neglect to giue an exhortation or consolation to the poorest and meanest when neede doth require But herein many doe lamentably offend who if some great one of their charge be present will afford them a Sermon but if they be absent the rest shall goe without This is wretched partialitie nay indeed grosse carnalitie and folly and argueth that they are men-pleasers and seeke themselues in their doctrine and not Christ Iesus in that they haue most regard of those that are commonly the most vnprofitable hearers and neglect such as vsually reape most fruit by preaching for ordinarily the poore receiue the Gospell Seeme to be depriued Doct. 8 Whence ariseth this point that The Lord would not onely haue men to be in the state of saluation There must be no appearance of being out of the state of Grace 2 Cor. 13.6 but would haue it knowen that they are in that state that there might be no suspition of the contrary Therefore is it that the Apostle saith vnto the Corinthians I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates Where the word I trust implyeth not any doubtfulnesse but indeed a certaintie of the thing affirmed And this had Demetrius attained vnto 3 Iob ver 12. of whom the Apostle Iohn speaketh thus Demetrius hath a good report of all men and of the truth it selfe yea and we our selues beare record and ye know that our record is true He carried himselfe so holily that he had a good testimonie from all Gods people from the truth which hee embraced and practised and from the Apostle Iohn himselfe who doeth in a sort ministerially commend him so that looke what he sayd of him the holy Ghost sayd the same in which regard hee addeth and yee know that our record is true and that we are not deceiued Now that it is necessary to make knowne our goodnesse by a Christian conuersation that both we our selues and other may haue a well grounded perswasion of our happy estate may appeare by these reasons First Reasons 1 because that will be a marueilous great incouragement vnto vs in the seruices of God in that we are assured that whatsoeuer we doe shall be both accepted and rewarded of the Lord. Secondly wee may then boldly reproue and admonish others neither need we be afrayd of that byting Prouerbe Physition heale thy selfe for all men may cleerely see that we haue healed our selues Thirdly this brings great honour with it so that Christians dare trust vs and lay open their hearts vnto vs yea wicked men will reuerence vs and in their distresses seeke vnto vs for counsell and comfort and sometimes put vs in trust with their wils and for the disposing of their goods and of their children after their death rather than carnall friends that are in bandes of nature neerely linked vnto them This should teach vs to giue all diligence as the Apostle Peter exhorteth to make our calling and election sure Vse 1 2 Pet. 1. and that not onely vnto our owne soules but as farre as possibly we can to giue testimonie thereof vnto other mens consciences If euer wee will vse diligence in any thing let it be in this It is good husbandry to make sure for our outward estate and not to builde vpon vaine hopes much more is it a point of wisedome carefully to looke vnto the state of our soules which should be a thousand times deerer vnto vs than our bodies If we be doubtfull that there is some dangerous disease growing vpon vs that is likely to take away our life who is there among vs but will seeke vnto the Physition to preuent that mischiefe how much more carefull should we be of our soules when wee plainely perceiue that there is not onely a deadly sicknesse vpon them but that they are already dead in sinne in danger to be damned eternally if we seeke not vnto Christ Iesus for a speedie remedy Let vs not be secure and carelesse in a matter of such consequence 1 Thes 1.4 but labour for a working faith and a diligent loue that so not onely we our selues but others also that haue the spirit of discerning may know that we are the elect of God by the fruits of godlinesse appearing in vs and proceeding from vs. Secondly Vse 2 here are those to be reproued that are content to liue in perplexitie and anguish of heart in regard of the vncertaintie of their saluation rather than they will be at the paines to haue this assurance sealed vnto their soules As also those that would faine haue a good opinion among men and desire much to be reputed heires of saluation and yet shew forth so little pietie towards God and loue towards their brethren that they cause their wisest and best friends to be suspitious of them To be depriued The word that is vsed in the originall signifieth properly to come too late as suiters doe that are preuented and also to be out-runne in a race and so to lose the prize both which senses may well stand and from thence this Doctrine may be raised that Many haue some likelihood of saluation Doct. 9 Many seeme to be religious who yet misse of saluation and yet faile of the same For otherwise the holy Ghost would neuer haue gone about to stirre them vp to an holy watchfulnesse ouer their hearts and wayes by this reason Lest any should seeme to bee depriued for if some did not come short of saluation that in appearance sought for it how should any seeme to be depriued therefore it is plaine out of this text that some may be in a sort suiters for eternall life and yet misse of it and runne though not as they ought to doe the race of Christianitie and yet not obtaine the crowne which is proposed to those that with a faithfull and true heart doe seeke for the same This may be seene in the foolish Virgins Matth. 25. who made an externall profession and ioyned with the wise Virgins in the seruice of God and thought to haue beene receiued with them when the Bride-groome came but for all this they were excluded when the rest were admitted The like we may obserue in the stony and thorny ground who receiued the seed and brought forth the one the blade and the other the eare as well as the blade and yet neither of them were good grounds and therefore the one sort shrunke when persecution came and the other were carried away with the commodities and delights of this present life So in this Epistle to the Hebrewes it is euident Hebr. 6. that some are inlightned by the Word and haue some taste of good things and yet being not sound in iudgement nor sincere in affection they afterwards fall away vnto their eternall perdition Which should cause vs to shake off all securitie Vse 1 and neuer to stand at a stay but to goe forward in the wayes of godlinesse working out our saluation in feare and trembling
dangers can withdraw them from obedience neither can any manner of difficulties hinder them from proceeding in good courses Gods voice is more forcible to make them goe on than all the threatnings of men can be to stay them and therefore those that doe more dread mens words than the Lords deale as absurdly as if they should be more terrrified at the barking of a Curre that stands in the way against them than of the voyce of a Lyon that pursueth them at the heeles to teare them in pieces if they hasten not forward or as if they should be more afrayd of a childe that threatneth to strike them if they passe by him than of a man of Warre that followeth close after them to smite them with a sword if they goe not speedily on their way The holy men of God haue beene otherwise affected 1 King 22. Micaih was more fearefull of offending the Lord than of displeasing Ahab When Moses saw that God was angry with him for his carnall reasoning against the Lords sending of him vnto Pharaoh Exod. 4.14.18 he left off disputing and chose rather to aduenture vpon any perill than vpon Gods displeasure When Ieremy was threatned by the Lord Ierem. 1. that if he would not deliuer his message hee should be destroyed the Prophet had done and durst make no more obiections in his owne behalfe so effectuall is this blessed and holy feare wheresouer it is throughly rooted and setled in the heart Which maketh first for the reproofe of those that liue in presumption Vse 1 and thinke it the best way to haue the promises performed vnto them to be bolde and confident that they shall be performed though in the meane time they walke on in the practise of notorious euils and so haue no ground at all whereon to build this their false and fond imagination and perswasion Wee haue a strong faith in God say they and doe beleeue that he will be mercifull vnto vs and therefore nothing shall feare vs no not the threatnings of the word that are denounced against vs as who should say they are but words of course that shall neuer take effect but what is this lesse than to giue God the lye for he sayth that adulterers and vncleane persons and lyars and raylers shall not enter into the kingdome of Heauen but they say albeit we liue in these sinnes yet wee shall goe to Heauen notwithstanding what horrible presumption is this and how miserable must they needs be all whose hope depends on this that it may be the Lord is mistaken and that his doings will at length be found contradictory to his words A second vse of this point may be to teach vs to get this holy feare of God into our hearts and for this end to meditate on the glorious Maiestie of the Lord and on his wonderfull iudgements executed vpon presumptuous offenders c. whereby this affection may be begunne and continued and increased in vs. On the first Commandement Whereof else-where more largely Let vs feare therefore why because others prouoking the Lord were so grieuously plagued by him let vs be made more wary through their example Whence we may learne this doctrine that the falles of others before vs should make vs to looke better to our owne standing Other mens sinnes and plagues must be so many admonitions and forewarnings vnto vs to take heed of the like Doct. 3 Other mens euils must make vs warie This the Apostle presseth in the Epistle to the Corinthians where hauing spoken of diuers particular offences of the Israelites and of the seuerall punishments that were inflicted vpon them for the same he maketh this conclusion Now all these things came vnto them for exsamples 1 Cor. 10.11.12 and were written to admonish vs vpon whom the ends of the world are come wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heede least he fall Whence we see it euident that when the Lord punished the stubborne and rebellious Israelites in the desert hee did ayme at the good of all his Elect that should liue in succeeding ages and caused that Story to be written that all that should reade it might make their vse of it and become more wary by their example that they be not murmurers idolaters fornicaters tempters of God c. as they were least being found guilty of the same sinnes they pertake with them in the like punishments In this very sort also dealeth the Wiseman in the Prouerbs for hauing shewed how dangerous and pernicious the entisements and practises of the whorish woman are hee thereupon inferreth Pro. 7.25.26.27 Let not thy heart decline to her wander thou not in her pathes for she hath caused many to fall downe wounded and least any should too farre presume vpon his owne strength and so imagine that he shall escape better than others haue done hee addeth The strong men are all slaine by her Her house is the way vnto the graue which goeth downe to the chambers of death q. d. It is euen like an house that is exceeding contagious where few or none did euer escape if once they aduentured to come within the doores and therefore as in that case euery man will be carefull to auoyd the place and will not so much as passe by the doores or come vnder the windowes much lesse thrust himselfe in thither where all that haue ventured to come in before haue perished so the holy Ghost aduiseth vs with all diligence and due circumspection to shun the occasions of adulterie and not to come neere the house of the adulteresse but to auoyd it as the very portall vnto death euen to eternall death both of body and soule and as Salomon gaue this in precept vnto others so hee obserued it in practise himselfe Pro. 24.30.31 for seeing the field of the slothfull and the Vineyard of the man destitute of vnderstanding to be all growne ouer with thornes and nettles c. he marked it well and receiued instruction The sight hereof made him more wise for he considered that pouertie did vsually come vpon such Vers 3 2. as a Poste and necessitie like an armed man that is speedily and vnresistibly and therefore hee tooke the greater care to shake off idlenesse and sluggishnesse vpon which so great misery doth attend and will certainly ensue Now Reasons let vs consider why wee ought to take warning by other mens harmes First there is the same corruption in vs as there is in them the vnfaithful and disobedient Israelites that were consumed in the Wildernesse the men of the old world that perished by the floud nay the most vile Sodomites that were burnt to ashes with Fire and Brimstone from Heauen had no worse a nature than wee haue for all the sonnes of Adam haue drawne an equall portion of originall corruption from the loynes of their first Father If then we be all of vs naturally alike inclinable vnto euill why should not wee
yet they will loue him in their words They can crie out and say We loue the Lord Iesus Christ as well as the best of you all he is not worthy to liue that doth not loue him it were well that the ground would open to sincke him in c. Thus can wicked men giue good words but where are their workes Surely in this corrupt age of ours wee can talke much but walke but a little word it much but worke it but a little our mouthes are bigger then our hands which is a thing monstrous in nature as well said Saint Bernard Monstrosa res est sedes prima vita ima lingua magniloqua manus otissa sermo multus fructus nullus It is a monstrous thing to haue the chiefest roome and to liue the basest life to speake much with the tongue and to doe nothing with the hand to vse many words and to bring forth no fruit But as Iames the Apostle said Shew me thy faith by thy workes Iam. 2.18 So may I say Shew me thy Ioue by thy workes There are foure things in all heartie and sound louers which must needs be in thee if thou doest loue Christ aright The first is that they long still to be ioyned together and to enioy one the other The nature of loue is such that wee desire still the enioying of that which is loued Ammon was very sick through loue and his flesh did pine away because hee could not enioy his sister Thamar whom he loued 2 Sam. 13.2 The second is that they are bountifull and liberall one vnto the other Loue saith Paul in 1 Cor. 13.4 is bountifull So was Booz to Ruth whom hee loued Ruth 3.15 and so was the Centurion to the Iewes whom hee made much of for hee built them a Synagogue Luk. 7.5 The third is that they are obsequious and obedient one vnto the other Loue can hardly deny any worke which the partie beloued doth require Hereof was it that Delilah said to Sampson in Iudges 16.15 How canst thou say I loue thee when thine heart is not with me thou hast mocked me these three times and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth The fourth and last is tollerance or enduring of troubles one for the other for the loue that Iacob did beare to Rahel seauen yeares of hard seruitude seemed but a short time Gen. 29.20 And for the loue that Sechem did beare to Dinah he was content to be circumcised and to suffer the cutting of his flesh though it were very painfull vnto him Gen. 34.19 Now in all these things examine thy loue towards Christ In the first place tell me doest thou long to be with Christ Art thou willing to die and to leaue this world to goe vnto him Doest thou wish with the Apostle Saint Paul to be dissolued to be with him Philip. 1.25 Art thou desirous to haue him come to Iudgement Doest thou cry out with the Spouse Come Lord Iesus come quickly Ren. 22.17.20 In the second place tel me Dost thou bestow any thing vpon Christ Art thou willing to let go thy goods and riches for the honor of Christ Art thou readie to relieue his Saints according to their need and thy abilitie Doest thou ioyne with others in building vp his Church and in bestowing some maintenance vpon his worship In the third place tell me Doest thou obey him and doe according to his Commandements Art thou readie with Abraham to leaue thine ovvne countrey and to goe vvhither he shall send thee Wilt thou forsake that vvhich hee doth forbid and follovv that vvhich hee doth command If yee loue me saith Christ beepe my Commandements Ioh. 14.15 And a little after he saith againe If any man loue me he will keepe my Word Vers 23. So that those loue not Christ vvho doe not keepe his Commandements In the fourth and last place tell mee Doest thou suffer any trouble or miserie for Christs sake Art thou vvell pleased to take vp thy crosse to goe after him Canst thou be content to die for his sake as the Prophets and Apostles haue done By these markes or tokens wee may know whether wee loue Christ or no if we haue them we loue him but if we haue them not wee loue him not howsoeuer wee perswade our solues or boast before others to the contrarie And so much of the second sort namely of those that vaunt of their loue towards Christ and yet doe want it Now let vs come to the third and last sort which is of those that would be informed what manner of loue it is that is pleasing to Christ In it you must obserue foure remarkable qualities The first is that it must be great and not small we must loue him more then our fathers or mothers or brothren or sisters or husbands or wiues or lands or goods or life it selfe Matth. 10.37 Lzk. 14.26 The second is that it must be singular and not common we must loue onely Christ and none else we must not ioyne others with him Whom haue I in heauen saith Dauid Psal 73.25 but thee and I haue desired none in the earth with thee Well therefore said the Church in Cant. 1.6 Shew me O thou whom my soule loueth where thou feedest where thou liest at noone for why should I be as she that turneth aside to the flockes of thy companions Her care was onely to goe after Christ We cannot serue God and Mimmon together Mat. 6.24 We must not part our loue Christ must haue all as the woman by Gods law must haue but one husband so the Church must haue but one Congregation Doubtlesse as an honest man cannot endure that another man should haue a portion in his wife so will not Christ endure that any other should haue with him a portion in his Church for he is a iealous God Exod. 20.5 The third is that it must be totall and not partiall we must loue him not with the loue of the soule alone or with the loue of the body alone but with the loue both of body and soule together Ye are bought with a price saith Paul 1 Cor. 6.20 therefore glorifie God in your bodie and in your spirit for they are Gods And whereas the soule and body doe consist of many parts our Sauiour must haue the loue of all those parts Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soule and with thy strength saith Moses to Israel in Deut. 6.5 So that Christ must not haue onely the loue of the eye to behold his workes the loue of the eare to listen to his words the loue of the tongue to talke of his wonders the loue of the feet to goe to his Temple the loue of the hands to doe his businesse the loue of the memorie to remember him the loue of the minde to plod vpon him and the loue of the heart to long after him but hee must haue all these loues together The fourth and last
vnto vs out of the word of God that must wee take as proceeding from God and thinke that God euen then doth speake vnto vs himselfe from heauen as indeed he doth according to that in 2 Cor. 5.20 For this cause must we hearken with reuerence beleeue with stedfastnes and practise with obedience whatsoeuer the Lord our Gâ—d shall make knowne vnto vs. But now alas many doetake that which is spoken as the word of man and cast it behinde their backes as a matter not much to be respected but those that doe so doe despise God himselfe Lâ—k 10.16 As this may teach vs what to iudge of preaching of the Word so it may allure our soules to come vnto it For shall Christ like a Schoole-master come to teach vs and shall not we like good schollers draw neere to heare him If the Kings Maiestie should set vp a schoole and reade Lectures vnto men would not we flocke vnto him and presse vpon him with great companies But behold here is one greater then the King that doth come to teach vs it is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords euen the very wisedome of God it selfe And therefore let vs hasten vnto his house and attend at his gates to heare what he shall say vnto vs. In the last place wee haue here a caueat and a comfort for the Minister in that he is but the voice and mouth of Christ and the Word that he doth speake is not his owne A caueat that hee doe vtter nothing but what he is sure doth come from Christ A comfort in that he is so highly aduanced as that Christ is content to speake vnto men by him and in him Hee is no lesse honored hereby then an ambassadour is when hee is made the mouth of his King Yea much more honored then he But to leaue Christ teaching let vs come to the person whom he taught It was his Church My welbeloued spake and said vnto me Hee doth direct his words to her and not to others But why to her Was shee now at this time ignorant and so to be instructed Or was she in trouble and so to be comforted Or was she in a fault and so to be corrected or was shee negligent in her dutie and so to be quickned vp for which of these foure causes did he now speake vnto her for the last as the words following in the text it selfe doe shew where she is willed to Arise and to come away Here I might take an occasion in that Christ doth thus direct his words vnto her to shew vnto you that the word of God is a treasure bestowed onely vpon the Saints It is proper to Gods children onely and not common to the wicked For howsoeuer the sound thereof be gone through out the world and all people haue heard the same according to the letter yet the sauing fruit and benefit thereof hath redounded onely to them that are of the house-hold of Faith This I might easily confirme vnto you to be true in three respects The first is for the knowledge of it the second for the faith of it and the third for the practise of it For howsoeuer the wicked haue a certaine kinde of knowledge and a certaine kinde of faith and a certaine kinde of practise yet they haue neither the sanctifying knowledge of it nor the iustifying faith of it nor the vniuersall practise of it The God of heauen hath kept these three as proper and peculiar Iewels for his owne alone But this point I will passe ouer Doct. The onely thing that I will now vrge is this that the best that are are to be taught and schooled in the wayes of their good as the Church here was by our Sauiour Dauid was a man according to Gods owne heart yet Mathan must come vnto him to schoole him for his fault which hee committed with Vriahs vvife as it is in the beginning of the twelfth Chapter of the second booke of Samuell Asa was a reformed King ruling with his good and remaining faithfull with his Saints yet Azariah the sonne of Obed must come vnto him to stirre him vp to seeke the Lord as it is in the beginning also of the fifteenth Chapter of the second booke of the Chronicles Zerubbabel vvas a valiant Prince and couragious for the honour of his GOD yet Haygay the Prophet and Zachariah the sonne of Iddo must come vnto him to set him forward about the building of Gods house at Ierusalem as it is also in the beginning of the fift Chapter of Ezra In a vvord to pretermit many examples Timothie was a rare youth being more like an Angell descending from heauen then a man ascending from the earth hee did so spend himselfe like a candle for the good of Gods people yet Paul must vvrite vnto him two Epistles to admonish him of his dutie and to teach him how to behaue himselfe in the Church the house of God which is the ground and pillar of truth 1 Tim. 3.15 The reasons hereof are three First Reason because they are ignorant in many points and doe not know all those things that concerne the Lords vvorship and their owne peace Here we know in part and here wee Prophesie in part 1 Cor. 13.9 And howsoeuer Dakid was a deepe scholler knowing more then all his teachers Psal 119.99 yet hee was so blind in some things that hee was more like a beast therein then a man as hee doth confesse of himselfe in Psal 73.22 when he saith So foolish was I and ignorant I was a beast before thee Secondly because they are delinquents and doe not performe all that which they know but faile exceedingly therein In many things saith Iames Chapter 3.2 wee sinne all And although Saint Paul were a sanctified man farre aboue many others yet hee bewayleth his owne estate in this regard very much especially when hee saith in Rom. 7.9 I doe not the good thing which I would but the euill which I would not that doe I. Thirdly because they are faint-harted and are ready oftentimes to giue ouer their goodnesse chiefely in the time of presecution As for me saith Dauid Psal 7â— 2 My feete were almost gone my steps had wel-neere slipt And albeit Ehab was a rare man one of 1000. yet in the anguish of his soule hee desired that hee might die and said It is now enough O Lord take my soule for I am no better then my fathers 1 King 19.4 In all these respects they are to be taught and schooled that so they may not erre in iudgement but hold all things according to the truth that so they may not wander out of the path of righteousnesse but walke still in the same that so lastly they may not faint vnder any crosse or affliction but be constant therein to their dying dayes So that continuall teaching is necessarie for them in regard of determination in matters of faith of conuersation in matters of workes and of consolation in matters of triall The