they fall to their earth againe Here you must teach your children that whē all we euen al the nations of the world were in the hole of Adams side and as yet vncut out God gaue vnto Adam and so vnto vs being in his loines a law with two conditions the lawe was this that wee should not eate of the tree of knowledge of good and euill standing in the middest of the garden of Eden as we may read Gen. 2. The conditions of this law were these the one life euerlasting if we would keepe this law figured out vnto vs by the tree of life of which it was lawfull for vs to eate euery hower the second was that in the same daye wherein wee shoulde breake this law we should dye the death It was not long after this lawe was made but Adam broke it as we may read in 3. chapter of Genesis and so death presently seazed vpon Adam and al vs his posteritie being yet in his loynes according vnto Gods word who said in the same day that thou shalt eate of it thou shalt dye the death and as it is saide 1. Cor. 15. In Adam all di and as it is said Rom. 5. By one man sinne entered into the world and death by sin and so death went ouer all in whom all men haue sinned So that now if wee would looke vnto our fountaine and to our original pit from which we were first digged we should soone see our miserable estate which is nothing els but deadly And now that we might come to the bottom of this pit that so wee might the more fully and cleerely see all our miserie to humble vs vnder the mightie hand of God I must shewe you howe death hath entred vpon vs and howe it hath killed vs and giuen vs the deadly wounde euen while wee liue and yet wee perceiue it not This death hath first seazed vpon our reason and vnderstanding and put out the light of it so that nowe wee bee as blinde as a stocke to beholde anie heauenly thing For Saint Iohn sayth in his first chapter of the Gospell The light shineth in the darkenesse and the darkenesse comprehended it not that is Gods word shineth into our minds and yet wee cannot see it so blinde are wee of our selues Now if we cannot see the light it selfe though it shineth into vs which light is the cause why all other things are seene as the Apostle sheweth Ephesi 5. For it is light that maketh all thinges manifest then much lesse can wee truely beholde any other thing else And whereas the Apostle here calleth our reason and vnderstanding darknes which is all the light of our soules if it were light then howe great is our darkenesse Our Sauiour sayth in the fift of Matthew The light of the bodie is the eye wherefore if the light that is in thee be darkenesse how great is that darkenesse so wee may here say if our reason and vnderstanding which is the eye of the soule bee darkenes how great is this darkenes oh death hath killed vs it hath put out all our light in heauenly things Secondly our miserie which hath fallen vpon vs through this death is so much the greater for that though all our light be put out yet we thinke we see and therefore we doe not with the two blind men in the gospell crie out vnto our Sauiour O Lord the sonne of Dauid haue mercie vpon vs. For the whole hath no need of the phisition and so we walke in blindnes all our dayes to our destruction and goe on without anie mistrust euen as the sheep that are driuen vnto the slaughter vntill we fall from the darknes of this life vnto that vtter darknes in the life to come where is nothing but weeping and gnashing of teeth Oh great misery A demonstration of this doctrine wee haue in the ninth chapter of the gospell after Saint Iohn where our Sauiour saith I am come vnto iudgment into this worlde that they which see not might see and that they which see might bee made blind Then some of the Pharisies saide are we blind also They could not beleeue that they were blinde and therefore our Sauiour there telleth them that their sinne remained And thus much to shew you how death hath taken the possession of the minde and reason of man in so much that it hath spoyled it of al light in heauenly vnderstanding Secondly this death hath passed from the vnderstanding and reason and hath entred vpon the will and affections and giuen them also the deadly blow so that now we cannot will or affect any thing that good is and profitable to life eternall no more then a stone that is without life vntill such time as Gods preuenting grace repaireth vs and giueth vs a new power from heauen And therefore our Sauiour saith in the sixt of Iohn No man can come to me except the father which hath sent mee drawe him And Saint Augustine vpon these words saith Non trahimus nisi nolentem Wee doe not drawe any thing but that which is vnwilling So that now we hauing lost the life of our will we must be haled and drawen by Gods grace euen as men hale and drawe a logge that hath no moouing in it or else we can neuer come to heauen This doctrine is confirmed by the saying of the Apostle Rom. 7. where hee speaketh of the same thing Who shall deliuer me from the body of this death as if hee should haue saide all is dead euerie part and member of it Moreouer this death hath not onely made the will vncapable of all good things but also it hath so disturbed it that it is become like a furious or mad man repugning and striuing against all reason and therefore the Apostle sayth Gal. 5. The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirite against the flesh and these are contrarie one to another so that yee cannot doe the same things that ye would And againe Rom. 8. The wisedome of the flesh is enimitie against God for it is not subiect to the law of God neither in deed cā be 3. This death hath not rested in the reason will but it hath gone further takē hold on the body also euery member of the body and strooken them all out of frame so that now our eares are the eares of folly our eies are the eies of vanity our hands are the hands of strife our mouth is a mouth of cursing our lippes are full of poyson our throate is an open Sepulchre and our feete are swift to shed bloud and generallie al our members are the instruments and weapons of vnrighteousnesse as the Apostle speaketh Roman 6. euery one being captiues to sinne and standing fighting against God and our owne saluation so that now if the Lord shold streightly marke what were amisse in vs Oh Lorde who shall stande 4. This death hath not onlie
art that wilt bee a good souldier of Christ Iesus and doe him true and faithfull seruice because he hath raunsomed thee from the tyrannie of the diuel thou must renounce and denie from thy heart all vngodlines and that is all that prophanenes of mind wherein before thou diddest liue whē thou regardedst not God nor religion and all worldly lustes that is all the lustes of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life as Saint Iohn teacheth vs 1. Epist. 2.16 all which are the verie armes ensignes which the deuill the prince of darknes beareth against thy deere Sauiour and redeemer Now after that thou hast washed thy hands from all vncleanenes and renounced the deuill with all his adherents the world the flesh art now become embāded in the Lords troups now thou must next learne how to stand in Gods aray what is the whole duety seruice which he requireth at thy handes This consisteth in these three parts as we are here taught in this text first in liuing soberlie to our selues secondly in liuing righteouslie to our neighbours and thirdly in liuing holily or godly towards god In these three points wholy standeth the seruice of God so much as of man is required The first second parts are contained in the second table of Gods law the third is contained in the first Now in the first part of Gods seruice following the order of our text beginning at our selues and rising as it were by steps from the lowest to the highest is to liue soberly towards our selues this is to gouern our own bodies and persons in such measure and comely behauiour as that the Lord who is the continuall beholder of all our actions as well priuate as publike and as well secrete as open bee not offended at vs. Wherefore here euery man must learne to temperate and moderate himselfe in his speech in his gesture in meate and drinke in apparell in pleasures in paines and labors and generally in whatsoeuer concerneth a mans owne person and in all his lawfull liberties so that our speech may not be too rough nor too ridiculous our gesture may not be too light nor too lowring our meate and drinke neither too much nor too delicate our apparell not too gay nor too sluttish our pleasures neither too long nor in bad causes our sorrowes not for euery vain losse nor in any defect or excesse and our labours such as may rather preserue life then quench it in all which we must alwaies hold this rule to consider not what we are able to doe but what is most meete to bee done agreeable with our estate wherein wee may not flatter our selues and seemelie both before God and man This sweete sobrietie is the honest grace and flower of our life which whosoeuer wanteth hee commeth too short of that duetie which God requireth at his handes being vnthankefull to God who hath redeemed him to liue in such an honorable estate offensiue to men and angels and hurtfull to his owne soule and body For what is the cause why our soules corrupt and stinke in the filthie lustes and pleasures of the flesh in al manner of excesse riotous kind of liuing but because they want this sale of sobriety wherby they shold be kept sweet why canst thou not endure to beare the labours of Gods seruice why dooest thou waxe faint in prayer why doest thou thinke it long to heare why doest thou thinke much to streine thy heart vnto God in the zeale of thankesgiuing and why canst thou not away to carie patiētly the easie yoke of Christ Iesus why thou hast not beene acquainted with sobrietie which is as it were the yoke to holde all men within their religious and vertuous endeuours Againe let vs come to the duties of the second table and aske what is the cause why wee cannot liue within the compasse of them Why doe some lift vp the heele against their gouernours like the vntamed horse why doe others liue in continual contentions and fightings like the sauage wolues and Tygers Why do some wast their strength in pleasures as the flame which consumeth the tallowe and why doe other neglecting the tender budde of their decaying stocke draw all through their owne throats while their wife and children starue for hunger and why doe other enuying the age to come gape vpon all things present like Behemoth as though they would make an end of the world with themselues and why do other some kindle such discord amongst their neighbours by that fire of the tongue as Saint Iames calleth it that it can neuer after bee quenched vnto the death and why is hell let loose within our selues to disturbe all the powers and sences about vs with wicked thoughtes lusts why this vertue of sobriety is absent from vs. So that take away sobriety and you vndoe all Religion Wherefore you good parentes you which haue a care of the posteritie and of the Church of God to come and you which thinke nothing too deere for the redemption of your own soules and the soules of your children shewe your thankefulnes vnto GOD in instructing your houshold teach them holines towards God and righteousnes towardes men and teach them not onely holines and righteousnes towardes God and men but also traine them vp in sobrietie towards themselues for this is the locke and key to religion it is the yoke of our life it is the salt of our soules it is the grace of all our actions O you good youth I call to you which loue the Lorde I call to you which honour all those which giue you good instruction and I call to you who had rather dye an honest and godly death while you are young then to liue in the filthie pleasures of sinne for a season and in the ende to bee cast awaye eternallie embrace this noble vertue of sobrietie if there bee anie vnderstanding if anie loue of vertue if anie zeale of chastitie if anie courage for good thinges fulfill my desires in the Lorde who loue your soules so deerely and God almightie raine downe a blessing vpon you 2. The second part of Gods seruice is to liue righteously towardes men and that is to giue euery man his due and right Giue to euerie man his due saith the Apostle Rom. 13. Tribute to whome yee owe tribute custome to whom custome feare to whome feare honour to whome vee owe honour Owe nothing to anie man but to loue one another for hee that loueth another hath fulfilled the lawe Nowe this whole duetie of louing our brethren and in giuing euery one his due we may generally comprehende in this diuision First in honouring and obeying our superiours and gouernours secondly in relieuing our inferiors and all such as stand in neede of our helpe and thirdly in being kinde to our equalles and louing to all For the dueties towardes our superiours the subiect must honour his magistrate with obedience
for example our Sauiour himselfe who being the author and finisher of our faith vsed this helpe through all his way as wee may reade Heb. 12. Who for the ioy which was set before him endured the crosse and despised the shame and is set at the right hand of the throne of God Againe this helpe that worthie light of the Church the Apostle S. Paul vsed Philip 3. I forget that which is behinde and endeuour my selfe vnto that which is before and follow hard toward the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus But what is this marke and what is this price which is alwaies so in the eye of the Apostle that he forgetteth all other things and regardeth nothing but it This marke is that palme branch which is giuen vnto all those faithful seruants of Christ Iesus who haue ouercommed all the difficulties and hardnes of this life and this marke is that immortall inheritance and vndefiled and which withereth not reserued in the heauens of which S. Peter speaketh 1. Epistle 2. chapter and this marke is the fulnes of ioye as the Prophet Dauid sayth Psalm 16. In thy presence is the fulnes of ioye and at thy right hand there are pleasures for euermore and this marke and this blessed hope is the crowne of righteousnes layd vp for all Gods faithfull seruants against the day of this appearing of the glorie of this mighty God our Sauiour Iesus Christ From hence forth is layd vp for me sayth the Apostle the crowne of righteousnes which the Lord the righteous iudge shall giue me at that day and not to mee onely but to all those that loue that his appearing 2. Tim. 4. O if a man had a crowne alwaies in his eye what would hee not doe to come by it Why doe wee then stagger vnder our burthens and why doe we waxe faint in the Lords seruice why wee doe not looke vppe vnto our blessed hope and wee doe not set that glorious appearing of our Sauiour Christ Iesus alwaies before our eyes whose presence shall wipe away all teares from our cheekes This would holde vp our hands if there were any life in vs. Cast your eyes then vpon your inheritance which shall not wither What seruice can be sufficient for a kingdome what dutie for the crowne of heauen what loyaltie for the adoption of the sons of God and what paines taking for the fulnes of ioye O you Christians that you saw and knew your happines that you might loue and serue the Lord. 2. The second motiue is taken from that exceeding loue of Christ in giuing himselfe so freely for vs and therefore now we should giue our selues and all our things vnto him againe as wee are taught of our mother the Church Canticles 6. I am my welbeloueds and my welbeloued is mine O if Christ Iesus that heauenly bridegroome hath bestowed himselfe vpon vs and giuen himselfe for vs which sometimes were more vile then the clay in the streete how can wee now denye him any seruice or any thing which is within vs shall the heire of eternitie and the son of God bestow himselfe vpon vs with a full dowrie of the kingdome of heauen and all the ioyes of the life to come and with the fruition of the diuine nature as S. Peter saith and shall not we now bestow our selues and our liues vpon him againe for that loue of Christ constraineth vs sayth the Apostle because wee thus iudge that if one bee dead for all then wee are all dead and hee died for all that they which liue should not hence foorth liue vnto themselues but vnto him which dyed for them and rose againe O had not wee neede now bee a deare and louing spouse vnto our husband Christ who hath bought our loue with his owne death would not this meditation constraine any reasonable heart vnto all duetifull seruice wherefore now I speake like a troubled soule out of the affection of my heart I had rather be hanged in the ayre I had rather bee burnt in the fire I had rather bee torne with the racke yea I had rather run through hell it selfe then I would willingly offende and displease this mercifull Lorde who hath loued mee and giuen himselfe for mee For I was dead but now I am aliue I was lost but now I am found I was forsaken but now am I beloued What doe you weeping and breaking my heart saith the Apostle for my life is not deare vnto my selfe so that I may fulfill my course with ioye Oh we haue not halfe franke hearts to deale with God wee thinke much to serue God with our persons our soules and our bodies and as for our goods we lay them to aside they may not goe with vs into the Lords Sanctuarie for feare of losing and yet our Lorde hath not only giuen soule and bodie to raunsome vs but also hath stripped himselfe naked of al his heauenly royaltie and riches and tooke vpon him the forme of a seruant as the Apostle teacheth Phil. 2. O where is now that constraining loue of the Apostle to stirre vp our dull and cold hearts 3. The third motiue to stirre vs vp with al cheerefulnes vnto Gods seruice are those great and vnspeakeable paines and labours which our deare Sauiour hath taken vpon him to beare and goe thorow with for our redemption Who gaue himselfe for vs sayth the Apostle that is who gaue himselfe to endure all manner of torments calamities and sufferings for our redemption and all manner of painefull seruice for our iustification Now hath Christ our Sauiour giuen himselfe to doe so much for vs and shall wee giue our selues to securitie and liue as wee lust hath Christ watched for vs and shall wee giue our selues to sleepe hath Christ fasted for vs and shal we giue our selues to banquetting hath Christ bin tempted for vs and shall we yeeld to euery suggestion hath Christ suffered persecution shal we look to line at ease and hath Christ so liued here vpon earth for our sakes that he wold not please himselfe Rom. 15. and shall wee sport in the delights of this life and the sensualitie of our owne flesh and hath Christ not onely suffered all the troubles of this life but also tooke vpon him the torments of the life to come to free vs from that dreadfull lake of eternall iudgement now shall we cast our selues down vnder the greene boughes of the pleasures of this world and shunne the heate and burden of the day and giue our selues to idle loytering when God calleth vs foorth to labour in his vineyard O what a shame were this to Christians at whose hands the Lord hath deserued so great duties through his infinit labours and sufferings If Christ our Sauiour had redeemed vs without any paines taking as easily as a rich man pulleth out twentie pounds out of his pocket to ransome a poore captiue whom