extremitie of sorrow that he is faine to restraine himselfe why art thou cast downe my soule saith he and why art thou disquieted within me c yet godly men were not quite abolished at this time but Dauid onely taken from them and he knew that he should come againe vnto them at length and that they should be his flocke if then he were so farre cast downe for that he might not be with them what griefe would he haue conceiued if they had vtterly beene cut off and ceased to be any longer Now the reasons why the decay of Gods people is and should be such an heart-breaking vnto the rest of the Saints are these First because the glory of God is precious vnto them which is much hindered and obserued when his seruants are diminished for then there is lesse seruice done vnto him in publike and priuate there are fewer praiers and praises offered vp vnto him fewer religious exercises in vse amongst men and fewer workes of mercy performed vnto the needie and distressed And if the decay of good souldiers and of loyall subiects in any kingdome must needs be a matter of griefe to those that loue and seeke the honour of their King then can it not but goe neere the hearts of the godly when they perceiue the souldiers and subiects of Christ to goe to wracke Secondly in regard of themselues they are mooued heere at as being fellow members with them for when the godly perish they are as it were a maimed body They haue fewer friends and fellow-helpers fewer to pray with them and for them fewer to reprooue exhort and comfort them and in a word fewer to whom they may doe good and from whom they may receiue good Thirdly in respect of the publike losse they mourne for the decay of the righteous for when multitudes of all nations and of all sorts of people doe know the waies of God and praise the name of God then as the Prophet saith the earth shall bring foorth her increase and God euen our God shall blesse vs. If there be but ten righteous men and women in a Citie or some few in a whole Country all the rest shall speed the better for their sakes how much more then if there be multitudes of them What a griefe therefore must it needs be to the wise and godly when these props and pillars of the Church and Common-wealth are taken away Which serueth First for the iust reproofe of those that doe carrie a deadly enmitie against the multitude of Christians that now are and doe much grieue that there should be so many that resort vnto the word in publike that read it in priuate that haue praier and singing of Psalmes in their families c. they grudge and murmur at it as if some conspiracie or mutinie against the State were towards and as if the good of mens soules and the peace of the common-wealth could not stand together These are of another spirit then Dauid was who lamented that there were so few such and these are indeed vtter enemies vnto God who esteemes his people to be his chiefe treasure vnder heauen and therefore they shall beare their iudgement whosoeuer they be that doe thus malice the seruants of God and endeuour to peruert them or to diminish the number of them Secondly heere is matter of cōfort for thē that are of the same disposition that Dauid was that cry night and day Helpe Lord for the godly perish c. that labour with God by fasting and weeping praying that he would vphold the state of his Church If the praier of Dauid being but one man were effectuall for the continuing of Gods people how much more forcible shall the requests of many thousands be who doe vncessantly intreate the Lord with great earnestnesse to be fauourable vnto Sion and to build vp the walles of Ierusalem to saue his chosen and defend his owne heritage against the malicious plots and practises of all their enemies They speake deceitfully euery one with his neighbour Heere he sheweth what manner of enemies were against him not such as would professe themselues open aduersaries for though he had many such yet heere he dealeth not against them but such as would make shew of good will whereas indeed there was in them nothing lesse Now in that his chiefe complaint is against them the doctrine is that Deceitfull friends are worse then open and apparant foes Dauid had diuers professed enemies as Saul and such as were neere him yet none of their practises went so neere his heart as these mens that would pretend to be friendly vnto him To this purpose it is said by Salomon that The wounds of a louer are faithfull and the kisses of an enemie are to be praied against for so the words must be read When a faithfull friend doth rebuke vs and seeke to wound our hearts for sinne that is exceeding profitable for vs but when an enemie vnder pretence of loue whereof by kissing they then made shew doth come against vs and seeke to vndermine vs that is exceeding dangerous and the hurt there of much to be praied against The waters that runne smoothly and mildly are commonly most deepe and dangerous whereas that which roares is more shallow and safe The reasons of this doctrine are First that such craftie foxes doe more easily come within a man and sooner deceiue him An open enemie commeth as it were before ones face and so his blowes may be better warded off but a false friend commeth behind ones backe and fasteneth a deadly blow ere a man be aware and therefore Ioab when he would speed Abner and Amasa did not bid open defiance vnto them but being therein more crafty and subtill then either godly or manly gaue them kind salutations and vnder pretence of loue most cruelly murdered them both And as it is for the outward man so is it also for the soule The most dangerous temptations are those that proceed from fained friends vnder the colour of loue and desire of our good If Sathan had come vnto Eue and told her I charge you eat of the tree in the midst of the garden whatsoeuer the danger be stand not vpon that for I will haue your husband and you to be damned she would neuer haue hearkened vnto him but when he perswaded her that he was her friend and meant her good namely that by eating thereof she might be made like vnto God himselfe knowing both good and euill then was she ouertaken by him and so being ouercome her selfe she became the instrument of the diuell to deceiue her husband in like sort And so it is with many that haue held out well against raging and violent temptations and yet haue beene foulely drawne aside and shamefully foiled by milder temptations vnto profit or pleasure or credit Secondly the false dealing of such counterfeit friends doth much more afflict the heart of a man then
any iniurious actions of manifest aduersaries as we may see in that Psalme of Dauid where he saith Surely mine enemie did not defame me for I could haue borne it c. but it was thou ô man euen my companion my guide and my familiar c. When his words were smooth and softer then butter and yet prooued deceitfull they went thorow his heart euen as swords and this was iust vpon him because he had dealt in that sort with his faithfull subiect Vriah seeming to fauour him by imploying him in speciall seruices when he went about to take away his life that be might couer his owne iniquities First therefore let this instruct vs to take another course if we haue inward dislike let vs professe it if we carry a louing affection let vs make shew of it and loue not in word alone but in deed as the Apostle exhorteth Especially let us looke vnto this in matters betwixt God and vs let vs not play the hypocrites with him pretending a loue vnto the Church of God and to the word of God when there is no such matter and drawing neere vnto him with our lips when our hearts are farre from him for in so doing we shall offer great iniury vnto the Lord and doe more hurt at length then those that are profest Papists or Atheists for such as flatter with their lips and dissemble with a double heart in things that concerne the holy religion of God if any persecution come will quite renounce their profession and betray the cause of God and grieue the seruants of God and harden the hearts and open the blasphemous mouthes of the enemies of God and make many to fall by their reuolting and backsliding Therefore let euery one that taketh vpon him the profession of Christianitie be a true not a fained friend of the same and bring a faithfull and not a guilefull heart thereunto that the Lord may witnesse for him that he doth heartily and vnfainedly seeke him Secondly let vs hence learne this point of wisedome neuer to trust those too farre of whose faithfulnesse we haue any iust suspition be they neuer so neere vnto vs let vs not open our selues vnto them but keepe them at armes end This is the aduice of the holy Ghost Let eurey man take heed of his neighbour and trust not any brother viz. that is not sound hearted for euery brother will vse deceit and euery friend will deale deceitfully c. for they haue taught their tongues to speake lies they haue exercised the trade of vsing faire words when there is within them nothing else but falshood and deceit And the like exhortation we may read in the 7. of Micah Thirdly this is for our consolation when we finde such hollow hearted hypocrites and deceiuers we should not be dismaied because there are so few whom we may trust and giue credit vnto for it is no strange matter there haue beene such heeretofore and they haue been discouered God hath hearkened vnto the praiers of his seruants and giuen them wisedome to discerne of them and so will he doe still so that they shall bring no annoyance vnto his people whatsoeuer they intend against them FINIS The fourth Sermon PSALM 12. Ver. 3. 4. 3. The Lord cut off all flattering lippes and the tongue that speaketh proud things 4. Which haue saide with our tongue wee will preuaile our lips are our owne who is Lord ouer vs IN the two former verses it set downe the petition that Dauid made vnto God for helpe and his complaint that he put vp concerning the decay of good and righteous men and the deceitfulnes of vngodly and vnrighteous men Now in these verses is set forth an other part of his prayer to wit an imprecation The Lord cut off c wherein hee doth by the spirit of Prophesie and according to the Analogie of faith denounce iudgement against Gods and his enemies to the end he might comfort himselfe and refresh his hart with hope that good men should bee recouered and wicked men confounded And as for this curse we must vnderstand that it is not vttered in bitternes but in zeale and with warrant from Gods owne spirit and this is directed 1. First against deceitfull persons who are called flatterers the Lord cut off the flattering lips 2. Secondly against proud persons who are described 1. In generall by their speech that they speake proud things verse 3. 2 More particularly that they say with our tongue wee will preuaile vers 4. as if they should haue said looke what wee aske we will obtaine it looke what we threaten wee will performe it looke what we set downe that shall come to passe But it might be said vnto them you speake presumptuously and vtter words that doe not beseeme you They answere our tongues are our owne as if they should say who dare be so audacious as to controle vs we will speake what we list in despite of them all But some might say though you set so light by men you must know that there is one higher then you what if the Lord should take the matter into his hand To that they answere who is Lorde ouer vs they thinke they may blaspheme God reuile his seruants and speake what they list and yet none shall haue to doe with them for it The Lord cut off all flattering lips whereby are vnderstood the most dangerous and subtill deceiuers who vnder pretence of friendship doe seeke a mans vtter ouerthrow Now in that the Prophet prayeth against such as doe so cunningly carry their matters that they will appeare to loue where they hate with a deadly hatred and in praying doth shew not only what is his wish but what is Gods purpose viz. that the Lord will cut off the flattering lips hence this doctrine may be gathered that The more skillfully and artificially anie coutriues his euill purposes the more fearefull destruction shall fall vpon him The more fraudulent a deceiuer anie one is the more heauy shall the hand of God be vpon him to crosse and contrarie him and to bring him to such straits that hee shall not for shame open his mouth againe to speake as he hath done and this is to haue his tongue cut out as it were as is threatned in this place Flatterers haue a certaine kinde of dexterity in their enterprises that they will not be seene to be brochers of those things whereof they afterwards become practisers but they speed neuer the better but a great deale the worse for that Therefore doth Dauid conclude that God would certainely destroy Doeg because hee was a skilfull worke-man and as it were a tradesman in mischiefe he could flatter Dauid that he wisheth him well and was sorry for his troubles and would be ready to befriend him in any thing he could but when Saul complaines how hardly he was dealt with in that no body would discouer vnto him
for the wickednesse committed against the Maiestie of God till then there is no turning vnto him one may as well bid a prisoner that is in strong hold and hath bolts and fetters vpon his heeles walke abroade and take the fresh aire and not remaine any longer in that darke loathsome dungeon as bid one that hath not his heart crushed humbled to turne vnto the Lord alas he is held fast in the chaines of Sathan and cannot stirre one foote to God-ward therefore is it noted in those conuerts Act. 2. 37. that They were pricked in their hearts when they began the worke of repentance the rebukes of God had wakened their drowsie consciences so that they saw their sinnes and Gods vengeance due vnto them and the words of Peter had gone through their hearts euen as a two edged sword and then they were fit to bee soundly healed and comforted when they had beene pierced and throughly wounded by the Arrowes of God 1 First till the heart bee broken for sinne there can be no plaine confession of sinne and therfore no repentance Men naturally are like wilde Asse-Colts nothing will worke vpon them nor bring them vnto any good frame or order though they heare often of their faults they will not acknowledge them but be still vnruly and vntamed as Paul was before his conuersion so long as he was heart-whole in his owne conceit though he had heard many excellent Sermons no doubt yet hee was like a beast still neuer bewailing nor confessing his grieuous offences till the Lord had taken him downe and throughly mastered him 2 Nay further men are so farre from taking paines to come to a true acknowledgment of their iniquities till such time as there is a breach made into their hearts by godly sorrow they doe not so much as desire to be deliuered from them nor make any reckoning of Gods mercy for the pardoning of them till such time as they become mourners for sinne they cannot possibly hunger and thirst after righteousnes And indeed what reason is there that they should esteeme of that medicine which will cure when they doe not feele themselues to be sicke they thinke it a matter worth the looking after to be freed from pouertie from infamie from the pestilence c. but as for the corruptions of their nature and the sinfulnesse of their waies they were neuer much troubled with them and therefore they make little account to be deliuered from them See this poynt more at large in M. Dods Sermon on Isa. 1 Doct. 1. Seeing therefore that inward contrition for sinne is the first step to repentance and that which killeth the roote of sinne and setteth vs free from the power and dominion of it and erecteth in our hearts a throne for Christ Iesus the vse of this point is First for reproofe of those that perswade themselues and beare others in hard that they haue truely repented and doe continually confesse their faults and aske pardon for them but what griefe and paine haue they had in their hearts for their sinnes nay they thanke God they were neuer terrified nor troubled in their consciences Do you thanke God for this it is in effect to thanke him for that you want the first and principall note of true conuersion if your harts haue neuer beene pricked and slung with the sense of your vilenesse and wretchednesse it is because you are senselesse for there is cause sufficient why you should be grieued and the lesse you haue had the more you are likely to haue if not heere yet in the world to come and at that day when you shall be most vnwilling of it Secondly heere are those to be reprooued that run into farre greater excesse of sinning than euer Dauid did breaking forth into grosse and foule euils that euerie body seeth and knoweth and condemneth and yet they passe them ouer slightly and carelessly as if they were matters of nothing When Dauid did but cut off the lap of Sauls coat his heart smote him and was grieued within him in that he was so neere vnto sinne what then shall we thinke of these that doe not cut off the lappe of the coate of an enemie but are iniurious to their friends and cruell against their brethren that breake couenant and promise sinne against God blaspheme his name profane his Sabbaths and the like and yet none of all these do soundly worke vpon them nor much trouble them surely such men are not of Dauids spirit and therefore not being broken hearted heere they shall be broken and crushed in peeces with the vnsupportable weight of Gods vengeance heereafter Thirdly sith this inward touch for sinne is a thing so necessarie let vs hence learne to labour for it and to keepe tendernes of heart when we haue obtained it for that sorrow which breaketh the heart doth withall breake the necke of sinne and therefore when the Lord doth checke controle our consciences let vs esteeme it as a great mercie and not let such stroakes passe without their right vse but let vs goe to God and to his children for helpe and direction and them that little sparke of the fire of God in our soules being fed nourished will grow in the end to a great flame Now that our harts may be kept alwaies tender sensible of those checks which Gods spirit giueth vs let vs vse these meanes that follow First let vs lay vp in our hearts the weapon of God euen the sword of the spirit whereby our hearts may be wounded as often as need requireth for vnregenerate persons wanting that weapon will rather defend then smite themselues when they haue offended and euery childe of God hath somewhat of old Adam in him in which regard he must be more carefull to vse the sword of the spirit for the piercing of his heart when any sinne is committed by him withall praying for the spirit of grace which will conuince the conscience when it is guiltie so that it shall haue nothing to say in defense of it selfe but very much for the condemnation of it selfe as is euident Ezec. 36. 27. whereby we may obserue that when God hath giuen his spirit vnto his elect and as it is in Ieremy 31. 33. withall written his lawes in their hearts then they shall remember their owne wicked waies and their deedes that were not good and shall iudge themselues worthy to haue beene destroyed for their iniquities for their abhominations What is the reason they should passe such a heauie sentence vpon themselues one would thinke they should rather reioyce now allow of themselues and of their workes so they doe reioyce at and approue of themselues and their workes so farre as they are spirituall but they proclaime war against themselues and their workes so far as either they are or haue beene carnall and sinfull and that because the word of God
Ieroboam esteemed it a wise and safe way for him to set vp the Calues that the people might worship at Dan and Bethel and so not fall from him to ioyne againe to the house of Dauid he accounted this a surer course to establish his throne then for him to rest on Gods promise but did he not get exceeding dishonour and vtter ruine heereby in so much that when the Lord will set foorth a notable reprobate and firebrand of hell he doth describe him by this that he was like Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat that made Israel to sinne and whereas he hoped by this meanes to set vp himselfe and his seed for euer he caused them through his sinnes to be swept away as dung from the face of the earth The like may be said of Ahab in taking away Naboths vineyard And this must needs be so that the greatest sinners are the veriest fooles because in sinning they forsake the wisedome of God and follow the direction of flesh and blood It is noted as a point of great folly and indiscretion in Rehoboam that he would forsake the good counsell of the old men and follow the rash aduise of young men and are not they then egregious fooles indeed that leaue the counsell of the wise God and follow the aduice of Sathan his and their vtter enemie We would esteeme it a great madnesse if we should see a man his barnes being full of corne to set fire on the thatch and to sit by and laugh to behold all turned into a flame and yet certainely this is not so great a madnesse as for one to fire his soule with sinne for all the friends and meanes that the world affordeth cannot quench this flame nor recouer this losse as they may the other and therefore they are the fooles of the world that are the sinners of the world and there is no such frenfie as for a man to prouoke his Creator and whatsoeuer applause wicked persons haue for a season yet at length all the world shall see and they themselues shall feele that they haue beene notorious fooles Ier. 17. 11. This serueth for instruction that if we would not be branded with the name of fooles and Idiots we be carefull to eschew all manner of sinnes and on the contrary if we would be truely wise let vs cleaue vnto the Lord in constant and faithfull obedience that was the reason why Dauid was wiser then his enemies then his teachers then the aged because he kept Gods statutes What made those in the Gospell to be foolish Virgins but this that they made not prouision for eternall life And what made the other fiue to be indeed wise but that their hearts and liues were adorned and beautified with grace and goodnesse Achitophel was a deepe politician yet because he was destitute of heauenly wisedome he shewed himselfe to be but a miserable base foole for when he had no meanes to helpe himselfe he went and hanged himselfe if one had studied an hundred yeeres he could hardly haue found out a readier way to manifest his notable folly then he tooke in that horrible murdering of himselfe 2 Secondly is it so that the greatest sinners are the veriest fooles then here is matter of singular consolation for Gods seruants that are vilified and contemned and accounted sillie and simple euen for this that they carefully decline from the waies of sinners though in shew neuer so pleasant and profitable and conscionably walke in the paths of righteousnesse though neuer so rough and dangerous let vaine men speake their pleasure of them and count and call them the fooles of the world yet God esteemeth and speaketh otherwise of them It is no maruell that the world iudgeth them fooles for with them the doctrine of the Gospell vnto which the godly endeuour to conforme themselues and their courses is accounted foolishnes But as wisedome is iustified of her children whatsoeuer men thinke or speake of it so are the children of wisedome iustified by the infinitely wise God whatsoeuer slanderous and reproachfull imputations carnall men doe lay vpon them he saith that the feare of the Lord is the beginning of wisedome Prou. 1. 7. and that those that obey his commandements are the onely wise people vnder the Sun Deut. 46. Verse 13. Wilt thou that seuen yeeres famine come vpon the Lands c. Heere commeth an obiection to be answered It is said 1. Cor. 11. 31. that if we iudge our selues we shall not be iudged of the Lord how commeth it to passe then in this place that Dauid confessing his fault aggrauating it and asking pardon for it hath notwithstanding such a heauie iudgement denounced against him as the famine or the sword or the pestilence 1 Though such as iudge themselues shall not be iudged yet must they be cured and that was Dauids case here this stroake was not laid vpon him in wrath but in fauour he had set vpon a good worke euen the pulling downe of his pride by this meanes the Lord furthered him in y e good worke made a speedier way for abūdāce of grace which was after bestowed vpō him 2 Againe the people were not so reformed as they should be at this time and therefore God in this plague doth aime at their humbling thrusting Dauid out of the gappe as it were who had formerly by his prayers teares stood in the breach to keep of the Lords wrath from them so that all this while beeing intangled with his own matters he could not so freely deale for them Now in that Dauid must haue such a sharpe corasiue to consume that proud flesh that had growne about his heart by reason of his mightie forces and the largenesse of his dominions the Doctrine is that it is a wonderfull hard thing to take downe the pride of mans heart it is no small affliction that will doe it as is plaine Iob 33. 14. c where is at large shewed that God vseth all meanes and that againe againe and yet men will not profit thereby then he findes out the cause of it to be pride verse 17. and so laieth corrections vpon them sutable thereunto smiting them with sorrow vpon their beds so that the griefe of their bones is sore pinching them with grieuous sicknesses and diseases and making their bones to clater so that their soules draw neere to the graue and their life to the buriers Now when these or the like wofull distresses haue tamed and maistered their vnruly affections then doe they begin to be somewhat more tractable and whereas neither dreames nor visions nor any of Gods ordinances would doe any good vpon them before after that if God send vnto them a messenger or Interpreter one of a thousand they will begin to hearken vnto them and to learne how they may obtaine mercy and reconciliation with God that they descend not into the pit of destruction Further we may obserue what a great deale
cried vnto thee ô Lord saith he saying thou art mine hope and my portion in the Land of the liuing Fourthly in such times of difficultie Gods glorious hand is more apparantly seene and so all the honour is ascribed vnto him If Moses had brought the Israelites out of Aegipt by force of armes being aided with two or three millions of souldiers much of the praise would haue bene giuen vnto them but when Moses was naked and altogether destitute of any power of man the Lords mightie Arme was more cleerely seene in the deliuerance of his people and the subuersion of their enemies And that worke of his hath bene is and shall be memorable in all ages So also Hezekiahs sicknesse had beene such as anie Physitian could haue cured his recouerie should neuer haue beene recorded in Gods booke as not making so much for his glorie but when the prolonging of his life was as much as the giuing of a second life then notice of it was taken and giuen by the holie Ghost to the euerlasting honour of Gods name And as it was then so is it yet still and euer shall be to the end of the world the greater the extremities and necessities of the Saints bee wherein God doeth relieue them and out of which hee doth deliuer them the more will it be for the magnifying of his omnipotencie and of his tender mercie therein expressed This serueth 1. First for the confutation of their foolish conceit and expectation who seeing mighty aduersaries against the Church and fewe or no friends to interpose themselues presently conclude that their case is desperate downe they must they are vtterly vndone and so they begin to forecast in their mindes the manner of their ouerthrow the forme of their lamētation when they shall bee thus and thus handled But these men for all their deepe reach may bee deceiued for all their conclusions are grounded on men they doe not consider what God may doe as wee see in Dauids enemies who perceiuing that manie did band themselues together and rise vp against him concluded that there was no helpe for him in God But what sayes Dauid Lorde thou art a buckler for mee my glorie and the lifter vp of my head And in another Psalme Mine enemies saith hee speake of mee saying God hath forsaken him pursue take him for there is none to deliuer him These speeches no doubt pierced Dauids soule but doth hee make the same conclusion No hee is farre from that hee rather layeth faster hold on God seeing cruell men to be so violently bent against him Goe not farre from mee O God saith hee my God haste thee to helpe mee let them be confounded and consumed that are against my soule c. Indeede if mens opposing of themselues against him could haue kept him from complaining vnto God or God from giuing eare vnto him his case had bene very lamentable but seeing that was impossible whatsoeuer they imagined there was safety enough for Dauid and so is there still for all the elect of God Secondly this is for instruction that seeing by how much lesse helpe we haue from men so much the more we shall haue from God therefore we should deale earnestly with the Lord in our distresses and wrestle with him as Iacob did when his brother Esau came with foure hundred men against him hee was vnable to encounter him and therefore hee encountreth the Lord himselfe by prayers and teares and that which was his refuge must bee ours and then wee shall haue peace and safetie if once wee can lay hand-fast on God as wee may in our houses in our chambers in our beds in the night or in the day then our case is good wee shall be protected from all the violent rage of the wicked so that none of the sonnes of violence shal be able to touch vs for our hurt and therefore herein let vs take comfort that though men forsake vs and our neerest friends reiect vs yet the Lorde will gather vs vp and prouide sufficiently for vs as he did for Dauid neither can mens perswasions withdrawe his compassion from vs nor mens threatnings terrifie him from releeuing of vs For there is not a godly man left c. From this lamentable complaint of his ariseth this doctrine that No outward thing comes neerer the hearts of God children then the decay of good men It much troubleth the soules of godly men to see a small number of Christians Hence proceedeth that lamentation of the Prophet Micah Woe is me for I am as the Summer gatherings c or I am in case as in the destruction of the Summer fruites as in Hoseah it is said The fishes of the Sea shall be gathered that is destroyed and that this is the sense it appeareth in the words following when it is said There is no cluster to eate My soule desired the first ripe fruites that is I am as one that hath a feruent longing for them and yet can get none of them and what is the reason of this his lamentation The good man saith hee is perished out of the earth and there is none righteous among men c. So that the effect of those words is thus much that looke how worldlings would grieue if they should see their grapes and figges which were speciall commodities in those countreys to faile and their expectation that way to bee vtterly frustrate so and much more bitterly did the Prophet bewaile the losse of good righteous men That was it also that did so pierce the heart of Elias Lorde saith he the children of Israel haue forsaken thy couenant broken down thy Altars slaine thy Propeets with the sword and I onely am left and they seeke my life to take it away Which losse of the Prophets was so grieuous vnto him that hee had no pleasure in his owne life and therefore hee intreateth the Lord to take away his soule In which regard whē the Lord would comfort him he vseth a fit remedie for his disease for whereas his griefe was that there were no godly men left but all were declined to Idolatrie he telleth him that he had reserued to himselfe seuen thousand that had not bowed the knee vnto Baal Yet further it may appeare what a matter of heauinesse the losse of good men is vnto those that are good themselues by that speech of Dauid who saith All my delight is in the Saints for if they be his chiefe delight then the want of them must needs be an occasion of very great anguish vnto him as is euident that it was Psalm 42. 4. when he remembred how he had gone with the multitude and had beene as a Captaine to leade them vnto the house of God which then he could not doe this cast him into wonderfull griefe so that he poured out his teares yea and his very heart as he there speaketh being in such
the preuenting of the like sinnes in others and the stopping of the mouthes of wicked blasphemers who would be readie heereupon to speake euill of the holy name of God and of the professours and profession of Christianitie Thus cold and carelesse were they till the Apostle had sharply reprooued them but after that they had well disgested his speeches and thorowly considered of all matters they fell to lament for their owne corruptions and for the transgressions of others and were zealous against all wickednesse and for all manner of goodnesse in themselues and others This was the effect of holy griefe in them and this will be found in all that attaine to that repentance which is vnto life in which regard when the Lord would worke a cure vpon the luke-warme Laodicians he biddeth them be zealous and amend That was their sinne that they were key-cold and euen frozen in the dregges of securitie exercising themselues in sundrie good duties for that must needes be because they were a Church but neuer regarding with what loue vnto God or men they performed the same therefore the Lord vrging them to reformation willeth them to be zealous and amend implying that these two euer goe hand in hand to wit sound repentance and godly zeale yet so that as euery one is of greater growth in the body of Christ so this grace is of greater strength in him as is euident in Dauid who speaketh thus of himselfe and that by the inspiration of Gods holy spirit and therefore cannot but speake truely My zeale hath euen consumed me because mine enemies haue forgotten thy word Weaker Christians haue some good motions of griefe for mens offances but the Prophet was exceedingly wrought vpon by his zeale so that it did euen spend him and consume him in regard of the fearefull breach of Gods commandements which he obserued in his very enemies And the like we find in another place The zeale of thine house hath eaten me and the rebukes of them that rebuked thee are fallen vpon me Thus was the holy man of God touched yea tormented with the things whereby Gods glory was impaired as if he had beene laden himselfe with reproaches and disgraces But most admirable was the zeale of Moses and Paul who for that feruent desire that they had of aduancing Gods glory could haue beene content to haue had their names put out of the booke of life and to be separated from the Lord so that his great name might be magnified in sparing and sauing their brethren the Israelites Now because our hearts may easily deceiue vs in this matter of zeale either by perswading vs that we haue it when we are farre from it or that we altogether want it when in some good measure we haue attained vnto it therefore will it not be amisse to set downe some rules whereby we may trie whether our zeale be currant or counterfeit First therefore touching the matter about which this holy zeale is to be exercised it must be good according to the saying of the Apostle It is good alwaies to be zealous in a good matter and it was before shewed that Gods people must be zealous of good workes otherwise if the matter be euill the more earnest any is the more sinfull neither is such earnestnesse worthy the name of zeale being nothing else but a diuellish and fleshly heate or rather a kinde of frenzie and madnesse Such was the zeale of Idolaters that would mangle and cut themselues and that would offer their children in the fire in honour vnto their gods Such was the zeale of the Scribes and Pharises who would compasse sea and land to make one a Proselite that is one of their owne sect With this violent and mad zeale was Paul carried before his conuersion as he himselfe confesseth in plaine tearmes Acts. 26. 11. and Phil. 3. 6. when he was enraged against Christians and spared no paines nor cost to make them denie and blaspheme the name of Christ. Heere then is to be condemned the zeale of ignorant Papists and Brownists and such like who are very hotte indeed for he must needes runne whom the diuell driues but in euill causes as might easily be prooued and may hence if by no other arguments be probably concluded in that they vse the diuels owne weapons to wit lying standering railing cursed speaking and the like in the pursute of the same But much more damnable and vile is their zeale to be esteemed who against their knowledge and consciences doe violently and maliciously oppose themselues against the Gospell and the professors thereof and stand for falshood and wickednesse and the practisers thereof as did those wretched Pharises that set themselues against our Sauiour and committed the sin against the holy Ghost A second rule is that as the matter in which we are zealous must be good in it selfe so it must be knowne vnto vs to be of that qualitie True zeale must begin where the word begins and ende where it ends for otherwise it cannot bee of faith which is euer grounded on the word and whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne We must not therefore content our selues with an honest meaning and hope that wee haue a good zeale towards God when we haue no warrant for our hope but must so acquaint our selues with the Scriptures of God that our zeale may be according to knowledge Which rule discouereth the corruptnes of their zeale whether close hypocrites or weake Christians who are led on meerely by the examples of good men whome they affect much to like of and earnestly to stand fot such things as they perceiue them in their practise to obserue and to make conscience of and if there be but a word spoken against any of the things that they haue taken a liking of they are maruellously stirred with indignation thereat and grow passionate and vehement against the parties though they haue neuer so good a meaning in that which they speake Yet let them bee vrged to prooue out of the word the necessitie of those duties which they so earnestly presse they can say little or nothing to the purpose for them and so grow manie times either to dislike and forsake all if they bee hypocrites or at least to bee discouraged and to bee at a stand if they be weaklings in Christ Iesus And whence proceed these inconueniences but from this that they are zealous for things that in themselues and vnto others are good and holie but not thoroughly discerned of them to bee of that nature the consideration whereof should make vs to sit sure in matters of godlinesse not building vpon the example of good men but vpon the truth of the good word of God and then our foundation shall neuer faile vs. A third propertie of true zeale is that it beginneth in our selues and after proceedeth vnto others for neuer can that man be truely zealous to others which neuer knew to