similitude the Sunne is much hidden and absent from vs because we cannot see it the interposition of thick and black clouds betweene that and vs keeping it from our eyes the Sonne of God Christ lesus is a light vnto our paths but our sinnes as it were a cloudy curtayne is drawne so betwixt vs as we are not the better for it The fault heereof is wholly in our selues the Sonne is cleare of it God indeede doth blinde the wicked but he blindeh them negatiuely namely to recusant and obstinate sinners he dooth not communicate the light of his spirite and for this cause as Iob sayth They doe groape at noone day Iob 5. Whenas men wilfully do hide themselues from God God not vnwillingly dooth hide his word from them This hiding is euer in the creature onely and not in the Creator He would haue cured Babylon Ierem. 51. but she would not therefore he must leaue her The word must haue a fit subiect to work vpon or else no maruel though it be preached in vaine and is as a sword hidden in a scabbard and seemeth a dead and hidden letter to vs. The plow-man A sumilitude when he casteth his seede into the ground looseth it if the soyle be not fruitfull and fit for it so strowe Gods good seede in the furrowes of bad heartes and the seede shall neuer be seene to come and spring vp in them In euery action naturall and spiritual these two things chiefly are regarded the agent the patient In the agent there must be power and abilitie of action and in the patient conformable disposition to entertayne the action The Smyth must first make his yrons fit and pliable by the fire A similitude before he can hammer them make them serue his turne Drie billet is a fit substance to worke vpon Some earth is so leane Similitudes as to sowe it with wheate it thriueth not therby it bringeth forth nothing but light and wilde oates Mans heart is like an Inne that entertayneth alguests confusedly alike of what sort soeuer It is like a boate that leaketh and taketh water at euery seame and cranny It is like an open Cittie without walles obiect and subiect to the inuasion of the enemie It is like a vine without a hedge And finally like a house wythout lockes and doores vnto them and euery one hath ingresse and maketh a lakes of them Depart not thou from God hide not the selfe from him let no fault be in thee and God will not forsake thee or hide his word from thee but he will open this his measure 〈◊〉 thee As the Sun by his departure from the earth is the cause of the congelation of the earth not directly but indirectly so God A similitude to the condigne punishment of impotent sinners hideth himselfe from them for for God to hide himselfe from a sinner and a sinner to hide himselfe from God it is all one Therfore since this treasure is hidden from them I maruel not they esteem it so little and make no seeking for it Ignoti nullique cupido who lusteth loueth that which he did neuer know A base fellow by the high way often beardeth and braueth his better A similitude because he knoweth him not A clowne taketh more pleasure in his cottage and preferreth it before a sumptuous house in London that neuer yet knew the inequalitie betweene them Pearles are not to be prized by those that haue no skill of the nature of them Aesops Cocke will barter it away for a barley karnel inasmuch as the vertue of it is hidden from him and truly such apalogues are instructine enough and I find that the wisest sometimes do vse them Taste therfore and see how sweete the Lord is Psalme 14. 1. Pet. 2. and pray to him to open the wonders of his law so shall thy delight be in his commandements which thou hast loued and thou shalt prefer thē aboue gold Psalme 119 worldly treasure if thou knewest what they are This treasure moreouer may be said to be hidden because vnto such as are dispensers of it Math. 7 we are not to open it Christ his precept in this case is flat who chargeth that pearles should not be cast among filthy swine that will treade them vnderfeete The dammage that from hence wil ensue vpon vs if contrary to Gods will we shall with Ezechias open this treasury to the embassadours of Babylon ◠King 20. by the terrible commination by the Prophet denounced vpon Ezechias for this fact is not obscurely shewed vs. Last of all this treasure may be said to be hidden because the estate and possession of this treasure which the word affoordeth is as yet whilst we soiorn in this miserable world detained and hidden from vs Dum est spes not estres saith Augustine This treasure and pearle we haue yet b ut in hope Colost 3. and our life as saith the Apostle is hidden in Christ but when Christ which is our life shall appears then shall we also appeare with him in glorie Therefore the Apostle defineth faith which is the hand which reacheth vs this glory the substance of things hoped for Hebr. 11. and the euidence of things that are not seene Now as this treasure is neuer the lesse worth albeit the hauing of it is yet denied vs and the vnspeakable wealth and worth therof is as yet hidden from vs euen so it is with our soules and bodies that are grafted in Christ Iesus by a true and liuely faith albeit those ioyes which we vndoubtedly look for are yet shut from our eies Beloued 1. Iohn 3 we are now the sonnes of God but yet it doth not appeare what we shall be and we know that when he shall appeare we shall be like him and we shall see him as he is which time the Lord hasten that we may receiue that inheritance with the faithful which the Father of olde hath prepared the Son of late hath purchased and the holy Spirit hath consigned which as yet is hidden from vs. CHAP. V. Of this Merchant-man his taske imposed vpon him for the attayning vnto this Treasure and Pearle of great price THings of excellencie are not had without difficultie Gold and Pearle grow not as the ordinarie fruites of the earth in the outward face of it but they lie hidden in the entrals therof and with hard deluing and tedious turmoyling must be found out of vs. Our Euangelicall Merchant in this place got not vp these goods by gazing about him in an idle speculation but he buckled himself to the ordinary means of attaining therevnto by industruous operation He found this treasure as it is in the first and he sought these good pearles as it is inserted in the latter of these parables Wherefore in this man ech man may see the nature of his taske that expect this mans waies He must not stretch himselfe vpon his bed and fold
it 's labour loft to plow vp Ocean shore The good ground are they Luke 8 by the testimony of Christ who with honest and good heartes heare the worde and keepe it make their hearts the bagge to carry this treasure The good mans hart is the arke of the couenant Hebr. 9. wherein not onely the tables of the olde Lawe but the Gospel of the new is hidden and locked vp It is a fooles heart that is like a broken pitcher that holdeth no water or like a spend-thriftes purse that holdeth no money of a giddy and changeable disposition as leaues of trees shaking euery way with eucry puffe of winde turning round about as the doore vpon the hinges and as a tennis ball that is tossed to and fro and not suffred to rest vpon the ground In the olde Canons such beasts as did not ruminate and chew the cudde as swine Leuitic 1◠Deuter. 14. and such like were defined to be vncleane by the Law of Moses as no doubt those soules are who do not ponder and lay vp in their hearts such precepts and commaundements as the Lord giueth them Therefore that you may not heare the word in vaine the best counsaile that may be giuen you is this to record and write in the tables of your hearts such lessons as you doe learne You must follow the Angels counsaile to Ezechiel Ezechiel 3 saying vnto him Sonne of man eate this rowle that I giue thee cause thy belly to eate and fill thy bowelles with this rowle The like charge did the Angell giue to Iohn that hee should eate and digest the booke Reuel 10. It is the fashion and guise of many to reade much but to eate little to deuoure a great deale but to digest and concoct nothing They returne from the sermon to their dinner and remember nothing no longer than their bodies are in the church as Siues that holde no water no longer than they are holden within the riuer These men labour of a daungerous disease A similitude that is next to deaths doore for theyr case is like vnto that sicke mans estate whose stomacke is so weake as it is not able to retayne and keepe such meate as is put into it but immediately dooth cast it vppe His life is in his nourishment which if hee cannot keepe how is it possible that he should keepe his life I therefore feare much their eternal death who loathe and leaue the diet of the soule which onely preserueth the life of the soule And the prophet Dauid seemeth to conclude so much and to make it an infallible and irrefragable consequence Psalme 107 Their soules faith hee abhorreth all kinde of meate And what followeth heerevppon They are next vnto deaths doore Is there possible any good to be had in the onely hearing and reading of the word without any further heede thereunto Can the henne hatch chickins of those egs A similitude which after shee hath a little sette vppon in the neast she immediately vtterly forsaketh them It is against all beleefe no more can wee bring foorth any good by the hearing of the word which as soone forgotten as it is heard of vs. There is nothing more forcible and effectuall then fire A similitude powerfull to consume but it must haue a time to take holde of his combustible subiect before it can shew his strēgth vpon it For if thou runnest swiftly through it be the fire neuer so quicke thou canst not be scorched or once singed with it A stay must be made that it may apprehend and claspe the fewell or else it is impossible that it should consume it Gods word is the fire of the spirite Luke 24. which inflameth all our heartes and maketh them to burne like a torch which burneth vppe al our sinnes like stubble But if we slubber it vp carelesly and haste away from it and make no stay at it that it may kindle the coales of zeale within them it shall neuer kindle or warme our colde consciences or giue them any comfort Wherefore be perswaded to followe this course which reason aduiseth thee and the practise and examples of the better sort at all times haue animated and incited thee vnto Christes Disciples were led by this rule Luke ◠whenas their thoughts did runne vppon his speech and brought them back again to ask the meaning of it The Virgin Mary is a woman twice or thrice noted for this Luke 12. that she pondered with herselfe the words of the Angell and what kind of salutation is should be and that she lodged such sayings as the heard secretly in hir heart The men of Berea are registred in the chronicles of the spirite for this Act. 17 that they caried home with them the Sermon of Saint Paul that they might trie and examin by the scriptures whether things were so or no. So Dauid vsed this for thus he speaketh of himselfe saying Psalme 119 I haue hidden thy commandement within my heart that I should not sinne against thee There is this marke of difference between Iacob and his sonnes when Ioseph discouered his dreame vnto them his brethren vouchsafed not to giue hi audience but the text saith Gen. 37 that Iacob noted the saying As spicery yeeldeth thee more forcible smell A similitude the more it is brayed and stamped in the morter so the word of God is of better sauour to vs the more it is beaten and bruised in our hearts Wherfore this our Marchant-Ieweller is wise who hideth his treasure assoone as he findeth it And he doth but that which is of common practise The Captain or Lieftenant A similitude to whom the generall Gouernour in the field shal commit a tower or a strong cittie to be kept not only fortifieth it with garrison and munition but foreseeth it to be so diked and fenced round about as it may be sure against intended inuasion If we shall be thus prouident for the safegard of this treasure which the enemy so subtily endeuoureth to haue from vs and keep that thus carefully which our generall commander the Lord of Hostes hath committed to our trust and of which he wil one day take a streight account of vs we shall like loyall subiects discharge our duties wel and shal be very highly rewarded of him for it Let the example of Ezechias be a fair warning to vs 2. Reg. 20 and let vs binde it as a signe vpon our hands who for opening that treasure vnto the ambassadors of Babylon which should haue bin priuatly kept to himselfe and hidden from them gaue occasion to the enemie afterward to rob his posteritie of it As those that do lay seige to any great place A similitude do stop such passages by which they may conceiue their enemie may be succoured so the diuell an old beaten souldiour to this craft intercepteth al the keyes and ports by which he knoweth the Lord conuayeth vnto vs
security the downfall of Sodome and her sister Gomorha Exech 38 and their neighbour Townes about who for all their dead sleep escaped not destruction and their damnation sleeped not Eccle. 33 The whip and burthen belongeth to the Asse correction and worke vnto the seruant send him to labour that he goe not idle for idlanesse bringeth much euil yea it is indeed the roote of all euill and the spawne of al sin I passed by the field of the slouthfull saith Salomon and by the vinyard of the man destitute of vnderstanding and lo it was all growne ouer with thornes and nettles had couered the face therof Prou. 24 Furthermore this king in the wisedome of his spirite made a singular vse of this his meditation in this matter to himselfe He beheld and consideredit wel receiued instruction by it that a little sleepe brought in a great deale of pouerty and a little slumber a great deale of necessitie Corruptions and vices spring vp in the bodies and soules of the wicked as thornes and briars in the fields of the slouth-full The running streame giueth pure and wholsome fishes A similitude but the standing poole ingendreth frogs and diuerse noysome creatures The land that is layd and is vnoccupyed A similitude what else produceth it but lasciuious weeds waxing waste and wilde like to a wildernesse If thou wouldst haue thy soule empty of alvnclean thoughts replenish fulfil it with all godly motions and so no wickednes shall be able to enter in For as the glasse violl that â—s already full of water A similitude is not capable of any other thing beside so the vessell of thy soule being fraught with the best desires it hath no lodging for euill disposed purposes Nature teacheth thee with thy two hands to worke as it doth the bird with her two wings to flie Behold how painfully the worldly man seeketh after wealth learne of him to seek for the true wealth indeed and expresse thou his diligence and thou shalt attaine vnto it Be not slow and slack in Gods seruice Gen. 4 as Cain in his sacrifice but be as forward in duties of religion Gen. 22 as Abraham was in his owne sonnes oblation of whome the Scripture saith that he arose early in the morning to sacrifice vnto God Thou canst not without labour with thy stope and bucket draw water out of a well A similitude much lesse without labour thou shalt draw this liuely water from the well-spring of saluation There are many main motiues and inducements to this duty As the respect of our natural infirme condition being in it selfe such as without this treasure of the word of God which ministreth present help to all our necessities we are not able in this present life tesustaine our selues much lesse to prouide for our better estate in the life that is to come The promises of God are pithy and plausible perswasions herevnto by which he assureth vs his assistance and direction in al our proceedings if so be laboriously we shall inquire and seeke after him Moreouer the presidents and examples of the faithful are as good orators as we need to haue to pleade this assertion Nicodemus a Pharisee euery inch of him of a very cursed sect sought late for this treasure and came to Christ by night to disturb him in his sleepe sculking in the dark and like vnto the night-Owle not daring to behold the Sun at noon day politickely temporizing and playing with both hands yet was he not repulsed but he found this treasure which was hiddeÌ„ from his knowledge Ioh 3. albeit he was dubbed such a doctor among them when Christ discoursed with him of the prime point of rudiment of regeneration Mary Magdalen the harlot the publicane in the temple the thiefe vpon the crosse inquired after him whom their soules loued and their labour was not lost buthey enioyed their desires Math. 6 It is but Aske and haue seeke and find knocke and it shall be opened vnto you Wherefore seeke for knowledge as for treasure and for heauenly wisedome as for the wedge of gold of Ophyr the Corall the babish Iob. 28 and the Onyx stone is not equall vnto this Sell not thy righteousnesse for siluer Amos 8 preferring the merchants of Babylon before the cittizens of Hierusalem Be not like the Gadarenes Luke 8 who for loue of their swine were willing enough to leaue Christ and willed him to depart out of their coastes CHAP. VI. Of the gladnesse of this Euangelicall Merchant vpon the finding of this treasure and Pearle of great price vnder which the ioy which the Saints of God do feele by the power of his word typically is shadowed THe word of God is not in nature vnlike vnto a Fishermans hooke A similitude for it taketh vs as soone as it is taken of vs. But heerein it differeth that it catcheth vs not to kill vs but to saue vs aliue it hurteth and woundeth not but rather comforteth and healeth all our wounds It is like vnto fire A similitude neuer ceasing vntill it conuerteth all the fewell cast into it into fire This fire of the Spirite melteth all our hearts and resteth not if it may take holde of them vntill it turneth our seare and dry affections into the hote burning coales of zealous dispositions A glad man was this as soone as hee hadde with long digging in the ground found out the golden mine his heart reioyced and his tongue was glad 〈…〉 his heart and flesh reioyced in the liuing God hee went away rauished and fulfilled with all ioy It seemeth therefore that he hadde a great ghesse of the price of this pearle of the value worth and worthinesse of this treasure For there is none who taketh pleasure in any vnknowne thing for the sensible experience that we haue of a thing is that which breedeth in vs our loue vnto a thing And truely deare christian I will lay my soule vpon it that if thou shalt but taste how sweete the Lorde is and come vnto Gods worde in godly sincerity wythout politike partiality thou wilt bee so satisfied with the fulnesse of that ioy as nothing else in comparison of this shall be able to delight thee A similitude For this is like the pretious perfume of the apothecary that taketh away an euill sauour and leaueth a good behind it Prou. 10 Thou shalt be like the buyer of whome Solomon speaketh who whiles hee is in buying disgraceth the thing saying It is naught it can not be woorth the money but when hee hath bought it hee boasteth of his penyworths and wonderfully extolleth it and sayth it is farre better than his money A similitude As apples that are decocted with hony and sugar looseth their olde taste and sauour onely of the hony or the sugar so our soules dedicated and deuoted to heauenly things they are nothing conditioned as they were before but they
ioyned and vnited to another and as a sword that is right cannot be put into a scabberd that is crooked so the cold affections cannot be so neere conioyned as they ought to duties of deuotion and crooked consciences are not fit cases to hide and keep in them the sharp and two edged blade of Gods spirite If there were a lettice into which we might but peepe into the hidden heart of man we should soone perceiue how few of those many to whom this treasure of Gods grace is offered and who come vnto the word come in this good spirit to this good godly end to benefit themselues by it to hide it with this good Merchant in the secret closet of his heart Some come like Somners and hollow hearted Math. 22 Herodians to trippe and intangle the preacher in his words and if he can catch any thing that by his misconstruing it may but seeme offensiue to the present state he writes it in his tables and he runneth as Doeg the Edomite to Saul 2. Sam. 21. and maketh a great tale of it such a one is a diuell called in the Scriptures the accuser of our brethren A similitude Such hide the word indeed but only for a time and that part which maketh for them and they resemble brood hennes who pecke vp barley carnells with their beake but they keep them not but let them fal again to their yong chickens of their feather Othersome heare to please their itching eares and obserue only figures and colours of Rhetorike cōceited inuention histrionical discoursing a fine phrase or two that they carry with them Hoses 1◠Such are fedde as Ephraim with the wind with round periods square wordes without any substance or shew of any matter A similitude Plutarch compareth such vnto those who carry nose-gayes about them only for the smell and outward shew of them and not for any vertue that is hidden in them Others are new-fangled Actes 17. A similitude like vnto Athenians and doe listen after newes and if the Preacher be a like man to discourse of nouelties he is a lure vnto them Some come to scoffe others for their fancie A similitude others for a fashion for they do no good no more than yoong children whome wee leade with vs to church and carry home with vs for either their thoughtes are dispersed to and fro so as they are like the starlings and doues that flie about the Church or else they fall asleepe and are for a time like a dead corps without any motion They thinke as Samuel 1. Sim. ◠that it is not God that speaketh vnto them and therefore deuoutly they returne vnto their sleepe Thus our greatest sorte of hearers if we diuide them aright either haue no pitchers or else they leaue their pitchers behinde them or else if they bring them they are crackt and broken pitchers that will hold no water in them But the good sort of hearers as bees out of floures gather hony out of the flowers of the word A similitude and as skilfull A potecaries make many good confections for diuerse kinds of sick nesses of such simples as they gather so these out of the field and garden of Eden and such simples as that yeeldeth make such electuaries and phisicke for the soule as shal be restoratiue and shall cure the soule The godly heare the Preacher as the patient the physitian A similitude who aduiseth and remembreth his precepts giuen vnto him If we knew what rubs doe lie in our way to keepe vs from the heedefull hearing of the worde and the hiding and laying it vp as wee should what thornes what tares what tetters do spring vp to choake and stifle the towardly growth of the good seede of the worde in vnsetled heartes more then the necessitie of this point would be confirmed and apparant vnto vs. A similitude It is as impossible to winne all vnto the word as it is for the wood-reeue and wisest husbandman to alter the condition of euery wilde tree or for the Huntes-man to tame and keepe vnder euery wilde beast The brackish water of the sea though it be not good for drinker A similitude yet it serueth well for sundry other vses it is good for fishes that do liue in them and to transporte bring in our wares and necessities The worde of God is vnsauourie vnto many but to the godly man who liueth by it as the fish by that element findeth very wonderful reliefe by it The word of God that is preached in our eares is by the diuell taken out of our hearts Iudg 6. who destroyeth this good seede as the Madianites destroyed the corne groundes of Israel Mens hearts are like vnto the high way A similitude vpon which all the seede that is scattered is lost we see how a fruit tree that groweth by the way can not preserue her fruits till they be ripe for euery passenger hath a fling at them But such as are farre remooued from the eie and grow solitarily by themselues such do reserue their fruites to due season Wherefore depart from the high way of this world and haue no doings with it but hide such fruit as this tree of Life yeeldeth thee secretly from such as would robbe thee of it and thou shalt keepe iustice and righteous dealing faith and good conscience the fruits of a good christian vnto the very end There is also hard ground A similitude into which this immortall seede cannot enter hard and stony consciences which admit not wholsome doctrine and they are like such who hauing corrupt and putrified members their senses are so senslesse and benummed as the Surgeons Sawe or other yron instrument is not felt of them Psal 22 Therefore before wee can doe our selues good our heartes as Dauids must be like melting waxe or else it receiueth not the impression of the word But the thorne that pricketh and choaketh this good seede that it cannot abide and bee hiddē in our harts is the wealth of this world which wee will haue wee are so set vpon it though we pierce our selues through with innumerable sorrowes Like desperate lewde boies hat wil venture to go through a quick A similitude set of thornes briars and brambles to rob an orchard plot Moses seeth a burning bush Exod. 3 which consumeth not in burning so worldlings are in the midst of burning thornes and yet are not consumed wherefore vnlesse wee remooue these blockes that lay in our way and subdue these enemies and sinfull affections and haue our harts like to good ground capable of this seede and of vertue to retayne it all our preaching and your hearing is in vaine and this poeticall inuention fitteth vs. Quid facis Oenone quid arenae semina mandas Non profecturis littora bobus aras Take not in hand to sowe such land as is but sandy flore It quites not cost