their praiers The praiers of the righteous pearce euen Ecclus. 35. vnto heauen they reach vnto the cloudes they come vnto God himselfe they ascend to him and his graces discend vnto the righteous Though then there be infinite distance betwixt heauen and earth God and man yet heareth he from his holie hill the praiers of his righteous seruantes poured out vnto him Which Ieroboam that wicked king also knew who hauing his hand which hee thrust out to haue taken the 3. Kings 13 man of God dried vp he desired the Prophet and man of Exodus God to pray that it might be restored Pharao king of Egypt knew that the praier of Moses and Aaron the righteous seruants of God preuailed much wherfore when the plagues of God fel vpon him and his people then desired he Moses and Aaron to praie for him This the captaines Jerem. 4◠and remnant of the people of Israel after their ouerthrow destruction by Nabuchodonozer right wel cōfidered how effectuall the praiers of the righteous we are with God for which cause they besought Ieremie the Lords seruant to pray for them This thing to teach Abimelech king of Gerar almightie God tolde him that Abraham whose Gen. 20. wife the king had taken away was a Prophet he should praie for him who praying the people and Prince were healed of their disease wherewith God for Sarah had plagued them To which purpose to shew of what weight the praiers of Gods Saints are with him he commaunded the three frends of Iob to goe and be reconciled vnto Iob Iob. 42. whom they had not comforted in affliction as they should haue done and telleth them that hee should pray for them at whose praier he would be intreated All which teacheth that onely their prayers are of force with God for good who are iust and righteous The praier saith Saint Iames of the righteous preuaileth much As in him that praieth it is required that he be righteous so is it required in the praier of the righteous that it be also feruent proceeding from a pure affection flowing from vnfeined faith kindled by a burning zeale influmed with feruent loue continued in great earnestnesse and constancie without which our praiers obteine little or nothing at the hands of God but being earnest constant and feruent they preuaile greatly When Moses continued Exod. 17. feruent in praier in the battell against the Amalechites the people of Israel prospered Our Sauiour Christ teacheth by two places in Saint Luke his gospell that our Prayers must be feruent and constant by the example of Luke 11. 18. the man that obteined the borowing of bread of his friēd by his feruencie and earnestnes in asking and would not take the deniall or repulse and so through importunitie obteined of the widow who solliciting the vniust iudge to auenge her cause vpō her enemie obteined her request at length with much a do through her constancie continuance in praier Wherby our Sauiour also teacheth vs that we must continue in praier and cease not if we wil obteine the petitions of our heartes with God The woman of Cannan often reiected yet still feruently persisting obteined Mat. 15 and had her request for her daughter from our sauiour Iesus Christ And the Apostle in this place teacheth that the praiers of the righteous auaile much if they be feruent Wherfore as he that praieth must be righteous so must his praier be feruent earnest and constant if hee wil obteine any thing at the hands of God Wherence we may learne that the wicked are out of hope of obteining for their comfort the things they praie for because it is said that the praiers of the righteous auaile much not the praiers of the wicked whose praiers being heard of God tend to their greater and iuster condemnation destruction and punishment And the praiers also of the righteous are then effectuall when they are feruent Let all them which hope to receaue their petitions at rhe hands of God in all things applie themselues to righteousnesse let them not be faint hearted of a wauering minde colde in asking easilie repelled soone discouraged in praying but let them be feruent and constant therein if they look to be regarded for our Apostle affirmeth that the praier of the righteous auaileth much if it be feruent And that the praier of the righteous auaileth much being feruent the Apostle proueth by the example of Elias at his praier the heauen was as it were shutte vp for a time and againe thereat opened Whereof thus saith S. Iames Elias was a man subiect to like passions as we are and praied earnestly that it might not raine and it rained not on the earth for 3. yeares and 6. moneths he praied againe and the heauen gaue raine and the earth brought foorth her fruite This storie touching Elias is recorded in the book of 3. Kings 17. 18. Kings where it is mentioned that in the daies of Achab Iezabel there was great and extreame famine drought vpon the land so that men perished for want of food cattle died for lacke of water in the Countrey of Samaria In which distresse Achab and his seruant Obadia deuided the land to seeke for water for the residue of their cattle and horses least they also for want of water should pearish At what time Obadiah met with Elias Elias talked with Ahab whom he councelled to make hast and to get home least the raine should stay him After which raine ensued immediatly in the land Which storie James here citing faith that Elias praied and it rained not for 3. yeares 6. moneths and he praied againe and it rained In the story there is no mention of his praier neither for drought neither for raine concerning the drought this only is said that Elias tolde Ahab the king that there should neither raine nor dewe fall but according to his word for certaine yeares yet the Apostle saith he praied and it rained not for 3. yeares and 6. moneths Cōcerning the raine he is said to haue tolde this to the king whom he biddeth to haste least the raine did stay him he is saide to haue couched vpon the ground to haue put his head and face betwixt his knees and to haue commaūded his seruante to looke to the sea ward but mention of his prayer is none But hereby is it manifeste that in both cases he praied when he saw the horrible idolatrie of the princes and people and the bloudie persecution where vnto the Church and Saintes were subiecte for zeale to Gods glorie for care ouer the church he praied for famine and drought frō the Lord that thereby they being punished might remember them selues repente of the wickednes they had committed and retourne vnfainedly vnto God Whose prayer God heard and brought famine drought vpon the lande for three yeares and sixe monthes And afterwardes either seeing their repentance or hoping for
who would not then count it exceeding ioy when they fall into diuers temptations Troubles in the wicked are causes or rather occasions in them to fret and fume to grudge and groane mutter and murmure against God But in Gods Saintes they are the instruments whereby God worketh patience in their hearts therefore to be reioyced in count it therefore my brethren exceeding ioy whē you fal into temptations because the triall of your faith bringeth foorth patience Rom. 5. But it may be obiected that this place and doctrine is against Saint Paul who entreating of the like argumēt saith contrary to this For Saint Iames saith That the triall or proofe of our faith bringeth forth patience But S. Paul saith That patience bringeth foorth triall or proofe These are contrary and how can they then hang togither The reconciliation of these places may be this 1 The words by Iames and Paul vsed are not the same therefore neither is the thing the same Speaking then of diuers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things they speake not contrarily one to the other In this place proofe is taken actiuely as it signifieth those things whereby we are tried as afflictions themselues whereby occasion is ministred of trying and proouing the faithfull Thus temptations and afflictions trie vs and this triall or proofe that is the things whereby wee are tried and prooued which are afflictions bringeth foorth patience that is ministreth matter of our patience And thus triall with James here is as cause of that triall with Paul which after this manner is as an effect With Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 triall is taken passiuely as it signifieth that proofe and triall which is made of vs by which wee are made knowen This knowledge commeth through our patience for patience maketh vs to be knowen whether we mutter and murmure or whether we be quiet in our sufferings And thus patience causeth bringeth foorth that experience proofe or triall which is made of vs. And thus is patience cause as it were of triall 2 We may not looke so straitly and narrowly into causes and effects but that we may graunt the same to be cause and effect also in sundrie kindes of causes or in diuers respects For triall proofe experience of most prosperous successe and happie issue in many troubles encreaseth our patience and confirmeth our constancie so that the more triall we haue of good successe the more patient and more constant are we made in affliction and thus triall causeth parience as Saint Iames saith On the other side patience and suffering of the crosse causeth great experience and proofe of Gods presence to deliuer vs also maketh vs knowen of what behauiour wee be in our troubles And thus patience causeth triall as Saint Paul faith and so triall and patience are mutuall helpers and nourishers one to another and both cause and effect one of the other Thus S. James saying that triall of our faith bringeth foorth patience and Saint Paul that patience bringeth foorth triall or proofe speaketh trueth also For the triall of our faith maketh perfect our patience that the more we are tried the more patient we are And patience causeth triall because he whose faith faileth not whose patience is inuincible is thereby prooued and knowen to be of excellent constancie These thinges thus premised and set downe before the meaning of the Apostle is not doubtfull The triall of your faith bringeth forth patience that is the afflictions and temptations themselues whereby your faith is tried bringeth foorth patience And this is one and the same which Saint Paul preacheth to the Romans We reioyce in tribulation knowing that tribulation bringeth foorth Rom. 5. patience Our trials and tribulations our afflictions and miseries which here wee suffer inure and accustome vs to the crosse and men accustomed to a thing grow therein to be patient What we are dayly vsed vnto that we finally beare quietly dayly afflictions make vs so accustomed and acquainted with sufferings that thereby we grow to be patient Wherefore as Milo Crotoniales by bearing a calf when it was yong was made able by dayly exercise to beare it also when it was an olde oxe So men by daily bearing the crosse shal be enhabled to beare it patiently Lament 3. Therfore the prophet said wisely that it was good to beare the crosse from a child that as the affliction groweth greater so our patience might grow greater also and so affliction and the triall of our faith make vs patient Thus afflictions and the triall of our faith thereby bring foorth patience not as the efficient cause of patience and the geuer of patience which is God onely Therefore Paul 1. Philip. saith to the Philippians that it was geuen to them both to beleeue in Christ and also to suffer for him But as the instrumentall cause as the occasion ministred whereon our patience may worke Seeing therefore afflictions do thus bring foorth patience so excelient a vertue as whereby Luke 21. Heb. 10. we possesse our soules and obteine the promises as both our Sauiour witnesseth and the Apostle protesteth this is reason inough to moue vs in afflictions to reioyce And this is the second reason why the Saintes should count it exceeding ioy when they fall into diuers temptations because the triall of their faith bringeth foorth patience 3 From euent or effect the Apostle finally reasoneth The Saints must count it exceeding ioy when they fall into temptations because patience in affliction maketh men entire and perfect Affliction and the crosse of Christ are the instruments whereby God doth pollish vs and refine vs till we grow to be perfect in Christ and become like and conformable vnto the sonne of God him selfe the perfect pattern of all patience Seeing then by patience we be made perfect and patience is caused and gendred of affliction we therefore ought in affliction to reioyce Here the word perfect signifieth stable constant abiding and perseuering continuing and enduring vnto the end in the most holy profession of the Gospell with courage inuinsible as absolute entire and lacking nothing to this perfection we attaine by patience Patience in affliction is the schoole and nurture-house of Christ and of the holy Ghost and the effectuall meane which the Lord our God vseth to make vs perfect wherein if we be continually trayned vve shall grow to full measure and perfection of vertue Thus Abraham Isaac and Jacob thus Joseph and holy Job mightie Patriarkes thus Moises Isai Jeremie thus Michai and Zacharie holy Prophets thus Dauid Hezechia and the rest of the zealous Princes thus Paul Peter Iohn and others true Apostles thus Steuen Polycarpe and infinite the like faithfull Martyrs haue by patience in afflictions growen to such measure of perfection as in the weakenes of nature and infirmitie of man may be attained vnto Saint Cyprian in his De bono patientiae booke entituled Of the profit and good of patience in a
hence forth therefore is there laide vp for me a crowne of righteousnes which the righteous iudge shall then giue vnto me or in that day and that day is the same day wherein Iesus Christ shall appeare in glorie to render vnto euerie one according to that he hath done in his bodie be it good or euill Wherefore as fathers lay vp for their children golde siluer landes possessions yet giue 2. Cor. 5. them only when they are of age so God hath layde vp eternal treasures for vs but giueth them vnto vs only when we are of perfecte age in Iesus Christ and that is only in Eph. 4. the life to come And as the glory of Gods Saints is reueiled only in the day of Christs appearing so also the full measure of the punishment of the wicked is there vnto reserued that as God suffereth them to fulfill the measure of their iniquitie here so also they should in that day receaue the perfecte measure of their punishment whereunto they are saide to be reserued The holie patriarcke Iob preaching of the eternal tormentes and punishments of the wicked Iob. 21. the wicked saith he is kept to the day of destruction and they shal be brought fourth to the day of wrath Sirach saith that the most highest hateth the wicked and will repay Ecclâ—â— 12. vengeance to the vngodly and kepeth them to the day of horrible punishment Saint Paul entreating of the impenitent and hard hearted persons who contemned Rom. 2. the lenitie long sufferaunce and great patience of God auoucheth that therefore they treasured and heaped vp to themselues wrath against the day of wrath and declaration of the iust iudgement of God who should reward euerie man according to his workes The same doctrine did he publish to the comfort of the Saints and terrour 2. Thes 1. of the wicked to the Saints of the Church of Thessalonica affirming that the Lord Iesus Christ shewing himselfe from heauen with his mightie Angels shoulde in flaming fire render vengeaunce vnto them that knowe not God nor obeyed the Gospell of Iesus Christ To whom Saint Peter subscribeth the Lorde sayth he knoweth 2. Pet. 2. how to deliuer his out of temptation and to reserue the vniust vnto the day of iudgement to bee punished S. Iude in his Epistle generall painting out in flourishing Iude ver 13. 14. 15. 2 Pet. 2. 4. 1. 3. c. v. 7. and liuely colours the vngodly of his time and the great impietie whereunto they were giuen noting their punishment which in full and perfect measure shoulde fall vpon them and bee powred out also in the day of the Lordes appearing affirmeth that they are reserued for the blackenesse of darkenesse for euer Lactantius Lib. 5. cap. 23. thereof therefore sayeth wel Albeeit God vse both here and in the life to come to punish the vexations and afflictions of his people yet doeth hee will vs paciently to looke for that day of heauenly iudgement wherein hee will either honour or punish euerie one for their deserts Let not sacriligious persons and soules thinke that such shal be despised and contemned and left vnreuenged whome they haue thus torne as it were in peeces For their rewarde shal come assuredly vpon the rauenous wolues which haue tormented the sillie and simple soules which haue done no wickednesse Let vs onely about and endeuour that righteousnesse alone be puniâ—â—â—â— by men in vs let vs giue all diligence that we may deserue from God both the reuenge of our suffering and the reward also Thus Lactantius As the Scriptures alledged speake seuerally of each so sometimes ioyntly of both For Daniel the Prophet entreating Dan. 12. of the deliuerance of the righteous and the iust punishment of the wicked referreth both vnto the day of iudgement VVherfore hee saith Many of them that sleepe in the dust shall awake Manie that is all some to life that is the rewarde of the godly some to ignomnie and perpetuall contempt as the wicked Christ teacheth the same in the parable of the tares and the wheate in the Matt. 13. Gospel by tares hee vnderstandeth the wicked by wheate the godly and the haruest noteth the day of iudgement wherevpon this is concluded that both the tares the wicked shal be cast into the fornace of destructioÌ„ and the wheate the godly gathered into the barne of Gods mercie and should shine as the Sun in the kingdom of heauen In another place it is auouched that both the Matt. 25. 5. Iohn 29. righteous should hear their coÌ„fortable ioyful sentence of entering into their kingdome only at the day of iudgement and the wicked the dreadful voice of their final condemnation to be cast downe into hel fire therein to be punished with the diuell and his angels for euer Finally S. Paul wryteth that in the day of Christs comming onely 2. Cor. c. 5. wee shall all appeare before his tribunall seate euerie one to receyue according to that which hee hath done in his bodie be it good be it euill So then it appeareth most manifestly that neither reward is giuen the Saints nor punishment rendered the wicked in full and perfect measure before the day and comming of the Lord Iesus which thing Saint James to perswade vs willeth the afflicted Saints of God to be pacient till the comming of the Lord. Before which time neither Abel nor Noah nor Enoch neither Abraham Isaac nor Iacob neither Ioseph nor Iob nor any of the Patriarkes neither Elias nor Isai Michai nor Ieremie Daniel nor Amos neither any of the Prophets Neither Dauid nor Asa nor Hezechiah nor Iosiah neither any one of the Princes neither Peter nor Paul Iohn nor Iames nor any of the Apostles Neither Matthewe Luke Marke nor Iohn nor anie of the Euangelists neither Steuen nor Policarpe nor Ignatius nor any of the holy martyrs haue receyued the fulnesse of their glorie but shall at the day of iudgement haue the consummation of their blessednesse Neither Cain nor Ismael Esau Saul nor Pharaoh Ahab nor Iudas nor Pilate nor any of the rabble of that wicked route haue their full punishment but it is reserued vntill the comming of the Lorde when as the soules and bodies of the righteous shall bee cladde with immortalitie and glorie so also the bodies and soules of the wicked shall bee cast into eternall torment Thus Saint Iames partly to bee a comfort to the godly and partly for a terrour to the wicked exhorteth the Saints to bee pacient vnto the comming of the Lord. 2 The exhortation thus set downe the next and second thing in this discourse of pacieÌ„ce is the similitude which the Apostle vseth to shew them how they ought to be pacient And it seemeth to bee added to preuent that which the poore afflicted might haue obiected we might they say haue beene pacient a long while and waited for deliuerance from our oppressions and miseries yet see we no remedie we finde no
desert of Maon perceiuing the inestimable loue of God toward Psal 116. Psal 143. 12. 144. 10. him protesteth that he will therefore be thankfull and do God seruice Behold Lord for I am thy seruant I am thy seruant and the sonne of thy handmaide In this sence infinitely is setuant taken in holy Scripture meaning all such as serue God in profession of religion Specially they are called the seruants of God and of Christ who in some seueral and chiefe calling do homage vnto God and promote his kingdome So Princes in common wealths Preachers and Ministers in the Church of Christ are seruants of God and of Christ in speciall seruice Our sauiour Christ in some sence is also a seruant in that in the office of a mediatour he serued the wil and pleasure of his father whereof the prophet Ezechiel speaketh Ezech. 34. I will set vp a shepheard ouer them and he shall feed them euen my seruant Dauid he shall feede them and be their Shepheard By Dauid not meaning Dauid the king the sonne of Ishai but Iesus Christ of whom Dauid was a liuely type and figure Isai also speaketh of Christ in the Isai 52. 53 v. 11. 42. 1. person of God Behold my seruant he shall prosper hee shal be extolled and exalted very high speaking of our sauiour Christ in whose hands the worke of our spirituall deliuerance prospered Seruing therefore as the head great Shepheard of the church he is called in a special respect the seruant of God Dauid and other Princes seruing God in the chiefe place of the common wealth in handling the scepter of gouernment are called Gods seruants Magistrates seeking by setting foorth Gods glory and true religion by geuing precepts and making lawes for the aduancement of godlines and vertue are called the seruants of God in that speciall seruice as Augustine Epist 50. to Boniface the Earle at large sheweth So the Apostles and Ministers of Gods word specially called to the ministerie of the word and sacraments are called in respect of that speciall seruice specially the seruants of God and of Christ as Saint Paul in sundrie his Epistles Saint Peter and this Apostle of himselfe speaketh calling themselues the seruants of the Lord. Princes themselues haue no greater honour then to 1. Iames 1. become seruaunts vnto Christ and to licke dust vnder the feet of his Church as the Prophet speaketh which is that earthly Princes should not feare to set out the gospel Psal 72. and geue all their strength to the enlarging of Christ his kingdome though it bee with hazard of their crownes Yea this is by the Apostle to the Hebrewes 1. chap. verse 7. attributed to the angels of God as their hiest honour to be ministring spirites to Christ and to be subiect vnto him How many times doeth Abraham Isaac Iacob Moses Iosua Dauid Ezechiah and all the zealous kinges of Iuda entitle themselues the seruants of God How often doeth God shew foorth his great loue fauour and goodnes to Israel yea and many other vnder this name that they are his seruants Who euer of the Princes of the earth but Pharao and Senacherib and the like exalted themselues against him in this wise Who is the Lorde that I should heare his voice I know not the Lord neither vvill I let the people goe Exod. 5. Exod. 5. If thou vvert as mightie as Dauid the King and Prophet yet this is thy greatest honour vvith him to say Behold Lord for I am thy seruant I am thy seruant and the sonne of thy handmaid Psal 116. If thou excellest al kings in vvisdome riches honor as Salomon did yet this is thy Psal 116. glory to reioyce in the seruice of Iesus Christ If thou vvert vviser then Daniel more righteous then Noah more perfect then the Prophets this is thy glory the seruice of Christ If vve vvere Princes on earth Prelats in the Church Angels in heauen yet this is the height of all glory to reioyce in the seruice of Christ Who are vve and vvhat are our fathers houses vvho can imagine and frame vnto our selues greater glory then to bee seruantes vnto Christ This the Apostles did not vvho alvvais held it their greatest glory to be indeed the seruants of Christ 1 Now this name of seruant must teache vs humilitie that we submitte our selues to Christ whose seruants we are and for his sake and by his example to serue one another wherunto he exhorteth You know that the Lords of the Gentiles haue rule ouer them and they that are Matt. 20. exercise authoritie vpon them But it shall not be so among you but who so will be great among you let him be your seruant and who so wil be chiefe among you let him be your minister euen as the sonne of man came not to be ministred vnto but to minister and to geue himselfe John 13. for a raunsome for many Whereunto his example in washing his Disciples feet serueth Whereupon he concludeth You call me master and Lord and ye say well for so I am if I then your Lord and master haue washed your feete ye ought also to wash one anothers feet For I haue geuen you an example that ye should doe euen as I haue done vnto you Verely verely I say vnto you the seruant is not greater then the master neither the Ambassador greater then hee that sent him So by their calling vnto his seruice hee by his example teacheth them humilitie both to serue him and to serue one another also The holy Apostle teaching the Saints that their freedome and liberty Gal. 5. consisteth in mutuall seruing one another in the humilitie of their hearts thereunto exhorteth Brethren you haue been called vnto libertie onely vse not your libertie as an occasion to the flesh but by loue serue one another Elsewhere about to entreate of the particular dueties of Ephes 5. speciall persons as a sentence generall he premiseth this Submitte your selues one to another in the feare of God Vnto whom Saint Peter subscribeth Submitte your selues 1. Pet. 5 one to another deck your selues inwardly in lowlines of minde for God resisteth the proud and geueth grace to the humble Hereof our profession and calling putteth vs in remembrance who are seruāts by calling to serue God in spirite and trueth and to serue one another in the feare of God Let disdainfull contempt let ambitious honour let insolent pride let peeuish arrogancie be abandoned abolished frō the harts of the Saints who are therfore seruants to serue God his sonne Iesus Christ in all pure holy obediēce for his sake to serue one another in loue 2 By our seruitude we are furthermore taught what we owe vnto Christ Iesus our Lord and maister euen all Luke 1. seruice which is the ende of our redemption and cleansing by Christ from our sinnes Zacharie the father of Saint Iohn Baptist therefore saith wee are redeemed and deliuered
greatest brunt of his afflictions in liuely hope in assured faith in wonderfull confidence in inward feeling of rare comfort of the holy Ghost breaketh out and saith I know that my redeemer liueth and that I shall rise againe in the latter day shall see God in my flesh and not with other but with these same eyes This point of wisdome had Dauid learned wheÌ„ Psal 23. in great confidence and truste and singular consolation of the spirite he brake out and cried Though I shoulde walke through the shadow of death yet will I feare no euill for thou Lord art with me thy rod and thy staffe comforte me This wiseome was in the Prophets Apostles holy Martyrs whereby their torments and sufferings being in themselues extreame yet became to them tollerable To know therefore the ende and vse of the crosse and outward afflictions to feele the presence of the spirit of God in midst of our miseries comforting vs whereby the burthen of the crosse is lightened This is surely the wisdome mentioned by the Apostle If any man lack wisdome 2 This wisdome is not a qualitie in nature but grace an excellent grace and gift of God therefore of him onely is this wisdome to be sought which the Apostle to intimate willeth that if any man lack this wisdome he should aske it of God to beare the crosse patiently to know the vse of affliction truely to feele the comfort of the spirite inwardly this is wisdome not of man but of God not of our selues but from his heauenly goodnesse from whom all wisdome floweth as from a fountain truely therefore Salomon The Lord geueth wisdome out of his mouth commeth knowledge and vnderstanding And Pro. 2. 6. the holy Patriarke Iob searching and seeking out the fountaine of wisdome and the wel-head from whence all heauenly Job 28. knowledge commeth and confessing that there is no naturall meane by which men might attaine thereunto concludeth finally that it is the speciall gift of God who only knoweth the way of wisdome and vnderstandeth the place thereof When the dreame of Nabuchodonosor was reuealed vnto Daniel the prophet the Prophet Dan. 2. referring all wisdome vnto him as vnto a fountain geueth thanks and praise to God the name of God be praysed for euer and euer for all wisdome and strength are his hee changeth times and seasons he taketh away kings setteth vp kings he geueth wisdome ro the wise and vnderstanding to those that vnderstand This Solomon the king rightly considering praieth for wisdome vnto the Lorde 3. Kings 3. 4. 29. who gaue him wisdome in wonderfull manner aboue all kings and princes To this infallible trueth wise Sirach subscribing in the entrance of his treatise and booke of Ecclus. 1 Esd 3. 4. 60. wisdome confesseth All wisdome saith he commeth of the Lord and hath beene with him for euer and is with him for euermore and as a I wisdome generally is from him so is this speciall grace and gift to beare the crosse paciently and not to faint vnder the yoke and burden of afflictions Which when Paul perceiued confesseth to Philip. 1. the Church of Philippi that it was giuen them not onely to beleeue in Christ but also to suffer for him To this purpose it serueth that almightie God is called the God of Rom. 15. pacience consolation because he giueth both pacience and consolation vnder the afflictions of this life Can flesh and blood beare the heauie yoke of Christ vnlesse it bee strengthened by Christ through whom wee can doe all things Could man indure infinite and intollerable torments Philip. 4. and so manifold afflictions as whereunto wee are subiect vnlesse it were giuen him from God Could anie suffer the spoile of their goods the losse of their children the slandering of their names the restraint of their libertie the beating of their bodies the departure from their countrey the sicknesses and diseases wherewith they are compassed the diuers temptations whereinto they fall dayly were it not that they had receiued this wisedome from God The holy and blessed Apostle therfore acknowledging this to bee the gift of God wisely to behaue our selues vnder the crosse affirmeth that it is a gift from God of whom onely we must looke to craue it if any man saith he lacke wisedome let him aske it of God 3 Paciently to beare the crosse and wisely and well to behaue our selues in our afflictions being a gift from God what hope haue we to obtaine it by asking of hâ—â— Three wayes are we here to conceiue hope of obteining this wisedome from God 1 From the promise we haue from God that hee will heare when we call open when we knocke giue when we aske it of him almightie God assureth vs of this hope by his Prophet by whom he willeth vs in the dayes of tribulation Psal 50. Luke 15. 30. to call vpon him with promise that he will heare vs In fine he protesteth that he is more readie to heare vs then we to call vpon him and more willing to supplie Isai 65. our neede then we desirous to aske it at his hands therefore saith he before they call I will answere while they Mat. 7. speake I wil heare them Our blessed sauiour inuiteth vs to pray by this hope of obtaining aske and you shall haue seeke and you shall finde knocke and it shall be opened vnto you therefore in another place he assureth his that John 14. whatsoeuer they shall aske in his name he would doe it that the father might be glorified in the sonne And againe in that day shall you aske me nothing verily verily I say vnto you whatsoeuer you shall aske the father John 16. in my name he will giue it you hitherto haue you asked nothing in my name aske and you shal receiue that your ioy may be full And the Apostle in this place promiseth that if we aske we shall receiue the wisdome we pray for Seeing then wee haue promise to obtaine whatsoeuer we aske at the hands of our heauenly father if we aske it according to his will And particularly Saint Iames here 1. John 5. promiseth that wisdome shall be giuen vs when we aske it of God then is there great hope we shall obtaine it let vs therefore aske it 2 As from the promise is made vs that we shal obtaine so from the liberalitie of God we must conceiue hope of obteining the thing we pray for God giueth to euery man liberally shall he not giue vs wisdome who is liberall to all men Shall we distrust his goodnesse who is rich to all Rom 10. that call vpon him Shall we suspect his bountifulnesse which powreth out plentifully his blessings vpon al flesh Rom. 8. So liberall is our God that he hath not spared his owne sonne but hath giuen him for vs all vnto death how shall he not together with him giue vs all things also Such is the bountie
all wauering and doubting it easily refuteth those fantasticall spirites which condemne prayer as superfluous God say they knoweth our need seeth our want before we aske he will for his fatherly goodnes supplie this want without asking he heareth the inwarde sighings and sobs of the spirite and knoweth what the spirite meaneth therefore is prayer in Gods children superfluous Indeed if God because he knoweth our need and heareth the sorowfull sighings of the Saints Woulde therefore supplie our want without asking then were prayer superfluous but to be therfore superfluous because he knoweth our needes and necessities is a reason carnal sensuall and deuilish For were this carnal reason sufficient God knoweth our needes before we pray therefore praier is superfluous why doeth the Apostle here will vs If any man lacke wisdome to aske it of God God knoweth our infirmities he seeth our impatieÌ„cy he beholdeth the vnablenes of mans nature he seeth whether in afflictioÌ„s we behaueour selues as is coÌ„uenient notwithstanding the apostle willeth vs to aske this point of wisdom from God Neither Saint Iames here onely commendeth praier as needfull but the whole course of the Scriptures of God require it in the necessities of men as an instrument most necessarie Almighty God though he knew our troubles whereinto by his will we should be plunged yet commaundeth hee vs in our troubles to call vpon him for deliuerance The Lorde Psal 50. foresaw the miserable captiuitie of Israel his people in the land of Babylon yet doeth the Prophet will them to Lament 2. poure out their hearts before God both for their present miserie and also for their future calamitie Our Sauiour Mat. 6. Christ auouching to the Saints that God their heauenlie Father knew their necessities and therefore they shoulde not be distrustfull as the heathen and Gentiles yet for all necessities both bodely and ghostly he set downe prayer as a helpe and remedie the forme whereof he left vnto alposteritie and commaunded also that men shoulde aske seeke knock for at the gates of Gods mercies the thinges Mat. 7. that were needfull It were horrible blasphemie to say that Mat. 26. Luke 22. God did not know the distresse and agony of our Sauiour in the garden and impietie without comparison most detestable to thinke that the Father was not readie to helpe him yet doeth our Sauiour thrise on a rowe pray to the Father that that cuppe might passe from him The hearts of the Apostles were knowen and it was needefull for the accomplishing of their ministerie that to the eleuen a twelfth Apostle in Iudas his place might be substitute yet in that so heauenly a busines they pray to God for direction Acts 1. God knew that Anna the mother of Samuel was 1. Kings 1. barren and despised therefore of her enemie he sawe her affliction and considered her teares yet was it not geuen her what she desired but after her prayer vnto God Praier is not therefore superfluous because God knoweth our needes and necessities before we aske What haue not the holy Patriarkes haue not the blessed Apostles haue not the Saints of God in all times vsed praier May it then be iudged as superfluous What haue we either to supplie our bodely necessities or to minister to our spirituall wants as of our selues and may we not truely of both say We haue nothing but what we haue receaued And vvhereby doe vvee receaue 1. Cor. 4. these things from the hands of God Is it not by praier Is it not necessarie then in all The Poet saith vvell therefore that praier profiteth both poore and rich alike when it is vsed and hurteth both children and olde men being neglected Men praye therefore to God Saint Augustine affirmeth Epist 121. to Proba the vvidovv not to teach him their necessitie for vvho knovveth the minde of the Lorde to instruct him but to exercise themselues in praier make them capable of those thinges vvhich vvillingly he doeth geue them Therefore men pray to God that thereby it may appeare that he is the geuer of all good things that the effects and euents of things depend vvholly vpon him that increase of his graces is to be looked for onely from his heauenly maiestie and thereby vve taught to behaue our selues more thankfully and duetifully vnto him Seeing then no man can be so blinde vnlesse he vvilfully stoppe his eies against the light of the trueth but needes confesseth praier to be a thing most necessarie in the life of man vvhich neither man nor vvoman rich nor poore learned nor ignorant Prince nor people one nor other can vvant altogether but is the onely meane and instrument vvherby all the treasures of God reposed and laide vp in store for his Saints in Iesus Christ are plentifully poured out vpon men then notvvithstanding this to holde it as superfluous in the Saints is not onely like Gyants to fight against God and his trueth but as hauing put off the vvhole nature of men and transformed into the shape of bruite beastes to striue and contende against the course of nature it selfe vvhich vvho so doe are not onely vvorthy to be secluded the societie of the Saintes but also to be sequestred and put out from the companie of men Were there then no other place in all holy scripture to commend prayer as a thing most necessarie vnto men yet vvere this one al-sufficient that the Apostle S. James here maketh it the meane to attaine vnto vvisdome If any man lack vvisdome let him aske it of God 3 Besides this vvhereas Saint James promiseth that if we lack wisdome we should aske it and it should be geuen vs doeth hee not most highly commende praier vnto men whose vertue force and excellencie is such as whereby the most excellent gift and vertue of patience a singular point of heauenly wisdome is obteined the vertue efficacie whereof is set downe farre and wide in the scriptures of God whereof if we will consider a little it commendeth praier not a litle 1 That almightie God hath made so large and liberall promises thereunto as that we shall obteine that from him by praier which we aske to which â—â—rpose almighty God by his Prophet saith Call vpon me â—n the day of thy trouble and I wil deliuer thee Psal 50. and thou shalt glorifie me call vpon me and I will deliuer thee By another Prophet to like purpose is it said Thou shalt call and the Lord shall answere thee thou shalt crie Isai 58. and he will heare thee The wiseman Salomon commending Pro. 15. vnto men the excellencie of praier by the promise therunto made that God woulde heare it saith God is farre from the wicked but he heareth the praiers of the righteous Dauid by great experience and long triall hauing felt the trueth hereof crieth out The eies of the Psal 34. Lord are vpon the righteous and his eares open to their praiers And in another
saide to his Soul Soul eate and drinke for thou hast much goods laide vp for thee Seing his state was so vncertaine as that night it should be changed The Apostle Iohn disputing of the vanitie of worldly wealth and pompe what so euer concludeth 1. Iohn 2. the world vanisheth and the things therin Finally the preacher concluding all worldly things vnder a most vncertain fraile and brittle condition censureth them all 1. Eccles. with one iudgement Vanitie of vanitie all is vanitie See we not by dayly experience the miserable vanitie of this worldly condition came not Craesus the rich Prince of whom it became a prouerb richer then Craesus to miserie for all his wealth was not Xerxes the King of Persia for all his pompe and glorie discomfited did not Dionisius the King of Siracuse fall from a King to bee a scholemaster came not holy Iob from greate riches to miserable pouertie for a season do not many now florish in wealth to morow come to extreame penurie Seeing these things are of fraile vncertaine and dowtefull condition shal men thereof by the will of God bereft mourn and not rather reioyce as the Apostle exhorteth Saint Iames therefore to persuade men to reioyce when God turneth their condition by affliction and so humbleth them draweth his reason from the vncertainnes and vanitie of their nature wherby being humbled we ought to reioyce The vanitie and vncertaintie of worldly wealth and riches the apostle describing thereunto vseth a similitude and comparison resembling the glorious state of this liâ—e vnto a flower There is nothing for the time more beautifull flourishing and excellent then the flower yet the flower and the beautie thereof vanisheth away and withereth speedely for though it now flourish sprout spring vp though the beautie appeare wonderfull and excellent that Salomon in all his royaltie was not to be compared to the lillie of the field for brauerie of beautie yet if the sun Mat. 6. appeare in heate it drieth it vp it scorcheth it it burneth it and so it withereth falleth away and the goodly shape thereof perisheth So that the lillie the rose the violet and other flowers of account which in the morning were beutifull in sight fragrant and sweet in smell moist in hande are in the euening consumed and pearished So when the sunne and burning heate of persecution and trouble shall arise vpon the riches of this world they are easily remoued and pearish quickly This comparison wherein mans pompe and worldly glorie is compared to a flower is in sundrie places and not altogether in diuers things vsed in holy Scripture The Prophet of God speaking not only of worldly riches Isai 40. but of mans life also with al the pompe and glorie he can here attaine vnto and whatsoeuer is in him vseth the same comparison in a thing not altogether diuers and therefore saith I heard a voyce saying Crie And I saide What shall I crie He saide that all flesh is grasse and all the glorie thereof as the flower of the field the grasse withereth and the flower fadeth away because the spirite of the Lord blewe vpon it Whereby it appeareth that not onely worldly wealth and riches but also all mans wisdome and naturall powers are as the flower that withereth The Prophet Dauid describing the miserable weake Psal 103. and frayle condition of man hereunto compareth him also The daies of man are as grasse as a flower of the fielde so flourisheth he For the winde goeth ouer it and it is gone and the place thereof shall know it no more As â—hen the flower which in the morning florisheth through the burning heate of the sunne withereth and pearisheth Euen so they which now wallowe in wealth and haue all things at their willes which are now cloathed in fine silke and purple who now glitter and glister with golde and Luke 16 pearles which are now attended on with great traines and troupes of men who leade mightie armies and are caried in coaches like princes who for aboundance of all things and perfect beautie and glory in worldly respectes are as mortall Gods vpon earth oftentimes are bereft of all their riches and glorie and pearish as the grasse And thus all their pompe glorie wealth earthly felicitie is vncertaine What foolishnes then hath wrapt vp our vnderstanding what blindnes hath possessed our heartes what vanitie hath bewitched vs and rauished our mindes what miste of errour hath compassed and ouershadowed the light of our knowledge that we see not the frailtie of our owne state and condition to learne a better profession of the holy Apostle that being humbled by afflictions we may reioyce as we are exhorted let the brother of lowe degree reioyce when he is exalted and againe the rich man when he is made lowe for as the flower of the grasse shal he vanish away for as when the sun riseth with heate then the grasse withereth his flower fadeth away and the goodly shape thereof pearisheth euen so shall the rich man wither away in all his waies And thus the Apostle proueth by the distinguishing of the persons of men that the doctrine of the crosse and the patient bearing of the same is profitable to all men both to poore and rich and so to all The persons thus distinguished the next secoÌ„d thing in these verses which is the fourth and last thing in the Fourth thing in the treatise of the crosse whole treatie of the crosse and comfort taking therein is the conclusion Seeing therfore the case thus standeth that we must couÌ„t it exceding ioy when we fal into diuers teÌ„ptations seeing the bearing of affliction is the triall of our faith which to suffer to be tried is comely and honest for a Christian seeing by triall of our faith we attain to that worthy vertue of patience seeing patience attained vnto maketh vs perfect seeing the crosse and the doctrine thereof is necessarie and profitable for poore and riche therefore blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tried he shall receaue the crowne of life which the Lord hath promised to them that loue him In which conclusion fiue things may be obserued 1 The reward it selfe promised to such as patiently endure the crosse which the Apostle noteth vnder the word blessed Blessed is that man that endureth temptations Blessednes is the greatest of all rewards geuen vnto men wherein whatsoeuer is good is conteined the Apostle therefore to pricke them forward and to stirre them on to pacience promiseth happines and blessednes to those that endure teÌ„ptatioÌ„ Our Sauiour Christ entreating of the reward which the poore in spirite that is such as by Mat. 5. sundrie miseries and calamities which are ioyned with pouertie were afflicted promiseth them happines and felicitie Blessed are the poore in spirite for theirs is the kingdom of heauen And a little after vnfolding this pouertie by her kinde and particulars as persecution reproach and
treatise touching outwarde temptations he now proceedeth to the third place in this first Chapter handled which is concerning internall and inwarde temptations of the mind whereby men are pricked forward and mooued to euill proceeding from Satan who by our owne concupiscense and carnall desires solliciteth vs to mischiefe wickednesse The summe whereof is this men may not impute their euill temptations to God neither make him the authour thereof seeing our owne desires do tempt vs and carie vs away to wickednesse and we beare about in our owne bosomes naturall corruption which snatcheth and catcheth euery occasion of comitting euil wherehence all sinne groweth and buddeth as from a stocke and roote and death ensueth and followeth sinne at the heeles as the reward and wages Rom. 6. thereof 1 The first thing in these wordes and this discourse is the proposition of the place whereby their errour is confuted and condemned who hold and affirme that when they are prouoked pricked to euill they are thereunto prouoked and tempted by God which lay the cause of euill concupiscense corrupt affections wicked temptations yea and of sinne it selfe vpon God and say God prouoked and stirred me vp to this euil God seduced and led me into this temptation God mooued and sollicited me to this sinne This the Apostle remouing as an horrible errour from the hearts and mindes of men giueth them this aduice in this present proposition Let no man say when he is tempted I am tempted of God When pleasure prouoketh when pride pricketh whē malice boileth when couetousnesse assaulteth when reuenge kindleth when feare discourageth or any other thing tempteth vs to euil we may not impute this to God and therby thinke our selues excused Let no man say when he is tempted I am tempted of God for God is not the cause of this temptation neither may our sinnes be referred vnto him The trueth of this proposition shall the better be vnderstood and knowen if we consider that there are specially three kindes of temptations in holy Scripture mentioned thus distinguished in the regard of the ends of euery one of them 1 One temptation is called the temptation of proof because the ende thereof is the proofe of men that thereby there may be had a triall of our faith patience constancie with other vertues in vs whatsoeuer And it is thē when either some worke is commanded vs of God which is harde and grieuous vnto the flesh as was that temptation of Abraham who from God was willed to offer and sacrifice Gen. 22. vp his onely and deare sonne Isaac whom he had begotten in his olde age in whom onely was the hope of the accomplishment of all Gods promises vnto him the heire of his goods the seede of his posteritie the very ioy of his heart which thing was commanded for the triall of his faith patience and obedience that he thus tried might be knowen and manifested to the world and his vertue and obedience an example and patterne to all posteritie to imitate and follow for euer Or els when some heauie crosse great miserie strange affliction is laide vpon vs for the triall of our hearts whether from an vnfeyned faith we loue God or no as was the temptation of Iob Job 1. 2. ◠whose crosse was heauie whose miserie was great whose afflictions strange that thereby his patience being tryed he might be thereof an example to all the Saints Thus was he tempted his children destroyed sodenly his goods taken from him violently his body diseased strangely his wife vpbrayding him wickedly his friends rebuking him sharpely What greater crosse could bee laid vpon man bereft of children spoiled of goods abused by his wife cōdemned by his friends sore in body sick in minde what miserie herewith is to be compared yet al to prooue him Like temptation was that of Tobias who sleeping vnder Tob. 2. the wall of his house his face vncouered the dongue of Swallowes fell into his eies and he lost his sight therewith tempted for triall God saith Moses tempted his people fortie yeares leading them vp and downe the wildernes Deut. 8. to humble their hearts to trie their faith to prooue their patience and so make triall of them whether they loued the Lord their God or no. Or finally this temptation is when God sendeth heresies false doctrines errors among men thereby to trie the true Saints of God and the vnfeyned seruants of Iesus Christ This end almightie God respected in the temptation of Israel vnto whom hee sent false Prophets working miracles and shewing also wonders among men thereby to trie his people To which Deut. 13. purpose the holy Apostle affirmeth that therefore heresies 1. Cor. 11. must needes bee among men that they which are proued might be knowen Thus the Church of Christ hath alwaies been tempted In the time of the Apostles many false teachers and sundrie damnable heresies were sproong vp among them as both Paul in sundrie his Epistles and Peter in like maner 1. Cor. 15. 1. Tim. 4. 2. Pet. 2. aboundantly doe testifie After the time of the Apostles in the succeeding ages how many heresies sproong vp whereby the Church was tempted and tried who is conuersant in the writings of the auncient Fathers who is occupied in the turning ouer of Ecclesiasticall stories who is seene in the Chronicles of all times which knoweth not Our time not voide of like temptations for now the Libertines are reuiued the Anabaptists are raked out of hell againe the familie of loue a masse of all mischiefe a world of all wickednes a confusion of heresies is fresh in our daies Papists Seminaries Iesuites newe sectes of popish heresie swarme in euery corner of our Countrey euen among our selues and as it were out of the bosome of the churchmen arise speaking peruerse things drawing Acts. 20. vnder colour of religion and godlines many Disciples after them wherby the peace of Hierusalem is disturbed which to vs also as to other commeth to passe for the triall of the Saints and the proofe of the godly God then sēding these or like things vnto men doth it not to solicite stir or moue them to any euil defectiō or falling from the faith but to trie them to make them know them selues to exercise their vertues to cause them more immouably to cleaue vnto him that they being constant and patient vnder all manner temptations may finally attaine to eternall saluation In which temptations how so euer the instruments thereunto vsed by God be wickedly affected yet in all thinges respecteth he that which tendeth most vnto his owne glorie and the benefite of his Church and so is he neuer to bee charged as the cause of wickednesse among men 2 Beside the temptation to proue there is a temptation also of presumption whereby men are moued to Rom. 2. tempt God too much presuming of his goodnes abusing his patience despising the mercie and long suffering of God flattering
but of debt Rom. 4 Rom. 11. And againe in the question of election If it be of grace it is no more of works els were grace no grace if of works it is no more of grace for then were workes no more works This contrarietie Saint Augustine confessing sheweth that grace fauour and free gift cannot be mingled Epist 120. with works and therefore concludeth and defineth what grace or free gift is Haec est gratia This is fauour free gift grace which is geuen freely not for the merites of the worker but by the mercie of the geuer Seeing therefore that wee which were all by nature the children of wrath the sonnes of Adam subiect to eternall death and Eph. 2. damnation replenished in minde heart and will with iniquitie and sinne compassed about with thick darke and mistie cloudes of error and wickednes loathing heauen and louing earth caried away of our owne desires to work wickednes with greedines are now not for our merites but of Gods meere mercie not by our workes but by his Eph. 4. grace not of our deserts but of his owne will begotten againe and regenerate We must referre this whole work to his good wil and account his goodnes for the only efficiēt cause of our regeneration Whereby it appeareth that he is the fountaine of all goodnes and that our wickednesse must not be imputed vnto him The regeneration then of Gods Saints a most manifest testimonie of his goodnes sheweth that he is ōly author of good not of euil which th'apostle here prouing addeth of his own wil begat he vs. 2 The good will and fauour of God being the first and efficient cause of regeneration The second cause which is the instrumentall cause and meane whereby wee are regenerate is the word of God which Saint James expresseth in this place in this manner of his owne will he hath begotten vs with the word of trueth In which place he slideth and falleth into the cōmendation of the worde of God the chiefe thing in this laste parte to be obserued Which words are as it were the circumscribing and setting foorth of the word of God and the gospell of Christ whereunto is attributed specially aboue all other wordes that it is the word of trueth Which addition the Prophet Dauid geueth to Gods word because therein onely is the Psal 86. sound trueth to be found and in no other In which word as in many other places he desirous to be instructed geueth that addition to the word that it is trueth Teach me thy waies O Lord saith the Prophet and I will walk in thy trueth And in another place calling the word of God by Psal 119. the name of trueth saith Thy word endureth for euer in heauen thy trueth is from generation to generation Our Sauiour Christ in his most holy praier to God hereunto subscribeth who desiring that the Disciples might be sanctified Iohn 17. with the trueth sheweth that by the trueth he meaneth the word and gospell Sanctifie them saith he with thy trueth thy word is trueth This name of excellencie this marke of difference S. Paul geueth vnto the gospell 2. Cor. 13. 3. Gal. C. 5. 7. 2. Cor. 6. 7. 1. Col. 5. Ephes 1. 13. Heb. 10. 16. Ephes 4. aboue other words whē he affirmeth he could do nothing against the trueth but for the trueth Who vpbraiding the Galathians for reuolting and sliding away frōthe gospell crieth out O you foolish Galathians who hath bewitched you that ye should not beleue the trueth To like purpose exhorting the Ephesians to be constant in the profession of the gospell calleth that the profession of trueth where fore he thus exhorteth Let vs folow the trueth in loue the gospel the profession of the trueth it is therfore an excellent ornament and an honourable addition in this place geuen to the word of God that it is the word of trueth And this addition to be called the word of trueth most fitly agreeth vnto the holy word and Gospell of Iesus Christ and that in foure respects and for foure chiefe considerations 1. in respect of God 2. in respect of Christ 3 in respect of the holy Ghost and spirite of God 4 in respect of the particular things them selues in the word contained 1 In respect of God the word and Gospell is the word of truth because it is Gods word and Gospell who is true and cannot lie therefore this his word is then the word of truth That this word is Gods word and Gospell it is euident 1. Rom. 1. Cor. 1. 1. Rom. Saint Paul calleth it therefore the power of God to saluation to al that beleue and in another place the preaching of the crosse is to them which perish foolishnes but vnto vs which are saued it is the power of God he saith in the beginning of his Epistle to the Romās that he was seperated to preach the Gospell of God and cleering him selfe from the surmised suspicious of his aduersaries 2. Cor. 11. he thus writeth haue I therefore offended because I abased my selfe that you might be exalted and that I preached freely the Gospell of God vnto you Saint Peter subscribeth thereunto the time is come that iudgement beginne first at the house of God if iudgement beginne first at vs what shal be the end of those that beleeue not 1. Pet. 4. the Gospell of God And this God who is the author of this word and Gospell is true and cannot lie Balam the Numb 23. prophet could say of God that he is not a man that hee should lie neither as the sonne of man that he should repente Moyses in his song beareth recorde to the truth of God perfect saith he is the worke of the mightie God for Deut. 32. all his waies are iudgements God is true and without wickednes iust righteous is he Samuel telleth King Saul that indeede the strength of Israell wil not lie nor repente 1. Kings 15. John 8. Rom. 3. for he is not a man that he should repent Our blessed Sauiour Christ speaketh of his father and saith I haue many things to say and iudge of you but he that sent me is true and the things that I haue hard of him those spoake I vnto the world Saint Paul defending Gods trueth saith Rom. 3. Let God be true and euery man a lier as it is written that thou maiest be iustified in thy words and ouercome when thou art iudged And for this cause holy Dauid calleth god Psal 31. the God of truth into thy hands I commende my spirite thou God of trueth Seing the Gospell is the word Gospell of God and God the God of trut hand cannot lie thē must needes this word be true and the word of truth 2 As in respect of God the author thereof the Gospell may rightly be called the word of truth so in respect of Christ who is the matter the very substance
of trueth whereby we are regenerate and borne againe why are men and women so daintie and coy why are they so choise hereof that they wil heare it onely when where and of whom they luste as if the men make it the word of trueth and the instrument of our regeneration Let not men and women pretend that they are sanctified men and women let them not vaunte themselues to be purer then their brethren and heare this word with this partialitie For I protest vnto euery such in the feare of God that vnlesse this word of trueth and instrument of regeneration be sweeter vnto them then the hony and the hony combe by what messenger soeuer the Lord doeth send it that they flatter and deceiue them selues in a vaine shadowe of holines and are not truely sanctified vnto the Lord neither haue effectually tasted of the doctrine of regeneratioÌ„ wherof this word is the mean and instrument As then our regeneration is attributed vnto the word of trueth as vnto the meane and instrument so is saluation also as afterward is added to the Sacraments in like manner as Saint Paul saith that Christ washeth and sanctifieth Ephes 5. his Church by the washing of water through the word And againe when the bountifulnes of God our Sauiour Tit. 3. appeared not by workes but according to his mercie hath he saued vs by the washing of the new birth and the renuing of the holy Ghost The holy Sacramentes are meanes the word of trueth the instrument mean whereby we are begotten againe and new borne which greatly commendeth the excellencie of the word which this Apostle expressing saith Of his owne will begat he vs with the word of trueth 3 The finall cause of our regeneration is that wee should bee the first fruites of his creatures that is that out of the whole lumpe and masse of mankinde out of all people tongues nations and kinreds of the earth wee might be select culled and chosen out to bee a peculiar proper and speciall people vnto him who had called vs euen vnto God whose chiefe treasure whose portion and lot whose inheritance and peculiar people the Saints are In which place hee alludeth chiefly vnto the lawe wherein the first fruits and first encrease were the Lords as things picked out set a part chosen out for God himselfe Whereof thus saith God in the law Thou shalt not Exod. 22. linger nor deferre to render thy tithes and thy first fruits and thou shalt giue me thy first borne of thy children In the same booke of Moises it is commaunded the people that they offer the first fruits of their ground in the house Exod. 34. 35. â— Leuit. 2. 14. Deut. 12. of the Lord their God In the repeating of the lawe by Moises thus was it saide to Israel Thou maiest not eate in the towns the tithes of thy corne wine or oile neither the first fruits of thy cattell or sheepe nor the fruits of thy hands The first fruits therefore as appeareth were dedicate to God neither was it 〈…〉 for men to eate or touch them as things reserued for the vse of the Lorde onely As then the first fruits were the Lords portion of the people and things dedicated and consecrate as holy vnto him so the Saints of God regenerate by his word are holy peculiar proper sanctified to the vse of the Lord the chiefe treasure he hath the thing he hath commaunded to bee receyued for himselfe which the Apostle insinuateth in this place when setting downe the ende of our regeneration affirmeth it to bee that we might bee the first fruites of his creatures of his owne will begate he vs with the worde of truth that we might be the first fruits of his creatures The Israelites Iere. 2 were called sometimes the first fruites of God because they were chosen of God aboue all other people to serue the Lord only and the first offred vnto the Lord of al nations whereof the prophet Ieremie saith Israel was as a thing hallowed vnto the Lord and his first fruits all that eate it shall offende euill shall come vpon them saith the Lord. This is most true of the true Israel which is of God of the Saints of the Church whom God hath separated from all people hallowed and sanctified vnto him selfe chosen to be a speciall possession inheritance and treasure vnto himselfe for which cause we by him are regenerate Of his owne will hath he begoten vs with the word of trueth that we might be the first fruits of his creatures S. Paul disputing to like purpose of the causes Tit. 3. of our regeneration and saluation teacheth vs the ende thereof to be the inheritance of life we are saued by his mercie through the washing of the newe birth and the renuing of the holy Ghost which he shed vpon vs aboundantly through Iesus Christ our Lord that we being iustified by his grace should be made heires according to the hope of eternaâ—l life The like end shall we find of our redemption predestination and the like all which tende to one end to shew that we are redeemed called iustified regenerated to be partakers of immortal glorie that therfore we should be dedicate and consecrate to God to be a speciall treasure vnto him to serue him in holinesse and righteousnes all the dayes of our life We are begotten by the will of God with the word of truth according to the Luke 1. Apostles doctrine Being now to this end regenerate we must endeuour our selues to shine in vertue to excell in holinesse to abound in all righteousnesse and be chiefly carefull that we bereaue not our selues of so holy an ende of regeneration by contagion of sinnes and the workes of wickednesse The excellencie therefore of the word of God is here apparant partly in that it is called the word of truth partly in that it is here the meane and instrument of regeneration the most manifest token of Gods goodnesse towards vs. Sundrie are the commendations of the word of God Psal 19. and the Gospel of Christ Dauid the holy Prophet falling into the praise therof saith the law of the Lord is perfect conuerting the soule the testimonie of the Lord is sure and giueth light or wisdome to the simple the statutes of the Lord are right and reioice the heart the commandement of god is pure and giueth light vnto the eies the feare of the lord is cleare endureth for euer the iudgements of the lord are true righteous altogither more to be desired then gold yea then much fine gold sweeter also then the honie and the honie combe Moreouer by them is thy seruant made circumspect and in keeping of them there is great reward In another place to like praise is it Psal 12. spoken The words of the Lord are pure words as the siluer tried in a fornace of earth fined seuen folde It is no small commendation of the word that it is the
teach men this how much more ought the light of Scripture to teach vs this wisdome 4 As the time so the maner how must not be neglected Sometimes we speake familiarly sometimes reuerendly sometimes meekly sometimes sharpely somtimes gentlely sometimes hastily respect had to the disposition of men with whom we haue to talke 5 The things we speake of must be weighed they must be honest seemely good profitable necessarie for time and person such as we our selues know and therfore can the better talke of them to others 6 Finally our talke must be to aduaunce the glorie of God whereof it ought to be the instrument it must tende to the benefite of our brethren to peace godlinesse iustice equitie loue and all maner of vertue These things being diligently obserued wee may speake and offende not against this place of the Apostle wherefore my deare brethren let euery man be swift to heare but slow to speake But we obseruing neither person place nor time regarding neither maner matter nor end babble out we know not what and oppose our selues to the Apostle here being swift to speake but slow to heare Euerie one will now speake all men will become teachers The Artificer the shoomaker hosier tinker and tailer the vintener the clothier the weauer and the cobler the marchant the mariner the carpenter and the painter the master the seruant the fathers the children the mistresse the maiden the mother and the daughter the yong men the olde folke the simple and the ignorant will now take vpon them not to speake onely but to teach also and not other but their teachers of whom we should learne with pacience heare with silence take counsell with reuerence and be informed with humblenesse Therefore our Sauiour in the song of Solomon biddeth his Church being ignorant to go to the pastor to learne knowledge 1. Canâ—ic if thou knowe not saieth he O thou fairest of women get thee forth by the sheepe folds and feede thy kiddes by the tents of the shepheards And almightie God perswadeth the people to take the lawe of the Lord at the Mal. 2. mouth of the priest who should be as the treasure house of Gods word of whoÌ„ the people ought to be instructed Dauid being a prophet in the humilitie of his mind with gratefull memorie and great thankefulnesse to God Psal 11 of whom he was instructed saieth vnto the Lord thou hast made me wiser then my teachers He truely humbly thankefully but men and women now in arrogancie of their spirite in pride of their hearts in vanitie of their mindes in presumption of their owne knowledge thinke themselues wiser then their teachers and take vpon them to alter and change to order and set downe what in the Church ought to be done obserued and retained These falsely proudly vnthankefully disorderly contentiously preposterously deale wherfore let them learne here a better lesson and holde fast the counsaile of the Apostâ—e that they be swift to heare but flowe to speake as they are exhorted let them hearken with reuerence to the woorde preached by the faithfull Ministers of Iesus Christ and be not new fangled nor caried away with euerie Ephes 4. winde of vanitie that they may follow the trueth in loue and in all quietnesse humilitie peace and godly vnitie growe vp vnto him that is the head euen Iesus Christ and heare his word with reuerence and not rashly prate and prattle thereof with insolencie that thereby they may preuent this first inconuenience and remoue the first hinderance of our attention Whereof the Apostle speaketh wherefore brethren let euerie man bee swift to heare but slow to speake This place then remooueth loquacitie and rash speaking when we should giue attentiue eare to the word of God taught vs this is an enemie to knowledge to heauenly doctrine this hindereth the course of the worde of God in out hearts wherefore it ought to bee farre from the Saints of God which to abolish the Apostle here exhorteth Let euerie one be swift to heare and slow to speake 2 The other euill which hindereth the woorde of God in man is wrath and anger choler and snuffing wheÌ„ wee are taught and informed in the worde For we cannot profitably heare vnlesse we be peaceable quiet and modest both towards all men and specially towardes our teachers Many kindes there are of wrath and anger manie things wherefore and wherein men are angrie but to passe that ouer as appertaining to another place the Apostle speaketh of that wrath and anger which riseth from desire of contending and of intractablenes of way-wardnes 2. Chro. 16. 7. Acts 54. 2. Chro. 26. 18. 19. Luke 4 28. whereby we suffer not our selues to be taught or reproued no not by the word of God it selfe Thus by the affections and perturbations of our minds we oftentimes make the word of God frustrate fruitlesse in vs and so to lose not onely the blessed effecte it would worke in vs but also in a manner the credite and estimation which it should haue among men Whereunto were we the seruants and true Disciples of Christ we would yeald all attentiue audience This anger groweth partly from selfeloue and preiudicate Cyrilin Iohn lib. 4. c. 34. opinion of our selues standing wise in our owne conceites we disdaine to bee checked controlled informed or reproued of any Partly herence that naturally we more esteeme darcknes then light falshood then trueth error then veritie superstition then religion From which if men draw vs then are we angrie Herence in all times haue risen perfecution imprisonment calamity affliction with all manner of violence and villanie against the reprouers of wickednes teachers of true religion reformers of corruption and superstition by the wicked of this present euil and corrupt world Herence the anger furie and madnes of the princes and people against Isai Ieremie Michat Amos and the rest of the Prophets arose sprong and flowed Herence the outrage of the Scribes and Pharisies against Christ Iesus our Sauiour and his most holy Apostles the cruell persecution by the bloudy tyrants and Emperors of Rome against the Saints and blessed Martyrs was raised Herence the vnquenchable wrath and malice neuer reconciled of the Romish Cleargie against the faithfull preachers of Christian religion who caried away partly with selfeloue and preiudicate opinion of themselues as the onely learned and wise men in the whole world and partly being naturally blinded in superstition whereunto they haue sworne their allegiance curse with bell booke and candle persecute with fire sword and fagot whosoeuer speaketh against them whereby the course of the word of God is hindered Herence mislike rebuke disgrace reproch disdaine and all manner euill dealing towards the ministers groweth for that men cannot ne will not heare of their faultes be reclaymed from their sinne and informed in their duties roundly and sharply without offence and anger who seeme they neuer so wise in them selues yet are they both
themselues that they do God good seruice if now and then onely they haue a spirt a crash a fit at the worde and leaue off but our Apostle willeth vs to continue therein often yea alwayes to be looking in the perfect law of libertie 4 Therein we must not be idle hearers but doers of the worde the promise of happinesse is not made to the hearing but to the doing of the worde we hearing must do that therein we are taught and so as good ground bring forth fruits with pacience 5 This if we do we shall be blessed in our deed not that our deedes do make vs blessed but because studie and endeuour to do well is a qualitie of such as shall be blessed And this blessednesse is giuen as a free gift and reward from God to such as walke in holinesse of life which life is not the cause of our reigning with God in eternall blessednesse but the way to the kingdome saith Saint Bernard neither are our good workes efficient and Bernard vpon 1. Psal proper causes of saluation and happinesse but ornaments of our faith as Saint Ambrose writeth But of this more was spoken 1. Iames 12. Here it may be obiected that in as much as happinesse is promised to our workes in Scripture therefore our workes purchase this happinesse Dauid pronounceth Psal 1. Psal 41. 119. 8. Luke 11. Reuel 1. him blessed which walketh not in the connsaile neither standeth in the way of sinners him blessed also who considereth the poore and needie those that are vndefiled in the way such as feare God and walke in his wayes Our Sauiour counteth them blessed which heare the worde and do it the Angel those which heare the words of that prophecie and fulfill them The Apostle here those which looke into the law of libertie and continue therein being not idle hearers but doers of the worde I answere that herehence if followeth not that men deserue by their works this happinesse but first these places entreate not of the cause why men are blessed but of their qualitie who shall be blessed euen such as do these things Secondly such things are vnderstoode of their workes who by faith are iustified accepted and blessed in whom the blessednesse of their workes doth followe the blessednesse of their faith as the effect the cause euen as ciuill righteousnesse or righteousnesse by workes whereby the fairh of our heart is knowen to men doth follow righteousnesse by faith which is before God Thirdly rewards are promised to works of grace and not of dutie so that no man by workes can chalenge happinesse vnto himselfe which as also eternal life is the meere gift of God through Iesus Christ Rom. 6. This part of the Apostles comparison is that who so looketh into the law of God with carefulnesse to liue thereafter shall be blessed in his deed Wherefore as Socrates the great Philosopher exhorted all men but specially yong men alwayes to looke into their glasses that if they were beautifull they should behaue themselues accordingly if deformed they should then hide and couer their deformities by vertue and learning so ought all Christians men and women to looke continually into this glasse of Gods worde that if they be alreadie beautified by the graces of God they may walke worthy their Ephes 4. Philip. 1. 2. Tim. 1. glorious calling in true holinesse and righteousnesse if they be deformed through sinne they may learne thereby to couer and correct their deformities of sinne by true obedience vnto the Gospel that they continuing in vertue may be blessed in their deeds not for their owne merits but of the mercie of God to whom with the sonne and the holy ghost be all praises dominion and maieâ—tie now and for euermore Amen Iames Chap. 1. verses 26. 27. Sermon 8. 26 If any man among you seemeth religious and refraineth not his tongue but deceyueth his owne heart this mans religion is in vaine 27 Pure religion vndefiled before God is this to visite the fatherlesse widowes in their aduersitie to keepe himselfe vnspotted of the world IN which wordes are the other two exhortations or admonitions namely the third and the fourth contained the thirde that Gods worde giueth and setteth downe the rule not onely to do well but to speake wel also The fourth that pure and perfect religion holy and acceptable seruice to God standeth in charitie towards the needie and in puritie of our liues These two verses containe the other two admonitions 3 To refraine the toÌ„gue wherin are two things 1 admonition it selfe 2 The reasons 1 It causeth errour and hurt 2 It defileth religion 4 Wherein pure Religion before God consisteth namely in 1 Charitie towarde the needie 2 Puritie and innocencie in our owne liues The thirde admonition of the Apostle is touching 3. Admonition the restraint and moderation of the tongue wherein he teacheth vs that the worde of truth whereby we are regenerate and begotten through the will of God prescribeth vnto vs not onely a rule of doing well but of speaking well also Wherefore the holy and vnfaigned professours of this worde must endeuour thereby not onely to reforme their actions but also to restraine their speaches and moderate their tongues that they fall not into those vices whereunto the godlesse tongue is giuen therefore sayeth he if any man among you seeme religious and refrayneth not his tongue but deceyueth his owne heart this mans religion is in vaine This admonition teacheth that the law of God being Psal 119. a lanterne vnto our feete and a light vnto our paths and a thing diuinely inspired from aboue to make a man perfect in righteousnesse and absolute to euerie good worke doth not onely restraine the vnbrideled actions of men but also refraineth and holdeth backe the 2. Tim. 3 disordered speaches of their mouthes that both in action and communication they may be holy vnto the Lorde For this cause haue we many exhortations in the sacred Scriptures of God to moderate our tongues and to restraine them In stead of many it may suffice which the holie Prophet and Prince of Israel teacheth vs If any Psal 34. man loue long life and would see happie dayes let him refraine his tongue from euill and his lips they speake no guile Hereof wee haue heard more verse 19. before and shall heare more 3. chapter from 2. verse to 13. verse thereof The reasons hereof are two 1 it causeth errour in our liues and hurt vnto our selues when wee are giuen to babling and prating thereby our hearts are deceyued and our selues indangered For great hurt commeth vnto men for want of moderation and gouernement of their tongues Solomon setting downe the inconuenience of not refraining the tongue affirmeth that life Prou. 18. and death are therein and they that loue it should eat the fruite thereof shewing how dangerous a thing it is to be loose which who is is subiect to great daunger Therfore
this world 1 The first euill for the which the prophane riche Tyranny â—en are to be held as execrable is their tyrannie they â—ppresse the poore by tyrannie Men are oppressed by tyannie diuers waies 1. When they are imprisoned afflicâ—ed persecuted cruelly by the rich and mighty men of the â—orld then are they oppressed by tyrannie The poore â—rethren the holy men and Saints of God for the profesâ—on of the faith for the religion of Christ for the defence â—f the word of trueth by the mighty men of the world aâ—y wise afflicted are oppressed by tyrannie Thus were â—e Apostles of Christ by the cruell Scribes Pharisies and â—rinces of the people by tyrannie oppressed when for the â—ospels sake they were imprisoned scourged excommuâ—icate and persecuted Pylat Herod conspired together Mat. 27. â—o oppresse our Sauiour Christ by tyrannie Thus was Acts 7. â—aint Steuen the blessed Martyr oppressed by the tyrannie â—f the Iewes and for the religion of Christ persecuted vnâ—o death Thus the Prophetes by the tyrannie of their â—rinces as Isai Jeremie Amos and the rest haue been opâ—ressed Thus the holy men of God the poore Saints and â—rethren in Fraunce in Flaunders in Italie in Spaine are â—ppressed by tyrannie Thus the renowmed Martyrs in â—ur own countrie and nation not long since haue in like â—anner by tyrannie beene oppressed After like manner â—â— the time of the Apostle the poore brethren were oppressed by the tyrannie of rich men wherefore the riche ought rather to be accounted execrable and cursed then with disdainefull contempt of the poore brethren to bee preferred and honoured of men 2 The rich oppresse the poore by tyrannie when in the trades of this life they deale hardly deceitfully vncoÌ„scionably extremely This oppression God expresly forbade his people the Israelites in the law When thou sellest Leuit. 25. ought to thy neighbour or byest ought of him you shall not oppresse one another Saint Paul forewarneth 1. Thes 4. of this oppression Let no man oppresse or defraude his brother in bargaining for the Lord is an auenger of such things When the rich men haue gotten commodities into their hands and make the poore pay therefore what themselues lust when they make the poore pay deere wheÌ„ they might affoord it cheaper when rich men geue mean wares to the poore for the best euill for good putrified corrupt for sound curraÌ„t theÌ„ they oppresse the poor by tyrannie This oppression in all times and in al commonwealths in all coastes and countreyes of the worlde is vsed whereby the poore through the tyrannie of the rich are oppressed For which the rich ought to be accounted accursed 3 The poore are oppressed also by tyrannie of the rich and wealthie when they wryng them by vsurie forfeitures exactions impositions and vll manner extortioÌ„ As the rich oppressed the poore by tyrannie in the time of the Prophet Isai where against he crieth out and complayneth Isai 3. What haue ye to doe that ye beate my people to peeces and grinde the faces of the poor saith the Lord euen the Lord of hostes Almighty God in the Princely Prophet Dauid crieth out against this tyrannous oppression Doe not all workers of wickednes knowe that they Psal 14. eate vp my people as they eate bread Thus were the people oppressed by the tyrannie of the riche in the time of Micheas the Prophet whereof he spake in this wise They hate the good and loue the euill they pluck their skinnes from them and the flesh from their bones and they eate Miche 3. vp the flesh of my people and flay off their skinnes from them they breake their bones and choppe them in peeces as for the potte and as flesh within the cauldron Thus the Prophet condemneth their Iudges officers rulers and rich men of the land for their cruel extortioÌ„s exactions oppressions whereby they might be very well compared to Wolues Beares Lions and sauage Beastes which rent and teare the flesh from the bones the skinne from the backes the partes from the body so outragious is their crueltie These cruel persons for their tyrannous persecution and oppression may be compared to the fish Sargus which haunting the Aegyptian sea oppresseth the little fishes catching al their meat and reliefe from them They are not vnlike the fish Scarus which some take to be the Gilthead or Goldenie Which fish chaweth cud like a beast and deuoureth all the little fishes which meete him Such are the rich men of this worlde against the poore for like Sargus they deuour the meat sustenance and liuing of the poore and eate vp the laboures of their hands and the sweate of their browes licking and wiping the fatte from the beard of the poore Like Scarus they deuour the poore of the land and eate vp the people as it were bread These growe rich of the pouertie waxe fatte of the need feed ful of the emptines cloath themselues of the nakednes house theÌ„selues by the vnharbouring prank vp theÌ„selues by the penurie make themselues mery by the miserie of the poore and so oppresse them by tyrannie for which they should be held accursed 4 Finally rich men oppresse the poore when they weary and waste the bodies of the poore with toilesome labour vnrewarded as the Landlord vseth the poore Tenant the rich the poore without hire to whom they doe seruice for whom they labour toile and moile for feare afflicted and oppressed by their tyrannie HereÌ„ce is it that in sundrie places of the land the poore Farmer is compelled to carte to carrie to plowe to sowe to fetch to beare to doe all manner busines for the tyrannous oppression of the Gentleman Thus and by like meanes the rich oppressing the poore by tyrannie ought rather to be accouÌ„ted accursed then with the contempt and disdaine of the poore to be preferred Seeing therefore the rich by sundrie waies afflict the poore for the which we should hold theÌ„ as execrable it is a point of madnes for men through partiall respect had to their persons to honour them with contempt of the poore which are godly 2 Another and seconde euill for which they ought to be helde accursed is their crueltie and vnmercifulnes Vnmercifulnes For they drawe the poore before iudgement seates either for their profession and religion as in the time of the Apostle was vsuall For for the profession of Christian religion the holy Apostles the blessed Martyrs the faithfull seruants of Christ were drawen before seates of iudgement as in the whole booke of the Actes of the Apostles Acts 5. c in the stories Ecclesiasticall by Eusebius Nicephorus Socrates and others written is apparantly euident Or els for their debts they cruelly handle them and other for matters of no great waight or when loue woulde forgeue all bring them before seates of iudgement sue them in the lawe wearye them with this Court or that and shewe all vnmercifulnes against them Thus
it is with men in our age let a poore man owe ought to the rich he shall forfette his bande he shall paye for the time he shal be sued for the debt with all vnmercifulnes and crueltie he shal be forced to satisfie to the vttermost farthing which is a sinne for which the prophane rich men are to be accounted accursed Or finally when rich men pretende title to the right of the poore and so wrongfully sue him to take from him his right patrimonie purchase or inheritance partly by his owne countenance partly by his riches calling the poor before iudgements for his owne Not that it is now not lawfull for any rich man to sue the poore for his right or that all rich men doe bring the poore before iudgement seates alwaies for as it is lawfull for the rich to get his owne in some respectes So neither doth euery rich man sue euery poore man which is indangered vnto him but because the prophane couetous and wicked rich men commonly so doe and that then when they should forgeue for Christes sake as when the poore is vnable to pay when he is godly and desirous to liue by his labour and endeuoureth to liue out of debt and danger and yet cannot Now to call such before iudgement seates to sue them for extremities to sollicite and trouble such and with crueltie to seeke the vttermost of them is mercilesnes and crueltie for which the prophane rich men are to bee accounted execrable and accursed These wicked prophane vngodly rich men care not for wife nor children houshold nor familie of their poore distressed brethren they regarde neither vertue religion godlines nor honestie they turne their eyes frō their pouertie vnablenes carefull endeuour they will be satisfied they will cast them in prison bring them to seats of iudgement keepe them in durance they wil make dice of their bones but they will haue the extremitie of them and the more godly men be the more these tirannes rage against them forgeuing rather great summes to the voluptuous prodigall lasciuious wicked and wanton persons then to release small matters to the godly Seeing then the rich vse such vnmercifulnes towards the poore for which we should rather account them cursed it seemeth great madnes in men so partially to honour them which are thus wicked 3 The third sinne and euill in the rich men of the Blasphemie world wherefore they are to be helde accursed is their blasphemie against the religion of Christ they blaspheme the worthie name whereby ye are named You are named after Christ Christians this worthie name is by prophane rich men blasphemed they blaspheme the worthy name which is called vpon you that is where after you are called or named The Apostle according to the phrase of the Hebrewes speaketh As the name of the father is called vpon by the child that is the childe is named after the name of the father Which phrase Iacob vsed when hee blessed the two sonnes of Joseph the Angell which hath Gen. 48. deliuered me from all euill blesse the children and let my name be called vpon them and the name of my Fathers that is let them be named by the name of my Fathers and by my name The name of the husbande is also called vpon by the wife that is the wife is named after her husband as the Prophet Isai speaketh In that daye shall seuen women take holde of one man and say Wee will Isai 4. eate our owne bread and weare our owne garments that is we will finde our selues but let thy name he called vpon vs let vs be called by thy name In religion the true worshippe and seruice of God the name of God is called vpon the professors of Gods seruice Moses speaking of Deut. 28. the preferment of Israel aboue all other people that God was their God and they his people saith Then all people of the earth shall see that the name of the Lord is called vpon ouer thee Daniel the Prophet of God in his prayer and confession of his sinnes and the sinnesnnes of the people Dan. 9. saith in this wise O Lord heare O Lord forgeue O Lord consider and doe it deferre not for thine owne sake O my God for thy name is called vpon thy Citie and vpon thy people thy Citie people are called after thy name the citie of God the people of God Amos prophecying of Amos 9. vniting the Edomits and other enimies of the Iewes with them in the misticall bodie of Christ in like maner speaketh in the person of God I will raise vp in that day the Tabernacle of Dauid which is fallen downe and I will raise vp his ruines and builde it as in the daies of old that they may possesse the remnant of Edom and of all the heathen because my name is called vpon them saith the Lord that doeth this Vnder the Gospell Christian religion and the name of Christ is called vpon Christians that is Christians are named after the name of Christ as here the Apostle speaketh The worthy name of Christ which was called vpon the Saints that is whereby the Saints were named being Christians of Christ by the wicked worldlings and prophane men of the earth is blasphemed and euill spoaken of For rich men commonly are enemies vnto religion and either openly they blaspheme it or secreatly scorne at it So that as not many wise according to the fleshe nor many noble nor many mightie are called thereunto so neither many rich men because their happinesse trust and confidence is in their wealth which withholdeth frō comming to the kingdome of GOD. For the which cause our Sauiour pronounceth it easier for a Camell to Mat. 19. passe through the eye of a needle then for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of God Seeing then these prophane rich men dishonour God and his Gospell it were madnes for you his children to geue honour vnto them The worthie name of Christ and his Gospell as generally of all men so specially of prophane rich men may two wayes be blasphemed dishonoured and euil spoken of 1 When they deride iest scorne and scoffe at Christian religion speaking maliciously disdainfully against Christ and his profession Thus the Scribes and Pharisies with the Iewes blasphemed the worthy name of our profession when they called Christ Samaritan when they saide hee cast out deuils by the power of Beelzebub the Iohn 8. Mat. 12. prince of the deuils when they called and counted his doctrine deceite heresie newe and strange doctrine not to be suffered Thus Iulian the Apostata blasphemed this worthie name when in contempt he called Christ Galilean Carpenters sonne the man crucified Thus Porphirius Tripert hist. lib. 6. c. 6. Cyril contra Jul. c. the Philosopher Lucian the scorner blasphemed the worthie name whereby we are called when they reuiled reproached spoke euill of and scorned the Gospell The Heathen Philosophers and Galen the
12. ◠Cor. 12. one seuerally according to the purpose and pleasure of God In this wise if you do fulfil the royal law saith Iames you do well but if you accept persons you sinne and are become transgressours of the law for that law commandeth to loue all and disdaine none If men therefore regard the persons of men they sinne and transgresse the lawe of God And this is the first argument why wee should not haue the faith of Christ in respect of persons and the things therein contained the example of them which so doe the euils in which men in so doing commit and the conclusion Let vs beseech almightie God for his sonnes sake to remooue all partialitie of Iudgement farre from vs that neither for fauour nor for feare we honour the prophane men of the worlde to the disdaine of the brethren but that we hauing speciall care of holinesse and righteousnesse of faith and religion in our esteeming and iudging of men may so nourish and foster loue in our hearts that thereby God may be glorified who is our onely Lord and God to bee blessed for euermore Amen Iames Chap. 2. verses 10. 11. 12. 13. Sermon 11. 10 For whosoeuer shall keepe the whole lawe and yet faileth in one point he is guiltie of all 11 For he that said thou shalt not commit adulterie said also thou shalt not kill Now though thou committest none adulterie yet if thou killest thou art a transgressour of the law 12 So speake ye and so doe as they that shal be iudged by the law of libertie 13 For there shall be condemnation mercilesse to him that sheweth no mercie and mercie reioyceth agaynst condemnation THe second reason and argument why men preferring the rich to the poore with contempt do sin offend is drawne from the nature of the law of God flowing and following out of the former conclusion it is this They greatly offend the law of god who honor some ambiciously disdain other cōtemptuously this they do which honor the rich which are vile prophane wicked disdain those poor which are honest vertuous godly therfore such as respect the persons of mē esteeming faith and religion according to the outwarde appearaunce sinne and doe against the lawe of God Of which law euerie part member branch and point is so vnited and knit togither as that if we keepe all the rest and yet faile in any one as that we obserue all other partes of the lawe yet regard the outward appearance of men and so haue the faith of Iesus Christ in respect of persons we are guiltie of the whole and so transgresse the law of God Which reason in these verses is contained In the which wordes and verses containing the second argument why respecters of mens persons do sinne three things are to be noted namely 1 The proposition he that keepeth the whole law yet faileth in one point is guiltie of the whole ver 10. 2 The confirmation of the proposition he that said thou shalt not cōmit adulterie said also thou shalt not kil c. 3 The cōclusion in which are to be noted 2. things 1 The conclusion it selfe v. 12. 2 The reason of the conclusion v. 13 1 Of these three the first is the proposition the state of the matter the setting downe of the thing which is in handling and it is this Whosoeuer keepeth the whole lawe yet offendeth or fayleth in one poynt thereof hee is guiltie of all Therefore that man which keepeth all the rest of the lawe and yet respecteth the personne of the prophaine riche man and coptemneth the poore godly religious and honest is guiltie of all the whole lawe Men cutting off from the lawe what seemeth them good and keeping not the whole lawe indifferently transgresse the law and offend against it Such are they which being by Gods law charged indifferently to loue all men and count thē their neighbours and in token of loue honour some with contempt of others as men reuerencing the wealthy though they be wicked and disdaining the poore Saintes and brethren These men therefore are guiltie of the whole lawe But how is this true Surely in as much as the law is so vnited and knitte together in euery part as that who soeuer offendeth in one iote is guiltie of all in the sight of God How is he guiltie of the whole lawe that faileth but in one point or part thereof Two waies 1 Who so obserueth all the whole law yet by respecting the persons of mē offendeth against loue he is guiltie of the whole law For loue is the fulfilling of the law Who so offendeth against that which conteineth all the rest and is the accōplishment of the whole is guiltie of the whole Now the Scripture teacheth that loue is the fulfilling of the lawe Rom. 13. For this Thou shalt not committe adulterie thou shalt not kill thou shalt not steale thou shalt not beare false witnes against thy neighbour or if there bee any other law it is briefly conteined in this Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Our Sauiour Christ teacheth the saucie and malapert Lawier which asked him a question not to learne of him but to tempt him That on those two precepts of loue thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with al Mar. 22. thine heart with all thy soule with all thy minde and thy neighbour as thy selfe the whole law and the Prophetes dependeth Albeit then one obserue all other parts of the law yet offend against the law of loue wherein the whole law is cōprised he is become guiltie of all sinning against that which conteineth all which is loue 2 A man obseruing the whole law yet offending against one point or parte thereof is guiltie of the whole because no man can perfectly keepe any part of the lawe as it should be kept which keepeth not the whole therefore in failing in one iote of the law men faile as it were in all and are guiltie of all For all the parts and precepts of the law are so knitte and vnited together in an inseperable coniunction as that who so keepeth any one perfectly keepeth all who so offendeth against any one offendeth against all and is guiltie of all And is not this agreeable to Moses doctrine who holdeth all men vnder a bitter curse which obserue not Deut. 27. all the whole lawe of God denouncing that curse against euery particular offence which is denounced against the breach of the whole lawe and holding them vnder the same condemnation that offended against any iote of the lawe whereunto they are subiect which are guiltie of many transgressions To shew that men are counted guiltie before God of the whole law which are found faulrie in any part thereof Wherefore denouncing a curse against many particular sinnes he concludeth his terrible curse with these words Cursed is euery one that perseuereth not in all the words of this law to doe them Wherefore how so
feete cut off gathered bread vnder my table as I haue done so hath God rewarded me His crueltie was punished from God by like crueltie Samuel telleth the same tale to Agag king of the Amalakites wheÌ„ he cut his bodie in peeces in Gilgal as thy 1. King 15. sword hath made women childles so shall thy mother be childlesse aboue other women and so he slue him and cut him in peeces before the Lorde thus crueltie with crueltie bloud with bloud was repaied from the Lord. And this is the thing which God by his Prophet threatneth against Mount Seir for their crucltie against Israel Ezech. 35. the people of God therefore as I liue saieth the Lorde God I will euen do according to thy wrath and according to thine indignation and hatred which thou hast vsed against them euen as thou hast dealt cruelly euen so shalt thou be cruelly handled The Angel coÌ„mendeth the righteous iudgement of God in executing the seueritie of his Reuel 16. wrath against them who were sharpe seuere and cruell against his people Lorde thou art iust and holy because thou hast iudged these things For they shed the bloud of the Saints and Prophets and therefore hast thou giuen them bloud to drinke for they are worthie Thus haue they the heauier iudgement from God whose deedes are cruel and seuere toward others Neither is this true onely in the crueltie of mens deeds but also in the rigour of their iudgement against others who incurre so much heauier wrath and iuster condemnation from God how much the sharper they are towards their brethren in iudging censuring theÌ„ according to the apostles doctrine Our Sauiour Christ had respect and regard to this who disswaded men from rash ambicious and rigorous Matt. 7. iudgement iudge not least you bee iudged condemne not least you be condemned For they incurre the worthier iudgement and shall assuredly find the heauier condemnation which offend themselues in iudging and condemning their brethren S. Paul maketh those meÌ„ subiect to the greater coÌ„demnation who being themselues faultie Rom 2. yet ambiciously censure their brethren therfore saith he thou art inexcusable O maÌ„ whosoeuer thou art which coÌ„demnest for in that thou condeÌ„nest other thou coÌ„demnest thy selfe Wherby the apostle S. Iames disswadeth men from vsurping authoritie of rigourous iudgement of others My brethren saith he be not many masters knowing that we shall receiue the greater condemnation By which it euidently appeareth that how much the more rigorously we iudge others so much the heauier coÌ„demnation we heape against our selues but most especially being guiltie of the same sinnes or as great as we rigorously condemne in our brethren If wee condemne a theefe to the bottomlesse pitte of hell as vnworthie life yet our selues steale be oppressours vsurers or extortioners of the people if we condemne without fauour or pittie the adulterous person and yet our selues breake wedlocke if we condemne lying and vse our tongues to deceite slaunder and horrible blasphemie if we condemne dronkennesse with austere seueritie yet geue ouer our selues to riotousnes banquetting and faring deliciouslie euery day if we condemne couetousnes yet bee rauished Luke 16. 1. Tim. 6. Ephes 5. with loue of money making our golde our god our siluer our safegarde our substance our succour if wee reprooue anger in our brethren and burne and boile in irreconciled hatred and deadly malice of heart if finally we be rigorous against our brethren and vsurpe ambitiously the authoritie to iudge and condemne them we prouoke the greater wrath we heape vp the seuerer iudgement we receiue the iuster condemnation against our selues Which Saint Iames here vseth as his first reason why wee should not so doe My brethren be not many masters knowing that we shall receiue the greater condemnation The seconde reason why men ought not to vsurpe 2. Reason this authoritie ouer their brethren is from the viewe of our owne weakenes the consideration of our owne condition the facilitie in our selues to fall through naturall frailtie therof the Apostle thus In many things we offend all therefore we must not be too rigorous against other men seeking and looking rather into our owne readinesse to sinne Let vs take the view of all states degrees of men Princes and people masters and seruants fathers children husbands and wiues rich and poore learned and ignorant high and lowe wise and foolish preachers and hearers all all I say are subiect to the same imbecilitie and frailtie of nature in many things we fall all Is there a bodie without a blemishe is there a day without a cloude is there a man without offence is it Prou. 24. true that Salomon saith the righteous and iust man falleth seuen times a day and riseth vp againe are wee not all subiect to sundrie infirmities and offend in many thinges euery one of the sonnes of Adam shall not the remembrance of this our common condition remoue so great seueritie rigor of iudgement from vs This ought then to make vs lesse secure and more remisse and gentle towards the offences of the brethren The very Heathen knew that all men are subiect to Hâ—ratius this condition wherefore one of their owne Poets saide No man liueth without crime or sinne The continuall meditation thereof should induce vs to follow gentlenes and not to vse too great rigour towards others Men fall and sinne as Lactantius hath noted three Lib. 6. c. 13. waies in deedes in speeches in thoughts and cogitations and there is no man which doeth not fall through euerie one of these sundriwise In deede men sinne be they neuer so holy for who is he whose life is incorrupt whose feete haue neuer slipt whose whole life is cleare from all Pro. 20. sinne Shew him me and I will praise him tell mee where he is and I will honour him let me see him and I wil worshippe him as a mortall god He shal be in my iudgemeÌ„t holier then Abraham he shal be more renowmed then Moses and Aaron he shal be more pure then Dauid or Daniel he shal be more perfect then Iob the righteous hee shal be more glorious then Paul the elect vessell of Iesus Christ for all these in action haue sinned In wordes whereof in the next place our Apostle shall speake who offendeth not Who either in anger moued or in mirth pleasant or in pastime delighted or by importunitie of men pricked forwarde hath not fallen either to cursing or to slaunder or to swearing or to loosenes or vanitie of his talke that he hath not in respect therof iust cause with Dauid and Sirach to pray to haue the dore of Psal 141. Ecclus. 22. his lips kept and a seale of wisdome set before his mouth that he offend not in his words In thought our falles are so many as that it passeth the strength of man by cogitation not to admit the thing which is either wicked in deed or euil to vtter
confusion shame and ignominie as Absolom not content to be the kings sonne but hunting after 2. Kings 18 the kingdome before his time tooke sword in hand against his father and was miserably confounded and destroyed So euen among vs within our times and knowledge some in high place some in lower roomes endeuouring by greedie desire to rise and aspire higher then reason and calling required haue applied themselues some with popular demeanor some with shamefull treason some with secreat conspiracies some with deuillish and vnnatural treacheries some with one horrible deuise or other to attaine their purpose But blessed be God all in vaine for thereby they seeking great honour haue come to fearefull endes Euen so let all thy enemies pearish O Lorde and the enemies of thine annointed But saue and defend thou her O Lord from the face of her aduersaries and keepe her vnder the shadowe of thy winges let her be before thee as the sunne shining in his might both now and for euer Amen Finally some ambitiously bent to enlarge and increase 3. Kings 23. their kingdomes haue either lost their liues and labours as Achab for his indeuour for Ramoth Gilead or haue spent more by seeking them then gained by the recouery of them or finally keep those kingdoms countreies or prouinces whereunto they haue aspired with greater labour and cost then either comfort to thēselues or commoditie vnto their people and so they haue not obteyned their purpose This hath fallen out in former times this I trust will fall out by the helpe of God to barbarous Turkes cruell Saracens bloudie Spaniards and such ambitious persons Thus no doubt in these as in a light ouershadowing wee see how truely the Apostle affirmeth that the vnrulie pleasures and immoderate desires of men are oftentimes without effect ye lust and haue not ye enuie desire immoderatly and cannot obteine ye fight and warre get nothing Now the reasons folow why such desires of men are voide of their effects commonly and for the most parte Why the desires of men are voide of effaecti frustrate and the reasons are two 1. Men desire riches wealth and honor and seek by all meanes to come therevnto yet they are often deceiued of their purposes because they aske not these things from God the only geuer of all good things yea whose gift riches and honour are in speciall And for riches who can deny them to be the gift of God Was it not by God that Abraham becam so wealthie were not Isaac his riches the gift of God did Gen. 13. Gen. 26. Gen. 30. Gen. 31 Gen. 41. not God blesse Laban with riches for Iacobs sake saith not Iacob to his wiues the daughters of Laban that God had taken away their fathers goods and riches and geuen it to him doeth not Joseph call the second sonne whō the Lord gaue him in Egypt Ephraim because the Lorde had made him increase in wealth riches as well as in children in the land of his affliction Iob confesseth riches to haue beene geuen him from God when thereof speaking he saith The Lord gaue and the Lord taketh away blessed be the name of the Lord. When God had tried Iob Iob had repēted before the Lord the Lord gaue vnto him Iob. 1. twice as much riches as he had before for his first wealth was seuen thousand sheepe but his later fourteene thousand Iob. 41. his former wealth was three thousand Camels but his later was sixe thousand his former wealth was fiue hundred yoake of Oxen his later a thousande his former wealth fiue hūdred she asses but his later was a thousand and this was from God When Salomon had from God choise geuen him what he would aske he asked wisdome 3. Kings 3. to gouern his people which thing so pleased god as that God therefore said vnto him because hee had asked neither long life nor riches nor the life of his enemie therefore he would geue him also that which he asked not both riches and honour Therefore the sonne of Sirach referreth riches to God as the geuer thereof Prosperitie Ecclus. 11 1. Sam. 2. 7. saith he and aduersitie life and death pouertie riches come of the Lord. Seeing then riches are from God they ought to be asked of him and sought for at his handes Which if wee doe not we may labour and trauaile long enough before wee shall attaine thereunto And as riches are from God so honour also is from 1. Kings 2. Psal 113. 7 him Anna the mother of Samuel confesseth the same The Lord saith she maketh poore and maketh rich brin geth lowe and exalteth he raiseth vp the poore out of the dust and lifteth vp the begger out of the dunghill to set them among Princes and to make them inherite the seate of glorie Whereunto the Princely Prophet Dauid Psal 75. subscribeth in the Psalms To come to preferment is neither from the East nor from the West nor from the South but God is the iudge hee maketh lowe and hee maketh high God promiseth Salomon both riches and honour so that among the kings there shoulde be none 3. Kings 3. like him al his daies Dauid confesseth his preferment before 2. Kings 6 3. Kings 20. Saul to be from God The Queen of Saba referreth Salomons glorious and pompous aduancement to god Daniel confesseth all power all promotion all honour all preferment to be from the Lord. Cyrus the heathen king confesseth his glorie to haue beene of God also whereby it appeareth that both riches and glorie are Dan. 2. 4 1. Esdras from the Lord. Wherefore seeing these are both from him when they are not asked no maruaile they be not obteyned The first reason why mens desires concerning wealth and honout are oftentimes voide is because they aske not these things from the hands of God whose gifts they are but they seeke them by their owne meanes by euill waies by vnlawfull trades by wicked endeuours Thus one by fraud another by force one by violence another by villenie one by this euill meane another by that goe about and seeke to attaine to wealth and honour but they seek not these in the fear of god nor at his hāds which geueth them therefore full oft their purposes are frustrate Thus men lust haue not the thing they lust after they enuie and desire immoderately yet obteine not that which they desire and whereafter they enuie They fight they warre they striue they struggle they toile they moile yet compasse not nor comprehende that which they laboure thus after because they aske it not of GOD but seeke by euill meanes to obtaine it They acknowledge not God the geuer of these things therfore they labour in vaine They lust they enuie they desire they fight they warre yet they obteine not because they aske not Wherefore as men hauing any thing in their power and hand to geue looke to be asked and desired the
bee ouyded for the Scripture teacheth vs that naturally we lust after enuie and desire euill things Thus the Scripture here signifieth that which out of the Scripture is gathered Nowe hee sayeth that the Scripture sayeth that the spirite which dwelleth in vs lusteth after enuie By the Spirite here the corrupt affection and heart of man is vnderstoode the crooked crabbed and corrupt disposition of nature the fancie the inclination of Ezech. 13. our hearts naturally In which sense and signification the Prophet vseth the worde Spirite when God willed him to say to those Prophets which prophecied out of their owne hearts He are the worde of the Lorde Thus sayeth the Lorde GOD Wo vnto the foolish prophets that followe their owne spirite and haue seene nothing The Prophet Daniel speaking of King Belshazzar sayeth that when his heart was puft vp and his Dan 5. Spirit hardened in pride then was hee deposed from his kingdome and they tooke his honour from him In which places and the like the Spirite is taken for the heart minde and corrupt affection of man The meaning then of this place is that it is manifest by testimonies of Scripture tending thereunto that the heart spirit and minde of man is naturally set vpon enuie euill wickednesse neither dooth the Scriptures speake in vaine thereof for we are giuen in deede to lust to enuie to desire to quarrell to contende either for encrease of wealth or of honour among men Therefore the Scripture sayeth not in vaine for it is too sure and certaine that the spirite which dwelleth in vs naturall corruption which possesseth the seate of our hearts lusteth after enuie Some by spirite here vnderstande the Spirit of God and reade the whole sentence interrogatiuely thinke you that the Scripture sayeth in vaine the spirite that dwelleth in you lusteth after enuie Making this the meaning dooth the Scripture teach that Gods spirite moueth vs to enuie debate lust and such like No it is not Gods Spirit that moueth men therunto wherwith we are not guided when we are quarrellous and contentious But how those words then thinke you that the Scripture saith in vaine may be vnderstood I see not Therefore I retaine the former sence as môst naturall The other part of this answere is but the Scripture offereth more grace and therefore saith God resisteth the proude but giueth grace to the humble Whereas naturally wee are giuen to euill and lust after enuie the Scripture offereth more grace and giueth vs better counsell then to giue our selues to these quarrels and to be caried away with such desires therefore it sayth God resisteth the proude but giueth grace to the humble By the Scripture here hee vnderstandeth euident testimonies for this thing is in sundrie places recited By the proude hee vnderstandeth such as in following their owne desires and lusts rebell agaynst God By the humble he meaneth such as in meekenesse of spirite and humilitie of minde submit themselues to God with reuerence and endeuour to suppresse their euill affections in themselues whose endeuour God fauoureth and furthereth giuing his grace vnto them which is farre better then all worldly riches wealth honour whatsoeuer or delights and pleasures most precious among the sonnes of men This saying God resisteth the proude but giueth grace vnto the humble eyther in the verie same woordes or in woordes of the same sense is often repeated and it consisteth of two members 1 That God resisteth the proude 2 That he giueth grace to the humble For the first God resisteth the proude Dauid the princely Prophet auoucheth the same God sayth he wil Psal 18. saue the poore people but will cast downe the proude lookes Which thing Almightie God also rhreatneth against the obstinate and rebellious people by his Prophet the high looke of man shall be humbled and the Isai 2. Iere. 49. 16. 50. 24. 30. Ezec. 17. loftinesse of man shall be abased and the Lord onely shall be exalted in that day Ezechiel setting downe the Parable of the two Eagles whereby Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon and Iochoniah the king of Israel were ment which Nabuchodonosor abounding in power riches and a mightie kingdome should carie the other into captiuitie and afterwarde shoulde bee plagued for his oppression of the Church and people of God comforting the Saints the Prophet telleth them that God would beate downe the proude enemies of the Church and exalt her which was low and despised and saith All the trees of the field shall knowe that I the Lorde haue brought downe the high tree and exalted the lowe tree that I haue dried vp the greene tree and made the drie tree to flourish I the Lorde haue spoken it and done it In like manner entreating of the fall of Zedechiah and the captiuitie of Iehozadecke the Priest in the person Ezec. 21. of GOD the Prophet speaketh thus sayeth the Lorde God I will take away the Diademe and take away the crowne whereof the one might concerne the priest the other the Prince I wil take away the diademe and take of the crowne they shal be nomore the same I will exalte the base or humble abase him that is high And cōparing Pharao with the king of Assiriah for prosperitie Ezech. 31. prophesying like destruction to them both witnesseth that God would abate both their prides and resist the insolencie of their spirites Nabuchodonosor being cast downe by God and afterwarde exalted againe Daniel 4. breaketh forth into these wordes in Daniel the Prophete Now therefore I Nabuchodonosor prayse and extoll and magnifie the King of heauen whose workes are all truth and his wayes iudgements and those that walke in pride he is able to abate The whole 10. chapter of Sirach tendeth Ecclus. 10. almost to no other purpose but to teach that God resisteth the proude Salomon the wise king ouer Israell auoucheth the same truth and saith the pride of a man Prou. 29. shall bring him lowe because God euermore resisteth the proude as the Apostle teacheth Saint Peter hath the very same sentence decke your selues with lowlinesse of 1. Pet. 5. minde for God resisteth the proude and giueth grace to the humble The blessed virgin Marie in her song Luke 1. singeth prayse vnto God who had put downe the mighty from their seate and exalted the humble and meeke Our Sauiour Christ saith that such as exalt themselues Luke 14. in their owne pride shal be abated and brought low And the heathenish Megera in Seneca saith to Lycus rule being proude in minde and beare a lofty and high stomacke Seneca in his traged for God followeth at the backe the proude to punish them and resist them Who so through worldly desires therefore shall lift vp themselues against God must looke to haue God to resist them as an enemie and with his mighty power to withstande them for the Scripture teacheth that God resisteth the proude See Cyprian 1. lib. epist 3. fol. 7.
Now how and by what meanes doth God resist the How God resisteth the proude proud by many meanes and sundry 1 He resisteth them by punishing them for their pride against him as he did the builders of the Turret of Babel whose toppe should haue reached to heauen if Gen. 11. their purpose might haue bene effected But God seeing the vanitie of their mindes the pride of their hearts and the insolencie of their spirites punished them with confusion of their language that one could not vnderstand another and so they were resisted When Manasses was 2 Chro. 33. Daniel 4. puft vp with pride he was resisted by the punishment of God who deliuered him vp into captiuitie wherein he was humbled Nabuchodonosor waxing proude of his goodly and gorgious citie which he had builte was resisted by God through punishmentes for the Lord made him seuen yeares to remaine in the fieldes as a beast and bannished him the societie of man So Jsai the prophet speaking against the proude Babilonians Isai 13. 14. 13. Iere. 29. v. 16. 50. v. 29. 30. Psa 31. 18. v. 27. bringeth in God threatening by punishments to resist them I will visite the wickednes vpon the world and their iniquitie vpon the wicked and I will cause the arrogancie of the proude to cease and caste downe the pryde of tyraunts Dauid mentioneth this way of resistance the Lord preserueth the faithfull and aboundantly rewardeth the wicked doer Thus was the pryde of Goliah resisted when God punished him by little Dauid who with his sling stone patted him on the pate cast him 1. Kings 17 to ground and with his owne svvorde cut of his head and so abated the pride and glory of the Philistines Thus God resisteth the pride of Assur by bringing many punishments vpon him for his arrogancie and insolencie of spirite Thus God punished the pryde of Absalon and so resisted his seditious enterprices by hanging him by the 2. Kings 16 haire of his head in a thicked Thus God resisted the pride of Antiochus vvho in the hautinesse of his harte had threatned to make Hierusalem a common buriall place for the Ievves but immediatly 2. Mach. 9. GOD smote him vvith an incurable disease in his bovvels vvherevvith till his death he vvas tormented So resisted he Herode Agrippa vvho making on oration to the people vvhereat they cried it is the voice of Acto 12. God and not of man he proudly chalenging this praise was resisted by God by like punishments Capanêus in Capanêus great pryde being one of the captaines which besieged Thebes saide he would besiege it in despite of GOD whose pryde God resisted by punishment for a thunder boâ—â—e as some say or as other write a stone from the wall fell vpon him and slewe him Finally when Apryes king Apryes of Aegypt had proudely sayd that neyther man nor God colde take his kingdome from him he was by the iust punishment of god resisted for he was choked and so destroied Thus by sending punishments vpon the proude the Lord resisteth them 2. Sometimes he resisteth the proude by hindring their purposes by some meane vnlooked for As when the proude king of Assiriah had intended the destruction of Hierusalem god resisted him first in raysing vp Tirrhaka the king of the Blackemores to fight against him for 4. King 19 Act. 4. 21. which he departed and afterward vpon a second siege by sending his Angell to destroy his people which when he sawe he departed and went to his owne countrie In like manner was Saules proude and malitious heart a bated 1. Kings 23 who purposing the destruction of Dauid hearde say by a messenger vpon the sudden that the Philistines had inuaded the lande for which cause he returned from pursuing Dauid and so he was resisted 3. God also resisteth the proude when hee turneth their deuises vpon their owne neckes and maketh them fall into the mischiefe and snares which they haue prepared for others When Haman in intollerable pride had Esther 7. 9. determined the destruction of the Iewes and had prepared a iubbet or gallowes for Mardocai the Lorde resisted his proude purpose and caused him to be hongevpon the same gallowes which he had prepared for another When the proude princes of the prouinces of Babylon had diuised and determined the death of Daniel Daniel 6. and by a false accusation had condemned him to the denne of Lions God resisted their proude and malitious deuise and caused that the same Lions deuoured them their wiues and children whom they had thought should haue bene the death of Daniel When Cush one of Saules kinsmen had falsly accused Psal 7. Dauid the man of god threateneth that God would in this wise resist him and therfore saith that he hath made a pitte and himselfe was fallen thereinto and that his mischiefe should fall vpon his owne pate and his crueltie vpon his owne head In another place shevving how Psal 9. God resisted the wicked and proude men of the earth by ouerthrovving them in their ovvne enterprises and causing their ovvne vvicked and mischieuous deuises to sall vpon themselues affirmeth that the Heathen were sunke dovvne in the pitte that they made and that their feete were taken in the same nette they had spredde for other Againe witnessing that the vvicked enterprises of Psal 34. the proude should turne to their ovvne destruction the Prophet saith wickednesse and malice shall slay the wicked and they which hate the righteous shall perish To that purpose is that saying the wicked haue drawen their Psal 37. 57. 6. 94. 23. sword and bente their bowe to caste dovvne the poore and needie and to slay such as are of an vpright conuersation but their svvord shal enter into their owne harts and their bovves shal be broken Therefore Salomon his sonne saith he that diggeth a pitte shal fall therinto he Prou 26. Ecclus. 27. v. 25 26. 27. that rolleth a stone it shal returne vpon him To turne the wicked deuises of the proude vpon their owne pates to make the mischiefes of the vngodly to light vpon themselues to bring the proude into the pitte of perdition which they haue deuised for other men is a way whereby also god resisteth them 4. Moreouer GOD resisteth the proude by confounding their councels enterprises and deuises as appeareth 2. Kings 17. in proude Achittaphell and others As in the inuincible nauie of the proude Spaniardes so they called Anno 1588. it sent against little England so miraculously confounded and in greatest parte destroyed by the mightie hand of God 5. Neyther thus onely are the proude resisted but also God resisteth the proude by remouing and taking avvay froÌ„ them the things vvhereof they haue bin proude as he threatened the damsels of Israell to take avvay all Jsai 3. their brauerie and excellent ornamentes because they vvere proude thereof Novv some are proude of riches as
God diuerse wayes 1 In How are men subiect to God 1 obediently and reuerently yeelding themselues to his worde and will in hearing what he commaundeth and carefully perfourming what hee inioyneth For as the sonne is subiect to his father and the seruant submitteth himselfe to his maister then when the sonne heareth and obeyeth the will of his father and the seruant of his maister euen so the Saints of God are subiect to God and submit themselues to him when they obey the will and comaundement of God which thing vndone wee submit not our selues to him but rebell against him VVherefore as all the Prephets so Isai chiefly in Isai 1. Ezech. 20. 8. the person of God calleth Israel the people of GOD rebelles agaynst him in that they neglected his commaundements Almightie God in like manner measureth our submission Mal. 2. by our obedience confessing that wee haue cast off his Lordly and fatherly yoke where wee denie him honourable obedience as vnto a father and fearefull reuerence as to a maister All the Prophets our Sauiour Christ Steuen the martyr the blessed Apostles haue condemned the Israelites and Iewes as a rebellious people in that they woulde not obey his worde and therein chiefly shewe their submission Nowe the will of God what is it but our sanctification that we shoulde abstaine â— Thes 4. from fornication that euerie one might knowe howe to possesse his vessell in holinesse and honour And wherein is our obedience to him shewed Is it not in the puritie of our life As obedient children sayeth Peter fashion not your selues vnto the former lustes of your ignoraunce but as he that hath called you is holy â— Pet. 1. so bee ye holy in all conuersation because it is written be ye holy for I am holy If then our submission to God shewe it selfe in the obedience to his will and worde then neither idolatours neither cursed couetous persons neither filthie fornicatours neither pestilent vsurers neither blasphemous swearers neither bitter backebiters neither cruell extorcioners neither violent oppressours neither proude Peacockes neither bloudie murtherers neither shamefull lyers neither beastly drunkards neither deceitfull dealers neither any such like of the rabblement and route of the wicked submit themselues to God but rather therein rebell against him 2 As by obeying his will men submit themselues vnto God so by yeelding themselues to Gods pleasure to doe with them after his will men submit themselues vnto him Thus the three children yeeldinng themselues to the pleasure of God either to deliuer them or not to deliuer them from the fierie fornace submitted themselues Daniel 3. to him Dauid the king of Israel submitted himselfe to God in like manner when hee sayeth If I haue 2. King 15. founde fauour in the eyes of the Lorde he will bring me againe into the Citie and shewe me the Arke and Tabernacle thereof But if he say I haue no delight in thee beholde here I am let him doe with me as seemeth good in his eyes Our Sauiour Christ was subiect and submitted him selfe to God when he yeelded himselfe applyable to the Mat. 26. 1. Pet. 4. 1 pleasure of his father concerning the drinking of the bitter cuppe of his passion Father take from me this cuppe if it bee possible but if this cuppe can not passe away but I must drinke thereof thy will bee done So when in all our temporall estate for honour orignominie on earth when for health or sickenesse when for children or for other things whatsoeuer wee yeelde our selues wholy and obediently vnto God when we freely and voluntarily abide his pleasure therein when without grudging or groyning muttering or murmuring Matt. 6. wee can pray as our Sauiour teacheth Thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen when wee prescribe not to God eyther time or place or manner or meane or measure in any thing but subscribe wholly and in all things vnto him then submitte wee our selues vnto GOD but if wee otherwise doe then submitte wee not our selues to God but rebell against him 3 Neyther thus onely submit men themselues vn-God but also when they beare with pacience the crosse which the Lorde layeth vpon them then submitte men themselues to God Thus the holy Prophets afflicted of the princes and people thus our Sauiour Christ reuyled slaundered falsely accused cruelly executed by the Iewes thus holy Iob spoyled of the Ismaelites or Sabeans robbed of the Caldeans tempted of Satan vprayded of his wife condemned of his friendes the Apostles suffering manifolde iniuries of the aduersaries of the gospell Finally the holy martyrs and all Gods Saints suffering with pacience manifolde afflictions and bearing willingly the crosse imposed and layde vppon them thereby submitted themselues vnto God VVhereunto the Apostle here exhorteth Submit your selues vnto god which is the thing which the Apostle commaundeth and the first thing in the first point of our duetie obserued 2 The next thing in this first part of duetie is the contrarie wee must submit our selues to God but we must resist the diuell which thing the holy Apostle Saint Peter in like manner commendeth vnto vs bee sober 1. Pet. 5. and watch for your aduersarie the diuell like a roaring lion goeth about seeking whome hee may deuoure whom resist steadfast in the fayth To this purpose not altogether impartinently serueth that of Saint Paul bee angrie and sinne not let not the Sunne go downe vpon Ephe. 4. your wrath neither giue place to the diuell VVhich thing had Euah our great grandmother learned which lesson had shee concâ—yued to haue resisted and withstoode the subtile sâ—eights of Satan the diuell who egged her to disobedience to God and drewe from her submission to him shee had not tasted of the forbidden fruite Gen. 3. whereby she plunged herselfe and all her posteritie into perdition Had the Israelites learned to haue resisted the diuell when by the beautie of the daughters of Moab he Num. 25. tempted them they had not burnt in lust neither committed fornication with them where by the wrath of god was prouoked and they therefore destroyed Had the men of the first world rmembred to haue resisted Satan when with carnall pleasure they were tempted they had not Gene. 6. 7. caused the doores and windowes of heauen to open and poure downe water vpon them whereby they and all the worlde was drowned Had the Sodomites beene hereof Gene. 19. mindfull as no doubt they were taught by Lot the preacher of righteousnesse when they burnt in vnnaturall lust one with the other they had not so sore offended as thereby to call fire and brimstone from heauen by which they perished Had Absalon remembred to haue resisted Satan when by ambition he pricked him on to rebell agaynst 2. Kin. 15. 16. his owne father Dauid the Lordes annoynted he had not endeuoured to haue thrust him from his royall seate of honour neither had he taken sworde in hande against
discomfited Thus the saints and church of Christ for Peters deliuerance drewe neare Acts 16. vnto god by praier Thus Paul Silas drew neare to god when at their praier ihe very foundations of the earth shooke and trembled Thus the praiers of gods Saints shake heauen and earth and make away for vs wherby we draw neare vnto God Thus flie we to God in our needes thus drawe we neare vnto him thus are we ioined vnto god to whom we draw neare by praier which leadeth vs to the presence of god and of Christ 4 Neither do men draw neare to god by praier only Sophon 3. 2. Zacha. 1. but also by repentance which is a returning again to god vvhom through the sinnes and iniquities of our liues we had left and forsaken Thereof thus saith the Lord by his prophet turne againe vnto me and I will turne vnto you saith the lord of hosts In another of his Prophets the lord speaketh in like maner of drawing nere to god by repentance O Israel if thou returne returne vnto me saith the Iere. 4. lord Thus did Dauid draw nere to the lord when after his horrible sinnes he repented was reconciled vnto god 2. King 12. Psal 51. Thus Manasses the king falling away from god by shamefull idolatrie and wilfull obstinacie by his repentaunce in prison returned and drewe neare to God Marie Magdalen running away from god by loose life drewe neare vnto him by repentaunce VVhen the prodigall childe by his doting follie had forsaken his father yet by confession Luke 15. and earnest repentaunce hee drewe neare vnto him So when wee our selues by the transgression of our liues sequester and separate our selues from god by our vnfeined repentaunce and sorrowe of our hearts vve returne and dravve neare vnto him This thing is greatly neglected of vs men and vomen chuse rather to run and raunge further further from god by levvdnes loosnes of their liues then by sorow of hart remorse of conscience repeÌ„tance for their sins to returne dravv nere vnto him surely this is a most necessary approching dravving nere vnto god then which there is nothing more expedient in the vvhole life of man For seeing the iust man falleth Prou. 24. seuen times a day froÌ„ god euery man so long as he liueth by his iniquitie he seperated himselfe froÌ„ the Lord dayly neither is there any bord left for vs to swim out by but this of repentance wherby we grow in fauour a fresh and drawe neare vnto God then must repentaunce needs be a necessary thing in the life of man for which cause it is so often and so highly commended vnto vs. 5. Men are said more ouer to drawe neare to God when they seeke to his holy arke when they runne to his Leuit. 24. 13. 14. Num. 9. 8. Nu. 15. 33. 27. v. 15. â— Kings 14 word to aske counsell As Moses oftentimes in matters which were hard and difficult or whereof he had not manifest coÌ„mission from God drew neare to God by asking counsell from him When Saul was to follow the Philistians the priest willed that they might draw neare vnto God whereby was meant the asking of counsell at the mouth of God and of his word Thus such as in matters wherof they are ignorant seeke counsell from the mouth and word of God in his preachers and prophets drawe neare vnto God 6. By reposing all trust and confidence in God and cleauing constantly vnto him wherof Psal 73. 28. 7. Of none of all these the Apostle here seemeth to speak properly but of an other drawing neare which is by puritie sincerenes of life wherof chiefly in this place he speaketh which he commendeth vnto vs in these words cleanse your hands your sinners and purge your harts you double minded Which I take not for a new precept but with Bede others as the meane maÌ„ner of performing â— Bede that which here now is enioyned that we drawe neare to God in puritie and sinceritie of life which consisteth in the cleansing of our hands and purging of our hearts before the Lord. Let vs then coÌ„sider the place 1. In calling them sinners Sinners he meaneth not them which are subiect by naturall infirmitie to the committing of sinne as all men are so long as they rest remaine vpon the face of the earth but hereby he noteth their hainous and hornble iniquities 1. Tim. 1. 9 whereunto they were giuen 2. By wauering or double minded he noteth the shamefull hipocrisie which vvas crept in euen into their liues vvhich made some shewe of religion and had a pretence of godlines such as in outward shevv seemed deuout religious righteous holy but in their harts vvere full of vngodlinesse and impietie thus they seeme outvvardly one invvardly another in vvorde one in vvorke another one in talke another in truth therfore are they called double minded Like Ianus whom some take for Iapheth one of the sonnes of Noe others for Saturne whom the Heathen paint double faced These the prophet Dauid often sharply reproueth for that Psa 12. â—1 55. c. they speake with a double heart hauing one thing proÌ„pt in their mouthes another couered in their minds a sinne euill and odious before God and man Therfore if we will draw neare to God our double harts must be purged that we may be such indeed as we pretende to be in shew least we heare with our great shame blush you not at it that when as in shew you beare the person of noble Agamemnon in deed you play the parte of cruell and deformed Thersites in being one in shew and another in deed If this holy Apostle did so earnestly call vpon them for reformatioÌ„ of their liues which were double minded what shall wee do to such as are triple quadruple three minded foure minded yea of hundreth minds what voice shall we sounde what speach shall we vtter what mouth shall we open against such Who with the Camelion can turne themselues into all shapes who are now hote now colde in religion now professours now Romanish Catholikes now thus now otherwise minded and affected to bleare the eyes of the simple is it not high time that we call out a lowde to them to be cleansed and with open mouth crie to them to be purged 3. The wordes bearing this signification the matter followeth that men in puritie sinceritie of their liues draw neare vnto God which coÌ„sisteth in two things 1. In cleansing of their hands 2. In purging of their hartes before God Cleansing of the handes noteth the redresse and reformation What meaneth the cleansing of hands of all the outward life of man the correcting of all his actions and deedes of all which though it bee not yet of most of them the hande is the instrument wherefore the outward workes of men are vsually called the works of mens hands because most of them haue the
Ps 90. 17. Ier. 25. 14. Lamentat 3. 64. helpe of the hande as the instrument to bring them to passe as robberies theft picking stealing murther oppression beating bribery corruption such like Vnder the word hand S. Iames comprising the whole life of man all his outward actions requireth such as would draw neare to God to cleanse their hands cleanse your hands you sinners Which in effect is the same which the Prophet Isai 1. exhorted the people of Israell vnto who teaching them information of their liues exhorteth them to vvash themselues and make themselues cleane to take away the euill of their workes from before the eyes of the Lorde The princely Prophete in like manner shewing who they Psalm 24. were which by entring into the Lordes sanctuary drawe neare vnto God saith they were such as were purged from the filthie soile of this world whose hands were innocent and whose hearts pure He that hath innocent hands saith he and a pure heart and hath not lift vp his minde to vanitie nor sworne to deceaue his neighbour he shall receiue a blessing from the Lord and righteousnes from the God of his saluation Cleansing and washing of handes signifieth the innocencie of our outwarde life therefore Mat. 27. when the Iewes besought Pilate to put Iesus to death to shew himself guiltlesse and innocent therein he called for water and washed his hand before them and said I am guiltlesse of this mans bloud looke you vnto it To which sence this of James soundeth clense your handes you sinners But least we should thinke it enough outwardly to be clensed as hypocrites do albeit out harts remayne full of all corruption and filthines therefore to the cleansing of the handes which containeth the reformation of our outward life the Apostle ioyneth the purging of their hearts as an inward reformation in all such as by puritie Purging of heart and sincerenes of life will draw neare to God Which thing he doth most necessarily For the heart Mat. 15. is the fountaine of all our actions from whence all wickednesse euill proceedeth as to the Iewes our Sauiour auouched Which when holy Dauid perceaued he desirous Psal 51. to reforme his life acceptably to God desireth that he might haue a new heart and a right spirite with in him And to this purpose almighty God himselfe in the people of Israell requireth not onely the puritie of the outward workes but the innocencie of their hearts also and Deut. 10. Ierem. 4. therefore willeth them to circumcise the foreskinne of their hearts And generally in his prophetes he requireth the purging of their hearts that their consciences mindes and inward partes might be purged from euill workes that in bodie and soule in life and heart they might serue him and glorifie his name Saint Paul seeing that true innocencie and puritie Rom. 12. must be first grounded in the hearts without reformation wherof al is hypocrisie both to the church of Rome Ephes 4. and of Ephesus also entreating of true reformation and sanctification willeth that they be renewed in the spirite of their mindes Lactantius in many wordes shewing Lib. 6. c. 23. that the heart and minde is the fountaine of all wickednes and that thereis no puritie or chastitie when the hart is not purged saith Howbeit the body be stained and defiled with no euill yet is there not therefore perfect chastitie if the minde be incestious neither may that be counted vndefiled chastitie when lust hath defiled the coÌ„science Wherefore as in perticular there is no pure chastitie though our outward man be cleane vnlesse our affections of heart be pure in like manner euen so generally there is no true innocencie though the outward man be reformed vnlesse the hart be also purged before God Saint Iames to remoue all hypocrisie from men requireth in such as will drawe neare to GOD in puritie of life not onely that their handes bee cleansed but also their heartes purged that both inwardly and outwardly they might bee holy Now that S. Iames exhorteth men to cleanse their hands and purge their heartes as other Scriptures also speake we may not take him as if this cleansing and purging were in our selues or of our selues for there is no 2. Cor. 3. motion or inclination naturally in our selues to any thing that is good for of our selues as of our selues we are not able to thinke a good thought much lesse to performe a good action pleasant and acceptable to God Yea all our sufficiencie is from God who worketh in vs both to will and also to performe according to his good pleasure Philip. 2. And the Lord God is saide in Moses to purge all our euill and wicked affections to circumcise and purge the heart Deut. 30. of his people Which is the truth of Gods promise who promised by the mouth of his seruaunt Ezechiell to giue Ezech. 11. 36. them new harts to take their harde stonie hearts from them and giue them hearts of flesh which might be reformed Wherefore when Israel and Ephraim the people Jerem 31. of God saw that it was not in themselues to returne repent and draw neare to God they desire to haue repenting hearts and relenting mindes from him and therefore pray in this wise to God Turne thou me ô Lord and I shal be turned conuert thou me and I shal be conuerted for thou art the Lord my God In like manner in the Lamentations the saints church say to God Turne thou Lament 5. psal 8. 7. vs vnto thee and we shal be turned Which Dauid wisely considered when he desired reformation and correction of his heart from God Purge me saith he to God with Psal 51. Isope and I shal be cleane wash mee and I shal be vvhither then snovve And a little after Create in me a cleane verse 10. heart ô God and renevv a right spirite in mee So that the cleansing of our handes and purging of our heaâ—ts are not in our ovvne povver but are vvrought by God in the Saints Why do the Prophets theÌ„ vvill vs to do these things Why doth Saint James here vvill sinners to cleanse their handes and double minded persons to purge their heartes Surely to teach vs that when God by his Spirite goeth about to reforme vs we must not drawe backward but in all things geue token of true repentance continually shewe foorth the fruites of the spirite in the whole course but especially in the reformation of our liues And this is the meane or maner how we may draw neere vnto God euen by cleansing our hands and purging our hearts before him These things being so if then we submit our selues to God if we resist the deuill if we drawe neere to God in puritie of our liues if with open eyes we embrace light flie darkenes then shal the sunne of righteousnes shine in our heartes then shall Christ Iesus
greatly broken when he roared for very griefe of his heart Daniel the holy Saint and man of God in like manner Dan. 9. afflicted and chastised himselfe with sackcloth fasting and ashes for his owne sinnes and the sinnes of the people Thus haue the Saints of God done thus must all they doe which feare God by true repentance of their heartes and true mortification of their liues chastise themselues which is the suffering of affliction which the Apostle here teacheth Suffer afflictions This place nothing fauoureth their heresie which holde that they ought to beate themselues with scourges Iesuites and Papists for that it did more put away sinne then any confession Which their doating follie they compared with martyrdome Of which sect of heretiques Alphonsus speaketh Who because they scourged themselues were called Flagellarij or Flagellantes se beating themselues Alphonsus de Castro lib. 2. cont heresis Whose heresie hath patronage neither in the olde nor in the newe testament neither of man nor woman in all the whole Scripture commended Neither must it foster the foolish opinion of wicked Iesuites and popish persons who for vaine-glorie for opinion of desert and merite at the hand of God at certaine times scourge and beate themselues in like maner But of that popish practise we haue no example either of holy Patriarch Prince or Prophet either of blessed Apostle Euangelist or Martyr neither of man woman or saint whatsoeuer in Scripture mentioned neither any commaundement counsell or exhortation either in the olde or in the new testament neither from God Christ the Prophets or Apostles of Iesus Christ neither finde we any iote title sillable in all the worde of God therefore is that practise as drawen from heretiques condemned and disallowed Here the chastising of our selues the suffering of affliction by the Apostle specified is the vnfained repentaunce of our hearts for sinnes coÌ„mitted our true humiliation before God for the same which S. Iames here commendeth vnto vs suffer affliction 2. The way whereby this our humbling and chastising of our selues is performed is also here expressed and it is in foure thinges which are as signes and tokens of the true chastening of our selues before God 1 Men shewe their chastising in their sorrowe and heauines of heart which is not the least token of afflicting Signes of this outward affliction our selues and of our suffering affliction prescribed by the Apostle which is the inseperable companion of our true repentance before God This sorrowing and heauines of our heartes is that contrite spirite that humbled and broken heart which Psal 51. 2. Cor. 7. is a sacrifice acceptable and pleasant before God Which sorrowe Saint Paul commendeth euen that sorow which leadeth to repentance not to be repented of I now reioyce saith hee not that you sorrowed but that you 1. Cor. 5. sorrowed to repentance This godly sorrow Saint Paul required in the Corinthians for that they had tollerated the incestuous adulterer ye are puft vp and haue not rather sorrowed that he that hath done this deed might be put from among you This is that inward grife of the Saints which in their hearts they conceiue for their sinnes committed agaynst God and thereby shewe their afflicting and chastising of themselues before him Thus holy Dauid by vnfeyned sorrowe for his sinnes committed shewed himselfe humbled and afflicted before God as both in the storie and in his Psalme of lamentable repentance is affirmed Manasses 2. Kin. 12. Psal 51. 2. Chron. 33. hauing done manie things agaynst God to despite the Lorde withall being caried away into captiuitie humbled himselfe and afflicted himselfe by repentance which in his sorrow and griefe he conceyued appeared Marie Magdalen chastising and afflicting herselfe for sinne by repentance gaue manifest token thereof in the great sorrowe which she shewed herselfe to haue conceyued euen in the presence of Iesus Christ Saint Peter hauing denied his maister shewed himselfe to haue bene Mat. 26. therefore chastened in conceiuing such great griefe and heauines of heart as forced him to go out of the iudgement hall which was the house of the high priest and to weepe bittetly Thus the holy men of god calling to remembrance their iniquities and sinnes againg God committed and therfore afflicting themselues by repentance before the Lord begin their afflicting and chastising them selues with sorow And this sorow bewraieth it selfe partly in hanging downe of the heade in the casting downe of the countenance partly in outwart behauiour and gesture of the bodie partly in our speeches and words which are the witnesses of our affections and giue testimonie of our heartie sorrowe And this is the first thing wherein the chastising and afflicting our selues appeareth 2 As the chastising and afflicting of our selues consisteth in sorow and griefe conceiued for sinne so doth it in like maner appeare in our weeping and lamenting for the same vvhen we povvre out teares before God in token of our vnfeigned repentaunce vnto him VVhich thing must not be counted altogether effeminate and such as becommeth women onely but it is euen in the best men and most holy Saintes of God a thing commendable and highly to be praysed being ioyned with true faith in Iesus Christ For which cause Dauid the princely Prophet and holy man of God vvas not ashamed to confesse that in signe of his chastising of himselfe Psal 6. by true repentaunce hee wette his bedde and watered his couse with teares VVhen the booke of the lawe of God was founde and brought to Iosiah the godly and vertuous prince and he thereby had perceyued howe greatly the people 4. King 22. had offended in signe of his humilitie and chastising of himselfe with true repentaunce he wept before the Lord. The Prophet Ioel calling the people to this afflicting of themselues by true repentaunce therein hee requireth Ioel. 2. weeping Turne saith hee vnto the Lord with weeping fasting and mourning The Prophets calling the people to repentaunce haue exhorted them to mourne weepe before the Lorde Saint Peter for feare of the Iewes hauing denied and for sworne his master Christ at the looking backe of Christ he remembred himselfe he repented Mat. 26. him of his sinne his heart melted and rent in peeces as it were for sorrowe and to testifie his humiliating of himselfe for the sinne committed he went out and vvept bitterly To this purpose therefore this Apostle exhorting the Saints to suffer affliction to chastice themselues by vnfeigned repentaunce shevving the vvay and manner hovve it must be done teacheth that it must bee in sorrovv and vveeping Herehence then vve see vvhat the true vse of vveeping is and for vvhat cause vve may vveepe lavvfully to vtter the sorrovv of our hearts to testifie our true repentance to God to vvitnesse our afflicting of our selues for our sinnes agaynst God committed vve are exhorted Why the saiâ—â— may weepe to vveepe Saint Augustine that graue and reuerend
other Gods but me To the obseruing wherof blessing and life is promised to the breach thereof death and cursing Deut. 28. 30. Deut. 27. Leuit. 26. is threatned This is that law which onely geueth definitiue sentence and iudgement peremptorie vpon all men In the whole course of the lawe and Prophets it is witnessed that the lawes of life and death which presse the hearts and consciences of men are only the Lordes and that he onely according thereunto iudgeth so that men may not take vpon them to drawe all others after their tailes and leade them at their pleasures which wheÌ„ they refuse theÌ„ also to speake euil of theÌ„ iudge theÌ„ The holy Prophet Isai subscribeth hereunto The Lord is our Isai 33. Lawe geuer the Lord is our king he will saue vs saith the Church by the mouth of the Prophet It was the Lorde Psal 147. which gaue this law vnto his own people Israel the Lord shewed his word to Jacob his statutes and his ordinances to Israel he established a lawe in Jacob and ordeyned a testimonie in Israell which he commaunded our fathers to teach their children saith Dauid the holie Prophet And this concerning the moral preceptes thereof is euerlasting vniuersall and to all the world giuen Therefore he is to be reputed the law giuer and the iudge only which gaue it first vnto Israel his people Who being the onlie geuer of the lawe can thereby either saue or destroye condemne or iustifie pardon or punish wherefore this must men leaue to him alone which if they do not but wil condemne their brethren after their wills then challenge they to themselues the right of God then thrust they him from his heauenly throne of iudgement therin endeuour they as it were to rise vp in his rome and giue that sentence which only belongeth vnto him then which arrogancie and pride what can be greater It is the Lord that searcheth the hearts and raines it is he who perceth into the cogitations of men and seeth that they are but vaine he knoweth only who are his and he alone can tel when and whom to saue or condeÌ„ne to discharge or destroye this prorogatiue we take from God of this priuiledge we spoile him of this preferment of iudging and condemning of making and setting lawes of life and death to the consciences of men we then bereue God when we in the pride of our hearts speake euil and condemne our brethren vvhen they displease vs and our humours Thus men challenge to themselues that vvhich is Gods and Christs only thus take they sentence of iudgement out of the mouth of God and take the povver of geuing lavves to the Church out of his hands hovv great is this blasphemous presumption hovv hainous is this extreame vngodlynes For as it is not only doting and foule follie but horrible impietie and vvickednes in the highest degree for men to take vppon them to repele the eternall lavves of God geuen by him to the Church and all posteritie for euermore So is it likewise no lesse vngratiousnesse an louer bolde and presumptious rashnes â—o make other lawes contrarie to his as if we would teach him wisdome and thereby to iudge our brethren Christ is our king hee onely is the head ouer his Church therefore as vnto the king and chiefe head of his Church it belongeth of right to geue lawes to the saints Was it euer heard among earthly Princes that loyall subiects either could or would either repell or change the lawes of their Princes or doe they at any time take vpon them to make lawes of their owne heads without their Princes in their owne kingdomes or can there be greater treason and rebellion then to endeuour to seeke such lewde libertie doe the Princes and Peeres of Common-weales call Parlements set downe lawes without the authoritie of their Kinges and Emperours were not this great conspiracie and shall men take vpon them in the church which is the royal seat of Christ and the very septer of his kingdom to establish lawes without his licence were there euer lawes proclaimed in any kingdom but in the name of that king which there raigneth shall men proclaim lawes of their own deuising in christs kingdom vnder any other name or authoritie then by the name authoritie of Iesus Christ wherefore we deny Christs soueraintie ouer vs when without him we will make lawes to others and we refuse God to be our law geuer when besides his lawes we will proclaime lawes to binde our brethren Which thing as grosse sollie and great impietie the Apostle condemneth testifying that God only is our law-geuer and iudge in whose power it is to saue and destroy and therefore men ought not to challenge that to themselues in any wise Of this euill how many are now giltie is not euery one readie to prescribe lawes of the liues of their brethreÌ„ and sisters If we see any either in the habite of apparrell or in the talke of the tongue or in the gesture of the bodie either in the course of his Common life or in the religion and worshippe he perfourmed to God or any other thing which walketh not according to our pleasures and agreeth not in all things to our life and ruie how soone speake we euill of him how proudly doe wee iudge him how peremptorilie doe wee condemne him Thus one man dealeth with another one woman thus iudgeth another thus the people condemne the pastors the pastors the people thus the Cleargie speake euill of the Temporaltie and they of the Cleargie thus one preacher of another one laie man of another and almost euery one of his neighbour Is not this to vsurpe that which belongeth vnto god is not this to take the scepter of iudgement out of the hande of Iesus Christ This is reprooued by Saint Paul who art thou that condemnest another mans seruant he standeth or falleth to his owne master what hast thou to Rom. 14. intermeddle where thou hast not to doe This is condemned by this Apostle who ascribeth prescription of lawes and pronouncing of iudgement to God onely who can saue and destroy but thou ô man canst saue none therefore by thy proud iudgement condemne and destroye none yet condemnest and destroyest as much as in thee lieth thy brother when because hee liueth not after thy pleasure thou speakest euill of him And this is the third argument of the Apostle The fourth and last reason why we should not speake The fourth reason euill or rashly condemne our brethren is from the frailty of our owne common state and condition For all men are subiect to infirmities therefore ought we not one of vs rashly to condemne another And this reason that it might be more forcible it is proposed in the manner of an interrogation Who art thou which iudgest another art not thou a man subiect to like infirmities why doest thou so proudly then iudge thy brother who art thou that iudgest
acceptable sacrifices vnto him whom they serue in holines John 4. Rom. 12. Luck 1. and righteuousnes al the dayes of their life do not alwaies vse it in vvord of mouth but giue the consent of their hearts there vnto And in all things and at all times to repeate the vvordes might seeme vaine superstition and babling follie But the spirite of God in this place is vehemently caried avvay vvith iuste condemnation against such as vvith out regard had to the good pleasure of God or respect had to the mortalytie of our nature vvould haue all times seasons things and euents to serue them at their wills for which cause in the pride of their hartes they determine presumtuously of things to come and say in their vaine confidence to day or to morow will we go into such a cittie and there continue a yeare by and sell and gaine which thing the Apostle condemneth and correcteth and in stead thereof teacheth vs to say If the Lord will and if we liue we will doe this thing or that thing 4 The Apostle hauing thus reproued the sinne and corrected this euil among mē in the fourth place he repeateth the same vice and mischiefe with reprehension although in other words yet to like purpose and therefore saith You reioyce in your boasting all such reioycing is euill you doe not onely conceaue such vaine confidence in your heartes but you also vtter it in your wordes neither doe you only vtter it in wordes and in your speaches but also you boast of your sayings you reioyce in your boastings all such reioycing is euill In presuming thus of your selues in the vaine confidence of your owne heartes in the lewde libertie of your tongues wherby you derogate from Gods prouidence and arrogate to your selues you reioyce but all such reioycing is euill And in that he saith not all reioycing is euill but all such reioycing is euill it is apparant that he condemneth not all reioycing but onely vaine reioycing conceaued of the trust and confidence we haue in worldly thinges For otherwise God permitted yea willed and commaunded Deut. 12. his people to reioyce as the Scripture teacheth vs. By his seruant Moses he charged Israel his people that they should not eate their offeringes within their owne gates but in the place where the Lorde had appointed they their children their seruantes and the Leuite that was within their gates and so to reioyce before the Lord Deut. 16. their God in all they put their hands vnto To which end and purpose they were commanded to keepe the feast of weekes which was Whitsontide and therein also to reioice before the Lord through the viewe of the plentifull encrease which the Lorde God had geuen vnto the earth Other Feasts also as the Feast of vnleauēed bread the Feast of Tabernacles at the gathering in of their haruest wherein it was alowable and permitted them to reioyce Exod. 23. The Prophet Dauid often exhorteth to reioicing therfore he aduiseth the people to sing ioyfully vnto the Lord Psal 81. their strength and to sing laud vnto the God of Iacob to take the song to bring foorth the timbrell the pleasaunt Psal 122. harpe with the lute or viole Dauid himselfe was not void of this affection but rather therewithall rauished hee breaketh out I reioyced when the people said we wil go into the house of the Lord. To which affection as in some respects lawfull he stirreth vp his people and godly Subiects O come let vs sing vnto the Lord let vs heartelie Psal 95. reioyce in God the strength of our saluation The Sauiour of the world euen Iesus Christ the righteous commendeth Mat. 5. reioycing vnto his in miserie and exhorteth thē in the midst and among their greatest afflictions persecutions to reioyce Whose example the elect vessell of God Saint Paul imitating aduiseth the elect seruants of Christ in their Rom. 12. troubles to reioyce Which thing of himselfe and the rest of his brethren he freely and liberally confesseth When Rom. 5. 1. Cor. 4 Ephes 5 he speaketh vnto the Church and Saintes of Ephesus exhorting them to be filled with the spirite and to sing to themselues in psalmes hymnes and spirituall songs making melodie in their hearts vnto God Doeth he not cōmend vnto them the affection of reioysing When hee willeth the Saints of Philippi to reioyce in the Lord alwaies what els commendeth he then the affection of reioycing Philip. 4. What that the Prophet willeth that neither the wise man Ierem. 9. glorie and vainly reioyce in his wisdome neither the rich man in his riches nor the strong man in his strength but that he that reioyceth should reioyce and glorie in the Lord Doeth he not condemne one and commend another kinde of reioycing What that Christ willeth his not to reioyce that the deuils were subiecte vnto them but Luke 10. that they should reioyce that their names were written in the booke of life What that hee exhorteth the Church against the day of iudgement to lift vp their heads and to reioyce because their redemption approacheth Doeth he not commend the affection of ioy as lawfull in some Luke 11. measure in the Saints of God What that Paul beseacheth Philip. 2 the Saints of Philippi in Macedonia by their vnitie and religious consent to fulfill his ioy What that S. Iohn reioiceth Iohn 2. 3. Epist ouer the saints because they walked in the trueth argueth it not that there is a ioy and reioycing lawfull in the people of God To reioyce therefore in the aide and helpe of Gods spirite and in the presence of his power to reioyce in his gifts and graces either vpon our soules or bodies plentitifully poured moderately to reioice in our publicke peace and priuate quietnes in our obedient wiues and tractable children in our trustie seruants and faithfull friendes or the like tokens of Gods fauour towardes vs so that all confidence be wholy reposed in him that is the authour and fountaine of all graces and goodnes is not forbidden the mirth of their hearts proceading from a good conscience in the holy Ghost the ioy of their mindes lightened by assurance of the mercies of God in Iesus Christ the affection of reioycing stirred vp raysed in the inward parts of man through duetifull vew and thankfull remembrance of the blessings of God towardes vs as tokens of his loue is not condemned by S. Iames nor heere forbidden the Saints of God Which the very circumstance of the place doeth teach vs for inueying against the vaine confidence of proud persons who without regard had to the will of God and the shortnesse of their owne liues say within themselues and sometimes vtter their speaches vnto other To morrow we will goe to such a Citie and there continue a yeare and by and sell and gaine he inferreth this speach now you reioyce in your boasting all such reioycing is euill
sinnes of the wicked rich men for which their calamitie is threatened are three 1. Their iniurious and fraudulent detaining of the wages of their Reapers and haruest seruants 2. Their sensua litie which standâ—eh in these 3. 1. Pleasure 2. Wantonnes 3. Banquetting and riotousnes 3. Their crueltie which in two thinges appeareth In 1 Condemning the righteous 2 Slaying them when as they resist not 1 The first sinne and euill condemned in these wicked rich 1. Sinne in the wicked men with whom and against whom Saint Iames dealeth and for which so sharpe a sentence of so iust condemnation is geuen out against them is their fraudulent detaining of their hirelinges wages whereof hee geueth speciall example in their haruest labourers such as reaped their fieldes who helping them to get and gather in their graine and corne into their barnes and bringing in the increase of their land for them whereon they liued Yet for so needefull and necessarie so painefull and profitable a worke they were vnrewarded and their wages deteined by fraud from them no doubt an extream point of euill dealing And vnder this particular example the holy Ghost conteyneth all iniurious dealing with their seruants either in this kinde or in any other kinde whatsoeuer The greatnesse of their sinne the Apostle amplifieth in most effectual manner Behold saith he the hire of the labourers which haue reaped your fieldes which is by you kept back by fraud crieth and the cries of them which haue reaped are entred into the eares of the Lorde of hostes 1. Saith he beholde Of which speach there are diuers vses Sometimes it is vsed in cases of ioy and reioycing as when Christ the Prince of peace and eternall Mat. 21. glorie shoulde come into the citie of Ierusalem to the great ioy of all such as receaued him the Euangelist citing the words of Zacharie the Prophet saith Go tell the daughter of Sion beholde thy king commeth vnto thee Zach. 9. meeke and sitting vpon an Asse and a colte the fole of an Asse vsed to the yoke Sometimes it is vsed for a greater euidence certaintie of a thing Saint Iude citing the wordes of Enoch the seuenth from Adam for a great euidence and certaintie Iude v. 14 of the Lords comming to iudge the worlde vseth this phrase of speach Behold the Lord commeth with thousands of his Saints to geue iudgement against all men and to rebuke all the vngodly among them of all their wicked deedes which they haue vngodly committed and of all their cruel speaches which wicked sinners haue spoaken against him In like manner in this place to assure Iob. 4. 18. Reuel 7 them that their wickednes was certainlie gone vp into the eares of the Lorde the Apostle breaketh out in this manner Behold the hire of the labourers which haue reaped your fieldes which is of you kept backe by fraude crieth and the cries of them which haue reaped are entred into the eares of the Lord of hostes Sometimes it is vsed to moue attention vnto a thing spoken and this is familiar in the Prophetes in our Sauiour and the apostles also sometimes to this purpose vsed The Prophet Nahum prophecying of the peace which Nahum 1. Iuda should enioy by the death of Sennacherib the king of the Assyrians to moue them to greater attention thereunto as it may be thought he saith Beholde vppon the mountaines the feete of him that declareth and publisheth peach And Abacuk prophecying of the strange plagues Abacuk 1. calamities which shoulde befall the people for their shamefull iniquitie and contempt of Gods worde to stir them vp to greater attention thereunto as I suppose hee crieth out Behold among the heathen and regard and wonder and maruaile for I will worke a worke in your daies you will not beleeue it though it be told vnto you And may not the princely Prophet Dauid be thought in Psal 133. this sence to haue vsed this word when he commending peace loue and vnitie among men saith Beholde how good and pleasant a thing it is brethren to dwell together in vnitie Sometimes it is vsed in strange and wonderfull things which rarely are heard or seene as Jsai intreating Isai 7. of the strange and extraordinarie rare and wonderfull manner of Christes conception in this wise expresseth it Behold a virgine shall conceaue and beare a sonne and they shall call his name Emmanuel Our Apostle as wondering at the harde dealing of the wicked may not amisse in this sence be thought to vse it Behold the hire of your labourers which reaped c. as a thing therefore either most certaine that the crie of their seruants were entred vnto the eares of God or a thing to bee wondred at that any would be so hearde hearted as to defraude their labourers of their hier the Apostle breaketh out and saith beholde the hire of your labourers c. 2 The hire of those laubourers which reaped their fieldes was detained this amplifieth their wickednes To detame the wages of any labourour who by the toyle and moyle of his bodie and in the sweate of his face eateth his breade connot be but agreat sinne but to denie them their wages by whom our fieldes are reaped our corne and graine got and gathered in to our garners the fruites of our Landes safly brought into our barnes and houses whereof we our wiues children and famylies doe liue the surplus whereof wee turne to the encreasing of our riches is no doute a greuious and most haynous sinne before God therefore the Apostle leauing other seruants whom no dout they defrauded in like manner rehearseth those in whose iniurie their iniquitie most manyfestly appeareth Wherefore he saith beholde the hire of your labourers which haue reaped your fieldes whose wages by you is helde backe through fraude crieth 3 The wages of their hired seruantes was by fraude kept backe to detaine and holde backe the wages of the hierling and seruante which for his lyuing worketh with men is an euill and sinne by the lawe and worde of God forbidden Whereof the Lorde by his seruante Moyses admonished Leuit. 19. the people of Israel to which purpose they had commaundement from the mouth of God that the wages of the hierling should not rest nor remaine with them till the morning intymating that as euery one had done his worke so he should receaue his wages which by the Deut. 24. masters shoulde in nowise bee detained And in another place thou shalt not oppresse saith he the hired seruante that is poore and neadie neither thy brother neither the stranger that is within they gates thou shalt giue him his hire for his day neither shall the sunne goe downe vpon it For he is poore and therewith sustaineth his life least Malach. 3. hee crie vnto the Lorde and it be sinne vnto thee The Prophet Malachie in the person of God condemneth the same in the people who pronouncing iudgement against their manifolde
horrible sinnes For albeit there bee no sinne so little or small in the opinion or estimation of man but that it commeth before the Lorde and entreth into his eares whose eares heare and whose eyes see all the workes of men neither is their anie sinne kept from his knowledge yet to note the horrour and haynousnesse of some sinnes aboue others the holie Ghost in the sacred Scripture sayeth of such that they crie vnto the Lorde VVherefore Moises to shewe the great and grieuous sinne of Cain in murthering his louing and naturall Gene. 4. brother bringeth in GOD speaking thereof to him Cain what hast thou done the voyce of thy brothers bloud crieth vnto mee from the ground When the filthie Sodomites had stained themselues with vnnaturall lust with foule fornication and all shamefull vncleannesse Gene. 18. of the flesh impietie and vngodlinesse the crie of their iniquitie was great in the Lordes eares and their sinne exceeding grieuous in his sight To shewe the barbarous crueltie of the people of Aegypt and their extreeme exactions wherewith they ouercharged Exod. 3. Isai 5. 9. 1. Kings 9. 16 Iob. 34. 28. and pressed to grounde the Israelites the Prophet thereof speaking bringeth in God thus conferring with him there-about in Horeb I haue seene I haue seene the oppression of my people which are in Aegypt and haue heard their crie because of their taske-maisters To like purpose our Apostle setting foorth the great iniquitie and iniurie done to the poore labourers in the detaining and keeping backe of their wages by the rich men of the world affirmeth that the same crieth vnto God and that the crie thereof is gone vp to the eares of the Lord of hostes Wherehence we are taught and may well learne that albeit men themselues by vs oppressed doe not alwayes powre out the bitternesse of their hearts neither alwayes ring in the eares of the Lorde agaynst them by whome they are oppressed yet the verie iniquities and sinnes of the wicked themselues crie out day and night in the eares of the Lorde against them for vengeance Thus Gene. 4. murther though kept for a season from the knowledge of men thus adulterie fornication and fleshly vncleannesse Ecclus. 23. though it be done in secrete that no eye doeth see it thus oppression and extortion though all men almoste practise it thus pride though the whole lande Isay 3 flyeth after it thus vsurie briberie and all manner couetousnesse thus peruerting of righteous iudgement and all manner wrongfulnesse and iniurie thus lying swearing blasphemie and slaunder thus all iniquitie and vnrighteousnesse of men whereby the lande Sophonie 3. Osea 4. is altogether polluted and bloud thereby toucheth bloud cryeth in the eares of the Lorde of hostes who beeing a righteous iudge and that GOD onely to Deut. 32. Psal 94. whom repaying vengeance belongeth will reward it accordingly And assuredly as all sinnes at all times haue cried out for vengeance from the Lorde who hath heard them and in iust measure punished them so the haynous and horrible sinnes of our age crye out in like manner for vengeaunce our shamelesse adulteries whereof our countrie is full our cruell hatred whereby we murther one another in our heartes our intollerable pride in flaunting ruffes in coloured starchings in newe cuts and iagges in periwigges and french frilles in the deuill and all which our vanitie and the iniquitie of our times haue deuised our suttle and fraudulent dealings our voluntarie bankerouting our great oppression and extortion whereby the faces of the poore are pitifully grinded our vsurie which hath succeeded and gotte in the place of noble marchaundizing whereby we eate vp one another our manifolde open and secrete publike and priuate offences daily and hourely in moste wicked manner committed crie out in the eares of the Lorde of hostes and vnlesse wee seeke speedy redresse through vnfained repentaunce vnto GOD vvee shall feele the smarte and griefe thereof subiect to the like destruction here mentioned by the Apostle sith wee are guiltie of the like or the same iniquities against which it is iustly denounced Here God is called the Lord of hostes which attribute God the Lorde of hostes or addition is oftentimes and in sundrie places giuen vnto him because he hath all his creatures alwaies readie as an innumerable and infinite hoste to fight at his pleasure and becke against the wicked for the maintenaunce of his glory and defence of his seruauntes Which thing Sirach notably expresseth there are saith he spirites created for vengeaunce which in their rigour Ecclus. 39. lay on sure strokes in the time of destruction they shevve forth their power and accomplish the wrath of him that made them fire and hayle and famine and death these are created for vengeaunce the teeth of wild beastes the scorpions and the serpentes and the sworde execute vengeaunce for the destruction of the wicked They shal be gladde to do his commaundement and when neede is they shal be readie vpon earth and when their houre is come they shall not ouer passe the commaundement The droppes of raine from heauen were his hoste to fight against and destroy the men of the first world Fire Gen. 6 7. Gen. 19. from heauen was his hoste to fal downe and consume the Sodomites and them of Gomorrah The mightie hayle stones which fel vpō the soldeours of the kings which ioined battle with Iosua wherewith more perished then by the sword of the people the scrawling wormes the hopping Iosua 10. frogges the creeping lice and other like creatures were his hoste to fight against Pharao and his people Exod. 7. 8. 9. 10. 14. and the raging sea rose vp against him and ouerwhelmed him and his armie One people is his armie to punish another and euery one of his creatures serue at his Psal 105. 28. 29. 30. c. pleasure either to worke the deliuerance of his seruants or the destruction of his enemies and therefore is God often called the Lord of hostes The Seraphins in the prophete stood vp and cried one to another holy holy holy is the Isay 6. 1. 9. Lord of hostes the whole world is full of thy glorie Ieremie Ierem. 10. the prophete yeeldeth this attribute and name vnto him who cōparing the idols of the natiōs with the Lord saith the portion of Iacob is not like them for he is the maker of all things and Israel is the rodde of his inheritaunce the Lord of hostes is his name Nahum the prophet Nahum 2 describing the victories of the Caldeans against the Assyrians and the punishments by God brought by them vpon the same people crieth behold I come vnto thee saith the Lord of hostes and I will burne her charrets in the smoke and the sword shall destroy thy yong lions and I wil cut of thy spoyle from the earth and the voyce of thy messengers shall no more be heard In the prophecie of Malachie it is often
from whome he had both commaundement and courage for the fighting of the Lordes battailes After whose death and the manifolde battailes hee had with Kings and Countreys the people came to the Lord to enquire who should succeede him as their captaine to Iudges 1. fight against the nations and hee appointed Iudah captaine ouer them Dauid the valiant warriour confesseth in sundrie Psalmes that his warrely prowis and fortitude Psal 18. was from the Lorde therefore hee cryeth out in the Lordes prayse I will loue thee dearely O Lorde my strength the Lord is my rocke and my fortresse and hee that deliuereth me my God and my strength in him will I trust my shielde the horne of my saluation and my refuge To like purpose in another place Through thee Psal 44. saith he to God we thrust backe our enemies and in thy name shall we tread downe those that rise vp against vs. Finally he breaketh out and praiseth God Blessed be the Psal 144. Lord my strength which teacheth my hands to fight and my fingers to battaile he is my goodnesse and my fortresse my tower and my deliuerer my shield and in him I wil trust whch subdueth my people vnder me Which had beene great impietie in the princely Prophet had warres beene altogether vnlawfull Salomon the diuine and heauenly Eccles. 3. preacher affirmeth that there is a time for all things a mong other things he sayth there is a time for peace and a time for warre Nowe we knowe there is no time for wicked things if warre were wicked and euill there were no time for it 2 Neither doe these places onely shewe it to bee lawfull in the former times vnder the lawe and Prophets in the time of the olde Testament but also the new Testament confirmeth the same to bee as lawfull vnder the Gospell VVhen Iohn Baptist preached and infourmed all Luke 3. states and degrees of men in their dueties when the soldiours asked him vvhat they should do he biddeth them not forsake their calling as a thing vnlawfull but sheweth how it might be vsed aright oppresse no man saith he and be content with your wages Whereupon Saint Augustine thus concludeth whom he willeth to be content with their wages he willeth not Epist. 5. Marcellino Mat. 8. to leaue their warfare When our Sauiour was besought to heale the Centurions seruaunt vvhich vvas a man of vvarre the gouernour of a hundreth soldiours he neyther disdained his person neyther condemned his calling nor denied his suite but cōmended his faith without any more ado vvhich he would not haue done had the calling beene vnlawfull Saint Peter by God was sent to another Centurion Act. 10. to whom he preached all the wordes of life yet is there no sillable nor sounde of condemning the condition and calling of the Centurion Cornelius When there was a greate conspiracie against Paul of more then fourtie which sought his life he was contented through the ayd Act. 23. of armed souldiours to be brought safely to Cesaria and so deliuered from the rage of his enemies which eyther he would neuer haue done or if through feare hee had done yet it should and would eyther by Luke in the storie or by himselfe in some place haue beene confessed to haue bene euill done vvere vvarres vnlavvfull altogether The author to the Hebrewes commending the most holy men and Saints of God as for other many excellent Heb. 11. effectes of faith so also that through faith they subdued kingdomes wrought righteousnesse obtained the promises stoppeth the mouthes of Lions quenched the violence of fire escaped the edge of the sworde of weake were made strōg waxed violent in battle turned to flight the armies of the aliants If to waxe stronge in battle to subdue kingdomes and putte to flight the armies of the aliants be praise-worthie hovv then can vvarres bee but lavvfull 3. Tributes are certaine contributions made by the people and giuen to the Prince to defend them by warre if occasion serued whereof beyng demaundeth his iudgement whether it were lavvfull to giue it or no our Sauiour Mat. 22. willed tribute to be giuen to Cesar the Emperour and himselfe for himselfe and his traine paid it as Saint Mat. 17. Rom. 13. Matthew recordeth Saint Paul exhorteth the Christian subiectes to the paying of tribute as parte of their subiection and obedience vvilling that custome be payed to whom custome and tribute bee paid to whom tribute belongeth 4. The learned auncient fathers found no such matter in vvarres but commended them as things most lavvfull Saint Cyprian in his Epistles saith of vvarre When 2. Lib. epist 2. priuate men shedde bloud it is sinne and a great faulte but when it is publikely done it is a vertue wherein he counteth priuate reuenge and thereby shedding of mans bloud haynous murther but waging lawfull warres he reputeth as a singular vertue Saint Augustine in sundry places as in his Epistles to Epist 5. 48. to Bonifa a warrier others and also in that which he writeth to Bonifacius a warrier sheweth that as the Gospell hath not taken away the lavvfull vse of meate and drinke mariage riches and such like so neyther hath it taken away the vse of lavvfull warres without which no common-wealth can bee preserued the lavvfulnesse vvhereof the examples of Abraham Moses Josuah Dauid the godly Centurions in the gospell and infinite the like shevv most euidently 5. Conditions in vvarres required that they may be lavvfull though there might many be assigned yet I suppose that these be the chiefest 1. That no warres be vndertaken but by the authoritie of the King Prince Emperour or other chiefe officer and gouernour in the common-wealth so that warres without his appointment are not lawful warres but vprores rebellions and ciuill seditions vtterly condemned Thus Core Dathan and Abiram rising vp against Moses Absolon Num. 16. 2. Kings 15 taking sworde in hande against Dauid his naturall father Adoniah against Salomon Basha Zimrie Shallum and 1. Kings 1. the seruants of Ammon the king not armed by the authoritie of their princes but against them are thus condemned Brutur and Cassius and such like of their owne heads arming themselues against their common-weales and countries haue bene condemned as seditious persons 2. Warres also must be vvaged and vndertaken for defence of religion of publike peace of the state of the countrie and the safetie of the common-wealth and people committed vnto princes for the suppressing of wicked malefactours and the lavvfull defence of loyall subiectes Saint Augustine therefore vvriteth thus to Boniface Augustine to Bonif. 48. Epist the vvarrier all thinges are quiet and husht vvhen vvarres are vvaged for they are not vndertaken of desire to rule or for crueltie but for studie of peace that the godly may be supported and the vvicked punished which endes euen the very Heathen respected For Homer bringeth in Hector exhorting his souldiers Homer Ili to
fight valiantely in this wise fight saith he and feare not for it is great honour to loose a mans life for his countrie therefore the rest of the citizens are defended by our vertue the mothers and children are thus in safegard which are the seede of the age to come Thus the temples remaine and good lawes pietie and shamefastnesse thus euery one shall enioy his owne thinges and landes when the enemies be expulsed to this ende haue lawfull warres bene vndertaken by the Saints these ends Abraham Moses Iosua the godly iudges Samuel Dauid and the rest in their vvarres haue respected and for this cause do vve also pray for princes and magistrates that by their power and prouident care we may lead our liues in 1. Tim. 2. godlinesse and safetie 3. Lastly warres may not rashly but aduisedly bee vndertaken with deliberation and counsell thereunto Prou. 24. the vvise man exhorteth with counsell thou shalt vndertake vvarres peace must be bought and redeemed though it be vvith losse as Hezechiah vvould rather giue his treasure to Sennicherib then wage warre with him Al things 3. Kings 18 and alwaies must be tried before vvee come to handie 3. Kings 18. 1. Off. blovves vvhich counsell the vvise Romane oratour giueth all things are first to be tempted before we contend by force and vveapons and the vvay to discide matters must first be sought out before vve trie the strength of vvarres Wherefore as surgions trie alvvaies before they cut or feare of a mans member vvhich they do at last least it breede to further daunger so may not vvarres be vndertaken but when other meanes haue bene sought and there is imminent perill and daunger ready to ensue thus by warres in certaine cases to resist is not vnlavvfull And these things in generall as they may stop the mouthes of the Anabaptistes so are their reasons in perticular ansvvered by Peter Martyr vpon Genes fol. 56. vpon 1. Samuel fol. 190. And by Caluin against them in his little vvorke so titled against the Anabaptists fol. 56. as the booke is in Octauo Finally it may here be enquireth vvhether righteous men may not resist the rage violence and force of men by aide of law I ansvvere they may Paul vvithstood the rage of his Act. 24. false accusers and enemies by defence in lavve before Festus the gouernour from vvhose corrupt iudgement he chalenging the benefit of the lavv appealed to the iudgement Act. 25. seate of Cesar the Emperour of the Romanes Saint Augustine commended Maximinus the Bishop for that Epist 50. Boniface he vvithstood the rage of the cruell Donatists by the ayde of the lavve and appealing to the magistrate vvhich had he not done saith he his patience had not deserued commendation but his negligence had deserued worthie reproofe Neither doth Paul find faulte with the Corinthians for going to law but that they went to law vnder vnbeleeuing 1. Cor. 6. iudges and that for trifles or else thereby to oppresse one another So that neither this resistaunce is against righteousnes and iustice neither here forbidden when S. Iames saith that prophane rich men slay the righteous and he doth not resist them And these are the three euils and great sinnes for which the Apostle denounceth their destruction against the wicked their fraudulent detayning their labourers wages their sensualitie of life and their crueltie and thus is the first mēber with the true perticular branches therof ended Now let vs pray O eternall and most mighty God the onely righteous iudge of all the world who hatest all oppression crueltie and vnmercifulnesse among men and delightest rather in iustice equitie and vnfayned righteousnesse sende downe thy heauenly spirite into our heartes powre dovvne thy holy Ghost into our mindes that vve alwaies carefull of vpright dealing true innocencie brotherly charitie may flie all deceitfull detayning all cruell oppression all wrongfull iniurying of our neighbours and embrace mercy pitie compassion towardes the poore distressed that we being alwaies farre from withholding the right from others by deceit from afflicting the brethren through violence from murthering the righteous by vnmercifulnesse may thereby auoide the dreadfull sentence of endlesse condemnation against the wicked rich men of the world denounced and euermore remaine in thy louing fauour and be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light through Iesus Christ our onely Sauiour Amen Iames Chap. 5. verses 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. Sermon 25. Verse 7 Be patient therefore brethren vnto the comming of the Lord beholde the husbandman watcheth for the precious fruite of the earth and hath long patience for it vntill he receaue the former and the later raine 8 Be ye therfore patient also settle your mindes for the comming of the Lorde draweth neere 9 Grudge not my brethren one against another least ye be condemned beholde the iudge standeth before the dore 10 Take my brethren the Prophets for an example of suffering aduersitie and of long patience which haue spoken vnto vs in the name of the Lord. 11 Beholde we count them blessed which endure yee haue heard of the patience of Iob and haue knowen what end the Lord made For the Lord is very pitifull and mercifull THese wordes are an exhortation to patience 2. Place of the Chapter Being the second place and parte of this Chapter Which place being resolued into the partes and particulars therin conteineth foure speciall members Namely 1. The exhortation to patience 2. A similitude whereby patience is taught vs therein are three things 1. The similitude 2. The applicatiō 3. The reason 3. The handling of patience by the contrary which is grudging 1. The thing 2. The reason 4 The reasōs why we should be patient and they are foure 1. From example of the prophets in generall 2. From the rewarde of patience 3. From example of Iob. 4. From the nature of God who is mercifull and pitifull 1 Touching the first it is the exhortation which S. Iames very fitly and conueniently setteth downe for in the former place hauing entreated of the crueltie iniuries which by the prophane men and couetous wicked riche persons the poore suffer least therewithall they should be pressed downe to the ground The Apostle against these and all other iniuries troubles and afflictions incident to this life comforteth them exhorting them patiently to beare the crosse imposed and to suffer with quietnes the manifolde troubles of this life earnestly expecting in their mindes the comming of the Lord Iesus Christ who shal plentifully auenge their iniuries vpon the heads of their oppressors for which cause they ought to be patient vnto the comming of the Lord. This vertue of patience is a most excellent ornament in the life of a Christian neither is there any other thing more seemely or more answerable to the condition of the professours of the Gospell of Christ Iesus then with inuincible courage and constancie to beare and sufferre the manifolde afflictions whereunto we
length of daies from seede time to haruest shall not christians looking for immortall fruite of their patience settle their hearts so that neither multitude of troubles nor waight of miseries nor grieuousnes of oppressions nor number of iniuries shal be able to dawnte and disquiet them be yee therefore patient and settle your hearts saith the Apostle And in the manifold afflictions of this life the harts Mēs minds settled in affections minds of Gods Saints are sundrie waies settled 1. Our hearts are settled in our afflictions by the sweete promises we haue from God of our deliuerance who hath promised to deliuer the righteous out of troubles and such a◠put their trust in him Dauid thereof saith Many are Psal 34. the troubles of the righteous but the Lorde deliuereth out of all In another place to like purpose the saluation Psal 37. of the righteous is of the Lorde hee shal be their strength in time of trouble Therefore almighty GOD Psal 5◠saith to his people call vpon me in the day of thy trouble and I will deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie mee The Prophete exhorting men to settle themselues to rest Psal 36. 91. 15. and relie vpon God in their miseries yea in all thinges giueth this counsell from the promise of God commit thy cause or thy way vnto the Lord and trust in him and he shall bring it to passe He will bring foorth thy righteousnesse as the light and thy iudgements as the noone day Thus hath God promised to defend our cause to restore vs to our right and in our miseries to deliuer vs therfore ought we therby to settle our mindes God saith 1. Cor. 10. Paul is faithful which wil not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our strength but wil giue the issue with the tētatiō that we may bear it And S. Peter The Lord knoweth how 2. Pet. 2. to deliuer the godly out of tentation Seeing then wee haue such sweete promises of deliueraunce out of troubles therefore therein ought we to be patient and to settle our mindes vpon these promises that the Lorde will deliuer vs in due time from all afflictions and finallie washe away all teares from our eyes as the Scripture teacheth 2. As by the promises of our deliuerance our hearts or settled through patience in our oppression so also ought they to be settled in the experience we haue of the power of God in the deliuerance of the righteous If we looke to others or our selues we shall finde experience triall of this truth whereby our heartes ought in all our miseries to be settled Hath not God deliuered Moses and Exod. 14. Israell his people from the armie of Pharao when the red sea was before them hard sharpe rockes on both sides the enemie at their heeles following so that their state was daungerous What did not God deliuer Dauid from 1. King 18 19. 20. 21. 23. 24. sundry attempts of Saul who sought by many waies his vtter confusion for which cause he so often praiseth God for his deliuerance as the booke of Psalmes therewith is replenished and full Was not Hezechiah the godly king deliuered Psal 18. 23. 27. 86. 144. 4. Kings 19 mightily by God from the powre and armie of Sennacherib into whose iawes God put his bitte bridle and ledde him away into his owne countrie by a rumour of inuision that vvas brought him and by the destruction of his armie by the Angell of God Did he not deliuer the Israelites out of the hands of the Philistines other their enemies which often and long time had them in subiection as the booke of Iudges of Samuell recordeth When the Aramites had besieged Samaria therfore Iudges 1. Samu. 4. Kings 7. the people Prince and countrie in great distresse by famine and perill by reason of the enemie was it not deliuered miraculously by God who caused the Aramites to heare a noyse of horses and charrets vvherewith they terrified fledde and lefte their prouision behind them Was not Iehosaphat by him deliuered both in the battle 3. Kings 22 in Ramoth Gilead and also from the Moabites Amorites and Amalachites which ioyned battle against him hath he not deliuered infinite other his holy Saints from 2. Chron. 22 their oppressions afflictions and troubles they haue suffered if wee seeke experience in our selues vvhich of See Psalm 61. v. 4. 63. v. 7. 91. 4. vs is it vvhom at one time or another God hath not deliuered eyther from peril by lande or by sea at home or abroade eyther from oppression and iniuries of open enemies or daungers of counterfaite friendes either from griefe of minde of sickenesse of bodie eyther from spoyle of goods or perill of life by the wicked Seeing therefore we haue this triall and experience of Gods helpe in our oppressions shall we not therein be patient and settle our hearts 3. Neither thus onely are our hearts settled in our miseries but also when we cast our eies vpō the crowne of glory which we shall receaue the glorious hope whereof we shal be pertakers if we endure with patience we should settle and quiet our mindes in our miseries Thus Paul exhorting the Romanes to settle their hearts and in their Rom. 8. afflictions which by the example of Christ they should suffer comforting them telleth them that the sufferings of this their mortall and temporall life are not to be compared to the glory which should be reuealed to the sonnes of God And in like manner to the Church of Corinth the 2. Cor. 4. momentanie afflictions which are for a season cause vnto vs a far more excellent eternall waight of glory while we look not to things which are seen but to things which are not seene for the things which are seene are temporal but the things which are not seene are eternall Our Sauiour Heb. 12. Christ settled his hart vpō the hope he had of the glorious crowne wherof he should be partaker By whose example S. Paul exhorteth vs also to endure with patience the afflictiōs of this life run with setled minds the race which is set before vs looking vnto Iesus the authour and finisher of the faith Who for the ioy that was set before him endured the crosse and dispised the shame and is set at the right hand of the throne of God This crowne is giuen the Saints after their miseries here be ended and they are made partakers of the promises after the troubles of this life are finished whereunto hauing an earnest regard and casting their eyes continually thereby their hearts and mindes are settled so that these miseries and afflictiōs are mightily borne of them vnder the burden whereof they are not greatly disquieted As in the Apostles the holy martyrs and many other of the chosen Sonnes of God is apparent 4. Finally our hearts in afflictions are settled when we record and recount often the
fearefull iudgements of God vpon them which haue afflicted and cruelly persequuted his Church and Saints in all times This might easily asswage and mitigate all griefe and sorowe of out hearts Cain for persequuting and murthering Abell was Gen. 4. punished with a desperate minde all the dayes of his life with eternall torment of conscience in the kingdome of satan for euer Ismael for persequuting Isaac the seede of Gen. 21. Gal. 4. the promise was therefore caste out of the house of Abraham which was the ripe of the church of God Pharao and the Egyptians hauing a longtime afflicted the people Exod. 14. of God were therefore finally ouerthrowen in the redde sea and so prince and people horse and man perished The Philistines Amalachites Madianites Babilonians Assirians and others for like persequution were also punished Achab king of Israel persequuted the prophets 3 Kings 22. afflicted the saints of God and slew them to whom his bloudy wife Jesabell blew the bellowes of cruel tyrannie therfore he perished in the battle in Ramoth Gilead by the Syrians and the dogges licked his bloud in the poole of Samaria and shee was caste downe at a windowe 4. Kings 9. her braines being dasht out and her bodie deuoured of dogges When Antiochus the king of Siria had raised great persequution against the people of God hee himselfe was grieuously punished by God for not onely Maccab. 1. 6. 2. 9. c. his armie was greatly wasted of Iudas Maccabe but also when he purposed to haue made Hierusalem a coÌ„mon sepulchre for the Iewes he was stroken with a grieuous and incurable disease of his bowels and scrawling of wormes in his bodie and such a filthie stincke as that no man could abide it so that he was forced to waÌ„der in the mountaines and so ended his daies in miserie Haman afflicted Ester 7. Mardocaie and the people of the Iewes for which cause God caused him to fall into the disfauour of Assuerus who caused him to be hong vpon the gallowes he had prepared for Mardecay Herod called the great persecuting our sauiour Christ in the infaÌ„ts of Bethlem the coast therof Mat. 2. whom from two yeares olde and vnder hee caused to be murthered for the same was stroken with the fearefull disease of Antiochus and after vnspeakeable tormentes thereby ended his life most wretchedly as both Iosephus Ioseph lib. 17 c. 9. Antiquis 1. lib. c. 8. 9 writeth and Eusebius recordeth in his Ecclesiasticall historie Herod called Antipas the sonne of Herod the great caused Iohn to be beheaded in prison at the request of Herodias for that he had said It was not lawfull for him to haue his brother Philips wife For which thing Herod was punished of God His father in lawe Aretas the king of Arabia ouercame and slewe his armie and he fled to Lugden in Fraunce whether his incestuous harlotte folowed him where in miserable banishment he and she both perished What punishments the cruell Iewes suffered for Ioseph 18. lib. c. 20. Antiq. De bello Iudaico persecuting Christ and his Apostles it is at large in seuen bookes shewed by Josephus who shewed the great miserable warre the Romane Captaines Titus and Vaspasian had against Ierusalem and the wonderfull distresse the Iewes were driuen vnto thereby as is apparant and our Sauiour before had threatened Herod Agrippa as he imitated Luke 19. Mat. 23. Luke 21. 23. Actes 12. the persecution of his Grandfather Herod the great so was he punished as he was For hauing slaine Iames and cast Peter into prison making an oration to the people for which they gaue him the name of God is this the voice of God not of a maÌ„ he chalenging the same was stroken by the angell of God wormes scrawled also out of his bodie and so he died Nero the Emperour persecuted Paul and Peter and the Saintes but he fell by his owne handes and became his owne butcher Domitian the persecuting Emperour was slaine of his Subiects and buried without honour Like punishment befell like persecutours Finally many who haue afflicted priuate men haue beene themselues also greeuously afflicted and punished by God whose iust reward if wee did consider it shoulde cause vs in our afflictions to be patient and to settle our mindes as we are here exhorted partly therefore by the promises of our deliuerance and partly by the experience and trial of the power of God in that behalfe partely by the hope we haue of our glorious reward if we continue patient and finally that almighty God doth seuerely punish the wicked who haue persecuted his Church or any member thereof in our afflictions our hartes must be quietted and setled according to the doctrine of the Apostle be yee therefore patient also and settle your hearts 3 The third and laste thing in the similitude is the 3. Reason reason annexed the Saintes of God must be patient and settle their heartes because the comming of the Lorde approcheth Though the Lorde seeme to â—aâ—ie long yet wil he come and not tarie The prophet Abacuc shewing Abacuc 2 that both the enimies of Gods elect shal be destroied and the Saints certainely deliuered so that the issue of both shal be assuredly at the appoynted time though not alwaies according to our rash headie and hastie affection faith that the vision thereof that is of the deliuerance of the Saints and the punishmeÌ„t of the wicked is for an appointed time but at the laste it shall speake and shall not lie though it tarie waite for it shall surely come and not stay Which Saint Paul applying to the coÌ„ming of Christ Heb. 10. as a feare full auenger against the wicked and a plentifull rewarder of the patience of the righteous therefore telleth the Hebrues that they haue neede of patience that after they haue done the will of God they might receaue the promises For yet a little vvhile and hee that shall come will come and not tarrie Our Sauiour Christ in the holy Reuelation speaking of his comming which he Reuel 22. vvill not prolong but rather hasten for the elects sake sayth vnto his Church beholde I come shortly blessed â—at 24 is hee that keepeth the wordes of the Prophesie of this booke Seeing therefore the Lords comming to reuenge his elect and punish their enemies is at hand draweth neere the saints ought not to thinke the time of their afflictioÌ„ loÌ„g but to settle their harts endure with patieÌ„ce Which is the reason of the Apostle in this place to moue vnto patience Which reason if it might perswade men in the time of the Apostles to be patient and to endure the time of their triall because the comming of the Lorde for their full deliuerance drewe neere how much more effectuall is it to moue vs to endure the time of our trial seeing the time of Christes comming is so much shortened And if the comming of the Lord
another This grudging and murmuring is either when we greiue that wicked rich men should so highly be exalted should abound in wealth excell in power and the poore yet righteous and iust men should by pouertie iniurie and penâ—rie be pressed downe in the world Or els it is that muttering and murmuring whereby we take it in euill parte that our selues should be so tost and tormoiled other should be dealt withall more gently thinking that wee beare a greater burthen and heauier crosse from God then wee haue deserued and that other men as yet not touched haue deserued more Or finally it is that grudging which is in our afflictions whereby we are discontent that wee should sigh so long vnder our afflictions and the wicked which afflicte vs should so long scape vnpunished and through impatiencie complaine hereof to God This ought not to be in the Saints of God who ought to bee renowmed for their vnspeakeable pacience Whose bounden duetie it is to pray euen for their enemies to wish well to them which haue done them iniurie to blesse them that curse Matt. 1. 6. 18. Ephes 4. 1. Pet. â— them or forgiue and forget offences committed in all godly moderation to settle their hearts and to commit their cause to him that iudgeth righteously And if this moderation and equitie of our minds be to be shewed towards our enemies for whose iniuries and oppressions we ought not to murmure or impaciently to complaine against them vnto god how much lesse ought we then to grudge or murmure one against another How much lesse becommeth it the Saints to grudge and murmure one against another for the dayly offences which are giuen For who is he that can liue so vprightly but that in one thing or another at one time or another hee shall giue offence If euerie one giue some offence vnto another shall we complaine to God in the bitternesse of our heart shall we desire reuenge from God against theÌ„ and shall we not all then perish for no man liueth without some offence giuing We therefore in these small offences asking iudgement from God and reuenge agaynst others desire the same agaynst our selues in as much as we in the like offende our brethren and so shall we all be condemned This grudging and muttering proceedeth from impaciencie argueth discontentment of the mind causeth mutuall complaining vnto God and desireth reuenge against such as haue done vs iniurie VVhich thing is farre from the excellencie and dignitie of a Christian Finally it bringeth condemnation vpon vs who haue lost pacience according to the denouncing of the scripture wo be vnto them that haue lost pacience thereby falling from dutie to men from charitie to the brethren from obedience to God from trust in his diuine prouidence from sincere imbracing of the Gospell of Christ which prescribeth vnto vs pacience and so we incurre iust and deserued condemnation for which cause the holy Apostle in this place doth not onely recommend vnto the Saints the excellent vertue of pacience but also disswadeth murmuring therunto contrarie grudge not one against aâ— other brethren least ye be condemned The reason why we should not murmure one agaynst another is drawne from the presence of the Lord who is at hande as a iust iudge to auenge vs of our enemies and to crowne vs for our pacience or punish our murmuring The Lorde our God beholdeth our iniuries with open eie and seeth our oppression by the wicked he is prest and at hand to rescue and deliuer vs as it shall seeme best to his diuine maiestie he marketh all our behauiour vnder the crosse let vs not therefore be impacient neither murmure but therein shewe all Christian moderation as becommeth Saints The Lord is at hand the iudge standeth before the How God is at hand doore 1 In that he seeth all the creatures of the world and beholdeth all the miseries and oppressions of his people Thus was he at hand and at the doores of the Aegyptians to see and behold the grieuous oppression of his people Exod. 3. Israel Wherefore he protesteth to his seruant Moises I haue seene I haue seene the trouble of my people Israel in Aegypt and haue heard their crie because of their taskemasters and do know their sorrowes For it is the Lord that beholdeth from heauen al the children of men Psal 33. and from the habitation of his dwelling he considereth them all that dwel on the earth Thus was he at the doores of Abraham to behold the mocking and persecution of Jsmael Gene. 21. against Isaac at the doores of Isaac to heare the intended murther of Esau against his brother Iacob He was at hand and at the doores and gates of Laban to beholde his oppressing of his nephew Iacob He was at the doores Gene. 27. Daniel 3. of Nabuchodonosor to beholde the fierie triall of the three children At the heeles doores and gates of the princes of the prouinces of Babylon to beholde and see heare and marke the wicked purpose and deuise they imagined against Daniel At the doores of Saules palace to beholde Daniel 6. 1. King 18. 19. c. the persecution of Dauid At the doores of the Sâ—cibes Pharisies high priests and princes of the Iewes marking and viewing their crueltie against his sonne Iesus Christ and his holy Apostles At the doores of the persecuting Emperours to beholde their crueltie towards the blessed martyrs At the doores of all oppressours extortioners vsurers couetous persons iniurers and hurters of their brethren to see view marke and beholde with open eye the violence wickednes of men against his seruaÌ„ts 2 As he is at hand and at the doore to see our miseries so also is he at the doore to deliuer vs from our enemies rescue vs from our oppressours Moises telleth Israel Deut. 4â— that there is no God that coÌ„meth so neare to any people as the Lord commeth neare to them to helpe and deliuer them from all their dangers Dauid the princely prophet Psal 34. subscribeth and consenteth hereunto the Lord saith he is neare vnto them that are of a contrite heart and wil saue such as be afflicted in spirit to deliuer them for though many be the trobles of the righteous yet is the Lorde at hand to deliuer them Therefore saith he in another place God is our hope strength our helpe in trouble neare Psal 46. readie to be found And the Lord himselfe promiseth his presence to helpe his Church and defende it against all Isai 27. their oppressions and iniuries I the Lord sayth God doe keepe it that is his Church I will water it euery moment least any assault it I will keepe it night and day Thus is the Lord at hand thus standeth the iudge at the doore euermore prest and readie 3 The Iudge standeth at the doore to beholde our behauiour vnder the crosse and to see howe we take these afflictions which he suffereth according to
his good will to be laide vpon our loynes He is at hand to view whether through impacience we bite the lippe hang downe the heade wring the handes stampe with the foote stare with the eyes murmure with our mouthes or any wise frette fume or rage agaynst God or whether in the moderation and quietnesse of our mindes wee in inuincible fortitude manhoode and courage doe beare the oppressions of the wicked that either hee may punish our impaciencie our crowne our constancie with immortalitie and glorie This consideration might teach vs carefully therein to behaue our selues For as the eye of the mistres keepeth the maiden the eye of the parents the childe the eye of the maister his seruant in awe and in order euen so the presence of the Lorde and his watching and wakefull eye keepeth vs in our afflictions in godly moderation that therein we breake not out into rages through our impaciencie 4 Finally the Lord is at hand and the iudge at the doore to execute his iust iudgements vppon them that wrongfully afflict his seruants and powre out the vessels and vials of his wrath agaynst them that trouble his chosen So that albeit our persecutours and aduersaries for a time rage exercise their tyranny vpon vs yet they shall not endure and continue alwayes neyther shall they scape scotfree neyther shall they auoyde the reuenging hand of God which in it due time shall light vpon them in full weight and presse them to powder in his sore indignation who suffereth not the rodde of the wicked alwayes to bee vpon the righteous but by executing vengeaunce vppon their aduersaries giueth peace vnto Israel whereunto hee is readie for as a Iudge hee is at hande to reuenge the righteous and to punish also the wicked and cruell oppressours of his people This place of Saint Iames may easily teach vs that the cause of all impaciencie and desire of reuenge agaynst our aduersaries and all muttering and murmuring in our afflictions proceedeth and groweth from this wicked stocke roote heade or fountaine euen from the ignoraunce of the power and presence of God For were we throughly perswaded that God almightie seeth our miseries is able to deliuer vs beholdeth our behauiour vnder the crosse and will in due time auenge our cause vpon our enemies were we fullie assured that we are not left to the rashnesse and temeritie of foolish fortune and blinde chaunce which thinges Christians doe not acknowledge neither subiect to the willes pleasures crueltie and tyrannie of men but according to the good purpose of our God who numbreth euen euery heare of Matt. 10. our heades so that without his prouidence not one of them shall perish what a steppe would this make to pacience what quietnesse would it worke in our hearts what strong consolation and comfort would it cause in our afflictions howe effectually would it remooue all murmuring from vs that in all things we should holde fast the exhortation of the Apostle grudge not one against another brethren least you be condemned behold the iudge standeth before the doore Reasons why we should be pacient 4 The fourth and last thing in this treatise concerning pacience is the rendring of certaine reasons why the Saints of God ought to addres them to pacience vnder the crosse and the manifold afflictions of this life the reasons are foure as hath beene noted 1 From the example of the Prophets which haue spoken vnto vs in the name of the Lord. Which reason may thus be formed that which the holy Prophets of God haue suffered that wee by their example ought to suffer in like manner but the Prophets of God haue suffered aduersitie and haue had pacience we ought therefore to suffer in like manner and in all our troubles to haue pacience To reason from example of other and thereby to moue to pacience is most vsuall in holy Scripture Christ Matt. 5. our Sauiour exhorteth his to suffer paciently reuilements persecutions and all manner of euill by the example of the holy prophets whome men in their time Heb. 12. likewise persecuted The authour to the Hebrues reasoneth from the example of our Sauiour Christ wherby he stirreth and moueth the Iewes to pacience seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses let vs cast away euery thing that presseth downe and the sinne that hangeth on so fast and let vs runne with pacience the race which is set before vs looking vnto Iesus the authour and finisher of the faith who for the ioye that was set before him endured the crosse despised the shame and is set downe at the right hand of the throne of God The Apostle S. Peter also reasoneth from the same 1. Pet. 2. example in sundrie places of his first Epistle to the same vertue but chiefly when he thus writeth hereunto are ye called for Christ also suffered for you leauing you an example that you should follow his steps Who when he was reuiled reuiled not againe when he suffered threatened not but committed it to him that iudgeth righteously in which place through the consideration and vew of Christs example the Apostle moueth Christian seruāts to abide with patience the heauie yoke of their harde seruitude vnder infidels and vnbelieuing maisters And our Apostle S. James persuading the saints and chosen seruants of God patiently to endure the cruel persecutiō and affliction of prophane rich men of this worlde draweth his first argument and reason from the example of the holy prophets take saith he my brethren the prophets for example of suffering aduersitie and of long patience which haue spoken vnto vs in the name of the Lord. The examples of Gods saints in generall who haue bene subiect to manifold afflictions therin haue quit themselues patient are many And leauing Abels suffering by Cain his brother Abraham his patiēce in the iniuries he suffered by the Egiptians Philistins princes of the east Isaac his patience in respect of the iniuries of Ismael and the Philistins Jacob touching the oppressions attempts and deuises of Esau Joseph by the patriarks his brethren and infinite the like the Apostle generally propoundeth vnto vs the example of the prophets which haue spoken vnto men in the name of the Lord. Which thing if we shall particularly vnfold let vs begin with Moses the great Prophete which spoke in the name of the Lorde to Pharao and the Egyptians to Israel and the Iewish people Exod. 5. 6. 16. Nu. 11. 16. the chosen people of God what vile speaches reproches and checkes bore he at the hands of Pharao what rebellions vprores false accusations suffered he at the hands of the people who is so blinde that seeth not or so ignorant which knoweth not How Elias was persequuted by 3. Kings 18. 19. 4. Kings 2. 9. Achab and Iesabel how Eliseus was mocked of the children and sought for by the king of Syriah to haue bene punished the stories aboundantly witnesse vnto all
may whollie rest and relie vpon his diuine pleasure that after we haue suffered a little he may make vs perfect confirme strengthen and stablish vs. To whom be glory dominion and maiestie now and for euermore Amen Iames Chapter 5. verse 12 Sermon 26. Ver. 12 But before al things my brethren sweare not neither by heauen nor by earth nor by any other othe but let your yea be yea and your nay nay least ye fall into condemnation 3. Place of the Chapter NOw commeth the Apostle to the thirde place in this chapter handled which is concerning swearing Vnto which he slideth descendeth very orderly for that in the former treatise he had exhorted the Saints to patience and disswaded al murmuring and impatiencie and commonly most grieuous and horrible othes with most bitter execrations growe of our impatiencie Therefore hauing discoursed thereof he addeth in the next place admonition and councell touching swearing willing vs to detest all such wickednes and to accustome our tongues to simple and true speach Though then the Apostle seeme properly to speake of such vaine and wicked othes as where unto men breake oftentimes through impatiencie yet will I touch this more generally and hereunder conteine all othes whatsoeuer are rashly and wickedly made by men In this 12. verse conteyning the third place concerning swearing three things are to be noted Namely 1. The condemning of the thing as horrible and detestable sinne 2. The correcting of that euil what men in stead of wicked swearing should doe 3. The reason why men ought not to sweare 1 Touching the first of these thinges thereof thus saith our Apostle Aboue all things my brethren sweare not Where he condemneth othes and swearing Which place being falsly applied by the Anabaptists for the condemning of all othes and of swearing it shall not be impertinent to this place but both profitable and proper to consider whether all swearing ought vtterly to be condēned or no. And if not then what swearing what othes the Apostle here reproueth Which thing that it may the better appeare let vs in briefe and in a word consider what an othe is what it is to sweare An othe is the affirming or denying of a thing An othe with the calling on of the name of God to witnesse and auouch the trueth of the thing vttered To sweare is to affirme or denie a thing with the calling on of the name of God for the auouching of the trueth of that thing which with solemne othe we haue protested Or an othe is an earnest and vehement affirmation or negation of a thing lawfull and honest by the name of God whereby we desire him to be a witnesse vnto the trueth and a reuenger and punisher of all such as vse deceat falshood This being the definition of an othe whether is it altogether condemned or not The Anabaptists abusing this place and that of our Sauiour Christ Sweare not at all condemne all othes as Mat. 5. vnlawfull in Christians But the word of God rightlie and trulie vnderstoode permitteth Christians in some causes and cases to sweare By which men must not challenge vnto themselues libertie of swearing for what they luste but ought to learne neuer to sweare at al but so and vnder such condition as the scriptures teach them and no other wise That Christians and the Saints of God may sweare Wheather Christians may sweare in some cases and therefore all othes and swearing not vtterly condemned it may by sundrie groundes and arguments be proued 1 What the morall lawe of God permitted that is lawfull for the morall lawe is perpetuall vniuersall and generall binding all men comprising all times containing al things that are lawfull This lawe permitteh men to sweare this giueth licence to the Saints in some cases and some causes to sweare Moyses in the repeating of the Deut. 6. lawe from the mouth of God gaue this charge to Israell the people of God thou shalt feare the Lord thy God and serue him and thou shalt sweare by his name To the like purpose in the same booke the prophet giueth the like commaundement thou shalt feare the Lorde thy God Deut. 10. thou shalt cleaue vnto him sweare by his name Thus almighty God maketh the calling vpon his name in their lawfull othes to be a parte of his diuine seruice and permitteth the same vnto his people so that to sweare by the law of God is permitted The holie prophets the best expounders and interpreters of the lawe haue therefore taught the people in certaine cases to sweare Ieremie saith thus to Israell thou shalt sweare the Lorde liueth in Ierimie 4. truth in equitie in iudgement The prophet Dauid the Psal 63. worthy prince of Israell protesteth that all they shal be commended that sweare in the name of God their heauenly King Isay exhorteth and willeth that who so sweareth Isay 65. Ierimie 12. on earth should sweare by the true God The Lorde in Ieremie his prophet teaching this not only to bee lawfull but laudable and praise worthy in al his seruantes and therefore also requireth it as a parte of his diuine seruice and saith it shal be that if they haue learned the waies of my people then they shall sweare in my name the Lorde liueth Thus the lawe and the Prophets teach that in certaine cases and in some respects it is lawfull to sweare 2 That whereof we haue God himselfe the Patriarkes Christ and Saint Paul for our example and warrant cannot be altogether vnlawfull But the Lord our God a most holy God and most iust the Patriarkes the most deare seruants of God Iesus Christ the eternall sonne of the father and the onely true patterne of all perfection the holie Apostle the most elect vessell and most pure seruant of Iesus Christ haue sworne how then are al othes vnlawfull how is all swearing forbidden And first touching God is not hee recorded at sundrie times to haue sworne and that by himselfe VVhen Abraham at Gods commaundement was readie to haue Gene. 2◠offered vp his onely sonne in sacrifice to God the Lord stayed his hande and saide by my selfe haue I sworne sayeth the Lord because thou hast done this thing and hast not spared thy onely sonne therefore will I surely blesse thee and will greatly multiplie thy seede as th◠starres of heauen and as the sande which is vpon the sea shore and thy seede shall possesse the gates of their enemies The princely Prophet Dauid prophecying of the Psal 110. eternall Kingdome and Priesthoode of Christ bringeth in God swearing vnto him The Lorde sware and will not repent thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech VVho speaking also of the othe of the Lord made vnto him touching his posteritie whereon the Psal 132. people grounded their praiers and desired the establishment thereof sayeth in like manner the Lorde hath sworne in trueth to Dauid and hee will
not shrinke from it saying of the fruire of thy bodie will I sett vpon thy throne The Prophet Isai speaking of the deliuerance of the Israelites out of their captiuitie in Babylon by Cyrus Isai 45. and of the calling of the Gentiles for the faithful accomplishment of that promise hee bringeth in God himselfe swearing I haue sworne by my selfe the worde is gone out of my mouth in righteousnesse and shall not returne that euerie knee shall bowe vnto me and euerie tongue shall sweare by my name The Lord himselfe willeth the Prophet in his name to make this protestation vnto the Ezech. 33. world Say vnto them as I liue saieth the Lord God I desire not the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his wayes and liue Which place Tertullian citing crieth out the Lord sweareth saying as I liue hee Lib. de poenitentia would that men should beleeue him O happie men for whose cause the Lord sweareth O most miserable wretched if we beleeue not the Lord when he sweareth More of the othe of God may be seene Psal 95. v. 11. Iere. 11. 5. Luke 1. 73. Heb. 6. 13. Deut. 4. v. 21. 31. From God to come to the example of the Patriarks Abraham the great and mightie Patriarke making a Gen. â—1 league with Abimelech the king of the Philistins swore vnto him that hee for his part woulde keepe that league inuiolable Whose sonne Isaac the patriarke to like Gene. 26. purpose swore to the same prince and his people Dauid a Prophet and a Patriarke as Peter calleth him swore to Ionathan 1. Kin. 20. 2. Actes 2. when hee made a league of friendship with him and by othe also promised to Saul that he would not destroy his posteritie Our Sauiour Christ his othe in the Gospel was Amen Amen Velily verily I say vnto you 1. King 24. which not onely S. Chrysostome taketh for an othe but others innumerable of great learning sounde iudgement singular knowledge in the Scriptures of God Which othe is in many places set downe by the Euangelists as Mat. 5. 18. 26. v. in Iohn more often 3. Iohn 3. v. 5. Iohn 24. 25. verses 14. Iohn 12. Iohn 16. 20. Saint Paul drawen on and led by these examples almost in euery Epistle sweareth God is my record whom I Rom. 1. serue in my spirit in the Gospel of his sonne that without ceasing I make mention of you saith he to the Church of Rome then being In another place I take God to record 2. Cor. 1. against my owne soule that to spare you I came not as yet to Corinth To the Church and Congregation of God Gal. 1 at Galatia hee thus breaketh out the things that I write vnto you beholde I witnesse before God that I lie not Thus both God and the Patriarkes Christ and his Apostle is our example hereof so that it cannot be a thing vnlawfull Nowe if they replie that it was lawfull in the time of the lawe but not in the time of the Gospel that may easily bee refuted for our Sauiour Christ disanulled no Mat. 5. part of the morall lawe but fulfilled it therefore thereof sayeth hee I came not to breake the lawe but to fulfill it And this is a part of the morall lawe therefore at Christes comming was it not abholished but standeth in full strength power and vertue for euer Neither can their cauill impeach this doctrine for that our Sauiour the setter foorth of the Gospel and Paul a faythfull preacher of the same and both in the prime of the Gospell haue sworne wherehence it is apparant that euen vnder the Gospell it was lawfull for Christians to sweare 3 Lastly the lawfulnes of an othe euen among Christians herehence appeareth in that the ende of othes is profitable and the vse necessarie among men For whose vse is profitable and good and whose ende is needefull and necessarie that must needes be good profitable and lawfull Such a thing is an othe taken in the feare of God Some things are done in such secrecie and so priuilie that they cannot bee knowne or come ro light but onely by an othe then men are forced to take an othe and to witnesse a truth in the name of God the knowledge whereof is right necessarie among men So in the lawe when a man had laid a pawne or any other thing vpoÌ„ trust to another and the thing were lost or miscaried vnder Exod. 22. Num. 5. 19. his hands if the theefe were not founde the receyuer should be brought before the Iudge and take his othe whether hee had stole it conueyed it away and embefiled it or no. VVhereof seeing the owner had no witnesse he to whom it was committed and had receyned it was put to his othe whether it was gone by his meane and knowledge Thus had this othe a necessarie ende and vse among the people VVhen the people of Israel were afflicted by the men of Ai for the trespasse and sinne of Achan in taking the execrable thing from Hiericho Iosua 7. this thing beeing secrete and vnknowne Iosua commaunding all the tribes to appeare and Achan at the length taken Iosua willeth him to sweare and to vtter the truth which he did and was punishid and the fauour of God againe obtained for his people The authour to the Hebrewes commending lawfull othes vnto Heb. 6. men affirmeth that an othe for confirmation among men is the ende of all strife In euerie christian common wealth othes are for many such causes taken without which as many sinnes would lie secret and vnknowne to the great hurt of men so many duties would bee vnperformed were not men therunto bound by solemne othe and protestation the reuerend care whereof woorketh great good in the Church and common wealth albeeit many most wickedly and vngodly haue and doe despise the religion thereof Seeing then the lawe it selfe commendeth it the example of God the Patriarkes Christ and his Apostles confirmeth it seeing the end is necessarie and the vse profitable in the church coÌ„mon wealths of Christians what absurditie is it in supersticious Anabaptists to condemne all othes al swearings amoÌ„g men Othes then taken onely in the name of God for matters weightie and of importance righteous iust and true to the glorie of God the ending of controuersies the performance of duetie the profite peace and quietnesse of the Church and common wealth with pure affection to truth equitie and godlinesse with hatefull minds to falshood iniuries wickednes and oppression are lawfull in the Saints of God and in true Christians euen vnder the Gospel of Iesus Christ These things thus premised and set downe before wherehence it appeareth that all othes are not condemned neither euerie manner of swearing forbidden the Saints of God what manner of swearing doth the Lord in his law our Sauiour in the Gospell and this Apostle in this place forbid and condemne When
pacience to beare it send deliuerance to be rid out of it make a way 1. Cor. 10. and giue an issue to escape whatsoeuer might be daungerous vnto vs. Naturall and carnally minded men in whose hearts the spirit of God resteth not being afflicted distrust despaire frette fume mutter and murmure against God Num. 11. 1 16. as the Israelites in the wildernesse did as Moises recordeth In their calamities they relent not they amend not they reforme not themselues they call not vpon God in their hearts they runne not by prayer to the throne of Heb. 4 grace there to find mercie in the time of neede but they blaspheme God as the wicked did in the Reuelation vpon whom when the Angels had powred out the viols of Reuel 16. v. 9. 11. 21. Gods wrath then blasphemed they the God of heauen for their paines and sores they sustained but repented not of the workes which they wickedly had committed The vngodly being perplexed afflicted and tormented curse banne stampe stare flie to valawfull remedies wise men witches sorcerers cunning women enchaunters and such like for riddance therehence and for deliuerance they runne to the wine tanernâ—s flie to strong drinke hunt after lewde companie seeke and search for such meanes for their solace and comfort they send for instruments of musicke they seeke for melodious harmonies they delight in harpe lute and viole therehence desiring in their afflictions to be recreated refreshed and reuiued but the Saints of God as else where so out of this present place learne a better profession to seeke for a more sound and safe remedie euen by prayer to haue recourse to him who deliuereth our soules from death our eies from tears Psalm 56. Psal and our feete from sliding Thus are we taught by the spirit of God in the Apostle when for our afflictions we bee heauy in hart troubled in mind sad in spirit to flie to god by praier Is any among you afflicted let him pray Which is the thing almightie God taught his saints willing them in their troubles to call vppon him from Psal 50. whom they shall haue deliuerance Call vppon me in the day of thy trouble and I will deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie mee Our blessed Sauiour Christ ordained this Matt. 7. as the onely meane in all our lackes and wantes wherefore to his he sayeth aske and you shall haue seeke and you shall finde knocke and it shall bee opened vnto you It behooueth vs therefore according to this admonition of the Apostle according to the commaundement of God and the precept of his onely sonne our Sauiour Christ in our afflictions to solicite him with vncessant prayer who knoweth howe to deliuer his out of temptations to reserue the wicked to the day of iudgement 2. Pet. 2. to be punished To him in our necessities and miseries must we haue recourse whose eies are ouer the righteous his eares open vnto their praiers and so deliuereth them out of all their troubles Psal 43. Wherefore whensoeuer any of the saints be afflicted whensoeuer they be tried with any temptations when they feele any perill or daunger immenent and at hand whensoeuer they are pressed with any misfortune and cast downe by any aduersitie their onely remedie must bee praier and thereby to drawe neare vnto God of whom they must earnestly desire pacience in trouble constancie in affliction strength in miserie comfort in destresse deliuerance in calamitie riddance out of tribulation as shall seeme best to his diuine maiestie Thus did the renowmed patriarkes thus did the godly princes thus did the holy prophets thus did the blessed apostles thus did the constant martyrs thus did all the holy men of God thus must all the Saints of God in their affliction doe that they may practise the precept of the Apostle Is any among you afflicted let him pray As here we are exhorted in affliction to pray so doe afflictions mightily stirre vppe the Saintes of God to pray so that they which oftentimes greatly forget God in their flourishing wealth in their abounding prosperitie in their plentifull condition in their continued health in their affliction aduersitie and miserie flie to him by praier and seeke him with their whole hearts VVhich is not the least profite redounding vnto the Saintes by affliction For men in prosperitie often forgetfull of GOD colde in zeale slacke in prayer negligent in duetie their loynes weakened and pressed with a heauie weight and burthen of troubles and passing through the fire and water of affliction runne speedily by prayer to God for succour as the Scriptures of God and examples of the Saintes teach vs. VVhen the Prophete had denounced calamitie and miserie agaynst Isai 17. Damascus and Ephraim and tolde the people what affliction shoulde befall them shewing the effect and worke which afflictions cause in the Saintes especially euen to force vs to God and make vs by prayer to humble our selues vnto him sayeth At that day shall a man looke to his maker and his eies shall bee to the holy one of Israel In another place answerable and correspondent is Isai 26. the saying of the same Prophete hereunto Lord sayeth the Prophete in trouble haue they visited thee they powred out their prayers when thy chastisement was vppon them Dauid himselfe a man according to the Psal 120. minde of GOD at other times not vnmindfull of God yet when hee was afflicted by his enemies was more effectually stirred vp to prayer therefore hee sayeth of himselfe when I was in trouble I called vppon God Psal 81. and hee heard me And rehearsing the storie of Israel who in their welfare were rebellious and forgetfull but by aduersitie were drawen vnto God through prayer affirmeth that when God punished them and any wise afflicted them then they returned vnto him by prayer And the bookes of Iosua Iudges and the first of Samuel especially shewe howe effectually their calamities and Iosua Iudges 1. Samuel c. afflictions moued them by prayer to haue recourse to God insomuch as it appeareth when by their prosperitie they were puffed vp yet when they were eyther smitten with the sworde of their enemies or pinched with penurie and want or distressed with famine or persecuted by grieuous pestilence from God or any wise by him afflicted then they by prayer returned vnto the Lorde And this experience in our owne selues aboundantly teacheth vs who in our afflictions if euer haue our recourse by prayer vnto God This is therefore in all afflictions the best remedy to flie vnto God by praier which hath place both in aduersitie and in prosperitie both in mourning and in mirth both in sorovve and in ioye whereof the Apostle in this place assureth vs is any amoÌ„g you afflicted let him pray And to teach vs that prayer is profitable also in ioye therefore Saint Iames addeth is any among you merie Let him sing As in our afflictions we must not
lawfull vnto him for his blessings bestovved vpon vs which is the matter here by the Apostle mētioned though sometimes our godly songes may containe some other argument as the songs Psalmes of Dauid vvere for sundry purposes and of manifold matters Yet here I say S. Iames speaketh of singing praises vnto God Concerning the manner how we must sing though curious and deuided musike in our priuate houses for the exercise of our skill for the attaining to perfection of that arte cannot be condemned yet in our songes and exercises to GOD moste chiefely in the face of the church and in the middle of the holy congregation vve must sing in most plaine and modest manner and so as shall serue beste for edification that vvee haue regarde not so much to the sound as to the sense of that which is songe Singing in the best times and among the most holy men of God hath had and now may also haue three ends or opportunities when and wherein it is lawfull and laudable to sing 1. To recreate our heauie and sorowfull heartes with some holy and godly songe and Psalme The princely prophet Dauid oftentimes in the sorow and heauinesse of his heart song to solace recreate his sorovvfull spirite before God Christians in like manner in the anguish of their spirites the troubles of their hearts the vexations of their mindes the griefes of their soules may sing for their godly recreation songes and Psalmes vnto God that thereby they may be lightened and comforted 2. Another ende vse and occasion of singing is the testifying of our thankefulnes vnto God for his immeasurable mercies bountifull benefits gratious goodnes towards vs. Wherin Miriah the sister of Moses with the damsels Exod. 15. and daughters of Israell is an example vvho after the destruction of Pharao and his armie in the redde sea to testifie their gratefull memorie and thankefull hearts for so vvonderfull a deliueraunce songe as followeth I vvill singe vnto the Lord for hee hath triumphed gloriously c. When Barak by the counsell and pricking on of Deborah had armed the people against Sisera the captaine of Iudges 5. the hoste of Iabin king of Canaan and had confounded discomfited his armie and chased him to the tents of Iael who slew him so deliuered the people frō the slauery of Iabin for so vnlooked for a victory for so glorious a conquest mighty deliuerance Deborah and Barake in token of their thankefulnesse song the same day saying prayse ye the Lord for the auenging of Israell and for the people that offered themselues so willingly When litle Dauid so victoriously had triumphed ouer the prowde Goliah of 1. King 18. the Philistines the daughters of Israell met Saul the king and Dauid his seruaunt singing and playing vpon their timbrels violes and other instruments and in token of thanks giuing said Saul hath slaine his thousand and Dauid his ten thousand Dauid being marueilouslie preserued from his infinite enemies and at the length by the mightie power of Psal 18. God brought to sitte on the throne of Israel in signe of his thankfulnes to God therefore euen at the entring in to his kingdome he singeth a psalme of praise vnto God I will loue thee dearely ô God my strength the Lorde is my rock and my fortresse and he that deliuereth me my God and my strength in him will I trust my shielde the horne also of my saluation and my refuge When almightie God had heard the humble suite 1. Kings 2. of Anna the mother of Samuel who being barren desired that she might haue a childe at her request he had geuē her Samuel her sonne to testifie her thankfulnes to God for the same song a song of praise therefore vnto GOD. When the Lord had looked to the humilitie of the blessed Virgin and made her the vessell of Christes conception for that blessing she brake out and sang My soule Luke 1. magnifieth the Lord and my spirite reioiceth in God my Sauiour Zacharie and Simeon in like manner the one after the birth of Iohn Baptist his sonne the other after he had receaued Luke 1. 68 Luke 2. 29. Christ into his armes according to the promise of the holy Angell song in token of their thanksgeuing the song of the former is Benedictus Blessed be the Lorde God of Israel the song of Simeon is Nunc dimittis Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace according to thy word Whereby and by the like examples it is not only lawful but laudable also in the Saints of God either for benefites blessings either of victory against our enemies or of deliuerance out of trouble or for the fruits of the earth receaued in due seasō or for what thing soeuer we haue mercifullie receaued at his hand to sing to God and so be thankful 3 The third vse and ende of singing is to aduaunce thereby the glorie of God to stirre vp men to zeale to his worde feruencie in praier and earnestnes of perfourming all laudable seruice vnto him Whereunto the example of Elizeus may be referred who at the request of Iehosaphat 4. Kings 3 called for a minstrell who playing singing psalmes to God thereby was stirred vp to pray and prophecie Dauid prouoked himselfe by all meanes forwarde more earnestly to pray to God and to praise him for his Psal 57. mercie wherefore he saith Awake my tongue awake viole and harpe I will awake early I will praise thee among the people ô Lord I wil sing vnto thee among the nations Thus by all possible meanes as by playing vpon instruments and by singing the Prophet stirreth vp himselfe to the aduaunancement of Gods glorie And to this ende he brought in sundrie instruments of musick diuine kindes of songs and psalmes varietie of tunes and harmonies into the church of God The old Hebrewes toke vp and set downe the arke of God with singing this was vsed in the time of the Apostles Saint Paul saith I will pray in the Spirite I will pray with the vnderstanding also I wil sing with the spirit I wil sing with the vnderstanding also wherunto he exhorteth 1. Cor. 14. all the Saints be filled with the Spirite speaking vnto your selues in psalmes and himnes and spiritual songs Ephes 5. 19 Col. 3. 16 singing and making melody in your hearts vnto God geuing thanks alwaies for all things vnto God euen the father in the name of Iesus Christ This vse the beleeuing Iewes afterward retained as both Plinie his answere thereof to Traian the Emperour and Tertullian in his Apologetico aboundantlie recordeth Lib. 10. Epist Tertul. apolog 2. ca. who both auouch of them that they rose vp early to sing songs and psalmes to God Saint Augustine writeth that Saint Ambrose brought the same manner into the Church of Mediolanum where Lib. confis 9. c. 7. he was Bishoppe Whom the other of the west Churches followed
health are in the power of God alone and not in the hande of mortall man Men are meanes praiers are instruments but it is God that saueth yea which healeth Another effect of praier is that through the faithfull praiers of the Saints their sinnes are forgiuen the sicke If saith Saint Iames hee hath committed sinne it shall be forgiuen him Whereâ—â—â—o Saint Iohn condiscendeth if any man see his brother sinne a sinne not vnto 1. Ihon. 5. death let him aske and hee shall giue him life for them that sinne not vnto death As therefore the faithfull prayers of Gods Saintes are not causes but instruments of obtayning health so are they also meanes of obteyning remission of our sinnes at the handes of God Matt. 6. Therefore our Sauiour in that fourme of prayer which he woulde to bee vsed for our selues and for our brethren also willeth that wee shoulde praye for forgiuenesse of sinnes not in our selues onely but in our brethren also VVherewith Christ mooued prayed for the Luke 23. Iewes and Steuen for forgeuenesse of those men which persecuted him Seeing therefore that the prayers of the Acts 7. Elders hath this double effect they ought not to be neglected of men Nowe where the Apostle witnessed that the sinnes of the sicke shoulde bee remitted and forgiuen by the praiers of the Elders it sufficiently refuteth the sharpe and rigorous censure of the Nouatian heretikes and their horrible blasphemie who denie pardone of sinne to such as anie wise sinne after their conuersion to the Gospell and the knowledge of the trueth Saint Iames affirmeth that if anie of the brethren any of the professed Christians anie of the Church after the profession of Gods trueth shoulde commit sinne after their conuersion and the Elders prayed for it it should bee forgiuen Salomon confesseth that the righteous offendeth seuen times a day and is a gaine restored Dauid sinned Pro. 24. after he knewe God and his sinnes though notorious and grieuous yet were forgiuen as to him vpon his confession and repentance Nathan promised Iames our Apostle 2. King 12. speaking of the professours of the Gospell confesseth that in manie things they all sinne If there were no Iames 3. remission of sinne after the profession of the Gospel and the knowledge of the truth why doth Saint Paul will Gal. 6. the brethren of Galatia that if any offended of infirmitie they should restore him in the spirit of meekenesse considering themselues least they also were tempted why doth S. Iohn speaking to those that knew the truth say that if any of them sinned they had an aduocate with 1. Iohn 2. the father who was the propitiation for their sinnes euen Iesus Christ the righteous Palpaple therefore is this heresie of the Nouatians and refuted by these and like places of Scripture Moreouer that here the Apostle mencioneth sinnes in mens sickenesse it intimateth and giueth vs to vnderstande Deut. 28. that sinnes are for the most part the causes of our sickenesse and bodily diseases The Lorde threatneth sickenesse pestilence and diseases against such as sinned and transgressed his commaundements God brought vpon Aegypt botch blaine boile and sore Exod. 9. diseases vpon the people for their churlish crueltie towardes the Israelites their shamefull contempt of the Prophets the abusing of the pacience of God Meriah Num. 12. the sister of Moises was stroken with the leprosie for murmuring agaynst her brother the Lordes minister Abimelech and the Philistins were stroken with diseases in their Gene. 20. secrete places for taking away the wife of Abraham Gehesie was plagued with the leprosie of Naaman the Assirian 4. King 5. for his couetousnesse and receyuing of gifts Dauid confesseth that Gods heauie hande of sickenesse was vpon him for his sinne from toppe to toe so that hee had Psal 38. no rest in his bones by reason of his iniquitie Saint Paul recordeth to the Church of Corinth that many of them 1. Cor. 11. were diseased for the abuse of the Lords supper Our Sauiour Christ healing him which was diseased eight thirtie Iohn 5. yeares willed him to sinne no more least a worse thing happen vnto him noting thereby that the cause of his disease was his sinne And no doubt the cause of our newe sickenesses whereof wee taste euerie yeare is the newe sinne which we dayly encrease our newe adulteries New sinnes procure new sickenesses oure newe deuised pride our newe extorcion couetousnesse and oppression our newe crueltie and iniquitie which we multiplie continually against the Lord. VVhich thing Saint Jamee to teach vs telleth vs that if the sicke haue committed sinne it should be forgiuen by prayer and this is the first remedie against bodily infirmities both generall and particular as the Apostle hath prescribed The seconde remedie in particular affliction as 2. Remedie sickenesse is mutuall confession ioyned with prayer so that prayer againe is annexed and ioyned as a remedie whereby that we might helpe one another the better there is required mutuall confession and free conferring one with another touching offences giuen Acknowledge ye your sinnes one to another and pray one for another that ye may bee healed For the prayer of a righteous man auayleth much if it be feruent Helias c. In which words these things may be obserued 1 Mutuall confession with praier is required 2 To what ende to the ende we might be healed 3 The force of the righteous mans praier 4 Howe that force is shewed by example of the praier of Elias Concerning mutuall confession and conferring one Mutuall confession with another about offences giuen done it is very necessary to the recouerie of health in sicknes for God soonest heareth such as haue put away al malice hatred out of their hearts and are at peace and loue with their brethren this is chiefly done where brotherly we confer one with another touching offences and trespasses committed which done we can best helpe one another with our mutual praiers As therfore meÌ„bers al of one body ought Rom. 12. 1. Cor. 12. Ephe. 4. to helpe one another so Christians being all members of one body ech of them meÌ„bers of ech other ought by mutuall helpe to assist and aide one another in sicknesse Wherefore to this purpose as in sicknes he willed that the Elders of the church should be sent for and assembled to praie for the sicke so a second remedie and helpe in sicknes is that the brethren thus assembled should conferre mutually touching offences committed that mutually confessing and mutually forgiuing God might the better heare their mutuall praiers of loue for those which were sicke among them To which purpose this place serueth acknowledge your faultes one to another open that which grieueth you that a remedy may be sought and found out for it the better This mutuall confession and acknowledging one to another wherein one of vs hath offended another the sacred