every man is a Magistrate and in that case hath his authority from God Exod. 22.2 he saith there if a thiefe come by night and breake up my house I may kill him I shall never answer for it therefore if I may doe this for my house I may kill then for my life much more This is the reason that gladius Petri as August saith is lawfull for a man to carry about with him which the law granteth to carry to keepe one from evill by the terrour of my weapon which is not nothing but especially because I have the lawes in mine owne hands and if I doe slay I am quit But when this terminus is divisibilis when the necessity hath a latitude Acts 23.17 they sweare Pauls death but because it was not present Paul might not runne upon them but caused it to be revealed to Lysias the chiefe Captaine so it is inculpata tutela that is without any purpose of shedding any bloud save onely when otherwise I cannot save my selfe a man must plus timere vitae suae quam alienae therefore I may in my defence And another division is he that is slain is slain either of purpose or without purpose Now it is not lawful when it is done without purpose and the reason of it is this We doe not attribute to nature but that which is done per se And as the distinction per se per accidens in naturall things so answerable to these in morall things is ex intentione praeter intentionem to doe a thing purposely or besides our intention And as we say not that it is naturall that is per accidens in naturall things so it maketh neither a good neither an evill action that is done praeter intentionem besides our intention in morall things so if bloud be shed praeter intentionem the shedder thereof is no murtherer Praeter intentionem Not onely so but we see God Deut. 19.1 4.29 Exod. 13.35 Numb 35.24 he buildeth up his Sanctuaries of refuge for them that doe praeter intentionem Now God will build no Sanctuary for vices Deut. 19. If one be hewing a Tree in the Wood and by chance his Hatchet fall and kill his neighbour and Numb 35.25 when as he had no intent and purpose the Congregation shall deliver him from the avenger and restore him to the City of his refuge And indeed as August proveth and goeth further if we take this praeter intentionem for murther if we take away intentions then must we cease to have any thing that may be an occasion of evill for I have ferramenta instruments as ropes shovels spades and with these may a man goe and kill a man praeter intentionem nostram therefore I must not have them and for other uses I have Trees in mine Orchard and oxen and a man may hang himselfe upon one of my Trees and one of my Oxen may happily kill a man therefore I must have no Trees nor Oxen and not onely that but a man may be cast out of a window and therefore I must not have a window in my house and consequently wee shall have almost nothing but absit as he saith when a man doth intend to keepe them from that end yet in these matters God hath qualified them two wayes he must dare operam rei licitae bestow his time in things lawfull Exod. 21.22 If there be two men striving and one of them hurt a woman with child and the child passe away from her if the child miscarry he shall surely be punished though it were not his intention yet doing a thing unlawfull as striking was Besides they that are evill occupied that are at unlawfull games if any such thing fall out are not to be excused The second thing there must not lack debita sollicitudo he must doe his diligence Exod. 21.33 If a man digge a Pit or a Well and cover it not over night and anothers cattels fall into it and die hee shall make it good because he might have covered the Well And if a man should let fall a peece of timber from the top of an house and give no warning and kill a man In these foure cases the whole restraint of the Commandement consisteth Now in the extension of these that willingly and of purpose commit murder there be two sorts for some murther directly and some indirectly Directly Numb 35.16 17 18. If any man smite another with an iron stone or wood or any instrument that will kill him Wâ—lfull murther he is a murtherer and he shall die And besides this there is a colourable murther and indirect And there are three sorts First by poyson Ier. 11.19 Mittamus lignum in panem ejus Let us put some of this poysoned wood in his meate so by Witchcraft Deut. 18.10 or by sorcery or if not by poyson yet by strange things medicamen a infanticidii killing of children in the wombe a grievous murther and in the Concil of Ancyra Can. 21. and according to the Greeke but 20. in the Latin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in the 35. can Concil Wormatiens That they are murtherers if they take strange purgations and doe abigere parium cause abortion she is homicida a murtheresse that doth so And not onely that but if a man bee cooperator or accessorie as Matth. 26.49 Iudas was accessorie with his kisse 2 Sam. 3.27 and 20.9.10 Ioab said to Amaza art thou in health my brother And tooke Amaza by the beard with his right hand to kisse him vers 9. but Amaza tooke no heed to Ioabs sword that was in his hand for forthwith he smote him in the fifth rib and shed out his bowels to the ground and smote him not the second time so he died Ioabs kisse when he murthered Abner and Amaza so the murther was coloured 1 Sam. 18.17 By bringing into danger as Saul to David I will make David Captaine against the Philistims my hand shall not be upon him but the Philistims hand shall be upon him 2 Sam. 11.15 David doth deale so with Vriah following Sauls example he writeth letters to Ioab Let him stand in such a place c. though his enemies flew him yet it was Davids murther And 1 King 21.13 to stand a false witnesse and cap. 11.49 to be a counseller to it and Iohn 18.28.31 the high Priests and Scribes sought not how to put Christ to death but yet because they were as bellowes incouragers of the people to aske Barrabas they were murtherers of Christ likewise Acts 7.52 and Acts 8.1 if he be a private man and consent to it and Matth. 27.24 if a Magistrate that may hinder it and doth not and in Magistrates permission Pilates washing his hands would not serve 1 King 2.5.8 the permission of the wicked man Ioab vers 8. Shimei troubled David toward his death I suffered them but looke thou to it so the not putting to death of wicked men and the not saving of the innocent this
man and when we have obtained them and peradventure shall not get them without much labour they may Esay 59.5 be as a spiders webbe to us that may suddenly be swept away They are uncertaine 1. money for theeves 2. merchandise for the winds 3. building for fire 4. possessions for unrighteous Judges and all these for the bands of the Sabees that is our enemies Or as a Cockatrices egge which he that eateth of dieth and that which is trodden upon breaketh into a serpent Augustine Habent si non sinem suum finem tuum habent si non finem tuum finem suum quisquis est contemptor vitae suae est dominus tuae They have if not their owne end yet thy end they have if not thy end yet their owne end whosoever is a despiser of his owne life is Lord of thine 1. The uncertainty of many in danger of the seas winds stormes of unrighteous Judges the bands of the enemy Mans life hath 300. diseases and odde A little poyson overcommeth it if one care not to be hanged he will not care to kill thee Augustine proveth that a man is brickle in respect of them by his great grandfathers glasse that lasted three or foure mens ages Divintiae autem fragillimae ergo in his nulla faelicitas but riches are most brickle therefore in them is no felicity But in comming to God there is both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 full contentment and perfection Stability ergo felicitas summa unica therefore both chiefe and onely felicity For as Christ said to the woman of Samaria if thou wilt have the water of life you must goe to God the fountaine of all goodnesse God is universale bonum Iohn 4.14 primum bonum fons boni primum ens fons essentiae aeterna mens God is the universall good the first good the fountaine of goodnesse the first being the fountaine of being the eternall mind Experience of the true waies of comming to God 3. Ab experientia From experience in David Psal 16.12 In thy presence is the fulnesse of joy and at thy right hand there is pleasure forevermore Experience of the false waies of cōming to God in Salomon who through the whole booke of the Preacher confessed that in the whole world he found 1. inanity 2. vanity 4. Confessed also by the heathen before Christs time 4. The confession of the heathen in Sybils oracles and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be happy to live happily declareth the felicity of man to be the union to God Pythagoras his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 golden sayings Plato 10. of the rep and in his phaedo Hermes Plutarch Simplicius upon Epictetus Iamblichus of the Egyptian mysteries Cyrill against Julian No felicity but in comming to God Thus is hath beene proved 1. By particular exceptions 2. by demonstrative arguments 3. by experience 4. by the confession of the heathen Augustine in his meditations saith Domine creâsti nos ad te nunquam ergo quietum erit cor donec pervenerit ad te O Lord thou hast created us to thy selfe the heart therefore will never be at rest till it shall come unto thee To come velest in itinere vel in appulsu is either 1. in the journey or 2. in the arriving The last steppe is commonly adventus the advent or comming There is duplex felicitas a twofold happinesse Viae vitae of the way of the life of the way which is penultimus finis the penult end and of the life which is finis ultimus the last end Walking and going in the way of his commandements Or as the Rabbins there is felicitas atrii triclinii the happinesse of the porch and of the parlour In respect of these two felicities 1. in itinere 2. in appulsu 1. in the journey 2. in the approach No perfect felicity in this life Ratio nil ab omni parte beatum neque quicquam ab omni parte miserum The reason there is nothing absolutely happy nor is there any thing in every respect miserable Children are accounted free men quia spe liberi because free through hope we in this life are happy quia spe felices because happy through hope The reason quia vita quam sic vivimus non est vita nostra sedvia ad vitam caetera habent hîc vitam suam Because the life we thus live is not our life but the way to life all others have here their owne life 2. It is not possible to come to felicity in this life Heb. 6.19 the state of man is compared to a ship felicity to an anker hope to a cable The way to come to God Now the way to come to God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to beleeve Comming to any thing is a motion Omnis motio est ab appetitu ut moveatur appetitus cognoscenda ipsa via Ignoti enim nulla cupido Every motion is from the appetite that the appetite be moved the way must be knowne for there is no desire of a thing unknowne Therefore the way must be knowne Via ad Deum accedendi duplex the way to come to God is twofold 1. By reach of mans reason 2 By beleeving The Manichees according to S. Augustine in a bravery against the Christians The heresie of the Manichees next to Atheisme held that errour that men were to come to God by reason not by beliefe Atque adeo dicere solitisunt Christianos imponere jugum credendi non autem aperire fontem sciendi And so they were wont to say that Christians did impose the yoke of beleeving but did not open the fountaine of knowing This way because it best pleased man did most and longest prevaile atque adeo hi haeretici apud omnes omnium aetatum homines valuerunt plurimum ubique floruerunt And indeed the Heretickes prevailed exceeding much amongst all men of all ages and flourished every where In so much that if any Philosophers had associated themselves to religion they were first Manichees This also is manifest from this for that Faustus his errour was most dangerous and of longest continuance The like sect is in our daies The way of beliefe the best way to come to God of reason worst Quaeristae querists who will have a reason of every thing and so farre as you can goe with them by reason so farre will they goe with you no further Then we must prove that the way of beleefe is most convenient and necessary of reason most inconvenient and worst 1. If we come to God by reason then should none but excellent wits be saved because none beside them are capable of demonstrative reason But that way is inconvenient which but few can goe in Such is the way of reason of saith contrariwise if this were it were all one as if a company should take a journey and because some of the company could leape over hedges and ditches they should still make a high way through hedges and
munda mundis holy things to them that are holy and cleane things to them that are cleane so here Sanctis sancta To them that are holy holy things Therefore we must sanctifie our selves or else we are not capable the reasons are 1. The receiving of a cleane thing into an uncleane maketh the cleane uncleane 2. Out of Luke 5.37 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 No man putteth new Wine into old Bottles else the new wine will burst the Bottels and be spilled and the Bottles shall perish Keepe not a proportion betweene the Bottles and Wine they will both be lost so if there be not a proportion betweene the hearer and the thing that is heard it shall be both the condemnation of the hearer and frustration of the word Every man is not able though willing unlesse he be prepared every bottle is not for new Wine Tempus praeparationis The time of praeparation The time to prepare here is two daies Sanctifie them to day and to morrow that they may be ready the third day 1 Sam. 14.18 And Saul said to Ahiah bring hither the Arke of God for the Arke of God at that time was with the children of Israel and while Saul talked with the Priest the noise that was in the host of the Philistins spread further abroad and increased therefore Saul said to the Priest withdraw thine hand Saul here being to encounter with his enemies tooke the Ephod and would fall to prayers before the battell but vers 19. hearing that his enemies were at hand straight layd aside the Ephod left off praying and fell to set his people in aray fearing least he should lose time in praying so his preparation was in vaine But it appeared afterward that he played the foole for doing so For that time that is bestowed in prayer is never lost yea it is the best time that can be bestowed And this care must be in us alwaies so it is Gods will we should doe Deut. 5.29 O that there were such a heart in them to feare me and keepe all my Commandements alwaies that it might goe well with them and with their children for ever The Lords wish is that the people had such an heart alwaies to feare him c. This sanctification here to them was in a ceremony 1 Cor. 10.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the World are come And there is no ceremonie but it hath his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 equity to the which we are all bound The garments of the old Testament or Law were Vestimentum stola id est the inward garment and the outward To this seemeth John to have an allusion Revel 7.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These are they which came out of great tribulation and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lambe And Paul 2 Cor. 7.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit We must make us cleane both in the flesh and in the spirit We shall best see how to make our selves cleane by knowing how we came foule that when we are once washed we may keepe our selves cleane still And the meanes be two The first principall Secondly an under meanes As in a garment there is either the internall pollution namely the moth or the externall namely spots aspersiones and besprinklings so in us 1. If a man touch a dead body or any one that hath an issue by the very touch he is uncleane Levit. 15. Wholy of that matter de pollutione as de intrinseca Levit. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 propria Levit. 15. Haec est pollutio carnis externa ab extrinseco à societate aliorum This is that pollution we receive of the world of evill example of evill company pollution externall Levit. 13.2 If a man hath an issue of his owne flesh Haec est pollutio Spiritus interna à fluxu proprio This is that uncleannesse that is within us that is concupiscence The knowledge being blind and leading the will to corruption had need of washing both defile us 2 Cor. 6.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sumus templa Spiritus We are the temples of the spirit Augustine on that place saith Quisque Christianus Templum est in Templo templum in domo templum domi foris ubique semper templum ambulans Every Christian is a Temple in a Temple a Temple in the house a Temple at home a Temple abroad in every place at all times a walking Temple And Revel 21.27 Nihil inquinatum ingredietur in illud c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lie but they which are written in the Lambs booke of life Therefore we must make us cleane that other things may be cleane unto us Sic munda sed mundis So things are cleane but to the cleane But if we be once cleane we must take heed least we after touch pitch againe Syrach He that washeth himselfe after he hath touched a dead course and toucheth it againe is defiled We must not be like the dogge that returneth to his vomit nor the Sow that walloweth againe in the mire Modus purgandi The manner of purging 1. By the blood of Christ Therefore we must be continuall clensers of our selves But how may we wash our selves Mundamur primo per baptismum flaminis we are cleansed first by the baptisme of fire that is the spirit August Balneum autem nobis erectum balneum sanguinis sui Now a bath is prepared for us even the bath of his blood We are bathed in the blood of Christ And this is that whereby our aspersions and blemishes are washed away of this bath the water in Baptisme is a representation And not onely that but baptismus flaminis the baptisme of fire goeth with it Baptismus aquae flaminis that will purge cleere i. the Spirit of God which remaineth with us to the Worlds end Baptisme of water of fire and wherewith we are every day baptised So doth the Spirit of God abridge our concupiscences daily There is another meanes set down yet all one with this for you may purge either with Nitre or with the Fullers earth Iohn 15.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mundi estis propter sermonem quem audivistis 2. By the word Now ye are cleane through the word which I have spoken unto you The daily hearing of God by the mouth of man If we will compare it with water it is like the Fullers earth wherewith the Spirit scoureth us correcting us and comforting us By the outward washing they meane the washing of the body and he that cleanseth not that is not onely beneath a Scribe or Pharisee for he maketh cleane the outside of the Platter but is worse
himselfe after he had set his house in order The meanes of the wise men brought to nought More plaine in Esay 19.11 the meanes of the wisemen are brought to nought the wise counsellors of Aegypt the Lord in fatuavit eos the Lord hath made them give foolish counsell and Psalm 20.7 8. Some put their trust in Charriots and some in Horses but we will remember the name of the Lord our God They have stumbled and are fallen but we are risen and stand upright And as here are cursed by God the ordinary meanes as cloth food Physick wisedome c. So God to shew how little he dependeth on his secondary causes doth oft times bring his purpose to passe without meanes There is no defect of vertue in the Lord though there be a defect of meanes in nature Yea and sometimes contrary to the nature of the meanes as Iosh 6.20 in the fall of the Walls of Jericho it is attributed to the blast of Rammes hornes The like is Judg. 3.13 by the tale of a dreame of a Barly loafe tumbling from above into the host of Madian and overthrowing one of the Tents and the exposition thereof Gedeon with three hundred men with Trumpets in their hands and empty pitchers and lamps within their pitchers very unfit weapons for the warres put to flight all the Madianites and made them to runne upon themselves so 2 Kings 7.6 the whole host of the King of Syria was put to flight none pursuing them but a pannicus terror a pannick terrour came upon them on the sudden which was by a certaine imagination that they thought they heard a noyse of Chariots and Horses and a noyse of a great army that the Hittites and the Aegyptians came against them to helpe Israel And seing then God giveth meanes when he will and worketh without them when he will wee must trust in him whether wee have the meanes or no A Protestation of the Prophet David and therefore that wee should be like affected as David was Psal 3.6 though he were in the midst of 10000. men of warre compassed about with them on every side yet he would not feare but as it is in the end of the 4. Psal lay him downe and sleepe trusting in the safety of the Lord How the children of God ar◠to stand affected when they have no meanes and as Exod. 14.13 Moses counselleth the children of Israel when the Aegyptians pursued them with their Chariots though their enemies were behind them and the Red sea on the one side and the Wildernesse on the other that there was no way for them to escape yet to stand still and to put their trust in the Lord and they should see the power of the Lord as they did So Rom. 4.19.20.21 the Apostle being to shew a patterne of true faith setteth downe before us Abraham that had no meanes either in his wife or in himselfe his wife was barren 1. by nature and 2. by age himselfe 100. yeares old past the age of getting children yet neither considering the deadnesse of Sarahs Wombe nor of his owne body held fast by faith the promise of God nothing doubting of the same which God tooke not from him therefore he received the blessing in Isaac The naturall man if once his meanes begin to faile either he falleth into despaire or else flyeth to indirect and evill meanes And as wee must thus trust in God when wee see no meanes so must wee be sure to be farre from the way of the wicked Who if God once faile then do they not only lose their hope they have in his meanes but cast him away too and berake themselves to his enemie and his evill meanes Such meanes are of those who in despaire of their health leave God and his lawfull meanes and flye to Sorcerers c. Esa 8.19 it is shewed there There is a restraint for seeking meanes at sorcerers hands that it is condemned 1. Chron. 10.13 the casting away of Saul out of his kingdome and out of the favour of God and his damnation both in body and soule is ascribed to that that he sought and asked counsell of a Familiar Beside these if any do that which Esay saith Esa 29.15 of them that turne Devises and digge deepe their counsells that men may not see them but they know that it is but a turne and a wrong Devise and therefore Woe is pronounced against them and God knoweth the deepe fetches of policie of such men as thinke they deceive God as they deceive men Over reachers in bargaining this is common so Esa 8.12 there is another meanes confederacie a suppressing of those that have gifts and that is their strength for bringing to passe of lewd things an unlawfull meanes and condemned Another to make vantage of a mans oversight as the money that many can get by that meanes when they have once got it it is their owne wee must rather harken to his counsell 1. Thes 4.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that no man go beyond and desraud his brother in any matter to be able to circumvent a man in dealing it is condemned And when none of these meanes will serve then our last refuge is that Jer. 18.18 come this Jeremie troubleth us wee must have a devise against him and that is this let us smite him with our tongues that is let us raise up some slanderous reports of him let us slander him and so he shall not be better thought off then wee and so none will give eare to his words But there is a bitter prayer of the Prophet against them which God no doubt heard vers 19. to the end of the Chapter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beleife in healy things If in compassing of earthly things we can beare we shall also beare in the compassing of heavenly things whether the means be with us or not with us Wee returne now to that wee said in the beginning hereby wee shall know if it please God to blesse us with that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 faith in heavenly matters i.e. if in the compassing of earthly things and in our earthly dealings wee can put our trust in the Lord wee must not be Leo in villa Prov. 22.13 and think that our hornes can cast downe much and so consequently that wee need not meanes but if the meanes be with us wee can trust in the Lord so if wee have them not yet to put our trust in God Another thing is they can be without them themselves in respect of themselves they are very confident but if it once come to semen nostrum either flesh or profit there is a distrust and it is to be feared that many that might have beene saved in the state of single life have fallen from God and hazarded their owne salvation by mistrusting that God will not as well provide for their children Many for their children have brought themselves into hazzard of their salvation as
the Israelites because they were not fed with Quailes as their lust was presently desperaverunt they fell into despaire and it is when a man conceiveth either that it will alwayes be bonum futurum a good ever in expectation or that it hath no taste in the world with him or that it is a thing not greatly to be esteemed and so giveth himselfe to carnall living as Austin faith Quia non possum habere quae spero Habeo quae possum quae sunt contra spem because I cannot at my owne will have those things I hope for therefore I will have those things quae sunt contra spem which contradict all hope those things that I can in this life this is a desperate despaire as the Epicure Ede bibe lude post mortem nulla voluptas eate drinke and be merry for there is no good to be hoped for after death 2. The other is 2 Cor. 2.7 the Apostle he was afraid lest the incestuous person by too great sorrow should have beene swallowed up with despaire it is more to be pitied and yet no lesse erroneous then the other because it imagineth that there can proceed such an evill from a creature as that God should not be able to master it but it should master him whereas it is certaine that Gods mercie exceedeth all sinne and is stronger then all This was Cains erâ—or Gen. 4.13 and Ambrose writing on that place saith plainely Mentiris Cain thou lyest Cain for if it be possible that there should be larger dimensions of any one attribute of God then of another it must needes be of mercie because that only is proper to God the rest are communicable to other creatures with him Psal 36.6 his justice and righteousnesse standeth as the strong mountaines and his judgements are like the great deepe but his mercie it reacheth up unto the heavens and his faithfulnesse unto the clouds i. heavens The Fathers they have ruled a case in the Schooles for disputing of the two faults of Iudas his betraying of Christ and his despaire in the mercie of God and examining whether was the greater they have certainely determined that his despaire was the greater sinne because it was utterly uncurable and took his breath from him Therefore we must be sure that we hope and that our hope be in verbo Dei in quo spem nobis dedit in the word of God in which he hath caused us to trust so of this we must take heede that we doe not as the Devill that will make God so poor in mercie as if it served for small fins onely Media spei Meanes unto hope 1. The meanes a speciall meanes to move us to look to our hope in due time is that Prov. 11.7 a consideration of his end when the wicked man perisheth his hope perisheth i. we must be sure to extend our hope further then this life Prov. 23.18 his advise is that there shall an end come and then thy hope shall not be cut off but as it is Psal 16.10 and Acts 2.26 thy heart shall be glad and thy flesh shall rest in hope and that at the houre of death no man knoweth but onely they that are in like case how much a poore soule will then set by this feeling of the judgements of God 2. Another is Psal 22.4 our Fathers they hoped in God and were not ashamed they trusted in God and hee delivered them the example of others when it pleased God that others that have hoped in him should not want the fruit of their hope that we might comfort our selves with the same hope there was never greater engine laid of the enemy then against this for that is the Devils policie to perswade us that there are none so great sinners as wee be and that there were never men in that case that we are in but they have beene in the like case and have felt comfort 3. In the 1 Sam. 17.37 the remembrances of the graces of God bestowed on us when we had power by his helpe to resist the like sins as David reasoneth there the Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the Lion and of the Beare he will also deliver this uncircumcised Philistim into my hands Argum. ab experientia nostra an argument drawne from our owne experience 4. But the chiefe is that we alledged before out of Heb. 10.23 For he is faithfull that hath promised the strength of this dependeth of that in faith Gods great faithfulnesse is never wanting and Rom. 15.4 there is an addition to it There is nothing written but it is written for our instruction that by patience and comfort in it we keep our hope and therefore considering that the holy Ghost hath especiall aime at our hope in writing of it so oft in the Scriptures and that it is he onely whose dixit factum est followeth continually his word and worke goe alwayes together and example of the 30. great promises there remaineth but one unaccomplished and Ephes 2.6 his manner in penning it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nathan i. dedit transtulit non transferet not he will but he hath already raised us he hath set us in heavenly places in Christ Jesus whereas it is not yet come but yet is as certaine as if it were now de futuris in praeterito if God bee God Indeed as Prov. 25.19 confidence in an unfaithfull man is like a broken tooth and a sliding foote and therefore the Heathen that are such scorners of hope call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a waking dreame 2 King 18.21 there is one good thing in the speech of Rabshaleh He that trusteth to the King of Egypt trusteth to a broken reed that will runne into his hand and it is to be said of every one Relation to this is in 1 Pet. 1.3 our hope must be spes viva a lively hope the other the worldlings hope is spes mortua a dead hope or at least spes mortalis it is a mortall hope and if we trust to it it will wound us if not with harme yet with shame Erubescere signum spei moriuae to bee ashamed is a signe that our hope was dead as Iob. 6.20 when they came they found nothing and were ashamed but our hope must bee planted on the mercies of God and Christs merits and then shall we never be ashamed so God having wrought this hope in us we may be bold with the Apostle to say 2 Cor. 5.5 that we have the earnest of the spirit so we may be bold to say as the Prophet saith Psal 43.5 Why art thou so cast downe O my soule and why art thou so disquieted within me O put thy trust in God who is the health of my countenance and my God Signa signe of true hope For the signes to discerne our hope As a man thinkes he beleeveth when he doth not beleeve and as he thinkes he hath a thing when the species of it swimmeth in his
curse of God whose maledicere est malefacere is due to this sinne of disobedience for it is a very reproachfull thing to God to account his Commandements as the servant Matth. 25.24 I knew that thou wast an hard man reaping where thou sowedst not A signe of this the Rainebow which doth not only mind us of the covenant but of the generall deluge wherby God punished the disobedience of the old world the performance sheweth what effect it wrought in God but especially Rom. 5.19 the cause of death is properly ascribed to this sinne of disobedience Bernard and that disobedience is the cause of our death our daily experience telleth us Quotidie experimur quotidie enim morimur and God saith by that a man sinneth he shall be punâ—shed so that as we withdraw our obedâ—ence from God so Rom 8.20 the creatures they shall withdraw their obedience from us and that is attributed to this cause And not that onely during this life we have not onely without us but we finde a disobedience in our selves Rom. 7.23 the 2. lawes in us in which the affections will not be subject to reason and reason cannot have any government over them because we disobey our Creator More particularly by Psal 119.32 the way of obedience is the path of his Commandements Deut. 5.32 from which way we have a division of wayes a way to the right hand and a way to the left hand Preach 10.2 the heart of a wise man is on his right hand but the heart of a foole on his lest from that place the Fathers fetch this interpretation It is said that the heart of the wiseman is on his right hand there is probabilis inobedientia a disobedience that is not voyd of some probable pretence and such was Sauls here in Gilgal his answer might seeme reasonable but that it is not it that God commanded which we should ever make our rule and not the guidance of our owne reason and into this fall the opposites of those before not subjecting our selves to heare and follow the giving eare to the voyce of our owne reason and of the world and of mingling them all these wayes leade ad dexiram to the right hand The way whereby we are led into the left-hand way we may count their folly that have no probability that 2 Thes 3.2 are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wicked and absurdly wicked insomuch as the course of life they take beareth no colour but whosoever shall looke upon it shall presently see it debauched with out all colour or excuse The manner is opposed to Readily Phil. 2.14 that their obedience must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without murmurings and disputings As in obedience so in disobedience the two exorbitations and the manner disordered Murmuring was alwayes almost the fault of the Israelites for making of dialogues and asking of causes Why for this cause rather then for that and why now rather then at another time as Luther saith well of the sect of the Quaeristae they will goe with Why in infinitum Both these are to be removed and under these you may include the fault of them in Matth. 22.5 or more plaine Luke 14.18 they fell all at once to make excuses The Angels yeeld no reasons why they should not obey nor excuse nor murmure The last thing is in the degree the degrees be two 1. neglect 2. contempt Neglect Matth. 22.12 he that came in negligently without his wedding garment 2. in the same place vers 5. of those that set themselves to excuses and refused to come contempt This rule Austin giveth of them both Neglectus ubique culpabilis contempius ubique damnabilis Neglect is alway blameable but contempt is alway damnable The meanes Heb. 11. that being in a good way they gave over all possibility and yeelded themselves wholly to God 1. The speciall to this is the consideration of the good service that God hath had of his Saints before-time and how they had great offers in the world as Moses Ioseph Esay c. if they had listed to have followed and heard the oblocutor but they were resolute that nothing should draw them from God this is the first 2. Our Saviour Christ his example may be as a second as he was man Et subjectus est â—llis quibusâ—llis pauperi fabro foeminae Luke 2.51 he went to Nazareth and was subject to them Bernards question upon these words Who are they that the Sonne of God should be subject unto them faber foemina a Carpenter and a Woman as he was God or rather as he was Christ God and man Heb. 5.8 where it is said that though he were the Sonne of God yet learned he obedience and indeede by his obedience to the Crosse he recovered the world And if any will make exception and say that we are not able to match with him or with the Saints of God 3. Then we may take for the third example the state and course of all creatures Matth. 8.27 the 2. unruliest creatures the Wind and Sea obey the word of Christ What fellow is this cui venti mare obediunt that even the winds and the seas obey him Take all the creatures the heavens the elements c. there should be no manner of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 disorder in them were it not that onely man hath broken it and so hath put himselfe and all other creatures out of order and this their obedience they have beene ready to give over i. they have obeyed against their owne course at Gods will as the Sunne standing still at Ioshuahs commandement whereas it is his nature to move continually and the fire not burning the three children and Dan. 6. the Lions refraining from devouring of Daniel the earth moving being of her owne nature immovable so that they are not onely audientes verbo divino but also obedientes hearers of the word but obeyers which is the very true and perfect obedience to obey in giving over our owne nature That if any man be disobedient he is therefore disobedient because it cannot be conveniently performed 4. Another may be taken from the nature of our obedience for naturall reason saith where there is one duty there are at the least two extremes and of the obedience of sinne is multiplicior then the obedience of God It is truly said of the Heathen man negligentia plus laborat quam diligentia idlenesse is more toyle then imployment and so we may say of every vertue the adulterous man laboureth more then the chaste and the covetous man more then the well contented man 5. Now as this is true that there is such equity in the Commandement as if there were no reward yet without reward we should obey it yet which may be the 5. there is so great reward annexed unto it that though there were more difficulty and lesse equity yet it were justly to be performed in regard of the greatnesse of the
place where I should smite thee and in Ier. 5.3 Thou hast stricken them but they have not sorrowed thou hast consumed them c. and chap. 2.30 he had corrected their children but they sorrowed not There is no doubt but the same examples are among us and no doubt but God calleth before him and arresteth them with these his Sergeants but they are no whit called nearer to the Lord nor amended These men are usually compared to Simon of Cyren Luke 23. which was violently caught and was forced but to beare the Crosse whereupon not he but Christ should be crucified Now these men that carry a Crosse but are not crucified on it themselves they are in the same case that he was a Crosse they beare but profit not and the reason because they ascribe it to a cause beside God and that is it that the Divines call caecum tormentum or caecus dolor a blinde torment or griefe a griefe they have on the sudden and they are not able to say for this and this cause this heavinesse is come upon them Purblinde Christians that cannot looke up to the hand that striketh nor discerne the intended end of their chastisement 〈◊〉 if any alteration befall them they ascribe it not rori gratiae but humori naturae not to grace but nature and so consequently they get them terrenas consolatiunculas some poore earthly delight as Bernard saith pleasures and friends and so drive it away If the effect be not within them but come from without them then nothing is more common then this insurgere in instrumenium August to hack the staffe omittere percussorem to let God goe which is a great oversight by reason of two concurrences for we must note that affliction is just on Gods behalfe on the behalfe of the instrument injust as the calamities of Iob they were therefore just because they were of God cui nil nisi justum placet that delights in nothing but what is just More plaine Matth. 5.11 it is said that men shall be blessed when they shall be injuried of men persecuted and accused falsely so they shall receive injury from men but recompence from God The not distinguishing of these two breedeth a desire of revenge Psal 7.3 when David saith O Lord my God speaking in regard of the instrument of Saul and Doeg if I have done any such thing if there be any wickednesse in mine hands c. yet he ascribed this to God and though he ascribed it to God yet that thing argueth not but that he was injuriously dealt withall even as he doth ascribe that of Shimei to the same cause peradventure the Lord hath striken with his instrument As these two when we looke not high enough to the efficient cause so on the other side when we conceive not aright of the end that tribulation being of tribulus August Ideo mittitur aut ut detineat aut ut revocet which is sent to keep us in or to call us When they consider not this through these two they begin not to regard it and so get a numnesse of soule and consequently they gather a thick skinne 2. We come to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the cause of it is most commonly from thence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fainting under the crosse either for want of due consideration of Gods justice or of his mercy that men cannot distinguish as 2 Cor. 4.8 betweene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 betweene being shaken and cast downe the Apostle he could say they were often in trouble but never in perplexitie and cast downe When a man imagineth that God afflicteth him in his wrath and that he aimeth at nothing but his destruction whereas the chastisement of God is not to drive us to despaire but onely to bring us to a godly perplexity When a man cannot distinguish these then he falleth to have an heavinesse and that breedeth death Psal 42.6.9.11 he is cast downe and there is a question between him and his soule Why art thou so heavy O my soule c. but then we see he commeth to the other part Put thy trust in God for he is thy refuge he is the light of thy countenance and so standeth as Paul doth here which thing when it is not considered men first feele their courage die and as Prov. 18.14 fall into a wounded spirit which cannot be borne howsoever the spirit of an heathen man can sustain his infirmitie though the patience that appeared in the Heathen were great yet as the Prophet saith A wounded spirit who can beare Gen. 4.13 My punishment is greater than I can beare or if not into that then they fall to murmuring against Gods justice Gen. 4.13 Cains murmuring that they beare a greater punishment than they deserve as on the other side in regard of the mistaking of his justice they fall away so for want of a due consideration of his mercy they are of Sauls mind 1 Sam. 28.9 if God will not answer him neither by Dreames nor by Urim nor by Prophets then he will come to the witch if this fall not out then he will try by another way he falleth into another extreme he lyeth flat on the ground with a brutish kind of patience and is not moved These two they come either by a misconstruing of Gods justice or by a miscontruing of his mercy that because he correcteth like a Father he will condemne like a Judge The meanes in that it is truly said of Jerome that quot sunt causae for God Meanes common to us with the Heathen 3 the other proper to Christians ad puniendum looke how many causes he hath to punish us so many meanes are there to move us ad patiendum to suffer of the tryall of patience we have handled before It is sure that the examples of Scevola Rutilius Regulus c. among the Heathen they carried a shew of patience and we have their reasons if the heathen could say Sis asinus quemcunque asinum sors prospera fecit 1 The indignity to call downâ— a 〈◊〉 â—all man under any crosse whatsoever there ought to be in Christians a more heroicall courage seeing wee know the causes from whom and the end why and therefore this is one speciall reason that as in unreasonable creatures so much more in reasonable it is an ignominious thing and great shame to prostrate so excellent a vertue to these 2. That the 〈◊〉 of â—â—e mining of 〈◊〉 inâ—o a good â—â—â—â—ing if they could not amend it Seeing therefore we must needs do it let us do it with commendation 2. Againe this they saw that quicquid corrigere est nefas what cannot be amended it were best to make of the necessity of it some commendable action and turne it into a vertue as Act. 9.5 it was hard to kicke against the pricke that yeelding being necessarily laid even that that is laid upon us wee may do it with
reasons and witnesses c. so that we count it as Prov. 18.10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower the righteous runneth to it and is exalted And the Heathen man saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of all things men set most by their faith When all faile we may take Sanctuary here This is the first part of the honour of God 2. In regard of the cause as before his greatest honour the ground of all honours Faith that this proceedeth from a great Faith In regard of the former part of an oath that is Contestation that we beare witnesse with tongue that are present that we beleeve as 1 Cor. 4.5 that God will lighten all things that are in darknesse that God will make all manifest He seeth all things even the very secrets of the heart And secondly in regard of the execution as Rom. 12.19 that he will punish mihi ultio ego retribuam Vengeance is mine and I will repay it Herein we beleeve that God hath power to bring his judgements upon us This beleife that he hath vengeance to execute turneth greatly to Gods glory and therefore was it that God was contented as it were to lend his name to sweare by it to make an end of their questions Thus we see how God hath his glory hence The next thing is to see what we are commanded and forbidden 1. The affirmative part that we shall take his Name to end our quarrells his name shall come as a sanctuary to quit or condemne in which we shall enclose our selves and satisfie our Law The first is jurare to sweare that is commanded flatly Deut. 6.13 set close to that which was the affirmative part of the last Commandement but more effectually and vehemently Esay 45.23 I live and have sworne by my selfe that every knee shall bowe to me and every tongue sweare by me For this cause there cometh another division of Oathes he hath not onely taken order that we should be willing that the oath should passe Exod. 22.11 which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a voluntary Oath but also 2 Chron. 6.22 that if they still not be willing there shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an oath of imposition conrstictè jurare to make him sweare precisely and punctually And Levit. 5.1 if any man heare an Oath that should returne to Gods glory and doe not utter it but hold his peace it shall be accounted to him as sinne So we see what Gods will is herein what he commandeth and then the great end of Gods glory and necessity of men Now for examples of these David Psal 63.12 Laudabuntur omnes laetabuntur qui jurabunt per eum every one that sweareth by him shall glory and rejoyce Therefore we see this commendation All the Saints have passed under it 1. God himselfe Gen. 22.16 I have sworne by my selfe saith the Lord because thou hast done this thing c. vers 17. therefore I will surely blesse thee 2. After God the caelestiall spirits Revel 10.6 The Angell lifted up his hand to Heaven and swore by him that liveth for ever more So the division concerning the case first of Gods glory to be confirmed and secondly the benefit of our brethren For the glory of God a famous Oath 2 Chron. 15.14 of Asa and the people They sweare to the Lord with a loud voyce for the observation of Dauids Religion 4. Likewise Nehem. 10.29 The chiefe of them received it for their brethren and they came to the curse and to the oath to walke in Gods Law c. For the other part in regard of mans benefit the wealth of mankind First we see it in mutuall leagues and confae deracies the example of Abraham Gen. 21.24 betwixt Abimelech and him Secondly likewise for a conspiracy publike Judg. 21.1 Moreover the men of Israel swore saying None of us shall give his daughter to the Benjamites to wise Thirdly for the receiving or uniting of Nation to Nation Ioshua 9.19 To the Gibeonites Ioshuah made peace and league with them that he would suffer them to live and they sware and the breach of it was punished 2 Sam. 21.2 2. For obedience and reciprocall duties betweene the Prince and Subjects we have examples and commandements First of the Prince 2 Kings 11.12 of Ioash Secondly of the Subjects 1 Kings 1.29 For the succession of Salomon Davids oath And the King swore as the Lord liveth c. For Subjects to him 1 Sam. 24.23 David swore to Saul And all the Subjects tooke an oath for the preserving of Davids life 2 Sam. 21.17 And the men of David swore to him c. Thirdly in a case of safegard of a mans life Ioshuah 2.12 And in regard of Marriage Abrahams example Gen. 24.2 therefore Abraham said to the eldest servant c. Put thy hand under my thigh and sweare by the Lord c. Fourthly in Litigious Suits and Causes Exod. 22.8 11. And as these come under the forme of a Publique oath so for Private oathes in the New Testament in remembrance in prayers and in love Paul seareth not in Rom. 1.9 and Phil. 1.8 to call God to witnesse for a matter of suspition 2 Cor. 1.23 Now I call God to record unto my soule c. all this tendeth to this end that we seeing the two maine reasons the exact Commandement of God his owne example and the Fathers in the Old Testament and the Apostles in the New We might be farre from the vaine opinion of the Anabaptists that are gain sayers of this first part and hold that we may not sweare at all grounding on Christs words Sweare not at all For Mat. 5.17 wee know that Christ came not to breake the Law nor to undoe the least jot of the Law and if it had beene his meaning to have had us not to sweare at all he would have said Non assumes nomen Dei omnino thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God at all For Christs words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they should not sweare at all Sure it is that you must marke the scope for it must bee referred to the scope of the place which is to reconcile the Law from the Pharisees corrupt interpretation for they thought if any man swore by any other name so that he sware not by the name of Iehovah sumere nomen Iehovae and onely frustra in vaine that hee might sweare by any other name Some take also jurare to be put for pejurare Augustine in his 27. Homilie and 30. de verbis Apostoli handleth it sufficiently and largely To sweare is commanded and to consent to Anabaptisme is forbidden The second point Affirmative the word added here Thou shalt take the name of God that is our swearing must be by the name of God and by no other Esay 48.1 There are they that will sweare by the name of the Lord but not in truth and righteousnesse They that sweare not by his name take away his praerogative
come unto God Exod. 18.15 the people come to aske of God when they asked of Moses and 1 Sam. 9.9 when they came to aske of God they came to the Prophet because he was brought up in rebus Jehovae in the things concerning God to make use of the Prophets So their account was that God was in the gift they made use therefore of the better gifts Deut. 1.17 heare you you under Officers If any thing be hard bring it to me c. And the duty of the Superiour is utendum se praebere to offer himselfe unto the people as the Philosopher said to Antisthenes he made a long preface to him I would come and aske you but that I should be troublesome to you and his answer to him is Why man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I live to this end now I have gotten some thing my selfe to be used of others So Christ John 1.39 to them that asked him where he dwelt he saith Come and see c. Pro. 9.4 5. Wisedome saith Come hither thou that art simple and wantest understanding I have sent my Maides that is under Arts as if they were gone abroad to call them None doth receive a gift propterse for himselfe alone Senes The duty towards old men The duty of the body that is between the Old and the Young the Apostle willeth the younger to be dutifull to the Elder as to Fathers 1 Tim. 5.1 The first duty is Job 32.6 7. The young must have their mouthes locked and must hold their tongue so long as their elders were in presence Elihu though he were an excellent young man yet he held his peace because his elders were in place the reason Job 12.12 because among the ancient there is wisedome and in the multitude of yeares there is understanding they have gone through more The Philosophers counsell is that when we have gotten our owne demonstrations we should give eare to the indemonstrable positions of old men that they have had by experience And it was the confusion of Rehoboam 1 Kings 12.6 When he should have dealt with the Ancients he did the contrary and took counsell of the young men And the duty that they are to returne back againe that they be not as Esay 65.20 pueri centum an norum children an hundred yeares old Jerome translates it Elementarios senes old men which have not as yet learned their A. B. C. but it is required that they have canum intellectum as they have canum caput that their intellect be as grave as their haire Jerome saith there is aetas temporis and aetas meriti an age of time and an age of merit Jude speaks of arbores autumnales trees that begin to blossome in the end of harvest when their fruit should be gathered This is the shadow of an old man without understanding But though they be such yet ut ante we must honour them though they be not worthy hoc pati to receive this honour yet it is meet for us hoc agere we must give it The second duty to old men Levit. 19.32 assurgere to rise up in signe of reverence because they have as in Dan. 7.9 the image of God that is called antiquus dierum the ancient of dayes and Pro. 20.29 they have the crowne whereby they resemble eternity So they have a double resemblance of eternity senectus est vestigium aeternitatis old age is the print of eternity Pro. 16.31 it is a crowning of a man if he have lived righteously Tit. 2.2 There are six qualities set downe for them The third duty of the Younger We must consurgere that is provide for their ease for they are weake young boyes are not to sit when ancient men stand Numb 8.20 When a man is past the age of fifty he must not travell in the Tabernacle yet he must have his allowance Esay 3.5 his prophecie that children should presume against the ancient and old men to stand and they to sit a thing against sense surely sic nobis fiet so shall it be done to us when we come to yeares sic fiet nostris so shall others of our humours doe to our Fathers as we doe to others And we shall not make their age which is a burthen unto them to be light as we should by a reverence in young men And if we doe procure this they shall blesse us and pray for us and we shall prosper else we may have a curse from God and our Fathers too GOD heareth the blessings and cursings of FATHERS and MOTHERS Come to the three degrees in the Common-wealth as Nobility Gentry c. they are by the Holy Ghost stiled Fathers and consequently is there a correspondent due to them 1 Sam. 25.8 David calleth a wealthy man Father I pray thee give unto thy servants and to thy sonne David whatsoever commeth to thy hand The reason of the duty they have is because there may proceed a common benefit by them to the Common-wealth as for Warre the nervus reipublicae is argentum round pay for Souldiers is the nerves and sinewes of a Common-wealth and it is especially in their hands Therefore it is that because God hath blessed them more in their oeconomicks the Common-wealth doth account of them more and giveth them a degree above other In the 1 Tim. 6.19 is their duty To be willing to impart their goods for a common profit as Nehem. 5.17 he had beside his owne Family a hundred and fifty of the Rulers which he maintained at his owne table It is better exemplified 2 Sam. 19.32 Barzillai a very rich man and David all the time he was at Mahanami lay at his charge therefore he rewarded him for it And 2 Kings 15.20 the King of Assur would overcome Juda if he had not money presently but that Menahen being then King tooke of every man of wealth a great benevolence c. So for provision of Armies and things necessary and then their duty in the Common-wealth in regard of this Pro. 31.23 is to preferre them and to set them in preferments and to place them among the Elders in the gate the reason is and it is a good reason if they have beene carefull in their owne house they will be much more in the Common-wealth The second duty is that when a man hath wealth there be some vertues that he may exercise excellently that others cannot magnificence liberality almes c. and if he be allyed to a Noble man to helpe forward good causes So because they are to be helpers in good causes they must venire in partem honoris they must have their honour vers 18. We have an example of this duty 2 Chron. 31.6 voluntary oblations for the Temple so as there were great heapes left great provision for the maintenance of the Levites And 2 Kings 4.10 the wealthy woman saith to her Husband I pray le ts furnish a Chamber c. There was a care of helping the Church of helping Prophets
but for a greater good and hee permitteth this for patience no greater good in this life then patience A second thing Ephes 4.27 to see the Devill in it Chrysostome saith it is a foolish thing for the Dog to runne after the stone that is cast and bite it in his mouth and leave the man that cast it and when one hath beaten us well with a staffe to pray him to let us have the staffe and when we have it to hack it and not hurt the man that beate us with it So it is sure The wicked men of this world and whosoever are incited by the Devill are nothing but his staves and stones so then we must set against the Devill and we cannot scourge him worse then with patience Bona opera our good workes as before are flagella daemonum whips for the Devill If the first motion will not stay but it come into the griefe yet if it stay there it is well We said that it was mixt with griefe and revenge but if it be â—otus in fermento all in a fume and if he said Prov. 24.29 I will doe to him as he hath done to me the not saying as Christ said 1 Pet. 2.22 when he was reviled reviled not againe when he suffered he threatned not but committed it to God Deut 30.35 Mihi vindictam ego retribuam his is vengeance he will looke to it In the meane season as Prov. 24.27.28 when this revenge commeth we must be so farre from desiring it that we must not be glad when our enemy falleth lest the Lord seeing it turne his wrath from him to us Iob 31.29 If saith he I have rejoyced at his destruction that hated me when his servants would have beene at him and desired his flesh he would not doe so But the practise is 2 King 21. as the King of Israel did when the Syrians were brought under his hands by the Prophet he asked My Father shall I smite them so when they have one at advantage but 1 Sam. 24.9 Davids practise was better for wee know when he had Saul in the Cave he might have stricken him but did it not but cut off a peece of the skirts of his coate But if some had had him in this case they would have cut his skirts so neere that it is Chrysostomes saying effudissent è renibus ejus sanguinem they would have let out the best bloud in his body This must not be the desire of revenge and execution And the reason is for we marke in Gods creatures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is an Ants anger and a Flies anger and the least creatures are the most angry and women more then men and quo infirmiores eo magis iracundi the weaker they are the more subject towrath so on the other side he that is magnarum virium of great courage doth not sentire se percussum resent a blow thus to deale against the desire of revenge If it cannot be prevented it is to be sorrowed but ratio irae or suppuratio the measure or impostume of the anger must be met with he will now and then be angry but he must not requiescere in ira sleep in anger Ephes 4.26 Ne occidat Sol let not the Sunne goe downe upon your anger And the reason is because then we must offer our evening Sacrifice and Marke 11.25 before we open our mouth to pray we must forgive This in Matth. 6.14.15 is set downe both in the Affirmative and Negative This is a case of necessity It was shewed us before what we are to thinke Matth. 18.22 if we number our forgivenesse then our forgivenesse shall be delivered by taley if our forgivenesse be sine fine numero then our sinnes shall be forgiven sine numero This for Suppuratio now for foaming of it out Ecclus. 28. Hee that doth this is a trouble and scandalous to his friends and therefore men must thinke that they have to deale with men and such men Eccles 19.16 fall with their tongue though not with their will who is he that hath not offended whith his tongue And David Psal 116.10 when he was in his anger and haste he said all men were lyers 1 Sam. and all because God deferred his Kingdome therefore if a word passe sometime 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 knowing there is none but offendeth with the tongue the counsell of the Prophet David is good Psal 38.13 eram tanquam surdus to be not deafe but tanquam surdus it is the best and if not yet Ecclus. 28.12 when a man hath heard an evill word it is even like a coale of fire laid before him he may blow on it and it will kindle he may spit on it and it will out And indeed this did the Heathen consider by the light of nature If he without a cause be thus angry quid faciet irritatus so as the Philosopher when one reproached him he cast up dust into the aire and when the other asked him why he did so he answered Injicio pulverem vomitui tuo I throw dust to cover thy vomit and indeed it is nothing else but vomitus bilis a disgorging of choler Vomitus bilis Prov. 29.9 Solomon saith if one man contend with another if he be not wise whether you answer him in jest or in earnest you goe by the worst if he be wise you are wiser if you forbeare him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wiser for not returning word for word therefore Prov. 26.4 he would not have a fool answered because so we come to be like him and we shall as we see when a man in reproving a fault will oftertimes be gone so far as he wil commit as great nay a greater absurdity sometimes therefore of fooles words magnum remedium negligentia the best course is to neglect them and vers 5. he would have him answered at sometimes not at other sometimes A foole sometimes must be answered sometimes not lest hee make him è stulto insanum of a foole a mad-man But when he is among such a himselfe that thinke well of him then answer him lest he seeme wise If he be among wise then answer him not and they will regard rather quid tu taceas quam quid ille dicat thy wisedome in being silent then his folly in speaking but Prov. 25.9 there must be no secrets disclosed and Ecclus. 8.5 there must be no exprobration of benefits Come to the action it selfe Requiting They call it bringing a man to justice Acts 22.25 in some causes it may be We must not be as the Pope said of England that it was a good Asse to beare all It was the errour of Iulian persecuting the Primitive Church For if it be a case of Gods or the truths Ecclus. 4.28 strive for the truth to death but if it be a case of meum tuum then it maketh no great matter as Abraham Gen. 13.8 he would be contented to be ordered by Lot and to
the opposition to stealing to labour to have to give to others that need shewing this that the poore must alwayes be in our minds and every one must say I doe worke for them as well as I doe worke for my selfe 1 Cor. 29.14 David speaking of the Temple vers 1. saith Quod de manu tua accepimus damus tibi What we have received of thine hands that wee returne to thee speaking of the applying of his preparations to the building of the Temple and not that Ad quid perditio haec Why was this waste Marke 14.4 And good affection Deut. 15.21 if there be any evill favoured thing either maimed or blinde or lame or that had any other deformity that is given to God there is plaine order taken against it and the affection of Solomon Prov. 3.9 in the good part Honour the Lord with thy riches and tithes and Mal. 3.9 in the evill part Ye spoyle him and ye shall have a curse and as August Date Dabitur give and it shall be given unto you Date dabitur two brethren shall be two brethren Now for the second use 1. For the poore because as out of it Prov. 15.9 it is sinne if he doe not give therefore every one must give except he himselfe be in extrema necessitate extreme necessity 2 Cor. 8.12 his reason is Every one shall be accepted not according to that he hath not but according to that he hath As for this first part Luke 21.4 if but two mites there greatly commended of our Saviour Christ and for the other Marke 7.41 even to the cup of cold water in Christs name there shall be a reward given And giving and lending they are both enjoyned Matth. 5.42 And rules for them Acts 2.45 he saith they parted their goods as every one had neede 1. they had respect to the need of every party not as the prodigall of whom the Heathen male fit ei qui fecisti choracibus he fared the worse for his former luxury whereas they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Graces thou hast made them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prostitutes prostituting them without regard Now then 2 Cor. 1.13 their almes must not be so that other men might have and they want that other men might finde ease by it and they disease whereas others that have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 passio a transient passion there is no hold in it so when their liberality doth perire liberalitate perish by their liberality it commeth so that is for the measure 2 Cor. 9.7 God doth not love 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a giver of necessity but a cheerefull giver it must not be wrung out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neither searching curiously nor with weighing and sifting what the party is or whether he be such a one as is worthy for that the Heathen could say that these were given not homini but humanitati to the man but to humanity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fellow-feeling compassion is due to nature and we ought to yeeld to the law our approbation these in free gifts In matters of justice we are to looke to the man and Prov. 3.28 he putteth another he will have it done out of hand and when as a man hath he must not bid him goe away and come to morrow but give then Ambrose Pauperi dabit potum cum acidatur panem cum mucidatur he will give the poore his drinke when it is sower and his bread when it is mouldy according to these rules And thus doing Psal 128.2 a man shall be sure to eate the labours of his hands Psal 41.3 the Lord will have a regard to him in his sicknesse he will bee his Physitian Psal 37.25 his seede shall not begge not onely corporall blessings but Dan. 4.27 it shall abrumpere peccata breake off his sinnes When a man feeleth his bowels open it is a good signe and symptoma of forgivenesse As Acts 10.2 when Cornelius gave almes his calling was neare and Luke 11.41 Give almes and all things shall be cleane unto you This outward ceremoniall But Iames 1.27 It is right and pure religion and undefiled to visit the fatherlesse and widowes in adversity And not onely this but also warranted by 1 Tim. 6.19 he saith we shall have a good foundation against the day to come as out of the sentence of Christ Mat. 25. the latter part of that Chapter this is that that commeth in rationem to be accounted for I was hungry and you fed me or fed me not and the reason we may alledge out of v. 27. for there it is said he asketh the unprofitable servant why he gave not his money to exchangers The Exchangers to whom we must put the Lords money be pauperes Ambrose on that place enquireth who be those Trapezitae money-changers he speaketh of and findeth out at last that they be pauperes that be campsores the poore that be those money-changers as he calleth them and therefore he saith if a man be to goe into another Countrey and in this respect he carry money with him hee might be met with by theeves and so be eased of his money and secondly if he carry mony that will not be currant and allowable in that Countrey that he is to go to and therfore he goeth to the Exchanger and delivereth him the money and takes a bill of his hand and carries but that with him and so feareth neither the one nor the other that he is sure they will not take and so he shall be sure of mony that will passe there and so he compares the state of a mans life to a Traveller who doth not load himselfe with that which may either indanger his life by Theeves or will not passe currant in the Countrey whither he goeth but laies out his money here that he may receive it there Now as Iob 1.21 he saith Naked came I out of my mothers wombe and 1 Tim. 6.7 We brought nothing into this world neither shall we carry any thing out if we carry any thing with us we shall be spoyled as we go Psal 76.5 The proud are robbed they have slept their first sleepe they shall rise in the mornining and finde nothing in their hand And then secondly if a man Iob 35.7 could have it in his hand it is not gold nor silver will serve there for it is not currant there Then as before in the temporall passage it is best to make us friends of the temporall Mammon and to deliver here and to receive the worth of it there as Ambrose saith to be dives in libro sigillato rich in the sealed booke that Cornelius Act. 10.4 his almes entâ—ed into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the committing of it here to his Factors and exchangers that is the poore for whom Christ is surety Matth. 19.21 25.40 What ye doe to them ye doe to me and I will make it good and his bill which
knew not what Luke 9.32 we cannot receive the truth But if as Moses speakes we seeke the Lord with all our heart Deut. 4.29 If we doe with Paul orare spiritu orare mente 1 Cor. 14. then we may conceive hope to be heard for the commandement to aske is given Cordi non pulmoni to the heart not to the lungs Id quod cor non facit non fit that which the heart doth not is not done Secondly touching the manner as with fervencie so we must pray with reverence not having our heads covered as we see many doe which behaviour how rude and unbeseeming it is we may easily discerne as the Prophet speakes Offer this kinde of behaviour to thy Lord or Master and see whether he will accept it Mal. 1. If thou having a suite to an earthly Prince darest not speake but upon thy knees with all submission how much more ought we to reverence the Lord God in comparison of whom all the Princes in the earth are but Crickets and Grashoppers Esa 40. Therefore the manner of our prayer to God must be in all reverence Solomon prayed upon his knees 2 Chron. 6. Daniel fell downe upon his knees Dan. 6. So did Saint Peter Acts 9. So Paul Ephes 3.14 And not onely men upon earth but the glorious spirits in Heaven cast themselves and their crownes downe before him that sits upon the Throne Apoc. 4. Yea Jesus Christ the Sonne of God fell downe upon his knees and prayed to his Father Luke 22. exauditus propter reverentiam Heb. 5. So did Paul serve God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 20.19 Secondly If we would obtaine any thing at Gods hand we must not onely aske it but seeke for it He that having prayed sits still without adding his endeavour shall not receive the thing he prayes for for he must not onely orare but lahorare pro quibus enim orandum pro eis laborandum est to this end the Apostle would have us to pull up our faint hands and weake knees Heb. 12. And when we have asked grace we must be carefull that we our selves be not wanting unto grace as well as we were carefull that grace should not be wanting unto us This diligence is noted in the word petite which as it is used in the first place so also it signifieth to goe to or to hit and knocke so that it containeth all the three vertues that are required unto prayer but for our instruction our Saviour hath expressed them in three severall termes Thirdly having found the way we may not rest there there is a dore whereby we must enter and that shall not stand open for us against we come we must knocke at it It pleaseth God to entreate us 2 Cor. 5. to seeke and finde us when we are lost Luke 15. He stands and knockes at our dore Apoc. 3. Therefore as Moses speakes in Deut. We are to consider what he doth require at our hands The service that we owe him is likewise to entreate him to seeke for grace at him to knocke continually till he open the gate of his mercie If God heare us not so soone as we aske we may not cease to knocke as Saul did who because that God answered him not neither by dreames nor by Urim nor Prophet asked counsell of a Witch 1 Sam. 28. Importunity as our Saviour speakes Luke 11. is a meanes whereby often times men obtaine their suites The unjust Judge will be content to heare the Widowes cause at length even because he would bee rid of cumber if she be earnest with him she shall at last obtaine her suite by importunity So howsoever God be not inclined to doe us good and have his eares open to our prayers yet he is much delighted with our importunate suites If the unjust Judge that neither feared God nor reverenced man may be overcome with importunate suite much more will God revenge them which give not over their suites but cry to him night and day Luke 18. Let us not be weary of well doing for in due season we shall reape if we faint not These conditions being performed that we seek in the desire of our heart and in humility secondly that we be not wanting to grace but worke with it thirdly if we doe it with continuance not giving over then we shall finde it true which Christ saith Omnis qui petit accipit The summe is as when God said Seek ye my face David answered Thy face O Lord I will seeke Psal 27. So when Christ saith to us aske our answer must be we will at least dispose our selves thereunto especially seeing he doth not onely praeire exemplo but dicere ut petas seeing he doth not onely by his commandement permitiere but praecipere ut petas Lastly seeing by his promise he doth not onely allure them ut petani but doth minari si non petas threaten if thou aske not for if we aske of any but from him he is angry as he was with the King of Israel that required of Baal-zebub when he should recover 2 Reg. 1. Is there not a God in Israel And Christ was offended with his Disciples for the neglect of this duty Hitherio ye have asked nothing Iohn 16. And when we come to aske of God we must not cease our suite if he grant us not our suite at the first but say with Iacob Non dimittam te Gen. 32. We must be instant as the Canaanite was Mat. 15. We must be earnest as he that came at midnight to borrow bread Luke 11. and importunate as the Widow with the Iudge Luke 18. and then we may assure our selves of a comfortable effect of prayers THE FOVRTH SERMON ROM 8.26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what to pray for as we ought but the Spirit it selfe maketh request for us with sighs which cannot be uttered OUt of Saint Paul 2 Cor. 3. we may see first that of our selves we are not sufficient at all to do good and that all good comes from the Father of lights Jam. 1.17 and that in that regard we must aske and receive at his hands from whom it comes Matth. 7.7 Now the Apostle meeteth with another difficulty which is how we may pray for as we cannot performe any good thing of our selves unlesse God minister power so we know not how to aske this grace at his hands Therefore to answer that question of the Disciples which desired that Christ should teach them how to pray Luk. 11. the Apostle saith that because we know not what to pray for as we ought therefore the Spirit doth helpe our infirmities The Apostle begins at our infirmities which he laies downe in such sort as wee may plainly see that our defects and wants are many for as there are infirmities of the body which the Scripture calls the infirmities of Egypt Deut. 7.15 Whereunto the Saints of God are subject as well as other as the Apostle speakes
devotion and reverence for both must be joyned together neither feare without the consideration of his goodnesse nor bold confidence that is not tempered with a dutifull regard of his power is acceptable to him So that which we learned in lege credendi that God is the Father Almighty is here taught againe in lege supplicandi where wee are instructed in our prayers to ascribe both these unto God first that hee is our Father secondly our heavenly Father The consideration of these two are the pillars of our faith and there is no petition wherein we doe not desire that God will either shew us his goodnesse or assist us with his power and no Psalme or Hymne that is not occupied in setting forth one of these The titles which expresse Gods goodnesse have two words the one a word of faith the other a word of hope and charity Of both these words of Pater and noster Basil saith that here Lex supplicandi non modo credendi sed operandi Legem statuit The Law of prayer doth not onely establish and confirme the Law of beliefe but of working also For where in the word Father is expressed the love of God to us it comprehendeth withall the love wee beare to him Where we call God our Father and not my Father therein is contained our love to our neighbour whom we are to love no lesse then our selves Vpon these two hang the Law and the Prophets Matth. 22. Againe the word Father is a word of faith and our a word of charity and the thing required of us in the new Testament is Fides per charitatem operans Faith which worketh by charity Gal. 5. So that in these words Our Father we have a summe both of the Law and the Gospel Christ might have devised many more magnificent and excellent termes for God but none were apt and fit for us to assure us of Gods favour Our Saviour saith Luke 11.13 That earthly fathers which many times are evill men have notwithstanding this care for their children that if they aske them bread they will not give them a stone much more shall our heavenly Father give us the holy Spirit if we aske it Wherefore Christ teaching us to call God by the name of Father hath made choyce of that word which might serve most to stirre us up unto hope for it is Magnum nomen sub quo nemini desperandum a great name under which no man can despaire There may seeme an opposition to be betwixt these words Father and Our if we consider first the Majesty of God before whom the hils doe tremble and the Angels in Heaven cover their faces Secondly our owne uncleannesse and basenesse both in respect of the mould whereof we be made which made Abraham confesse himselfe unworthy to speake unto God being but dust and ashes Gen. 18. And also in regard of our pollution of sinne in which regard we are called The slaves of sinne and children of the Devill Iohn 8. Herein we finde a great distance between God and us and so are we farre from challenging this honour to bee the sonnes of God in regard of our selves Who durst saith Cyprian pray to God by the name of Father if Christ our Advocate did not put these words in our mouthes He knoweth how God standeth affected towards us for all our unworthinesse and therefore seeing he hath framed this patition for us we may boldly as he commandeth say thus Our Faâ—her Therefore albeit of our selves we cannot conceive hope that God is our Father yet we may call him Father by the authority of Christ and say with Augustine Agnosce Domine stilum advocati Filâ—iâ—ui Lord take notice of the stile of our Advocate thy Sonne Wee know not Gods affection towards us but by Christ wee take notice of him for hee hath declared him unto us Iohn 1.18 and being taught that God in Christ vouchsafeth to admit us for his children Wee doe with boldnesse come to the throne of grace Heb. 4. Therefore we have thankfully to consider unto what dignity wee that live under the Gospel are exalted not onely above the Patriarches in the time of the Law but above the heavenly Spirits Before the Law was given Abraham saith Shall I speake to the Lord Gen. 18. In the Law Christ saith Ego sum Dominus Deus tuus Exod. 20. then he was not called Father But if we aske that question which the Apostle makes To which of the Angels said he Thou art my Sonne Heb. 1.5 It will appeare that God hath honoured us in a degree above Angels for that he giveth us leave to call him Father Thus we see what preheminence we have from God above as well the Saints on earth in time of the Law as the heavenly Angels that we may not only pray but pray thus Our Father In the word Father we are further to note not onely that God is the cause of all things for that he bringeth forth all things but also his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or naturall affection to those things that are produced Gods Paternity is first generally to be considered in all creatures which for that they have their being from God he is said to be their Father So Iob called God Pater pluviae The Father of the raine Iob 38. Also he is called Pater Luminum Iam. 1.17 and this is a motive sufficient to move God to be favourable to our prayer if there were no more that we are his creatures so David spake Despise nâ—t the work of thine owne hands Psal 138. But men have another use of Gods paternity for whereas of other things God said Producat terra Ger. 1. When man was to be created he said Let us make man giving us to understand that how soever other creatures had their being from God immediately God himselfe would be his Father and frame him immediately with his owne hand Secondly when God created man according to his owne Image he breathed into him life immortall he gave him the sparkes of knowledge and indued his soule with reason and understanding in which regard it is called the candle of the Lord Prov. 21. Thirdly when man was fallen from his first estate God opened to him a doore of repentance which favour hee hath not vouchsafed to the Angels that fell and so wee may crave Gods favour not onely as we are the workes of Gods hands but as we are his owne Image Fourthly God is our Father as we are Christians that which Moses saith Is he not thy Father Deut. 33. and Doubtlesse thou art our Father Isa 63. is to be understood of our generation but we have a second birth called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Regeneration which setteth us in a degree above mankinde and makes us not onely men but Christians which if we be then we are the sons of God not as the raine or lights or they that are created to the Image of God but for that we are borne of God
manducanti 2 Cor. 9.10 We are destitute of the meanest blessings that are it is God onely from whom wee receive all things therefore to him we pray acknowledging our owne want Da nobis panem Secondly we must consider the word Da as it is set in opposition to Veniat or habeam panem it must not content us that we have bread but labour that we may have it of Gods gift Esau said of things temporall which he enjoyed I have enough Gen. 33. not acknowledging from whom Balaam cared not how he came by promotion so he had it and therefore he is said to have loved the wages of unrighteousnesse 2 Pet. 2.15 but we must labour not so much to have good things as to have them from God and Pilate is to acknowledge that the power which he hath was given him from above Joh. 19. and not to vaunt of any usurped power It is said of God Tu aperis manum tuam Psal 104. Thou openest the doores of heaven Psal 78. So we are not so much to labour for temporall things by our owne endeavour as that we may have them from God Thirdly Da opposed to rendring teacheth us that it is not of our owne endeavour but it is of Gods free bounty and liberality that we have bread and other things which while wee seeke for of Gods gift we confesse that to be true which Salomon saith Non est panis sapientis Be a man never so wise yet he hath not alwayes to supply his need Eccles 9.11 As he that is highest gets not alwaies the goale nor the strongest man the victory so saith our Saviour Which of you by taking thought can adde one cubit to his stature Matth. 6. All our endeavours for the things of this life are unprofitable without Gods blessing It is in vaine to rise up early and to go to bed late Psal 127. And when he blesseth our labour then he is said to give us bread and therefore we are to confesse with David that whatsoever we have received we have received it at his hands 1 Chron. 29.14 Now the meanes of Gods giving is of foure sorts First God giveth bread when hee blesseth the earth with plenty when hee gives force to the heaven When the heaven heareth the earth the earth heareth the Corne the Wine the Oyle and they heare man Hos 2.21 Secondly he gives when hee sets us in some honest trade of life and vouchsafeth his blessing to our endeavours therein that we may get our living and eate the labour of our hands Psal 128. without which the first giving will do us no good Thirdly he gives us bread not onely in his blessing the earth with increase and by blessing our honest paines in our vocation but when he gives us Baculum panis the staffe of bread for at his pleasure he useth to breake the staffe of bread Levit. 26. and to make it of no power to nourish us then are they but beggerly elements When we eat and have not enough Hag. 1. Therefore our prayer is that he would cause the earth to yeeld us bread so that to the bread he would infuse a force to strengthen mans heart for which end it is ordained Psal 104. Fourthly because Moses saies Man lives not by bread onely but by the Word of God therefore we pray that as our bread by his blessing is made to us panis salubris so it may be panis sanctus Deut. 8. that he will give us grace to use his creatures to the end that wee may the better serve him otherwise howsoever they nourish our bodies yet they will prove poyson to our soules God performeth these three former givings to the Heathen so that their bellies are full with bread but withall hee sendeth leannesse into their soules Psal 106. But Christian men have not onely the earth to yeeld her fruit Gods blessing being upon their labours and a blessing upon the creature it selfe that it is not in vaine but nourisheth but also it is sanctified to them and that bread is properly theirs because they are Gods children Et panis est filiorum it is the childrens bread Secondly the thing we desire to be given is Bread concerning which because the decayes and defects of our nature are many so as it were infinite to expresse then severally therefore our Saviour Christ doth here comprehend them all under the terme of Bread using the same figure which God himselfe useth in the law where under one word many things are contained Howsoever our wants be many yet the heathen bring them all to these two Pabulum latibulum food and covering and as they do so doth not onely Moses in the Law where all that pertaine to this life is referred to victum and amictum Deut. 10.18 but also Saint Paul in the Epistle 1 Tim. 6.8 Hebentes victum amictum his contenti sumus So then under this petition is contained not onely that God would give us bread by causing the earth to bring forth corne and all good seasons for that purpose but that withall he will give us health of body and not plague us with sicknesse as hee did the Israelites Psal 31. Then that we may have peace without which these outward blessings will afford us no comfort and that as he fills our bellies with food so he will give us Laetitiam cordis Act. 14.17 that is all manner of contentment in this life Howbeit this petition stayeth not here for the prayer of Christian men must differ from the Lyons roaring and the Ravens crying the end of their praying is that their bellies may be filled but we must have as great a care for the food of our soules therefore where we call it panem nostrum we do not meane panem communem such bread as is common to us with other creatures but that Spirituall bread which is proper to men which consists not only of body but of soule and body which must be both fed and where we pray that God would give 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we aske such bread as is apt and meete for our sustenance that is not onely Earthly but Heavenly Bread because we consist not onely of a terrestriall but also of a celestiall substance so then our desire is that God would give us not onely panem jumentorum but panem Angelorum Psal 78. The bread of Angels and our suit is as well for panis coeli Joh. 6. as for earthly bread The bread of the soule is Gods word which hath a great reference to earthly bread and therefore speaking of the sweetnesse of that bread Job saith I esteemed of the words of his mouth more than my appointed food Job 23. and David saith Thy word is sweeter then hony and the hony combe Psalm 19.10 In the New Testament the Apostle to shew the nourishing force of Gods word saith that Timothy was enutritus verbis fidei 1 Tim. 4.6 To shew the taste or relish that it hath as well as
to us that was offered to the Fathers for we beleeve to be saved by the faith of Jesus Christ as well as they Act. 15.11 and wee have no other Sacraments then those which the Jewes had of whom Saint Paul saith They all did eate the same spirituall meat and dranke the same spirituall drinke 1 Cor. 10. and therefore it is meete likewise that we should make the same prayer that they made and indeed there is no Petition in the Lords Prayer which is not found in the Old Testament used by the Church of the Jewes For that which the Prophet prayeth Psalm 57.6 Lift up thy selfe O God above the heavens and thy glory above all the earth Psal 67. That thy way may be knowne upon earth c. is nothing else but the hallowing of Gods Name Secondly Remember mee O God that I may see the felicity of thy chosen Psal 106. It is nothing else but an exposition of the second Petition where we pray Thy Kingdome come Thirdly these words of the Prophet Psal 143. Teach mee to do the thing that pleaseth thee is a full comprehension of the third Petition where we desire that his will be done Fourthly the eyes of all things do looke upon thee and thou givest them meat in due season Psal 145. and the prayer of Solomon Prov. 30. Give mee not poverty nor riches but feed mee with food meete is a full expressing of the fourth Petition Fifthly My misdeeds prevaile against mee O be mercifull to our sinnes Psal 65.3 is a summe of the fifth petition and the condition of this Petition is found Psal 7. wherein the Prophet saith If I have done any such thing or if there be any wickednesse in my hands If I have rewarded evill to him that dealt friendly with mee yea I have delivered him that without a cause was my enemy then let my enemy persecute my soule whereby he desireth no otherwise to be forgiven of God then as he doth forgive his brother Sixthly that which the Prophet prayeth Psal 119.37 Turne away my eyes that they behold not vanity and Psal 143. Set a watch before my mouth and keepe the doore of my lips is that which Christ teacheth us to pray Lead us not into temptation Seventhly Redeeme Israel from all trouble Psal 25.20 in affect is as much as Deliver them from all evill which is the seventh Petition Lastly looke what reason Christ teacheth us to use here the same doth David use 1 Chron. 29. Therefore having the same prayer that the Jewes had it is meet that wee should have the same conclusion that they had and the same is they said Amen and so do wee Touching the use of this word it is found in Scriptures to have two seats or places and accordingly two severall expositions to wit in the beginning and in the end before and behind In the beginning as in the doctrine of the Sacrament of Baptisme concerning which our Saviour saith Amen Amen except a man be borne of the water and of the Spirit hee cannot enter into the Kingdome of God Joh. 3. And touching the Sacrament of the holy Eucharist Verily verily except yee eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his blood yee have no life in you Joh. 6.33 And touching the effect of prayer Christ saith also Verily verily I say unto you whatsoever yee shall aske the Father in my name hee will give it you Joh. 16. In those places the word Amen is used and thereby our Saviour laboureth to expresse the truth of that which he doth teach In the end likewise it is said as Psal 41.13 Psal 72. Psal 87.50 Praised be the Lord for evermore Amen Amen And in the New Testament when the Apostle sheweth That of the Jewes according to the flesh came Christ who is over all God blessed for ever Amen Rom. 9.5 Here the word is used and set behind to signifie that wee desire that that may be performed which God before by his Amen hath affirmed to be true Therefore David having received promise from the Lord by the hand of Nathan saith Let the thing that thou hast promised be Amen Let there be an accomplishment of the same 1 Chron. 17.25 So when the Prophet Hananiah had prophesied in the name of the Lord I have broken the yoke of the King of Babell and after two yeares will I bring againe into this place all the ornaments of the house of the Lord Jeremy the Prophet said Amen the Lord do as thou hast said Jer. 28.6 As in the beginning it ratifieth the truth of Gods promise so being set in the end it signifieth the desire of our hearts for the accomplishment of the same and this desire alwaies followeth and is grounded upon the promise of God and the truth thereof In which regard the Prophet saith Remember me O Lord concerning thy word wherein thou causest me to put my trust Psal 119. and therefore to Christs A non in the beginning where he promiseth Verily verily whatsoever ye aske in my name Iohn 16. we may boldly adde our Amen in the end that his Amen may be performed and by right doe we ground our Amen upon Gods Amen for he is called Amen that is truth Esa 65.16 So the Apostle expresseth it when speaking of Jesus Christ he saith Thus saith Amen the fault fall and true witnesse Revel 3.14 Therefore S. Paul saith of Christ that in him all the promises are made to us yea in the beginning and Amen to us in regard of the certaine accomplishment 2 Cor. 1. The reason of our Amen is because not onely faith but trust and confidence doth proceed from the truth of God fides hath relation to Gods truth but fiducia or confidence is setled upon Gods faithfulnesse and both are affirmed of God Moses saith of God that he is verus and fidelis Deut. 32. and Esay The Lord is faithfull Esa 49.7 8. Paul in the new Testament Hee is faithfull that promised Heb. 10. He deemed him faithfull that promised Heb. 11. For there are two things required in faithfulnesse without the which a man cannot be said to be faithfull the one is ability of which Abraham doubted not of Gods faithfulnesse being fully perswaded That what he promised he was able to performe Rom. 4.21 the other is will and readinesse to doe touching which the Apostle saith Faithfull is he that called you ipse faciet 1 Thes 5.24 These are the parts of faithfulnesse and they are both found in God and therefore not onely God the Father is true but Christ is said to be the truth Iohn 14. and the holy Ghost is called the Spirit of truth 1 Iohn 5.6 So that albeit men deale so untruly that it is verified of them ad men are lyers Rom. 3. Yet God abides faithfull and cannot denyâ—h myselfe 2 Tim. 2.13 So much the Prophet teacheth when he saith the mountaines shall be removed but the thing which be hath spoken shall not faile Esa 58. And
Pilate asked who accused Christ they answered If he had not beene a malefactor we would not have brought him before thee John 18.30 They were jolly grave men it was a flat flattery and in John 21.23 there is the like This ought to put us in minde when wee are tempted in like manner that we take heed we be not out-faced In the matter it selfe we are to consider these points First the devill sets it downe for a ground that follow what will bread must needs be had Therefore Christ first closeth with him Admit he had bread were he then safe No We live not by bread onely so that bread is not of absolute necessity Well what followes of that Bread you must needs have you see your want God hath left off to provide for you Then comes the conclusion Therefore shift for your selfe as well as you can First he soliciteth us to a mutinous repining within our selves as Heb. 3.8 Harden not your hearts as in the day of temptation c. whereby he forceth us to breake out into such like conceites as Psal 116.11 I said in my distresse that all men be lyars and Psal 31.22 I said in my haste I am cast off Thus closely he distrusted God in saying his Prophets prophesie lyes till at last we even open our mouthes against God himselfe and say This evill commeth from the Lord shall I attend on the Lord any longer 2 Kings 6.33 Hunger and shame is all we shall get at Gods hands And so casting off God betake themselves to some other Patron and then the devill is fittest for their turne For when we are fallen out with one it is best serving his enemy and to retaine to the contrary faction Then we seeke a Familiar with Saul to answer us 1 Sam. 28.7 But what did the devill then tell him did he bring comfort with him No he tels him that to morrow he and his sennes should dye So here doth the devill bring a stone with him What Father saith Christ if his Sonne aske him bread would give him a stone Matth. 7.9 yet the devill doth so Christ was hungry and the devill shewes him stones Here is the devils comfort here be stones for thee if thou canst devise any way to make these stones bread thou art well whereas we doe not use to make bread of stones but of wheate to worke it with the sweat of our browes to get it so we learne Gen. 3.19 By extortion and usury we may make stones into bread that is the devils Alchymistry or haply we may make bread of nothing when a man gets a thing by anothers oversight Gen. 43.12 Or else what and if we can over-reach our brother in subtilty and goe beyond him with a tricke of wit or cunning Let no man defraud or oppresse his brother in any matter for the Lord is avenged of all such 1 Thes 4.6 The one is called the bread of violence and oppression Prov. 4.17 The other The bread of deceit They are indeed both made of stones for they still retaine their former property as the event will declare For though in the beginning such bread be pleasant Prov. 20.17 yet after his mouth is but filled with gravell After which will consequently follow gnashing of teeth THE THIRD SERMON MATTH 4.4 But he answering said It is written Man shall not live by bread onely but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God IT was a good service that Elisha 2 Reg. 6.9 did to tell the King of the traines laid for him when they lay in ambush against him And even this is the first use that wee have of our Saviours Temptations It warnes us aforehand of the devils comming so that we may have time to prepare our selves accordingly For as at that time the devill came upon Christ when hunger pinched him so where we are in any distresse we are to looke for temptations This temptation hath two parts First comes Si a distrust Secondly followes unlawfull meanes Having laid this foundation that bread is necessary to be had when one is hungry he inferreth that God helpeth not nor supplyeth the want therefore God is not the Father Matth. 7.6 and therefore depend no longer on him but shift for your selfe This is the effect of the devils argument The Fathers upon the words Ephes 6.16 Take the shield of faith to quench all the fiery darts of the devill doe note that about every one of the darts or temptations of the devill there are as it were bals of wilde fire For being to assault our obedience and knowing that faith is our shield to that end he useth the arrow head which is distrust in God about which is fire to wit the using of unlawfull meanes to consume our obedience which will consume our shield of faith and so make way for the dart to kill or wound us So that his drift is to bring our adoption or Son-ship to a Si. There is no doubt but Christ was able to have turned stones into bread but why would he not then follow the devils advice The devill by saying Say unto these stones seemeth to acknowledge that he had the force to have done it even by his bare word for even stones are said to heare the voyce of God and obey his commandement and not onely Gods but even Gods servants as 1 Reg. 13.5 when the man of God had pronounced that the Altar should rent in sunder it did so And Matth. 27.5 when Jesus cryed out with a loud voyce the vaile of the Temple rent in twaine the earth did quake and the stones were cloven The dead men are worse than stones yet they in their graves heard his voyce And not onely was he able to turne stones into bread but into men also as Children to Abraham of stones Matth. 3.9 If therefore it had pleased him he was as well able at this time to have turned stones into bread as after he turned water into Wine John 2.10 It was no lesse possible to him no doubt to have saved himselfe when the Jewes scoffingly bad him Matth. 27.42 as to have saved others and to have come downe from the Crosse being alive as it was after for him not onely being dead and buryed but a great stone being over him to remove it and come out of the grave Mat. 28.2 He had power to both but not will alike to both But why would he not here use his power for the satisfying of his hunger and follow the devils advice In setting downe the History of turning water into Wine it is thus further said that he did it That his Disciples might beleeve in him John 2.11 That was the reason that moved him to the working of that miracle and because there was no such cause here he did it not For the devill would not beleeve in him he knew though he had done it The devill desired him but to have him shew what he could doe for a need onely for
up in one night and was gone in the next Jon. 4.6 Goodly Zebedeus wife could finde no lesse thing to aske of Christ for her two sonnes that came the last day from the cart but that the one might sit at Christs right hand and the other at the left in his Kingdome Matth. 20.20 Balaam could never thinke his Asse went halfe fast enough when he rode towards preferment Num. 22.17 The Disciples also longed for the Kingdome of Israel to be restored The devill did not shew all his Kingdome to Saul when he was comming from keeping his Fathers sheepe 1 Sam. 9.24 and Samuel feasted him nor after Saul was chosen King 1 Sam. 11.5 and he followed his cattell neither did he shew them to the King bidden to Absalons sheep-shearing 2 Sam. 13.24 nor at such time as Princes withdraw themselves to be private Dan. 6.18 But he shewes them at such times as they are in their greatest glory and ruffe when kingdomes were growne to the top of jollity and Majesty as the Kingdome of Israel was in Solomons time and chooseth such a time as when they were in most triumph and pompe as they were wont to be at the day of the Kings birth or inauguration Hosea 7.5 Cant. 3.11 or at a Coronation or at the receiving of Ambassadors or at the entertaining of forraigne States as when the Queene of Saba was in Solomons Court 1 King 10. To conclude he shewed them not when they are in a base estate but when they are in greatest pompe Act. 25.23 Now come we to the second point to wit the Temptation it selfe En haec omnia tibi dabo ver 9. Having prepared Christs minde as he thought by shewing him that he would give him now he comes in with a short and pithy Oration All this will I give thee Here thou seest all thou canst wish for without thee shall no man lift up his hand or his foote in all Egipt as Pharaoh said to Joseph Gen. 41.44 so as he might make all Captaines and give to every one fields and vineyards 1 Sam. 22.7 that he might say to every one what he list Speakest thou to me Seest thou not that I have power to crucifie thee or to let thee goe John 19.10 that his favour might raise a man so high as Haman was exalted above all the Princes Hest 3.1 and his disfavour or the least word of his mouth quite overthrow him as Haman was verse 7.8 by picking some small quarrell against him But this is not all neither for the same gayish apparell wherein many doe delight is contained under this Haec omnia Not onely embroydered with gold but even gold it selfe and smels of the finest scent Psal 45.8 9. And as for the delights of the flesh if he can see any that delight him better than other it is no more than with David 2 Sam. 11.4 to send for her and have her she was straight at his command Neither must any say it was unlawfull no not John Baptist if he love his head Mark 6.17 He may command what he list if any gainesay it he may dispatch him out of the way for he may kill and wound whom he list Dan. 5.19 He may command all mens tongues 2 Samuel 14.10 that they dare not once open their mouth to speake against him Nay hee shall have all mens tongues and pens ready to extoll all that he doth and say The King is like an Angel of God 2 Sam. 19. or that it is the voyce of God and not of man Act. 12.22 Why then to have all mens hands feet bodies faces tongues and pens this may be well said All to have not onely one Kingdome but all to have all the power and glory of those Kingdomes here is even all the kingdome the power and the glory He comes not after a pelting manner he shewes himselfe a franke chapman he saith not that Godlinesse is great gaine and a minde content with his lot 1 Tim. 6.6 and wils him to be content with food and rayment ver 8. He comes not with Illa which we shall not once behold till another world come and whether there be any such or no many doubt He shewes him a mount that may be touched Heb. 12.18 he comes with haec that is with ready money in his hand he not onely offers but stakes downe and whereas God saith that in the sweat of our fore-head we shall eate our bread Gen. 3.19 the devill requires no such thing This is a donative Haec amnia dabo What say ye now Shall Christ take it or no The Heathen man saith if a man be to violate his faith for any thing it is for a Kingdome Christ hath here offered him all Kingdomes a very enticing baite but is there never a hooke hidden under it The woman was fine and brave and had a cup of gold in her hand but it was full of abomination Apoc. 17.14 So here for all these faire shewes if you will gaine any thing by the devill you must worship him that is the condition annexed to the grant it is no absolute gift the devill is not so kind as to part from all that for nothing It is such a gift as the Lawyers call Excambium that is Exchange I will give you this if you will give me that But yet one would thinke it a very large offer to give so great a lieu for so small a service it is but a little externall reverence the bowing of the knee you may notwithstanding in heart thinke what ye list Well we may thinke there was somewhat in it that the devill offered so much for so little and yet Christ refused it Indeed Christ had great reason to refuse it for he should have beene a loser by the bargaine I will stand to it he had beene better to have yeelded to either of the two former temptations than to this he should full deerely have bought all his kingdomes he had beene better to have cast himselfe downe from the Pinacle For that which the devill here demandeth in lieu is as much worth as both the glory of God and the redemption of man Of his glory God saith That hee will not give it to another Esay 42.8 If to no other then not to the devill of all other And therefore the Angell would not have a burnt offering offered to him but to God Judg. 13.16 The Angell would not let John fall downe and worship him but bad him worship God Rev. 19.10 For he knew that God was very jealous of his honour and stood precisely upon that point If he would not impart this honour with the Angels much lesse would he with the devill for there are degrees in idolatry Rom. 1.23 It is not so ill to turne the glory of God into the image of a man as into birds and beasts Secondly if we looke into the desire that he had to satisfie his ancient envy by the destruction of mankind we must needs commend the