them in others which will permit vs to bee grieued at euill things in our selues and yet make vs to reioyce to see the same in others True zeale loueth good wheresoeuer and in whomsoeuer it is true zeale hateth sinne wheresoeuer and in whomsoeuer true zeale loueth friends as they be God his friends true zeale hateth aduersaries so far as they are God his aduersaries true zeale loueth a good thing in our most professed enemy true loue hateth a sinne in our most assured friend if wee are perswaded that our enemies be God his children howsoeuer we disagree in some particular yet wee can swallow vp many priuate iniuries offred and we more reioyce in them as they be God his children then we can be grieued at them as they haue iniuried vs. Indeede true zeale is most grieued for the sinnes of the godly because so much is their sinne grieuouser thē the sin of another by how much they came neerer to the image of GOD then another howbeit this must alwayes be with a Christian sympathie which worketh in vs a griefe for their sinne as well as an anger for their sinne which changeth our griefe into prayer for them Though then we be neuer so far asunder we must loue them that loue God though we be ioyned neuer so neere we must hate them that hate God in the meane time in deuouring on the one hand to do all duties of loue and obedience vnto them in admonishing them praying for them and mourning for them as they be ioyned in any band vnto vs and remembring on the other hand when nothing will do them good but the matter is at this point that we must either cleaue to God and forsake them or forsake God and cleaue to them that nature and ciuilitie in the second table are to giue place to religion and pietie in the first table 5 The fift rule is that wee must not bee stricter to our selues than to any other and bee more liberal in some things to others than to our selues This will first cause vs to cast the first stone at our selues this will teach vs to pull first the beame out of our owne eyes and then the mote out of anothers eye this wil make such an experience of sinne in our selues that we shall neither flatter too foolishly men in their sins nor rebuke too rigorously men for their sinne Some we shall see iustly misliking a ceremonie refuse it in themselues yet for that it is a thing indifferent they can tolerate it in others others there be who being vnwilling to vse it themselues iudge streightly all others as haynous offenders that vse it Moses refused to take so much as a shooe-latchet himselfe from the Egyptians and yet to others that would take hee would not denye the lawe of armes so streight he was to himselfe so liberall he was to others Paul seeing that in some places hee could not so conueniently liue of other mens charges as at Corinth Thessalonica although at Colossos he receiued somewhat where they were able to bestow on him yet he would not that all men should be tied to this example to doe the like for he laboureth much in all his Epistles almost about this to shew how Ministers ought sufficiently to be prouided for so strict hee was to himselfe such liberalitie he left to others Rom. 14. 2. Cor. 8. 10. where he intreateth of things indifferent It were good then that Christians might say thus with themselues I can doe thus by Christian libertie but if it be an hinderance to the glorie of God or an offence to my brother I wil not do it if others doe it so their heart be good in this and their conscience is vsed in other good things I will not herein wage warre with them but to ioyne with them in greater and better matters I will pardon the lesse If this wisedome had beene vsed long agoe what vanitie had there been in the Church of God for want of this what trouble hath risen therein 6 The sixt and last rule is if we haue a zeale against the sinne because it was against the law of God and therewithall haue a compassion to the person because one like our selues hath offended this mixture of affections causeth anger to feede on the sinne not on the person When our Sauiour Christ going about on the Sabbath day to heale the man with the withered hand was reprehended of the Pharisies it is saide hee looked about him angerly and after it is added that he sorrowed for the blindnesse of their hearts see how anger and sorrow meete anger that men should haue such little knowledge of God or loue to their brother sorrow that being such excellent creatures they should slippe so fouly Looke vpon the Prophets which if in the heauinesse of spirite they did not vtter their word which in the zeale of God his glorie they did denounce so that when they most threatned they were most grieued that the plague spoken should fall vpon them Now that is an outreaching zeale where our anger rather seedeth on the person than on the sinne Samuel in the zeale of Gods glorie spares not flatly to tell Saul of his sinne and yet in loue to his person he was alwaies bent to lament Saules cause and to pray for him Doest thou loue Gods glorie Then wilt thou surely admonish thy brother of his sinne because zeale cannot suffer God to be dishonoured Doest thou loue thy brother then wilt thou admonish him with compassion because loue lamenteth the weaknes of thy brother who hath done that which thou mightest haue done FINIS GODLY OBSERVATIONS CONCERNING DIVERS ARGVMENTS AND COMmon places in Religion CHAP. I. COnscience is a sensible feeling of Gods iudgements grounded vpon the word nourished by the consideration of the latter day stirring vp our hearts to the approouing of our doings both before God and men It is an effect of faith faith therefore as the cause must goe before where no faith is there is no knowledge where there is no knowledge there is no conscience Many men say this is my cōscience they might better say this is mine opinion this is my fancie Knowledge is lesse than faith and opinion lesse than knowledge Againe it is placed in the heart to the stirring vp of vs and summoning of vs to approoue those things which we knowe before God We must not make our conscience like a cheuerel purse stretch it too farre or too narrow that is bee not too righteous as the Anabaptists and the Familie of loue Saul in sparing Agag would be too mercifull and afterwards waxed cruell by killing the Prophets Those that are true Puritanes are such We must not let our conscience looser than the Scriptures be for then wee fall to be prophane Take heede of extreames for vertue is a meane betweene two extreames taking something of one and something of the other knowledge of generals and
and beginne at the least some care of our profession in vs. And to deliuer you from further suspense of minde and musing with your selues what this thing should bee it is the comfortable doctrine of Christ crucified and ioyfull tidings of the passion of Christ whereof because I know none that haue gone with a through stitch in this matter but either if they wrote soundly they did it more sparingly than so excellent an argument doth deserue or if any haue laboured more largely they haue done it more corruptly than the historie of the Gospell will permit them by the grace of God I haue purposed and by the blessing of God I shall performe to write of this matter more at large Now for a preface or preparation hereunto we haue made choise of that holy protestation of Paul Galath 6. 14. But be it farre from mee that I should reioyce but in the crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ whereby the world is crucified vnto mee and I vnto the world 15. For in Christ Iesus neither circumcision auaileth any thing nor vncircumcision but a new creature 16. And as many as walke according to this rule peace shall be vpon them and mercie and vpon the Israel of God The Apostle hauing written against such corrupt teachers and false Prophets as after he had preached the libertie of the Gospell laboured to bring in againe the politique gouernment of the Iewish ceremonies and to intermingle the beggerly rudiments of the law with the glorious profession of the Gospell and hauing declared alreadie that the firme faith of Christians needeth not the painted pompe of ceremonies sheweth in the two verses immediatly going before these that these false Apostles and bold Doctors of circumcision kept no good course both for that they sought to auoide trouble and persecution because being a menstruous people and monstrous companie of Christians and Iewes they might bee safe on both sides and hurt of neither part as also for that they carnally sought their owne glorie credit and estimation by boasting themselues of the solemne troupe and notable number of disciples whom they schooled and trained after them in their profession Now in this place Paul opposing his sincere ministerie to their carnall gospelling and the pure faith of Christians to the impure reliques of the Iewes saith with a bold emphasis and godly protestation But be it farre from me that I should reioyce but in the crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ c. As if he should say God forbid that I should reioice in any thing sauing in this that I know by the crosse of Christ the forgiuenes of my sins that his righteousnes is imputed vnto me that mine iniquities are nailed on his crosse and buried in his death so that I am not hencefoorth so much tempted to the things of this world neither make I any great matter how basely soeuer the world accounteth of mee For why I know it is not materiall whether we be circumcised or vncircumcised for that I neither finde benefit in being circumcised neither any hurt in being vncircumcised but herein I haue comfort and matter of reioycing in that I am become a new creature in Christ and am freed from all other shewes of Iewish pompe And this I dare boldly affirme that this cause of reioycing is not to me alone but to all other faithfull Ministers teaching and all other godly people willingly and diligently embracing this doctrine of the crosse of Christ. Briefly then we see in these principals first that the crosse of Christ being neuer so obscure is more to be ioyed in than al shewes of ceremonies be they neuer so glorious because it worketh in vs these excellent effects which the other can neuer doe it crucifieth vs to this world and maketh vs to become newe creatures Lastly it is shewed that this is no variable or particular doctrine but generall no priuate passion of Paul but a common ioy to all Ministers and not to Ministers alone but to all the whole Israel and companie of professors that haue their ioy either in soundly teaching or in sincerely learning of Christ crucified so that all shall haue the ioy which Paul enioyed if they will keepe the rule which Paul obserued by which duties both of Pastors people is insinuated that whosoeuer shal wilfully forsake or spitefully reiect this doctrin he is neither of the number of true Ministers nor any member of the true Israelites And if wee shall more deeply consider how many and how great the crosses of Christ were for vs and therewithall shall marke how vnfaithfully they be though of the most part of professors◠if we shall see the little meditation of them the slender thankfulnes for them the small fruites of mortification in being crucified to the world the fewe tokens of sanctification in becomming new creatures which comeby them wee shall easily graunt the necessitie of this doctrine to bee taught and comfort of it to be learned especially seeing in the old age of the Gospell we haue so fewe true reioicers in Christ crucified so many enemies of the crosse of Christ both amōg them that be teachers and them that are taught As for the enemies of Christ his crosse they be either professed enemies or not heartie friends the professed enemies are either such as be without all religion or such as are seduced by a false religion they without religion are Atheists Epicures worldlings vnto whom Christ crucified is a laughing stocke and a matter of scoffing in that Christ is ridiculous in their eyes and absurd in their iudgement those that are corruptly seduced that I omit Turkes and Iewes are either superstitious Papists or erroneous Heretikes The superstitious Papists notwithstanding their woodden crosse and painted banners and for all their Passion Sundaies good Fridaies are the greatest enemies to the passion and crosse of Christ. For wofull experience hath taught that these foolish deuices of mē hauing but once crept ouer the threshold into the doores of the Church did thrust out with the lorhsomnes of their presence the holie ordinances of God in that when men could not brooke the crosses and afflictions which are incident to true Christians they would inuent for a further ease a crosse of wood and when they were wearie of hearing their filthy sinnes laid open to bring them to Christ they prouided for that in stead of preaching they had Masse singing Wherefore it may truly be said of superstitious ceremonies and Christian religion as the Heathen man reporteth of the Hedgehog and the Satyre who entertaining the Hedgehog which he had found for his guest was so prickt with his thornie brissels as he was constrained to goe out of his house A very ill guest displacing his hoste a perilous tenant dispossessing his landlord Howbeit we know that these superstitious worshippers pretended a very great deuotion to Christ on their Passion Sunday in a solemne making of sepulchers in chaunting diuers songs sometime in Pilates
Sathan went about to leade him 9 Hee had often in his publike ministerie and priuate conference a sudden failing in memorie so as by no meanes hee could recouer himselfe in those things hee purposed to speake in which case he vsed this remedie presently to groane in his hart and to humble his soule vnderneath the holy hand of God not busilie to stand troubling and tossing his memorie because he knew and had often prooued that this was the best way to turne away this euill 10 To reade and not to meditate is vnfruitfull to meditate and not to reade is dangerous for errours to reade and meditate without prayer is hurtfull 11 The cause why our meditations and prayers are no stronger in the night is because we ioyne not with meditation the examination of our hearts vpon our beds which if we did in some truth it would keepe vs from drowsinesse and want of reuerence in our prayers as well as worldly men are kept waking by thinking on worldly matters Here we are taught by Dauids example when we want the more solemne and best meanes to make a supplie by often and sincere vsing of such priuate meanes as we can Ministerie Ministers 1 WE must neuer be so moued at the reproches of enemies as at the not profiting of friends that is such as be or ought to be the ioy crowne and glorie of our ministerie for whom wee haue prayed and with whom we haue trauailed for their saluation For as these men alone giue all the credite to our ministerie in well-doing so they doe farre more discredite it by euill doing then all others at whose hands we looke for no such things And for this cause wee may not be so moued to see the common sort of people offend because what maruaile is it if they faile in duties when others which are continually taught doe so often slip and fall 2 Ministers should most frequent those places where God hath made their Ministerie most fruitfull they should heerein be like the couetous man that where they haue once found the sweetnes of gaining of soules thither they should be most desirous to resort 3 Hee feared much the preposterous zeale and hastie running of young men into the Ministerie because as iudgement so also stayednesse and moderation vse experience grauitie in ordering affections and the hauing some masterie ouer corruption was needefull in him that should teach others And hee obserued the extreame in our age to be contrarie to that in the first age wherein men being but slenderly brought vp it was very long ere they were vsed in the Church but now education being bettered they are too soone imployed Too hastie a triall must not be made of mens giftes to their hurt that vse them and that haue the vse of them 4 If we aske whether a man may not lawfully desire to be in the Ministerie or no I answere that in the Ministerie are two things a worke and a worship a dutie and a dignitie The worke and dutie to the glory of God and the good of his Church a man may desire The worship or dignity to serue our couetous mind is not to be desired It is good before we come to the complete function of the Ministery there should be some training vp by degrees in the schooles of the Prophets Acts 20. Wee reade of the training vp of certaine Disciples at Corinth and at Antioch Paul was first a Disciple then an Apostle Ioshua vnder Moses Samuel vnder Ely Elisha vnder Elias Salomon vnder Nathan Baruch vnder Ieremie Timothie vnder Paul were trained vp And surely it is a diuine policie first to be of the childreÌ„ of the Prophets then a Prophet theÌ„ a Pastor First Christ calleth some to be domesticall Disciples Luk 6. After he sendeth them forth Luk 10. And then they preach most fully wheÌ„ after his Ascension they had receiued the holy Ghost Now if this order were in the Prophets times why should it not be much more in ours In the common-weale there is a training vp of the Gentrie before they be installed into Magistracie In the Court no man at the first is admitted to the highest titles and functions but according to their gifts practise In naturall things wee will not commit our bodies to euery Physitian professor but make enquiry after him who hath had the longest experience Then it is good first with Ioshua Samuel Elisha Salomon Baruch and Timothie to be humbled then with Moses Ely Elias Nathan Paul to be honored For what age requireth this more then our headie olde age of the world Wherein young men are some what forward and young men haue younger iudgemeÌ„ts younger affections vnseasoned speeches and vnseasoned speeches bring retractions and retractions bring their discredit Mirth 1 WHen a Gentlewoman asked him if he were not sometime merrie Yes saith he we are often merrie and sometimes we are afraid of our mirth Mercies 1 THe way to see the length depth breadth and heigth of Gods mercies is first with shame and sorrow to see the length c. of our owne sinnes Memorie 1 THe best arte of Memorie is to be humbled at Gods threatnings and comforted at his promises for sure it is that exceeding griefes or exceeding ioyes leaue great impressions in vs. 2 The best arte of Logicke is to reason E conuerso out of that saying of Paul There is no temptation hath ouertaken you but it hath ouertaken others And to say thus There hath no temptation ouertaken others but the same may ouertake vs. This will teach vs to speake charitably and profitably of other mens infirmities Markes of the children of God 1 THere be some notable markes to know whether our iourney be to heauen or to hell first if a man be so close that he will not open his way whither he purposeth to goe yet you shall spâ—e out his intent by obseruing which way his carriage is sent if our carriage goe after the flesh to the flesh we shall come if after the spirit to the spirit we shall come Secondly if a man conceale his voyage yet you shall discerne him by his inquirie this way or that way if he aske which is the way to Canaan and where the way lieth in the wildernesse it is an argument he is going to the promised land Thirdly albeit he would keepe his iourney neuer so priuie yet he is bewrayed if when in hearing a man speake against his countrey and dispraise his Prince and people his blood beginneth to rise he findeth himselfe grieued and standeth in defence of his countrey So if when men disgrace Gods word speake euil of his Ministers or reproch his Saints we finde our selues moued and not able to containe our selues from reprehension that is a token we are trauailing towards heauen Occasions of euill 1 GOdly men are not in danger of grosse wicked women wherefore we must haue a greater carefulnes of our selues when we are in companie
of such as professe godlinesse And so in all euils beware of secret and colourable occasions of euill wherein some make a shew of good being guiltie of great offences Patience 1 PAtience then possesseth the soule whensoeuer all our outward wants are supplied by patience 2 There are many who haue set a presse on their hearts and purposed to exempt themselues from all griefe others eate vp their hearts with griefe as the flesh of the body is eaten vp with a corrosiue and so make themselues dull stones rather than feeling members the meane is not to be too quiet as without all griefe nor to be vnquiet too much as being without a God Pitie 1 THey are not to be pitied in their griefe which sorrow not with some griefe for their sinnes Pouertie 1 WE often want outward things because we esteeme no more of inward graces 2 It is the policie of Sathan to lay before vs the great benefits which we want to cause vs to murmur for them and to disgrace the present benefits which we haue least we should be thankfull We must not desire to come out of the fire of affliction vntill the Lord thereby haue purified â—s as fine gold for his owne vse but still thinke that the continuing of the crosse is the continuing of scouring away of some corruption 3 The Lord oftentimes giueth his children no other riches but his promise made vnto them which they must wholy depend vpon vntill the Lord seeing them readie for the thing in the testament hequeathed vnto them shall in wisedome giue them their legacies 3 The Lord will haue vs to begin with good things though our beginning be small the diuell contrary In euill things God would haue vs feare the very first beginnings the diuell contrary Preaching 1 IT is to be feared that by reason of our long peace and ease mens teaching will become glassie bright and brittle for that preaching is alreadie growne so cold and so humane that the simple preaching of Christ doth greatly decay that the great peace quietnes which men haue in themselues shall destroy the power of godlines out of them 2 If wee preach things whereof wee are not fully perswaded or if we be perswaded of them yet if they be not sound according to truth they will trouble our consciences afterwards 3 He obserued that many would receiue the word of God publikely preached with reuerence and being priuately spoken they made no such account of it wherein men shewed themselues not to respect the preacher of God and his word but some other thing And that some men which was a foule sinne and worthie publike reprehension would heare a man willingly in the Church and gainsay his doctrine at home Wherein they bewraied rather that they heard for solemnitie of place more then for any deuotion 4 In denouncing the iudgements of God either priuatly to one or publikely to more the Ministers of Christ still ought earnestly and inwardly to be moued to pray that that euill which the Lord foreshewed them by the word to fall on such sinners might be turned away so farre must they be from speaking in wrath 5 Some Preachers doe much inueigh against the body crying out that it is the enemy of the soule when notwithstanding we are rather to nourish the body as the friend of the soule for the exercise of repentance and mortification and sanctification and on the contrarie the soule is the enemie to the body in vsing it to sinne for that there is neuer any corrupt action in the body but there hath been first a corrupt motion and sinful affection in the soule 6 He was alwaies desirous to be in the place of publike reading praying and preaching euen of conscience to Gods ordinance were the Preachers neuer so meane For if he spake of iudgement he either increased as he said or confirmed his knowledge If the speaker had great wants euen these wants did humble him and made him to meditate inwardly of that truth whereof the Preacher failed in so much that sometimes hearing the wants and then meditating of the truth he could as well be enabled to preach againe of that text as if he had read some Commentarie Prayer 1 WE cannot be drie in the graces of God so long as we resort to Christ by feruent prayer 2 If you will aske any blessing at Gods hands begin with crauing his fauour Psal. 4. If you would auoid any crosse begin first with repenting and crauing pardon for thy sinne Psal. 32. 3 He in all things would aske counsell of God by his word and prayer thinking he could neuer well doe good to others vnlesse he had also first done well to his owne soule And hee obserued that taking in hand things more suddenly hee either was crossed in the doing of them or if he had any present fruite yet hee saw it was not an abiding and remaining fruite 4 It is good to vse euery night as soone as wee awake some exercise of prayer or meditation and to preuent the morning and euening watch in thinking on the Word 5 Hee compounded with himselfe three times a day to pray for those things which he preached vsing also daily three portions of Psalm 119. 6 They pray not altogether of fashion who see their infirmitie in praying and are grieued for it And they that indeed doe pray onely of fashion doe not see it and this imperfection doth not so much displease the Lorde as the griefe in vs for our imperfection doth please him And though it come to passe that God doe crosse a vehement prayer and doth graunt our prayer when wee pray coldlie it is not either to make vs to surcease from zeale or to slip to coldnes in prayer for that is the way either to heresie or prophanenesse but to teach vs that wee must not on the one side trust too much to the meanes as though wee would tye God to our praying and to encourage vs on the other side to vse prayer when seeing the Lord hath heard vs praying faintly he will surely heare vs when we pray feruently 7 Sometimes in a good action vsing good meanes with an vpright heart to a lawfull ende if our prayers be vnfruitfull and our labours want successe then let vs remember that in all these there were secret imperfections and that the Lords deferring is that wee being better prepared by humilitie to be thankfull he may graunt our requests in richer manner and measure 8 When one said to him after long conference and prayer Sir I haue troubled you Oh my brother not so said hee I neuer felt ill by well-doing and if I may pleasure you it is as ioyfull to mee as any thing can bee for for this cause I liue Praise 1 VNto one that with many words disabled himselfe he said meekly O why do you so much seeke your owne praise for it bewrayeth a
but it is the power of Gods presence preparing vs to prayer or some such seruice of God which when we feele if wee fall downe before God in prayer we shall finde an vnspeakable ioy following it but if we cherish it with euill surmises it will leade vs to further inconueniences 77 When we haue greatest cause of ioy for doing some good then it is a good thing most to feare our vnthankfulnes and our selfe-loue and our secure vnkindnes 78 When Sathan cannot get vs to grosse sinnes he will â—ssaile vs with spirituall temptations 79 Nothing in the world will so much feare and shame vs as God in his mercies powred vpon vs which meditation in receiuing graces from God will humble vs from pride in them and keepe vs in feare which be the waies to obtaine new mercies 80 We must beware of smoothering the watch word of our conscience when we are bent to sinne Euery man in his owne conscience is forewarned of sinne though the Lord speake not to him from heauen as he did to Cain 81 As a man being outlawed may take his pleasure for a while but whensoeuer or wheresoeuer he may be taken he must yeeld to that punishment which by verdict is appoynted so the wicked on whom sentence of damnation is already passed may for a while shake off their paines with vaine pleasures but afterward they shall be arrested and carried violently to the place of wofull execution But for the godly which haue the assurance of their inheritance sealed vp in their consciences though they shall be warned in the day of the resurrection to make their open appearance yet as honest men of the countrie shall stand before the Iudge not as fellonious offenders 82 We must first make men by a feeling of sinne to seeke Christ by an holy faith to find Christ and then by newnes of life to dwell with Christ. 83 Balâ—am prayed that he might die the death of the righteous but let vs pray that we may liue the life of the righteous for he liued not the life of the righteous and therefore he could not die the death of the righteous and if we liue the life of the righteous we shall be sure to die the death of the righteous 84 It is a great token of regeneration if we doe not onely sorrow for great sinnes and sigh for small offences but mourne for particular wants of good actions or in good actions for wâ—nt of good affections 85 There is small hope of him which cannot discerne in himselfe the life of the spirit and the life of the flesh and it is to be doubted that he is yet vnregenerate 86 When men being young are too much giuen to carnall pleasures they being old are too much giuen to worldly profit 87 As we haue taken a vaine delight in the vaine course of this life so we must sigh and pray to be delighted spiritually in spirituall things 88 Adam should haue been no worse for his temptation no more than Christ was but that the one yeelded the other did not 89 If the blood of Christ hath washed vs from the guiltines of sinne then the holy Ghost hath purged vs from the filthines of sinne 90 When our sinne hath lesse liking in vs then there is hope that it will decay in vs especially if we sorrow for it when we cannot fully forsake it and labour to forsake it because it is sinne 91 In true mortification we must haue the first motions of sinne and condemne them as accessaries to sinne in conspiring the death of our soules 92 Hypocrisie is seene when sinne lyeth most dead vnder a cloake and most liueth vnder a closet wherewith God is so displeased that when we make no conscience of sinne in close places our priuie sinnes shall breake forth into open places 93 Particular infirmities doe not hinder the preparation of our hearts for the Lord if we haue a true loue of his word as had Iehosaphat 94 Two things are necessarie to espouse vs to Christ the one to vse the pure meanes the other to vse those meanes with a pure heart 95 If we play with our owne affections sinne in the end from sport will spurre vs to confusion For though we be twice or thrice spared yet we must know that the Lord will recompence his long tarrying with wrath 96 Through our corruption we profit more by the doctrine of a man if we thinke he be our enemie than if we thinke him to be our friend for if he be our friend we let it passe as not spoken to vs though the matter neuer so much concerne vs if our enemie if it neuer so little touch vs we thinke it to be spoken against vs. 97 Walking spirits are vndoubtedly not the soules departed but the euill spirits of the ayre 98 It is a great mercie of God to haue a large affection of weldoing when we haue good occasion thereof for God neuer ceaseth in offering occasions but we often cease in hauing affections 99 Obedience is a chaine to tye vp all the creatures of God from our hurt and as a thing to muzzle their mouthes that they cannot bite vs. Againe disobedience breaketh and openeth the mouthes of all things to our destruction 100 If we haue not the fauour of men it is either for the triall of our faith or for want of dutie vnto them that are displeased with vs or because we sought to please them by displeasing of God or because we haue not prayed for them or haue offended God for which he causeth men to be offended with vs. 1 Because we doe not to men the good we should doe God often suffereth them to report of vs the euill they should not 2 Those temptations are most dangerous which haue most holy ends 3 When a man is most merrie he is neerest danger 4 It is the easiest thing in the world to deceiue a good man 5 God hath two hands in the one he holdeth a hammer to breake the proud in peeces and to bray them to powder in the other hand he hath a horne to powre Gods blessings vpon the humble 1. Pet. 5. 5. 6 If a man should be stinted to one meale a weeke he would haue a pined body at the weekes end euen so if our soules be but fed with the word once a weeke they would be as hunger-starued if we could see it 7 You are in earth to follow your calling you are not yet in heauen Adam when he was most holy by creation and free from euery iot of sinne and corruption did walke in his calling appointed of God much more then are we comfortably to follow the Lord his ordinance seeing these outward things did not come in with sinne but were ordained before sinne 8 Whatsoeuer is vpon you
feele as little as a blocke yet I must heare still because it is God his ordinance I will heare that I may obey his ordinance and though I goe an hundred times without any profit yet I shall neuer goe without some peace because though I haue not that which I desired yet I haue done that which God hath commanded This I am sure of so long as I am vnder the dressing hand of the Lord I shall not perish but in his good time I shall bring foorth fruite But thou wilt replie I may happily sometime feele but it is so short and so little and so many haue fallen away before me that I feare I shall fall and of a naturall vine I shall prooue wilde and an vnnaturall branch Well the Lord by his word will purge thee and prune thee he will dresse thee if euer thou hadst any working thou shalt haue more thou shalt not only bring forth Christ being graffed into Christ but much fruite also being trimmed by the word Onely seeke thou God in his word he will not faile to be found of thee vse thou the word which is his pruning knife and he will worke on thee at one time or at another 76 Great is our corruption which turneth the grace of God into wantonnes and maketh his bounteous liberalitie in outward things an occasion to serue our sinne whilest abundance in the vnsanctified bringeth an inglutting of the minde the inglutting of the minde breedeth vnthankfulnes vnthankfulnes causeth coldnes coldnes beginneth carelesnes carelesnes is the way to hardnes of heart and vtter prophanenes and prophanenes ripeneth vs for the iudgements of God to fall on vs. 77 Our owne kindred that should draw vs most to God often hindereth vs most from God and it is Satans policie when he cannot preuaile against vs with the world to vndermine vs with nature So he suborned Lots daughters against their father Iobs wife against Iob and our Sauiours owne kinsfolke against him Kain against Abel Ishmael against Isaac Esau against Iacob the eleuen brethren against Ioseph Ioab against Abner Saul against â—onathan 78 If we count it a great benefit to receiue a Nobleman or any appertaining to the Nobilitie into our house because they may after gratifie vs or if we thinke it a great iniurie to hurt one of the blood royall and to withstand one of princely linage then what a dignitie is it to entertaine the Saints allianced to Iesus Christ what a traiterous villanie were it traiterously to offer violence to one fearing God who is of the blood royall and of the Lordâ— linage whom he accompteth as mother brother or sister 79 Vntill we are fully staied in minde with a contentation of outward things we can neuer be very godly For if either our minde be about liuing when we haue too little for our estate or if our hearts wander as being stollen away to the things of this world wheâ— we abound we can neuer aspire to the spirituall power of true godlinesse And then are we most fit to be wrought vpon by the word and most free to striue in trauaile against ouâ— owne corruptions when we are at peace and at a point for outward things when being content with that we haue we can say O Lord thou art my portion thy word haue I chosen as mine inheritance for euer thy kingdome is my principall labour thy face is thâ— chiefest thing I seeke for thy fauour is the ioy of mine heart 80 To haue that measure which God hath appointed vs wee must vse such meanes as are warrantable and with good meanes wee must vse a right heart neither trusting too much in them least wee be worldly minded neither mistrusting too much least wee be murmurers In this vprightnes of heart wee must not onely be iust that is by euery iust title claiming our owne interest but mercifull that is remitting of our owne for pities sake euen as God remitteth vs. 81 As wee truely shew our selues to hate sinne we loue the contrarie grace and as we truly loue vertue when we abhorre the contrarie sinne so we indeed hate sinne when we hate euery little occasion to the sinne and wee truly loue vertue when wee seeke and receiue euery little meane helping to that vertue as namely euill companie which we must carefully auoide vnlesse wee haue either some speciall calling or some particular gift of God his grace which doe onely priuiledge vs in this behalfe 82 It is daungerous to proceede in iudgement against a man vpon a bare suspition when no proofe can be had both because we would be loath that the Lord should so enter iudgement with vs as also because it were the way as well to iudge good men vndeseruedly as a wicked man deseruedly for that the one may be suspected as well as the other The Lorde hath therefore appointed that rather an offender not conuicted of offence should goe vnpunished then that a man vpon surmise should suffer least so a good man should oft come into vndeserued danger The wicked shall be sunke in destruction and though they be not moued with God his iudgements yet whatsoeuer they doe they shall spinne a threed of their owne destruction and hatch an egge of poyson to themselues 83 Men must not be in wrath when they pray for then it is not pleasing vnto the Lord. For as when an Instrument is played on and it being out of tune it doth jarre the noise is not so pleasing vnto them that should heare it No more are our prayers pleasing vnto the Lorde when we are in contention one with another the Lord cannot abide it 84 When one hath broken an arme or legge and the same is healed againe will that man by and by lift withall as hee doth with that other arme which is strong and perfect in health No hee will spare it still a great while for feare hee bring it out of ioynt againe and so it should be worse to heale than it was before So when enemies are made friends they must beare one with another and not giue themselues leaue to speake anie nipping words one to the other for then they will fall out againe and so their contention will be worse then it first was 85 Wee desire for the most part to doe dutie when wee may receiue like proportion againe which thing in praying one for another ought much to moue vs. For as we pray for others by vertue of Gods commandement So by the force of the same Law are wee to bee prayed for of others all being bound vpon paine of Gods highnes displeasure to pray for vs. 86 There is a selfe-will that breeds selfe-loue and a selfe-loue that brings a selfe-will and selfe-will bewrayes pride which is a monster of diuers heads Some are proud in arrogating that to themselues which they haue not some haue the things they boast of but they thinke they proceed of
reports 2. When anie report the faults of others without care of their credit or when with flattering hearts they commend any man 2. Inwardly either 1. In suspition without iust cause 2. In iudgement falsly or hardly of anie man Which bee the occasions of false witnesse hearing They be fleshly hatred of our enemies the carnall loue of our selues or of our friends to get the things we loue and to auoide the things we feare or hate How are wee partakers with false witnes bearers If we either command or counsell it to be done If wee mislike it not or not stay it if we can What is here commanded 1. First in iudgement to further righteous causes so farre forth as my calling requireth 2. Secondly to speake the truth from my heart to euery man so farre forth as it is requisite for him to know it 3. Thirdly to be as carefull of the credit of my neighbour as of mine owne both in his presence and absence so farre forth as the nature of his offence will permit 4. Fourthly to hope and belieue the best of euery man Rehearse the tenth Commandement Thou shalt not couet c Arâ— all motions and desires euill No for the desire of meate drinke sleepe and such like are naturall and in their owne nature good vnlesse through our corruption they become sinfull What motions be euill These motions be euill which are either against God or our Neighbour Are all those forbidden in this Commandement No for all those which are against God are forbidden in the first commandement but these motions onely are here forbidden which are against our Neighbour Seeing in the former Commandements wee are forbidden to hurt our neighbour in heart how doth this differ from the former In the former Commandements the setled desires of the heart are forbidden but the motions are onely here forbidden whereunto the heart doth not consent Whereof doe these motions arise They either arise from our owne corruption or are offered by Sathan or by the world Are all these motions sinne in vs All that arise of our corruption are sinnes in vs but they that be offered by Sathan or the world are not sinnes vnles we be infected with them How are wee infected with them 1. First when weetake pleasure in them 2. When wee be intangled with them 3. When we suffer them to tarrie in oâ—â—â—inâ—es though our hearts doe not giue coâ—sent How is this Commaundement brokâ—â— Three waies 1. First when euill motions arise of our corruption moouing vs to hurt our Neighbours 2. Secondly when we be infected with those motions which Sathan or euill men doe put â—nto our mindes 3. Thirdly when we doe not with like affection desire the good of our Neighbour as wee doe our owne What is then commaunded I am commaunded to loue my Neighbour as my selfe Who is your Neighbour Euâ—ry one that is neere mee and standeth in neede of my helpe and it lieth in me to helpe him though otherwise he be a stranger vnto me or my foe Why iudge you so Because of the Image of God in him and that hee is mine owne flesh in respect of our first parents Doth the Law of God prescribe the perfect rule of righteousnes Yea for there is no good thing in deede worde or thought but heere it is commaunded and likewise no euill but heere it is forbidden Can euery one keepe the Law of God perfitlâ— They that are not borne againe of God cannot keepe it neither in all nor in any one point as pleasing God thereby in respect of themselues Why so Except a man be borne againe of God hee cannot see the kingdome of heauen not enter therein neither can hee keepe the commaundements of God moreouer all men by nature being borne and conceiued in sinne are not only insufficient to any good thing but also disposed to all vice and wickednes What punishment is due to the breakers of Gods Law In this life the curse of God and death with manifold miseries both of body or soule or both What else Where this curse is not taken away euerlasting death and damnation both of bodie and soule in the world to come But God is mercifull Hee is indeed full of mercie but hee is also full of righteousnes which must fully be discharged or else wee cannot be partakers of his mercie And cannot wee by our selues make satisfaction for our sinnes We cannot by any meanes but rather from day to day encrease our debt But doth not God wrong to man to require of him that he is not able to performe No for God made man so that hee might haue performed it but hee by his sinne spoyled himselfe and his posteritie of those good gifts Can anie creature in heauen or earth which is onely a creature make satisfaction to his righteousnesse No none at all for First God will not punish that in another creature which is due to be paid by man and besides none that is onely a creature can abide the wrath of God against sinne and deliuer others from the same What manner of man is to be sought out to bee our Mediatour and Deliuerer Hee which is indeed a very man and perfectly righteous and more mightie than all creatures that is hee which also is very true God Why must hee be man and perfitly righteous Because that the righteousnes of God requireth that the same nature that sinned should pay and make amends for sinne Why must hee be God withall Because that by his godly power hee may abide the burden of Gods wrath in his flesh and may get againe and restore to vs the righteousnes and life which wee haue lost Who is that Mediatour which is very God and very man and perfiâ—ly righteous withall Our Lord Iesus Christ who was made vnto vs Wisedome Righteousnes Sanctification and Redemption What is the vse of all that hetherto hath bâ—ene taught The vse is to bring vs to a sound perswasion and fâ—eling of our sinnes because they haue deserued so grieuous punishmeÌ„t as either the death of the sonne of God or hell fire Are they onely deliuered from the curse of the Lawe and made partakers of the merites of Christ that are truely humbled They onely and none other Esâ—i 57. Matthew 5. 3. 4. 5. and as for the Lawe heauen and earth shall passe away but one jote or title of Gods Law shall not faâ—e till all be fulfilled How is the truth of Gods Law fulfilled It is fulfilled in 1. Gods children because it bringeth them to be truely humbled in themselues for their sinnes and then sendeth them to Christ in whome it is fully fulfilled 2. The wicked because it declareth to them their iust confusion when to the ende they either presume or despaire Is sorrow for sinne sufficient to bring vs to Saluation No for wee must also haue a true Faith What is that true Faith that saueth vs It is a true
of one other thing which I had forgotten before and that is this your loue must spring from that reuerence feare that you must yeeld vnto your husband for true loue is mixt as it were with these two and this is a speciall dutie often repeated in the Scripture that the wife must feare the Husband So that you see Sister that you must not looke to haue your Husband at your becke for your loue but you must render due beneuolence vnto each other For as the bodie of the Husband is not his owne but his wiues so is not the woman 's her owne but her husbands for they are both one flesh as the Scripture doth teach Now if anie doe object that this is the way to bring women into bondage and to be as drudges to their Husbands if they should in this manner be subject vnto them No no it is not so but the most readiest way to procure vnto themselues grace peace of conscience and more sweete libertie whilest they liue in obedience to God and his holy ordinances And therefore the spirit of God admonisheth all women that they be not afraide of any such vaine terror Now further my Brother and Sister that you may keepe your bodies pure and chaste one for the other I would counsell you to beware of being alone with anie when there is feare of temptation vnto euill but bee carefull that you may alwayes haue witnesse of your Christian behauiour and in keeping companie conuenient chuse vnto your selfe such as be most sober and faithfull Well although there bee manie more duties yet I will content my selfe to goe one thing further that is that as you seeke for continuance and increase of loue so you take heede of jealousie for although that true loue is very earnest and mixt with godlie jealousie yet there is a wicked jealousie and that causeth causelesse suspicions which worketh great woe vnto such as giue credit vnto them Take heede therefore my Brother and Sister of this yea though there should seeme iust cause yet giue not too speedy credit vnto them Now if you desire to know in your heart which are vngodly suspicions know them by this token for they will make you more negligent in praying one for another and more slacke in performing all other duties of loue one to another In the eight Commaundement you are charged Brother to vse all lawfull means to prouide for the maintenance of your wife in honest estate else were you worse then an Infidell But I charge you to take heede least through distrust in the prouidence of God you make shipshracke of a good conscience vsing any vniust or vnlawfull meanes And you Sister are commaunded to be a good houswife and to keepe those things together which you haue and so increase them as you may from time to time be helpfull vnto others For if you should consume and waste things vnprofitablie you should grieue and trouble the minde of your Husband who ought to be cased of that care by you And further if it should please God to call either of you to suffer persecution in time of triall the weaker must for the Lords cause giue place to the stronger and desire the Lorde to giue greater strength for we must labour for grace that we may be willing for the Gospell to forsake all things whatsoeuer we haue Out of the ninth Commaundement I will giue you this rule that neither of you blaze abroad the infirmities of each other it is a great enemie to pure loue But if there bee neede of counsell and helpe in any matter then chuse a faithfull friend with consent that may be an indifferent iudge betwixt you And againe in any case tell the truth one to an other for it is a thing diligently to be regarded in these our dayes when as men and women are so full of pollicies and subtil fetches that there is almost no simplicity to be found in anie In the last commandement which concerneth wicked motions and thoughts although there be no consent giuen vnto them you are to consider that your nature will neuer bee freed from them in this life therefore you must prepare to prayer and other heauenly exercises of Faith to striue continually against them Thus I will end beseeching God for Christ Iesus sake to giue you of his spirit that may teach you in these things and enable you to further duties agreeable to his helic wâ—ll to the glorie of his name and your euerlasting comfort O Lord God deare Father for thy welbeloued Sonne our Sauiours sâ—ke make vs thankfull for this thy gracious prouidence towards vs. Oh Lord forgiue all our sins and keepe vs pure both in soule bodie for thine owne Names sake write these instructions in our hearts and giue vs grace to make practise of them in the whole course of our liuâ—s â—uide vs in all things deare Father by the grace of thy good spirit and let the mercifull eye of thy fatherly prouidence watch ouer vs continuallie that wee may be comforted in thy wayes and quickened alwayes to giue thee immortall praise and that through thy deare Sonne Iesus Christ our Lord and onely Sauiour Amen After the exhortation and prayer hee asked the parties to be contracted these two questions 1 Of their consents of parents After their answere of their parents consent to make a faithfull promise of mariage one to another at such time as their parents could agree vpon it they were charged to keepe themselues chasle vntill the mariage bee sanctified by the publike prayers of the Church for otherwise many mariages haue been punished of the Lord for the vncleannes that hath been committed betwixt the contract and the mariage 2. Whether they euer were precontracted Then hee charged them saying I charge you as by authoritie from Iesus Christ in whom you looke to be saued that hauing the consent of your parents and receiued these precepts that I say yee labour to grow in knowledge and in the feare of God And now as in the sigâ—t of God with all such leâ—itie as of others is vsed you must make before the Lord a contract which is farre more then a promise and that on this manner their hands being ioyned â— R. doe promise to thee F. that I will bee thine husband which I will confirme by publike mariage in pledge whereof I giue thee mine hand In like manner doth the woman to the man Then after the prayer the parties are dismissed FINIS A TREATISE OF THE SABBATH IT is written Exod. 20. 8. Remember the Sabbath day to keepe it â—olie c Dearely belâ—ued in the Lord there is no Commandement of Gods part more vrged and of ouâ— parts lesse obserued then this one of the Sabbath wherefore with zeale to Gods glorie and loue vnfained vnto your selues I haue endeuoured in that measure and manner that God hath enabled mee to intreat of this argument The
much moued but in the Lords cause they are as cold as ice and there is no heate within them which is a testimonie vnto them that their anger is fleshly and that it doth greatly displease the Lord. Therefore if when wee see a man commit any sinne and we also know that it tendeth to the dishonour of God and the hurt of his owne soule and if then we can be grieued and if then we cannot chuse but be angry hereby we may know that our anger is good because the glory of God and the profit of our brother did therevnto moue vs and not our priuate iniuries Now if wee would be glad thus to make the glorie of God the chiefe cause of our anger let vs first learne to passe ouer iniuries done against vs and quietly to beare them and by that meanes we shal better learne more safely to be angry when the thing concerneth the glorie of God for if a man hath not learned to put vp his owne iniuries patiently and without reuenge he shall mingle it with the other and so shall passe measure and most commonly he shall make both vnprofitable Secondly some men can neuer be pleased and euery light trifle doth stirre them vp to anger which cannot but be euill and this proceedeth altogether from the flesh this anger cannot be allowed But spirituall anger is not easily stirred vp and when it is then it is measured by the quantitie of the fault a small fault a small and short anger a greater fault a greater anger of a longer coÌ„tinuance For herein must we be like our heauenly Father who is slow to wrath chideth vs not continually marketh not what is done amisse nor recompenceth vs according to our deseruings But continually vseth more meanes to cause vs to loue him than to cause vs to feare him And thus ought it to be with vs also if we wil be children of such a father so that we ought to striue and labour to be loued rather than feared and by loue to allure rather than by feare to compell Againe with the Lord wee ought to be greatly grieued for great offences for smaller offences to be lesser grieued Now if a man finde himselfe to bee of a hastie nature and quickly angrie know also that such a one exalteth folly and that anger resteth in the bosome of fooles But a man of a patient spirit passeth in wisedome Yea let him know that such anger is not good and therefore labour earnestly that it may be repressed in him which that he may dolet him think and know that before holy anger there must goe prayer that the Lord in mercie may rightly direct him in the same If therefore we cannot or do not before our anger or when the occasion is offered pray vnto the Lord that he may keepe vs vpright in the same we haue to suspect our anger for we are in danger to fall and offend therein Thirdly it is a marke of Christian anger when we are angrie with sinne in whomsoeuer wee finde or whosoeuer committeth it for many will in their own matters and causes be very angrie and in them will pretend a careful zeale of Gods glorie but if a sinne be committed which toucheth them not they can easily let it passe as if a mans owne wife bee a whore his children disobedient his seruants stubborne and wilful or if any sinne be committed which toucheth him neere theÌ„ wil he exclaim cry out for that God is dishonored and will say Who euer saw such seruants What wickednesse is in children now adaies that they be thus disobedient and what women bee these to doe thus wickedly In the meane time if another mans seruant be disobedient if his wife be an whore he cannot be angrie he cannot be grieued Such men as these must needs suspect their anger for herein they bewray want of faith want of loue want of care of the glorie of God which as it is aduanced by the obedience of others as well as by ours so it is likewise dishonoured by the sinnes of others as well as by ours But when the sinne doth not concerne vs if then we cannot bee contented but the very zeale of Gods glorie and the loue of our brethren doth moue vs thereunto then may we thinke that our hearts be vpright in that anger Againe there be diuers which when their enemies offend then wil they be readie to cry out against it and will bee highly displeased withall but if their friends offend they can beare with them and thinke the sinne in them smal or nothing But Christian and spiritual anger is cleane contrarie for it rather beares with the fault in his enemie than in his friends and will sooner more sharply rebuke it in his friend than in his enemie Therefore such friends as can smooth a man in his sinne are neither to be liked nor desired for Open rebuke is better than secret loue and the wounds of a louer are sweete Wee see that if a mans child or his wife or some speciall friend were sicke in bodie they vse all meanes that they might be restored to their health and if they did not their wife children or friends would quickly thinke they loued them not And why should it not be thus in the spirituall sicknes of sinne How doth a man loue mee when hee will not vse all meanes to deliuer me from the danger of sinne When therefore our friends doe fall into sinne if then wee can be angry and that when they doe most fauour vs because the cause is Gods and concerneth their saluation if then wee can remember old loue and temper wisely loue with anger to reproue them it is a signe that our anger is not fleshly but of the spirit Fourthly there is a note of Christian spirituall anger which though it be very like to the former yet it discerneth one from another as much as any other doth For many men will be angry with other mens sinnes but they can neuer be angry for their owne Against such as these the Lord speaketh saying Hypocrite cast out the beame out of thine owne eye first and then thou shalt see to cast out the moâ—e out of thy brothers eye And againe in another place He that is cleere among you cast the first stone at her When we therefore can be first angry with our own sinnes and more angry with them than with others yea when we can throw the first stone at our selues then is our anger of the Lord. For no man can euer bee angrie in vprightnesse of other mens sinnes which cannot first be grieued and angrie with his owne If our anger begin first with our selues and that for euerie sinne that is in vs so that there is no sin which we are willing to fauour in our selues or desirous to continue and lie in it still and no man is more grieued for our sinnes than we our selues are and
word of God were we pricked by it then haue we profited Haue wee not bin pricked thereby then as yet are we not a sacrifice for the Lord. For as was said before Christ comforteth them that are troubled hee helpeth them that doubt he easeth them which are in distresse hee setteth their feete in the way of peace and gladnesse that haue long been in darknes and sorrow Haue ye not been sorrowfull and will ye learne a salue for this sore be sorrowfull that ye were not sorrowfull be pricked in your hearts because you were not pricked Haue wee heard the word let vs examine our selues if our knowledge be the better if our affections be the holier As hauing heard the exposition of the law of God doe we feare God doe we know how to loue God doe we pray to God doe we worship God in our soules and in our bodies more carefully and in greater conscience than we haue done heretofore Are we not now as prophane and carelesse still in giuing the right worship to the true God as before wee were too superstitious in seruing Angels Saints and other false gods neither sorrowing for our Idolatrie nor caring for true religion Haue wee not blasphemed and prophaned the name of God in vnreuerent hearing his word in vnprofitable talking of his workes and abusing his owne maiestie with swearing and cursing as much as euer wee did before we heard his word Haue wee kept holy the Sabbath or haue we not prophaned it by open neglect of the word by playing sporting drinking and other vanities Doe wee not still send forth our seruants to dispatch our busines on that day as if it were the market day when they may doe such things most lawfully Are not parents householders and gouernours as slacke in prouoking obedience and children seruants and subiects as slow in yeelding obedience as euer they were parents in the meane time not seeing that children therefore rebell against them because they rebell against God nor householders perceiue that seruants doe not their duties to them because they doe not their dutie to God Are we lesse wrathfull and more mercifull Are we lesse riotous and filthie defilers of our flesh and are wee more sober chast and holie Are we lesse giuen to oppression to hard dealing one with another and more iust righteous and carefull to maintaine the good estate of our brethren Are wee not backbiters slanderers or sowers of discord causers of contention among our neighbours being farre off from maintaining loue vnitie and the good name of our brethren The cause why wee cannot see further into these things is because wee flatter our selues and because we compare our selues with our selues and with others but not with the rule of Gods word Let vs then learne to accuse our selues and to iudge our owne consciences For if God see vs condemne our selues hee will not condemne vs if we accuse our selues God will not suffer Satan to accuse vs if wee iudge our selues God will acquite vs from the fearefull iudgement to come if wee bee displeased for our sinnes God will be pleased with vs in Christ his righteousnesse On the contrarie whilest we lie in our sinnes we lie in our owne blood if wee iudge not our selues God will both iudge vs and bee reuenged of our sinne he will set our house on fire he will send enemies hee will send earthquakes he will send famines to consume our goods he wil make friends foes he wil send sicknes and sorenesse vpon our bodies a troubled spirit into our soules he will send vs an ill name thus will he bring plague vpon plague vntill we repent and come to a feeling of our sins And why doth God all this because we will not come to iudge our selues For this cause saith the Apostle 1. Cor. 11. 30. that is because wee iudge not our selues many are weake and sicke among you and many sleepe 31. For if wee would iudge our selues wee should not be iudged 32. But when we are iudged we are chastened of the Lord that wee should not be condemned with the world Likewise the Prophet Psal. 89. and 30 31. 32. 33. But if his children for sake my law and walke not in my iudgements if they breake my statutes and keepe not my commandements then will I visit their transgression with the sword and their iniquitie with strokes yet my louing kindnesse will I not take from him neither will I falsifie my truth For as a father withdraweth from his childe sometimes his loue and whippeth him with the rod of correction so the Lord dealeth often with his children and scourgeth their naked conscience God doth iudge his heere but his enemies will hee iudge in the world to come if we bee not punished here the punishment will be as thunderbolts in the day of iudgement Hast thou been afflicted and not profited Will not a little crosse serue thee a greater shal come to thee Will not a few troubles turne thee to God then many shall come vpon thee If a man be not troubled for sinne here it is the way to hell if hee bee troubled here it is the way to heauen And as they which haue not bin troubled hauing had a little ioy shall haue eternall paine so they which here haue had a little paine shall after haue euerlasting ioy They that are corrected and haue profited by it are afflicted of the Lord in mercie but they that bee vexed and amend not receiue a token of Gods further wrath Wherefore we must not looke to feele comfort in the remission of sinnes vnlesse wee also haue sorrow for committing our sinnes For neuer any of Gods children were comforted throughly but they were first humbled for their sinnes To the working of which humiliation wee must remember Gods iudgements shewed on others Hath God destroyed the whole world for sinne and can hee not or will hee not destroy thee for sinne Hath hee ouerthrowne whole nations and will hee suffer thee to lie still in thy sinnes See how full hell is alreadie and yet daily wee runne headlong thither Consider also how great thy sinne was that could not be cleansed but by the blood of Iesus Christ Oh how foule was that sinne that nothing else could wash it but Christ his heart blood Oh how great was our guiltinesse that was raunsomed by such a price How great was the sore that needeth such a salue how deepe was the wound that needed such a medicine O louing kindnes and vnspeakable loue towards vs Shall Christ â—ee slaine for our sinnes and wee not labour to slay sinne in our selues Shall Christ dye for our sinnes and sinne as yet is not dead in vs Shall Christ bee crucified for vs and will wee not crucifie sinne in our selues Shall Christ haue his heart pricked with a speare and shall not wee haue our hearts pricked with sorrow This is the true vse and meditation of Christ his passion
tune sometime in Herods tune sometime in the Pharisies tune and sometime in the Disciples tune in all which the diuell bereaued them of the pure vse and due consideration of Christ crucified And yet some of these would hate a Iew some would spit at a Iew some would weepe to heare the name of Christ and would pitie his death I am the longer in these things to make the iudgements of God in them profitable instructions to vs by prouoking men to thankfulnes for their deliuerance if in truth they be deliuered that is if they be not now as prophane as euer they were superstitious not forsaking but changing the sinne As for the erroneous heretiques not to speake of all let vs adde somewhat of the most pestilent family of loue who shoote as much too short at this pricke as the other shoote too farre For in speaking of the birth death and resurrection of Christ these men as fooles flying one extremitie runne post-hast into the contrary extremitie and therefore these wretches imagining to themselues a spirituall Christ are as much to be maliced as the Papists are to be pittied For after Poperie yet some cause was giuen of reioycing in that the truth of the historie was left vnto vs but these fellowes vnder a colour of not being ceremoniall but altogether desiring to be spirituall take away all from vs and yet most deceitfully will seeme to graunt all If ye demaund any thing of Christ his birth they will graunt it if ye aske whether he was borne of the seed of Dauid and of the Virgin Mary they will confesse it but as vnderstanding it after this allegorie for that Mary as they say signifieth doctrine Dauid the beloued seruice so that this is their iudgement of Christ his birth that he was borne of the doctrine of the seruice of loue In like manner they will graunt the resurrection of Christ his death and his buriall but in this sense that Christ suffereth in our suffocated nature and is crucified when sinne dieth in vs and when they suffer for the doctrine of loue and that after they haue suffered and begin to be illuminated then Christ riseth againe in them and lastly when the light of nature getteth some clearer light of iudgement then Christ is readie to come to iudgement Thus a number hauing refused the Antichristian Pope are fallen into the hands of Antichristian Atheists and hauing eschued the dregs of poperie they haue wallowed most filthily in the mire of here sie And thus much of the professed enemies Now of the not hearted friends whereof the one sort is not well aduised the other are not very faithfull friends The vnaduised friends vnder a pretence of knowing nothing but Christ condemne all humane learning arts and sciences all manuall professions and these men though as yet they are not plunged in heresie yet without the speciall grace of God preuenting them are in the high way as readie to be trained vp to heresie and thus being ouer wise and ouer iust they cannot in truth reioyce in the crosse of Christ. The vnfaithfull friends being both protestants and professors though they be no plaine atheists but giue some countenance to the Gospell do neither chiefely reioyce in Christ nor truly sorrow for their sinnes which notwithstanding are so great as neither the vertue of Christ his death nor the power of his resurrection appeareth in their liues or in their deaths and these men be either by degrees tending to prophane atheisme or they are brought vp to be superstitious Papists and grosse heretiques Contrary to all these professed enemies and not heartie friends are they who so truly meditate on Christ his birth death and resurrection as they chiefely mourning for their sinnes thinke this the greatest knowledge to know Christ crucified and count this their highest ioy to reioyce in the crosse of Christ by which knowledge not of any spirituall and imagined Christ by which ioy not in ceremonie or superstition they labour to crucifie the world not to forsake or vtterly to neglect the necessarie things of this life they endeuour to restraine not to destroy their flesh finally to become new creatures and yet not here to liue lik◠Angels Thus we see how requisite this treatise will be both that we may be deliuered from the Papists superstitiōs from the monstrous conceits of Heretikes from the sinister meditation of vnaduised persons and the carnall consideration of worldly professors as also by it to come to some sound fruite of Christ his death and from the fruite feeling to engender faith that from true faith may spring true loue and from our loue may grow true practise Now to come to the words of our Apostle Be it farre from me He here sheweth how his choise came of a setled purpose and that in respect of this whereof he had made a sound and speciall choise aboue the rest he abhorred and vily esteemed all other things And this vehement phrase of speech is vsed of the Apostle in things which rather are to be detested than to be disputed against as Rom. 3. 4. when Paul abhorreth the blasphemie against the grace of God in that the vnbeliefe of a few should disanull the beliefe of many he crieth out God forbid And when he would shew his heartie hatred to the accusers of the righteousnes of God Rom. 3. he saith God forbid As also in the end of the same chapter the Apostle more vehemently meeting with the obiection of thē who say in that iustification came of faith would liue as they listed and would make the law of God of no purpose saith Be it farre from me Likewise Rom. 2. abhorring them that would willingly diuorce holinesse of life from iustification and remaine in sinne that Christ his grace may abound he breaketh out God forbid Thus then the holy Ghost vseth this phrase when either he sheweth some thing thoroughly to be hated or speaketh of some thing principally to be chosen and preferred And the Apostles meaning in chusing aboue all to reioyce in Christ crucified and in mourning for nothing more than for that which hindreth the crosse of Christ is nothing else but to declare that whosoeuer doth reioyce in any thing more than in Christ crucified he freeth himselfe from all the things that are in Christ and as yet he cannot assure himselfe to belong to Christ as also he sheweth what a necessarie reioycing this is in that there is no comfort in saluation no marke of Gods childe in him who either reioyceth not in this or at the least longeth for it That I should reioyce Marke he saith not Be it farre from me that I should vse thinke speake or doe any thing but the crosse of Christ but he wisheth that his affection should not principally be tied to any thing but to Christ. Neither must we from hence vnfitly gather that we should not eate drinke apparell ourselues marrie or walke in some honest trade of life but this
on as inceptors in Christianitie others walke on as proficients in Christianitie a fewe runne on as absolute christians in the race First Euery christian is the runner Secondly they begin to runne after iustificatioÌ„ by faith in Christ Regeneration Before which the shackles of sin hinder their running Thirdly the ende of this race is the ende of their life Fourthly the race it selfe is the way of Gods statutes Fiftly the place for these runners is this present world for in the world to come we neede not to runne we shall then receiue the ende of our faith which is the saluation of our soules Sixtly the marke at which they ayme is Iesus Christ that they may perfectly knowe loue and possesse him and therefore this race is nothing else but a continuall and most ardent desire studie and endeuour to profit in the knowledge faith loue incorporation and possession of Christ. Seuenthly The price appointed for such as runne well is eternall life with Christ in heauen Eightly this race hath in it these degrees maturè properè rectè constanter First maturè begin betime Secondly properé make hast Thirdly recté keepe on right Fourthly constanter continue to the ende All which that we may performe we must resolue First that we haue neuer runne farre enough for this were to dreame of an Anabaptisticall perfection SecoÌ„dly we must euer ayme at our marke which is Christ Iesus Thirdly we must forget our ground behinde vs and all those steps we haue troden in it Fourthly we must euer endeuour to that which is before vs. Fiftly we must cast off all impediments in this race Sixtly and lastly let vs consider that when we haue runne heere as fast as we can yet is our reward and crowne in heauen and this will make vs to runne on still When thou shalt enlarge mine heart Some thinke that the Prophet straitned because of his enemies meaneth that if God should graunt him victorie ouer them then his feete should be as hindes feete to runne on in the aboue named way But it is probable he speaketh of that griefe he had at the consideration of Gods wrath for sinne and indeed such sorrowes doe so drawe together the heart that they make a man not onely slowe to doe good but that he cannot moue a foote in this way but if God remoue them and quiet the conscience Rom. 5 1. we are so readie and fit to euery good worke that we will not onely walke in these paths but with great alacritie runne on in the same Nothing can stay vs when that sorrowe is taken from vs no not contempt imprisonment or losse of life THE 5. PORTION ¶ Verse 33. Teach me ô Lord the way of thy statutes and I will keepe it vnto the ende I obserue that in this one octonarie which is not to be found in any of the rest namely that in euery seuerall verse there is a seuerall prayer In the first whereof he prayeth to be taught and then promiseth to take that which God shall teach him He had before resolued to runne in this way but he felt forthwith his owne naturall aberrations and therefore commeth to this guide to be taught Teach me O Lord As the Eunuch in the Acts desires Philip to teach him and a schollet in the schoole his maister to teach him or a stranger in his iourney some guyde to teach him so Dauid heere desires God to teach him It seemes this way is hard to be found by any man and worthie to be found out by all men in which Dauid so often desires to be directed He was no doubt a guide to the blinde an instructâ—r of the ignorant and a learned scholler in the schoole of Christ but fearing all his owne wayes and hungring after greater knowledge which is as the principall wheele of a clocke to the rest he still beâ—aketh himselfe vnto prayer Why then shall we thinke that if he haue once gotten a gliâ—pse of Gods glory reuealed in his word a smaâ—ch of that knowledge manifested in his will a tast of that sweetnes which is in his Lawe or some vnderstanding of that way which leadeth to life we haue enough and are of our selues able tâ— behold that glorie apprehend that knowledge relish that sweetnes or runne on in that way O let vs rather say as Dauid doth Teach me ô Lord. Thus the faithfull after God hath liberally bestowed on them great graces ought alwaies to walke in feare and humilitie knowing that they are subiect to many temptations which they are neuer able to resist vnles he that hath begunne his good worke in them doe make them to continue in the same And I will keepe it vnto the ende It is not enough to begin well but we must goe on this is the comeplement of true pietie righteousnesse Is our garment it must be like Iosephs partie coloured coate downe to the heeles not like that of Dauids Ambassadors cut off in the middest It is the Christians sacrifice and God requires not onely the head that is the beginning but also the tayle that is the ending of this sacrifice Remember Lots wife let vs reade that historie least we our selues become an historie ¶ Verse 34. Giue me vnderstanding and I will keepe thy Law yea I will keepe it with my whole heart Giue me vnderstanding c. We thinke that wisedome is only found amongst the politicians of this world that he who can prouide for himselfe preuent his enemie circumuent his friend and see furthest into the affayres of this world he is the man yea the onely wise man But Dauid here thinks that true wisedome is in vnderstanding and keeping the Lawe of God Moses thought so Deutr. 6. Salomon thought so Prou. 1. 6. Iob thought so chapt 28. 28. and hee that is not of this minde shall one day be enforced to say Alas I haue reiected the word of the Lord and what wisedome is in me Isa. 8. If any one therefore doe want this true wisedome let him as Dauid doth and Iames exhorteth all to doe aske it of him who giueth liberally to all men and vpbraydeth none Iames. 1. 6. And I will keepe it with my whole heart As he promised before pâ—â—seuerance so he promiseth sinceritie The heart is the Christian sacrifice the fountaine of all both good and euill actions and the principall gift which God beggeth at our hands My sonne giue me thy heart It was once â—â— saying of the Bishop of Rome when he would giue licence to our English Catholiques to come vnto our Churches and so be present at our prayers Fili da mihi cor tuum sâ—â—ssicit Sonne giue me thine heart and it sufficeth but he hath retracted this his teleration now he will haue all or nothing Our God is not like their God our aduersaries being iudges He indeed requireth the heart because if we bestow it on him we will forthwith giue him all the rest Let vs not thinke that any seruice
their finall destruction Thus did the Lord deale with them at Ierusalem and thus shall the Lord doe from generation to generation For his word after this sort shall goe from one nation to another people till the Gospell of the kingdome hath beene preached through all the world and then shall the end come Then wee see that the contempt of the word bringeth destruction to cities and nations Vers. 90. Thy trueth is from generation to generation thou hast laid the foundation of the earth and it abideth THe earth as the Philosophers thinke standeth in the middest of the firmament and as the Scriptures teach vs the waters are aboue the earth so that to reason the earth seemeth to be very fickle and readie to fall albeit to our sense nothing seemeth so stedfast How commeth it to passe then that the earth falleth not or is not couered with water but because of the word wherein God hath commaunded it so to be as in the beginning hee made it by the word The Lord gaue bounds to the Sea the which it should not passe and those bounds it kept two thousand yeeres then by the word of the Lord it ouerflowed the earth but after that it hath to this day continued within his bankes because God hath so appointed it And if these be so sure by the word of the Lord the word must needs be sure and stedfast wherein God hath promised that he wil haue his Church to the end The like reason Ieremie vseth chap. 31. and 35. 36. 37. So long as the Sun and the Moone continue in heauen so long will I haue my Church vpon the earth though the wicked rage against it This must stay and comfort vs when these thoughts assault vs Oh if the word should be taken from this place where then should it rest If this King or Queene should dye where should the word become then This must assure vs I say that the Lord will prouide for his Church so that the word may continue amongst them so long as his couenant of the night and the day abideth Vers. 91. They continue euen to this day by thine ordinances for all are thy seruants THese are deputed of God to be his seruants and this answereth an objection Obiect These things are chaungeable Answ This in that they are so it is to seâ—â—e Gods iudgements for the saluation of the good and the confusion of his enemies The Sunne is certaine and yet for the glorious victorie of Gods people vnder Ioshua it stood still So did it turne back for Ezechias The waters also were his seruants to take vengeance on his enemies at the flood so likewise the red Sea saued Gods children and destroyed his foes Then when these creatures keepe not their course it is the worke of God for the good of his people and the hurt of his enemies Much more are the ordinarie workes his seruants as moderate raine drie weather c Leuit 25. for to restifie his fauour to his children as immoderate drought for the hurt of his foes So discord â—amine plague warre c all these waite on GOD to serue him when he will punish any people as peace loue plentie health strength c. are to the comfort of his people All are his Seruants All the creatures round about are readie to serue him at his will from the Angels in heauen to the wormes in the earth therefore hee is called the Lord of Hosts they are not ordered by nature fortune or such like but by Gods prouidence example Psal. 107. If we were perswaded of this then should we be seared if our hearts were not right with God and we should be comforted when our hearts were right before him knowing that these serue to testifie his loue to them that feare him and to testifie his wrath where he is displeased This must driue vs from second causes to looke to GOD If God be with us who shall be against us If wee were perswaded that they shall all beare witnesse with vs or against vs then would we be fearfull and desirous to be reconciled to God for he hath giuen these creatures to vs no otherwise to vse then that wee may be in CHRIST for if we be not then must we giue account for them but if we be recoÌ„ciled to GOD then haue we a speciall comfort that nothing shall burt vs and when they might seeme to hurt they shall helpe vs our enemies shall be our friends and the stones shall be at league with vs and nothing shall separate vs from the loue of God Fire shall burne vs easily and water shall easily drowne vs for though Tyrants abuse these for a time yet they are Gods seruants and they groane with vs for our redemption Doe all creatures groane and shall we be secure Doe they their seruice and shall not wee doe our duties Then most grieuous shall our condemnation be ¶ Vers 92. Except thy Lawes had bene my delight I had euen now perished in mine â—â—â—â—â—ction IT seemeth by many verses in this Psalme that Dauid was much afflicted for his life was in his hand his soule cleaued vnto the dust hee was sore troubled and had it not beene for comfort out of Gods Word doubtlesse hee had perished in his trouble This verse I may call A perfume against a Plague the sicke in â—â—â—â—â—â—â—â— the afflicted mans consolation and a blessed Triumph in and ouer all troubles In which note 1. That Dauid was afflicted 2. that hee was readie to perish in his affliction 3. the remedie against his affliction namely Gods Lawe 4. the application of that remedie it was his delight 1. Dauid was afflicted hee was the beloued of the Lorde one of his worthiest Captanes wee reade of in the Bible and indeede a man after Gods owne heart yet the Cup nay the bitter cup of affliction could not passe away from him but because he was made strong enough to beare this mingled drinke and surely all mens braines beare not wine alike therefore did hee drinke vp many a full drâ—ught We ought to thinke of Dauids troubles and to esteeme it as an argument of Gods great fauour towards vs if to the great carowses which we take of Gods blessings it shall please him to adde a purging potion of affliction There is no true sonne but since follie is bound vp by nature in his heart the rod of correction must be laid vpon him From Adam to Christ in whom we all are all haue beene partakers of affliction It was Dauids iudgement In the sweate of thy face shalt thou eate thy breade it was a part of Christs consecration by affliction hee was made the high Priest of our saluation Exulerat Christus comites nos exulis huius Essedecet cuius nos quoque membra sumits Our head Christ here an exile was We members must this exile trace But why doth God thus visite his dearest and most dutifull seruants Answ. I to shewe how he hateth sinne when he
the auoyding of the infection which might be gotten by euill companie For what could preserue a man in Sodome but only his lawfull calling therefore vnles a man haue such a calling to keepe him there he must flie quicklie from the wicked he must flie farre from them he must see them amend before he returne vnto them Dauid did very well see this and therefore he doth in many places crie out against them Away from me yee wicked Woe is me that I haue so long dwelt in Kedar Dauid was not effeminate he had not a womanish heart to crie without cause he felt the smart of it and therefore crieth so earnestly against them he saw no good example he saw no occasion of goodnes he was much hindered in his obedience hee had many pulbackes and other great disprofits By this then we see how needfull a precept Salomon doth here giue vs but the necessitie of this shall more plainely appeare if wee consider either the wickednes of their wicked practises or the hurt which the godly haue receiued by them for the will of the wicked is wholly bent to euill they be euer willing and ready to hurt good people when any occasion is offered their skill is great and their wisedome is answerable to their will And therefore our Sauiour saith The children of this world are wiser in their generation then the children of Light This wisedome we may perceiue in them whether they shew themselues deadly and open enemies or friendly and counterfeited friends for if they professe themselues to be our enemies it is marueilous to see their practises First they will vse all extremitie and hard dealing they will offer violence and oppresse him if it bee possible with wrongfull iniuries and what is their purpose in all this but to prouoke him that is good to requiâ—e euill for euill and so fall from his GOD or at the leastwise to stay and hinder him in the course of his godlines that God may be displeased with him If this thing will not preuaile they will worke another way and labour by slaunders and false reports in such wise to discredit him that he may be vtterly discouraged and caused to forsake his profession And yet they will finde another way if this will not worke they will deuise crafty fetches and practise subtiltie against him they will inuent pestiferous policies and finde craftie counsels to ouerthrow him These and many other wayes haue they to spit their spite and spue out their venemous poyson against the people of God If thus also they cannot haue that successe they looke for if by this means they cannot obtaine their purpose they will take a contrarie course to preuaile that way if it be possible they will fame friendship and become our friends they will flatter vs with faire words and allure vs with their benefits to communicate with them in their wickednes and to be companions with them in their sinnes but when they deale most dangerously when they marke and obserue our dispositions and become appliable to our nature for this meanes will they also vse so malicious are they indeed towards vs. If we be religious they will shape some shewe of religion if we praise anie they will praise him if we mislike or dispraise anie they will shewe their mislike of him Thus in all things they will marke our mindes and our dispositions and will so applie themselues vnto vs that except God giue vs grace they will ouerthrowe vs. Seeing therefore they haue a readie will to hurt vs seeing also they haue great skill to deuise most forcible and politike meanes against vs what worthie account must we make of this precept wherein Salomon teacheth vs how we may keepe our selues from receiuing any hinderance by them Againe if we thinke vpon the hurt that the godly haue had by them or if we consider how they haue bene infected through their corruption wee shall confesse indeed that it is most dangerous to deale with them and it is the best way to keep vs farre from them Ioseph was a good man and indued with great graces he had receiued great increases strength of Faith and had strong temptations yet being daily conuersant among the Egyptians hee learned to sweare by the life of Pharaoh Dauid was a man according to Gods owne heart he suffred much and learned great obedience by his sufferings yet abiding but a while among the vncircumcised Philistims he learned to lie and to dissemble What shall I say of Lot and his familie what danger was he in what losse did he sustaine what hurt had he in his goods in his soule and bodie hee was carryed away with the wicked Sodomites captiue his goods and Cattell were taken from him and though through Gods goodnesse hee was rescued yet he loued Sodome still and would liue in it yea though fire and brimstone were ready to be powred vpon it he must be dragged and drawne out of the Towne or else hee would not easily haue left the place albeit his soule was daily vexed with the filthinesse of their behauiour his wife looked backe when shee was deliuered and therefore she was turned into a Pillar of salt his daughters were so corrupted that they were not ashamed to lye with their father and Lot himselfe learned to drinke wine very liberally whereby hee was brought into a filthy sinne If a man were assured that hee should continue safe notwithstanding all the temptations of the wicked yet the care of his familie and feare of their falling should bee a cause sufficient to driue him from wicked companie But if hee himselfe be touched with a conscience and a feeling of his owne infirmitie what loue of profit what hope of aduautage should keepe him there Lot therefore might plainely see the iudgement of God vpon him and vpon his familie because he would liue and linger so long among those wicked Sodomites Now if these men receiued such deepe and great woundes by wicked companie then who is that man or what is his name that can thinke to stand among them We therfore ought to be most circumspect and carefull to keep vs from the company of wicked men for their heresies will make vs heretikes their carelesnes will make vs vngodly and secure This commandement of flying euill is very generall and may bee extended to all the commandements which we are brought to breake by reason of euill companie Vers. 16. For they cannot sleepe except they haue done euill their sleepe departeth except they haue caused some to fall c. THe law and precept which was prouided for the auoyding of euill company was most effectually set downe in the two former verses The reasons of this commandement do follow in the foure next verses These reasons are in nuÌ„ber two The first is drawn from the peruerse and crooked nature of the will and disposition of wicked men in the 16. 17. and 19. verses The second
vnthankfulnes by remaining still in our corruption to let him loose his labour in all his sufferings wherein as we haue no care of our saluation so we manifest an open contempt of his most pretious Passion well worthie are we to die and vnworthie are we to liue in that the choise being set before vs we chuse rather to be murdered with our sinnes than to be rescued to life by Iesus Christ. For iustly is the reward promised to such as ouercome Reuel 3. 15. 12. 22. that is to such as will not onely strangle presse out the breath of sin and close vp the eyes of it at the fall and death of it but also follow it to the graue and couer it with moules so as it neuer rise againe Not that we thinke that sinne in this life is so wholy martyred but that the life of sinne may well be weakened counting it a rebell to regeneration not a Prince ouer the spirit of sanctification And as a Serpent cut in diuers peeces hath but certaine relicks of poyson and remnants of fiercenes in the maimed members and mangled parts thereof and is not able to exercise the like violence to a man as when it was whole and perfectly membred so howsoeuer some relicks of sins remaine in our old but in our martyred Adam yet it hath no such force or fiercenes to preuaile against vs as when it was in it perfect age like rather a mightie Monarch than a poore prisoner 22 It is vsuall either in deliuering or hearing doctrine to seuer disioyne those things which in their owne nature are conioyned by the holy Ghost Thus some deale in the doctrine of faith For when it is said The iust shall liue by faith they forget the former proposition that is the iust shall liue For here are two doctrines first he that is iust must liue by faith then that he must not liue by faith except he be iust Here must be no seuering of things because they may well be coupled together CHAP. XXVIII Of Feare MAny causes we haue to feare first for want of perseuerance we should leaue our estate in so great a danger that being swept and garnished yet the diuell at his comming should be accepted and make his reenter into vs againe There is another feare the feare of offence least by our halting we should draw others after vs and so weaken their hands and their knees The third feare is of comforting our enemies and of grieuing others that haue beene our defence I meane the Angels who as they are comforted in the perseuerance of the iust so they mourne at the falles of the righteous 2 True feare hath many properties as first it breeds in vs a maruellous humilitie as wee see in Iacob who was much afraid of his brother Esau therefore comming towards him he falles down seuen times There is a feare humbling and it is the worke of God to bring vs to himselfe And surely the Lord takes great delight in it and what is the reason of it because the Sonne of God in his humilitie hath done greater things for vs than euer hee did in his glorie for being God and vouchsafing to bee humbled euen to a worme hee hath done vs more good and more glorious things than euer hee did whiles hee was among the Angels Now the world is full of such proud spirits that nothing can qualifie them A second qualitie of feare is that it is very credulous This againe wee see in Iacob for when one told him his brother came against him so well furnished he feared greatly yet disputed not long in the matter It is the glorie of our age to dispute and gaine say a man and to say surely though you be of such an opinion I am not thinke as you will I thinke thus So that our dealings are so full of doubts and so ambiguous as though there neuer had been world before vs or as though now it were high midnight in Poperie The third qualitie in feare is diligence This also we see in Iacobs example who was marueilously studious to salute his brother disposing wisely of his children and cattell in the best order he could to preuent his brothers furie 3 It is a kindly thing to feare at Gods threatnings therefore when the iudgements of God were denounced it was noted as a signe of great deadnesse of heart if the most wretched sinner were not smitten with terrour hee that was in the highest degree of reprobation as Pharaoh feared for it is the nature of an iron rod easily to breake an earthen pot But for promises to bring vs to feare it is as strange a thing as it is in nature that thin water should breake a bodie and yet some bodies there be of so weake substance that any thing wil dissolue them Such is the nature of them who seeing and finding in themselues a great vnworthinesse to inherite such gracious promises of God are euer readie to melt away and to breake in sunder as beaten with an iron rod. Wherefore if wee can thus feare in loue and loue in feare we may haue a good testimony to our owne consciences that we haue a good feare because tasting how gracious and marueilous the Lord is in all his Saints we feare least we should lose so good and so gracious a Lord. 4 It is good to be stricken with feare so that we lie not in it willingly but being humbled therewith search our owne corruption and so to bee moued to enquire further after God and his word 5 The wicked feare not before affliction commeth and then they feare too much the godly feare before it comes and then their feare ceaseth For impietie triumpheth in prosperitie and trembleth in aduersitie but pietie trembleth in prosperitie and triumpheth in aduersitie 6 If Moses and the deare seruants of God were afraid when hee did appeare in mercie to them what shall the confusion of the wicked be when hee commeth to iudgement Wee cannot be prepared to receiue God his mercie vnlesse wee be striken with a reuerent feare both because we are his creatures and also sinfull God is alwayes God and is to bee feared 7 Many men maruell how men bee so smitten with such feares and so despaire that they cannot beleeue but these neuer consider the iudgement of God in hardning them and thus by a carnall admiration are depriued of all profiting by such examples In all things we should turne our eyes from man and onely behold God and know that it is hee which maketh our enemies to loue vs our inferiours to obey vs our friends to hate vs our superiours to loth vs. If we had this in our hearts we would surely cast off the feare of man and flatterie and striue to feare God in all sinceritie and to knowe that if the feare of God preuaile with vs we shal preuaile with men and haue
earth therfore let vs not grieue him in heauen also Thirdly being the temples of the holy Ghost 1. Cor. 6. 19. it were a despite against the Lord if we make the house of God the stye of Sathan and sincke of sinne Fourthly the Angels reioyce to see a sinner repent as also there is great sorrow when a Professor falleth away the heauens seeme to be clothed with blacke thereat and the Angels weare mourning attire But to come down from heauen to earth Fiftly whereas the rankest heretikes haue had often great feelings whereby this is no good way to saluation to thinke our selues sure in a carnall securitie Peter teacheth vs another way Make your election sure by good workes 2. Pet. 1. 10. as by a signe consequent not as by a cause antecedent Sixtly we must by good works auoyd the offending of our brethren least that as Lot was vexed among the Sodomites we grieue the hearts of the Saints Seuenthly as we are not to grieue strong Lot so wee must not offend the weake ones for whose sakes wee must abridge somewhat from our libertie in things lawfull and much more cut off our licentiousnesse in things that be vnlawfull Eightly we must do good euen for the wicked Wherefore the Apostle I. Pet. 3. 2. admonisheth wiues so to liue that euen they which obey not the word may without the word be wonne by the conuersation of the wiues If women are thus charged then much more men Ninthly because the Diuell not barred out by good workes doth make vs his pallace or rather his paunch or his stable and at the fall of a righteous man the damned doe as it were make great bonefires in hell let vs bring forth the fruites of righteousnesse which may make the Diuell to some in fretting and worke more madnes and melancholie in the damned Tenthly for the confusion of the wicked in the last day it shal be good by wel-doing to redeeme some comfortable confidence of our being in CHRIST against that day when the sides of the wicked shall lie panting in paine Now to make vp the number of a douzen wee may be moued to doe good works by considering the ende of the godly and the end of the wicked Mat. 25. These reasons many and waighty shall redeeme vs from this reproch wherewith our enemies doe charge vs. 6 To doe good is worth the doing albeit in vaine and as Sencca saith He is a perfect man that can loose a benefite giue it not to giue loose it But whose is the hurt CHRIST preached in vaine to the Iewes and Noah to the old world and Lot to the Sodomites but were Noah Lot and Christ hurt for it And yet many writers think no good worke is in vaine to him that it is done too But certainely to him that doth it it is not in vaine there is a great reward for them in the life to come And in that respect GOD will haue his children doe manie good works in vaine As to Moses he said Goe preach to Pharaoh he shall not heare thee yet goe Againe that which is well done is better done then not done for then it perisheth with them otherwise it should perish with thy selfe 7 There is none hath a priuiledge whereby he is exempted from doing of good works The Law is giuen to all Iohn 10. Euery one had his Talent Luc. 19. Euery one shall beare his burthen Gal. 6 Euery one shall stand before the Tribunall of GOD euery mans blood shall be vpon his owne head Ezech. 5 Euery Tree that bringeth not forth fruite shall be cut downe Matth. 3. Tribulation and anguish shal be vpon euery soule Rom. 2. Thus wee still see it runnes of all and euery one The reason is God accepteth no persons neither in giftes of Nature nor in giftes of Grace nor in iudgements euen the little Hills the small Trees not one pinne made of an vnfruitfull tree But are the wicked tyed to doe good workes Yea euen they Matth. 11. it is saide it shall bee easier for some then for others which is interpreted Matth. 8. that there is vtter darknes whereas Basil saith the greatest sinnes goe thither and Luc. 7. Hee that knoweth his Mastere will c. Euen the wicked must doe good to make their iudgement easier their stripes feweâ— and their place better Must anie more then others doe good workes yes the Christian must especially bee zealous of good workes Tit. 2. warne them that belieue Tit. 3. 14. and in the ende of the same chapter Let our men learne to shewe forth good works what manner men ought we to bee 2. Pet. 3. If any that is counted a brother I. Cor. 5. Now then among Christians who are most bound Tribulation c. on the Iewe first c. The reason is for they had the Oracles of GOD Rom. 3. 1. 2. Hee that knoweth his Masters will and doth it not that fellow sinneth indeede so then this person on whome the powring of the oyntment hath bene first ought to bee most thankfull in good works We must doe good euen to all Be merciful as â— am Luc 6. and we knowe he suffereth his sunne to shine ouerall The reason is God his image is in all But especially to the faithfull Iob. 22. I cannot profite thee c. Psalm 16. My well doing extendeth not to thee but to thy Saints It is Christ his owne desire Luc. 22. Wheâ— thou art conuerted confirme thy brethren We can doe him no good but in his Saints And yet â—o go further to him most of all that is wounded as to the Samaritane Luke 13. If he neede our helpe though he be a Samaritane God could haue made there should haue bene no neede of them but for that he would trie the liberalitie of the rich and the patience of the poore Then much more to the soule which is the subiect of immortalitie must wee shew well-doing in pittie and compassion CHAP. LXXV Of Zeale THe zeale of Moses and Phineas and CHRIST wee should striue to haue that we may be grieued with the corruption and sinnes of the time but to redresse them belongeth not to vs except we be Magistrates 2 Zeale leaueth in men a great impression being tempted with Faith and loue 3 We must desire to be zealous and earnest in matters weightie concerning the Lord or his people but in small matters our owne affaires and worldly friendes wee must take heede it be not naturall earnestnes or carnall or not sauouring of the Spirit 4 One saying in his hearing that it might be obserued from time to time that men haue bene more bountifull in furthering a corrupt religion then in relieuing the professors of the Gospell he answered his iudgment was the contrary for thogh many in popery giue much yet it is of their abundance but wee read in no place that euer men solde
so in vnaduised ioyes you can find no spirituall profit He was not so much moued at the reproches of his enemies as at the not profiting of his friends Yet herein he had this comfort first if all profited not by his speeches yet so that one among tenne profited he thought he had the winnings that Christ had secondly if they profited not which he spake to presently yet they might profit hereafter thirdly if none of them profited yet he knew the word should not be in vaine It is the policie of Satan as to blinde and beset the world with a quiet possession of an vniust mirth thereby to keepe them from the true sight of their sinnes so to oppresse the sillie flocke of Christ with false and causelesse feares thereby to keepe them from the glorious feeling of their redemption He knoweth to his griefe that your ioy may temporally be interrupted but not finally or eternally be denied you therefore he plieth himselfe though he cannot extinguish it yet to diminish your iust and royall right in your Christ in regard wherof you staÌ„d guiltie of not maintayning the Lords royaltie giueÌ„ to his elect if in the least measure you yeeld to these slauish feares of the aduersarie This subtill Serpent is not ignorant that by these pensiue practises he doth weare to a dulnes the edge of your prayers and that he draweth from you with an vncomfortable tediousnes the fruits of your faith and consequently by these meanes you are depriued of the fruit of a more comfortable seruice to your God the weake ones fearing also by your example the profession of Christ to be strict and comfortlesse Of the power and priuiledges of Gods word THhe Word of GOD is mightie liuely in operation Heb. 4 12. 13. This place commendeth vnto vs the Word by it effects shewing that it is not a sound in the aire to tickle mens eares please their conceits but it worketh with further power like a two edged sword to humble men and being humbled to raise them vp againe Hereunto therefore is due a speciall prerogatiue and honor because the worke of it shal be ratified in mens consciences whether they be good or euill elect or reprobates For the word is the power of GOD to all that an Anatomie of our corruptions laide before vs wee might be driuen out of our selues to IESVS CHRIST First of the words then of obseruations out of the doctrine The word is liuely Therefore not dead as the wisdome of Philosophie It is sharper then a two edged sword This Metaphor is vsed Esay 48. 2. where the Word is compared to a sword or an arrow wherewith men are shot at Also Ephes. 6. it is compared to a sword And entreth to the deuiding asunder of the soule and the spirit c. This declareth how the word reuealeth inward hypocrisie and telleth vs that all our holines is but dissimulation all our wisedome foolishnes all our righteousnes as a defiled cloth And of the ioynts and of the marrow This is added to shewe that though wee hide our hypocrisie and would â—urie it in the most secret parts yet euen the bones shall tremble and the marrow in the bones shall turne to rottennes as Iob. 33. 19. Psal. 51 8 Psal 32. And is a diâ—cerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart Here we see that where no law of man can take hold of vs there the Lord will finde our intents by his word and will gage vs to the bottome Hence arise three questions First how the word doth thus worke in men It is when we vse good meanes and God his Spirit worketh vpon the meanes The vsuall meanes are hearing reading conferring and meditating and praying This we may see 1. Corinth 10. Proâ— 29. Ephes 4. 1. Thess. 5. by the vertue of the word preached To preaching we must ioyne reading of it Act. 17. As for conference and meditation we must know that neuer any shall come to the marrow of knowledge without this meane For meditation is the life of learning the want where of causeth that the greatest Clerkes are not the wisest men Of prayer Matth. 6. and 11. 1. Cor. 2. how needfull this is so many must acknowledge as confesse the word to be a mysterie and therfore not to be conceiued without the working of God his Spirit which we must pray for 2 Cor. 4. Secondly it is asked of what part of the word this is meant I answere of both that is of the Law and of the Gospell Zâ—ch 12. 1. Cor. 14. Thirdly In whom these effects of the word are found Both in the godly and in the wicked though not alike Where we must know that there is a feeling in both of these men which is inward and not seene Secondly this power is not alwaies presently felt but it worketh in God his appointed time We shall see the word will often strike the vngodly though they be loth to heare and although when they haue heard they would shake it off by inglutting their hearts with eating drinking and sleeping yet it will wring them on their beds at their tables in their chambers when they are with their companions And although God his deare children do not alwaies feele this power to saluation yet they haue it in greater measure at one time or at another Hence obserue three vses First we must come to know the word For the diuell moueth this fearefull question vnto many How knowest thou this is the word rather than any other doctrine To leaue grosse heresies I answere by an interrogatorie Whose words if he were but a man and spake as a man alone did euer driue thee to hell whose words did euer rip vp thy secret and close sinnes who hath drawne teares out of thine eyes and sorrow out of thy heart with a conscience of thy sinne at which thou wert wont to laugh Whose words haue taken thee from the hell of thy conscience to heauen who hath giuen thee ioy in sorrow comfort in trouble What words of Philosophers can make of a Leopard a Lambe of a viper a childe of a leacher a chast person of a couetous carle a liberall man All eloquent Oratours without the word are bare Physitions to a troubled minde Secondly the word needeth none other helpes 1. Cor. â— and 2 and 3. 2. Cor. 2. and 3. and 4. Howbeit we may vse other words besides the bare phrase of the Scripture but we must beware of humane inueÌ„tions take heed we vse not vncertain phrases for certaine If we vse the authoritie of Heathen men we doe ill We may alleadge them but most sparingly and not naming them but by way of an argument we may shew that the Heathen saw this and that and therefore we should not be ignorant of it Similitudes may be vsâ—d if they be naturall and not constrained We must vse them as sauce to prepare vs for better things We must not straine them least we presse
most impatient either of reproches offered vnto vs by our enemies or any iniuries by our friends yet herein we â—eruently aske of thy wise and merciful goodnes that wee may reape a good fruite euen of such euill meanes And because wee grow to bee acquainted with the pride of our spirits and sloath fulnesse of our flesh and few meanes are left vs and many offences by our selues conceiued by others and Sathan offered doe alreadie and are daily like more to assaile vs O Lord thou which hast beene our God euen from our first birth especially since our new birth be thou the God of our middle age yea of our old dayes if we liue so long vntill thou finish the last worke of our new birth begun and continued thus farre in vs. To this ende wee aske of thee that we may vow and receiuing grace from thee wee doe vowe to vse all these forenamed good meanes of our saluation more mercifully than yet euer wee vsed them in vsing of them wee aske more feare of thy Maiestie faith of thy promises purenesse of our hearts loue vnto others and withall blessing and fruite more aboundant that our latter workes may be better then our former Wofull experience O blessed Sauiour teacheth and moueth vs to call vpon thee as for these former things so to be preserued and protected by thy almightie and mercifull grace from our owne corruption to come from all Sathans temptation and accusations from all manner of contagion of the vngodly in their iniuries reproches and their benefits praises their â—orceries inchantments yea from any hurt of thy children as they bee not regenerate and from any hurt by thy creatures so farre forth as any of these things may hurt our saluation Former experience O mightie God and mercifull Father ought not onely to teach but also to enforce vs to giue thee thankes praise and glory for thy former mercies vpon vs and thy Church bestowed but wherein thou hast prouided for vs many arguments of strength of faith or ignorance forgetfulnes negligence and want of reuerence of thy mercies receiued minister iust cause of humiliation and therefore in some faith in and thankfulnesse for thy former mercifull blessings and yet in much weaknesse in the merits of Iesus Christ our Lord with our whole heart wee beseech thee giue vs a good portion of thy spirit to call carefully thy benefites to our remembrance wisely to vnderstand them and reuerently to regard and truly to be thankfull for them in mind in heart in word and deed through Iesus Christ our Lord and onely Sauiour Amen Wee beseech thee most mightie God and mercifull Father to make partakers of our praiers and thankesgiuings all the whole Church and euery member thereof especially where dutie most chargeth promise bindeth necessitie craueth and thy glory chalengeth c. FINIS A TABLE OF THE CHIEFE POINTS OF DOCTRINE HANDLED IN THIS VOLVME GATHERED INTO AN Alphabeticall order A ABstinence vsed 807. want of it hurt the godly 808. Admonition 28. 256 789 to whome it is to be giuen 205. and in what manner 547. 698. 58. of inferiours to superiours 257. how it should be taken 58. Rules of it in generall 629. 630. 631. Adoption what it is and trials thereof 450 Adulterie what it is and how many wayes committed 676. 767. 790. Remedies against it 635. 636. Affection naturall is corrupt 1. 103. 638. 681. 727. 57. 515. 325. alwayes to bee suspected 274. 651. the triall of it 1. 671. 680. how it is renewed 243. 175. 742. goood affections required in good workes 264. 161. Dead Affections 459. 827. Affliction 2. 262. 638. causes of it 35. 640. 197. 234. 235. necessitie thereof 80. how grieuous a thing 97 ioyes in it 686. 782. who are afflicted 95. 96. 639 766. the ende and vse of affliction 1. 2. 112. 686. 533. 334. how to comfort the afflicted 6. 106 1107 114. 116. Affliction soone tries godlie and godlesse 489. three rules for it 864. 865. Ambition 99. how to fight against Ambition 466. Amitie turned into enmitie 798. Anger godlie 243. euill anger 79â— cause of it 466. Triall of anger 3. 641. 204. 547. Angels watch ouer veâ— and how 3. 646 not seene but extraordinarily 641. euill Angels 310. 311. 312. Antichrist 666 Apparell 712. Apostasie how great a sinne 627. An Arrian Heretike 110. Armour of a Christian 308. 309. Assurance of saluation 322. 323. 328. See Saluation Astonishment 24â— Atheisme 3. Austeritie 769. B BAptisme 642. Our vowe in Baptisme euer to bee remembred 477. on what day to be remembred 157. Belieuers like children 18. the belieuer not hastie 408. Blessednes 314. the causes of it 207. the effects of it 209. true blessednes wherein it consisteth 394 Blessing denied because of sinne 784 786. the way to obtaine temporall blessings 644. these are no signes of Gods fauour 645. Blindnes of men 165. causes of it 197. Booke of GOD especiallie to be taken vp with the examples thereof 421. All that can delight the heart of man contained in the booke of God 446 Brethren most vehement in Loue and so in hatred 685. Brownists 258 C CAlamities publike fearefull Tokens thereof 464. causes of it 791. publike most affect vs most 2â— Calling generall speciall 645. misliking thereof dangerous 4. 30. 38. 613. 493. Of calling vpon GOD with diuerse circumstances thereof 449. Care immoderate of outward things hurtfull 464 644 Catechising of Children whiles they are yong required 2 8. 642. 664. families must bee catechized â—9â— how and by whom it must be done 649 6â—5 distinguished from preaching ibid. reasons for it 665 Cause good why it hath ill successe who are enemies to it 8. constancie in it 50 how to prosper in a good cause 461 they may looke to bee potected that haue a good cause and handle that cause well 504 256 651 Censuring of others how it must be done 4 Ceremonies 787 their first originall 152 good and profitable 652 euill and to be hated 353 321 364 Charitie 820 voyde of suspition 79 Chastitie 78 CHRIST 654 his excellencie in all knowledge 751 how and where we must labour to finde CHRIST to apply him 397 his Temptations 490 his Passion in â—oule â—4 186 his Buriall and the vse of it 84 his Resurrection 85 178 he holdeth his Kingdome by two Titles 655 two Crownes 6â—6 his incercession how he must be followed 692 654 his power 852 Christians their estate 308 who bee true Christians 231 A Christians life is the Meditation of the Lawe of GOD c. 459 Difficulties in Christianitic 384 Church why called holie and Catholike the Authoritie and dignitie of it 648 the prospetitie thereof should make vs reioyce 275 a care of the prosperitie a note of Gods children 620 wants in it and yet tollerable 74 648 819 ChildreÌ„ foolish 276 why God giueth such to parents 2â—2 how to be brought vp ibid 662 66â— how to bee corrected 278 marks of Gods children 853 316 their calling and priuiledges