before his carnall kindred so we must preferre our spirituall neighbours before our carnall neighbours Therfore although by this law we are bound to loue all men indifferently yet because there are degrees of neighbours therefore there must be degrees of loue we must loue our parents and our kinsfolke more than strangers because they are bound vnto vs by a straighter bonde of nature according to that of the Apostle 1. Tim. 5. Hee that hath not a care of his owne specially they of his houshold c. So we must loue the faithfull more than the vnfaithfull because they are bound vnto vs by a straighter bonde of faith and religion as the same Apostle willeth vs Gal. 6. VVhile yee haue time do good vnto all specially to them of the houshold of faith signifying that as we are bounde to loue all men with a generall loue because they are all the ofspring of Adam yet must we loue some with a more speciall loue because they are the children of God Nowe followeth the measure of that loue which we owe vnto our neighbor expressed in the last words As thy selfe Heere is the rule whereby our loue must be squared and a most exquisite example of singular loue found in our selues for vs to imitate He saith not as he loueth thee or as hee is beloued of other but as thy selfe Who knowes not howe well hee loues himselfe and therefore who can excuse himselfe I say I know not how well I should loue my neighbor but how doo we loue our selues fainedly or coldly or for an houre I trow not but truely and zealously and euery houre so wee must loue our neighbour with a true zealous and a constant loue Wee must not passe by as the Priest the Leuit but powre our oile into their wounds with the Samaritan to helpe relieue them and comfort them Wee must loue our neighbour though he be enuious as Dauid loued Saul requiting good for euill and as Ioseph loued Putiphar not enticed to sinne against him Loue is the fulfilling of the Lawe It beginneth young with Moses to resist the oppressor and endeth not in old age but desireth to perish for the beloueds preseruation calleth infants in the streete with wisedome to learne comforteth the imprisoned with Abacucke burieth the dead with Tobie visiteth the sicke and possessed with our Sauiour couereth the multitude of offences and shall finde this last comsort Come ye blessed to which ioy hee bring vs that with his loue from euerlasting death hath bought vs. Here endeth the second Sermon THE CENSVRE of Christ vpon the Answere By HENRY SMITH LONDON Printed for Thomas Gosson and are to be sold at his shop by London Bridge Gate THE CENSVRE OF Christ vpon the Ansvvere NOwe wee are come to the answere of Christ vnto the Lawiers Question The Question was What must be done to inherite eternall life The Answere is Doo that which thou hast saide that is Loue God aboue all and thy neighbour as thy selfe and thou shalt liue thou shalt inherit eternall life Where first it is to bee obserued that though this Lawier came with the minde to tempt Christ yet because hee had truely alleaged what was written in the Lawe Deut. 6. Leuit. 19. our Sauiour Christ approoueth his answere and commendeth him for it whereby wee are taught to like and allowe of those good thinges that wee see in any though they be our enemies Many there are that if their enemie be endued with many excellent vertues yet they will not acknowledge it nor giue him his due commendation but rather seeke by all meanes to disable him and disgrace him and dispraise him behinde his backe If hee be temperate and sober then they say as it was saide of Iohn-Baptist he hath a diuel If hee be sociable and familiar then they say as it was said of Christ He is a glutton and a winebibber Luke 7. If hee be learned they say as Festus saide of Paul Acts 26. hee is mad If hee bee a good housekeeper they call him a Papist If hee be religious they call him Precisian Yea if hee be a Prophet yet if hee tell the truth they account him their enemie Gal. 4. as Ahab termed Elias 1. King 21. And as the same Ahab cared not to heare Micheas because hee hated him 1. Kings 22. so they despise the Doctrine and mislike the Sermon because they hate the man that preacheth it These kind of people are like their father the diuel who both by his name and nature is an acouser of the brethren Reuel 12. Hee could not giue Iob a good worde though hee were a iust man that feared God Iob 1. and no meruaile for he could not speake well of God himselfe Gen. 3 But Christ is of another minde for though this Lawier were his tempter yet doth he allow his Answere so though a man be thine enemie yet let him haue his due If hee be learned report no lesse of him If he be an honest man defame him not If he be humble say not he is prowd If he be liberall say not hee is miserable If hee deale iustly say not he is vnconscionable and if he haue any thing in him that is praise-worthy as there is no man but hath some good thing in him acknowledge it report it and commend him for it though he be thine enemie But heere againe we see that though Christ commend this Lawier for his aunswer yet doth he not commend him for any thing else to teach vs that as we must giue euery man his due so we must giue no man more than his due The Lawyer had aunswered directly to Christs demaunde therefore Christ commends his saying but the Lawyer had not done so well as he had spoken therefore Christ doth not commend his doing so the words of many are very commendable but their workes are most detestable If you come to their sermons you shall heare them speake maruellous well but if you looke into their liues you shall finde them farre differing from their profession They are like our Bells which can call the people together to the seruice of God but cannot performe any seruice vnto God so these men can giue good counsell vnto others but they cannot follow it they can teach the people to knowe the will and pleasure of God but they go not about to doo the will of God that the people might be mooued by their example to doo the same And if you seeme to mislike their dooings then as Christ said of the Scribes and Pharisies Mat. 23. They sit in Moses chaire c. so they aunswere for themselues Doo as we say and not as wee doo A bad excuse fit for so bad a cause As if they should say Wee would haue you to bee godly but wee will not be godlie we would haue you to be saued but we our selues will not be saued How can their doctrine do any good that liue not according to their doctrine or how can the
hart as with their mouth they doo confesse that after death their bodies shall rise again Therefore though this Lawier were to bee blamed because hee came with so bad a minde yet is he to be commended because he mooued so good a question Many nowe a daies are very curious in idle and vnprofitable questions As what God did before he made the worlde How long Adam stood in the state of innocencie Whether Salomon were saued or no with many such vaine and vnnecessary questions but fewe there are which will aske as this Lawier did what they must doo to inherit eternall life You shall see many very carefull and inquisitiue howe they may get riches where they may purchase lands and Lordshippes howe they may come to aduauncement and honour and by what meanes they may procure the Princes fauour But you shall see few or none inquisitiue concerning the meanes of their saluation you shall seldome heare any aske their Pastor what they must doo to bee saued or which way they may come to heauen It is not now as it was in Iohn Baptists time when the Publicans the souldiers and all sortes of people came vnto him with Master what shall we doo Luke 3.10 c. Nor it is not nowe as it was in the time of Christ when the people came and asked him what shall we do that we may worke the works of God Iohn 6.28 Nor it is not now as it was in Peters time when vpon the hearing of Peters Sermon the people came to Peter and to the other Apostles crying and saying Men and Brethren what shall we do Acts 2.37 But now euery mans minde is of his worldly profit or pleasure or preferment This is the drift of all their deuises this is the ende of all their practises how they may liue here in delight and ease and leaue behind them a rich posteritie As for that heauenly country whereunto they were borne that newe Ierusalem wherein they should dwell it is the furthest end of their thought and the least part of all their care how to inherit it how to inhabite it The Question is how hee may inherite eternall life wherein hee seemeth to confesse that there is an eternall life for thereof he makes no doubt only the question is howe hee may attaine vnto it Heere therefore it appeareth that this Lawier was not a Saducee which denied the resurrection of the dead Mathe. 22. Nor hee was not an Epicure which are of this opinion that after death there is neither ioy to bee looked for nor paine to be feared and therefore are woont to say Ede bibe lude c. or as it is 1. Cor. 15. Let vs eate and drinke for to morrow we shall die But this man was a Pharisee such a one as Paul was before his conuersion one that expounded the law of God vnto the people and liued after the straitest lawe of their religion Acts 26.5 in a word he was such a one as both for his life and learning was admired and honoured of the Iewes Though this Lawier were learned yet it was boldly done of him to tempt the Lorde But what is it which learning dare not attempt if it bee not tempered with the feare of God Christ Iesus found no greater aduersaries than the high Priests the Scribes Pharisees which were all learned men and the Church of Christ at this day is by none so much afflicted as by those that carrie the opinion of singuler learning For looke how many heresies are extant in the Church or howe many controuersies in religion they haue bin deuisd are maintaind by learned men Let learned men therefore learne to feare the Lord yea let them learne to know nothing so much as Christ Iesus and him crucified 1. Cor. 2.2 without the which knowledge all knowledge is ignorance all wisedome is foolishnes all learning is madnes and all religion is error or hipocrisie or superstition God hath not chosen many wise men nor many nightie men nor many noble men but God hath chosen the foolish thinges of the world to confound the wise and God hath chosen the weake things of the world to confound the thinges that are mightie and vile things of the world and things which are despised hath God chosen yea and thinges which are not to bring to nought things that are 1 Cor. 3.19 Our Sauior Christ in the choice of his Apostles called not one that was learned yet hath he not reiected all that are learned for from heauen hee called his Apostle Paul a learned Lawier Acts 22.3 to be the Apostle and Preacher of the Gentiles Rom. 11.13 And there is no doubt but that in all ages and euen at this day hee calleth some in euery place and endueth them with excellent learning that they may serue to the gathering together of the Saints and to the exercising of the ministrie and to the edifying of the Church of God Ephe. 4.12 The Lorde Iesus so moderate our learning with his holy feare that wee may direct al our studies to the enlarging of his glorie and kingdome here on earth that when the chiefe shepheard shall appeare 1. Pet. 5.4 we that haue instructed other and turned many to righteousnes may shine as the brightnes of the firmament and as the staerres of heauen for euer Dan 12.3 Good Master what shall I doo to inherite eternall life Marke heere the discretion of the Lawier in asking this question As the man was a Lawier so there is no doubt but that hee had read the Lawe and the Prophets If you looke into the Law you shall not finde Cursed is hee that continueth not in all thinges that are written in the booke of the Law to know them If you peruse the Prophets you shall not finde Cease from doing of euill and learne to speake well But the Law saith Cursed is he that continueth not in all thinges that are written in the book of the law to do them Deu 27.26 Gal. 3.10 And the Prophets say Cease from doing of euill and learne to doe well Esay 1.16 Psal. 24.14 And therefore the Lawier saith not How much must I knowe nor what shall I beleeue but what shall I doo to inherite eternall life Wee haue beene taught too long that wee are saued by faith without the workes of the Law Which Doctrine though it bee most true and both soundly proued and flatly concluded Rom. 3.28 Yet being vnderstood amisse as Paules writings sometimes are 2. Pet. 3.16 it hath beene the decay of all good deedes and brought in Epicurisme and all vngodlines T is true indeede that eternall life is the gift of God through Iesus Christ Rom. 6.23 But yet this gift is bestowed onely vppon those for whom it is prepared Math. 20.23 which haue exercised themselues in the workes of mercie Math. 25.35 In respect of God our election standeth certaine from all eternitie For it hath this seale The Lord knoweth them that are his 2. Tim. 2.19
eternixed But howsoeuer men by such meanes may bee remembred after death yet this is not the way to get eternall life For this is life eternall to know the onelie true God the seauenteenth Chapter of Iohn and third verse And to beleeue in the sonne of God the third Chapter of Iohn and sixteenth verse But these knowers must be dooers for he that saith I know him and keepeth not his commandements is a liar and the truth is not in him the first of Iohn the third Chapter and fourth verse And these beleeuers must be good liuers for this is a true saying and these things I will thou shouldst affirme that they that haue beleeued God should be carefull to shew forth good workes Titus third eight Therefore to the obtaining of eternall life two things are necessarie The first is to beleeue well the second is to liue well By the first we are iustified in the fight of God for hee respecteth our faith By the second wee are iustified in the sight of men for they regard our workes And thus are the Apostles Paul and Iames reconciled for when Paul maketh faith the cause of iustification Romanes third Chapter and twenty eight verse he meaneth such a saith as worketh by loue Galathians the fifth Chapter sixth verse whereby wee are iustified in the sight of God And when Iames maketh workes the cause of iustification Iames the second Chapter and twenty foure verse hee meaneth such workes as proceede from faith Iames the second Chapter the eighteenth verse whereby we are declared to be righteous before men The Scripture describeth this eternall life by diuers excellent names to shew the worthines and excellencie thereof it is called a Kingdome Luke the twelfth Chapter and thirty two verse but yet such a Kingdome as cannot bee shaken like the Kingdomes of this worlde Hebrewes the twelfth Chapter and twenty eight Verse for it is a heauenlie Kingdome Matthew the eighth Chapter and eleuenth verse It is called Paradise Luke the three twenty Chap. and forty three verse for it is more pleasant than the garden of Eden And Abrahams bosome Luke the sixteenth Chapter for it is a place of rest and comfort It is called the house of the father wherein there be many Mansions Iohn the fourteenth Chapter The ioy of the Lord whereinto euery faithfull seruant must enter in Matthew 22. Chapter and all to expresse and declare vnto vs the beauty excellencie and glorie of that life which is eternall And yet as glorious excellent as it is such is the loue and fauour of God vnto vs that he hath appointed it to be our inheritance as here the Lawyer termeth it Inheritance is a kinde of tenure whereby a man in his own right holdeth or possesseth any thing as his own as when a lawfull heyre doth inherite his Fathers landes Euen so the kingdome of God belongeth vnto vs as our lawfull inheritance because we are the Sonnes of God It is a great prerogatiue to bee the Sonnes of God Iohn the first Chapter and third verse But to bee Heyres and Heyres with Christ Rom. the eight Chapt of that heauenly inheritance is a wonderfull priuiledge How are wee bound vnto Almightie God that where as hee might haue made vs stones or trees or beasts or such insensible and vnreasonable creatures it pleased his diuine Maiestie to make vs men the vndoubted heyres of eternall happines Behold deare brother and consider that heauen is thine inheritance eternall glorie is thy patrimony thou art borne to a kingdome thou hast a title to it when thou doest depart this life thou shalt bee sure to finde it If before thou departe this life thou doe not loose thy right and title by thy sinfull life Let euerie one therefore as hee tendereth the saluation of his owne soule forsake his wicked waies and nowe begin to walke in the waies of the Lorde If heretofore thou hast prophaned the Lords Saboath remember that henceforth thou sanctifie it If thou hast beene a Blasphemer of the name of God see that henceforth thou vse it with al reuereÌ„ce If thou hast beene malicious from henceforth be charitable If thou hast beene contentious now learne to bee peaceable If thou hast beene incontinent now begin to be chast If thou hast beene a drunkard from henceforth be sober in a worde If thou hast beene inclined to any sin bee sorrie for it and forsake it If thou hast neglected anye good worke now begin to doe it that in so dooing thou maiest inherite that eternall life which is promised and prepared for them that knowe the will of God and doo it as it is written in Luke the eighth Chapter and twentie one verse The Lord in mercie graunt that you bee not forgetfull hearers but dooers of the word Here endeth the first Sermon Printed at London for Thomas Gosson and are to bee solde at his Shop by London Bridge Gate 1595. THE LAVVGIVERS Answere to the Lawiers Question By HENRY SMITH LONDON Printed for Thomas Gosson and are to be sold at his shop by London Bridge Gate THE LAVVGIVERS Ansvvere to the Lavvyers Question Luke 10. And he saide vnto him what is written in the law how readest thou c. YOV haue heard the Question propounded Now you shall heare the Question answered And he saide vnto him what is written in the law how readest thou As if hee should haue saide I marueile that thou beeing a Doctor of the Lawe which should bee able to instruct others in matters of Religion art ignorant of that vvhich it behooueth euery man to knowe by what meanes hee may inherite eternall life Wherein hast thou bestowed thy study wherein hast thou imployed thy wâ—â— and howe hast thou spent thy time Thou seemest to bee a Lawyer Tell me what doth the Law require of thee Thou seemest to haue read the Scriptures let me see how thou hast profited by thy reading Thus doth our Sauiour send this Lawier to the Lawe to learne his dutie and setteth him to schoole that thought himselfe too good to learne Hee came to tempt Christ by asking the question but nowe himselfe must make the answere vnlesse he will bewray his owne ignorance If hee be a Lawier let him looke what the lawe saith concerning this question because the lawe is able to resolue euery doubt second Timothie the third Chapter sixteene and seauenteene verses Therefore the Prophet Esay sendeth vs to the lawe and to the testimonie Esay the eighth Chapter and twenty verse And our Sauiour Christ biddeth vs search the scriptures Iohn 5. And telleth vs that the ignorance of them is the cause of all errour Matthew twelue Chapter If then thou wouldest know the will of God studie the scriptures there hee hath reuealed his will vnto thee If thou desire to please the Lord looke into his worde there hee hath shewed thee what his pleasure is Finally if thou wouldest haue thy works to prosper consider what is written in the lawe aske
so almighty God hath furnished vs with iudgement and reason as it were with certaine artillery whereby we are able to distinguish betweene good and euill and sent vs into this world as it were into the open fields and sets his lawe before vs as a marke as Dauid speaketh promising to giue vs the kingdome of heauen if we hit the same and albeit hee knoweth that wee cannot hit this marke that is keepe the lawe which he hath set before vs yet for the exercise of our faith and for the testifying of our duety and obedience towards him hee will alwayes haue vs bee ayming at it and though we come shorte of that dutie and obedience which he requireth at our handes yet dooth hee accept and rewarde our good endeuour but if we stubbornely refuse to frame our selues after his will then may hee iustly bee angry and displeased with vs. Therefore though thou must not perfectly keepe the law of God yet if thou endeuour thy selfe to the vtmost of thy power to obserue the same the Lorde that worketh in vs both the will and the worke will accept the will for the worke and that which is wanting in vs he will supply with his owne righteousnesse It followeth And thou shalt liue Heere is the promise euen life eternall Among all earthly things we count none so deere and precious as our life insomuch as we can be content to forgoe any thing before our life our bloud and our limmes we lose sometimes for the sauing of this temporall life which is no life indeed but rather a shadow and the image of death Now if we make so much and suffer so many things for the life of the body which is so shorte and momentany how farre greater things should we suffer for the saluation of our soule and for the gayning of that glorious and happy life which shall neuer end Heere Christ speaketh not of any common life but of life eternall which is the inheritance and seate of the blessed For seeing Christ must answer to the Lawiers Question and his Question was how he might inherit eternall life when the Lawier had saide what was written in the Law Christ answereth Hoc fac viues as if hee should say Loue God and thy neighbour and so thou shalt inherit eternall life this is the assoiling of thy Question Go to therefore deare brethren and consider at how small a rate or price of loue eternall life is to be purchased If we take so great paines vndergoe so many difficulties to pursue this mortall life what paines should we vndertake to enioy that immortall life If God should bid vs goe into a hote fierie Furnace and cast our selues into the burning flames we ought to doo it that wee might raigne with Christ But our gratious louing Lorde commaundeth no such thing but onely commendeth vnto vs loue that wee may liue Our God is not as the gods of the Gentiles which will haue the Parents slay their children and offer them vp in fire for a burnt sacrifice No our God will not the death of a sinner but rather that hee conuert and liue Ezech. 8. O how gratious is the Lord vnto vs which requireth no more of vs but loue and yet requireth vs with no lesse than life and that a glorious and eternall life Thus I haue at length explained The Lawiers Question and the Answere of Christ vnto the Question wherin I haue shewed you one way to come to heauen which is to keepe the Lawe of God and this way we finde most hard and difficult Another way there is by the death of Christ and this euery man thinks most easie to finde But this I assure you that who so euer doth not indeuour to walke in that old way that is to walke in the wayes of the Lord shall neuer come to heauen by that new and liuing way Christ Iesus because as Iohn saith cap. 3.3 who so euer hath this hope in him purgeth himselfe That is who so euer hopeth to be saued by the death of Christ hath a care to keepe himself from sinne and to walke in the commandements of the Lord. FINIS
people thinke that the doctrine is true when they that preach it liue not thereafter Will not the people reason thus If his doctrine were good surely hee would follow it If his life be good surely he would teach vs to liue as he dooth Therefore whatsoeuer he saith wee will not beleeue him but as hee dooth so will we do and we hope to scape aswell as he Thus with the one hand they builde vp the Church of God and with the other hand they pull it downe because they doo more hurt by their bad example than they can doo good with all their preaching These are the vngodly that the Lorde by his Prophet reprooueth Psalme 50. VVhy dooest thou preach my lawes and take my wordes c. So long as Esay was a man of polluted lippes the office of preaching was not committed vnto him but when his lippes were cleansed Esay 6. then was he fitte for that office and function Euen so as long as we delight in sinne as much as any wee are not meete to reprooue the sinnes of other but when wee behaue our selues as it becommeth the ministers of the Gospell then haue wee commission to preach the Gospell and to reprooue the sinnes of the people Therefore to a good Churchman as you vse to call vs two things are necessary the first is to teach well the second is to liue well for as wee are resembled to Salte because wee must season the people with sound and wholesome doctrine so are wee resembled to the Sunne because wee must shine as lightes in the worlde by our holy life As Iohn Baptist was the voice of a cryer so he was a burning Lampe as the Apostles were willed to teache and baptise so their lights were commaunded to shine that men seeing their good workes might glorifie God Thirdly we here may see that truth is truth and to bee commended from whomsoeuer it cōmeth for though this Lawier came to tempt Christ yet because he told the trueth Christ admitteth his answere and commends him for it Whereby we haue to learne to embrace and receiue the trueth by whomsoeuer it is brought for as a iewell is to bee esteemed though it be found in a stinking dunghill so the trueth is to be regarded though it bee found in a wicked man And last of all we heere may see that to be verified which was spoken of Christ Esa. 42. Mat. 12 A brused reed shall he not breake c. that is he shall not discourage any in the way of godlinesse Though this Lawyer were Christs enemie yet when he aunswered discreetly and directly out of the word of God Christ approoueth his aunswere and exhorteth him to the practise of the same wherby we haue to learne to commend and encourage euery man in his well dooing and by all meanes to further them in their good beginnings Praise and honor are spurres to vertue therefore if a man haue done well commend him and he will do better but alas with vs it is farre otherwise for if a man haue done amisse it shall bee often cast in his teeth but if he haue done well he shall neuer heare of it But let vs go forward in the aunswer of Christ It followeth do this Hauing approoued his saying now hee exhorteth him vnto dooing for it is not enough to say well or to knowe much or to beleeue aright but wee must doo this that is we must loue God and our neighbour if we desire to liue Heauen is not gotten with faire wordes nor amorous lookes nor golde nor siluer nor gorgeous aray but with the fruites of a liuely saith or that I may vse the words of the Apostle Gal. 5.6 By faith working through loue God will not come to iudge vs at the last day whether we were learned or wise or eloquent or wealthy or honourable but whether we haue done those deeds of mercy to his needy members What shall it profit a man in the last houre of his death to haue beene eloquent and excellent in all kinde of learning that he hath preached many notable and worthy sermons if he haue liued a lewde and wicked life and caried a corrupt conscience to his graue In that terrible day when the bookes of all mens consciences shall be opened Apocal. 20. and euerie mans life shall be strictly examined it shall goe better with vs if wee haue serued God with a good conscience then if we haue beene able to dispute subtile questions for at that day it shall be said to some that haue preached in the name of Christ Depart from me I know yee not Mat. 7. Now as we shall not be saued for our preaching no more shall you be saued for your hearing for God will haue you to do as you heare aswell as he will haue vs to do as we teach if you looke into all the scriptures you shall finde no promise made to hearers nor to speakers nor to readers but to beleeuers or to dooers If yee aske God who shall dwell in his holy mountaine he saith Psal. 15. The man that walketh vprightly If you aske Christ who shall enter into the kingdome of heauen he saith Matth. 7. Not they that cry Lord Lord but they which doo the will of my father If you aske him how you may come to heauen he saith Mat. 19. Keepe the commandements If you aske him who are blessed he saith Luc. 11. Blessed are they that heare the word of God and doo it If you aske an Angell who is blessed he saith Reu. 22. Blessed are they which keepe the words of this booke If you aske Dauid he saith Psalm 106. The man is blessed which keepeth iudgement and dooth righteousnesse If you aske Salomon he saith Prou. 29. The man is blessed which keepeth the Lawe If you aske Esay he saith Esay 50. He which doth this is blessed If you aske Iames he saith Iam. 1. The dooer of the word shall be blessed in his deed And heere Doo this and thou shalt liue Heere is nothing but dooing to make vs blessed for as the workes that Christ did bare witnesse that hee was Christ Iohn 10. so the workes that we doo must beare witnesse that we are Christians But heere some man may obiect and say Is any man able to doo this that God requireth and if he be not why then dooth God commaund vs that which wee cannot performe Heerein almighty God dealeth with vs as a father dealeth with his children If a man haue a sonne of seauen yeares of age he will furnish him with bow and arrowes and leade him into the fields sets him to shoote at a marke that is twelue score off promising to giue him some goodly thing if hee hit the marke and though the father know that the childe cannot shoote so farre yet will hee haue him aime at a marke beyond his reache thereby to trie the strength and forwardnesse of his childe and though he shoote shorte yet the father will incourage him Euen