vpon the world halting betwixt God and Mammon and esteeming gaine to be godlinesse we may be theeues yea diuels as he was And not to insist any longer in the seuerall parts of Gods worship this may be said of all externall worship in generall that so oft as it is seuered from the inward spirituall worship of God it is hypocritical and detestable in the sight of God To which purpose the Lord professeth by his Prophet That he which killeth a bullocke is as if he slew a man he that sacrificeth a sheep as if he cut off a dogs necke he that offereth an oblation as if he offered swines bloud he that remembreth incense as if he blessed an idole Wee must therefore beware least we rest in the performance of outward seruice or coÌ„tent our selues with opere operato the deed done which is the rotten pillar of popish superstition For it is not sufficient to doe that which is right vnlesse we do it with an vpright heart If with Amaziah wee doe that which is right but not with an vpright heart we may fall away as he did Wherefore that exhortation which the Apostle maketh to mens seruants much more belongeth to vs who are the seruants of God namely That we shold performe our duties towards him from our heart not in eye-seruices as men-pleasers but with simplicitie of heart fearing God and from our hearts obeying the holy will and commaundements of God Out of all which it appeareth euidently that without vprightnesse of heart neither the graces of the spirit which wee may seeme to haue are of any worth or our worship of any account with God But howsoeuer the most excellent graces without it be glorious sinnes and the most glorious worship counterfeit yet on the other side where vprightnesse is the graces which we haue though as small as a graine of mustard seed and our worship though performed in much weakenesse is acceptable vnto God The second argument is taken from the authoritie of God himselfe auowing the necessitie of vprightnesse And hereunto appertaineth first the testimonie both of the holy ghost in this place affirming That those who are to dwell in Gods holy mountaine are such as walke vprightly as also of our Sauiour Christ Matth. 5. denying that we shall euer enter into the kingdome of heauen vnlesse our righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisies The righteousnesse which the Pharisies obserued themselues and taught others to obserue was altogether outward whereby they abstained from outward and more grosse offences neglecting inward and sâ—cret corruptions Secondly the commaundement of God enjoyning vprightnesse For this is the especiall dutie which we are to performe towards God viz. that wee bumble our selues to walke with our God For when the Lord was to establish his couenant with Abraham and his seed this condition he requireth to be performed on their part to walke before him and to be vpright This is that which Dauid commendeth to Salomon as his last will and testament Know thou the God of thy father and serue him with an vpright heart and a willing mind which Iosua in his last speech commendeth to the people of Israel that they should worship the Lord in spirit and truth As Moses also before had charged them Deut. 18. Thou shalt be vpright therefore before the Lord thy God For seeing the Lord is a spirit he will therefore be worshipped in spirit and in truth And as himselfe is a spirit so is his law spirituall restraining not onely the hand and tongue but also the heart Now the commaundement of God imposeth a necessitie not absolute indeed but with this condition If we will auoid his curse Thirdly the same is prooued by the oath of God which he sware vnto our father Abraham that he would giue vs who are the sonnes of Abraham and heires of promise that being deliuered out of the hands of our enemies we should worship him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse before him For as the commaundement of God imposeth the necessitie of dutie so the oath of the Lord imposeth a necessitie of certainetie or as the schoolemen speake of infallibilitie And therefore if we doe not walke vprightly worshipping the Lord as before him it is as certaine as the oath of the Lord is true that we can haue no assurance that wee are redeemed by Christ out of the world to raigne with him in his holy mountaine The third and last argument enforcing the necessitie of vprightnesse may be this For either wee must be vpright or hypocrits There is no third for not to bee vpright is to be an hypocrite and not to be an hypocrite is to be vpright But we may in no case be hypocrites For hypocrisie is a sinne most odious vnto God most foolish in it selfe most pernicious to them that are infected therewith It is most odious vnto God for as the vpright are the Lords delight so the hypocrit is an abhomination vnto him For that which is highly esteemed among men is abhomination in the sight of God And not without cause For all hypocrisie and doubling is a double if not a triple sinne for counterfeit pietie is double impietie both because it is impietie and because it is counterfeit And as hypocrisie is a counterfeiting it containeth also two sinnes opposed to simplicitie and truth both which are comprised in integritie viz. falshood opposed vnto truth as it is mendacium facti and deceit or guile opposed vnto simplicitie as duplicitie or doubling The hypocrite in respect of his falsehood and disguising in the Greeke tongue is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a stage-player who although perhaps he be little better than a rogue representeth sometimes the person of a prince or monarch Those therefore are hypocrits who lead their life as it were vpon a stage cloaking sinne vnder the shew of vertue hauing some â—orme or vizard of pietie but denying the power of it Qui in superficie boni sunt sed in alto mali as Augustine speaketh who seeme to honour God with their lips but remooue their heart farre from him who desiring to seeme good but not to be so and not to seeme euill but to be so make cleane the outside of the cup and of the platter but within they are full of briberie and excesse and are therefore compared by our Sauiour Christ to painted sepulchres which appeare beautifull outward but are within full of dead mens bones and all filthinesse And as the fruit which groweth neere to Mare mortuum when it is ripe maketh a faire shew but within is full of cinders or ashes as some write so these men outwardly appeare righteous vnto men but within they are full of hypocrisie and iniquitie But as in the disguising of hypocrits there is falshood so in their doubling there is guile wherby they indeuouring to deceiue
calleth it Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Wherein all the precepts of righteousnes that is to say of the second Table are summarily contained And the rule of exercising this righteousnesse is that law of nature commended vnto vs by our Sauiour Christ Mâ—t. 7 Whatsoeuer you would that men should do to you euen so do you to them for this is the law and the prophets Which sentence is sayd so to haue pleased the Emperour Alexander Sâ—uerus that in his pallaces and publicke buildings he caused it to be written and engrauen and when he punished any man he caused this saying to be proclaimed by the crier Quod tibi non-vis alteri ne â—eceris Do not to another what thou wouldest not haue done to thy selfe Now the exercise or working of this righteousnesse is here made a note of the child of God For he doth not say he that can talke of righteousnesse nor he that delighteth to heare anoter man speake thereof nor he which professeth righteousnesse or maketh a pretence thereof but he that worketh righteousnesse shall dwell in the holy mountaine of God For there are some which can notably discourse of righteousnesse than whose life nothing is more vnjust And there are others who with Ezeâ—â—iels auditors delight to heare the Minister preaching of righteousnesse as if he were some skilfull Mulitian that hath a pleasant voyce but it is to heare onely and not to practise There be many also who with the Pharisies say and do not which professe righteousnesse but do not practise it Qui Curios simulant Bacchanalia vivunt But with the folly of these men the holy Ghost meeteth in diuerse places of the Scripture Mat. 7 Not euerie one that sayth Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but he that doth the will of my father which is in heauen Rom. 2 Not the hearers of the Law are just before God but the doers of the Law shall be justified Iam. 1 Be ye doers of the word and not hearers onely deceiuing your selues c. Mat 5 Vnlesse your righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisies who sayd and did not you shall not enter into the kingdome of heauen Wherefore brethren let no man deceiue you not he that heareth nor he that speaketh not he that professeth or prâ—tendeth but he that worketh righteousnesse he is righteous Neither is that to be omitted that the holy Ghost speaketh in the present tence thereby signifying a continuall act as Basill hath obserued Marke saith he the accuratnesse of the speech he doth not say who hath wrought but he which worketh For it is not one action that maketh a vertuous man but it behooueth a man in his whole life to keepe a constant course of well doing For Iustice is an habit induing a man with a perpetuall and constant will to do euery man right But here some will object The Scriptures testifie that there is not a righteous man vpon the earth Rom. 3. There is not a iust man no not one If therefore the righteous onely shall be saued and scarcely they as Peter saith How can any man liuing hope to be saued seeing there is not a just man vpon earth that doeth good and sinneth not as Salomon professeth I answer If we should be summoned before the Iudgement feate of Gods justice and the Lord should deale with vs summo iure according to extremitie exacting at our hands that full and perfect righteousnesse which is required in his law assuredly the Lord entring into judgement with vs no man liuing could be iustified But we must appeale from the judgement seat of Gods justice to the throne of his mercy and from the sentence of the Law concluding all vnder sinne to the sentence of the Gospell pronouncing all those that truly beleeue in Christ not just onely but also blessed that so being clothed with the righteousnesse of Christ by faith we may in him be justified though vnjust in our selues in respect of legall righteousnesse Now those which truly beleeue in Christ are sayed to be righteous two wayes before God by Faith that is by the righteousnesse of Christ apprehended by Faith before men by the fruits of Faith that is by righteousnesse inherent in vs and performed by vs. For those which beleeue in Christ their Faith is imputed vnto them for righteousnesse because they apprehending Christ who is our righteousnesse and by the same Faith being vnited vnto him his righteousnesse and obedience is imputed vnto them and accepted of God for them as if they had performed the same in their owne persons But they who are justified by the righteousnesse of Christ are also sanctified by his spirit regenerated and as it were created a new to good workes which God hath prepared for vs that we should walke in them For so soone as we are deliuered by Christ out of the bondage of sinne we become the seruants of righteousnesse That as in former times we gaue our members as seruants of sinne vnto vnrighteousnesse we should from henceforth giue them as seruants of righteousnesse vnto holinesse And howsoeuer the best obedience of the faithfull is but an imperfect obedience ioyned with manifold infirmities and wants and stained with diuerse corruptions wherewith they are infected and sinnes whereinto they fall in so much that Esay compareth the righteous works of the faithfull to menstruous clouts notwithstanding the Lord beholding them in Christ and accepting their will for the deed and sincere indeuour for the performance not onely themselues are termed righteous but are also said to worke righteousnesse And this working of righteousnesse the perfection whereof is not to be measured by the perfectnesse of the worke but by the vprightnesse of the will and sinceritie of the indeuour aspiring towards perfection is an vndoubted note of a true citisen of heauen who in this Psalme is described And that the Lord accepteth those for true members of the inuâ—sible Church who worke righteousnesse the Scriptures testifie In euery nation saith Peter he that seareth God and worketh righteousnesse is accepted of him And this is so vniuersall a note of the children of God and so proper vnto them that whosoeuer worketh righteousnesse he is truly said to be borne of God and he that worketh not righteousnes is not of God but of the diuell But as they that worke righteousnes are the seruants of God in the kingdom of grace so shall they raigne with him in the kingdome of glory For that which is said in the beginning of this Psalme That he which worketh righteousnesse shall rest in the mountaine of God and in the end That he shall neuer be remoued the same is coÌ„firmed by the holy ghost in other places of Scripture Esay 33 He that walkâ—th in righteousnes c. he shall dwell on high And Prou. 10
of his life notwithstanding seeing it so neerly concerned the glory of God the good of his followers and the conuiction of his aduersaries he made a notable confession of the truth And that the truth sometimes may be concealed it may be proued by the authoritie of God himselfe For when as the Lord appointed Samuel to go to Bethlehem to annoint Dauid king Samuel desired to be informed how that might safely be done for if Saul should heare thereof he would be sure to kill him The Lord therefore teacheth him this godly pollicy Thou shalt take an heifer with thee and say I am come to sacrifice or as some read to selebrate a feast to the Lord. Whereas therefore Samuel was sent to Bethlehem for two causes he was by the commandement of God to conceale the more principall which teacheth vs that the simplicity of doues is to be tempered with the wisedome of seruants The same is proued by the example of Abraham which himselfe doth justifie for whereas Sara was not onely his sister according to the Hebrew phrase but also his wife he professed the one that she was his sister and concealed the other that she was his wife when as therefore the profession of the truth not necessary is joyned with the damage or danger either of our selues or others and so is vnseasonable howsoeuer we may neither deny the truth nor vtter an vntruth yet we may or rather must conceale the truth either wholly or in part As for example An innocent man who is persecuted for righteousnesse sake is sought for by his persecutors that he may be brought to punishment committeth himselfe to your fidelitie and safe custody The persecutors come and demaund of you where this partie is What will you do in this case If you tell where he is you betray the innocent If you knowing where he is shall say you cannot tell where he is or shall say he is where you thinke he is not you shall lye Will you offend in lying against your owne soule or in treachery against the innocent Forsooth the circumstances are to be considered If you plainely see that notwithstanding whatsoeuer you shall say he cannot be concealed it is all one in respect of the innocent partie whether you conceale the truth or confesse it For neither by confessing the truth shall you betray him nor by concealing it saue him If it be doubtfull whether by concealing the truth he may be preserued or not hide the truth so much as thou mayst and by telling some other truth as Raâ—ab did diuert the fury of the persecutors another way But if the partie be so hid that vnlesse thou discouer him he cannot be found and perhaps thou be asked concerning the very place where he is whether he be there or not here if you say nothing you betray him if you say I cannot tell you lye Therefore as Augustine faith A man in such a case must say I know where he is but I will neuer tell you for which Christian humanitie whatsoeuer you shall constantly endure it is so far from being worthy of blame that it is to be commended And here unto belongeth that memorable example recorded by Augustine in the same place of a certaine Bishop Firmâ—â—s by name but more firme as he saith in resolution For when as messengers sent from a persecuting emperour enquired of him concerning a Christian whom he had hid as secretly as he could where he was he answered them that neither could he lie neither would he betray the man neither could they by any tortures make him to discouer the partie Whereupon they bring him to before the emperour who admiring the constancie and courage of the Bishop was content for his sake to pardon the other Likewise in heathen writers the constancy of Zeno the Philosopher is highly commended who rather than he would be forced by any tortures to vtter secrets against his will he did bite off his tongue and spit it in the tyrants face And thus much may suffice to haue spoken of the three generall notes this onely remaineth that we should apply them to our selues Wherefore from this proposition of the holy Ghost Those that walke vprightly worke righteousnesse embrace the truth are such as shall inherit the kingdome of heauen and reciprocally those that shall inherit the kingdome of heauen are such as walke vprightly exercise iustice speake the truth in their hearts let vs consider what euery mans conscience will assume for if thy conscience shall make this assumption But I walke vprightly worke righteousnesse embrace the truth though with great imperfection yet with my true endeuour and vnfained purpose and desire of mine heart then vpon these premises will follow this happy conclusion Therefore thou are one of those that shall inherit the kingdome of heauen But on the other side if this be the assumption which thy con-conscience maketh Thou playest the hypocrite before God and dealest deceitfully with men thou liuest vnjustly and followest after lies vpon these premises it will follow necessarily That thou art not such an one as shall inherit the kingdome of heauen And therefore as thou wouldest hope to be saued so repent of these sinnes and embrace the contrary vertues which are here set downe as the proper notes of Gods children But let vs come to the fourth note which as also the third whereof euen now I spake respecteth the tongue and the same in part may be sayd of the eight Now whereas the holy Ghost among the ten notes of Gods children taketh two or three from the toung it appeareth that great regard is to be had of the tongue For howsoeuer many make but light account of their words which are they say but wind notwithstanding the holy Ghost affirmeth that death and life are in the power of the tongue and as men loue to vse it so shall they eate the fruit thereof And Christ our Sauiour after he had said that men are to giue an account of their idle words he adjoyneth this reason for by thy words saith he thou shalt be iustified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned Wherefore let vs learne to gouerne our tongue otherwise we shall be conuicted by three notes out of this Psalme that we neither are sound members of the Church militant nor shall be inheritors of glory in the Church triumphant but rather shall shew our profession of religion though otherwise neuer so glorious to be but vaine For as Iames saith If any man among you seemeth religious and refraineth not his tongue but deceiueth his owne heart that mans religion is vaine Moreouer betwixt the third note and this fourth there is great assinitie For thereby are signified two duties of the tongue which may not be seuered the contrary affirmatiue being vnderstood vnder this negatiue namely that the speech of the vpright man concerning his neighbour is full of charitie whereby The is so farre from
And this priuiledge doth so truly and properly belong to euery sound Christian as that to the holy ghost in this place it is one the same thing to be a sound Christian and to be such an one as shall neuer be remoued For when Dâ—uid had demanded Who shall soiourne in tby Tabernacle and who shall rest in thy holy hill that is Lord by what tokens may a sound Christian and heire of the kingdome of heauen be discerned The Lord maketh answere He that walketh vprightly and worketh righteousnesse and speaketh the truth which is in his heart c. he is a sound Christian and heire of the kingdome of heauen But he vseth not those words but in stead of them he vseth these to the same sence He shall neuer be remoued Whereupon it plainely followeth that euery vpright and sound Christian is such an one as shall neuer be remoued These words therefore affoord this most comfortable doctrine That the perseuerance consequently the saluation of the vpright of the righteous of the faithful and sound Christian is certaine And this truth is elsewhere in the Scriptures most plainely and plentifully taught as shal be shewed when my treatise of Perseuerance which I haue alreadie finished shall be thought fit to be published In the meane time let vs from this doctrine gather this vse That seeing it is the priuiledge of the vpright sound Christian neuer to be remoued we ought therfore by walking vprightly by exercising righteousnesse by speaking the truth from our hearts c. labour to make our calling and election sure for if we doe these things wee shall neuer fall FINIS The Faults escaped are thus to be corrected PAg. 8 lin 20. care p. 9. l. a fine 10. jagur in Mar. l. a f. 5. are p. 13. l. 1. region l. 15. concauam l. a f 10. now l. a f. 5. vanitie and p. 15. l. 18. 19. the short light p. 16. Marg. for Heb 6 11. â— Heb. 4. 11. p. 19. l. 12. Charitie p. 23. l. 10. foure are p. 24. l. 8. I said the p. 25. l. 2. make l. 11. with perfect righteousnes p. 27. Mar. l. 8. Be lo-leb valeb p. 40. l. 2. 3. Salomon p. 43. l. 22. for righteousnes r. vprightnes p. 59. l. a f. 6. p. 79. l. 16. 27. ingenuous p. 67. l. 15. fruits p. 69. l. 22. for vs. Profitable p. 70. l. a fâ— viâ— regni p. 71. l. a f. 8. care of well p. 72. l. 10. workes which in l. vlt. meere ciuile p. 73. l. 13. they are fained l. 11. bribe l. 23. but splendida l. a. f. 8. By this l. a. f. 6. of meere p. 74. l. 18. child of God p. 75. l. a. f. 10 in his heart p. 76. l. vlt. But yet p. 79. l 15. seuenthly herunto p. 80. l. 3. eightly if p. 90. l. a f. 13. pereundo quaerat p. 91. l. 17. and therefore a vice p. 93. l. 14. celebrate l. 18. serpents p 101. l. 21. we are freely p. 102. l. 7. Scripture l. 14. is the pr. p. 103. l. 12. premonished p. 117. l. 9. 10. to reuenge answered p. 121. l. 18 are not onely mal l. 24. peculier p. 125 l. 20. howsoeuer all p. 129. l. a. f. 5. indices p. 137. l. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â— 15. we haue p. 145 l. 18. implied in p. 146. Ma. l. a. f. 8. peierare p. 147. l. 9. 10. void and of p. 154. l. 5 by this p. 155. l. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 136. l. a. f. 5. whatsoeuer p. 159. col 2. l. 2. coÌ„modation p. 164. l. 7. contracts p. 166. l. 9. as belonging l. 19. thy default l. 22. quanti l. 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 167. l. 3. cause as it l. 12. certain or p. 170. l. vlt. of the drachmae p. 171. l. 10. diuerse rates l. 16. decunx l. 17. quincunx Mar. l. 5. sesquialtera l. 10. foeneratâ—rum haec p. 172. l. 9. Antoninus l. 11. helpe p. 179. l. 16. Rome made p. 180. l. 3. to giue 182. l. 11. restored p. 183. l. vlt. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 184. l. 8. thereof p. 186. l. 6. who making l. 12. twentie shillings l. 19. then in p. 187. l. 9. some few p. 191. l. 19. pro rata temporis p. 192. l. 22. Nubibus As p. 196. l. 7. excelsiue l. a f. 5. in hiphil p. 198 l. 7. 9. l. a f. 9. l. 199. l. 5. Nashah p. 203. l. 4. generally 207. l. 14. shal men p. 208. l. a f. 3 4. hostis p. 209. l. 22 would p. 216. l. 3 the Lord answereth he that p. 222. l. 22. because his p. 235. l. a f. 3. commuted p. 238. l. 15. of horses p. 244. l. 6. interusurium p. 252. l. 4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 259. Mar. l. 1. Epod. 2. p. 260. l. 11. wealthier p. 262. l. a. f. 4. trientes p. 263. l. 12. Alcoran p. 264. l. 16. forbidden p. 287. l. a. f. 3. brought p. 301. l. af 8. cariage Of p. 306. l. 2. secondly the lender p. 308. l. 22. but of other p. 310. l. 4. reuerend p. 311. l a f. 13. imprecation In Marg. l. 11. danisticum p. 313. l. a f. 9. 10. do not repent p. 314. l. a f. 12. all-sufficient p. 317. l. a f. 8. lesse p. 330. l. 4. acknowledged in the Scriptures to be no sinne p. 339. l. 10. and too p. 345. l. 18. n vsurie p. 350. l. 4. praemittimus Psal. 8â— 6. Exod. 22. 28. 2. Pet. 1. 10. 1. King 3. 6. Psal. 78. 71. 72. The Argument of the Psalme Mat 7. 21 22 23. The meaning of the words Ver. 1. 2. Chro. 3. 1. 2. Tim. 2. 19. The diuision 〈◊〉 the text Vers. 1. Esay 40. 22. Psal. 104. 2. Luke 16. 9. In Psal. 15. 2. Cor. 5. 1. 2. Pet. 1. 13 14. 1. Cor. 3. 16. 6. 19. 2. Cor. 6. 16. Col. 3. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal. 61. 5. c. Thâ— Church militant is the Tabernacle of God The first vse Iob. 7. 1. 1. Pet. 5. 8. Iob. 1. Gal. 5. 17. 1. Tim. 6. 1. Pet. 2. 11. 1. Cor. 7. 31. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Pet. 58. Eph. 6. 14 15 16 17. sam 4. 7. 1. Cor. 7. 31. Tit. 2. 12. Psal. 131. 2. Col. 3. 2. Gal. 5 24. Col. 3. 5. Rom 13. 14. The second vse 1. Cor. 10. 2. Chron. 3. 1. 5. 5. Heb. 11. 37 38. The third vse 1. Tim. 3. 15. 2. Cor. 6. 16. Eph. 2. 21. Apoc. 3. 12. 2. Thess. 2. 4. Exod. 25. 8. Leuit. 26. 12. 2. Cor. 6. 16. Esay 12. 6. Deut. 13. 14. Psal. 9. 12. 132. 13. Apoc. 2. 1. Deut. 20. 3. Deuâ— 9. 3. Deut. 6. 15. Deut. 23. 14. God more especially present in the assemblies of the Church Mat. 18. 20. Gen. 4. 15. Psal. 27. 4. Psal. 42. 1. 2. 4. Psal. 84. 1 2. c
Catholicke or vniuersall Church For the Tabernacle signifieth the Church militant vpon earth the holy Mountaine the Church triumphant in heauen By sojourning in the Tabernacle is vnderstood the short and transitorie abode of Christians as it were pilgrims in the earth as in a strange land by dwelling in the Mountain of God is signified their perpetuall eternall rest in heauen as in their owne countrey Wherein the Prophet alludeth vnto that materiall Tabernacle which was called the Tabernacle of the assembly or congregation and to the mount Moriah where the Temple was placed the one whereof was a type of the Church militant vpon earth the other was a figure of the Church triumphant in heauen I am not ignorant that both members are by some expounded of the Church militant and by others of the Church triumphant but I follow that exposition which seemeth best to agree with the words and meaning of the holy ghost For the varietie of phrase plainely argueth diuersitie of matter sojourning in Gods Tabernacle being much different from dwelling in the Mountaine of his holinesse And the conclusion of the answere in the last words of the Psalme which without doubt doth render the true meaning of the question belongeth both to this life and to that which is to come He that doth these things shall not beremooued for euer that is he shall neither fall away from the grace of God in this life nor be excluded out of Gods glorious presence in the life to come The sence therefore and meaning of the question is this Lord thou searcher and trier of the hearts and reines of men who art acquainted with all secrets and best knowest who are thine for as much as there is so much vnsoundnesse and hipocrisie among them that professe thy name and frequent the places of thy worship that many deceiue others with a counterfeit shew and some beguile themselues with a false opinion of religion declare I beseech thee vnto thy Church some tokens and cognisances of a true and sound Christian whereby the sheepe may be discerned from the goats and the wheat from tares shew vs Lord who is a sound member of the Church militant here on earth and shal be an inheritor of glorie in the Church triumphant in heauen who is a true subject of thy kingdome of grace and shall be an heire of the kingdome of glory And this was the meaning of the question Now let vs come to the words of this text Wherein wee are to consider two things the parts of the question and the partie to whom it is propounded Of the parts wee are to speake first seuerally of either and then joyntly of both together The former part Lord who shall soiourne in thy Tabernacle By Tabernacle some as I said vnderstand heauen which elsewhere in the Scriptures is called Gods Tabernacle and not vnsitly seeing the Lord stretcheth out the heauens as a curtaine and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in But howsoeuer the name Tabernacles is sometimes figuratiuely vsed to signifie heauenly and euerlasting habitations Notwithstanding it more properly signifieth tents in warre and the flitting habitations of warfaring men And that by Tabernacle is here meant the Church militant the other word of soiourning doth import For heauenly Tabernacles are not tents to sojourne in but mansions of perpetuall habitation and euerlasting rest Basill by Tabernacle vnderstandeth our flesh which the Apostle calleth the â—arthly house of our Tabernacle for our bodies are not onely Tabernacles but Temples also of God As if this were the sence Lord who is he who hauing sojourned as a stranger in this flesh of ours shal at the length rest with thee in thine heauenly kingdome And surely the sence which he giueth is godly for it teacheth that those which shall for euer rest in the mountaine of Gods holinesse do liue in this flesh as pilgrims and strangers mortifying their earthly members Notwithstanding his exposition is not fit For according to this interpretation the former part of the question containeth the answere to the latter for so hee sayth He that hath soiourned as a pilgrim in the flesh he shall dwell in the holy mountaine Most fitly therefore by Tabernacle we may vnderstand the Church militant which elsewhere is called the Tabernacle of God and sometimes the house sometimes the Temple of God For a Tabernacle is a militarie mansion and as it were a portable house which hath no fixed seat or setled place Now whereas the holy ghost calleth the Church of God a Tabernacle we learn first that the life of a Christian is a warfare as Iob saith wherein we are to fight against the enemies of our saluation which fight against our soules namely the flesh the world and the diuell Whereupon the Church of God vpon earth is called the Church militant It behooueth therefore euery one of vs that would bee esteemed a true member of the Church to behaue our selues as Christian souldiours fighting vnder the banner of Christ. And for as much as our aduersarie the Diuell goeth about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may deuour and seeing the flesh lusteth against the spirit sending out of the heart as it were a furnace the sparkles of foolish and noisome lusts which fight against our soules and the world likewise partly by the desires thereof partly by bad examples carrieth vs away to embrace the world to mind earthly things to serue Mammon and to place our paradise here on the earth It behooueth vs therfore both to prepare our selues to this combat and therefore not to bee secure or to sleepe as others but to stand vpon our guard to be sober and vigilant and to arme our selues with that complete armour of God described Eph. 6. and also in the fight valiantly to encounter and constantly to withstand our spirituall enemies to resist the diuell and hee shall flie from vs with the shield of faith to quench his fierie darts and with the sword of the spirit which is the word of God to refell his assertions and repell his assentations So to vse the world that we doe not ouer-vse it so to possesse worldly things that we be not possessed of them but rather renouncing worldly lusts and being wained from worldly desires to meditate and mind heauenly things To crucifie the flesh with the lusts thereof and to mortifie our members which are on the earth liuing not according to the flesh but according to the spirit This warfare is to be entertained this warre is to be maintained of vs if we would be esteemed sound members of the Church militant who sojourning in the Tabernacle of God doe fight in his campe against our spirituall enemies But on the other side if we execute the workes of the diuell giuing our selues ouer vnto sinne and iniquitie if with Demas we embrace
or passing on in hope of transâ—ation to a better estate This word therefore the holy-ghost doth vse to signifie that a citizen of heauen is a pilgrim on earth and that his life here is a pilgrimage And so Peter calleth the time of our life the time of our pilgrimage And Iacob professeth that the daies of his pilgrimage meaning his life were few and euill And likewise Dauid I am a stranger saith he before thee and a pilgrim as all my forefathers were In a word it was the profession of all the faithfull That they were strangers and pilgrims vpon the earth Here therefore wee are taught so many as desire to be citisens of heauen to behaue our selues as pilgrims on the earth Who being exiles in a forraine land desire to come vnto our owne country He that hath a good patrimonie in his owne countrey great wealth kind and able kinred and friends and is forced for a time to sojourne in a strange land where he is ill intreated disturbed molested assailed by his enemies on euery side hee will affect nothing in that strange countrey neither will he set his heart vpon any thing there but his mind is vpon his countrey desiring nothing more than to returne thither But our countrey is in heauen where we haue an euerlasting inheritance an incorruptible and inestimable treasure where is God our heauenly father Christ our eldest brother and the rest of our brothers and sisters the Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Martyrs and all the quire of heauenly Saints and celestiall spirits and wee are pilgrims for a time here vpon earth where we are hated ill intreated assaulted with the temptations of Satan the world and the flesh subject to many inward infirmities and outward troubles And therefore it behooueth vs not to set our hearts on worldly things or to place our paradise vpon the earth For if our hearts be on the earth how is our treasure in heauen if the earth be our countrey how are we citizens of heauen Wherefore if we bee pilgrims in the world let vs not bee addicted to worldly desires let vs not mind earthly things but being wained from worldly cogitations let vs mind those things which be aboue Let vs vse the world as though we vsed it not and let vs be so affected towards earthly things as pilgrims and wayfaring men are toward such delights or commodities as they see in their journey or at their inne Which if they vse as meanes to further them in their journey yet they set not their hearts vpon them And yet assuredly our abode in this life in respect of our continuance in the mountaine of Gods holinesse is not so much as the time of our lodging or bait in an Inne Therefore howsoeuer such as be but earth-wormes doe crawle as it were vpon the earth and mind earthly things Yet must we remember that we are citisens of heauen and pilgrims on the earth Are wee pilgrims liuing as it were exiled from our celestiall countrey and heauenly father What ought wee then more feruently to desire than to be in our country and that this earthly Tabernacle of our body being dissolued wee might dwell in that habitation made without hands eternall in the heauens Are we such pilgrims as indeed desire to be in our countrey Let that then bee our chiefest care and indeuour to trauell into our countrey Let vs first seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and carefully vse the meanes of our saluation And let vs thinke that if wee bee pilgrims wee must also be wayfaring men Are we wayfaring men in this life then will wee vse hac vita vt via This life as a way and the things of this life as they may bee helpes vnto vs in this way Let vs make choise of the high and as it were the Kings way which leadeth vnto heauen the way of true faith and vnfained repentance Let vs insist and persist therein though it bee a narrow and an afflicted way Let vs walke before God in the duties of our lawfull callings and in those good workes which God hath prepared for vs. This is the way let vs walke therin Let vs not returne to our sinnes let vs not deâ—â—â—ne from the way of Gods commaundements either to the right hand or to the left let vs not stand at a stay nor looke backward with Lots wife and much lesse goe backward but with Paule let vs doe one thing forgetting that which is behind and striuing to that which is before let vs make on towards the marke vnto the price of the high calling of God in Iesus Christ knowing that whosoeuer perseuereth to the end he shall bee saued And this was the former part of the question concerning a true member of the Church militant which the holy ghost hath expressed in these wordes Who shall soiourne in thy Tabernacle calling the Church militant the Tabernacle of God and teaching that hee which is an heire of the kingdome of heauen is a pilgrim on earth Now followeth the later part of the question which is concerning the member that shall bee of the Church triumphant and inheritour of the kingdome of heauen in these words Who shall dwell in the mountaine of thy holinesse The kingdome of heauen by a metonymy of the signe he calleth the mountaine of God For the mountaine of God was a type of the kingdome of heauen And this mountaine was either the land of Canaan which was a type of the coelestiall Canaan as it is said Exod. 15. Thou shalt plant them O Lord in the mountaine of thine inheritance in the place which thou hast made for thine habitation or else the mount Sion which elsewhere is called the mountaine of Gods holinesse and was a type of the heauenly Ierusalem or lastly the Mount Moriah where the Temple was placed which is somewhere called the mountaine of the congregation standing on the North part of Sion and is therefore called the holy mountaine because it was the place of the holy assemblies which the Lord sanctified for his habitation and for his worship and this alâ—â— was a type of the temple of God that is to say of heauen Whereas therefore heauen is called the mountaine of God it is a metonymy such as wee find elsewhere in the Psalmes I cried vnto the Lord and he heard me out of the mountaine of his holinesse that is heauen And thus the most interpret this place as namely among the Greekes Basil saith this mountaine doth signifie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The supercelestiall religion which is euery way conspicuous and bright which some call Coelum Empyrium wherof the Apostle speaketh Heb. 12. Among the Latines P. Lombard in thy holy mountaine that is saith he In euerlasting blisse where is the vision of peace signified in the name Ierusalem and the supereminence or height of
charitie where none contendeth in fight but resteth in euerlasting peace Now heauen is called the mountaine of God for these causes First because it was figured by the mountaine of God euen as Christ is called our Passeouer Secondly because of the height thereof whereby it is eleuated farre aboue the earth For albeit in respect of vs who are now placed within the compasse of heauen and behold Comavam coeli superficiem as it were the inward roofe thereof it cannot so fitly be called a mountaine notwithstanding as it is the throne of God who sitteth on the globe of heauen as it were his throne and as it is the seat of the blessed spirits whose conuersation is in the highest heauen as it were in the top of an hill it is not vnfitly called the mountaine of God Vnto this mountaine if we should ascend but in thought as Scipio once did in his dreame and from thence should behold the earth we should easily contemne this inferiour world with the desires thereof For the whole globe of the earth together with the water which seemeth none so great vnto vs if we could see it from the highest heauens would appeare vnto vs like a mote in the sunne But if withall we felt the vnspeakable joyes of heauen and from thence should cast downe our eies vnto this valley of teares there to behold the vanities of vanities and nothing but vanitie in vexation of spirit as Salomon saith it cannot be expressed with how feruent a desire we should be inflamed to haue our habitation in heauen Peter when as hee was present in the transfiguration of Christ in the mount Thabor and had a tast of the heauenly glory he was straightway rauished therewith and desired greatly to remaine there Lord saith he it is good being here let vs make three Tabernacles c. Thirdly heauen is called a Mountaine because it is a safe place free from all hazard or possibilitie of danger where the blessed spirits dwell on high safe from all danger and feare of euill But heauen is not onely called the mountain of God but also the holy Mountaine or which is all one the Mountaine of his holinesse because it is sanctified by the presence of God For which cause Sion also and the mount Moriah are called the holy mountaine of God For where the Lord doth manifest his presence that is a holy place namely because of Gods presence sanctifying it But in the highest heauen the Lord doth principally manifest his presence and reueale his glory Wherefore if mount Thabor after the transfiguration of Christ there wrought and the presence and glory of God there manifested was for that cause called the holy mountaine how much more doth the highest heauen where Christ sitteth at the right hand of his father in majesty and glory deserue to be called the holy mountaine of God The Scriptures ascribe such holinesse to â—his mountaine of God as nothing may enter therein which is not holy Which must teach vs beloued to follow after holinesse without which we shall neuer see God Verely verely I say vnto you saith Christ our Sauiour except a man be borne of water and of the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdome of God Our abode in the mountaine of God is expressed in the word dwelling whereby two things are signified Perpetuitie Rest. Perpetuitie for there the children of God remaine not as pilgrims for a time but as citisens and heires for euer Whereupon the kingdome of heauen is also called an heauenly inheritance wherin are euerlasting habitations and an inheritance immortall and vndefiled that fadeth not away reserued in heauen for vs. I wil not stand to proue this point being the last article of our Creed coÌ„firmed by manifold testimonies of scripture which often mentioneth eternall life eternall saluation eternall kingdome let vs rather labor by all good meanes to make sure our calling and election to this eternall kingdome that the meditation therof may teach vs first to contemne in respect thereof the momentarie vanities of this present world accounting it more than madnesse if for the temporarie fruition of sinne wee shall depriue our selues of Gods presence where there is fulnesse of ioy and at whose right hand there are pleasures for euermore if for light and temporarie trifles we loose a superexcellent eternall weight of glorie in heauen Secondly with patience and comfort to run the race of afflictions set before vs looking vnto Iesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the ioy that was set before him endured the crosse and despised the shame and is set at the right hand of the throne of God For the and light afflictions of this life are not worthy the eternall weight of glorie that shall be reuealed which notwithstanding they procure vnto vs whiles we looke not on the things which are seene but on the things which are not seene For the things which are seene are temporall but the things which are not seene are eternall Againe the word dwelling importeth rest For there the children of God doe not wander as pilgrims neither are subject to any molestations but doe wholly rest from their labours And for that cause the kingdome of heauen is called the rest of God and as it were an eternall Sabboth In respect whereof the land of Canaan was a type of our heauenly countrey For as to the Israelits after they had for many yeares wandered as pilgrims through the desert the land of Canaan was the mountaine of their perpetuall habitation and rest euen so to vs after wee haue finished our pilgrimage through the desert of this world there remaineth an heauenly Canaan that Sabbatisme or rest of God which the Apostle testifieth is left to the people of God But as against those Israelites which after they were brought out of Aegypt and were in the way towards the land of promise by their infidelitie and contumacie prouoked God the Lord sware in his anger that they should neuer enter into his rest so shall it happen to so many of vs as professing our selues to bee redeemed out of the bondage of the spirituall Pharao shall notwithstanding neither truly beleeue in Christ nor repent of our sinnes but prouoke the Lord by our infidelitie and disobedience Wherefore as the holy ghost sayth To day if you shall heare his voice harden not your hearts as in the prouocation and as in the day of temptation in the wildernesse where your fathers tempted me c. to whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest Let vs studie therefore to enter into that rest least any of vs fall after the same ensample of disobedience And let vs take heed least at any time there be in vs an euill heart of infidelitie to depart from the liuing God For the
of God That he is not such an one as shall either sojourne in the Tabernacle of God or dwell in his holy mountaine vnlesse the description of a sound Christian and citisen of heauen which is comprised in this answer of the Lord agree vnto him And of this answer we are now to speake For when as Dauid as if he had bene the high Priest standing before the propitiatory had consulted with the Oracle of God The Lord maketh aunswere as it were from betwixt the Cherubins therein fully satisfying his demaund For being demaunded who shall sojourne in the Tabernacle of God and rest in his holy mountaine He answereth That he which walketh vprightly and worketh righteousnesse c. shall neuer beremooued In which answere we are to consider two things the description of a sound Christian in the whole body of the Psalme and his priuiledge in the last words he that doth these things shall neuer beremooued The description consisteth wholly of the effects whereby the Lord would haue a true citisen of the kingdome of heauen to be tried and knowne as our Sauiour saith By their fruits you shall know them But here it may be demaunded first Why doth he not rather describe a sound member of the Church and heire of heauen by his faith or by the profession thereof seeing to faith the kingdome of heauen is promised and seeing also the profession of the true faith maketh one a member of the visible Church I answer because faith is an inward and hidden grace many deceiue both themselues and others by a profession of faith and therfore the holy ghost will haue euery mans faith to bee tried and known by the fruits thereof And howsoeuer eternall life be promised to faith and eternall damnation be threatned against infidelitie yet the sentence of saluation and condemnation shall be pronounced according to workes as the euidence of both Secondly it may be demaunded Why among all the fruits of faith which are almost innumerable he maketh choise of those duties which we owe to our brother especially considering that the duties which we owe immediatly to God are more principall wherein also consisteth our religion and pietie towards God As for example the true inuocation of the name of God the sincere profession of the faith the sauing hearing of the word c. Answ. We are to consider that this question is propounded of such as liuing in the visible Church would seeme to be religious making a profession of the faith hearing the word of God and calling vpon his name viz. which of them because all are not religious which would seeme to be so are indeed sound members of the Church and heires of heauen For of those which are openly prophane and doe not so much as make a semblance of religion there is no question to bee made For without question there is no place for such in the kingdome of heauen Now that wee may rightly discerne of those which professe religion who among them are sound who vnsound the markes and tokens are not to bee taken from the outward duties of Gods worship as prayer hearing of the word receiuing of the sacraments and much lesse the obseruation of humane traditions for all these things hypocrits also are accustomed to do but from the duties of charitie and righteousnesse which we owe to our brethren For the touchstone of pietie and true religion towards God is charitie towards our brother Herein saith Iohn are the children of God knowne and the children of the diuell whosoeuer doth not righteousnesse is not of God neither he that loueth not his brother Theâ—e is no man almost in the Church who will not affirme that he beleeueth in Christ that he loueth God that he is the disciple of Christ How then shall he be tried True faith worketh by loue and is to be manifested by workes without which it is to be judged dead The true loue of God must shew it selfe in the loue of our brother For if any man shall say that he loueth God and hateth his brother he is a lyar The true disciple of Christ is knowne by brotherly loue Hereby saith our Sauiour shall all men know you to be my disciples if you loue one another Now in the loue of our neighbour all the duties of the second Table are summarily comprised Let no man therefore so deceiue himselfe as to thinke that he is truly religious towards God if hee liue vnjustly or vncharitably among his neighbours For our religion towards God is to bee esteemed according to those fruits which appeare in our calling and conuersation with men For hereby according to the Scriptures is all our religion and pietie towards God to bee examined and tried And for this cause in describing a citizen of heauen he reckneth vp those duties which are to be exercised towards our brother that by them as it were certaine cognisances the true seruant of God may bee discerned from the slaue of the Diuell And so elsewhere in the Scriptures the like questions receiue not vnlike answers As Psal. 24. 3. 4. 6. Esay 33. 14. 15. 16. Hitherto I haue spoken of the description in generall now we are to descend to the seuerall parts and branches thereof of them some are generall others more speciall I call those generall which summarily comprise all the duties of a good man in the 2. verse namely that he be vpright in heart just in his deeds and true in his words The more speciall are contained in the rest of the Psalme whereby the child of God is described partly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of deniall that he slandereth not that he doth not euill vnto his neighbour that he receiueth not an ill report against him that he breaketh not his oath that he putteth not to vsury that he receiueth no rewards partly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that hee contemneth the wicked and honoureth the godly And these specials may bee vnderstood as branches of the generall For he that is vpright is not partiall but behaueth himselfe towards men as they behaue themselues towards God honoring those that honor God and despising those that contemne the Lord. He that is iust is not iniurious to his neighbour neither is he an vsurer or briber He that loueth the truth he is true in his oath and promises he detesteth slandering both in himselfe and others hauing neither a tongue to vtter nor an eare to heare slaunders Or you may conceiue thus that a citizen of heauen is here described by ten notes whereof foure is affirmatiue signifying the vertues wherewith he is indued and six are negatiue signifying those speciall vices which hee is carefull to auoid Of these notes we are to speake in order The first whereof is Integrity or vprightnesse in these words He that walketh vprightly To walke in the Hebrew phrase signifieth either generally to liue to order a mans life or more
of Enoch Noah Abraham Isaacke and others that they walked before God it signifieth that they walked that is liued vprightly as in the presence and sight of God admitting him to be the witnesse and iudge of all their actions and dealings thus were Zachary and Elizabeth sayd to be righteous before God that is vpright persons And in this sence vpright actions are said in the Scriptures to be done before the Lord. In the song of Zacharie we are said to be redeemed from the hand of our spirituall enemies to this end that we sâ—ould worship the Lord in holinesse and righteousnesse before him that is not as in the sight of men who see but the outward shewes but as in the sight and presence of God who seeth and respecteth the heart Thus are we with the Apostle to speake as before God in Christ thus are we to preach as before God thus are we to heare as before God with Cornelius 2. Againe to be vpright is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to walke with a rightfoot neither couertly treading awry with Peter Gal. 2. nor openly halting with the Israelits 1. King 18. 3. It is also as I said to be void of hypocrisie and doubling not to haue an heart and an heart or to bee double minded but to be single hearted Thus those things which be vpright are said to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnfained and to be performed not with an heart an heart or with a heart diuided or parted but with an entire or whole heart After this manner the holy ghost speaking of the Zebulonits 1. Chron. 12. 33. that they came to Dauid nor with an heart and an heart doth afterwards expound himselfe when speaking of all the Tribes hee saith they came to Dauid with an vpright heart On the other side hypocrits and dissemblers they speake as the Psalmist saith with an heart and an heart and are therfore called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 double minded men 4. Lastly this vertue of Vprightnesse is commended vnto vs vnder other names viz. synceritie and truth Sinceritie being opposed to mixture and truth to falsehood both which hypocrisie is Sincere is that which is without mixture as clarified honey is sine cera without wax or as bread without leauen For which cause the vertue of sinceritie is commended vnto vs vnder the type of the vnleauened bread with which the feast of the Passeouer was to be celebrated As contrariwise hypocrisie is signified by leauen and is called the leauen of the Pharisies There were other types also of the law wherin the mixture of hypocrisie doubling was condemned and contrariwise sinceritie commaunded vnto vs. As for example when the Lord forbad the Israelits to plant their vineyards with diuerse sorts or to sow their fields with diuerse kinds of seed or to plow with an oxe and asse together or to weare garments of linsey wolsey But it is also called Truth as 1. Cor. 5. 8. for this is the truth which the Lord requireth in the inward parts Psal. 51. 6. and wherein he is to bee worshipped and called vpon He is therefore said to walke vprightly who behauing himselfe as in the sight and presence of God walketh with a right foot without hypocrisie or dissimulation in sincertie and truth 2. Now that vprightnesse is a proper note to the citisens of heauen it may easily appeare by the reciprocall conuersion which is betwixt them For if all the citisens of heauen be vpright and all that be vpright are citisens of heauen then is it manifest that vprightnesse agreeth to all that be the sonnes and heires of God and to them alone First then that all which be heires of the kingdome of heauen are vpright it is euident For those that are not vpright haue none inheritance in heauen As Peter telleth Simon Maguâ— that he had no part in the Communion of Saints because his heart was not right in the sight of God For hypocrits as all be that are not vpright for not to be vpright is to be an hypocrite and not to be an hypocrite is to be vpright neither shall they sojourne to the end in Gods Tabernacle neither shal they rest in the mountaine of Gods holinesse but contrary to the priuiledge of the vpright in the last verse they shall beremooued both by defection whereby they seperat themselues from God in this life and by exclusion whereby they shall bee seperated from God in the life to come As touching the former as constancie and perseuerance is an vnseparable companion of vprightnesse so hypocrisie is accompanied with inconstancie and is commonly punished with defection The double minded man is inconstant in all his waies And the Apostle Iohn doth teach vs that those which be in the Church but are not of it that is to say hypocrits are permitted by the just judgement of God to fall away that their hypocrisie may be detected And to the same purpose Bildad the Shuhite Can arush saith he grow without mire or can the grasse grow without water Though it should be greene and not plucked vp yet shall it wither before any other hearbe So are the paths of all that forget God and the expectation of the hypocrite doth perish And as touching the life to come Iob sheweth that the hypocrite hath no hope when God doth take away his soule For all their reward they receiue in this life as our Sauiour Christ saith Verily Isay vnto you they haue their reward They are therefore in no expectation of reward for the hypocrite shall not come into the presence of God but are or may be in certain expectation of punishment For our Sauiour Christ when he would signifie that the wicked seruant shall certainely be condemned he saith That hee shall haue his portion with the hypocrites where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Those therefore that be heires of the kingdome of heauen they be not hypocrites and dissemblers but such as are vpright Which must teach vs as wee desire to perseuere in the faith to the end and to attaine to the end of our faith which is the saluation of our souls so to humble ourselues to walke with our God in sinceritie and vprightnesse of heart Now that all those also which be vpright are citisens of heauen it may euidently be prooued out of the Scriptures For as the Psalmist saith the Lord will giue grace and glory grace in this life and glory in the life to come and no good thing will â—ee withhold from them that walke vprightly Grace he giueth them with perseuerance for the vpright man buildeth vpon the rocke and therefore no temptations shall vtterly ouercome him He is not onely in the Church but also of it and therefore certainely shall remaine in the communion of the Church and whosoeuer continueth to the end he shall
in the day of judgement shall say Lord Lord haue not we prophecied in thy name and cast our diuels in thy name and done many great workes in thy name to whom the Lord shall answere I neuer knew you depart from mee you workers of iniquitie Call to mind the fiue foolish virgins who hauing lampes but no oyle were excluded If therefore we would not depart ashamed from our Sauiour Christ at his comming wishing the mountaines to fall vpon vs and to couer vs from his sight but would stand before the sonne of man with comfort let vs endeuour to approoue our selues in the meane time to Christ our judge walking before him in vprightnesse of heart and so demeaning our selues as those who thinke that of their most secret thoughts words and deeds there must an account be giuen to God who searcheth the heart and trieth the reines that he may giue euery man according to his waies and according to the fruit of his workes Fourthly and lastly let vs follow the aduise of Salomon Prou. 4. Aboue all obseruation to keepe our heart For the heart as it is the fountaine of life so of liuing well or ill from whence all our speeches and actions as it were streames doe flow and proceed Those things which come out of the mouth sayth our Sauiour Christ come from the heart For out of the heart come euill thoughts murders adulteries fornications thefâ—s false testimonies slaunders And againe The good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth â—oorth good things and the euill man out of the euill treasure of his heart bringeth forth euill things for out of the aboundance of the heart the mouth speaketh and also the hand worketh If therefore we desire that our actions and speeches may bee good and pure wee must first haue our hearts purified by a true faith that so our loue and obedience may flow from a pure heart and good conscience and faith vnfained For it cannot be that the streames of our actions should be good and sincere if the fountaine of our heart be corrupt Wherefore in reforming our liues our first and chiefe care must be for the purging of our hearts as our Sauior Christ admonisheth Mat. 23. Cleanse first saith he the inside of the cup and platter that the outside of them may be cleane also And Iames Purge your heart you double minded saith he and not your hands onely For what will it auaile vs to drie vp the streames whiles the fountaine springeth or to lop off the boughs whiles the body and root doe remaine vntouched Surely if with Amaziah we shall doe those things which be right but not with an vpright heart we shall fall away as he did If with Simon Magus we professe our selues to beleeue and joyne our selues to the Saints of God notwithstanding we may be as he was in the gall of bitternesse and bond of iniquitie if our heart be not vpright within vs. This neglect of the heart is the cause of all hypocrisie making men double minded bearing as wee say two faces vnder a hood Wherby it commeth to passe that the most glorious professours sometimes become like to Summer fruit which many times being faire and mellow on the outside is rotten at the core Now that we may the rather be stirred vp to a diligent obseruation of our heart we are briefely to consider these two things First that the heart of man is deceitfull and wicked aboue all things and therefore cannot sufficiently be watched And secondly that such as is the qualitie of the heart such is the qualitie of the man in the estimation of God Hetherto we haue spoken of integritie as it is referred vnto God it followeth now that wee should intreat thereof as it hath reference vnto men For as wee must walke before God in truth and sinceritie without hypocrisie so must we haue our conuersation among men in simplicitie and singlenesse of heart without dissembling or guile For euen in our conuersation among men wee are to haue God alwayes before our eyes that as in his presence and sight wee may in singlenesse of heart performe such duties as we owe vnto men For howsoeuer simplicitie is accounted folly in the world and worldly wisedome consisting of dissimulation and deceit be euery where extolled yet if we would be esteemed citisens of heauen and pilgrims on earth it behooueth vs to bee fooles in the world that we may become truly wise as the Apostle exhorteth 1. Cor. 3. Let no man deceiue himselfe If any man among you seeme to be wise in this world let him be a foole that he may be wise for the wisdome of this world is foolishnesse with God Not that I would haue simple men to be fooles but that wise men ought to be simple For true wisdome is tempered with the simplicitie of doues And that wisedome which is from aboue is pure and without hypocrisie Whereas on the other side the wisedome of the world consisting of dissimulation and deceit is by the censure of S. Iames earthly carnall and diuellisâ— It is true indeed that in the world simplicitie is deemed folly and simple men are accounted as idiots and innocent men esteemed fools For such a generall wickednesse hath possessed the minds of most men that now adayes no man is called innocent but such as want wit to doe euill And contrariwise that mixed prudence is commended in the world which is â—oyned with hâ—pocrisie and deceit Which notwithstanding it were easie for any man to attain vnto who makes no conscience of dissembling lying facing sweaâ—ing forswearing But in the Scriptures simplicitie is both commended and commaunded as a note of the citisen of heauen without which there is no entrance for a man into the kingdome of God Christ commaundeth his followers to be wise indeed as serpents but withall to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is simple or sincere without any mixture of guile as doues are without gall And likewise Paule would haue vs wise vnto that which is good but simple vnto euill In regard hereof the primitiue Church Act. 2. is highly commended that they conuersed together in singlenesse of heart and herein especially the Apostle glorieth 2. Cor. 1. That in simplicitie and godly purenesse and not in flesâ—ly wisedome he had had his conuersation in the world And no maruell for it is the note of a true Israelite to be without guile and such the holy ghost pronounceth blessed Christ our Sauiour in respect of this simplicitie is called a lambe and those that will be his followers must not be foxes or wolues but as they are called in the Scriptures sheepe following the steps of our Sauiour Christ who did no sinne neither was there guile found in his mouth And hereunto let vs adde the testimonie of the holy ghost in this place affirming That those which shall
inficit animam interficit for whiles he infecteth his ear he destroyeth his soule casting thereinto the seeds of suspition hatred and contempt as 1. Sam. 22. which afterward bring forth most damnable fruits 3. Lastly to himselfe hee is a sword destroying his owne soule by committing that sinne which is most odious vnto God for he which slaundereth his neighbour behind his backe he committeth the same offence with him that raileth on the deafe and is like to him that smiteth his neighbour secretly which whosoeuer doth he is accursed And therefore no maruell though this be said to be that seuenth sinne which God doth abhorre for there is no sinne which maketh a man so like the diuell as this doth for from slaundering and backbiting he hath his name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a common name to him with all slaunderers But as the Lord doth greatly detest backbiting so doth he grieuously punish it and not only them but also the places that harbour them and not only in this life but in the life to come for if raylers shall not inherit the kingdome of God much lesse shall slaunderers And therefore it is euident that this vice I speake of the habit or custome of backbiting for in many things we sinne all and he is a very perfect man that neuer offendeth in his tongue is not incident vnto a citisen of heauen This note therefore agreeth to all them that shall inherit the kingdome of God It remaineth therefore that I should shew how it agreeth to them alone for backbiting is so common a vice that it is naturally in all men for vnto all doth the Apostle apply those testimonies They haue all gone out of the way there is none that doth good no not one their throat is an open sepulchre the poyson of aspes is vnder their lips And therefore none are freed from it but those which are regenerate neither is this vice seene alone in them that are prophane and openly wicked but also in them who would seeme to be religious For those which would seeme religious and yet be not so these for the most part place the top of their religion in inueighing against the faults of others that is to say in backbiting as though other mens want of religion would proue them to be religious But this custome argueth him that vseth it to be an hypocrit and a vile person For as Iames sayth If any man would seeme to be religious and doth not refraine his tongue but deceiueth his owne heart that mans religion is vaine And it is truly said of Hierome It is the propertie of vile persons to make others vile and those which cannot be commended by their own desert doe seeke to be commended in comparison of others Wherefore as we desire to be accounted heires of heauen so let vs learne to keepe our tongues form backbiting and in tender care of our brothers credit to couer his offences especially such as sauour of infirmity as Sem and Iaphet once did couer the nakednesse of their father For as hatred which often bursteth forth into slaundering and backbiting raiseth contention so charitie couereth the multitude of offences What then will you say are the offences of our neighbour so to be buried as that it is not lawfull for a man to mention them As touching the vices of others this is the duty of euery honest man First in presence If a brother be ouertaken with some lesse offence we are to admonish him in the spirit of meeknesse if he offend more grieuously we are to freely to reproue him and not to suffer sinne to rest vpon him Wherefore as Bernard saith If thou wilt rebuke an offender reproue him to his face and bite him not behind his backe For open rebuke is better than secret loue The wounds of a louer that is to say euen his sharpest reprofes are faithfull but the kisses of an enemie are to be prayed against And Dauid to the like purpose Let the righteous saith he smite me and I will esteeme it a benefit let him reproue me and it shall be a pretious oyle that shall not breake mine head Wherefore we are in this behalfe to follow the direction of our Sauiour Christ If thy brother offend against thee that is in thy sight for an offence committed before thee is a scandale vnto thee go and reproue him betweene thee and him alone If he shall harken vnto thee thou hast won thy brother But if he shall not harken vnto thee take vnto thee one or two that by the mouth of two or three witnesses euery word may be established And if he will not vouchsafe to heare them tell it vnto the Church and if he refuse to heare the Church also let him be vnto thee as an heathen man and a publican And this is the course which we must take with him that is a brother But if he be a sonne of Beliâ—l or one that is openly profane such as the Scriptures calleth a scorner who maketh a scoffe of all religion with such when they offend before vs we are to take another course For although our hearts ought to be grieued and vexed at the wickednes of prophane persons as Lots was among the Sodomits though we ought to mourne for the sinnes of our neighbours and countrimen as those who were marked in the forehead that they might escape the common destruction though it ought to be an irkesome thing vnto vs as it was to Dauid to fee the transgressors which keepe not the word of God finally though with Dauidâ— we ought to weepe riuers of waters because men keepe not Gods law notwithstanding priuat admonition or brotherly reprofe is not to be vsed to wards desperat sinners or prophane ruffians For holy things as our Sauiour Christ aduiseth are not to be cast before dogges neither is precious pearle of brotherly admonition to be thrown before swine for they will not only trample it vnder their feet but also turne vpon thee to offer thee violence or disgrace And to the same purpose is the aduice of Salomon Prou. 9 He that reproueth a scorner purchaseth to himselfe shame and he that rebuketh the wicked getteth himselfe reproch Rebuke not a scorner lest he hate thee but rebuke a wise man and he will loue thee Giue admonition to the wise and he will be the wiser teach a righteous man and he will increase in learning And such ought to be our behauiour in presence of him that offendeth As for those which be absent we are not behind our neighbours backe to publish their shame For he that vttereth infamie is a foole The secret faults of our neighbours especially such as are committed of infirmitie we are to conceale and couer For loue couereth the multitude of sinnes Neither are we to vtter the rest vnlesse we be vrged
vsurie by the example of Nehemiah himselfe and his followers who had lent vpon vsurie to these men for so he readeth vers 10. for euen I my brethren and my seruants did lend them vpon vsurie money and corne the word is Noshim of the verbe Nashah which as I haue said before signifieth either to exact or to lend with purpose to require or exact againe that which is lent and so in this place is interpreted two wayes either in the sence of free lending as the most do read wherein Nehemiah commendeth his owne example to be followed or in the sence of exacting as Tremellius and Iunius translate As if Nehemias had said If your dealing with your brethren were to be allowed then much more might I and my brethren and seruants exact of them that which is due vnto vs But that as afterwards he sheweth he had forborne all the time of his gouernment for the sence which that authour giueth is repugnant to the text it selfe For why should Nehemiah bee so angrie with the other wealthie men if himselfe and his followers who were to giue them example of charitable dealing had practised the same thing or how could he reprooue them so sharpely if himselfe were guiltie of the same offence or would he alledge his owne practise of vsurie to persuade them to desist therefrom or if hee condemne vsurie in himselfe and his followers as well as in the rest as he doth if that interpretation were good how is vsurie justified by his example Now I come to those places of Scripture wherein vsurie is generally and absolutly condemned and they are foure The first is the text which we haue in hand where vnto the Prophet demaunding who shall sojourne in the Lords Tabernacle and who shall rest in the mountaine of his holinesse He that giueth not his money to vsurie that is that lendeth not for gaine Out of which place this syllogisme may bee gathered whereunto let euerie vsurer consider how he shall be able to answer before the Lord. He that shall inherit the kingdome of heauen doth not put forth his money to vsurie but thou say I to the vsurer or him that lendeth for gaine dost put forth thy money to vsurie thou therefore vnlesse thou repent shalt not inherit the kingdome of heauen but shalt be cast out of the heauenly Ierusalem and shalt haue thy part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone where is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth For as Ambrose inferreth vpon this place If therefore he be blessed saith he that hath not giuen his money to vsury then no doubt he is accursed who hath put forth his money to vsurie Yea but saith the vsurer the word here vsed is Neshek which signifieth biting and therefore so long as I bite no bodie this conclusion includeth not me Whereunto I answer that Neshek is the generall word whereby all vsurie is signified and therefore that all lending for gaine is Neshek as I haue manifestly proued before Neither is it called Neshek because the lender biteth but because the money lent vpon vsurie biteth or gnaweth away some part of the borrowers substance and so he which lendeth causeth his money to bite as the Hebrew words do plainly signifie Deut. 23 19. And therefore consider well whether this distinction of biting not biting vsurie grounded vpon the notation of the word which indeed distinguisheth not one kind of vsurie from another as though one did bite and another did not bite but rather imporâ—eth that all vsurie is biting be so sure a distinction as thou wilt aduenture thy saluation thereupon The second testimonie is of the wise king Salomon Pro. 28. 8. He that increaseth or multiplieth his riches by vsurie and increase gathereth them for him that will be mercifull to the poore that is riches gotten by lending vpon vsurie and by taking increase shall be translated from the couetous vsurer who is commonly cruel and vnmerciful to the poore vnto the liberall and bountifull man who will be mercifull to the poore For the translation of riches threatned is an euident argument of vnjust possession From hence therefore all that are addicted to wealth are to be exhorted that as they desire the continuance of their riches which are so deere vnto them so they would not gather the same by vsurie Against this testimonie they make three exceptions The first that not all vsurie or increase is here condemned but biting vsurie and multiplied increase I answer that all gaine or cleere increase aboue the principall couenanted for or exacted for loane is Neshek and Tarbith here condemned as I haue proued before Secondly they object that the prouerbe speaketh of him who lending vpon vsurie to the poore oppresseth them thereby for so much the prouerbe doth not obscurely signifie that goods taken from the poore by couctous vsurers shall by iust and liberall men be restored vnto them againe This collection I denie not to be wittie but I denie it to be sound For no more can necessarily be gathered hence but thus much as I sayd that goods vnjustly gotten by men couetous and vnmercifull shall be transferred from them to the liberall and mercifull To which purpose the holy ghost often speaketh in other places of Scripture as Prou. 13. 22 The riches of the sinner is laid vp for the just Eccle. 2. 26 Vpon the sinner the Lord sendeth trouble and molestation to gather and scrape together that he may giue to the man that is good before him Iob. 27. 16 17 Though the wicked should heape vp siluer as the dust and prepare raiment as the clay he may prepare it but the just shall put it on and the innocent shall diuide the siluer The truth of which commination daily experience doth proue for seldome doe vsurers children thriue or come to good And that which commonly is sayd De male quasitis non gaudet tertius haeres is verified by Salomon Eccles. 5. 12 13. And for as much as vsurours doe not vse to trust the poore but with small summes out of which ariseth a small increase it is not therefore likely that great riches are gathered by vsurie exacted onely of the poore and therfore the prouerbe seemeth to speake of vsurie required not only of the poore but also of the richer sort to whom the greater summes lent do raise greater gaine Thirdly they object that the prouerbe speaketh of him whose trade and profession is to seeke gaine by vsurie and whose great wealth hath no otherwise risen but by vsurie To which I answer If to lend vpon vsurie were a thing lawfull why should not the custome or trade of lending vpon vsurie be lawfull as well as the custome or trade of seeking gaine by other lawfull contracts But now say the patrons of vsurie it is vtterly vnlawfull to make a trade of vsurie Yea Caluin plainely affirmeth that whosoeuer maketh a profession of vsurie he ought to be excluded from the
judgement he getteth his goods vnlawfully as for example by vsurie or briberie Now we are briefly to consider the contrarie affirmatiue namely that euery sound Christian maketh conscience of his gettings hauing a true purpose and vpright endeuour to obtaine and procure the commodities of this life onely by good and lawfull meanes And that we may all of vs in like sort be persuaded to make conscience of this duty let vs haue in our minds these considerations first that riches are fitly compared to thornes which if we be not carefull in the gathering of them will pricke and wound not the hand but the conscience yea and if we be ouer-greedie of them will pierce vs through with many sorrowes and secondly that so oft as they being offered to our desire cannot be compassed by good and lawfull meanes they are the baits of the Diuell And therefore we are not to lay hold vpon euerie commoditie which is propounded vnto vs but we are to looke vnto the lawfulnes of the meanes for if we attaine them by vnlawful means we do with them swallow the hooke of the Diuell And this is a certaine truth that those which will be rich that is which haue set downe with themselues that they will attaine to wealth whether the Lord do giue them lawfull meanes or not they fall into temptation and snares of the Diuell for he cannot lay any bait of commoditie to entrap them which they will not be readie to obtaine by sinne which is the very hooke of the Diuell Thirdly we are to acknowledge that it is the blessing of God which maketh rich Prou. 10. 22 and that the Lord doth not blesse ill gotten goods see Prou. 13. 11. and Iâ—rem chapter 17. 11. Fourthly that better is a little with righteousnesse than great reuenews without equitie Prou. 16. 8. Psal. 37. 16 and that it is better to be in meane estate with a good conscience than with the shipwracke of a good conscience to be rich Fiftly that goods justly gotten are the good gifts of God and pledges of his loue towards thee if also thou hast grace to vse them well but contrariwise that ill gotten goods obtained by sinne in the seruice of the diuell they are the wages which the prince of this world giueth to his seruants and are as Nazianzene sayth the earnest penny of perdition or that I may speake more effectually they are the price of mens soules for which couetous men who haue set their soules to sale doe sell them to the diuell Lastly let vs esteeme that onely to be gained which is gotten lawfully And when any thing which we desire cannot be gotten lawfully let vs remember that as the Apostle sayth Great gaâ—e is godlinesse with contentednesse Whereas contrariwise in that which is vnjustly gotten thre is exceeding great losse And therfore the heathen man did well aduise vs to chuse losse rather than vnhonest gaine for the one sayth hee will grieue thee but once and the other for euer For indeed what is gained in that which is gotten by sinne an earthly commoditie which to a worldly man is not onely vaine and vnprofitable but also hurtfull But what is loâ—t thy soule For the wages of sinne as death and the soule that sâ—â—neth shall die Now if the soule should bee weighed in the ballance of Critolâ—us against al the commodities of the world it would ouerweigh them all Wherefore let that diuine Oracle of our Sauiour Christ alwaies sound in our eares What will it profit a man if hee shall gaine the whole world and loose his owne soule Mar. 8. 36. should we not sinne to gaine the whole world and shall we be readie to sinne for euery trifle in the world Would not the whole world be a sufficient ransome to redeeme our soules and shall wee â—ell our soules to the diuell for euery nothing in this world Was Esau prophane and foolish who in his hunger sold his birthright for a messe of pottage and are not we much more prophane and foolish if for matters of like value but lesse necessitie wee shall make away an euerlasting inheritance yea an eternall kingdome in heauen And thus much may suffice to haue spoken concerning the description of the sound Christian and citizen of heauen Now followeth the priuiledge of euery sound Christian who is qualified according to that description viz. That he shall neuer bee remooued for so sayth the holy ghost He that doth these things shall neuer bee remooued Where we are to consider two things first who it is to whom this priuiledge belongeth and secondly what this priuiledge is the partie to whom it belongeth is He that doth these things He doth not say he that knoweth these things nor he that can discourse of these matters but he that doth these things For as we judge of the health and soundnesse of the heart not by the words of the mouth or colour of the countenance but by the pulse of the arme so of the soundnesse and vprightnesse of the heart judgement is to be made not so much by the words or countenance as by the fruits of the hands It is a good thing to say well but we are no sound Christians or citizens of heauen vnlesse also we doe well Not euery one that sayth vnto me Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but he that doth the will of my father which is in heauen It is a good thing to read and heare and by reading and hearing to know the will of God but we shall neuer attaine to happinesse vnlesse we be also carefull to doe it Blessed it â—e which readeth sayth Iohn the Diuine and blessed are they which â—e are the words of this prophecie but he stayeth not there and obserue sayth he the things which are written therein It is a good thing to haue the word of God preached and a miserable thing to be without it as Salomon sayth Prou. 29. 18. but he that so heareth it as that he keepeth it ô happie is he They are blessed sayth our Sauiour Christ that â—eare the word of God and keepe it And againe If you know these things happie are you if you doe them We are therefore from hence to bee exhorted vnto well doing For seeing a sound Christian and citizen of heauen is to be discerned by doing these things as the holy ghost here teacheth it behoueth vs by doing them to make our calling and election sure For if we doe these things we shall neuer fall as Peter also by the same spirit affirmeth The priuiledge it selfe is that he shall neuer be remooued or as some read that he shall not fall for euer not for euer that is neuer as Iohn 13. 8. Thou shalt not wash myfeet for euer And the same priuiledge in the same words is repeated Psal. 112. 6. The good man shall neuer be remooued and Prou. 10. 30. The righteous shall neuer be remoued