A conflict of the flesh and spirit and therein by practise the power of the spirit geting the vpper hand Rom 7. 23. 7. A sowing to the spirit by the vse of the meanes as of the word prayer c. 8. A purpose vnfained vpon strength receiued of vowing ones selfe whollie to the glorie of God and good of our brethren 9. A resignation of our selues into Gods hands 10. An expecting of the daily increase of our soules health our bodies resurrection 11. The forgiuing of our enemies 12. An acknowledging of our offences with a purpose truely to leaue them 13. A delight in Gods Saints 14. A desire that after our death the Church of God may flourish and haue all peace 15 A spirit without guile that is an vnfained purpose alwayes to doe well howsoeuer our infirmities put vs by it These are sure notes of our election wherein if anie bee short yet let him but see into his heart if he desire and long after these graces and remember Nehem 11. Psalm 10â— 18. Psalm 119 6. 40. 37. A TREATISE OF A CONTRACT BEFORE MARIAGE After prayer hee spake as followeth THat none of vs might doubt whether there bee iust occasion of this manner of our meeting or no wee are to call to minde euen from the Heathen that the light of nature taught them that there was a solemne promise to be made of the parties that should bee maried before they were to be ioyned in marriage and that was called the espousage and therefore we were the more to be blamed if we should neglect so good a custome especially being commended to the chosen people of God as we may gather of his words for we reade that the Lord God made a law concerning the espoused persons that if they were vnfaithfull of their bodies they should be condemned as adulterers euen as well as the maried parties Mary also was affianced vnto Ioseph before the solemnising of their mariage And the vse of the Church standeth with good reason for that the neglect of it is an occasion that many are disappointed of their purposed mariages because some of them through inconstancie goe backe It is very meete also that they should haue some instructions giuen them concerning the graces and duties that are required in that estate that they may pray vnto the Lord and so be prepared and made fit to be publikely presented to the congregation afterwards Now further as concerning the nature of this contract and espousage although it be a degree vnder mariage yet it is more than a determined purpose yea more than a simple promise For euen as he which deliuereth vp the estate of his lands in writing all conditions agreed vpon is more bound to the performance of his bargaine than he that hath purposed yea or made promise thereof by word of mouth although the writings be not yet sealed euen so there is a greater necessitie of standing to this contract of mariage than there is of any other purpose or promise made priuately by the parties These things obserued I purpose as God shall giue me grace to giue some lessons how you must prepare your selues to liue in the estate of mariage I will for the helpe of your memorie deale in this sort and order first briefly going through the Articles of your faith and then through the Commandements noting some especiall duties fit for this purpose As concerning your beleefe in God the Father you know brethren you must beleeue in him as being creator of all things and also the gouernour and preseruer of the same you must also vnderstand that he created man according to his own image and gaue him the preheminence gouernment of the woman for the helpe of the man that he might be furthered in the seruice of his God So you must much more look that you be not hindred from the Lord by your wife for there are many whilest they desire mariage so long as their hope is deferred they are carefull in the discharge of their dutie but afterward once enioying those things they looked for they waxe more negligent than they were before greatly dishonouring God by their vnthankfulnes And it may be the onely fault of man if he be not helped by his wife to grow in godlines for I thinke that euen Euah in moning her husband Adam to eate of the forbidden fruite had been an helper vnto him to bring him acquainted with the malitious enmitie of Satan against them both if according to the great measure of graces he had receiued from the Lord he had bin more faithfull in obeying the will of God and had wisely rebuked his wife And againe although the woman was the occasion of sinne yet the force of sinne to the corruption of mankind came into the world by the sinne of the man For so the Apostle saith Rom 5. As by one man meaning Adam sinne entred into the world and death by sinne and so death went ouer all men for as much as all men haue sinned So much more the grace of God and the gift of grace which is by one man Iesus Christ hath abounded vnto many And in the 3. of Genesis we reade that the eyes of the woman were not opened vntill the man had eaten of the fruite but so soone as he had eaten the eyes of them both were opened they knew that they had sinned Therefore I gather thus much that rebuke should haue preuailed more to conuert her than her mouing of him to transgresse should haue been able to peruert him I speake not to excuse the woman for I know the Lord was displeased with her and for that cause hath laid a special punishmeÌ„t vpoÌ„ her in the painful bringing forth of children But that I might shew the great charge that lieth vpon the man to stay the corruptions of the woman by reason of the authority which the Lord hath giuen him ouer her which I would haue you brother diligently to consider of And you my sister must take profit by calling to minde that this was one end of your creation that you should glorifie God in being an helper to your husband therefore take heede that you be not a hinderer vnto him to trouble him or to vexe his heart whereby he should be lesse fâ—uitfull in his calling but be you cheerful towards him so that although he should haue little comfort in al other things yet he may finde great cause to reioyce in you And this you must know that as it is required of your husband to seeke for wisedome to be able to gouerne you so the Lord requireth of you to be subiect vnto him remembring also that as God hath inioyned you silence in the congregation so you must seeke for instruction at his mouth in your priuate chamber Another thing I would haue you both to coÌ„sider of in this point of your beliefe is faith in Gods prouidence And marke that well I shall say vnto
hell torments lifting vp his eyes and seeing Lazarus a farre off in Abrahams bosome cried Father Abraham haue mercie vpon me c. But Abraham answering him according to the proportion of God his Iustice said ver 25. Son remember that thou in thy life time receiuedst pleasures and likewise Lazarus paines now therefore he is comforted and thou art tormented To this effect worthie to be obserued is that place 2 Thess. 1. 6. it is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you 7. And to you which are troubled rest with vs when the Lord Iesus shall shew himselfe from heauen c. Where we see how it standeth with God his righteous iudgement and iustice that his persecuted Church and afflicted Saints who in this world goe for nought should in time bee refreshed with a recompence of glorie and that their cruell persecutours being wanton in their sinnes and triumphing in their crueltie should haue their crowne of shame and endles contempt in tormeÌ„ts The equitie of which iustice is in this that seeing the wicked haue not onely dishonoured God in their soules through all the fruites of reprobation but also haue vsed the members of their bodies as instruments of sinne weapons of iniquitie vnto the full number of sinnes so they should not onely suffer the vengeance of God in their soules but also in their bodies and as Gods graces haue shined not onely in the soules of his Saints before him and his Angels but also haue much beautified their bodies and haue taken vp the members also as instruments of Gods glorie so the Lord will not onely aduance the soules of his but also their bodies If this were not where were the fulfilling of God his promises where should be the executing of his threatnings for Abram Isaac Iacob Lot Ioseph Iob Dauid Esay Ieremy Daniel all the rest of the Patriarches Prophets Apostles Martyrs Confessors holy men and women in the world were but as Pilgrimes and desiring a better and heauenly Countrie suffered in this world troubles persecutions trials and all manner of euill Againe the wicked prosper in their goods bodies wiues children they haue no bandes in their death they are lustie and strong they feele not the sores of Iob nor the miseries of Ioseph pride is a chaine vnto them and crueltie couereth them as a garment their eyes stand out for fatnesse they haue more than heart can wish So in this world the faithfull feele not the promises the vnfaithfull feele not their punishments It must needs be therefore by God his iustice as it is certaine by his word that seeing in this life the holy ones are not fully rewarded nor the wicked ones fully reuenged in the life to come the one should rise to heauenly ioâ—es the other should rise to hellish torments And as we see that there shall be a resurrection of the flesh because the word hath said it which is true and iustice will put it in practise because it doth require it so the power of God is able to performe whatsoeuer the word doth shew or iustice doth desire to be done It is not without great cause that in the entrance of our Confession wee acknowledge the Lord to bee almightie For what were his mercie or what were his iustice if hee could not performe that with might which he doth promise nor bring to passe with power that which he threatneth Howbeit when we say God is almightie we giue to vnderstand that hee can doe whatsoeuer he will doe For true it is he cannot faile in his trueth he cannot alter the couenaÌ„t gone out of his mouth what then is there any thing vnpossible to the Lord no the Lord will doe what is good can doe what he wil. Neither doth it any more derogate from God his almighty power to say he cannot lye than it doth extenuate the commendation of a mightie Captaine to say he cannot be conquered This power of God is either seene in his Creation or in his Prouidence or Preseruation In his Creation thus if God our of nothing could draw out heauen and earth if out of the earth which being a formeleâ—se masse and sumpe was by the spirite of God hatching ouer the waters brought a comely order if out of the darkenesse the Lord drew light if of the dust of the earth God made man and out of his ribbe drew a woman is it not as easie for him drawing these and all other things out of nothing to draw our flesh being made out of the earth in which it was corrupted is it not as easie to draw a man out of the earth againe as to make a man of the earth at first Is it not as easie though rottennesse doth seeme to hinder the resurrectioÌ„ to renew a body out of many bones as out of one bone to frame a whole body Is not the Lord as able to restore the body which he dissolueth into the elements being made into it former fashion as before it had any being to tie the flesh together with sinewes to conuey strength into the bones and to beautifie all with a skin Let vs as well consider God his power in reducing mens bodies into their former estate as his mightie hande in vnloosing them For as hee bringeth flesh to rottennesse the rottennesse to wormes the wormes to dust so can he if he would reduce and bring backward the dust to the wormes the wormes to a putrified matter the putrifaction to flesh the flesh to immortalitie The prouidence of God doth teach vs herein if we either consider of it in the course of nature or in gouerning his Church In the course of nature as Esay 26. 19. Awake and sing yee that awâ—ll in the dust for the deaw is as the deaw of herbs and the earth shall cast out her dead Here the Prophet sheweth that that God that made Aarons rod to bad and that draweth out liuely colours of dead flowers and florishing branches out of withered hearbs will also raise vs in our bodies to the brightnes of his glorie which haue been laid in the filthines of the dust Againe 1. Cor. 15. 35. But some man will say How are the dead raised vp wâ—â—â— what bodie come they forth 36. O foole that which thou sowest is not quickened except it diâ— 37. And that which thou sowest thou sowest not that bodie that shall be but bare corne as it faâ—eth of wheate or of some other 38. But God giueth a bodie at his pleasure euen to euery seede his owne bodie c. See the Lord calleth them fooles that will not beleeue this Can the Lord raise graine out of the earth will he not raise man out of the earth for whose sake the graine is renewed Againe shall we doubt that he who holdeth the waters in his fist and swadleth the maine seas which in their own nature are aboue the earth that they should not passe
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
the secret counsel of the Lord herein we must know that neither the promise of the Lord is so vniuersall that euery particular childe of a faithfull man should be within the couenant for if of many there be but one blessed the promise is performed Yea which more is though that a faithfull man haue neuer a good childe yet if vnto the thousand generation there be but one good the couenant is not broken Neither must wee tie the Lords worke so much to man that a good man may not haue an euil sonne seeing though the Lord visit not his sinnes yet hee may visit the sinnes of some of the forefathers to the third and fourth generation going before To the second I say that an euill father hauing a good child though the Lord shew not mercie to that particular man therein yet he may remember his promise to some of the forefathers in the thousand generation going before And though that an euill man haue no cursed child yet the curse may be accomplished in the third and fourth generation following Wherefore not speaking of election or reprobation which we leaue onely to the Lord to make good or bad according to the good pleasure of his owne will I exhort parents to vse the ordinarie meanes to bring vp their childreÌ„ so as they either by some good tokens may see them the children of God and heires of the couenant or at the least be comforted in their owne consciences if the Lord refuse their children for some cause vnknowne in that to their abilitie they haue vsed all good meanes to bring them vp well and offered them to God And if parents haue cause to be grieued when thus trauailing in good education they cannot see good in their children how much more cause of griefe may they haue when they haue vsed no labour at all to bring them vp in the feare of the Lord and yet many will be grieued for the one that will not be grieued for the other Wherefore let vs learne if we will conueigh Gods blessings to our posterities to vse all holy duties thereunto and on the contrarie if we will be loath to conueigh Gods iudgements to our children let vs carefully auoide all meanes that leade vnto them And surely as it is a blessed thing in the houre of death with Simâ—on to depart in peace leauing our wife children and seruants spouses to Christ children to God and seruants to the Lord so in death no one thing will be more grieuous to a man than the Lords hauing giuen him the charge and dignitie of so many soules to be furthered to saluation that his owne tormented conscience shall presse him how in as much as he could he hath helped them forward to their damnation and so which is more fearefull he shall haue them spuing and foming out in his face continual curses in hell accusing him for euer to be the murtherer of their soules Howbeit I doe not exempt children from all blame so charging the parents as though the children were free from all guiltinesse herein for I am not ignorant that as in the time of Ezekiel so in our dayes youth is readie enough to take vp this Prouerbe The fathers haue eaten sowre grapes and the childrens teeth are set on edge But I affirme that though the occasion be offered of such wicked parents yet the cause of destruction is still in the children themselues And besides that it is sure that the soule which hath sinned shall die the death Seeing also there be some yong men who notwithstanding the great prophanenes of the most the manifold corruptions offered abroade the vngodly examples abounding at home are so mightily preserued by the seede of grace that they escape safely in an holy course of life lamenting when they see the least occasion of euill reioycing in the least occasion of good things the rest who please themselues and hope to shelter their sinnes vnder their parents defaults are plainely left without excuse and are iustly guiltie of the blood of their owne soules Labour therefore ye yong men to wipe away the teares of griefe from your fathers eyes and stay the sorrowfull spirits of your tender mothers and consider with your selues if you haue any good nature in you and haue not buried the vse of common reason what a shame it is to be a shame vnto your fathers to whom ye ought to be a glorie and thinke ye wanton wits that haue not cast off all naturall affections what a contempt it is to be a contempt vnto your mother to whom ye haue offered as it were a despightfull violence in that ye are as it were a corrosiue vnto her heart when as ye should haue bin a Crowne vnto her head The end of al this briefly is thus much that parents hauing children not walking either in knowledge or in a good conscience must make some vse of so iust a cause of griefe examining themselues and accusing their owne soules before the Lord either for that their meeting was prophane to so holy an estate or brutish because they desired rather a seede like vnto themselues in flesh and blood than such as might be like to Christ by grace and new birth or that they begat their of spring as meere naturall or very carnall men or because they either prophanely neglected al educatioÌ„ or monstrously misliked that in their children which they liked in themselues and punished in them their owne corrupt precepts or for that they suffered iniuriously their children to doe euill vnto others which they could not suffer them to doe vnto themselues or vntaught that at home which was taught abroad or in that they doe lie in some sinne vnrepented of or else because they neuer made conscience to bring their posteritie within the couenant of saluation but still loued their flesh in their children not their soules And children must here also learne that it is one speciall propertie of a liberall and ingenuous nature to be carefull so to liue that in time they may bee a glorie to their fathers and a ioy to their mothers which the Lord grant to vs all for his glorie and our euerlasting comfort through Iesus Christ our Lord and onely Sauiour FINIS OF REPENTANCE AND TRVE SORROVV FOR SIN THE SEVENTH SERMON Acts 2. vers 37. 38. Now when they heard it they were pricked in their hearts and saide vnto Peter and the other Apostles Men and brethren what shall we doe Then Peter saide vnto them Amend your liues and bee baptized euery one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sinnes c. IN this portion of the holy booke of God is set downe to vs an effect or rather a fruite of Peter his sermon which hee made for the answering of the slanderous reports of the Iewes at what time they sawe the wonderfull gifts of God sent downe vpon the Apostles In which Sermon the Apostle had pricked their consciences with shewing
many of his porters to awaken vs out of sinne and to stirre vs vp to the receiuing of the kingdome of God that so they seeking may finde and knocking it may be opened vnto them It followeth which when a man hath found c. To pursue euery particular farre in a parable is not the safest way except it agree with the analogie of the things wee must here know that parables doe not hold but in some things and not in all and therefore in this sense the word doth not agree with a treasure which when a man hath found he hideth to this end that none else should finde it and be partakers of it but himselfe but in the Word it ought not to be so but in this sense it agreeth with the analogie of our faith A man which hath found a great treasure it is so great ioy vnto him as that he suspecteth himselfe whether it be so or no hee is afeard least he hath not found it and therefore he searcheth more neerely into it againe least that his sudden ioy should be soone decaâ—ed or else hauing found it hee lose it and therefore hee hideth it and euen so it is with the spirituall kingdome of God for when it pleaseth God to worke in the heart of his people by the ministerie of his word to feele their saluation in Christ Iesus by by there ariseth a kind of feare in their hearts least they be missed by seeking the way to saluatioÌ„ or hauing found the way they are afraide least they should lose it againe they are full of doubts that they continually striue to come to a greater assurance therof For in the imbracing of this treafure they finde it to be so sweete and the tast thereof to be so precious as that they labour throughly to seek after it they desire not to haue a glimmering fight of our Sauiour Christ but euen a full taste of him and all his benefits And therefore there is neuer through peace in the hearts of the childreÌ„ of God so long as they reuerence the word til they haue hidden the word of God in their hearts and grow more and more in the assurance of their saluation in Christ Iesus And therefore Dauid in Psal. 119 the second and third vers saith I haue hid thy commaundements in my heart that I might not sinne against thee And in Prouerbs the second and first verse My sonne if thou wilt receiue my wordâ— and hide my commandements within thee and cause thine eare to hearken vnto wisedome and incline tâ—â—â—e heart to vnderstanding when wisedome entreth thy heart and knowledge delighteth thy soule then shall counsaile preserue thee and vnderstanding shall keepe thee Where wee see that the holy Ghost giueth this precept vnto the children of God that they labour so for the word that it be hidden in their hearts they must labour to haue their hearts wholâ—e to prossesse the word for the minde of man it may be deceiued but the heart cannot if the heart bee once throughly possessed of the word it cannot easily be depriued of it Now as a treasure is found before it be sought so is the word of God Esai 65. 1. Rom. 10. 20. I was found of them that sought me not and haue been made manifest to them that asked not after me This sheweth that all goodnesse coÌ„meth of the free grace and mercie of God but to this end doth God manifest himselfe to them that sought him not that men when God hath once found them should then seeke after him and when hee hath once spoken vnto them then they should hearken vnto him And this no doubt the children of God who who when the Lord hath found them and they know that the Lord hath spokeÌ„ they haue heard him O then so glad would they heare him againe and fearefull they are least they should bee depriued of hearing him in his word neither doe they desire to haue Christ transfigured in the mount but themselues to bee transformed into new men that they might grow vp in righteousnesse from strength to strength and from faith to faith This I speake vnto the sonnes and daughters of God which languish in their sinnes and in the feeling of their infirmities and hunger and thirst after the graces of God O how ioyfull are they in hearing the word hauing felt comfort in it such feruencie of spirit is in them to heare the preaching of the word being so precious vnto them they delight in the Sacraments finding confirmation of faith and strength by them The companie of Gods children is most delightfull vnto them as Dauid saith All my delight O Lord is vpon thy Saints on earth Their consciences are comforted and they are ful of alacritie and cheerefulnesse These things may serue to stirre vs vp to hunger and thirst after righteousnesse the hearing of Gods word For by experience I haue knowne and tried some which in the beginning of their profession haue been zealous haue taken pleasure in the word of God haue felt some comfort in the word and for coÌ„firmation of their faith both the word and the Saints of God were deare vnto them They haue distributed to the poore and haue had many other graces yet when they looked for the vertue and power and effect which the word should haue wrought in their hearts it was not in them alas these things are now gone but although the children of God haue many seuerall temptations and that often without any feeling of this yet let them assure them of this that be they whosoeuer they are at one time or other they shall feele this mightie power of the spirit of God in them to quicken them vp It is requisite therefore for them to knowe how this commeth and what the remedie thereof is that so they might finde out the way to the attaining of it Truly the Lord was found of vs when we sought him not he made himselfe known vnto vs when we were ignorant of him he caused the light to shine on vs when we sate in darkenes and in the shadow of death It pleased him in the first shining of the Gospell to put the teate and the milke into our mouthes euen as a good mother dealeth with her yong childe and to put the cloathes vpon our backes and to prouide all things for vs without asking but after that the Lord hath thus nourished vs and regenerated vs by his word and spirit and found vs out euen then when we thought not of him and then we like vnto little children were readie to come vnto him behold here the great mercie and louing kindnesse of our God towards vs but when as yet notwithstanding these mercies are increased not in faith in repentance and godly obedience vnto the lawes of God he still vseth vs as children euen as Christ vsed his Apostles giuing vs to know and to see that surely there is good and that there is comfort and
reioyce in any but in Christ crucified because he can present me blamelesse before God his iudgement seate hee hath nailed my sinnes to his crosse he is the immaculate Lambe that was sacrificed for me and will present me as cleare without spot before his father as euer I was created Wherefore Paul knowing the crosse of Christ able to performe all these things good cause there was why he then and we now attaining in some measure to the like knowledge should reioyce in Christ crucified by whoÌ„ we become crucified to the world First we are to note that they that with delight lye in sinne or haue no desire to come out of sinne cannot reioyce in the crosse of Christ. For if thou be filthie and wilt be filthie still in thy flesh how darest thou presume to reioyce in the scourged and torne flesh of Iesus Christ Canst thou ô miser still like and loue this world so much when thou doest more prick and pearce Christ with thy sinnes than euer he was pricked with thornes and nailes or can the thornes of Christ crucified be pretious to thee when the thornes of worldly cares doe so delight and choke thee How canst thou still boyle in thine anger when thou doest remember how mildly Christ crucified suffered the bitter anger of his father for thee Doest thou looke for great matters in this world considering Christ to bee borne for thee so basely to liue so poorely and to dye for thee so painfully Surely thou maist appertaine to Christ in secret election but thy sinnes thus with delight raigning in thee thou hast no assurance of Christ by thy walking Well on the contrarie doest thou thou poore sinner feele the lusts of thy flesh loathsome vnto thee that thou euen quakest to remember the place the time the occasion where sinne ouertooke thee and feelest more terrour to thinke of them than euer thou felâ—st pleasure in doing of them then for thy comfort remember thy sinnes are pardoned the pretious flesh of Christ was torne for thee and that thou seeing the wrath of God due to thy defiled flesh shalt receiue mercie because the crucified flesh of Christ doth acquite the filthines of thy flesh and the punishment due vnto it Againe doth the world begin to be vile in thine eyes and thou art ashamed that thine heart hath been so long set on things below the thornie cares doe now pricke and wound thine heart with sorrow then remember the head of Christ was planted with thornes and Christ for thee despised the world his hands and feete for thee being nailed his side pearced his whole body for thee being crucified Art thou angry with thy selfe that thou hast been so much giuen to anger and canst willingly take iudgement of thy selfe because thou hast abused God his presence and defiled his holy house in comming thither with an angrie heart then remember how Christ for thee sustained the anger of God his wrath to take from thee the imputation of thine anger Canst thou not be content to bee a worme of men and as it were troden on thinkest thou more vilely of thy selfe than of any other art thou now afraid of hypocrisie and feelest thy selfe troubled that thou didst not more earnestly seeke God and neuer didst so much desire the fauour of men as now thou desirest the fauour of God and thinkest it a great mercie to haue one foote in the earth then remember how vile Christ was to make thee pretious to God consider how he was the seruant of all a reproofe of men a worme and not a man troden downe euen of the worst kinde of men that he might free thee from thy vaineglory and secret pride Art thou grieued that thou hast presumed on the mercie of God and doest thou now thinke no more nor so much to be in thee as in other men and that thou art not a sinner alone but a sinner vily infected not resting thy selfe in any opinion of a ciuill life Art thou now as deepely plunged in despaire as before thou wast puft vp with presumption call to minde that Christ was not only reiected of men but of God to bring thee in fauour both with God and men and that he was trobled when he said Father if it bee thy will let this cup passe from mee remember how he laboured in a sweate and agonie not in a cold sweate but so as the warme blood was faine to runne out of their veines behold how hee was hanged betweene heauen earth as spued out of the one and accursed in the other and suffered the heauines of his soule to free thee from presumption by his mightie humilitie to helpe thee from desperation by his painefull crosse To be briefe there are two kinds of men that cannot reioyce in this crosse of Christ the one because they haue an opinion of their own righteousnes the other because they are senselesse for the securitie of their sinnes For the one because the feeling of the sore causeth vs to make much of the salue and the sense of sinne worketh a ioy in the deliuerance from sinne it is sure they cannot reioyce in the forgiuenes of sinne that neuer could lament for the guiltines and grieuousnes of sinne which are the cause of Christ his death Wherefore our Sauiour Christ Luk. 22. seeing certaine women following him with lamentation and mourning that so good a man so innocently should be put to death saith to them weepe rather ô daughters of Ierusalem for your sinnes teaching them that their most speciall cause of weeping was their owne iniquitie which was the cause why now he should suffer death Now then because we are ignorant many see not their sinnes and for that cause cannot mourne for them For they need no ioy that feele no sorrow they neede no comfort that tast no griefe they neede no release that are in no bands and none can truly reioice in the crosse of Christ but they that see their sinnes haue crucified Christ. Wherefore to helpe our blindnes in seeing and numbnes in feeling sinne wee must come to the law of God and to the iudgements of God there with adioyned Why cannot men come to the sight of their sinnes because they know not the lawe Why haue not men a sense of their sinne because they consider not the threatning of the law So that the remedie to make vs see sinne is the knowledge of the law the remedie to make vs feele sinne is the sense of the iudgements of God threatned in the law And why cannot the Papists reioyce in Christ but imagine other histories is it not because they haue imagined a coloured perswasion of the law thinking that the law may bee kept of man measuring the interpretation of the lawe and the obseruation thereof by grosse sinnes and not otherwise as did the Pharisies counting all the spirituall interpretation of the commandements but good counsels not necessarie precepts So that they not seeing the law spirituall nor
worldlinesse die in folly because the Lord recompenceth the vanitie of their youth with ignorance in their age So it is the mercy of God to giue them comfort of conscience in their death which haue had care of his word in their life Now we see because some men thinke so basely of the word of God how the Prophet hath commended it by the effects found by experience in himselfe Againe he sheweth that this was not in him by any particular prerogatiue of Gods spirit although the spirit wrought wonderfully in him but that it earne by vsing the mâ—â—â—â—s of the word Teaching vs that as hee was wiser than his enemies because in all peâ—ils â—â— asked counsel of the word wiser than his teachers in that he rested not in their vniuâ—â—s 〈◊〉 but by meditation did appropriate them to himselfe and wiser than the Anâ—â—â—â— because he learned as well to line according to the word as to loue it so we also vsâ—â—g â—â—◠〈…〉 shal find the like effects though not in like measure By which effects we 〈…〉 out these meanes wee become foolish dolâ—â—ish and blockish The word of God 〈…〉 a â—â—easure that if such an holy thing bee cast to swine I doe not douâ—â—◠〈…〉 see our God will execute his heauie vengeance and iudgements Wherof now 〈…〉 it to passe that wâ—â—â—â—â— young men die olde fooles emptie of Gods gracâ—â—f 〈…〉 youth were well brought vp of their parents as Iohaz vnder Iâ—hoiada who also whilâ—st they did look into their former life and repent spake very effectually aginst sin but in their age haue not so much knowledge as before but because they continue not in the faith and in a good conscience It were better to preach to one that neuer heard of Iesus Christ than to such an old ProtestaÌ„t because the one is thankful the other is vnthankfull Tell me O man I speake vnto thy conscience when thine eye did see into the word when thine eare did heare it when thou diddest looke into thine owne conscience when thou feltest sweetnesse in Gods promises wheÌ„ thou diddest tremble with seare of Gods iudgements and diddest delight in the wayes of the Lord Oh how quiet was thy conscience what comfort didst thou finde in thy minde Oh how whole an heart was in thee And on the contrary when neither Gods promises were sweete nor his iudgements fearefull nor his waies pleasant vnto thee oh how cold was thy zeale how weake was thy conscience how feeble was thy heart in good things We shall see some now adayes and that many being but priuate men speake with greater knowledge and conscience than a Preacher Why may a Preacher spend his breath his strength and his life in preaching and so small profiting commeth of it euen because he preached well and practiseth ill Wherefore we see here how necessarily vpon the foresaide effects the Prophet pronounced as followeth Vers 101. I haue refrained my feete from euery euill way that I might keepe thy word SEeing the Lord will put much into their hands who handle a little well wee must expresse our knowledge by life and our profession by practise If a man would consider how fearfully the Lord hath made him how woÌ„derfully he hath redeemed him with what power he hath conuerted him should he spend his youth in vanitie or his age in worldlinesse and so become depriued of all Gods graces in death Looke into the former times Ioseph being but seuenteene yeeres old was wiser than all his brethren young Samuel was wiser than old Ely Moyses than the Egyptians Dauid than Saul Salomon was wiser in his youth than the gray haires Daniel Azariah Mishel wiser than all the Astrologians Chaldeans and Magicians Timothie being but young was preferred to the Euangelistship Paul wiser than all the Apostles Behold our age how mercifully the Lord hath blessed many young men and why are ancient men now so barren of knowledge euen because they are barren in a good conscience There was in time past lesse knowledge more practise lesse science more conscience lesse vnderstanding more wisedome but now there is more knowledge and lesse practise because men labour not to keepe the word of God in a good conscience When wee shall see therefore heretikes growe wiser then Preachers Idolaters wiser then true Professors some young impes of Sathan wiser then olde Ancients in the house of God we must knowe they are made so foolish either because they are not of a good conscience or lye in some secret sinne Would it not grieue a good 〈◊〉 to labour many Winters and Sommers and in the end to finde no Haâ—uest what 〈◊〉 full thing thinke you would it then be to a Minister after he hath long trauailed to â—â—â—â— no fruit The Lord vndoubtedly will punish such fruitlesse Professors with hardnes of heart iâ— they will not heare with care that care may cause prayer that prayer may bring forth meditation and meditation may haue in fruit in godlinesse and practise in perseuerance In this verse then the Prophet declareth that as before he vsed the right meanes to godlinesse and therewithall had the proofe of good effects so now he had power from God to resist all lets hinderances and encombrances therunto Whereby hee teacheth vs that these two things especially make to attaine true godlinesse the one to vse good meanes thereto the other to auoyde carefully all occasions which may hinder vs from the same Neither must wee thinke that all these things can be done presently for if Rome was not built all in one day who would thinke IerusaleÌ„ should be built in one day Surely the necessitie of this practise is such that vnlesse men make couenants with themselues and bind themselues as it were in body and soule to auoid occasions of euill they shall neuer attaine to true godlines Manie will confesse that they ought and will learne the way to holinesse of life but in the meane time because they will not forsake their euill wayes they faile in their purpose To the bettter vnderstanding of the Prophet we must vnderstand that euill wayes are in two things considered either as they be euill in their owne natures or as they be euill by circuÌ„stance the first all men will confesse to be auoided as full concupisceÌ„ce wrath murther malice such like and yet the cause why many men are lesse carefull in holy things is because they make no conscience to stay euill things noâ— to vnburdeÌ„ themselues of all worldly delights But what is the cause that thou canst not ouercome worldlines and vanitie thou dost not consider that thy reason is corrupt and that if thou fightest not against thy corrupt reason thou canst not auoide corrupt affections If a man would fight against Ambition he must not first fight against the thing it selfe but against his own reason leauing him there unto which on this manner perswades him If I may attaine to such dignitie I shall
keeping it back from them that he commaunds their parents to acquaint them with that Sacrament and albeit they do not aske Deut. 6. 7. he laieth a charge on their parents to see theÌ„ instructed in his lawes 2 And whereas many hold that it is not materiall nor to be regarded what children do and that they are not to be examined nor censured by their doings though they be wantoÌ„ and childish they be confuted Pro. 20. 11. They shall be iudged by their steps As the blessing of Gods is vpon them that giue themselues to wisedome Psalm 127 128. whom Dauid compareth to a quiuer full of arrowes to oliue branches so doth he not spare those that doe euill although they be children 2. Reg. 2. 24. The boyes that scoffed Elisha were torne in peeces with two beares To this the Hebrew prouerbe may bee added in Golgotha are to be seene souls of all sizes that is death the reward of sinne commeth on the young as well as vpon the olde I saw little and great saith Iohn Apoc 20. 12. waiting for their iudgement Christ who hath said of himselfe I haue giuen you an example Iohn 13. 13. and of whom the Diuines rule is Euery action of Christ serues for our instruction hath giuen our children an example of his youth that is that at twelue yeeres he was growen as much in wisdome namely in the feare of God and in the fauour of God as in yeares He alloweth of the childrens singing Hosanna Mat. 21. 16. when the Pharisies thought it a foolish thing to regard the childrens crie He shewes that his father maketh an account of children and hath no desire that they should be lost for teaching lost must they be except they come to the Church Therefore he giueth commaundement that they bee suffered and not forbidden if they haue any desire vnto him and therefore he pronounceth a woe vpon any that when such would come to Christ doe scandalize them either by word counsell or example or any other vndue meanes keepe them from comming to him Ioh. 21. 15. Christ his charge to Peter is not to feed his sheepe onely but his lambes also and first his lambes for the increase of the whole flocke dependeth on the towardnesse of the lambes and the lambes being well fed lesse paines need to be taken with the sheepe All solemne promises we must performe as sure as we can But in our Baptisme wee made a solemne promise of learning the feare of God The aptnesse in children to vice as wee may see by their tractablenesse in any prophane or scurrile iests must make vs take aduantage and exercise this aptnesse in such things that are good for no doubt if children can say bald-head to Elisha they can say Hosanna to Christ. 3 The office of the Catechist is to make his doctrine easie to enter by giuing it an edge in perspicuitie methode c. and of the catechised often to goe ouer the same thing as a knife doth the whetstone and to repeate and iterate it till he haue made it his owne This we see in the original words specially the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 froÌ„ the which we haue our English word Echo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is indeed to sound the last fillable and such sounders happily there be enough but it is to sound the whole after one and such a repetition is required of the right Catecumenoi Catechizing is thus distinguished from preaching Preaching is the dilating of one member of religion into a iust treatise Catechizing is a contracting of the whole into a summe Preaching is to all sorts catechizing to the younger and rude Preaching is not exacted to be repeated catechizing is exacted We coÌ„sider here in these three things An argument or summe the genus the deliuerie of it to children the first part of catechizing the redeliuerie of catechumenoi which is the second part of the catechisme For warrant in making summes we haue Christ who Math. 22. 37. brought all the whole lawe into two heads Ioh. 3 16. an abridgement of the Gospell is set downe Cod so loueth the world c. Eccles. 12 â—3 Salomon drawes all that that he had said in his whole booke of the Preacher to these two heads Feare God and keepe his commandements The Apostle Heb. 6. 1. reduceth al the principles of Christian religion to these two Repentance and Faith As also the learned think that this forme of teaching is meant by Paul in his patterne or forme of holesome words which he willeth Timothy to haue 2. Tim. 1. 13. as also by forme of doctrine Rom 6 17. and analogie of faith And if we demaund a reason hereof we may haue a Dependance that we may referre all our reading and learning to certaine principall heads and so inclose our studies in short epitomes So likewise say the Rabbins that it is as it were a hedge to the generall doctrine least we be euer in an endlesse maze So do the Fathers call it too Clemens calleth it Crepis a base or ground plot Athanasius Synopsis the first draught of a picture The second reason is the facilitie because we may in shorter time learne and comprehend them and such were the Sermons of the Apostles when they baptized so many hundreds in one day 4 And heere we must take with vs a double prouiso that we shall remaine before God his iudgement seate without excuse if that we seeke not the knowledge of God being brought into so short a compendium in such and so perspicuous a methode deliuered Secondly we must know that our sinnes are not to make vs carelesse or vnregarding of any more perfit instructioÌ„ seeing this catechizing was instituted but for an easie entrance only and not to perfit vs in knowledge 2. Pet. 3. 18. 1. Cor. 14. 20. Ephe. 4. 13. Heb. 5. 1â— 13. Catechizing is milke more exact knowledge is strong meate Catechizing is the foorde wherein a lambe may wade more exact knowledge is the gulfe wherein an Elephant may swimme Both these are in the Scriptures concerning which Christ hath said Search the Scriptures As for euidence in catechizing before the flood Cain and Abels sacrificing is a signe which seeing there was no word written is iudged of their father to be taught them and therefore they reason probably that say without this catechizing the word of God could not haue continued After the flood some say they had the like exercise which afterwards as the learned thinke was put in writing and called the bookes of Sybille which were nothing else but traditions i. things by word of mouth deliuered and taught In Abrahams time Gen. 18 God saith hee knoweth that Abraham will be carefull to teach his family and for that cause will vouchsafe him extraordinary fauor If it be demanded what he taught Gen. 17. 2. there is the summe of the lawe Gen. 18 18. there is also the abridgement
euill is present with you and that when you do the euill you would not then do you not it but sinne in you when it leadeth you captiue Rom. 7. much more then whē Sathan worketh withall buffeting you assure your selfe that God hath pitie on you that the vertue of his power shal be perfect in your weaknes 2. Cor. 12. 9. If you belieue according to your faith it shall be done vnto you But you will say you cannot belieue that this vile and crooked hardnes of your heart can bee remitted and renewed and euen this was the second point which in the former part of my letter I gaue you to vnderstand was the cause of your excessiue distresse I beseech you and I charge you in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that you will not willingly lie nor offer iniurie to God his spirit nor to your selfe who haue receiued it tell me what is the reason why you think you haue no faith Verily because you haue no feeling nor no other fruites thereof as you thinke Well first then agree with me herein as you must if you will not disagree with the truth that feeling is but an effect and a fruite of faith And therefore there may be faith without feeling as well as the cause may be without the effect and the tree without any appearance of fruite yea of sappe for a season And as a man sore wounded or diseased may for a season be depriued almost of all operations of the naturall life to the outward shew and his owne iudgement and feeling so may a spirituall man be so sore wounded by Sathan and diseased by present sight and feeling of his sinfull corruptions specially in temptation that he may thinke yea and may appeare to others that the life of the spirit is not in him Thus Peters faith did not wholy faile as you haue heard or else the prayer of our Sauiour preuailed not Thus when Dauid Psal. 51. 12. declared that his heart was vncleane and his spirit crooked or vnstable and vers 14. that he had lost the ioy of his saluation and the spirit of libertie or adoption yet vers 13. he prayeth that God would not take his holy spirit from him therefore hee was not depriued of the spirit of sanctification Here seemeth repugnance but there is none He was depriued for a season of the graces of the fanctifying spirit but none of the holy Ghost wherewith he was sanctified Which graces as God restored vnto him so I am perswaded he will vnto you yea I doubt whether you are depriued of them but onely that partly melancholy and partly Satan worketh therewith make you doe iniurie to your selfe and to the graces of the spirit in you which I beseech you take heede of But the messenger cannot stay and therefore I cannot write as I would either of this or of the remedies you should vse which hereafter I will as God shall inable me And I pray you let me vnderstand as I requested in the beginning of your estate iu particular somewhat more and that by this bearer if you can because hee is of your acquaintance and will bring it vnto me faithfully Onely I adde now vnto that I haue written of hardnes of heart at large that you must diligently obserue the word Create which Dauid vseth Psal. 51. declaring how hee had no feeling of his heart To this ioyne that which the Prophet Esay speaketh in the person of God chap. 57. 23. I create the fruite of the lips to be peace peace as well to him that is fare off as to him that is neere Therefore in faith you may as well pray with hope to obtaine as did Dauid Therefore say with him often and with God his people Esay 64 12. O Lord thou art our father we indeede are clay but thou art our maker and we are the worke of thy hand c. Know you that God can cause Wolues Lions Leopards c. dwell louingly with Lambes Calues Kine Esay 11. 6. c and that which is vnpossible vnto men is possible vnto God euen to cause a cable rope to goe through a needles eye that is to change the hard heart of the vnbeleeuing couetous wretched man much more yours Yea knowe you that all things are possible to him that beleeueth crie then I beleeue O Lord helpe my vnbeleefe And I dare promise you in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that you shal haue your harts desire in goodnes Thus abruptly I must make an end I commend you vnto God and the word of his grace which is able to build you vp and giue you the right of inheritance among them which are sanctified And the very God of peace sanctifie you throughout that your whole spirit and soule and body may be kept blamelesse vntill the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ faithfull is he which hath called you which will doe it Amen I pray you pray for me and I trust as I haue so I shall pray for you and much more Yours in Iesus Christ to vse in any neede A LETTER CONSOLATORIE TO Mistris Mary Whitehead THe Lord Iesus Christ by whose blood you are iustified stay and strengthen you now and for euer Amen Seeing we be so miserable blessed bee God that wee bee also mortall seeing wee be subiect to sinne praised bee God that wee are also subiect to corruption It would now grieue vs to bee mortall because wee sinne and by sinne purchase miserie it is sufficient that we shall then neuer die when we shall neuer sinne and then wee shall no more taste of corruption when wee shall no more so much as feare condemnation In regard whereof good Mistris looke not so much to your griefe for the death of your sonne which you see to be the cōmon lot of al and the happie lot of the godly as vpon his freedome from misery his libertie from sinne and his holy change to eternall felicitie And albeit he was young in yeares yet was hee come to sufficient yeares to goe to God that hee that hitherto did grow in Christ should now bee gathered and reaped vp to the kingdome of Christ so that we cannot thinke him to die in his flowers whose perfection groweth to so blessed a maturitie before the Lord. If then you reioyced in him as he was the interest of the Lord you are not much to sorrow that the Lord hath his right Which if your loue to him was right you know did euer appertaine vnto him Hee must not of you his earthly parents be deemed to be lost which of his heauenly father is so surely preserued And without all question his very growing in godlines vnder so manifold afflictions in this life could not haue been so profitable to him and comfortable vnto you as the losse of a few and faint pleasures recompenced with so infinite and vnspeakable ioyes in the life to come are I hope and must be vnto you Be not then so grieued for that