a humane hardening or the hardening of God and the the hardening of man and yet the one of these doeth not harden without the other for God hardeneth not Pharaohs heart but that Pharaohs owne will is the cause of it his hardening proceedeth not from any other but froÌ„ himselfe And therefore the scripture saith that Pharaoh hardeâ—ed his heart Neither for al that Eâ—od 9. 34. doeth Pharaoh harden his owne heart but God doeth it iudicially or according to his secret iudgements for the kings heart is in the hand of the â—ord Pro. 21. 1. But when it is said that God hardeneth the heart we must not so vnderstand it as if God should make that hard which before was softe and tender or of it selfe was not hard For the truth is that all men are borne with a hard heart and darke vnderstanding even with a heart of stone like the Adamant of the which wee haue heard already And for this cause the Lord saith by his Prophet I will take away the stoâ—â—◠〈◊〉 36. 26. heart oâ—â— of your bodie and I will giue you an heart of flesh God therefore is saide to harden the heart when as he denieth his grace and the fire of his holy spirite to molâ—â—fie and soften that which is naturally hard even as when the heat of the fire is denied to the softening of the hard and vntempered waxe This is called of some a prâ—vatiue hardening because God detaineth his grace from men for iust causes which are not knowne to vs. Beside this God hardeneth after an other manner when he doeth not only suffer the heart to remaine in that hardnesle and obduration which it hath by nature but doeth also externally harden it more and more by his ministers For as we may see in 〈◊〉 Pharaoh was made more obstinate hard-hearted by the ministery of Moses and Aaron then he was before hee had heard â—hese men And in these daies we haue too much expetience hereof by seeing vngodly men to become the more froward and malicious the more that they heare Gods worde and are taught by his ministers This is Gods iudicial hardening of the heart whereby in his iust iudgementes hee punisheth the former sinnes of men and for this purpose he commandeth his ministers as it is written Make the heart of this people â—at make their eares heavie Isa 10. shut their eies least they see with their eies and heare with their eares and vnderstande with their hearts and convert that I might heale theÌ„ Here we see how and wherefore God hardeneth the heart Now the humane hardening or the hardening attributed to man himselfe is that which the text that we handle warneth vs to beware of if yee heare his voice harden not your hearts This hardening of the hart is nothing else but a voluntary purpose and intent of man to continue in sinne and not to follow nor obey the doctrine of Gods everlasting trueth howsoeuer it be preached vnto him as hereof we haue examples in king Saule in Iudas in Iuhan the Apostaâ—â— and others ' but specially in Pharach whom the scriptures do set before vs as a notable paterne of a disobedient and hard-hearted man After this maner thhrefore the Israelies in the wildernesle hardened their heartes by grudging and bitter strining against Moses when they wanted water notwithstanding they had the word of the Lord among them This is it Exod. 17. which the Apostle putteth vs in minde of when he saith harden not your hearts as in the pâ—ovâ—â—ation And this is the hardening wherewith man hardeneth his heart even his own perverse will and purpose of sinning wherin he persisteth and so becoÌ„meth the minister of death perdition to his own soule Now the cause of all hardening of the heart is sin and the custome of sinning For Moses saith Phiraoh sinned againe and hardened his hearte Exod. 9. 34. There Pharaohs sinne goeth before the hardening of his heart VVherefore consider how fearefull and dangerous the custome of sinne is it bringeth hardnesse of hearte which denyeth obedience to the worde of God and despiseth his holy ministery and so groweth to fulnesse of sinne the wages whereof is death eternall Let the consideration Rom. 6. 23. of these thinges cause you with feare reverence to hear the Gospel of your salvation and before you come to heare it bee careful as the Apostle exhorteth to cast away euery thing that presseth downe and the sinne that Heb. 12. 1. hangeth so fast on that wheÌ„ the Lord speaketh by the mouth of his messâ—gers you may haue cares to hear hearts to vnderstaÌ„d be in a readmes to heare his voice to say with Samuel speake Lord for thy servaÌ„t heareth Here 1. Sam. 3. 10 we see that as there was a voice hard so there was a readines to hear it Here â—od did speak here man was prepared to heare him But this exaÌ„ple of obedieÌ„ce preparatioÌ„ to heare the Gospell which is more glorious speaketh better thinges then the law is too rare in our age For most men and women though they resort to church and to Christian congregations are yet in the time of divine exercise of the word of God more ready to speake then to heare They are more ready to pray by themselues and to offer vp a sacrifice of their owne superstition then either to heare reading or preaching of the holy scriptures or to consent with one mind to the common praters of the whole church if the time so require yea and some are not content to be thus farre superstitious but wil also giue themselues to read on some praier booke when God speaketh to them out of his booke of life Such blinde devotion of men and private repeating of words out of due time and place must needes be a sacrifice not accepted but reiected of God For it cannot be the fruit of faith because you haue not so learned Christ and whatsoever saith the Apostle is not of faith is sinne Rom. 14. 13 Marke a speciall doctrine of that famous preacher Salomon touching this point take heede to thy foote when thou enterest into the house Eccl. 4. 7. of God and be wore neere to heare then to giue the sacrifice of fooles for they know not that they dâ—â— evill If they know not that they do evil then they do it of ignorance But it is evil saith he and we are taught that Christians must abstaine not onely from evill it selfe but from al appeâ—â—â—nce of evill Yet because nothing is so 1. Thess 5. 22. evill but if it be commonly vsed seemeth to be good and men will needs defend it so to be as in this case some are wont to say that when they giue themselues to pray privatly in the church they doe it that they may be the better prepared to serue God But as the Apostle saith to the Corinthians which came disorderedly to the receiving of the
the Apostle Peter 2. Pâ—â— 1. 10. 21. witnesleth know this that no prophecie in the scripture is of any private 〈◊〉 for the prophec came not in olde time by the will of 〈◊〉 but hâ—lâ—◠〈◊〉 of God spake as they were mooved by the holy Ghost And likewise when of sinne is by the faithfull pastour collected and preached out of the sacred scriptures we are to teceyue the same and to esteeme of it as if God himselfe did speake vnto vs who then sheweth his face vnto vs so far as we are able to abide it but his glorious voice our fraile nature cladde with sinne and transgression cannot endure to heare without the ministerie of men as it appeareth in the Israelits who say to Moses talke Exod. 20. 19. thou with vs and we will heart but iâ—t not God talke with vs least we die And yet when we are taught by Gods ministers it is the holy Ghost that teacheth vs Of whose wysedome the Apostle saith vvee haue this treasure in earthen vesselles 2. Cor. 4. 7. even heauenly treasure pure and vndesiled for as we see the water of a fountaine when it is put into the earthen vesselles doeth not chaung his nature and qualitie that it had before And the light of the sun though it shine through a window into a darke place doth neverthelesse retaine that vertue operation which it hath from the body of the sun so the ministery of men which are the organes or instruments of the holy Ghost altereth not the nature and propertie neither diminisheth the authoritie of those thinges which they minister VVee must bevvare therefore that vvee giue not the lesse credue to the vvisedome of the holye Ghost because vvee heare it at the mouth of men For it is vvritten God 2. Cor. 4. â— that commaunded the light to shine out of darkenesse is hee vvhich hath shined in the heartes of his Ministers to giue the light of the knowledge of the glorie of GOD in the face of IESUS CHRIST And therefore vvhosoever beleeveth not men teaching as they are taughte of GOD the same beleeveth not the spirite of GOD vvho hath made them able Ministers of his holye vvill revealed in his vvoorde For CHRIST hath given that commission to his true Ministers that hee sayeth of them hee that heareth you heareth Luke 10. 1â— mee and hee that despiseth you despiseth mee Novve seeing that the Canonicall scriptures are the sayings of the holy Ghost who yet speaketh to vs 〈◊〉 oft as we heare them ministred and taughte shall wee not giue greate heede to so great a Doctour that his woordes maye perswade and take place in our heartes to the winninge of the soule for this cause this scripture vvith the rest of that Psalme of Dauid was vsually song among the lewes vppon the sabbath dayes when the church came together that it might stirre them vp to a more attentiue hearing of the law and the Prophetes And so likwise this psalme is wont to be read or song in our chruches in these dayes before the common praires and diuine exercise of the other scriptures as a preparatiue to the estectuall hearing of Gode voice And not to giue place to evill thoughtes and worldly cogitations which are wont to harden mens heartes and to cause manie to depart out of the church as wyse and with as litle knowledge as they came to it To omitte now the particulare handling of these words of the Prophet for they are afterwardes repeated and applied by the Apostle as we shal see in the handling therof let vs here consider three especiall causes why this scripture is here alledged wherof the first is that the Hebrewes might haue no I cause to glorie of their farhers and progenitours after the â—lesh For those their fathers which as they boast of had eaten Mannaâ—â—â— Ioh. 6. 31. the wildernesse tempted God faith the Prophet and therefore he exhorteth their posteritie and all that heare the same worde of saluation which was preached vnto those fathers by Moses not to harden their heart â—s as they did There is nothinge so common in the mouth of vanie and superstitious men as the prayse of their foâ—efathers and of the dayes that are past as if it were inough for vs if we could but follow the example of our fathers neuer examining how they beleeued â—r how they heard the word of God or whether they haue heard it at all And wee thinke that our sins shâ—l not come into iudgment yf wee haue learned them of our fathers But doe we not heare that God faith in the seconde commaundement that he is is a ieâ—ouse God visiting the sinns of Exod 20. 5. the fathers vpon the children vppon the third generation and vppon the fourth of them that hate him that is as a worthie teacher expoundeth Bullinger vpon the second coÌ„maÌ„demeÌ„t it yf the children walke in the crooked stepps of their fathers and thinke that their iniquâ—tie â—hall not be punished because they haue learned it ofâ— their fathers yet God will â—harplye reuenge it in the children although he touched not their fathers when they committed the same iniquitie The people that vvere left from the captivitie of Babilon obiect against the Prophet Ieremiah that vvhen they and their fathers did burne incense vnto the Queene of Ier. 44. 17. 18. heaven and powre out drincke offeringes vnto her they had plentie of victuals and all was well with them But when they left of that service wee haue had say they scarcenesse of all thinges and haue beene consumed by the svvorde and by the famine The Prophete replyeth that because they and their fathers vvith their Kinges and Princes hâ—dde doone such thinges therefore the LORDE coulde no longer forbeare Ier. 44. 20. 21. 22. it but broughte those plagues vpon them And thus doe the frovvarde people of our dayes vvhich vvincke at the lighte deceiue themselues obiecting that our fathers vvhich as they saie vvere of the olde religion had plentie of all thinges and felte no vvant And because they are touched vvith the evilles of these dayes vvhich notwithstandinge are nothing so greate as the obstinacie and vvillfull ignoraunce of this age hath deserved they run into that note of follie vvhy is it that the Eccle. 〈◊〉 12. former daies vvere better then these This hath beene the olde complainte of all ages The heathen * Ovid fastlib I. laudamus veteres sed nostriâ— vtimut annis Poet saith laudamus veteres wee are vvonte to praise the yeares of our forefathers This commeth from the darkenesse of our nature that we iudge foolishlie of those thinges whereof vvee bee ignoraunte according to this saying of a learned teacher because vvee Bishop lewell feele not our fathers evilles therefore wee imagine they had no evil at al. But though it vvere true that our fathers haue had the peace and posperitie of this worlde yet if wee will looke into that age wherein
everie word of God ought to be takeÌ„ for anoth And this phrase of they shall outer doeth aggravate the threatning For here is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a concealing of that that would bee vttered after the maner of men when one through indignation or anger or otherwise moved with some passion of the minde vttereth not out his meaning to a full and perfect serce And the meaning of this is if they shall enter into my rest my word is of no force or I am not to be beleeved when I speake Our saviouâ— Christ mourning for the Pharises because of the hardnesse of their heartes vseth the same phrase of speech in the gospell by Marke sayingâ— verilie I saâ—â— vnto you if a signe Mar. 8. 12 shall be given to this nation as if he should saie if a figne bee given them there is no truth in me or let me be a deceiver Thus as M. Bezaâ— wriâ—eth when God sweareth by himselfe he suffereth his truth In Mar. ca. 8. ver 12. and his glory to bee iudged of according to the words which he assirmeth And what doe these things teach vs forsooth they confirme Gods iust iudgementes to overtake them which harden their hearts and obey not his voice that we therby might be taught to feare brought to obedience For to vs is now preached the same Christian verity and religion that the Apostle preached to the Hebrewes in this Epistle Seeing therefore how fearefully the children of Israell were punished for their provoking and disobeying the word which was brought vnto them by the servant of God Moses how great then shall their punishment bee which harden their hearts set light by that word of grace which was brought into the worlde by the sonne of God himselfe surely as one faith we if we harden our heartes shall be Eralmuâ— so much the more greeuously punished by how much the greater he is that hath vouch safed to speake vnto vs in his owne person Seeing therfore that Christ the mediatour of the newe testament who by his owne testimony is greater then lonas greater then Salomon and greater then all the Prophets that went before him hath vttered his voice vnto vs with his owne mouth and yet the same voice is heard in our eares howe then shall we escape if we neglect so great salutation Lastly the rest mentioned in this scripture The thirde cause why this scrip-ture is aâ—leadged of the Apostle in this text to the He-brewes doth notably expresse the rest and promise of God set forth in the new testament as a figure most agreeable to the thing figured For the external rest wheronto the children of Israel were to be brought was the land of Canaan The rest of the gospel is the celestiall Ierusalem the citie of the huinge GOD described in the twentieth and one of the Reuelation into the which none vncleane thing shall enter And now as the murmuring Israelites were depriued of entering into the land of Canaan because they beleeued those tenn men which brought avile slander vppon the land and would giue no credite to the other two Caleb and Ioshua which stood for the truth so we if we go after Baals Prophets false teachers and deceiuers which are mo in number then Elyab or Caleb and Ioshua and so follow the multitude and decline from the truth shall be excluded from the rest euerlasting and shall haue our portion with the multitude of Hyppocrites and vnbeleeuers The Papistes that are against vs do bragg of the multitude of people and nations which haue followed the church of Rome and receyued their traditions but this proueth not the truth to be of their side but rather the contrarie For Christ calleth his church a little flocke And he saith that wide Luk. 12. 32. Mat. 7. 13. is the gate and broad is the way that leadesh to destruction So the whole world in the dayes of Noah consented togeither in vngodlinesse confirmed by the custome of many ages but Noah and his familie is all the Gen. 7. 1. slocke that was CHRISTES and that hadde not consented to the vngodlinesse and custome of those evill daies And Lâ—â— alone is founde righteous in a whole cittie of wicked people Caleb and Ioshua even Gen. 19. two men are found faithfull and constant in all that greate multitude of Gods owne people which came out of Egipt And in the reuelation the Lord calleth his seruants my two witnesses as yf they were the fewest in Revel 11. 3. number of all other Now here are two wayes set before thee Yf thou wilt go to hell Follow the multitude and thou art neuer out of the way But if thou wilâ— enter into life follow the example of good men though they be but one or Luke 13. 24. two amoug many thousand for Christ faith to thee striue because the gate is so straight that it is hard and most difficult to enter in there at Yet harden not thine heart neither regard what thy forefathers haue done before thee but regard and obey the Lords voice and walke not after the flesh but after the spirite and thou arte in the way to that gloriouse rest which remayneth to the people of God purchased with the blood of the mediatour of the newe testament to whom be praise in the church throughout all generations for ever The second Lecture vpon the 12. and 13. verses of the fruit of an evill heart of mutuall exhortation and of the deceitfulnesse of sinne 12 Take heede brethren least at any time their be in any of you an evill heart and vnfaithfull to depart away from the living God 13 But exhort one another daily while it is called to day least any of you be hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sinne THese wordes my brethren haue a relation to that scripture which continueth from the seventh vâ—â—se of this chapter to this twelfth verse of the same taken out of the Psalme of David as an excellent sermon of the holy Ghost and so applied by the Apostle to declare as you haue heard that the authority of men and examples of fathers can be no ground nor stay of faith or religion to any man because the best of theÌ„ haue erred as al those fathers of the Hebrews who after they had seene the glory of God and were delivered out of Egipt with signes and wonders even the whole company of them two or three men excepted provoked God in he wildernesse and would not beleeue the worde which was preached vnto them VVhere we haue also learned that if Moses the servant of the house and the lawe given by him could not bee despised without punishment for they which obeyed not were deprived of the promised rest and overthrowen in the wildernesse much more shal they bee punished which will not heare the sonne of whom Moses did beare witnesse and whose voice inviteth to a more glorious rest then the earthly rest of the lande of
they lived wee shall finde nothing whereof wee may glorie For indeede it was the Egypte of superstition and spirituall darkenesse and therefore as * Deering vpon the epistle to the Hebr. lect 24. one hath lefte in writing vpon this Epistle to the Hebrewes if wee goe after Baalims vvhich our fathers haue taught vs wee shall bee fedde vvith the wormwoode vvhich our fathers haue leaten Yea let vs assure our selues vvee shall bee beaten vvith more stripes then our fathers if vvee will wittinglie treade in their steppeâ— For as Bulliuger saith if thy forefathers Bulliuget vpon thâ— Apoc. set 35. bad had the like opportunitie vvhich then neglectest vvhat a space vvould they haue runne afore thee And therefore as it shall bee easier for Tyrâ—â— Luke 10. 14. and Sâ—lon at the day of iudgemente then for them that heard Christ and saw his miracles and were not the better therefore so I may say it shall be easier for our forefathers at that day then for them which bring forth no good fruite nor make profession of the trueth beeing preached and made knowne vnto them vvhich hath not beene so revealed to our fathers as it is now to the people of our daies The seconde cause why the Apostle reciteth 2 this scripture of David is that with the example and punishmente of them that tempted and hardened their heartes in the deseâ—te hee mighte terrifie the Hebrevves and make them more carefull to receiue the vvordes of exhortation and to obey the voice of Christ the mediatour of the new testament whose voice as he is greater then Moses so shall they draw vpon them great erpunishment which neglect to heare it The children of Israell of vvhom mention is heere made after they vvere delivered out of Egypt by Moses for al that they had seene the works of God his miracles which he wrought for them in Egypt at the redde sea yet they tempted him in the wildernesse and doubted of his â—goodnesse and providence towardes them and said is the Lord among vs or no because they had not Exod. 17. 7. water at their pleasure This was the provocation which is here mentioned wherewith the Lorde God was tempted in the vvildernes of his own people after that he had delivered theÌ„ out of the hands of their enemies And againe when they should haue gone out of the wildernesse into the land of Canaan to possesse it and to dwell therein where they should haue had rest peace and prosperity yet they beleeved not the worde of God * The chil-dren of Israel are coÌ„manded to goe vp and possesse the land which God had said before them but they say they will sende men to search out the land Deur I. 21. 22. and therefore the Lord sâ—â—ll bearing with them biddeth them len Num. 1â— â—3 how be it the event and issue of their sending declareth that it came from the peopleâ— disobedience to the word of God for the years in which they did bâ—â—râ— their iniquity in the wildernesse are measured with the number or the daies in the which they had searched out the land of Câ—naan Num. 13. 14. 33. 34. but sent twelue men a man out of every tribe of the children of Israell to search the land to know what maner of land it was and whether they might obtaine it or no as if the living God and Lorde of the whole earth which had done so many thinges for them shoulde not nowe bee able to subdue their enemies and to giue them the land according to his promise And when the twelue men returned after fortie daies from searching of the lande and brought with them of the fruite thereof to shewe to all the congregation of the children of Israell tenne of the twelue brought vp an evil report slander vpon the land to these ten men the whole assembly gaue credite and their words to them seemed to bee true And therefore they murmured against Moses and Aaron and would haue made a Num. 14. new captaine to bring them againe vnto Egypt but Ioshua and Caleb two of the twelue that had searched the land al the multitude would haue stoned with stones for the truth sake which these two men reported of the land because they perswaded the people not to rebel against the Lord. Thus the Israelites that came out of Egypt tempted the Lord in the wildernesse and provoked him to anger by following the counsels of their owne harts therefore the Lord saith of theÌ„ as it is in this text they erre â—ver in their hearts and what was then their punishments as I liue saith the Lord I wil surely do vnto you even as ye haue spoken in mine ears Num. 14. 28. 2â— your carkases shall sal in this wildernesse c. And so it came to passe for of the sixe hundreth thousand which came out of Egyptâ— and vvere able to discerne betweene good and evil none but two men Caleb the sonne of Iephiumeth and Ioshua the sonne of Nun which constantly as the scripture saith followed Num. 32. 12 the Lord did enter into the land of Canaan to inhabite it all the rest were consumed in the terrible wildernesse according to the worde of the Lord for Moses saith and the Lord was Num. 32. 13 very angry with Israell and made them wander in the wildernesse fourty yeares vntill all the generation that had done evill in the sighte of the Lorde were consumed And here the text saith therefore I sware in my wrath if they shoulde enter into my rest Where it is said in my wrath we are to vnderstand that God who is a spirite immortal infinite and incomprehensible with whome is 1am 1. 17. no variablenesse neither shadow by turning is not subiect to any of these passions which the scriptures seeme to attribute vnto him as wrath ielousie greefe repentance and the like But these things are figuratiuely applyed to God after the manner of men for our vnderstandinge sake vvhich are not able to conceiue of heavenly things without metaphors allegories â—arables and similitâ—â—es borrowed from earthlie and naturall things which are therefore so much vsed in holy scriptures for ouâ—â— learning And heere by the name of wrath or anger is set foorth the determinate sentence of Gods eternall iustice against sin and disobedience And when it is said that he sware it teacheth vs feare and consirmeth to vs that Gods threatnings fall not to the grounde without Augustine in Psal 95. full effect For as Aurelius Augustine saith vpon this place iurantem hominem debes timere thou oughtest to feare when a man sweareth least for his oths sake he should do that which is * As Herod did Mar. 6. 26. when he caused Iohn Bapsist to be beheaded against his will howe much more saith he oughtest thou to feare when God sweareth who can sware nothing rashlie his oath is a sure confirmation Wheras in deed as another father saith
Canaan These thinges being so alleadged by the Author of this Epistle to warne the Hebrews and in them all other people to whom the same gospel is revealed to the end that they might heereby receiue instruction to bee the more careful to heare the voice of Christ the prince of all the Prophets and the end of the law to every one that beleeveth Now he proceedeth to applie the exhortation of the Prophet more particularlie according as the time of Godes calling requireth And by this word brethren he declareth his tender affection toward them and the earnest desire that he hath to winne them to Christ Where we are to know in what sense they are called brethran Not according to nature as Iacob and Esau were 4 Soâ—tes of brethren brethren nor â—or consanguinitie sake as all the lewes vvere brethren neither are they called brethren by imitation or for their agreement in evill as Simon and Leui are Gen. 49. 5. called brethren in euill because they hadde consented to slaie a man and in this sense malefactours and vvicked menne imitating one another and consenting to doe evil are brethren But according to trueth the Hebrewes are â—heere called brethren for all the faithfull are brethren by grace It appeareth in many places of this Epistle that much people of the Ievves vvere converted to the Christian faith and had received the doctrine of the Gospell and acknowledged CHRIST IESVS for their Messias And also it is recorded in the Actes of the Apostles that manye thousande levves Act. 21. 20. did beleeue Yet the chiefest of them and for the more part the vvhole nation vvere obstinate and persisted in the blindnesse of their owne hearts and also those that beleeved vvere all zealous of the lavve of Moses retaining with the gospel the Circumcision the sabbath day the purification and other ceremonies of the lawe And therefore as the doctrine of the holy Ghost in this scripture is most forcible to perswade the vnbelieuing to receiue the grace of God in Christ so is it most necessarie to keepe and strengthen the weake members in the sinceritie of the Gospell and to teach them to forsake the ceremonies and earthly rudiments now abrogated and taken away by the death of the Messias Thus we vnderstand that as brethren by grace and indued with Christian faith he exherteth them to be ware of an evill heart of vnbeliefe There is no defection or falling away from the liuiâ—g God where there is not an evill heart And therfore where the Prophet speaketh of the prouoking and apostasie of their fathers in the wildernesse it is added with all they erre ever in their heart There Psal 95. 10. Hebr. 3. 10 is the roote of evill and insidelitie euen the heart The holy Prophet saith the heart is deceitfull and wicked aboue all thinges who can Ier. 17. 9. know it Heere we see that naturally in the heart of man there is nothinge but wickednesse and obduration and this is the cause that the children of men are accustomed to do evill and to delight in sinne For such as the tree is so is the fruit thereof And so long as this obduration possesseth mans heart his voluntarie religion is nothinge but Hypocrisie his outvvarde shewe of obedience is but dissimulation vvhen hee offereth his praiers and intercessions it is but lippe labour like the people which drew neere vnto Christ vvith their mouth and honoured him vvith their but their hearte faith he is farre from 〈◊〉 and therefore they worshipped him it vaine Simon the Sorcerer as it is in the Actes Act. 8. 11. of the Apostles beleeued and was baptised but he was not therefore the better for Peter said to him thine hart is not right in the sight of the Lorde VVherefore if you wil loue the Lorde your God you must loue him with loue out of a pure heart For that is the ende 1. Tim. 15. of his commaundement For the Lord iudgeth not as men doe after the outwarde appearance but as it is written the Lord be holdeth 1. Sam. 16. 7. the heart If the heart be not purged by grace all outwarde holynesse is but as painted sepulchers faire without and foule within or as greene grasse and faire flowres vnder the which lyeth a venimous snake that will sting you to death Christ telleth you that out of the hearte come those things that defile the whole man as evill thoughtes murthers Mat. 15. 19. 20. adulteries fornications theftes false testimonies slaunders and the like And for this cause his Apostle faith purge your heartes yee lam 48. wavering minded For while the heart is not purged there is nothing in man but a vvavering minde and as the same Apostle faith avvavering minded man is vnstable in all his vvaies He is carried from one vanitie to another he selleth himselfe to sinne from miquitie to iniquity Hee is content with Iudas to sell Christ and Christian religion for the gaine of this world and for the pleasures of sinne this is the fruite of an evill heart and vnfaithful which hateth to be reformed and will not obey the voice of the almighty The Prophet Zachariah crieth out against the people that would not heare the law of their God and saith they made their hearts as Zâ—c 7. 12. an adaâ—anâ—â— stone least they shoulde heare the lâ—we c. Their hearts were so farre from beleeving the word of the Lorde that for the hardnesse therof he compareth them to the adamant stone Plin. nat â—ist lib. 37. cap. 4. The adamant as the historiographers doe obserue is the hardest of all other stones It is so hard that no toole can breake it no fire can heate it yea nothing can overcome the hardnesse of this stone or soften it breake it but only the warme blood of the he Goat And surelie the hearts of the children of this world are rightly compared with the harde adamant which naturally are so hardened in sinne that without the dew of grace and the vertue of the bloode of Christ make them soft and renew them all our preaching all our exhorting and dehorting though we had the tongues of men and angels cannot soften nor turne the heart For as it is vvritten that vvhich is crooked can â—o Eccle. 1. 15. man make straight VVee see that the gracious and most powerfull wordes of Christ himselfe did nothing prevaile to winne tho hard hearted Iewes but ratheri hardened them in their contumacie and made them more perverse theÌ„ they were before because the vaile of vnbeliefe was laide over their hearts Beholde how great a roote of wickednes is the obduration and frowardnesse of the heart whence commeth the forsaking of life and health vttered in that desperate sentence against the counsell of the almighty departe from vs for vvee desire not the Iob. 2â— â—4 knowledge of thy waies Neverthelesse although most men haue not the heartes of brethren yet this doctrine must
taught in diuerse places of holy scriptures to haue a care of our brethren and to instruct them so Paule saith to the Thessalonians exhorte one another and edifie one 1 Thesse 5. 11. another even as ye doe And because he deserueth not the name of a Christian whosoever is ignorant of the ground of faith and religion contained in the sacred scriptures and is not able to edifie another nor to speake as the word of God Therefore the same Apostle writeth to the Romanes I am perswaded of you my brethren that yee also are full of goodnesse and filled with Rom. 15. 14 all knovveledge and are able to admonish one another The doctrine of the holy GHOST delivered by the Apostles as it appeareth in their writings is full of such exhortations as ediâ—ie one another exhorte one another be fulfilled with the spirite But Satan the enemy of all trueth hath alwaies too many of his side which are against this doctrine yea and in these daiâ—â— some that haue the name to bee preachers I pray God they bee not for Baal whose voâ—ce soundeth let not artificers husbandmen and menne vvithout learning busie themselues with holy scriptures and with matters of faith and religion let them not goe aboute to tell other men what they shoulde doe and to admonish other men of their errors tracteâ—â— fabriâ—â—a fabri let them meddle with those things they haue to doe and take no care of other men though they bee in an errour This is the wisedome of the flesh and here we see how contrary it is to the wisedome which is from aboue and teacheth vs to exhort to edifie and to admonish one another what calling vvhat trade of life or vvhat condition soever we be of For God hath alwaies required this duetie of mutuall exhortation of them that professe his name as it is written thou shalt not hate thy brother in Levit 19. 17 thine heart but thou shalt plainly rebuke thy neighbour and suffer him not to sinne For this cause Augustine saith that every Christian hath the August do verb. domini serm 16. keies in his hande to binde and to loose his brother vpon earth for when he giveth him warning and admonition if he heare him he hath won him but if he despise him he hath boundâ— him because the wordes of exhortation taken out of the doctrine of Christ and his holy scriptures are a favour either to life or to death by whomsoever they bee spoken or delivered For we haue learned that not only the minister of the word but also all Christians without exception are commanded to instruct and exhorte their brethren the greater that every one is in respect of his place or calling the greateriâ— his charge herein and the more cause hee hath to covet vvith that faithfull servaunt of the LORDE Moses that all the Num. 11. 29. Lordes people vvere Prophetes and that the Lorde woulde put his spirite vppon them that so they might be able to teach one another that none might perish for lacke of knowledge For the Lord complaineth that his people is goâ—e into captiuitie because they had Isa 5. 13. no knowledge If there be no knowledge there caÌ„ be no exhortation then no setting free from the captiuitie of sâ—nne The time to exhort and likwise to learne is while it is called to day It must not be deferred or put over till to morrow for the scripture saith yee cannot tell what shall be to morrow Iam. 4. 14. By the date in this place is not meant the whole course of our life as some haue taught vpon this text But the daie is taken for the acceptable time of grace in which the wisedome of God vttereth her voice amoÌ„g vs inviteth vs to the marriage of the kings son For not withstanding that no time while we liue vpon the earth is to late to amendment of life yet the Gospell of Christ which is the light of the world that teachceth vs faith and repentaunce may bee taken from vs and then it is night and no daie even as it is this day with the Turkes â—he Papistes and all other nations of the earth to whom the Lord hath not giuen the light of his holy worde thought they haue the naturall daie yet haue they not the daie of grace but they walke in the night of ignoraÌ„ce superstitioÌ„ in which they goe out of the waie and perish VVe haue had this day almost this fortye yeares and yet so farre are we from beeing able to exhort one another that the most part of our elder men and women haue not yet learned the meaning of their baptisme oh how lamentably haue these people beene hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sinne And will you stil walke in this feareful darknesse not come into the light of â—he day now let the sunne of right cousnesse shine in your hearts For even this day it is called to day and we know not how long this day wil last but when it is past it will not be redeemed though wee would seeke it with teares Heb. 12 17. as Esau sought the blessing and yet was reiected because the day was past Now that which hardeneth vs is the deceitfulnesse of sinne If sinne were not deceitfull it could not overcome nor prevaile against so many men and all sortes of people and all ages as it doeth It prevaileth against old men which in respect of time ought to be teachers and deceiveth them that notwithstanding they be come to that age that their strength is but labour and sorrow yet wil they not giue over the loue of this world for it is with them as Cicero saith there is none Cicero lib. de sâ—nectuâ—e so olde which doeth not thinke himselfe able to liue one yeare And so deferring from yeare to yeare and from day to day the hoare head is childishly deceiued and al his experience cannot draw him out of the snares of sinne It deceyueth youth and middle age and telleth them it is time inough to serue God and to be religiouse when old age shall approch and being deceyued they will not heare veritie which saith remember now thy creator in the dayes of thy youth For when age Eccle. 1. 12. cometh then are the evill dayes and the yeares wherin thou shalt say I haue no pleasure in them Sinne is so craâ—tie and deceitfull that it deceyueth euen the wyse and the prudent of this world it is obserued in the little beast Chameleon that it can change it selfe into all coloures that it siâ—teth vpon except white But there is no colour or â—hew of vertue which sinne cannot chaunge itselfe into For therby it deceyueth and hardeneth all sinners It cometh to the coneteouse man hauing the colour and name of good husbandrie and not of coueteousnes and so hardeneth him It cometh to the drunkard not vnder the â—ame of drunkenes but of good felowshippe and hardeneth him so that
life Walke according Mat. 3. 8. to this rule and persenere in it to the end and thou art â—â—dâ— partaker of Christ And it his appearing thou shalt receyue an incorruptible crowne of glory Let vs humble onr selues in prayer The fourth Lecture vpon the 15. verse of the necessitie of hearing the word of God how the hardening of the heart is to be vnderstood and of thâ— errour of praying in the church specially in the time of publâ—ke teaching or of common praiers 15 Solâ—â—g as it is said to day of ye hear his voice barden not your hearts as in the pâ—ovocation OF the word to day I haue aâ—â—eady shewed that it is applied vnto the time of grace that is so long as the word of GOD which is the light of the world is made manifest vnto vs. And here againe we may obserue that when the Apostle saith to day hee giveth vs to vnderstaÌ„d that the spirit of God did speake by the mouth of the holy Prophets not only for the learning instructioÌ„ of the people that liued in the daies of the Prophets but also for the learning of all men in all times and ages to the ende of the world For the Prophet David to instruct the people of his time saith to day Psalm 95. 7. and the Apostle almost eleven hundreth yeares after Dauid teaching the Hebrewes saith to day if yee heare his voice harden not your â—eartes Whereby he would haue them to vnderstand that the same scripture did then call them to the obedience of the Gospell which to the same effect was preached to their father so long ago by the Prophetâ— Dauid so at this present time you are called of God to the spirituall marriage of his sonne that you may receyue forgiuenesse of your sins and inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in him here is no more required of you but obedience and attentiuenesse to heare so long as it is called to day For now we haue the word neere vnto vs even in our mouth and in our heartes as the scripture Rom. 10. 8. saith And no man is commanded to go beyond the sea to heare it For it is not to be heard at the mouth of the Priests of Egipt nor of the Philosophers of Greece nor of the Rabbins of the Iewes to whom men in times past were wont to trauaile for to heare wisdome as the Queene of Sheba came from the furthest partes of the earth to Ierusalem 1. King 10. 1 Mat. 12. 42. To what end to heare the wysdome of Selomon Wee may easilie gather that such a iorney coulde not be perfourmed without great charges and many danger 〈…〉 and therfore as Christ witnesseth shee shall rise in Iudgement and shall condemne those that are carlesse to heare the wysdome of Christ the true Salâ—mon which he hath now blessed be his name for it sent out of Ierusalem And out of the land of Iudea even into this land and hath dispersed it over the same so that wee neede not trauaile farre for to heare it For now it is called to day with vs and now we may heare it if we will and by hearing it we may liue the houre shall come saith Christ and now is when the dead shall heare Io. 5. 2â— the voice of the son of God and they that heare it shall liue Loe heare it appeareth that we are spiritually dead and are estranged from God through sinne and therfore oppressed with eternall destruction without hope of life except we be quickened by hearing of Christes voice The Prophet Dauid had experience of this in himselfe which made him say I will neuer forget thy precepts Psal 119. 93 for by them thou hast quickened mee As if he should say before the time that I heard and obeyed thy voice I was dead but now the Gospell of thy sauing health hath restored mee to life CoÌ„sider therfore the necessitie of hearing and let that mooue you to put away hardnesse of heart It is manifest that without Io. 3. 36. faith none can be saved froÌ„ the secoÌ„d death nor froÌ„ the day of Gods wrath and faith as witnesseth the holy Ghost commeth by hearing Neither hath God appointed any other Rom. 1â— 17. meanes then the hearing of his voâ—ce for the attaining of faith and by faith salvation as it is most evident by that one and notable example of the rich man who because hee had not regarded the day of grace was after his bodily death tormented in hel Luke 16. and desiring to haue Lazarus sent to preach vnto his brethren least they also shoulde come into that place of â—orment receiveth this answere from Abrahaâ—â— they haue Moses and the Prophetes let them heare theâ— But â—er 29. when hee was yet more instant to haue one sent vnto them from the dead Abraham replyeth againe If they heare not Moses and the Prophetes neither vvill they bâ—e perswaded ver 31. though one rise from the deade againe This may suâ—â—ice any man that will vnderstande that God will haue no other way nor means for man to come to the knowledge of his wil and to be saved from the wrath to come but by hearing his voice revealed in the scriptures VVherefore so long as the time of grace lasteth let no man harden his hearte from hearing let no man looke the gate of heaven against his owne soule not become the minister of his owne death let no man as the maner of most men is be like the vaine Athenians more desiâ—â—us either to tell Act. 17. 21. or to heare some newes of other men or that coÌ„cerneth some worldly commodities then to heare the wisedome of God which yet cryeth openly vttereth her voice in the streâ—â—â— Pro. 1. 20. For the voice of this wisedome if thee bee heard and receiued vvith meekenesse saith the Iam 1. 21. scripture is able to saue mens soules and is the power of God vnto salvation to every one that beleeveth Rom. 1. 16. Herein the wisedome of God excelleth the wisedome of this world For all the counsell of the wise men and lawyers of the world al the learning of the Philosophers and sâ—â—oolemen and al the cloquence of the readiest oratours advocats though a man heare theÌ„ never so attentiuely cannot make him wise vnto salvation neither is it in them to bring the glad tidings of peace to a troubled soule disquieted with the feare of death the terror of hel for only the voice of Christ hath that pâ—eâ—ogatiue therfore al meÌ„ are coÌ„manded not to harden their hearts if they wil heare it But is it in the power of maÌ„ not to harden his heart sith the scripture saith I will harden Pharachs heart and in an other Exod. 〈◊〉 3. Revel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 place hee shutteth and no man openeth Here we must vnderstand that there is two manner of hardening of the heart to wit a divine hardening and
Lordes supper haue yee not houses to eate and to drincke 1. Cor. 11. 22. in So I may say to such meÌ„ if you wil pray alone and pray privatly haue yee not houses and privat places to pray in ought yee not at home and before yee come from home to prepare your selues to remember that going to church you go to appeare before the Lorde to heare his voice for the attaining of faith and to praise him with the congregation And for this cause as a learned painfull teacher in these daies hath writteÌ„ ought M. Perkiâ—s vpon the fourth commandement wee on the Sabboth day to arise early in the morning that wee may prepare our selues to the better sanctifying of that day And this preparation as he saith consisteth in private prayers and taking account of our severall sinnes but no man can be ignorant that privat prayers must be referred to privat places and time convenient For as Salomon saith to all thinges there is an appointed t 〈…〉 Eccle. 3. 1. But if you thinke that the temple or materiall house where we assemble our selues for diuine exercise can make your prayers more holy then your heartes from whence they proceed can make them yee are then indeede super 〈…〉 For the Lord of heaven and earth dwelleth not in temples built Act. 17. 24. with hâ—â—ds Neither is one place of the earth in respect of the place it selfe more acceptable to him then an other For now the temple at Ierusalem which was called the house of prayer hath an end And as the scriptures affirme you your selues if yee be true Christians are the temple of the liuing god 2. Cor. 6. 16 1. Cor. 6. 19 No place therefore as one father saith doeth sanctifie or make holy the man that is in it but rather the man the place yet for the defence of this evill custome of praying in preposterous maner some say it is a decent order for meÌ„ wheÌ„ they come into the church to kneele downe and pray The coÌ„trary is rather true for it is an affected disorder and betokeneth what of reuerence to the word of God his ordinance for some meÌ„ to be at their own praiers wheÌ„ the whole assembly doth either heare the word or pray otherwise with one accord This is not according to the rule oâ— the Apostle with one mind and with one â—onth to prayse God except they Rom. 15. 6. that wil pray by themselues when time and place serue not therevnto haue another God beside the father of our Lord â—esus Christ Where Luke writeth how the Apostles recemed the holy Ghost vpon the day of Pentecost he saith that then they were all with one Act. 2 1. accord in one place And for this cause hath Christ promised to be in the midst of them that Mat. 18. 20. are gathered together in his name assuring vs of his spirituall presence to be with vs if ther be vnitie of faith Christian concord in our assemblies And this vnitie is when as the Apostle exhorteth all speake one thinge are knit together in one minde and in one iudgment without distentions But for al this some meÌ„ 1. Cor. 1. 10 because they will not seeme to do otherwise then they haue bene accustomed can cavill say that because praier is good it is good to pray alwaies therfore they wil repeate their praiers when they may be seene of meÌ„ and when other men pray not These are like the Heretickes which were called Euchites Euchits or Psalliapistâ—s for that they were woÌ„t to spend much time in praying and to repeate their praiers as it is recorded of them so hastely and with swiâ—tnes of tongue as if God had beene to be serued with lippe labour This is contrarie to the rule of the Apostle Iames which saith let everâ—e man be swifte to heare slow to Iam. 1. 19. speake And the sonne of Sirach saith to the same effect â—e swift to heare good thinges For Eccl. 5. 1â— shall the naturall men of this world be swift ready to hear the couÌ„sel of a lawyer or advocate in some earthly matter shall not Christians be more careful ready to he are the counsell of God which is able to make them wise vnto salvation Yet some will say that when they pray they are carefull to serue GOD and they meane well and therefore they will do it at church and regard no time But as one hath truely said a good meaning doth not excuse an evill act and this we may see to bee most true if wee remember the punishment of Vâ—zah who without doubt meant well in that he put his hand to the arke of God and helde 2 Sam. 6. 6. it because the oxen which drew it did shake it But because he had no warrant from God so to do the Lord smote him that he died in that place And it is probable that Saul meant well in his owne opinion when he spared the fat beasts and the best of the sheepe and of 〈…〉 15. 〈◊〉 the oxen of the Amalekites because he would sacrifice them vnto the Lord. But what saith the oracle of God to him hath the Lorde as ver 22. great pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as when the voice of the Lord is obeyed behold to obey is better then sacrifice and to harken is better then the fat of Rammes Beholde here how acceptable a sacrifice it is to harken to the voice of the Lord. And contrariwise learne of Salomon how abhominable the praier of them is which will pray and wil not heare the law of the Lord he that Pro. 28. 9. turneth away his â—are from hearing the law even his praier shal be abominable Let no man therfore harden his heart and preferre superstition before truth that his praier be not abominable but acceptable beeing offered in due season and proceeding from faith knowledge which is by hearing and hearing by the Rom. 10 17. word of God As the ministery of the newe testament is principally divided into the ministration Act. 6. 4. of the word and praier so in the time of teaching the minister is the mouth of God vnto the people and in the time of publicke praiers he is the mouth of the people to offer their sacrifice to Godâ— and he that despiseth or regardeth not these things despiseth not man but God For these very words of the text if yee heare his voice harden not your harts declare vnto vs that when we heare that doctrine wihâ—h teacheth vs faith in the son of God and repentance from dead workes it is God that speaketh vnto vs by the moâ—th of men and he requireth at our handes that sâ—lâ—ng as it is saâ—a to day that is so long as we may heare the voice of the new couenant of grace we be more neere to heare it then to giue the sacrifice of fooles For ought
not Christians so to profite by hearing learning that they may be able as it is required in these places of scriptures Col. 3. 16. Rom. 15. 14. Heb. 3. 13. 1. Thess 4. 18. 5. 11. to teach to edifie to admonish and to comfort one another with the word of God but if the knowledge of these thinges had any place in the heartâ— of vaine meÌ„ they would abhorre to be at their prayers or to speake their owne wordes when they should be intentine to heare the word of faith Let vs beware therfore as Origen saith least there bee a vaile laide over our heartes not onely when Moses is read Super Exod hoâ—il 12. but also when Paul is read And without doubt if we be negligent in hearing and set not our mind to learne and to understand not onely the scriptures of the law and the Prophets but also the scriptures of the Apostles and Evangelists are covered with a vaile that we shall not vnderstand theÌ„ Thus saith Oâ—â—gen And surely as the lews reiected the Gospell of the new testament and boasted that they were the see 〈…〉 Abraham and 〈…〉 〈…〉 2. Câ—◠〈◊〉 14. 15. the disciples of Mâ—ses when is in the reading of Moses their â—â—nds werâ— hâ—â—d 〈…〉 the vaile of vnbeâ—ieâ—e was laâ—d over th 〈…〉 〈…〉 es that they did not vnderstand the old testament so do â—ost â—en in these dâ—â—es being content with the bâ—te name of 〈…〉 with the blinde customes receiued from their fathers harden their hearts in sin stop their eaâ—es against the same Gospel of grace But wo be to the security of these men Now seeing that to pray or to be otherwise exercised in the congregation then the time and place requireth when meÌ„ come into the church is not the least 〈◊〉 which argueth if men will peâ—sist in it being admonished that they harden their hearts in ignoraunce and will not bee ready to come to Christ vvhen hee calleth take heede that you giue not the lesse credite to this or any other doctrine confirmed with the trueth because you heare it froÌ„ young men or from your inferiours in the estimatiâ— of the world For hee that despiseth the preceptes of life ministred by men despiseth not man but God 1. Thess 4. 8 saith the Apostle Satan is a most subtill adversarie and goeth about by all meanes to keepe you vnder the vaile of darkenesse naturall ignorance if other meanes faile him he can work by perswading you to measure your faith to the word of God with the fame and estimation of the minister and so either to receiue or reiect his doctrine according as the world iudgeth of the man Hereof we haue a manifest example in the ninth of Iohn where when the maÌ„ that was borne Io. 9. 30. 31. 32. 33. blinde began to preach vnto the Iewes of Christ known by his diuine power in opening his eies the Iewes shew their pride and disdaine to learne of such a one and say vnto him thou art altogether borne in sinnes and ver 34. doest thou teach vs saith an ancient Christian doctor vpon these wordes it is seene that Cyâ—ill greater men do commonly disdaine to learne of their inferiours this proceedeth from the dangerous disease of pride whereby man perswadeth himselfe in his owne conceite that he hath sufficient knowledge when he is ignorant and he is ashamed to learne of them that are of lesse reputation in the iudgement of men then himselfe least he should seeme to be ignorant or to haue lesse learning then that man hath of whome he is taught But if our minde were indued with true humility we should not be ashamed to learne a quovis puerulo of any child saith he that could teach vs the thing which we knowe not For the truth is to be embraced heard of whomsoeuer it may be learned These at the words of a worthy teacher And of this humilitie which ought to be in all Christians to learne we haue a notable example in Apollos a maÌ„ eloquent and mightie Act. 18. â—4 25. 26. in the scriptures and yet humble to be further instructed of Aquila Priscillâ— a poore tent-maker and his wife here euerie one that wil be the seruant of Christ may learne humilitie and be prepared like the men of Berea with all readinesse to receiue the word Act. 17. 11. which is able to saue his soule and of the seruant of sinne to make him the seruant of righteousenesse It is yet called to day And yet we may heare the voice of the bridegrome Christ Iesus And is there is one day of seuen appointed for men to rest And to heare his voice and as there is a time of that day for men to heare and not to be otherwise occupied then in hearing let no man abuse that time let no man theÌ„ speake his owne words Art thou dull of hearing and canst hardly setle thy minde to learneâ— yet be carefull to heare from the beginning to the end and thou canst not goe away without some good leslon laide vp in thine heart Hast thou a good memory and aâ—t thou apt to learne theÌ„ spend all the time of hearing in hearing thy knowledge shal be the more increased Wiâ—â— thou be iustified by â—aith be made partaker of Christ thou hast heard that saith coÌ„meth by hearing and Rom. 10 17. now thou mâ—ist heare now is the day of hearing so loÌ„g 〈◊〉 the Lord calleth Hereafter wil be the daie of reiecting for them that would not hear when they were called In that day men cannot learne though they would for wisdome warneth theÌ„ which sleepe out the time of grace when learning is offered vnto them when affliction and anguish shall come vppon Pâ—o. 1. 27. 28. you then shal they cal vpoÌ„ me but I wil not answer they shall seeâ—e me early but they shall not find me the reason is added why wisdome wil not be found of mâ— at their pleasure because they hâ—ted knowledg did not chuse the fear of the Lord. If therfore thou wilt not in this day of his g 〈…〉 heaâ—â— his voice to thy salvation thou shalt hereafter in the day of his wrath heare it to thy condemnation if now in the day of his calling his voice caÌ„not awake thee out of the sleepe of sin security it shal hereafter in the day of his iudgment awake thee to thine eternal confusion though thou sleepe in the earth though thou be returned into dust doubt not of this for the â—ord speaketh it the houre shâ—lâ— come in the which all that 10. 5 28. 29. are in the graues shall heare his voice And they shal come forth that haue done good vnto theresurrection of life but they that haue done evil vnto there surrection of condemnation In that day shall every scripture every sermon every word of exhortatioÌ„ which thou hast heard or read be a witnesse against thee how
thou hast hardened thine heart wouldst not obey his voice wheÌ„ he offered thee his grace Consider therfore that this is the daie where in he calleth thee and speaketh to thee saying behold now the accepted time beholde now the 2. Cor. 6. 2. daie of salvation This time this day wherein he proclaimeth peace is but short and v 〈…〉 e redeeme it therfore with all readines of mind that thou maist be at peace with God for all eternity You that are diligent husband-meÌ„ are carefull to redeeme the time of faire weather in haruest because you know not how sooâ—e it wil raine And man whose life is coÌ„pared to a vapour that appeareth for a little time and after vvarde vanisheth avvaâ—â— if hee liue to Iam. 4. 14. day knoweth not whether he shall liue to morowe And if it be permitted him to liue yet knoweth he not how soone the Lord will send a famine of hearing his holy word and send a darke night of ignorance in the which no man can worke no man can heare the glad tidings of the Gospell nor beleeue it though he woulde Let vs pray that our hearts may be mollified prepared as good ground to receiue the seede of the worde while it is yet called to day The fifth Lecture vpon the 16. and 17. verses of the wickednesse of mans nature all men are naturally bent to idolatrie vvee must imitate the faithfull though they bee but few in number or â—n one age whom God raiseth vp in al ages to confesse his name of Gods long sufferance bountifulnes towarde sinners of sinne and the fruit thereof 16 For some when they heard provoked him to anger howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses 17 But with whoÌ„ was he displeased forty yeares was he not displeased with them that sinned whose carkeses fell in the wildernesse THe Apostle which was the Authour of this Epistles applying the exhortation of the Prophet before alleadged seemeth here to allude to that desperate provoking and disobedience of the children of Israel mentioned in the 14 of Num. When they beleeued those ten men that brought vp a vile slander vpon the land of promise and murmured against Moses and Aâ—râ—â— and would haue stoned Ioshua and Caleb because they stood for the truth as it appeareth more 〈◊〉 large in the 14. of Num. this is therefore as if 〈◊〉 Apostle should say the whole assembly of them that came out of Egypt to the number of sixe handieth thousande men of vnderstanding even all of them vvithout exâ—â—â—tion heard the word of the LORD and his promise concerning the lande of Canaan but some of them yea the greatest some the â—â—hâ—le assemblie saieth the scripture and againe all the mulâ—â—tuaâ— notwithstanding 〈◊〉 4. 2. 〈◊〉 some are excepted vvhen they heard did not beleeue but provoked the â—oâ—dâ— to anger with their meredulous 〈…〉 ing and 〈◊〉 bellion And it is worthy to be noted that he saith when they â—â—â—rd they provoked him or hearing they provoked himâ— For as hee that is of God 10. 8 47. heareth GODS vvordes so they that are c 〈…〉 lly minded and haue their vnderstanding darkened doe neuer provoke the LORDE so much as when his word and his counsell 〈◊〉 pâ—eâ—ched vnto them which because it is contrary to the wisdome of the 〈…〉 h â—â—stâ—â—eth vppe the naturall man â—oâ—eâ—ll and to oppose himselfe against the wisedome of the holy GHOST accordinge as it is vvritten the vvisedome of Rom. 8 7. the flesh is enimitie against GOD. And againe the naturall manne perceiveth not the 1. Cor. 2 14. thinges of the spirite of GOD for they are foolishnesse vnto him neither canne hee knovve them because they are spiritually discerned For Satan who worketh in the children of disobedience vvill rather suâ—â—er them to consent to any thing then to that doctrine which ostereth vnto them the peace and favour of God And for this cause our Saviour CHRIST saieth that hee came not to sende peace into Mat. 10 34. the earth but the svvorde A sworde as we knowe cutteth asunder and maketh a separation And CHRIST although hee bee the very authour of our peace yet when his peace is preached vnto the world the vvicked and disobedient vvhich before seemed to bee quiet and calme doe nowe shewe foorth their bitternesse and corruption of nature by contending against this peace and against the messengers and professours of the same And so CHRIST by their malice is made the occassion of tâ—multe and discorde They provoke him not before they hear him for the wickednesse of mans nature is like fire that lyeth hid in quicke lime which never boyleth nor sheweth his heate vntil you put water to it which being of a contrary nature and quality causeth it to burne and cost out heate It is also like to the vapours of the earth which appeare not so long as the vertue and heate of the sunne is not on the earth but when the sunne ariseth then they arise and ascend not from the sun but from the earth Thus is the case with the vnregenerate earthly minded man If there be no worde of faith preached there is no provoking but if the word bee ministred to exhorte to improue and to rebuke then the wisedome of the flesh which is enimitie against God beginneth to bee vnquiet and to provoke The high Priest of Ierusalem and the Scribes never provoked so furiously as when they heard the wordes of Christ saying hereafter shall yee see Mat. 26. 64. the sonne of man sitting on the right hande of the heaven Then the high Priest rent his cloathes ver 65. Act. 7. 54. And againe The stiffe-necked among the Iewes provoked never so madly as when they were sharpely rebuked of the holy Ghost by the mouth of Stephen for then as Luke saith their hearts did cleane for anger and they guashed at him with their teeth So king Ahab provoked most of all when he heard the Prophet Michaiah 1 King 2â— 17. 18. at what time he told him the trueth from the Lord signified the event of the warre which Ahab waged against the king of Syria to goe against him And the remnant of the Iewes which were left from the captivity of Babilon although they had protested Ier. 42. 5. 6. vnto Ieremiah that they woulde obey the voice of the Lorde whatsoever woulde come of it yet when the same Prophet told them from the Lord that if they did set their Ier. 17. faces to enter into Egypt to dwell there they should die by the sword by the famine and by the pestilence and none of them should remaine nor escape from the plague which the Lord would bring vpoÌ„ them At the hearing of these things they disobey and say that Ieremtah speaketh Ier. 43. 2. falsely and they will goe into Egypt whether he wil or no. So the multitude in the wildernesse of whom the Apostle speaketh here provoked