infect it torment it condemne it Will a seruant reach the cup to a stranger when his Master cals for it Or will a man sell his coate if he haue no moe What doost thou reserue for God when thou hast giuen Sathan thy heart Christ hath promised to come and dwell with thee where shall he staie where shall he dine if the chamber be taken vp and the heart let foorth to another Thou art but a Tenant and yet thou takest his house ouer his head and placest in it whom thou wilt as if thou wert Landlord Canst thou possesse another mans goods but he will molest thee and trouble thee vntill he haue his owne and doost thou thinke to keepe that which is Gods and holde it in peace No hee will neuer suffer thee to rest but crie vpon thee daie and night as Moses vexed Pharaoh vntil he let the people goe so thou shalt bee distracted with feares and thoughts as one plague followed another vntill thou let thy heart goe that it may serue God for as if a man should pull out thy heart and take it from thee so greeuous is it to God to keep thy heart from him Therefore let all Sutors haue their answere that thy heart is married alreadie As Isaac answered Esau Iacob haue I blessed and he shalbe blessed so thou maist say God hath my heart and he shall haue it and them that craue it hereafter send them to Christ for it for it is not thine to giue if thou haue giuen it to God alreadie But take heede thy heart do not lye to thy selfe and say it is Gods when it is the worldes like Ieroboams Wife which woulde not seeme to bee Ieroboams Wife By this thou shalt knowe whether thou hast giuen it to him or no if the Heart be gone all will followe As the Sunne riseth first and then the beastes arise from their dennes the Fowles from their neastes and men from their beddes so when the Heart sets forwarde to God all the members will follow after it the tongue will praise him the foote will follow him the eare will attend him the eye will watch him the hand will serue him nothing will staie after the heart but euerie one goes like handmaydes after their mistresse this Christ verifieth saying make cleane within and all will bee cleane therefore the Publican did beat vpon his hart as though hee were angrie with it because it did not waken all the rest shewing that as the Father gaue vs all when hee gaue his son so we giue him all when wee giue our heartes This is the melodie which Paul speaketh of Ephes 5. 19. Make melodie in the Lord in your hearts shewing that there is a consort of all the members when the heart is in tune and that it soundes like a melodie in the eares of God and makes vs reioyce while wee serue him Wee haue example heereof in Christ which said it was meate and drinke vnto him to doo his fathers will and in Dauid which daunced to see the Arke and in the Israelites of whom it is saide that they reioyced when they offered from their heart vnto the Lord. Therefore Salomon pricking out the heart for God spake as though he would set out the pleasantest and fairest easiest way to serue him without any grudging or toyle or wearinesse touch but the first linke and all the rest will follow so set the heart a going and it is like the poize of a clocke which turnes all the wheeles one way such an Oyle is vpon the heart which makes al nimble and currant about it therfore it is almost as easie to speak well and doe well as to thinke well If the heart indite a good matter no maruel though the tongue be the Pen of a readie writer but if the hart be dull all is like a left hand so vnapt and vntoward that it cannot turne it selfe to any good Therfore Gods sutes haue so hard passage in mens counsailes iudgements and Parliaments because they doe not giue him their harts which should be the first offering of all if they woulde giue him their hearts before they sit downe to heare his cause they could not denie him anie thing that is for his honour though it were against their profit but as Christ saieth Not my will but thy will so they would say It is not our Kingdome but thy Kingdome it is not our Church but thy Church therefore not our will but thy will not our law but thy law not our discipline but thy discipline raigne in it and all that giue their hearts subscribe to this the rest say not thy wil but our wil not thy law but our law not thy discipline but our discipline because as the Apostle sayth They seeke their owne glorie and not Christs Phil. 2. 21. This hath bene the rub euer since Antichrist was first resisted Herode could not see how hee should be King if Christ should raigne therfore as the Image-makers cried and stormed when Images should goe downe alleadging that they liued by that craft so if you marke what kind of men they were which did preach and write and labour so hotly against religion it is they that were like to loose some of their dignities or their commodities by it The Scribes and Pharisies resisted Christ more than the people because hee denounced woe to them and misliked that they should bee called Rabbi how hard it is to follow Christ when he saith Leaue all nay if he bid vs leaue any thing for him though we should leaue our selues Matt. 16. 24. The tongue wil not praise because the heart doth not loue the eare doth not heare because the heart doth not minde the hand doth not giue because the heart doth not pitie the foote will not goe because the heart doth not stirre all staie vpon the heart like the Captaine that should giue the onset Thus to shew that hee deserueth all the Lord requireth that which bringeth all Secondly God requireth the Heart shewing that all the things of this worlde are not woorthie of it nor a peece of it nor a thought vnles it be to contemne them as Salomon thought of vanitie for if the heart be the Temple of God hee which giueth it to anie thing else committeth Sacriledge and breaketh that Commaundement Giue vnto GOD that which is Gods Matthewe 22. 21. Thirdly that all should consent so with the heart that wee should speake as if our heart did speake pray as if our heart did pray heare as if our heart did heare giue as if our heart did giue remit as if our heart did remit and counsell as if our heart did counsell as the Apostle sayth Doe all things heartely Col. 3. 23. which if we could keepe nothing that wee doe should trouble vs because nothing is troublesome but that which goeth against the heart Fourthly that wee should
very wicked haue laboured to put on this vizard as we reade of Pharao who to couer his foolishnes saith Come let vs do wisely And again it is said that the Grecians sought after wisedom eueÌ„ the Nation which God cals the foolish nation did seek after wisedom that is they would haue the name of wisedome but this wisedome which Moses cals wisdome is couÌ„ted foolishnes the foolishnes of preaching saith Paul meaning how the foolish count preaching foolishnes Againe foolishnes to the Gentiles meaning that the word of God seemeth like a foolish thing vnto many For that which Christ said vnto Peter he may say almost to al They do not sauor the things of God As Anah deuised a new creature so they haue found out another wisedome which is called the wisdom of the flesh They remember Be wise as serpents but they forget Be simple as doues He which is like Achitophel is couÌ„ted a deep counsâ—â—ler he which is like Machiuel is counted a wise fellow Alas how easie a matter is it to deceiue counterfeit and play the subtile serpent if a man would set his head vnto it Could not Dauid goe as farre as Achitophel Could not Paul shew as much cuÌ„ning as Tertullus Yes yes if they were not taught to be simple as doues But this wisdome comes not by the remembrance of death but by the forgetfulnes of death Men do not vse to think of death when they goe about such matters but say like the serpeÌ„t We shall not die Two things I note in these words First that if we will find wisedome we must applie our hearts to seeke her theÌ„ that the remeÌ„brance of death makes vs applie our harts vnto it Touching the first Moses found some fault with himselfe that for al he had heard seene and obserued and was counted wise yet he was new to begin and had not applied his heart to learne wisedom like the wise man which saith I am more foolish then any man I haue not the wisedome of a man in me So vnsatiable and couetous as I may say are the seruants of GOD the more wisedome and faith and zeale they haue the more they desire Moses speaketh of wisedome as if it were Phisicke which doth no good before it be applied and the part to applie it too is the heart where all mans affections are to loue it and cherish it like a kind hostesse when the heart seeketh it findethas though it were brought vnto her like Abrahams Ramme Therefore GOD saith They shall seeke me find me because they shal 〈◊〉 me with their 〈◊〉 as though they shuld not find him with all their seeking vnles they did seeke him with their heart Therefore the way to get wisedome is to applie our hearts vnto it as if it were your calling and liuing to which you are bound prentises A man may applie his eares his eyes as many trewants doe to their bookes yet neuer proue schollers but from that day which a man begins to applie his heart vnto wisedom he learneth more in a moneth after then he did in a yeare before nay then euer he did in his life Euen as you see the wicked because they applie their hearts to wickednes how fast they proceede how easily and how quickly they become perfect swearers expert drunkards cunning deceiuers so if ye could applie your hearts as throughly to knowledge and goodnesse you might become like the Apostle which teacheth you Therefore when Salomon sheweth men the way how to come by wisedome he speakes often of the heart as Giue thine heart to wisedome Let wisedome enter into thine heart Get wisedome Keepe wisedome Embrace wisedome as though a man went a wooing for wisedome Wisedome is like Gods daughter that he giueth to the maÌ„ that loueth her and sueth for her and meaneth to set her at his heart Thus we haue learned how to apply knowledge that it may do vs good not to our eares like them which heare Sermons onely nor to our tongues like them which make table talke of religion but to our hearts that wee may say like the virgin My heart doth magnifie the Lord and the heart will applie it to the eare and to the tongue as Christ saith Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh The last poynt is that the remembrance of death makes vs to applie our hearts to wisedome Moses commended not many bookes to make a wise man learned but as Dauid commends one booke in stead of many Meditate in the Law of God day and night for the reading of many bookes sayth Salomon is but wearinesse to the flesh Therefore as though Moses had marked what did moue him most to seeke after GOD hee prayeth that that thought may run in his mind still the remembrance of death As many benefits come vnto vs by death so many benefites come vnto vs by the remembrance of death and this is one It maketh a man to applie his heart to wisedome For when he considereth that he hath but a short time to liue he is carefull to spend it wel like Moses of whom it is said that wheÌ„ he coÌ„sidered how he had but a season to liue he chose rather to suffer afflictions with the seruants of God than to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season This is that which makes the olde men fast and watch and prepare themselues more than young because they thinke themselues neerer the doore like olde Isaac which when he was blinde for age said vnto Esau Behold I am now old and know not the day of my death that is because I am old I looke to die shortly And therfore as Esay taught Ezechias to set all things in order before he died so he called his eldest sonne to whom hee thought that the inheritance belonged that he might blesse him before he died This wisdome the Fathers called the wisdome of the crosse which wee call the best because it was deerest bought It is hard for a man to think of a short life and think euil or to think of a long life and thinke wel Therefore wheÌ„ Ieremie had numbred al the calamities sins of the Iewes at last he imputed all to this She remembred not her end so if I may iudge why natural men care for nothing but their pomp why great men care for nothing but their honour and dignitie why couetous worldlings care for nothing but their gaine why voluptuous Epicures care for nothing but their pleasure I may say with Ieremie They rememember not their end We neuer couet the same things liuing and dying therefore when Salomon had spokeÌ„ of all the vanities of men at last he opposeth this MemoraÌ„dum as a counterpoyse against them all Remember that for al those things thou shalt come to iudgement as if he should say Men would neuer speake as they speake nor
them which breake the lawes of men but to suffer and suffer and euer to suffer all that the diuels would heape vpon vs. Then came the mercie of God for Christ which shedde his bloud like an vmpire betweene God and vs and saide as Esay saide to Hezechia Thou shalt not dye but liue loose him let him goe for hee is mine So we were staied like the widdowes sonne when he was carried to his graue This is the benefite of Christes death and this Sacrament is the remembrance of it and therefore whensoeuer we receiue it this addition commeth with it which is shed for the remission of sinnes our fault was so hainous and greeuous that no ransome could counteruaile it vnlesse God himselfe had suffered for vs. Being in this extremitie neither man nor angel offered his life for vs but the prince himselfe which should haue crucified vs came to be crucified of vs for vs y t we might say with stedfast faith I beleeue the remission of sinnes not the satisfaction of sinnes but the remission of sinnes Marke this distinction against Popish merites of workes or penance Christ hath satisfied and not we we are remitted and not Christ therefore we say in our confession I beleeue the remission of sinnes which I may call the mercifull Article because it is the quintessence and sweetnesse of all the twelue Therefore who but Antichrist durst depraue it If there be a satisfaction for our sinnes by our works or by our pilgrimages or by our masses or by our penance let Christ neuer be called a forgiuer but an exchanger like the Pope which selleth his pardons Wretched creatures which will not receiue the Lord when he comes to their doore Christ saith Take for nothing and they say no we will not take but buy Vile base miserable men disdaine to take grace of God without satisfaction but they will cope with the Lord and giue him so many pilgrimages fast so many daies heare so many masses and paie so manie workes for it vntill they haue done as much good as they haue done euill Our sinnes are infinite and God is infinit but our works are finite in number and measure how can they answere then to that which exceedeth number and measure Therefore be content with Iosephs brethren to take your money againe and say that you haue corne for nothing that is you are saued for nothing or else when you say I beleeue the remission of sinnes you lie vnto God because you doo not beleeue the remission of sinnes but satisfaction for sinnes like the Papists It followeth As often as yee shall eate this bread and drinke this cuppe yee shall shewe the Lords death till he come Here are three inuincible arguments against Popish transubstantiation like the three witnesses vnder which euerie word doth stand First we are sayd to eate bread then it is not flesh but bread Secondly we are saide to shew the Lordes death then it is but a shewe or representation of his death Thirdly it is said vntill hee come if hee be to come then he is not come if he be come how can we say vntill hee come The effect of this verse was shewed in these wordes Doe this in remembrance of me For to say Doe this in remembrance of me and to say So oft as you doe this you shew my death is much at one so that if you call this Sacrament a shewe of Christes death as it is called here then it is not Christ or if you call it a remembraunce of Christ as it is called there yet it is not Christ but a shewe or remembrance of Christ but this is such a shew and remembrance that the next verse saith Whosoeuer receiueth it vnworthily is guiltie of the bodie and bloud of Christ Will yee know who receiueth vnworthely In the nine and twentith verse Paul saith he discerneth not the Lords bodie that is which putteth no difference betweene this bread and other but eateth like a childe the meate which hee knoweth not and after the bread seemeth stones to him and the wine poyson because his conscience telleth him I haue receiued vnwoorthelie before I could say like Dauid My hart is prepared My sheepe saith Christ know my voyce as they discerne Christs wordes so they discerne Christes bodie and therefore so often as they come to the Lordes table they seeme to come into the Lords presence there they greete and kisse and embrace one another with affections which none can know but they that feele like Iohn which leaped in the wombe so soone as Christ came neare him Will yee know beside what it is to bee guiltie of the bodie and blood of Christ euen as Iudas was guiltie for betraying him and Pilate for deliuering him and the Iewes for crucifying him so they are guiltie which receiue this Sacrament vnworthily as Pilate and Caiphas and Iudas were If they be guiltie of Christs death they are guiltie of theyr owne death too as if they had committed two murthers and therefore Paul saith after that many of the Corinthians dyed onely for the vnwoorthie receiuing of this Sacrament As the Worde is the sauour of death to them which receiue it vnworthelie so the Sacrament is the sauour of death to them which receiue it vnworthelie it neuer goeth into their mouth but they are traitors ipso facto may say to Hell this day haue I taken possession of thee because I am guiltie of Christes blood Therefore it followeth immediatlie Let a man examine himselfe before hee eate of this bread or drinke of this wine as if he should say If he which receiueth this Sacrament vnworthely bee guiltie of Christes death like Iudas which hanged himselfe if these signes be receiued to saluation or damnation like the Word the next lesson is to examine your selues before you receiue lest you receiue like the sonne of perdition which swallowed the bread and the Diuell together Therefore Let a man examine himselfe and so let him eate that is let him examine first and receiue after for if wee should receiue the bread of the earth reuerentlie how should we receiue the bread of heauen When Iehonadab came to Iehu his chariot hee sayd Is thy heart vpright as my heart is toward thee So when wee come to the Lordes table hee would haue our hearts vpright to him as his heart is to vs for who feasteth his enemies and mockers The golden Ring sitteth highest at our table but the Wedding garment sitteth highest at this table It is safer eating with vnwashen handes than with an vnwashen heart The Iewes were taught to choose the Lambe of the Passe-ouer on the tenth daye of the first moneth in which moneth they came out of Egypt and on the fourteenth daye after they were taught to eate him so they had foure daies respite betweene the choosing and the killing to prepare
and sanctifie themselues for the Passe-ouer which was a signe of the Lords Supper This admonished them that the matter now to be performed was verie waightie and therefore they were deeply to consider it for now was the action and summe of al saluation in handling If they did prepare themselues so before they did receiue the figure of this Sacrament how should wee bee prepared before we receiue the Sacrament it selfe Therefore as Iosiah commaundeth the Leuites to prepare the people so Paul aduiseth the people to prepare themselues that is to examine whether they haue faith and loue and repentance before they come to this feast By this all may see first that Paule would haue euerie laie man skilfull in the scripture that hee be able to examine himselfe by it for this admonition is not to them which minister the Sacrament but to all which receiue the Sacrament And the rule by which we must examine our selues is the lawe which wee should obey therefore if the rule be vnknowen the examination must be vndone Our doctrine must bee examined by the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles our prayers must bee examined by the sixe petitions of Christes prayer our beleefe must bee examined by the twelue Articles of faith our life must be examined by the ten Commaundements of the Law Now hee which hath his Touch-stone maye trie golde from copper but hee which hath it not takes one for the other therefore before Paules Examine you had neede to learne Christes Search Search the Scriptures and they will lighten you to search your selues This is the doctrine with which I will ende and the necessarie poynt for which I chuse this Text to teach you if I could that Christian Arte how to examine your selues Let a man examine himselfe before hee eate Here is first an examination secondly an examination of our selues thirdly an examination before we come to the Sacrament Touching the first here Paul saith Examine your selues but in 2. Corinth 13. hee doubleth his charge Proue your selues and againe at next word Examine your selues as if hee should say this worke must be done when it is done because it is neuer throughly done therefore we must double our examinatiō as Paul doubleth his counsell If a man suspect his enemie hee will trye him with a question if that wil not search him he wil put forth another if that bee spyed hee will moue another like one which putteth diuers keyes into a locke vntill it open So he which examineth must trie and trie prooue and prooue search and search for the angell of darknesse is like an angell of light and we haue no way to discouer him but that of Iohn Trie the spirites God examineth with trials the diuell examineth with temptations the world examineth with persecutions we which are thus examined had neede to examine too If anie man skill not what Examining meaneth the very word Examine is so pregnant that it prompteth vs how we shuld examine for it signifieth to put our selues vnto the Touch-stone as if we would trie gold from copper Therefore one sayth that Examination is the eye of the soule whereby she seeeth her selfe and her safetie and her daunger and her way which she walketh and her pace which she holdeth and the end to which she tendeth she lookes into her glasse and spieth euerie spot in her face how all her graces are stayned then she takes the water of life and washeth her blots away After shee lookes againe and beholdeth all her gifts her fayth feare loue patience meekenesse and marketh how euerie one doth flourish or wither If they fade and decay that she feeleth a consumption then she takes preseruatiues and restoratiues of praier and counsaile and repentance before the sicknesse growe Thus euery day shee letteth downe a bucket into her heart to see what water it bringeth vp lest she should corrupt within and perish sodainlie To heare and read and pray and fast and communicate is a worke of manie but to examine those workes is the fashion of few and therefore Ieremie complaineth No man saith what haue I done as if hee should saie No man examineth himselfe And therefore in all the Scripture it is sayd but of one That hee feared all his workes as though hee durst not thinke nor speake nor doe any thing before he had examined what it was from whence it came and whither it went so the more precious treasure is deeper hid in the ground The second point is to Examine our selues Paul saith Trie all things much more should we trie our selues The good sower doth sow his owne ground but the bad sower dooth so we another mans ground as the diuell did The Disciples of Christ said Maister is it I not Master is it he The Disciples of Iohn asked Master what shall wee doe not Master what shall they doe Wee must obey some and heare others admonish others and loue all but examine our selues That which we applie vnto others the Apostle applieth vnto our selues for when we speak of an examiner we intend one which examineth other when wee speake of an accuser we intend one which accuseth other when we speake of a Iudge wee meane one which iudgeth others but the scripture crieth Examine thy selfe accuse thy selfe iudge thy selfe that is be not curious to search a moat in thy brothers eye but pull out the beame which is in thine owne eye This doth shew that they which sit in Gods chaire to iudge others commonly haue greater faults themselues then they whome they vse to iudge and therefore Christ calleth their fault a beame and the others a moate This made Dauid saie Examine thy heart thy heart is thy owne heart therefore thou must examine whether thou praie whether thou watche whether thou fast and not whether he praie whether hee watch whether he fast as the Pharisie examined the Publicane least thou haue Peters checke when he examined what Iohn should doe Christ said What is that to thee follow thou me Thou art a priuat man and hast a priuate examination therefore let thy question be What haue I done and make thy Anatomie of thy selfe See beloued wee may not beleeue our selues before we haue examined our selues for we are false hearted and the notablest cousiner that deceiueth most for one time that he deceiueth others tenne times deceiueth himselfe Because the flesh is a wilie seruaunt and will lye like Gehezi to his master and face him that it hath not sinned when it commeth from sinne therefore as Elisha examined his seruant so the soule must examine her seruaunt that is man must bee iealous of himselfe and take himselfe for a liar for a flatterer for a dissembler vntill he be throughlie acquainted with himselfe for no man is so often beguiled as by himself by trusting his double heart and taking his own
word without further trial If Paul had bid vs examine others we would haue sifted them like Sathan Sathan hath desired to sift thee sayth Christ to Peter so we haue a desire to sift others Euen Peter which was sifted of sathan longed to sift Iohn knowe what he should do before hee hearkened to his owne charge Therefore the helpe of examination is a needfull preseruatiue although we were as sound as Peter They which are suspected of a crime doe not examine themselues but are examined of others least they should be partiall but a Christian must examine himselfe of his crime and be his owne iudge his owne accuser and his owne condemner for no man knoweth the spirite of man but the spirit which is in man which will condemne him if he be guiltie and tell him all that hee hath done and with what minde he did it and what he deserueth for it This is the priuate araignment or close sessions when Conscience sits in her chaire to examine and accuse and iudge and condemne her selfe because she will not bee condemned of God Thus holie men haue kept their sessions at home and made their hearts the fore-man of the iurie and examined themselues as wee examined others the feare of the Lord stood at the doore of their soules to examine euerie thought before it went in and at the dore of their lips to examine euery word before it went out wherby they escaped a thousand sinnes which we commit as though wee had no other worke So thou shouldest sitte in iudgement of thy selfe and call thy thoughts and speeches and actions to giue in euidence against thee whether thou be a Christian or an infidell a sonne or a bastard a seruaunt or a rebell a Protestant or an hypocrite if thou find not faith nor feare nor loue nor zeale when thou examinest thy selfe let no man make thee beleeue that thou art holie that thou art sanctified that thou art a Christian that thou art a beleeuer that thou art a Gospeller because thou art worse then thou seemest thy selfe for euery man is partiall to himselfe when he is most humbled Therefore if my heart tell mee that I doe loue God whome shall I beleeue before my selfe As Salomon sayth No man can search the heart of the king so Paul sayth No man knoweth the spirite of any man but the spirite which is in man that is no man feeleth the heart of man so wel as himself And yet himselfe although hee haue liued with it euer since he was borne doth not know his owne heart vnlesse hee examine it narrowlie no more than hee knoweth his owne bones or his veines or his sinewes or his arteries or his muskles how many are in his bodie or where they lie or what they doe This seemes strange that a man should not know his owne heart yet it is true that the best of all dooth not knowe his owne heart though he hath dwelt with it from his mothers wombe For Christ saith to his Disciples euen to his Disciples you know not of what spirit you are that is you thinke better of your selues then you are and know not what the clocke striketh within There is a zeale without knowledge there is a knowledge without zeale there is a fayth without obedience and there is an obedience without faith there is a loue without feare and there is a feare without loue and both are hypocrites Therefore as Dalilah searched where Sampsons strength lay so let euery man search where his weakenesse lieth and alwaie be filling the emptie gap Now this examination must goe before vs to the Sacrament Euerie meate worketh according as it is digested this meate worketh according as it is receiued Therefore when Christ had taught what we should doe in receiuing the Sacrament now Paul sheweth what we should doe before wee receiue the Sacrament Let a man examine himselfe But some will come before they examine themselues and therefore as the Priestes of the lawe had authoritie to put by lame and blinde sacrifices so the ministers of the Gospell haue power to put by lame and blind receiuers and he which doth not so giueth a sworde into their handes to kill themselues If the Pastor would vse this examination duly it were the onely way to make euery one examine himselfe least he be put by like Non proficients As Iiphtah discerned the Ephramites because when they should pronounce Shibboleth they pronounced Sibboleth so all which cannot pronounce Christ that is giue a reason of their faith are to bee thrust from this table There is a hearing a preparatiue before hearing There is a praying and a preparatiue before praying There is a receiuing and a preparatiue before receiuing which if it be wanting the receiuer receiueth vncomfortablie the prayer praieth idlely the hearer heareth vnfruitfullie like those which doe eate before hunger and drinke before thirst This preparatiue before hearing and praying and receiuing dooth signifie that there is a kind of phisicke in these three for preparatiues are ministred alwaies before Phisicke and as the preparatiue which goeth before maketh way to the phisick or els it would do no good but hurt so vnlesse examination go before the sacrament we seale vp the threatnings which are written against vs in steade of the promises which are made vnto vs for the sacrament is a seale and therefore sealeth good or euill as euerie other seale doth The preparatiue before wee receiue is to Examine As Iohn was the fore-runner of Christ so examination is the fore-runner of the sacrament like the Harbinger which rideth before to prepare the roome For if Iob commaunded his sonnes to sanctifie themselues before they did come to his sacrifice how should we sanctifie our selues before we come to Christes sacrament wherein we are commaunded to doe as the Lorde himselfe did which instituted it It is sayd that the chamber wherein Christ did institute this sacrament was trimmed the chamber wherein the Apostles receiued this sacrament was trimmed If Iudas chamber his inner chamber had bene trimmed so too he had receiued this Sacrament with as much comfort as the other disciples did but because his heart was not trimmed therefore he was the first which was condemned for the vnworthie receiuing of this Sacrament Adam did not thinke that death had bene in an apple so you would not thinke that death should bee in bread but as a coale hath fire in it beside the coale it selfe which fire dooth either warme or burne so this meate hath another meate in it beside that which is seene which dooth either saue or destroy therefore he which commeth to this spiritual meat must examine whether he haue a spirituall mouth as well as a carnall mouth or else he shall receiue no more than he seeth that which he seeth not shall destroy him No man saith Christ putteth new wine into olde vessels lest the
the man whom godlines doth make rich For When the blessing of the Lorde maketh rich saith Salomon hee dooth adde no sorrow to it but saith hee the reuenewes of the wicked is trouble as though his mony were care Wherfore let Patron and Landlord and Lawyer and all say nowe that Paule hath chosen the better riches which thiefe nor moath nor canker can corrupt these are the riches at last which we must dwell with when all the rest which we haue lyed for and sworne for and fretted for and couzened for and broken our sleepe for lost many Sermons for forsake vs like seruants which change their masters then Godlinesse shall seeme as great gaine to vs as it did to Paule and he which loued the world most would giue all that he hath for a dram of faith that he might be sure to go to heauen when he is dead though he went towardes hell so long as he liued Here then is an answere to them which aske What profit is it to serue God Howe happie was Barzillai that would not be exalted What quiet had the Shunamite which cared not for preferment When did the Disciples seeme so rich as when they were willing to leaue all This shall be your gaine when you are Vsurers of godlinesse Is not the word gone foorth yet which hath killed couetousnesse that I may end my Sermon Either you goe away contented or else you goe away condemned of your owne conscience Before you were vexed with couetousnes but now the word shall vexe you too for you shall neuer couet nor lye nor deceiue hereafter but a sergeant shall arrest you vpon it and some sentence which you haue heard shall gnaw you at the heart with a Memorandum of hell that yee shall wish Oh that I could abandon this sinne or else that I had neuer heard that warning that makes it a corrosiue vnto mee before I can leaue it If they which are greedie still could see what peace and rest and ioye go home with them which are contented although they may say with Peter Gold and siluer haue I none euerie man would be a suter to Godlinesse that he might haue the dowrie of contentation If anie here be couetous still let him alway thinke why Dauid prayeth Turne my heart vnto thy law and not vnto couetousnes he might haue named pride or anger or lust but to shewe that no sinne did so keepe his thoughts from the law as couetousnes when it came vpon him he saith Turne my hart vnto thy law not vnto couetousnes as though a man could not be couetous haue leisure to thinke vpon any good But as Iohn baptized with water so I cā but teach you with words Now you haue heard what Contentation is you must pray to another to giue it you It is said of this Citie that many Citizens of London haue good wils but bad deedes that is you doe no good vntill ye die First ye are vngodly that you may be rich and then you part from some of your riches to excuse for your vngodlinesse It may bee that some here haue sette downe in their wils When I die I bequeath 100 pounds to a Colledge 100 pounds to an hospitall and 100 gownes to poore men I do maruell that you giue no more when you are at that point for Iudas when he died returned all againe so yee die and thinke when ye are gone that God will take this for a quittance Bee not deceiued for God doth not looke vpon that which you doe for feare but vpon that which ye doe for loue If you can find in your heart to do good while you are in health as Zacheus did then God hath respect to your offering but before God hearken how you giue your riches first he examins how ye came by them for a man may be hanged for stealing the monie which he giueth to the poore because if hee should count Godlines gaine much more should he care to gaine by godlie meanes Thus you see the fruits of Godlinesse and the fruits of Couetousnes to stay Balaam posting for a bribe and the sonnes of Zebede suing for preferment least seeking for asses they lose a better kingdome then Saul found If you be couetous you shall neuer haue enough though you haue too much but whē ye pray Thy kingdome come ye shall wish my kingdome come If ye be godlie ye shall haue enough though yee seeme to haue nothing like the Smyrnians of whom God said I know thy pouertie but thou art rich Therefore what counsel shall I giue you but as Christ coūselled his Disciples Be not friends to riches but make you friends of riches know this that if ye cannot say as Paul saith I haue learned to be content Godlinesse is not yet come to your house for the companion of godlines is contentation which when she comes wil bring you all things Therfore as Christ saith If the sonne make you free you shall be free indeed so I say if godlines make you rich ye shall be rich indeede The Lord Iesus make you doers of that yee haue heard FINIS THE AFFINITIE OF THE FAITHFVL Luke 8. 19 Then came to him his Mother his Brethren and could not come neare him for the prease 20 And it was told him by certaine which sayd thy mother and thy brethren stand without and would see thee 21 But he answered and said vnto them My Mother my brethren are these which heare the word of God and do it HEre is Christ preaching a great prease hearing his mother and his friends interrupting Christ againe withstanding the interruption with a comfortable doctrine of his mercies toward them which heare the word of God and doe it When Christ was about a good worke and many were gathered together to heare him the Diuell thought with him selfe as the Priestes and Sadduces did in the fourth of the Acts If I let him alone thus all the world will follow him and I shall be like Rachel without children therefore deuising the likeliest pollicie to frustrate disgrace but one of his Sermons thereby to make the people more vnwilling to heare him againe as he set Eue vpon Adam and made Iobs wife his instrument when hee could not fit it himselfe so he sendeth Christs Mother and putteth in the mind of his kinsmen to come vnto him at that instant when he was in this holy exercise call vpon him while he was preaching to come away and go with them Christ seeing the serpents dealing how he had made his mother his tempter that all his Auditorie might go away emptie and say where they came We heard the man which is called Iesus and he began to preach vnto vs with such words as though he would carie vs to Heauen but in the middest of his Sermon came his Mother and Brethren to him that it might be
almes to the poore thy counsell to the simple thy inheritance to thy children thy tribute to Caesar but thy heart to God he which is a spirite requires the spirite and delights to dwell in the hearts of men Here God plants himself as in a castle which is alwayes besieged with the world the flesh and the diuell If the enemie get a thought or a word or a worke yet he hath but razed the walles but if he take the heart then the fortresse is lost For that time all our thoughts words and works are captiue vnto him he bids them go and they go do and they do it That man is like Esau which had an inheritance which had a heart but now he hath not possession of his owne therfore giue God thy heart that he may keepe it not a peece of thy heart not a roome in thy heart but thy heart The heart diuided dieth God is not like the mother which would haue the child diuided but like the naturall mother which said rather then it should be diuided let her take all Let the diuell haue all if he which gaue it bee not worthie of it God hath no copesmate therefore he will haue no parting of stakes but all or none and therefore hee which askes heere thy heart in the sixt of Deuteronomie and the fift verse askes all thy heart all thy soule all thy strength thrise he requireth all least we should keepe a thought behind yet it is thy heart that is a vayne heart a barren heart a sinfull heart vntil thou giue it vnto God and then it is the spouse of Christ the temple of the holy Ghost and the image of God so changed and formed and refined that God calls it a new heart Some haue a double heart as it is in the twelfth Psalme but God acknowledgeth but one heart saying Giue me thy heart not giue thy hearts declaring that a single heart is pleasing vnto him and that they which haue a double heart a heart and a heart haue neuer a good heart God doth not require the heart as though he required no more but the heart like the Pope which saith Giue my thy heart and it sufficeth To maintaine his Papists pendant and crouehant which liue among Christians he requireth nothing of such but their heart that they may worship God with their lips and dissemble their religion and forsweare their opinion and come to sermons and subscribe to other lawes and seeme Protestants as the diuell licenseth witches to seeme Christians so they giue him their heart he dispenceth with them to dissemble and giue the rest as they list but God requireth the heart because we should not dissemble for in the twelfth to the Romanes he commandeth the bodie too Offer vp your bodies which we can not do vnlesse we giue heart and hand and tongue and eyes and eares and all for the bodie is all but the heart is chiefe in request because if there be anie goodnesse it lyes in the heart because he which giues the heart giues all for out of the abundance of the hart the mouth speaketh the hand worketh the eye looketh the eare listeneth the foote walketh to good or euill Therefore there is such strife for the heart as there was for Moses bodie Giue it mee saith the Lord giue it me saith the Tempter giue it me saith the Pope giue it me saith riches giue it me saith pleasure as though thou must needes giue it now here is the choyce whether thou wilt giue it to God or the diuell Gods heart or the diuels heart whose wilt thou be Thus doth man hang in a ballance like a yong virgin which hath manie sutors some she fancieth for parentage some for personage some for friends some for wealth some for wit some for vertue and after all chooseth the worst of all so the heart hath so many suters besides God that sometime she marrieth with one sometimes with another the world keeps her the flesh keeps her the deuil keeps her which haue no more interest in her than Herod to his sister but seeke her spoile like them which marrie for riches are glad when one dies that another may come These suters are like Absolon which did not seeke the hearts of the people like Dauid but stole them with flatterie and lies but God would haue thee giue thy heart As a man considers what he doth when he giues so God licenseth vs to consider of that which we do for him whether he deserues it whether we owe it whether he can requite it lest it should come against our will therefore giue me saith God as though he would not straine vpon vs or take from vs but if thou wilt giue him thy heart then he accepts it it must come freely like a gift as his blessings come to vs and then his demaund is graunted Here is no respect of time how long thou maist stay it or how long he wil keepe it but giue it is the present time as though he wold haue it out of hand while hee askes before ye goe out of the Church for what can we aske of him while we denye him but one thing when he askes of vs therefore consider who is a sutor to you Now I am a Collector for God to gather hearts either you must grant him or denie him thinke who shall loose by it if thou wilt not pay thy Land-lord his rent How many subiectes would reioyce if they had any thing to giue to their prince pray her to accept it and be glad if she would take it that they might but say I haue giuen a present to the Queene So Mary reioyced that shee had a little Oyle to sprincke vpon Christ that shee would take no mony for it yea the widdow of Zareptah was so ioyfull that she had a little food for the Prophet that she spared it from her children and her selfe to serue him first so they which loue the Lord like his disciple which left all to follow him had rather that he should haue their riches their honors their hearts and their liues then they themselues Why is Dauid called a man after Gods owne heart but because when God said Giue me thy heart his spirite answered like an Eccho I giue thee my heart Is God so desirous of my heart what good can my heart doo to God It is not woorthie to come vnder his roofe I would I had a better gift to send vnto my Lorde goe my heart to thy Maker the Bridegroome hath sent for thee put on thy wedding garment for the King himselfe will marrie thee Who is not sorrie now that hee did not giue his heart before Is hee not worthie to die which will take his heart from him that made it from him which redeemed it from him which preserues it from him which will glorifie it to giue it vnto him which will
serue God for himselfe and not for our selues as he which giues his heart doth all for loue this Christ requires when he casts off that Disciple that offred to follow him for aduantage The birds haue neastes and â—he foxes haue hoales saieth Christ but the Sonne of man hath not a place to hide his head shewing his Disciple if hee will follow him 〈◊〉 must not looke for a place to hide his head we must leaue all to follow Christ as Peter did not seeke all by following him as they that weÌ„t after him for bread Fiftly that wee should not serue God by fits as we vse to pray when the night comes to heare when the Sabboath comes to fast when Lent comes to repent when death comes but the seruice of the heart is a continuall seruice like that in 1. Thess 5. 16. Reioyce euermore praye continually in all things giue thankes Who is this which reioyceth and prayeth and thanketh continually The tong prayeth but sometime the eare attendeth but sometime the hand giueth but sometime but the heart prayeth and praiseth and worshippeth alwaies a man may serue God alwaies with his heart and neuer bee wearie because the heart cannot serue him vnles it reioyce in his seruice and therefore the Israelites praised God with musicke which did not delight God but shewed that they delighted in his seruice as they did in musicke But if the tongue or the hande or the eare thinke to serue God without the heart it is the irksomest occupation in the world the houre of tediousnesse like a long sicknesse he is tyred before he begin and thinketh himselfe in the stockes vntill the Sermon bee ended and vntill his Prayer bee done that hee may bee at libertie and returne to his olde byas againe Lastly this shewes how God mislikes our coldnesse in hearing or praying if we cannot say with the Virgin in Luke the first Chapter and sixe and fortieth verse My hart doth magnifie the Lord. All that comes short of this is hypocrisie pleaseth God like the offering of Cain As Ioseph charged his brethren that they should not come to him for corne vnlesse they brought Beniamin vnto him whom they left at home so God will not haue vs to speake to him nor come to him for any thing vnlesse we bring our heart vnto him which we leaue behinde The tongue without the heart is a flattering tongue the eye without the heart is a wicked eye the eare without the heart is a vaine eare the hand without the heart is a false hand Doest thou thinke that God wil accept a flattering tong a wicked eye a vaine eare a false hand which reiecteth a sacrifice if it be but leane or brused No saith Paule in his first Epistle to the Corinthians the thirteenth Chapter and first verse If I giue all that I haue and haue not loue that is giue not my heart it auailes me nothing he saith not that they which giue not their heart giue nothing but that they shall haue nothing for such offerings he which brings but a myte and brings his heart brings more than he which offers a talent and hee shall goe away more iustified than he which sayd All these haue I kept from my youth vpward for God is not mocked but knowes howe much is behinde though Ananias seeme to bring all He markes how I speake and how you heare and howe wee pray in this place and if it come not from the heart hee repelles it as fast as it goes vp like the smoke which clymes towardes Heauen but neuer comes there Man thinkes when he hath the gift he hath the heart too but God when he hath the gift calls for the heart still the Pharisies prayer the harlots vowe the traytors kisse the Sacrifice of Cain the fast of Iezabel the oblation of Ananias the teares of Esau are nothing to him but still he cries Bring thy heart or bring nothing like a iealous husband wheÌ„ he hath a wife yet he is iealous whether he hath her heart so whatsoeuer thou do yet God is iealous still and respectes not what thou doest but whether thou do it from thy heart that is of meere loue toward him If Pilate had washed his heart when he washed his hands he had bene cleaner than Naaman when hee came out of Iordan if the Sichemites had circumcised their hearts when they circumcised their flesh they had saued their soules when they lost their liues if Cain had offered his heart when hee offered of the fruites his offering had bene as acceptable as Abels But as Swines flesh was like Sheepes flesh yet was not accepted because it came from an vncleane beast so Cains offering Pilates washing the Sichemites circumcision the Pharisies prayer and fastes and almes were as faire as the Apostles yet they had no reward but Wo to you hypocrites because they wanted the heart which is like the fire that kindleth the Sacrifice But will he require our prayers and fastes and almes as he did theirs Yea saith Christ Except your righteousnesse exceede the Pharisies that is Except we giue our hearts beside our lippes and our eares our almes which they gaue wee shall not enter into the Kingdome of Heauen because our righteousnesse doth not exceede the righteousnesse of the Pharisies but their righteousnesse verie farre exceedeth ours Christ doth not bid them wo because they were Pharisies as we are not but because they were hypocrites as we are God delights him selfe in giuing and therefore he loueth a cheerefull giuer but he cannot giue cheerfully which giues not his heart Therefore as Iudas thought the Oyle spent which was powred vpon Christ and wished the price of it in his purse so they grutch grieue when they should doe good and thinke Shall I giue it Can I spare it What will it bring So the good worke dieth in the birth like a bird which droupeth in the hand while the head considers whether he shall let her goe or hold her still as easie to wring Hercules club out of his fistes as to wring a penitent teare from their eyes a faithfull prayer from their lips or a good thought from their heart which cannot affoord the heart it selfe all is too much which they do and they thinke God more beholding to them for blurting out a Pater noster or staying a Sermon or fasting a Friday than they to him for all his benefites and when they haue done what is their reward Woe bee vnto you like the Scribes and Pharisies because you giue not your hearts but your mouthes therefore we do but vexe our selues and loose our labour thinking to make God beleeue that we pray when indeed our lips do but pray whereby it comes to passe as we serue him so he serueth vs our peace is not in deed but in word our ioy is
this day but thus it standes God hath sent vnto vs for our hearts and wee answere him as the husbands of the vineyard when he sent for fruites or as Nabal answered Dauid when he sent for food Who is Dauid or who is the Lord that I should take my heart from pleasure and sin and giue it vnto him Thus we demurre vpon the cause when we should giue whether we should giue or no and aske the flesh and our lusts and our pleasures and if the diuell will not giue his assent then wee returne an excuse it is not mine to giue or if thou canst get the diuels good will I will not stand or let sinne and pleasure haue it for a while and when they haue done with it then God shall haue it Thus euery thing which should be thrown out hath a place in our heart and he which should bee receiued in can haue no roome there though hee would open the doores of heauen if we would open the doores of our hearts that the King of glorie might come in What shall become of those hearts when he which craues them now shall iudge them hereafter Then shall they stand like Esau and see them blessed like Iacob which gaue their hearts and crie themselues as hee did to his father Isaac Hast thou not reserued a blessing for vs What a heauie heart will it bee then when it may not ioy any longer here and the ioyes of Heauen are shut agaynst it and hee which desired it will not haue it because it comes like the foolish Virgins when the doores of mercie are shut Thus ye haue heard what God requires for all that hee hath giuen you and how all your seruices are lost vntill you bring it What shall I wish you now before my departure I wish you would giue all your hearts to God while I speake that yee might haue a Kingdome for them Send for your hearts where they are wandering one from the Banke another from the Tauerne another from the Shop another frō the Theaters call them home and giue them all vnto God and see how hee will welcome them as the Father imbraceth his Sonne If your hearts were with God durst the Diuell fetch them durst those sinnes come at them Euen as Dina was defloured when she strayed from home so is the heart when it straieth from God Therefore call the members together and let them fast like a quest of twelue men vntill they consent vppon lawe before anie moe Tearmes passe to giue God his right and let him take the heart which hee wooeth which hee would marrie which hee would endowe with all his goods and make it the heyre of the crowne When you pray let your heart pray when you heare let your heart heare when you giue let your heart giue whatsoeuer you doe set the heart to doe it and if it be not so perfect as it should bee yet it shalbe accepted for the friend that giues it Now if you cannot command your hearts to turne vnto God because the diuell pleades custome and the flesh will not agree to leaue her possessions then remember what Christ saith When ye giue almes let not your left hand know what the right hand doth so the flesh must not knowe what the spirite doth Thou must not make thy lusts of counsel but as Abraham when hee was bid to offer his sonne rose vp betime and left his wife at home and neuer made Sarah priuie lest she should stop him being more tender ouer her childe like women than the father is so thou must giue thy heart to God before the flesh heare of it for if Abigaile had consulted with Nabal whether she shuld haue supplied Dauid with victuals or no when he sent the miser would neuer haue giuen his consent which scolded so soone as he heard of it therefore she went alone and gaue that which hee asked and neuer tolde her husband what shee would doe lest hee should hinder her which sought her welfare and his too so wee should steale our harts from the world as the world stole them from vs and transport them to God when the flesh is a sleepe I haue but one daye more to teach you all that you must learne of me therefore I would holde you heere vntill you assent to giue all your hearts to God If ye giue them not now where haue I cast the seede and how haue ye heard all this yeare If ye will giue them now ye shall bee adopted this daye the sonnes of God and I shall leaue you in the bosome of Christ which will giue you heauen for your hearts The Lord Iesu graunt that my wordes bee not the sauour of death vnto my soule here but that you may goe in strength thereof through prosperitie and aduersitie till you heare that comfort from heauen Come ye blessed and receiue the inheritance prepared for you FINIS THE TRVE TRIAL OF THE SPIRITES To the Reader TWo things we are apt to forget Gods benefites and our sinnes for the first the Lord saith I haue loued you and they say Wherein hast thou loued vs For the second hee saith Ye haue despised me and they say Wherein haue we despised thee THE TRVE TRIAL OF THE SPIRITES 1. Thess 5. 19 c. 19 Quench not the spirit 20 Despise not prophecying 21 Trie all things and keepe that which is good 22 Abstaine from all appearance of euill AT the last time which I spake of these wordes In all things giue thanks Quench not the Spirit Touching the first I shewed you that it is an easier thing to obtaine of God than to bee thankfull to him for moe haue gone away speeders than haue gone away thankers Then how the wicked are beholding to God as well as the iust and therfore it is sayd that the Sunne doth shine vpon the iust and the vniust Then how Iacob came not so barely to Laban when he brought nothing with him but his staffe in his hand as man commeth into this worlde without strength or staffe to sustaine him which made the Apostle to aske What haue you which you haue not receiued Therefore to teach man to be thankfull vnto his maker hee was not made in Paradise the place of ioy and happines but being made out of Paradise hee was brought into Paradise to shew how all his ioy and happines came from God and not from nature that he might know where to bestow his thankes Therefore Dauid to perswade all men vnto thankfulnesse saith It is a good and pleasant thing to be thankfull If he had sayd no more but good all which loue goodnesse were bound to be thankful but when he saith not onely good but pleasant too all which loue pleasure are bounde to be thankfull and therefore as Peters mother in lawe so soone as Christ healed her of a feauer rose vp immediatly to
downe their crownes before the Lambe Such a schoolemaster is affliction to teach that which Prophets and Angels cannot teach For the Prophet and his dreame had tolde him as much before yet he could neuer say the Lord hath giuen before he did see how the Lord had taken they say a friend is neuer knowne before hee bee lost so when God fled then Nabuchadnezzar followed but when God called then Nabuchadnezzar contemned when he hath all things he is vnthankfull and when he hath nothing hee beginneth to be thankefull So wee must learne Gods loue out of his wrath and spel his goodnes out of his iustice therefore we preach iudgement vnto you to make you flie vnto mercie wee denounce the law against you to make you loue the gospel we shew you hell to make you seeke heauen Because we are all like Pharaoh his sorcerers though we receiue neuer so much yet we neuer say the finger of GOD hath done this but when he begins to plague vs then we cry the finger of God hath done this therefore if we will not be inuited it is good to be compelled to conclude he which made Nabuchadnezzar a King when he was like a beast is hee which makes them rich which were poore and he which makes them free which were bounden and hee which makes them beloued which were hated and hee which makes them wise which were rude and hee which makes them whole which were sicke they must staie a time seuen dayes or seuen weekes or seuen moneths or seuen yeares as Nabuchadnezzar did and when they are ready for it it will come sodainly as the Angels came to refresh Christ so soone as he was hungry yet a little while a little longer comfort is on foote and that goodnesse which is comming will come as the sunne which was rising is risen for as Nabuchadnezzar saide mine honor was restored to mee so I am sure many here may say my right was restored to mee my libertie was restored to mee my health was restored to mee my good name was restored to me in lesse time than Nabuchadnezzars honour was and what then Therefore I Nabuchadnezzar prayse and extoll and magnifie the King of heauen whose workes are all trueth and his waies iudgement and those that walke in pride hee is able to abase This is the conclusion of all Gods benefites they which doe not prayse and extoll the King of heauen are worse than Nabuchadnezzar Therefore let all which sayd in their harts like Nabuchadnezzar is not this the house which I haue built is not this the land which I haue purchased is not this the monie which I haue gathered are not these the children which I haue be gotten say now with Nabuchadnezzar for all I praise and extoll and magnifie the King of heauen which can take all againe as hee did from Nabuchadnezzar Thus you haue seen pride and humilitie one pulling Nabuchadnezzar out of his throne the other lifting him vnto his throne whereby they which stand may take heed lest they fall and they which are fallen may learne to rise againe FINIS A DISSWASION FROM PRIDE AND AN exhortation to Humilitie 1. PET. 5. 5. God resisteth the proud and giueth grace to the humble SAint Peter teaching euerie man his dutie how one should behaue himselfe to another exhorteth al mē to bee humble abstayne from pride as though Humilitie were the bond of all duties like a list which holdeth men in a compasse pride were the makebate ouer all the world to which Salomon giueth witnes Prou. 13. 10. saying Onely by pryde man maketh contention because pride maketh euery one thinke better of himselfe then of others whereby he scorneth to giue place to the other and therefore when neither partie wil yeeld as Abraham did to Lot how should there be any peace Thus pride doth breake the peace and humilitie doth set it againe therefore to toll men from pride to humilitie as it were from the concubin to the right wife the Apostle sheweth how God is affected to pride and what minde he beareth to humilitie God resisteth the proud and giueth grace to the humble as if he should whisper men in the eares say take heed how you companie with pride or giue entertainment to her for she is not Caesars friend the king counteth her his enemie all that take her part she hath been suspected euer since the Angels rebelled in heauen and Adam sought to bee equal with God therfore his maiestie hath a stich against her as Salomon had to Shemei would not haue her fauorites come in his court vnlesse they hold downe their mace stoope when they enter But if you can get in with humilitie and weare the colours of lowlines then you may goe boldly and stand in the Kings sight and step to his chamber of presence and put vp your petitions and come to honor For humilitie is very gracious with him and so neere of his counsell that as Dauid and Salomon say he committeth all his secrets to her This is Peters meaning that the humble shall finde grace with God and men as wee read of Dauid and Iohn Baptist according to that in the first Psal vers 4. All things which hee doth shall prosper but the proude shall bee troubled and crossed and when they would doe best they shall doe worst when they would grace themselues they shall shame themselues and God will be to them like the spirit of Saul which tormented him wheresoeuer hee went This sentence is repeated againe Iames 4. 6. the like sentence to this is in Prouerbes 3. 34. where he sayth with the Scornefull he scorneth but he giueth grace to the humble the like sentence is againe in the 16. of Prouerbs 18. where he sayth Pryde goeth before destruction and in the 15. of Prou. 33. before honour goeth humilitie The like sentence is againe in the 29. of the Prou. vers 23. where he saith the pryde of man shall bring him lowe but the humble in spirit shall enioy glorie The like sentence is againe in the first of Luke 46 where the Virgin sings He hath put downe the mightie from their seate and hath exalted the humble and meeke that as it were by two or three witnesses pryde might bee condemned and humilitie acquited One is to GOD like Iacob of whom hee sayth Iacob haue I loued the other is to God like Esau of whom he sayth Esau haue I hated Iacob loued Esau because hee loued venison but Rebecca loued Iacob because he was loued of God So the proud are in the Kings Court because they seeke honour but the humble are in Gods court because they contemne honour as he sayth in the third of the Prouer. ver 34. with the froward he will shew himselfe froward So he threatneth here that with the proude he will shewe himselfe proud that is if they chalenge he wil defend if they
with the wicked therefore their gifts are not like the tree planted by the waters side but like the Chaffe which the winde bloweth away Nay saith Dauid themselues are like Chaffe which the winde bloweth away If they bee Chaffe then their fruite is Chaffe The Gluttons table was for the vngodly but the Lords table was for the holy Therfore he which had not the Wedding garment had not the wedding feast For if the Lord would cast pearles vnto Swine why doth he forbid vs to doe so Therfore it is not said Be it vnto thee as thou desirest lest all should looke to receiue but Be it vnto thee as thou beleeuest that all might care to Beleeue It is not said to them which seeke not yee shall find but Seeke and you shall find How should they Enter which haue not a hand to knocke at the doore How should they Receiue which haue not a tongue to aske the giuer How should they haue wisedome which haue not the feare of the Lorde which is the beginning of wisedome Thus as Iames saith Shew me thy faith and I will shew thee my faith So God faith shewe mee thy loue and I will shew thee my loue as Christ was knowne at Emaus by breaking of bread so you may knowe him heere by dealing his giftes It is said when Ioseph feasted his brethren Beniamins messe had fiue times more than any of his brethren because Ioseph loued him more than the rest so the mercy and graces of God will shew to whome his affection standeth If you see Christ leaning on a mans breast as Iohn did on Christs breast then may you say this is a beloued Disciple For as Lidia perswaded Paule and Silas to come to her house saying If you iudge me to bee faithfull come to my house so you may iudge them to be faithfull to whose house the Lord commeth If you aske Salomon to whome the Lord giueth wisedome and knowledge hee answereth To a man which is good in his sight Eccles the second Chapter and twentie sixe verse shewing that those men are gracious in Gods sight as Ioseph was in Pharaohs Contrariwise if you see God flying from a man as Dauid fled from Saul that is withdrawing his spirite as the Master did his Talent then you may saie this is not a faithfull seruant to his Master for if he had vsed his Talent well the Lord would increase it as hee promised but because he doth abuse it therefore the Lorde dooth withdrawe it againe as he threatned To some God giueth and neuer recalleth againe to some he giueth and after taketh it from them As some Angels went vp the ladder and some went downe so some mens gifts increase and some decrease To the Ephesians the fourth Chapter you haue GOD giuing In Matthew 21. you haue him taking In Genes 1. you haue God blessing In Genes 4. you haue God cursing In Acts 26. you haue God opening eyes In Esay 6. you haue God shutting eyes In Dan. 2. you haue God making wise In Esa 44. you haue God making fooles In Iohn 15. you haue God dressing trees In Matthew 3. you haue God hewing downe trees When one sea floweth another â—bbeth When one starre riseth another setteth When light is in Goshen darknesse is in Aegypt When Mordecai groweth into fauour Haman groweth out of fauour When Beniamin beginneth Rachel endeth Thus wee are rising or setting getting or spending winning or loosing growing or fading vntill wee arriue at Heauen or Hell As Elisha his spirite was doubled so Saules spirit departed As the Gentiles become beleeuers so the Iewes become infidels As Saule becommeth an Apostle so Iudas becommeth an Apostata As Iohn groweth in the spirite so Ioash decaieth in the spirite As Zacheus turneth from the world so Demas turneth to the world As Lidias heart is opened so Pharaohs heart is hardened Euen as the thornes burne while the Vines fructifie When Ishbosheth was a sleepe vpon his bed Baanab and Rechab came and tooke away his life So while men sleepe and do no good God commeth and taketh away their gifts It was neuer said Sampson hath lost his strength vntill he harkened vnto Dahiah It was neuer said Saul hath lost his spirit vntill hee harkened not to Samuell It was neuer said Take his Talent from him vntill he hid it in the ground One sinne openeth the doore for many vertues to goe out While Iaacob staied with Laban Labans cattell increased because God blessed him for Iaacobs sake but when Iaacob went from him many of Labans sheepe went with him and he grewe poore againe so while the loue of righteousnesâ—e is with thee to husband thy knowledge and wisdome like Iaacob thou shalt thriue in graces and one daye shall teach another but when that steward departeth from thee then looke that thy wisedome and knowledge and iudgement should decrease as fast as the widowes oyle increased the world will winne the flesh and the flesh will winne the spirit and one sinne will crie to another as the Moabites did at the riuer Now Moab to the spoyle now sinnes to your spoyle then thy knowledge shall flie as though it were afraide to bee taken captiue of ignorance thy loue shall not abide thy hatred thy humilitie shall not abide thy pride thy temperaunce shall not abide thy concupisence As thou seest the leaues fall from the trees in a boystrous winde so thy graces shall drop away one after another as though thou were in a consumption As the Arke would not staye with the Philistines so the grace of GOD will not staie with sinners but flieth from them like persecutors Dauid was not so readie to flie from Saule but the spirite was as readie to flie from him too This must come vppon all which sinne like Sampson their strength must departe from them vntill they learne like Nabuchadnezzar from whence it came This sentence is such a meditation that hee which would preach it to the quicke had neede to haue an eie in all mens hearts to see how one vertue dieth after another vntill the soule die too As there is a fall of leaues and an Eclipse of the sunne and a consumption of the bodie so there is a fall of giftes and an Eclipse of knowledge a consumption of the spirit It is straunge to see how wisdome and knowledge and iudgement doe shun the wicked as though they were afraid to be defiled As Barach would not goe vnles Deborah would go with him so knowledge will not stay vnles vertue will stay with her To this Ieremy poynted when he mocked the Iewes for saying Knowledge shall not depart from the priest nor counsel from the wise nor the word from the prophet to this Esay pointed when he saith The wisdome of the wise men shal perish and the vnderstanding of the prudent shall be hid as if he should say one day Christ will tell you that Whosoeuer hath not from him c. And
Kingdome and glorie And therefore seeke it and further it as earnestly and diligently as hee would his owne and rule and iudge and speake and punish and counsaile as he would for himselfe Euen as Dauid counted Gods foes his foes and Gods friendes his friendes And Moses persecuted them that were Idolaters against God as he did them which were Traytors to himselfe If this were obserued we should see such a change that diuers which take should giue they which giue should take they which labour should rest they which rest should labour Howe can they pray to God which know that the lawes of God are not obeied that his will is not regarded but the poore vnpitied because of the remissenes in not bridling the insolent It may seeme that in Eliah his answere to Achab it was prophesied who should trouble Israell to the worldes end for speaking to the wicked Magistrate he sayd It is thou which troublest it So the vngodly Rulers and gracelesse striuers against lawful rule in their owne hearts calling themselues Gods not being so called of God are cause of all disorder in euery Common weale Fourthly they are called Gods to encourage them in their office and to teach them that they need not dread the persons of men but GOD dooth that which is iust and good without the ielousie of men so they vpon the Bench and in all causes of Iustice should forget themselues to be men which are lead by the armes betweene fauour and feare and thinke themselues Gods which feare nothing This boldnesse is so necessarie in them which should iudge all a like that in Deut. 3. 28. Moses encourageth Ioshua in Ios 1. 18. the people encourage him in ver 9. God doth encourage him saying that hee will be with him but here he is with him for hearing GOD call them Gods shewes that God is there nay that they are hee which should strike a wonderfull minde into them As a princely spirite came vpon Saul so soon as he hee was king so hearing that they are Gods it should change them make them excell the order of men vntill they resemble God after whom they are named as Salomō studied and prayed till he was wiser than all that he gouerned then they need not blush to reade this testimonie I haue sayd yee are Gods Or else it wil seeme a checke vnto them like the mocke which GOD gaue to Adam when he said that he was become like himselfe As many sit in Gods place and yet neuer knew that the Scripture called them Gods nor why they haue this name no more than Nabal so many play Nabal in their offices and are readier to aske Who is Dauid Who is Christ when his cause comes before them then speake or doe any thing for him but the women goe before them againe like Abigail as though GGD would shame them with the weaker vessell I cannot compare them fitter then with King Agrippa who thought it better to be a Christian almost than altogether This is the Religion of these times they feare nothing more then to be counted too precise but God doth call them more thā precise for he calles them Gods of all men then they should not forget his name Princes and Rulers haue many names of honour but this is the honourablest name in their Titles that they are called Gods other names haue been giuen them of men for reuerence or flatterie but no man could giue them this name but God himselfe Therefore their name is a glasse wherein they may see their duetie how God doth honour them and how they should honour him What am I more than he that God should set me in his owne Chaire and giue me his owne name more than others he hath not done so to all but if they which are called his children are happie they which are called his disciples are happie they which are called his seruants are happie how happie are they whom he calleth Gods It seemes that if GOD could haue called them by a higher name than his owne he would haue called them by some other name but this worde is enough to put them in minde of all that they should doo Thinke that yee are Gods and it will make you ashamed to obey the diuell for then ye are like Gods no more but like sinnefull men and the poorest vassal which serues God in a cottage is liker God than you Are they Gods which oppresse Gods children Nay dooth not he lie which calles them worshipfull or noble If such deserue not their titles how can Antichrist of Rome thinke of his vsurped names and not be abashed Can he sit downe in Gods place and speake against him iudge agaist him decree against him euen in the Temple of God resisting God Againe for another sorte of Gods Doth iniquitie become Gods Doth partialitie become Gods doo bribes become GODS They are greedie Gods Idol Gods bellie Gods and may be tearmed Gods because they are like the God of this worlde which doe but stay like Nabuchadnezzar vntill their iniquities be full that they may bee cast out like beastes as a derision to them they gouerne But they which regarde this honourable testimonie of God as Nehemiah sayd when he was tempted to flie Should such a man as I flie so when they are tempted with bribes should such a man as I take bribes shoulde such a man as I doe wrong should such a man as I be a lyar or a swearer or a scoffer or a drunkard or a gamester or a vsurer or a prophaner vpon whome all eyes are set to take their example and would harken sooner than to God himselfe Then he resolueth to rule according to his name knowing that all the soules which might be wonne by him shall be required of him as the sinnes of Israel were imputed to Ieroboam Thus GOD doth catechize them in their owne names and calles them Gods to teach them their duetie to God All should be godly but they should bee like Gods that is as I may say more then godly or the nexte to GOD in godlynesse If any come betweene them they lose of their honour and would thinke themselues put downe like a guest which is set lower or a Iustice which is turned out of office For so GOD doth humble them and disgrace them which dishonour their calling as he did Saul when the princely Spirite departed from him his sonnes and his daughters and his subiects did fauour Dauid more than him that he could do nothing with them because God did not loue him hee would not let his seruaunts loue him But when Dauid came to the Crowne because he had grace with God he prospered in all that he went about and euer reformed what he would for the Lord as hee saide subdued the people vnto him that is made them incline to his will as wee reade of Saul in
the beginning of his raigne before hee had rebelled a band of men did cleaue to him of whom it is sayd whose hearts God hath touched as though while the Rulers hearts doe stand toward God the peoples hearts should stand toward them and they should carrie them like God to all their desires as it is said of Dauid What soeuer the King did pleased all the people Therefore looking into this Diuine ordinaunce what a power they haue ouer the people which they shoulde neuer haue got from men if GOD had not giuen it them I haue thought it an easie matter to redresse an hundred things which trouble Christendome without reason and none would kicke agaynst it if these Gods would cast downe their Crownes and begin to the rest for all stay vpon them like the alarme which soundeth first to the battell for our experience shewes that there will bee no great good done if the example of the best giue not light vnto the rest Oh woulde that Princely spirite woulde once come vpon them to go before the people which Moses appoynted for the Kings place and not lagge after them like Herod which sayde he would come after the wise men to Christ for if Nicodemus come by night no maruaile though the rest come not at all Thus their name tels them how they should rule and by consequence teacheth how we should obey God calles them Gods therefore he which contemneth them contemneth God God cals them fathers therefore wee must reuerence them like Fathers God cals them Kings Princes Lords Iudges Powers Rulers Gouernours which are names of honor and shall we dishonor them whom GOD doth honour Our first lesson is Feare God the next is Honour the King that is as Paul interpreteth Wee must obey for conscience not against conscience for that were to put a straunger before the King and the King before God which Christ saith haue no power but from God and therefore cannot make themselues Magistrates no more then they can make themselues Gods As none could giue this name but GOD so no man which exalteth himselfe can challenge this honour no more then Simon Magus was great because hee called himselfe a great man But they to whom GOD saith I haue called yee Gods as if he had the naming and appointing of them Euery power is from God for by nature no man can challenge power ouer other but by the Word and therefore euery soule which is subiect to God must be subiect to them for hee which calles them Kings cals vs Subiects this is their patent as the Queene of Sheba sayd to Salomon that God had chosen them kings and set them vpon the throne As he sayd and all things were made so as he saith al things should be Therefore vnles ye heare this I say that ye are Lords Iudges and Magistrates ye are no Lords no Iudges no Magistrates of GOD. And therefore the Pope and his Cleargie to whom God neuer sayd yee are Lords or Iudges or Magistrates are no Lordes no Iudges no Magistrates of GOD but that which the Lorde sayth they are that they are and no more though they put on a triple crowne If they were worthie to bee called as others Pastors Doctors and Teachers wee woulde giue them those titles They which giue them more then the Lord giues them make them proud and insolent and tyrannous more then they which are Lords Iudges and Magistrates indeede But for these vsurped titles and bas-borne honour which they haue encroached from men which puffe them vp and trouble them like Sauls armour they woulde haue intended the duetie of Ministers and Teachers as the Apostles did whereas nowe they are so cumbred and mingled by their vsurping ouer Princes that they are neither good Ministers nor good Magistrates but Linsie wolsie a mingle mangle betweene both nay vtterly falne from both being no shepherds but woolues of whose slaughters all Christian Kingdomes haue been the shambles who seeking a superfluous title they haue for gone all necessarie dueties and but for their formalities a man could not knowe of what profession they are for they neuer preach nor write but to maintaine their kingdome which falles like the Tower of Babel faster then they build Therefore as Naomi sayd Call me no more Naomi which signifieth beautifull but call me Mara which signifieth bitter so they may say Call vs no more Bishops or Pastors or Doctors or Preachers but call vs robbers and sleepers and giants and Pharisies whom we succeed For why should they be called Bishops which doe not watch or Pastors which doe not feede or Doctors which doe not teach or Iustices which doe not Iustice except this bee the reason The Idols were called Gods though they were vnlike God If their bodies had growen as farre out of square since Christs ascension as their titles pompe and honour they might stand in the maine seas and not be drowned for their heads would crowe aboue the water It followeth But yee shall die as a man Heere hee distinguisheth betweene mortall Gods and the immortall God Yee haue seene their glorie now behold their ends They shall all die like others Though they be neuer so rich so goodly so mightie so honourable while their date lasteth yet they may as trulie as Iob call Corruption their father and the worme their mother for the graue shall be the last bed of all flesh As they were borne like men so they shall die like men the same comming in and going out is to all nay if ye respect but the bodie hee might say yee shall die like beastes for Man being in honor saith Dauid may well be compared vnto beasts that perish though hee bee in honour yet he perisheth like the beasts which haue no honour and death will not take his kingdome for a raunsome when GOD dooth but say his time is come When Esay had saide that All flesh was grasse as though hee would correct his speech hee addes and the glorie of it is as the flower of the field As if he should say Some men haue more glorie than other and they are like flowers the other are like grasse no great difference the flower shewes fairer but the grasse stands longer one sieth cuttes both downe like the fatte sheepe and the leane that feede in two pastures but are killed in one slaughter So though the great Man liue in his pallace and the poore man dwelles in his cottage yet both shall meete at the graue and vanish together Euen they which are Lordes and Iudges and Counsailers now are but successors to them which are dead and are neerer to death now than when I beganne to preach of this theame It had been a great Sessions for all other to die but for Magistrates for Princes for Kinges for Emperors to die as they die What a battell is this that leaues no man a liue
tormented All their friends and subiects and seruants forsake them because they goe to prison to trie the mercie of hell and take what the spirites of darkenes will heape vpon them there lie many of the men which were called Gods and thus endes the pilgrimage of Kings Princes and Rulers This is our life while we enioy it we lose it like the Sunne which flies swifter than an Arrowe and yet no man perceiues that it moues Hee which lasted nine hundred yeares could not holde out one houre longer and what hath hee now more than a childe which liued but a yeare Where are they which founded this goodlie Cittie which possessed these faire houses and walked these pleasant fieldes which erected these stately Temples which kneeled in these seates which preached out of this place but thirtie yeares agoe Is not earth turned to earth and shall not our Sunne set like theirs when the night comes yet wee cannot beleeue that death will finde out vs as he hath found out them though all men die yet euery man dreames I shall scape or at the least I shall liue till I bee olde This is strange men cannot thinke that God will doe againe that which hee dooth dailie or that he will deale with them as he deales with other tell one of vs that all other shall die we beleeue it tell one of vs we shall die and we beleeue it sooner of all than of one though we bee sore though wee bee weake though we be sicke though wee bee elder than those whome wee follow to the ground So they thought which lie in this mould vnder your feete as you doe If wisedome or riches or fauour could haue intreated death those which haue liued before vs would haue kept our possessions from vs but death would take no bale wee are all Tenants at will and we must leaue this Cottage whensoeuer the Landlord will put an other in our roome at a yeares at a moneths at a weekes at a daies at an houres warning or lesse the cloathes which we weare vpon our backes the graues which are vnder our feete the Sunne which sets ouer our heades and the meates which go into our mouthes doe crie vnto vs that we shall weare and set and die like the beastes and fowles fishes which now are dead in our dishes and but euen now were liuing in the Elements Our Fathers haue summoned vs and wee must summon our children to the graue Euerie thing euerie daie suffers some Eclipse nothing standeth at a stay but one creature cals to another Let vs leaue this world While wee play our Pageants vpon this stage of short continuance euerie man hath a part some longer and some shorter and while the Actors are at it sodainelie death steps vpon the stage like a hauke which separates one of the Doues from the flight he shootes his dart where it lights there fals one of the Actors dead before thē and makes al the rest agāst they muse and mourne and burie him and then to the sport againe While they sing play and daunce death comes againe strikes another there he lies they mourne him and burie him as they did the former and play againe so one after another till the plaiers bee vanished like the accusers which came before Christ and Death is the last vpon the stage so the figure of this worlde passeth away Many which stand heere may lie here or elswhere within this twelue moneth But thou thinkest It is not I and hee thinketh It is not he but he which thinkes so commeth soonest to it If I could make you beleeue that ye haue but a yeare to liue and that all which heare mee this day shall come to the barre before this daie tweluemoneth returne againe ye would prepare your selues to die and leaue your sinnes behinde you and depart Christians out of the Church with a minde to do all that God wil haue you that when the tweluemoneth is ended ye might liue with Angels in heauen and escape that fierie lake where the Glutton begs but a drop of water to coole the tip of his tongue and it will not bee graunted him least it should ease him But nowe wee know not whether we shall liue a weeke to an end we will doe nothing that he bids vs but abide the venture and trie the marker what God wil giue for sinne so one is taken after another and because we are not ready we go against our will like Lots wife out of Sodom This is our fashion to see the best last till we can neither forsake our sin nor hope of mercie Thus I haue proclaimed to all Kings Princes Iudges Counsellors and Magistrates that which Esay foretold to one Set thy things in order for thou shalt die Yet 15. yeeres were behind when the Prophet warned him to set al things in order But I cānot promise you 15. yeeres for many Princes do not raigne so long for one that doth That which Esay spake to one God here pronounceth of all yee shall die therefore the message is sent to you and when ye think of your honour think of your end These 2. notes that ye are Gods and that yee shall die the holy Ghost thought enough to teach you how to liue and how to rule And that wee may bee all like Gods hereafter let vs prepare before the accompt for none are in heauen but they that left the world before it left them Therefore let vs praie that GOD would keepe vs in remembrance of his iudgements that the subtiltie of sinne neuer steale our hearts from him but that we may count this life a respite to repent before the Iudge sit to deuide betweene the sheepe and the goates when we shall giue account of all his instructions corrections and benefites euen of this seede which hath beene sowne since yee came in how yee haue receiued his worde this houre FINIS The Triall of Vanitie Eccles 1. 2. Vanitie of vanities saith the Preacher Vanitie of vanities All is vanitie THis booke begins with All is vanitie and endes with Feare God and keepe his commandements If that sentence were knit to this which Salomon keepeth to the end as the hauen of rest after the turmoyles of vanitie it is like that which Christe sayde to Martha Thou art troubled about many things but one thing is necessarie That which troubleth vs Salomon calles Vanitie That which is necessarie hee calles the Feare of GOD from that to this should be euerie mans pilgrimage in this worlde we begin at Vanitie and neuer know perfectly that we are vaine vntill wee repent with Salomon Therefore this is his first greeting and lesson to all after his conuersion to warne them that All is vanitie as if God had said to him as he saide to Ezechiel Cause Ierusalem to know her abhominations as though men did not knowe their sinnes how vaine they are as Eliphaz saieth He beleeueth not that
sheweth the reason of these repetitions when hee telles Pharaoh why his dreame was doubled because the matter was important and certaine Therefore when Salomon repeates this saying so often he calles for audience as though hee had some waightie and great matter to vtter Such a point of wisedome it is for euerie man to knowe that All is vanitie if we direct not things to their right end as when the Holy Ghost would signifie that God is all holie he repeated thrice holie holie holie So when hee shoulde shewe that man is al vaine thrice he repeateth vanitie to shew how hardlie man beleeues that he is vaine therefore he brings in three assertions as it were three witnesses to prooue it All agree vppon the same words but that the last is more plaine and saieth that All is vanitie that is that man is not onely changed and become vaine but for the vanitie of man as the Apostle saieth The creatures are subiect to vanitie and haue not the glory and libertie which they should haue for the sinne of man A spirituall eie doth see some vanitie or other in euery thing as appeareth betwixt Christ and his Disciples at Ierusalem They gazed vpon the building of the Temple as a braue thing and would haue Christ to behold it with them but he did see that it was but vanitie and therfore saide Are these the things that yee looke vpon as if he should say How vaine are you to gaze vppon this If Christ thought the beauty of his Temple a vaine thing not worth the sight which yet was beautified and built by his owne prescription how should Salomon expresse all the vanitie of the world to which all men haue added more and more since the beginning Therefore as if he wanted wordes to expresse it as hee did see it hee breakes foorth into an exclamation and repeates the same often Vanitie of vanities as if hee should say I cānot speak how vain the world is but vaine it is and very vaine and nought but vaine speaking as if hee had the feeling and sense of it as though the worlde stoode naked before him and it grieued him to see he cuts his words in chiding maner makes short riddance as if it irked him to speake all that he knewe therefore that which hee speakes he speakes roundly that if they read no more but sleepe all the Sermon after yet the first sentence shall strike a sting into their heartes and leaue a sounde behinde to waken them when they are gone as manie you know remember this sentence which remember no sentence in all his booke beside Who hath not heard Vanitie of vanities c. Though fewe haue conceiued it This is the phrase of Scripture when the holy Ghost would commende the song of Salomon aboue all other songs hee calles it the song of songes so called in the Hebrewe and mentioned 1. King 4. 32. When he woulde exalt the heauenly king aboue all hee calles him the King of kings so when he woulde note a greate vanitie and yet a greater and a greater than that which is the greatest of all he calles it Vanitie of vanities as when we would note a great foole we will say a foole of fooles a sin of sins a seruant of seruantes These are scornefull names to the worlde and homelie titles to giue our pleasures to call them Vanitie of vanities and againe Vanitie of vanities and yet againe Vanitie as though wee woulde prouoke them to fall out with vs like a man which sharpens his enemie with taunts when he woulde egge him to fight Hee might haue mollified his tearmes before hee condemned the worlde thrise but the worlde is no changling that Salomon shoulde change his iudgement but vaine it was vaine it is and vaine it will bee and therefore a thrise vaine worlde hee may call it First Vanity straight Vanity of vanities and sodainelie All is vanitie What a transcendent is this as though it increased while he spake so fast groweth this weede to worse and worse like the Image which appeared to Nabuchadnezzar the first part was of Golde the second of Siluer the third of Brasse the fourth of Iron the fifth of clay so by many changes the world growes worse and worse and all they which folow it When a man begins to like of pleasure opens the doore to one vanitie which hee loues straight as many vanities floch to him as Salomon had Concubines till the Temple of God be like a den of theeues Therefore when Salomon beheld such apluralitie and Totquot of Vanities like Surges comming one vppon another in pleates and in foldes he spake as though he would shewe vs Vanity hatching vanities Vanity of Vanities all is Vanity The first saying dooth passe without let but the last rubs and sinks not into the heartes of men so easilie as it is spoken Me thinkes I heare some dispute for Baal and bid Salomon stay before he come to All is Vanity It may bee that sinne is vanity and pleasure is vanitie but shall we condemne all for sinne and pleasure What say you to Beautie which is natures dowrie and cheareth the eie as sweete meate doeth the taste Beautie is like a faire picture take awaye the colour and there is nothing left Beautie in deede is but a colour and a temptation the colour fadeth and the temptation snareth But what saie you to Riches which make men Lordes ouer the rest and allow them to goe braue and lie soft fare daintilie and haue what they list Riches are like painted grapes which looke as though they would satisfie a man but doo not slake his hunger nor quench his thirst Riches in deede to make a man couet more and get enuie and keepe the minde in care But what say you to Honour which sets a man a loft and makes the knee bowe the tongue sooth and the heade stand bare as though they were other kinde of creatures aboue them Honour is like a King in a play when his part is done his ornamentes are taken from him and hee which helde the bason to him is as good as hee Honour in deed may commaund all but life hee makes a faire shewe now but when death comes all is one But what say you to profound Knowledge in deepe mysteries which makes men sought vnto and called deepe Clarkes and great Doctours Knowledge is like the Letters which Vriah carried against himselfe so Knowledge draweth a greater iudgement and oftentimes condemnes the bearer Knowledge without Vertue leaues a man without excuse and is a witnes against him because hee vnderstandes what is good and will not doe it Yet there is another darling of account behinde what say you to Long life which causeth a man to see his childrens children and makes him reuerent before the people Long life is like a long night when a man cannot sleepe so age is wearisome with sicknes and striues
giues his sentence that all is vanitie Christ like a Mediatour concludes vpon it that there is but one thing necessarie therefore let our sentence be like theirs For sure if wee had Salomons repentance we should see such an image of vanity before vs as would make vs crie againe and againe as often as Salomon Vanitie of vanities vanitie of vanities and all is vanitie What a sweet sentence is this from a King who may liue as they list by authority to say that all is vanitie Oh that we might heare Kinges speake so againe for it is a speech which had neede of some to countenance it for none are counted vaine now but they that speake against vanitie Then Salomon cryed it but now we must whisper it You may see how times are changed Once this was sounde diuinitie now it is flat railing to say that all is vanitie is euen the vpshot of a disturber If ye aske the Athiest or Epicure or these rogish plaiers what is a disturber you shall see that they will make Salomon one because he speaketh against vanitie for this is their definition hee which will not allowe men to prophane the Saboth but saith that Cardes dice stage plaies Mai-games May poales May fooles and Morris-dauncers are vanitie is a pratler a disturber and an Arch-pustan by the lawe which the Iewes had to kil Christ The reason is because men cannot abide to be controlled of their pleasures Therefore they hold it is an offence to speake against their sports or their customs or their follies or their pleasures or their titles or their toyes and they which woulde not be counted precise in these times must take heede that they goe not so farre as Salomon to tearme all Vanitie But they must say that the vanities of great men are necessarie recreations the vanities of the people are meanes to make vnitie Greater bookes are written to maintaine this than Salomon made to refute it so they haue made their wit and their learning Vanitie and are vaine in Printe But they that would knowe nowe of what standing such precise reproouers are and how ancient this reproofe is may see heere that if this bee a crime to call Vanitie Vanitie the wisest man that euer was before Christ was herein criminate not when hee strayed but when hee repented in his best minde when he became like a Preacher he preached this first Vanitie of vanities all is vanitie yet many had rather trie it with Salomon then beleeue it of Salomon and while they are wondring with him some are taken out of their way and cut shorte of the time which they set to repent from others God taketh away his grace so they neuer returne because their guide is gone This the holie Ghost pointed at when he saith They followed vanitie became vaine shewing that the things wee followe will make vs like themselues and lead vs whether they belong to heauen or hell In Rom. 8. 20. vanitie is put for destruction but it is neuer put for saluation If other creatures are subiect to a kinde of destruction for the sinne of man as Paul sheweth what destruction shall light vpon man for his owne sinne Therefore let our sentence runne with Salomon Vanitie of vanities all is vanitie Wee coulde affoord the worlde better wordes and fairer titles than Vanitie of vanities but call it what we will Salomon shewes what it is and what we will say in the end when we haue tried it then Vanitie of vanities yet it is comfort of comforts glory of glories and life of liues But as Laban shewed himselfe at parting so at parting you shall see how it will serue you They seeme pleasant vanities and honest vanities and profitable vanities but Dauid cals them deceiptfull vanities Ionas comes after cals them lying vanities that is which promise pleasure and profite and all but deceiue all when they should performe They play Laban which gaue Leah for Rachel If they be lying vanities and deceiptfull vanities then are they wofull miserable vanities Therefore if we be not come to Salomons conclusion to thinke that All is vanitie it is because our owne vanitie will not suffer vs to see the vanitie of other things When we haue proued like Salomon as fast as euery man groweth in knowledge and experience so he beginnes to crie vanitie and after Vanitie of vanities and at last All is vanitie so wee contemne not all at once but one sin after another one pleasure after another till at last we count All is vanitie and then we are come home with Salomon and may be Preachers vnto other Thus I haue shewed vnto you as it were a limme of vanitie you may looke about you and see the whole bodie for if she be any where in this land this is her pontisical seat where she is neuer nonresident now I will leaue you to examine these sayinges whether all things haue not beene in vaine vnto you yet If they haue been vaine to you and yet are good in their owne nature then think how vaine you are who haue turned so many good things to vanitie Yet to set you in the way before I ende I will answer them which aske if All things be vanitie As Salomon saith Tell vs what wee should choose that we be not vaine Christ saith that one thing is necessarie Is Salomon contrary to Christ No therefore one thing Salomon excepts too to feare God keepe his commandements Therefore if all be vaine but this let the Tempter take thee vp againe and shewe thee the Kingdomes of the world when hee saith All these will I giue thee thou maist say All these I contemne for all is vaine What then Turne away my eies saith the Prophet Dauid and my eares my heart too from vanitie Trie and proue thou no longer for Salomon hath proued for thee it is better to beleeue him than trie with him Therefore now it remaineth that as they brought forth their vaine bookes ofter Pauls preaching cast them into the fire so ye should cast out all your vanities this day and sacrifice them to God for they haue been your Idols therefore burie them as Iacob did the Idols that neuer man saw them after And as God gaue Iob other children so they will giue you other pleasures feare not that your ioyes will goe way with your vanities as many thinke they shall neuer bee merry againe if they should be cōuerted to religion But as Dauid daunced before the Arke as merily as Herodias daunced before the King so knowe vndoubtedlie that the righteous finde more ioy in goodnes than euer the wicked found in filthines Nay saith Dauid more than they can finde in riches or honours when their wheate and wine abound As a horse is a vaine thing to saue a man so all these things are too vaine to make a man happie I appeale to your selues
many wicked men preach and I haue knowne many wicked men counsell but I did neuer knowe any wicked man that could pray well nor any that could praye well liue wickedly This Peter prooueth in his first Epistle and fourth Chapter when hee sayth Bee sober and watchfull in prayer shewing that all cannot pray but they which are sober and watchfull This Peter the Apostle prooueth againe in his first Epistle and third Chapter when hee exhorteth the husband and wife to loue one another lest their praiers be interrupted shewing that sinne dooth hinder our Prayer and that a man cannot pray heartilie when wrath or malice or lust doth carrie his mind away This Paule witnesseth againe when hee saith Howe shoulde they call vpon him in whom they haue not beleeued shewing that none can pray but they which haue faith and that is a signe that the Spirite is within if he can pray and therefore one sayth so long as God doth not take away thy praying he hath not taken away his mercie Seeing then that prayer is such a sacrifice as is offered to none but GOD and none can offer it but they which haue faith and loue and repentance to bring it to him As Aaron did not stande before the Lorde before he was washed so let no man call vppon GOD before hee be sanctified For as Isaac did first taste Iacobs meate and then blessed him when hee liked his offering so God will haue an offering which pleaseth him before he giue the blessing which pleaseth vs. Therefore as Iacob charged his sonnes when they went vnto Ioseph Take the best fruites of the land and giue vnto him So I aduise my selfe and you when we go to GOD let vs take the best fruites of our heartes and giue vnto him that is not the shewe of repentance but repentance in deede As Abraham left his Asses at the foote of the hill when hee went to sacrifice so when wee goe to praie wee must leaue our passions and affections and lustes behinde lest they trouble vs like the fowles which hindered Abraham in his sacrifice And when our prayers doe please GOD as Iacobs meate did please his father then GOD will heare our prayers and blesse vs as his father blessed him Now to informe vs what prayer delighteth GOD the Apostle Paul in his first Epistle to the Corinthians and the fourth verse sheweing that hee had the minde of Christ teacheth vs to praie continually This hee expoundeth in the seconde Epistle to the Thessalonians the third Chapter and the thirteenth verse when hee saith Be not wearie of well doing Therefore if you doe well when you pray you must not be wearie of praying The like saying is in the twelft Chapter to the Romans where it is saide Continue in praier The like saying is in the first Chapter to the Romans where it is saide Pray at all times The like saying also is in the eighteenth Chapter of Saint Luke where it is saide Praye alwaies and bee not faint Wee are not commaunded to preache continually nor yet to heare continuallie nor to fast continually nor to Watch continually nor to gone continually but wee are commaunded to pray continually as though praier were more needefull than all the rest Wee want continuallie and wee are tempted continually and we sinne continuallie and therefore we had need to pray to GOD continualâ—y that GOD woulde supplie our wants and forgiue our sinnes and preuent our temptations To shewe that wee shoulde pray dailie Christ teacheth vs in the eleuenth Chapter of S. Luke to saie Giue vs this day our dailie breade this day wee aske no more but our daily breade and if wee liue till the morrowe then wee aske no more but our dailie bread so the worde dailie dooth teach vs to pray dailie for there is great reason that they which haue continually need of God should pray continually vnto him But as some aunswered Christ as it appeareth in Saint Iohns Gospell Who is able to doe this So you will say vnto mee Who is able to pray continually Saint Paul in his twelft chapter to the RomaÌ„s teacheth vs a reasonable seruice of God Here hee seemes to inioine vs an vnreasonable seruice of God For who did euer praie continually Or if wee should pray continually when should we heare or Preach or when should we studie or when should we worke so one seruice seemes to hinder all seruices but indeede it doth further all seruices and therefore we are commanded to praie continually because we can doo nothing without Praier But if you imagine that this coÌ„mandement is broken if your lips be not alwaies going which was the heresie of the Messaliant or if you dwell not alwaies in the Church like the golden Candlestickes then you are out of Pauls minde for Paul did not praie continually with his lips and therefore he doth not meane a lip-prayer neither did Paule liue day and night in the Temple and therefore he doth not meane a Church-prayer and further it seemes that the Iewes were not appointed to praie at all times for they had set times of praier and therefore we reade how Peter and Iohn went vp to the Temple at the time of praier therefore to praie continually is to lift vp our hearts continually vnto God to praie in our thought as Moses did though wee open not our lips and so we may praie continually As when a good man is to answer before the persecutor a thought praieth in his hart that he may answer wisely when he is to giue Almes a thought praieth in his heart that it may doo good when he is to giue counsel a thought praieth in his heart that it may prosper wheÌ„ he is to heare a Sermon a thought praieth in his heart that he may be edified and sanctified by it Thus we may pray and heare praie and speake praie and eat pray studie pray and woorke together as the Iewes built and fought together and therfore praying seems a harder thing than it is for if it had beene irksome for any to pray Paule woulde not haue ioined praying reioycing together It is not hard which a man may do reioyce too If a maÌ„ loue intirely he hath no such delight as to talke often and to conferre daily with him whoÌ„ he loueth for by this his loue is increased and his ioy is doubled but the seldomer we coÌ„mune together by little little our affections abate til at last we become strange one to the other as though wee had neuer beene acquainted EueÌ„ so our affections and familiaritie doth grow toward God by often praying vnto him and when wee leaue of to pray then our affections drawe from him and his affections from vs therefore we read how often the goodmen were wont to praye In times past Daniel saith that hee prayed thrise a daye Dauid saith that hee praiâ—d seauen times a daye It is sayed that Cornelius praied continually
It is saide that the Disciples prayed continually in the first to the Romans Paul which teacheth vs here to praie without ceasing saith that he himselfe prayed without ceasing As Iacob woulde not let the Angell go before he had blessed him so a Christian should not let God rest before he heare him This is the state that a ChristiaÌ„ should striue to and neuer thinke that hee is sound at the heart till all his thoughts bee a kinde of prayer Now if wee should examine our selues whether we Pray as we should as Paul teacheth vs to examine our selues whether we beleeue as we should I am of opinion that there is no such want in this land as the waÌ„t of praier for it is neglected as though it were neuer commaunded as if there were no God to worship or as if we had no neede of him In the Papists time none were called Beads-men that is men which were bound to pray but the poore men as though none were bounde to pray but poore men but nowe the world goeth as though neither rich nor poore were bounde to pray one would thinke that our deliuerance our of Egipt that our victorie against the Spaniards that the weather which threatneth sicknes that the dearth which threatneth famine should make vs pray and yet it doth not for where is the person which praieth now more thaÌ„ he did before Some are like the fool which saith in his heart there is no God for they pray neuer though Paul say Pray euer Caine was reiected for offering an vnworthie sacrifice 〈…〉 cannot admire but in a circle so they cannot praie but in the church and then they praye when they should heare Some are like the Ephramites which can pronounce euerie word but that which they should so they neuer want wordes but when they speake to God It is straunge to thinke how liuely they are to euerie thing els and how dead they are to praie as many come to Sermons and neuer marke what the Preacher saith vntil he come to this To whome be all praise power and dominion for euer so many praie and neuer marke what they say vntil they come to this Giue vs this day our dailie bread Doost thou thinke that God doth marke that praier which thou doost not marke thy selfe Some come to God as if they did fetch fire a spurt and away like a messenger which is gone before he haue his answere If God wil take a Pater noster of them and heare them for that so it is for they neuer made any other praier in their liues but euen as a child saith Grace so they say Our Father put them out of that and they cannot praie a word no more than the child can make a grace if he be put out of his owne Some are like Nadah and Abihu which neuer looke with what fire their sacrifice is is kindled so they neuer respect with 〈…〉 sometime they praie or maâ—â—ce for reuenge sometime of greedines for riches somtime of lust for pleasure Now as no sacrifice was accepted with God but that which was kindled with the fire which came downe from Heauen so no praier is accepted with God but that which is kindled with some motion from Heauen Their praier neuer ascendeth to Heauen for Abels heart made Abels offering accepted Some are like the builders of Babel which call for one thing when they shoulde call for another so they praie for one thing when they shoulde praie for another when they called for stones they brought them timber when they called for timber they brought them stones so when they call for health God sendes them sicknes when they call for rest God sendes them trouble when they cal for riches God sendes them wants when they call for honor God sendes them shame when they call for ease God sendes them a yoke For it is a iust thing with GOD that they which doo one thing for another should receiue one thing for another Some are like the prodigall sonne which praied but vntill he had gotten his patrimonie and then he forsooke his father which gaue it him so they praie no longer but vntill they haue that which they would haue and then they flie from God as he did from his father and liue like swine in another Countrie till extremitie and penury 〈◊〉 them home again These are the Beadsmen of our age and these are the praiers which wee offer to him which made heauen and earth Wouldest thou regarde his sute which shoulde intreate thee so contemptuouslie as thou intrearest God let vs consider how that praier should obtaine remission of sinne which is sinne it selfe Paul saith Let al which call vpon the name of the Lorde departe from iniquitie as if hee should say the Lord will he are none which praie vnto him but them which depart from iniquitie Salomon saith the praier of the wicked is an abhomination if his best worke be an abhomination what are his worst deedes And the sinner himselfe Therefore hee aduiseth Prepare thy hearte before thou goe into the Temple lest thou offer the Sacrifice of fooles as if hee should say as hee which offereth a present vnto a Prince which the Prince likes not is a foole for his paines This is the cause saith one why God doth not heare our praiers as he did our Fathers because wee pray not with such humilitie and perseuerance as they did Many touched Christ but one drewe vertue out of him so manie praie vnto Christe but fewe draw comfort from him Now if you will knowe what praier is accepted with God Iames saith the praier of the iust auaileth much if it bee feruent hee saith not that the praier of the wicked auaileth anie thing though it bee neuer so feruent but the person must be iust the praier must bee feruent too by this thou knowest then whether thy praier bee accepted with God As God sent downe fire from heauen to consume Eliah his Sacrifice because it pleased him s he will send downe a kind of ioy and lightnes vpon thy heart which shall kindle thee within as the fire kindled Eliahs Sacrifice and sende thee awaie with such a ioie like a Sutor which commeth from the Prince when his petition is graunted this is the ende of euerie praier which is made in Faith as Christ answered the Centurian Be it vnto thee as thou beleeuest So thy heart shall aunswere thee Be it vnto thee as thou beleeuest When we begin to praie we are going from the Diuell and when we ende our praier we are come to God At first manie temptations will hinder thee but with earnestnes thou shalt driue them away Then Make no haste as Salomon saith to get out of the kinges presence For the Lord and thy praier are met together in heauen like Christ and the woman at Iacobs well Seeing then that prayer is such an excellent thing that it
Mount hee sawe all the land of Gilead vnto Dan and all Nepthalie the land of Ephraim Manasses and all the lande of Iuda vnto the vttermost Sea c. The like to this did neuer any see beeing of the age of Moses who was 120. yeares olde Manie things might Moses haue obiected which might haue hindered him from going vp the Mount For surely it must needes be a griefe to him when he considered that great paine which he had taken in bringing them through the wildernesse and conducting them 40. yeares together and nowe when he had no further to goe but euen ouer Iordaine to be taken a waie then and another which neuer tooke any paines possesse all his labours This I say must bee a great and intollerable thing to fleshe and bloode for when one hath laid a foundation and anothere come and build vpon it surely hee will think himselfe hardly dealt withal Or if one haue drawne a picture head and face and all sauing the legges if one come and drawe the legges and so take his labours hee woulde hardlie take it well You knowe how they which were hired and wrought all the daie long because the had not more than those which began the last houre murmured against the maister of the house Such is our nature and yet notwithstanding all this Moses is content Hee knoweth that God doth him no wrong but is iust and mercifull also He blesseth all alike as Iacobs children were blessed Moses so long as he was vpon the plaine ground could not see the types of heauen but when he was vpon the Mount he saw it before he came to heauen it selfe So let vs euen now seale the Mount as Moses did that we may see and consider these ioyes Which thing shall be to reclaime our heartes from earthly matters As Peter went vp the mount to see Christs glory and Moses went vp the mount to see the lande of promise so let vs ascend from these earthly things to the contemplation of heauenly This should be our iourney till wee come vp to heauen it selfe to clime the hill for we are lowe men of stature like Zacheus who cannot see Christ before we be lifted from the earth so that if we will euer possesse heauen we must pluck our heartes from the earth and then shall we see God nearer than we can possibly if wee keepe our mindes vppon earthlie matters God sheweth himselfe to some nearer to some farther off and to some in parables As the Prophetes sawe God nearer than the Patriarches and the Apostles nearer than the Prophetes As to Abraham hee saide In thy seede Esaiah came nearer and said vnto vs a childe is borne c. Iohn yet came more neare and said Behold the Lamb of God Get thee vp into the top of Pisgah and lift thine eies Westward and Northward Southward and Eastward and beholde it with thine eies for thou shalt not goe ouer this Iordaine Now Moses is in his prospect as Dauid was in his Tower Here he must prepare him selfe to die while hee is looking vpon the land which so long he hath beene in comming to Who woulde not but haue grieued at this That after so long as fourtie yeares trauaile in hope to possesse it should now in the ende bee content with a sight of it and so vanish awaie Yet Moses for all this murmureth not but like Iob taketh it patiently And as hee was vpon the Mount where GOD vanished So heere hee is vpon the Mount and vanisheth away himselfe as it appeareth in Deuteronomie the thirtie foure Chapter and the sixth verse no man knoweth his tombe nor which way hee is gone lest the Iewes shoulde haue worshipped his Reliques as the Papistes doe theirs So good Rulers are taken awaie in a time when death is least suspected As Lot was taken away before the people of Sodom knew as is shewed in the nineteenth Chapter of Genesis and the tenth verse So wee see that when our time is come and our glasse run out that neither our riches nor our wits nor our friends nor any thing that wee haue in this world can cary vs no further No no more than Moses coulde goe ouer this Iordaine But Charge Iosua and incourage him and embolden him for he shall goe before this people and hee shall deuide for inheritance vnto them the land which thou shalt see c. Now Moses fainteth here commeth Iosua a figure of Christ who leadeth the people into Canaan as Christ doth lead them into heauen Moses is no sooner dead but God chooseth another to goe in out before his people And now God chooseth a gouernour See what a man he chooseth O would that God might haue the choosing still for then all gouernours should be such as Iosua for such is our corruption that if we choose our selues that we still choose such as God would not haue chosen and therefore wee had neede to pray to the Lord God as Moses did that hee would appoint a man which may go in out before vs that we be not as sheepe without a shepheard More was spoken touching this point which I haue not noted because I coulde not set it downe in such perfection as it was deliuered But Charge Iosua incourage him and imbolden him c. God would not haue Moses to incourage Iosua words onely but in deeds too and therefore Moses giueth him all the glory he can as Iohn gaue it vnto Christ Charge Iosua incourage him bolden him Heere God woulde haue Iosua incouraged with all the incouragement that may bee as though he coulde neuer bee incouraged enough God had incouraged him himselfe before as in the 21. vers before And I charged Iosua the same time c. And in 27. Deut. Moses setteth him before Eliazar the Priest and he put his hand vpon him and gaue him a charge c. And in 31. Deut. 23. GOD bids him Be strong of a good courage And in 1. Iosua 50. God tels him That there shall not be a man able to withst and him all the dayes of his life For he will be with him and neuer leaue him nor forsake him And againe in the 9. verse hee saith Haue not I commaunded thee not to feare for I will bee with thee whither so euer thou goest And in the 31. of Deut. verse 7. When Moses prepared himselfe to die hee called Iosua bid him Be strong and of a good courage And in 8. Iosua ver 10. the Lorde biddeth him Not to feare when his enemies come vpon him Thus is Iosua incouraged of all and thus should Iosua bee encouraged still But who encourageth Iosua so Nay where is that hee that doth not discourage Iosua Now Iosua is contemned scorned of the vilest And is this to encourage him No Iosua had neede of better incouragemēt than this else Iosua and all the Iosuas in this land will faint
As the bad Lawyer driues off his Client from terme to terme till the suite be lost Lot was so long loytering and trifling in Sodome that the Angell was fayne to plucke him out with violence and certainly vnlesse the Lorde by the good meanes of his prouidence should plucke vs out of ignorance and darkenesse wherein we vse such trifling and plunging and delaying that scarce one of a thousand would bee saued Wherefore beloued in Christ if Paule haue planted you in the true fayth desire also an Apollo to water you If the foundation be layde by a maister builder seeke out a skilfull workeman who may roofe it also if ye haue receiued one grace speedily desire the preaching of the word that it may increase and grow vp by dressing and manuring vnto a double grace for euen the best giftes will wither and decay in you vnlesse they be presently watered with the word Againe we knowe that children are so greedily carried with a desire of the foode that when hunger assayles them they neither regarde leisure nor necessitie nor willingnes of the mothers but all excuses busines set apart so soone as they crie for it they must be fedde Euen so wee must not thinke it enough to desire the worde but we must bee earnest and feruent and importunate in calling and crying for it A notable parable is in Luke how one called for bread in the night the other answered that he was in bed which seemed a reasonable answere and yet it would not serue So we haue long called my brethren and wee haue a great while craued the bread of life though it may seeme a reasonable answere that they cannot giue it vs without impouerishing themselues and their children who are fat and inriched with the Ministers mayntenance yet we ought not to be daunted and discouraged so but to continue asking stil as Peter continued knocking til the doore was opened For as Iehu was knowen by his furious marching so you may know a faythfull and true Christian by his zealons perfecting of holy purposes The mother doth not alwayes feede her childe for loue but many times to keep it still and quiet is constrayned to leaue all and giue it sucke So if our mother neyther reuerenced God nor feared men yet if we would be earnest and importunate with her if we would continually crye and call for it as babes doe for the milke she would feede vs at last if not of loue yet at least to be eased of vs. It is an olde saying that he which asketh faintly teacheth vs to denie him If we will teach men to graunt vs we must aske it with courage and constancie And therefore as Iacob wrestled with the Angel and said I will not let thee goe vntill thou blesse me so must our requests wrestle with the Gouernours of our land and say I will not let you rest vntill you heare me This doctrine enditeth and conuinceth a great number of vs who though we haue a desire to the worde yet we are so chill and so colde and so loose in it that in euery crosse euent we stand stone still If it be but a straw it is a blocke in our way because as Ieremie speaketh We haue no courage for the truth vpon earth we haue some loue to the trueth but we haue no courage to labour and aduenture for it as a merchant that would gladly gaine but dares not venture the seas for feare of drowning If the people be somwhat backward or a Preacher cannot be procured at the first dash while the fitte is fresh vpon vs we take our discharge and cast off the care for euer after The slouthfull man sayes There is a Lyon in the way And so we discourage our selues in seeking good things because there is paines in the way But if we desire the word as babes doe milke we must neuer rest to desire it vntill we haue it Lastly we know children are continually crauing foode a little pause and then to the breast againe and therefore we must not bee gorged and glutted with once seruing but continually desire it We must be of Elias diet bread and flesh in the morning and at euening too So morning and euening our soules must bee fedde The Apostle exhorteth Let the worde of GOD dwell in you because it must not take vp a nights lodging and so be gone but it must be a continuall residence and abode in our hearts Though the ground be good yet it must haue the former and the latter rayne to make it fertile and yet many of vs thinke to grow greene with one shower and to goe vnto heauen with one sermon It is reported of the faythfull that they continued daylie in the temple as if a Sabbaoth dayes exercise would not serue the turne vnlesse we had some ordinarie repast in the worke dayes also and therefore as the lampe burned continually in the Temple without quenching So the word must continually sound in our eares without intermission Thus you see beloued that if you wil desire the milke of the word as newe borne babes you must desire it presently without delay importunately without fainting continually without loathing and being satisfied with it Now we come to the matter and obiect which we must desire namely our food and nourishment in Christ which is here called the milke of the worde To this our Sauiour recalleth vs from al our daynâ—â—â—s Labour not for the meate that perisheth but for the meat which endureth to eternal life For the word is euerlasting foode and immortal seede because it makes vs immortal and to last for euer We desire wealth honour and pomp and pleasure and euery thing saue the milke of the word which we should desire like Adam who had al trees and yet liked none but the forbidden tree There is a desire of the worde but it is a tare to choak the good corne There is a desire of money but it is the roote of al euil There is a desire of the flesh but it fighteth and wageth warre against the spirit There is a desire of preheminence but it is swelling and ambitious There is a desire of reuenge but it ariseth from a rash and carnal spirite There is a desire of praise but it is cursed and pharisaicall the blessed and holy desire is to desire the milke of the word When Ionathan saw the hony dropping he must needs be licking so when ye see the milke of the Gospel ye must desire to be sucking Of al the blessings of Canaan this was the chiefest that it flowed with milke and honie and this incouraged the Israelites to trauail to it in the desart to possesse it The worde is a land flowing with better milke and hony and we must not think any paine or toyle too much to attaine it God hath many names in Scripture to make vs conceiue more honorably of him so hath the word
from it So much for our food now we come to the qualitie of our foode It must be sincere Sincere both in his sauor and also in effect and operation for as in nourishing our bodie naturally our blood cannot be good if our diet be vnholsome so in feeding our soules spiritually neither our hearts nor affections nor our words nor our workes can be good vnlesse the milke bee wholsome whereupon we feed and therefore as our Sauiour bâ—ds vs take heede what we heare so the Apostle to the like effect giues a caueat to take heede vpon what we feede for there is a pure and fresh doctrine in Ier. 1. 7. and there is a sower and leauened doctrine in Matth. 16. 6. There is a new wine of the Gospel in Matth. 9. 17. there is mixed wine in the cup of Fornicators in Reu. 17. 4. There are wholsome wordes in 2. Tim. 1. 13. and there are corrupt and vnwholsome words Ephes 4. 29. There is a doctrine of God Ioh. 7. 16. and there is a doctrine of Diuels 1. Tim. 4. 1. There is an edifying and a building worde and there is a fretting and a cankred word 2. Tim. 2. 17. As the Prophets children cryed out death in the pot so some places may say death in our foode and hereof it is that we are so often for warned in Scripture to beware of the leauen of the Scribes and Pharisies to take heede of the Prophets which come to vs in sheepes cloathing to beware that no man seduce vs through Philosophie to trie the spirites whether they be of God or no as we must taste our foode before wee digest it to trie our gold before wee treasure it Christ tasted the vineger but would not drinke so when wee taste false doctrine we must reiect it There are many greedy of milke but it is Dragons milke they take great paines to learne but it is to learne the language of Ashdod not the language of Canaan they run to heare but to heare fables and vntruthes Nimrod was as paineful in building of Babel as Salomon in rearing the holy temple Micah entertained a Leuit consecrated his siluer but to an idolatrous worship The Israelites melted their eare-rings but to erect a calfe Iezabel fed a great rout of trencher chaplains but to honor Baal Many desire to haue milke but they wil haue it from dragons poysoned and therefore we are here warned to desire the sincere milke c. For the Lord will not haue the wine of his word to be mingled and mashed with the water of humane inuentions He that hath my word let him speake faithfully what is the chaffe to the Wheat God would not haue one fielde sowed with two kindes of graine to shew vs that hee would not haue one heart filled with two kindes of doctrine Dagon could not stand with the Lords Arke no more can Christs trueth holde any fellowship with the word of error and therefore as the ministers must beware that they make not merchandise of the word of God so must the people also that they drink not any milke but that which is sincere And here ye ought my beloued more carefully to behaue your selues as yee see the diuell more subtilly to assault you and vnder the cloake of zeale and reformation to bring into the Lordes sanctuarie most wicked prophanation As a man will be more warie to trie euery peece of gold when he sees many counterfeit and Flemish angels to flie abroad so when yee see many sortes of doctrine crawling daily like Locusts out of the bottomles pit yee must bee more diligent to taste and trie which is sound and sincere It followeth That ye may grow by it Here is the end of our hearing That we may grow in grace and increase in the faith of righteousnes for the faithfull are called the trees of righteousnes because they must bee alwaies springing liuing stones because they must growe in the building good seruants which must trade and traffique the Lords talents to increase fruitfull branches which must be purged pruned by the hande of the heauenly husbandman Isaac must not alwaies hang on Saraes breast but must be weaned so we must not alwaies be children but grow vp and increase and profite more and more As the star neuer ceased till it came ouer Christ so we must neuer rest walking till wee come to GOD. If we haue faith we must proceede from faith to fayth if we haue loue we must increase and abide in loue if we haue zeale we must endeuour to be consumed with zeale if wee be liberall to the distressed saints of GOD wee must double our liberalitie as Elkana gaue Annah a double portion If we read the Scriptures we must go on and continue in prayer if we giue almes we must step on one foote further and giue them with cheerefulnes and thus as the Eagle continually soareth till she come to the highest so must we still increase till we come to perfection Let vs be led forward vnto perfection as if a faithfull man were like a ship vnder sayle neuer anchoring till he arriue at heauen The greater is our sinne which heare and heare but are neuer the more reformed for our hearing like Pharaohs ill fauored kine which deuoured the fat kine but remained as il fauoured as they were before so many of vs when we haue lugged the breast almost drie after twentie or thirty yeares feeding are as skregged and leane as we were before No man almost among vs is more zealous no maÌ„ more faithfull no man more constant for the truth no man more feruent in religion no man more sanctified no man more diligent in practising nor lesse vitious now then he was one hundred sermons a goe as if wee were night black-rauens which cannot bee washed with all the sope of the Gospel Though wee haue long heard and stil desire to heare yet we doe not grow by our hearing wee are verie dwarfes in Christ scant able to goe little in faith little in loue little in patience little in obedience little in zeal like Zacheus so little that wee cannot see Christ This is an vndoubted euidence that we haue not fleshly but stony hearts which though they bee washed yet they cannot be watred with the sweete showers of the Gospell For is there not in euery tauerne and in euery shop and in euery house and in euery hall as much couetousnes as much briberie as much cosening as much wantonnes as much maliciousnes after this long shine of the word as ther was before Are we not now as slothfull in Gods seruice as dissolute in the practise of Christian dueties as dishonest in our dealing between man and man as proud in our attire as light in our behauiour as hypocritical abroad as sinnefull at home as we were before And what is the reason hereof but that we come to the fountayn rather to
to euery good as we are to euill Teach vs to remember our sinnes that thou maiest forget them and let our sorrowe here preuent the sorrowe to come Wee were made like thee let not flesh and bloud turne the image of God to the image of Satan our foes are thy foes let not thine enemies preuaile against thee to take vs from thee but make thy word vnto vs like the starre which led vnto Christ make thy benefites like the pillar which brought to the land of promise make thy crosse like the messenger which compelled guests vnto the banquet that wee may walke before men like examples and alway looke vpon thy sonne how he would speake and doe before we speake or do any thing Keepe vs in that feare of thy Maiestie that we may make conscience of all that we doe and that wee may count no sinne small but leaue our lying and swearing and surfetting and coueting and boasting and flanting and inordinate gaming and wanton sporting because they drawe vs to other sinnes and are forbidden as straightly as other Let not our hearts at any time be so dazled but that in all temptations we may discerne between good and euill between right and wrong between trueth and errour and that we may iudge of all things as they are and not as they seeme to bee let our mindes bee alwaies so occupied that wee may learne some thing of euerie thing and vse all those creatures as meanes and helpes prepared for vs to serue thee Let our affections growe so towarde one another that wee may loue thee asmuch for the prosperitie of other as if it were our owne let our faith and loue and prayer be alway so readie to goe vnto thee for our helpe that in sicknes we may finde patience in prison wee may finde ioy in pouertie wee may find contentment and in all troubles we may finde hope Turne all our ioyes to the ioye of the holy Ghost and all our peace to the peace of conscience and all our feares to the feare of sin that we may loue righteousnesse with as great good will as euer we loued wickednes and goe before other in thankfulnes towards thee as farre as thou goest in mercie towards vs before them taking all that thou sendest as a gift and leauing our pleasures before they leaue vs that our time to come may be a repentance of the time past thinking alway of the ioyes of heauen the paines of hell our owne death and the death of thy sonne for vs. Yet Lord let vs speake once again like Abraham one thing more we will beg at thy hands our resolutions are variable we can not performe our promises to thee therefore settle vs in a constant forme of obedience that we may serue thee from this houre with those dueties which the world the diuell and the flesh woulde haue vs deferre vntill the point of death Lord we are vnworthie to aske any thing for our selues yet thy fauor hath preferred vs to be petitioners for other Therefore wee beseech thee to heare vs for them and them for vs and thy sonne for all Blesse the vniuersall Church with truth with peace and thy holie Discipline Strengthen all them which suffer for thy cause and let them see the spirite of comfort comming towardes them as thy Angels came to thy sonne when he was hungrie Be mercifull vnto all those which lie in anguish of conscience for remorse of their sinnes as thou hast made them examples so teach vs to take example by them that wee may looke vpon thy Gospel to keepe vs from despaire and vpon thy lawe to keep vs from presumption Prosper the armies which fight thy battailes and shew a difference betweene thy seruantes and thy enemies as thou didst betweene the Israelits and the Aegyptians that they which serue thee not may come to thy seruice seeing that no God dooth blesse besides thee Make vs thankefull for our peace whome thou hast set at libertie while thou hast laid our dangers vpon others which mightest haue laide their dangers vpon vs And teach vs to build thy Church in our rest as Salomon builte thy temple in his peace Haue mercie vpon this sinfull Lande which is sicke of long prosperitie Let not thy blessings rise vp against vs but indue vs with grace as thou hast with riches that wee may goe before other nations in religion as wee goe before them in plentie giue vs such harts as thy seruants should haue that thy will may be our will that thy Law may be our Lawe and that we may seeke our kingdome in thy kingdome Giue vnto our Prince a Princely heart vnto our counsellers the spirit of counsel vnto our Iudges the spirite of Iudgement vnto our Ministers the spirite of doctrine vnto our people the spirite of obedience that wee may all retaine that communion here that we may enioy the communion of Saints hereafter Blesse this familie with thy grace and peace that the Rulers thereof may gouerne according to thy word that the seruants obey like the seruants of God and that wee may all be loued of thee Now Lorde wee haue commenced our suite our vnderstanding is weake and our memorie short and wee vnworthie to pray vnto thee more vnworthie to receiue the things which we praye for Therefore we commend our prayers and our selues vnto thy mercie in the name of thy beloued son our louing Sauiour whose righteousnesse pleadeth for our vnrighteousnes Our father which art in heauen c. ruption as though wee were made to sinne indeede or in worde or in thought wee haue broken all thy Commandements that wee might see what good is in euill which hath lefte nothing but guilt and shame and expectation of iudgement while we might haue had peace of conscience ioye of heart and all the graces which come with the holie spirite Some haue been wonne by the word but we would not suffer it to change vs some haue been reformed by thy crosse but wee woulde not suffer it to purge vs some haue been mooued by thy benefites but wee would not suffer them to perswade vs nay we haue giuen consent to the Diuell that wee will abuse all thy gifts so fast as they come and therefore thy blessings make vs proude thy riches couetous thy peace wanton thy meates intemperate thy mercie secure and all thy benefites are weapons to rebell against thee that if thou looke into our hearts thou maist saye our Religion is hypocrisie our zeale enuie our wisedome pollicie our peace securitie our life rebellion our deuotion ends with our prayers and wee liue as though wee had no soules to saue What shall wee answer for that which our conscience condemnes Wee are one daye neerer to death since we rose when we shall giue account how euery day hath been spent and how we haue got those things which other will consume when we are gone And if thou shouldest aske vs now what lust asswaged what affection qualified
speake of daies but asked him how old he was yet he answered of daies to shew that not only his yeares but his daies were fewe Our fathers marueiling to see how sodainlie men are and are not compared life to a dreame in the night to a bubble in the water to a ship in the sea to an arrow which neuer resteth till it fall to a player which speaketh his part vpon the stage and straight he giueth place to another to a man which commeth to the market to buy one thing and sell another and then is gone home againe so the figure of this world passeth away This is our life while we enioy it we loose it as Iacob sayd that his daies had been fewe so wee may say that our daies shall be few Now why hath GOD appoynted such a short time to man in this world Surely least he should deferre to doe good as his manner is for though his life is so short yet he thinks it too long to repent The Prophet saith that our yeares are but threescore and ten as though this were but a little time to liue But why should we liue so long for if our life were but a yeare yet a yeare is more then we vse al the rest is lost for wee deferre till that weeke which we thinke will be last It is sayd of the diuell that he is busie because his time is short but the time of man is shorter and therefore Christ saith In this thy day as though no day could bee called thy daye but this daye and therefore all that thou hast to doe thou must doe this day Consider this all which trauell toward heauen had wee not neede to make hast which must goe such a long iourney in such a short time How can he choose but run which remembreth that euery day runneth away with his life The fourth poynt is our aptnesse to forget death rather then any thing els and therefore Moses praieth the Lord to teach him to number his daies as though they were still slipping out of his minde He which hath numbred our daies must teach vs to number our daies for when Moses prayeth the Lorde to teach him to number his daies he signifieth that he would very faine remember them but still his minde did turne from them and that he could not thinke vpon them longer then he thought on the Lord which taught him to number them such is the rebellion of our nature wee cannot remember that which wee should because we remēber so many things which we should forget How often doth the Scripture cal death to our minds Yet we read how they put the day of death from them would not remember it Salomon bids vs remember that we shal come to iudgement yet we reade how they pleade against the day of iudgement and syllogize to their sinnes That all things shall continue as they be because there hath been no chaunge yet euen so it is with vs as the foole saith in his hart there is no God so we say in our hearts there is no death or at least death will not come before we bee old Of al numbers we cannot skill to number our daies we can number our sheepe our oxen our coyn but we think that our daies are infinite therfore we neuer go about to number thē We can number other mēs daies and yeres think they wil die ere it be long if we see them sick or sore or old but we can not nūber our own When two ships meet on the sea they which are in one ship thinke that the other ship doth saile exceeding fast but that their ship goeth faire and softly or rather stādeth stil although in truth one ship saileth as fast as the other so euery man thinkes that other post and run and flye to the graue but that himselfe standeth stocke still although indeede a yeare with him is no longer then it is with other beside that we are giuen to forget death wee striue to forget it like them which say we may not remember Teach me to number my daies nay teach me to multiplie my daies teach me to remember death nay teach me to prolong death or if I cannot prolong death teach me to forget death that I may sinne without feare for the remembrāce of death maketh a man to sinne fearefully takes away the pleasure of sinne Therefore if ye mark there is a kind of men which cannot abide to heare of death they are sick with the name of it the reason is Achab cannot abide Michaiah because hee neuer prophecied good vnto him but euill so death neuer prophecied good to the wicked but euill for which they cannot abide it Therefore as Pharaoh bad Moses goe out of his sight so they bid death goe out of their sight and say when he comes as Achab said to Eliah Art thou here my enemie whē they should say welcome my frend For as the diuels thought Christ was come to tormēt them so the vngodly think that death comes to tormēt them Is it peace when they see death they doubt it is not peace because they neuer loued the God of peace O that I could bring you into their hearts that yee might see more then tongue can expresse for I doe not thinke that any Epicure or worldling or Nonresident haue any ioy to thinke of death or desire to be dissolued but rather that hee might neuer bee dissolued because death coms to the wicked like a iayler which comes alwaies to hale vnto prison therefore their care is not to remember death that they might apply their hearts to wisedome but to forget death lest they should apply their harts to wisedome and loose their pleasures before the time for he which is not purposed yet to leaue his sinnes would not be troubled with any thought that might make him take his pleasure fearefully least he should leaue sinne before sinne leaue him Therefore the diuell doth neuer teach a man to number his daies because he gains by the forgetfulnes of death but the Lord which would haue a man to applie his heart to wisedome it is he which teacheth vs to number our daies and therfore Moses praieth vnto him because we pray not vnto him as he did to teach vs to number our daies therefore we die like wormes before we be aware So farre we are from that which he shooteth at to apply his heart to wisedome that we are not in the way vnto it that is to remēber that wee shall die The last poynt is the cause why Moses would learne to number his daies that he might apply his heart to wisedome as if he should say vntill men think vpon death they neuer applie their hearts to wisedom but busie themselues with worldly matters as though they were fethering a nest that should neuer be pulled down Wisedom hath alwaies carried that shew of excellencie that the