plowing comes sowing after sowing the seede lies vnder the clots after springeth to a blade eare and last of all a ful corne and these degrees are to be expected in this spirituall haruest also I haue knowne others troubled because they cannot distinctly tell the time of their conuersion Why doe not some women conceiue and know it not for a season yet before long they can easily discerne it And in like sort may the new birth be wrought and yet some while the person be ignorant of the same For as the spirit bloweth where and when so how he listeth Thou must trie it by the effects If therfore the daily course of finne be staied the breasts of thy vnderstanding and heart with the sincere milke of the word be filled and thou trauell in minde and wil that good works may be produced thou art borne of God and one of his adopted children Vse 4 And is this haruest secret and hidden Then let the righteous neuer rest content with any measure of spirituall crop they haue attained to for they haue but like Ruth participated of the gleanings The very chiefe of the haruest is gathered into heauen and there they shall haue it the vpright are in the wildernes and haue but tasted of the good things of the world to come yea this doctrine should cause all of vs to thresh out the word to breake our hard hearts to sow apace both the seeds of good works and the rich and precious graine of prayer Oh that wee did but conceiue aright how these seeds will fructifie and the full sheaues that we shall reape either in life or death or at the last day Truly not one of these cornes shall miscarry but all take roote spring and bring foorth fruite in great abundance I say then be not wearie in this course of husbandry iudge not that The haruest is past but scatter this seed euery where and crie aloud that the great day of reaping may come and the principall time of gathering yea it should moue thee to wish to be loosed and to desire Christs comming to iudgement and then it will appeare what thou shalt be for whatsoeuer good thing any man hath done that same shall bee receiue of the Lord whether he be bond or free It cannot be denied but that as in the daies of Elias the children of God in this world like the corne couered with chaffe may be hidden and not discerned but at that day Christ shall single them out call them by name and reward them according to their workes Euery good intention of the heart each sentence powdred with salt the still prayers that haue been powred out in the poorest corner of a cottage and euery good action done in secret shall come to light and haue his blessing and then the difference will be discerned between the righteous and the wicked between him that serued God and him that serued him not Mal. 3. vlt. Goe on therefore and be not deiected For the husbandman must first sow that he may reape the fruit and hee that soweth liberally shall reape also liberally 2. Cor. 9. 6. And now wee come to obserue a second point the which we gather out of the consequent part of the first proposition which is that Doct. 2 The righteous are the reapers of Gods greatest benefits Light and gladnesse bee sowen for them only and for none other Balaam saw this full well therfore he desired to dye the death of the righteous and that his last end might be like vnto his Dauid crieth out Marke the vpright man and behold the iust for the end of that man shall be peace yea the righteous shall be had in euerlasting remembrance and such shal want no manner of thing for their memorie shall bee blessed here on the earth and their names for euer engrauen in heauen But with the wicked it shall not be so for their fame shall rot their names shall be written in earth their hopes make them ashamed and at the last day their image shall be despised They shall be as chaffe before the winde and shall not be able to stand in the presence of the Lord but bee depriued of the kingdome of heauen and throwne downe into the nethermost hell We deny not but that they may flourish for a time spread themselues like the greene bay tree and bigge Cedars send out their children as sheepe place them on the highest hils play vpon the tabret and harpe spend many daies in carnall pleasures yet for all this in a moment they shall descend into the pit This shall be the portion of vniust and wicked men but the contrary to the righteous And it also standeth with good reason Reason 1 For first the iust are vnited to Christ their husband and head they are bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh therefore they shall partake in truth though not in degree of all his priuiledges And from this vnion wee are said to be heires of God Gal. 4. heires annexed with Christ Rom. 8. heires of grace 1. Pet. 3. heires of the kingdome Iam. 2. 5. heires of eternall life Tit. 3. yea coheires with Christ of all things present or to come For the righteous are Christs and Christ is Gods 1. Cor. 3. 21. 22. 23. And as they that are thus grafted into the second Adam shall be partakers of all his goods so the vniust not being in him shall taste of all the heauy iudgements of God the Father He that is not a branch of this Vine shall be cut off wither dye and suffer the vengeance of eternall fire Iude 7. Reason 2 Againe they haue right to all the promises and none but they Heb. 11. 1. 2. Many may say that They are Abrahams seed haue true title to heauen and boast much that They are free but they that so thinke may deceiue their own soules and be farre from the kingdome of heauen For Godlines only hath the promises of this life and the life to come 1. Tim. 4. 8. And if the Sonne make man free then is he free indeed But alas the wicked vniust and prophane haue no promise to inherit heauen all the threats in Gods booke are denounced against them For Many sorrowes shall be to the wicked and they that doe commit sinne shall not be vnpunished And the Apostle is round in this thing Be not saith he deceiued for the vnrighteous shall not inherit the kingdome of God 1. Cor. 6. 9. Reason 3 A third reason is this that as the righteous haue only true title to the promises so they only haue faith to applie them say that wicked men had which they haue not right to the promise of life yet they haue no faith to applie it to themselues in particular whatsoeuer such men bragge and boast of yet All men haue not faith and he that beleeueth not is
THE IOY OF THE VPRIGHT MAN IN A SERMON PREACHED AT GRAYES INNE BY I. B. WHEREIN IS DECLARED THE hidden comfort the sure reward the present condition of the vpright-hearted PSAL. 126. 6. They went weeping and carried precious seede but they shall returne with ioy and bring their sheaues LONDON Imprinted by Felix Kyngston for Nathaniel Newbery and are to be sold at his shop vnder Saint Peters Church in Corne-hill at the signe of the Starre and in Popes-head Alley 1619. TO HIS MVCH RESPECTED AND APPROVED FRIEND Mr. DA. M. IT hath been the custome of them that penned the Booke of Bookes the Bible to direct seuerall writings to some particular and priuate persons although it was in their mindes that the Church in generall should also receiue edification and comfort by them So then I haue in this respect trod in their stepps whose patterne cannot but be worth the imitation Were it as conuenient as lawfull I would fully haue set downe your name but to auoide the least appearance of euill I haue omitted that and though many reasons might be produced why I made choice of you before others yet it would be tedious and to no purpose to relate them wherefore let these following suffice I assure my selfe that it will be well accepted and as from the hands of a true though meane friend receiued I also so farre as my iudgement leades me verily beleeue that the Lord hath begun his good worke in you wherefore though the meanes be but weake the powerfull Creator can vse it as an instrument to fur-ther the same He that could cure the blind man with clay and spittle can produce the like effects by an ordinarie meanes who doubteth I will not proclaime to the eares of the world what kindnesses I haue receiued from you for that might seeme to smell of flattery or by a more secret manner of begging to craue some future fauour But this I will onely mention that it is out of Christian affection and a singular desire of your good comfort as also to declare my remembrance of you that I haue in this kind put pen to paper And to say much in one word If I haue more than an ordinary affection to any priuate person the current thereof runneth towards your selfe Let these lines what euer they be therefore the rather find a friendly entertainement and not so onely but especially striue to apply them to what end I haue aimed at in the penning of them They will plainely declare vnto you by what meanes we are to stand iust before God of which mystery the vulgar people are for the most part ignorant of or not thorowly grounded in Againe you shall find in them that the spiritual estate of a Christian is secret not onely to others but often hidden from himselfe especially at the time of his effectuall vocation for then he is like the late manured field naked and bare without the least true apprehension or sight of sauing grace and good graine in the furrowes of his soule By this you may vnderstand who are the reapers of Gods greatest benefits And finally you shall euidently see confuted the opinion of those that hold there is no mirth or comfort in a Christian course who cry out what turne Puritane become a Precisian then farewell all ioy and welcome melancholy But we say leauing those names to whom they of right pertaine that faith in the promises of God and obedience to his precepts will expell feare quiet the troubled soule and make a sad heart the merriest man in the world for faith in the Gospell sets vs euen with God and obedience to the Law will bring vs to his presence where all the righteous and vpright-hearted shall bathe themselues in Riuers of pleasure that shall neuer be dried vp but spring flow and be full for euer To the which the Lord bring you in a conuenient season through the merits of his Sonne by the hand of his blessed Spirit Amen Amen Your friend if friend to any I. B. THE IOY OF THE VPRIGHT MAN PSAL. 97. 11. Light is sowne for the righteous and ioy for the vpright in heart THese words consist of a double proposition but some vnderstand that like Pharaohs dreames though diuers the same thing is onely meant Others thus that the first part of the verse is vnderstood of Iustification the latter of Sanctification for they both vsually goe together and the one is neuer in Gods children separated from the other for if the Lord iustifie any person through Christ in some measure he sanctifieth the same by his Spirit these like Naomi and Ruth runne together In the former proposition are two things to be considered first that light is sowen secondly for whom and that is for the righteous Againe in the latter proposition are two things also to be noted the one that ioy is sowne the other who shall reape it viz. the vpright in heart But for the better vnderstanding of the words we must know that this Text is an Allegory that is a continued similitude wherein we may obserue fower things First the sower and that is God Secondly the seede and that is ioy and light Thirdly the reapers and they be the iust and vpright in heart Fourthly the ground where and that is in Gods Word and workes earth and heauen within vs and without vs. This metaphor of husbandry is often vsed in the Scripture for First it is of antiquitie our first parents were to till the ground Secondly it is of good report therefore to bee thought vpon Thirdly it is profitable for he that soweth shall reape Lastly it is of necessitie for grounds must bee plowed vp or they will not bring forth any good fruite but briars thistles and all vnprofitable rubbish Now wee will proceede to the meaning of the words And first for Light Light is either taken litterally or tropically Litterally two waies First either for an accident or qualitie in a subiect as in the Sunne or any cleare body or Secondly as an effect proceeding from its cause and so the Fier Moone and starres are said to be Lights and to giue light Gen. 1. 15. Eccles 11. 9. Againe light is metaphorically applied many waies First God is said to be light 1. Iohn 1. 5. Secondly Christ is called the light Iohn 3. 19. Thirdly the Ministers are stiled Lights Matthew 5. 14. Fourthly the Gospell walke in the light Iohn 12. 36. Fifthly the precepts and word was to Dauid a Lanthorne or light Psal 119. 105. Sixthly Grace is called light Ephes 5. 13. 14. Seuenthly deliuerance from danger Esth. 8. 16. In a word light is taken for all true comfort and spirituall blessings that wee receiue from God through Christ temporal or eternal and so it may be taken in this place though more particularly of deliuerance from trouble or some present danger the people of God were cast into for the Kingdome of Christ is fore-spoke of and prophecied in this
peculiar to the Lords people and is not this a matter of mirth great moment Shall a man reioyce and march cheerefully in being garnished with the ornaments of nature and be dead in the nest when hee is wrapped in this pure and white linnen What saith the Church in this respect I will greatly reioyce in the Lord and my soule shall be glad in my God Why for he hath clothed me with the garments of saluation and couered me with the robe of righteousnes he hath decked me like a bridegroome and as a bride tireth her selfe with her iewels this is the garment of true gladnesse Reason 3 And furthermore hath not the vpright man a good conscience Is not this a continuall feast No colour so pleasand to the eye wine to the pallate or any obiect to the outward sense as this is to the inner man the reasonable soule Oh that men did but know what musicke this doth make what ioy it carrieth to the right owner of it then would they neuer doubt of the truth of this doctrine but they doe not they cannot for they be strangers from it it from them Reason 4 Besides all this They be assured of rest at their death peace in heauen the resurrection of the body and eternall saluation This made Dauids heart glad and his flesh rest in hope This comforted iust Iob in all his troubles that he should liue and rise againe the beleeuing Iewes in the expectation of this had ioy vnspeakable glorious Paul went on cheerefully in the assurance of the same And beloued let the world think what they will or can here is the true roote and fountaine out of which all sound ioy and mirth springeth floweth Vse 1 And is not here iustly confuted that opinion of many in our daies who thinke that Godlines is the damper of all mirth and cause of continuall sorrow Oh say such become so strict so precise then farewell ioy and all true comfort for it bringeth nothing but melancholy and vexation of spirit This is the Diuels old shift to make men vnwilling to take the path to heauen and see into the consolations of a Christian course I remember that the Spies who came backe from Canaan commended the countrey but said they saw great Giants and fenced Cities to dishearten those which should enter and so doth Satan Gods Saints and seruants at this day And when all is done that can be done the vpright man shall be the only merry man for his yoke is easie and his burthen light Me thinkes this might confirme the poynt and conuince any person that thinketh otherwise Why do not men cast off this course if there be no ioy in it and take another If wee should see a man that hath great varietie of suites still weare one and the same lay the rest by him would wee not affirme that hee is much affected with that he weareth If a man haue diuers walkes in or about his Orchard yet is alwaies found to be in one no other wil it not be concluded that his delight in that exceedeth So the children of God still weare one suite keep one path pleasure or profit doth not alter them then may wee not absolutely conclude that they finde mirth in running the waies of Gods commands pleasure in his precepts and ioy in putting on the robes of righteousnes Obiection But the common obiection is None more sad to see to none lesse chearefull to behold than such as seeme to be most religious vpright-hearted Answer Why haue we not already heard that their haruest is secret hidden For as in laughter the heart may be sorrowfull so vnder a sad countenance the heart may be merry And as the wicked haue many a secret sting the righteous feele not so haue the vpright hidden comforts that the wicked know not And it is the nature and very propertie of great things in stead of laughter in the face to cause great ioy in the heart Let a man finde a rich Iewel or bagge of siluer in the streete will he not goe away with a composed and setled countenance wheÌ„ as another that stoopes at a trifle will fall a smiling Hast thou not seene one that drinkes strong wine wipe his mouth stroke the breast and neuer change the former looke and yet peraduenture another that drinkes but water will smile laugh and seeme a merry man The one doth warme and glad the heart the other only force a fained kinde of laughter And seldome hast thou seene a man outwardly merry in the fruition of great matters neither doe wee reade of Christ that hee and who euer had greater cause in all his life time laughed The wine of the grape and water of life will glad the soule and worke inwardly a depth of coÌ„fort though it alwaies breake not foorth and be conspicuous in the beholders so the things of this world may make a man outwardly merry but this mirth is not sound constant and will but end 〈◊〉 mourning Wee must consider that 〈…〉 the mindes motion 〈…〉 diuersitie of effects in mans our 〈◊〉 â—isposition Let the infant in the mothers arme cast its eyes on some bugbeare will it not fall a crying yet let it looke the bearer in the face then anone it will laugh reioyce and fall to smiling so when the vpright man considereth the many and strong corruptions that be in him the greatnes and number of sinnes that haue proceeded from him the long time and extraordinary meanes of grace that hath been abused by him he cannot but be troubled in heart and hang downe the head but on the contrary when hee calleth to minde that God accepts the weak and sincere endeuour for the deed how Christ is his perfection and that the Spirit will one day cleane dissolue root out the cursed worke of Satan and finish the good work of grace he hath begun in him then he gathereth comfort plucketh vp his heart and is a right merry man He hath his daies wherein he is a man of sorrow as at his first conuersion when the soule is trauelling of the New-birth with many a sigh and deepe groane againe in some desertion violent tentation or time of Gods fiery triall and probation And finally when the walls of Ierusalem lie waste the sepulchres of his Fathers be ruinated and the course of Religion infringed corrupted then his sighes are many and his heart is heauy Neh. â— 3. But what for all this Is not the doctrine sound Yes for ioy shall breake foorth in the morning peace will come and thy bitter teares shall be as a fresh and coole 〈◊〉 to a wearie and thirstie traâ—eller to comfoâ—◠〈◊〉 ouer-tyred spirit And I dare set downe this peremptorie conclusion that In the greatest 〈◊〉 the vpright man is the subject of 〈◊〉 mirth the only merry man for the cause of his ioy is alwaies great and constant though the effects be not proportionable Vse 2 Againe this doctrine may