bodily enemies to remaine eternally in the glorie of God of Christ Iesus the Spirit and the holy Angels is not this an infinite and incomprehensible ioy Wherefore men must leaue off the false ioyes of this world and the pettie ioyes of sinne and cleaue vnto this ioy and seeke after it Now euery one the greater treasure that hee findeth the more hee doth reioyce and so euerie one the neerer that hee draweth vnto saluation the more ioyfull and glad he is For the kingdome of God doth not keepe one and the same tenour in all men This ioy is not in all the children of God alike God he doth sometime hide his louing couÌ„tenance from them some times he giueth comfort and sometimes againe more sorrow And as wee see that the Lord sendeth sometimes wet weather and sometimes againe more faire weather sometimes he sendeth stormes tempests and boysterous weather and by and by most calme and still euen so dealeth he with his children sometime he hideth his graces from them which other sometimes he maketh apparrant vnto them And as after stormes and tempests come faire weather so after sorrowes and troubles ioyes and pleasures doe come vnto the children of God after their anguish and paines are past great calmenesse and peace of mind and quietnesse in conscience ariseth vnto them And as it is saidâ— in Psalme 30. 5. The anger of the Lord endureth but a while but in his fauour is life Weeping and sorrow may abide for an euening but ioy commeth in the morning Wherefore euery one is to examine himselfe whether he hath this ioy or not for whosoeuer hath it not certainly he hath not his saluation Yet it may be that he may haue some sight of it but it was neuer hid deepely in his heart And here we are to know that there are two sorts of ioyes in receiuing the word There is a ioy in the wicked in hearing of Gods word but it hauing but a small crust of the earth to nourish it it withereth quickly away and remaineth but for a time as is shewed in this chapter in the parable of the seede which fell in hard stonie ground There is another ioy which endureth and continueth vnto the ende which although it haue many intermissions yet it doth not altogether cease but will at the length haue the victorie against all sorrow whatsoeuer The one of these is the ioy of the minde the other is the ioy of the heart The first is deceitfull the second is effectuall A man may therefore be deceiued in ioy and thinke that he hath it before hee hath found it and that there is a ioy when a man thinketh that hee hath found a treasure when hee hath not and another ioy when he knoweth indeede hee hath found it euen so is there a double ioy in the kingdome of God For there is a ioy in the hearing and knowing of this that the kingdome and graces of God are offered vnto vs It is a ioyfull thing for a man to knowe his saluation and to know that God offereth vnto him eternall life and redemption but if this ioy doe but abide and swimme as it were on the top of their braine and goe no further then is there but a crust of the earth as it were in these hearers and their stonie and hard hearts are hardened with deceitfulnesse of sinne and there is also another ioy in this when a man is assured and fully knoweth that he is saued There is a ioy of the minde when a man doth see the mysterie of his saluation there is a ioy of the heart when a man hath the experience thereof the former of these ioyes may be deceiued the other cannot The former remaineth but for a time if a man doe rest onely in the knowledge of his saluation a man can minister no true comfort vnto this man For it is one thing to know there is eternall life and another thing to know that eternall life is ordained for thee For it is one thing to know that sinnes are pardonable and another thing to know that thy sinnes are pardoned neither doth it follow that because thou seest the way to heauen that therfore thou art there Wherfore thou must know that the seate of faith is not in the braine but in the heart and that the head is not the place to keepe the promises of God but the heart is the chest to lay them vp in Therefore as the minde must be conuinced of sinne so the heart must be continually rebuked feared humbled and terrified from sinne it must be the closet wherein the word of God must be kept With the heart saith the Apostle a man beleeueth vnto righteousnesse The minde of man if it be troubled it is nothing but if his heart be troubled the trouble thereof is great Therefore as the griefe of the minde is nothing to the griefe and sorrowe of the heart so the ioy of the minde is nothing comparable to the ioy of the heart And then it is indeed a true ioy when a man hath in his heart an experience of the mercies If I can say now not I but Christ Iesus which liueth in me O this is the ioy of the heart which passeth the reach of all vnderstanding Many cannot distinguish betweene this ioy of the minde and the ioy of the heart But let such men know that a temptation may change the minde and motion of the braine but the heart and affection being roote in goodnesse it can neuer change it For although there be sorrow in thy heart in the euening and for a season yet ioy againe will come in the morning The Lord he is faithfull who hath called his and he will alwaies perfect his worke in them first in raising vp the bodie in the last day and then in ioyning it together with the soule and making both partakers of that blessednesse and glorious happinesse which is prepared for them in the kingdome of heauen THE NINTH SERMON PREACHED ON PART OF the 44. verse of the 13. Chapter according to Saint Matthew MATTH 13. vers 44. And for ioy thereof departeth and selleth all that he hath and buyeth that field IN the former Sermon wee shewed that the kingdome of God was taken in two diuers senses as namely First for the glorious estate of Gods children after this life when they shall liue eternally with God and enioy the presence of the holie Angels triumphing ouer sinne hell death and condemnation and secondly for the entrance which Gods children haue into the kingdome of God in this world This kingdome is of two parts one of the meanes whereby God offereth his kingdome vnto them the other of the graces of the Spirit which hee offereth by the meanâ—s Here we are taught that none shall euer haue fruition of the ioyes of heauen but those which take possession of them in earth none shall rise againe with Christ to glorie which doth not here arise
a surgeon to shew vs our sinnes than a sergeant to arrest vs to perpetuall imprisonment for our sinnes 3 Sathan hath two waies to buffet vs first he moueth to despaire shewing vs how such men did abide trouble but they were rare men of rare faith of rare feeling of rare patience God hath not called vs to that measure of grace we are vnworthie by reason of our sinnes to hope for the like faith or fruites of faith His other temptation sauours of pride when he will make vs equall in dignitie with the highest of Gods Saints but vnequall in dutie with them then he will perswade that God is as good and as strong to vs as he hath been to others but he keeps vs from vsing those waies and meanes whereby others haue and we ought to haue this goodnesse and power of God conueyed into vs. Wherefore as we must not distrâ—st God that we shall obtaine the like mercie with others if we vse the like meanes so we must not be so bold as to dreame that euer we shall haue the like fauour with them vnlesse we labour for the like faith with them the like faith I say though not in quantitie â—â—â—â— qualitie and that by vse of the meanes 4 Vnto one that said he was possest of a Diuell he answered as hoping that he was the childe of God and rather deluded than so afflicted True it is that as much as lieth in you you haue giueâ— ouer your selfe vnto the Diuell but it is not in your power to giue ouer your selfe vnto him neither is it in his iurisdiction to possesse you Superstition 1 MAny hauing escaped out of the gulfe of superstition are too deepe plunged in prophanenes Strange corrections 1 VNto a very godly man whose onely sonne was drowned and therfore came vnto him in great anguish of minde and asked whether such strange corrections were not alwaies tokens of strange sinnes He answered That albeit God did seuerely correct sinne in it yet it was not necessarie that God should chiefly respect the punishment of sinne in this thing as might appeare in the like dealing with Iob and other of his children Eccl. 9. Such things happen oftner to the good c. Howbeit said he God might correct your securitie herein which either brings some sinne or crosse or God might correct your immoderate loue of him or your vnthankfulnes for what measure he was reformed or your not praying for him or the Lord might take away this consolation and withdraw wholie your minde from the world and more throughly sanctifie you to himselfe Or he might preuent some worldlinesse which you might haue fallen into or some sinne which your sonne might haue fallen into which would haue been a sorer trouble than his death and therefore you must stay your selfe on the loue of God in all Saluation 1 THat man is blest whom God hath from all beginnings chosen to eternall life To whom God hath giuen his Christ as a perfect redeemer In whoÌ„ he hath sealed the assurance of â—l those things by his holy spirit to whom he hath giuen his word in whom the word and spirit haue begot faith by whose power faith hath begotten ioyes in heauenly things in whom ioy hath wrought a sincere heart to please God in whom sinceritie is accompanied with loue vnfained to the Lord and his Saints loue ioyned with a care to obey the commandements this care breeding a reuerent feare to please God in whom this godly feare rebuketh sinne thâ— rebuking of sin worketh a mourning spirit in whom a mourning spirit begetteth true meekenes this meekenes of minde causing vs to hunger after Christ. So as feeling his owne miserie he is taught to shew mercie vnto others and so sheweth mercie as it is with the bowels of compassion whose heart God so gouerning that all outward benefits turne to his blessing as seales of the fauour of God vnto whom all crosses being sanctified in Christ turne to his good who finally in this faith and fruites of faith meekely and patiently possessing his soule waiteth and looketh assuredly for the glorious kingdome of God after this life This is the golden chaine of vndoubted blessednesse whose linckes are so fastened the one in the other that wheresoeuer any of them be wanting there is a breach and weakenes made in the whole To make speede to good things 1 AS it is a fearefull thing to hasten to doe euill and to linger to an euill thing is an holy lingring so it is a blessed thing to hasten to godlinesse and to make speede to a good thing is a hastines very godly Psal. 42. Psal. 95. Elisha must not salute any body in the way the Apostles must not commune with any in their iourney and why They must make haste to doe the will of God It is profitable to make haste to heauen but it is no wisedome to make haste to hell and yet to doe well we finde a Lion in the streetes but to doe euil nothing can stay vs He that euil come to heauen must make haste for the kingdome of God must be taken violently he must be like those wise virgins not lingeâ—ing to get oyle nor delaying â—o furnish themselues with the graces of God against the comming of Christ. Sleepe 1 BEcause great naturall and worldly sorrow and ioy will cause a man to breake his sleepe at midnight he â—ould trie himselfe whether sorrow for sinne and ioy in saluation had caused him to doe the like Sermons 1 MAny men may be said to be Sermon-sick as there are some said to be Sea-sick for as they that are Sea-sicke for the time of their seafaring so long as they be on the water are feeble stomacked faint hearâ—ed euer readie to die and yet arriuing on the land being gotten out of the ship and hauing paused some little time doe begin to forget their late troubles and to recouer their former strength againe So many so long as they are in the Church hearing and are tossed by the power of the word their hearts are sicke their consciences melt they are much troubled but when once the voyce ceaseth and they are out of the Church doores and haue acquainted themselues with the aire of the world they forget what they heard and wherewith they were moued and so retire to their former life againe Schisme 1 ALthough it is sure that a good man shall not finally fall in the maine points of his saluation yet hee may be seduced in some lesse matters but for all that in the end he shall escape but the seducer shall surely be punished For a well meaning man found in faith and yet a nouice in Christ may be carried to like some solemne superstitions and poâ—pous ceremonies in the worship of God Againe a man careful and right in the substance of saluation for
but it is the power of Gods presence preparing vs to prayer or some such seruice of God which when we feele if wee fall downe before God in prayer we shall finde an vnspeakable ioy following it but if we cherish it with euill surmises it will leade vs to further inconueniences 77 When we haue greatest cause of ioy for doing some good then it is a good thing most to feare our vnthankfulnes and our selfe-loue and our secure vnkindnes 78 When Sathan cannot get vs to grosse sinnes he will â—ssaile vs with spirituall temptations 79 Nothing in the world will so much feare and shame vs as God in his mercies powred vpon vs which meditation in receiuing graces from God will humble vs from pride in them and keepe vs in feare which be the waies to obtaine new mercies 80 We must beware of smoothering the watch word of our conscience when we are bent to sinne Euery man in his owne conscience is forewarned of sinne though the Lord speake not to him from heauen as he did to Cain 81 As a man being outlawed may take his pleasure for a while but whensoeuer or wheresoeuer he may be taken he must yeeld to that punishment which by verdict is appoynted so the wicked on whom sentence of damnation is already passed may for a while shake off their paines with vaine pleasures but afterward they shall be arrested and carried violently to the place of wofull execution But for the godly which haue the assurance of their inheritance sealed vp in their consciences though they shall be warned in the day of the resurrection to make their open appearance yet as honest men of the countrie shall stand before the Iudge not as fellonious offenders 82 We must first make men by a feeling of sinne to seeke Christ by an holy faith to find Christ and then by newnes of life to dwell with Christ. 83 Balâ—am prayed that he might die the death of the righteous but let vs pray that we may liue the life of the righteous for he liued not the life of the righteous and therefore he could not die the death of the righteous and if we liue the life of the righteous we shall be sure to die the death of the righteous 84 It is a great token of regeneration if we doe not onely sorrow for great sinnes and sigh for small offences but mourne for particular wants of good actions or in good actions for wâ—nt of good affections 85 There is small hope of him which cannot discerne in himselfe the life of the spirit and the life of the flesh and it is to be doubted that he is yet vnregenerate 86 When men being young are too much giuen to carnall pleasures they being old are too much giuen to worldly profit 87 As we haue taken a vaine delight in the vaine course of this life so we must sigh and pray to be delighted spiritually in spirituall things 88 Adam should haue been no worse for his temptation no more than Christ was but that the one yeelded the other did not 89 If the blood of Christ hath washed vs from the guiltines of sinne then the holy Ghost hath purged vs from the filthines of sinne 90 When our sinne hath lesse liking in vs then there is hope that it will decay in vs especially if we sorrow for it when we cannot fully forsake it and labour to forsake it because it is sinne 91 In true mortification we must haue the first motions of sinne and condemne them as accessaries to sinne in conspiring the death of our soules 92 Hypocrisie is seene when sinne lyeth most dead vnder a cloake and most liueth vnder a closet wherewith God is so displeased that when we make no conscience of sinne in close places our priuie sinnes shall breake forth into open places 93 Particular infirmities doe not hinder the preparation of our hearts for the Lord if we haue a true loue of his word as had Iehosaphat 94 Two things are necessarie to espouse vs to Christ the one to vse the pure meanes the other to vse those meanes with a pure heart 95 If we play with our owne affections sinne in the end from sport will spurre vs to confusion For though we be twice or thrice spared yet we must know that the Lord will recompence his long tarrying with wrath 96 Through our corruption we profit more by the doctrine of a man if we thinke he be our enemie than if we thinke him to be our friend for if he be our friend we let it passe as not spoken to vs though the matter neuer so much concerne vs if our enemie if it neuer so little touch vs we thinke it to be spoken against vs. 97 Walking spirits are vndoubtedly not the soules departed but the euill spirits of the ayre 98 It is a great mercie of God to haue a large affection of weldoing when we haue good occasion thereof for God neuer ceaseth in offering occasions but we often cease in hauing affections 99 Obedience is a chaine to tye vp all the creatures of God from our hurt and as a thing to muzzle their mouthes that they cannot bite vs. Againe disobedience breaketh and openeth the mouthes of all things to our destruction 100 If we haue not the fauour of men it is either for the triall of our faith or for want of dutie vnto them that are displeased with vs or because we sought to please them by displeasing of God or because we haue not prayed for them or haue offended God for which he causeth men to be offended with vs. 1 Because we doe not to men the good we should doe God often suffereth them to report of vs the euill they should not 2 Those temptations are most dangerous which haue most holy ends 3 When a man is most merrie he is neerest danger 4 It is the easiest thing in the world to deceiue a good man 5 God hath two hands in the one he holdeth a hammer to breake the proud in peeces and to bray them to powder in the other hand he hath a horne to powre Gods blessings vpon the humble 1. Pet. 5. 5. 6 If a man should be stinted to one meale a weeke he would haue a pined body at the weekes end euen so if our soules be but fed with the word once a weeke they would be as hunger-starued if we could see it 7 You are in earth to follow your calling you are not yet in heauen Adam when he was most holy by creation and free from euery iot of sinne and corruption did walke in his calling appointed of God much more then are we comfortably to follow the Lord his ordinance seeing these outward things did not come in with sinne but were ordained before sinne 8 Whatsoeuer is vpon you
that Christ shall come in his Majestie to pronounce sentence vpon all those that were dead before and vpon them that then shall befound aliue What comfort haue you by this 1. I am comforted in my greatest miserie knowing that CHRIST will come one day and 〈…〉 of all 2. I am sure that hee will giue sentence on my side and take me to glorie with him Why say you I beleeue in God the holie Ghost Because he is God equall with the Father and the Sonne Why call you him â—â—â— Because hee is the Author of all holinesse What fruite haue you by this 1. The holie Ghost doth assure mee that I am the childe of God by making mee to call him Aâ—â—â— Father 2 He assureth me that by the vertue of the death and resurrection of Christ that sinne dieth in mee and I am raised vp to holinesse of life 3. The holy Ghost leadeth me into all truth needfull to Gods glorie my saluation 4. Hee comforteth mee in all my troubles and in death assureth me of a better life in this same bodie and soule What is the meaning of this article I belieue that there is a Catholike Church That God hath a certaine number of his chosen children which hee doth call and gather to himselfe Why say you I belieue that there is a Catholike Church Because that the Church of God cannot be alwayes seene with the eyes of man Why call you the Church Holie Because the Church on the earth though in it selfe it is sinfull yet in Christ the head it is holy and in the life to come shall be brought to perfection of holines Why doe you call it Catholique Because God in all places and of all sorts of men had from the beginning hath now and euer wil haue an holy Church What is the meaning of this article The Communion of Saints The whole Church communicateth with Christ and euery member one with another in the benefites of Christ. What comfort haue you by this article 1. I am comforted because I am iustified by that Faith whereby Adam and Abraham were iustified which is tyed to no time or place and excludeth no person 2. I am comforted because I am made partaker of Christ and all his mercies by Faith and of all the blessings of the Church by loue What belieuest thou in this article I belieue the forgiuenesse of sinnes I belieue that God for Christs sake doth freely forgiue me not onely all my sinnes but also the punishment that I haue deserued by them Why say you I belieue the forgiuenesse of sinnes Because no reason can perswade mee but the holie Ghost onely must worke the assurance of it in my heart What comfort haue you heereby 1. First I am comforted because all the sinnes I haue and daily commit shall neuer be laide to my charge 2. Secondly I am comforted because that the weaknes and wants of all my duties are couered and supplied in Christ. 3. Thirdly I am comforted because God will heare mee praying for others that they may haue Faith to feele the forgiuenes of sinnes What belieuest thou in this article The resurrection of the body vnto life euerlasting I belieue that this bodie after it shall be dissolued into dust shall bee raised vp againe at the last day and my soule shall liue in euerlasting glorie What comfort reape you thereby 1. I am made comfortable and chearefull in well-doing seeing my labour shall not be in vaine 2. I am made to despise the pleasures and glory of this world and with patience to suffer all troubles that are laide vpon me in this present life 3. It comforteth me ouer the death of my dearest friends and maketh mee carefull in death knowing that I shall haue a part in the resurrection of the iust What fruite haue you when you belieue all these Articles All doe come to this ende that being iustified by faith I am righteous in Christ before God What be the seuerall fruites 1. First I am at peace with God although in my selfe for my outward sinnes which I daily commit and my inward corruption which remaineth I am daily accused 2. I get strength to fight against my outward sinnes to subdue my inward corruption to doe outward good workes and to delight in the law of God in the inward man 3. I haue a right to all Gods creatures so that the vse and want of them shall turne to the furtherance of my saluation 4. I am assured of the glorification of my soule and bodie in the heauens because I am made an heire of euerlasting life Why is this giuen wholly and onely vnto Faith Not because Faith doth deserue it but because the merits of Christ can be laid holde on and applyed to my selfe by none other meanes but by Faith alone Cannot our good workes in some part iustifie vs before God No for the righteousnes which is able to stand in the iudgement of God must be perfect in all respects Are not our good workes perfect No for in many things wee sinne all and againe the best workes we doe are defiled with sinne and therefore can deserue nothing at the hands of God Why then doth God promise a reward vnto them The reward that God doth promise it is not for the desert of workes but of his owne grace and mercie Will not this doctrine make men carelesse of well doing No for they that be ingraffted into Christ must needes bring forth good workes Why is it needfull that they should doe good workes 1. First that wee may by them shew our selues thankfull vnto God for all his benefites 2. That we may be assured of our Faith and election by good works 3. That by our good workes wee may edifie others How maiest thou edifie others 1. First by encouraging and strengthening those that are good 2. Secondly by winning those that are not come vnto God 3. And then by stopping the mouthes of the wicked 4. The fourth ariseth of the former and that is the glorie of GOD which is aduanced by them Are good workes so needfull that without them wee cannot be saued Yea for although good workes doe not worke our saluation in any part yet because they that are iustified are also sanctified they that doe no good workes declare that they neither are iustified nor sanctified and therefore cannot be saued Then they must much more be condemned which commit sinne and lye in it Yea for such are not onely pronounced to bee accursed by the Law but also the Gospell hath denounced that they shall not inherite the kingdome of heauen Can euery one doe good workes None can doe good workrs but they that are borne againe How can they that are thus borne againe doe good workes They that are thus borne againe and carrie in them the Image of God haue repentance wrought in them from whence good workes doe proceede What is Repentance Repentance is a turning of
if before it was begun is now continued or i◠it was not before now beginneth and neuer endeth world without ende For though true it is that sicknesse pouertie imprisonment or banishment haue ended their tearme in death yet a wounded heart which was temporall in this life is now eternall after this life that which before death was in hope recouerable is after death made vncurable and vnrecouerable It is good therefore to consider if euen in this life the torment of conscience be so fearefull how much more grieuous is it to sustaine it in hell where that is infinite which here is finite where that is vnmeasurable which here is measurable where is the sea of sorrow whereof this is but a drop where is the flame of that fire whereof this is lesse than a sparke But to shut vp this argument Some there haue beene who throughout all their life time haue beene free from all other troubles so as either they felt them not at all or else in very small measure and by that meanes neuer knew what outward trouble meant As for example some men there haue beene who for sicknesse neuer knew the head-ach for pouertie neuer knew what want meant who for discredit were neuer euill spoken of who euer put farre from them the euill day of the Lord who made a league with death as it were and a couenant with hell who though they could crucifie euery crosse rather than come vnder any crosse yet they could neuer escape a wounded conscience either in this life or in the life to come True it is that Gods children by faith and repentance doe often escape it but the wicked and such as are borne vnto it as to their sure inheritance the more they flie from it the more it pursueth them If we haue transgressed the Ciuill Iawes the Iudge by bribes may be corrupted if a man haue committed some capitall offence by flying his Countrie he may escape the Magistrates hands but our consciences telling vs that we haue sinned against God what bribe shall we offer or whither shall we flie whither shall we goe from his spirit or whither shall we goe from his presence If we ascend into heauen is not he there If we lie downe in hell is he not there If we flie to the vtmost parts of the sea is he not there also There needeth no apparitor to summon vs there needes no Bayly arrant to fetch vs there needes no accuser to giue in against vs sin will arrest vs and lyeth at the doore our owne consciences will impannall a Quest against vs our owne hearts will giue in sufficient euidence and our owne iniquities will pleade guiltie to our owne faces Thus we see both by the experience of them that haue suffered the wound of the spirit and by the comparing of it with other euils what a weight most grieuous and burthen intolerable it is to haue a tormented conscience Now let vs shew how we may preuent and by what meanes Gods children falling into some degrees of it for if it rage in extremitie it is an euill most dangerous may safely and quietly be deliuered from it And here a iust complaint is to be taken vp and it is a wonder to be marked that we see many so carefull and watchfull to auoyd other troubles and so few or none take any paines to escape the trouble of minde which is so grieuous We see men louing health and loathing sicknes in diet temperate in sleepe moderate in Physicke expert skilfull to purge and to auoid such corrupt humors which in time may breede though presently they doe not bring forth some dangerous sicknes yet to auoyd the diseases of the soule no man abateth his sleepe no man abridgeth his diet no man prepareth Physicke for it no man knoweth when to be full and when to be emptie how to want and how to abound Others caried away with the loue of riches and very slie to fall into pouertie will not sticke to rise early and take sleepe lately to fare hardly to teare and taw their flesh in labour by land and by water in faire and foule weather by rockes and by sands from farre and from neere and yet to fall into spirituall decaies to auoide the pouertie of conscience no man taketh such paines as though saluation and peace of minde were not a thing worthie the labouring for Some ambitiously hunting after honour and not easily digesting reproches behaue themselues neither sluggishly nor sleepily but are actiue in euery attempt by loue and by counsell by prudence and prowesse by wit and by practise by labour and learning by cunning and diligence to become famous and to shun a ciuill reproch yet to be glorious in the sight of God and his Angels to fall before the heauens in the presence of the Almightie to be couered with shame and confusion of conscience we make none account as they who neither vse any meanes to obtaine the one nor auoid those occasions which may bring the other Others vnwilling to come within the reach and danger of the law that they may escape imprisonment of body or confiscation of goods will be painefull in penall Satutes skilfull in euery branch of the ciuill law and especially will labour to keepe themselues from treasons murthers felonies and such like offences deseruing the punishment of death yet when the Lord God threatneth the seizure both of soule and body the attaching of our spirits the confiscating of our cōsciences the banishing of vs from heauen the hanging of vs in hell the suspending of our saluation the adiudging of vs to condemnation for the breach of his commandements no man searcheth his eternall law no man careth for the Gospell neither the sentence of euerlasting diuorcement from the Lord neither the couenant of reconciliation is esteemed of vs. And to reach our complaint one degree further Behold the more we seeke outward pleasures and to auoid the inward trouble of minde the more we haste and runne into it and suddenly plunge our selues in a wounded spirit ere we be aware Who posteth more to become rich who hopeth lesse to become poore than the marchant man who aduentureth great treasures who hazardeth his goods who putteth in ieopardie his life and yet suddenly he either rusheth vpon the rocke of hardnesse of heart or else is swallowed vp of the gulph of a despairing minde from which afterwards he cannot be deliuered with a ship full of golde Wofull proofe hath confirmed how some men wholy set on pleasures such as could not away to be sad and to be hedged vp alwaies of godly sorrow haue had their tables made snares and euen their excesse of pleasures hath brought excesse of sorrowes and whilest they laboured to put the euill day farre from them they haue vsed such follies as haue bred them most bitter and terrible torments of their fearefull and trembling consciences There be some of another sorte who
worship him on the Sabbath onely but also in the other sixe daies it should be lawfull for them to haue holy assemblies and Christian meetings which though they now should doe but in part by reason of their ordinarie calling hereafter they should doe it both continually and perfectly in the kingdome of heauen Which thing was performed euen of the Apostles who although they obserued one solemne day yet had they their godly assemblies for holy exercises on other daies also True it is that the Family of loue pretends a shew of the kingdome of God in this life by rising from sinne saying that we here sit in heauenly places But the scriptures in this case speake of the begining not of the consummation of God his children in glorie For in this life we possesse but in hope that which perfectly we shall enioy We be here admitted but into the entrie of this kingdome we here take vp our hold we receiue our deedes our lease and euidence are giuen vs in this world to assure vs that hereafter we shal haue the full fruition perfect possession Wherefore another Prophet saith Ierem. 31. 33. 34. This shall be the couenant that I shall make with the house of Israel After those daies saith the Lord I will put my law in their inward parts c. 34. And they shall teach no more euery man his neighbour and euery man his brother saying I know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest saith the Lord. Where we may see that though the full accomplishment of our glorie and knowledge is in heauen yet true it is that here it is begun and shall be finished hereafter when we shall perfectly know God whom now we know but in part and as it were in a mirrour For euery one as it is Hebr. 5. 12. concerning these times should be able through God his spirit to teach others according to that calling wherein the Lord hath placed him And as that place reacheth not that all should be Doctors but that there should be knowledge in all though in greater measure in some so our Prophet meaneth not that euery day should be a Sabbath but that Christians in euery day of the weeke should prouide for the worship of God in some measure though more fully and more solemnely on the Sabbath So we see the force of this to be in the way of a comparison that Christians should not satisfie themselues concerning the worship of God with the Sabbath but that also as their calling would permit they should worship from Sabbath to Sabbath As for the second answere to proue against the maintainers of a continuall Sabbath that this place is meant of the Church triumphant and not of the Church militant it shall easily appeare if we consider diligently what goeth before what commeth after which rule is worthilie to be followed in sifting out the true sense of the places in the Scriptures Now in the verse going before mention is made of the new heauens and the new earth whereby he meaneth not the first appearing of Christ in humilitie but his second comming in glorie as may appeare 2. Pet. 3. 13. where the Apostle repeateth the same words saying We looke for new heâ—uens and a new earth according to his promise wherein dwelleth righteousnesse Surely if the Prophet had meant this to haue beene in Christ his comming in the flesh it is most like it should haue beene in the flourishing estate of the Church and glorious times of the Apostles but that it was not so it is manifest by the Apostle his owne words We looke for new heauens c. In the verse following the Prophet speaketh of the worme that shall not die and of the fire that shall not be quenched which vndoubtedly is vnderstood of the hels whereinto the wicked shall be cast at the last iudgement day as may be gathered by our Sauiour Christ his words Mark 9. 43. 44. where he maketh mention of hell Where the worme dyeth not and the fire neuer goeth out Wherefore by the premises and sequele we conclude with the learned that the Sabbath here mentioned must be kept in the kingdome of heauen And therefore their continuall Sabbath which they should haue in this life is a deuise of their owne braine and not gathered out of this place And thus much of the reasons which seemed to proue the Sabbath ceremoniall taken out of the prescript words of the olde Testament As for that which we alleadged out of Ezechiel chap. 20. it is alreadie answered sufficiently in confuting their first reason which was drawne out of Exod. 32. Now it remaineth in like manner to consider of their arguments which they take out of the new Testament and that either out of the historie of Christ or from the writings of his holy Apostles And because the foure Euangelists agree in one harmonie we will briefly reduce all their reasons into one or two principall places namely Matth. 12. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Marke 2. 27. In Matth. 12. it is said At that time Iesus went on a Sabbath day through the corne and his Disciples were hungry and began to plucke the eare of corne and to eate 2. And when the Pharisies saw it they said vnto him Behold thy disciples do that which is not lawfull to do vpon the Sabbath 3. But he said vnto them Haue ye not heard what Dauid did when he was an hungred and they that were with him 4. How he entred into the house of God and eate the shewe bread which was not lawfull for him to eate neither for them which were with him but onely for the Priests 5. Or haue yee not read in the Law how that on the Sabbath dayes the Priests in the Temple brake the Sabbath and are blamelesse 6. But I say vnto you that here is one greater than the Temple 7. Wherefore if yee knew what this is I will haue mercie and not sacrifice ye would not haue condemned the innocents 8. For the sonne of man is Lord euen of the Sabbath The occasion of this doctrine of Christ is that he going abroad to preach with his Disciples they for huÌ„ger pulled the eares of corne Hereof arose by the Pharises this Controuersie who accused the Disciples for trauelling on the Sabbath day as though they had done a worke on the Sabbath which was not lawfull to de done because the Law said that no man should trauaile on that day Our Sauiour Christ hearing this accusation defendeth his Disciples whereof some conclude that our Sauiour here abrogated the Sabbath But what could they haue forged more vntrue For if as they say he now had abrogated the Sabbath then our Sauior Christ did not obey euery part of the ceremonies vnto death which to affirme let them tell the danger of it Nay rather according to the iudgement of the better learned we affirme that Christ is so farre off
to accelerate their death or to reade mee as some haue read Plato that thereby they should hasten the time of their deliuerance but that wee should learne when God doth becke for vs wee should bee readie to remoue and that for none other causes but for faith and in hope of Gods promises a full feeling of our sinnes discharged a sure confidence of God his power in raising vs vp againe and a stedfast hope of a more glorious possession after this life By these meanes wee shall so rest in the hands of God that when nature decaieth wee shall haue our departure with calmnes and in a good time shall through a naturall ripenes rather voluntarily fall of than violently bee pulled off Wherefore wee see that this rash and vndiscreete desire off death is either in mindes that are abiect or in men in whose flesh their spirits are alreadie buried as also that the triumph of the godly proceedeth from hence euen a full assurance that he which raised them vp euery morning will raise them in the last day and that hee which raised Christ their head will also raise them his members This is that which will stay all quiuering of the flesh wherewith many are so benummed that they cannot with gladnes drinke of that cup whereunto the Lord allotted them If euer this doctrine of the resurrectioÌ„ was needfull it is now adaies most needfull wherein wicked Heretikes would depriue vs of the comfort of it It will not serue in the time of temptation whether it come immediatly from the diuell or medâ—â—tly by his instruments to rest in our infolded faith with the Papists or to say wee beleeue as it is in the Creede wee beleeue as the Church beleeueth But to leaue the diuell himselfe hee hath suborned such priuie and treacherous aduersaries of this doctrine as with impudent faces will agree with vs in matter and in word will graunt the resurrection and yet shift away in their manner and in sense and truth blasphemously denie the power of the same Thus Hymineus and Philetus would not flatly denie the resurrection nay they would graunt it but how they saide it was past Thus cunningly Satan would ouerthrow the manner of the resurrection by permitting them to dally in the matter Againe shall wee thinke that the Sadduces did generally resist it no they had their false glosses and their forced interpretations with whom Satan in policie would pretend a maintaining of that which in purpose hee sought to mangle and marre The Philosophers had many glancing and glorious speeches of the immortalitie of the soule but when they came to this point concerning the rising againe of the flesh nothing was more ridiculous and incredible vnto them In so much that many of them of the Epicures and Stoikes mocked Paul disputing of this matter and said What will this babbler say as wee may reade Act. 17. verse 18. And when hee spake of the resurrection from the dead some mocked and others said we will heare thee againe â—f this matter Surely if the rising againe had been nothing but the renewing of the minde as some fondly dreame and falsely affirme it may bee thought that the Academicks would haue conceiued this doctrine and Platoesidaea hath as great secrets But here is the point which they sticke at and can by no meanes digest it that the naturall bodie after it is consumed into the ayre fire water or earth should afterward reuiue and receiue supernaturall qualities and as Philosophers and Heretikes cannot brooke this kinde of teaching so sure it is that few of the common professors receiue it in truth as their liues doe manifestly proue Besides there is another euill more perillous than these Through the close subtiltie of Satan this mysterie of iniquitie is cunningly conueyed into the heads of the more learned sort to discourse of certane places of the old Testament which godly learned and ancient Fathers haue construed of the resurrection and are denied of these men As these places Iob. 19. 25. 26. 27. and Esaj 26 19. and Daniel 12. 2. It may be and I do thinke their intent and purpose was not to misconstrue the places Howbeit it was Sathans policie to abuse the truth and vndermine our faith it was the secret iudgement of God to suffer Sathan so farre to buffet them Wherefore that we may the better be armed against the day of triall and that we may stand strongly in the day of temptation in our possession we will by God his assistance first set downe those expresse testimonies in the word of God whereby this doctrine is confirmed Secondly we will alleage those reasons out of the Scriptures which implie this thing though they doe not plainely affirme it Afterward wee will vnâ—ase the shifting visard of Heretikes whereby they would counsell men to some liking of their opinions Wherefore that wee may the better answere the diuell and his limmes let vs first consider of that translation of Enoch Genes 5. 24. wherin the Fathers haue obserued a manifest testimonie of the resurrection with whome I agree in part but not in generall because I dare not affirme with them that the body of Enoch is in heauen seeing as yet Christ alone is risen from the dead and was made the first fruites of them that slept And albeit that Enoch and Eliah did not fall asleepe as did the other Fathers yet because it is saide Hebr. 11. 39. that the Fathers in old time among whom Enoch is mentioned receiued not the promise that is the fulnes of the promise it cannot bee that Enoch his flesh is yet in heauen And howsoeuer hee was taken away by vnknowne meanes neuerthelesse that GOD that could so hide the bodie of Moses that euen the diuell looking for it could not finde it hath also laid vp the bodies of Enoch and Eliah in such meanes aâ— are hid from vs. And as the Lord hath infinit meanes of hiding so hath he incomprehensible means of finding as well of the bodie of Enoch as of the bodie of Moses Now whereas it is saide Heb 11. 33. that they suffered that they may receiue a better resurrection it must needes be that there is a rising againe of the flesh Againe we read Exod. 3 6. that the Lord said vnto Moses I am the God of thy Fathers the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob In which place it may seeme not a sufficient proofe to confirme so great a matter Howbeit our Sauiour CHRIST vseth it as a bulwarke against the Sadduces Matth 22 32. where our Sauiour Christ to prooue the resurrection inferreth the same words adding to them thus much God is not the God of the dead but of the liuing where wee see how Abraham Isaac and Iacob being aliue haue their bodies in the Lord his hands in keeeping as well as their soules Wherefore seeing both the Prophets and Christ himselfe haue vsed this place to that ende wee also
may safely vse it to proue the Resurrection It is said moreouer Iob. 19 25. I am sure that my Redeemer liueth and hee shall stand the last on the earth 26. And though after my skinne wormes destroy this bodie yet shall I see GOD in my flesh 27. Whome my selfe shall see and mine eyes shall beholde and none otâ—er for mee though my reines are consumed within mee This place the very Heretikes will grant after a fashion that is with a most wicked minde vnderstanding it onely of that rising againe vnto sanctification which is in this life Others there bee which are of a reuerent iudgement in other things who expound this of the renewing and restoring of his flesh to freshnes and soundnes after that it was corrupted with sores and eaten with cankers But admitte it were so which in truth cannot beare that exposition how could hee haue belieued that but that hee being perswaded that God who when his bodie should wholly bee resolued into corruption would raise it to a more glorious perfection could much more restore soundnes to his bodie now whilst this corruption was but in part on him How could hee doe it but by hope in the power of GOD which with greater case could renewe his flesh and bones beeing but corrupted than reuiue the same being altogether dead and throughly consumed as we reade Ezech. 37 5. 6. wherein is set downe a notable type of this rising againe 5. Thus saith the Lord vnto these bones Behold I will cause breath to enter into you and ye shall liue 6. And I will lay sinewes vpon you and make flesh grow vpon you and couer you with skinne and put breath in you that ye may liue and ye shall knowe that I am the Lord. True it is that the chiefe purpose of the Holy Ghost is to foreshewe the bringing againe of the people out of captiuitie howbeit vnder a most excellent figure of the rising and restoring of the flesh in the last day So that the place importeth thus much if the Lord could restore sinewes flesh skinne breath and life to rotten bones much more hee could restore the Israelites to their countrie The same sense may be applied to that Esay 26. 19. Thy dead men shall liue euen with my bodie shall they rise Awake and sing yee that dwell in dust for thy dewe is as the dew of hearbs and the earth shall cast out the dead In which place is signified thus much As hearbes in time of winter seeme dead and yet in the spring time sprout againe by reason of that sappe that lay hidden in the roote and as the bodies of the faithfull seeme vtterly to perish when they are in the earth and yet in the last day shall rise againe through that seede which is giuen in Christ euen so the Israelites who in time of their banishment seemed to die as winter hearbes and to perish as dead bodies should bee brought home againe and restored to their former libertie Which place could not but shew the returne of the people vnder the type of the resurrectioÌ„ in that the Prophet saith Euen with this bodie shall they rise Notable is that place Daniel 12. 2. Many of them that sleepe in the dust of the earth shall awake some to euerlasting life and some to perpetuall shame and contempt Whereunto agreeth that saying of our Sauiour Christ Ioh. 5. 28. Maruaile not at this for the houre shall come in which all that are in the graues shall heare his voyce 29. And they shall come foorth that haue done good vnto the resurrection of life but they that haue done euill to the resurrection of condemnation Now wheÌ„ we shall see that there is nothing more cleere of the doctrine of faith contained in the new Testament than that of the resurrection and that there is no new doctrine in the same but it is also in the old Testament although indeede that is more manifestly and in more perfect beautie set down by the Prince of Prophets than by the Prophets his forerunners what shall wee say there is in the new Testament not proued in some measure alreadie in the old The Iewes beleeued no one article more than that of the resurrection as may appeare by that readie answere of Martha Ioh 12 24. at what time our Sauiour Christ came to raise vp Lazarus her brother for hee saying vnto her in the verse going before Thy brother shall rise againe by and by she answered I know that he shall rise againe in the resurrection of the last day Again we reade Act. 23. 8. that the Pharisies confessed the resurrection Now it is knowne that the faith of the Iewes was grounded on the word which as yet was onely in the administration of the old Testament and not in the new for as yet it was not extant or in no credit at the least with them wherefore seeing not onely the primitiue Church hath beleeued herein by the euident light of the new Testament and the Iewes before beleeued it by the light of the old it is manifest that the doctrine of the resurrectioÌ„ is proued in the old and among many places this of our Psalme is not the least where it is said Thou shalt not leaue my soule in graue nor suffer thine holy one to see corruption By soule we must vnderstaÌ„d he meaneth his natural life as it is taken in the Scripture 1. Cor. 15. 45. where the Apostle borrowing his speech from the second chapter of Genesis and seuenth verse saith The first man Adam was made a liuing soule and the last Adam was made a quickening spirit The reason why hee prooued the rising againe of his flesh is here drawne from the power of our Sauiour Christ of whom these wordes are meant Thou wilt not suffer thine holie one to see corruption as both Peter in his notable Sermon Act 2. and Paul Act. 23. doe plainly affirme for the Apostle saith that Dauid was buried and sawe corruption and therefore he spake not this of himselfe but of Christ his head in whom was found no qualitie of corruption at all so that Dauid as a member of Christ gathered this by the eye of faith that there should come an holie one out of his loines who by his owne mightie power should raise vp his owne bodie from seeing any corruption and by the same power should also raise his bodie which should see corruption that it might rest with his and be made like his as we may reade Philip. 3. 20. Our conuersation is in heauen from whence wee looke for the Sauiour euen the Lord Iesus Christ. 21. Who shall chaunge our vile bodies that they may be fashioned like to his glorious boâ—ie according to the working whereby he is able euen to subdue all things vnto himselfe So that the Prophet looketh for a resurrection of the flesh after it shall bee corrupted contrarie to the heretiquâ—s who dreame of a spirituall resurrection from sinne which by no meanes
can be vnderstood of Christ in whom was no sinne and therefore no rising from sinne And thus much for the places of the old testament now we will alleage those places of the new First let vs consider of the words wherewith our Sauiour Christ confuâ—eth the Sadduces Math. 22. 32. I am the God of Abraham of Isaac and of Iacob God cannot be sayd to be the God of Abraham being dead except he raise his body againe which he hath in keeping as well as his soule For he saith not I am the God of Abrahams soule but I am the God of Abraham the God of his whole man wherefore it must needes be that Abraham must rise againe Mâ—t. 25. 31. When the Sonne of man commeth in his glorie and all the holy Angels with him then shall hee sit vpon the throne of his glorie Likewise Luke 14. 13. When thou makest a feast call the poore the maymed the lâ—me and the blinde 14. And thou shalt be blessed because they cannot recompense thee for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the iust As if our Sauiour Christ should say although thou maiest think that all the things thus giuen are lost here yet there commeth a time when thou shalt reape the recompence plentifully and haue thy reward with the iust Ioh. 5. 28. 29 The Lord sheweth the resurrection of both estates and willeth them not to maruell that he should raise their soules to life which would raise their bodies from death â—8 Marueilâ— not at this saith he for the houre shall come i. the which all that are in the graues shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of man â—9 And they soâ—ll come forth that haue â—â—â— good vnto the resurrection of life but they that haue done euill vnto the resurrection of condemnation Ioh. 11. Martha as we shewed before plainely testifieth of the resurrection and confesseth her faith therein Act. 3. 19. The Apostle Peter calleth this rising againe the time of refreshing a thing most comfortable for as the wearisome way saâ—ing man recreateth himselfe with his Inne at night so the godly shall surely after their troubles bee renewed and refreshed at the presence of Christ. Act. â—3 6. Paul sheweth to the Pharisies how hee was accused of the hope and resurrection of the dead And Act â—4 15. Paul protesteth his faith of the resurrection that it should bee both of the iust and the vniust which thing wrought in him as it ought to do in all a carefull conscience of well doing and therefore he addeth in the verse following 16. And herein I indeuour my selfe to haue alway a cleere conscience toward God and toward men What is more largely proued and confirmed than this 1. Cor. 15. 10. in the whole chapter throughout Besides 2. Cor. 5 10. Wee must all appeare before the iudgement seat of Christ saith the Apostle that euery one may receiue the thiâ—gs that are done in his bodie according to that he hath done whether it be good or euill Philip. 3. 21. it is said that Christ shall change our vile bodies the place is set downe before The manner and end of this resurrection is also set downe 1. Thes. 4. 14. 15. 16. 17. If wee beleiue saith Paul that Iesus is dead and is risen euen so them which sleepe in Iesus will God bring with him 15. For this say wee vnto you by the word of the Lord that wee which liue and are remaining to the comming of the Lord shall not preuent them which sleepe 16. For the Lord himselfe shall descend from heauen with a shoute c. The Epistle to the Hebrues chapter 11. painteth out the manifold martyrdomes of the saints and sheweth how some were racked and would not be deliuered others were tried by mockâ— and scourgings by bands and imprisonments they were stoned they were hewen in sunder they were tempted and so forth and why did they indure these things The Apostle telleth vs verse 35. That they might receiue a better resurrection than any deliuerance they could haue here Againe verse 39. These obtained not the promise that is not the accomplishment of the promises verse 40. Why God prouiding a better thing for vs that they without vs should not be made perfect for euen the first member of Christ dying many thousand yeers agoe shal not receiue the fulnes of the promise that is in bodie and soule vntill the last member be readie But of all places most excellent are these 2. Pet. 3. 10. The day of the Lord wil come as a theefe in the night in the which the heauens shall passe away with a noyse and the elements shall melt with heate and Reue. 20. 11. And I sawe a greate white Throne and one that sate on it from whose face fled both the earth and the heauen and their place was no more found 12. And I sawe the dead both great and small stand before God c. 13. And the Sea gaue vp her dead which were in her and death and hell deliuered vp their dead which were in them Now as we here haue receiued the trueth of the doctrine so now let vs see into it further by reason that as on the one side we cannot denie there is a resurrection seeing the word doth confirme it vnlesse we will depart from the faith and denie the word so on the other side when we shall see how these things are we cannot withstand it euen with reason vnlesse we be senselesse The reasons therefore which we will vse are partly drawne from God himselfe partly from the order of nature and from the creatures partly from the commodities which accompanie the trueth of this doctrine and from the inconueniences which ensue the contrarie Those proofes which are drawn from the Lord himselfe are to be considered either in his owne person simply or as we consider of him in his Mediatorship and as the second person in the Trinitie Concerning those things which are in his owne person we must obserue his trueth his iustice and his power his trueth because heauen and earth shall passe but no title of his word shall faile and his promises in Christ Iesus are Yea and Amen Wherefore whatsoeuer the Lord hath set downâ— in his word to bee done it must beare with vs that credit that it is our part with Abraham to yeeld to it though outward meanes seeme cleane contrary and with Marie to beleeue it although no visible meanes are apparant His iustice is so espoused to his trueth that whatsoeuer we haue heard out of the word the equitie of his iustice doth require both to the accomplishment of his promises in rewarding the godly and the fulfilling of his threatnings in reuenging the vngodly This we see Matth. 25. 33. where by the rule of righteousnesse he seâ—teth the sheepe on the right hand and the goates on the left Luk. 16. 23. it is set downe how the rich man being in
this yet by right of proportion a most reuerent respect should be had thereof therefore we ought to yeeld vnto it As for example thus we are to thinke that if it be eating of the Pascall Lambe which seale coÌ„pared with this seale in the Gospel there is no comparison indeed they were some daies before prepared the same regard of reuerence should be had of vs in the participation of the Lords table so reasoning from the lesse to the greater from the Law to the Gospel from the passeouer to the Supper it may be an argument vnto vs to prepare our selues thereunto We need not stand long on this comparison seeing a thing of lesse account I meane the shew-bread would not be giuen to Dauid without some stipulation that is without he were in some respects made fit to receiue it so that here we are gone a degree lower But if we will go yet lower than this come to the Arke it selfe and see how he handled Vzzah who put his vnprepared hands to the Ark for which the Lord was so mightily displeased that he slew him for it Nay which is more if we shall come downe to the very ground of Gods presence where Moses could not appeare vntill his shooes were off nay if we go to the snuffers and pannes and candlestickes which none could meddle withall without sanctification we may rise now vpward as before we came downe and we may reason from these small things to the Arke and from the Arke to the shew-bread and from the shew-bread to the Passeouer from the Passeouer to the thing we haue in hand to learne an argument of preparation And if Ioseph of Arimathea and others of the godly men and women which were with him committing the body of Christ to the graue would wrap it not only in a cleane cloth nor in euery kind of linnen but in a cleane syndon which is a very fine linnen then what reuerence are we to vse in taking not the dead body but the liuing body yea the glorified body of the Lord in heauen But if the Lord take vs a degree lower and leaue his owne presence to perswade vs and shall come to our owne priuate practise if we put not our owne commoâ— meate our prophane meate for so I thinke I may call it and worse too in respect of that holy mysterie into an vnwashen platter nor a drop of drinke into a cup vncleansed then he that shall put the things exhibiting the very body of Christ into an vnprepared heart and vnsanctified soule shall be most guiltie of that iudgement which is pronounced for him that is He is guiltie of the body and blood of Christ yea as our Sauiour Christ and the Prophets complaine that men are too skilfull in skie poynts and in humane statutes to take the best aduantage they can but the matters of the law are strange vnto them so may he complaine that this is vile meate and which he himselfe saith is after cast into the draught receiueth such estimation at our hands that we prepare so diligently the very instruments of them yet when we come to sanctified things we shew our selues as carelesse in them as in the knowledge of his commandements Thus then we see how in these respects the Lord may require due reuerence in regard of the things pertaining to him comparing them especially with the care that we haue in our owne things Now to set the presence of God aside and to looke to our owne profit as before we put apart our owne profit to consider of so great a presence the fruite is great and so great that the writers of the Primitiue Church haue coÌ„pared the mysterie of the Supper to the tree of life which was in Paradise and the abuse of this mysterie vnto the vnlawfull eating of that tree because I say they doe make Christ that tree of life so that who so eateth of Christ shall eate of life And to the profit if to the faith of the toucher the very hemme of the garment of Christ did affoord such a benefit as the healing of so grieuous a sicknes then we may rise to consider the profit which the touching nay which more is the receiuing of the body and blood of Christ doth bring vs setting the faith equall in both it is like that this exceedeth the other by many degrees and yet few I doubt receiue the fruite of this woman We come then now to say that all these profits are lost without preparation and as one of the Fathers saith they that come vnprepared find not Christ that is the body of Christ but with Iohn they light vpoÌ„ the napkin or the clothes of Christ wherin he was wrapped so little fruit they haue that come vnprepared The reason is as Aggeus saith that if a man be polluted and touch an holy thing it is certaine the thing that is holie becommeth polluted too and vnlesse he be holie that commeth to the holy thing the thing hallowed doth him no good So that hee that commeth to these holy things vnprepared shall turne the nature of them to himselfe it shal be vnto him as it fareth with them that take Physicke if a purgation taken to purge choler doe not worke purge the choler beside the losse of the benefit it turneth into a worse choler and the humor is not onely not lessened but much encreased So if your minde remaine polluted and vnprepared those things in the Sacrament besides your not profiting by them which is to be wished make vs far worse then we were before for our vnworthy receiuing of them bring either temporall or eternall iudgements vpon vs. Therfore for this cause in the Leiturgies of the Primitiue Church the first word was a proclamation of holy things to wit that here are Sanctasanctis that is holy things for holie men But is this losse allâ—no there is losse of other things there is I say a punishment ioyned with the losse for it is not as in outward things if that your enterprise take not effect it is but the losse of so much labour but here is purchased an vnspeakable punishment which the Apostle after specifieth that wee eate and drinke iudgement to our selues according to the proportion of the fault as either for neglect of the meane in which manner Moses offending for not circumcising his sonne was corrected or else for contempt of it and then are we not acquitted from condemnation wee are in danger to be with Iudas in the full and entire possession of the diuell So then in both these respects iointly now considered both in respect of the reuerence of God himselfe and in regarde of the profit that wee shall surely haue it shal be good for vs duely to prepare our selues knowing as it is 2. Chroâ— 20. that the want of successe in things of the Church dependeth on the want of
neede not to condemne him he hath done enough let my sitting in iudgement vpon him cease seeing he hath so straightly examined himselfe I remit all I will examine no further hee is free let him come and so let him eate and drinke Thus I say our examination must be in a iudiciall forme that is we must enquire of our selues whether we be guiltie or not guiltie worthie or vnworthie And because euery man is readie to perswade himselfe that he is worthie to beare out this point we are to trie our selues whether we haue faith and because faith hath relation to the truth and the truth must try vs which saith Cursed is hee that continueth not in euery poynt of the Law to doe it wee must search our bookes of remembrance considering what God hath against vs and examine our selues according to euery word thereof Then because we must be constrained to conclude that we be vnworthie we must in the next place goe out of our selues and faint after the righteousnesse that can make vs worthie For a man that findeth himselfe to be left in the estate of condemnation to him will seeme a good saying worthie to be receiued That IESVS CHRIST came into the world to saue sinners and to him the name of a Redeemer will be most precious And therefore at this second returne commeth to be considered of that Faith which commeth by the blessing of the Gospell whereby wee seeing our owne ignorance doe seeke wisedome out of our selues being conscious of our owne vnworthinesse and sue for obedience in the Sonne of GOD and seeing we are altogether aliants from God by reason of these things we seeke for our perfection in CHRIST vpon this condition is righteousnes giuen vnto vs. Then because the examination of this standeth in another point for that a condemned person will redeeme his pardon by a price be it neuer so great if by any meanes he be able to make it and a man spareth no cost for that which indeede hee doth loue as wee may see in the example of a vile loue of Esau who setting his loue euen vpon meate was content with the losse of his birthright to buy it if we truely esteeme Christ his death wee will giue any thing for it And truely God requireth nothing at our hands but euen that small condition Ephes. 4. 52. To be curteous one to another and tender hearted forgiuing one another euen as God for Christs sake for gaue vs. Where we see that as God hath for giuen vs so we should forgiue others â—or a man that purposeth truely to haue Christ it is little to giue â—oue that as the Godhead head wrought in loue towards vs so we must worke in loue toward others This as a necessary thing is first to be required the rather for that we escaping the sentence of condemnation and that by no other meanes but by remission which is as a bridge to escape by it were very rigorous and hard dealing we our selues hauing gotten ouer others being as desirous to come ouer if we should pull vp the bridge from them this would be too sauage euen among the heathen This point of louing others God so loueth and so accounteth of that if a man were readie to come to the Lord his immediate worship hee is content this dutie should rather be left to him vndone then that dutie should be vndone to our brethren And in the parable of the debtor we see this more effectually For so long as the debt is directly the Lords hee breaketh out into no such words as hee doth when the seruant taketh his fellow seruant by the throate saying Pay mee that thou owest So that the retaining of enmitie to our brethren doth after a sort more offend God then our offending against God himselfe This is all the Examination before hand When a man hath by due Examination found himselfe vnworthie and vnworthy in respect of himselfe then is hee to be transformed And here note a thing contrarie to our common diet Though in our ordinary foode our meate is changed into vs and becommeth of our substance not we are changed into it here in this meate I say it is contrarie we are transformed into it not it into vs so that we may say of this spirituall food as of the nature of the leauen The leauen is not vnleauened and changed into the meale though it â—eth hid in the meale but the meale is transformed into it and leauened by the leauen So may we say of this sacramentall food we are traÌ„sformed into it Wherfore seeing the Apostle saith Leâ— a man examine himselfe and so let him eate our examination must end in eating and drinking and not in abstaining They then that thought they honoured the Sacrament with abstinence they by this rule plainely dishonour it for it is saide Let him examine himselfe and so eate not so let him abstaine And the Sacrament is abused as well by forbearing hauing examined our selues as by receiuing it vnworthily The things receiued are called Bread and Wine Concerning the nature whereof better relation we cannot haue then Psalm 104. where seeing the vse of Bread and Wine to bee to nourish to strengthen and to comfort wee shall the better marke the Analogie in this The bodie of Christ represented by Bread must haue that effect in the soule which bread hath in the bodie but bread hath this effect to strengthen the body of man as appears by the cited testimonie of the holie Ghost therfore our soules by CHRIST receiue strength against sinne We reade in Genesis that Abrahams seruant returning from their pursuite had their hearts strengthened by bread which they had of Melchisedech and we know that the Paschall Lambe was to giue strength to the eaters thereof so our Sauiour CHRIST calleth vs vnto him that hee may giue vs spirituall strength for newnesse of life in the strength whereof wee must so labour for righteousnesse as if heauen were to bee purchased by our works For CHRIST his bodie is not only quickened but quickening not only sanctified but sanctifying And as in the bodie such be the humours as in the meaâ—e so in the soule in the actiue parts of righteousnes wee receiue such meate as may enable vs to labour for the kingdome of heauen This is that which the holie men did take in the Sacrament On the other side the blood of CHRIST must worke that effect in our soules which wine doth in our bodies The effect of wine is also set downe Psalm 104. but more liuely Pâ—ou 31. it is said wine is to comfort them that are in the present estate of death for such wine was ordained Then looke what the gladnesse is of the bodie after the wine receiued so there is the same analogie by spirituall comforts in the blood of Iesus Christ seeing that wee can no more goe through that absolute
should we be burthened with the traditions of Esaues Heremites and Heretikes It is said of Basil the great and Nazianzene the learned that they vse thus to macerate their bodies with very often abstinence but what followes after they were made as a great learned Censurer saith vnprofitable to the Church lying sicke sometimes halfe a yeere sometimes an whole yeere Why then should wee tempt God to lay an yoke vpon the disciples necks which neuer our fathers were able to beare Seeing wee are dead with Christ from the ordinances of the world why as though wee were in the world should wee bee burthened with traditions as touch not tâ—ste not handle not which all perish with vsing and are after the commandement and doctrine of men which things indeede haue a shâ—we of wisedome in voluntarie religion and humilitie of minde and nâ—t sparing the bodie but are of no value saue for the fulfilling of the flesh Moreouer wee must learne to make a difference betweene a temperate moderate vse of Gods creatures which we call sobrietie and ought alwaies to appeare in the life of Christians and an vtter abstinence from the vse of the creatures called Fasting which neither by Gods word ought nor yet by naturall reason can be continually or daily And here let vs learne to auoide the extremities to keepe the meane in fasting which master Bucer hath taught vs who saith that if we â—schue not fasting at all or fasting too much wee shall fast aright Call they this a fast for a man to abstaine euery day from a meales meate to vse prayer at morning and at night although that hee spend the most part of the day and the whole night in the commodities refreshings and pleasures of this life this is no sound Diuinitie The blessed Baptists course and rusticall diet of locusts and wilde hony which he vsed according to the nature of the barren and wilde soile wherein hee liued maketh nothing for this purpose vnlesse those that will haue it vsed put on also the Camels hayteâ— His disciples which foolishly followed him without a warrant of that which he did vpon good ground are said to fast not euery day but oftentimes The hyperbolicall phrases of praying and fasting and of the continuall abode day and night in the Temple of the ancient Anna a widowe of fourescore and foure yeeres liuing in contemplation will not serue to proue that a daily exercise of fasting should bee vsed of married folkes and others that leade a life actiue either ciuill or ecclesiâ—sticall who for their yeeres may endure the traueiles of their minde and bodie and by their calling are bound sixe dayes in the weeke without some speciall occasion to follow the workes of the same and on the seuenth day to celebrate a feast vnto the Lord and not a fast with the Manicheâ—s Thus the most excellent seruants of God Dauid Daniel and Paul are most notably commended vnto vs for their holy exercises of prayer and fasting whereof one as we read they vsed daily and according to their ordinarie wants the other vpon speciall and extraordinarie needes which God did presse them with These examples are wee bound to followe so farre forth as they followed Christ who although hee fasted no doubt verie manie times yet notwithstanding his life was so farre from a daily fast that it was thought a continuall feaste Indeede the Popish fast may well enough and without danger to the bodie bee continually and daily vsed and yet many wayes dangerous and hurtfull to the soule but other fasting being daily vsed would bee both hurtfull to the bodie in puffing it vp with windes and filling it vp with corrupt humours and also to the soule in that pride would bee ingendred and noisome opinions also nourished in it A true fast requireth not an emptinesse of the bellie onelie because the kingdome of heauen is neither in meate nor drinke and that if wee eate wee are not the worse and if we eate not we are not the better and seeing the bodily exercise profiteth little yea oftentimes hurteth much more in puffing vp the minde than it can doe good in pulling it downe wee must as much and as carefully vse the word and prayer and other holy exercises publike and priuate for the increase of spirituall things as we vse abstinence from naturall adding so many meanes to the inward man as we take from the outward that wee may not onely humble our selues in body but in both together that we waite on Gods good time to receiue from him coÌ„fort to our spirites as wee looke and make account shortly to take sustenance for our bodies Besides the true fast requireth vs to rest from our ordinarie profits and pleasures and if it be publike to heare also two three or foure Sermons in one day with long and feruent prayer and serious meditation before in the midst and after these exercises reuerent reading of the Scriptures of singing of Psalmes ioyned with fasting as it is perfectly taught in the perfect vse and true ende of this exercise The Prophets Isaiah and Ioel thought it not enough to exhort the people to true repeÌ„tance but called also for the publike exercise of the same which doctrine of the Prophets is sealed by Nehemiah and Ezrah and the rest of the people who notwithstanding had their notable profiting in the knowledge of the lawe yet seeing the secret threatnings of the Lord against their spirituall euils added this meane of a fast beyond the ordinarie vse of the word leauing an example to the Church for her instruction in all ages Were we as sharpe sighted as tender conscienced as they we might discerne greater iudgements threatned of the Lord against vs and feele more spiritual euils in our selues than euer they did for to let passe that great plague of the Lord vpon our times as the Ministerie so ignorant and dissolute such sacriledge by impropriations and irreligious Patrons which are not all this while amended the carnall life of Protestants the stifnesse of Papists which cannot thus long be conuerted the dangerous dissembling of Atheists and Machiauelists in the Church and coÌ„monwealth the long bitter contentions of the true professours besides many moe euils not to be spoken and many knowne and professed euils in these dayes against which hitherto neither lawe hath been established nor the preaching preuailed and wee forget our brethrens calamitie in the persecuted Churches with whom we haue thus long and still doe forget to mourne Hath not the Lord himselfe blowne a Trumpet to our Fasts let then those which are the Ministers of the Lord be continually exhorting hereunto God graunt them to rebuke sinne to threaten the law moue Repentance and to vrge Fasting OF THE SENDING OF THE HOLY GHOST Acts. 2. 14 15 16 17 c. 14 But Peter standing with the eleuen lift vp his voyce and saide vnto them Yee men of Iudea and yee all that inhabite in Hierusalem bee this knowne vnto
or raiment or any such other thing For by this meanes he is made our mercifull and louing father which knoweth perfectly what things we stand in neede of and for his power is able euen in greatest extremities to helpe vs and for his loue and good will towards vs will helpe vs and thus doth he abide for euer and is neuer changed For though a mother should forget her children yet will the Lord neuer forsake those that loue him and in faith call vpon him To this free forgiuenes of sinnes the imputation of Christs righteousnesse vnto vs there must be added the sanctification of the spirit as the second part of our redemption which iâ— we be once throughly perswaded of it it shall be a speciall help vnto vs against all impatience and murmuring against the Lord for it is a greater thing to turne a sinner than to worke wonders in nature And therfore if in our hearts we can beleeue that God hath made vs of sinfull and wicked men iust and righteous of vile wretches the vessels of righteousnesse of the mansions of the diuell fit temples of his holy spirit if we doe beleeue that he can make of couetous men liberall men of whoremongers chaste persons of oppressors vpright dealing men yea if we can beleeue that the Lord both is able and willing also to deliuer vs from any sinne that is within vs be it neuer so strong either by nature or by euill custome and last of all if we can beleeue that he is able to make the wolfe and the lambe to lie together the leopard and the kid shall we euer doubt that he will once faile vs or suffer vs to want the thing that is meete for vs seeme it neuer so vnpossible to be attained vnto Thirdly if we beleeue that with Christ we shall be raised vp at the last day we shall as stedfastly beleeue that he will preserue vs for it is a greater matter to raise vp our bodies being dead and consumed to dust than to preserue them whilest they are aliue if he can doe the greater he can doe also the lesse Moreouer if we be perswaded that our heauenly father hath prepared a kingdome for vs in the heauens we must needs beleeue that in this life he will not leaue vs nor forsake vs but will mercifully prouide for our necessities for if he will giue vs the greater benefits he will also giue vs the lesse if he in wisedome see it fit for his glorie and profitable for vs. The fift thing we must stay our selues vpon when murmuring doth assaile tempt vs is faith in Gods prouidence This prouidence is generall or particular in both which we must be throughly grounded if we will withstand all occasions of murmuring and not breake out in temptations into impatience The generall prouidence of God must be considered first in creation of all things secondly in preseruing them Doe we then beleeue that the Lord made all things of nothing and shall wee not beleeue that he will preserue them Now seeing they are made doe we beleeue that God made all men and shall we then stand in feare of men When God created light before the Sunne the Moone and the Starres and when hee made grasse to growe vpon the earth before thâ—re was either raine or dewe to water them he did thereby teach vs first that wee should not put too much trust in them whilest we haue them and againe that rather then we should suffer hurt by the want of light grasse or other such things the Lord both could and would prouide for vs without them Yet now if wee should not haue the Sunne wee would thinke that light were taken from vs and if wee wanted raine wee would soone thinke we should neither haue grasse nor corne nor any fruit of the earth but the Lord hath ordained these meanes to serue his prouidence not for himselfe for without them hee can as easily helpe vs but for our weakenes which otherwise could not easily be assured of his goodnes Secondly we must beleeue that God preserueth all as well as he created them yea the small sparrow doth not fall vpon the earth without his prouidence and he hath a great care ouer the very beasts of the field doth the Lord prouide for these and will he not also prouide for man Hath he care of beasts yea indeede hee hath because they were made for man and shall hee not much rather haue care ouer man for whom things were made Men say they doe beleeue all this but whilest there is such doubting of Gods prouidence and such repining against God they doe plainly shewe they doe not beleeue this first article of their faith neither in creation nor in the vniuersal gouernment and preseruation of all things Hereunto we must ioyne the particular prouidence of God which if wee can bee once throughly perswaded of then shall wee easily ouercome the griefe of all our wants Hath the Lord made any thing in vaine hath he not made all things for his glorie Then if we beleeue that hee hath made our bodies shall wee not also beleeue that he will prouide for them seeing the creation thereof is more wonderfull than the preseruation is as appeareth Psalm 29. 139. Hath he care ouer the wicked to doe them good and will he not much more reioyce ouer his children to doe them good If the Lord loued vs when we were his enemies will he not prouide for vs being redeemed by the blood of his sonne Did hee good vnto vs when we sought him not and will he not much more when we seeke him by prayer in the blood of his Sonne as he hath coÌ„manded If he hath done vs good when he might haue punished vs for our sinnes wil he not be much more fauourable vnto vs now seeing he hath by his holy spirit sanctified vs O that men had hearts to beleeue this they would then giue glorie vnto God in their distresses putting their trust in him looking for helpe at his hands in his conuenient time This prouidence of God must be confirmed vnto vs by the examples of Gods children in all ages whose examples are set downe in the Scriptures that we by them might learne patience If the fathers before the flood eating nothing but hearbes yet liued some 700. yeeres some 800. some 900. yeeres and some more shall wee not learne thereby that man liueth not by these meanes And againe if he nourished them 900. yeeres and that with heaâ—â—es we may be sure he will feede vs 90. yeers with flesh and fish and other greater meanes When he fed the Israelites fortie yeeres with Manna from heauen which after such a sort was neuer seene before whereof if they reserued any without the Lords commandement if straightway putrified and was corrupted but when by the commandement of God it was kept before the testimonie it was not corrupted
of the word of God succeeding them vnto the end of the world as it appeareth by Matthew the 28. the 19. and 20. verses Goe therefore and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Sonne and the holy Ghost teaching them to obserue all things whatsoeuer I haue commaunded you and loe I am with you alway vntill the end of the world The Apostles are gathered to their fathers but the ministerie shall be for euer it continueth vnto the end of the world therefore vnto the Ministers also are committed the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and they are the porters of the kingdome of heauen as the Apostles were Now this is euident by Ephes. 4. 11. c. He gaue some to be Apostles some Euangelists some Pastors and some Doctors And vnto these hee committed the ministerie of the word vntill the time that all the elect Saints of God were gathered together and the bodie of Christ througâ—ly builded vp which should not be before the end of the world By this we see that the Ministers are the porters of heauen and that they haue the keyes of the kingdome of heauen as the Apostles had Of this kingdome our Sauiour Christ speaketh Matth. 23 13. where hee reprooueth the Scribes and Pharisies saying Woe bee vnto you Interpreters of the Law for you haue shut vp the kingdome of heauen before men for ye your selues goe not in neither suffer ye them that would enter to come in What these keyes be our Sauiour Christ sheweth Luke the 11. the 52. saying Woe bee vnto you Interpreters of the Law for yee haue taken away the key of knowledge yee enter not in your selues and them that came in ye forbad Of this kingdome our Sauiour also speaketh Matth. 9. vers 35. And Iesus went about all cities and townes teaching in the Synagogues and preaching the Gospell of the kingdome And in the 10. of Luke the 10. and 11. verses our Sauiour Christ biddeth his Disciples to goe and preach but if they will not receiue you goe your waies out of the streetes of those cities and townes and say Euen the dust that eleaueth on vs of your citie we wipe off against you notwithstanding know this that the kingdome of God was come neere vnto you And in Luk. 17. 21. when the Pharisies asked Christ a questioÌ„ when the kingdom of Christ should come hee answered them and said The kingdome of God commeth not by obseruation and glorious signes neither shall men say loe here and loe there for the kingdome of God behold it is among you And here wee must beware of these translations who haue it thus translated the kingdome of God is within you for we must not thinke that the kingdome of God was in euery one of the Scribes and Pharisies but that it was amongst them so that euery one is not the kingdome of God as the Familie of loue teacheth And in Matthew 21. vers 43. Christ speaking vnto the vnthankfull Iewes saith The kingdome of God shall be taken from you and shall be giuen vnto a nation that shall bring foorth fruite Where we see that the kingdome of God is taken for the ministerie of the Word and the application of the kingdome of God vnto vs and here wee are to know that by these meanes of the ministerie of the Word as Fasting Prayer c. the kingdome of God is offered vnto vs but these are not the kingdome but the meanes to bring vs thereunto as is euident by Esay 52. vers 14. the which afterward is repeated and applied vnto this end of the Apostle Paul Rom. the 15. and 21. verse To whom hee was not spoken of they shall see him and they that heard not shall vnderstand him where it is apparant that the ministerie of the Word is the meanes to bring vs to the knowledge of Christ and so to his kingdome The kingdome of God is wholy spirituall as Romanes the 14 and 17. verse The kingdome of God saith the Apostle is not meate and drinke but righteousnesse and peace and ioy in the holie Ghost And that the kingdome of God consisteth partly of all the graces of the spirit proceeding from this meanes it is euident by the 2. of Peter the 1. and 4. verse c. Therefore giue all diligence thereunto ioyne vertue with faith and with vertue knowledge and with knowledge temporance and with temperance patience and with patience godlinesse and with godlinesse brotherly kindnesse and with brotherly kindnesse loue for if these things bee among you and abound they will make you that you neither shall bee idle nor vnfruitfull in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ. Wherefore brethren giue diligence to make your calling and election sure for if you doe these things you shall neuer fall for by these meanes an entrance shall bee ministred vnto you aboundantly into the euerlasting kingdome of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ. Thus then we see that the kingdome of God consisteth in these things as in respect of the outward meanes which is the Word and in respect of the fruite of these meanes it consisteth in these graces which fruite God bestoweth on them which vse the meanes Here then wee learne that none shall make appearance in the kingdome of God hereafter which maketh not an entrance into it here He which taketh not possession of it in this life shall neuer possesse it in the life to come none shall rise and raigne with Christ which doth not with him here crucifie himselfe and rise from sinne on earth for who so will be made partaker of the kingdome of heauen must here wholie addict himselfe to seeke the kingdome of heauen Therefore it behooueth euerie man to make an especiall account of these meanes seeing that by them wee haue alreadie passed the second death and entred into the kingdome of God which whosoeuer doth not enioy here can neuer enioy it in the life to come wherefore the kingdome of God is and may well bee called a treasure The righteousnesse of Christ Iesus with the peace of conscience ioy in the holy Ghost vertue faith knowledge temperance patience godlinesse brotherly kindnes loue c. these bee sure gages seales and pledges vnto vs of our entrance into the kingdome of God and therefore most excellent treasures For if that bee a treasure which if a man haue he needeth nothing else and without which if he haue all things he hath nothing then may this rightly bee called a treasure for all things without them are nothing and these without al other things are sufficient for our saluation Therefore this being so great and inestimable a treasure is highly to be esteemed of vs. Haue we this treasure then wee neede not to esteeme of all other things In iudgement men doe see that the onely treasure of man is the saluation of the soule this is a granted rule neither doth this neede so much to be proued vnto
vs as that it is not onely to bee confessed of vs in words but also in vnderstanding to bee conceiued in affection to bee well liked of and agreed vnto and in life to be expressed For blessed are they that can so thinke of and make vse of this treasure Now where a mans treasure is there is his heart and where his heart is thither are all the powers both of soule and bodie carried headlong For so soone as men giue themselues to like of and to loue pleasures riches credit honour or learning wisedome or glorie so soone they make these as it were their Gods when men begin to be perswaded these things are a treasure when their hearts are once set on these things then wee see presently that all parts both of soule aud bodie bend that way then goeth minde heart and hand and affection and the whole delight to the attaining thereof Therefore if this Word be a treasure then all the powers and faculties of bodie and minde must bee giuen onely vnto it Wherefore euery one must know this that they onely haue this treasure whose hearts are set on the kingdome of God they are the neerest vnto saluation whose hearts are set on the Word and doctrine of saluation who can say from the bottome of their hearts with the man of God Dauid This one thing O Lord haue I desired and that I will require euen that I may dwell in the house of my God all the dayes of my life But what to doe to behold the beautie of the Lord and to see the light of his fauourable countenance in Christ Iesus and to receiue the gifts and graces of the spirit of God which may be sure seales and pledges of his saluation yea saith he I had rather be a doore-keeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of vngodly men Neither must we desire so much to be present in the house of the Lord in bodie onely but also in spirit that wee may euen behold his fauourable countenance shining vpon vs in Christ Iesus Wherefore we ought to make most precious account of the meanes because they bring much excellent graces By them we are brought into Gods house to behold his face and to enioy his mercies Why then will some say is the preaching of the Word the gates of Heauen are the preachers of the Word the porters of these gates If this be such a treasure why is not the Word more preached why is it not more esteemed Are the graces of the spirit of heauen in earth are they our entranee into heauen how then is it that they are not longed after Why doe not men make more account of them Surely our Sauiour Christ teacheth his children to meete with this obiection when he saith it is hidden This treasure is not apparant but secret not of this world nor knowne to them of this world but hidden and vnknowne of them and therefore not so much regarded and esteemed of And this treasure is hidden whether wee consider the meanes as things of no glorious shew or the graces of the meanes which are not of this world but rather contrarie to this world That the graces of the spirit are hiddeÌ„ from them of this world our Sauiour Christ sheweth vs in Matthew 1â— and 25. verse saying I giue thee thankes O Father Lord of heauen and earth because thou hast hidden these things from the wise and men of vnderstanding and hast opened them vnto babes That the meanes are hidden Saint Paul witnesseth in the 1. to the Corinth 2. and 7. verse But we saith he speake the wisedome of God in a mysterie euen the hid wisedome which God hath determined before the world vnto our glorie which none of the Princes of this world hath knowne c. And in the 2. of Corinth 4. and 3. verse he saith If our Gospell be hid it is hid to them that be lost whose mindes the god of this world hath blinded The Word is hidden in the base meanes of the Ministerie as the Apostle saith 2 Corinth 4 and 7. verse We haue the treasures in earthly vessels c. And therefore it being in earthly vessels is the lesse esteemed of the world Also this treasure is hidden vnder the creatures of Water Bread and Wine I do now speake â—afely of these according vnto the manner of men but I knowe how I doe account of them for vnto God and the godly these meanes are not base but indeede in respect of the graces offered by these meanes they are very base and who would thinke that in a mortall man like my selfe should be hidden the treasure of heauen and earth Who would thinke that by the preaching of a sillie poore man Iesus Christ with all his treasure should be offered vnto vs Who would thinke that in the creatures of Bread and Wine and Water were hid the seales and pledges of the kingdome of heauen These be treasures indeede but they are hidden As a treasure in the field This treasure sure is such a hidden thing as that the eye of the quickest hath not seene it neither hath his eare heard of it neither hath it entred into his heart to conceiue of it Now as in a goodlie field adorned with Grasse Flowers Trees Herbes and such like perhaps there lieth hidden no treasure whereas contrarie in a barren peece of ground wherein no such things are there may be and doe commonly lie hidden treasures very great so there is an inequalitie of meanes and the Lord bestoweth his graces vpon them for the most part which carrie least shew in this world and vseth them as instruments and meanes to set foorth his glorie and so likewise in the Sacraments and in the word of God though they be lesse esteemed of in the world yet in them is the chiefest treasure of all hidden This must teach vs that it is no marueile though fewe of the world come to this treasure because that it is so hidden and therefore this was prophecied of long before of the Prophet Esay in his 25 chap. 1. verse Lord saith he who will beleeue our report And to whom is the arme of the Lord reuealed The which prophecie is also repeated againe of Christ Iohn the 12 and also of S. Paul Rom 10. 16. But answere may be made hereunto euen they who are transformed into the image of Christ. Seeing then it was the complaint of the Prophets in old time let not vs be offended that so few seeke this treasure and men doe so little esteeme of it but let the wicked esteeme neuer so ill of it and let it neuer bee reuealed vnto the vngodly yet the godly shall esteeme of it neuerthelesse and vnto them shall this good treasure bee reuealed and made most apparant Let vs therefore pray the Lord that hee would raise vp and send foorth most plentifull and diligent labourers into his haruest and that he would send foorth
children of God Why therefore shouldest thou lay before thee the difficulties of ouercomming Sathan that thou shouldest therefore despaire in the mercies of God Why should any of vs thinke that wee are not able to ouercome our owne lusts when Christ Iesus standeth for vs and fighteth with vs when his Angels pitch their tents round about vs and the spirit of God is powerfull in vs and the word of God maketh for vs. Now seeing thou hast the Word which is of power to saue thy life and seeing thou hast the seales of Gods mercies Water Bread and Wine which are more sure seales of Gods fauour than the obligations and bonds of any Priaces seeing thou art so fenced in on euery side bee not discouraged by the mightie power of thine enemies but abide the brunt a little and desire the Lord to increase thy faith and no doubt thou shalt be a conquerour and triumph ouer all thine enemies Let vs bethinke vs of our charges and costs being certainly perswaded by whom in whom through whom we shall be more than conquerours that so we runne not away at the first Let vs beleeue and it shall be vnto vs according to our faith and if wee cannot beleeue let vs pray with the man in the Gospell Lord helpe our vnbeliefe FINIS THE TENTH SERMON PREACHED ON PART OF the 44. verse of the 13 Chapter according to Saint Matthew MATTH 13. vers 44. Againe the kingdome of heauen is like vnto a treasure hid in the fielde which when a man hath found he hideth it and for ioy thereof departeth and selleth all that hee hath and buyeth that field HAuing spoken of this verse before my purpose is not to vse any long repetition of that which was deliuerâ—â— â—n effect this â—ath been before shewed namely that the price of our saluation here called the kingdom of God â—s so excellent that it is resembled vnto a treasure which howsoeuer it is hid from the reprobate and those that bee of this world yet it is manifest and reuealed vnto the children of God who finde it and when they haue found it hide it fearing least they should lose it againe the finding whereof breedeth such ioy in their hearts that they will willingly part from all things that they haue so that they may enioy this treasure and therefore it is saide that the man hauing found this treasure departeth and withdraweth himselfe Where we haue shewed that many for want of this withdrawing themselues or premeditation not considering what the price of this treasure is nor what paines and labour he is to take which enioyeth it after they haue once begun and entred into this course which leadeth vnto eternall life not being able to continue therein doe with the vnskilfull builder not forecasting what the building will cost and with the vnwise King hauing begun warre and not able to go through there with leaue off vnto their great shame and reproch And here we haue shewed that no man can sell all that he hath to buy this treasure before hee haue throughly considered and deeply â—ayed what the thing itselfe is and what losse and perill he is to sustaine before he can attaine thereunto And heere leaâ—â— that any should be discouraged from selling that which he hath to buy this treasure I shewed the remedies and helpes which further vs therein For howsoeuer this treasure is chargeable yet the cost is Christs and how laborious soeuer it is yet Christ haâ—h taken sufficient paines in obtaining it for all those that put their trust in him And although the perils and dangers be great yet in our Lord Iesus they are all ouercome After that a man hath premeditated the charges paines and perils which hee is to sustaine in buying this treasure then he commeth to a ful resolution and he selleth all that he hath and buyeth that field In this word selleth there is much matter contained where we ought to giue more diligent attention thereunto The things in generall which are to be sold before this field be bought are either of their owne nature euill and in themselues simply sinfull or else such as are sinfull in respect of circumstances those which of themselues are simply sinfull are of two sorts either grosse outward sins or else the inward corruption of our corrupt nature Concerning the former to wit grosse outward they must bee parted withall and sold for this saying is true both in religion and in manners No man can serue two masters c. If Baal be God then we must follow him we must not be luke-warme hot cold for such the Lord spueth out of his mouth Wherefore we cannot serue God the world for there is such a contrarietie and a fight betweene them that vntill we reiect forsake the world we can neither serue God aright nor yet attaine to the fruition of this treasure In these words He selleth all that he hath there are three things to be considered First that sinnes must be sold and not changed Secondly sinnes must be sold all and not some Thirdly they must be sold for euer and not for a season As touching the first we see many that doe not so much sell their sinnes as make an exchange of them for many in the time of Poperie had in estimation the Pope and that religion of Antichrist which now professing the Gospell doe neglect and contemne it heretofore the paines of that fained Purgatorie were feared of many but now men are not afraide of the torments of hell which are most sure heretofore men prayed in an vnknowne tongue not vnderstanding what they said but now they will not pray in a knowne tongue knowing what they say before men prayed for the dead now they will not pray for them which are aliue before men vsed long and continuall prayer now either they pray not at all or they are so short and soone wearie as it seemeth they receiue no grace thereby before many Sacraments which were no Sacraments were much accounted of now there are but two and those are true Sacraments and yet they are neglected heretofore men fasted very often and that very scrupulously insomuch that they did rather offend in fasting too much thaÌ„ too litle but now a Christian fast publikely appointed is rather oppugned than receiued and a priuate fast is not knowne amongst Christians Before there were many and superstitious holy daies receiued now the onely Sabbath of the Lord is prophaned the diuell or at the least not God that day is serued Before men confessed their sins vnto euery hedge priest now men haue left confession of their sinnes vnto their brethren chusing rather to murther themselues than to acknowledge their faults one to another as the Apostle Iames willeth they should Yea men are so farre from this that they will rather by periurie and briberie cleere and purge themselues than make their sinnes knowne and so satisfie the congregation
our owne consciences then should wee offer to others a larger cause of magnifying the name of God who hearing vs vse such spirituall gladnes might bee prouoked to an holy emulation and say surely this is the power of the holy Ghost this is vndeceiueable ioy happie are they that can thus reioyce in the Lord. Oh that the Lord would giue vs of the spirit and fill our hearts with such gladnes thus others vndoubtedly would plentifully bee rauished by our godly examples Though some would laugh at vs as they did at the Apostles when they had receiued the holy Ghost yet others would reuerently maruaile at it and willingly followe it Wherefore when with the man of God we shall be perswaded of our immortalitie both of body and soule when wee hauing God his cause in hand shall vse it in a good conscience as he did wee shall surely and sincerely with him reioyce And what I pray you in the night season in thundering and lightning in earthquakes blazing starres and fierie starres in extraordinarie working of the heauens maketh vs so dismaid and at our wits end want of faith What maketh vs at the death of our friends to mourne and that wee will not be comforted Paul 1. Thessal 4. 13. telleth vs want of hope FINIS OBSERVATIONS ON THESE VERSES FOLLOVVING Being part of the 42. Chapter of Genesis THE THIRTEENTH SERMON 9 Ye are spies and are come to see the weakenes of the land 12 Nay but ye are come to see the weakenes of the land 14 This is it that I spake vnto you saying Ye are spies 15 Hereby shall ye be proued by the life of Pharaoh ye shall not goe hence c. 21 We haue verily sinned against our brother c. IOseph a good man and yet lieth so was Lot a good man and yet loth to part from Sodom These were great offences Whence come they from custome no doubt Ioseph being amongst prophane men had some smell of their wordes And Lot though their wickednes and Sodomitry vexed his righteous soule yet through custome hee could haue found in his heart to haue liued still amongst theÌ„ So first wee must here bee taught to eschewe ill custome and companie The second note hence to be obserued may answere a peece of a doubt in the former two examples of Ioseph and Lot For some man may say Ioseph and Lot both good men dwelt and kept companie with the wicked therefore wee may doe so But it may be answered that examples proue nothing without the warrant of the word And as for Ioseph God had sent him extraordinarily to prouide for his fathers familie but Lot chose to dwel in SodoÌ„ for his lucre as ye may read in the thirteenth chapter of this booke the tenth verse and therefore this greedie desire was altogether vnlawfull and though the Lord in mercie deferd the punishment thereof he punished that yet at length in his wife who was turned into a pillar of salt in himselfe and his owne daughters with whom hee committed abominable incest Therefore we see that it followeth not because they dwelt among the wicked therefore we may It was not sufficient for Ioseph to haue had a misliking of lying but hee should haue abstained from it and detested it in heart No doubt he being a godly man otherwise had a misliking of it but because he did not euen abhorre it we see how in time he was brought vnto it and as it were to make no conscience of it So it is not sufficient for vs to haue a misliking of vnlawfull apparell playes sport naughtie and vngodly talke but we must in heart detest it much more in practise otherwise by euill companie wee may easily bee drawne to follow them The Physitions meanes is to bee vsed in time of sicknes and the plague to be auoided in flying from it so we must vse meanes to auoide sinne by the word and praier and as much as we may the place where it aboundeth least we be infected And if it so be that wee cannot auoide for it may bee the Lord will sometimes trie vs with the companie of foolish vaine and prophane worldlings to see how wee will cleaue to him if then wee cannot auoide but our eyes shall behold vanitie our eares shall bee filled with vngratious and gracelesse graces in lying swearing and blaspheming the name of our God then shew your selues to the world that you are not of the world assure your owne soules that you are called and chosen of the Lord not only by a cold kinde of misliking of these things but by an vtter abhorting and detesting them from the heart otherwise we may be by Iosephs example drawne not onely to approue them but also to commit the like and to forget our selues and to heape vp the wrath of God against vs so that when their destruction commeth except the Lord shew mercie but if we tempt him hee will shew no mercie wee shall be pat takers of all their plagues and the vengeance which the iust and most righteous God hath threatned to throw downe vpon them Vers. 14. Againe Ioseph said vnto them This is it that I spake vnto you saying Yee are spies Ioseph maketh another lie So wee see that vse is a sore matter which had brought him to this that he stucke not at a lie and yet we know that the lier euen killeth his owne soule Nay but see he left not here he went further yet In the fifteenth verse Hereby yee shall bee prooued By the life of Pharaoh ye shall not goe hence Ioseph smelleth by this vse of Idolatrie hee forsaketh the Lord and sweareth by him which is no God Besides another fault he commeth neere for swearing and periurie because his oth commeth very neere a lie and wee know that vntruth and an oth iumping together maketh periurie and it cannot bee but those that sweare readily must sometimes be for sworne Ioseph was a Magistrate Magistrates may goe farre in examining and searching and sifting suspected persons when they appeare before them that they might come to the truth of the matter but to affirme flatly and falsely is against Gods commandement and therfore a grieuous offence Vers. 17. So he put them inward three dayes Now hee did not imprison them of any corrupt affection or desire of reuenge but there may bee great reasons to shew that hee vsed great wisdome in his doing First if Ioseph should not haue done thus but should at the first haue made himselfe known vnto theÌ„ they for shame would neuer haue gone back againe to their father Secondly this dealing thus with them was a meanes to humble them Thirdly he might doe thus that he might be more fully certified of the state of his father And lastly the short time of his imprisoning them was a token of his loue towards them Vers 18. Then Ioseph said This doe and liâ—e for I feare God As though hee should say Doe not you feare for I feare God I am
that our sinnes shall not be laid to our charge This the Philosophers and wise men could neuer see by the light of nature because it is a mysterie of mysteries vndoubtedly to be perswaded that for Christ his sake wee shall appeare righteous before God his iudgement seate as though wee neuer had sinned but had fulfilled the whole law of God For wee are imputed righteous as Christ was an imputed sinner and as we hope for the ioyes of heauen euen as wee had committed all the righteousnesse which Christ alone did so hee did beare the paines of hell euen as hee had commited all the sinnes which we alone did commit Besides he must be our holinesse that is our flesh must be so crucified in his flesh and his holinesse must so be communicated vnto vs as of prophane worshippers wee may become truly religious of blasphemers of the name of God pure vsers of the name of God of breakers of the Sabbath obseruers of the Sabbath of carelesse gouernours carefull gouernours of disobedient obedient of cruell meeke of vnchast chast persons of vnrighteous righteous persons of euill speakers couerers of the infirmities of others of such as haue let their thoughts runne vncontrolled carefull watchers euen ouer our least affections The want of the knowledge hereof is punished by the diuelish vermine of the Familie of loue They say Christ in them is their new birth we say new birth is wrought in vs by the Spirit of Christ ingraffing vs into Christ they say the worke of sanctification is perfit in this life wee say it is begun here and continued but ended in the life to come For as our wisedome is not perfit in this world vnlesse it bee by imputation of Christ his wisedome but still groweth by degrees and we are not perfit at the first in faith couering the imputation of Christ his righteousnes vnto vs and we grow from faith to faith so our wisedome is not here so perfit when wee are renewed but stained with many blemishes And as wee see in the naturall birth children are not at the first old men but from infaÌ„cie they grow to childhood from childhood to their nonage from nonage to perfit age and old age euen so in the spirtuall birth we grow from strength to strength from measure to measure vntill wee come to perfection Our wisedom is often captiuated our faith is often weake our righteousnes is often defiled our holinesse is often corrupted Now as in the crosse of Christ our sins are discharged as in the fulnes of Christ we haue wisedomeas in his resurrection we haue righteousnes and by the working of his Spirit he communicateth to vs his holinesse so also in his comming againe we sted fastly looke for the fulnes of our redemptioÌ„ in him who was borne for vs who liued for vs who died for vs who rose for vs who ascended for vs who liueth in vs who will come againe to redeeme vs deliuering our soules from sinne from griefe and reproch our bodies from sicknes paine and trouble wiping away all teares from our eyes and setting vs free from death miserie and corruption for whom wee all crie in our afflictions Come Lord Iesus who shalt change our vile bodies and make them like to thy glorious bodie at such time looking for the accomplishment hereof as hee shall come from heauen with his Angels to gather together the elect and the reprobates the one to receiue the sentence of saluation the other to receiue sentence of condemnation Wee are now new creatures by faith in Christ by hope of our redemption through him but we shall bee so in effect we are here renewed in righteousnes in holinesse in wisedome but in part yet we haue remnants of sinne as they that neither through the grace of God sinne to death neither by reason of our owne corruption are altogether free from sinne And therefore we had neede to looke for Christ to come a Redeemer who will cleane rid vs from our pride who will rid vs from our vnthankfulnes from our vnbeliefe and from whatsoeuer thing may hinder the glory of God or our saluation who will rid vs from all sicknes pouertie sorenes and calamity in our bodies that what freedome we now hold by faith we shall then haue in fruition and most absolute possession which when it draweth neere must cause vs to lift vp our heads and reioyce Being thus made new by faith in Christ we must not stay but testifie this faith to others by effects in becomming no more like vnto the world but putting on a new couersation after the likenes of him that hath so called vs. It is to no ende to say thou art a Christian if thou art not there with all a new creature as the Apostle proueth 2. Cor. 5. 27. These effects are partly in the soule and partly in the body in the soule we must be renewed in our vnderstanding in our memories and in our affections As our vnderstanding sometime hath beene darkened concerning the things of Iesus Christ so from hence forth we must couet to vnderstand nothing more than Christ Iesus and him crucifieâ—â—â— as our memories haue bin as fresh in retaining as our vnderstandings in receiuing earthly things so now forgetting the things of this life we must chiefly remeÌ„ber those things which perish not with memorie but are heauenly spirituall and eternall as wee were wont to loue hate like and mislike for our selues now wee must loue and hate like and mislike for the glorie of God Wee are therefore to pray that the Lord would frame in vs new hearts that as wee haue beene carnally minded wee may bee spiritually minded and as we must haue new hearts so also must we labour for new affections Our loue as I said which was mingled with selfe-loue must bee taken vp for the Lord his behoofe our anger which was in the defence of our owne cause must now bee bestowed in the maintenance of God his glorie and what power soeuer is within vs it must bee spent on the Lord his behalfe And yet we must goe further in this worke of regeneration offering to the Lord our bodies as we haue offered our soules that as we haue giuen our members seruants to vncleannes and to iniquitie so now wee giue our members seruants vnto righteousnes in holinesse from hence-foorth hauing new eyes new eares new tongues new hands and new feete Our eyes haue sometimes lusted after popish pompe they haue beene rauished with a delight in the creatures of God but carnally and without all glorie to God they haue bin haughtie ful of pride fraught with disdaine nourishers of vncleannes the wickets of death vnto our soules and carried away with the couetous desire of worldly things now they must be renewed not in substance but in their duties whatsoeuer wee behold with them we must make them teachers of the soule thereby and all things seeming beautifull to the eyes in this life where the creatures are
heauen lye open to all such as by faith receiue the same into their hearts So that wee should not come vnto the meanes with a bâ—se conceit or light estimation thereof but with a large and ample desire and expectation of taking benefit thereby If men can once espye a way how they may rise in the world either in great wealth or promotion they will bee most industrious and laborious in that course they will refuse no paines in seedes time though the weather be vnseasonable and cold and their worke euery way troublesome but they will put themselues to it with all care and industrie in hope though it be but an vncertaine hope of bettering their estate So those that liue by faires and markets will not faile one of them ordinarily neither heate nor colde winde nor raine nor any the like impediments shall hinder them from pursuing their commoditie and why then should wee bee negligent and play the sluggards while our seedes time lasteth and the Lord biddeth vs plough vp the sallow ground of our hearts that hee may sow therein the seede of life which will neuer faile to yeelde vs a plentifull haruest if we can waite vpon him for the same And why should we be slacke and carelesse when our chiefe market dayes and faire dayes come and not rather set our hearts and endeuours to seek after those things which all that seeke shall finde and being found will make vs men for euer This should be an encouragement vnto vs not to thinke any thing too much that wee can doe or suffer in or for the profession of Christianity Oh but it is an hard matter may some say to fast and pray and mourne and grieue our hearts continually for our sinnes land when we haue done all to be derided and maligned persecuted and slaine for a good causeâ— and besides all these to feele Gods hand scourging vs sometimes with pouerty and want some times with feares and terrors sometimes with temptations and inward conflicts c. These thinges seeme very great and very tedious indeede to fleshe and blood but in trueth they are but small yea matters of nothing if wee consider what is the vse of them and what will bee the ende of them and therefore let vs remember for our comfort when wee are in this straite and difficult and vnpleasant way that wee are going to be installed into a kingdome and who is there that being offered a Baronrie or a Lordship yea though it be but a Farme if so bee hee will take the paines to come for it who is there I say that would take exception and say alasse the aire is clowdy and the weather vncertaine nay it beginnes to raine or haile or snow already and therefore I will euen stay at home and neuer wet my foote for the matter Nay if there bee but likelihood of some smaller gaine and the weather fowle and the waies deepe and themselues somewhat out of temper also yet they will aduenture to goe through all and rather ferry ouer than come short of that profit that is offered how much more then ought we to breake through all impediments and swallow vp all difficulties with the consideration of this that our iourny tendeth not to the getting of some small commoditie or to the purchasing of some worldly possessions or to the obtaining of any earthly preeminence or preferment whatsoeuer but that wee are trauelling toward our owne country where wee shall receiue an inualuable and eternall crowne of glorie and albeit wee must passe through many rough and craggy and thornie wayes and meete with sundrie things that will be very irksome and vnpleasant yet let vs make account withall that wee shall finde many sweete comforts and ioyes vnspeakable and glorious in the middest of our pilgrimage and in the ende shall haue the fruition of that happinesse which will make amends for all And this was it that made the Apostle Paul so comfortable in the middest of all his sufferings Therefore we faint not saith he but though our outward man perish yet our inward man is renewed daily For our light affliction which is but for a moment causeth vnto vs a farre most excellent and an eternall weight of glory Where we may note that when he speaketh of the happinesse of another life hee magnifieth the same exceedingly both for the worth of it and for the continuance of it calling it a farre most excellent and eternall weight of glory To bee excellent is much to be most excellent is farre more to bee farre most excellent is yet an higher degree but when hee calleth it a farre most excellent and withall an eternall weight of glory it maketh a great addition vnto all the former and sheweth that it is indeed an inconceiuable and vnutterable happinesse that in the heauen wee shall enioy but on the other side hee counteth his affliction light and momentanie because it passeth as it were in a thought and is a thing of nothing being laid in the balance against the neuer fading blisse that wee shall shortly come vnto And as for that weight that is in the tribulations of this life it is but as an heauy bagge of golde that will make the hart of the owner light in the very carriage of it and so much the more light by how much weightier it is And therefore by all these motiues wee should perswade yea euen compell our soules vnto patience vnder the crosse of CHRIST and to perseuerance in the practise of all the duties of godlines a patterne of which patience wee haue in the Hebrues Who after they had receiued the light endured a great sight in afflictions Partly saith the Apostle while yee were made a gazing-stocke both by reproches and afflictions and partly while yee became companions vnto them which were so tossed to and fro For both yee sorrowed with mee for my bonds and suffered with ioy the spoyling of your goods And why knowing in your selues that you haue in heauen a better and more enduring substance If their riches had bene of such value as they made shewe of and as the world takes them for they could not haue bene so quickly taken from them but sith they had betaken them to their wings these faithfull ones knewe that heauen which was reserued for them in stead thereof was farre more excellent and more durable and therefore full glad were they that for the cause of God they had made so happy and so blessed an exchange Verse 2. Blessed are those that seeke him with their whole heart c. THese words hauing bene expounded before offer vnto vs this doctrine That whosoeuer would haue sound happinesse must haue a sound heart So much sincerity as there is so much blessednesse there will be and according to the degree of our hypocrisie will bee the measure of our miserie It is not in the action done or in the wordes spoken that blessednesse consists
be deepelier humbled and â—raue more earnestly the pardon of that and other sins For as the beggar is alwaies mending and peecing his garment where he findes a breach so the penitent beleeuing hart must alwaies be exercised in repairing it selfe where it findes a want Againe oft times this triall serues to quicken and reuiue the hidden graces of the heart that men may be thankfull for them and feele an increase of them in the heart The good husbaÌ„d man cuts the braunches of the Vine not that he hath a purpose to destroy theÌ„ but to make them beare more fruit In the Canticles wheÌ„ Christ left his spouse then she riseth out of her bed she opens the dore her hands drop myrrhe on the barre of the doore then further she seekes and cals for him and praiseth him more then euer before Dauid testifieth the like of himselfe In my prosperitie I said I shall neuer be mooued c. but thou didst hide thy face I was troubled TheÌ„ cried I to thee O Lord prayed to my Lord. Lastly men that liue in the Church being for a time left of God become so impeniteÌ„t as that they must be giuen vp to Satan yet for no other cause but that the flesh may be killed and the spirit made aliue in the day of the Lord. The third end is the preuenting of sin to come This appeareth in Paul Least saith he I should be exalted out of measure through the aboundance of reuelations there was giuen vnto me a pricke in the flesh the messenger of Sathan to buffet me because I should not be exalted out of measure In the former times when the Lord among many other had set out Craâ—â—er for the maintenance of his blessed truth against his Gods enemies he left him for a while to fall from his religion to make a dangerous recantation but so as therby he preuented many sins and prepared him to a glorious martyrdome As some of his owne words may testifie which he spake a little before his ende And now saith he I come to the great thing that so much troubleth my conscience more then any thing that euer I did or said in all my life that is the setting abroad of a writing contrary to the truth which now here I renounce as things written with my hand contrary to the truth which I thought in my heart that for feare of death to saue my life c. And for as much as my hand offended writing contrary to my heart my hand shall be first punished therfore for may I come to the fire it shall be first burned Answerably wheÌ„ he was at the fire first he burnt his right hand which subscribed his body suffered the flame with such constancie and steadfastnes as he neuer almost mooued his eyes lift vp to heauen often he repeated his vnworthie right hand Thus death which he most feared he most desired that he might take reuenge of himselfe for his sinne The vse that all good Christian hearts are to make of these desertions is manifold First if they haue outward rest and walke in the feare of God and be filled with the ioy of the holy Ghost let them not be high minded but feare least a forsaking follow Secondly if in any temptation they iudge themselues forsaken let them coÌ„sider this wonderfull worke of spirituall desertions which God exerciseth vpon his owne childreÌ„ very vsually then it may please the Lord they shal find it to be restoratiue against many a quame and swound of spirit conscience into which otherwise they would certainly fall Thirdly seeing God for their triall doth often withdraw himselfe from them let them again draw neere to God presse vnto him euen as a man that shiuers of an ague is always creeping to the fire If it be demanded how a man should come neere G O D the answer is by the vse of his word and praier For by his word he speakes to thee by prayer thou speakest to him Lastly seeing by desertions God will take experience of his seruants let euery man triâ— and search his waies and euer bâ— turning his feete to the waies of Gods commâ—ndements let him indeuour to keepe a good conscience before God and before all men that so he may with Dauid say Iudge me O Lord for I haue walked in mine innocencie my trust hath beene alwaies in the Lord I shall not sâ—ide prooue me O Lord and trie me examine my raines and my heart Vers. 9. Wherewithall shall a young man redresse his waies in taking heede thereto according to thy word FIrst of all be perswaded that the word of God is that onely rule whereby the whole life of euerie man and that in euerie thing must be ordered euen the life of a young man who hath most reasons for himselfe why hee should bee excused as he is most disordered Vers. 10. With mine whole heart haue I sought thee let mee not wander from thy commaundements THen vpon this perswasion giue your selfe vnfainedly to the reading and heating of God his word as the meanes whereby God hath appointed to teach you and pray to God in the carefull vse of those meanes for his holy spirit that thereby you might come to the true vnderstanding of his word Vers. 11. I haue hid thy promise in mine heart that I might not sinne against thee THat which you haue thus learned let it not onely swimme aloft in your braine but let it be deeply setled and grauen in your heart as a treasure labouring to frame all your affections according to it otherwise if thou knowe neâ—er so much it will notkeepe you from sinning against God Vers. 12. Blessed art thou O Lord teach me thy statutes YOu thus profiting giue thankes to God alwaies for that which you haue learned be it neuer so little it is more than many in the world doe know yet content not yourselfe with it as though you had sufficient but pray vnto him to be further inlightned because it is lesse than many other doe and yourselfe ought to know Vers. 13. With my lips haue I declared all the iudgements of thy mouth BVt aboue all be careful to talke of that to others which you do daily learne yourselfe and out of the abundance of your heart speake of good things vnto men Vers. 14. I haue had as great delight in the way of thy testimonies as in all riches THat you may doe all these things labour to haue a ioy in the word and in all the exercises of it more than in any worldly thing and to be occupied in these things with greatest delight for in what soeuer we take greatest delight that will stick fastest in vs. Vers. 15. I will meditate in thy precepts and consider thy waies LAst of all meditate and consider of that with yourselfe which you haue learned and muse vpon it alone not contenting yourselfe with the generall rules but labouring in
pleaseth God but that which proceedeth out of an honest hart a good conscience and faith vnfained ¶ Verse 35. Direct me in the path of thy commandements for therein is my delight STill Dauid sees the necessitie of walking in Gods way and his owne pronenes to runne out of that way therefore he desires direction from the Lord that as he had giuen him a desire so he would enable him to performe Questionles we are of our selues readie enough like vnbrideled horses in the wayes of this world to runne our selues euen out of breath and we haue many occasions heere to spurre vs on onely the Lord can keepe vs in this path therefore must wee pray for his direction which if we once obtaine wee shall not wander either in iudgement or practise out of the right path For therein is my delight I take pleasure in nothing more then hauing a right vnderstanding of the Lawe to performe obedience to thee according to the same Of this delight we shall speake verse 92. In the meane time note that Dauid in this was a type of Christ to whom it was meate and drinke to doe the will of his Father which sent him Ioh. 5. ¶ Verse 36. Incline mine heart vnto thy testimonies and not vnto couetousnes IN the 3. former verses are three petitions concerning Gods way In the first he desireth instruction teach me in the second apprehension giue me vnderstanding in the third direction direct me But because he sawe many stumbling blocks in this way some offered to his heart as couetousnes others to his eyes as vanitie in this and the next verse he desireth the remouall of them both Incline mine heart to thy testimonies Who now can thinke that mans heart can of it owne accord be carried on to knowledge of Gods will reuealed in his word and of it selfe practise the same when he shall but consider this prayer of Dauid who though he was a man according to Gods owne heart yet durst not presume vpon his owne heart with this gracious inclination from the Lord. The most excellent wits that euer haue beene or shal be will proue in the ende great instruments of Sathan and false witnesses against these testimonies of God vnlesse it please him to refine them by his spirit and incline their hearts to his testimonies And not vnto couetousnes I take it that praying against this one sinne he prayeth against all other sinnes as pride malice Luxurie lust c. But this one is heere named because as the Apostle saith it is the roote of all euill For as there is no braunch of a tree but it is nourished by the roote no streame of a riuer but hath his currant from the spring no veyne in the body but hath his blood from the liuer so is there no one sinne no not the life of man which haâ—â— not life and liuelihood from this one sinne 1. It is as I may say the â—other sinne breeding and bringing vp all the rest Like mother like daughters all bad but couetousnes is the worst of all Yet I know not how it commeth to passe that men are now a daies called good men not of their goodnes but of their goods he is the best man that hath the best purse monie is the man yea the whole man From the peeres to the pesant all are enamoured with Ladie Lucre. But why should they be so is wealth any thing else but thicke clay is it not a part of that refined earth which man ought to treade vnder his feete when in the infancie of the Church possessions were sold the money was laid at the Apostles feete Acts. 4. to signifie as some thinke that we must rather trample vpon and contemne this trash then to haue ouer great admiration of it Alas why should we labour so after things temporall that they hinder vs from getting things eternall what will it profit a man to get the whole world and in the end loose his owne soule shall we preferre monie before God before heauen before our owne soules can it giue satisfaction to vs No it cannot Mans heart indeede is so little of it selfe that it will scant giue a kite her breakefast yet is the desire thereof so infinite that the whole world cannot satisfie it Are we the better because we are rich no more then the horse is for his gaye trappings Can we carrie them away with vs nay we brought nothing into this world and it is certaine we shall carrie nothing out The sumpter horse may carrie all the day treasure on his backe but at night it is taken from him and he carrieth nothing into the stable but often times a galled backe by reason of his burden Dauid saith if riches encrease set not your heart vpon them Salomon saith he that trusteth in his riches shall fall Christ saith it is harder for a rich man to enter into heauen then for a camell to goe through a needles eye Paul saith they that will be rich fall into many temptations and snares and therefore chargeth Timothie to charge rich men that they trust not in vncertaine riches I say then with our Sauiour Christ take heede and beware of couetousnes and that you may pray euer with this blessed Prophet Incline mine heart to thy statutes and not vnto couetousnesse ¶ Verse 37. Turne away mine eyes from regarding vanitie and quicken me in thy way HEre he prayeth against the vanitie of the eye which in truth is a vanitie of vanities Thus Vanitie seduced Heuah entangled Gods children corrupted Dinah endangered Sarah enchaunted Dauid allured Achan and by these windowes many sinnes enter into the soule Reade in this booke that godly chapter of the gouernement of the eyes and in an other booke the vanitie of the eye and with Iob make a couenant with your eyes and with Dauid pray turne away mine eyes c. and you shall looke better all the dayes of your life It were better to haue none eye then either a wanton or a wicked eye If such an eye offend thee pluck it out And quicken me in thy way he considers his owne deadnes and dulnes of spirit and he desires God to quicken him in his way this pronoune thy is very emphaticall opposing Gods way to mans way The Lord is righteous in all his wayes Psal. 1. 45. 18. all the waies of God are mercie and truth Psal. 25. The waies of men are altogether vanitie and leade to death and destruction Onely this way giueth sound comfort to the soule of man Truth it is that the wayes of men are pleasant for a time but the issues thereof are the wayes of death The wayes of God are difficult and dangerous but at the last they will bring thee to heauen ¶ Vers. 38. Stablish thy promise to thy seruant because be feareth thee WHat doth the Prophet in this verse hee confesseth himselfe to be Gods seruant An honorable seruice it is to serue God an argumeÌ„t of his
in the first and sixt verses with prayer couched in the middest of the portion It is a marueilous strange thing that one thing should bee so often repeated as this to commend still Gods law and to pray still to be taught in the same This proceedeth from the comfort which he felt in the word and from the fight of the corruption of his owne heart and is commended to vs in writing to shew vs our corruption and to labour for the like fruite Wherfore seeing experience hath taught vs thus much we must learne that we can neither see the comfort of our seeking after God nor our calamitie and miserie to be deliuered out of it vnlesse we pray with the Prophet for the right knowledge of the law of God so that we are much to thanke our God that he giueth vs in another such a fight of our owne corruption As in the first verse there is a notable commendation of the word so is there also a singular declaration of his faith Thy word O Lord is a lantorne to my feete and a light vnto my path This seemeth to all men to haue been learned long agoe and belched out in time of Poperie and that it is no new thing but a saying very well knowne but when we looke into the seuerall practises of men which is the righteous iudge of all mens iudgements wee shall finde men to be farre from any inward faith shewed in such fruits This made the Prophet to sweare in that he saw on one side his happines so great in the word the corruption of his heart on the other side And in meditating day and night in Gods law and considering his righteous iudgements he saith in trueth Thy word is a lanterne c. If we will looke into our selues we shall finde that those things which seeme to be most easily beleeued are furthest from faith and that things most easie to be learned are furthest from practise True it is that euery man will say Who will not beleeue this what a beast were he that would denie the truth of Gods word But alas our carelesse reading our rare meditating our cold praying and praising of God for his word our seldome conference of the word will testifie against vs in time to come that we neuer truely beleeued We must first looke and note our selues and then we shall profit somewhat more The man of God opposeth here the word to mans wisedom which he had meÌ„tioned in the verse going before as light is contrarie to darknes For as in darknes we cannot goe safely without the light of a lanterne or such like euen so are we in ignorance and rebellion if we be not continually guided by the word of God and his Spirit This then is a further thing how durst blind bayards be so bold who liuing in the darknes of Egypt thinke they are in the light and being vnable to discerne betweene persumption and despayre betweene promises and threatnings betweene things streightly commanded voluntarily done suppose themselues to be sharpe sighted Nay we shall finde these fruites to be but in few It is said Matth. 22. 23. The light of the body is the eye if then thine eye be single thy whole body shall be light 23. But if thine eye be wicked then all thy body shall be darke Where our Sauiour Christ borroweth his speech from the senses of the body and translateth it to the powers of the soule For as euery part of the body is lightsome whilest the eye seeth so a man being inlightened with the word and the Spirit hauing his eyes alwaies to heauen hath his affections aright and on the contrarie as all things are lothsome to that bodie which for want of the eyes is wholy darkened so a man sitting in the darknes of ignorance hauing his mind wholy set on earthly things hath his affections disordered Now that there is no light in vs but all is darknes in our soules the Apostle Peter doth plainely shew it 2. Pet. 1. 19. We haue a most sure word of the Prophets to the which ye doe well that ye take heede as to a sure light in a darke place c. Where he commending the Christians for their care of the word sheweth that it is a light in the darke and teacheth vs that how much knowledge we haue so much we are in good affections Also Paul Ephes 4. 17. 18 saith I testifie in the Lord that ye henceforth walke nâ—t as other Gentiles walke in the vanitie of their minde 18. Hauing their cogitation darkened and being strangers from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them c. Where he sheweth that the man vnregenerate hath his minde vnderstanding and heart corrupt and blinde in that life which God liueth in his and that as the man which seeth being in darknes or in light the blind man gropeth vncertainely euen so all our doing are endlesse and headlesse which are without the light of knowledge Shall we thinke now that euery man beleeueth this to be true No for if they did they would doe otherwise If they felt this in affection in any measure would they not come out of their prison to the liberty of Gods saints would they not auoid the darkenesse to see the bright sunne What a follie were it for a man who hauing scales and gleamy diseases on his eyes might be cured and will not This is a double fault that when men may know they will lie in errours and ignorance and when they may be conuerted they will dwell still in Heresie Oh what a thing is this wilfullie to remaine in darkenesse and to sleepe at the hearing of the word when the Lord giueth them a lanterne for their feete and offereth knowledge and yet to be no better than the stockes they sit on If it pleased the Lord who giueth vnderstanding to the ignorant and draweth light out of darkenesse to reueale the light into their darke coÌ„sciences they should know that when light came vnto them they refused it and that they are louers of darknes more than of light But he that worketh all things mightily iâ— all men must shew this light vnto their darkenes because they that are in hell thinke on none other heauen they that lie in vnrighteousnes thinke of no other righteousnesse and sitting in the vallies of death they remember none other life We must therefore pray that the Lords glorious light of the gospel may open the eyes of their consciences and let euery man examine his owne heart that he may pray to haue his iudgement cleared by the true knowledge of the word and his affections renewed to the due obedience of the same For how much knowledge wee haue so much light haue we and looke how much we lie in ignorance so much we lie in darknes Wee know but in part when we are at the highest in this life how great then is that darkenes
behold here the blessing of God he will blesse â—ts and satisfie the hungrie soules The Lord requireth nothing of vs but to mistrust our reason and to suspect our affections but to be teachable in spirit to hunger in heart and thirstingly to long after his word which if we shall doe we shall receiue increase of knowledge and amendment of life For to them that as meeke schollers wil be taught of Gods spirit and submit their reason to the simplicâ—tâ—e of the word the Lord saith Matth. 5. Blessed anâ— the poore in spirit for theirâ—s is the kingdome of heauen Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousnes for they shall be filled But here may seeme to mans reason a great repugnance to the verse aforegoing The entrance into thy word sheweth light and giueth vnderstanding to the simile For hee had shewed in the verse going before that the testimonies of the Lord were wonderfull not in part â—â—â— meaning that all therein was mysticall and here he saith that the very entrance into Gods word giueth light and vnderstanding to the simple We answere that the law or especially the second table of it may bee conceiued by reason but it is nothing so in â—â—â— doctrine of faith which is here meant in this word testimonies which we shewed to bee taken for the couenants of God The doctors of reason I meane the papists say the word is not to be taught to the common people because it is mystical but they neuer knew not by good experience felt that the Scriptures of God were easie to them that would submit themselues to them and vse them familiarly Others indeed may read see and heare them but they shall be as Parables and enigmaticall vnto them If then wee did see this aright that that which the wisest man cannot conceiue the simplest soules may attaine to if they will be taught of God would it not take vp our affections This made our Sauiour Christ say I thanke thee O Father Lord of heauen and earth that thou hast hia these things from the â—â—â—â— and prudent and hast reuealed them vnto babes euen so O Father was it thy good will and pleasure As if our Sauiour Christ should haue said O Lord I see the wise men haue great conceiuings and yet they attaine not to thy word yet to them that are humble and poore of spirit I see thou makest it knowne Did our Sauiour Christ giue thankes for this thing and shall not we for whose example these things were done We can giue thankes for our wits and for our memories but what is that to the purpose our wit may rather hinder vs than further vs in the true knowledge of the Lord vnles it be humbled and subiect to Gods spirit But here is a great cause of thankefulnesse that the simple shall vnderstand these mysteries not as we shewed before such as haue no conceiuing at all but such as acknowledge their simplicitie and hunger after the word euen as we also grant that wisemen shall haue this vnderstanding if they will denie their reason and stir vp affection For as all wise men shal not be debarred from this priuiledge so all simple men shal not be preferred thereunto For neither wisedome in it selfe nor simplicitie in it owne nature doe either further or hinder hereunto But alas I see how loath men would bee to lose their worldly wit and how they seeke after praise and commendation for the same but few eyther with like affection desire spirituall vnderstanding or sorrow in any like measure when they haue it not Deut. 4. 6. That is your vnderstanding and wisedome in the sight of the people saith A Moses That the Lord permitteth you so neere to approch to him and to bee taught his ordinances and lawes What then meane these speeches of them that hunt so much after worldly wit Why doe you thinke I am a foole Doe you thinke I am an asse and haue no wit to conceiue what things be as well as other men Doe you count me but a dul head Surely they are too proud and too much blinded in their owne conceits Wherfore the Prophet doth shew vs that as the mysteries of Gods word are reuealed to them that are simple of vnderstanding so are they to theÌ„ that are zealous in affectioÌ„ The cause then why we do no more profit by the word is because wee doe not denie our reason wee haue not affections that hunger after it nor loue to make vs pant for it which things if we did we should surely be satisfied Indeed the Lord giueth vnderstanding to whom he pleaseth where he purposeth to bestow so great a blessing hee giueth grace also more aboundantly to suboue their reason And as simplicitio cannot of it selfe bee a cause of spirituall vnderstanding but as it sooner bringeth vs to a sight of our wants and maketh vs the more to long after Gods word so wisedome is no cause of hinderance but as wee resting too much in the feare of reason cannot easily be brought to the simplicitie of Gods word And if the entrance rudiments and principles of religioÌ„ giue such knowledge and the very catechismes yeeld such vnderstanding what is to be hoped for when wee attaine to riper knowledge when wee haue more vnderstanding when wee haue more affections well let vs then examine our owne hearts herein when wee begunne were wee delighted with vnderstanding and did our vnderstanding moue in vs such affections and in our proceedings is our vnderstanding lesse and our affections fewer or doe we not thinke still of our ignorance and desire to haue our iudgemeÌ„t clearer we are in a dangerous estate we must suspect our selues Sathan wil bewitch vs and tel vs that this is a paradoxe that after so long hearing and reading we should still be ignorant and that still we haue neede to hunger after the word It is therfore the great mercy of God that to the receiuing of so singular a benefit he requireth nothing of vs but the acknowleding of our ignorance and bewayling of our wants Hee would that we should still put our selues in minde of this one thing that though we haue not this vnderstanding in the highest degree or in an hundred fold yet we must haue it in some degrees either in threescore fold or in thirtie fold we must vexe grieue and trouble our selues for this affection For where it is the heart is a liberall and free ruler of our affections and where it is not we must learne to lay violent hands euen on our affections We are to shew that which we omitted in the latter ende of the verse going before Because I loued thy law c. Heere the prophet sheweth that the loue which hee did beare to Gods lawe was so great that it could not satisfie him but still hee thirsted after it and thirsting did pant Loue as we say alwaies setteth a price of things nothing is too deare no trauaile
more than the glorie of God because he did not more seuerely and more zealously rebuke his sons and in that there wanted in him that feruencie of spirit whreby he should haue cut off his sonnes from their office wherefore the hand of God did cut off his life and depriued all his posteritie of the Priesthood Although this good man was offended and grieued with the euils of his sonnes yet his coldnes in zeale brought â—pon him this plague Elias whose zeale as much pleased the Lord as the coldnes of Elie displeased him was of a feruent spirit for when the Lord asked him where he had been he answered I haue beene zealous for the Lord God of Hosts sake and when he complained that he could finde none which had not bowed vnto Baal the Lord vouchsafeth to comfort him and telleth him there be 7000. which neuer bowed their knees to him Well because he continued zealous in beating downe Idolatrie the Lord came downe visibly with a firie Chariot and fetched Eliah from earth to heauen We need not here speake of the great zeale of Moses Phinees and other of the seruants of God We see and know the cause of this loue in the man of God was the purenesse of the word We heard in the first verse that the iudgements of the Lord were righteous we haue heard in the second verse that the testimonies of the Lord contained a speciall righteousnesse wee shall heare in the sixt verse that the righteousnesse of the Lord is an euerlasting righteousnesse wee may see in the seuenth verse that it made him delight in trouble and in the eight verse that the righteousnesse of the Lord is euerlasting Wherefore doth hee this as we haue alreadie said to strengthen his Faith for after hee had said that the riuers of teares through zeale and griefe burst out of his eyes hee addeth and rehearseth these things What shall we say they are vaine repititions Nay we know the holy Ghost reproueth them Math. 6. We see then that in so oft commending the word of God the Prophet sheweth to vs our vnbeliefe which he felt so much in himselfe When do idle repetitions so much displease the Lord Surely when our tongues walke idlie and in our prayers wee speake we know not what But when a mans heart is full of sorrow and fraught with griefe of his sinnes or earnestly longeth after a thing then let vs crie Lord haue mercie vpon mee then let vs powre out our spirits say Sonne of Dauid haue mercie vpon me Lord I belieue helpe my vnbeliefe Thus when the heart is loth to bee ouercome of vnbeliefe and when it desireth to shewe forth his sorrow or when Gods children would exercise their Faith or feele in themselues any rare ioy which they would gladly expresse then they vse manie repetitions as wee may see both in the booke of Chronicles and the Psalmes Praise yee the Lorde because hee is good for his mercie endureth for euer where wee shall see in 26. verses this still repeated for his mercie endureth for euer What shall wee say now that here is any needlesse repetition No well we see here then that wee must not speake simplie against repetitions but in great wisedome of the Spirit because the heart of the godly cannot satisfie it selfe with Faith and feeling of Gods promises vnlesse it breaketh foorth as a fire into many speeches Hereby we know now that the man of God here expresseth his faith we are to learne that without some liuely feeling of faith of ioy or of griefe we are not to vse oft repetitions vnlesse happily they be vsed to stirre vs vp the more to these or such like So cried the woman of Canaan O Sonne of Dauid haue mercie vpon me and being rebuked she still cried O Sonne of Dauid haue mercie vpon me We would thinke it somewhat strange and as a great matter to see a poore body shoote out so many prayers at once when they speake out of the abundance of their heart which is stuffed with so many griefes and troubles Thy word saith the Prophet is proued true it hath no changeable goodnesse but hath in it an euerlasting righteousnes seruing for all ages for all persons and for all times Mens opinions faile the wisedome strength and authoritie of man in time hath an end but this Word is exceeding large and neuer hath end Thy word is proued pure Many would thinke this to be but a small commendation for the word of God but come to a man when his minde is much troubled and tell him of the word and what purenesse what comfort will he finde in it Surely he will be as one that hath no taste in it and as one that feeleth no more sweetnesse than a sicke man doth taste in a chip And notwithstanding all that the word shall doe to him he will still follow his owne waies and goe on forward in the deuices of his owne head Doe men then feele such infinite comfort in the word so much is their comfort as is their faith and so little is their faith as little is their comfort Looke into Gods children how greatly they lament their vnbeleefe looke into Dauid looke on Iob looke on the late and blessed Martyr of God Bradford who almost in all his bookes and in euery meditation complaineth of his vnbeleefe notwithstanding that he was a man so rich in the graces of God so throughly mortified to the world so stayed in faith and yet the neerer he came daily to Christ the more he stil crieth against vnbeleefe Wherefore Paul seeing this to be a common disease among all men saith This is a faithfull thing and worthie of all men to be remembred That Iesus Christ came into the world to saue sinners this is a faithfull saying with such like speeches which the Apostle vseth as preparatiues to stirre vp our faith The purenesse of the word is mentioned of the Prophet when after he had lamented the miserable ellate of the godly and the great decay of godlinesse he crieth out to the Lord speedily to assist his children saying Helpe Lord Psal. 12. 4 for there is not a godly man leâ—â— c. and by and by he addeth verse 6. The wordes of the Lord are pure words as the siluer tried in a furnace of earth fined seuen fold If we should imagine the purest siluer that is often tried and serueth in the court for Princes euen so pure must we beleeue the word of God to be which not seuen times alone but seuentie times seuen times hath beene tried in the fire of aduersitie and still hath remained most pure and neuer could any corruption bâ— found in it Wee haue seene good men as it were confounded and yet comforted and being tried are found to be pure The meaning of the man of God in that place is trie the word as you doe trie the purest mettals with persecution with torment with contempt or howsoeuer I
of couetous cares consuming them and that so strongly as if there were no hope to be recouered How be it when the Lord hath soked and softned them a little in the brine of affliction they are lesse starke and beginne to yeeld there is a great change and wonderfull alteration in them their lust is cooled their wrath is pacified their concupiscence is abated their gluttonie well tempered their couetousnesse fullie satisfied their affections are so tamed and their corruption so subdued that they thinke themselues highly indebted and much beholden to the cunning skill of affliction which so wonderfully bringeth them downe 3 Now let vs consider how vnder the crosse we are made more zealous in the meanes of our saluation How customably heare we how coldly pray we how carelesly receiue we the Sacraments what feare what indignation what heat what wrath what repeÌ„tance doth the discipline of the Church worke in vs what maiestie appeareth in our publike exercises what authoritie and fruite in our priuate meditations But if the Lord rouse vs vp from this apolexie and dead numbnesse of spirit by some fatherly correction how profit wee by the word how beautifull are the feete of them that bring the glad tidings of saluation how sweete are the promises how soone doe the threatnings worke on vs how zealously will wee pray how glorious are our feelings what ioyes vnspeakable in the Sacraments what feare of sinne what trembling at God his iudgements what indignation with our selues doth the Church censure worke in vs and whereof commeth this Surely because being driuen out of euery crannie and creuis where wee were went to bee harboured wee can finde no rest vntil we come vnder the roofe of the Lord his house who in all our dangers and after all our rebellions will not push vs out of his doore he wil take vp such Lazarus and not into a spittle house but into his Arke of comfort and Tabernacle of consolation Oh deepe sea of Gods mercie which neuer can be sounded that when men growe to such a Lordlinesse as they will not heare vs nor see vs nor vouchsafe to speake to vs he should not refuse to giue vs free audience and by his readie hearing moue vs to bee eloquent and long in our prayers to him who as soone as he doth but looke on vs doth promise a release from our miserie 4 When our friends will not speake to vs the Lord calleth to vs hee will enter some long speech with vs and denieth vs not all the comforts which the promises of the Gospell may affoord When our familiar acquaintance will scarcely lend vs a potsherd to scrape off our scabs the Lord by his SacrameÌ„ts reacheth out the surest pledges of his eternall good will towards vs. But yet behold another worke of affliction it bringeth vs to the contempt of this world and breedeth in vs the loue of the world to come whereunto in prosperitie we are very hardly brought For besides that wee see few noble rich healthie strong and honourable men desire death or to be wearie of this life be it neuer so long if wee consider how loath such men are to depart how gladly they would indent that their life and tearme of their lease might after an hundred yeeres expired bee renewed for an hundred yeeres longer wee shall see prosperitie will perswade all and ouercomes many to die in the nest Nay which more is affliction can hardly call vs away or knock vs off wee grow so deafe and take hold so fast of the world For who is so sick but euen in paine hee would rather wish to liue the longer than to die the sooner who so clogd with pouertie that to be freed from his clog would desire to die If the Israelites panting and breathing vnder the yoke of most seruile impositions and trauels were hardly drawne towards the promised land of libertie and easily would haue retired to the former labours of their seruitude what thinke you should haue allured them out of Egypt if they had liued there in some preferment and ease as did Ioseph in the court what could Moses and Aaron haue done to haue driuen them out of the place And I pray you if we being neuer so sick neuer so poore can still be content to haue our abiding in this life what will we doe if the Lord still graunt vs friends leaue our conscience vntouched our bodies vnharmed our goods vnconsumed Surely we would not haue leasure to think of death much lesse to die as our common speeches of our wise strong and wealthie men doe shew who when death dealeth with them crieout what must I needes away alas I neuer thought of anie other heauen I am not fit to depart I am very loth to die Thus it is the wisedome and goodnes of God to waine vs from the world by affliction which as it causeth vs to finde great comfort in beholding God but euen in a glasse so it hasteneth vs to taste of the fulnes of comfort in him by beholding him face to face 5 Ioseph saying thy seruants are men occupied about cattell might seeme to dissemble but it is not necessarie alwayes to speake all Truth and they confessed the principall truth that is that they were shepheards which kinde of men were abhorred of the Aegyptians and this turned to their profit for being seuered from the Aegyptians they might better maintaine peace among themselues be kept free from the corruption of the Aegyptians whereinto by familiâ—ritie they might haue fallen This teacheth vs that we should not be ashamed of our kindred though they be contemptible in the world For Ioseph being a chiefe ruler in the land of Aegypt yet confessed all his fathers to be shepheards he would not haue his brethren change their trade thogh he might haue gotten for them great preferments Our of all this may be gathered that the Lord worketh a contempt of this world in the harts of his children and that they had rather be doore-keepers in the house of the Lord then to dwell in the tents of the vngodlie wee ought likewise not to bee ashamed to be called the people of God the Disciples of Christ no nor yet Precisians and such like names as are coÌ„monly giuen to Christians This may teach vs that the meane estate is alwayes best so that wee ought to giue God thanks for it and not to be ambitious for they that would be great in the world can hardly be religious But because many will be called brethren which be noâ— so indeed it shal be good to set downe some notes of brotherhood and the first is to helpe one another in neede yea though it be with danger of our liues therefore it is said that a brother is made for the time of aduersitie the godly brethren hazarded their liues for Paul for those that sought Paules death would likewise haue slaine these if they had knowne them There are diuers examples of
ourtakes vs and we are as good as absent or else if wee be waking we goe away before it be done or if we tarrie as soone as we be gone we commit all to forgetfulnesse And so if with want of knowledge wee be mercifull and true dealers it is but after our owne braine and because the Lord hath not planted the Lord will roote it out The end of all is if men will not grow in the knowledge of God his wil they shal neuer come to the knowledge of God that is they shall not knowe God his mercy God his trueth glory and blessednesse neither will he euer know vs. For as without the knowledge of Gods will there is not nor shall be any knowledge of God so if we know not God God will neuer know vs. 11 When we shal be ioyned to God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost then shal we know as we are knowne then shall all teares be wiped from our eyes then shall our infirmities be taken from vs then shall we dwel with the Angels and with al the hosts of heauen in most happie blessednesse it selfe We see now by this chaine not forged by our own braine but framed out of Gods word that hee is indeede blessed whom God chooseth whom Christ redeemeth whom the Spirit reneweth whom faith stayeth whom the word Prayer Sacraments and Discipline buildevp in the Lord in whom faith breedeth peace peace sinceritie sinceritie loue loue a feare of displeasing and a care of pleasing God in whom this care striueth to a mortification in pouertie of minde this pouertie comming from a mourning heart possessed in a meeke spirit and aspiring to true righteousnesse all these things being ioyned with that sanctification which lamenteth the sins of others and relieueth the wants of others knowing to vse prosperity and aduersitie as pledges of Gods fauour and vndoubtedly looking for the kingdome of heauen in the life to come If any of these linkes be missing the chaine is broken if any of these members be wanting the body of blessednesse is lame and dismembred CHAP. XLV Of Miracles and how God worketh without and with meanes and how we ought to attend on the meanes THe Miracles that were wrought in the Church were partly in mercie and partly in iudgement as in turning Iereboams hand into leprosie and into cleane flesh againe but the miracles against Aegypt were onely in iudgement 2 Signes are giuen to confirme vs in the word are not more excellent than it if then they draw vs from the word we must hold them accursed as wel as the false Prophet Deut. 12. That which Paul speaketh of tongues 1. Corinth chap. 14. is true of all miracles which are signes to beleeuers which may teach vs not to desire them for if we beleeue not Moses and the Prophets neither would we beleeue if miracles were brought from heauen So is it in the Sacramēts which are ordained to nourish that faith which is ingendred in vs by the word and therefore must not bee separated from the word nor esteemed aboue the word For we shall then profite truely by Baptisme when we in and by the word shall beleeue the washing away of sinne and get power to mortifie sinne daily within vs and then shal we profit by the Lords Supper when we beleeue all the promises of our Redemption wrought by Iesus Christ and shall be vnited into his body daily more and more by the word 3 Pharaoh did aske a signe not for any purpose to yeeld thereunto but if they could not doe any he might haue the greater aduantage against Moses and the people So the Scribes and Pharisies aske a signe of Christ to whom he answered the adulterous generation seeketh a signe So many in these daies aske proofe of many things in religion not that they minde to yeeld thereto but if they cannot haue such proofe as will stop their mouthes they may more quietly continue in their error We must learne to leaue this kinde of questioning which is seldome graunted for good let vs so frame our requests as that they may be reuerent and we may haue a desire to rest in that which is graunted 4 A wonder may moue vs for a time but commonly it lasteth at the most but for nine daies and we shall neuer gather any fruite thereby except it doth prepare vs to profite more effectually by the word 5 Some think that the miraculous Manna was not so straunge because it is to be found in these daies in other countries I answere not of that colour not of that propertie Therefore this was a miracle as may appeare by these reasons following First because it was neuer seene before and then came at Gods commaundement Secondly because neither raine nor faire weather did let it Thirdly because as soone as they came to the borders of the promised Land it ceased Fourthly because if it were kept till the morning it stanke but on the Sabbath day it continued sweet albeit gathered the day before Againe when it was reserued in the Arke it putrified not Fiftly because it followed the Israelites whither soeuer they went Sixtly because it fell in such abundance as that it sustained so great a multitude 6 At what time the Lord first sent Manna the children of Israel being rauished with the loue of it called it Manna that is meate prepared of the Lord herein they acknowledged the goodnesse of the Lord. This Manna is first commended for the colour it was as white as the precious stone called Bdellium Secondly for the taste tasting like fresh oyle Numb 11. 7. Thirdly for that it was Angels foode or meate prepared by Angels Psalm 98. And yet for all this when the people had beene accustomed to it they loathed it and set light by it wherefore their sinne was the greater The reason of it may be this This Manna was giuen them not onely to be foode for their bodies but also to be a token vnto them that seeing the Lord fedde them from heauen they were not to settle themselues on the earth but to looke for their inheritance in Heauen So many therefore as did rest in the bodily foode not respecting the thing spiritually signified by it they were soone weary of it So is it also with vs for albeit all the blessings of God be very deare vnto vs and of a great price at the first receiuing of them yet when they are common the best blessings are lightly regarded If it be so in earthly things which are agreeable to our nature how much more will it be in spirituall things which are so contrarie to our nature And hereby the great corruption of mans heart is discouered which will not be moued but with noueltie As for example the sunne if it were but seldome seene how glorious a creature would it be accoūted but because we haue the daily vse of it therfore very few of vs regard it Nay the word of
pay him truth The third respect why the Lord will haue truth is because it is a thing most concerning vs and comforteth vs in the agonie of a distressed cōscience For in this case mercie cannot so comfort vs for God hath iustice as well as mercie and hee is iust as well as he is mercifull and for Christ he cannot comfort vs for he is not giuen to all and it may be not to thee and therefore in these two onely there is no comfort But to challenge the Lord his truth is best and his faithfulnes in giuing Christ whom he hath promised is our chiefest hold and nothing can put vs beside it This is the surest tenour of our saluation because by this we hold whatsoeuer we hold and howsoeuer we are defectiue in other things yet in respect of truth we must make much of it Thus in these respects that truth is the diadem of the Lord in respect that Sathan doth so assault it it is the tenour of our saluation it is sure that it is a pension to bee paid But to come neerer whether this truth be in vs or no we see the earth it selfe is not only true but liberall to vs. And as it hath truth and mercie so knowledge is in it too for it knoweth al times and seasons When to receiue when to returne it shewes it selfe a cunning Scholler and it keepes such a comely course in all seasons as if it had perfect knowledge and this is another reason why wee must labour for truth We may well be compared to a land For though there be a soule in vs of the substance of heauen and comming into our bodies made of earth should make them like to heauen and so heauen should lift vs vp to heauen from the earth yet our bodies which by the soule should be more heauenly haue so weighed down heauen as it were to the earth pressed downe the soule to things below That we haue set earth as it were aboue heauen in all our attempts and imaginations and so our soules are become a very ground and land for all our intent being earthly we are iustly called earth 3 There are found out three truths First The truth of life which euery man must labour for The second is The truth of Iustice which is in Common-wealths The third is Truth in doctrine and religion which is in the Church For that truth of life which ought to be among men that we may better vnderstand it wee will shew it in measures and weights In a measure there is a Standard and in weight there is a Seale and if our measure be equall with the standard and if our weights be iust with the seale so as they be neither lighter nor heauier than the standard weight our measures and weights are true Now to applie these things the maine and standard truth is set downe Ioh. 17. Thy word is the truth Then here is the point the word is trueth If our thoughts bee agreeable to this standard and then our tongues be agreeable to our harts well agreeing to the standard if our doings agree with our tongues then comes sinceritie of heart simplicitie of speech and constancie of life Now here is the question then whether the conclusion wee make in our braine be equall with the standard or else our hearts are false and they being false our tongues are out of rule and our outward life can neuer be true For surely if the word haue not taught vs our truth wee haue no truth in the world and then wee truly measure all things according to the truth when we esteeme all things as the word doth esteeme them looke what conclusions the word hath set downe of the world and of other things that must be our conclusion and principle in euery thing Phil. 3. Paul who doubtlesse knew the truth and deliuered nothing but measured by the standard of the truth hath this conclusion that to winne Christ he would lose all there was nothing so glorious in the world but he counted it riffe raffe for the attaining of Christ. This is then the first thing to doe al things by the analogy of the word and then we shall haue but one heart not a heart and an heart Otherwise wee shall be as deceiueable as the vineyard that Esay speakes of whereof grapes were looked for but it brought foorth wilde grapes And because men haue worldly conclusions and the world not the word is their standard so that they are resolued of their principles speaking thus secretly in their hearts We will keepe this gaine and profite they haue lost the truth So must it be in the simplicitie of our speech for vnlesse our words bee according to our hearts we delude our selues For if in the Church we shall haue an Amen a great praising of heauen and a large cursing of sinne and yet no regard of this simplicitie all is but an illusion When men shall publikely sing out of the Psalmes that nothing is more precious than the word of God and yet wee set by nothing lesse this is plaine mockerie to beare the world in hand that we loue the word and yet our thoughts are more large and deepe and attentiue to the world So that wee haue false hearts and dissembling words and truly though we dare not shew this to the world and though in our hearts wee care not for a Sermon once in seuen yeeres yet if wee were asked how wee stood affected to the word what great credit and commendations would flie out of our mouthes But now let vs come to the truth of our actions in stedfastnesse of life that a man may bind on our word the ouerthrowing of our liues doe so much drowne the voice of our mouthes that whatsoeuer we protest in word wee spoyle in our workes The blood of Habel was an action and it cried vp to heauen our Amen in our mouthes is drowned by the blood of our actions crying so loude before the Lord. For our actions bewray men for there is such wringing going ouergoing and incroching that there is no Truth in our liues in respect of the concordance of the tongue And whatsoeuer their bonds are we must haue other forfeiture vpon forfeitures to proclaime their falsehood to the world Now come to the Truth of the Common-wealth wee see as the Prophet saith Iudgement is turned in to Worme-wood that is a man had as good eate a hand-full of Worme-wood as haue our cause pleaded in the Courte Let Noble-men be neuer so wise to open the Truth yet the Diuell hath made many wiser in breaking of the Truth then any can be wise in setting it downe It is knowne too well that many grieuances haue beene for that men haue growne more cunning in ouerthrowing of Iustice then manie haue bene able to establish Iustice. But euery man would be content to beare this burthen because it concernes another Courte But
himselfe who being aboue all Lawes obserued this to make vs more willing Let vs be like to him for by hauing notable exaÌ„ples we are more effectually stirred vp toe do any thing It is the vse of the Scriptures after reasons to exemplifie as CHRIST Ioh. 15. in teaching humility Paul 1. Cor. 11. Therefore we are to follow God if we be his childreÌ„ who hath for our example vouchsafed this day this great dignitie He blessed it and the works of it making them effectually to worke in vs regeneration and fitting vs for eternall life Hee hallowed it to the ease of seruants and beasts so bridling our worldlines to the Meditation of his creatures to the worke of Faith and charitie Wherefore what God hath hallowed let no man prophane CHAP. X. Of Discipline and Excommunication WHen men are neither profitable for the land nor good for the dunghill they must he cast out This casting out hath a necessary vse in the bodie naturall as where nature cannot doe it of her selfe there she doth it by art in the body ciuill as by exile in the body ecclesiasticall as by excoÌ„munication in the body oeconomicall by suspension or expulsion God cast out Adam from paradise the Angels from heauen Abraham cast out the bondmaide with her sonne Moses separated the leprous persons from the cleane CHRIST cast out buyers and sellers out of the Temple 2 The rulers of the Church are called the Church to whom Discipline appertaineth euen as Mark. 3. not the whole companie of the Iewes but the rulers of the Synagogue are called the Church of the Iews Therfore as we call the Court of Parliament the Realme gathered together although it be but an Epitome to sit and compromise of things so these fewe being a Compendium of the Church haue all things committed vnto them And God himselfe in the Parable doth not bewray this but doth in wisedome conceale it saying They will without peraduenture reuerence my Sonne So without controuersie one would thinke they would heare the Church But as the Iewes made a way with him that was the heire so we say now adayes with the Edomites Psal. 137. down with the Church that there bee no feare of yoake nor the print of the yoake vpon our necke Well how grieuous a thing it is to despise the Church wee will see by the dignitie appointed to the Church in the word of God Tit. 2. it is called a peculiar people and in an ancient tongue The Lords Iewel 2. Cor. 4. All the world was made for the Church for the Churches sake CHRIST was a Christ Heb. 11. Hee that despiseth the Church the world is not worthie to giue him breath Hebr. 1. The Angels of God are seruants to it Cor. 6. the Church shall iudge the whole world and the Angels 2. Pet. 1. 3. 4. The Church is partaker euen of God his owne nature Ephes. 4. The Church is the fulfilling of Christ so that Christ is as it were maimed without it and what can be said more of it 3 An excommunicated person was so odious among the Iewes that besides that they did excoÌ„municate him and shut him out of their Synagogues if they met such a one they thought it a speciall token of some fortune as they tearme it So that among the Iewes excommunication was worse then fiue deaths so much was reuerenced the censures of the Church This did the Church but when men began to be idle they put off this dutie But what is this excommunication A giuing vp to Satan There was a great partition wall between God and vs vntil Christ came and made a breach entered into the place wherein God was shut vp from vs. Christ himselfe became the dore but the keye of the dore hath he committed to his faithful Minister They that are without this wall they are among the Ziims and Iims among the Owles and Dragons they are as in hell and in exile from the congregation of Christ. Eliah made the heauens brasse three yeere so as they gaue no raine but what a thing is it to make God as brasse so that all the spoutes of his mercy be stopped and all conduites of compassion should be dammed vp against vs 4 In the case of discipline we haue to deale with the Lord of heauen and earth It is to good purpose to know with whom we haue to deale for it causeth vs to bestirre our selues in dealing with worldly men then how much more now must it cause vs so to doe This discipline did Christ himselfe put in practise who oft taketh the trouble of his members to himselfe as appeareth in his speech to Paul Paul why persecutest thou me and in the saying of Peter to Ananias Thou hast lied against the holy Ghost And surely at the last day the contempt of the Ministers shall be counted as deepe a sinne as if we had contemned God himselfe which may appeare in Dathan Corah and Abiram And surely God thinketh wee should honour his Church aboue all and yet men say Come lâ—t vs kill the heire Wherefore the Lord will come and note out these husbandmen Howsoeuer men please themselues in doing thus yet God that sitteth in heauen shall laugh them to scorne and vexe them with his sore displeasure in the end 5 The discipline which Christ hath instituted is coÌ„mitted to the Church Behold and heare a miracle heauen placed vnder the earth where as in all other things heauen is aboue earth God made heauen and earth Thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen so now with Dauid we must say What is man that thou art so mindfull of him not onely to giue him the rule of earth but euen of heauen yea of Angels yea of God himselfe so that now God cannot loose them whom the Church hath bound so that although he doth many things without vs yet when we haue done this he doth not otherwise c. Else there are many bound in heauen which are not bound in earth especially in these daies when the leaues are fallen from the tree the beautie is gone and the discipline is taken away yet the Angels haue chaines though we cannot see them so that they watch ouer the wicked to bind them and to cast them into hell Thus we see the high dignitie of the Church and yet this is not giuen to euery one but to the Church who though they be base and contemptible yet the Lord coÌ„mitted vnto them the apple of his eye In the Epistle to the Hebr. he saith That the earth the ayre the heauen are not worthie to giue them breath he hath made the Angels to be their seruants to them he hath giuen such authoritie And no marueile for he hath made them more excellent than the Angels he hath made them the bodie of his Sonne yea and the friends of his owne selfe To them he committed his treasures And what be his treasures Surely when Dauid commeth to
righteousnesse than the Angels than the heauens which are impure in the sight of God and in whom he findeth imperfection We must therefore come to the passiue righteousnesse wee must haue the blood of Christ sprinkled abroad in our hearts By the one we must labour so as if we would ouermatch the righteousnes of the Pharisies of the most Iuâ—ticiaries in the world but when it comes before God to liue or to die by our righteousnes then wee must let goe the olde Testament and take care for the blood of the New Testament which is giuen vs by the ministerie of Faith For our action of eating and drinking as the Church hath retained it there is a commandement giuen that we lift vp our hearts vnto the Lord and we must be as Eagles flying vp to heauen by hauing carefull meditation at that time of things inuisible of setting before vs the suffering of CHRIST in breaking of the bodie in shedding of the blood of CHRIST which being ruminated is the sending vp of our Faith by the working of the HOLY GHOST The principall end is the remembrance of the death of CHRIST which he did commend to vs at his last parting from vs which ought much to sticke in our mindes because the last words of a friend readie to depart doe oft leaue both impressions and affections in vs. Indeede when wee reade of his death it doth somewhat moue vs when we heare of it it moues vs more to meditate of it moues vs in a third degree but besides all these to haue as it were before our eyes a visible Crucifying of Christ doth mooue vs most of all This in wisedome he vsed that we might not forget him as before GOD the Father after the great deluge drowning the whole world for a remembrance of the worke of deliuering vs from water he left vs a Rainebow And when hee had supernaturally fed the Israelites with Manna from heauen he would haue a pot full of it reserued in the Arke of remembrance for a memoriall of so great a worke Wee being deliuered by the blood of Christ from the floods of our sinnes haue receiued Baptisme to keepe vs in remembrance thereof We being nourished with the Manna of Christ his bodie are commanded to vse this mysterie to continue an holy remembrance of the same Now for that vnion which is betwixt CHRIST and vs as wee haue nothing in Adam but that which conueyth death to vs so it is needfull that we should be ioyned to one that may giue light to vs the means to be thus vnited is this sacrament And what vnion can be greater then that which is betweene the thing nourishing and the thing nourished This vnion though by no reason it can be expressed must bee beleeued how Christ by being borne of Mary hath vnited our nature to him and this vnion hath euery reprobate with Christ in that he hath taken vpon him the shape of man and so farre any cast-away may be said to haue interest in the flesh of Christ. Where is then the difference Truly here is a difference if the arme ioyned to the body haue no life no sense no benefit of vitall spirits it may be indeed vnited to the bodie but it is not a part of the bodie so the wicked liuing without Faith haue no soule as it were but are as it were senslesse and liuelesse hang-byes and therefore are no true members of Christ. We must not then thinke it sufficient to be ioyned to the flesh of Christ as the kinsmen of Christ who speaking of this spirituall coniunction with him pointed vnto them that by faith receiued his word saying These are my brother my sister my mother These haue the true vnion with Christ the other haue affinitie with Christ in his flesh onely in his incarnation Therfore with the symbols to a true receiuer Christ is really giuen so all whatsoeuer belongeth to Christ in the purchase of his redemption Neither are we to looke only to our vnion with Christ but to that ioyning of our selues with them that are of the same mystical body be they neuer so many that receiue with vs. For this tries all and it is an vnion of loue and in respect here of this mysterie hath been called a Communion And because our vnion with Christ doth nothing profit God though a thousand worlds of men were vnited to him he hath set ouer the profit to others so that if I may so say is Christ is meate and drinke to vs so we should be meate and drinke as it were to others for that whatsoeuer wee haue in wisedome wee should bestow to the behoofe of the ignorant whatsoeuer we haue in holinesse we should make the best of it to the winning of others whatsoeuer we haue in outward things we should communicate it to others according to the quantity of their wants our aboundance So shall we be members not onely of the naturall but also of the mysticall bodie of Christ. There is yet another ende Seeing there is such a nature in the creatures that the outward things haue suffered many iniuries before they became good food as the corne being cut down in it perâ—ite age pressed out of the huskes with the flaile loosing all his intralles with the violence of the Mill and after passing through the parching heate of the Ouen is made good bread so the flesh of Iesus Christ went vnder many paines and the blood of Christ as the grape in it most flourishing estate was pressed out of the veines and sustained hard passions and shall nothing of vs then suffer with him Because we cannot wreake ouranger on the Iewes as Pontius Pilate as Caiphas and the rest for that they are dead and gone and yet to say the trueth they were no more the crucifiers of Christ than the nailes the crosse or the haÌ„mer but it was our sins which did crucifie him it was our vile thoughts our corrupt speeches and our own sins which did set Caiphas Pilate and Iudas on worke and they were but our seruants and hirelings in the action of his crucifying Therefore as we would wreake our anger on them seeing they I say were but hired and we haue the things in our selues which did chiefly crucifie him let vs doe that despite to our sins let vs arraigne theÌ„ let vs crucifie them let vs naile them to the crosse let vs kill them burie them for euer This is that wheron we should spend our choler and let vs beware of crucifying of Christ againe which thing though it cannot be indeede because all the Deputies high Priests are gone yet we may be truely saide to crucifie him againe when we bereauing him of the fruits of his death put new passions of griefe vpoÌ„ him For though it was no grief to Christ to dye so he might enioy the thing he died for yet to loose the fruits of his torments this doth