thee Our Sauiours action must be our imitation and hee sayth I must worke the workes of him that sent mee while it is called to day The night commeth wherein none can worke Ioh. 9.4 To day if you will heare his voyce The time past cannot bee recalled the time to come vncertayne the time present only ours He therefore spake not amisse that so spake Da tua dum tua sunt post mortem tune tua non sunt Death is the worlds strict dore-keeper who as we brought nothing will narrowly search vs that we shall carry nothing with vs wherefore while we haue time let vs diuide our goods and deale our dole with Zacheus that saluation may come to our house here and when we leaue our house we may goe to saluation hereafter Vse 3 So then to come to a third vse of the Doctrine propounded and proued me thinks here come within compasse of iust censure diuers Christians as they esteeme themselues to be sharply reproued First Nullifidians and Merit-mongers whom we leaue on the left hand as Paul left Cyprus Secondly carnall Gospellers and Solifidians on the right for neither of these doe either at all or at least this good aright In vain shall any thinks to come to heaven by the ladder of workes since in Christ neither circumcision nor vncircumcision auaileth any thing No religious order in the world but faith alone without trust in works auaileth before God Yet on the other side the heauens cannot bee scaled without a ladder which although it be Christ yet some of the lower staues and higher to are pinned fast with good workes whereby all slothfull and idle persons are excluded affirming that if faith alone iustifie then let vs barely trust in God but not be Doing of good not so ye carelesse generation enemies of grace for faith is operatiue working by loue faith is resembled to fire which is operatiue fire cannot be without heat and light the greater fire the greater heat the lesser fire the lesser heat no fire no heat no heat no fire But it may be said of too many and those as they take themselues none of the coldest Christians or professors amongst vs as one sometime of the Monks of his time that their fasts were fat and prayers leane their faith is hot their loue cold they say they trust in God better then others yet doe lesse good then others it may bee said of such as the witty Grecian spake of extreame tall men that they were Cypresse trees 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 faire and tall but fruitlesse oh shame that the child of heauen should resemble hell which hath fire but that fire hath no light I feare we haue too may such firebrands of hell that haue a flashing fire of faith in their tongues but the fire of their faith makes not their loue boile Lazarus shall haue more diuinity then humanity twenty paternosters not one penny at their hands These mens light shineth not out before men and therefore are leauelesse trees empty clouds waterlesse wels like the sumptuos Sumptermule of that vaineglorious Cardinall seeming without wondrous rich but nothing within saue old shooes and rubbish or like Adonibezek want their thumbs but Gods Priest must haue not only the Vrim of science but Thummim of conscience on his breast and in his skirts not only bels a sounding profession but pomegranates also a fruitfull deuotion faith and loue on the altar of the heart must neuer goe out like that stone in Plinie which being once made hot could neuer be cold If it be otherwise and indeed so it is whatsoeuer they boast of their faith they are but hypocrites in the sight of God like that bestia pharmacopolae wherewith Iulian twitted Austen a beast pretended of great vertue ouernight that ere morning was come had deuoured her selfe or lastly like that cursed fig-tree therefore cursed because it was fruitlesse Thus in generall more particularly to runne through all degrees of men it is pitifull to see and therefore great reason to complaine that this practicall politicall part of Christian obedience not only in rectifying our owne courses and Doing good our selues but also in reprouing repressing and reforming the irregularities of others and the sinnes of the time is commonly neglected of all How many neuter-passiue Magistrates meale-mouthed Officers scar-crow Constables haue we now a daies that are so farre from Phineas his zeale to slay offenders ipso facto that they want Moses his courage to slay sinne in grosse offenders salvo iure and herein pardon my boldnesse for aures omnium pulso conscientias singulorum convenio I speake to the eares of all in generall and appeale to the conscience of euery one in particular if this bee not so many of them are so farre from reprouing that they are content with sinne and yeeld consent to it that so they may take vp sinne vpon warrant and commit it boldly and so goe to the Deuill by authority If this were not so why are not the hurts of the daughter of Iudah healed why are not the breaches of Sion stopped why are not recusants punished why is not the pot pulled from the nose of the drunkard why is not the Sabbath sanctified why are not our horrible blasphemers our shamelesse fornicators incorrigible drunkards and the like profane licentious liuers let blood with the sharpe razor of reprehension or struck downe with a downe-right blow of condigne punishment for their presumption What is there no balme in Gilead no Physitian there yes but they are like Iobs friends Physitians of no reckoning Rephaims by name Zamzummims indeed who whereas they should be patrons and patternes of piety and temperance as their places and callings require and as leaders of the Vantgard to stand in the forefront of Gods battell against all Caananites which cry downe holinesse in towne and country they either runne along with them or rather lead them into the race of riot or are busied in boo-thalling and foraging for themselues not caring for the ship of state in generall so they may be safe in the cock-boat of their owne fortunes in particular I am ashamed to thinke and speake how weakely the paralytick hands of our Magistrates are exercised in Doing of good in their places by brandishing the sword of iustice against the friends of Baal Balaam and Bacchus Resembling Ostriches which haue great feathers but no flight or Iupitera block cast among the frogs whom at first they feared for the greatnesse but despised afterward for the stilnesse So that as Demosthenes sometime complained that the power of their aduersary Philip King of Macedon was greatly augmented by the Athenians slothfulnsse So may the Ministers of God complaine that through the slothfulnesse remissenesse or wickednesse of many Magistrates the Kingdome of Satan is exceedingly enlarged Againe to put that part of the wallet which hangeth behind our backs into open sight how is this duty of Doing good