now let vs heare this foolish youngster Father c. and prodigall waster Father sayth he giue mee the portion of the goods that falleth to mee This portion is that gift of reason vnderstanding which God hath imparted vnto vs. As if he had said Father giue me leaue to liue as I list and to doe as I thinke good Heere-hence commeth all the mischiefes and inconuences in the world eyther because men desire to doe what they list or else because men regarde not to liue after Gods will and in his obedience He would be like vnto God to order all thinges according to his pleasure Thys pride and selfe-will is the heginning of all sinne in the world which maketh thē accursed that are thereto addicted He shaketh off his fathers gouernment his own will must stand for a law Selfe-loue ouerthrowes iudgement darkneth sence reason poysoneth the will and hindereth the course of saluation shutting vp all passage thereunto For such men as are so intangled with the loue of themselues neyther know God nor loue theyr neighbour nor seeke after vertue but onely minde those things whereby they may aduaunce themselues gaping for honour and hunting after promotion Free-will doth vnderprop this selfe-loue Freewill which of it selfe is but a weake stay For although by sin our free-will be not vtterlie taken away in naturall and morall actions yet neuerthelesse it remaineth so weake vnable and so defaced in spirituall matters that it cannot resist any temptations But as a ship in the Sea hauing lost her rudder is tossed to and fro with the least blast of wind So this free-will of ours vnlesse it be conformed by repentance and humilitie framed a newe by yeelding our selues to Gods gracious direction for of our selues we are not able so much as to think a good thought it is so crazed and so wauering that it is easilie ouerthrowne by euerie temptation of the flesh the world and the deuill Before the fal of our first parents our free will was perfect inclining to all goodnes but after theyr fall it became subiect to sin and to damnation from the which it could not be deliuered but by the grace of Christ our Sauiour and Redeemer Yet the wil of man hath not altogether lost his force and freedome beeing ruled by deliberation iudgement aduice and consent Without me ye can doe nothing saith Christ Iohn 15. Where our power to doe good is taken away not our free-will The infant hath power to goe but is subiect euery minute to a fall So the weake will of man hath some power and libertie but yet without the helpe grace of God it cannot frame it selfe the right way to the course of a better life to continue in goodnesse no more then a chylde can goe farre without the helpe of his Nurse and guide to stay and to direct him The infant that is falne cannot rise without the helpe of his Nurse and we that are falne into sinne can not rise from sinne our selues neither haue we power to leaue sinne or to embrace the good inspirations of Gods holy Spirit or to refuse and resist the deuils temptations without the speciall grace of God vvhich onely can raise vs and giue vs courage and comfort vnto all godlines The infant although he be ledde by the hand of the Nurse may be vnwilling to go so a sinner may be obstinate and continue in his sinnes although he be directed corrected and punished by Gods hand All euill deedes come through our owne free-vvill but all good purposes come from the inspiration of Gods grace For after the fall of our first Parents vvee were borne the chyldren of vvrath and conceaued in sinne and by the force of our free-will we coulde neyther rise from sinne nor yet fulfull the commaundements of almightie GOD. Nay although wee haue obtained Gods grace and forgiuenes of our sinnes yet are we not of force enough to ouer-come the deuils temptations and to auoyd our fleshly lusts vnlesse by the continuall and dailie helpe of GOD wee be strengthned in the gift of perseuerance to a godly life Wherhence it is manifest that seeing we can doe so little of our owne selues that it is great rashnes too much to presume of our owne strength and to trust to our own wisedom whereby we may think our selues wel able to rule and gouerne our selues through our owne direction This made the prodigall sonne too foolishly and like a chylde that wants discretion to desire to liue according to his owne libertie God draweth not any one against his will to saluation but suffereth the wickked to take theyr owne course The prodigall sonnes father did not hold him beeing willing to depart neyther doth hee inforce him to depart beeing willing to stay The portion of goods which GOD doth giue to euery one is to some eloquence to other-some wisedom or riches or strength or knowledge or place of honor all which wee are giuen most easily to abuse as thys prodigall Sonne spent his portion wastfully And this is worthy to be noted and daily to be seene by common experience that they that haue the best gifts do eyther not vse them at all or else apply them to an euill end not to commend Gods graces in them but to make themselues the more inexcusable And not long after For of our selues we cannot long stand but wee fall quicklie and suddenly as soone as God with-draweth his hand And the deuill sleepeth not but watcheth seeketh all occasions how hee may ouerthrow that man or that vvoman whom he seeth destitute of Gods help and grace the deuill hath some-what to set him aworke vntil he hath brought to passe his owne destruction When our first Parents were left to themselues through the high conceit of ambition they threw themselues downe into great misery vvhile the deuill in the meane time perswaded them to be as Gods When the younger sonne had gathered all together When c. We being fully fraught with Gods gifts either wisedome riches honor strength or the like we begin to take pride and think there shall be no alteration This prodigall son thought himselfe in so good case and so well prouided that no thought of future misery did once enter into his minde as though it were vnpossible that euer he should feele the misery of aduersity thinking no other but that his wealth and prosperous estate should neuer come to an end Hee left his Fathers house trusting to his treasure and to his wit and so begins to dig downe his mountaine which afterward came to à mole-hill Prosperitie abused But marke howe hee lifts himselfe aloft hauing gathered all together Saul being of low degree and in his Fathers house amongst the common sort liued well and commendably but hauing obtained a kingdome hee left the Lord did much wickednes Dauid beeing as yet a shepheard and persecuted by king Saul his life was without blame but when God gaue
him rest frō all his enemies then did he commit adultery and murder Heere wee may learne to take dislike against the riches honours and prosperous estate of this world For for want of wisedome and through negligence great danger commeth at vnawares In the Mountaines of Gilboa King Saul and his sonnes were slaine and in the honours and prosperitie of the world vertue dooth oftentimes take a fall Prosperity at the first shew appeareth most sweet and pleasant but bringeth there-withall great dangers to the soule if they be not wisely preuented In prosperitie therefore thinke of aduersity so the thought of alteration change shal breed wisedome and moderation The pride of prosperitie cast downe this prodigall Son into extreame misery Haman was happy when he was in fauour with the King but in his greatest iolity his destruction vvas then most neere The same fell out to Pharao and Senacharib the one beeing drowned in the Red-sea the other beeing stabd in by his owne sonnes But when this prodigall Sonne had this libertie let vs see what hee did and how hee imployed himselfe He tooke his iourny into a far country Farre away hee thought not himselfe farre enough But who willed him to depart who put him out of the house Into a farre Country His Father sent him out into banishment neyther vvilled him to go out of his house but he himselfe no body denying him of his ovvne accord or rather through his owne lightnesse hee went away and left his Fathers house So the sinner of his owne accord dooth leaue the gouernment of his heauenly Father doth make a voluntary separation Will. refusing the direction of Gods word the counsell of the godly of their faithfull friendes yea spurning against the secret warning of their owne conscience No doubt many about his Father gaue him counsel to the contrary but they could not turne his mind all meanes were assaied but nothing woulde serue the turne nor beate backe the humor of his licentious libertie his stubborne will coulde not be tamed his minde must needes bee fulfilled Vnder this parable the lawlesse affections of many young men are sette downe For this prodigall sonne liueth yet and will do vntill the worlds end But if they wil needs goe and will needes haue their swinge and sway if they will needes run their race they haue theyr time euen such a time that god doth leaue them to themselues For God doth not for sake any till hee be first forsaken And if we will needs goe be it known vnto vs that we runne vpon our manifest hazzard danger For who can tell whether in this disordered course he shal come to mischiefe or to some miserable end or whether God will shew him mercy that he may cal himselfe to better remēbrance As we read Eccles. 11. Reioyce ô young man c. God worketh with those that flie from him diuers wayes eyther by secrete crosses and afflictions or by open punishments miserable ends 1. Tim. 5.24 or els by granting vnto some the gracious gift of repentance Hee runneth far that neuer returnes as indeede many are so desperatly bent that they neuer returne But into this prodigall sonne God poured such abundance of his mercy that it had his issue in plentifull teares and he became a new man And so happy was his conuersion that his Father had great ioy thereof expressing the same in diuers comfortable tokens Out of this example we may gather that the cause of sin is our owne will not God or the deuill yea our owne sinfull flesh how soeuer many can make blind excuses for theyr owne euill life The first beginning of all euill is to turne away from God The children of men saith the Prophet psal 62.9 are deceitfull vpon the weights For in one ballance they put their pleasures and profits in another they place GOD and heauenly considerations making the one to weigh a great deale lighter then the other making more account of earthlie things then of God whom we should loue aboue all with all our hart and with all our soule All that God hath done for thē they consider not and they altogether neglect Your sinnes saith the prophet Esay haue made a separation betwixt you and your God A false ballance is an abhomination vnto god prou 11 1. This prodigall sonne as a man of no experience went rashly to worke Rashnes neyther did he consider what good things hee enioyed in his Fathers house nor what he lost nor yet howe great danger hee did vnder-take He little considered the manifold inconueniences that fall out in this life Hee that is too rash shall afterward repent Man sinneth in hast because hee cannot a little refraine his wilful affection before he do dulie and wisely consider the end of sin the euil successe therof But if we could refraine our selues and not rush on so hastily little considering the danger of our soules vvee would not run on into such head-long sin Therfore Dauid said psal 118. I considered my waies turned my feete vnto thy testimonies The Bethulians were too rash to yeeld themselues to Holofernes if God did not helpe them within fiue daies As oft as thé people of Israell came to Moses before he would giue them an aunswere he asked counsel of God O that we would take this course as oft as the desire of reuenge honour or lust should prouoke our mindes not to giue any of these any aunswere vntill we had asked counsell of god but wee aunswere hastily rashly not considering god nor his commaundements so runne into diuers mischiefes and dangers Iosua rashly beleeuing the Gibeonites was deceaued Good aduisement must goe before good deeds much more before euill deeds The virgine Mary before shee aunswered the Angell did wisely consider what manner of salutation that should be A foolish Nation Deut. 32. without counsel wisedome doth not consider nor forecast their latter end Dauid too hastily beleeuing Sheba his lying tale did great wrong to Mephibosheth contrary to his couenaunt VVhen the woman taken in adultery vvas brought before our sauiour Christ he made a stay before he spake his mind When Achab was throughly bent to warre the prophet Micheas warned him hee should not doe it hee tooke not his warning but the King was one of the first that died nay the onely man and none but he that perished For the King of Aram made proclamation on fight neyther against small nor great saue onely against the King of Israell And when the King was smitten the battel was ended 1. Reg. 22.34.36 So the sinner which is as it were bewitched and too much giuen to any sinne no warning of Preachers nor counsell of friends shall vvithdraw him frō sin or bring him to amendement vntill his owne rod hath made him smart or his own deserued destruction hath made an vtter end of him As also on the contrary side there be bad companions to perswade him
boast of the name of a Christian and not to shewe the practise thereof in our life conuersation For not euery one that can say Lorde Lorde shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but hee that dooth the will of my Father which is in heauen Math. 7.21.22 Many shall say in that day Lord Lord. And hee shall say vnto them I know yee not Depart from me yee that worke iniquitie The foolish Virgins Math. 25.11 could say Lord Lord open to vs But he aunswered and said Verily I knowe you not And they that sayd Lord when sawe wee thee a hungry or naked To them it shal be sayd Inasmuch as yee did it not to the poore for my sake yee did it not to mee knowing that I committed and commended the poore vnto you in my steed The poore yee haue alwaies with you but mee shall ye not haue alwaies Then also shall they heare that dolefull doome sentence and iudgement Depart from me yee cursed into euerlasting fire Math. 25.41 Father Abraham haue mercy on me He called for mercy too late as also he was farre vnworthy of mercy which would take no pitty and compassion of his poore neyghbour And he shall haue iudgement without mercy that sheweth no mercy Math. chap. 18. Heere-hence wee may gather two profitable instructions The first is to shewe mercy to our poore neighbour if vve will looke for mercy at Gods hands Secondly to call for mercy and forgiuenes and pardon of our sinnes in this life and not to deferre it vntill the last howre or at least wise till after death To defer it to the last howre is to hazzardous and venterous when as we may sooner misse theÌ„ to haue our request graunted the other that is after death is altogether vaine and vnprofitable He that would not shewe mercy to his fellowe seruant that ought him but a hundred pence was greeueously punished Ecclus. 28.2 Forgiue thy neighbour the hurt that he hath done to thee so shall thy sinnes bee forgiuen thee also when thou prayest What measure thou metest the same shall be measured to thee Endeuour therefore what thou canst to be mercifull to the poore calling thy selfe to rememberance how greatly thou standest in neede of mercy from God As for this rich mans too late repentance hee was not so wise as Dauid psal 50. Heare ô Lord and haue mercy vpon me Lord be thou my helper for what profit is there when I goe downe to the pitte and out of hell there is no redemption And therefore earnestly and humbly hee prayeth for mercy in his lyfe time before the eternall barres doe close him in Neither did this rich man repent that hee had offended God but beeing in excessiue paine he called for release vvhen as then none would bee granted Follow the Wise mans counsell Eccles. 9.10 All that thy hand shall finde to doe doe it with all thy power for there is neither worke nor inuention not knowledge nor vvisedome in the graue whether thou goest O Lord in death who wil remember thee and in hell whose tale shall be heard So long as a great peece of timber is caried vppon the water so long it seemeth light but when it is cast vppon the Land then he that before could moue it with his hand cannot now doe it with all the force of his body Likewise so long as wee liue the burden of sin seemeth light as though wee had no burden at all but when death Gods messenger hath cited vs to appeare before the court of his tribunall seate then doe our sinnes appeare in theyr collours shewing themselues to be infinite and the burden of them intollerable And vvee which woulde not fore-see these eternall punishments shall then be thrust dovvne among the damned for euer to feele them My sinnes saith Dauid are gone ouer my head and are like a burden too heauy for me to beare psalm 40. My sinnes haue taken such holde vpon mee that I am not able to looke vp yea they are moe in number then the haires of my head my hart hath failed mee O Lord let it be thy plesure to deliuer mee make hast ô Lord to helpe mee Set the 50. psalme before thee for a patterne to follow and let thy hart shed forth teares aboundantly And then shalt thou finde that comfort which Christ promiseth Math. 11.28 Come vnto me all yee that are weary and laden and I vvill ease you And howe comfortable this easing shall be looke vppon the historie of the prodigall sonne Luke 15. Thys foolish rich man would not lay downe his burden in his life time after death is was bound of so fast that he could not shake it of But why did he speake to Abraham not to Lazarus Because hee iudged him after his owne disposition that hee would not forget to reuenge whereas vvith the godly there is no such qualitie euen in thys life much lesse in another Thinking thys with himselfe If I in my great prosperity had no care of him surely hee will haue as little care of me neither will he come vnto me Therefore he maketh his request vnto Abraham supposing that hee knewe not what was happened But let vs heare what his request vvas Send Lazarus that hee may dip the typ of his finger in water coole my tongue for I am tormented in this flame Alas what could a droppe of water comfort him and should he not by and by againe be in as great torment And what was the torment of the tongue to the vnspeakable paines of all the rest of the body Iust are the iudgements of God and hee recoâ—â—penceth accordingly For he that denied small matters was enforced to craue euen the least helpe which neuerthelesse according to his desert was denied him Let no man despise the poore for God can make the richest man poore in a moment The sonnes of Iacob came afterward into the hands of Ioseph Despise no body whom before they hated vnto the death contemned and despised Thou mayest stand in need of his helpe whom now thou dost scorne For so it may fall out that GOD may appoint him to doe thee good Saul deadly persecuted Dauid God deliuered Saul into his hands twice and had not the godly hart of Dauid had more pitty the cruelty of Saul had iustly deserued death Simei that cursed Dauid and thought hee should neuer returne any more to raigne was faine to cast himselfe downe as it were at his feete to craue mercy Haman was enforced to doe Mardocheus great honour whom before hee could not abide to looke vpon And this hapneth to many VVherefore if thou beest placed in high authority doe not exalt thy selfe too high for he whom thou contemnest may be in higher estate then thy selfe and may requit thee againe VVhere there is mention made of the rich mans tongue wee must vnderstand that the soule hath no tongue nor hands nor fingers Tongue but this is rather to be vnderstoode in