he staid not long there Let vs therfore satisfie our selues with the knowledge of Gods creatures if it be but in a measure be contented though we sée not all but by and in them that we doo know let vs praise honor him who in such comely bewtifull vnsearchable sort hath made all Timantes a cunning Painter taking in hand to expresse the sorow of Agamemnō for the death of his daughter Iphigenia perceiuing his skill wold not reach so far couered the prince his face with a vaile leauing his sorrow to be cōceiued by the mind of the beholders whose eyes in this respect he could not satisfie In like sort finding my self vnable to fulfill thy desire and to set downe the consideration of all Gods creatures thinke it good to leaue the rest to thy studie and labour and take that to be sufficient for this present purpose which I haue said vsing silence where much may be spared thy studie eased and minde delighted For breuitie bringeth attention and a long discourse tediousnes The learned Philosophers and searchers of gods works perceiuing the excellency of gods creatures and the bewtifull frame of the world gaue it a a name agréeable thereunto and called it Bewtie it selfe For if the works of men deserue great commendation and that the Carpenter in the frame of his house the Mason in his stoneworke the Painter in his pictures may excel how much more excellent and passing bewtifull shall the frame of the whole world be and the workmanship of euery creature made and ordeined and created of God Who as he is in all respects worthie praise so doubtlesse must the works be which procéed from him infinit incomprehensible only good only almightie only wise only excellent in whatsoeuer may be said to be his When the Disciples of our Sauiour Christ shewed VVhether to endure him the faire building of the Temple and the garnished worke Maruell ye at these things saith he The time shall come that there shall not be a stone left vpon a stone which shall not be throwne downe The Temple it selfe yea euen the bewtifull gate of the Temple shall come to hauocke and ruine There is nothing excellent in the world that is of long continuance and the world it self hath but his time and shall passe away as though it had neuer bene nor euer created not through the default of the workemanship but through their procurement for whose benefit it was made and created Shewe me the light which will not darken shewe me the flower which will not fade shewe me the frute which will not corrupt shewe me the garment which will not weare shewe me the strength which wil not weaken shewe me the bewtie which will not wither shewe me the time which will not passe and tell me if thou canst whether that the worlde bee of the continuance but of an houre The ende whereof is compared to the trauaile of a woman the comming of a théefe in the night the flashing of lightning sodaine and vnlooked for in a moment in the turning of a hand in the twinkling of an eye before a man can say what is done or what is towardes For as GOD said It repenteth mee that euer I made man so not long after he vttered his voyce to Noah and sayd An end is come He created man and he fell he made the world and it shall not alwayes endure Man was made out of the dust and to dust he shall returne the world was made of nothing and to nothing shall it vanish it shall ware olde as a garment and at length be consumed with fire The goodnesse of the Lorde is great in the continuance of the worlde and longer should the time be if the wickednesse of men did not abounde Which time if it were not shortned no flesh should be saued but for the Elects sake for the benefit of the good and godly the dayes of the world shall be cut off Let mee alone saith God to Moses that I may consume this people vtterly Now come many miseries losses extremities and plagues vppon the world but for the sin that is practised in the world Which doubtlesse will be the cause of the ende of the world and of the destruction of gods bewtiful frame fire and brimstone fell vpon Sodom and Gomorrha a part of the world wheras if it had pleased God it might haue lighted on all the world The windowes aboue and the depthes beneath were opened and the whole earth was ouerwhelmed with water A token of a greater iudgement and of a greater destruction when not a part of the earth shall bee consumed with fire but the whole earth yea euen the heauens also and the whole world it selfe The glorious Sun shall be turned into darknesse and the Moone into blood the starres shall fall from heauen and the powers of the heauen shall be shaken the earth shall be dissolued the sea and the waters shall roare And if the wordes of the Apostle Saint Peter bee true as without all peraduenture they are moste certaine because the spirite of God hath set them downe which cannot lie neither can be deceiued as the world of old perished being ouerflowne with water so the heauens and the earth which are now are kept by the power of God in store and reserued vnto fire against the day of iudgement and of the destruction of vngodly men This latter day the end of the world shall come as a theefe in the night in the which the heauens shal passe away with a noise and the elements shal melt with heat and the earth with the workes that are therin shall be burnt vp Sin iniquitie and wickednes saith the wise man hath cast downe the thrones of the mightie and brought the earth to a wildernes and so it shal fal out the therby all things shal be brought to desolation and not only the earth but the whole world shal come to nothing Yet thrée daies and Niniue shal be destroied yet but a while and y◠a litle while and the time of the world shal be expired For the end of all things is at hand Plentifull Sodom bewtiful Gomorrha are defaced their beastly lustes and the abusing of Gods benefits was the cause Man should neuer haue died if he had neuer disobeied and the bewtie of the world should still haue continued if the inhabitants of the world had giuen no other cause But now all things tend to their decay the heauenly powers do faile in their operations and the hearbes haue not their former force and the Phisitian is driuen to vncertainties The bodie of man is not so perfect and healthfull as in the beginning but subiect to manifold diseases his time holdeth not out to hundreths as heretofore it hath done but fewe are his daies because his daies are euill Death to man destruction to the world yea all the creatures of the earth do grone vnder the burthen of that misterie whereunto they
to passe but by means but God sheweth his power vnto vs in yâ— without meanes of nothing he can doo all thinges Sarah Abrahams wife laughed when shée heard that shée should haue a sonne in her olde age séeing it had ceased to be with her after the manner of women and that her wombe had so long bene barreine and as it was to be thought now dead What saith shée after I am waxed olde and my Lord also shall I haue lust But the Angel answered Shall any thing be heard to the Lord who as of nothing made infinit creatures so caused he of one euen of one which was dead to spring so many as the starres of the skie in multitude and as the sande of the sea which is innumerable What more impossible then to put life into a stone Yet saith Iohn Baptist vnto the Iewes that boasted themselues that they were Abrahams posteritie God is able of these stones to raise vp children vnto Abraham Howe should we say in the Articles of our beliefe I beleeue in God the father Almightie vnlesse wee were fully perswaded that hee were able to doo all things whatsoeuer he would Which things also the Diuels knowe and doo beleeue Else the tempter woulde not haue saide vnto Christ If thou be the sonne of God commaund that these stones be made bread What foolishneshnesse is it then for vs to measure the infinit power of God within the narrow strait of our owne conceit Much like the seruant of the Prophet Elisha who sawe nothing when as there were round about his maister and himselfe horses and charâ—ts of fire the mountaine full Yet this matter of Gods Almightie power is more manifest in the resurrection that after our bodies haue béene consumed to earth and ashes and hath beene meate for the foules of the aire the beastes of the earth and the fishes of the sea when euery part and parcell of our bodies are brought to nothing yet shall they returne to their former estate and be renued againe As Iobe saith I hope to see my Redeemer in the latter day not with anie other but with these same eyes What is it for him when all thinges are vanished and consumed to nothing to bid them returne againe who as the Prophet faith Renueth the face of the earth and doth cloath it yearely as it were with a newe garment What is it for him to make a plentifull lande barraine and to bring foorth nothing as hée did by the lande of Sodome and Gomorrha and to make a barraine land to be plentifull and to bring foorth all things For as hée turneth the flouds into a wildernesse and drieth vp the water springes Psal 107. 35. So againe he maketh the wildernesse a standing water water springs of a dry ground Darknes and light to him are both alike so is it his onely propertie both to make all thinges of nothing and that there should be nothing impossible vnto him Wherefore let vs not foolishly imagine that out of nothing nothing can be made as some haue thought and those not meanly learned but when we come to the view of the workes of God all learning and wisedome of man must 〈◊〉 And although we reade that man was made of the dust of the earth the fishes and foules of the water the woman of man yet the first beginning of all things was of nothing let vs with Iobe cap. 26. 7. beholde yet a little more nearer very manifestly and also with great delight The wordes of Iobe are these Hee hangeth the earth vpon 2. Esd 16. 501. nothing VVhiche thing is subiect euen to our sences For the heauens euerie way foorthe doo compasse the Earth and the Sea and the Earth and the Sea standeth of it selfe without any manner helpe but onelie from GOD. And although euerie one cannot perceiue so muche yet the learneder sorte haue tryed it and found it out by learning and some passengers and trauellers if not by land yet by sea haue aduentured it If it hang vpon nothing wonder not For God hath laide the foundations of the earth Psal 104. 5. that it neuer should mooue at any time making it fast and giuing it a lawe which should neuer be broken till he saw good and that all should be ended But that we should be somewhat more resolued in this By his word doubtfull matter this we are to learne that as God made all things of nothing that did appeare so also he performed this wonderfull worke onely by the word of his mouth The Potter maketh his vessels out of the claie the Carpenter buildeth his house of timber the Smith forgeth his instruments out of iron but shewe me the workeman that can but wish his woorke made ready to his handes without any other helpe but onely to haue it for the wishing Onely and alone it was God that commanded and said Let it be so and it was so Psal 135. 6. For whatsoeuer it pleased God that did he in the heauen and in the earth in the sea and in all déepe places To vs that haue a very smal insight in the infinit works and power of God it séemeth vnpossible it should bee so yet the word of God which is the foundation of all truth hath certified vs that it is so Psal 33. 6. â— By the word of the Lord were the heauens made and all the hoste of them by the breath of his mouth For he spake and it was done he commanded and it stood His effectuall power was in his word and commandement In the beginning God created the heauen and the earth and said Let there be light and there was light Let there be a afirmament and it was so Let the earth bud forth hearbes and trees and it was so Let there be lights in the heauen and there were lights Let there be foules in the aire and fishes in the sea and there were multitudes and God was delighted in the worke Let the earth bring foorth all beastes and cattell and presently they were to be seene This was that eternall word of God which was before all things the ingraued forme of the image of God the second person in the godhead by the which all things were made This was the word of God which was before his works of old which was set vp from euerlasting from the beginning and before the earth When there were no depthes neither any fountaines abounding with water before the mountaines were setled and before the hilles he had not yet made the earth nor the open places nor the height of the dust in the world when he prepared the heauens it was there and when he set the compasse of the déepe When he established the cloudes aboue when he confirmed the fountaines of the déepe when he gaue his decrée to the sea that the water should not passe his commaundement when he appointed the foundation of the earth then was his word with him a nourisher and it was his daily delight
reioycing alway before him She is the breath of the power of God and a pure influence that floweth from the glory of the Almightie She is the brightnesse of the euerlasting light the vndefiled mirrour of the maiestie of God and the image of his goodnesse Which being one she can do all things and remaining in her selfe renueth all In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and that word was God The same was in the beginning with God Al things were made by it and without it was made nothing that was made In it was life euen the life of all gods creatures quickning and preseruing all things and in great wisedome disposing all things in their due order So that the wise man might well call it the delight of God which sitteth about his throne and the bewty of all his creatures through the beholding wherof it pleased God to pronounce and say That all things that were made were very good and in respect of their workemanship excellent This also is woorthie the marking in the worke of gods creation that whereas in the workes of all earthly creatures there is labour and sweate and wearinesse god by his almightie power brought this wonderfull matter to passe with great ease with great delight and ioy It was no more with him but his word and his commandement onely it was his will it should be so At whose will and word and commaundement as all the liuing creatures were made which he in his infinit wisedome thought good off so also might hee haue caused many more to bee made and created not because he was a weary of his worke but because hée thought it not expedient Yet some may thinke that Gods Creation was a laboure vnto him and a wearisome labour because we reade that he rested the seuenth day from all his worke which he had made VVhich he did not because he fainted as it were vnder the burthen of so waightie a businesse for it was neither a businesse nor a matter of waight nor a burthen vnto him or for his ease and refreshing but onely for his delight and further contentation but only because it was his will and that it so pleased him The easinesse of this woorke is so muche the more to be wondred at not onely that it was without paine and wearinesse but also that he did both vndertake and finish the same of his owne accord and of himselfe without any other helpes and meanes Nothing excellent nay if it be neuer so meane that is done on the Earth but hath great helpes The Citie and the Tower which Nimrod and his company went about to build the top whereof they purposed should reach vnto the heauens a mirrour to the worlde if it might haue bene finished was it done by one or by two No an infinit multitude put their heades and their hands to it and all little inough There were Carpenters and Masons and suche as should make bricke and burne it in the fire there were maister deuisers and maister builders and inferiour drudges and a number of labourers as thicke as the swarmes of Egypt They laboured all ioyntly with heart and hand heauing and shouing toyling and sweating and all to no purpose to their great griefe and discontentment for all was dasht How were the Pyramides of Egipt those famous monuments erected and set vp as easie think you as if one stone might be laide View the building but of a smal cottage and say what a busie piece of worke it it But with God was no such thing he was all alone and there was none other he begunne it and he brought it to passe hée commaunded and neuer laboured he created and neuer rested vntill all was as you sée The night and faintnesse come vppon man and hée must of necessitie leaue off That creature which hath not his rest cannot continue his strength to labour When the Sunne riseth man goeth foorth to his woorke and to his labour but how long If sixe or seuen houres togither without some foode and some refreshing it is a maruell but if hee continue vntill the euening hée can staie no longer at it for the weakenesse of his bodie will not suffer him and the light of the day is closed vp with night and darknesse Againe the woorkes of men may haue manie chaunges before they come to perfection and the workeman himselfe may bee displeased at his worke and beginne anewe but GOD as hee is vnchaungeable so euen at the first was his worke perfect without any alteration VVho hath made the earth by his power and established the world by his wisedome and hath stretched out the heauen by his discretion Ier. 10. 12. Furthermore in the maner of Gods creation this is All good not the least and meanest thing to be considered of That all that God made was good And God sawe all that hee had made and beholde it was verie good Euery thing in his order and in his kind perfect and absolute as saith the Prophet Moses though not durable and alwayes to continue No maruell then if the learned did name the worlde to bee bewtie séeing God himselfe after hée had created all sawe that they were verie good Also because the maiestie wisedome and power gods workmanship did giue a grace to euery thing to adorne it and to set it foorth to the commendation of man The works of the Lord saith the Psalme are great and worthie to be praised and had in honor which also are sought out of all them that haue pleasure therein All the workes of the Lord saith the wise man are good and he giueth euery one in due season and when need is So that a man néed not say this is worse then that For in due season they are all worthie praise And therefore praise the Lord with whole heart and mouth and blesse the name of the Lord who vpon all his workes hath powred foorth his blessings and hath made the wise and godly to beholde it although this knowledge be kept from the wicked who in no sort are worthie to be partakers either of gods goodnesse or of his blessings and comforts None are so set to dispraise and discommend and to disdain at gods workes and his creatures as the wicked which are readie to finde fault where they haue no cause and to despise that whereof they sée no present vse and to curse and abhorre those creatures whereby they may haue any hurt or hinderance Yet certain it is that god hath made nothing that hath any fault although many a gracelesse people thinke so which are destitute of wisedome For the one commendeth the goodnes of the other and who can be satisfied with beholding gods glory in them For through him all things are directed to a good end Many creatures séeme to be created hurtful and some wil say what good is in them Doubtlesse god forelawe that the earth should be filled and inhabited with two sorts of people the
put on incorruption and this mortall must put on immortalitie and then shall death bee swallowed vp in victorie death shall bee vtterly vanquished neither shall it haue any further power Two men we reade of in the scriptures that were partakers of this benefit of immortalitie and fréedome from death and these two were taken from the earth into heauen without any seperation of soule bodie neither did they suffer death according to the vsuall course of men The names of these men were Enoch and Eliah Of Enoch we reade Gen. 5. 24. And Enoch walked with God that is he pleased God and he was no more séene for god tooke him away and he was translated and carried vp into heauen Eccle. 44. 14. Vpon the earth was no man like Enoch and therefore was he taken vp from the earth for an example chap. 4. 16. to the generations of men that shall come Yet we may reade of him more plainly Hebr. 11. 5. By faith was Enoch taken away that he should not sée death neither was he founde for God had taken him away For before hée was taken away he was reported of that he had pleased god Of Eliah we shall reade 2. Kin. 2. 11. And as Eliah and Elisha went walking and talking togither behold there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire and did seperate them twaine So Eliah went vp by a whirle winde into heauen And for the better proofe hereof it followeth in the same Chapter that certain children of the Prophets which were at Iericho desired of Elisha that they might send to finde him out And said vnto him Beholde now there be with thy seruaunts fiftie strong men let them goe wee pray thee and seeke thy maister if so bee the spirite of the Lorde hath taken him vp and cast him vppon some mountaine or into some valley But he answered them yée shall not send yet they were instant vpon him till he was ashamed wherefore he saide Sende So they sent fiftie men whiche sought thrée daies but founde him not Which two examples doo sufficienly declare in what estate man had bene being frée from death if he had pleased God For as among men they were the most righteous so passed they into heauen after an extraordinary and most happie sort to shewe there was a better life prepared and also to bee a testimony of the immortalitie of soules and bodies Who were taken from the earth into the heauen that after this life they might liue with God enioying all happinesse How mankinde was created immortall and frée from Gouernment ouer all Gods creatures death ye haue heard and now it remaineth that I should shewe vnto you what authoritie and priuiledge in respect of the gouernment of beastes God gaue vnto man and in what sort After that God had made all his creatures he brought them vnto man to sée how he would call them and as he called them so were their names Furthermore God had planted in the beastes a kinde of reuerent feare and dutifull seruice toward man In respect whereof the Prophet Dauid doth greatly extoll Gods goodnesse in that he did not only indue the soule of man with heauenly qualities but also in that he gaue him the dominion ouer al the workes of his hands Psal 8. What is man saith he that thou art mindfull of him and the sonne of man that thou visitest him Thou madest him a little lower then the Angels to crowne him with glory and worship Thou madest him to haue dominion of the workes of thy hands and thou hast put all things in subiection vnder his feet All sheep oxen yea and the beasts of the field the soules of the aire and the fishes of the sea and whatsoeuer walketh through the pathes of the seas Among the rest of the fishes of the sea I reade this of the Dolphine Fishes according to their first creation saith the Authour at the sight of man acknowledge his dominion ouer them And the Dolphine though he be a most regall and princely fish yet when he seeth man come neare him he sheweth reuerence as to his Lord. But as after mans fall and his disobedience to God the earth became vnfrutefull for mans cause so also are all other creatures disobient to man euen to this day Yet as they of all others are partakers of immortalitie that come nearest to the Image of God in all true holinesse and vnfeined righteousnesse so especially vnto them is the rule and gouernment graunted ouer beastes But they that are quite contrarie disposed and enemies vnto God in their sinfull liues and behauiour the beastes and all other creatures haue rather rule and gouernment ouer them and as it were a power to set themselues against them and to ouermaster them For God doth sometimes punish men by the rage of beastes who herein are at Gods commandement and are readie to execute his will and pleasure The fiercest and cruellest creatures that euer god made haue had no power ouer the godly as we may reade in the histories of the bible but rather they haue had a reuerent estimation of them as it were acknowledging the image of god in them No beast so fierce as a lion to deuour a man and therefore in the Epistle of S. Peter the diuell is fitly compared vnto a roaring lion séeking whome he may deuoure Yet Daniel being cast into the lions denne they doo not only not offer to touche him but also sit by him as though they had him in reuerence and were set to guard and kéepe him A Viper is a moste hurtfull venemous and deadly Worme muche after the order of blind wormes stinging adders and where the worme lieth it procureth death Yet we reade Act. 28. that when the Apostle S. Paul and his company were greatly refreshed of the Barbarians at Melita and S. Paul had gathered a nomber of sticks and laid them on the fire there came a viper out of the heate and leapt on his hand Now when the Barbarians sawe the worme hang on his hand they said among themselues Surely this man is a murtherer whom though he hath escaped the sea yet vengeance hath not suffered to liue But he shooke off the worme into the fire and felt no harme Howbeit they waited when hee should haue swolne or falne downe dead sodainly But after they had looked a great while and sawe no inconuenience come vnto him they chaunged their mindes and said That he was a god This holy and godly man shooke off the worme into the fire and felt no harme Wis 16. 10. The téeth of the venemous dragons could not ouercome them that feared god among the children of Israel For gods mercy came to helpe them and healed them It was neither hearbe nor plaister saith the wise man that healed them but thy word O Lord which healeth all things According as Christ promised to his Disciples Mat. 16. that they should haue power not only ouer venemous beasts but ouer
was he in all goodnesse after that God had giuen him a newe heart insomuch that the scripture testifieth of him that he was a man after Gods owne heart The Apostle S. Paul the remembrance of his earnest and cruell persecution made him most earnest in his office and profession I thank God saith he which hath made me valiant to fight vnder his banner and strong to indure all trouble and persecution when as before I was a blasphemer and a persecutor and an oppressor And againe 1. Cor. 19. 9. 10. I am the least of the Apostles which am not meete to be called an Apostle because I persecuted the church of God But yet by the grace of God I am that I am and his grace which is in me was not in vaine for I laboured more aboundantly then they all yet not I but the grace of God which is with me The remembrance of our sinnes is no hinderance to godlinesse but it maketh vs the more forward If I haue done any wrong to any man saith Zacheus I restore him fourefold This effect also had the remembrance of sinne in that sinnefull woman Marie Magdalene out of whom our Sauiour Christ cast seuen diuels euen she that was notorious for her lewde and light behauiour Who as by repentance she died vnto sinne so the memory of her sinne is dead and buried vnto her in this respect because she liueth still in the glorious remembrance of that righteousnesse which penitent sinners obtaine by faith She is honorably mentioned wheresoeuer the gospell of Christ is read and heard of all men speake of her teares of her sins no one is mentioned and knowne But touching the remembrance of her former sinnes sée what it wrought The precious oile wherewith she was wont to annoint her selfe y◠she might be more pleasant to the sences of her louers she nowe poureth out and for loues sake bestoweth it vppon her Sauiour The eies which were wont to cast wanton lookes vpon the dissolute did now gush out with water serued as conduits at the féete of Christ The haire which before had béene wrapt in gold had bene coloured pleated broidered laid out and beset with pearles was now imploied to a farre other vse that the honour receiued from the féete of Iesus might put out the shame which before it had taken from the eies of leaud amorous beholders Hauing washed and dried she could not satisfie her selfe till she had also kissed her sauiours féete whose mercy now had eased her heart of that deadly sting which the lippes of wantons had imprinted and left behinde them The remembrance of sinnes past is gréeuous that vertue practised in stéede thereof may be more comfortable The one burthensome the other ioyfull Yea what is it that should procure our trouble séeing we are vouchsafed so great a priuiledge as to be accounted of God to be his children What ioy should it be vnto vs that wee are lifted vp vnto this high dignitie as to be the saints of God temples of the holy ghost members of Christ Lordes ouer all the Angels of God to bee our friendes our helpers and aiders the watchmen appointed of God to watch ouer vs that no hurt should come vnto vs otherwise then it pleaseth our good and gracious God who as we may fully perswade our selues doth all for our good and all for the best citizens of heauen thrones of God heires of God brethren and sisters of Christ and fellow heires with him in the kingdome of heauen Finally whether it be the world or life or death whether it be Angels principalities or powers whether they be things present or things to come euen all ours and we Christs and Christ Gods And yet beholde this is not the one halfe of that dignitie the one halfe of that excellent glorie whereunto hereafter we shall attaine being heires with Christ and members of his bodie For where the head is there shall the members be And as we haue receiued of the fulnesse of his grace so shall wée also be partakers of the fulnesse of his glorie Hauing giuen vs an assuraunce thereof alreadie because hée is gone to prepare vs euerlasting dwelling places in such sort that in time to come when all things are prepared for vs he will come againe Iohn 14. 3. to receiue vs vnto himselfe and to entertaine vs most friendly most bountifully most honourably most roially Dearely beloued saith Saint Iohn 1. Epistle 3. 2. now are wee the sonnes of God but yet it doth not appeare what we shall be And we knowe that when hée shall appeare we shall be like him being glorious members of a glorious head The certaintie of our adoption and this dignitie that wee are heires in hope and shall be hereafter in sure possession is a steppe to our glorification The full fruition and enioying wherof wée shall not receiue till this life bee ended For by death wee must bee translated to the possession of so great and waighty matters and of such a wonderfull glory Our life is hid with Christ and vntill we come to Christ as the Apostle S. Paul desired to haue his bodie dissolued and to be with Christ our life and our glorie shall not appeare And euery one that hath this hope in himselfe purgeth himselfe euen as hée is pure Touch none vncleane thing and I will receiue you and I will be a father vnto you and ye shall be my sonnes and daughters sath the Lord Almightie Séeing then we haue these promises dearly beloued let vs cleanse our selues from all filthinesse both of the flesh and spirit and grow vp vnto full holinesse in the feare of God remembring that we are heires let nothing hinder or barre vs from our inheritance which is so glorious that it shall excéed in glory Being heires of that saluation which is most precious of that kingdom which is most glorious of those ioyes which euer shall be endlesse Vnto the which the Lord in his good time bring vs and whereof in his sauing gracious mercies it may please him to make vs partakers To God the Father God the sonne and God the holy Ghost thrée persons and one euerliuing God be rendred all praise dominion and power now and for euermore Amen Gratia Deo solique gloria TO THE RIGHT REVEREND AND venerable Minister of Gods Church Maister Alexander Nowell Deane of Paules S. I. wisheth all the blessings of God in this life and in the life to come perpetuall ioyes WEake meates are fittest for weake stomakes and strong meat for valiant people and bitter potions are most welcome to them that knowe and vnderstand what their effect and operation is To write of the remedie of sorrow and to perswade to the bearing and enduring of bitter sorrow might seeme a paradoxe in most mens mindes were it not that your Worship knew these matters better then I am able to set them downe and expresse them But I thought good to direct these vnskilfull Treatises vnto
and the defrauding of iudgement and iustice maruell not For so it is like to come to passe So that there are feares and cares inough and matters to make them guiltie and their soules heauie that haue set their hearts vppon honour howsoeuer at the first it haue a glorious shew in the sight of the world but as for delight to speake and say it truly there is none When the wise King had shewed me thus much what Pleasure flawes crackes and rents there were in the chéefest delights of worldly men it was a matter too easie to iudge of the rest and of the meaner sort Which could terme no otherwise but méere foolishnesse and madnesse toyes and trifle The viole and harpe and musicall instruments how do they delight the hart What a ioy is it to spend our time in minstrelcie and dancing But what if musicke haue his mourning and that such foolish mirth doo ende in heauinesse What is beautie but the prouoking of lust and the forgetfulnes of God which maketh vs with an impudent face to say when we are called to God from this and all other earthly vanities I am maried to bewtie haue set my hart on vanity therfore he saith not haue me excused but in plaine tearmes I cannot come And when we thinke of braue apparell and delicate fare as though that were a thing to be desired let vs remember the rich man which was cloathed in purple and fine linnen and fared well and delicately euerie day who though hée flaunted on the earth and made the worlde his chiefest heauen yet afterward fried in torments and found the dolefull hell to he his dwelling place for euer Now what purpose is it for vs to desire to liue long Long life when there are no true delights but shewes and shadowes thereof When all things in our life are vaine what pleasure is it to liue séeing that as it is most certaine the longer we liue the more sinfull wée are This life of ours must haue an ende and peraduenture a fearefull or an vngodly end which if we could but remember and thinke vpon it would abate and pull backe our reioycing hearts although all our delight were to liue How much better were it to prepare our selues against the day of death Séeing that a short life is sometime a great blessing of God when as the course of sinne shall be cut off in vs And againe when we are taken away from wofull times to come and from those miseries which fall vppon the world VVisedome 4. Enoch was taken away least wickednesse should alter his vnderstanding For wickednesse deceiueth and bewitcheth the minde and the vnstedfastnesse of concupiscence doth soone peruert the simple heart And because the soule of this holy man pleased God therefore hasted he to take him away from wickednesse Yet the people see vnderstand it and consider no such things in their hearts how the grace and mercy is vpon his Saints and his prouidence ouer the elect The wicked and vngodly although they liue long in great prosperitie and sée not the graue in many yeares yet is their estate accursed and they liue long to their greater vengeance and condemnation vntill the measure of their sinne be filled vp to the brim and that the iudgement of GOD wayt for them at the doore Séeing then that these delights which worldly minded men make so great account of come to nothing and are in themselues but méere vanities and as it were shaddowes without a bodie and therfore may fitly be compared to Sâ—dome Apples which in outward sight and shewe are very faire and beautifull but when we come neare to touch them they fall to ashes Let vs returne to the true delight and only paradice of the soule I mean the word of God in VVord which paradice is the trée of the knowledge of good euil the trée also of life and immortalitie wherein are perfections to be found and such as may well content the heauenly Angels and blessed soules Which is the onely instruction of wisedome the guide of our life the light in darknesse which sheweth vs a way to enter into paradice although Cherubins and the blade of a sword shaken be set to kéepe the way of the trée of life I meane it sheweth vs the way into the highest heauens although there be many lets and hinderances to kéepe vs backe And the way that it onely Feare chaulketh out vnto vs is this The feare of the Lord and the especiall regard of his wil and commandements which hath the promises and blessings of this life and of that also which is to come By which direction of the feare of God we reade that the famous Patriarch Abraham was safe from the iniuries of straungers Lot deliuered from the deuouring fire that came downe from heauen and from those dreadfull iudgements Noah escaped the drowning flood and perished not with the vngodly Iob that worthie mirrour of all succéeding ages preserued from the rage wicked intent of the diuel Iacob set frée from the murthering hand of his brother Esau Ioseph from misery exalted to honour Enoch taken from the wicked world and translated into heauen By which examples and testimonies drawne out of the word of God we sée the high and great commendations of the feare of God and that there is no worldly delight to be compared vnto it In a word the chiefest commodities and blessings that the heart of a naturall man can desire and the greatest glory that he can wish to rise vnto all are included and comprehended within the feare of God Vnto the which that I may as I would exhort you let vs call to our remembrance the words that God spake vnto his people by his seruant Moses saying O that there were such a heart in them to seare mee and to keepe all my commandements alwayes that it might go well with them and with their children for euer O that they were wise then would they vnderstand this then would they know that the feare of God doth make a blessed life and a happie end That we may perceiue that the fear of God doth teach vs to be vpright and iust and to eschue euill as it did Iob that so God may grant our requests as he heard and granted the praiers of Cornelius that it may come to vs as it did vnto Iudeth that none be able to bring an euill report of vs because we feare God Finally that it may be said of vs as it was of King Dauid that hée was a man after Gods owne hart because that with all the power that was in him he did performe those things which God woulde haue him and that we may be minded as he was I had rather be a doore keeper saith he in the house of the Lord then to dwell in the Pallaces of Princes And so as people indued with wisedome and with an heauenly spirit let vs passe by these delights of the world which
5. of the Prouerbs and the 14. verse that Salomon had left his Concubines and vanities before he wrote this booke Therefore to say that the figure of Christ the pen of the holy scripture the man whom God loued the wisest man that euer was and one of the holy Prophets dyed a reprobate is presumption against the word impiety against God wrong to the dead Although because of his gréeuous fall in Idolatry and vncleannesse God left him in disgrace and makes no mention of repentance where he speakes of his death That they which stand may take héede least they fall and sée how easie it is to slip by the example of him that was wiser than they Salomō being wicked and yet saued was a figure of the church whose sinnes are forgiuen Thus hauing found as it were the Mine now let vs dig for the treasure Vanitie of vanities c. This is Salomons conclusion when he had gone through the world and tried all things lyke a spie sent into a straunge country as if he were now come home from his pilgrimage they gather about him to enquire what hée hath heard and séene abroad and what he thinkes of the world and these things which are so loued amongst men like a man in admiration of that which he had séen and not able to expresse particulerly one after another he contracts his newes into a word you aske me what I haue séen and what I haue heard Vanitie saith Salomon And what else Vanitie of vanities And what else All is Vanitie This is the historie of my voyage I haue séene nothing but vanitie ouer the world Carry this for the newes from the Preacher Vanitie of vanities All is Vanitie as if he should say Vanitie and greater Vanitie and more than Vanitie So the further he did go the more vanitie he did sée and the néerer he looked the greater it séemed till at last he could sée nothing but vanitie Whē he was come to this that he did sée all things vain vpon which men set their hearts he was moued with compassion could be silent no longer but néeds he must write to them which séek felicitie as he did in transitory things to warne them y◠they séeke it not any longer in these foolish things which haue no stability nor contentatiō but fly from them to the feare of God which hath the promises of this life and of the life to come Therfore he begins with All is vanitie as if he should say Loue not the world nor y◠things of the world for I haue tried that there is no certainty in them Thus he withdraweth them First from the wrong way and then sets them in the right way to happinesse which he defineth at last to feare God and kéepe his commandements When he had gone through a thousand Vanities then that comes in at the end euen like our repentance which staies till death So his drift is to shewe that mans happinesse is not in these things which we count off but in those things which we defer his reason is that they are all vanitie his proofe is because there is no stabilitie in them nor contentation of mind his conclusion is therfore contemne the world and looke vp to heauen from whence ye came and whither ye shall go This is the scope which Salomon aimes at as though we did all seek happinesse but we go a wrong way vnto it therfore he sounds a retire shewing that if we hold on our course and go forwards as we haue begun we shall not find happinesse but great misery because we go by vanitie Therefore to fright vs out of that way he breakes forth into an exclamation Vanitie of vanities All is vanitie Now Salomon full of wisedome and schooled with experience is licensed to giue his sentence of the whole world For the spiritual man iudgeth all things his iudgment is so certain that it runs before the euidence and cōdemnes all for vanitie before he conuince them to be vain whereas we proue first and condemne after because our words are no authorities he concludes first proue after neither any iudge did condemne so many togither Salomon resolued all the questions of the Quéen Sheba yet Salomō neuer answered so many questiōs at once as now for what can you enquire but heare you haue an answere Aske him as the souldiers and harlots and Publicans asked Iohn What is sin Vanitie saith Salomō What is pleasure Vanitie too What is bewty Vanitie too What is riches Vanitie too What is honor Vanity too What is long life Vanity too This is y◠state of all things after the fall all turned to Vanitie This is no reproch to the things but a shame to him which so abused them y◠all things should be called Vanity for him What a testimony is this of him which should be the onely seruant of God on earth whom he created in righteousnesse and holinesse whom he framed to his owne Image whom he placed in Paradice and would haue raised to heauen to heare that he hath so polluted his life with sinnes that now there is nothing but Vanitie This is a lamentable song which will make him wéep that tunes it if he think what he saith how his state was chaunged since Adam his father died Once God said That all was good and now he saith That all is naught and vaine as though he forbad man that which he created for man That is not Salomons meaning to debarre men from the vse of creatures although all things changed with man and became worse then they were yet he doth here rather shewe that man reapes nothing but Vanitie out of these things by reason of his corruption then that the things themselues are vain if they were well vsed For euen since the creation Paule saith 1. Tim. 4. That euery creature of God is good and nothing is to be reiected if it be receiued or vsed with thanks giuing for it is sanctified by the word of God prayer That is it which maketh them profitable to vs which because it is wanting for the moste part therefore Salomon saith that all are vaine to vs not vaine of themselues but because they are not sanctified as they should be Therfore in the 2. 24. the 3. 12. and 22. the 5. 17. the 8. and 15. hée shewes a way how we may make a profit of all and reioyce in our labours and finde a lawfull pleasure in earthly things so often hée calles vs to the vse least we should erre as the Monkes Erenits haue done before mistaking these words whē he saith That all is Vanitie they haue forsaken all company and gouernment and Office and trade and got themselues into the wildernesse amongst beasts to liue in quiet silence saying that men could not liue in the world and please God bicause all is vanitie So while they counted all things vain they became vain themselues left those blessings which Salomō enioyed after his
goe nor speake nor looke vainer Who doth not know that these are vanities and that they might leaue them if they would But that ye may sée that there is a heart within vainer then apparell without Therefore when these vanities are worne out they will haue new and still new till all be spent vpon vanitie and when they begin lyke the prodigall childe to sée how vain they were when they haue bought wisdom with sorrow What would Salomon say if he should sée how vanitie is growne since his time what a height she is mounted what a traine followes her that there is no Prince in the world hath so many attendants as Vanitie She was but an Impe then but now shée is a mother and who can number her sonnes and daughters The childe is vaine in playing the mother vaine in dandling the father vaine in giuing the Courtier vain in spending the souldier vaine in boasting the suter vaine in striuing the traueller vaine in talking the merchant vaine in swearing the gentleman vain in building the husbandman vain in carking the old man vaine in coueting the seruingman vain in soothing the yoong man vaine in sporting the papist vaine in superstition the Protestant vaine in conuersation Euery vanitie is so pleasant to one or other that they cannot misse one So she gads by sea and by land and still moe disciples flock vnto her of gamsters and swearers and players and tiplers and hacsters and Courtiers as thick as flies of Egipt which buzzed in their eares and their eyes and their neckes before and behinde that a man cannot set his foote but vpon vanitie As the waters couered the earth when but eight persons were saued so vanitie couered it again a worse deluge than the first because it hath not suffered eight persons to escape but euery man is tainted with some vanitie or other which God séeing in that place and Citie which should be best in the world that all men in the Cittie were vaine â—alls it the Cittie of Vanitie So we may call it the world of Vanitie because she hath an interest in euery person of it she sits vpon the earth like a Serpent and hatcheth all the sinnes which ye sée amongst men As full as heauen is of blisse so the world is fraught with Vanitie Court Citie Country whither doth not Vanitie go but to Heauen Séeing then that Vanitie is extolled amongst men Salomon giues his sentence that All is Vanitie Christ like a Mediator concludes vpon it that there is but one necessarie therefore let our sentence bee lyke theirs For sin if we had Salomons repentance we should sée such an image of Vanitie before vs as would make vs crie againe and againe as often as Salomon Vanitie of vanities Vanitie of vanities and all is Vanitie What a swéet sentence is this from a King who may liue as they list by authoritie as to say that all is Vanitie Oh that we might heare Kings speake so againe for it is a speech which had néed of some to countenance it for none are counted vaine now but they that speake against vanitie Then Salomon cried it but now we must whisper it You may sée howe times are chaunged Once this was sound diuinitie now it is flat railing to say that all is vanitie is euen the vpshot of a disturber If ye aske the Atheist or the Epicure rogish Players what is a disturber you shall sée that they will make Salomon one because he speaketh against vanitie For this is their definition he which will not allow men to prophane the Sabaoth but saith that Cardes and Dice and stage Players and May games and May poles and May fooles and Morris-dauncers are Vanities is a pratler a disturber and an Archpuritan by the law which the Iewes had to kill Christ The reason is because men cannot abide to be controlled of their pleasures Therefore they hold it as an offence to speake against their sports or their customes or their follies or their pleasures or their titles or their toyes and they which would not be counted precise in these times must take héede that they goe not so farre as Salomon to terme all Vanitie But they must say that the vanities of great men are necessary recreations and the vanities of the people are meanes to make vnitie Greater bookes are written to maintaine this then Salomon made to refute it so they haue made their wit their learning vanitie and are vaine in print But they that would know now of what standing such precise reprouers are and how auncient this reproofe is may sée hére that if this be a crime to call Vanitie Vanitie the wisest man that euer was before Christ was herein crimminate Not wheÌ„ he straied but when he repented in his best minde when he became like a Preacher he preached this first Vanitie of vanities All is Vanitie yet many had rather cry it with Salomon then beléeue it with Salomon And while they are wondring at him some are taken out of the way and cut short of the time which they set to repent from others God taketh away his grace so they neuer returne because their guide is gone This the holy Ghost pointed at when he saith They followed Vanitie and became vaine shewing that the thinges we follow will make vs like themselues and leade vs whither they belong to heauen or hell In Rom. 8. 20. Vanitie is put for destruction but it is neuer put for saluation If other creatures are subiect to a kinde of destruction for the sinne of man as Paul sheweth what destruction shall light vpon man for his owne sinne Therefore let our sentence runne with Salomon Vanitie of vanities All is vanitie We could affoord the world better words and fairer titles than Vanitie of Vanities but call what we wil Salomon shews what it is and what we will say in the end when we haue tried it then Vanitie of Vanities yet it is comfort of comforts glory of glories life of lifes But Laban shewed himselfe at parting so at parting you shall sée how it will serue you they séeme pleasant vanities and honest vanities and profitable vanities but Dauid calles them deceitfull vanities Ionas comes after and calles them lying Vanities that is which promise pleasure and profit and all but deceiue all when they should performe They play Laban which gaue Leah for Rachel If they be lying vanities and deceiful vanities then are théy wofull and miserable vanities therfore if we be not come to Salomons conclusion to think that All is vanitie it is because our owne vanitie will not suffer vs to sée the vanities of other things When we haue proued lyke Salomon as fast as euery man groweth in knowledge and experience so he begins to cry Vanitie and after Vanitie of Vanities and at last All is Vanitie so we contemne not all at once but one sin after another one pleasure after another till at last we count all is vanitie and then we are
dig too far in mynes are subiect to the fall of the earth and also to damps that may arise both which they are to haue as great care vnto as yâ— siluer or gold which they take so great pains for Let vs desire knowledge of God as Salomon did to his comfort benefit and not desire it as Eue did to her hurt For they that aspire and clime so high fall againe like Babell and runne into doubts while they séeke for resolutions This desire of ouersearching is a rocke against the which many haue made shipwracke busieng their heades with vnknowne misteries before they vnderstand necessary See more in M. â—miths sermon called A looking Glasse for Christians principles It is good to leaue off learning where God hath left off teaching For they which haue an eare where God hath no tongue misse of their desire while they looke for knowledge and wander into thickets deserts while in the meane time it were more safe for them to kéepe the high way Content thy selfe therfore to know those things onely which pertaine to thy saluation and say with that blessed Apostle S. Paul I desire to know nothing but onely Christ crucified Let no man presume to vnderstand aboue that which is méete for him to vnderstand but let his vnderstanding be ruled by Sobrietie as God hath granted to euerie one the measure of faith Neither let vs be discouraged from reading least we should search too farre For those things which God hath set downe vnto vs to know and vnderstand we cannot search too much But our fault is herein when we wil know more then is reuealed and more then it is Gods will that wée should know Otherwise as we are euery day euery houre falling away from God so the continuall reading of the scriptures may be a meane to kéepe our selues within the feare of God The word of God is the séede of life and he that hath regard thereunto shall continue in life Wherewithall shall a yoong man nay wherewithall shall yoong and old and euerie estate direct their way but by ruling themselues after the word of God And as there is a fault to be too carefull and to search too farre so is it as great a fault to bee too carelesse and negligent As when wée reade for fashion sake or with a light consideration when wée haue not a godly religious and a deuout care to haue our selues edified instructed and comforted It is not inough for vs to settle our selues to reade it by fits here a litle and there a litle here a line and there a line now some what and after a while nothing at all but if we minde to profit thereby we must make it our daily studie and chiefest exercise The warfaring man will trauaileth vntill he come to his iournies end our life is but as a continuall trauaile and still we must haue recourse to the word of God for counsell and direction vntil our time be to leaue the earth and go to heauen But as no gift of God doth prosper with vs vnlesse we To make our praiers to god that we may profit in reading make our praier to God that he will giue a blessing vnto it so especially in the reading of Gods word we must vse this helpe The vnderstanding of our minde by nature is nothing else but darknesse and againe our hearts be inclined to all naughtie corruptions and vnlesse we pray vnto God to remoue these stumbling blockes neither shall we be instructed in our soules nor amended in our liues If thou wantest wisedome aske it of God and when thou settest thy selfe to the reading of the Scriptures pray that thy reading may tend to thy profit Abrahams seruaunt prayed that hée might haue a prosperous iourney so ought wée much more to pray that we might bee happie in our reading or that our reading might procure our happinesse And euen as when we pray so also when wée reade wée must bee godly affected that is wée must vnburthen our mindes and our hearts from all worldly cares and fleshly desires that GOD may haue his working in vs and that his holy spirite may guide and direct vs. And so it shall fall out that as the snow and the raine doo water the earth that it may bring forth increase so in our reading our eyes shall be opened that we may sée and our cares that we may heare and our hearts that we may conceiue that all may be referred to Gods glory our owne comfort and the profit of others or else all our labor study shal be in vaine They that abound with riches worldly wealth because they pray not yâ— God will giue a blessing vnto it it turneth often to their hurt so they that read Gods word and pray not withal that God may make it profit with them it often preuaileth with theÌ„ no more but to make them without excuse It is not so much read and profit but pray and profit and then they reading shall turn to good For as reading is profitable â—o prâ—ier is more necessary which setteth forward euerie good worke and bringeth downe Gods help from heauen Now although in the reading of the word of God we 〈…〉 is 〈◊〉 word is kept from 〈…〉 an 〈…〉 tongue â—schue all those faults which I haue before remembred yet there are two other rockes and mountaines to clime ouâ—r And this is the crosse that we shall finde in all good endeuours that there are mightie hinderances and pullbacks whereas the way to do euill is plaine and hath no let Concerning which two principall hinderances first of all it is lamentable to consider how that the word of God should be as it were forcibly kept froÌ„ doing good to other and that they for whose sake it was ordained should haue least profit by it or rather no profit and benefit at all as if that foode should be prepared and cast away for want of eating The word of God is the foode of the soule which cannot choose but perish if it be not fed and nourished by it He that bringeth vs a glasse to looke in and yet shutteth it vp with the couer he that bringeth vs into the light and yet closeth our eyes he that setteth meate before vs and forbiddeth vs to eate may iustly séeme to delude vs and he himselfe rightly to be accused of folly So the word of God which is to vs as a glaâ—â—â— to looke in thereby to sée our defaults which is a light vnto vs whereby our steppes ought to be directed which is the foode whereby our soules are nourished if it be deliuered vnto vs though peraduenture in a learned yet in a straunge and vnknowne tongue which none of vs vnderstand and know what profit shall we take thereby If one of an outlandish nation a Spaniard a Frenchman an Italian shuld light into our company which are English men and should speake vnto vs in their tongue language meruellous good
the iniuring and oppressing of our neighbours to do good to all and by little and little it draweth vs not onely to the loue thereof but euen with an earnest purpose of mind we are therby wonne to take that way that leadeth to euerlasting life For it mortifieth our sinfull desires by shewing vs the It mortifieth sinfull desires bitter punishments that remaine and that they shall neuer enter into the kingdome of God that are led by them Let not sinne raigne in your mortall bodies for the wages of sin is death that is the euerlasting death of bodie soule Know ye not that the vnrighteous shall not inherit the kingdome of God Be not deceiued neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor wantons nor buggerers nor theeues nor couetous nor drunkards nor railers nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdome of God God is not mocked for what we sowe that shall we reape for he that soweth to his flesh and followeth his fleshly desires shall therehence reape corruption and woe but he that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reape life euerlasting For we must all appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ that euery man may receiue the things which are done in his bodie according to that hee hath done whether it be good or euill And blessed are they that doo his commandements that their right may be in the trée of life and may enter in through the gates into y◠Citie For without shall bedogs inchanters and whoremongers and murtherers and Idolaters and whosoeuer loueth or maketh lies Finally to whom it shall be said Depart from mee ye cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the diuel and his angels It abateth and restraineth sin within vs as we reade Psal It worketh bettering 119. I haue hid thy word in my heart that I might not sinne against thee Through the reading of thy word I got vnderstanding therefore I hate all wicked waies Yea they that are godly minded and painful and diligent in searching the scriptures with a desire by Gods grace to profit by them they for the most part bring foorth such plentifull good fruit to godward and such an vpright conuersation to the world that in their faith beliefe to God and in their life to men they séeme in a maner blamelesse without fault although indéed while we liue in this world we are compassed with many infirmities and greatly pressed with the burthen of our sinnes which doo so hang and cleaue so fast vnto vs. By the reading whereof and the working of Gods good spirit in our hearts and consciences and in our liues and conuersation wee beginne to bee altered and chaunged into that which wee reade And we become daily lesse and lesse proude lesse wrathfull lesse couetous and lesse desirous of worldly and vaine pleasures And daily forsaking our olde vicious life we encrease in vertue more and more Well therefore may the word of God Iames 1. 21. be called a sauing word which is able thus to saue vs by bringing vs in hate of sinne and bréeding in vs the loue of God and all goodnesse So that we may say with the Prophet Dauid Thy word is the verie ioy of my heart It teacheth vs to be heauenly minded and to prepare our selues to heauen by setting the vanities of the world Prepareth vs vnto heauen before our eyes and the ende of the worlde and howe we should watch against that time that we be not condemned with the world Loue not the world saith Saint Iohn nor the things that are in the word For the loue of the worlde driueth out the loue of God but he that regardeth the word of God and fulfilleth his will abideth in GOD for euer whereas the world and all the vanities thereof doo perish and fade away 2. Pet. 3. 10. 11. The day of the Lord meaning thereby the latter day will come as a théefe in the night in the which the heauens shall passe away with a noyce and the elements shall melt with heat and the earth with the workes therein shall be burnt vp Séeing therefore that all these things must be dissolued what manner persons ought we to be in holy conuersation and godlines being prepared to heauen and heauenly minded Take heed to your selues watch and pray continually that ye may escape those things that shall fall on the world and that ye may stand before the sonne of man not tremblingly but with great ioy and comfort Aduersitie misery crosses and troubles through griefe VVorketh patience in all worldly miserie◠and thought cast many away but they that are practised in reading the word of God know that there is nothing more auaileable to lift vp our hearts to Godward and to settle our mindes there whereas true ioyes are to be found then is the reading of the word of God Many fret and fume and vexe themselues when losse of goods and friends and other such worldly helpes doo ouertake them but the word of God doth bréede a quiet and contented mind as to say with Iob Naked came I into the world and naked shall I go out The Lorde hath giuen and the Lorde hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord And to say with the Apostle Saint Paule Phil. 4. 11. 12. I haue learned in whatsoeuer state I am therewith to be content and I can be abased and I can abound euery where in all things I am instructed both to be ful to be hungry and to abound and to haue want all which I am able to do through the helpe of Christ which strengthen me Godlines is great riches and a contented minde passeth all resoluing with our selues according to the direction of Gods word that God worketh all for the best to them that loue and feare him That which doth ouerthrow some and cast them in their graues through the fault of their owne impatient minds worketh wonderously in other some which haue recourse and séeke counsell in Gods word as to ioyne them vnto God and to bring them out of the loue of the world and all the vanities thereof And as he wisheth to the Colos so let vs desire that we may be strengthened through his glorious power vnto al patience with ioyfulnes giuing thanks vnto the father who hath requited all griefs and troubles all losses all miseries with a farre greater recompence in this that he hath made vs méete to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light As the word of God doth strengthen vs in all worldly Maketh vs indure persecution death it selfe miseries to take all things with a contented and patient minde so euen in the losse of our liues for the defence of a good cause and Gods truth it moketh vs ioyfull and excéeding glad As some when they were whipped and scourged for the profession of Christ endured it with ioyfull mindes and praising God that they were counted worthie to suffer for his truth Reioycing in
1. 1. 2. Ios 1. 8. Mat. 13. 23 That more delight be found And often must the land be til'd To make a perfect ground Causes why men vnderstand not the Scriptures Naturalll blindnesse Worldly wisedome No loue and hartie affection to reade the Scriptures A forestalled and preiucate minde An vnrepentant heart They read not to mend their liues and edifie their soules Necessary rules to vnderstand the Scriptures Praier that Gods spirit may take away our blindnesse To deny our selues A mind desirous to learne A renued and reformed heart A mind wholy setled on the loue of God The principall scope the glory of God the amendment of our liues and maners and the reformation of our errours Causes why we do not take profit by the Scriptures Slacknesse in reading Ignorance of certaine words and names Ignorance of the chiefe drift of the matter Ignorance of the effect of the law and the Gospell To erre from the rule of faith contained in the Creede and from the consent of scriptures by extrauagant opinions which haue not warrant in the word Contempt of Interpreters and godly Ministers whose learning and reading is sufficient to instruct thee to satisfie and resolue thee Of God Exodus 34. 6. 7. So the Lord passed before his face and cried The Lord the Lord strong mercifull and gracious slow to anger abundant in goodnesse and truth Reseruing mercy for thousands forgiuing iniquitie and transgression and sinne not making the wicked innocent SImonides a learned and wise Philosopher being on a time demanded what God was gaue not any suddaine answere but tooke a pause and stood much in doubt what answere to make At last perceiuing with himselfe that he was vnable presently to resolue the question desired a day longer to thinke on the matter which time being expired and his answer looked for he desired two daies more At the two daies ende being vnreadie as before he prolonged to giue his iudgement and still doubled the time Wherupon the other maruelling and desirous to know the cause wherfore he refused to answer séeing he could delaie the time no longer but that he must néeds speake somewhat He burst forth into these words saying The longer I consider of it the more darke your question séemeth to be to me and more intricate For it laie not in his wisedome nor in the wisedome of any man to comprehend the infinit nature of God Canst thou measure the earth or sounde the depth of the sea or perfectly discerne how high the heauen is from the earth If these matters be vnpossible vnto thée much lesse shalt thou be able to set downe what God is who filleth the heauen and the earth and all places Which thing when thou settest thy selfe about to knowe it is as if thou were placed in the midst of a labyrinth or maze wherein thou maeist goe too and fro and when thou thinkest thy selfe almost out then art thou intangled as if there were no end The longer wee muse vppon this mistery to know what God is the longer we may and yet neuer the nearer So that we may say as the Astrologians and Chaldeans answered King Nabuchadnezer It is a rare thing and none can declare it vnlesse it bee God himselfe whose dwelling is not with flesh More safe therefore it were only reuerently to think of God his sacred and incomprehensible maiestie and not to medle with so waightie a matter but that it hath pleased God himselfe to vtter the same to his seruant Moses and so to all posteritie For as God did not shewe his maiestie vnto Moses when he desired to sée him but only his hinder parts so also bicause Moses had not the capacitie to cōceiue the nature and essence of God therfore he let him vnderstand what he was by his properties and qualities in these words The Lord the Lord strong mercifull and gratious slow to anger and abundant in goodnes and truth Reseruing mercy for thousands forgiuing iniquitie and transgression and sin and not making the wicked innocent This Text standeth especially vpon these two principall points his iustice and his mercy which are the two notable effects of his nature and wherunto may be referred all that is spoken of him in the scriptures Which here in a fewe words is liuely set downe and described Of the which we may consider in order as they lye nothing vnto vs these fiue thinges First his sacred Maiestie and the force of his power Secondly his gentle disposition inclined rather to mercie Thirdly how hée vseth all meanes to kéepe vs in his feare and loth that any should offend Fourthly howe hée offereth and performeth mercy vnto sinners Fiftly his holy and righteous nature abhoring and punishing wickednesse These wordes which I haue reade vnto you did God giue forth of himselfe vnto Moses at the deliuery of his lawe principally to strike a maiestie and reuerence into the hearts of the people that they might haue care to fulfill his lawe and not to set light by it For although God did shewe himselfe so friendly and so fauourable vnto his people yet would hee not haue them too much to presume Therefore hée vseth a maiestie to remoue all contempt For as by nature wée are giuen to disdaine and to despise and are most prone vnto contempt so was it most requisite that this meane should be vsed to restraine and bridle our disordered nature The experience whereof we may sée in children toward their parents For the familiaritie which parents vse to their children doth make them lesse to be regarded And if their parents doo commaund them to doo any thing they will grudge thereat whereby they growe to such boldnesse that this familiaritie dooth bréede within them an inwarde kinde of contempt But if in their countenance iesture and all their behauiour the parentes shewe a gouernment agréeable to their estate to holde their children in dutifull subiection then will they vse great reuerence vnto their parents and stande in awe of them and in willing sort will be most readie to obey In like sort God would not haue his people so much to presume of his fauoure and good will toward them as though they could vse the same at their will and being his creatures they should lift vp themselues as though they were equall to their Creator But being their God and their Creator therby they should vnderstande that his moste highe supremacie was so great aboue them that by righte and authoritie hee mighte commaunde them To plante in their heartes suche a dutifull care as was méete and conuenient For nothing dooth sooner abrogate and abolish the waightie consideration of lawes which is the bond of ciuilitie and societie among men then contempt and againe nothing can more confirme and establish them then a dutifull care ioyned with reuerence Therefore had God an especiall regard of the estimation and reuerent account of his lawe least the Maiestie thereof togither with his authoritie might be neglected and little set
by Sanctifie the Lorde of hostes and let him be your feare and let him be your dread saith the Prophet Esay 8. For loe he that formeth the mountaines and createth the wind and declareth to man what is his thought which maketh the morning darkenesse and walketh vppon the high places of the earth the Lorde God of hostes is his name And therefore hée may iustly and that with a maiestie report himselfe vnto his people The Lord the Lord. Euen high and terrible and a great King ouer all the earth who is greatly to be exalted in the congregation of Princes For the Lorde is a great God and a great King aboue all Gods the Lord hath prepared his throne in heauen and his kingdome ruleth ouer all Greatnes and power and glorie and victorie are his hée excelleth and is most mightie he is the Lorde and his name is most glorious the earth is his footestoole and hee is higher then the Kinges of the earth who are but his vassalles And saith the King Nebuchandnezer vnto Daâ—iel Cap. 2. I knowe of a truth that your God is a God of Gods and the Lord of Kings Pharaoh also the King of Egypt who so gréeuously persecuted the Israelites was driuen so to confesse in that hée spake vnto Moses that he would pray vnto the Lord for him to take away those gréeuous plagues wherewith hée was iustly punished for his disobedience and hard heart against the Lorde By which his punishment of the highest in the earth and as it is in the Prouerbes of Salomon Although they be mightie on earth yet are there mightier then they by which his punishment he declareth himselfe to be the onely Prince the King of Kings and Lord of Lords Which thing the example of Sanehereib the King of Ashur can well testifie whom the Lord withdrew from the siege and slaughter of his people and put a hooke in his nostrils and turned him backe the same way he came and caused the Angel of his wrath to sley a hundreth foure score and fiue thousand of his souldiers Although Rabshakey his Ambassadour in his be halfe gaue forth these words Heare the words of the great King the King of Ashur Thus saith the King Let not your King Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord saying The Lord will surely deliuer vs for 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 But as you heard his souldiers were slaine himselfe was driuen to flight and furthermore as he was worshipping his Idole god Nisroch Adramelech and Sharezer his own sonnes flew him with the sword and escaped they flew this great King the King of Ashur The Lord raigneth let the people tremble he sitteth betwéene the Cherubins let the earth bee moued I make a decrée saith King Darius that in all the dominion of my kingdom men tremble and feare before the god of Daniel for he is the liuing god and remaineth for euer and his kingdome shal not perish and his dominion shall be euerlasting King Nebuchadnezar to iustisie the Lord in these words The Lord the Lord did extoll and magnifie the King of heauen praised and honoured him that liueth for euer whose power is an euerlasting power and his kingdome is from generation to generation And this did the King confesse after that he had felt the mightie hand of god and his power Let the spirit of Princes be subiect vnto the Lord that euen the chiefest with the lowest may acknowledge this soueraigntie that he is the onely Lord who is highly to be praised and greatly to be feared for glory and strength are before him Wherfore giue vnto the Lord ye families of the people the glory of his name giue vnto the Lord the power which is due vnto his maiestie When the lion roareth all the beasts of the forest tremble and when god commaundeth who will not obey If the Captaine that hath authoritie ouer his souldiers may say to one Go and he goeth and to another Come and he commeth and to his seruant Do this and he doth it Shall not we be as ready when the great Captaine the Lord of hostes shall charge vs If the seruants shall be diligent to fulfill their maisters will to how at his beck and to make haste when he calleth shal not we yéeld our selues to the obedience of our Lord maister which dwelleth in the heauens who hath the Angels at commandement and whose creatures we are who hath more authoritie ouer vs in the wide compasse of his dominion then hath the maister ouer his seruant within the circuit of his house The seruants that are disobedient may flie from their maisters displeasure and escape but if we be rebellious we cannot auoid the anger of the Lord. His eies are in all the corners of the earth neither is there any place wherein we may be frée if it please God according to our deserts to strike vs. Looke what the Prince may do among his subiects much more in the highest degrée may the lord of the whole earth do among vs. Many lawlesse people may resist that which the King commandeth although it may not be resisted by the authoritie of his crowne and dignitie yea furthermore may put the king in hazard but the authoritie of the highest King is such that he maketh the stoutest heart to tremble wel may they murmure grudge and set them selues in defiance against him but they shal be able to do no more although they were as mightie as the diuels in hell they shal no whit preuaile A consuming fire shall go before him the mountains shal be al in a smoke the earth shal tremble at his presence and the wicked yâ— disobey his commandements resist his wil and are as far as they dare at defiance shal in their time hide themselues in the holes of the rockes and wish yâ— the mountains might fall vpon them And then shall they know how yâ— he onely is the lord that he hath authoritie to command and yâ— they were bound to obey In diuers places of the holy scriptures in the prophecies of his seruants and messengers by whom he declared his wil and whom hee gaue in commandement to deliuer his message vnto the people when they speake of any matter of waight they vse these words Thus saith the Lord. To put yâ— people alwaies in remembrance of his high soueraigntie and authoritie ouer them As in the Prophecie of Ieremy the Lord saith vnto Ieremiah thou shalt say vnto them Thus saith the Lord If ye wil not heare me to walk in my lawes which I haue set before you and to heare the words of my seruants the Prophets whom I sent vnto you both rising vp early and sending them and will not obey them Then wil I make this house like Shiloh meaning that his Temple and his Church shuld be forsaken and the priests deliuered vp to the sword
fire and that very gréeuous also he sent deuouring grashoppers such as was neuer before neither after them should bee the like which did eate vp euerie gréene thing within the land hearbes of the field and frutes of the trées for the space of thrée dayes there was such a darknes in his land that none sawe an other neither did they rise from the place where the darknesse tooke them The lord left not there but yet was more gréeuous for he smote all the first borne of Pharaohs land the first borne both of man and beast from the first borne of Pharaoh himselfe that sat on the throne vnto the first borne of the captiue that sat in prison And there was a great crie in Aegypt for there was no house where there was not one dead Finally God made an ende of those punishments with the fearfull and vtter ouerthrow of Pharaoh himselfe and all his hoste in the midst of the sea They themselues confessing that it was the strong hande of the lorde himselfe in these words The lord fighteth for them In the Prophecie of Iâ—el 1. 3. 4. Tell you your children of it saith the Prophet and let your children shewe to their children and their children to an other generation whether such a thing hath bene in your dayes or in the dayes of your fathers That which is left of the palmer worme hath the grashopper eaten and the residue of the grashopper hath the canker-worme eaten and the residue of the canker-worme hath the caterpiller eaten And these small creatures doth God call his great hoste shewing himselfe no where so strong as when hée worketh by weake and slender meanes When the lorde by his Prophet Moses Deutro 28. had feared the people by foretelling so many gréeuous punishments yet further to let them vnderstand howe strong hée was If thou wilt not keepe saith hee and do all the workes of this lawe and feare this glorious and fearefull name The Lorde thy God then the Lorde will make thy plagues wonderfull and the plagues of thy seede euen great plagues and of long continuance and sore diseases of long durance Moreouer he will bring vpon thée all the diseases of Egypt whereof thou wast affraid and they shall cleaue vnto thée And euery sicknesse and euery plague which is not written in the booke of this lawe will the lord heape vpon thée vntill thou be destroyed So true it is that the Prophet speaketh The arme of the Lord is not shortened but his hand is stretched out still Strong in his wrath stronger in his punishments and so strong that flesh and blood cannot endure the least thereof but is readie as it were to fall in pieces when it is remembred and when they heare of it The Lord the Lord strong and able to punish and 2 yet such is his nature that hee is more enclined to mercie Slow to anger And therefore to comfort the weake spirites of mankind that they should not vtterly faint and be dismaid through the consideration of his fearefull power he addeth these words which follow that is That he is mercifull and gracious slow to anger For as a father hath compassion on his children so hath the Lord compassion no them that feare him For he knoweth whereof we be made he remembreth that we are but dust So the Lord saith My spirit shall not alway striue with man because he is but flesh And here is his gratious mercy séen in that he doth not alway presently punish and out of hand The olde world had a hundreth yeares space a long time to be thinke themselues and to repent And after all this time it pleased the Lorde to looke downe vpon the earth before he gaue the last sentence and said vnto Noah An end is come Before God would procéed to his fierce vengeance against Sodome and Gomorrha although their sinnes were excéeding gréeuous and the crie therof ascended vp to heauen yet he said he would go down and sée whether they had done altogither according to the crie and if not that he might know As though he had wished and desired in his heart it had bene otherwise In the Epistle of S. Peter it is remembred of some in the latter dayes who hearing the Prophecie of the latter ende of the worlde and séeing it not come to passe after a long time should scoffe and mocke thereat and say Where is the promise of his comming for all thinges continue alike from the beginning of the creation To whom the Apostle thus answereth That a thousand yeares in the sight of the Lord is but as one day and that the Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some men count slacknesse but that he is patient and would haue no man to perish but would that all should come to repentance The Lord is a mercifull and gracious God in forbearing Wisâ— H. 20. His mercy is vpon all and though it be in his power to destroy yet he maketh as though he sawe not the sinnes of men because they should amend Loue couereth a multitude of sinnes and the Lord would in mercy passe by our infinite efâ—ences if so be yet in time we would returne Although we haue gréeuously offended yet he doth not straightway execute his anger but patiently waiteth to sée whether his louing kindnesse and long suffering may prouoke vs to the obedience of his will and to do that earnestly and with a good heart from the which before we went so farre astray Hée dooth not punish vs according to our desert nor reward vs after our iniquities but sheweth himselfe most fauourable that our hearts may relent and serue him Although the Israelites kept not the couenant of their God as it is Psal 78. 38. 41. and walked not in his lawe but sinned against him more and more yet was he so mercifull vnto them that he forgaue them their misdéeds and destroyed them not yea many a time turned he his wrath away and would not suffer his whole displeasure to arise For he considered that they were but fleshe and that they were euen as a winde that passeth away and commeth not againe God considering our frailtie and weakenesse is patient toward vs and so tender hearted that he would haue no man to perish And therefore before any punishment that God did vse against his people he gaue them warning thereof by his prophets that they might haue iust cause to say that the Lorde was gracious and mercifull As we reade in the booke of Nehemiah cap. 9. 30 31. that God did forbeare them many yéeres and protested among them by his spirit euen by the hand of his Prophets but they would not heare therefore he gaue them into the hands of the people of the lands Which point of Gods mercy let euery one of vs apply vnto himselfe and bethinke our selues how God doth beare with vs from day to day and what diuerse and often warnings hee vseth toward vs to moue vs to
a fearefull word that although they dreame of mercy yet they shall finde the contrary For God will neuer recken them to be innocent nor euer reserue his mercie for them And although they crie Lord Lord yet shall they not enter into his kingdome For when they thinke to enter into his rest it shall be said vnto them Depart from me I know you not Let vs alwaies remember that the Lorde is strong and that his anger is fearefull and that his punishments are intollerable and hell torments euerlasting that so the feare of the Lord may still be before our eyes and that we may be affraide to offend his maiestie Then shall his mercy stand vs instead when wée fall and haue offended whereas otherwise we shall be bolde to commit sin and flatter our selues that god wil be merciful when as indéed we do but deceiue our selues and shal surely find hell when we thinke to go to heauen God graunt that the knowledge of God may turne to our good and that through our defaulte in flattering of our selues and presuming too much of Gods mercy we fall not away from mercy To whose mercy I commende you desiring you not to forget his iustice For God is a consuming fire and wilfull and obstinate sinners shall neuer escape his euer-during wrath To God the Father God the Sonne and God the holy Ghost be all glory and praise both now and euer Amen Deo gratia solique gloria Of his Creation Genesis 1. 1. In the beginning God created the heauen and the earth AS I haue set downe vnto you the knowledge of God by his properties and qualities so also is he further knowne by the consideration of his workes As saith the Psalme The heauens declare the glorie of God and the firmament sheweth his handie worke Amongst the workes of God first in order most notable is the worke of his creation wherein his power and wisedome is manifestly séene giuing vs a larger and more delightfull knowledge of him then that we should busily occupie our studies in searching the secret and hidden nature of God The spirit of God beginneth first with the declarion of this most excellent worke bréeding the knowledge of God in our mindes as it were by a wonder In the beginning God made the heauen and the earth Which sentence dooth affoord vs these thrée instructions First the consideration of the creation of the world Diuision and the creatures thereof and whither the world and the creatures were made to endure and to continue for euer Secondly how the world and all the creatures therin conteined were made Thirdly the cause the ende and vse wherefore they were made The world it selfe how beautifull a pallace is it and as it were a heauen in respect of hell beneath as it selfe also is a thing of nothing in respect of heauen aboue The heauen glistereth with the glorious sight of the Sunne the Moone and the starres The Sunne reioyceth to runne his course euen his spéedie and haiâ—ie course and as it were the glory of all Gods creatures commeth forth with a maiestie forbidding the eyes of all earthly creatures to behold it which by his force dooth burne the mountaines seuen times more then doth the heat of a furnace God giueth light to the darknes it self and causeth the Moone to appear when the light the glorious beames of the Sun are gone down The infinit multitude of the stars shew forth his wonderfull wisdome and decketh the heauens much more then all the precious stones costly ornaments the are in princes courts Cast down your eies behold the creatures on the earth The mighty lion which is a figure of gods power at whose roaring all the beasts of the forrest do tremble the rauening beare the instrument of his wrath as the example of the mocking children that did disdain the Prophet Elisha doth testifie the nourishing cloathing creatures the cow the shéep and the goat to the praise of his goodnes Wherin also the trées do instruct vs the oliue trée with his fatnesse the figtrée with his swéetnesse the vine trée with his cherishing How do the hearbes set forth the wisedom of God In that he hath giuen to euery hearbe his propertie some for comfort some for delight some to continue life some to restore life as none know it better then the expert Phisitian to whoÌ„ God hath opened his wonderfull works therin Besides these looke vpon the lilly of the field whom God hath so richly arraied that Salomon in all his roialty is not like to one of these A woÌ„der it is to sée how he hath hid great treasure in the lower parts of the earth not only tin lead brasse and iron but siluer also gold precious stones The earth the world euery part therof giue manifest witnesse what God hath wrought Euery element is furnished with his creatures the aire with birds the earth with trées hearbs and inestimable treasure and as the waues of the sea are innumerable so are the creatures therein conteined euen as the stars of the skie which no man can terme call by their names but only God himself To euery beast of the field and to euery foule of the heauen Adam gaue names but the creatures of the sea as the hidden work of God Adam saw not man knoweth not neither caÌ„ they euer be searched out that we may wonder at Gods wonders Some haue said that there is no creature on the earth but the sea doth yéeld the like Among the creatures of the sea none setteth forth the work of Gods creation so much as the huge great whale which ouerturneth mightie ships and striketh a feare into the hart of man As saith the Psalm 104. 24. O Lord how manifold are thy works In wisdom hast thou made theÌ„ all The earth is full of thy riches so is the wide great sea also wherein are things creeping innumerable both small and great beastes There goe the ships and there is that Leuiathan whom thou hast made to take his pastime therein When the wise man had delighted himself with the remembrance of the works of Gods creatioÌ„ either being rauished with the delight or vnable to satisfie his mind he breaketh forth saith Who hath seen all the creatures of God that he might tell vs For when he hath searched to the vtmost of his power yet may he truly say There are hid yet greater things then these be and we haue séen but a fewe of his works He doth not measure the knowledge of man in this matter that he hath attained the one halfe but leaueth him in the very enterance as though he had had but a glimce of some and not a sight of all As Adam being placed in Paradice had not a full view of all the secretes thereof neither had he any vnderstanding of the trée of life but assoone as he had tasted of the trée of knowledge for his rebellion and disobedience
are subiect by man and hope to be deliuered of it and hope to be purged from their corruption When our Sauiour Christ came neare to Ierusalem he wept to thinke of the desolation and destruction that should come on Ierusalem that faire and bewtifull Ierusalem that glorie and wonder of all the earth And the more that wée knowe the excellent woorke of God in the creation of the worlde and his creatures wherein we cannot choose but take passing delight so often as we doo consider and meditate on the same euen there withall also when we thinke that all thinges shall come to a ruine and downefall that the heauens and the earth shall be consumed with fire then may we begin to shead forth teares in a lamentable consideration that so glorious a workemanship and so wonderfull a frame should come to a finall destruction When Elisha the man of God looked stedfastly vppon Hazael he 2. Kin. 8. 12 wept because hee foresawe what great miserie hee should worke against the children of Israel Which thing saith he the Lord hath shewed me The woes that shall come vpon the worlde in the latter time shall make the godly minded to mourne in their thoughtes Reue. 12. 12. Wo to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea for the diuell is come downe vnto you which hath great wrath knowing that hee hath but a short time and that his mischiefe ouer the world shall ende with the world Which thing maketh them to wish that their liues were at an ende that they might not behold such great calamities as also to reioyce at their estate which haue lest the earth and possesse the heauens Oh saith the Prophet Ieremy ca. 9. 1. that mine head were full of water and mine eyes a fountaine of teares that I might weepe day and night for my people euen for the slaine of my people as if he had said for them that are and shall be destroyed Because they are all adulterers and an assembly of rebels This is a waightie cause to make vs all to wéepe which cause also doth make the earth and all creatures else to mourn and grone Go to now ye rich men saith the Apostle S. Iames weepe houle and so might he haue warned al people all sorts and all degrées to wéepe as King Hezechias did when he turned his face to the wall being sorie that he had offended God and that an end was come vnto him therfore to weep as the Apostle S. Peter did bitterly for his gréeuous sin whereby hée forsooke his Lord and maister Let this make euery one to wéepe both for others and for themselues in their chambers and in their closets at home and abroad where euer they go and what euer they do cōsidering that the sinnes of others as also their owne sinnes should be the cause of so great an ouerthrow Turne vnto mee with all your heart and with fasting and with weepiing and with mourning and rent your harts and not your clothes and turn vnto the Lord your God saith the Prophet For who knoweth whether God will return leaue a blessing Let euery one thus wéepe for themselues and thus turne vnto the Lord for who knoweth whether God will change his anger and forget our sinnes And though death and destruction of the world be a heauy plague that shall light vpon the most part of the inhabitants of the world I say who knoweth whether this shall turne to vs for a great blessing The consideration of which blessing will make vs turne our teares into ioy and our mourning into mirth not such ioy as the worlde but as the spirit of God shall mooue our hearts vnto It shall make vs lift vp our heades because that when the ende of the world shall be our perfect redemption shall bee accomplished Finally it shall also make vs more warie by this warning According to that of the Apostle Saint Peter The ende of all thinges is at hande Bee yee therefore sober and watching in prayer Take heed saith Christ least that day come on you vnawares For as a snare shall it come on the face of the whole earth Take héed least ye be taken in surfetting and drunkennesse in chambering and wantonnesse Take héed lest ye be choked with the cares of this world and be too earthly worldly minded when ye shuld be heuenly minded séeing that the world shal haue an end and we know not how soone nor how sodaine it shall be Loue not the worlde nor the delights of the world and let not thy heart cleaue thereunto but lift vp thy heart and thy mind to heauen and an other life whereas thy dwelling is like to be for euermore if so be thou beest not thy own hindrance and be taken amongst the fiue sléepie and foolish virgines spoken of in the Gospell Qualis vita finis ita For as the trée falleth so it lieth and if in the ende of the world nay in the ende of thy life which is the ende of the world to thée shall be fire and flame so thy ende shall be hell fire and such gréeuous torments which can neuer be vttered and shall neuer be ended The seconde principall consideration which I noted 2 vnto you in this text is Howe and after what sort the world and all the creatures therein conteined were made consisting on these thrée circumstaunces First that God Of nothing made all things of nothing Secondly that they were made by his word and commandement Thirdly that all his creatures were created verie good A straunge and incredible maner that God should make all things of nothing Yet as we reade in the Epistle to the Hebrewes Chapter 11. 3. Through faith we vnderstand that the world was ordeined by the word of God so that the things which we see are not made of things which did appeare For he made all things of nothing when as yet there was none of them Wherein the Apostle doeth well attribute the matter vnto faith for by our naturall reason we were neuer able to comprehend it but contrariwise we should thinke it a matter too absurd and against reason As also in the conception of our Sauiour Christ that he should be borne of a pure virgin without the helpe of man hath séemed vnto many a matter in no wise to be beléeued In so much that some haue bene bold to say and their spéech vngodly inough that the bodie of our Sauiour Christ was rather a fained bodie then a bodie like vnto ours of flesh and blood Our Sauiour Christ said vnto his disciples That it was easier for a rope to passe through the eye of a néedle then for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of heauen Whereat they maruelled saying Who then shall be saued To whom Christ answered To men this seemes impossible but to God all thinges are possible And herein is the difference betwixt the workes of God and mē that they can bring nothing
earth should be vnder and the water aboue For the water is a lighter element then the earth neither could the earth auoyd the mastery of the sea were it not that other order were taken and that God had set the sea his boundes as if he had said Here shalt thou staie and breake thy proude and swelling waues They goe vp saith the Psalme as high as the hilles and would faine bee aboue the mountaines they goe downe to the vallies beneath euen vnto the place which thou hast appointed for them Thou hast set them their boundes which they shall not passe neither returne againe to couer the earth Aske them which venture vppon the sea who sée the workes of the Lord and his wonders in the deepe and they will tell thée that they are now carried vp so high that they thinke themselues in the heauens aboue and by and by they fall downe into the déepe as if the waters should be their graue and no maruell that their soule melteth away because of the trouble and that they are at their wittes endes The sea hath his boundes set that man might haue his dwelling and this is Gods fauourable appointment Who not onely abateth the force of the sea but also maketh it nauigable to giue him rest at home and to bring him treasures from farre Yet is there an other matter well neare as straunge as this to sée howe God ordereth all thinges fit and conuenient for the habitation and dwelling of man For as GOD gaue a decrée vnto the Sea and Waters to giue man roome and not to hinder his dwelling so also hath he laide his commaundement vppon the wilde beastes and inclosed them within the desartes and waste places as it were setting vnto them also their boundes which they shall not passe So that although they roare after their praie and goe raunging about to deuoure yet they shall roare and raunge and rage no further then their compasse and the desart vnlesse God for a punishment vnto men doo giue them further leaue as I haue shewed you before These cruell creatures they come not where man hath his dwelling but only such creatures as are for his vse and for the maintenance of his life The hornet is in the wood the bée in the garden the lion the bear are in the desart kine horses at thy doore and in thy stable wolues farre away and shéepe about thée wilde beasts are in desolate places that man may be at rest and in quiet A manifest proofe of Gods ordinaunce herein is set downe in the Psal 104. Thou makest darkenesse ô Lord that it may be night wherein all the beasts of the forrest do mone The sun ariseth and they get them away togither and lay them down in their dennes Then man goeth forth to his worke and to his labour vntill the euening The wilde beastes saith the Prophet do mone but he maketh no further mention but of the forrest And that we néed not feare their rage he speaketh of the night when man taketh his rest and his doores are shut vpon him And for a further assurance of Gods gracious care ouer man he saith that assoone as the Sun riseth they get them away which could not come to passe vnlesse God had so wrought it God hath ordeined the day that man might labour therein and the night to giue him rest he caused the foules of the aire the cattle on the earth and the fishes in the sea to multiply and increase that man might take thereof for his foode The bread to streng then him the wine to cheare his heart the shéepe to cloath him diuerse hearbes for medicine to cure him in his sicknes Quarres for stone trées for timber that men might make them houses and dwelling places to keep them from the feruent heat in sommer and in the winter from pinching colde from storms and tempests In a word all things to comfort him all things to cheare him all things to reioyce him When God had thus created all things for man the earth to walk in the beasts to feede and â—loath him all things else for his vse and profit yet was man as it were all in a wildernes he sawe no creatur fit and conuenient to kéep him company yea when God himself had taken a view of all his creatures he sawe no helpe méete for man The Lord brought all creatures vnto man to giue them names and as they were all before God we reade that God found not a helpe méete for Adam And then he said It is not good that the man should bee himselfe alone I will make him a helpe Therefore the Lord caused a heauie sléepe to fall vpon the man and he slept and he tooke one of his ribbes and closed vp the flesh in stéed thereof And the rib which the Lord God had taken from man made he the woman and brought her to the man who before was like an vnperfect building Although God had speciall regard of the increase of mankind yet in the creation of the woman there is nothing so much spoken of as that she should bee a helpe But I would to God that men woulde more regarde Gods ordinaunce and consider there withall what for frailtie of men requireth If themselues bee able to refraine let them giue god thankes that hath so inabled them and if other haue not the same gift with them there is no cause why they should bee despised and disdained if they vse the remedie appointed and auoyd the extremitie Vnlesse they count whoredome more tollerable then marriage and that estate which the spirite of God dooth tearme honourable in all degrees of men to be contemptible in some Which matter neuerthelesse is so warily to bee handled that we runne not into contempt through want of wisedome and discretion It were to be wished saith the Apostle that all men were as I am but euery man hath his proper gift of God And the same Apostle foretelleth that in the latter dayes suche shall arise that shall forbid marriage Yet so to teach to forbid to scoffe or disdaine hath this marke to accuse their conscience in so doing that it is neither honest nor good nor laudable but only the doctrine of diuels Not onely hath God thus created all things to satisfie mans necessitie but also for his delight and pleasant contentation euen plentifully liberally and largely Yet so that we vse his creatures with moderation and not in excesie godly and soberly not wantonly and wickedly not wasifully and prodigally Either in thy diet by too much deiâ—catenâ—â—e or gluttony or in thy apparrell vnto pride or in thy gorgeous building farre more then néed is to be laughed to scorne for thy vanitie The plentifull goodnes of God should be applied to good vses but such is mans either wantonâ—sse or foolishnesse that such matters slippe out of his remembrance and vanitie is entertained as though all these thinges were created for vanitie Aboundance should procure thankfulnesse
he putteth men also in remembrance least they should be found more vnthankful then all other creatures and so not worthie of any of Gods benefits Praise the Lord ô ye kings of the earth and all people princes and all iudges of the world yoong men and maidens olde men and children high and low rich and poore one with another praise ye the name of the Lord. For his name only is excellent and his praise aboue heauen and earth In praising let vs end and ioyne our selues in this duty with the foure and twentie Elders spoken of in the Reuelation of S. Iohn béeing before the throne of God who fell downe before him that sat on the throne and worshipped him that liueth for euer who also did cast their Crownes before the throne saying Thou art worthie ô Lord our God to receiue glory and honour and power and to thee be giuen all dominion might and maiestie For thou hast created all things and for thy wils sake they are and were created Deo gratia solique gloria Of his Prouidence 2. King 7. 18. And it came to passe as the man of God had spoken to the King saying Two measures of Barley at a shekel and a measure of fine floure shall bee at a shekel to morrow about this time in the gate of Samaria But the Prince on whose hand the King leaned had answered the man of God and said Though the Lord would make windowes in the heauen could it come so to passe And he said Behold thou shalt see it with thine eyes but thou shalt not eate thereof And so it came vnto him for the people trode vpon him in the gate and he died After that God had created the world and all the creatures therein it may not be thought that he left them alone to themselues to liue or die to continue or perish although it maie séeme so to vs because when god had made his creatures he rested But he did neither cease nor rest as men do from theire workes which they haue made as after the house is built the worke man hath no further care and so in all other labours finished by mans hand Truth it is that God rested from making and creating more creatures but not from norishing and cherishing from gouerning and guiding the world and all the creatures therein Whose workes are wonderfull and daily séene of them which haue eies to sée it Wherein we must also consider howe God bringetth these matters to passe most commonly ordinarily and by meanes but sometimes extraordinarily and without meanes as the example set downe in this text which I haue reade vnto you doth shew Which Diuision text deuideth it selfe into these two parts whereof the first is a prophesie and a declaration of Gods gratious prouidence by the mouth of the prophet Elisha in these words Two measures of barley and so forth In the second part we may consider the vnbeliefe distrust and blasphemous spéech of one of the kings nobles as also the iudgement of God for his vnbeliefe and distrust and the iust punnishment for his offence in these words But the prince had aunswered and so forth In this first part not only is set downe the prouidence of God in nourishing but his mightie power and wise foresight in gouerning and ordering matters as séemeth best to the further manifestation of his glorie by his iustice and merice to the good of the godly and for a iust punishment to the wicked prophane and vngodly How God dooth nourish all his creatures cannot better bee set downe then by the words of the Prophet Dauid in his Psalmes Hee watereth the hils from aboue the earth is filled with the frute of thy woorkes hee bringeth foorth grasse and maketh the earth to bring out foode And least they should die for thirst hée also prepareth for their néede for hée sendeth the springs into the riuers which runne among the hilles All beasts of the fielde drinke thereof and the wilde asses quench their thirst Furthermore speaking of the infinite and innumerable company of Gods creatures in the Sea These saith hée wayt all vppon thée that thou maiest giue them meate in due season When thou giuest it them they gather it and when thou openest thy hand they are filled with good The eyes of all thinges looke vp vnto thée thou openest thine hand and fillest all things liuing with plenteousnes For hee maketh grasse to growe vppon the mountaines which may séeme verie straunge because of the patching heate of the Sunne For it is sayd that the Sunne doth burne the mountaines seuen times more then dooth the heate of a furnace His plenteousnes doth farther appeare in that as it is in the history of Iobe he not onely maketh the raine to fall vppon those places which are fit for mans dwelling but euen vppon the wildernesse also where no man is Iob. 39. 26. 38. How secret is his blessing and plentifull hand that he maketh euen the barren ground to yeelde forth pasture As in the same Chapter of Iobe we reade that he hath made the asse to dwell in salt places that is in vnfruitfull grounds whereas in mans reason there séemes no foode to grow Many creatures as farre as we can perceiue serue to no vse and that mightie creatures which will not be fed with a little yet God openeth his plentifull hand and they want not wherby we learne his great abilitie to preserue whatsoeuer wonderfully he hath made We cannot but wonder how beares and lions and suche deuouring beasts should be fed which are as it were vnsatiable Therefore Iob saith Wilt thou hunt the praie for the lion or fill the appetite of the lions whelpes Who is it that prepareth for the rauen when the birds cry vnto God wandring for lacke of meate The lions roaring after their praie do séeke their meate at God saith the Prophet Yea when cattle can looke for nothing else but drought and famine as in the time of winter when the earth denieth food and hath closed vp her sappe within her bowels and when the grasse is consumed with pinching frostes and couered with staruing snowes herein also is God said to open his hand and to be plentifull in that he graunteth them fodder and maketh the earth in sommer season to bring foorth aboundance that in time of néed the cattle may haue inough But some are so rash in their spéeches that they wil impute this ordinary course of gods daily prouidence to a secrete kinde of vertue which God say they hath giuen to euerie thing at his first creation Which reason of theirs howe fond and foolish it is we may perceiue by this that nothing can long endure without such foode as commeth by Gods hand and prouidence Some of them féeding vpon wholesome meate some vpon carrion some of grasse some of prouender some cleauing to stones and finding nourishment in them some on the sand of the sea and some vpon â—â—ime and mud some on the
rose vp warre against me yet will I put my trust in him Although I walke in the shaddowe of death and looke euerie houre to loose my life yet I am resolued in comfort trust committing my life and all my affaires into thy hand Walk vprightly and set God alwaies before thy eyes and there shall no euill happen vnto thée neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling Psalme 91. Thou shalt not be affraide for any terror by night nor for the arrow that flieth by day nor for the pestilence that walketh in the darknesse nor for the sicknesse that destroteth in the noone day A thousand shall fall beside thée and tenne thousande at thy right hand but it shal not come nigh thée because thou hast made the Lord thy shield and thy buckler thou shalt be as deare vnto him as the apple of his eye and he shall carry thee as the Eagle doth carry her yoong ones vpon her wings and be as carefull for thee as the henne is ouer her chickens Away then with fortune and destiny which is the feare of heathen people and leaue them to bee punished and plagued by such péeuish gods and let vs which know the trus God being taught by his word and who haue learned otherwise referre all to Gods prouidence What if there be diuerse hainous matters practised in the world What if the mightie oppresse the poore and the wicked the godly Yet we knowe that there is a God in heauen that seeth all and iudgeth all and in due time will call all men to their accounts and although God do suffer them vnpunished in this world yet they shall surely paie for it in an other In the meane time let vs reuerently thinke of gods workes who ruleth all well though we knowe not how and it be altogither hid from vs. And who is it that dare aske account at Gods handes whose power is neuer idle but what euer fall out he ordereth it as séemeth good vnto him and without his decrée shall nothing come to passe Great is our discomfort and we are intangled in much misery for want of the knowledge of Gods prouidence the full trust whereof when it hath taken déepe roote in our hearts come good successe or ill successe our hearts are well at rest And this maketh vs to be of a quiet contented and patient mind in all aduersitie trouble as also to be thankfull in prosperitie and in all the course of our liues there shall appeare a calme although the tempestes be vp And so much the more is our comfort because we are assured that God is our louing father farre passing the loue of any earthly father and therefore will follow vs with constant good will And because he is also God Almightie he holdeth all creatures in his power so that without his pleasure they are not able not only to doo any thing but not so much as to stirre For they that oppresse and do wrong are by the bridle of Gods prouidence brought into order to consider that they haue no other power to moue themselues or to do any thing but as they are directed of God Who appointeth euill men as roddes to what purpose so euer he thinketh good neither haue they any power of themselues to hurt but contrariwise we haue sufficient helpe in God against their and all other harmes whatsoeuer Why should such spéeches be vttered through a weake and faint minde as to say If God would open the windowes of heauen could it be so Or else to say the like speech This is impossible to be brought to passe For with God shall nothing be impossible The Lords hand is not shortned but stretched out to doo vs good yea doubtlesse he wil open the windowes of heauen to powre downe his blessings vpon vs if we doo not deserue the contrary To conclude crauing pardon that I haue bene so long let me say vnto you as the Apostle S. Paul said to the Corinthians O Corinthians our mouth is open vnto you our heart is made large Ye are not kept straight in vs but you are kept straight in your owne bowels Gods hand is open and his bountifulnesse is vnsearchable God is not straight to vs but we are straight vnto our selues God is of power to helpe and right readie he is because his mercy endureth for euer Let vs not be so backward as not to aske and pray for it and to vse all meanes that are lawfull For God worketh by meanes and sildome by miracles Let vs not be impatient and distrustfull neither in any case giue foorth vngodly and blasphemous spéeches auoyding all meanes to procure Gods anger and committing our selues wholly to his mercy and fatherly care in all our necessities And God open our eyes as he did open the eyes of Hagar Abrahams maid that so we may alwaies depend and waite vpon his enduring and bountifull prouidence To God the father God the sonne and God the holy Ghost c. Deo gratia solique gloria Of Creating man after his Image Genesis 1. 26. Furthermore God said Let vs make man in our Image ac-according to our likenesse and let them rule ouer the fish of the sea and ouer the foule of the heauen and ouer the beasts and ouer all the earth and ouer euery thing that creepeth and moueth on the earth VVHen GOD had made the light the heauen the Sunne the Moone and the Starres the earth and the sea and had replenished the sea with fishes the aire with birds the earth with beastes and had prouided foode and maintenance fit and conuenient for the vse of man thē did he make and create man Of whome first I thinke good to intreate somewhat concerning the creation of the bodie and so to passe to the creation of the soule in respect whereof and of those heauenly quallities wherewith his soule was then endued he is said to be made in the image of God and according to his likenesse The Lorde God made the man of the dust of the grounde and breathed in his face breath of life and the man was a liuing souls The first man is of the earth saith the Apostle And all men are of the ground saith the wise man Which God so wrought in great wisedome knowing full well the softie minde of man and how farre hée would excéede in pride For as that proude King Nabuchodonosor by Gods appointment was thrust out of his Throne and turned among beastes that thereby hée might learne to humble himselfe so it pleased God to create man of so base a matter as dust that by the remembraunce thereof hée might frame himselfe to lowlinesse What more contemptible then the dust which the winde bloweth too and fro and which we tread vpon Go to the pismire and to the ant saith the wise man to the sluggard and as well he might haue warned the proud mind and hautie heart of man to looke vppon the pecocke which beeing lifted vp with the brauery of
also retaining the faithfull in godly life and manners what moueth these our aduersaries séeing they are ouercome with the manifest and inuincible trueth to thinke they speake well saying Although this doctrine of Predestination be true yet it ought not to be preached vnto the people Nay so much the rather it is good to be throughly preached that he that hath eares to heare may heare And who hath them But he that hath receiued them of God who promiseth to giue them And as for him that doth receiue it let him refuse it if he will so that he that doth receiue it may take it drinke it be sufficed and haue life For as we must preach the feare of God to the end that God may be truly serued so must wée preach predestination that he which hath eares to heare may heare and reioyce in God not in himselfe for the grace of God towards him This is the mind of that excellent Doctor as touching this point Which notwithstanding bindeth vs to two conditions The one is that we speake no farther héerein then Gods worde doth limit vs. The other that we set forth the same thing which the scripture teacheth accordingly and to edification Wherefore we will briefly speake of both these partes first of the doctrine it selfe and next of the vse and applying of the same The second chapter Of the eternall counsell of God hidde in himselfe the which afterwards is knowen by the effects thereof GOD whose iudgements no man can comprehend The councell purpose will of God is the fountaine and originall of all causes whose waies cannot be found out and whose will ought to stop all mens mouthes according to the determinate and vnchaungeable purpose of his will by the vertue whereof all things aremade yea those things which are euill and execrable not in that they be wrought by his diuine counsell but forasmuch as they procéed of the prince of the aire and that spirit which worketh in the childrē of disobedience hath determined from before al beginning with himselfe to create all things in their time for his glory and namely men whome hée hath made after two sorts cleane contrary one to the other Whereof hée maketh the one sort which it pleased him to choose by his secret will and purpose partakers of his glory through his mercie Vessels of honor and these we call according to the word of God the vessels of honour the elect the children of promise predestinate to saluation And the other whom likewise it pleased him to ordaine to damnation that hée might shewe foorth his wrath and power to bée glorified also in them wée doe Vessels of dishonor call the vessels of dishonour and wrath the reprobate and cast off from all good workes This election or predestination to euerlasting life being Our election is hid in the secret purpose of God considered in the will of God that is to say this selfe same determination or purpose to elect is the first fountaine and chief originall of the saluation of Gods children neither is it theron grounded as some say because god did foresée their faith or good workes But only of his owne good will from whence afterwards the election the faith and the good workes spring foorth Therefore when the scripture will confirme the children of God in full and perfect hope it doth not stay in alledging the testimonies of the second causes that is to say in the frutes of faith nor in the second causes themselues as faith calling by the Gospell neither yet sometimes in Christ himselfe in whom notwithstanding we are as in our head elected adopted but ascendeth higher euen vnto that eternal purpose which god hath determined only in himselfe Likewise when mention is made of the damnation of the reprobate although the whole fault thereof be in thēmselues Reprobation is hidde in the secret purpose of God yet notwithstanding sometimes when néede requireth the scripture to make more manifest by this comparison the greate power of Gods patience and the riches of his glory towards the vessels of mercy leadeth vs vnto this high secret which by order is the first cause of their damnation Of the which secrete no other cause is knowen to men but only his iust will which we must with all reuerence obey as comming from him who is onely iust and cannot by any meanes nor of any man in any sort be comprehended For wée must put difference betwixt the purpose or ordinance of reprobation and reprobation it selfe The secret purpose to elect or reproue only appertaineth to God but the causes of election reprobation are manifest in the Scriptures because God would that the secrete of this his purpose should be kept close trom vs and againe wée haue the causes of Reprobation and Damnation which dependeth thereof expressed in Gods word that is to say corruption lacke of faith and iniquity which as they bée necessary so are they also voluntary in the vessels made to dishonor like as on the other part when wée describe orderly the causes of the saluation of the elect wée put difference betwixt the purpose of the electing which God hath determined in himselfe and the election which is appointed in Christ In such sort that this his purpose or ordinance doth not only go before election in the degrée of causes but also before all other things that followe the same The chiefe matters gathered out of this second chapter with places of proofe taken out of the worde of God ioyned thereunto God disposeth all according to his will and hath created all things for his glory and namely man Concerning whome first hée challengeth the ordering of all affaires as also the hardening of hearts Secondly hée hath made them after two sorts the one contrary to the other That God disposeth all according to his will Esay 46. 9. 10. 11. 12. Remember the former things of old For I am God and there is no other God and there is nothing like me Which declare the last thing from the beginning and from of old the things that were not done saying My counsaile shall stand and I will do whatsoeuer I wil. I call a bird from the East Cyrus which shal come as swift as a bird and the man of my counsel who shal execute that which I haue determined from farre As I haue spoken so will I bring it to passe I haue purposed and I will do it Esa 14 26. The Lord of hostes hath determined it and who shal disanull it and his hand is stretched out and who shall turne it away Dan. 4. 32. All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing and according to his will he worketh in the army of heauen and in the inhabitants of the earth and none can stay his hand nor say vnto him What doest thou Ephe. 1. 9. 11. And he hath opened vnto vs the mistery of his will according to his good pleasure which
hath appeinted vs in the fourth commandement to kéepe holy the Sabboth day and therein Prophane to heare and meditate in his word But fewe there are that haue this care as they ought to haue nay are there not many that say in their hearts Let God depart from vs for we desire not the knowledge of his waies Iob. 21. Who is the Almightie that we should serue him and what profit shall we haue if we pray vnto him They that haue no inward taste and féeling of Gods benefits and from whence all goodnesse commeth but are puffed vp with the conceit of their wealth and worldly helpes they carry this vngodly minde as though they had it not from Gods hand Haus not I built this house for the honour of my maiestie saith Nabuchodonosor Who is the Lord saith King Pharao Exod. 5. 2. that I should heare his voice I know not the Lord. Againe some perceiuing that their praiers are not presently heard grow to this vngodlinesse as to say What profit shall we haue if we pray vnto him Certain it is that God doth not heare all requestes but those that are agréeable to his will And therefore the Apostle S. Iames dooth well take them vp Ye aske saith he and receiue not because ye aske amisse that ye might coÌ„sume it on your lusts The Prophet Dauid also putteth in this eaueat That the Lord doth only heare the praier â— and requests of them that feare him Some thinking yâ— there is no resurrection giue ouer the mselues to all vngodlinesse and 〈◊〉 â—â—â—â—nesse VVisd 2. As the wise man vttereth their spéechâ—â— The 〈◊〉 godly say as they falsly imagine with themselues Our life is short and tedious and in the death of a man there is no recouery neither was any knowne that hath returned froÌ„ the graue For we are borne at all aduenture and we shall be hereafter as though wee had neuer bene The breath is a smoake in our nosthrils and the wordes as a sparke raised out of our heart which béeing extinguished the bodie is turned into ashes and the spirit vanisheth as the softe aire Our life shall passe away like the trace of a cloude and come to naught as the mist that is driuen away with the beames of the Sunne Our name also shall be forgotten in time and no man shall haue our workes in remembrance Our time passeth away as a shaddowe Come therefore and let vs enioy the pleasures that are present Let vs fill our selues with costly wine and oyntment and let not the floure of life and youth passe by vs. Let vs crowne our selues with rose buddes afore they be withered Let vs be partakers of our wantonnesse and let vs leaue some token of our pleasure in euerie place For that is our portion and this is our lot Let vs oppresse the poore that is righteous Let vs not spare the widdow nor reuerence the white haires of the aged that haue liued many yeares Let our strength be the lawe of vnrighteousnesse Concerning the latter day of iudgement this vngodlinesse shall be in the minde of many that they shall thinke there is no such day nor no such time 2. Pet. 3. 3. This first vnderstand that there shall come in the last daies mockers which will walke after their lusts and say Where is the promise of his comming For since the Fathers died all things continue alike from the beginning of the creation For this they willingly know not that the heauens and earth are reserued vnto fire against the day of iudgement and of the destruction of vngodly men No god no heauen no iudgement no hell This is the mind of many If any thing fall out amisse with vs if any crosse or affliction come vppon vs wee are readie with Iobes wife to murmure against God If the world go well with vs and if we be in prosperitie we attribute all our welfare not to Gods good blessing but to blinde fortune and chaunce If our enemies doo hurt vs and doo vs any wrong and iniury we are stirred vp and inflamed as it were in a rage to reuenge it to the vtmost This vngodlinesse is rife in the world and ruleth in our corrupt nature But the grace of God doth teach vs and perswade our harts to deny this and all other kind of vngodlinesse and to haue a reuerent opinion of all matters which concerne God and godlinesse The grace of God it teacheth that there is no heauenly gift where with we are indued but commeth of God who is the fountaine from whence godlinesse learning wisedome and all other excellent gifts doo flow When Gods outward blessings be in aboundance with vs by his grace we know that his prouidence doth enrich vs and not our labour our wisedome or wealth but the bountifull hand of God which is all in all Whereby we are perswaded to loue and feare God to haue a reuerent regard of him to make our praiers vnto him séeing all our welfare and good estate dependeth on his blessings Whereas being voyd of Gods grace and wanting his holy spirit to direct vs and our thoughts with king Pharao we aske who is God and with the wicked sort we say What profit shall we haue if we serue him and pray vnto him because our vnlawfull and vngodly requests be not granted vs. Being throughly instructed by Gods spirit we then learne that there is no meane so effectuall to make God our friend as praier is especially if it be well and rightly vsed as it ought to be And when the feare of God by his grace is planted in our hearts then begin we to know that there is a heauen and the ioyes of heauen reserued for those that doo well and hell and gréeuous torments prepared for them that follow euill waies and are delighted with doing euill And when we knowe and are taught by Gods spirit that all both heauenly and worldly benefits come to vs from God so also we learne that when any crosse or any affliction and trouble and losse and casualtie dooth befall vs that it is gods hand and his pleasure to strike and to punish vs for our sinnes It is the powerfull effect of gods grace to bréede in vs a charitable minde euen towardes our enemies and which teacheth vs that it is Gods will and commaundement that we should forgiue others as we our selues would bee forgiuen But if this alteration and sanctification be not bred in vs by Gods grace that teacheth vs to denie vngodlinesse howe were it possible but that with the world we should be most prophanely minded and as a people without God in this present world This word vngodlinesse toucheth not only the prophanesse of our mindes and our heathenish imaginations but hath respect also vnto superstition and all heresies in religion For the darkenesse of our deceiued mindes doth herein go farre astray and are so mightily ouercome by it that diuers nay insinite multitudes are vtterly ouerthrowne hereby As we reade in the
their adoption by the parable of an earnest pennie and by the parable of a seale In making of a bargaine when part of the price is paide and laid downe in earnest then assurance is made that all the rest yâ— remaines behind shal be wel truly paid And as when an indenture or lease is made for the peaceable possession of any lands tenements for the terme of a mans life or for long time the seale of the landlord is put too to make the matter most certain sure so when the childe of god hath receiued thus much from the holy ghest as to be persuaded that he is adopted and chosen in Christ he may be in good hope and is alreadie put in good assurance fully to eâ—ioâ— eternall life in the kingdome of heauen So familiar is God with vs as to bring vs to be perswaded of his good will by such meanes as are most vsuall with vs. For what is more vsuall with vs then either the order of an earnest penny or a seale to put vs out of all doubt and to warrant that thing which we haue vndertaken Therfore the Apostle in an other place doth giue vs great comfort shewing forth the determinate purpose of god coÌ„cerning this matter God saith he sent forth his son and made him subiâ—â— vnto the curse of the laâ—â— that by vndergoing the penaltie punishment which that curse and wrath of God did import he might redéeme them which were vnder the condemnation of the lawe vnder the bondage of sin and â—athan hell that being released and deliuered they might receiue the adoption of sonnes Wherfore saith he and the most chéerfully thou art no more a seruant but a sonne Now if thou be a sonne thou art also the heire of God through Christ This assurance of gods holy spirit is then most effectual wheÌ„ it shall yéeld vs greatest comfort and that is at the time of our departure out of this world and in the houre of death When all worldly comforts shal vanish theÌ„ shal this come in place gods blessings in this world shall shall then take their leaue wealth and possessions wife and children friendes and acquaintance and we shall goe naked out as we came naked in only this glorious apparel and this heauenlie raiment shal remaine that we are the adopted children of God that being along time strangers and pilgrims here on earth we shall nowe come to our home and to our inheritance reserued in heauen for vs. Here also shall the greatnes and the swéetnesse of the comfort appeare that when the diuell shal be most busie with vs to lay our sinnes to our charge and when death shall approach and the time of our passage drawe neare and when he shall vse all meanes possible to put vs beside the assured hope of our adoption then shall the comfort of Gods good spirit so strengthen our harts and consciences against the assaults of the diuel that he shal go away vanquished and we imboldned TheÌ„ shal our minds be lifted vp with cheerfulnesse knowing that our redemption shall fully be accomplished and our adoption sealed and perfectlie confirmed vnto vs. Contrariwise the wicked at the houre of death How Adoption respecteth the wicked which in their life time haue flattered themselues with the hope of their adoption shall then féele no certeintie neither anie comfort of the holy Ghost but in stéed of comfort they shall féele the horrible and dreadfull accusations of the diuel then to take place be of force against them The wicked and reprobate cannot haue the testimony and witnesse of gods good spirit to assure them that they are the children of God although for a time their vaâ—ne imaginations may deceiue themselues as also the diuel imitating the spirit of god doth vsually perswade carnal men and hipocrites that they are adopted and that they shal be saued But this perswasion of the diuel is but an illution and their deceiued hearts are not established by the assurance of Gods spirit which filleth the heart with ioy Whereas their hearts are full of doubtfulnesse full of distrust full of dispaire It may be they may beléeue for a time but as for that stâ—dfast and induring faith whereby they may trulie say that God is their father this is onlie in the elect children of God and those that are adopted Whose perfect regeneration it pleaseth God to begin in this world by sowing in their harts the immortall séed of life whereby he doth so certainly seale vnto them the grace of his adoption that it shall continue firme vnto the end In the meane time the faithfull are admonished carefullie and humblie to examine themselues least in stéede of a true faith concerning their adoption a carnall kinde of securitie créepe into their minds and growe vpon them and compasse them about euen as the Iuie doth the Oake The wicked haue neuer the féeling of gods grace but after a confused sort taking hold as it were rather of a shadow then of a bodie Because the spirit of God doth truly and properly seale the forgiuenesse of their sinnes onelie in the hearts of the godlie and the elect that they may apply the same by an especiall gift of faith vnto their comfort Confusedly I say the vngodlie receiue the grace of God not that they are partakers togither with the children of God of regeneration but because they séeme to haue a ground of faith after a common sort which is hid with a vaile and couering of hipocrisie Yet notwithstanding it may not be denied that God doth lighten their mindes so farre as they may ackowledge his grace and goodnesse toward them but this common sence and féeling of his grace is so distinguished from that comfortable assurance of gods spirit which is in the elect that the wicked come neuer to that sounde comfort and ioy which adoption bringeth with it For God dooth not so farre shewe himselfe fauourable vnto them as to take them into his guarde and kéeping as though they were quite deliuered from the punishment of their sinnes and from the feare of eternall death and damnation but only for the present time God doth giue them a taste of his mercie Neither is it amisse that God doth lighten the mindes of the wicked with some féeling of his gracious fauour the which anon withereth and vanisheth away through the hardnesse of their hearts through their vnstedfast mindes and through their owne vnthankfulnesse and backsliding wherby they make themselues more culpable and the more inexcusable all which is wonderfully brought to passe by the manifold wisedome of God That spirit of ours which the Apostle talketh off is a renued heart and a sanctified minde that fully and perfectly receiueth the benefit of adoption and vnto which spirit of ours gods spirite doth also beare witnesse that out of all doubt we are the adopted children of god The vngodly they haue but as it were a glimse but vnto the godly
sores of bodie and sundry diseases some suffer in themselues some are afflicted in their friends in their wiues in their children som in their goods some in their bodies some in their credits som by sea some by land some at home ome abroad some by open enemies some by counterfait friends some by cruell oppression some by manifest iniuries some by force some by fraud some afflicted by one meanes some by an other So many kinds of sorrowes there are Man neuer continueth in one state to day in his princely throne to morrow in his dustie graue to day placed in great authority to morrow cast out of countenance to day in high fauour to morrow in high displeasure now rich now poore now in wealth now in woe now sound now sicke now ioyfull now full of sorrow to day a man to morrow nothing O how short how chaungeable and how miserable is the state of mortall men And happy are they who can make this lesson of the sorrowes of this world as by meditation thereof to long after heauen Sorrowe there is inough because no ioy in respect and if the world affoord any ioy it is not true sound and certaine For what ioy or pleasure soeuer there is in the world it is mingled with some sorrow To teach vs to withdrawe our minds from the things of this world and to long after those pleasures those ioyes which are in an other world which only are stedfast and without chaunge without wearisomenesse bitternesse or any sorrow In this life nothing sure nothing stedfast nothing swéete but hath his soure The latine verse serueth well to this purpose Postimbres fructus post maxima gaudia luctus Being Englished is this in effect Raine brings flouds and ioy brings wo Sorrow followes comfort Too oft we find it so When Iacob was frée from Esau then his vncle Laban vsed him hardly when Laban could do him no more hurt then Esau met him who had vowed his death In whom we may sée the life of a faithfull and godly man Feare after comfort and comfort after feare ebbings and flowings risings and fallings so we go along and so we shall end Your riches your honours friends picasures wife children and such like are taken from you in part or in all You maruell at it and thinke peraduenture you are quite out of the Lords fauour for else this great chaunge in your estate would not be Here you sée a sorrow marke also a secret and a mistery and let euery one laie it to their heart For the reason why the Lord doth so is because we should not perish While we euioyed them we forgot our selues and God by this means doth put vs in minde that we should not forget him God draweth vs away from these matters lest his iudgements should ouertake vs as well as others Yea he draweth vs forcibly by want of these benefites Let vs not be dismaied or hang downe the head for sorrow knowing for what end God worketh these sorrowes all to our good and all for the best Ye shall wéepe and lament and the world in these masters shall reioyce but their ioy shall be turned into sorrow For all these worldly comforts shall perish and they with them because they rather abused them then vsed them as they ought Your sorrowes also in these matters shall haue some recompence when God seeth good and if it be also for your good and you shall be comforted with riches honours friends pleasures wife children and euery néedfull thing Then shall ye finde it true which the Prophet Dauid assureth you Psal 84. No good thing shall he withhold from them that leade a godly life Therefore wéepe as Sorrow of slāder though ye wept not Yet is the losse of good name and fame by slaunder and euill reports more bitter then these losses and more heauily taken and the sorrowe sinketh déeper Some are frée from it but not all and this is a knowne trueth that the more that euerie one dooth excell in vertue and goodnesse the more they are hated enuied and slaundered Because ye followe not excesse and riot saith Saint Peter therefore the world hateth you But this is a comfort as the same Apostle saith 2. Epistle 4. 5. They shall giue account to him that is readie to iudge quicke and dead the Iudge standeth at the doore and his iudgement is neare The best of all Christ our Sauiour was worst spoken off They are not the best that bring vp slaunders but the worser sort whose good reports are but little woorth as also their slaunders are not to be regarded It is a thing worthie a Prince saith a famous Monarch of the worlde being slaundered and euill spoken off when thou haste done well to heare ill They that are famous and of renowme haue péeuish pesaunts to disgrace them whose tongues were neuer exercised in saying well This is a sorrowe which must bee endured and furthermore thou must pray for them and blesse them which bring this sorrowe vpon thée and so ouercome them which by no other meanes The perticuler sorrow of Persecution which is especially meant in this text can be wonne But aboue all sorrowes on the earth there séemeth none to be compared to the losse of life for life is swéet Yet this is the sorrow which here is meant and in this place commanded and which we must endure if we looke to be the heires of heauen As the Apostle witnesseth writing to the Romanes who putting them in minde of great priuiledges dooth also perswade them to the patient enduring of all troubles and persecutions If yee be children yee are heires if heires the heires of God and fellowe heires with Christ if so be ye suffer with him that ye may also be gloried with him Ye shall wéepe and lament because that gréeuous persecution is your lot and the losse of life the thing that you must looke for And how can it but make fraile flesh to wéepe and lament séeing that to liue is the greatest ioy in the worlde and nothing more against our nature then to heare of persecution and of death And no meruaile though the Disciples and the godly shead teares when this matter caused our Sauiour Christ Iesus through anguish of minde to sweate bloud and How backward by nature we are in this businesse how readie wee should be to desire that this cuppe might passe from him In the Apostle S. Peter we may perceiue the mind of a naturall man loth to vndertake so great a matter who when hee heard Christ our Sauiour to foretell of his persecution and death saying that he must go to Ierusalem and suffer many things of the Elders and of the high Priests Scribes and be slaine then did he take him aside and beganne to rebuke him saying Maister pittie thy selfe this thing shall not be vnto thee But so farre off is it that we should be loth and tardie that we should be most forward
enter into the kingdome of God then by trouble affliction and persecution According to that our Sauiour Christ hath set downe Mat. 5. Who preaching vnto the people of happines and blessednes concludeth and shutteth vp the treatise of blessednesse with the worthie estate of them that suffer persecution for the truth As though none were more renowmed then they as though they aboue all other should haue the garland and weare the crowne Blessed are they which suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake for theirs is the kingdome of heauen Blessed are ye when men reuile you and persecute you and say all maner of euil against you for my sake falfly Reioice and be glad for great is your reward in heauen For the extremest torments that we may be put to and which we may vndertake in this life are not worthy of that glorious crowne which we shall receiue after the conquest and after our trial and after our triumph Therfore the Apostle doth wel terme all punishments and all afflictions all extremities to be light because they endure but a moment as also in respect of the reward which is beyond all comparison séeing they shall procure vnto vs a far more excellent an eternal waight of glory While we looke not on the things the are séene but on the things which are not séene For the things which are séene are temporall but the things which are not séen are eternal Mark but one president worthie matter in the afflictions persecutions of the Apostle S. Paul Act. 23. 11. who after he had like to haue bene pulled in péeces among them the night following the Lord stood by him and said Be of good courage Paul for as thou hast testified of mee in Ierusalem so must thou beare witnesse also at Rome The comfortable voice of God whether by himselfe or by the meanes of an Angel which was most likely this passeth all perswasions Neuerthelesse that nothing be wanting from the strengthening The fourth reason is set downe by induction of examples and incouraging of our weake mindes let vs take a view and behold the valiant exploits of them that haue borne the brunt of the battell and that haue shed their blood and spent their liues in the cause quarrell of Gods truth and of a Christian profession We are not the first that haue bene put to bitter persecution and if the valiant captaines haue stood to it why should the souldiers shrincke Examples we haue many the Prophets that were before Christ Christ himselfe and the Apostles that followed Christ as also a multitude of Martyrs who through their example haue yéelded themselues to bitter death and extreame torments at all times and in all ages euen as a rare and new Phoenix doth spring out of the ashes of the old And therefore it is well said Sanguis martyrum semen ecclesiae The blood of the Martyres is the séede of the church and one Martyr maketh many What hope is so sure and certaine that well they may be slaine and death they will not refuse yet is it impossible they should bee ouercome Abel was murthered of Cain and the crie of his blood went vp to heauen for vengeance Elias was persecuted to death by that idolatrous Iezabel Zachary the sonne of righteous Iehoida stoned to death by that reuolting King Ioas Amos smitten with a clubbe on the temples of the head and so brained Esaias sawed in two parts with a woodden sawe Ieremy persecuted often imprisoned very sore throwne downe into the déepe filthie and miry dungeon and at length stoned to death in Egypt of his owne people Ezechiel slain at Babilon by the Duke of the people Iohn Baptist beheaded Of our Sauiour Christ although I might intreat at large of his persecution and intollerable death because in soule hée felt and suffered the torments of hell yet because the matter is so apparant I thinke it néedlesse Only I will recite the words of the Apostle to the Heb. 12. 2. Let vs looke vnto Iesus the authour and finisher of our faith who for the ioy that was set before him endured the crosse and despiced the shame and is set at the right hand of the throne of God Consider therefore him that endured such speaking against of sinners least yee should bee wearied and fainte in your minds And although ye haue not resisted vnto bloud yet your owne blood must be nothing in your sight Faint not heauen and earth shall vanish away but Gods promise shall haue no end which is this Great is your reward in heauen Next to Christ let vs beholde his Apostles whether they dranke not of the same cup. Peter was crucified and Paul beheaded at Rome vnder Nero that I speake nothing of their whipping and scourging bandes and imprisonment which they suffered before their death Battholomew was slaine aliue in India and after his skinne was pulled ouer his eares beheaded Steuen was stoned The discourse of whose persecution and death is notably set downe Act. 7. and worthie often to be read and to be remembred As for the examples of Martyrs they are infinit and that famous booke of the Acts and Monuments of the Church shall satisfie thée in this point Stories at large and I thinke it tedious here to bring in many If thou desirest but one storie and one example for all looke vppon that famous and wonderfull example of the seuen brethren mentioned 2. Macc. 7. who only is able to confirme the weakest heart Which Chapter when I reade and thinking to recite somewhat aboue the rest more notable I sawe I could not do it vnlesse I set downe the whole Chapter vnto the which I referre thée as also to the sixt Chapter of the same booke concerning Eleazarus And let vs all pray that God would inable vs with the like strength when time shall come that God laie this burthen vpon vs. These arguments first of Gods commandement Secondly of the feareful punishment that shall ensue if we refuse or deny Thirdly the great and infinit blessings which come vnto vs if we doo performe that which is required at our hands And fourthly the examples of yâ— prophets Christ and his Apostles and Martyres to encourage vs are of sufficient waight to perswade to this worthie worke Yet furthermore Six o her reasons or arguments briefly collected let me briefly and in a word adde these reasons First that though torments be bitter yet the ioyes that follow are vnspeakable Secondly all the ioyes of this world are but for a moment and nothing more sure then death Thirdly that by enduring persecution and death we maintaine gods glory and confirme his truth whereby we shall please God and die in his fauour Fourthly we shal be witnesses against the vnbeléeuing world as also by our constancy and courage we shall establish the wauering mindes which by our fraâ—ltie are like to fall we shall win others to the kingdome of God by professing his truth to the death
Achab did that wicked King of Israel Some will say it is an eafie matter for a man to ouercome his sinfull affections and wee may doo well if wee will But I aske them who was more able and better furnished then the blessed Apostle S. Paul yet he findeth the matter so hard to performe that he confesseth it to the whole world Rom. 11. 22. I delight in the law of God concerning the inner man but I see an other lawe in my members rebelling against the lawe of my minde and leading me captiue vnto the lawe of sinne which is in my members that is in all the sences and in all the parts of my bodie Yea he seeth it to be a matter so impossible that he is faine to crie out O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me And seeth no other meane of deliueraunce but only praier for Gods helpe that it would please God to beate downe the power of sinne in him I besought the Lord thrice that it might depart from me And answere was made My grace is sufficient for thee and my power is made perfect through thy weaknesse For that which is impossible to man is most easie for God to bring to passe Most truly therefore might he say Very gladly will I reioyce rather in mine infirmities that the power of Christ may dwell in me and master and mortifie sinne which would full faine haue the better hand ouer me Many will not be knowne of their sinnes when they be admonished of them because they are loth to leaue them yet some of a better minde and more tractable will acknowledge them and in their minde will mislike them and also will not sticke to confesse that they would faine leaue them and would thinke themselues happie if they might be rid of them yet find in themselues no power at all to forgo them No maruell then though the Apostle Heb. 12. perswadeth vs to cast off sinne which cleaneth vnto vs and hangeth on so fast But how may we forgo them how may we be rid of them we cannot it is impossible to vs. Craue it and beg it as the apostle did once twice thrice yea often euer at the hands of God in earnest and humble praier and he will performe it vnto thée and after a while thou shalt perceiue how weake the power of sin will begin to be in thée So that thou shalt be daily lesse proude lesse giuen to drunkennesse to theft to whoredome and the like till thou growest at the last to hate that sin that troubled thy soule so much till in time thou hast gathered that strength that thou maiest dispossesse and throwe out that strong man Behold then how great cause the godly haue to reioyce at their infirmities in that not only the power of their ruling sinnes is abated but also by the power of Gods good spirit and by the grace of Christ who dwelleth in the harts of the godly they are quite ouercome and ouerthrowne Whereby we may gather these two comforts First that this is a sure token vnto vs that we appertaine vnto God and secondly that the diuel shall haue no power to destroy vs séeing that we haue escaped his snares and that his bands that held vs in so fast are loosed burst and broken I will adde but one ioy more which is most pertinent To do good for euill and for the present purpose And that is that the godly reioyce to do the wicked good as the wicked reioyce to hurt them and sport and solace themselues in their sorrowes At the conuertion of the sinner and wicked the Angels in heauen reioyce and it is not to be doubted but that the godly beare them company heerein and are as greatly ioyfull The enemy of the Prophet Eliseus sought his death but he set bread water before them and sent them away in peace when they were al in his hand and at his word they might haue bene put to death When Dauid might haue saline Saul yet he reioyced in preseruing his life The Prophet Ieremy counselled the Israelies to pray for the life of King Nabuchodonosor who held them in captiuitie although he were a wicked and an idolatrous King Our Sauiour Christ praied for the life of his persecutors O Lord laie not this sinne to their charge for they know not what they do So did the blessed Martyr S. Stenen when the stones flue thicke about his eares Thus doo they pray for them that persecute them that God would turn his wrath from them and that in mercy he would call them as the Apostle Saint Paul was called from persecution to profession thus doo they speake well of them that hate them blesse them that curse them thus do they good for euil and séeke the preseruation of their liues who gréedily hunt after their ouerthrow death According to the examples of the Apostles 1. Cor. 4. 12. We are reuiled and yet we blesse we are persecuted and suffer it we are euill spoken of and we pray I say the truth in Christ saith S. Paul Rom. 9. 1. I lie not my conscience bearing mee witnesse in the holie Ghost that I haue great heauinesse and continual sorrow in my heart For I would wish my self to be seperate from Christ for my brethren that are my kinsmen according to the flesh but his professed and vtter enemies by persecution Yet he calleth them brethren Brethren my hearts desire and praier to God for Israel is that they might bee saued Accounting the good and welfare of his enemies the greatest ioy that might befall him More might be said but I haue stood vpon this point of the ioy of the godly somewhat too long Wherefore as a matter more proper to the godly I will The sorrow of the godly returne vnto the words of my text and intreat once againe of their sorrow The world shall reioyce and ye shall sorrow as if they were both borne and bred to it and should end their liues in the same For as the oxen appointed to the slaughter are let runne a fatting at their pleasure and other oxen kept vnder daily labour of the yoke so fareth it with the godly that are exercised with trouble all the daies of their life while the wicked escape run at randam gathering fat and growing grosse dying shortly nay more then that eternally If the godly haue any comfort in this world it continueth not long and therefore their life may well be said to be a mixture of swéet soure and a continual interchange of sorrow comfort comfort sorrow Which if they consider wel is a benefit vnto them so far forth as to draw their minds frō earth to heauen from y◠world to God Wherunto they are the more moued bicause the world maketh a wonder of them a gazing stock a matter of contempt and derision As the Apostle 1. Cor. 4. 13. hath foretold We are counted as the filth of the worlde and the
ofscouring of all things vnto this time and a gazing stocke vnto the world In the time of the Prophet Zachariah they that followed the word of the Lord were continued in the world and estéemed as monsters Heare now saith the Prophet Zachariah cap. 3. 8. Heare now ô Iehoshua the high priest thou and thy fellowes that sit before thee for they are monstrous persons So likewise was it in the daies of Esay the Prophet cap. 8. 18. Behold I and the children whom the Lord hath giuen me are as signes and as wonders in Israel and such as are thought not worthie to liue Moreouer their estate in worldly matters what is it but hunger thirst nakednesse imprisonment to be buffetted to haue no certain dwelling place Be not dismaid at this estate but rather with Moses frame thy self to take part with the godly in their sorrow yea although thou mightest liue in y◠pallaces of princes For he that will liue godly must looke and make account of sorrow and séeke for no ioy When Baruch was sory because he could not be partaker of his desire and of his ioy he had this answere from God by the mouth of the Prophet Ieremiah Seekest thou great things for thy selfe seeke them not Let vs remember what Christ said My kingdome is not of this world And why should the desire of ioy so tickle our minds or sorrow daunt vs and throw vs downe or any griefe discourage vs When all things goe according to our will then doo we easily slide into the forgetfulnesse of God but sorrow and miserie maketh vs knowe God and our selues I said in my prosperitie saieth Dauid I should neuer bee cast downe But it is good for mee that I haue bene troubled And many there are who haue giuen God more thankes for their sorrow and misery then for all the prosperitie that euer they enioyed So greatly it did instruct them and so great good it did them Sée howe profitable it is to haue sorrow rather then ioy If our estate be ioyfull and sorrow dooth not assault vs yet let vs wéepe with them that wéepe and pray to God to turne away his heauie hand from them on whom he hath laid sorrow Let there be fellow-féeling in thée of the sorrowes of others as if the case were our owne and let vs helpe to beare their burthen Consider if thou canst be without sorrow if thou countest thy selfe amongst the number of those that are godly Record with thy self what duties and good things thou hast omitted which thou shouldest haue done either to God or man either to our selues or others to our own charge committed to our hands and to our gouernment as wife children seruants or to strangers to our friends or to our enemies Let vs call to mind what euil we haue done wherby God hath bene dishonoured our neighbours iniuried our selues defiled other by our example allured to wickednes Let vs not be wilfully forgetfull that we haue omitted our dutie in praier and inuocation to God and in performing our humble seruice vnto him That we haue omitted the ministring to the necessitie of the Saints and the helpe we should haue shewed to the néedie brethren that wee haue omitted many good opportunities which haue bene offered for the increase of our vertues faith patience mercie and such like That we haue neglected the carefull visiting of the poore destitute which lie in our stréetes and complaine for their great miseries and are readie to perish before our eies for lacke of reliefe That we haue omitted many exercises of praier of preaching of reading and meditating in the law of God that we haue omitted many things which appertaine to godlinesse and true sanctification Againe let vs remember on the other side that we haue committed much wickednesse priuately publikely openly secretly in our soules in our bodies at home and abroad against God and men in our conuersation and in our communication All which being duly considered haue we not iust cause to chastice our selues by sorrowe and to afflict our selues by wéeping How canst thou but grieue in minde to sée the wicked flourish and they that are most against God and godlines The wicked to flourish and against the godly to beare the greatest sway in the world and they that indéede ought to be vile and of no account with vs yea although their personages and places and wealth and riches be great to sée them in greatest estimation and most honoured of the people This made the prophet Ieremy to muse and to wonder and the prophet Dauid almost to fall from God My féete had welny flipt Reade the ps 73. 37. Iob. 21. Where this matter is excellenly set downe and resolued The Prophet Ieremy 2. Esd 3. 21. 4. 1. in his 12. chap. ver 1. O Lord if I dispute with thee thou art righteous yet let me talke with thee of thy indgements Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper Why are they in wealth that rebelliously transgresse They doe not only liue when the good are taken away but also to the great admiration and grief many times of Gods children they greatly flourish they liue waxe old and grow in wealth and their séede is established in their sight with them and their generation before their eies their houses are peaceable without feare and gods rod is not vpon them neither are they in trouble and plauged as other men whome God more fauoureth therfore kéepeth them from the wantonuesse of this sinful world Lest as the world is lulleda sléep till their last sléep come vpon them so also they might grow in such forgetfulnes as to doubt whether there were a God that ruled the earth whether euer they should be taken frō the earth by death whether there were a iudgemēt day in the which they should be called to an account whether there were a heauen for the godly or a hell for the wicked As though the worlde should endnre for euer and the flonrishing estate of the wicked should neuer haue an ende I sawe saith the wiseman Eccle. 8. 10. the wicked buried and they returned that is other came in their places as bad as they and they that came from the holy place were yet forgotten in the citie where they had done right This also is vanitie yet though a sinner do euil anhundred times and God prolongeth his daies I knowe it shall bee well with them that feare the Lord and do reuerence before him But it shall not be well to the wicked neither shall he prolong his daies he shal be like a shadow because he feareth not before God In this world it commeth to the righteous according to the worke of the righteous This hath troubled many in all ages not only of the weaker sort but many of them also which haue bene stronger Iob Dauid Ieremy euen such as haue bene partakers of Gods secretes And why should not the same matter moue thée to sorrow also When
hath many dumps and amidst their ioyes doe often wéepe but the sorrowes of the godly are such that neither make them to breake their sléep nor yet to be heauy hearted For Paul Silas being in prison in fetters and cold iron Act. 16. Sung a Psalme and praised God The reason that may mooue them both so to do is great waightie the one remembring that their ioyes shall end in perpetual sorrowes the other reioyce knowing that their sorrowes shal not alwaies last and yâ— their crosse and their crowne are ioyned both togither as matters inseparable For of all other they were the most miserable if their hope were onely in this life Mat. 5. 4. Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted Luke 6. 21. Blessed are they that weepe now for they shall laugh Looke vpon Lazarus wéeping on earth and reioycing in heauen In the midst and in the multitude of my sorrowes that I had in my heart saith the Prophet Psal 44. 19. Thy comfortes haue refreshed and reioyced my soule In the Lords word will I comfort me which is so full of heauenly promises Phil. 4. 4. Reioyce in the Lord alway and againe I say reioyce The sorrowes of persecution turned into ioyes let your patient minde be knowue vnto all men The Lord is at hand to succor you to giue you ioy What bréedeth patience in troubles so much as that when they know that their sorrowes shal be turned into ioy Ye sorrowed with me for my bandes saith the Apostle Heb. 10. 34. and suffered also with ioy the spoiling of your owne goodes knowing in your selues how that ye haue in heauen a better and induring substance Whosoeuer shall forsake houses or brethreÌ„ or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands and possessions for my names sake he shal receiue a hundred fâ—â—d more and shall inherite euerlasting life And who would not be patient in trouble and persecution seeing it shal be requited with such icy No trouble so bitter as the trouble of persecution yet this is the comfort that it is but short though it séeme vnto vs long Else the Apostle would not haue vsed this spéech Yet a while and that a very little while and that shall come will come and will not tarry yea and bring his rewardes with him The flesh is fraile and rebellious the world is cruel persecution is most gréeuous and therefore ye haue great néede of patience that after ye haue done the will of God yée might receine the promise Through which and other like waightie causes and considerations the same Apostle being mooued praied for the Collossians that they might be strengthened with all might through the glorious power of God vnto all patience and long sufferance and that with ioyfulnesse Which ioyfulnesse hée himselfe expressed in his owne person most liuely speaking thereof more then once and twice To the Collossians chapter 1. 24. Now reioyce in my suffrings and to the Cor 2. epist 7. he writeth thus Ye are in our hearts to die and liue togither I vse great boldnesse of speech toward you I reioyce greatly in you I am filled with comfort and am exceeding ioyous in all our tribulation For if there be any bitternesse in persecution as certaine it is that it is most great it is altogither swallowed vp of spirituall ioy for worldly ioy cannot attaine to that strength as to endure it Through faith we haue accesse vnto this grace wherein we stand and reioyce vnder the hope of the glory of God neither doo we so only but also we reioyce in tribulations For wheÌ„ we are most weake then is God most strong and able to giue vs strength to endure our triall 2. Cor. 4. 8. We are afflicted on euery side yet are we not in distresse in pouertie but not ouercome of pouertie We are persecuted but not forsaken cast downe but we perish not Neither do wee faint though our inward man perish because our inward man is renewed daily and strengthned comforted in hope which maketh vs not ashamed although the world would laie shame inogh vpon vs. And in an other place he speaketh of himselfe and of all the faithful 2. Cor. 6. 8. We must approue our selues as those that haue hope in God by honor and dishonor by euil report good report as deceiuers yet true as vnknowne and yet knowne as dying and behold we liue as chastened and yet not killed as sorrowing and yet alwaies reioycing The vine the more it is pressed the more it riseth the spice yâ— more it is beaten the swéeter it smelleth the fire yâ— more it is kept vnder the more it bursteth out the Israelites the more they were oppressed the more they multiplied and so is it with the godly the more their outward sorrowes be the more are their inward ioyes In this matter the Apostle S. Iames is of the same mind with the Apostle S. Paul who in the beginning of his epist maketh persecutioÌ„ one of his chéefest matters to speak of giuing it a great coÌ„mendatioÌ„ encouraging other therein by shewing them what shall ensue My brethren count it excéeding ioy when ye fall into this especiall temptation of affliction and persecution Excéeding ioy he termeth it because no earthly ioy may be compared to that which they that are afflicted and persecuted both féele and shall also be partakers of As in the same chapter is declared Blessed is the man that suffereth temptation that is affliction and persecution for when he is is tried he shall receiue the crowne of life because the Lord hath promised That he may be bold to say I haue runne my race I haue fought a good fight and henceforth is laid vp for me the crowne of righteousnesse And because of this ioy which was fully setled in their mindes and hearts Saint Peter and the rest of the Apostles as we shall reade Actes 5. 41. when they were reuiled threatened and beaten departed reioycing that they were counted worthie to suffer rebuke for his name The world saith Christ shall hate and excommunicate you and thinke they please God highly in killing you And because I haue saide these thinges vnto you your hearts are full of sorrow But marke againe another spéech of his and sée howe hee dooth raise vs vp in comfort and in ioy Hee that will follow mee must take vp his crosse and follow mee and whosoeuer shall forsake houses or brethren or sisters father mother wife children landes possessions yea bid farwell to the world and hate and despise his owne life for my sake hee shall receiue an hundreth folde more and shall inherite euerlasting life For the ioy of conscience which Gods children féele euen in their afflictions is a thousand fold more worth then all worldly treasure These things saith Christ haue I spoken vnto you that my ioy might remaine in you and that your ioy might be full The prince of our peace and saluation was consecrated
thy sonnes take heed to their way that they walke before me in truth with al their hearts and with all their soules thou shalt not said he want one of thy posteritie vpon the throne of Israel So also because the Rechabites kept the commaundement of their father their continuance by posteritie was their blessing as we reade Iere 35. 18. 19. which God caused to be pronounced vnto them by the mouth of the Prophet Ieremiah Thus saith the Lord of hostes the God of Israel Because ye haue obeied the commandemeÌ„t of Ionadab your father and kept all his precepts and done according to all that he hath commanded you Therefore saith the Lord of hostes the God of Israel Ionadab the sonne of Rachab shall not want a man to stand before me for euer but his posteritie shal continue and be continually in my fauour What greater preserment can come to the godly to requiâ—e their sorrowes withall then that it pleased God to make them all men-children and also heires of his heauenly kingdome if so be they can frame themselues to be content to suffer with him else are they in no sort worthie to be glorified with him For all the sorrowes and afflictions of this life are nothing to the glorie that shall be reuealed They may also be well said to be heires of the crown which is not so lightly obteined for oftentimes such a matter costeth many a man his life And how many dangers are vndertaken before we may be capable of this royaltie or thought worthie to be princes fellowes All things that are excellent haue a deare price and he that would be a prince must perswade himselfe it shall cost him full deare Yet a worthie mind thinkes no labour too painfull no danger impossible and all sorrowes to be swéete which haue so swéete a recompence Reu. 4. 4. I sawe round about the throne foure and twentie seates and vppon the seates foure and twentie elders sitting cloathed in white raiment and had on their heads crownes of gold Reu. 3. 11. Behold I come shortly hold that which thou hast that no man take thy crowne To the preferment of the godly this also may be added Nâ—me that their name and good report shall liue for euer wheras 〈◊〉 39. 13. the remembrance of the wicked rot Many things are done by the wicked for a name but it turnes cleane contrary For the credite of their name shall be but shame and discredite shall be their glorie They that built the tower of Babel got themselues a name but with dâ—risition of their follie and as good haue no name as such a name But the name that the godly leaue after their death is precious and the constant Martirs that gaue vp their liues for the profession of Christ his truth are remembred with reuerence Their bodies although they haue bene put to extremities and gréeuous punishments yet shall their names liue for euermore The congregation shall talke of their praise and although they be dead they shall leaue a greater fame then a thousand The doating foolishnesse of the world is such euer to neglect heauen and to séeke for a name in earth where nothing is firme nothing continueth but sadeth away and perisheth as a thought What is a name of great wisedome of great wealth of great eloquence of warlike prowesse yea of the princes fauour In the world they are obtained in the world they are enioyed and to the world they must be left Besides this the name of the godly is more durable and of longer continuance he that will loose his life shall saue it he that estéemeth more of the fauour of God then the fauour of the world shall in this life haue sorrowes and persecutions but in the life come ioyes Their names are defaced on Reâ— 2. â—7 earth among the wicked but they are written in heauen and registred in euerlasting remembrance Reioyce saith Christ that your names are written in heauen Yea let them reioyce with ioy vnspeakeable because that none shall be saued at the dreadfull day of iudgement but they whose names are sounde in the writing of Israel and recorded in the booke of life For whosoeuer was not founde written in the booke of life Reuelat. 20. 15. was cast into the lake of fire where is nothing else but burning and brimstone wéeping and gnashing of téeth and wofull lamentation without any compassion The former part of the similitude and comparison being Application I will see you againe ended now followeth the second consisting in application set downe in these words And ye now are in sorrow but I will see you againe and your hearts shall reioyce and your ioy shall no man take from you This application Iohn 1. 51. 14. 19. as you sée is furnished with thrée proofes whereof the first is I will see you againe The woman when she trauelleth hath sorrow but when she is deliuered of a manchild her sorrow is turned yea and swallowed vp of ioy I will see you againe So still he performeth his word and promise Your sorrow shall bee turned into ioy When the Apostle Saint Paule tooke his leaue and his last farwell of the Church of Ephesus knéeling downe and praying with them they wept all aboundantly and fel on Pauls necite and â—â—â—ssed him Being sorrie for nothing so much as for the words which he spake That they should sée his face no more How then could the Apostles choose but be sorrie and wéep aboundantly at the departure of our Sauiour Christ which was so deare a friend vnto them and whose presence they had so long enioyed to their great comfort and contentment Departure of louing friendes bréeds paine and taking of leaue is often with great heauinesse As we sée when one is to depart from his friends and to take his iourney into some farre country this griefe of departing is ioyned with sheading of teares But when there is departure by death theÌ„ what wéeping what wringing of hands what outcries and lamentation The reason of this their excessius sorrow for the departure of their friends is that they are without hope Who although they shâ—l â—ée their face no more yet ought they to be assured that their soules shal be at rest and in the hands of God and that no torments shall touch them They that are thus perswaded leaue their sorrow and are contented with Gods will and are also thankful that it hath pleased God to take them to his mercy and that he hath released them out of the troubles of this miserable world Yet are there some that are of opinioÌ„ that euen in heauen also they shal haue knowledge and sée their friends again which are departed in the Lord which is a matter to abate all sorrow Neuerthelesse we may not imagine any worldly knowledge For greater things are reserued for the saints of God According to that we reade 2. Cor. 5. 16. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh
blemish the which the more we desire the more we may and our longing shall neuer be satisfied Behold the ioyes of the world and sée whether they be as durable as the Moone which changeth euery moneth When the Sunne ariseth the beautifull floure withereth and the place thereof shall knowe it no more Glorious Tyrus shal be robbed of her riches Ezech. 26. and they shall spoile her marchandise her walles shall be broken downe and they shall destroy her pleasant houses and they shall cast thy stones and thy timber and thy dust into the midst of the water and thou shalt be built no more For I the Lord haue spoken it Thus wil I cause the sound of thy songs to cease and the sound of thy harpes shall be no more heard Reu. 18. O beautifull Babylon the apples Eze. 26. 21. 27. 36. 28. 9. that thy soule lusted after and those things which thou louedst best are departed from thée and al things which were fat excellent are gone and thou shalt finde them no more And they that wondred at her beautie and shouted for ioy to sée the great cittie that was cloathed in fine linen purple and skarlet and guilded with gold precious stone and pearles euen for her shall they wéep and lament saying Alasse Alasse With great violence shall the great citie Babylon be destroied and cast away and shall be found no more The voice of harpers musitians and of vipers and trumpetters shall be heard no more in thée and no craftsman of whatsoeuer craft he be shall be found any more in thée and the sound of a milstone shall be heard no more in thée And the light of a candle shall shine no more in thée And the voyce of the Bridegroome and of the Bride shall be heard no more in thée What is it to haue the ioy of the world to sée the multitude of children increase of cattell to liue in outward peace to reioyce in the sound of organes and pleasant instruments and suddainly to goe downe to the graue and that without all hope Who though he be dead and gone yet is he kept vnto the day of destruction and shall be brought forth to the day of wrath Wordly comforts and outward ioyes shall be taken away But the ioyes of the godly are such which are not séene and which this world is not worthie of and which shall not be taken away for God hath so promised Let this word be thy warrant and a stedfast beliefe thy anchor-hold Esay 3 5. Strengthen the weake hands saith the Lord by his Prophet and comfort the féeble knées Say vnto them that are fearefull of sorrow and trouble and persecution beholde your God commeth with vengeance euen God with a recompence he wil come and saue you Then shall the eies of the blind be lightened and the eares of the deafe bee opened then shall the lame man leape as an hart and the dumbe mans toong shall sing Therfore the redéemed of the Lord shall returne and come Eze. 28. 25. 26. to Sion with praise and euerlasting ioy shall be vpon their heads they shall obtaine ioy and gladnesse and sorrow and mourning shall flie away Lift vp your eies saith the Prophet Esay 51. 3. 6. to the heauens and looke vpon the earth beneath for heauens shall vanish away like smoke and the earth shal wax old like a garment and they that dwel therin shall perish in like maner But as for the desolations of Sion they shall be restored and she shall be built vp and her stones shall be laid with the carbuncie her wridernesse shal become like the gardein of Eden and more plentifull then paradice it selfe which God at the first created Ioy gladnesse shall be found therein praise and the voice of singing And if thou wouldst behold that ioy that shall not be taken away be hold it in these thrée matters The ioy of the holy Ghost which is vnspeakable and indeterminable the hope of promised reward which is immoueable the reward it selfe which is most glorious Which arguments heare touched heareafter may more fully be enlarged Your ioy shall no man take from you no nor the diuel himselfe with all his legions and millions of companies who haue done vs spight inough and would as yet to the end and in the end put vs from all comfort and kéepe vs backe that we should not be partakers of any ioy Who though he hath throwne vs out of the earthly paradice yet out of the heauenly Ierusalem shall he neuer be able to cast vs although he endeuour neuer so much and labour might and maine For his labours shal be like the buildings of Babel which were without effect and altogether in vaine and in the heigth of his strength he shal be cast downe like lightning He that hath vndertaken to be our helpe and to kéepe vs will neuer faile vs Iohn 6. 39. This is the fathers will which hath sent me saith Christ that of all which he hath giuen me I should léese nothing but should raise it vp againe at the last day and that euery one of them should receiue euerlasting life when as death and damnation the power of the diuell and hell torments shall vtterly be broken Iohn 10. 28. I giue vnto them eternall life and they shall neuer perish neither shall any plucke them out of my hand For my father which gaue them me is greater then all and mightier then the mighty and none is able to take them out of my fathers hand I and my father are one Reâ—e 20. 4. And I sawe seates and they sate vpon them and iudgement was giuen vnto them and I sawe the soules of them that were be headed for the witnesse of Iesus and for the word of God and which did not worship the beasts neither his image neither had taken his mark vpon their for heads or on their hands and they liued reigned with Christ a thousand year as if he had said ten thousand worlds And againt cap. 7. 13. One of the Elders which appeared vnto S. Iohn in a vision said vnto him What are these which are arraied in long white robes whence came they And he said vnto him Lord thou knowest Who answered these are they which came out of great tribulation and haue washed their long robes and haue made their long robes white in the blood of the lambe Therefore are they now in the presence of God who now hath wiped away all teares from their eies For the former things are passed and there shall be no more death neither sorrow neither crying neither shall there be any more paine and griefe And him that ouercommeth will I make a piller in the temple of my God and he shall goe no more out and I will write vpon him the name of my God and the name of the cittie of my God which is the newe Ierusalem which commeth downe out of heauen from my God and I