him Iam. 4.4 for the amitie of the world is the enimitie of God and whosoeuer will be a friend of the world maketh himselfe the enemie of God Let vs remember that wee are in the latter end of the world And therefore they that haue wiues 1 Cor. 7.29.30.31 must be aâ— though they had none and they that weepe as though they wept not and they that reioyce as though they reioyced not and they that buy as though they possessed not and they that vse this world as though they vsed it not for the fashion of this world goeth away that is let vs not fixe and tie our affections on earthly things Heb. 13. â—4 For we haue hâ—ere no continuing Citie but wee seeke one to come but let vs hunger and thâ—rst after â—ighteousnessâ— that we may be filled with eternall blessednesse through our Lord and Sauiour Christ Iesus Amen KNOW THIS THAT GOD WILL bring thee to iudgement Luk. 21.36 Watch therfore and pray continually that ye may be counted worthie to escape all these things that shall come to passe and that ye may stand before the Sonne of man WHen our Sauiour had shewed the terriblenesse of that last and great day wherein hee will come to iudge all flesh and to giue to euery one after his doings hee exhorts all men to haue these things in continuall remembrance that they may attaine to eternall blessednes escape euerlasting wretchednes For they that are drawne from sinne neither by the loue of God nor the desire of heauenly blessings nor by the embracing and following of vertue yet if they giue héede to that they heare they must néedes be terrified and consequently something refrained from euill by the expectation and looking for of this dreadfull iudgemâ—nt And therefore our Sauiour propounds this as a meaneâ— to reclaime obdurate and obstinate offenders and concludes the fearefull description of the day of doome with this admonition Watch therfore and pray continually that ye may be counted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to passe and that wee may stand before the Sonne of man And that which in this Euangelist is spoken briefely in Saint Matthew is expounded and amplified more largely where Christ saith Watch therefore Matt. 24.42 c. for ye knowe not what houre your Maister will come Of this be sure that if the good man of the house knewe at what watch the theefe would come hee would surely watch and not suffer his house to be digged through therefore be yee also readie for in the houre that yee thinke not will the sonne of man come Who then is a faithfull seruant and wise whom his Maister hath made ruler ouer his household to giue them meate in season Blessed is that seruant whom his Maister when he commeth shall finde so doing Verily I say vnto you he shall make him ruler ouer all his goods But if that euill seruant shall say in his heart my Maister doth deferre his comming begin to smite his fellowes and to eate and to drinke with the drunken that seruants Maister will come in a day when he looketh not for him and in an houre that he is not ware of and will cut him off and giue him his portion with hypocrites there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Likewise our Sauiour saith in S. Marke Take heede watch and pray Mar. 13.33.34 c. for ye know not when the time is For the Sonne of man is as a man going into a strange countrey and leaueth his house and giueth authoritie to his seruants and to â—uery man his worke and commandeth the porter to watch Watch yee therefore for yee know not when the Maister of the house will come at euen or at midnight at the cocke crowing or in the dawning least if he come suddenly he should finde you sleeping And those things that I say vnto you I say vnto all men Watch. Now to the end we may be the more prepared and the more watchfull and the more earnest in praier let vs weigh with our selues first the dreadfulnes of the last iudgement secondly why the day thereof is not knowne thirdly whereunto the expectation and remembrance thereof is profitable 1. The dreadfulnes of the last iudgement The fearefulnes of the last iudgement the Lord describes in the foregoing words when he saith Then there shall be signes in the Sunne and in the Moone and in the Starres and vpon the earth trouble among the nations with perplexitie the sea and the waters shall roare and mens hearts shall faile them for feare and for looking after those things which shall come on the world Luk. 21.25.26.27 for the powers of heauen shall be shaken and then shall they see the Sonne of man come in a cloud with power and great glorie Thus also it is expressed in Saint Matthew Matt. 24. â—9 30.31 And immediately after the tribulation of those daies shall the Sunne be darkened and the Moone shall not giue her light and the Starres shall fall from heauen and the powers of heauen shall be shaken And then shall appeare the signe of the Sonne of man in heauen and then shall all the kinreds of the earth mourne and they shall see the Sonne of man come in the clouds of heauen with power and great glorie And he shall send his Angels with a great sound of a trumpet and they shall gather together his elect from the fower windes and from the one end of the heauens vnto the other The substance of Christs words is this that then all Elements and heauenly bodies shall both suffer strangely in themselues to affright the wicked and shall also work strangely on the wicked by casting vpon them diuerse torments as well of soule as of body and that all Creatures aboue and beneath shall be cryers and trumpetters to summon men before that horrible Tribunall seate which because they haue contemned therefore they haue persisted still in all vngodlines How the Sun shall be darkened the Moone shall not giue her light and the starres shall fall from heauen and the powers of heauen shall be shaken and the sea and floods shall roare in such ghastly sort that men shall be readie to yeeld vp the ghost through feare and anguish At this time we cannoâ— coniecture but the euent it selfe will declare and though the manner thereof be not knowne to vs yet to God it is well knowne But howsoeuer it shall be because the vse of the scripture is by the darkening of the Sunne Moone and Starres and by the like things as Christ héere foretels to discipher and signifie the extreame stormes and tempests of Gods wrath vengeance therefore those threatning predictions in the old Prophets may be applied to the last day of Iudgement in which they prophesie that the world shal be in such anguish perplexitie as that men shal thinke the Sun to be darkened the Moone to be bloodie the Sars
reiection of the Iewes the destruction of erusaâ—em and the like demonstrations of the last Iudgement And are not daily calamities both publique priuate and the death of the bodie are not these representations Images of the last iudgement Wherefore since it is so certain that the day of iudgement shal come at the time prescribed of God and since that day shall be so searefull and terrible Let vs watch and pray continually that we may be counted worthie to escape all these things that shall come to passe and that we may stand before the Sonne of man Secondly we must note The day of iudgemeÌ„t not known and why that the day and houre of the day of Iudgement is vncertaine and vnknowne For this our Sauiour teacheth most euideÌ„tly For wheÌ„ the disciples asked what signe there should be of his coÌ„ming and of the end of the world Christ did not answere when his comming should be but after what manner it should be He declareth the fashion of it but he concealeth the season of it If any shall say that the approaching of it may be discerned by the signes and tokens which our Sauiour himselfe hath set downe and that therewithall the time of it may be somewhat coniectured It may be answered that the prognostications and signes of the day of iudgement are of two sorts some are precedent anâ— going before it and some are conioyned and going with it And of the foregoing tokens some goe long before it and some goe not long before it The signes that goe long before the day of iudgement Matt. 24 24.3â—.38 are these First the preaching of the Gospell throughout the whole world and among all nations secondly that strange securitie and gluttonie such as was in the daies of Noah before the flood thirdly a departure from sound doctrine of which Paul speakes 1. Tim. 4.1 when he saith That the spirit speaketh euidently that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith and shall giue heede vnto spirits of error and doctrines of Diuels fourthly a wonderfull disorder and corruption in manners for in the last daies saith the scripture shall come perillous times 2. Tim. 3.1.2.3.4 for men shall be louers of themselues couetous boasters proud cursed speakers disobedient to Parents vnthankefull vnholy without naturall affection truce-breakers false accusers intemperate fierce no louers at all of them which are good traitours headie hie-minded louers of pleasures more then louers of God fiftly the reuealing of that notable Antichrist for the Apostle saith 2. Thess 2.3 That no man must deceiue vs by any meanes For that day shall not come except there come a departing first and that that man of sinne be disclosed euen the sonne of perdition sixtly Luk. 2â— 12 Matt. 24.10 Matt. 24.11 the persecution of the godly and betraying of them for the name of Christ seuenthly publike and notorious scandales and offences eightly many false Christs false Prophets saying I am Christ that is vsing the name of Christ or faining that they are sent of Christ or that they are that which Christ is shewing forth signes and wonders to deceiue the very elect if it were possible ninthly neglect of loue and charitie and a falling from the faith The signes going néerely before the day yet such as the day shall not presently follow are these First in heauen Mar. 13.17.24 the sunne shall be darkened that is there shall be eclipses of the Sunne the Moone shall loose her light the Starres shall fall from heauen that is shall séeme to fall the powers of heauen shall be shaken Secondly in the earth there shall be great earthquakes sturs and tumults nation shall rise against nation and kingdome against kingdome Luk. 11.9.10.15 Mar. 13.7.8 Luk. 21.23 no place shall be frée from wars pestilences famines persecutions and vexations 3. In the sea there shall be fearefull roaring sounding and flowing 4. In the aire there shall be dreadfull and terrible tempests In a word the heauen earth and all Elements shall expresse the face of an angrie Iudge that sinners may be warned to repent Super. Matt. 24. except they will perish suddenly And therefore Saint Chrysostome saies When the good man of the house dieth the familie lamenteth apparelleth it selfe with blacke garments so when mankind drawes to an end the powers of heauen which were made for mankind doe mourne and putting aside beautie are ouerwhelmed with darkenes When the king of heauen ariseth to iudge the quicke and dead the Angelicall powers shall be moued and the terrible seruants shall goe before the terrible Lord. Vnto these foregoing signes may be added the conuersion or gathering of Israel to the faith that is of the whole Iewish nation to the Church of Christ Luk. 21.24 Isai 59. Rom. 11. when the fuâ—â—s of the gentiles is come in of which conuersion both the Prophet and the Apostle maketh mention and the which how and when it shall be none knowes but God These are the signes that goe before the second comming of Christ The tokens conioyned and going with the day of iudgement are the wayling of the kinreds of the earth Matt. 24.30 and the signe of the Sonne of man which shall be seene in the heauen when the Lord shall come in the cloudes which some take for the signe of the Crosse and some take for the excellent glory and Maiestie which shall giue witnes that Christ is come to iudge the whole world Now by the accomplishing of the foregoing signes which we haue scene and doe see daily performed we may gather the néere approaching of the day of iudgement but of the signe that shall goe with it the time is vncertaine and therefore our Sauiour saith Matt. 24.33 When ye see all these things knowe that the kingdome of God is neere euen at the doores and he addes presently but as the daies of Noah were Verse 37.38.39 so likewise shall the comming of the Sonne of man be for as in the daies before the flood they did eate and drinke marrie and giue in marriage vnto the day that Noah entered into the Arke and they knewe nothing till the flood came and tooke them all away so shall also the comming of the Sonne of man be And he ads withall of this be sure Verse 43.44 that if the goodman of the house knewe at what watch the theefe wold come he would surely watch not suffer his house to be digged through therefore be ye also readie for in the houre that ye thinke not will the Sonne of man come 2. Pet. 3.10 This Peter learned of his Maister Christ when he said That the day of the Lord will come as a theefe in the night And likewise Paul Thess 5.2.3 when he said That the day of the Lord shall come euen as a theefe in the night for when they shall say peace and safetie then shall come vpon them sudden destruction as
to léese their brightnes the earth to tremble the Sea to roare and all things else to manace a present ruine not as if it were so indéed but because men shall be so straitned as that they shall thinke it is so And because those notable reuengements of God on the Babylonians Tyrians Egyptians Iewes other nations were as it were paintings out of the great day of iudgement and forerunners thereof we may fitly apply vnto that day such descriptions as the Prophets haue made of those reuengements Behold then what Isaiah saith speaking of the punishment of the Babylonians Behold the day of the Lord commeth Isa 13.9 c. cruell with wrath and fierce anger to lay the land waste and he shall destroy the sinners out of it for the stars of heauen and the planets thereof shall not giue their light the Sunne shall be darkened in his going fâ—rth and the Moone shall not cause her light to shine Therefore I will saith the Lord shake the heauen and the earth shall moue out of her place in the wrath of the Lord of hoasts and in the day of his fierce anger and it shall be as a chased Doe and as a sheepe that no man taketh vp and I will visite the wickednes vpoÌ„ the world and their iniquitie vpon the wicked and I will cause the arrogancie of the proud to cease and will cast downe the pride of tyrants Behold againe what the same Prophet saith speaking of the punishment of all vngodly enemies of the Lords Church Isai 34.1.2 c. Come neere yee nations and heare and hearken ye people let the earth heare and all that is therein the world and all that proceedeth thereof for the indignation of the Lord is vpon all nations and his wrath vpon all their armies he hath destroyed them and deliuered them to the slaughter and their slaine shall be cast out and their stinke shall come vp out of their bodies and the mountaines shall be melted with their blood and all the hoast of heauen shall be dissolued and the heauens shall be folden like a Booke and all their hoasts shall fall as the leafe falleth from the vine and as it falleth from the figge tree Behold againe what Ezekiel saith Ezek. 32.4 c. speaking of the punishment of Egypt I will leaue thee vpon the land saith the Lord God and I will cast thee vpon the open field and I will cause all the foules of the heauen to remaine vpon thee and I will fill all the beasts of the field with thee and I will lay thy flesh vpon the mountaines and fill the vallies with thine heigth I will also water with thy blood the land wherein thou swimmest euen to the mountaines and the riuers shall be full of thee and when I shall put thee out I will couer the heauen and make the starres thereof darke I will couer the Sunne with a cloud and the moone shall not giue her light all the lights of heauen will I make darke for thee and bring darkenes vpon thy land saith the Lord God Behold againe what the Prophet Ioel saith speaking of the plagues that should light vpoÌ„ the Iewes Ioel. 2.1.2.31 Blowe the trumpet in Zyon and shoute in mine holy mountaine let all the inhabitants of the land tremble for the day of the Lord is come for it is at hand a day of darkenes and of blacknes a day of clouds and obscuritie the Sunne shall be turned into darkenes and the Moone into blood When we behold these and the like spéeches let vs suppose that they are foretellings of the last iudgement When the Psalmist saith The God of Gods euen the Lord hath spoken and called the earth from the rising vp of the Sunne Psal 50.1.3.4 vnto the going downe thereof our God shall come and shall not keepe silence a fire shall deuour before him and a mightie tempest shall be moued round about him he shall call the heauen aboute Zephan 1.14 c. the earth to iudge his people When the Prophet Zephania saith The great day of the Lord is neere it is neere and hasteth greatly eueÌ„ the voyce of the day of the Lord the strong man shall crye there bitterly that day is a day of wrath a day of trouble heauines a day of destruction desolation a day of obscuritie darkenes a day of clouds and blackenes a day of the trumpet alarme against the strong cities and against the high towers and I will bring distresse vpon men saith the Lord that they shall walke like blind men because they haue sinned against the Lord and their blood shall be powred out as dust and their flesh as the dongue neither their siluer nor their gold shal be able to deliuer them in the day of the Lords wrath but the whole land shal be deuoured by the fire of his iealousie for he shall make euen a speedie riddance of theÌ„ that dwell in the land When the Prophet Daniel saith I behold Dan. 7.9.10 till the thrones were set vp and the ancient of daies did sit whose garment was white as snowe and the haire of his head like the pure wooll his throne was like the fiery flame his wheeles as burning fire a firie streame issued came foorth from before him thousand thousands ministred vnto him and ten thousand thousands stood before him the iudgement was set the bookes opened When these things are spoken what else is it but that the Diuine saith And I sawe a great white throne Reu. 20.11.12.13 and one that sate on it from whose face fled away both the earth heauen and their place was no more found and I sawe the dead both great small stand before God the bookes were opened another Booke was opened which is the booke of life and the dead were iudged of those things which were written in the bookes according to their workes And the sea gaue vp her dead which were in her and death and hell deliuered the dead which were in them and they were iudged euery man according to their workes This is the second comming of Christ much differing from his first comming For in his first comming he appeared humble in the shape of a seruant in his second coÌ„ming he shall appeare stately in the shape of the King of Kings and Iudge of all in his first coÌ„ming he was subiect to reproach in his second comming he shall shine in glorie in his first coÌ„ming he appeared weake in his secoÌ„d comming he shall appeare in heauenly power in his first comming he did vndergoe the iudgement and condemnation of the reprobate in his second comming he shall iudge and condemne all the wicked and reprobate In his first comming he fought like little Dauid against Goliah without worldly furniture in his second comming he will descend like armed and angrie Dauid 1. Sam. 25 21.22 against vnthankefull Nabal and will say as Dauid said
Offices should bréed vertues that the Phylosopher could say that If there were a common-wealth of such good men as should be indeed Plato Pâ—lit 1. there would be as great strife to auoyd rule as now there is strife to obtaine rule Lathe bâ—esaâ— Albeit they are to be reprooued that embrace that lurking of Epicure and refusall of all function of teaching and ruling For as God will not haue superior places to be inordinately desired so also he commaunds that they that are conscious of méete gifts in themselues should willingly bestowe their labours on the Church Common-wealth This mooued the Apostle to say that if any man desire the office of a Bishoppe 1 Tim. 3.1 hee desireth a worthy worke And therefore Ammonius the Schollar of Origene when being called to the Bishopricke of Alexandria hee had cutte off his right eare and therefore was reprehended by Euagrius Niceph. Callist l. 9. c. 37. that also had refused a Bishops function aunswered rightly but 〈◊〉 said hee hast sinned more greeuously because thou hast cut off thy tongue and darest not to vse it to set forth Gods glorie by preaching the Gospell and vsest not the graces of GOD least thou shouldest sâ—eme to arrogate them to thy selfe And whosoeuer they be that abuse their gifts either to oftentation that they may get praise or to couetousnesse that may get riches they seeke to destroy themselues by not taking héede to feede the flocke of Iesus Christ whereunto they are called But they that are thirstie of worldly honour and exalt themselues therin must cal to mind what our Sauiour saieth Math. 23.12 Whosoeuer will exalt himselfe shall be brought lowe and whosoeuer will humble himselfe shall be exalted As a learned Father reports of a godly woman that she was the greatest of all by making her selfe the least of all Hier. in Ep. ad Eusta that the more she abased her selfe the more Christ aduanced her that she was hidden and not hidden that in flâ—eing glory she deserued glory quae virtutem quasi vmbra sequitur et appetitores sui deserens appetit contemptores for glory followes vertue as a shaddowe and passing by those that desire her desireth those that contemne her They that boast of their good workes as though they did by them merit the crowne of eternitie must remember that there is no good thing in vs which we haue not receiued 1 Cor. 4.7 Phil. 2.13 2 Cor. 3.5 if we haue receiued it why reioyce we as though we had not receiued it It is God which worketh in vs both the will and the deede euen of his good pleasure And we are not sufficient of our selues to thinke any thing as of our selues but our sufficiencie is of God Of what then may wee boast Who will beleeue the wall Ber. Ser. 13. in Can. if it would say that it brings foorth the Sunne-beame which it receiues at the windowe Who would not laugh if the cloudes would say that they breed the raine And who sées not that man is not the cause but the instrument of well-doing and therefore for a man to praise himselfe for it is to fight against GOD Beggars when they would obtayne an Almes doe not adorne themselues with golden chaines and pretious cloathes but they shew their miseries the rather to moue to compassion and the Gibeonites obtained mercy of Israel Iosh 9.4.5 by taking old sacks and old bottels rent and bound vp and old shoes and clouted vpon their feete and old raiment and dried and mouled bread so if we entend to finde fauour with God we must humbly prostrate our selues and confesse our vnworthines The Paganes were perswaded that God resisteth the proud Stob. and giueth grace to the humble for Aesoâ—e béeing asked of Chron what God did he said That he did beate downe loftie things and extoll low things and Artahanus disswading Xerxes from his voyage against the Gréekes Herod lib. 1. Doest thou not see said he how God doth strike great beasts with lightning and le ts passe the little and doest thou not see how oftentimes the flashes of lightning doe strike great houses and great trees for God throwes downe all eminent things and therefore an hugie hoast may be discomfited by fewe Where is Pharaoh that said Exod. 5.2 Who is the Lord that I should heare his voyce and let Israel goe I know not the Lord neither will I let Israel goe Where is Benhadad the king of Aram 1. King 20.10.11 who swore that he would so ransacke Samaria that the dust thereof should not be enough to all the people that followed him for euery man an handfull forgetting that he that girdeth his harnâ—s must not boast as he that putteth it off Where is Sancherib king of Ashur that said 2. King 18.32.35 Who are they among all the Gods of the nations that haue deliuered their land out of mine hand that the Lord should deliuer Ierusalem out of mine hand Obey not Hezekiah for he deceiueth you saying The Lord will deliuer vs. Where is Haman Est 5.11 that told his friends and his wife of the glorie of his riches and the multitude of his children and all the things wherein the king had promoted him and how that he had set him aboue the Princes and seruants of the king Where is the proud Assirian Monarke that said Isai 10.13.14 By the power of mine hand I haue done it and by my wisedome because I am wise therefore I haue remoued the borders of the people and haue spoiled their treasures and haue pulled downe the inhabitants like a valiant man and mine hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people and as one that gathereth egges that are left so haue I gathered all the earth and there was none to moue the wing or to open the mouth or to whisper Where is the king of Babylon Isai 14 12.1â— which did cast lots vpon the nations and said in his heart I will ascend into heauen and exalt my throne aboue beside the stars of God I will ascend aboue the height of the clouds and I will be like the most high how art thou fallen from Heauen O Lucifer sonne of the morning and cut downe to the ground Ezek. 27.3.27 Where is Tyrus which was the mart for the people of many iles and which said I am of perfite beautie What is become of her riches and faires and merchandise and Mariners and Pylots and calkers and occupiers of merchandise and all the men of war that were in her and of all the multitude which was in the midst of her They are fallen in the midst of the sea in the day of her ruine Ezek 28.2.7.8 And did not the Prince of Tyrus that said once I am a God I sit in the seat of God in the midst of the sea at length see that he was a man and not God and that his brightnes
A GLASSE FOR THE GODLY CONTAYNING MANY COMFORTABLE TREATISES to perswade men from the loue of this world to the loue of the world to come and exhorting them with cherefulnes to passe through the crosses and afflictions of this life Full of spirituall comfort for all such as hope to be saued by Iesus Christ THE FIRST PART By R W Minister of Gods Word Amend your liues therefore and turne that your sinnes may bee put away when the time of Refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. Acts 3.19 AT LONDON Printed by T P for Arthur Iohnson dwelling at the signe of the White Horse in Paules Churchyard An Dom 1612. The Treatises contained in the first part THE seeking of Heauen A whip for loyterers Hipocrisie vnmasked How to vanquish Sathan Practise must accompany profession The curbing of couetousnes Know this that God will bring thee to Iudgement TO The right VVorshipfull Sir Edward Seymour Baronet all increase of solide happines on Earth and eternall felicitie in Heauen SIR NOting seriously the great securitie of the age in which wee liue how men are addicted to profit and pleasure and how they either cursorily or else not at all doe contemplate and practise that which concernes the life to come I was animated to propose these my vnpolished labours to the view of Christian Readers He that searcheth and seeth the hearts and reines knoweth that the originall motiue exciting me to put pen to paper was a desire to bestow some Spirituall gift on the Church of God for the confirmation of the godly the consolation of the afflicted the awaking of those whom sinne like a poysonesome and drouzie Aspe hath lulled asleepe in obdurate and daungerous carelesnesse I haue endeauored according to the small portion of grace giuen vnto me to charme the deafe Adder and by blowing of the Trumpet to prepare the Lords Souldiers which must fight his battels vnder Christs banner against iniquitie to the end they may be circumspect and not preuented or circumuented by their spirituall foes that watch and walke continually seeking whome they may deuoure Many before me haue ranne a faire course in this race and haue thrust their sharpe sickle into this haruest in whose steps I gladly acknowledge my selfe to haue troden and I freely voluntarily confesse that my penury hath gleaned some bundles of eares that lay scattered in their copious fieldes To him that shall obiect my drawing of water out of the fountains of others and my resounding as an Eccho of their voyces I reply that as Aeschilus the Poet was accustomed to say that his Tragedies were but small dishes of great Homers Suppers so my slender repast may be called the fragments and reliques of the delicate dishes of Learned Christian and Godly Authors And to them that shall twi◠that heere is scarce ought written that hath not been published before what shall I retorte also But that either the forme is transformed or the language altered or at least the vsage of the latter Prophets and Euangelists imitated who haue repeated much and oftentimes verbatim trāscribed out of those that wrought before them as their purpose and occasion required Is not this euident in Deuteronomie the Cronicles and the Gospels Is Paul ashamed to write the same things to the Phillippians Nay doth he not esteeme it a sure and behoouefull matter for them Is not the generall Epistle of Iude the brother of Iames a compendious abridgement and recapitulation of the latter Epistle of Saint Peter Therefore an intent to prooue our doctrine consonant to auncient and approued writers as Oecumenius Theophilact and other aswell old as Moderne haue done is not to bee misliked nor reprooued But doe I frame an Apologie in this respect and not rather inferre with an eminent sound and profound Diuine that he that helps himselfe with the precedent workes of others cannot iustly be blamed since the holy Apostle affirmes that all things are ours and are ordained for helpes and furtherances to bring vs to CHRIST IESVS What successe will accompany my enterprise I leaue to him who though Paul Plant and Apollo water yet onely giueth the increase If I haue brought but the least stone or sticke that may serue for the promoting of Gods Edifice If I haue presented but one threed that may be vsed in the garnishing of Christ Sanctuarie If I haue reclaimed but one sinner from the path of perdition vnto the way of Paradise so that any shall heereafter say vnfainedly my Soule hath been bettered by this Booke this is the marke I aimed at and praised be God from whom all good and perfect gifts descend Some readers are still desirous of Novelties not regarding to performe what they haue formerly learned like guests that disdaine the meate that is set before them euer longing after change and varietie of dishes Some Readers respect not what they read so they be reading Like thirstie trauellers that drinke of euery fountaine not considering whether the water be wholsome or hurtfull Some Readers procure diuerse Books and boast of the store and multitude of thē though they apprehēd the doctrine but in small measure Like those that furbish many weapons and keepe them in their houses but are commonly vnexpert eyther to defend or offend when they are drawne to tryall Some readers vse Books more for shew and ostentation then for study of Godlines and reformation of manners Like Children that burne lamps and candles in the night but either watch not or else vse no exercise whence profit and commoditie may redound At a word some readers reprehend what they perceiue not or depraue what they vnderstand misliking matter or methode or phrase or all these Like the captious beholders of a garden that reiect hearbs and flowers whose vertue and operation they are jgnorant of and blame the contriuing and plotting of that which they haue often seene In this variable dispositiō of readers it is not possible to satisfie the appetite and expectation of all my confusion craues order my harshnes desires a sponge my shallownes longs for waight and depth and therefore I am vrged to intreate the skilfull to pardon the defects the curious to wink at the escapes the vnlearned to suspend their censure the resolued to beware of proposterous and intemperate zeale the lukewarme and them that are frozen in their dregs to suffer the words of exhortation finally I entreat all vnto whose hands these vnadorned Treatises shall come to embrace my good meaning in the armes of Christian loue and curtesie and to remember the blessed Apostles Maxime that a man is accepted according to that he hath and not according to that hee hath not if there be first a willing mind Finally least my preface resemble a swolne head disproportionable to the dwarfelike body following or become another Myndus that had ample gates it selfe beeing a very little Cittie and therefore the Cynick floutingly aduised the Cittizens to shut the gates least the whole Cittie
that the infirmitie is expelled the Patient cased so God workes in vs by his grace vt peccatum consumatur homo liberetur that sinne is consumed and we set at libertie to the end we may fréely serue the Lord in holines righteousnes all the daies of our life Or else the Kingdome of God in this place may be taken for the kingdome of glorie which is the scope last ende of all the godlie and vnto which we are directed and led by the kingdome of grace For as among the Romanes Honour had a temple and Vertue had a temple but these temples were so built and scituate that none could come into the temple of Honour but hée must first passe through the temple of Vertue so there is a kingdome of grace in this life and there is a kingdome of glorie in the life to come but these two Kingdomes haue such coherence and societie betwéene themselues that none can enter into the kingdome of glorie except he walke through the kingdome of grace nor none may be a subiect in the latter except hée haue bene a subiect in the former In the kingdome of glorie there shall be perfect knowledge here wée know but in parte and sée darkely through a glasse 1. Cor. 13 9. In the kingdome of glorie shal be eternall life peace quietnes ioy and concord here our life is as a Flower our peace is soone broken our quietnes troubled our ioy molested our concorde dissolued In the kingdome of glorie is no death sorrowe wearines infirmitie hunger thirste pouertie slauerie Reu. 21.27 For no imperfection or vncleannes enter into the newe Ierusalem héere the waues of affliction and tribulation tumble one vpon the others necke as long as wee carrie about vs this bodie of death Briefly if we liue here in prosperitie yet we liue subiect to mortalitie and sicknes yet we sée but a vaine and wicked world yet we behold but mortall men and dwell but with sinfull men and conuerse but with inconstant men but in the kingdome of glorie our bodies shall be immortall the Maiestie of God shall be the obiect of our eyes Hebr. 12.22 the company of innumerable Angels and the assemblie and congregation of the first borne which are written in heauen and the spirites of iust and perfect men shall be those with whom we shall continually abide and dwell What is the earth and earthly glorie compared with the glittering Pallace of heauen but an earthen and dirtie cottage of a beggar in respect of a gay gilded mansion of a Prince They that are translated out of the wretchednes of this world into the blessednes of that other worlde are like those that are exalted out of Dungeons fetters into a Royall throne of dignitie It is much to say this but when S. Iohn Chrysostome had saide it Hom. 6. ad Heb. he addes presently Sed neque sic integrè pertingere potui ad illius regni similitudinem that by this spéech he could not fully expresse the likenesse of that glorious Kingdome For in the aduancement from worldly miserie to worldly felicitie there ariseth a pleasure and great delight but after a few dayes the minde begins to be satiate with the ioy and gladnes and though it remaine in delectation yet the delectation beginnes to fade for that it is vsuall and common but in those good things which eye hath not séene nor eare hath heard nor mans heart can comprehend there is no decrease ende or change but there is an augmentation of ioy replenished with all desireable good things For as the death of the wicked may be termed euill worse and worst euill because it ends their earthly ioy Bernard in paruis sermonib ser 41. worse because it sends to tormeÌ„ts worst because there is no ende of those anguishes so the death of the godly may be called good better and best good because it finisheth their miseries better because it puts into possession of happines best because there is no alteration nor feare of alteration in that happines In a word as much as the soule excels the bodie so much the ioyes of heauen surmount all the pleasantest and carest choisest delites of this fading life And this is that kingdome that Christ commands vs to seeke before all other things and who will not be desirous to attaine vnto it The Righteousnes of God which Christ bids vs to followe is that Righteousnes and holines which God in his word commaunds and allowes And these wordes The righteousnes of God are an exposition and declaration of the former namely the K ngdome of God For then God doth raigne in vs and then we are subiects of Gods kingdom when he by his holy spirit works sanctification and an earnest desire of godlines in our hearts to liue godly and holily and soberly in this present world Therefore if we will be inheritors of Gods kingdome and finde the ioyes thereof we must as obedient children not fashion our selues vnto the former lusts of our ignorance 1. Pet. 1. v 4 15. â—6 17 â—8 19 but as he which hath called vs is holie so we must be holy in all manner of conuersation because it is written Bee yeâ— holie for I am holie And since we call him Father which without respect of persons iudgeth according to euery mans work we must passe the time of our abiding héere in feare knowing that we were not redéemed with corruptible things as siluer and golde but with the pretious bloud of Christ as of a Lambe vndefiled and without spot And is it not reason that we should studie to please the Lord in holines Ioh. â— 16 and righteousnes and newnes of life Since God hath so loued vs that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne that whosoeuer beléeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life When thou art worne out with age or liuest in pouertie or art tossed and turmoyled with affliction and aduersitie what wouldest thou not suffer to bee made young and lustie rich and wealthie setled and quiet Christ hath promised and will performe more then all these Prâ—â— 25.14 Iud. 11.12 Antiochus was called Dolon because hée was wont to say that he would giue and he would reward he would pay and yet gaue and rewarded and payde nothing being like the vapour and winde that hath no Raine Hebr. 13.18 and the clowde without water but Iesus Christ is no willinger to promise then able to performe and hée is the same yesterday and to day and for euer For youth doth not so much excéede Age riches beggerie peace quietnes Nay truth doeth scarce so much excéede a dreame and the bodie a shadow and a precious iewell a clod of clay as all the brauery and pleasant delights of this world shal be truely and indéede excéeded by the glorie and ioy of heauen If any would liken the glorie of heauen to the brightnes of the Sunne yet he should say nothing
sweate of our browes And to cast off this oldnesse and corruption we must fight many skirmishes we must ouercome many temptations we must beare many tribulations Secondly we séeke eternall glorie not a Consulship of one yeare And the afflictions of this life are not worthy to be compared with the glorie that shal be reuealed vnto vs. Rom. 8.18 Who would not liue a poore and a priuate life ten yeares that he might be sure to abound in glorie and riches fiftie yeares 1. Cor. 9.25 Shall wee murmure then to brooke the short afflictions of this fading life that we may liue nay raigne for euer in glorie euerlasting All those that striue for a Maistery abstaine from all things they doe withdrawe from their bodie meate drinke and cloathes and annoynt themselues with oyle that they may striue and struggle naked nimble and giue their aduersarie no occasion to hold them for the flesh annointed with oyle is very hardly holden So wée must cast away the immoderate care for meate and cloathes and we must be annoynted with the oyle of Faith Loue and Mercie that earthly things hinder vs not and that Sathan get no opportunitie to lay hold on vs for he layes holde on vs by meanes of our sinnes And they that annoynt their bodies doe this to receiue a crowne that perisheth and to winne praise short fraile momentanie and vaine but we to receiue glorie endles incorruptible sound and stable At Rome the way to the Consulship was to be popular to deserue well of the Common-wealth and to bestowe manie priuate benefites But our way to heauenly glorie is holines vprightnes innocencie of life continuall worshipping of God and sincere loue of our neighbour For the grace of God that bringeth saluation vnto all men hath appeared and teacheth vs that we should denie vngodlines worldly lusts Tit. 2.11 12. and that we should liue soberly righteously and godly in this present world Soberly and temperately in respect of our selues righteously and iustly in respect of our neighbors and godly holily in respect of the seruice and worship of GOD. This is the way to Gods kingdome which Christ expressed in one word when he saide that Wee must seeke the kingdome of God and his Righteousnes For it is not enough to séeke Gods kingdome or to wish for it but we must séeke and labour to performe that Righteousnes that is pleasing to God The pennie of immortalitie is not giuen to Loyterers in the market-place but to those that labour in the Lords vineyard Lastly it is Heauen to which we goe Matt. 11.12 and in which we séeke to raigne with GOD. But the Kingdome of God suffereth violence and they that take it must take it violently and perforce Wilt thou knowe the waye to Heauen Hebr. 11.36.37 Aske of them that haue walked in that way They will tell thée that they haue bene tried by mockings and scourgings by bondes and prisonments that they were stoned they were hewen asunder they were tempted they were slaine with the sworde they wandred vp and downe in Wildernesses and mountaines and dennes and caues of the earth clothed in sheepes-skinnes and goates skinnes being destitute afflicted and tormented He that will goe to the Indies to trafficke doth not refuse the labour of sayling He that will be cured of a grieuous disease reiecteth not a bitter medicine Hee that will buy a Farme first thinkes of the price So he that séekes for the kingdome of GOD must séeke and first thinke of his Righteousnes which is the way vnto it and of the Merites of CHRIST which are the price thereof and of a liuely and effectuall Faith whereby wée are made partakers of the glorie to come As for worldly cares what doe they auaile vs Nay how much doe they hinder vs Saint Basil sayes Epist 64. as a polluted glasse can receiue no impression of Images and visages so the soule possessed of worldly cares is not capable of the Illumination of the holie Ghost And Saint Austin sayes excellently Amor rerum terrenarum est viscus spiritualium pennarum that the loue of earthly things is the Birdlime of our spirituall feathers Let euery worldling knowe that spirituall things are onely néedefull and that Christ saith to euery one as to Martha Martha Martha thou carest Luk. 10.41.42 and art troubled about many things but one thing is needefull Mary hath chosen the good part which shall not be taken away from her Can the globe of the earth be mingled with the globe of the heauen how then can the soule containe the carefull loue of celestiall and earthly things Diuine thoughts flie from a soule that is forestalled with worldly desires Bâ—r. 〈◊〉 77 â—â—cat Nec misceri poterunt vana veris aeterna caducis spiritualia carnâ—â—buâ— summa imis neither can vanitie be ioyned and confounded with truth things eternall spirituall and high with things transitorie carnall and base so as at one time we may conceiue and perceiue things aboue and things beneath We sée how the Iuy doth claspe about the trée spreads it selfe and mounts vpward by the helpe thereof but at last it sucks and drawes away the iuyce and moysture of the trée and causes it to wither so excessiue care and pensiue care for worldly things doth loade the minde and choake the soule and make them vnable to aspire to heauenly felicitie Therfore we must imitate the custom of hawkers and hunters for hawkers are woont to couer their hawkes heads with hoods and suffer not their eyes to wander hither and thither least striuing to flie after the things which they desire naturally they be not so héedfull to their preie when time and occasion shall serue and hunters doe tie and couple their dogges that their sent may be sound and perfect for the game which they shall hunt So must we doe We must containe our mindes in the loue of God and in the care of heauenly things and not permit our affections to straie aside to the anxieties and distrustfull cares of this world Heauen is the preie which mans soule must follow this it must desire this it must take by violence this it must be carefull of and on this it must bestowe her chiefe desire and studie If it flie or runne out to other things it will not care for eternall things Therefore let vs remember the exhortation of the blessed Apostle Paul Col. 3.1.2 Seeke those things which are aboue where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God set your affections on things which are aboue and not on things which are on the earth If we must séeke first the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse then those are to be reprehended who chiefly séeke search and hunt after the good things of this world and the delights and ioyes thereof pampering the fraile and sinfull body and neglecting the soule which is the mistresse and gouernesse of the body and neuer dieth It is
they haue séene the beautie and brauerie of this world not to be bewitched and beguiled therwith but thereby to climbe vp as it were by staires and steps to the contemplation of the happines of that other world As it is reported of Fulgentius when he fled the persecution of the Arrians and soiourned at Rome and when he sawe the glorie of the citie and Senate of Rome that he spake thus to the companions of his exile How beautifull may the heauenly Ierusalem be if earthly Rome doe so shine and if in this world there be giuen such dignitie and honour to those that loue vanitie and errour what honour and glory shall be giuen in heauen to the Saints that loue veritie and vertue It is too apparant how gréedily we doe gape after earthly treasure and fading riches which is either lost by shipwracke or cōsumed by fire or stolne by théeues or taken away by fraude and oppression or corrupted and empaired by rust canker and long space of time or at last left behind in death But how backward and vnwilling are we to labour for the riches and wealth that neuer decaieth Wherein we forget why God hath placed the mettals which we so much estéem in the bowels and entrailes of the earth and hath displayed the face and cope of heauen where the true treasure is stored vp namely because we should not so gréedily séeke and search for the one but thirst and long after the other Neither hath he onely laid open the heauen to our view and fight that we might alway remember the maker thereof and for what place we were ordained after the race of mortalitie is finished but whereas other creatures are so formed that they bend downward to the earth God hath giuen to men a shape erected and lifted vp toward heauen that they may more easily contemplate heauenly and spirituall things When Anaxagoras was asked for what purpose he thought himselfe to be borne he said It was to behold the Heauen and Sunne Which spéech though otherwise men haue much admired Instit l. 3. c. 9. yet Lactantius laughed at it affirming that he brake foorth into these words not knowing what true answere to yéeld and that if a man indéed with wisedome indéed should be demanded why he was borne he would answere presently that he was created to serue God his Creator Psal 19.1 Rom. 1.20 But with Lactantius fauor doth not the Maiestie of God cléerely shine in the outward beautie of the heauen and doth not the heauen declare and proclaime his glorie and doth not God as it were stretch out his hand to lift vs vp from groueling on the ground to behold the fairenes of his worke and thereby also to extoll his power wisedome goodnes and mercy Wherefore we must blush to beare a crooked minde in a straight body and to suffer our soule to wallowe in dirte and drosse of the earth whose conuersation should be in heauen and which was created for heauenly and diuine things Heauen then is the pennie giuen for working in the Lords vineyard and that we may be diligēt in that working let vs fixe our minds in the consideration of the celestiall and new Ierusalem where that pennie of immortalitie shall be deliuered vs whose Ruler King is the sacred Trinitie whose lawe is perfect charitie whose walls are of Iasper and the citie pure gold like to cleere glasse Reu. 21.18.21 Reu. 22.1.2 Heb. 12.22 1. Cor. 13.12.13 1. Pet. 2.24 whose gats are pearles and euery gate is of one pearle whose inhabitants are Angels the Spirits of iust perfect men where is the pure riuer of water of life the tree of life and where all vnperfect things shall be done away we shal no more see darkely through a glasse but cleerely face to face shall knowe God as we are knowne Of all which good things Christ Iesus the Shepheard Bishop of our soules who his owne selfe bare our sinnes on his body on the tree that we being dead to sinne should liue in righteousnesse and by whose stripes we were healed make vs euerlasting beholders possessors for his endles incomprehensible goodnes and mercies sake that at last as the marriner after surging stormes quietly arriues in the harbor and the patient after drinking of a bitter medicine obtaines health and the souldiour after brunts in the battell is rewarded by his Captaine so we diligently continually walking in our calling and in the narrow way to life may in the end be partakers of the end of this way which is endles ioy blessednesse and may rest in the kingdome of Christ with the Patriarks Prophets Apostles Martyrs and Saints of all ages Amen HYPOCRISIE VNMASKED Matt. 22. 11. Then the King came in to see the guests and sawe there a man which had not on a wedding garment 12. And he said vnto him Friend how camest thou in hither hast not on a wedding garment And he was speechles 13. Then said the king to the seruants bind him hand and foote take him away and cast him into vtter darkenes there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth THe name of a Christian is deriued from Christ our Sauiour signifieth a scholler of Christ one that followes the precepts life of Christ and one that hath fellowship with Christ and is engraft into Christ But as the Apostle saith of the Iewes Rom. 9.16 that all they are not Israell that are of Israell so it may be said truely that all are not Christians in déede that beare the Name of Christ For there are two sorts of Christians the one appearing and séeming the other right and true They are onely seeming Christians that are baptized and are of the outward congregation and professe Christ yet without true conuersion and repentance that is they are dissembling Hypocrites and christians but in tongue Of these séeming Christians our Sauiour saith Many are called but few chosen Matt. 20.16 They are right and true christians who are not only baptized and professe the Faith of Christ but also are indued with a liuely Faith doe declare the same by fruits of Repentance and by faith are made the members of Christ and partakers of his anointing that is by Faith and the holy Ghost 1. Ioh. 2.27 who is signified by the name of annoynting true christians are ioyned to Christ and engraft into him euen as a branch is fastned to the stocke and a member knit to the head whereby wee are made partakers of his iuyce and of his life and being truely made one with him do bring forth fruits worthy of our calling All true Christians are appearing christians For Christ saith Mat. 5.16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father which is in heauen Iam. 2.18 And S. Iames saith Shew me thy faith out of thy works and I will shewe thee my faith
and compares the hypocrite to Simon of â—yrene that bare Christs crosse but died not with Christ so euery hypocrite professeth to liue to Christ but will not die to sinne and to the world Another father likens the hypocrite that séeketh God fainedly Chrys super Matt. 12. but findes not his true seruice to Herod that promised deuotion to the wise men yet meane while did whet his sword and paint his malice of heart with the colour of humilitie And he saith againe Hom. 57. de diuersis A man that is righteous in deed is like to a faire woman that needs no externall ornaments but hath naturall beautie but the hypocrite whose holines is dissembled is like to a filthy and deformed harlot which vseth many meretricious colourings yet cannot couer her filthines but the néerer any drawes vnto her the more he mislikes her Super Matt. sept And againe he saith that an hypocrite is like a wolfe cloathed in a shéepes skin but that he is found out by his voyce and by his doing for the shéepe bleats and lookes towards the earth and eats grasse which is a signe of humilitie and méekenes but the wolfe howles and lookes towards heauen and eats the flesh of beasts which is a signe of pride and crueltie They that can make White of blacke and blacke of white are like to Bell the Image of the Babylonians which outwardly was couered with brasse but was inwardly clay And therefore one saies well Bell. in entholog sacra Qui Curium simulat cum sit nequissimus illum Cur ego non Belem iure vâ—care queam Why may not I call him Bel that faines himselfe righteous and yet is most wicked As Aristotle the Prince of Philosophers saies of morall fained amitie Lib. 9. Ethic. He that faines himselfe a friend and is none is worse then a coâ—ner of false money So it may be truely said of religion and Gods feare with that holy father Counterfait pietie is no pietie but double iniquitie Aug. in Psal 23. because it is iniquitie and dissimulation The hypocrite hath Iaakobs voice but the hands of Esau that is he talkes religiously and zealously but he walkes impiously and prophanely the hypocrite is like the statues of Mercurie that were wont to be set in crosse waies to direct trauellers to some citie or towne but did not trauell nor mooue their selues the hypocrite is like the burning candle that consumes it selfe by giuing light to other that is by his worke he profits other and by ill doing thereof he procures his owne punishment the hypocrite is like the stage-plaier that when he cried out ô God he pointed with his finger to the earth and when he cried out ô earth he pointed with his finger to the Heauen Phiâ—ost and therefore wise Polemon gaue him no reward being iudge of the Actors saying â—ic manu Solaecismum fecit this fellowe hath spoken false language and committed an error with his hand the hypocrite is like the deafe and hollowe nut which hath no kernell within but is wasted of the worme and therefore is fit for nothing but for the fire the hypocrite is like the golden Image that outwardly is guilded but inwardly is but rotten wood for he couers a sinke of iniquitie vnder a cloake of pietie the hypocrite is like the false messenger that beares a boxe painted with the Princes Armes but he hath therein neither the Princes letters nor the seale Iob. 39.17 c. the hypocrite is like the Ostrich that layes eggs indéed but leaues them in the sand and hatcheth them not her selfe So though the hypocrite admonish others well shew them how to worke well yet he brings forth no good workes himselfe nor gaineth any to Christ by his owne good example the hypocrite is like to the Swan that hath white feathers Leâ—â— â—1 16.18 yet blacke flesh and therefore as one thinkes the Swan was forbidden to be eaten of the Iewes to shew that God abhorreth all dissimulation the hypocrite is â—â—ke siluer that is white in shew yet makes blacke strikes and lines the hypocrite is like the Vintner that deliuers good wine to his guestes and drinkes the lées himselfe and therefore though he speake neuer so holily yet he must remember Maâ—â— 7.21 That not euery one that sayeth Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but he that doeth the will of God which is in Heauâ—n and that it must be said vnto him Maâ—â— 7.3 â—5 Why feest thouthe moate that is in thy Brothers eye and perceiuest not the beame that is in thine owne eye Or how sayest â—â—ou to thy brother suffer me to cast out the moate out of thine eye and behold a beame is in thine owne eye Hypocrite first cast out that beame out of thine owne eye and then shalt thou see cleerely to cast out the moate out of thy brothers eye In which words Christ forbids the hypocriticall censure and iudgement and that is when to obtaine praise and a reputation of goodnes men doe reprooue other for such faults as are in themselues either in the same or in greater measure Luk. 4.2.3 Rom. 2. â— They that are blamed and iudged by such presently say Physitian heale thy selfe and In that thou condemnest another thou condemnest thy selfe For wicked men that are full of hatred and sinne doe presume to iudge their brethren do directly looke on the offences of other and therefore doe censure them as they list but they consider their owne offences by a reflexion and thwart sight and circumstances whereby they endeuour either to couer them or to extenuate and lesseâ— them Contrarily the good and godly are sharpe-sighted in their owne sinnes and in the vertues of other but they are blinde in the sinnes of other and in their owne vertues The hypocrite is like Gold made by Alchimy that appeares as gold but is not so and hath a disease called noli me tangere for though he be spéedie in reprehending of other yet he himselfe will not be reprehended God in forming a man first frames the heart a painter in portraiting a man first deciphers the face So the good man imitates God and vseth an inward consideration and though he cannot excuse the outward action yet he excuseth the good intention but the hypocrite like a colourer and counterfaâ—ter he begins from the face and vseth outward censure and iudgeth after the outward appearance God commaunded the Israelites Ioh. 7.24 Leu. 19 1â— not to let their cattell gender with others of diuerse kindes not to sowe their field with mingled seede and not to suffer a garment of diuerse things as of linnen and wollen to come vpon them In these words God forbids hypocrisie for it is the hypocrite that soweth diuerse séedes and graines that speakes well but doth ill that hath wheate in his mouth and tares in his heart that is cloathed with the garment of vertue before men and with
c First he remooues doubtfulnes in that he saith that it is a true saying that we are saued by Christ Iesus As though he should thus say there is no doubt to be mooued in this spéech for that is before spoken is firme and vndoubted and certaine and cannot deceiue any and therefore farewell they that make doubtes touching the maine points of the Christian faith For these words this is a true saying may fitly be referred to the foregoing words which entreated of the pith and summe of our saluation And by this phrase he shewes the certaintie of his doctrine like as Christ in the gospell declares the infallibilitie of his doctrine when he saith Verily verily I say vnto you Wherefore the faithfull must diligently note and remember this singular comfort in whatsoeuer troubles and afflictions For our faith is continually battered and beaten on by manifold tentations and trials Christ saies That the time shall come Ioh. 16.2 that whosoeuer killeth the godly will thinke that he doth God seruice and that the godly shall be betraied of their parents Luk. 21.16.17 and of their brethren and kinsmen and friends and shall be hated of all men for his names sake And when Paul had made report of his owne persecutions and afflictions which came vnto him at Antiochia at Iconium and at Lystri 2. Tim. 3.11.12 he adds presently a generall conclusion Yea and all that will liue godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution Now in the mids of these afflictions and aduersities what can staie and helpe vs but a cléere and a good and a sound and a setled conscience grounded on the faith of Christ Iesus And therefore the Apostle witnesseth that the faith in Christ Iesus is a most sure and vndoubted faith this is a true saying And this summe of our saluation may be easily prooued because the whole scripture doth agrée therein For that man is naturally wicked and ill disposed Psal 14.2.3 how plainely doe Dauid and Isaiah teach Dauid when he saith that the Lord looked downe from heauen vpon the children of men to see if there were any that would vnderstand and seeke God And what was the sequele of Gods search All are gone out of the way they are all corrupt there is none that doth good no not one Isaiah when he saith Isai 64.6 that we haue all beene as an vncleane thing and all our righteousnesse as filthy cloutes and we all doe fade like a leafe and our iniquities like the winde haue taken vs away Man being so polluted was not able to saue himselfe for then sacrifices could haue appeased and pleased God but sacrifices were not able to performe that Psal 50.5.9.10.11.12.13 for it is said in the psalme by the Lord That he will not reproue for sacrifices or burnt offrings that haue not beene continually before him I will take no bullocke out of thine house saith God nor goates out of thy foldes for all the beasts of the forrest are mine and the beasts on a thousand mountaines I know all the foules on the mountaines the wild beasts of the field are mine If I be hungrie I will not tell thée for the world is mine and all that therein is will I eate the flesh of â—â—ls or drinke the bloud of goates And another Prophet saith Isai 1.11.12.13 what haue I to doe with the multitude of your sacrifices saith the Lord I am full of the burnt offrings of rams and of the fat of fed beasts and I desire not the blood of bullocks nor of lambes nor of goates when ye come to appeare before me who hath required this of your hands to tread in my courts Bring no more oblations in vaine incense is an abomination vnto me I cannot suffer your new moones nor Sabbaths nor solemne daies it is iniquitie nor solemne assemblies And most euidently speakes the holy ghost by the mouth of Paul Heb. 10.1.2.3.4 that the lawe hauing the shadowe of good things to come and not the very Image of the things can neuer with those sacrifices which they offer yeare by yeare continually sanctifie the commers thervnto For would they not then haue ceased to haue bene offered because that the offerers once purged should haue had no more conscience of sinnes But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance againe of sins euery yeare For it is vnpossible that the blood of â—uls and goats should take away sinnes If then legall sacrifices and ceremonies were insufficient to abolish and take away our naturall corruption there must of necessitie be some other meanes This meanes is Iesus Christ who is all in all Col. 1.19.20 for it pleased the father that in him should all fulnes dwell and through peace made by that blood of that his crosse to reconcile to himselfe through him all things both which are in earth and which are in heauen Gen. 3.15 22.18 49.10 God promised that Christ the séede of the woman should breake the Serpents head and that in him all the kinreds of the earth should be blessed and that the scepter should not depart from Iudah nor a lawgiuer from betwéene his féete vnto Shiloh that is Christ the Messiah come and the people shall be gathered vnto him Dut. 18.18 Act. 3.22 Christ is he at whom Moses pointed when he foretold the children of Israel that the Lord their God should raise vp vnto them a Prophet euen of their brethren like vnto him Christ is he whom the types and ceremonies of the lawe prefigured and signified and namely the Paschall lambe for the Baptist cryes Ioh. 1.29 Matt. 27.51 Behold that lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world And therefore the vaile and partition of the holiest place from the vtter part of the temple did rent from the top to the bottome when Christ suffered to shew that now there is no more distinction of nations Act. 10.34.35 and God is no accepter of persons but in euery nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousnes is accepted with him Christ is he which hath this testimonie of God the father from heauen This is that my beloued sonne Matt. 17.5 Ioh. 8.12.51 in whom I am well pleased heare him And he himselfe cals vs vnto him saying that he is that light of the world and he that followeth him shall not walke in darkenes but shall haue that light of life and that if a man keepe his word he shall neuer see death He saies of himselfe that he is greater then the temple greater then Ionas Matt. 1â— 6.1.22 greater then the wise Salomon And in the great and last day of the feast of the tabernacles he cried saying If any man thirst let him come vnto me and drinke Ioh. 7.37 Ioh. 17.11 15.17.21.24 And to make it manifest that our saluation is most déere vnto him he praies most earnestly for the faithfull that they may be kept in the
we are his disciples and schollers therefore since Christ is voide of deceit and no guile was found in his mouth if we desire to be true Christians 1 Pet. 2.1 1 Cor. 14.20 Ioh. 13.36 1 Cor. 13.5 1 Tim. 6.6.7 let vs lay aside all dissimulation and guile let vs be children in malitiousnesse but of ripe age in vnderstanding let vs remember that if we will be Christes schollers wee must be knowne by loue and if wee haue true loue loue is voyd of deceit and thinketh no euill let vs not forget that Godlinesse is great gaine if a man be content with that hee hath for wee brought nothing into the world and it is certaine that wee can carrie nothing out Luk. 6.38 let vs giue good measure to other if wee desire good measure from other and then wee shall haue measure pressed downe shaken together and running ouer let vs not pinch the weight the size the lawfull measure of any commoditie onely let vs abate the measure of one thing and what is that it is the measure of our iniquitie and vngodlinesse For such measure as we meate thereof vnto God such measure will he returne if we fill out our measure of sinne God will not spare and pinch the measure of punishments Gen. 15.16 though God suffer the Amorites for a time yet his vengeance falleth when the measure of their wickednesse is full and though the vngodly suppose to continue alwaies in their iniquitie yet God can cast a talent of lead vpon the mouth of the Ephah in which thâ— Woman sitteth that is God kéepeth wickednes in a measure and can shut it or open it at his owne pleasure And aboue all things let vs not forget that our life stands not in riches and possessions but that our daies are as a span a skadowe a flower a dreame and therefore we must prepare our selues for wée know not how soone we shall be called to the Barre of Gods Iustice and shall heare that voyce Luk. 16.2 Giue account of thy stewardshâ—p for thou mayest be no longer steward Let vs beare in minde the terriblenes of the last dreadfull iudgement wherein no bribe shall cleare vs no spokesman pleade for vs no shift and euasion discharge vs but all crafts shall be displayed and ill gotten goods shall giue euidence against the vniust owners and the bookes and recordes of mens owne consciences shall condemne them and then they shall wish too late O that we had neuer oppressed and defrauded for now wee feele too truely that GOD is auenger of all such tshings Lastly let vs still call to minde the vanity of earthly riches wealth and promotions when they are at length gotten by swearing lying wrong and deceit and the eternitie and incomparable ioyes of Heauen which God hath promised and Christ hath purchased for the godly and true repenters For what is gold and siluer but the bowels of the earth And what is worldly glory but a vanishing aire and breath And what is belly cheare but the foode of wormes Christ is a King and he will enrich vs and glorifie vs and nourish vs. One saith well Bernard ser 4. de aduentu domini O ye sonnes of men you couetous generation What haue you to doe with gold and siluer which are neither true good things nor yet your owne good things For what is gold but red earth and what is siluer but white earth And what makes them pretious but the couetousnesse of the sonnes of Adam which couetousnesse if it were taken away they would not be pretious If they be your owne take them out of the world with you Psal 49. But as you come naked out of your mothers wombe when you were borne so you shall returne naked to the earth the common Mother of all flesh when you die And it is easie to prooue that mans opinion makes money pretious for the things that are faire by nature doe obtaine estimation alike among all people as the brightnes of the Sunne the beautie of the heauen the profitablenes of the water other Elements but among the Indians and Ethiopians as Tertullian witnesseth De culta mulier gold siluer and Iewels were accounted as dirt and were woont to be worne but in â—â—aâ—â—ups and shooes onely for contempt and among the Ethiopians malefactours were bounden chaines of gold In the land of Hâ—uilah Gen. 2.12 there is good gold In the land of Promise in the heauenly Ierusalem in the land of the liuing there is gold indéed Reu. 3.18 Mat. 6.20 gold tried in the fire gold which neither moath nor rust can corrupt gold of more value then the richest mines of the whole earth can yéeld vp If wee must needes thirst after gold O let vs thirst after this gold let vs be couetous after these durable riches let vs lay vp treasure for our selues in Heauen and of vnrighteous Mammon perhaps not well gained and ill kept and worse laied out let vs make friends in time that when wee shall want Luk. 16.9 they may receiue vs into euerlasting habitations If we were Ethnicks and hoped for no life after this it might peraduenture be hard to cast aside our affection to earthly things But in that we looke for Heauen and those things which are in Heauen how can this be hard vnto vs Chrys hom â— â—n Aâ—â—â— Apost If one should say thus on the contrarie Loue and desire riches a Christian should be offended thereat and say How should I desire gold and earthly riches since I looke for Heauen and they hinder me from heauen Chrys super Psal 24. Euery thing that groweth when it is come to a due and conuenient measure of stature leaueth off to growe but the money of the couetous neuer cealeth to growe But let not our desire be vnsatiable resembling the fire the water the fishes the fire Chrys in aliquot scrip loca Basil â—om 7. in auaros Bâ—sil hom 7. Hexam that is so vehement in encreasing it strength that it takes hold on all things néere vnto it the water which rising from a small beginning encreaseth so fast that it swéepes away euery thing it méetes withall the fishes that deuoure and consume one another according to their strength and greatnes so let vs not oppresse and ouerthrowe the weaker and poorer sort when our store and plentie is encreased Let vs put off the loue of the things of this world that the loue of heauenly things may enter vnto vs Exod. 3.5 as Moses put off his shoes that he might talke with God let vs not put trust in the fléeting and fading ioyes of this life but despise them in comparison of colestiall and true pleasures as the woman of Samaria left her pitcher Ioh. 4.28 1. Ioh. â— 15 when she had heard Christ Let vs not loue the world neither the things of this world if any man loue this world the loue of the Father is not in
shall God iudge the world This made Dauid to say Oh Lord thou hast tryed me Psal 139 1.2.3.4 and knowne me thou knowest my sitting and my rising thou vnderstandest my thoughts a farre off thou compassest my pathes my lying downe and art accustomed to all my waies For there is not a word in my Tongue but loe thou knowest it wholy ô Lord. And this made Iob to say that his steppes were numbred Iob. 14.16.17 his sinnes were not delaied and his iniquitie was sealed vp as in a bagge If God doe this in this fléeting life much more will he doe it in the great iudgement If God doe thus in Dauid and Iob how much more will he doe it in the wicked If the righteous can scarcely be saued Bern. Ser. 15. in CaÌ„t. Greg l. 27 Moral in Iob. where shal the sinner appeare Quid in Babylone tutum si in Ierusalem manet serutimum Quiâ— facient â—abulae quando â—remuns Columna If the search be so narrow in Ierusalem what can be hidden in Babyloâ— If the Pillars of the house tremble what shall the weake planckes doe That is If God so deale with his deare children in this life and so punish ofteÌ„tunes their sinnes in this world where there is a place for mercie how seuere shall his sentence be against the wicked in the world to come where onely iustice shall be found Vnlesse perhaps there be any so faithlesse and so prophane as to call into question the last iudgement and to doubt Aristotle whether the world shall haue an end or not Indéed the Philosopher affirmed that the world was eternall without beginning without ending and another spake as impiously Non alsuno videre patres aliúmne minores Aspicient Our Fathers saith he saw none other world Maniâ—â—â—s And shall our posteritie see any other But to these Infidels and Ethnicks may be opposed the Tradition of the Gentiles themselues who by the direction of ancieÌ„t Oracles did maintaine that Iupiter was the chiefest of the Gods and that his sonne was the Iudge of the soules of men in Hell And yet that this Sonne was not Apollo Liber or Mercurie who were accounted heauenly but he was Minos both a King Law-giuer As if they had meant that the Sonne of God should be Iudge of the world but yet such a one as was both a Man and iust to wit a Mediator That was both God and Man Against a Poet may be cited another Poet which saith Ouid. Met. 1. Esse quoque in fatis reminiscitur affore tempus Quo mare quo tellu correptaque regia caeli Ardeat mundi â—oles operosu laboret That the time shall come in which the Sea earth heauen and whole frame of the world shall be burnt with fire And aboue all Poets the eminent Prophetisse Sibâ—ll prooues the finall and generall iudgement in her Acrostich verses Lib. 8. Iesoûs Christós theoú üios sotèr stauros where the first letters make vp these words in the Greeks tongue wheâ—in she wrote Iesus Christ the Sonne of God our Sauiour that suffâ—red on the Crosse and where agréeably to the scriptures she shewes that Christ shall come to iudge all flesh and that the trumpet shall blowe and that the dead shall be raised vp and shall sée Christ and mourne before him and that all secrets shall be reuealed and that the Sunne Moone and Stars shall loose their light and that heauen earth and the Sea shall be burnt with fire and that the Saints shall be set at full libertie but the wicked horribly punished But of those mockers of the last day that say 1. Pet. â— 4 Where is the promise of Christs comming for since the fathers died all things continue alike from the beginning of the creation of those mockers what should be asked but this whether they doe not beléeue the Article of the Christian faith which holdeth that Christ shall come in the end of the world from heauen to iudge both quicke and dead and whether if they beleeue the Resurrection they must not of necessitie also beleeue the last iudgement for that God may iudge al the dead he must raise them vp from death and why should he raise them from death but to receiue their iudgement and whether Nature doe not demonstrate this principle vnto vs that God is iust and therefore the good must of necessitie be blessed for euer and the wicked cursed for euer which thing since in this world it comes not to passe where theâ—e are so many wicked men and Atheists vpon whom God doth not shew vengeance in this life and where on the contrarie godly men and sincere worshippers of the Lord are so farre from a recompence in this life 1. Cor. 15.19 that of all men they seeme to be most miserable there must néedes remaine a certaine and infallible iudgement wherein the wicked shall be punished and the iust shal receiue a reward of their pietie Lastly what should be asked of these mockers but this whether they will not beléeue the holy scripture which in manifold passages inculcates the great iudgement as when it saith that God shall iudge the world in righteousnes Psal 9.8 and shal iudge the people with equitie and when it saith that the Lord will iudge with fire Isa 66.15 and with his word all flesh and when it saith that nothing is secret Luk. 8.17 Ioh. 12.48 that shall not be euident neither any thing hid that shall not he knowne come to light and when it saith that he that refuseth Christ and receiueth not his words hath one that iudgeth him the Word that Christ hath spoken Rom. 2.16 it shall iudge him in the last day and when it saith that at the last day God shall iudge the secrets of mens hearts by Iesus Christ Heb 9.17 and when it saith that it is appointed vnto al men that they shal once die after that coÌ„meth the iudgement Iude. 14.15 when it saith that the Lord commeth with thousands of his Saints to giue iudgemeÌ„t against al men to rebuke all the vngodly amoÌ„g them of all their wicked déedes which they haue vngodly committed of all their wicked speakings which wicked sinners haue spoken against him and when it settes downe the whole procéeding Matt. 25. manner and execution thereof at large Besides this Is not the sentence of death pronounced against the traÌ„sgressor of the law Gen. 2.17 before the fall of Adam and the repetition of the same sentence by the mouth of God in the Lawe Deut. 26. â—6 a Fore runner and Herauld of the last Iudgement Is not the Hand writing of God Gal. 3.10 engrauen in mans conscieÌ„ce whereby his thoughts do either accuse him or excuse him Rom. 2.15 a summoning to the last Iudgement Are not the examples of Gods wrath heretofore executed on the World as the Flood the burning of Sodome the
the trauell vpon a woman with childe and they shall not escape Luk. 21.35 And our Sauiour saith also that that day shall come as a snare on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth Very fitly may the comming of that great day be compared vnto a snare For as a bird or beast feares nothing lesse then the snare but they flee and wâ—nder freely and without feare in the fields and woods seeking their foode and yet by the câ—aft and Arte of men of which they are not aware they fall into traps and snares and so are slaine euen so vpon earthly men which dwell vpon the face of the earth and which still gape on gaine of the world the prouidence of God which such people thinke not of brings the iudgement of God suddenly and so holdes them entangled in eternall condemnation The day then of iudgement must néedes be vncertaine since Christ sets it forth by very sudden things to wit Noahs floud a théefe a snare And the cause of the vncertaine day thereof is that we should take héede beware watch pray and be prepared If the bird or beast did know of the snare before hand how carefully would they auoid it For if the bird or beast once escape out of the snare they will hardly returne to that place againe Against théeues men build strong houses and shut their doores with lockes and barres and kéepe their dwellings with dogges and watchmen and weapons If there were as great care for the soule and eternall saluation as for the life temporall and earthly treasures and possessions who would not be readie for the day of iudgement And as God hath hidden the time of this last iudgement from vs that we should daily and hourely expect Christs comming and be watchfull that that day finde vs not vnreadie and that the number of the elect may be fulfilled 2. Pet. 3.9 Reu. 6.11 and the remnant of the faithfull may be called by the Gospell to the Church of Christ and that our faith hope and patience may be tryed and we stird vp to repentance and that the vngodly that contemne the lenitie of God Rom. 2.4.5 and the space that he hath so bountifully granted for their amendment may be made more and more inexcusable 2. Pet. 3.8.9 so also God hath hidden the time of the iudgement from vs to bridle our curiositie that we should not enquire after his hidden and secret Counsels For Christ himselfe saies That of that day and houre knoweth no man Mar. 13.32 not the Angels which are in heauen neither the Son himselfe but the Father In which words our Sauiour would hold the mindes of the faithfull in suspence least by false imagination they should prefixe a day and certaine time for the last redemption For such is mens curiositie that neglecting things necessarie to be knowne they most scrupulously desire to know that which God hath not vouchsafed to reueale vnto them The Apostles themselues were attainted of this curiositie and for this cause Christ said vnto them when they asked whether hee would restore the kingdome to Israel It is not for you Act. 1.6.7 said he to know the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in his owne power Therefore to draw vs from this curiositie and to cut off all occasion of enquirie after that Christ had discouered of his comming and the occurrences thereof hee presently speakes of the vncertaine day and houre therof For hee would haue the day of his comming to be so looked for and hoped for as that none should presume to enquire when hee would come and he would haue his disciples to walke in such light of faith as that being vncertaine of the time they should patiently waite for the reuelation thereof And therefore we must take héede that we be not more carefull and curious in the seasons and moments of time then the Lord doth permit For the chiefest part of Christian wisedome consisteth herein that we containe our selues within the limits and precincts of the word of God And therefore when the Apostle for the consolation of the godly had fore-tolde some things of the last times and Christes comming hee immediately addeth against this curiositie But of the times and seasons 1. Thess 5.1 brethren saith he yee haue no neede that I write vnto you Yea why should it gréeue men to be ignorant of that day since the Angels of GOD know it not Were it not too great pride and too importunate desire for vs wormes and wretches that créepe on the earth to séeke to know more then the Angels of heauen Therefore let vs be willing to be ignorant of that of which God would haue vs to be ignorant Yea were it not the extreamest folly to be vnwilling to submit our selues to that ignorance which the very Sonne of God himselfe hath not refused to vndertake for our sake Indéede for that many haue thought that it becommeth not Christ to be ignorant of any thing they haue endeuoured to mollifiâ— the hardnesse of the spéech as they accounted it with their owne inuention And it may be that the malice of the Arrians who by this place laboured to prooue that Christ was not the true and onely God enforced them to this starting hole as to say that Christ knew not the houre of the Iudgement because he would not reueale it vnto other But séeing it is cleare that an ignorance is attributed to Christ common with the Angels some other fitter meaning must be sought out of these words For it is nothing to say that Christ is God and God is ignorant of nothing for there are in Christ two natures so ioyned in one person that each nature retaineth it owne proprieties and specially the Deitie did as it were rest and not shew it selfe foorth as often as for the accomplishing of the office of the Mediator it was requisite that the humane nature should by it selfe worke that which appertained vnto it Therefore it is no absurditie for Christ that knew all things as hee is God to be ignorant of something as he is man How else could he haue beene like vnto vs and subiect to griefe and heauinesse And it is a great absurditie for any to reply that ignorance which is the punishment for sinne beséemeth not Christ For first it is folly to thinke that the ignorance which is here ascribed to the Angels procéedeth from sinne and againe it is folly not to acknowledge that Christ tooke vpon him our flesh to the end he might vndergoe the punishments that were due to our sinnes And that Christ knew not the day and haâ—re of the last iudgement according to his humanitie it derogates no more from his diuine nature then that hee was once mortall and subiect to death Now questionlesse Christ in attributing this ignorance to himselfe had respect to the office enioyned him by his Father as he did when he said that it was not his
on Christ our Mediatour and Aduocate and to declare our faith by vertue and godlines of liuing that we may be absolued and preuaile against the daungerous enemies and accusees of our soules in the last and great day of iudgement For where our Sauiour saith That the houre shall come in the which all that are in the graues shall heare his voyce Ioh. 5.28 we must attentiuely consider that it is said that the houre of the last day shall come For because we doe often so much pursue the vanitie of this world therein passeth away the tediousnes of houres and times in that we are taught that the houre of iudgement shall come and we knowe not how soone this must make vs carefull and watchfull in the loue and embracing of godlines For they that affirme that all shall at the last be said how can they aunswere to that spéech of him that cannot lie when he speaketh of the resurrection and last iudgement saying They shall come foorth that haue done good Ioh. 5.29 vnto the resurrection of life but they that haue done euill vnto the resurrection of condemnation In which words Christ sheweth that the twofold state of men shall appeare in the end of the world also and not without iust cause For as men haue béene diuerse in this life some elect some reprobate so euery one shall haue his reward and Christ shall gather all nations before him and separate them as the Shepheard separates the shéepe and goates setting the shéepe on the right hand and the goates on the left hand All shall liue indéed after the generall iudgement but there shall be a distinction of this life by the iudgement of Christ the iust Iudge For Christ béeing God that taketh no pleasure in iniquitie when he hath gathered the wheate into his gainer that is when he hath called and receiued the faithfull and godly to the perpetuall possession of his kingdome Matt. 3.11 then he will burnethe chaffe that is vnfruitful persons workers of iniquitie with fire that cannot be extinguished and the Angels shall goe forth and separate the euill from the iust Matt. 13.41 Mar. 9.41 and throwe them into the fornace of flaming fire where shall be wéeping and gnashing of téeth and the worme will neuer die This the Diuine expresseth in these words He that ouercometh shall inherite all things and I will be his God â—eu 21.7.8.27 and he shall be my son but the fearefull and vnbeleeuing and the abominable and murtherers and whoremongers and sorcerers and Idolaters and all lyars shall haue their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death for none vncleane thing shall enter into Heauen neither whatsoeuer worketh abomination or lyes but they which are written in the lambes booke of life The Apostle preaching to the Athenians Act. 17.31 said that God hath appointed a day in the which he will iudge the world in righteousnes As if Saint Paul had said that the circumstance and consideration of the time must stir vs vp to repentance and amendment of life for this is the time of grace in which men may be partakers of Gods mercie if they repent But if men stubbornely reiect the mercie of the Lord offered vnto them they must knowe that all men shall in the prefixed day be arraigned before Gods Tribunall seate which can neither be auoyded nor refused For albeit God suffer the vngodly for a time yet he doth it not for that he alloweth their wickednes but that by his forbearance he may allure them to repentance and if they contemne his kindnes and long suffering when he inuiteth them to his feare at length will they nill they they shall finde him a sharpe and seuere Iudge As he patiently for a long time expected the conuersion of the old world in the daies of Noah but at last said Gen. 6.3 That his spirit should not alway striue with man because he is but flesh and that his daies should be an hundreth and twentie yeares that is because men could not be wonne by Gods lenitie and long sufferance whereby as it were he stroue to ouercome them he would no longer stay his vengeance but definitely prescribe the terme of an hundreth and twentie yeares in which the inhabitants of the earth might repâ—nt before the Earth were destroyed Gen. 19.19.24.25 and as God patiently for a long time expected the conuersion of the Sodomites in the daies of Lot but at last for their hardnes of heart consumed them with fire and brimstone from heauen and their cities and that that grew vpon the Earth and as God patiently expected for a long time the conuersion of the Israelites sending his seruants the Prophets daily vnto them that they might be spared 2. King 17.13.14 but at last for reiecting and contemning of his admonitions and threatnings he destroyed Samaria Ierusalem so whosoeuer shall doe wickedly and yet shall thinke to escape Gods iudgement Rom. 2. â— 4 5.6.7.8 â— 10 despising the riches of Gods bountifulnes and patience and long sufferance not knowing that the bountifulnes of God should lead him to repentance he after his hardnes and heart that cannot repent heapeth vp as a treasure vnto himselfe wrath against the day of wrath and of the declaration of the iust iudgement of God who will reward euery man according to his works that is to them which through patience in well doing séeke glorie and honor and immortalitie eternall life but vnto them that are contentions and disobey the truth and obey vnrighteousnes shall be indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish shall be vpon the soule of euery man that doth euill of the Iew first and also of the Grecian but to euery man that doth good shall be glorie and honour and peace to the Iewe first and also to the Grecian And why is the separation of the good and bad expressed by the comparison of the shéepe and goates but partly for the consolation of the godly who in this mixture of good and bad are manifoldly molested by the reprobate as the shéepe are by the goates partly for the instruction and admonition of the godly that we should be most studious in this life to cast aside the manners and malice of goates and to expresse the simplicitie and innocencie of shéepe When the world goes about to draw vs to the pleasures of youth and by addicting our selues to vanitie to forget God and his worship let vs call to minde what Salomon saith of this matter reioyce saith he Eccles. 11.9 ô young man in thy youth and let thine heart cheere thee in the daies of thy youth and walke in the waies of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes but knowe that for all these things God will bring thee to iudgement When the loue of the world and the desire of riches and honour shall moue vs to be vnconscionable vnmercifull readie
such death and tribulations are not a reproach vnto them but a thing glorious in Gods sight and pleasing vnto him Rom. 5.3 Therefore the Apostle saieth That we reioyce in Tribulations That is we iudge afflictions to be a glorious thing which God will after chaunge into glorie and this is the peculiar wisdome of the Church which the world perceiueth not Lastly hee affirmeth that there remaines a life and iudgement after the death of the bodie For if the death of the godlie be not neglected of God but is pretious in his sight and on the contrarie * Mors impiorum pessima vulgata translatio ex Graeco Psal 6.8 If the death of the vngodly bee euill there must néedes remaine a iudgement wherein this shall bee made manifest to all Tyrants shall receiue punishment for their crueltie but the godly shall be â—dorned w th eternall glorie For if God number the teares of the faithfull and put them into a Bottell Ps 34.21 How can he suffer the blood that is shed for the confession of his diuine Name to perish and vanish away to nothing Doest thou quake and tremble at the remembrance of that horrible day 2. Pet. 3.10 in which the Heauens shall passe away with a noyse and the Elements shall melte with heate and the earth with the workes that are therein shal be burnt vp Bee of good comfort For thy Iudge is also thy Sauiour he is thy Brother he is thy head and thou a member of his bodie Hee loues thée most ardently hee is thy Iesus That is SAVIOVR Patrone Aduocate Redeemer Intercessor Hee layed downe his life for thée Ioh. 5.24 He hath sworne with an oath that if thou belieue in him thou shalt haue eternall life He maketh request for thée and who shall condemne thée He coÌ„meth to finish the troubles of the World and to auenge himselfe of his enemies and to deliuer the godly from the hands of sinners and he commeth not to condemne thée but to absolue thée and not to torture thée but to rid thée from all miserie and to make manifest thy full Redemption and to frée thy bodie also from all calamities to performe that promise of eternall life which so often he hath made vnto thée in his sacred word For he that heareth his word belieueth God that sent him hath euerlasting life shall not come into condemnation but hath passed froÌ„ death to life Therefore as Christ saith Surely Reu. 22.20 I come quickly So thou mayest say with the Euangelist Amen euen so come Lord Iesus It is for the wicked that haue no part in Christ to tremble and be dismaied at the very mention of the great day For what haue they to doe with it Amos. 5.18.19.10 the day of the Lord is as darknes and not light as if a man did flie from a Lyon a Beare met him or went into the house and leaned his hand on the wall and a Serpent bit him shall not the day of the Lord to the wicked be darknes not light euen darknes and no light in it Zach. 9.9 But the Prophet Zachariah bids the Daughter of Zyon to reioyce for the comming of her King And vpon good reason Isai 35.4 for as another Prophet testifieth The same day that brings wrath vengeance to the vngodlie brings a recompence and saluation to the godly For which cause the holie Apostle Paul sets this downe for a marke of the faithfull by which they may be knowne Namely 1. Cor. 1.7 2. Tim. 4.8 that they wayre for the appearing of CHRIST and loue his comming Therefore if we shall happeÌ„ to liue at such time as Christ shall come to Iudgement against the beholding of those ghastly signes which shall be ioyned with his CoÌ„ming we must coÌ„fort our selues with Christs promise that then our Redemption draweth neere that is that he will take vs to himselfe into heauen finally deliuer vs from all miseries In the meane time let vs belieue with the Apostle That there is layed vp for vs the crowne of righteousnes which the Lorde the righteous Iudge shall giue vs at that day not to vs only but vnto all them that loue that his appearing And when we sée the clowds of the Heauen let vs be admonished of these things For as when Christ Ascended Act. 1.11 a clowde tooke him out of sight and as Christ shall so come againe euen as he was takeÌ„ vp that is in the clowds 2. Thess 4.17 so the clowds shall as a Charret to lift vs vp to eternal glorie and we shal be rapt vp into the clowdes to meete the Lorde in the Aire Psal 20.3 c. When we heare the Thunder which is the terrible and mightie voice of God let vs suppose that we heare the lowde voice of the high Iudge pronouncing the Sentence both of the shéepe and goates When wee sée the swift and bright and sudden flashes and flakes of lightning Let them call to our mindes the sudden and vnexpected and * Epipháneian 2. Tim. 4.8 cleere and perspicuous comming and appearing of the supreme Iudge For as the lightening that lighteneth out of the one part vnder heauen shineth vnto the other part vnder Heauen so shall the Sonne of man be in his day Luk. 17.24 And since these things must be so For heauen and earth shall passe and be changed but the word of the Lorde abideth for euer what manner persons ought wee to be in holy conuersation godlines looking for and hasting vnto the coÌ„ming of that day of God by which the heauens being on fire 2. Pet. 3.11.12.13.14 shal be dissolued the Elements shall melte with heate But we looke for new Heauens and a newe Earth according to his promise wherein dwelleth righteousnes Wherefore seeing we looke for such things Let vs be diligent that wee may bee found of him in peace without spot and blameles Let vs take heed to our selues Luk. 21.34 least at any time our hearts be oppressed with surfetting and drunkennes and cares of this life and least that day come on vs at vnawares There are thrée Robes and Garments belonging to a true Christian The first is a Purple robe the second is a white robe the third is a golden robe If we will attaine to true happines and holines Iude. vers 23. wee must cast off our owne polluted rags and denie our selues and we must put on these rich pretious garments First we must be arraied in a purple garment dyed and dipped in the blood of the Sonne of God That is Gal. 3.27 wee must fréely receiue forgiuenes of sinnes and be reconciled to GOD through CHRIST and Faith in his blood and this is our Iustification Next Rom. 13.13 wee must be clothed with a white robe That is it becomes vs to be renued in the spirit of our mind and to serue God in holines and
Ethnick Democritus apud Sen. de prou we must account them wretched that haue neuer bene wretchâ—d Et nihil infalirius eo cui nihil aduênit vnquam aduersi that he is most vnhappie that was neuer crost with any aduersitie How can the godly be wretched in their afflictions since God our mercifull father doth so guide and moderate them that they cannot exceede that measure which he prescribeth nor transgresse the limits and bounds which he prefixeth Chrys hom 4. de diuers We sée the Musitian neither to straine the string that it should breake nor to slacken the string that it should marre the melodie but to wrest it temperately that the tune may be proportionable so God bestowes vpon vs neither continuall prosperitie nor continuall aduersitie but according to his endles wisedome he dealeth with vs so as neither continuall prosperitie may make vs slothfull nor continuall aduersitie make vs dismayed It is not still winter nor still summer it is not stil teÌ„pestuous weather nor still calme weather it is not still night nor still day so tribulation shall be but it shall not be alwaies Art thou beaten with the stormes of winter be of good comfort there will come a spring Art thou thronged in the rough bushes of calamitie and trouble be not daunted there growes some wholesome hearbe in those hard briars Art thou pursued by the swelling surges of aduersitie take courage to thée for though the flouds rage horribly yet the Lord commaunds the seas and windes and they obey and though the waues swell fearefully yet God hath limited them their bounds and hath said thus farre you shall come and no further For it is he that mittigateth our miseries asswageth our griefes either by taking of them away vtterly or by assisting and comforting of vs in our distresse most fatherly The Israelites were straightly enrounded hauing before them the red sea behind them their enemies the Egyptians on either side mountaines so that considering their imminent perill they said to Moses Hast thou brought vs to die in the wildernes because there were no graues in Egypt But what was the answere of Moses and what deliuerance did the Lord promise and performe Feare ye not saith Moses Exod. 14.11.13.14 stand still and behold the saluation of the Lord which he will shew to you this day for the Egyptians whom ye haue seene this day ye shall neuer see them againe the Lord shall fight for you this day therefore hold you your peace Act. 12. When Peter slept betwéene two souldiours bound with two chaines and the kéepers before the doore kept the prison what way could the vnderstanding of man espie for his escaping yet the Angell of God did wonderfully deliuer him so as for the present Peter himselfe knew not that it was true which was done of the Angell but thought he had séene a vision Euen so when we are in perplexitie and can sée no way to passe out yet if we faithfully trust in God and zealously call vpon him he will giue an issue and euasion for our escaping and deliuer vs out of daunger as out of the lyons mouth and shake all feare from our hearts as the chaines fell off from Peters hands For why 2. Cor. 1.10 God hath deliuered his children from great daungers and doth deliuer them and will deliuer those that trust in him 2. Tim. 4.17.18 God will assist and strengthen them and deliuer them from euery euill worke and will preserue them vnto his heauenly kingdome 2. Pet. 2.9 God knoweth to deliuer the godly out oftentation as he deliuered iust Lot vexed with the vncleanely conuersation and vnlawfull déeds of the wicked and God the author of all grace 1. Pet. 5.10 which hath called vs to eternall glorie by Christ Iesus after that we haue suffered a little while will make vs persit confirme strengthen and stablish vs. And the Apostle may well say that we suffer but a little while for how can our suffrings belong in so short a life Psal 90.5.6 â—0 13.14.1â— Man groweth vp like grasse which in the morning flourisheth and groweth but in the euening it is cut downe and withereth for our daies passe away as a thought the time of our life is thréescore yéeres and tenne if men be of strength fourescore yeeres yet their strength is but labour and sorrow for it is cut off quickly and we flee away Therefore we must hope that the Lord will returne and be pacified towards his seruants and fill vs with his mercie that we may reioyce and be glad all our daies and that he will comfort vs according to the daies that he hath afflicted vs and according to the yeeres that we haue séene euill Wherefore when Dâ—uâ—â— had said of himselfe out of his owne experience that when he had sought the Lord he was heard and deliuered out of all his feare he infers generally the Angell of the Lord pitcheth round about them that feare him Psal 31.7.8.15.17.18.19.20 and deliuereth them taste and sée how good and gratious the Lord is the eyes of the Lord are vpon the righteous and his eares are open vnto their crie the righteous crie and the Lord heareth them and deliuereth them out of all their troubles The Lord is néere vnto them that are of a contrite hart Psalm 94.12.13.14 and will saue such as be afflicted in spirite Great are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord deliuereth him out of them all He keepeth all his bones not one of them is broken Blessed therefore is the man whom the Lord chastiseth and teacheth in his Law that he may giue him rest from the dayes of euill whiles the pitte is digged for the wicked Surely the Lord will not faile his people neither will he forsake his inheritance If then God doe deliuer his children out of their afflictions Pathémata Mathémata Aduersitie may be called an Vniuersitie and Schoole of the holie Ghost where we are instructed to pray earnestly and to the Lorde alone And that wee should be the readier to pray God hath commanded vs to repaire and flée to him in our distresse and promised that wee shall be heard Psal 50.5 Call vpon mee in the day of trouble So will I deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie mee And to whome should we pray but to the Lord God that féedeth his Flocke like a Shepheard and gathereth the Lambs with his arme Isay 40.11 12.15.22.23.29.30.31 and carrieth them in his bosome and guideth them with young who hath measured the waters with his fist counted heauen with the span and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the Mountaines in a weight and the Hills in a ballance Behold the Nations are as a drop of a bucket and are counted as the dust of the ballance Behold he taketh away the Isles as a little dust hee sitteth vpon the circle of the earth and the
experiment in our selues that of the Psalmist They that sowe in teares Psal 126.5.6 shall reape in ioy he that now goeth on his way weeping and heareth foorth good seede shall doubtles come againe with ioy and bring his sheaues with him Sorrow is a pernitious guest harder to remoue then to receiue for it staies willingly where it finds nourishment and but easie repelling like thâ— gout in a daintie and rich mans leg and it frets the mind and bodie as the moth consumes the garment and the worme the timber Shut the doore therefore against it and giue it not the least entertainment Sorrow is like a false spectacle that makes a thing to séeme bigger then it is indeed Retire your mind from your griefe in which you must néeds be a partiall Iudge and looke round about you on other mens estates Who in one sort or other hath not tasted perhaps dranke déepely of â—â—ter cup of tribulation Chilon said to one that was excessiuely sorrie for his misfortunes that he should beare his miseries with the more contentation if he equally ballenced the afflictions of other men Carrie your cogitation euery way and see whether none else haue bene exposed to that sort of anguish that molesteth you If none haue felt the like tribulation you haue iust reason to sorrowe the more vehemently but if you want not partners why doe you vexe your selfe as though some straunge thing were befalne you If you crouch to griefe you are conquered if you bend your force against it you become conquerer What should the spéeches and rash censurings of other molest and disquiet you Mens tongues are vnbrideled because they are their owne they will not be stopt Let your owne good intent in your actions and the sinceritie of your conscience more proppe and stay you vp then the reproaches and backbitings of the malitious discourage you One saies that the ladder of inward peace which that Angelical tent-maker frames for the godly hath thrée steps and rounds â— Thess 5.16.17.18 by which we must climbe vp to the kingdome of heauen namely to reioyce euermore to pray continually in all things to giue thankes He that can reioyce is past his griefe he that can pray is passing from his griefe and he that can giue thankes hath obtained his desire If you cannot reioyce as if your griefe were past then giue thankes because your griefe is profitable to your soules health if you cannot thinke that your griefe is worth thankes then pray that you may hand patience to beare it and it is impossible that in praying thanking or reioycing any griefe should want sufficient patience to digest it What if we murmur something now and then and what if our patience and reioycing in tribulation be vnperfect Are we not babes in this world in regeneration Are not all our good workes vnperfect As a tender harted father hath compassion vpon his children Psâ—l 103.13.14 so is the Lord pittifull to them that loue him beareth with their infirmities and accepteth of a chéerefull giuers minde though he giue but two mites of patience For he knoweth whereof we are made and he remembreth that we are but dust As you opened your case plainely to me so I haue giuen you plaine counsaile desiring you to accept kindely of my true affection and praying God to comfort you effectually with the spirit of patience and long suffering If you finde consolation by this simple treatise following I will praise God and account my labour best bestowed You may reade for our comfort in affliction the â— chapter to the Romanes the 11. and â—2 chapters to the Hebrewes and the whole Psalter but specially these Psalmes the 3.4.6.22.25.30.31.34 39 4â— 42.57.91.103.116.121.123.130.136.145.146 In many of which you shall cléerely sée what were the conflicts of the man after Gods owne heart betwéene hope and distrust and how at the last hope and ioy had the victorie I haue quoted the margent of the treatise with the texts and places of scripture that you may at your leysure haue recourse to the fountaine it selfe and may be perswaded that in yeelding assent to the exhortation you are not carried by the blasts of mens deuises and doctrines but taught by the liuely word of God which is able to build farther to saue our soules and to bring vs to the inheritance of the Saints in light Amen A TRIVMPH OVER TRIBVLAtion THey that are righteous in the sight of God Rom. 5.2.3 4.5 by an assured faith in Iesus Christ being perswaded that they are the children of God by grace and adoption haue peace of coÌ„scieÌ„ce towards God and reioyce vnder the hope of heauenly glorie Neither this only but also they reioyce in tribulation knowing the tribulation bringeth foorth patience patience experience of Gods mercie in strengthening their weakenes experience hope that they shall euer be comforted this hope will neuer deceiue nor shame them because the loue of God and his vnspeakable fauor is shed spread abroad in their harts And although flesh blood cannot yéeld a reason of this reioycing of the godly in their tribulatioÌ„s more theÌ„ it caÌ„ shew a cause why a candle should burne in the midst of water yet if we withdraw our mindes to the contemplation of heauenly things we shall easily finde true reasons of this straunge ioy and withall motiues and prouocations therevnto For why whence come our afflictions vnto vs doe they come vnto vs at aduenture Doe they come vnto vs without the knowledge of our heauenly father If we say so we denie the prouidence of God nay we denie God to be God that ordereth and appointeth all things in heauen and earth It is certaine then Matt. 6.26.28 10.29.30 that he which feedeth the fowles of the heauen and cloatheth the â—â—â—ies of the field and so regardeth the sparrowes that not one of them falleth to the ground without his knowledge Psal 121.4.6 he also hath numbred the haires of our head and the Sunne shall not burne vs by day nor the Mooâ—e by night because God that kéepeth Isâ—â—â—â— will neither slumber Psal 56.8.10.11 nor sleepe Since then our afflictions are allotted vnto vs of God and he puts our teares into his bottell and notes all things in his booke why are our soules so heauie and so disquieted within vs and why doe we not say with holy Dauid In Gods word will I reioyce in the Lords word will I comfort me yea in God haue I put my trust I will not be afraide what any trouble can doe to me And why should we not say so and beleeue so 1. Cor. 10.13 since God is faithfull in kéeping his promise and will neuer suffer his children to be ouer tempted Consider well the bands Heb. 11.33.34 c. the imprisonments the rackings the scourgings the banishments the mockings the manifold and maruellous tribulations of the faithfull and how God desended and protected and succoured them in
also I was diligent to doe How diligent Paul was to remember the poore of Ierusalem may be séene 1. Cor. 16. where he ordaines among the Corinthians as he had ordained among the Galathians that euery first day of the wéeke euery one should put aside and lay vp as God had prospered him that when he came he might receiue their liberalitie and from thence sâ—nd it or goe with it himselfe vnto Ierusalem And they that would knowe more of Pauls diligence on this behalfe may peruse the 8. and 9. chapters of the latter epistle to the Corinthians where the Apostle moues and excites the Corintâ—s to take compassion on the needie brethren of Ierusalem both with arguments and exhortations and with the example both of the Macedonians who though they were much afflicted their selues yet their extreame pouertie abounded to their rich liberalitie and of Christ Iesus himselfe who being rich for our sakes became poore that we through his pouertie might be made rich Neither was Paul onely diligent for the poore of Ierusalem but he cares for the néedie people of Ephesus 1. Tim. 6.17.18.19 exhorting Timothie the first elected Bishop of the place To charge them that are rich in this world that they be not high minded and that they trust not in vncertaine riches but in the liuing God which giueth vs abundantly all things to enioy that they doe good and be rich in good workes and be readie to distribute and communicate laying vp in store for themselues a good foundation against the time to come that they may obtaine eternall life Besides this he was diligent for the procuring of reliefe for whatsoeuer poore for thus he writes to the Galathians Gal. 6.6 While we haue time let vs doe good to all mâ—n Thus we sée how carefull the chiefe Apostles Iames Peter and Iohn were to marrie Paul and Bâ—rnabas to remember their poore and we sée how diligent Paul was to execute their warning and by all meanes waies both of preaching and writing to procure reliefe for the distressed Christians And may it not be inferred héerevpon that it is the dutie of euery Minister of the Gospell to remember the poore and to stir vp mens mindes to liberalitie toward the neâ—die since the Apostles themselues were so diligent in this case Act. 2. and 4. and 5. and 6. as that they vndertooke the busines at first and afterward ordained and selected Deacons for that purpose And as it is the dutie of the Minister to perswade and exhort so it is the dutie of the people to be perswaded and to suffer the words of exhortation which that all may be the readier to performe let vs weigh first the commaundement that we must be liberall to the poore Secondly the example of such as haue excelled therein Thirdly the reward of liberalitie to the néedie and lastly threatnings against the vnmercifull thundred out in the Bookâ— of God In the lawe written by Moses First motiue to mercy Deut. 15.7.8.9.10 God gaue commaundement for prouiding for the poore charging the children of Israel on this sort If one of thy brethren with thee be poore within any of thy gates in thy land which the Lord thy God giueth thee thou shalt not harden thine heart nor shut thine hand from thy poore brother But thou shalt open thine hand vnto him and shalt lend him sufficient for his neede which he hath beware that there be not a wicked thought in thine heart to say the seuenth yeare the yeare of freedome is at hand therefore it greeueth thee to looke on thy poore brother and thou giuest him nought and he crie vnto the Lord against thee so that sinne be in thee Thou shalt giue him and let it not grieue thine heart to giue him for because of this the Lord thy God shall blesse thee in all thy workes and in all that thou putteâ—t thine hand to And God coÌ„manded also that when the Israelites did reape their haruest Leu. 19.9.10 they should not reape euery corner of their field neither should they gather the gleanings of their haruest and that they should not gather the grapes of their vineyard cleane neither gather euery grape of their vineyard but that they should leaue them for the poore and for the straunger Mercifulnes so much pleaseth God that whereas fasting is a preparatiue to prayer and repentance and thereby a meanes to obtaine foregiuenes of sins yet it is distastfull to God if it be not seasâ—ned with workes of mercie Isai 58.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.0 and therefore God saies by his holy Prophet to the fasting Iewes You say Wherefore haue we fasted and thou seest it not we haue punished our selues and thou regardest it not behold in the day of your fast you will seeke your will and reqiure all your debts behold ye fast to strife and debate and to smite with the fist of wickednes Is it such a fast that I haue chosen that a man should afflict his soule for a day and to bowe downe his head as a bulrush and to lye downe in sackcloth and ashes wilt thou call this a fasting or an acceptable day to the Lord Is not this the fasting that I haue chosen to loose the bands of wickednes to take off the heauie burdens and to let the oppressed goe free and that ye breake euery yoke Is it not to deale thy bread to the hungrie and that thou bring the poore that wander to thine house when thou seest the naked that thou couer him and hide not thy selfe from thine owne flesh Then shall thy light breake foorth as the morning and thine health shall growe speedily thy righteousnes shall goe before thee and the glory of the Lord shall embrace thee then shalt thou call and the Lord shall aunswere thou shalt cry and he shall say here I am Neither is almes and bountifulnes an adorning of our fastes onely but it is an infallible note and marke of sincere and vnfained deuotion Iam. 1.27 as Saint Iames affirmeth saying Pure religion and vndefiâ—ed before God euen the Father is this to visite the fatherles and widowes in their aduersitie This is the true treasure which our Sauiour â—ids vs to lay vp in heauen Matt. 6.19.20 Lay not vp saith he treasures for your selues vpon the earth where the moth and canker corrupt and where theeues dig through and steale but lay vp treasures for your selues in heauen where neither the moth nor canker corrupteth and where theeues neither dig through nor steale And neuer to be forgotten is that saying of Christ by those that either ambitiously lauish out their goods to win praise of men or else couetously hunt after recompence in all their feastings when he saith When thou makest a dinner Luk. 14.12.13.14 or a supper call not thy friends nor thy brethren neither thy kinsmen nor the rich neighbours least they also bid thee againe and a recompence be made thee but when thou makest a feast call the
righteous dealing shal not only be approued applauded in this world of God Angels and men but also shall be adorned with eternall reward in that other life Pro. 19.17 The wise King of Israel saies He that hath mercie vpon the poore lendeth vnto the Lord and the Lord will recompence him in that which he hath giuen Men desire commonly to commit their money and goods to trusty persons that will re pay surely according to promise In Epist Therfore as Saint Austin sayes If thou wilt be a good Marchant and a notable Vsurer giue that which thou canst not keepe to th' ende that thou mayest receiue that which thou canst not leese giue a little that thou mayest receiue an hundreth folde giue of thy temporall possession that thou mayest obtaine the euerlasting inheritance Who is it the will not most gladly Till the Fielde that will neuer misse to yéelde increase And who desires not to bee guided in his iourney by signes and directions that hee may not swerue straye Heare then In serm de verb. Domin what the same Father sayes Foecundus est ager pauperum The Fielde of the poore is fertile and soone yeeldes fruite to them that giue Via coeli est pauper The poore man is the way to Heauen by which wee come to our heauenly Father Begin therefore to bestowe on the néedy if thou wilt not erre from the straight way As flowing Wells Clâ—m Alex Pedag lib. 5. cap. 7. though they be emptied yet they returne to their former measure and fulnes and the more they are exhausted the more they are replenished the purer the water is So giuing to the poore which is the fountaine of liberalitie that giues drinke to the thirsty and succour to the néedy is encreased filled againe Hom. 33. aâ— pop Antioch as milke comes againe in the breasts that haue bin suckt And for this S. Chrysostome doubts not to call liberalitie to the poore â—he gainefullest Arte Trade in the world Hâ—m 37. ad pop An. And he asketh the question whether a man can be so ignorant as not to know that God commaunded vs to giue Almes not so much for the benefite of the poore that take as for the recompence of them that giue Hee that would enter into a Potentates Pallace procures the Porters fauor to be admitted wilt thou be admitted into the Pallace of Heauen the poore are the Porters as our Sauiour witnesseth when he saies Make yee Friends with the riches of iniquitie Luk. 16.9 that when ye shal want they may receiue you into euerlasting habitatioÌ„s He that giues Almes is like one that agréeth with the owner of an Orchard to eate as much as he caÌ„ wtin the Orchard but to carry no fruite out of the Orchard which condition because he findes somwhat strict he eates in the Orchard till he be satiate carries indéede no apples with him out of the Orchard yet while he is eating he now then flings an apple ouer the Orchard wall or hedge which when he comes foorth he may find and enioy So they that are rich in the world and rich in God though they haue receiued their riches on this condition that they shall carrie away nothing with them out of the world yet they shew a godly wisedome while they vse héere the blessings of this life and in bestowing on the poore they doe as it were cast ouer the wall of the Orchard that which they shall finde recompenced in the world to come A man that knowes certainely that after a small time he shall be remooued into a strange countrey where forsaking his natiue soile he shall liue in neede all daies of his life if he be not sottish he will be well content to haue his goods carried before him into that countrey where he shall after enioy them though for a little space he want them where he now dwels and who will not account them foolish that knowing the brittle and fading state of this life and the short abode that they haue héere doe refuse by Almes and liberalitie to the poore to send their goods before them into Heauen where they most assuredly knowe that they shall liue in all affluence and plentie and receiue the eternall reward specially since now we liue Heb. 13.14 not in our abiding citie and true countrey but in a strange countrey and since by liberalitie to poore and distressed Christians our goods are conueyed into our vnmooueable abiding place What follie is it then to leaue our riches there whence we must depart and not to send it thither before hand Chrys in Matth. Hom. 6. whither we shall goe Place therefore thy substance there where thy countrey is Hee that placeth his treasure in Earth hath not what to hope for in Heauen Why should hee looke vp toward Heauen where he hath nothing layed stored vp for him Manus pauperis est Gazophylacium Christi Petr. Rau. in quadam Serm. The hand of the poore is the Treasury of Christ and whatsoeuer the poore receiue Christ doth accept as giuen to himselfe Giue therefore earthly things to the poore that thou mayest receiue heauenly things giue a crumbe and piece that thou mayest receiue the whole giue to the poore that it may be giuen to thée For whatsoeuer thou giuest to the poore thy selfe shalt haue whatsoeuer thou giuest not to the poore another shal haue And all this the Sonne of Syrach hath summarily comprehended in few words when he saith EccluÌ„â— 19.9.1.11 12.13 16. Helpe the poore for the commaundements sake and turne him not away because of his pouertie Lose thy money for thy brothers and neighbours sake and let it not rust vnder a stone to thy destruction Bestow the treasure after the commandemeÌ„t of the most Hâ—gh and it shall bring thee more profit then gold lay vp thine almes in thy secret chamber and it shall keepe thee from all affliction A mans almes is as a purse with him shall keepe a mans fauour as the apple of the eye and afterward shall it arise and pay euery man his reward vpon his head it shall fight for thee against thine enemies better then the shield of a strong man or speare of the mightie If the plentifull reward of liberalitie moue thée not Fourth motiue to mercy Prou. 21.13 Prou. 28.27 yet haue remorse at the terrible manaces against the vnmercifull Heare Salomon He that stoppeth his eare at the crying of the poore he shall also cry and not be heard Againe He that giueth to the poore shall not want but he that hideth his eyes shall haue many curses Doest thou not tremble at the remembrance of the fearefull iudgement of Sodome that was destroyed with fire and brimstone from heauen How grieuous a punishment was it to be heard of how grieuous to be séene nay how grieuous to be suffered And wilt thou knowe their sinnes that caused this horrible
things Rom. 2.6 but if they deale faithfully and carefully God will recompence them according to their workes Thus haue we bene perswaded to be liberall to the poore by the coÌ„mandement of God by the example of the Faithfull by the reward of mercie by the threatnings against the mercifulnes and if the incompassionate and flinty harted person shall déeply ponder these things there is hope that hereafter he will be mollified put on the tender bowells of compassion Sen. lib. de beneficijs When the Cynick begd a talent of Antigonus he answered that a talent was too much for a Cynick to beg wheÌ„ the Cynick asked a pennie he answered again that it was too little for a king to giue This was shameful sophysticall cauillatioÌ„ to deuise a meanes how to giue nothing for he respected the Cynick in the talent a king in the pennie whereas he might haue giuen a peÌ„ny to the Cynick a talent as he was a king In these dayes also many will forge excuses why they restrain their liberalitie froÌ„ the distressed but these excuses are not so soon allowed of God as deuised of man For let not the couetous person that seldom or neuer giues to the poore say I haue but little scarce enough for my self mine own family Giue then after thy state 2. Cor. 8.12 9.7 giue which a chéerfull and single hart the Lord will respect thée not according to that thou hast not but according to that thou hast if there be first a willing mind for God accepteth a cheerfull giuer Luk. 21.2 He that hath praised the widow for casting of 2. mites into the tresury hath also promised Math. 10 42. that if thou giue but a cup of cold water in his name thou shalt not leese thy reward He that hath noght els to giue let him powre forth praiers good wishes for the poorâ— distressed Psal 41.1.2.3 saying The Lord deliuer him in his trouble the Lord keepe him and preserue him â—he Lord blesse him the Lord streÌ„gthen him vpon the bed of his sorrow and comfort him in his sickenes and he shall be blessed that so considers the poore saith the man of God So truely saies an ancieÌ„t Father That the Almes is not weighed Chrys by the largenes of the things giuen but by the liberall minde of the giuer Aug. in Psal â—03 And another saith If thou canst giue then giue if thou canst not then vse corteous spéeches God rewards the inward willingnes where he findes not outward ablenes Naz. in Orat. de pauper amandis let none say I haue not to giue for charitie is not measuâ—ed by the purse And another saies likewise Giue some small thing to him that wants and yet it shall not be small to him that wants all things nay God will not account it small if thou giue after thy power account it for a gift if thou giue comfortable words si nihil habes collachryma if thou haue nothing to bestow shed teares with him that is in miserie Amb in ep ad Cor. For non solum quaeritur quantum sed de quanto quo animo detur The question is not only how much is giuen but from what abilitie and from what minde it procéeded Let not the couetous person that seldome or neuer giues to the poore say before I giue to another I will first sée whether I shal want my selfe or not For remember how the meale in the barrell and the oyle in the crewse of the widowe of Zaâ—â—ptha 1. King 17. failed not though she gaue to Eliah leauing not for her selfe and her sonne God hath promised That the liberal person shall haue plentie Prou. 1.25 and he that watereth shal also haue raine And it was excellently said of the second Tiberius the Emperor when he was reproued for exhausting spending the treasurie in Almes That the Treasurie should neuer want monie as long as there were poore to receiue almes Let not couetousnes which is the roote of all euill 1. Tim. 6.10 Luk. 12.15 Eph. 5.5 and of which Christ bids vs to take héede to beware because a mans life stands not in riches and which is Idolatrie for that the auaritious person reposeth in his monie the coÌ„fidence due to God let not couetousnes make vs to distrust the promise of God or the prouidence of God for he that hath prouided our mot hers milke to nourish vs before we were borne and he that hath clothed vs prouided necessaries for vs that came naked into the world will not he féede succor sustaine vs when we walke in the obedience of his commandements If we heare that poore the corne Hoâ— 2 1â—.20.21.22 the wine and oyle will heare vs and the earth wil heare the corne fruits and the heauens will heare the earth the Lord will heare the heaueÌ„s marrie vs vnto himselfe for euer in righteousnes in iudgemeÌ„t in compassion in faithfulnes Let not the couetous person that seldom or nere giues to the poore say that he will not giue to the néedie because they are ignorant in religion idle vnruly théeuish vnthankfull railers therefore that he will follow the couÌ„sell of the sonne of Syrach saying Giue vnto such as feare God EccluÌ„s 12.4 receiue not a sinner do well to him that is lowly but giue not to the vngodly hold back thy bread giue it not vnto him Vers 3. least he ouercome thee therby Indéed these are the words of the sonne of Syrach but what saith he in the same place He cannot haue good that giueth 10 Almes and therfore he speaks coÌ„paratiuely respectiuely not excluding altogether the néedie though lewd froÌ„ Almes but shewing the choice discretion in giuing he bids vs when we will do good to know to whom we doe it For in liberality a regard is to be had both of the things persons of things Greâ— in Epist that all be not giueÌ„ to one but somewhat to euery one whereby we may doe good to the more according to that of the Prophet he hath dispersed and scattered here and there and giuen to the poore of persons that wee giue first to the good and then to sinners vnto whoÌ„ not wtstanding we are prohibited to giue Non qui homine sed quia pâ—ccatores not for the they are meÌ„ Gal. 6.10 but for that they are sinners So S. Paul saies that priÌ„cipally we must doe good to the household of Faith that is to the godly but immediately before he had said while we haue time let vs doe good to all men Therefore there must be wisedome discretion choice in distributing our alms Niceph. li. 14. ca. 14. For though Atticus the Bishop of ConstaÌ„tinople when he sent money to Calliopius the Nicene Priest to be destributed amoÌ„g the poore did bid him in bestowing
shall not lose his reward And who knowes not Christs verdict of the two mites of the poore widowe Luk. 21.1.2.3.4 For when he saw the rich men cast their gifts into the treasurie and a certaine poore widow also to cast in thither two mites he said Of a truth I say vnto you that this poore widowe hath cast in more then they all for they all haue of their superfluitie cast into the offrings of God but she of her penurie hath cast in all the liuing that she had Therefore it is not the quantitie of the gift but the minde and the manner of the giuing that is respected of the Lord. But perhaps some will say I haue wife children and familie my selfe why should I giue I know not what want I and mine may haue I haue people of mine owne to maintaine The rather for this cause thou must reléeue the poore that by a small portion which thou giuest nay lendest to the Lord thou maiest prouide his blessing and fauour for thy wife and familie after thy departure If thou wilt haue care for thy familie and children canst thou doe it better then in leauing them sure bonds and obligations of debt not confirmed by the hands and seales of mortall men but by the vndoubted promise of the king of kings and Lord of Lords The Apostle prooues out of the Psalme that he that sparseth abroad and giueth to the poore his beneuolence shall remaine for euer and be euerlasting and he shall neuer want to giue to the poore For God that findeth seede to the sower 2. Cor. 9.9 will minister likewise bread for foode and multiplie the seede and encrease the fruit of his beneuolence And the same Apostle elsewhere wils vs not to be wearie of well-doing Gal. 6.9 For that in due season we shall reape if we faint not In which places he compares the bestowing of almes and releefe on the poore to sowing and sparsing of graine vpon a fruitfull soyle And S. Chrysostome saith well Semen vocatur elâ—emosyna quia res haec non tam sumptus est quam redditus Almes is called seede because it is not so much a charge as a reuenue Depaenis 7. ser If corne saith he be shut vp close in the house of the husbandman it encreaseth not but is consumed of vermine but if it be sparsed on the ground it is not onely kept safe but also encreased so the wealth that is shut vp in chests and kept vnderlocks and bars soone flées from the owners but if it be distributed in liberalitie to the afflicted it remaines not onely surely kept but riseth also to more encrease He that hidâ—â—â— is treasure vpon earth Chrys hom 9. in Matt. and sends it not by liberalitie to heauen doth as if an husbandman should take séede and not sowe it on fertile soyle but scatter it into the water where he can neither enioy it nor preserue it from corruption Id. hom 5. in Matt. For where séede is fitly sowne there followes multiplying of fruits And if thou find a fat and fruitfull ground thou wilt not only manure it and till it plenteously with thine owne seede but thou wilt also borrow seede of other reckon it a great losse if thou shouldest be sparing in tillage thereof since then if thou be liberall to the poore thou sowest on a field that will yéeld encrease with manifold vsurie linger not nor procrastinate but vnderstand this That by sparing thou shalt leese and by sparsing thou shalt gather When we sow our séede we doe not so much looke vpon the emptying of our barnes as hope for the fruitfull haruest to come and that also when we are vncertaine of the euent for the rust and Caterpiller and vnseasonable stormes may frustrate our expectation Shall we be so chéerfull to commit our seede to the ground and shall we linger to commit our séed of almes into Gods hands and into the heauens where no tempests nor calamities can hurt it and where vnspeakable fruit shall be gathered For in sowing of graine the séedtime and haruest are of one nature he that sowes wheate or barlie or any other graine shall at haruest reape the same sort of graine but in sparsing of the séede of almes it is not so For we sparse siluer and we sparse bread and we sparse cloathes and we sparse other earthly things but if we sparse in faith and with a willing minde we reape mercie and we reape a recompence and we reape heauen and those incomprehensible blessings that transcend and exceede mans séeing hearing and vnderstanding Say not that thou wilt take order on thy Testament that somewhat shall be bestowed on the succouring of the néedy therfore that thou wilt bestow little or nothing while thou liuest For knowest thou that thy legacie shall alway be performed according to thy purpose and may not many that at this present time stand in néede depart out of this world before thy Testament be in force and so thou léese the offered opportunitie of doing good and is not thy gift after thy death like a candle lighted at thy backe that cannot guide thy féete in darkenes and hast thou forgotten the counsell of the sonne of Sirach Ecclus. 14.12.13.14.15.16 Defraud not thy selfe saith he of the good day and let not the portion of the good desires ouerpasse thee shalt thou not leaue thy trauels vnto another thy labours for the diuiding of the heritage giue and take sanctifie thy soule worke thou righteousnes before thy death for in Hell there is no meate to finde Remember that death tarrieth not and that the couenant of the graue is not shewed vnto thee doe good vnto thy friend before thou die and according to thine abilitie stretch out thine hand and giue him Wherefore while thou hast space be diligent in imparting thy knowledge in counsell vpon the simple thy wishes on the desires of them that want thy power on the helping of the néedie * Nosse incoÌ„silijs velle in desiderijs posse insubsidijs for these things thy neighbour must haue if he want them Thy life is a race to the goale of eternitie so runne then that thou maiest obtaine and thou shalt runne the nimbler if thou throwe from thée vpon the distressed somewhat of this worlds wealth that presseth thée downe so waightily Chrysost hom 5. de auar A Lyon or a Libard saith an ancient Father or a Beare or some other such wild beast while it is shut and pind vp in the darke it rageth and fumeth horribly euen so when riches are shut vp and hid closely they rage worse then lyons and trouble all things But if thou bring them out of darkenes and sparse them on the bellies of the needy where before they were sauage beastes they will become shéepe where before they were rocks they will become harboroughs where before they caused shipwrack they will bréede a calmenes For as in shipping too
inhabitaÌ„ts thereof are as grashoppers he stretcheth out the HeaueÌ„s as a curtaine spreadeth them out as a Tent to dwell in Hee bringeâ—h the Princes to nothing maketh the Iudges of the earth as vanitie He giueth strength vnto him that fainteth and vnto him that hath no strength hee increaseth power euen the young men shall fainte and be wearie and the young men shall stumble and fall but they that waite vpon the Lorde shall renue their strength they shall lift vp the wings as the Eagles they shall runne not be wearie and they shall walke not fainte And thus saith the Lord Cursed bee the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his Arme withdraweth his heart from the Lord Ier. 17.5.6.7.8 For hee shall be like the Heath in the wildernesse and shall not see when anie good commeth but shall inhabite the parched places in the wildernes in a salte land not inhabited but blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lorde whose hope the Lord is for he shal be as a tree that is plaÌ„ted by the water which spreadeth out the rootes by the Riuer shall not feele when the heate coÌ„meth but her leafe shall be greene shall not care for the yeere of drought neither shall cease froÌ„ yeelding fruite If we should trust in man in whome should wee trust rather then in Princes But what saieth the man of God Put not your trust in Princes Psal 146.3.4.5.6 nor in the sonne of man for there is no help in him his breath departeth and he returneth to his eatth then his thoughts perish blessed is he that hath the God of Iacob for his helpe whose hope is in the Lorde his God which made Heauen and Earth the Sea and all that therein is which keepeth his Fidelitie for euer But although we are to implore the aide of God alone in our troubles although God hath promised to heare vs to assist vs with his helpe yet we must beware that we neither murmure against God if hee answere vs not as we thinke fit nor appoint set downe a time of our deliuerance but we must abide the Lordes leisure Thou wilt not appoint a time to the Physitian of thy bodie when or what or how he shall minister vnto thee and when thou art seared or launced thou endurest and if thou call on the Physitian hee heares not as thou listeth but as he iudgeth fittest for thy recouery And wilt thou bee offended if God satisfie not thy request by and by Or wilt thou defigne a time when hee shall ease thy sorrowe forgetting that GOD is the Physitian of thy soule In Psal 2â— and that Tribulation is Medicamentum ad salutem non poena ad damnationem A Medicine to saluation not a punishment to damnation as Saint Austin saith Hieron in Proumio in Abakuk prophet If hee that is sicke of a burning Feuer call for colde water and say to the Physitian I am gâ—ieued I am tormented I burne I am astonished How long shall I crie vpon thee and thou wilt not heare What will the wise Physitian aunswere him but this I knowe when I ought to giue that thou câ—auest and I take no pittie vpon thee nowe because this pittie were crueltie and thy will doth wish thine owne damage Euen so our God knowing the weight and measure of his owne mercie doth sometimes not heare him that calls vpon him that hee may trie him and prouoke him to more earnestnes in prayer and make him more righteous and cleane as it were refined by the fire of tribulation The Heathenish Poet that neuer knewe the truth of God but onely groped after it by the light of corrupt Reason could say Saepè bibit succos quamuis inuitus amaros Aeger oranti mensa negata mihi est Ouid. lib. 1 de remed Amor. Vt corpus redimâ—s ferrum patieris ignes Arida nec sitiens ora leuabis aqua Vt valeas animò quicquà m tâ—llerare negabis At praetium pars haec corpore maius habet Wherein hee rebukes those that refuse wholesome counsell restraining from the delectation of vice and yet can tollerate bitter potions and the Chyruâ—gians instruments and thirst to be strong in bodie and sayes that it is a shame for them to endure all this for the bodie and to suffer nothing to bee sounde in minde séeing that part of man is farre more precious then the bodie Wherefore though wee see no effect of our petitions presently Heb. 10.35.36.37 yet wee must not cast away our confidence which hath great recompence of reward For wee haue neede of Patience that after wee haue done the will of God wee may receiue the promise For yet a very little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarrie But thou saiest that thou canst not subdue thy passions digest the bitternes of thy tribulation Yet wee sée that tamers of wilde beasts doe so manage and breake their sauage nature Epist 86. that they become méeke and milde Seneca sayes that some tamers of Lyons and Tigres haue made them so gentle that they haue put their hands into their mouthes and layd their owne mouthes vpon the beasts mouthes that ElephaÌ„tem minimus Aethiops iubet subsidere in genua The least Aethyoptan commands the Elephant to sit on his knees and he concludes hereupon why should not a wise man bee so cunning to tame his aduersities and troubles as that griefe and pouertie and slaunders and prisonment and exile and whatsoeuer terrible things when they happen may be conquered and not trouble the minde may be ioyfully entertained When Children are afraide of maskes and vizards we put them into their hands turne the inside out and make them to handle them that so they may cast away their vaine feare and men are woont coÌ„monly when their horse either starts or will not goe forwardes at the fight of a stone blocke or bright thing in the way to spurre him on vehemeÌ„tly and to driue him forciblie vpon that which terrified him that so by approching néere vnto it or by traÌ„pling on it hee may not be dauuted Ioshuah commaÌ„ded the chiefe men of Israel to put their féet on the necks of those fiue kings of Canaan to tread them downe Iosh 10.35 saying Feare not nor be faint hearted but be strong and of a good courage For thus will the Lord doe vnto all your enemies against whome yee fight Euen so if we narrowly note the fruite and benefite of aduersitie that redouÌ„ds to the godly looke aduisedly into the nature of things as they are indeed wee shall finde afflictions to be wilde beasts yet such as may be tamed to be vgly maskes yet such as appeare more hideous and fearefull then they are in trueth and to be blockes in the way yet such as may be past by and to be terrible Tyrants in outward shewe yet as easie to