resist them strongly by instant and extraordinarie watchfulnes in prayer 17. If thou labourest in this due examination of thy selfe thou shalt in time be able to discouer the veines bodie age and strength of many temptations in others by an holy experience which God hath taught thee thou shalt see into mens secret corruptions and be able to beget an inspeakeable ioy in others who may be tempted as thou arâ— or hast beene 18. Againe when men proceed in this cure they must remember two speciall groundes first to labour that the afflicted may be perswaded their sinnes are pardonable and their sores curable Secondly that their visitations is not so much a signe of Gods wrath and anger as a seale of his mercy and fauour for that it is not blinde and barren but like to be plentifull in good effects fruitfull in godly issues 19. Albeit some in this cure suppresse the Law and applie the Gospell onely yet I see not but that there must bee a sound sorrow for sinne before the pardon of sinne be sealed and men must know and acknowledge themselues sicke before they seeke the Physition yet here is wisedome required neither to presse the Conscience too seuerely nor to release it too vnaduisedly 20. Lastly in applying the Law to some persons afflicted hee warneth vs wisely to obserue First whetâ—er wee speake to man or woman for that wee may vrge the Law more strictly to the man as being the stronger Secondly whether they haue knowledge or no for the ignorant in this case thinkes neuer any so tempted and Sathan perswades him that hath knowledge that he hath sinned against the holie Ghost Thirdly whether strong or weake more or lesse wounded for their sinne Fourthly whether by nature they are more fearefull and melancholike Fifthly whether it bee a signe of infirmitie or of custome Sixthly consider well the persons age estate and condition of life for Temptations and Afflictions doe varie according to all these And yet remember well how there be many of what condition sexe knowledge soeuer they are which be more troubled for the vâ—xation of tâ—eir mindes distempered then for the vilenes and horriblenes of their sinnes committed as fearing some outward shame rather then humbled for their inward sinne Seuenthly the time is to be obserued to be more milde in the burning agâ—â— of their fitâ—es but more shâ—rpe in admoâ—ition in their intermission and rest Eightly and lastly to beare patiently the impatiencie of the sicke remembring alwaies the wordes of Gods blessed spirit A wounded spirit who can beare And thus farre concerning the principall contents and rules of the first Treatise The second is of the very same argument and here hee commendeth these holy obseruations following First he willeth vs in afflictions not so much to fasten our eyes vpon them as vpon the ende which is most sweete and comfortable 2. That the Lord shackleth vs the more witâ— the chaine of his chastisements because wee are more carefull to â—ee vnâ— urthened of our afflictions than to be freed from our sinnes 3. How the godly should reioyce in their godly sorrowe for sinne for that it is an earnest of their regeneration And that they take heede to disquiâ—t themselues because they are pestered with wicked motions suspitions delusions vaine phantasies and imaginations for that the bodie of sinne will euer send forth some filthie froth which is not onely saith he detestable to the minde regeâ—erate but also would make abashed the very naturall man and vnbeleeuer if he could see into that sea of sinne and sinke-hole of iniquitie 4. Though wee finde in our selues manifold infirmities though we know not whether we striue for feare of punishment or for loue of so good a father yet if wee feele this in our selues that we would faine loue the Lord and be better and being wearied and tired with our sinnes long gladly to enioy the peace of righteousnesse and desire to please God in a simple obedience of faith then let vs be comforted there is no time too late to repent in 5. If any say his faith is weake and cold and my conscience is as a burning furnace I feare the Lord will pursue me with his wrath I answere thou doest wâ—ll to feare but feare and sinne not For that feare which sul dueth the securitie of the flesh is in all most requisite but fight euer against that feare which hindereth the certainâ—y of faith for that will encourage our enemies more fiercely to set vpon vs 6. Hee saith that some are vtterly ignorant of the afflictions of minde and when they heare any speech of any such matter they suppose they heare a man speake in a strange language But he counselleth vs to runne vnto the Lord in this life with a troubled minde least wee tarie with such men to be locâ—t vp with the heauie fetters of desperation when he shall summon vs to the bâ—rre of his iudgement in the sight of his Angels c. 7. In prosperitie many thinke Gods blessings are their ownâ— right and binde God as it were in this life to entertaine them at full charges and sue him as it were by an obligation if he seeme to withdraw his hand from them So they prouokt him to proue to their faces by some speciall crosse and affliction that all they haue is but lent and borrowed But Gods children acknowledge continually that God hath rods in a readines though they see no present euils to beate them from their sinnes and bend all their care how they may rather suffer aduersiâ—ie to Gods glorie than to sleepe securely in prosperitie to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season For they knowe Gods graces must not bee idle in his children but well exercised by afflictions Thus farre for the second treatise The third treatise teacheth vs what be the speciall markes of a righteous man Here first hee sheweth that true righteousnesse doth not consist of any inherent qualitie be it neuer so excellent but is onely by imputation for the obtaining whereof a man must feele and finde himselfe naked and voide of all righteousnesse and full of all vnrighteousnesse by reason of that sinne which dwelleth in vs. 2. A man must desire to lâ—aue his sinnes and to escape the punishment due vnto them 3. To commit himselfe by faith vnto Christ and trusting in him and in his al-sufficient merits for his full reconciliation with God 4. A man thus iustified and reconciled is also sanctified to walke with an vpright heart before the Lord. 5. This vprightnesse is tried by foure speciall notes First we must loue all good things as well as one and hate all sins as well as one hauing respect to all Gods commandements Yet this rule may haue some exceptions saith he for we doe not at the first know all good nor all euill much lesse loue the one and hate the other as wee ought yet let euery man walke according to that measure of grace and light receiued
all to be vsed when we would breed comfort in one I demaund whether if it be necessarie to maintaine the righteousnes of Christ it be not also as necessarie to preserue the righteousnes of the law Seeing the righteousnes of the law of vs not fulfilled will draw vs vnto the righteousnes of Christ to vs imputed sith the righteousnes of Christ to vs imputed is neuer throughly and truly esteemed vntill we see the righteousnes of the law of vs to be vnperformed Againe if our Sauiour Christ did foreshew his Disciples that the first work of the holy Ghost at his comming should be to conuict the world of sinne to make men know that without Iesus Christ there is nothing but sinne then that he should rebuke the world of righteousnes that they might see how Christ died not for his own sins but for the sins of others I see not why it should not be very coÌ„uenient first to lay open the righteousnes of the law that men may see their sinnes and then the righteousnes of Christ that men may see their sins discharged in him Besides where the Lord saith by his Prophet At what time soeuâ—r a sinner doth repent of his sinnes from the bottome of his heart I will put all his wickednes out of my remembrance it may well be gathered that there must be first a sound sorrow for sinne and then a true ioy of sins pardoned may more freely by vertue of his promise be both hoped for and looked for afterward Moreouer seeing all the promises of God in the Gospell are commended vnto vs vnder the title tenour of restoring sight to the blinde hearing to the deafe strength to the lame health to the sicke and life to the dead it is manifest not onely that there is no disease of the soule which Christ cannot heale but also that we must first finde our selues blind deafe dumbe lame sick dead before he will meddle with vs because they that are whole neede not the Physition and he came to call sinners not the righteous to repentance Now to doe this in wisedome by neither pressing the conscience too seuerely nor releasing the conscience more vnaduisedly it shall be a safe way to vse the well tempered speech of the Apostle to the sorcerer Repent that if it be possible thy sinne may be forgiuen thee Where he doth not wholy discourage him because it may be his sinne may be pardoned neither yet too boldly incourage him in that without repentance he sheweth it to be altogether impossible to be pardoned And that we be not too preposterous in our consolation let vs be warned by the blasphemous speech of that detestable ArriaÌ„ who of late yeeres was put to death at Norwich This hellish heretike a little before he should be executed affoorded a few whorish teares asking whether he might be saued in Christ or no When one told him that if he truly repented he should surely not perish he brake out most monstrously into this speech Nay is your Christ so easily to be intreated indeed as you say then I defie him and care not for him Oh how good a thing had it bin not to haue cast this precious stone to this swine Oh how safe had it been to haue dealt more bitterly and to haue dwelt more vehemently on the conscience of this caiâ—ife Now to attaine some discretion in curing this wounded spirit we must learne wisely to iudge both of the person afflicted and of the nature of his affliction First we may note whether it be a man or a woman because we may vrge more fearfully the vse of the law to a man as being the stronger vessell And as Sathan knew the woman to be most easie and framable to be wrought vpon at his first temptation so is he not ignorant that she is the weaker partie to sustaine any temptation now Then let vs consider whether they that are thus humbled haue knowledge or no Because if they haue no knowledge they thinke trouble of minde to be so strange a thing as neuer any before had it if they haue knowledge then Sathan is readie to accuse them of the sinne against the holy Ghost as though euery sinne done against knowledge were a sinne of presumption Further we are to enquire how strong or weake they are that if they be sorely striken we cease to humble them any further if they be not sufficiently wounded then to touch them with some deeper sense of sinne Also we must be circumspect to finde out whether by nature they are fearefull and melancholike or no as also whether they be vsuall sinners or haue fallen once of infirmitie that so vpon their disposition and inclination we may build our speeches the better To these it is good to adde the consideration of the persons age estate and abilitie as if the partie be troubled for worldlines whether he be not a great house holder if he complaine of vncleannes whether he be not a yong man vnmaried if he be humbled with couetousnes whether he be not old because diuers couÌ„tries callings ages conditions and estates of men haue their diuers and peculiar sinnes which we must rightly discerne Howbeit of what sex soeuer they are men or women of what complexion soeuer they are of what knowledge to discerne sin of what degree of committing sin of what age authoritie wealth estate or coÌ„dition soeuer they are it is good to marke that there be many who are more troubled for the vexation and disquietnes of their minde being distempered than for the vilenes and horriblenes of their sin coÌ„mitted who are wounded more with the feare of shame with the feare of being mad or with the feare of running out of their wits than with the conscience of sinne Which thing if we finde in them it is our part to trauell with them that they make a lesse matter of the outward shame and more conscience of the inward sinne Neither must we here forget to make a distinction betweene our speeches vsed to the humbled in the very time of their extreme agony burning ague of their troubles and those speeches which we vse to them the fit being past because the one and former requireth more consolation and lesse exhortation the other and latter would haue vs more abundant in admonishing and more sparing in comforting when we may wisely admonish them to beware of sinne which so procured their owne woe In this breathing time it is also expedient to exhort them that for some season vntill they shall finde greater power of regeneration they would tye themselues to some holy orders and godly vowes whereby they may either be furthered in mortifying some speciall sinne which for that they could finde no power against it did most grieue them or strengthened in some speciall grace the want where of did also wound them But before we launch deeper into this sea of particular temptations and begin to sound the
therefore they cannot see where a trope should haue his place Thus it went with their great Master and father of allegories Origen who giuing himselfe to follow his deuised allegories could not through God his righteous and iust iudgement see those places that will admir a trope For comming to that saying of Christ our Sauiour where he intreateth oâ— three kindes of chast persons whereof one maketh himselfe chast for the kingdome of God sake hee taking it too literally did cut off his owne members and so grossely did misunderstand it The true vnderstanding of this place then is this that in the Apostles times and in the ages following there should bee riper knowledge than was in the ages before But if it be here obiected that the men of our daies are not like the great men and Prophets of God as Eâ—â—y Dauid Ieremiah or Daniel to this wee answere that comparisons must be alwaies in the like Then if we compare the Apostles with the Prophets that were before them we know the Apostles in cleerenes and excellencie of knowledge did surpasse them And our Sauiour Christ testifieth of Iohn Baptist that he was the greatest among the Prophets and yet that the Apostles and Ministers of the Gospell were greater than he Then compare our Euangelists with the Patriarches and they saw a cleerer light than these did For Abraham sawe Christ but a farre off and to come they sawe him euidently and already come Proceede to compare the common sort of people then with the common sort in these dayes and euen we doe see Christ more liuâ—ly painted out before vs than they did they had assurance that these things should come to passe wee knowe that they are alreadie come to passe seeing plainly the effects and issues of them And thus wee see that God his graces are moe and more excellent than they were in the time of the Law Compare Christ with Mose and hee did as farre exceed him as the Master builder doth the hired seruant Compare their common Ministers the Priests and Leuites with our ordinarie Doctors and Pastors and they goe beyond them in the euidence of knowledge All these notable men of the Law knew that Christ should come and that the holy Ghost should come but the maner of their comming they saw but very darkly but we see it and reioyce therein The plaine meaning then of this place is that whereas God did in the old time reueale his will vnto some by visions and by dreames now al sorts of men young and old man and maide shall be instructed in the knowledge of God more plentifully and more perfitly For it is to be vnderstood as that Exod 19 Ye shall be a kingly Priâ—sthood c. and 1 Pet. 2. it must be interpreted as often in Esay as chap. 11. in Ieremy and in the Gospell aâ—ter Iohn it is saide They shâ—ll all bee taught of God and that which is in his Epistle the annointing shall teach you all things These doe not take away the ordinarie ministerie of the word but doe shew that men shall not onely haue the outward meanes but shall also haue the teaching of the Spirit And all of these are so begun in this life that they be not performed to the full vntill wee be vnclothed of this flesh and haue our full part with Christ in the life to come This is the meaning of the place and herein doe wee goe beyond the men of the old ages And besides this in the very manner of deliuerie there is farre more cleernes and euidence now than was in the times of the Law For the Prophets and holy men of God indeede laboured but the fruite for the most part was little and the Apostles as Christ saith Ioh. 4. entred into their labours Yâ—a the Apostle Peter goeth further and saith that they were a light shining in a darke place but wee haue a surer light of prophecie Further hee addeth in the same place that they serued not so much their owne ages and times as vs that are come after them Now hauing the right vnderstanding of this place we are to be greatly thankfull to God for that he hath not left vs to doubtfull dreames but hath giuen vs the certaintie of the word written whereunto serued all the former visions dreames and prophecies and it is confirmed vnto vs by euery one of them Thus wee haue the sense of this place wherein it was fulfilled in the Apostles times as Peter here witnesseth and in this sense it was fulfilled in the Primitiue Church as all good stories doe record Let vs further see what it is that men shall prophecie that is they shall be taught by the spirit of God in the word to trie themselues to trie the spirits of their teachers to teach others and to be able to giue a reason of their hope before their enemies for as the holy Ghost came vpon Christ so must be come vpon euery one of his members and as he was annointed a Prophet so must his members also be Prophets This sound knowledge consisteth in foure things The first thing required in a Christian is that he be able to trie himselfe and his estate â—efore God whether he be in the faith or no whether he be God his childe or no contrarie to the doctrine of the Papists and cold Protestants that rest onely on common iniunctions and accustomed proceedings Thus Paul giueth charge to the whole Church of Corinth 2. Cor. 12. Examine your selues whether yee bee in the faith or no and hereunto he addeth a fearfull speech vnlesse you be refuses Who so is not in the faith is a refuse and if a man knoweth not whether he be in the faith or no then he doth not know whether he be in Christ or no. This examination must be according to the Scriptures for so saith our Sauiour Iesus Christ search the Scriptures for they testifie of me and in another place he saith ye erre because ye know not the Scripture Then we must not hang on the Preacher nor on this nor on that man but we must beleeue because wee haue found it in the Scripture and haue been taught it by the Spirit according as the men of Samaria saide to the woman when she told them of Christ. Againe we must not simply and barely knowe the Scriptures but applie them to our owne vse and make our owne faith sure by them if we be not reprobates and this is the first thing required of Christians The second thing is that we be able to trie our Teachers not in euery thing that they speak but in things pertinent to saluation Thus we are commaunded to doe 1. Corinth 5. Ephes. 4. and in the Epistle of Saint Iohn Trie the spirits whether they be of God or no and in the epistles of Peter and Iude it is said that those were peruerted with heresies that neuer came to knowe the truth but were vnstable and carried away with euery winde of
of the word of God succeeding them vnto the end of the world as it appeareth by Matthew the 28. the 19. and 20. verses Goe therefore and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Sonne and the holy Ghost teaching them to obserue all things whatsoeuer I haue commaunded you and loe I am with you alway vntill the end of the world The Apostles are gathered to their fathers but the ministerie shall be for euer it continueth vnto the end of the world therefore vnto the Ministers also are committed the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and they are the porters of the kingdome of heauen as the Apostles were Now this is euident by Ephes. 4. 11. c. He gaue some to be Apostles some Euangelists some Pastors and some Doctors And vnto these hee committed the ministerie of the word vntill the time that all the elect Saints of God were gathered together and the bodie of Christ througâ—ly builded vp which should not be before the end of the world By this we see that the Ministers are the porters of heauen and that they haue the keyes of the kingdome of heauen as the Apostles had Of this kingdome our Sauiour Christ speaketh Matth. 23 13. where hee reprooueth the Scribes and Pharisies saying Woe bee vnto you Interpreters of the Law for you haue shut vp the kingdome of heauen before men for ye your selues goe not in neither suffer ye them that would enter to come in What these keyes be our Sauiour Christ sheweth Luke the 11. the 52. saying Woe bee vnto you Interpreters of the Law for yee haue taken away the key of knowledge yee enter not in your selues and them that came in ye forbad Of this kingdome our Sauiour also speaketh Matth. 9. vers 35. And Iesus went about all cities and townes teaching in the Synagogues and preaching the Gospell of the kingdome And in the 10. of Luke the 10. and 11. verses our Sauiour Christ biddeth his Disciples to goe and preach but if they will not receiue you goe your waies out of the streetes of those cities and townes and say Euen the dust that eleaueth on vs of your citie we wipe off against you notwithstanding know this that the kingdome of God was come neere vnto you And in Luk. 17. 21. when the Pharisies asked Christ a questioÌ„ when the kingdom of Christ should come hee answered them and said The kingdome of God commeth not by obseruation and glorious signes neither shall men say loe here and loe there for the kingdome of God behold it is among you And here wee must beware of these translations who haue it thus translated the kingdome of God is within you for we must not thinke that the kingdome of God was in euery one of the Scribes and Pharisies but that it was amongst them so that euery one is not the kingdome of God as the Familie of loue teacheth And in Matthew 21. vers 43. Christ speaking vnto the vnthankfull Iewes saith The kingdome of God shall be taken from you and shall be giuen vnto a nation that shall bring foorth fruite Where we see that the kingdome of God is taken for the ministerie of the Word and the application of the kingdome of God vnto vs and here wee are to know that by these meanes of the ministerie of the Word as Fasting Prayer c. the kingdome of God is offered vnto vs but these are not the kingdome but the meanes to bring vs thereunto as is euident by Esay 52. vers 14. the which afterward is repeated and applied vnto this end of the Apostle Paul Rom. the 15. and 21. verse To whom hee was not spoken of they shall see him and they that heard not shall vnderstand him where it is apparant that the ministerie of the Word is the meanes to bring vs to the knowledge of Christ and so to his kingdome The kingdome of God is wholy spirituall as Romanes the 14 and 17. verse The kingdome of God saith the Apostle is not meate and drinke but righteousnesse and peace and ioy in the holie Ghost And that the kingdome of God consisteth partly of all the graces of the spirit proceeding from this meanes it is euident by the 2. of Peter the 1. and 4. verse c. Therefore giue all diligence thereunto ioyne vertue with faith and with vertue knowledge and with knowledge temporance and with temperance patience and with patience godlinesse and with godlinesse brotherly kindnesse and with brotherly kindnesse loue for if these things bee among you and abound they will make you that you neither shall bee idle nor vnfruitfull in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ. Wherefore brethren giue diligence to make your calling and election sure for if you doe these things you shall neuer fall for by these meanes an entrance shall bee ministred vnto you aboundantly into the euerlasting kingdome of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ. Thus then we see that the kingdome of God consisteth in these things as in respect of the outward meanes which is the Word and in respect of the fruite of these meanes it consisteth in these graces which fruite God bestoweth on them which vse the meanes Here then wee learne that none shall make appearance in the kingdome of God hereafter which maketh not an entrance into it here He which taketh not possession of it in this life shall neuer possesse it in the life to come none shall rise and raigne with Christ which doth not with him here crucifie himselfe and rise from sinne on earth for who so will be made partaker of the kingdome of heauen must here wholie addict himselfe to seeke the kingdome of heauen Therefore it behooueth euerie man to make an especiall account of these meanes seeing that by them wee haue alreadie passed the second death and entred into the kingdome of God which whosoeuer doth not enioy here can neuer enioy it in the life to come wherefore the kingdome of God is and may well bee called a treasure The righteousnesse of Christ Iesus with the peace of conscience ioy in the holy Ghost vertue faith knowledge temperance patience godlinesse brotherly kindnes loue c. these bee sure gages seales and pledges vnto vs of our entrance into the kingdome of God and therefore most excellent treasures For if that bee a treasure which if a man haue he needeth nothing else and without which if he haue all things he hath nothing then may this rightly bee called a treasure for all things without them are nothing and these without al other things are sufficient for our saluation Therefore this being so great and inestimable a treasure is highly to be esteemed of vs. Haue we this treasure then wee neede not to esteeme of all other things In iudgement men doe see that the onely treasure of man is the saluation of the soule this is a granted rule neither doth this neede so much to be proued vnto
men of the East or all the wisedome of Egipt 1. King 4 30. But where is this learning found in the booke of God soundly vnderstood and sauingly applied vnto the conscience Who is the teacher the principal maister is God himselfe They shall be all taught of God saith Ieremie God opened the heart of Lydia saith Luke He sits in heauen that teacheth the heart saith Augustine Paul may plant and Apollos water but it is God that giueth the encrease saith Paul The ministers indeed are Gods instruments in the Church maisters of families ought to be his instruments in the house yet as Iohn only baptised with water Christ with the holy Ghost so these may speake to the outward â—are it is God that must giue vs vnderstanding in all things If we pray God to be taught as the Eunuch did Philip he will say vnto vs Ephatha be thou opened for an huÌ„ble petitioner findeth that knowledge which a curious searcher can neuer find out This well is deepe we haue nothing to drawe let downe the bucket by this chaine and thou shalt drawe vp liuing waters of eternall life But thou hast drawne vp and drunke them downe and findest them sweeter than the honie combe forget not with the prophet to praise the Lord he desireth no more he delighteth in nothing else Let his praise be in thy mouth when his law is in thine heart But take heed that thou praise him in sinceritie For faire without foule within white without blacke within and in a word all painted sepulchers they are abominable in the sight of God Chrysost speaketh to such persons thus thou hypocrite if it be a good thing to be good why wilt thou appeare to be that which thou art not if it â—e an euill thing to be euill why wilt thou be that which thou wilt not appeare if it be a good thing to appeare good it is better to be good if it be an euill thing to appeare euill it is farre worse to be euill Therefore either appeare that which thou art indeed or be that which thou dost appeare Euery one who desireth to seeme that which he is not indeed is an hypocrite saith Augustine Verse 8. I will keepe thy statutes O forsake mee not ouer-long THe Prophet now considering all that he had saide namely that all were in a blessed estate which keepe Gods commandements that they worke none iniquity that God had commaunded the obseruation of his law that hee desired to obserue it lest he should be confounded and that he should haue iust cause to magnifie Gods name when hee had learned Gods word hee concludeth this portion in these wordes I will keepe c. In which obserue 1. a promise 2. a prayer A promise I will keepe thy statutes a prayer O forsake mee not ouer long 4. I will keepe c. 1. By thy grace and assistance for otherwise I am not able I will laye vp thy statutes not in my closer to preserue them from corruption nor in thine house to keepe them from ruine but in my memorie to remember them in mine heart to loue and like them and in my life to bee directed by them The word statutes is in our Englishe Leitourgie translated Ceremonies and indeede the hebrewe word signifieth properly such constitutions and rites as were vsed in the Leuiticall Priest hood And they were so named because the ceremonies of Moses were not idle spectacles or obseruations belonging to the outward man but types shadowes and pictures of farre greater things But happily by that figure Synechdoche this part of the law is vsed for the whole word of God Yet note that Dauid was not an improuident reader or obseruer of the Ceremoniall lawe but was carefull to knowe what was meant by euery ceremonie that in them hee might finde CHRIST the ende of the Lawe and in a worde that the Types of the ceremoniall Lawe and impossibilitie of the morall might bee as a schoole-maister to bring him to IESVS CHRIST If the King of Israel keepe Gods statutes the people of Israel will bee ashamed to neglect them Caesar was wont to say Princes must not say Ite goe yee without mee but Venite Come yee along with mee So saide Gideon Iudg 7. 17. As yee see me doe so doe yee Once againe note that for the better obseruing of Gods law wee should euer carie with vs holie purposes and for our better going on in that way laye vowes vpon our selues Dauid in this verse promiseth to doe so and verse 106 sweareth to doe so I haue sworne and will performe it to keepe thy righteous iudgements Last of all doth Dauid labour to finde CHRIST in the law Why then doe not we labour to finde him in the Gospell and vpon euery occasion to applie him to our selues When I am saith Augustine assaulted by some wicked thought I then bâ— take mee to the wounds of CHRIST when my flesh casteth mee downe by the remembrance of my Sauiours woundes I rise vp againe Deth Sathan assault mee I flie to those bowells of mercie who are in my Sauiour and hee departeth away from mee Am I enflamed with lust I quench that fire with the meditation of Christs Passion Am I in any trouble I finde no more effectuall remedie then the woundes of CHRIST in them I sleepe securely and repose my selfe without feare CHRIST died for vs there is nothing so deadly which is not cured by the death of Christ. I see saith he the bowels of CHRIST through the wounds of CHRIST euen through the holâ—s in his side I behold the secrets of his heart O Lords forsake mee not ouer long God had begunne a good worke in him his desire is that hee would finish the same and therefore he prayeth that howsoeuer by the corruption of his owne heart the malice of Sathan or the pleasures of the world hee should perhaps faile in keeping that vowe which hee had formerly made and therefore for a time be left to himselfe and forsaken of God yet it would please him not to forsake him ouer long but that though he fell he might rise againe being taken vp by Gods owne hand Saul was forsaken aâ—d forsaken vtterly Dauid fearing the like desertion desireth that hee might not be forsaken for euer True it is indeede that for the correction of some sinne the triall of their faith the exercise of their patience the manifestation of his glorie and for their owne better knowledge of themselues GOD seemeth to withdraw himselfe from his seruants And as a Nource dealeth with young children to leaue them to themselues and to hide her selfe at some Pillar or vnder some curtaine that they taking some falles may both see their owne weakenesse and knowe how much they are beholding to her for preseruing them when they fell not and taking them vp beeing fallen Thus Peter was forsaken for a minute CHRIST IESVS for a fewe houres Dauid for a fewe moneths and Iob for a fewe
holy Ghost hath giuen sentence vpon such that if they labour not to liue godly they be but fooles yea the more knowledge they haue so much the greater fooles they be if they doe not for conscience sake practise the same We see then what we must doe if we will not be counted fooles Now all of vs be we neuer so simple witted would be loath to be counted fooles and indeede the name is most reprochfull and will grieue a man at the very heart Therefore our Sauiour Christ doth recite it among those words that kill and murther saying Whosoeuer saith vnto his brother thou foole shall be guiltie of hell fire But howsoeuer grieuous it is yet in truth we are such if hauing knowledge we doe not bring it into practise This then must be forcible to make vs to ioyne a godly life with good knowledge and good workes with a liuely faith if before the Lord wee will not be accounted fooles Vers. 9. A foole maketh a mocke of sinne but among the righteous there is fauour THe heart of man is fraught and filled with much grosse and filthie corruption but none is worse than that which is here spoken of that a man should make a light matter of sin It is strange and very monstrous that it should be so and yet by this place we see it doth often so fall out Yea in another place the holy Ghost doth testifie and we know that his testimonie is true that the foole doth make euen a sport and a pastime of sinne Our own dayes will confirme the same For come vnto an adulterer to a false witnesse bearer and to such grosse sinners tell them that God is angrie with them that he will be auenged on them as he hath been vpon others for such sinnes and what I pray you wil they do Surely he that is filthie will be more filthie and the false witnesse will mocke at iudgement And what is this but to make a mocke and a â—est at sin â—ay what is it but to make a God of sin and to serue it in steade of God and how do they grow vnto this height and excesse of sin Surely one chiefe cause is because they be not plagued like other men because the mercy of God doth hedge them in on euery side and because they passe their time in prosperity and pleasure O what a monstrous thing is this that a man should bee made worse by the goodnes of God how miserable is that man that will make the mercie of God an occasion of his owne miserie how vnthankful is he that the more benefits the Lord doth bestow vpon him the more he will heape sin vpon sinne nay how worthily is hee destroyed that will abuse the vnspeakable louing kindnes of the Lord to his owne destruction And that there should be such the Apostle Peter foretold vs In the latter times saith hee shall come mockers which shall aske for the comming of the Lord as though hee would not come at all But these abuse the goodnesse and bountie of the Lord who would that all should be brought to repentance They therfore doe treasure vp wrath for theÌ„selues against the day of wrath wherein the Sonne of GOD shall come in iudgement and fierce wrath against them that haue made a mocke of sin haue not been led to repentance through his long patience and louing kindnes Now seeing the iudgement of God will lay hold of all those that lie in sinne and seeing we can neuer comâ— out of sinne so long as we make such light account of it let vs knowe that although one sinne is lesse than another and although a sinner in thought may bee counted a little sinne in respect oâ— a sinne in outward act yet in very deede and before the Lord no sinne will bee counted little For the infinite iustice and mercie of God is violate euen by the least sinne and therefore no sinne can be counted little for euen the least sinne is sufficiently able to condemne and confound vs from the presence of God Againe if the Lord should set the least sinne vpon our consciences and suffer our consciences to checke vs for it and Sathan himselfe to burthen vs with it doubtlesse it would be so heauy and grieuous that we should not be able to abide it How then can wee make light account euen of that sinne which of all other seemeth least Moreouer the Lord will not onely condemne the wicked as for their great so for their lesser sinnes but hee will very sharpely correct yea and seuerely punish euen his dearest children for those sinnes which in our eyes do seeme most small Thus was Adam thrown out of Paradise for eating of the forbidden fruite Moses for speaking of an angrie word dyed in the wildernes and could not be suffered to come into the promised land Ezechias did but shewe his treasures to the Ambassadors of Babel and for that sinne they were all caried into Babel yea the holy temple was spoyled the holy vessels were prophaned and their glory was giuen into the enemies hand Iosiah did goe to warre against his enemy and the enemies of God and that onely to keepe them out of his own land yet because he did not aske counsell at the Lord therefore hee was slaine in the battell What sinnes are lesse than these and yet see how sharply the Lord did punish them in his owne children and can it bee then that any sinne should be counted light Besides though it were graunted that some sinne in it selfe were but little yet for this cause could it not be counted little because in time it will draw vs and driue vs into grosse offences But seeing that in truth the least sinne is too great then how much the greater must we thinke euery sinne to be considering that it commeth not alone but either presently or shortly after bringeth in great transgressions Last of al seeing that the least sinne could not be forgiuen but by the death of the Sonne of God so that he must suffer the very pangs and paines of hell for the least sinne that euer man committed seeing that euen our least transgressions caused him to be accursed and in the extremitie of griefe to crie My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Where haue we the face or how can wee finde in our hearts to make a mocke of the least sinne Well then let vs know sinne to be sinne and labour to be sorrowfull for euery sinne so that although we be not in like measure sorrowfull for all yet let vs take heede that no sinne escape vs without some true and godly sorrow then shall wee finde fauour among the righteous yea then shall we obtaine mercy from the Lord. For the lesse wee fauour sinne the neerer we be to the fauour of God and the more we hate sinne the more we shall be sure to enioy the louing kindnes of the Lord yea
thunderbolts And if we consider it well if one be slauish the multitude is as a waspe the great man like a Lyon with bloodie â—eeth and therefore of greater force If we vrge the multitude a man may caution against them they are but sculles without braines authority is a great scholler if such a Rabbi be of the opinioÌ„ it is not like they should be out of the way Men commonly say that there are but the great matters of the Church and common-wealth to be cared for other matters are but rattels for children to play with But Dauid prayeth as well for the little hils as for the great mountaines and Christ saith we must be faithful in little and if we cannot better one talent the Lord should do iustice if he shuld put no moe into our haÌ„ds Elihu supposeth that in the Rabbins must needs be wisedome yet after he perceiueth that the greatest is not the wisest but the inspiratioÌ„ of the Almighty giueth wisdome Kimkie writeth that in their colledges they suffered the younger schollers to speake first to shew their opinions that they might not be oppressed with the authoritie of the elders and then afterwards the Rabbins and this order is kept in diuers Vniuersities vntill this day Many will say I had rather erre with Plato than speake truth with another a most prophane sentence And marke how these men going thus against the holy Ghost doe euen destroy Logike it selfe For what argument is this such a one saith it therefore I may doe it It is not against reason And to doe that which is nought and then to affirme it by authoritie young schollers haue learned to hisse it out and yet our Rabbins vse it themselues and cannot learne to denie it when it is vsed of others Againe in authoritie we know that it is required both that the author be not deceiued for if he be blind the blind followeth the blind also that we be sure that he will let vs know the truth But the holy Ghost saith all men are lyers therefore they will deceiue and our knowledge is in part euen in that part of our ignorance may the controuersie fall out and all our goodnesse is as a stained cloth and therefore no warrant is for vs in men but in God onely who hath all skill goodnes and therefore him we may follow not men and vnlesse Christ come down and worke among vs we may follow no mans example Cursed is the man saith the Lord Ierm 17. that maketh flesh his arme This Axiome and error was once in diuinitie The Pope cannot erre therfore the curse of God was on it we at this day denie it and say Pope Councels Church may erre This we say and hold in diuinitie but in morall matters wherein are most slippes wee haue let in the former Axiome Here Protestants will set themselues vp a Pope yea many Popes but the curse of God remaineth on it for flesh is their arme With great reason therefore the holy Ghost setteth it downe This were plaine enough if men had not a prodigious spirit of errour in them but for all this this is the fig-tree still and they that haue eaten the forbidden fruit come hither for fig-leaues Rabble such a one Looke through the bookes of the Prophets and you shall heare the people alwaies answere our fathers did it our Princes gaue vs leaue our Prophets defended it Let vs resume the argument of the Eunuch to Micheas he saith behold all speake good to the King for therein lieth the force of his argnment for it is as forcible to a carnall man to say the King would haue it so as all the Prophets to denie it Now I will shew you how a King was moued with this argument that you may see the force of it 1. Sam. 29. Dauid must be gone from Achish to morrow before day saith the King looke you be gone Why saith Dauid what haue I done thou hast done good in my sight saith the King neither haue I found any euill in thee Why then must I goe my Princes fauour thee not saith the King they thinke thou art not good Is that enough Dauid proceedeth and defendeth himselfe The King replieth thou art in my sight as an Angell of heauen but the princes of my people will haue thee gone Here the King is carried away with his Rabbins A strange thing that the King should thrust him out whom his owne heart iustified for two or three sonnes of Beliall Ioh. 7. they send to Christ two or three to entrap him in his speech they returne and say we neuer heard man speake as hee doth this was it onely that caried them Doe any of the Scribes and Pharisies or of the rulers fauour him But Ioh. 19. yee shall see the strangest thing of al they would haue Christ to be put to death wee haue a law say they by which he must dye The maior followeth for he made himselfe the sonne of God the law is Leuit. 24. So that their syllogisme might seeme very good but their minor was naught Well the law would nothing moue Pilate therefore they seeke a new argument for Pilate and that is If you let him goe Pilate you are not Caesars friend Presently against his owne conscience hee condemneth him to death Will you not doe it why Caesar will haue it so yee see then what force is in this Logicke argument and no doubt it will moue vnles wee put off both Pilates and King Achish nature 12 Euery sin hath two reasons for it an open and a secret reason the open is to blind the world withall yee shall see it in Iudas his open reason was the poore better it is the poore should bee prouided for than waste should bee made his secret argument was the bagge hee carried the bagge and paid himselfe for the carrying So that whatsoeuer they pretend the secret reason is the bagge The second argument is made out of the Smiths forge but schollers cannot answere it By Diana wee get our gold saith Demetrius and therefore great is Diana So that Diana shall be great if wee can get by het This is their secret argument profit makes it honest Thirdly we set downe with our selues euen to consume our selues so we may get And for this looke 1. Sam. 23. in Sauls oration Hearken yee sonnes of Iâ—mini can this sonne of Ishai giue you fields and vineyards and make you captaines ouer hundreds and thousands No no it is I that can doe it and will yee then follow him So that he that can preferre you or giue you a field or a vineyard either in Church or Common-wealth him yee follow So Balaac saith to Balaam Why come ye not when I sent for you am not I able to preferre you So that is alwaies their inward argument whatsoeuer is pretended outward Their fourth reason is this It is foolish to stand against him the King
to who me some Salomon might haue saide if it seeme pleasant to you eate it but death shall come So in these two that Ezechiel hath ioyned the ease of the Pastour and the blood required at his hands he might haue said Go to build you tabernacles where you may take most profit and giue eare to wealth yet God shall bring you to iudgement God with an Adamant chaine hath knit the pleasures of this world with iudgement he that hath one must haue both 8 There are many places most effectuall and worthier meditation than others in the Scripture wherein Spiritus multum spirauit for I thinke that the Spirit not onely bloweth where it listeth but also when and in what measure hee listeth As in some places namely Psalme 45. and 49. 1â— the Lord calleth as it were a congregation of all sorts and conditions signifying some great point of wisedome that he requireth so great a Theatre The ancient expositours say this wisedome is where this word Selah is â—ound For whether it signifie as the seuentie Interpreters say a great pause that the verse going before may be meditated on or a repetition as Rabbi Abraham saith that that verse for it excellencie should bee twice sung or both as Tremellius it must needes signifie great wisedome and matter in the verse 9 These dayes shall not continue alwayes but there shall come a day wherein the conscience shall be dismayed a day of death wherein wee will not care for riches beautie learning praise or estimation And yet there be some that care not for this which loue as Tully saith of Verres siluer better then heauen they thinke it a greater matter to liue in a beggerly estate then to loose their soules But this is follie prooued by two reasons First thus do the beasts Balaams wisdome and his Aâ—es wisdome is all one For the Asse which hath but a soule of one life when he dieth his soule vanisheth into the ayre if he haue a good pasture and then get a Lyons skin to make the beasts of the field afraid of him can kicke one with his heeles and make him lie before him this is a beasts honour but the honour of a man is greater which hath two liues to whom this life ought onely to be for the suretie of the soule and rather a way to another life then a life it selfe This hath bene answered by the Fathers I will deale so with the world that I may remember God but a learned father saith Thou must put in first more or els leaue out I will remember God Deceiue not thy selfe thou giuest all to the world God will not onely bee serued but in his order Malachie calleth him a great King and therefore he looketh for the first seruice and Daniel calleth him the Ancient of dayes a great Senior and therefore hee will be serued before his Iuniors Luc. 17. The seruant that had laboured all day is not bidden first to eate and drinke but to serue his maister and then to take his repast Contrarie is our practise as in marriage wee looke for beautie and riches first and then after our religion comes in for a corollarie wee will not be much against it Ionathan must carry Saules armour and Mephibosheth must looke to the Arke We make choise before God we bestow our first yeeres on our selues and then the rest wee bestow on God Those are vaine men which will first seeke the adiectiues caetera then the kingdome of GOD. Augustine saith if thou wilt needes thou mayest seeke but thou shalt neuer finde I haue heard and knowne amongst vs those that would make accounts first to be well prouided for and then they would serue God in their callings who hauing gotten three hundred or foure hundred by the yeare then haue bin further off then they were before The second reason is if any man be so foolish he shall yet be more foolish he preferreth the shadow of these transitory things before the eternall things they shal loose both the shadow the thing it selfe as Aesops dog did Augustine saith they shall haue an ende either their owne that is they shall leaue thee as Iobs goods did him or thine thou shalt leaue them as the glutton in the Gospel but that which is worst wheÌ„ they shal haue left thee yet the sinne whereby thou gottest them shall remaine with thee Genes chapt 4. Sinne sleepeth at the doore it is quiet all thy life long but when wee goe out of the doore of this life it shall compasse about our heeles and our hands and we shall neuer be rid of it 10 Knowledge of the word is as necessary an arte for Christians as the arte of Husbandrie is necessary for Husbandmen Men can say they can learne nothing of the Preachers but to loue GOD aboue all and our Neighbours as our selues and as for this lesson they say they are not now to goe to schoole But this is as much as if one should say Husbandrie is an easie thing and there is nothing to bee learned there but to Sowe Plough and Reape and yet to set his hand to any of these without knowledge of the trade he is altogether foolish Well then as in this so in all other Artes we will confesse that we cannot come to the practise of particulars without knowledge of the principles and yet come to the great Arte of Knowledge which is the maine profession of all and needeth most teachers and best schollers and wee thinke we can learne that with sitting still and taking of our case But there is a knowledge of the worlde and they that come to be our schoolemaisters to that they shall bee had in high estimation Howsoeuer we account of knowledge the Prophet sayth that vnder CHRIST our knowledge excelleth the knowledge of the Priestes and in Pauls time the women were so full of vnderstanding that the Apostle was faine to take order that they should not speake in their open assemblies where they would needes bee speaking The holy Ghost Colos. chap. 3. would not haue the word of God to dwell in vs beggerly thinnely or strangely but plentifully and surely without this knowledge we know nothing to doe as we should doe it And for this cause in the former age though the diuell could be content men should be as merciful and as true dealers as they would because they were guiltie of Ignorance and wanted knowledge to direct them herein yet now because knowledge is come he cares not how vnmerciful and deceitfull men become nay now he takes away mercie and truth and knowledge and all The reason is because we make no more precious account of knowledge we can bee content to sitte at home by the fire rather than to come abroad to heare or if the diuell giue vs leaue and we get so much masterie of the diuell that we come to the sermon yet sleepe