Exhortation to the loue of the worde and the spirituall life the purport of the premisses IT is not gold but drosse not hony but gall not credit but shame not life but death not good but euil which the world yeeldeth vs diuide the worlde aright with the sworde of truth and the vanitie of it will soone appeare vnto thee But thy word Psalme 119 O Lord endureth for euer in heauen Mat. 13 It is the word of the kingdome because it bringeth vs to no lesse than a kingdome It is Iohn 6 the word of life which giueth life vnto all creatures Mat. 2 It is the starre which conducteth vs to Christ Gen. 28 The ladder whose toppe reacheth vp to heauen The water which purgeth and cleanseth our leprosie 2. Reg. 5 Psalmey ◠The manna which satisfieth our hungry soules Iohn 6 The booke that we should study vpon day and night The royall and celestiall Testament of God The Oracles of his Sanctuarie Psal 1 Ierem. 31 Isai 22 The Key that openeth his counsell chamber doore The milke of his breasts Mat 16 1 Pet 2 Psalm 11◠the gage of his loue The light of our paths The breath of our nostrells The piller of our faith Pro 3 The anchor of our hope The ground of our loue Heb 6 The charter of our happinesse Pro 4 The Schoole and Library of all spirituall learnings This is the pathway that leades vnto heauen Luke 18 so saith Christ to the yong man in Luke If thou wilt enter into heauen keep the commandements So saith the Spirit Reuel 2◠Blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it So saith the Angel Blessed are they that keepe the words of this booke So saieth Solomon Prou. 29 Blessed is the man that keepeth the Lawe So saieth Isaiah He that doth this is blessed Isai 56 Iames 1 So saith Iames The doers of the Lawe are iustified And to this giue all the Scriptures witnesse if we wil consider them Good cause therfore haue we to loue this Lawe and all the day long to haue our study in it Worldly Lawyers increase daily they are called common lawyers because they are too common and they are not weary in following that study but Gods Law which speaketh of farre better things and promiseth to the faithfull professors thereof not the golde of Ophir or India but the infinite and vnspeakeable treasure of a kingdome lieth open in the windowe or shut in the studie altogether neglected or retchlesly regarded Sommon all the Law giuers and conuent them together and lette them worship their politique ordinances and statutes as they list they must not bee matched and consorted with this Lawe None of these euer durst or did promise vnto any that were keepers thereof the recompence of a kingdome Mercurius Trismegistius gaue Lawes to the Aegyptians Phoronaeus to the Graecians Solon to the Athenians Lycurgus to the Lacedemonians and Numa Pompilius vnto the Romanes yet none of these pricketh them with that praise as to assigne such a recompence and rewarde vnto them Such glory hath all his Saintes saieth the Kingly Prophet 1 Chro. 12 As one of the least of the captaines of the sonnes of Gad could chace away a hundred and the greatest a thousand so one of Gods books exceedeth a thousand of humane constitutions Prou. 31 Many daughters saith King Lemuel haue done vertuously but thou surmountest all so many writers haue written learnedly but the actuaries of the scriptures haue gone beyond them all Wheras others of Gods blessings as food light and life are communicated to others of his creatures as to birds beasts and fishes this priuiledge of the word as a preheminence and prerogatiue royall aboue all other creatures he hath appropriated only to man And this is argument pregnant to perswade vs to the loue of the word As man is most happy by his hauing the word so had he bin of all most miserable if he had bin destitute altogether of this word For what comfort saith Tobias can I haue now I sit in darknes so what comfort could we haue had whilst we sate in darknesse and in the shadow of death whilst we were without knowledge and hope of our saluation aliants from the common wealth of Israel Ephe 2 strangers from the couenant of promise and were without God in the world Whenas God would checke the ingratitude of his people he calleth to mind his benefits done vnto them and as the chiefest among others Miea 6 he grateth their eares with a rehearsall of his word That as he had giuen them Moses to gouerne them Num. 34 so he had sent them Aaron to instruct them as he had giuen them a Iosua to leade the people Iosua 15 so he did giue them a priest to beare the Arke a Iehozadach with Zorobabel Agge 1 and a Iayrus in the Synnagogue with a Centurion in Capernaum Mat 8 9 His word hath bin the badge and cognisance of his people the hedge and partition whereby they haue bin distinguished from all other people So singeth the melodious musition of Israel Psalm 147 He hath not done so to any other nation neither haue any people such knowledge of his laws This is that one thing that is necessary as Christ said to Martha howsoeuer many other vnnecessary things are preferred before it Luke 10 and we preferre with the vngentle and vnmannerly guests in the Gospel Luke 14 our wife our farme our oxen before it Herein we resemble and imitate such porters A similitude who letteth euery one that is costly apparrelled into his masters gate and keepe out such who are farre their betters because they carry not such an outward shew Or they are like the rauē A similitude who whē sheseeth her young ones in the nest first doe begin to fether and then their fethers seeme white she doth not know them but afterwards perceiuing how the fethers grow blacke she nourisheth and preserueth them The world loueth not a godly man because he seemeth to be of a contrary fether but let him turne blacke and be like the world and the world will know him for his owne and make much of him As in desperate diseases A similitude such medicines as do serue simply in their nature as preseruatiues of life are turned thorough the dangerous corruptions of the patients into occasions of death So in some most dangerous diseases of the soule the word which otherwise in nature is a salue is a corsiue vnto vs. For the word is of sundry effects according to the diuerse dispositions of the subiects that it principally worketh vpon The Sun worketh diuersly as we see A similitude according to the variable nature of the matter vpon which it hath his force For as it softneth waxe so it hardneth clay as it whiteth some things so it blacketh othersome things and yet the
water shall thirst no more The word of God raiseth vppe the dead regenerateth the liuing healeth the sicke and preserueth the whole delighteth the godly reclaimeth the wicked lightneth the blinde warmeth the cold comforteth the sad and confirmeth the desperate The want of this is the high way that leadeth to the chambers of death and deadly misfortune For from hence onely proceede vaine hope trembling feare consuming care furious lust boiling couetousnes fretting enuy fuming anger the whole black gard rablement retinue of malignant mischiefs of impotent affectioÌ„s the carbuncles boils botches of our soules Infinite are the attributes to expresse his properties which are giuen to the word It is called Light Bread Wine Medcine a Sword a Hammer a fire Seede Light because with his orient brightnesse it illuminateth our mindes informing them and induing them with heauenly wisedome Bread because it sustaineth our hungry soules Psalm 107 and filleth our empty soules with goodnesse strengthning and staying vs in the way of godlines Wine because it cherisheth mannes heart with the gladsome memory of his mercies promises and maketh him mery with the ioy of his countenance Medicine that it healeth our putrifying sore swellings and corruptions A Sword that it diuideth betweene the soule and the marrow Hebr. 4. and heweth asunder all our workes and affections that are sinfull A Hammer because it battreth and mollifieth our hard and stony consciences A Fire because it kindleth the spirite and the loue of God within vs. And Seede because it being sowed in the furrowes of our heartes by the spirit of God our husbandman it is of verie great increase and cast in some an hundred in some threescore in othersome thirty fold Since then the vse heereof is so great and manifold and extendeth it selfe so farre why worketh it not these wholsome effects in our â—â—nfull consciences why is it still as a dead letter vnto vs as bitter to our taste as is the very gall or the water of worme-wood and we can not digest it If Gods word be a light why walke wee not in this light but groape at noone day â—â—t stil in palpable and damnable darkenesse of horrible ignorance If it be Bread why doe we not as the Angel say de to Iohn Take this booke and eate it Reuel 20. but we do still remayne hungry like dogges and goe about the city If it be Wine why do we not powre out take our fil of it and make our hearts cheereful and merry with it If it be Medicine why do we not bind it to our blisters and wounds to drawe out the rancor and corruption of them and to make vs whole Since it is a Sword why do we not with it cut the cordes of vanitie and cart-ropes of iniquitie and hew all the bondes of vngodlinesse asunder If it be a Hammer why doth not the noise of it grate thine care and the power of it breake thy heart A similitude but thine eares like Smiths dogges vsed to such noyse giue no heed vnto it and thy heart more hard and stubborn than the adamant yeeld not a whit at all the blowes therewith If it be Fire why doth it not take holde of sin consume our wickednes like stubble and melt all the vngodly of the earth like drosse and inflame and lighten al our heart with Gods loue If it be Seede why commeth it not vppâ—â— and take deepe roote in vs but we are stil as waste ground which hath not beene sowed at all The raine is alone which descendeth vpon the corne and vpon the thornes A similitude but the effect is not one for it falles vpon the corne to ripen it for the barne but vpon the thorn to fit it for the fire The gracious deaw of the blessed worde of God hath beene great among vs it behooueth vs to see to his effect whether this moisture doth bring vppe thornes within vs oringendreth good seede Goe to then now tell me what is it that thou wantest and tel me whether this be not a treasure and a store-house to furnish euery want Doost thou hunt after honour 2. Cor. 4. and praise of men by this shal euery man haue praise of God Doth thy heart couet after riches and â—ong life beholde Prover 3 the length of dayes is at his right hand Riches and plenteousnesse is in his house Dauid resteth wholly contenâ—ed with this The Lord is my portion Moses before him preferreth Christs rebuke before â—he coffers and riches of Aegypt Hebr. 11 All the riches that are in the world make not an end of â—his ioyful haruest for it is not shut vp vnder the promises of this life 1. Tim. 4. but it stretcheth to the promises of the life that is to come The Spirite speaketh euidently Psalme 34 They which seeke the Lord shall want nothing that is good Answerable wherunto is this Aphorisme of our Sauiour Matthew 6 First seeke the kingdome of God and this shall be the Porter that shall bring in all your liuing all other things shall be put into your mouthes If ignorance doth trouble thee here thou maist haue knowledge if heauinesse comfort if doubt counsaile if feare hope if dispaire encoragement if temptation protection The latter Dauid with these small smooth stones Mathew 41 smote the hairy scalpe of our ghostly Goliah and put him to confusion And the former Dauid with his shield and buckler did beare off brauely the buffets that sinne gaue him Psalme 119 I did hide saieth he thy Lawe within my heart that I might not sinne against thee There is no age or sexe or condition of persons that hath not a great benefite and treasure of the word It is a rule for the yong man to square his life and for the old man to order his death 2. King 4 It is vnto the poore instead of the meale that tooke away the bitternes and death of that hearb which was in the pot it giueth them comfort in the midst of al theiâ— sorrowes It sheweth the rich man how to vse his riches it teacheth the Senatour wisedome So that euen as Ioseph had no vse of Astronomie because he had the gift of prophesie so he needeth not any other riches that hath this imcomparable riches of Gods spirit Since therfore we so diligently read books of humane learning from wheÌ„ce we obserue nothing but either common-wealth discipline or gouernement of health or precepts oeconomicall or points of husbandrie or inuentions of trades or allurements vnto pleasures how much more ought our whole studie be set vpon Gods law by which God himselfe speaketh face to face vnto vs by which the mind is exceedingly comforted disquiet thoughts dispelled the whole man enabled beyond all imagination to euery good worke Be thou of what mould and constitution that may be here is argument and reading for thy turne Art thou of a graue and seuere disposition and doth
Sunne is one but the subiect is not one The word of God is one but we are not one that are hearers of the word to some it is a sauour of life vnto life and to others it is a sauour of death vnto death We are first to be sundred from our deerest kinred rather then to be separated from the word Hierome hath a zealous saying to that purpose in a letter vnto Heliodore Hieron ad Heliodorum Licet à collo paruulus pendeat infans licet vbera quib te nutrierat ostendat mater licet in limine iaceat pater vt te à Christo retardet contemne matrem calcandus est pater solum est pietatis genus in his fuisse crudelē If thy yong babe hang about thy necke if thy mother laie foorth her breasts wherewith she gaue thee sucke if thy father lie vpon the threshall of thy door to stoppe and withhold thee from going to Christ throw away thy child despise thy mother spurne thy father it is piety not to shew pitty in this case By our ioynt obedience vnto the word that shal come to passe which the Scribes said of Christ Ioh. 12. All the whole world will follow after him and the diuel shal be left as Rachel without children Gen. 30 Let vs but take that course in this matter of debate that is between worldlings and Gods people about the best purchase that the two harlots tooke when they iangled and could not agree betweene themselues 1. Reg. 3 whose the liuing child should be who appealed pleaded their case before Salomon Math. 12 So let vs appeale to the wisedom of the spirit that is greater then Salomon A rude man treadeth vpon simples of very good account A similitude throgh want of iudgement which the skilfull Apothecary gathereth vp carefully because he hath experience good knowledge of them Oh if we did know as Christ said to the woman of Samaria who it is that speaketh to vs. Iohn 4. If we knew what purchase here is offered vs and who it is that offereth it vs we would not hucke with him and stand so indifferent and carelesse in the matter If we would compare both these liues together the spirituall and the temporall the word and the world and lay them on euen ballances we should find the world too deceitfull on the weights and the things of this world we should see to be lighter then vanity it selfe In politike affaires and matters temporal we will trie before we trust our eies shall be our iudges and our knowledge and experience shall witnes with vs of the goodnes of a thing Grasiers trie their bullocks 1. Reg. 3 Solomon tried who was the right mother Isaac wold trie his children before he would blesse them Gen. 27. And the Ephramites were tried when they would haue passed Iordan A similitudes What foole is he that buyeth a horse Iudg. 12. and only beholdeth the bridle and saddle and furniture of the horse and neuer trieth or seeth the horse before he buyeth him We haue weights to trie gold and measures for our corne we trie our cattell seruants wiues and children and all other worldly things and shall we not make trial of heauenly matters that we may attaine to the better knowledge of them This was the folly of the frantick Farmer Luke 14 spoken of in the Gospel which vtterly vndid him that first as it is said of him he bought a farme and after that he would go downe and and see it was it not enough that he bought vanity and repentance so deare but that he must be so ready and greedy to buy it as he will not first take a time to see it whether it will serue him whether it be worth his mony what an ouersight was this for if he had first seen it he wold neuer haue had any incorage ment to haue bought it 2 Sam 13 It is so with vs. Absalon was neuer more greedy of a kingdome thē we are of the honor ambition wealth of this world And we first buy them before we do trie them otherwise we could haue no pleasure in them A similitude For as the fish seeth only the pleasant baite but not the deadly hooke that is couered with the baite so we see only the pleasure that delighteth but we doe not see the sorrow that tormenteth It giueth vs poison in a golden boule of wine with pretious balme breaketh our head The channells and riuers of the pleasures of the world do all of them runne into the sea of death The house of this harlot is the way vnto the graue which goeth down to the chamber of death Wisedom setteth out the conditions of the soule of the vertuous and wise Prou 31 among other things praiseth and graceth her in this that she considereth a field and buyeth it First she considered with her self that it was good and because it was good she bought it So we reade of our Ieweller how first he found a field and before he bought it how he departed home and tooke time to make sale of al that he had to make purchase of that field The rich glutton that pransed in his purple Luke 16 opened his eies and saw the worlds vanity but al too late for it was when he was in hel in torments when he espied Lazarus in Abraham his bosome It was affliction and not prouident discretion that opened his eies The world seruethh vs as an Inne-keeper doth his guests A similitude who furnisheth his table with choice of dainty dishes very seruiceably set forth delightsome to the company whereof they take a very liberal repast but he sawceth them in the price when they come to the shot exceedingly ouer-prizeth them and too intollerably grateth vppon them Wherefore trauellers haue now learned to be wiser who will first know their price before they will taste of those meates that are set before them and if that they perceiue their host to be a nipping and pinching companion they leaue him and betake them to a cheaper Inne It is good that thou shouldest take this course with thy soule whensoeuer the preferments and the pleasures of this world as meate for thee to feede vppon are presented to thy soule If the dignitie of a Bishop be imposed vpon thee consider the charge and the shot of it be perswaded that thou must reckon with God for innumerable soules committed to thy care and if thou beest bound to pay deerly for thy dignitie be first well aduised before thou takest it vpon thee Likewise when the pleasure of sinne flattereth thee and a harlot doth intice thee consider how rigorous a rate thine host hath set vpon this vild and sinfull flesh which thou must needes pay euen the tortures of hel and the lake that euer burneth both thy body and thy soule This respect consideration before had Gen. 39 wil make thee with
his deuotion for vpon the commendation of Iob his disposition which God had made vnto him how that he was a iust man and one that feared God Iob 1 Behold how this iugler priuily vndermineth him diueth to the depth of him sitteth at the heart and reines of him snatcheth at the secret intendment of his mind that Iob his religion stood with good policie for thus he descanteth vpon Iob his deuotion Doth Iob serue God for nought Hast thou not made a hedge about him and about his substance and about all that he hath on euery side Thou hast blessed the worke of his hands and his substance is increased in the land But stretch out now thy hand and touch that he hath to see if he will not blaspheme thee to thy face as if he should haue saide hee worketh on the surer side and playeth vpon the aduantage his gaine is his godlinesse but touch him in his purse and crosse him awhile in his estate and substance and the case will soone be altered with him and Iob I will warrant you will not proue the man you take him for Thus he doth like Pioners in the warres A similitude who digge at the foundation wherevpon the whole weight of the building leaneth He doth not deny a matter manifest such attributes and praises as God doth giue to Iob but he wrangleth and cauelleth about the maner which he knew well enough if it had bin true would haue ouer-throwne all the matter Well this will be a bone wherewith he will choake vs vpon our death beddes let vs deliuer our selues of it as wee can whether we haue serued God for nought is the question propounded to vs to assoile our inclinations and inward affections at that time wil be throughly canuised Let vs proue them therefore and examine them before Psalm 111 that there be no frawd and wickednesse in them so shal they be able to stand in the iudgement and congregation of the iust Set therefore this watch-woord of the Apostle before thy race 1 Cor. 9 So runne that thou mayst obtaine Apoc. 1 Let God be Alpha and Omega with thee the beginning and end of all thine actions Fasten not the anchor of the ship of thy heart vpon the daungerous sea of the loue of this world Gather vp thy wits and set downe in thine accounts how much thou hast deuoted thy self vnto the world and how litle vnto God It is with vs A similitude as it is with the wind-mill which grindeth not the corne into meale without a gale of wind which may turne it round about we cannot turne vs to any good action vnlesse we may be puffed and rocked to and fro with the winde of worldely vanitie Good workes are as good wine but done in a bad mind we mingle worme-wood and gall with it and do like the Iewes who tempered gall in their cup of drinke that they gaue to Christ The diuell recoyleth and goeth backe not by our doing good but by our doing well It is that that maketh him to reel as the rammes hornes did the huge walles of Iericho Iosua 6 As Ieremy saith Cursed is he that dooth the woorke of God negligently so no doubt Gods curse shall light vpon those that do it deceitfully and that doe it not with a faithfull heart But there are hypocrites among true christians as Saul among the Prophets But the glorie of God which should be the end of euery good worke is the touchstone that trieth our works of what worth they are whether they be of gold or any other baser substance Sichem and Emor were circumeised aswell as Iacob and his sonnes Gen. 34 but if was but counterfeit holinesse that was in them for they only regarded the goods of Gods people and not the good of Gods glorie This much they not obscurely insinuated in their words vnto the people saying their substance Genes 34. cattel and flockes shal be ours There is no reckning to be made of such religion which is grounded on a carnal intention What father esteemeth that obedience of his sonne A similitude shewed him for a feare of loosing his possessions and not for loue in a naturall disposition Whatsoeuer good we do whatsoeuer euill we suffer the maine motiue thereof must be the honor and glory of his name So our Saviour teacheth vs in many places of the new instrument Mat. 5 Blessed are they that suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake Againe Mat. 10 ye shal be brought before Kings and rulers for my names sake Againe he that looseth his life for my sake Mat. 10 Again he that forsaketh father and mother for my sake and the Gospel Luke 1â— God wil say to such as he said Gen. 15 to Abraham I will be thy exceeding great reward Wherefore let vs say to God as Iacob said to Esau Gen. 33 Let my Lord go before his seruant and I will follow according to the pace of the cattell which are before me and as the children be able to endure Let God goe before and we wil trace his foote-steppes as he shall enable vs. It is said in the Iudges Iudg. 9 that Abimelech their Iudge and principall ruler did cut off braunches from the trees and did beare them on his shoulders and said vnto his fellowes What ye see me do haste and do the like So whatsoeuer we see Christ do let his example be our imitation who made Gods glory the scope and drift of all his proceedings Euery handy-crafts-man A similitude in euery kind of worke doth obserue the paterne that his master giueth him and frameth it to that end which he before had purposed for if he shall make it to an other vse to please his own fancy his maister maketh refusall of his workemanship and his labour is lost wherefore that that we do may be pleasing to our Lord and master and acceptable in his sight let vs with holy Dauid Psalme 16. set the Lord before our eies and we shall not do amisse Therefore God would that the two Chorubins with stretched out wings shuld couer the mercie seat where God gaue his answers Exod. 25 to insinuate that when wee intend any good we desire not ostentation to be seene so man seeing that God when hee would shew mercy pleased that the place wherein hee would appeare should bee thus shadowed and couered As Christ willeth the Spouse in the Canticles that Shee would set him as a seale vnto hir heart and as a signet vpon her arme Cant. â— So let vs make God and his glory the obiect of our eyes the scope drift and marke at which we onely ayme in the whole course of our life so shal we make with this heauenly Ieweller an exceeding good purchase receiue with him an euerlasting inheritance an incomparable crowne of glory all treasure and happines in the kingdome of God worlde without end CHAP. XII An