is to say whether is the happiest I. Hall ANOTHER IN ENGLISH IN COMMENDATION of Maister Greenham and his godly and learned workes set forth by Maister Holland Preacher of Gods word GReene yet I am may Greenham say and greene shall flourish still Though World Sicknes Death and the Graue on me haue wrought their will The Apostate world me wore with griefe and troubles manifold Whilst that I sought with all my strength her pillers to vphold Then Sicknes came Deaths Sergeant grim my â—arkesse craz'd t' arrest And Death at sheeles with gaping graue receiu'd me for their guest But great Emmanuel mark'd and smilde to see them take this toyle To roote and race out Greenham quite and gaue them all the foyle My soule he plants in Paradise there greene to flourish aye And charg'd the graue my body safe to keepe till the last day And least Death should suppose on earth h 'had blotted out my name He stirs vp Hollands louing minde for to renue the same So that as oyntments precious my workes on earth doe smell Refreshing poore distressed soules whom Sathan seekes to quell Loe here the fruit of godly zeale and zealous pietie In Greenham who triumphs against all Sathans tyrannie In spite of world Sicknes Death Graue and all the powers of Hell With godly Men aliue and dead it alwaies shall goe well F. Hering TO THE RIGHT VVORSHIPFVLL SIR MARMADVKE DARRELL AND SIR THOMAS BLOOTHER KNIGHTS SVRVEYERS GENERALL FOR THE VICTVALING OF HIS MAIESTIES NAVIE Stephen Egerton wisheth increase of all true comfort in this life and euerlasting felicitie in the life to come through our Lord Iesus Christ. PVblius Virgilius Prince of Latine Poets being demaunded why he read the writings of old Ennius made this answere Aurum colligo ex Ennij stercore that is I gather golde out of Ennius his dunghill meaning thereby that though Ennius his Poems were not so exquisitely penned as they might haue been by Virgil himselfe yet much good matter might be picked out of them Surely right VVorshipfull if one heathen man could gather gold out of the writings of another how much more may we being Christians gather not gold only but pearles and pretious stones out of the religious and holy labours of Master Richard Greenham though not all polished by his owne penne being a most godly brother yea more than a brother euen a most painefull Pastor zealous Preacher and reuerend Father in the Church of God of whom I am perswaded that for practicall diuinity which ought worthily to haue the preheminence he was inferiour to few or none in his time VVherefore the same prouidence of God which moued that faithful Minister Master Henry Holland to collect and publish so many of his worthie labours for the good of the Church doth call and allure others to the reading of them and namely you right VVorshipfull who haue shewed singular kindnes as Naomi saith of Boaz both to the liuing and to the dead that is both to good Master Holland while he liued and to his desolate widow and fatherles children since his death In respect whereof shee desired by my hand to testifie hir thankfulnes to both your VVorships as it were by these two mites of this dedicatory Epistle which office of loue to my deare brother deceased and to his widow and children liuing I doe the more willingly tender to your VVorships because I am partly priuie to your kindnes and bountie both towards them towards others The Lord giue mercie saith Paul to the house of Onesiphorus for he often refreshed me c. The same might faithful Holland say and the same may his widow and children say The Lord giue mercie to your houses and posteritie for you haue often refreshed them which being done as I doubt not in faith and from loue out of a pure heart shall be put to your reckning and brought in as a cleare euidence for a comfortable sentence to passe on your side in the day of the Lord Iesus Christ To whose most gratious direction and blessing I commit you both with the vertuous and Christian Ladies your wiues and whole families From my house in the Black Friers this third day of Aprill 1605. Your VVorships readie to be commanded in the Lord STEPH EGERTON GRAVE COVNSELS AND GODLY OBSERVATIONS SERVING GENERALLY TO DIRECT ALL MEN IN THE WAIES OF TRVE GODLINES BVT PRINCIPALly applyed to instruct and comfort all afflicted consciences Affections HE vsed this triall of his affections as of anger griefe ioy or such like in this manner If by them he was made lesse fit to pray more vnable to do the good he should lesse carefull to auoid sin then he thought his affection carnall and euill and not of God but when his anger loue grief and other affectioÌ„s prouoked him more to pray and made him fitter to do good then he thought his affections to be sent from God as a blessing vnto him 2 God sheweth vs often in our affections what we may doe in our outward actions 3 Some labour more for knowledge lesse for affection some more for affection lesse for knowledge some busie themselues in Church-discipline and are slender sighted in their priuie corruptions some be diligent to espie things in others abroad and negligent to trie themselues at home but it is good to match both together 4 Rare good things are pleasant but by vse they are lesse esteemed and rare euill things are fearefull but by vse they become lesse grieuous This comes to passe because we rather bring with vs naturall affections of ioy and sorrow and feare than spirituall meditations which are onely of the true ioy and sorrow 5 We must euer learne to suspect our owne opinion and affection when the case any thing concerneth vs. 6 He said that when for some causes naturall affection deceiued him yet the ordinance of God caused him to doe duties 7 He thought it not good at table to be extraordinarie either in ioy or sorrow vnlesse it were for some special cause but rather it were conuenient priuately to a godly friend or before the Lord to powre out our hearts and after the example of Ioseph to make our affections knowne as little in companie as may be Afflictions 1 HE thought all afflictions to be puttings of him to God from slothfulnes 2 It is a most certaine thing in Gods children that the more their afflictions grow the more their faith groweth the more Sathan striueth to draw them from God the more they draw neer to God although indeed in feeling they caÌ„not see somuch 3 Many can speak faire things in the eares of God so long as they be in affliction but afterwards they will speake euill things in the eares of heauen and earth 4 He said to one complaining of sudden gripes and nips in the bodie Of sudden â—eares in the minde that we should make our vse of them and though it were hard to search the particular
that Christ shall come in his Majestie to pronounce sentence vpon all those that were dead before and vpon them that then shall befound aliue What comfort haue you by this 1. I am comforted in my greatest miserie knowing that CHRIST will come one day and 〈…〉 of all 2. I am sure that hee will giue sentence on my side and take me to glorie with him Why say you I beleeue in God the holie Ghost Because he is God equall with the Father and the Sonne Why call you him â—â—â— Because hee is the Author of all holinesse What fruite haue you by this 1. The holie Ghost doth assure mee that I am the childe of God by making mee to call him Aâ—â—â— Father 2 He assureth me that by the vertue of the death and resurrection of Christ that sinne dieth in mee and I am raised vp to holinesse of life 3. The holy Ghost leadeth me into all truth needfull to Gods glorie my saluation 4. Hee comforteth mee in all my troubles and in death assureth me of a better life in this same bodie and soule What is the meaning of this article I belieue that there is a Catholike Church That God hath a certaine number of his chosen children which hee doth call and gather to himselfe Why say you I belieue that there is a Catholike Church Because that the Church of God cannot be alwayes seene with the eyes of man Why call you the Church Holie Because the Church on the earth though in it selfe it is sinfull yet in Christ the head it is holy and in the life to come shall be brought to perfection of holines Why doe you call it Catholique Because God in all places and of all sorts of men had from the beginning hath now and euer wil haue an holy Church What is the meaning of this article The Communion of Saints The whole Church communicateth with Christ and euery member one with another in the benefites of Christ. What comfort haue you by this article 1. I am comforted because I am iustified by that Faith whereby Adam and Abraham were iustified which is tyed to no time or place and excludeth no person 2. I am comforted because I am made partaker of Christ and all his mercies by Faith and of all the blessings of the Church by loue What belieuest thou in this article I belieue the forgiuenesse of sinnes I belieue that God for Christs sake doth freely forgiue me not onely all my sinnes but also the punishment that I haue deserued by them Why say you I belieue the forgiuenesse of sinnes Because no reason can perswade mee but the holie Ghost onely must worke the assurance of it in my heart What comfort haue you heereby 1. First I am comforted because all the sinnes I haue and daily commit shall neuer be laide to my charge 2. Secondly I am comforted because that the weaknes and wants of all my duties are couered and supplied in Christ. 3. Thirdly I am comforted because God will heare mee praying for others that they may haue Faith to feele the forgiuenes of sinnes What belieuest thou in this article The resurrection of the body vnto life euerlasting I belieue that this bodie after it shall be dissolued into dust shall bee raised vp againe at the last day and my soule shall liue in euerlasting glorie What comfort reape you thereby 1. I am made comfortable and chearefull in well-doing seeing my labour shall not be in vaine 2. I am made to despise the pleasures and glory of this world and with patience to suffer all troubles that are laide vpon me in this present life 3. It comforteth me ouer the death of my dearest friends and maketh mee carefull in death knowing that I shall haue a part in the resurrection of the iust What fruite haue you when you belieue all these Articles All doe come to this ende that being iustified by faith I am righteous in Christ before God What be the seuerall fruites 1. First I am at peace with God although in my selfe for my outward sinnes which I daily commit and my inward corruption which remaineth I am daily accused 2. I get strength to fight against my outward sinnes to subdue my inward corruption to doe outward good workes and to delight in the law of God in the inward man 3. I haue a right to all Gods creatures so that the vse and want of them shall turne to the furtherance of my saluation 4. I am assured of the glorification of my soule and bodie in the heauens because I am made an heire of euerlasting life Why is this giuen wholly and onely vnto Faith Not because Faith doth deserue it but because the merits of Christ can be laid holde on and applyed to my selfe by none other meanes but by Faith alone Cannot our good workes in some part iustifie vs before God No for the righteousnes which is able to stand in the iudgement of God must be perfect in all respects Are not our good workes perfect No for in many things wee sinne all and againe the best workes we doe are defiled with sinne and therefore can deserue nothing at the hands of God Why then doth God promise a reward vnto them The reward that God doth promise it is not for the desert of workes but of his owne grace and mercie Will not this doctrine make men carelesse of well doing No for they that be ingraffted into Christ must needes bring forth good workes Why is it needfull that they should doe good workes 1. First that wee may by them shew our selues thankfull vnto God for all his benefites 2. That we may be assured of our Faith and election by good works 3. That by our good workes wee may edifie others How maiest thou edifie others 1. First by encouraging and strengthening those that are good 2. Secondly by winning those that are not come vnto God 3. And then by stopping the mouthes of the wicked 4. The fourth ariseth of the former and that is the glorie of GOD which is aduanced by them Are good workes so needfull that without them wee cannot be saued Yea for although good workes doe not worke our saluation in any part yet because they that are iustified are also sanctified they that doe no good workes declare that they neither are iustified nor sanctified and therefore cannot be saued Then they must much more be condemned which commit sinne and lye in it Yea for such are not onely pronounced to bee accursed by the Law but also the Gospell hath denounced that they shall not inherite the kingdome of heauen Can euery one doe good workes None can doe good workrs but they that are borne againe How can they that are thus borne againe doe good workes They that are thus borne againe and carrie in them the Image of God haue repentance wrought in them from whence good workes doe proceede What is Repentance Repentance is a turning of
our selues to GOD whereby wee crucifie and kill the corruption of our nature and reforme our selues in the inward man according to Gods will What is it to crucifie the corruption of our nature It is truely and with all my heart to be sorie that I haue angred God with it and with my other sinnes and euery day more and more to hate it and them and to flie from them How is this sorrow wrought It is wrought in mee partly by the threatnings of the Law and the feare of Gods iudgements but especiallie increased by feeling of the fruit of Christ his death whereby I haue power to hate sinne and to leaue it How is this reformation of our selues wrought in vs Onely by the promises of the Gospell whereby we feele the fruit of the rising againe of Christ. What doth insue hereof Hereby wee are raised vp into a new life hauing a law written in our hearts and so reforme our selues Hereby it appeareth that none can repent of themselues or when they will Yea for it was saide before that it is the gift of GOD giuen vnto them that are borne againe By this it is also euident that Gods Children stand in neede of Repentance so long as they liue Yea for there is none of Gods Saints but alwayes carrying this corruption about them they sometime fall and are farre from that perfection of goodnes which the Lord requireth Seâ—ing it was said before that good workes did proceede from Repâ—ntance what properties are required of workes 1. First that they be such as God hath commanded in his Law 2. Secondlie that they that doe them bee such as be ingrafted into CHRIST and continue in him What say you then of the good workes of them that be not in Christ They doe no good workes because they neither are as yet members of Christ nor doe offer them to GOD in the Name of Christ. 3. The third propertie of workes is that they may bee to glorifie God and to assure our saluation Is it not lawfull to seeke our owne praise and merit by our owne good woorkes No For all our good workes are imperfect and saluation is onely merited by the death of Christ as was saide before We haue heard that the Law worketh the knowledge of our sinnes and feeling of our miseriâ— What meanes hath God ordained to worke and increase Faith in vs Hee hath ordained 1. The Gospell to beget and breede it in vs. 2. Prayer 3. Sacraments 4. Discipline 5. Affliction to confirme it in vs. What is the Gospell It is that part of Gods word whereby the holie Ghost worketh in vs a liuely Faith to apprehend the free remission of sinnes in Iesus Christ. How many kindes of Faith be there Two a Generall Faith whereby I belieue God to be true in all his workes Speciall and this is either whereby I belieue God to be iust in his threatnings and so am made penitent Or whereby I belieue him to bee made mercifull in his promises and so come to repentance What difference is there betweene Penitence and Repentance Penitence is a sorrow for sinne wrought by the Law Repentance is a recouering our selues from sinne wrought by the Gospell Is there such difference betweene the Law and the Gospell Yea for the Law differeth from the Gospell in foure things 1 First the Law reuealeth sinne rebuketh vs for it and leaueth vs in it but the Gospell doth reueale vnto vs Remission of sinnes bringeth vs to CHRIST and â—reeth vâ— from the punishment belonging vnto sinne 2. The Law commandeth to do good and giueth no strength but the Gospell inableâ—â— vs to do good the holy Ghost writing the law in our hearts assuring vs of the promise 3. The Law is the ministerie of wrath condemnation and death but the Gospell is tâ—e ministerie of grace iustification and life 4. In many points the Law may be conceiued by reason but the Gospell in all poinâ—â— is farre aboue the reach of mans reason Wherein doe they agree They agree in this that they bee both of God and declare one kinde of righteousnesse though they differ in offering it vnto vs. What is that one kinde of righteousnesse It is the perfect loue of God and of our neighbour What thing doth follow vpon this That the seuere law pronounceth all the faithfull righteous How doth the Law pronounce them righteous Because that they hauâ— in Christ all that the Law doth aske But yet they remaine transgressors of the Law They are transgressors in themselues and yet righteous in Christ and in their inward man they loue righteousnes and hate sinne What then is the state of the faithfull in this life They are pure in Christ and yet fight against sin What battell haue they They haue battell both within the battell of the flesh against the Spirit and without the temptation of Sathan the world How shall they ouercome By a liuely Faith in Iesus Christ. 1. Ioh. 5. 4. What call you thâ— flesh The corruption of our nature wherein wee were borne and conceiued Doth that remaine after regeneration Yea it dwelleth in vs and cleaueth fast vnto vs so long as wee carie the outward flesh about vs. How doth the flesh fight against the spirit By continuall lusting against the spirit What is that 1. By hindering or corrupting vs in the good motions words and deeds of the spirit 2. By continuall moouing vs to euill-motions words deeds What call you the spirit The holie Spirit which God in Christ hath giuen vs whereby wee are begotten againe Dâ—â— wee not receiue the spirit in full measure and in perfection at the first No but first we receiue the first fruits and afterward the daily increase of the same vnto the end if the fault be not in our selues How doth the Spirit fight in vs By lusting against the flesh How doth it lust against the flesh 1. First partly by rebuking and partly by restraining in vs the euill motions and deeds of the flesh 2. By continuall inlightning and affecting vs with-thoughts words deedes agreeable to Gods wil. What call you the world The corrupt state and condition of men and the rest of the creatures How doth the world fight against vs By alluring and withdrawing vs to the corruptions thereof What meanes doth it vse 1. It allureth vs by false 1. Pleasures 2. Profit 3. Glorie of this world from our obedience to God 2. It allureth vs other-paines losses and reproches to distrust Gods promises whiles by How shall wee ouercome the pleasures profit and glorie of this world 1. By a true Faith in IESVS CHRIST who despised all these things to worke our saluation and to make vs ouercome them 2. By Faith in Gods word that feareth vs from doing any thing against his will How shall wee ouercome the Paines losses and reproches of the World 1 By aliuely Faith in Iesus Christ who suffered all those things to worke our
yet we may eate the fatnes of meate which was forbidden them And so in all the commandements the morall obseruation belongeth to vs as well as to them the ceremoniall keeping to them and not to vs. And the same we conclude of this place concerning the fire making on this day Out of the new Testament they also gather two reasons First they say it is not mentioned nor vrged so much in the new Testament as are the other precepts I an answere this is no good reason but is rather to be returned to the Anabaptists who reason that the iudiciall lawes are not to be vsed because they are not vrged Nay rather looke what the holie Ghost hath set downe more sparingly in the old Testament he hath more fully plainly supplied it in the new Testament and what thing the law containeth more fully that the Gospell handleth more sparingly because the Lord in his heauenly wisedome would not trouble vs much with one thing But we know it is named Matth. 12. and 24. Mar. 2. Iohn 5. Act. 20. 1. Cor. 16 and 16. Reuelat. â— The second argument is this The Apostles changed the day which say these men they neuer would haue done had it been morall I answere it was neuer commanded nor appointed what one certaine day should be kept among seuen but that there should be obserued a seuenth day which being kept it is sufficient and the law remaineth vnuiolated And yet we permit not that any man at his pleasure should now change this day For that which the Apostles did they did not as priuate men but as men guided by the spirite of God they did it for the auoyding of superstition wherewith the Iewes had infected it Againe as the Iewes vsed the other day which is the last day of the weeke because it was the day wherein the Lord made all things perfect so the Apostles changed it into the day of Christ his resurrection who was the beginner of the new world on which day we receiued a more full fruite and possession of all the benefits in Christ his conception birth life and death Besides this was the first day of the creating of the world wherein the Lord drew light out of darknes Lastly the holy Ghost is said on this day to come downe vpon the holy Apostles So that this day doth fitly put vs in minde of our creation to be thankfull to God the Father of our redemption to be thankfull to God the Sonne and of our sanctification to be thankfull to God the holie Ghost Now if any can alleadge more effectuall or equall reasons vnto these hee may alter the day so it be with the consent of the Church Wherefore the equitie of the law remaining it is not abrogated Circumcision as we haue shewed is considered two manner of wayes either as the seale of Faith Rom. 4. or as a signe of that circumcision which wee haue in Christ made without hands In this manner considered it is ceased as it is a seale of Faith it remaineth not the same in forme and manner but the same in effect For although wee haue not the same helpe of our Faith yet we haue a helpe The Iewes had Sacraments moe in number but we more excellent in signification Though we haue not many SacrameÌ„ts and holy-dayes yet wee haue two Sacraments and one day more effectuall than all they were which the Iewes had We see therefore in truth no reason as yet why we should not obserue the Sabbath as Morall Thus hauing confirmed the doctrine of the Sabbath by the holy Scriptures and proued that there is a morall vse of the same as well for vs as for the Iewes and hauing answered all the contrarie objections that might seeme to make against this doctrine it followeth now according to our first diuision that wee should speake of the obseruation of the Sabbath it selfe shewing how it is kept and wherein it is broken For both these are expressed in the Commaundement wherein is set downe the affirmatiue to teach how to keepe it and the negatiue to shew how we breake it First then we will shew how the Sabbath ought to be kept then afterward we will declare how it is broken Where it is said in the beginning of the precept Remember to keepe holic and in the ende thereof the Lord hallowed the Sabbath so that it is not simply said Remember to keepe but to keepe holy neither is it simply mentioned that the Lord left the seuenth day but blessed the seuenth day hallowed it Hereby is insinuated vnto vs that in this day we should grow in loue towards God tender affection to our brethren wee are taught that then wee keepe the Sabbath aright when we vse it to that ende for which it was ordained that is when we vse in it as we haue before shewed thâ—se exercises whereby we may be the more sanctified and God the more glorified both on this in the other dayes of the weeke These exercises be such as are either priuate or publike The publike exercises are twice at the least to bee vsed euery Sabbath and they bee these First the word read and preached then prayers feruently made with thanksgiuing singing of Psalmes reuerend administration of the Sacraments And first for reading and preaching of the word wee reade Nehem. 8. 8. And they read in the booke of the Law of God distinctly and gaue the sense and caused them to vnderstand the reading Also wee may see this in the practise of the Apostles Act. 13. vers 15. And after the lectures of the Lawe and Prophets the rulers of the Synagogue sent vnto them saying Yee men and brethren if ye haue any word of exhortation for the people say on And as the Ministers did reade and preach the word so it was the practise of the Church to heare as Eccles. 4. vers 17. Take heede to thy foote when thou entrest into the house of God and bee more neere to heare than to giue the sacrifice of fooles And it is saide Nehem. 8. 3. The eares of all the people hearkened vnto the booke of the Law And concerning praying thanksgiuing singing the Prophet of God vseth a vehemeÌ„t exhortation to the Church Psal. 92. 1. Come saith he let vs reioyce vnto the Lord let vs sing aloude to the rocke of our saluation 2. Let vs come before his face with praise let vs sing aloude vnto him with Psalmes And Psal. 65. 1. O God praise waiteth for thee in Sion c. Now for the Sacraments generally we are to marke that as in the time of the law the sacrifices were most vsed on the Sabbath day so our SacrameÌ„ts succeeding the sacrifices are then most to be frequented As for the supper of the Lord it appeareth Act. 18. 1. Cor. 11. as it seemeth that it was administred euery Lords day although now adaies the ministers may
man so no man knoweth the meaning of the Lord in his word except God giue him his spirit to declare it vnto him And if we must pray when we come to our meate and drinke that God may giue nourishment to vs by them then how much more must we pray God to nourish vs by his word for else we cannot profit thereby And as no man dare touch meate and drinke before he pray and we haue no title to it before it be sanctified to vs by prayer how impudent are they that dare touch Gods booke without prayer or thinke that otherwise they haue title vnto it Paul may plant and Apollo may water but God giueth the encrease so if any be senselesse still and yet haue heard long it is because God hath not reuealed his wil vnto them Men may be diligent yet they shall erre if God giue not his spirit and though they meditate and conferre yet they shall be punished for giuing libertie to their rouing braine and to their tongue except they pray for Gods spirit Many rest in knowledge and want faith because they want prayer and wee rest in knowledge and neuer practise because wee pray not to God to write his law in our hearts by his spirit that now not wee but he may worke in vs. They that take any thing in hand without prayer howsoeuer they say they abhorre Poperie yet they practise it because they take vpon them to haue some power in themselues For thanksgiuing if we be bound to praise God wheÌ„ he hath fed our bodies how much more when he hath fed our soules And shall God be iustly offended with vs if we thanke him not for our refreshing with meates sleepe c and shall wee not tremble for feare of reuenge if we haue not praised God for any light or any good motion that he hath put into vs For want hereof â—fter some lightning followeth some darkenes and after much feeling commeth deadnes and by this meanes Satan goeth about to take all Gods graces from vs. Dauid saith Blessed art thou Lord O teach me thy statutes This sheweth that wee must euer praise God before we come to reade Many are feruent in asking but cold in giuing thankes And if we would giue thankes to God it would much ease vs in asking and God would not punish vs in taking his graces from vs. FINIS A TREATISE OF THE RESVRRECTION Psalm 16. 10. For thou wilt not leaue my soule in the graue neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption Philip. 3. 20. Our conuersation is in heauen from whence also we looke for the Sauiour euen the Lord Iesus Christ. Vers. 21. Who shall change our vile bodies that it may bee fashioned like vnto his glorious bodie according to the working whereby hee is able euen to subdue all things vnto himselfe ARe wee perswaded with the Prophet of God Psalm 16. that wee shall bee raised and freed from corruption that our death is a sleepe our graue as a bedde and that that God that raiseth the Sunne daily out of his denne will drawe vs also out of the earth then haue we true faith which vndoubtedly wee shall finde more strong if long before death come wee would exercise our selues with the meditations of death Many wee see by deferring all vnto the last ende die heathenishly many who would seeme to haue more heroicall spirits desire vnnaturally to dye not that they are surcharged with the burthen of their rebellion and corruption but because as beasts they neither can reioyce in things in heauen nor feare the paines in hell These are more drowsie and senselesse beasts than those who are more loth to depart in whom appeareth more nature and some conscience but the other degenerating from nature are a farre more monstrous and daungerous kinde of people Howbeit the common sort of people commend this kinde of death they say thus he departed as meekely as a lambe he went out of the world as a bird goeth out of the shell he died very quietly neuer speaking a word nay they might say more truly he died beastlike he gaue no token of repentance in acknowledging his sinnes he shewed no fruite of faith how he was saued in Christ he gaue no testimonie of his hope in witnessing a ioyfull resurrection and chaunging to a better life Thus wee see how readie wee are to extreames either fearing death too much or fearing it too little Well if wee will be rid of that feare in excesse behold here is a remedie My flesh doth rest in hope for thou wilt not leaue my soule in graue But there are othersome who can yeeld quietly to death also what is their reason what is their faith forsooth they say they must pay that willingly which is due of necessitie and seeing they owe God a death they had as lieue die at first as at last when the debt is payed it can bee no more required It is farre otherwise with the children of God who of all others haue the greatest preferment by death yet hauing tasted of the land of the liuing euen in this life cannot satisfie themselues in the multitude of many dayes with the sweete sâ—ppe thereof vntill their measure be brimme full Then they dying in the ripenes of yeeres and in the fulnesse of dayes are gathered in their due time into the Lord his barne as a ricke of corne Then they hauing fought a good battaile runne their full race and kept a true faith can with ioy in Christ looke for the crowne of glorie which is prepared for them To this wholesome meditation and fore-thinking of death the daily mortalitie and dropping away of others ought to stirre vs vp For wee see many round about vs of the same complexions of the same age that we are of breathing of the same aire vsing the same diet which wee doe who goe before vs and are gleaned from those miserable calamities which our long contempt of the word hath threatned to fall vpon vs. Let vs labour then to lay vp our flesh in hope that our departure from hence may be as the sailing ouer the Seas as the trauailing of a woman as a deliuerie out of prison and a returning from exile Certainly a man is neuer more tried to be a Christian than in contemning death for Heretikes concerning other things may haue as great gifts as other professors but in death they will bewray their hypocrisie either in murmuring as dogs or in vnsensiblenes as blockes But in Christians there appeareth such an heroicall alacritie tempered with so gratious humilitie that they desire not to liue but to keepe a good conscience they refuse not to die for nothing but for hope of a more happie inheritance It may be that others as we said may shew some cheerefull countenance to die but it either proceedeth of some phrensie vnaduisedly or of rashnesse especially or of numnesse carelesly Neither would I haue any
righteousnesse than the Angels than the heauens which are impure in the sight of God and in whom he findeth imperfection We must therefore come to the passiue righteousnesse wee must haue the blood of Christ sprinkled abroad in our hearts By the one we must labour so as if we would ouermatch the righteousnes of the Pharisies of the most Iuâ—ticiaries in the world but when it comes before God to liue or to die by our righteousnes then wee must let goe the olde Testament and take care for the blood of the New Testament which is giuen vs by the ministerie of Faith For our action of eating and drinking as the Church hath retained it there is a commandement giuen that we lift vp our hearts vnto the Lord and we must be as Eagles flying vp to heauen by hauing carefull meditation at that time of things inuisible of setting before vs the suffering of CHRIST in breaking of the bodie in shedding of the blood of CHRIST which being ruminated is the sending vp of our Faith by the working of the HOLY GHOST The principall end is the remembrance of the death of CHRIST which he did commend to vs at his last parting from vs which ought much to sticke in our mindes because the last words of a friend readie to depart doe oft leaue both impressions and affections in vs. Indeede when wee reade of his death it doth somewhat moue vs when we heare of it it moues vs more to meditate of it moues vs in a third degree but besides all these to haue as it were before our eyes a visible Crucifying of Christ doth mooue vs most of all This in wisedome he vsed that we might not forget him as before GOD the Father after the great deluge drowning the whole world for a remembrance of the worke of deliuering vs from water he left vs a Rainebow And when hee had supernaturally fed the Israelites with Manna from heauen he would haue a pot full of it reserued in the Arke of remembrance for a memoriall of so great a worke Wee being deliuered by the blood of Christ from the floods of our sinnes haue receiued Baptisme to keepe vs in remembrance thereof We being nourished with the Manna of Christ his bodie are commanded to vse this mysterie to continue an holy remembrance of the same Now for that vnion which is betwixt CHRIST and vs as wee haue nothing in Adam but that which conueyth death to vs so it is needfull that we should be ioyned to one that may giue light to vs the means to be thus vnited is this sacrament And what vnion can be greater then that which is betweene the thing nourishing and the thing nourished This vnion though by no reason it can be expressed must bee beleeued how Christ by being borne of Mary hath vnited our nature to him and this vnion hath euery reprobate with Christ in that he hath taken vpon him the shape of man and so farre any cast-away may be said to haue interest in the flesh of Christ. Where is then the difference Truly here is a difference if the arme ioyned to the body haue no life no sense no benefit of vitall spirits it may be indeed vnited to the bodie but it is not a part of the bodie so the wicked liuing without Faith haue no soule as it were but are as it were senslesse and liuelesse hang-byes and therefore are no true members of Christ. We must not then thinke it sufficient to be ioyned to the flesh of Christ as the kinsmen of Christ who speaking of this spirituall coniunction with him pointed vnto them that by faith receiued his word saying These are my brother my sister my mother These haue the true vnion with Christ the other haue affinitie with Christ in his flesh onely in his incarnation Therfore with the symbols to a true receiuer Christ is really giuen so all whatsoeuer belongeth to Christ in the purchase of his redemption Neither are we to looke only to our vnion with Christ but to that ioyning of our selues with them that are of the same mystical body be they neuer so many that receiue with vs. For this tries all and it is an vnion of loue and in respect here of this mysterie hath been called a Communion And because our vnion with Christ doth nothing profit God though a thousand worlds of men were vnited to him he hath set ouer the profit to others so that if I may so say is Christ is meate and drinke to vs so we should be meate and drinke as it were to others for that whatsoeuer wee haue in wisedome wee should bestow to the behoofe of the ignorant whatsoeuer we haue in holinesse we should make the best of it to the winning of others whatsoeuer we haue in outward things we should communicate it to others according to the quantity of their wants our aboundance So shall we be members not onely of the naturall but also of the mysticall bodie of Christ. There is yet another ende Seeing there is such a nature in the creatures that the outward things haue suffered many iniuries before they became good food as the corne being cut down in it perâ—ite age pressed out of the huskes with the flaile loosing all his intralles with the violence of the Mill and after passing through the parching heate of the Ouen is made good bread so the flesh of Iesus Christ went vnder many paines and the blood of Christ as the grape in it most flourishing estate was pressed out of the veines and sustained hard passions and shall nothing of vs then suffer with him Because we cannot wreake ouranger on the Iewes as Pontius Pilate as Caiphas and the rest for that they are dead and gone and yet to say the trueth they were no more the crucifiers of Christ than the nailes the crosse or the haÌ„mer but it was our sins which did crucifie him it was our vile thoughts our corrupt speeches and our own sins which did set Caiphas Pilate and Iudas on worke and they were but our seruants and hirelings in the action of his crucifying Therefore as we would wreake our anger on them seeing they I say were but hired and we haue the things in our selues which did chiefly crucifie him let vs doe that despite to our sins let vs arraigne theÌ„ let vs crucifie them let vs naile them to the crosse let vs kill them burie them for euer This is that wheron we should spend our choler and let vs beware of crucifying of Christ againe which thing though it cannot be indeede because all the Deputies high Priests are gone yet we may be truely saide to crucifie him againe when we bereauing him of the fruits of his death put new passions of griefe vpoÌ„ him For though it was no grief to Christ to dye so he might enioy the thing he died for yet to loose the fruits of his torments this doth
exhortatios of the Gospell commands that which Christ is readie to giue vs and it chargeth vs not so much to do it but to beleeue that Christ by his blessed spirit will worke euery good thing in vs. For the Gospell being the Ministerie of â—â—fe giueth life and strength from aboue when we are dead weake The not discerning of this difference makes many good precepts fall to the ground The lawe indeede reueales sinne but the Gospell cures sinne the law woundeth and so must it do but the Gospell healeth vs which the law can neuer doe Hitherto wee haue heard thus much first wee must prouide that wee fight in Gods harnesse not with Satans weapons whether they be wit reason policie education or such like We fight against a Prince and principalitie who wants not wit knowledge ciuill gifts or any such things which things haue beene geuen euen vnto the heathen for they were wise and learned men yet many of them lay in great sinnes in idolatry some fearefully ended their liues Let not Christians then say haue I not wit reason and education beseeming a man Well so did the Philosophers and Poets and yet behold their fruits behold their ends but let vs deny reason and withstand wit for it will surely faâ—le in the houre of death and in the houre of temptation No gift of nature no gift of bringing vp can withstand Satan or sinne vnlesse from heauen God change vs Neither is this the sinne only of the vnregenerate but in the regenerate who still sliding to reason or ouerweying of God his power are foiled and therefore we see many ouercome who purpose to withstand yet striuing in their owne wisedome they are spoyled be their purpose neuer so great Many will say why this is a monstrous temptation I will neuer yeelde to this yet they fall This we shall see both in temptations and accusations when â—â—en striue and dispute with reason with so subtill a sophister so the more they striue the more they are intangled for they want strength to fight with the strong man who will not be subdued vnlesse we put on the armour of the stronger man which is Christ Iesus which armour is afterward set downe Neither is it enough to haue a peece of harnesse but we must haue all the whole armour for what is it to couer the head if the breast be bare what if the armes be armed when the back is vnharnesseâ— we cannot auoid the darts which come against euery place So we must not haue one grace and want another for then Satan comes in the open place who obserues whether we want a head-peece â— gauntlet a brest plate or whatsoeuer wherefore we must thinke that Satan as a politique souldier lookes not so much to the armed part as to the naked part If he seeth vs afraid of him theâ—â— will he tempt vs to dispaire if we will not be pearced with vncleannes then he will shake 〈…〉 s with couetousnes If he sees vs pettish and vnarmed with loue then Satan wil tempt v 〈…〉 o anger Alas it is our weake nature to reserue one sinne or other it giues Satan aduantage we â—e Heroaâ—an courtiers and Christians we are halfe perswaded with Agrippa to be ChristiaÌ„s but we must throughly be harnessed least as a dead flye corrupteth much good oyn 〈…〉 h one sinne we defile many graces Euery one hath his familiar sinne which 〈…〉 ur to espie as an aduersarie and to fight against as an enemie whether it bee pl 〈…〉 r couetousnes or such like Whereas then thou seest some graces yet be hu 〈…〉 hose which especially are wanting to thee and wherein thou art most vnarmed then pray labour for more helpe by grace in Christ Iesus But what if we haue good armour and all armour yet without vse of it we may be strangled in our armour What if wee 〈…〉 good graces and all graces yet without experience and vse of them our soules may 〈…〉 urthered in the midst of them Many may come to the assemblies and heare ye 〈…〉 ey either faile in knowledge or in practise of it And sure such is a man as he is in temptation What is it to haue many precepts against anger yet be ouercome of anger What is it to haue rules against couetousnes to see the issue of it yet to be a couetous man Let vs know that it is one thing to learne to fight against Satan and another to fight against men In materiall coÌ„flicts there is some time of truce but with Satan there is no truce with vs but for his aduantage for him we must be armed as well in the night as in the day in outward battels winters make warre to cease we haue no quietnes neither in summer nor in winter That yee may bee able to withstand The Apostle describes our enemies If wee had to deale but with our selues or with men like to our selues or with the world wee had neede of God his power but seeing beside all these wee are to deale with all the hellish armie much more we neede this we are not only to fight against the flesh and the world but against the diuels neither must we thinke that Paul denieth in this place that wee should fight with our owne corruption but he sheweth we fight not only with ourselues and with the world but with Satan too and so that we neede more armour By two things hee describes our enemies by their might and subtiltie For their might he cals them principalities and powers This title is giuen to the diuels Rom. 8. Colloss 1. Indeede these names are giueÌ„ to the good Angels as Ephes. 1. Hebr. 1. so that looke what titles are giueÌ„ to the good Angels are giuen to the wicked spirits which except sanctification are equall in gifts to the good Angels for though these spirits haue lost their goodnes yet haue they not lost their strength and wisedome They be worldly gouernours God be blessed their gouernment reacheth not to heauen but to the world yea of the darknes of the world Thus he distinguisheth of the world as it is by creation and so God is the prince of it and as it is now by corruption and so the Diuell is the god of the world This teacheth vs wheÌ„ Satan shall preuaile euen ouer men liuing in ignorance and vngodlines The world was made good by creation but degenerated to euill by corruption Well we see the diuell is called the prince of the world and he saith of himselfe that all is his It is not so by creation but be the righteous iudgement of God all is in his hands to punish our sins or try our faith It followes to speake of his subtiltie in these words Against ambushments c. Euen as ambushments are vsed priuily to vndermine the enemy so by wiles Satan goeth about to trap vs. But this is larger said against spirituall wickednesses If one could see the enemie he might be
by his terming of them excellent ones such as are fit as well to doe good as to receiue good from others Wherfore the Apostle saith Rom. 1. 12. that he desired to receiue mutual comfort by theÌ„ Secondly this appeareth by the opposition of the verse following which is of the worship of God and therefore it cannot be restrained to outward things Againe in that verse he maketh mention of false worshippers as here he nameth excellent ones meaning that he would vse the benefit of them to waine himselfe from false worshippers as men will frequent the companie of the learned that desire learning and they that will haue their lips schooled by the law of grace will oft resort to the graue speeches of the wise And surely it is a speciall helpe to further our selues in the pure worship of God if we diuorce our selues from the crue of false worshippers and wholy espouse our selues to the fellowship of them that worship in spirit and in truth This reason also may appeare to be generall because it followeth in the order of our confession of our faith that we beleeue the holy and vniuersal congregation the communion of Saints and this communion is in receiuing as well as in giuing and therefore being vnderstood of such a mutuall participation of gifts from one to another it must followe as a particular part thereof that wee be readie to doe good And where he saith All my delight is in them that is in the Saints we must not thinke that he meant to take away ciuill dutie from them that were in authoritie for that must be giuen to them in outward things yet in our hearts and in our affections the graces of God his children must be most esteemed In respect whereof when Iames saith Iam. 1. 2. that the Iewes had their faith in respect of persons when they were wont to say to the rich Sit thou here in a good place and to the poore Stand there his meaning was to rebuke them for that they so highly despised the one and so vily esteemed the other Wherefore wee must learne alwaies to giue vnto Caesar that which belongeth to Caesar but God his children must alwaies bee neerest our heart And this was it that our Sauiour Christ saith that they which heard the word and did the same were his mother his brother and his sister not that he lightly regarded his mother for he was a patterne of obedience to all children yet he loued her more as she was the daughter of God than as shee was his mother Likewise we reade that hee answered the woman that cried vnto him Blessed is the wombe that bare thee and the paps that gaue thee sucke His mother no doubt had as singular blessings as euer were giuen to woman in outward things in that she brought forth the Sauiour of all mankinde howbeit herein she was chiefly blessed in that she beleeued in him to bee her Redeemer That are in the earth See hee maketh mention of the Saints here on earth and speaketh no of the Saints which are in heauen from whom as we are seuered in body so are we also in the soule and wee haue no dealing with them either in soule or bodie Wherefore it is â—â—â—d of the Prophet Abraham knoweth not vs. True it is that the Lord maketh his Angels ministers vnto vs and therfore sending them to doe any thing he maketh it known vnto them Howbeit wee reade no such thing of the Saints that are dead who as they know nothing of vs or our estate which onely is knowne to the Lord and are not vsed as ministers of the Lord so they caÌ„not heare or helpe vs as some foolishly haue imagined The Saints which are dead may be in some respect remembred but in no case worshipped remeÌ„bred I say not for their power to be prayed vnto but for their vertues to bee imitated Wherefore in Heb. 11 the holy Ghost setteth downe a register catalogue of the Saints that seeing wee are compassed with so great a clowde of witnesses wee must cast away euery thing that presseth downe and sinne that hangeth so fast on that we may run with patience the race that is set before vs. Here wee see these are set before that wee might so farre followe them as they followe Christ and in this respect they are called witnesses but to honour them as God or to appoint holy daies vnto them or for them it is not lawfull But behold when it was painful to the belly gods of Rome to remember the good life of the Saints to follow them than which nothing is more grieuous to them the diuell to drawe them from this inuented a more easie way for flesh and blood and taught them an easier lesson by appointing in the stead of this holy and painfull imitation a carnall and voluptuous rabble of holidaies vnto the Saints and that as they said for the better remembrance of them and thus that transformed Angell of light knoweth how to transforme pure religion In like manner wheÌ„ it was an hard thing to preach Christ crucified because it would call them to a sight feeling and forsaking of their sinnes and so they were made more vnquiet the diuell found out an easier way and for sooth would haue Christ painted vpon the crosse in their Church windowes which was a thing more easie to behold being pleasant to the eye than it was to heare that sinne should bee crucified in them if euer they would hope for the fruite of Christ his death Againe when they could not away with bearing the crosse of losse of name of friends goods and life for Christs sake they thought it was good to professe it by wearing some crosse about them or by erecting in euery place a crosse of wood stone or such like thing But let vs learne to be prouoked by the graces of God in his Saints to follow them in goodnesse and labour to haue Christ crucified in our hearts by the ministerie of the word euer preparing our selues in truth to beare the crosse of Christ by preferring the pure profession of his Gospell before any thing in the whole world deare vnto vs. Besides we are here to learne that if our delight be in God his Saints on the earth wee must be farre from vsing them maliciously or speaking of them cruelly This delight then must bee to receiue some profit and benefit by these graces which they haue also to vse to the comfort of the childreÌ„ of God whatsoeuer good we haue receiued For as well the seruant which puts not out his talent with gaine was punished as those that contemned the talent Neither in truth haue we any right vse of the gifts which wee haue receiued of God vnlesse we put them out by imparting them to our brethren in loue and so the gaine may returne by holy reuenewes to the Lord himselfe neither haue we truly learned any thing vnlesse wee haue in some measure communicated it with others
tune sometime in Herods tune sometime in the Pharisies tune and sometime in the Disciples tune in all which the diuell bereaued them of the pure vse and due consideration of Christ crucified And yet some of these would hate a Iew some would spit at a Iew some would weepe to heare the name of Christ and would pitie his death I am the longer in these things to make the iudgements of God in them profitable instructions to vs by prouoking men to thankfulnes for their deliuerance if in truth they be deliuered that is if they be not now as prophane as euer they were superstitious not forsaking but changing the sinne As for the erroneous heretiques not to speake of all let vs adde somewhat of the most pestilent family of loue who shoote as much too short at this pricke as the other shoote too farre For in speaking of the birth death and resurrection of Christ these men as fooles flying one extremitie runne post-hast into the contrary extremitie and therefore these wretches imagining to themselues a spirituall Christ are as much to be maliced as the Papists are to be pittied For after Poperie yet some cause was giuen of reioycing in that the truth of the historie was left vnto vs but these fellowes vnder a colour of not being ceremoniall but altogether desiring to be spirituall take away all from vs and yet most deceitfully will seeme to graunt all If ye demaund any thing of Christ his birth they will graunt it if ye aske whether he was borne of the seed of Dauid and of the Virgin Mary they will confesse it but as vnderstanding it after this allegorie for that Mary as they say signifieth doctrine Dauid the beloued seruice so that this is their iudgement of Christ his birth that he was borne of the doctrine of the seruice of loue In like manner they will graunt the resurrection of Christ his death and his buriall but in this sense that Christ suffereth in our suffocated nature and is crucified when sinne dieth in vs and when they suffer for the doctrine of loue and that after they haue suffered and begin to be illuminated then Christ riseth againe in them and lastly when the light of nature getteth some clearer light of iudgement then Christ is readie to come to iudgement Thus a number hauing refused the Antichristian Pope are fallen into the hands of Antichristian Atheists and hauing eschued the dregs of poperie they haue wallowed most filthily in the mire of here sie And thus much of the professed enemies Now of the not hearted friends whereof the one sort is not well aduised the other are not very faithfull friends The vnaduised friends vnder a pretence of knowing nothing but Christ condemne all humane learning arts and sciences all manuall professions and these men though as yet they are not plunged in heresie yet without the speciall grace of God preuenting them are in the high way as readie to be trained vp to heresie and thus being ouer wise and ouer iust they cannot in truth reioyce in the crosse of Christ. The vnfaithfull friends being both protestants and professors though they be no plaine atheists but giue some countenance to the Gospell do neither chiefely reioyce in Christ nor truly sorrow for their sinnes which notwithstanding are so great as neither the vertue of Christ his death nor the power of his resurrection appeareth in their liues or in their deaths and these men be either by degrees tending to prophane atheisme or they are brought vp to be superstitious Papists and grosse heretiques Contrary to all these professed enemies and not heartie friends are they who so truly meditate on Christ his birth death and resurrection as they chiefely mourning for their sinnes thinke this the greatest knowledge to know Christ crucified and count this their highest ioy to reioyce in the crosse of Christ by which knowledge not of any spirituall and imagined Christ by which ioy not in ceremonie or superstition they labour to crucifie the world not to forsake or vtterly to neglect the necessarie things of this life they endeuour to restraine not to destroy their flesh finally to become new creatures and yet not here to liue lik◠Angels Thus we see how requisite this treatise will be both that we may be deliuered from the Papists superstitiōs from the monstrous conceits of Heretikes from the sinister meditation of vnaduised persons and the carnall consideration of worldly professors as also by it to come to some sound fruite of Christ his death and from the fruite feeling to engender faith that from true faith may spring true loue and from our loue may grow true practise Now to come to the words of our Apostle Be it farre from me He here sheweth how his choise came of a setled purpose and that in respect of this whereof he had made a sound and speciall choise aboue the rest he abhorred and vily esteemed all other things And this vehement phrase of speech is vsed of the Apostle in things which rather are to be detested than to be disputed against as Rom. 3. 4. when Paul abhorreth the blasphemie against the grace of God in that the vnbeliefe of a few should disanull the beliefe of many he crieth out God forbid And when he would shew his heartie hatred to the accusers of the righteousnes of God Rom. 3. he saith God forbid As also in the end of the same chapter the Apostle more vehemently meeting with the obiection of thē who say in that iustification came of faith would liue as they listed and would make the law of God of no purpose saith Be it farre from me Likewise Rom. 2. abhorring them that would willingly diuorce holinesse of life from iustification and remaine in sinne that Christ his grace may abound he breaketh out God forbid Thus then the holy Ghost vseth this phrase when either he sheweth some thing thoroughly to be hated or speaketh of some thing principally to be chosen and preferred And the Apostles meaning in chusing aboue all to reioyce in Christ crucified and in mourning for nothing more than for that which hindreth the crosse of Christ is nothing else but to declare that whosoeuer doth reioyce in any thing more than in Christ crucified he freeth himselfe from all the things that are in Christ and as yet he cannot assure himselfe to belong to Christ as also he sheweth what a necessarie reioycing this is in that there is no comfort in saluation no marke of Gods childe in him who either reioyceth not in this or at the least longeth for it That I should reioyce Marke he saith not Be it farre from me that I should vse thinke speake or doe any thing but the crosse of Christ but he wisheth that his affection should not principally be tied to any thing but to Christ. Neither must we from hence vnfitly gather that we should not eate drinke apparell ourselues marrie or walke in some honest trade of life but this
to fight against Gods enemies Whiles he was in his fetching policies did not the Lord send enemies the instruments of destruction to his wife and children Whilest he would rest on God hee was wise but when he would number his people he was confounded What did his policie in adulterie preuaile to disguise in such sort Vriaâ— to make him drunken to set him in the forefront of the battaile was he not much foyled Salomon who whilest he walked before the Lord was wiser than his father Dauid when hee gaue himselfe to many wiues and began to be secure and to runne into grosse Idolatrie was greatly displeasing in the sight of the Lord. Iehosaphat so long as he obeyed the Lord was feared but when in policie he ioyned himselfe in affinitie to a wicked King he was almost confounded and surely had been punished had hee not in repentance turned and humbled himselfe before the Lord whose policie also in ioyning his ships with the ships of Ahaziah was afterward punished in his posteritie Vers. 99. I haue had more vnderstanding than my teachers for thy testimonies are my meditation IN the second particular effect the Prophet saith he did excell his teachers which hee doth not to bragge or boast of himselfe but commending the free graces of God he stirreth vp himselfe to make other men not onely to content themselues with a care of hearing the word but also to make conscience of meditation This then is leâ—t of the Spirit of God for our comfort in that we may find the like fruite vsing by praier the like meanes so that if we bring not forth an hundreth fold yet threescore or at the least thirtie fold according to Gods wisedome True it is that the scholler often becommeth better learned than the teacher which is a singular blessing of God that the learned man should ascribe nothing to himselfe and to giue God the glorie hee enlighteneth where he thinketh meete and encreaseth when he seeth it good Now we may see this by experience euen in heathen men Aristotle was wiser than his Maister Plato in whom this blessing of God appeared in that they ioyned studie and meditation with their learning In Law Physicke they are most frequented who with much reading haue vsed much musing and practising None either in peace or warre haue euer gouerned excellently but they were great musers and did often sequester themselues from company then more freely to attend on meditation This doctrine shall be taught in a contrarie thing We know there is a speciall kinde of musing whereby Sathan doth often teach and communicate things to many in greater measure than they can receiue by all the books in the world so also there is a speciall meditating whereby the spirit of God communicateth to vs more heauenly things than either wee heare or reade As when Sathan will polish a mans wit to any euill hee will haue him to waite on him so God would haue vs to fill our iudgements in the particular meditation of things heard to see how all circumstances hold and faile This is then the wit which experience confirmeth that when wee are taught any thing which by reason is conceiued wee can adde if this bee true then that is false if it holdeth in the lesser then it holdeth in the greater On this sort let any man heare with meditation he shall finde something by the generall rule heard hauing the Spirit of God for his teacher which the Preacher had not or saw not or seeing expressed not Doe they then most profit who after hearing doe meditate and see more by the ministerie of the Spirit than by the ministerie of the Pastor Let vs marke it then by the blessing of God vpon it and let vs note the contrary by Gods curse vpon it What is the cause that there is so little profit by the ordinarie ministerie of the word and so great fruites arise where it is more seldome vsed but because meditation is the life of learning and the death of things conceiued is the want of musing Mans minde is infinite which nothing can satisfie but God or the diuell and continually rolleth either in good or ill In that he addeth thy testimonies are my meditation wee must note that to haue a sound meditation wee must be circumscribed within the limits of the word otherwise it will be erroneous but being ioyned with knowledge it refineth our knowledge and teacheth the vse of it If Philosophers saw that a mans life was a meditation of death whereby as they abstained from many pleasures they became neuerthelesse very vaine-glorious yet could they not attaine to any sound comfort because they were destitute of the hope of a better life But Gods children meditating on the last iudgement day make a conscience of many things past pare away many present corruptions and sigh for the remembring of their poysoned temptations to come How godly people haue excelled their teachers it needeth not long proofe out of the Scriptures Moses excelled all the learned men in Egypt Daniel surpassed all the Magicians in Babylon Paul excelled his teacher Gamaliel because though the Egyptians were learned and the Babylonians profound yet Moses and Daniel refined their knowledge humane with the studie of Gods word And Paul being brought vp in the doctrine of the Iewes vnder Gamaliel after he came to meditate on the Gospell of Christ excelled not onely his teachers but ouer-reached all other of the Apostles in heauenly knowledge We may then blush at the great knowledge in times past but herein we may be comforted because they as they were wise were also wicked but we may be as wise vsing their meanes and more godly meditating on the word which cutteth off all errors in doctrine and corruptions of life Againe Elie brought vp Samuel who proued wiser than Elie by his continuall meditation Salomon excelled Dauid by studie and prayer vntill he forgetting himselfe gaue himselfe to women Paul was taught of Ananias the principles of religion but he excelled him as far in the learning of the Spirit as he surpassed Gamaliel in the doctrine of the Iewes Let vs marke then the blessings of spirituall meditations which make vs fit in wisedome to admonish and in the spirit of consolation to comfort For in my iudgement their wisedome which depend on generall rules is in their bookes and must be fetched from their teachers but meditations may well be called a readie mother of knowledge and a nursing mother of wisedome If men then will whet their wits and helpe their memories they must vse meditation because when Gods word hath taught vs we shall neuer neede to consult with our booke nor take aduice of our teacher Vers. 100. I vnderstood more than the ancient because I kept thy precepts IT followeth I vnderstood more than the ancient c. As we haue heard of the glorious effects of the word in this man of God how he excelled his foes in
is in Psalm 125. The rod of the wicked shall not rest on the lot of the righteous So that the man of God prayeth here that his affliction might not hinder his glorie And no maruell for his enemies first laboured to daunt his faith then they went about to loade him with iniuries either subtilly to circumuent him or openly to oppresse him when these things would not serue they striued to bring his person to contempt and his cause to discredit as also they went about to bring themselues into estimation and their cause into credite No maruell then though he thus prayed least that they resisting him too long hee should be ouermatched Wherein we are to learne that wee must not ouercome ill with ill subtiltie with subtiltie violence by violence but by praier And seeing the Lords eares are open to the prayers of the iust and his eyes vpon them that feare him seeing his eares are shut to the wicked and hee will not looke vpon them in mercy but his face is set against them the Lord vndoubtedly will heare vs and looke vpon vs and will confonud our enemies And I will keepe thy testimonies Behold the man of God promiseth thankefulnes and if it pleaseth the Lord to free him from these euils hee would keepe his law not that we must thinke that he before did breake them but though the proude had him exceedingly in derision Psal. 51. though the bands of the wicked had robbed him 61. though the proude had imagined a lye against him 69. though they had dealt wickedly and falsely with him 78. though they had almost consumed him vpon the earth 87. and he was like the bottle in the smoke so that hee was wonderfully distracted in his calling yet if the Lord would vouchsafe to free him from these euils as before in part so now in whole he would bestow his life on the Lord. We are then to learne that in trouble wee are to desire to none other end to be deliuered than the better and more freely to serue the Lord and that when wee haue made so solemne a promise to the Lord we throughly purpose in trueth to performe it For though affliction of it selfe helpeth vs nothing vnto godlinesse but is rather some hindrance why in our calling wee are lesse profitable yet as it is sanctified in Christ and receiueth a blessing from God to worke in vs it keepeth vs from euill and prouoketh vs the more to doe good But wee if we be in aduersitie if wee haue trouble or losse of goods or losse of friends oppression of enemies or such like make large vowes and plentifull promises and crie Oh if I might be deliuered from this sicknes if I might be freed from this trouble if I might be vnburthened of this euill I would surely serue the Lord I would become a new man I would change my life and enter the waies of repentance but we looke not to performance This thankfulnes of heart made the Prophet Psal. 116. 12. to cry out What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits towards me I will take the cup of saluation and call vpon the name of the Lord I will pay my vowes vnto the Lord euen now in the sight of all his people Where wee see that it was the custome of Gods people to stirre vp themselues after their deliuerance vnto thankfulnes We shall see now by examining our selues how it is so in vs. Oh say we that I were recouered of my health oh that the Lord would restore those things to me againe which I haue lost then doubtles would I wholy giue my selfe to the Lord. But let vs see if in all these things wee bee not vow-breakers and are rather growne worse than wee were so greatly are we to feare our selues God hath deliuered vs from our enemies freed vs from warâ—es saued vs from scarcitie penurie pouertie plagues and sicknesse and hath blessed vs with peace abundance plentie health and all other blessings let vs see how we vse these things We know the times haue been such when we could not haue this liberty to reade and heare the word of God but wee are now freed from such miserie and set in great libertie whether doe wee vse this time to Gods glorie and increase of our knowledge and building vp of our faith or not We know that there is a vicissitude in all things and one thing succeeedeth another and as the Lord hath long time vexed other nations with trouble and graunted to vs a long time of libertie and quietnes so our course must come by the order and change of things to be vexed with troubles and others shall be set at some libertie Are we the better then for this benefit If wee bee all is well if not will it not thinke wee be laide to our charge that what time the Lord had giuen vs wherein we might reforme our selues wee haue abused in being so little reformed what our time hath been to set forth Gods glorie how little glorie the Lord hath gained by vs. We haue often heard that our two principall props in trouble are faith in the promises of God and a testimonie of a good conscience which wee see often to be in this Prophet Wherefore what doth fasten and comfort faith euen a good conscience what doth make it wither and wauer euen because we haue been fruitles and haue not done good workes This then must be our comfort in trouble that we suffer not as ill doers that we may look for Gods promises But if our sinnes accuse vs and we suffer as ill doers wee shall not bee able to feele any comfort in God his promises Then let vs see the fruit of this prayer The Saints of God and deare Martyrs of Christ made this prayer before vs the fruit and effect whereof is growne vnto vs. For their sufferings were our prosperitie their losse our gaine their imprisonmeÌ„t our libertie their death our life as true as old is that saying proued The blood of the Martyrs is the seede of the Church For their blood hâ—th cried vp to heauen with the blood of Abel for our comfort and brought downe vengeance on our enemies and obtained mercy for vs. They did sowe in teares and wee haue entred into their haruest with ioy let vs beware least wee sow euill to our selues and for others they sowed comfort for their posteritie let vs take heede that wee sow not discomfort for them that shall come after vs. And as their death hath stayed the wrath of God from heauen that it is not fallen vpon the vine seeing many yeeres he hath planted among vs a vineyard seeing he hath hedged it and gathered out the stones of it and hath planted it with the best plants and hath built a tower in the middest thereof and made a wine-presse therein and hath looked it should bring forth grapes but it hath brought forth wilde grapes so our sinnes so
for want of this feare we see how impudent sinners are in those things which ciuill Lawes doe not restraine fearing euen punishment more then Gods iudgement He that feareth God is no theefe why because mans lawe saith that he that stealeth shall be hanged no but because Gods Law saith Thou shalt not steale Though the place be neuer so secret where he may sinne although iâ— bee no manifest vnrighteousnesse and grosse iniurie yet if it were but to denie the last thing which were right and due the childe of God both feareth punishment of God if hee had done it or if he haue not done it he trembleth to doe it And Saint Iames hee reasoneth thus that hee that hath commanded one thing hath also commaunded another and hee that forbiddeth one thing hath forbidden another And surely howsoeuer mans law punisheth one and dispenseth with another sinne yet the word of God rewardeth all obedience and punisheth all disobedience So that he that hath saide as well Thou shalt not commit adulterie as Thou shalt not doe murder hath as well pronounced the shutting of the kingdome of heauen against adulterers as against murderers 1. Cor. 6. which thing Gods childreÌ„ knowing make as great a conscience of swearing banning cursing breaking of the Sabbath drunkennesse adulterie and lying which in mans law escape scotfree as of theft which by Ciuill law is adiudged worthie of death because that God that saith Thou shalt not steale hee also saith Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vaine thou shalt keepe holy the Sabbath c. Suppose they that those things are not forbidden by the law of God which are not prohibited by the law of man Then no maruaile though there bee so fewe theeues and so many Sabbath breakers why there bee so fewe murtherers and so many swearers because men abstaine from theft and murther for feare of temporal punishment and men haue no care to eschue swearing prophaning of God his Sabbath because they feare no externall punishment See here is mens conscience here is their religion this is their deuotion Well haddest thou neuer suâ—n gifts outwardly without this reuerent feare of God thou shalt neuer enter into God his kingdome But peraduenture when thou shalt come to answere before the tribunall of God thou wilt say O Lord I knewe not by mans lawe that breach of thy Sabbath or swearing were such great sinnes heare what the Lord will answere I gaue thee my law whereby thou shouldest bee gouerned neither did I giue any commandement in more ample and flat words than the lawe of my Sabbath wherefore seeing thou hast manifestly cast my law behinde thee and made lesse account of my commandements and iudgements than of mans law and threatnings I adiudge thee to eternall damnation Great indeede is the benefit of mans lawes to restraine sin and to bring to repentance yea often the punishment of man and shame thereof preuenteth the iudgement of God and shame of hell fire because wee see many haue been more ashamed of sinne at the gallowes than others that haue died vpon their beds Howbeit where this law is not executed and sinne seuerely punished or where there be any sinnes which come not within the precincts of mans iurisdiction it is most certaine they shall not escape the punishment of God Wherefore we must otherwise stand in awe of Gods law than mans law doth punish if we will with the man of God from our heart stand in feare of his word This feare maketh seruants as faithfull in their maisters absence as in their presence because it keepeth vnder the most secret sinnes For hypocrites flie sinne before men but sinne greedily behind their backs and they sinne not because mans law will punish them not because Gods law doth forbid them But God his children abhorre sinne as wel priuie as manifest and that because sinne is sinne and not in that it is punishable by mans law For they considering that Adam Hâ—siah Ezechiah and others were punished for small things dare account no sin to be small in the eyes of God It is the whip the rod and the scourge that causeth the hypocrite as an asse a foole and a slaue to leaue sinne but it is loue conscience and obedience that moueth Gods children willingly to abhorre it Vers. 162. I reioyce at thy word as one that findeth great spoyles AS he hath spoken of his feare so now he speaketh of his ioy Great is the ioy of them that finde spoyles for spoyles bring victorie and victorie makes the triumph so that spoyle brings profit and the victorie pleasure both then must needes cause great ioy His meaning then is that what battaile soeuer he did fight what towne soeuer he spoiled his ioy was nothing so great as it was in taking pleasure in God his word Heere then is a true note to discerne vs from hypocrites when we take comfort in nothing so much as in the word of God But some will say that this extraordinarie ioy appertaineth to the Prophet rather than to vs wherfore let vs heare what the holy Ghost speaketh hereof in the Gospel as Rom. 5. We haue peace towards God and reioyce vnder the hope of the glorie of God And Philip 4 he calleth it The peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding and the Apostle 1. Pet. 1. shewing how in the mercie of God wee are begotten againe vnto a liuely hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance immortall and vndefiled reserued in heauen for vs biddeth vs to reioyce with ioy vnspeakable and glorious And Paul 1. Cor. 2. 9. sheweth what cause we haue to reioyce because the things which eye hath not seene neither eare hath heard neither came into mans heart are which God hath prepared for them that loue him These things we see are such as are common to all why then doe Gods children so much reioyce in the word First in consideration of their owne vile and miserable estates then in consideration of God his loue and Christ his merits for them For they considering with themselues that by nature they are nothing but vassal of sinne the bondslaues of the diuel the enemies of God and fire-brands of hell and that by Christ they are freed from their sins set at libertie from Sathan ransomed from hell and reconciled vnto God and that he will bring vnto them the fruite of his death and benefit of his resurrection by killing sin in them and quickning them vnto righteousnes remembring Colos. 2. 14. that Christ hath taken away the hand-writing and fastened it vnto his crosse and that euery member through him hath spoiled the principalities and powers and led captiue the world the flesh and the diuel and hath made a shew of them openly and hath triumphed ouer them in the same crosse feele such a ioy as neuer any earthly conquerors felt the like For looke how farre greater the victory of sinne and Sathan is aboue
be saued So that we both by death and in respect of the last day are not to count of any long abode But aboue all there is one principall rule which Christ allowed as an high point of wisdome in Marie in that she made so fit a choise of her times in bestowing them in such a thing as should not be taken from her as no time should bereaue her of it wherin we are taught to thinke that those times which we bestow on God his worship shal not end within the number of our daies but they shal haue their abiding fruit for euer and this wil comfort vs afterwards But when we are occupied in Marthaes busines we may say and what is this what profit will this affoord in death shal not my dayes be cut off what will this auaile me So that it is good to bee exercised in things which concerne the time which runs beyōd the number of our daies shal last as long as God himself shal endure CHAP. XXI Dulnes of spirit and of feeling SVch is the corruption of our nature that albeit we haue beene wonderfully delighted with Gods graces yet when wee abound with them wee lesse esteeme them than when we began to enioy them 2 Wee must desire and endeuour to keepe our selues from deadnes and dulnes and to tie our hearts euer in thankfulnes vnto God After our meats receiued it is good to speake something to the glorie of God If God giue any good matter to take it as offered vnto vs of God If nothing were done or spoken but all silent it were good to seeke some good occasion of speech by reading singing or speaking And we may not tie our selues much to any other meanes for accustomable vse of any one thing bringeth lesse reuerence And then must we endeuour specially to stir vp one another in good speeches when such be present as God makes instruments to teach the same more effectually vnto others and this the Apostle by his example teacheth vs 2. Tim 2. 2. 3 There is a secret inward and spirituall blessing which the elect feele when to the world they seeme accursed and there is a secret curse to the wicked when apparantly they seeme to be blessed 4 As it is no small benefit though we haue not the bright Sun-shining yet to haue the light of it to gouerne the day the heat of it to turne away the cold the effects of it in other workes of nature so it is no small mercie though we haue not the shining countenance of the Lord yet to haue the guiding of our affections by the light of it the possessing of our soules in patience by some feeling of it and the fruits thereof in the peace of our mindes although we feele not the present beames yet we shall see them shine hereafter If we haue not this ioy of our minde as we would in the day of our vocation the Lord wil plentifully giue it vs in the day of our coronation 5 They may bee truely saide to haue profited well which beleeue the word before they feele the effect of it as the threatnings before they feele the smart the promises before they feele the comfort And such as doe not thus beleeue do highly displease God This was the sinne of Thomas which would feele ere he beleeued and this sinne is in vs all therefore all must learne to correct it in themselues And if wee were free from this wee should be free from many euils 6 Although a man do not feele his faith sometimes vnder the crosse as indeede it falleth out often in the best children of God yet when it shall please the Lord to send feeling and deliuerance that man shall see that his faith was great and that the Lord did mightily preserue him from falling yea he shall then perceiue that his faith was stronger when he had not the feeling of Gods fauour than it had beene at some times when hee had great feelings CHAP. XXII Of Catechizing and instruction of Youth THere hath beene a sect both among the heathen and also in our age that thinkes that religion is not to come so low as children but that they are to bee nourished vp boldly and when they come to riper yeeres then to bee instructed in religion and not before So the neathē tel vs as we see in the beginning of the Philosophers morals as also in the opinion of the Orator in the defence of Caelius It is wisedome to let youth haue his course till his heate be abated But if there were any moment in the authoritie of the heathen the whole practise of them were to be preferred before one mans opinion And for their practise certaine it is that the exercise of catechizing was vsed among the Gentiles for we finde it in Porphyries time It was vsuall in Athens for youth to be taught as also the histories of the heathen doe declare that the children were instructed for it was a custome among them not to powle their childrens heads vntill they were taught then to burne their haire as a sacrifice to Apollo who from thenceforth in regard of their skill were allowed to carie tabers in their pompes and solemnities Aristotles meaning in that place is de facto non de eo quod fieri debet Else hee is to be called backe to his seuenth booke de Repub chap. 17. It is expedient for children to bee withdrawne from euil speeches Against the Orator standing at the barre to plead for a lewd young man his owne saying is to be alleaged Offic. lib. 1. That this age must chiefly bee reclaimed from pleasures and lust Exod. 10. 11. Pharaoh being requested of the Israelites that they might goe with their children into the wildernes for to worship maketh a scoffe that their children should go as though religion pertained not to them Matth. 19. 13. When children were brought vnto Christ that he might blesse them his disciples forbad them that brought them as if Christ and children had nothing to do one with another For the first I answere Moses standeth with Pharaoh in that point and will not take so much as he would graunt for the olde except the young may go too And for the second Christ opposeth himselfe to his disciples granting childrē safe conduct to come vnto him pronouncing those accursed that keepe them from him Matth. 18. 6 Psal. 119. 9. The law is not onely giuen for those of ripe yeeres but euen for young men to cleanse their wayes The Iewes note there is mention made of children three times in the Decalogue And though the rest may seeme to admit some doubt yet in catechizing which is comprehended in the Sabbath dayes exercise our sons and our daughters are bound to lesse than wee Exod. 12. 6. If children bee so busie as to aske what is meant by the Passeouer the Lord is so farre from
meate which though he eate against his stomacke and presently feeleth no benefite of it yet we knowe by experience it doth him good and himselfe afterward shall receiue the same In our great feare we are lesse to be feared those are to feare which feare not Sometimes the Lord doth bring vnbeleeuers that wander from him by crooked waies vnto himselfe Reuerence those words and workes of God which you vnderstand not As the sense of an aguish man is corrupt so is the iudgement of one that is in temptation Muscul. so that things that are either seeme not to be or not such as they are The patient bearing of miserie is an acceptable sacrifice vnto God When the Goldsmith putteth a peece of gold into the fire to make better vse of it it seemeth to the vnskilfull that he vtterly marreth it so the children of God in affliction seeme to the iudgement of the naturall man vndone and brought to nothing but spirituall things are spiritually discerned As none can discerne of the Sunne but by his owne light so neither of the Spirit Hereof arise the diuers iudgements of the tempted of themselues because sometime the good spirit doth inlighten them and other times they are left in their naturall blindnes and Satan also easily deluded them Beleeue alwaies your estate to be the worke of God and varie not therein for your humiliation your consolation the glorie of God and the good of others Beware that you doe not often alter your iudgement of your estate as saying sometimes it is God his worke sometimes Melancholie sometimes your weaknes and simplicitie sometimes witcherie sometimes Satan for these diuers thoughts will much trouble you you may thinke Melancholie may bee an occasion but no cause and so of the rest Looke stedfastly to the hand of God surely resting on this that hee not onely knoweth thereof but that whatsoeuer is done directly or indirectly by meanes or immediatly al is done and gouerned by him Beware of reasoning of musing of solitarines of impatiencie of spirit of murmuring of anger enuie wishes suspitions ielousies too often eating c. or fastings much medling with wordly businesse or much idlenes lying musing in bed vaine mirth Say not you cannot be helped for that may hinder the worke of God Say not if I were in such and such a place I should be well Whereas in consideration of the falling away of many excelling you both in the ages and graces of the new birth you feare you shall not perseuere to the end your meditation and collection is good so long as it preserues you from the carelesnesse of your flesh but it is euill when it would dissolue the assurednes of your faith Indeede so long as you looke vpon your selfe you haue cause of feare because you are vnable to prolong as you are to begin new birth but if you looke to God you haue nothing but matter of faith for that whom he once loueth he loueth for euer Againe as a man swimming in deepe waters is neuer in danger of drowning so long as his head continueth aboue the waters so though you swimme in deepe feare of dangerous temptations yet you are sure and secure because Christ Iesus your head is still aboue all your troubles and therefore is able to draw you his member to the shore of saluation without all perill of perishing It is hard to take vp and beare the yoke of Christ but much harder it is to continue drawing and panting in it vnto the end This caused a godly father to pronounce that in godlines not so much the beginnings as the endings are to be looked to Iudas began gloriously but he ended shamefully Paul began ill but he ended well Then let vs say to our owne soules Good Lord what if our first loue be growne cold how fearfull is it to come a great way out of Sodome and in the end to become a pillar of salt Oh let vs neuer put our hand to the plough and looke backe keepe vs deare God from the beginning in the spirit and ending in the flesh Oh suffer vs not to be the first in outward vocation and the last in inward sanctification let vs feare hauing beene once lightned to be darkened Remember how sometime thy heart hath wrought and trauelled in prayer how the springs of your ioy haue beene in the Lord and his Christ how all thy delights haue been in his Saints how it hath beene thy glorie in singing and praising to be familiar with thy God These former fruites make me looke for after fruites A streight course of religion is somewhat an vncomfortable companion but blessed be that mortificatioÌ„ which so farre estrangeth vs from the world that it chaÌ„geth vs to the similitude of Christ to whom we must be coÌ„formed in sufferings that we may be like him in glorie Suffer not your heat to bee straight narrow and vncomfortable in heauenly things this draweth away both the breath and bud and the life of true godlinesse The Lord keepe you from euill and the Lord satisfie you with gladnesse the Lord giue you the spirit of prayer and heare your prayers the Lord bee your teacher your guide and your comfort oh pray pray pray it is the best sacrifice to God and the most comfortable duty you can doâ— I am not loth to put you in minde of these things you haue many carefull for you in other things O pardoÌ„ me if I be bold in this one thing I trust I reioyce more in the good of your soule than euer I should reioyce in the fruite of mine owne bodie it would be a thousand deaths to me as tenne thousand hels to see your soule miscaâ—ie O let me be accepted more than a ciuill friend more than a friend of the world giue me this benefit to be thought further than a friend in the flesh No griefe shame or sorrow pleaseth the Lord which goeth altogether separated from a sweete perswasion of his fauour Againe no pleasing our selues in the assurance of pardon is acceptable to God which altogether reiecteth the care of espying bewailing and auoiding of sinne Wherefore let this be the barre and bound of your affections in these cases so long as Christ goeth with you so long as the mercies of God accompanie you so long as the grace of the Spirit shineth vpon you be dealing with your sinnes and condemne them to death likewise while you are tender of conscience afraide of sinne reuerently prepared to walke holily with your God laugh at Sathans accusations despise destruction and set at nought the terrors of hell You neuer erre one way or other but by failing of one or both of these that is either in your griefes you are grieued without comfort or in your ioyes you reioyce without reuerence whereby it falles out in the end that as in vnnecessarie griefes you can finde no spirituall pleasure
our present trouble and torment of minde seeketh to driue vs vnto despayre we are to vse against him his owne weapons for among many testimonies of our estate in grace fauour with God there is none more euident and sensible than is that conflict which we find and feele in our selues of the spirit against the flesh of faith against vnbeliefe of a sanctified minde against that part that is vnregenerated and finally of the new creature against the old man and of Christ himselfe in vs against the power of Sathan If he replie that this is not so but the contrarie we may answere that albeit there haue been many times wherein we had a more present and mightie hand of the Lord vpon vs yet euen now Satan himselfe cannot denie but we hate sinne and loue righteousnes that we loue God and to our power obey his will and flye the baites and occasions of euill whereof if there were for the present no manifest and apparant effects as yet by the grace of God there are notwithstanding the onely affection and desire of the heart thirsting and longing after Gods kingdome and his righteousnes are sufficient arguments of the worke of grace begun in vs which shall so long bee continued by the good hand of our heauenly father vntill it be consummated and perfected in the life to come For if it be God as the Apostle saith that giueth both the will and the deed he that hath giuen vs to desire to obey his will will also enable vs vnto the doing of the same And seeing the worke of sanctification beginneth in the heart and thence floweth into our whole life wee nothing doubt but God who hath giuen vs ioy in the holy Ghost and therby a loue vnto him vnto his law wil further confirme strengthen vs that we may be vessels of honour vnto his name and glorifie the Gospel of our profession with fruites agreeable and according thereunto Yea the thoughts meditations and desires of the heart are deeds before God and principall parts of that obedience which he requireth at our hands And therefore if the faithfull man should bee taken away by death before he hath done any of the outward works of the law yet should not his faith be without fruites in that being sanctified in the inward man hee doth now in soule spirit serue the Lord and desireth abilitie and oportunitie in act to doe his will and to honour his name as appeared in that penitent malefactor that died with our Sauiour Christ. Another thing I am to admonish you of that you bee not as the couetous men of the world who so gape vpon that they further desire as they consider not but rather forget that which they alreadie haue and hauing much indeede in their opinion haue nothing and to all purposes and vses do as well want that which they haue as that which they haue not So it oftentimes happeneth to the deare children of God that whilest they looke and breath after that which they haue not yet attained vnto they forget and neglect that which they haue receiued and vse it not to their comfort and reioycing as otherwise they should This ouerreaching importunitie of theirs Sathan abuseth against them from the opinion of hauing nothing to blind their eyes not to see the present grace and goodnes of God towards them It is true that the Apostle saith that in the course of godlines and religion we may not thinke we haue attained the goale or are come vnto the ende of our race but forgetting that which is behind vs and endeuouring vnto that which is before must contend as to a marke vnto the reward of the most high calling of God in Christ Iesus But he speaketh it not to this end that wee should not in thankfulnes acknowledge the former mercies of God bestowed vpon vs or not vse them vnto our comfort as testimonies of his loue fauour towards vs but that we may not stay in our present profiting but adde daily a new and fresh increase that as from a larger and greater heape oâ— benefits we may more and more assure our selues that we are beloued of God and shall enioy the inheritance of his kingdome When the Apostle saith Worke your saluation c. and labour to make your calling and election sure though the meaning be not that we should put confidence of saluation in workes yet it telleth vs that the works fruits of our faith are testifications of Gods spirit dwelling in our hearts more euident and pregnant than that Satan himselfe can or dare deny them We may not suffer our selues to be so ouerborne of the enemie vnder the colour of zeale and desire to doe well as not to remember wherein the Lord hath already giuen vs some part of wel-doing not so to striue vnto that we haue not as to forget that which by his grace we already haue but rather with all thankfulnesse acknowledging the goodnes of God from thence assure our selues of the continuance finishing of the worke begun In the courses of the world as slownesse getteth nothing so preposterous haste looseth all It is the subtiltie and malice of the enemie when he cannot hold vs with himselfe to hasten and push vs on so fast and so headlong as by rashnesse we may fall into that which by forwardnesse we had escaped Good things to come therefore we must hold them in hope and pursue them in peace but the good we haue alreadie attained vnto we must so farre reioyce and comfort our selues in as from thence we may be able to sustaine and support our cause against the enemie and from that we haue to let him vnderstand that we doubt not of that which remaineth that the Lord will both continue and confirme the worke of his owne hands and not forsake the same vntil it be accomplished in his kingdome of glory Thus I haue in great hast and confusedly set down so much as presently came vnto minde of those things which often heretofore I haue written vnto you humbly beseeching the Father of all mercy and God of all consolation who hath annointed you with the oyle of his grace sealed you with the spirit of adoption and giuen you a sure earnest and pledge of euerlasting saluation to encrease vpon you and in your heart the measure of faith and multiply your fruits in all manner of well doing make you strong against the face of your enemie crowne you with victorie in the day of battaile that you may praise his name in the day of your deliuerance glorifie him in the whole course of your life and finally enioy with the rest of his Saints that eternall kingdome of glory prepared for all those that loue and feare him Amen FINIS MAISTER GREENEHAMS PRAYER O God most mightie glorious and righteous O father most louing gracious and merciful which keepest couenant and mercy in Iesus Christ
5. Comfort to Gods children in feeling their secret corruptions Note Hardnes of heart A sweete consolation for a troubled spirit The godly are not free from euill motions The feeling of Gods promises and fauour written in our heart Christ freeing vs from the condemnation of sin will also free vs from the corruption and power of sinne The death of sinnne in vs. Simile 1 Three kinds or causes of feare 2 3 Properties of feare Esay 5. 3. Feare Gods threatnings Note 1. Pet. 1. 23. Feare Gods promises Pietie in aduersitie Note Feare mixt with faith Friendship Note Familie Seruants Note Presumption Note Exod. 17. â—2 24 14. The loue of brethren Simile Affection 2. Tim. 3. 3. Of Fathers Iohâ— Simile Ignorance of old age The vse of Affliction 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. To seek mens fauour more then the fauour of God Sweet ioyes and feelings vnder the crosse Gods fauour and coâ—â—tenance in affliction Sacraments The afflictions of the Church in Egypt were Gods rod to driue them forth to the promised land Notes of brotherhood Coloss. 1. 14. Deceit in contracts Matth. 18 3. Reuenge Note Note Gods iudgement Simile Prayer Papists rest in the worke wrought By what meanes we must draw neere to God Non gressib sed precibâ—itur ad Deum Oratio est Deo sacrificium homini subsidium Daemoni flagellum That we can neither suffer the wrath of God nor flie from it the best is to yeeld vnto it Confession Knowledge Psal. 32. 45. We may not indent with God We pause to passe in heauenly things though we be guided but wee runne fast enough in earthly things thogh no man guide vs. Simile Faith We cannot serue two coÌ„trary maisters How we must follow Christ Certaine indices or notes to know whether we iourney to heauen 1 2 3 Simile Seeing wee must follow Christ we had better follow to saluation than to destruction Simile Simile Simile Simile Fruits of the spirit Mercie and Iustice. Thâ— theefe on the Crosse Simile Notes and markes of faith in the theefe on the crosse The ioy of a good conscience vnder the crosse 2. Cor. 1. 12. Sorrow How to prepare our selues against the day of death and iudgement To appeare before God without a mâ—diator how fearefull Gods mercie Psalm 103. Christ suffered in soule Grace The couetous desire of riches 2. Pet. 3. 18. Simile PreseueraÌ„ce Gifts of the spirit Rom. 2. 4. Gods patieÌ„ce How we may trie our loue 1 to God or rather to the world 2 3 4 5 Psal. 144. 6 7 Zich 13. 1. The paines of hell are endlesse casâ—lesse and hopelesse Tereâ—t Note Of the wrath of God If any thing cause the lord to be angrie it is sinne Why the anger of God is oft set downe by fire Of three things which may keepe vs from sinne 1 Shame 2. Griefe 3. Feare Simile Why mercy is to be loued Mercy is either in giuing or forgiuing Pension of mercie to be shewed and paid to our brethren Simile Note Giuing Mercy to the poore Psalm 16. A talent of riches A talent of knowledge That which goes for currant good payment in this world is not currant in another Of the punish ment of the wicked Simile Albeit this meditation concerning the keeping of the heart be past in the fourth part Tit. Of meditatioÌ„s on Pro. 4. v. 23. yet for that here we haue some amplificatioÌ„ and some difference in his manner of handling this argument I thought it lesse offeÌ„ce to giue thee both good Reader than to depriue thee of either of thim Fabula vulgi Causam pro non causa Conscience of sinne Note To laugh at sinne what it argueth Carnall Protestants Note Of good affections and desires Rom. 7. Looke most of all temptations and griefes on thy Corruption naturall TemptatioÌ„s Simile Dauids adulterie Note TemptatioÌ„s How we may trie our selues by our afflictions and affections We must watch ouer euery motion of the heart and occasion of the eye Est quaedam cogâ—tare voluptas Spatiabaâ— in claustiâ— cordis mâ—â— qui cum lucerna splendeâ— videt te cùm lucerna extincta eâ—â— videt â—e ipsum time Immistae cogâ—ationes Two heads of many sinnes Bernard quid est cortuum nisi voluntas tua Niâ—â—l itaque punit Deus nisi voluntatem tâ—lle haâ—c â—nternum non erit Two waies The first way of Gods Commandements The second way of our owne hearts Three thiÌ„gs to be considered concerning our way 1 2 Heb. 6. 12. 12. 1. To follow the multitude Note To follow our owne lusts Lutum Deo sed cera Daemoni 2. Pet. 3. 14. 15. 16. Simile Note Immissae ascendentes Two kinds of thoughts Iohn 13. Simile The rauens will not goe farre from a dead carcasse But delight still to be in the sent of it euen so doe we with sin 6 7 Scala Inferni Simile A controuersie concerning an Iland between Scotland and Ireland Faith contrarie to reason Hope contrarie to experience Many will say If I can fetch it within the compasse of my braine I will beleeue it This man may cast the Bible in the fire for any profit he reapes by it Of the circumcision of the heart How we must circumcise the foreskin of our hearts Vers. 9. Thoughts not free The tenth coÌ„mandemeÌ„t The spaâ—ne of finis is in euery man 1. Creation 2. ProuideÌ„cs 3. RedemptioÌ„ A sound A voyce A word The word of God Simile Hearing the word of God is the best hearing 1. Cor. 1. Preaching How we must heare the word Note these foure things 1. PreparatioÌ„ 2. To heare all that is taught vs not parcels 3. Constancie in hearing 4. A desire to practise the thing we heare Hebr. 4. 12. Wee must heare the word as Gods word while it is daye It is good to heare of the threatnings as well as of the promises Simile * That is in Prosperitie Why the Lord oft threatneth in his owne person * As in publike calamities Preachers Great graces Simile 1. Pride 3 4 Ripenes in sin Gen. 5. Rules for the right vsage of the creatures and of Gods blessings and graces receiued 1 Arguments for humiliation 2 2. Cor 11. Numb 12. 1. 3 Meanes to cure pride Rom. 7. 2. Cor. 12. Simile Humilitie See 1. p. counsels Hypocrisie Of two sorts of pride Mater heraeseôn Vermis diuitiarum Pride in apparell and strange attire Pride of women which set vp signes in their foreheads Iob. 39. 37. 38. 1. ta mora tòâ—â—osmou 2. tà as ther è 3. tà agâ—â— 4 tà exouthâ—â—â—mâ—â—a 5. tà mè â—â—ta How hypocrisie differeth from true godlines Simile Hypocrites like bankerupts Triall of our ioy after affliction Sicknes Note well They that sâ—e their secret hypocrisie with griefe shall doe well Godly simplicitie Hardnes of heart Psalm 95. Rom. 1. Heb. 3. Peccatum paena peccati Psal. 69. 27. Note 1 2 4 Markes of hypocrisie 5 6 7 8 9 De agris populo diuidendâ—s Liuiâ—s l. 2. 10 11 12 Simile 1
the viewe of such iudgements 1 2 3 4 5 Diem or Sabbathum 6 7 Of vnthankfulnes Vse of the creatures Simile How God tempteth vs. Phil. 2. 14. 15. Deut. 29 21. God trieth men as well by benefits as by wants The triall of our seruice and zeale of God The Diuels obiectioÌ„ Iob. 1. Doth Iob feare God for nothing Trial of faith We are as ready to mur mur as the Israelites What it is to tempt God To sin against knowledge is a tempting of God God beares long with the offences of our ignorance To refuse knowledge is a tempting of God Dauids sins 1. Sam. 2. 1. Cor. 10. To tremble in teÌ„ptation Simile Application of doctrine how necessarie Simile Truth how great speciall arguments 1 1. Father 2. Sonne 3. Holy Ghost 2 3 Men may be compared to laÌ„dor earth Note There are three kindes of truth Note The true standard of truth Note Truth in simplicitie of speech Truth in action Truth of the Common-wealth Truth in the Church Simile Verball profession Why Truth is not found among vs. Contempt of the Worde dangerous Familiaritas parit contemptum veritas parit odium Three good mothers bring forth three euill daughters Note Charitie is true The people of Mediolanum or Millaine Amittere animas quà m Episcopum The world followes and fauours the Gospell when it brings prosperitie with it Against scorners Adde these foure sections to the chapter of Temptation Simile The cure of Witches Voweâ— Wonders Notes of diuine wonders Who be deceiued with the lying wonders of Antichrist Simile The law Morall was before Moses and obserued in the in the Church before it was written The light of the Gospell hath dispeld the mist of Popery The Lord often vseth vehement speeches to spurre our dull hearts In Rhethorike Permssio cum Catastrophe In Logicke Per obliquum ductum Why God vseth vehemencie of speech and how we must reade it Risus Dei prae omni ira Dei. quod cum risu loquitur tâ— leges cum luctu A speciall grace to be humbled by the word Wonders * So the sinne hardneth the clay but softe neth the wax Sacraments Admonition The Fathers of the first age had the word Titles giuen to the word Duo ecclesiae vbera Cum Deus aliquid dieit etfiâ—d non amplâ—us quam semeâ— dicat ea fide ac deuotione accipien dum est ac â—i saepissimè dixerit Chrysoâ—t aduers. vituper Monasticae vitae Will worship Numb 20. Obedience Good workes Three signes of good works 1. Word 2. Faith 3. The end Gods glorie On whom to conferre our well doings Protestants most bouÌ„d to good workes 1 2 3 Motiues to good works 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Perdere beneficium dare non dare perdere We must doe good though it seeme to be in vaine Good works Scôtos tò exóteroâ— Amartimata exótera Extreame sinnes goe into extreame darknes We must doe good to all men 1 2 3 To doe good duties to the soule 4 Conferre this chapter with the sermon of zeale in the third part True zeale the properties thereof Conferre this with the 3. sermon of zeale the third part The recompence of true zeale Note Properties of true zeale 1 2 Zealous in a ceremonie in principall points as cold as ice Two rules 2 Hypocrisie vncased A third Rule A true triall of our zeale A fourth Rule Good notes of true zeale How to be grieued for the sinnes of others A fift rule Prouision for the Ministerie The cause of many 〈◊〉 contemâ—â—â— in the Church A sixt rule Anâ—er aâ—â— sorrow 〈…〉 be ten 〈…〉 toge 〈…〉 Coâ—s 〈…〉 mens ag 〈…〉 sinne Note * The old heretikâ—s Virtus est medium vtrinque reductum 2 Psal. 32. 1. Psal. 103. Simile Order Praeposteratio annihilat actum 1 Sterile officium Non facienduÌ„ quia multifaciunt sed quia bonum Vt bonum faciaÌ„ an bene satis mihi suÌ„t pauâ—i satis vnus satis nullus Augustine Si poteÌ„tiores faciunt non faciam quia faciunt sed gaudeo quia faciunt H◠ô theò◠ekathárise su mè koinou Touto gar esti to thélema tou theou ho agiasmos humôn Meanes for the sanctification of the Sabbath 2 Guides 1 2. 3. 3 4 1 2 3 4 * Visito poto cibo redimo lego rolligo condo * Corrige fuade doce solaâ—e remitte fer oâ—â— The Sabbaths vse Punishment for the breach of the Sabbath Recreations Sabbaths rest Sabbath a signe Nostri iuris Excommunication How dangerous to despise the censures of the Church Psal. 19. Discretion necessarie in discipline 1. King 9. Oratorious periods in preaching Patrones of Churches falsely so called Negligent Pastors Shame how to discerne it Impudencie of our times Obiection Answere 1 Two notes of Gods anger in exercising vs after sinne with shame 2 A secret hiding of sinne Sabbath Rom. 3. 28. Popish perfection Puritans be the old Catharoi and the Paepists Apt similitudes in scrip ture sorting and fitting all callings to instruct all degrees concerning Gods kingdome To stirre vp our owne drie and barren hearts considering and viewing the fruitfulnes of the ground Ioh. 15. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Matth. 3. To trie the hart whether it be barren Foure signes 1 1. If our eares hearts lie common for passengers 2 2. If we be not busie to driue away bad and corrupt affections 3 3. No blessings better vs. 4 4. The preaching of Gods worde discernes it to be fallow SathaÌ„s policy 1 3 1. Cor. 7. 4 Luk. 8. Mark 4. Matth. 13. 5 Matth. 7. Regeneration To leaue sin to repent of sin differ Opus operatum 1. TeÌ„ptation 2. TeÌ„ptation 3. Exercises of religion 4. Comfort discoÌ„fort 5 False feare 6. To discerne the spirit 7. Carnall securitie 8 Complaining 6. Disputation 10 Punishment 11 Not to distrust Gods helpe 12. Secret thoughts and speeches 13. Enuie 14. How to be affected in others weale woe 15. Crosses with blessings 16. Want of an outward blessing 17 Calling 18. Motiues vnto prayer 19. Sinne. 20. Iustification and sanctification 21 The bloud of Christ must be sprinckled by the holie Ghost in our heart Christ fastiÌ„g and prayer 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Note well this rule 20 21 22 23 24 Simile 25 A sweete Prayer 26 27 28 A sweete counsell 29 Friends not prâ—fiting in godlinesse 30 False feare Gal. 2. 20. In temptations striue to stand in faith and not to yeeld to the aduersarie Our corruptioÌ„ desires delights in the meanes we cannot haue Blindnes of mind hard nes of heart Many false perswasions come to the weak for waÌ„t of sound iudgement 1. Cor. 10 13. Esay 63. 15. Esay 59. 10. Esay 38. 14. Psal. 51. 10. The feelings of the faithfull in temptation lost Two kinds of hardnes of heart 1 Not perceiued nor felt 2. Perceiued and felt B. of 2. sorts 1. of purpose to resist good motions 2. Securely negligeÌ„tly to lie in sinne * or discerned The second kind of hardnes of heart not felt Note the difference between perceiued felt 2. kinde of hardnes perceiued felt is of two sorts Esay 63. A troubled conscience perswaded his sinne is pardonable but yet not feeling it is pardoned yet it may be God hath pardoned it as we see in Dauid Satan driues the faithfull in their teptations to be weary of yea sometimes to refuse the meanes The prayer of Christ belongeth to vs as well as to the Apostles 10. 17. Heb 13. Rom. 7. 2. Cor. 1. 23. There may be faith with out feeling Psal. 51. 3. 10. Vers. 11. Vers. 12. Sathan and melancholie disquiet afflicted soules Psal. 51. Esay 17. 19. Esay 11. 6. Leuit. 5. 15. Numb 15. 38. Ignorance and error differ Gods childreÌ„ may fall after their calling into many foule faults Exod. 24. 6. 7. Esay 1. 10. 11. Vers. 8. Esay 31. 6. Esay 63. 10. Esay 63. 9. Iere. 31. 18. 20. Psal. 50. 5. 22. Psal. 89. 30. 1. Ioh. 2. 2. 1. Cor. 1. 6. 7. 1. Cor. 3. 15. 2. 3. 1. Cor. 10. 7. 13. Psal. 19. 13. True humilitie proceedeth from faith 2. Cor. 1. 4. The testimonie of the spirit The nature of faith Maâ—k 9. 24. Matth. 17. 2. Colos. 2. 10. 1. Cor. 1. 30. Rom. 8. 34. Rom. 5. 19. 2. Cor. 5. 21. 2. Cor. 1. 20. Coloâ— 1. 19. Rom. 8. 1. 1. Ioh. 21. Dispute not with Sathan intemptation Whether we haue faith or not Ioh. 8. 24. 25. Mark 2. 24. Act. 16. 18. A desciption of faith 2. Tim. 1. 12. Simile Simile The afflicted desireth to be leeue cannot discerne his estate Matth. 4. Ioh. 5. Temptation what it may teach vs. Simile Resistance in temptation a sure signe of faith and grace Remedie in temptation 1. Dispute not with Sathan 2. Exercise prayer reading 3. Be painfull in the workes of thy calling Faith proued by the fruits Psal. 77. 6. Psal. 119. Iob. 31. Rom. 3. 28. Rom. 8. 10. Ioh. 15. 2. Rom. 7. 17. Rom. 6. 2. Death the complement of mortification Loathing of this life c. Phil. 1. 21. Comfort froÌ„ the exercises of pietie The hearing of the word Prayer Praising of God Sacraments Simile To record our faith and comforts past Heb. 10. 32. 34. Iob. 29 3. Psal 77 6 12. Psalme 23 all Rom 8 16. Rom â—1 29. Ioh 13 1. The testimony of the spirit of adoption better theÌ„ the testimony of men and Angels Simile An eclipse of faith In teÌ„ptations how we conspire with Sathan against our selues 1. Pet. 5. 9. 1. Ioh 5. 4. Ephes. 6. 16. CoÌ„mfort froÌ„ the benefits of this life Rom. 8. 28. A speciall fauour of God to haue his faithfull seruants to pitie vs in our afflictions Matth. 18. 18. Esay Iam. 5. 15 Vers. 41. Ioh. 20. 23. How Gods faithfull Ministers binde and loose 2. Sam. 12. 13 Notes out of Iob. 33. 23. for the comfort of the afflicted 2 3 4 5 Ephes. 3. 18. 6 7 Apoâ— 7. 18. 14. 13. Against the doubt of election Deut. 29. 29. 3 4 Iob. 31. 5 6 7 Phil. 2. 13. Luk. 23. 42. The afflicted conscience like the couetous man Phil. 3. 11. Phil. 2. 13. 2. Pet. 1. 10. He that beleeueth maketh no hast