to weare a breast plate with foure rowes of precious stones In the first row a Rubie a Topace and a Carbuncle In the second row an Emeraude a Saphire and a Diamonde In the third row a Turkis an Achate and a Hemetite In the fourth row a Chrysolite an Onix and a Iasper And the stones shalbe according to the names of the children of Israell twelue according to their names grauen at signets euerie one after his name and they shalbe for the twelue Tribes all this is to shew what accoÌ„pt the Lord doth make of his chosen people But where must these stones 〈◊〉 worne he sheweth where in the 29. verse So Aaron shall beare the names of the children of Israell in the breast plate of IudgemeÌ„t vpon his hart wheÌ„ he goeth into the holy place for a remembraunce continually before the Lord. And Aaron shall beare the Iudgement of the children of Israell vpon his hart continually And what is this for but to shew the continuall care that Christ hath of his Church For Aaron is a figure and resemblaunce of Christ the precious stones are a figure of the Church of Christ. Aaron must weare them vpon his breast that is in his sight so Christ hath his people alwayes in his sight As it was impossible for Aaron to forget the stones which were in his sight so is it impossible that Christ our true Aaron should forget his people which beléeue in his name but hath them in continuall remembraunce being now gone into the holy of holies that is the kingdome of his father the most holy place of all And the same care which the Lord Iesus had of the Iewes his choise people at the first the same care hath he of the Gentils that is of vs and other nations of the earth which beléeue in him because the wall of separation is pulled down and there is now no respect of persons with the Lord but in all nations he that feareth the Lord and worketh righteousnesse is accepted of him As for me thou doest set me before thy face for euer This then sheweth that none are in such safetie as the godly none so wel guarded as the godly none so well prouided for as the godly for God doth set them before his face for euer so that howsoeuer the world goeth yet God doth alwayes remeÌ„ber theÌ„ as he did remember Abraham wheÌ„ Sodome was destroyed for as he was mindfull of his promise which he made to our forefather Abraham which is called the father of the faithfull so will he be no lesse mindful of his promise which he made to his séede y t is to all y e faithfull for euer Because he is the Lord â—haungeth not Who dareth offer violence to the Princes beloued in the presence of the Prince Who shall presume to take the â—â—gnet off the Princes finger Who will take a praye out of the Lions claw And who shal snatch the Lordes choseÌ„ out of his hand whoÌ„ he hath set as a signet vpon his right haÌ„d Iâ— there be no safetie in the preseÌ„ce of y e owner where is safetie Nature doth teach vs no lesse The child fearing to be hâ—â—rt of any body runneth before his father or his mother and then thinkes him selfe safe Nature hath taught the very dogge to runne before hiâ— master when he feareth any body that commeth to hurt him but yet these may be deâ—ceiued for what if the father be so vnnaturall that he will not rescue his child or if he be willing what if he be not able being ouermatched or if he be able and willing at one time what if his minde chaunge what if his affection be estranged at another time if he be not altered in affection what if he knoweth not when his sonne is iniuried if he knoweth when what if he knoweth not by whom if he knoweth by whom what if he cannot come by him And many things moe what then why then Vltra posse non â—st esse He can do no more theÌ„ he can But with the Lord our heauenly father it is not so for as he is able being almightie so he is most willing being our father through his sonne Christ. As he is willing so is he vnchauÌ„geable as he is vnchaungeable so hath he all knowledge and therefore knoweth by whoÌ„ at what time in what place in what maner and for what cause any thing is done in the whole world and as he hath all knowledge so is his Maiestie euery where present therfore there is no flying from his preseÌ„ce And as he is euery where so is he iust and true and therefore cannot be bribed nor peruerted as he is all in all things so all things are his and of him are all things whatsoeuer they be and therefore he hath néede of nothing What shall we say more shall not therefore Gods children be most safe most happy before his face in whose presence is life and at whose right hand are pleasures for euermore no doubt of it Let the wicked then tremble let Sanballat and Tobias be astonished let Ashur Pashur be abashed let Corah and his coÌ„panie be confounded let Ioab and Iudas go hang them theÌ„selues with their trecherous kisses and their traiterous conspiracies let Ananias disseÌ„ble his wifâ— take his part and let them perish in their hypocrisie And the foxes which séeke to destroy the Lordes vineyeard and their cubbes by whose vndermininges the vine hath buâ— small grapes let them take héede that they be not taken in their owne wilinesse foâ— they cannot go so closely nor yet so cuningâ—ly to worke against Gods children but thâ— Lord â—éeâ—h them well inough For he hath seâ— his children before his face for euâ—â— This was it y e dismayed Paâ—rie y â— bloudâ—butcher when he came with a full resolutiâ—â— to lay hands vpon the Lordes annointed hâ— saw in her very countenaunce the face 〈◊〉 God that is some litle sparke of his Maiestie which did so coole his courage that his traiterous hand was not able to accomplish the bloudie deuise of his hart the Lordes name be blessed for euer And were it possible for her to haue escaped so many daungers as she hath passed through euen from her infancie if the Lord had not set her before his face and geuen his louing kindnesse charge to waite vpon hir The Lord therefore set her in his sight and defend her with the light of his countenaunce for euermore But if this be true will some say why do the wicked séeme to preuaile so often as they do against those which feare the Lord Surely it is true they séeme indéede to preuaile against them when they confounde themselues And for the most part their laughter is but from the téeth outward and the end of their mirth is heauinesse But y e truth is so that God séeing his children to were proude of his presence and to forget themselues like
TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE AND HIS SINGVLAR GOOD LORD THE LORD WENTWORTH and to the right honorable and vertuous Ladie his wife W. B. wisheth the certaine assurance of Gods fauour in this life and the full fruition of the same in the world to come AT length I haue presumed which I haue long purposed to offer vnto your Honors some poore token of that duetie which bindeth me vnto your Hâ— while life lasteth Hoping that you will accept of it as fruite in season although it be of two yeares growth and more After I had yelded vntâ— the publishing of these few Sorâ—â—â—â— I thought with my self of whoÌ„ I might mâ—ke choise to become a patrone a refuge 〈◊〉 so poore and simple meditations that vnder the shadow of their fauourable acceptaunce they might finde some rest and reliefe and when I thought of your Hh. I set downe my rest boldly presuming yea fully assuring my self that this small testimonie of dutie whatsoeuer it be should be no lesse acceptable theÌ„ my selfe haue bene alwayes welcome vnto you to your whole houshold And indeede my good Lord they doe belong vnto your Hh. in many respectes First in regard of those manifold fauours and honorable kindnesses which I haue alwayes although vndeserued founde at your Lordships hands Secondly when I was as a dry roote remoued and vnlikely to finde a place to grow in your Lordship did receiue me and vnder God a was speciall meanes to preserue me froÌ„ such stormes and tempestes as did then threateÌ„ to annoy me Further by your Lordshippes good meanes a way was made a place was prouided that I might exercise my taleÌ„t to the gaine of the Church At my departure your Lordship also furnished me with bookes out of your Librarie with other helpes more then euer I looked for or deserued and in all these your onely care and desire was of my good the good of Gods Church Reason therfore requireth that your Lordship should once in 2. yeares space take a tast at the least of some of that frute which through the blessing of God the soile of your Lordships fauor kindnes hath yeelded But principally in regard of the matter it selfe this treatise If it be worthie of such a name beloÌ„geth to both your Hh. and to your whole houshold whose chief delight with your Hh. was alwayes during my abode in your Lordships house in the holy exercises of religion pietie And I doubt not but that your Hh. godly zeale and Christian care that way is still as great as euer if not much greater then euer it was As for the matter subiect of this treatise I meane the assurance of Gods fauor and such things as belong vnto the same I am perswaded it is so heauenly and comfortable in it self that nothing can be vnto your Hh. more deare and precious then to be conuersant in the same for I know you are already perswaded therof and sufficiently confirmed therin yet as the Disciples said when the Lord Iesus shewed what a happy thing it is to eate bread in the kingdome of heauen Lord giue vs euermore of that bread the very hearing therof did so please them Euen so your Hh. hauing heard and felt in your soules how blessed a thing it is to be assured of Gods fauor to eternall life you will say let vs still heare of that matter For all things sauing this do in time coÌ„sume become tedious but this is of that nature that the more is spent of it the more it increaseth like the widowes oyle and the longer it is fed vpon the sweeter it is vnto the soules of the faithful like the water which Christ turned into wine that who so euer drinketh thereof may say as his mother said when all seemed to be gone Lord thou hast kept the better vntill now and the best is yet to come If it shall please your Hh. to vouchsafe the perusing herof and to measure the commendation therof vnto the glory of God but by the liking and feeling of your own hearts I haue what I desire and my paines are more then sufficiently recompenced Thus humbly crauing pardon for my boldnes I commend both your Hh and it to the gracious blessing of the most high Your honors in all humble duty to be commanded in the Lord VV. Burton TO HIS BELOVED AND Christian auditours in the Citie of Bristoll grace mercy and peace FOr your sakes in generall beloued in the Lord Iesus I haue aduentured to lay my selfe open in these my poore endeuours to the view and censure of all the world For your comfort I first spake them and for your profit I haue now penned them that if any thing were at the first mistaken and not well vnderstood or since that hath bene forgotten and as yet is vnpractised you might now learne it better remember it longer practise it euer to your endles coÌ„fort But that which hath chiefly preuailed with me for the publishing hereof is the earnest desire of many and special entreatie of some poore ChristiaÌ„s afflicted in conscience which came vnto me since with their imperfect notes of their owne gathering which I tooke as certaine pledges of some comfort already receaued and argumeÌ„ts of a holy desire to be further profited therby Whose Christian desire and godly hunger I take in this case as a sufficient calling hereunto neither do I yet see how I could well haue made them a deniall without some preiudice to their soules some aduantage to the enemie and some checke vnto my owne coÌ„science For the matter it selfe I coÌ„fesse it is of that Maiestie and excellencie that it requireth both large and deepe discourses wherein many both learned godly haue not bene wanting My care hath bene to be found and plaine for the benefite especially of the simpler sort And as the woman in the Gospel thought her selfe happy if she might but touch the hem of Christes garmeÌ„t so when I began to meditate vpoÌ„ the assurance of Gods loue it seemed to be so excellent a point and so full of comfort that I thought my selfe a happy man if I might but touch the points borders thereof seeing I could not attaine to the full haÌ„dling therof If any ignorant may be instructed in the truth if any hereby may in time be conuerted to the loue of the truth if any that is coÌ„uerted may by this meanes be confirmed in the truth giue God the glory and I hold my trauaile sufficiently recoÌ„pensed neither shall it repent me to haue passed through good report and bad report through honor and dishonor the censures of all so that any profite may redound to your soules and all the glory may returne vnto God That God which in his rich mercy hath first planted and now watered it coÌ„tinue his good blessing vpon it that it may become fruifull in vs and we in it may grow vp as trees planted by the riuers of Gods loue fauor to
not all things yet he knew that God loued him and so long as he knoweth that he passeth not greatly for other matters how the world goeth with him c. And to say the truth he néede not for he that is sure of that is sure of all God loueth all his creatures as a good God and hateth nothing that he made but he loueth his elect children with a more special loue then y e rest as a father in Christ Iesus he that is sure that God doth so fauour him is sure I say of al. For to him whō God loueth he wil denie no good thing no not his owne sonne and if he gaue vs his sonne because he loued vs how shall he not with him giue vs all things els When the child is perswaded that his father loueth him he is bold to aske this that of his father so may we be bold to aske any thing of God our heauēly father that is good for vs when we be sure that he loueth vs. As Mary and Martha put Christ in minde but of two things the first was that Christ loued their brother Lazarus the second was that Lazarus was sicke He whō thou louest is sicke it was no néede to tell him what he should do for they knew he would do what might be done for him because he loued him So we may say to the Lord when we are sure that he loueth vs Lord he whō thou louest wanteth this or that for his body or his soule we néede not then appoint him what to do or whē or how for looke what he séeth most conuenient for vs for his owne glory he wil surely do it Therfore whatsoeuer Dauid knoweth he will be sure to know this whatsoeuer he be ignoraūt of yet of this he will not be ignoraūt To teach vs y t whatsoeuer we séeke to make sure this must first be made sure or els nothing is sure Peter bids vs make our election sure Iob when he saith I am sure that my redeemer liueth teacheth vs to make our redēption sure And here Dauid teacheth vs to make Gods fauour sure now if we make that sure thē our election is sure our redemption is sure our vocatiō is sure and our saluation is sure The suter desireth but the fauour of his beloued what doth the child desire of his father but fauour what doth the subiect séeke for of his Prince but fauour as Hester desired nothing but that the king would hold out his golden scepter to her in token of fauour what doth the prisoner craue but fauour And all these thinke thē selues in good estate if they may know that they be in fauour And shall not we thinke our selues sure whē we are sure that God doth fauour vs whose loue is aboue the loue of Princes aboue the loue of fathers and mothers yea aboue all loues Yea no doubt of it for if we make that sure then our Prince is sure our kingdome is sure our Cities are sure our bodies are sure our soules are sure and all is sure for who dare hurt or who can touch him whom God fauoreth they touch the very aple of his eye Shall we labour and trauaile to be sure of loue which is mutable not of that loue which is vnchaungeable mans loue is mixt with hatred and is commonly more like hatred then loue but Gods loue is perfect without any mixture whom men fauour they fauour for a while but whom God loueth he loueth to the end euen for euer Shal we then séeke for the scraps let the feast go shall we go the crickes whē we may go to the sea nay to filthy puddles when pure fountaines are by so we may soone proue as wise as Esaw that chaunged his birth right for right naught nay so we proue as foolish as Iudas that valued y e good-will of the Iewes aboue the loue of Christ but he gat nothing by it by that time he and the gallowes had reckned together Dauid makes more accompt of Gods fauour then of his kingdome yea then of victorie against his enemies as if he should say my foes do not triumph against me that is well for me but by this I know that thou louest me that is better We haue markes to know euery thing by sauing the loue of God but of that we thinke we are sure for we thinke so well of our selues that God must néedes loue vs whether we will or no as y t Papistes which set their good workes vpon the score make God indebted to them for their workes and therefore we regard neither the time when nor the place where nor the persons by whō nor the tokens by which the Lord doth offer to make his loue knowen vnto vs. When the seruaūts of Benhadad king of Aram went with ropes about their neckes to Achab king of Israel to entreat for their maisters life they gaue diligēt héede if they could catch any thing of Achabs mouth that might be a signe of fauour and when they heard him call Benhadad his brother oh how glad were they How did they play vpon that word how did they féede their hope vpon it they made hast and said Thy brother liueth The Lord hath greater aduantage against vs thē euer Achab had against Benhadad for he did flye from Achab so can not we from the Lord he did hide himselfe from Achab so can not we from the Lord Bēhadad had seruāts to send to king Achab but what spokesmen shall we send to the Lord we must come forth our selues Achab had power but against the body of Benhadad the Lord hath power against both our bodies and soules king Achabs power was subiect to the Lordes power but who shall withstand the Lordes power for his counsel shall stand If Achab had exercised his power vpō Benhadad it had bene but for a time but if the Lord should execute his wrath vpon vs if it were kindled yea but litle it would flame for euer now if we did consider these things well if we were asmuch afrayde of the king of heauen as they were of the king of Israell and if our miserable daungers and daungerous miseries did as nearely touch vs as theirs did touch them we would take as diligent héede to y e words of God as they did to the wordes of king Achab and we would be as glad to heare a word that might be as a token of fauour as they were but alas we do not consider we are not touched nor moued therfore when y e Lord doth by his messengers entreat vs to be saued wooe vs by all the names tokēs of loue we regarde not the Lord open our eyes to see in what a desperate case we stand and let vs make more reckening of Gods loue tokens then we do if not shall not the Aramites rise vp in iudgement against vs When the Angell came downe to stirre vp the poolé of
his wordes Wherefore doe the wicked liue and waxe old and grow in wealth to shew that a man may be a wicked man though he be a wealthy man and that honestie goeth not by riches he goeth on saith Their seede is established in their sight with theÌ„ and their generation before their eyes Their houses are peaceable without feare the rod of God is not vpon them Their bullocke gendreth and faileth not their cow calueth and casteth not her calfe They send forth their children like sheepe and their sonnes dauÌ„ce They take the tabret harpe and reioyce in the sounde of the Organes They speÌ„d their dayes in welth sodenly they dye or go down to the graue That is they lye not loÌ„g sicke Now sée theiâ— Religion They say vnto God depart from vs for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes Who is the almightie that we should serue him and what profit should we haue iâ— we should pray vnto him Now sée their endâ— They shalbe as stubble before the wind and as chaffe that the storme carrieth away God will lay vp the sorrow of the father for hiâ— children when he rewardeth him he shall know it his eyes shall see his destruction and he shall drinke of the wrath of the almighty Aske the Prophet Dauid and he will iustifie as much for thus he speaketh of the wicked They are not in troubles as other men neither are they plagued with other men Their eyes stand out for fatnesse they haue more then hart can wish They set their mouth against heauen and their toung walketh thorough the earth Now sée their blasphemy against God And they say how doth God know it or is there knowledge in the most high Lo these are the wicked yet prosper they alwayes and increase in riches Now sée their end Surely thou O Lord hast set them in slippery places and cast them downe into desolation How sodenly are they destroyed perished and horribly consumed If this be not sufficient he can proue it by an example of the Israelites of whom he maketh this report They lusted with concupiscence in the wildernesse meaning wheÌ„ they desired the flesh pots of Egypt againe And saith he The Lord gaue them their desire for he sent them quayles but he sent leannesse into their soules for he cursed it it did them no good but they dyed with the meate in their mouthes what became of the rest that had their desire they rebelled against Moses Aaron whereupon y e earth swallowed vp some and fire from heauen deuoured other some If you aske the Prophet Esay he will auouch this to be true for speaking in the person of God to the stubburne Iewes he saith thus Wherefore should you be smitten any more for you fall away more and more the whole head is sicke and the whole hart is heauie Meaning that he would correct them no more séeing they were neuer the better for correction but to let them do as they listed that his indgemeÌ„â— might be excéeding great and iust vpon theÌ„ For the followeth in the 7. verse Your land is wast your Cities are burnt with fire strauÌ„â—gers deuour your land in your presence anâ— it is desolate like the ouerthrow of strauÌ„gers And the daughter of Zion shall remaine likâ— a cottage in a vineyard like a lodge in a garâ—den of cucumbers and like a besieged Citie And all this came vpon them wheÌ„ the Lorâ— left them to themselues to do what they liâ—sted All which places doe shew and prouâ— how mad foolish they are which measurâ— Gods loue and fauour towardes them bâ— outward prosperitie and his anger by ouâ—â—ward aduersitie On the contrary his children he puts thâ— alwayes in minde of their duetie by whipping them with his fatherly rod they do not so soone step awrie but by and by he fetcheth them home againe What is Diues the better for all his wealth being now in hell torments Lazarus a poore man yet a godly man was kept vnder in this life but now is exalâ—ed And God indéede doth many times kéepe â—is children vnder and geueth them but sroÌ„â—and to mouth and yet loueth them neuerâ—helesse As a father kéepeth his sonne heire â—hort without any money in his purse or any thing els at his owne will till the time come that he shall inherite in great wisedome he doth it for if his sonne should haue â—he inheritaunce presently he would wast â—t spend it vaynely so God dealeth with his children and for no other cause both in singular wisedome and loue that they may say afterward By this I know that thou â—ouest me c. So that this is not the thing that can assure vs of Gods fauour to haue no enemies and no troubles for if we be Gods children we must looke for both Therefore is the Church called militaÌ„t alwayes in battaile alwayes beset with enemies Therefore is y e Gospell called y e word of the Crosse. Therefore S. Paule describing the way to heauen saith we must passe through many tribulalations Therefore Esaw and Iacob shall no sooner haue life but they shall striue together in their mothers belly Therfore Abraham shall no sooner receiue the promise but he must looke to be banished and therefore Abell shalbe enuied of his owne brother so soone as the Lord regardes his sacrifice Thâ— righteous man is like Lot amoÌ„gest the Soâ—domits and like Sampson amongst the Phiâ—listins This is the state of the Church calleâ— militant it is like a ship tossed with the waâ—ues driuen with the winds beset with Piâ—rates on the one side with rockes sandeâ— on the other side alwayes vpon the sea anâ— when it is safest there is but a bord between life and death Their peace is persecution their rest is labour their riches is pouertieâ— their glory is reproch their libertie is imâ—prisonment And yet by this they know that God doth fauour them because he doth so tâ—â—â—per these cuppes vnto them with his graceâ— holy spirite that in persecution they finâ— peace in labour they finde rest in pouertâ— they finde contentement therefore great riches in reproches they finde glory in imprisonment they finde libertie and in death they finde life It is no new thing you sée for good men to haue enemies nay the better men the more enemies as Peter the more faithfull to Christ the more sifted by Sathan but as Christ then prayed for Peter that his faith might not fayle so he prayeth still for the faithfull that their faith may not fayle so that still they may say with Dauid By this I know that thou louest me because my enemies do not triumph against me But what did not Dauids enemies triuÌ„ph against him when they said A mischief is â—ight vpon him and he that lyeth shall rise no more As appeareth in the 8.
verse of this Psalme Why did Dauid then so gréeuously complaine The aunswere is at hand they spake euill indéede of Dauid and as they would haue had it yea and as they thought to haue had it too but the Lord deliuered him so that they triumphed before the victorie When they saw that the Lord did a litle visite him they cried out now he is met withall now he is downe c. And thus rashly they iudged of the Lordes annointed and triumphed ouer him whom the Lord raised vp again So played the Popes Catholikes when they would haue come vpon vs like the fat Bulles of Basan gaping vpon vs as though they would haue eaten vs vp when they saw some of our men ouercome in battaile or when the Lord did a litle frowne vpon vs they began straightway to triumph ouer vs marching into IrelaÌ„d as though all had bene cocke sure for theÌ„ but y e Lord put a bridle into their mouthes so caried theÌ„ backe again by Senacheribs way So likewise before they came last with their inuincible Nauy they deuided our kingdome and prouided owners for euery country Citie Bishopricke Lordship and whippes for euery body Indéede they troubled vs put many in great feare but through Gods goodnesse the feare was greater then the hurt by which the Lord would geue vs to vnderstaÌ„d that he had a fauour towardes vs. And that we might know it indeede he would not suffer vs to destroy them least we should say that through our owne power we gaue theÌ„ the ouerthrow and gat our selues the victorie but with his owne hand and with his holy arme he gat himselfe the victorie that the whole prayse might returne to himself by this we might be assured of his loue and fauour towardes vs blessed be his name for it Surely this was one of the greatest loue tokens that euer he bestowed vpon vs of teÌ„porall benefites the greatnesse whereof shal appeare when we consider how they would haue handled vs if they had triumphed against vs. For this purpose let vs take but a litle view First of their exactioÌ„s in Naples secondly of their sauage cruelties vpon the poore Indians and theÌ„ shall we sée what miseries and mischiefs such a triumph and such triumphers would haue brought vpon vs. And first of their exactions in Naples when they triumphed there To passe ouer their trecherous entraunce it is reported by one of their owne Bishops in a booke that he wrote to the king of Spaine for the redresse of these things y t euery foure or fiue yeares they receiued 200000. or 400000. and a Million of gold Their landed men were defeated of their landes and houses if they had not their euidence to shew which perhaps might be lost although they could make iust proofe of their lawfull possessioÌ„ and right for a 100. yeares before The farmer of their butcherie and powltrie receiueth 300. Duckets daily for his fee Euery chimney payeth 6. â— Euery strumpet iij. â— what should I say if all the payments were layed together that all the kings had before they were not comparable to the extraordinarie exactions of the Spaniards in Naples As for their cruelties on the poore IndiaÌ„s they are not to be spokeÌ„ for they dispeopled more then 10. Realmes greater then all Spaine AragoÌ„ and Portugall Within 40. yeares they butchered aboue 12. Millions of men women and infants They would set vp men and women naked against trées or walles c. and would lay wagers who should shoote or throw their dartes nearest the hart and made a sport of murther as ordinarily as we do of shooting or bowling c. They would vse to broyle men to death vpon gridirons especially great men whereupon it fell out that certaine Lordes being broyled foure or fiue through their pitifull roaring and crying which they were enforced to make through extremitie of torment disquieted y e Captaine that lay not far of to make them hold their peace they had their mouthes stopped with bullets vntill they were rosted to death Their cruelties were so great that a certaine Lord for feare fled to the Ile of Cuba where he was taken and burned and being exhorted by a Frier to dye a Catholique that he might go to heauen he asked the Frier whither the Spaniards weÌ„t when they dyed to heauen quoth the Frier Then I will not goe to heauen said the Indian Lord because the Spaniardes as you say goe thither for it is better to go to hell said he theÌ„ to come where any Spaniards haue any thing to do Another time a certaine Spanish gouernour entring the firme land a Lord of the countrey to gaine his goodwill and to auoid torture met him and presented him with nine thousand duckets in recompeÌ„ce wherof they bound him to a stake and set fire to his féete whereupon he brought thrée thousand Castillans more with which summe this tyrant not satisfied put fire againe to his féet vntill the sinewes burst and the marrowe sprung out of the bones and so he died The king of Mexico sent a thousand presents to welcome him besides that him selfe in his owne person met him with an honourable troupe of Lords and Gentlemen he was laden with bolts for his labour and being in prison y e rest came to solace their King with some pleasant sports and shewes wherupon they were apprehended by the Spaniards a solemne day of slaughter was proclaimed and at the day appointed two thousand yong Gentlemen were put to death for a terror to all the countrey The same tyrant going to warre against any Citie or prouince would yoke many together by the neckes allowing no sustenaÌ„ce to twentie thousand but the flesh of so many Indians as they could kill They had as ordinarie a shambles of mans flesh as we haue of beasts they kept mastifes other great dogs to hunt men and women from which a woman séeing she could by no meanes escape she went and hanged her selfe vpon a trée with her babe tyed to her féete and yet before the babe was dead the dogges came and deuoured it Another hunting venison could find no game and comming homward he met a woman with a child in her armes he tooke her infant and cut it in péeces and threw it to his dogges for liuerie It is not possible as one saith to vtter in words the mercilesse dealing of Spaniards in India the gastly remeÌ„brance whereof is able to daunt the stoutest courage Yet these are the men which pretend supporting of the Catholique faith Now by this â—ast we may giue a gesse how our cup should haue bene tempered if the Lord had suffered them to triumph ouer vs for if they handled these poore soules after this maner which neuer did hurt them nor their religion how wold they haue handled vs which alwayes haue bene enemies to their irreligious procéedings surely their hatred against vs would haue proued like Nebuchadnezzars fornace seuen times
and mercifull Father shall thinke good to lay vpon him Although Israell were hardly intreated of Egypt yet God sayd I will get this people fauour in the sight of the Egyptians so that when ye go ye shal not go emptie Now if the Israelites went not away emptie wheÌ„ they were in fauour with the Egyptians much lesse shall we go away emptie froÌ„ the Lord if we be in fauour with him for séeing he hath of his frée mercie without any desert of ours giuen vs his onely Sonne how shall he not with him saith S. Paule giue vs all things else Hereupon it came that the Martyrs were alwayes so â—ocund and merrie for they were neuer sent away empty from the barre from the prison from the stake nor froÌ„ the fire but still the Lord filled their hearts with ioy and gladnesse and euer sustained their soules with the comfortable assurance of his fauour and so fast as their persecutors condemned them God iustified them so fast as they stript them their God clothed them so fast as they tormented them their God did comfort them wheÌ„â—hey impoâ—erished God enriched when they frowned God smiled when they spoiled the outward man God renewed the inward man when they wounded God healed when they killed God quickened and finally when they reiected them their God receiued them wherby they were not onely assured that he loued them but also were encouraged to beare whatsoeuer came for the assurance of Gods fauour so deare and precious was it vnto them Therefore Salomon saith that louing fauour is aboue gold and siluer if the louing fauor of men be aboue gold siluer how shall we value the louing fauor of God which being lost the whole world and ten thousand worlds cannot redéeme which being obtained is better theÌ„ the whole world And ten thousand worlds with all the deuils in hel can neuer take it from Gods children when they haue once the assurance therof in their hearts sealed vp vnto them by the spirit of adoption I say once againe whereat or at what price shall we value this fauour of our God When Iob was assured of this louing fauour of God in the heate of his affliction he was so far from shrinking or sinking down vnder his burthen that he said like a valiant souldier though he kill me yet will I trust in him As if he should say I loue my life well but I loue Gods fauour better to teach vs y t if we be assured of his louing fauour once we care not what we suffer in this life for it no more then Iob did for he knew that Gods killing would proue a quickning So that all our care and cunning my beloued in the Lord must be to sée the louing fauour of God in all our temptations troubles and afflictions And then as Iehoram said to Ieâ—u when he marched in his furie comest thou peaceably as if he should say if thou comest peaceably march as furiously as thou wilt So let vs say to our God O Lord comest thou fauorably and in loue against vs theÌ„ come as terribly as thou wilt Shoot thy arrowes and spend them all vpon me beate me to powder take all away and in this life do with me what thou wilt so thou doest assure me of thy fauour So we pray in that prayer which is called the Lordes prayer Thy will be done but Lord forgiue vs our sinnes and then doe what thou wilt deliuer vs from euil from the deuill and then tempt vs or bring vs into what battailes it pleaseth thée So reasoneth the Prophet Dauid likewise Happy are they whose oxen are strong to labour happy are they which are frée from forraine inuasion and ciuil dissention which a bound with many outward worldly and generall benefits c. but how if we misse of these outward things why then happy is the people whose God is the Lord. So again in another place he makes the very same reckening Many saith he wil say who wil shew vs any good that is wordly goods but Lord lift thou vp the light of thy countenaunce vpon vs. c. to teach vs that we must not care what we want so that we may be sure of Gods louing countenaunce in the Gospell of his sonne Iesus Christ. The woman of Chanaan was content to take many repulses at the hands of our Sauiour so that she might be sure of one graunt so let vs be content to take many repulses so that we may be sure of Gods fauour in our repulses The birth of y e child into the world swalloweth vp all y e paines and panges of the mother in forgetfulnesse which went before the birth so saith our Sauiour Christ. So we if after our manifold afflictioÌ„s and sorrowes for Christes his sake we bring forth the assuraunce of Gods fauour here and of eternall life hereafter being dead let forgetfulnesse deuoure and coÌ„sume all the rest And séeing as the Lord in his louing fauour doth thus and thus crosse his children let patience beare it let forgetfulnesse weare it and by this let vs learne to trust in our God another time without fainting or shrinking when troubles come againe The wicked blind world takes another course they cast their eye altogether vpon the crosse and studie how to be eased of that with odd shiftings and many vnlawfull deuises and vngodly practises but because they sée not the louing fauour of God towards them in Christ Iesus they are ready to sinke downe in dispaire of mercy and horrour of conscience like a lumpe of lead in the sea The Lord in one hand hath fire to burne in his other hand water to quench but he holdeth it behind his backe many times that at the first it is not perceiued no not of his deare children but at the last they both sée it and féele the comfort of it and acknowledge the same saying with Dauid By this I know that thou fauorest me c. Therfore as the child is glad when his father smileth vpon him and speakes comfortably vnto him although he beates him so let vs be glad reioyce wheÌ„ our heaueÌ„ly father doth smile vpon vs in giuing vs the assuraunce of his loue although he doth afflict vs. By this I know that thou louest me because mine enemies do not c. Here further we are to coÌ„sider of the prouideÌ„ce and wisedome of God in that he turneth the rage and malice of our enemies tâ— our great good for by this he assureth vs oâ— his fauour which is the greatest good that is Thus you sée that the enemies of Gods childreÌ„ do them good against their will the Lord by his euer watching prouidence so disposing their enterprises and working in thâ— harts of his children for Gods prouidence doth first worke bring to passe good things secoÌ„dly it permitteth euill things to be done but then thirdly it directeth and ordereth aâ— things both good and bad to his
this life and her perfection in the world to come yet â—s it not idle but working nor naked â—ut clothed with good workes the fruites of faith so soone as it is begotten to this iustifying faith is alwayes ioyned the sanctifying spirite which worketh by loue and is continually occupied in purifying the hart â—or Christ Iesus and in applying of Iesus Christ vnto the hart of the owner And thus â—aue you heard both by what meanes the Lord doth conuay the assuraunce of his loâ—ing fauour vnto his children in affliction â— also how we are to vse the same meanes Let vs then diligently and carefully vsâ— these meanes and then shall we be effectually assured of Gods loue and fauour in Christ Iesus and being once assured oâ— that we may baldly cast downe the gantâ— let bid defiance to hell and all the deuilâ— in hell and make that chalenge which thâ— Apostle Paule doth make in the behalfe oâ— all Gods children Who shall separate vâ— from the loue of Christ shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or famine oâ— nakednesse or perill or sword As it iâ— written for thy sake are we killed all thâ— day long we are compted as sheepe for thâ— slaughter Neuerthelesse in all these thingâ— we are more then conquerours through hiâ— that loued vs. For I am perswaded that neiâ—ther death nor life nor Angels nor priâ—â—cipalities nor powers nor things presenâ— nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shalbe able to sepaâ—rate vs from the loue of God which is â—â— Christ Iesus our Lord. To this Iesus Chriâ—â— which hath so dearely purchased this fauoâ—â— for vs to the Father of our Lord Iesâ—â— Christ which hath so fréely bestowed suâ—â— fauour vpon vs and to this holy spiriâ—â— which doth so comfortably assure vs of this fauour thrée persons and one eternall God be all prayse glory for euer Amen THE THIRD SERMON Nouember 28. 2. Sabboth And as for me thou vpholdest me in mine integritie and doest set me before thy face for euer THe Prophet Dauid by two sortes of arguments assureth himselfe that Gods fauour belongeth vnto him the first is drawen from his outward estate in respect of the world which was very good in as much as his enemies did not triumph ouer him The second ariseth from a view of his owne inward estate in respect of God which was much better for that the Lord vpheld him in his vprightnesse and had a continuall care both of his soule and body The first argumeÌ„t of Gods fauor is strong but being ioyned to the second it is sure The first is great but because it is a generall thing and may be giuen to the vngodly to ouercome his enemies I meane the enemies of his body therefore Dauid resteth not in that but searcheth within himselfe to sée if he can finde any inward tokens of Gods fauour and searching he findeth two within himselfe the first was Gods hand vpholding him from falling away from his God the second was Gods eye alwayes vpon him for his safetie And hauing found these at home in himselfe he triumpheth and blessed God the giuer So that now the king sheweth what inward token he had receiued of Gods fauour for God doth more for his children then for the wicked he speakes comfortable things to the soules of his people Ioseph loued all his brethreÌ„ but Beniamin he loued with a more speciall loue and therefore he gaue messeâ— of meate to them all but Beniamins messâ— was fiue times so much as the rest so Goâ— giueth liberally to all his creatures as a good and a louing God in so much that the earth is full of his mercies but his loue to his elect children by Christ is a thousand times more then to the rest for them he vpholdeth in their integritie and doth set them before his face for euer Gods loue is more to men then to beasts of men his fauour is more to his Church then to all the world besides for he loueth the gates of Zion more then all the dwellings of Iacob he hath chosen that for his resting place he hath a delight in that there brake he y e bow he knapped the speare in péeces he burnt y e chariots with fire yea he wounded euen kings in the day of his wrath for Zions sake that is for y e loue that he bare towardes his chosen people Againe in this visible Church he fauoreth his elect more then the rest and his louing fauour to themward is greater then to all the world besides For Gods Church is like a noble maÌ„s house wherein are vessels of gold and vessels of earth and his vessels of gold are set vp safely kept more daintily vnder locke key theÌ„ the other Sing vnto the Lord saith Dauid sing vpon the harpe vnto our God which couereth the heauen with cloudes and prepareth raine for the earth and maketh the grasse to grow vpon the mouÌ„taines Which giueth to beasts their foode and to the young raueÌ„s that cry Thus much he doth for all his creatures but as for his seruaunts which feare him atteÌ„d vpon his mercies he delighteth in them and takes great pleasure in theÌ„ such pleasure he takes not in the strength of a horse nor in the legs or stature of a man From all the creatures in generall he descendeth to the Church in particular and saith Prayse the Lord O Ierusalem prayse thy God O Zion For he hath made the barres of thy gates strong and hath blessed thy children within thee He setteth peace in thy borders and satisfieth thee with the flower of wheat But hath he done no more for his Church then so Yes that he hath He sheweth his word vnto Iacob his statutes and his Iudgements vnto Israell He hath not delt so with euery nation neither haue they knowledge of his iudgements In the first of the Canticles the Church desireth to be kissed with y e kisses of Christes mouth that is to haue more testimonies and tokens of his loue then one or of one kind for by outward things saith the wiseman a man can not know loue and hatred because all things come a like to all Therefore saith the Church vnto her spouse kisse me with the kisses of thy mouth for thy loue is sweeter theÌ„ wine that is let me haue a continuance of thy fauour towardes me and many sure tokens thereof for no pleasure or profit is comparable to thy loue The kisses of Christ are his blessings bestowed vpon his Church his blessings are either teÌ„porall or eternall corporall or spirituall His spirituall blessings are of two sortes either outward or inward His outward yet spirituall blessings whereby he witnesseth his loue to his Church they are the preaching of the word and the administration of the Sacraments these be great benefites and swéete kisses of the Lord our God but
because these are cōmon to the hypocrite which is close and craftie in hart aswell as to the faithfull whose hart is vpright before the Lord we are not to rest in these outward things but to search and neuer leaue searching vntill we finde out the inward kisses of Christ Iesus which are most sure testimonies of his loue indéed And those are faith in Christ Iesus repentaunce vnfained for sinne patience in affliction ioy in the holy Ghost and all the other fruites of the sanctifying spirite whereof we may read more in Gal. 5. Euery one cannot shew these but onely he which hath the spirite of sanctification Saul had the spirite that is some gifts of the spirite and yet was reiected but Dauid had the sanctifying spirite and therefore was not reiected of the Lord neither did he reiect y e Lord but by this was sure of Gods fauour to his soule If Dauid had bene a king a conquerer a man of wisedome of pollicie of learning and of riches and in all these vncomparable and had lost his integritie he had lost his marke of Gods loue and might haue followed Saul well inough So if we were rich wise and learned if we were Preachers Bishops Prelates Lordes Earles Dukes and Emperours haue lost our sinceritie our zeale our loue our faith our religiousnesse our godlinesse a good conscience we haue lost our markes too and may follow Saul too wel inough for all our outward pompe and glory On the other side if one haue enemies or be in pouertie disgrace imprisonment out of credite with the world out of liuing c. and kéepeth a sincere heart and a good conscience in all these things he may say and sing too with Simeon Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace if his time be come They which haue the outward kisses not the inward assurances are like Esaw with his pottage but without his birthright But they which haue lost all but kéepe still their integritie are like Iacob who lost his pottage but found the inheritance and the loue of God for God loued Iacob but hated Esaw Many wil say saith the Prophet who will shew vs any good that is any worldly good but Lord lift thou vp the light of thy countenance vpon vs and then I shall haue more ioy of heart then they that haue their corne and wine and oyle increased So now a dayes many séeke for Gods loue in the cōmon trash of the world and they run about the world by sea and by land crying Who will shew vs any credit any worship any riches any offices any promotions c. And some of the Ministerie cry Who will shew vs any moe liuings any Deaneries any Bishoprickes any spirituall promotions yea this is the voyce of gaping Courtiers too by report and if they spéed of these such things then they are sure as they thinke that God loueth thē as Achab thought him selfe well if he might obtaine Naboths vineyard but many times it falleth out that as Dinah while she wandred to sée fashions sought to féede her fancy vpon the daughters of a strange countrey she lost her virginitie amongst the sonnes of the country So some men while they séeke to féede fill their gréedie worme of couetousnesse and ambition with diuerse pleasures profits of y e world they loose their sinceritie amongst them and make shipwracke of faith and a good conscience And then they go away out of their houses as Thamar went out of her brother Amnons chamber with her maidens garment of diuerse colours rent because she was enforced to leaue her maydenhead behind her So these worldlings which sometime with Demas followed Paule but nowe with Demas embrace the present world are enforced to go away with their garment of diuerse colours rent and torne for whiles they will venter through the bushes and thorns of worldly cares to get worldly promotion is it not a miracle if they come out with their zeale not quenched their courage not abated their faith not blasted their loue not cooled their knowledge not withered their humilitie not defaced their sinceritie not decreased the whole garment of pietie and Religion not scratched torne and rent in péeces And then a man may say to them as Absalō said to his sister Hath thy brother met with thee so hath not y e world met with them And no maruell for if Sisera looke for any rest or refreshing in Iaels tent he shall surely be made naile fast So if any wil séeke for infallible markes of Gods fauour in Sathans tents and in the worlds tents or in pleasures tents or in profites tents a thousand to one but their sinceritie and godlinesse will be nailefast before they come out againe What wise man will séeke for grapes vpō thornes or figs vpō thistles or for gold amongst old iron or hony out of a spider or heate in the ise So no wise harted Christian wil looke for certain marks of the Lords fauour in such things as may be markes of his wrath as well as of his loue But if these outward and general graces be offred them they take them and if they go from them they go not after them to loose their sinceritie for thē but thus they resolue with them selues O Lord my God I sée that by no outward thing a man can certainly tell whether he be in thy fauor or no but if thou vpholdest me in mine integritie and in the studie of pietie and the true zeale of thy glory c. then I shalbe sure of thy fauour indéede therfore O Lord if want come then kéepe my faith in thy prouidence firme and strong if thou sendest enemies to trie me kéepe my loue sound if thou sendest sickenesse or aduersitie kéepe my patience entire if riches and preferment come kéepe my zeale vnquenchable like Lot who when it was not granted him to abide stil in great Sodome requested that he might go to litle Zoar. And then although they haue nothing else but the inward testimonie of Gods spirit they haue inough for by these inward kisses they are sure of Gods fauour because a good conscience is a continuall feast to y e afflicted makes merrie at home in the house of the inward man when there is nothing but warre and trouble abroad As for me thou vpholdest me in mine integritie This same integritie is like Noahs arke◠wherein he was preserued when others perished being without it it is like the redde thrid which the spies of Ioshua gaue to Rahab it was a charter wherby she claimed her life when the rest were destroyed which had not the like So is this integritie of smal reckning I confesse with the men of this world which thinke that there is no other heauen but earth but as Rahabs thrid was better to her then all her goods and substance when the sword came so this is better to Gods children then
the Lord giue a blessing that they may be profitable Now let vs pray THE SIXTH SERMON December 19. 5. Sabboth Blessed be the Lord God of Israell world without end So be it euen so be it THe Prophet Dauid hauing receiued assuraunces of Gods fauour towards him he prayseth God the giuer What tokeÌ„s he had of Gods loue both without him and within him we haue heard in the verses before of his behauiour after the receipt therof we shall heare in this last verse He now returneth to God for his iewells such as he had prayse thaÌ„ksgiuing loue for loue praises for blessings as was his duety The Lord of loue wooeth Dauid his beloued he hath woÌ„ne his affectioÌ„ Dauid is y e Lords both in body and soule in all that he hath Dauid is happy thereby for he is samed therby but y e Lord is neuer y e richer for his gift In Dauids thankesgiuing we may obserue two things first to whoÌ„ he offereth his sacrifice of praise secoÌ„dly in what maner he offereth it For y e first it is y â— Lord to whoÌ„ he doth offer it to none but the Lord. Papistes say blessed be God our Layd blessed be God such a sainct such a sainct for this y e blessing so doth not Gods child here Ergo they are not Gods childreÌ„ in so doing A maÌ„ after Gods owne hart doth not so Ergo they are not men after Gods owne hart in doing so Great reason had Dauid great reasoÌ„ haue all y e faithfull to prayse God onely for first who kept Dauids enemies froÌ„ triuÌ„phing against him but the Lord who vpheld him in his integrity but y e Lord who set him before his face for euer but y e Lord therefore who must be praysed but the Lord This was y e Lords own doing this was y e Lords onely doing therfore he onely is to be praysed Again the Lord which saueth vs euen for his own name sake wil not haue his glory parted betwéene him his creatures but giuen wholly to himselfe as y e Prophet Esay saith â—herfore cursed be they whatsoeuer they be y â— dare ioyne any whatsoeuer as partners w t God either in his workes or in his worship For his maner forme of praising God it is most excelleÌ„t for he doth it in such wordes maner as noteth a woÌ„derfull earnest affectioÌ„ in him towardes y e Lord a great zeale of his glorie great humilitie in him selfe a great feare least he should not doe it as he ought for first he doth not say simply blessed be God but blessed be the Lord God of Israell to shew that nothing in him selfe deserued such loue at Gods hands but onely the couenaunt which y e Lord made with his Church moued him thereunto Dauid being a member of the Church Secondly as Gods loue is infinite and euerlasting so accordingly he praiseth his name for it saying world without end Thirdly to shew his hartie and vnfained coÌ„sent to that which he spake he saith So be it and as one not repeÌ„ting him of that he had said but rather fearing that he came too short in the first he doubleth his speech and with a second blow to rouse vp his hart and affection which were scant awakened with the first he saith So be it and againe I say So be it So be it euen so be it The doctrine that is to be gathered from this verse ariseth two wayes first from the matter subiect secondly from the forme of y e words The matter subiect of the verse is Dauids thankesgiuing to the Lord for that he had so many wayes sealed vp and made sure his loue vnto his soule From which example we may gather this general doctrine that after benefits receiued of God it is our dutie and our delight to returne thankes vnto the Lord if Gods loue be swéete vnto vs. And this dutie can none performe aright but the elect children of God which are led by Gods spirit endued with Gods grace enriched with Gods benefites and inflamed with his loue All of vs do begge and craue like lepers but scarce one of ten do returne praises and thankesgiuing for our healing as though Gods gifts were not worth thaÌ„ks We are not so kinde to the Lord for all his benefites as we are to a mortall man for one curtesie Onely the faithfull being once throughly enlightened and effectually called are afraid to omit or neglect this dutie and when they do faile therein they are not a litle grieued thereat and that they do for Gods spirit is in them Therefore as they pray by the spirit so by the same spirite they praise God alwayes knitting vp their prayers with thankesgiuing for they must not be separated Daniell prayed praised God thrée times a day on his knées no doubt he did it oftener as occasion was offred but this he bound him selfe vnto what businesse soeuer he had because of his dulnesse to teach vs what we must do But how many deuour the graces of God one after another like a hogge vnder the trée neuer looking vp to the trée from whence they come as though all that God sendeth were nothing Some are afraid to be acknowen who did them good or gaue them goods like the blind mans father who for feare of the Iewes durst not tel who gaue his sonne his sight Some are ashamed like Sarah who laughed at the Angels message when she should rather haue giuen thankes this is because the wicked mocke the godly for praising of God as the sonne of the bond woman mocked the sonne of the frée woman and it is now become a reproch to speake any one word amongst many to the praise of God whereof it commeth that the most part both at bed and boord do so commonly forget to prayse the Lord but like beasts they sit and lye down and like beasts they rise vp againe But litle may we do beloued if we cannot by prayer aske leaue of God to take his blessings when we haue no right to any thing but in Christ and litle may we do if we cannot giue him thanks acknowledge him to be the giuer Thus like théeues we steale the Lords benefites and do nothing for them as if we should boldly goe into our neighbours house take our diner and his plate and go away and neuer say with your leaue nor I thanke you the Lord open our eyes and touch our hearts Some that would séeme to be a litle more manerly will vtter nay I may more truely say smother out a few cold words of course like gossips protestants at large when they meete one another Here is a goodly weather God be praised Oh you haue a swéete child neighbour God blesse him God be thaÌ„ked of your vpsitting or your comming abrode againe and so foorth but if any thing be added more then these common gratulations whereby God may reape
more glorie that is a note of a Puritane and he is too holy for our company Some would giue God thankes oftener then they do but they cannot remember him without a picture or a crucifixe or some Popish relicke like the Ioclatrous Iewes which could not remember God til they saw a calfe As though the Lords dayly benefits were not sufficient remembrances liuely pictures of the Lords goodnesse or as though when any doth bestow a benefite vpon vs by his sonne we should not thanke his father because we neuer saw him and we want his picture Some will for fashion sake giue God a good word or two and say perhaps God is a good God God be blessed I thanke God for my deliuerance c. but then they must run a long discourse of them selues but if I had not done this and that if I had not played y e man had a good forecast c. it had not gone so well with me as it did Thus many deale with God like him that when he hath tolde out his money to his creditor which he ought him and taken vp his bond snatcheth vp his money againe and for an hundred pound giueth him a penie and a boxe on the eare But to leaue all these to the Lord this is most certaine if we be afrayd or ashamed or forgetfull or indifferent to praise the Lord or if we be vnreuerent or idolatrous or superstitious in praising God how can we assure our selues to be the children of God But note further in this holy seruant of God how he was qualified and prepared before he would or before he could offer any sacrifice of praise acceptable to God First he examineth his heart and findeth his affectioÌ„s holy and vpright before the Lord his heart frée from reuenge his spirit humbled vnder the hand of God his soule assured of Gods fauour and his faith setled in his promises this being done he procéedeth and saith Blessed be the Lord God of Israell c. assuring him selfe that when his person is accepted with God his praises thankesgiuing shall not be reiected This is to teach vs that they which come vnsanctified and vnprepared by a liuely faith and true repeÌ„tance and haue nothing to coÌ„mend them vnto God but their pride their hatred their infidelitie their impietie and such like they cannot prayse the Lord and if they do it is returned vpoÌ„ their heads as sinne so they are sent away not onely emptie but in worse case then they came like the vnworthy guest that came to the Kings feast without his wedding garment And this doctrine runneth currant thorough the whole body of the Scriptures and no man doth aske from whence it commeth or whither it goeth but euery one of the Lords Seers and seruants giueth testimonie vnto it The Psalmist is of y t mind for he saith The eyes of the Lord are vpon the righteous and his eares are open to their crie but the face of the Lord is against them that do euill to cut off the remembrance of them from off the earth to shew how little the Lord regardeth their prayers or any thing that they can offer vnto his maiestie Salomon is likewise of the same mind for he saith The sacrifice of the wicked is abominatioÌ„ to the Lord but the prayer of the righteous is acceptable vnto him He sheweth a good reason why For saith he the way of the wicked is abomination to the Lord but he loueth them that followe righteousnesse In another place he saith High talke becoÌ„meth not a foole If high talke becometh not a â—oole much lesse doth diuine talke become a wicked man for what talke hiâ—her theÌ„ talke with the most high and who so foolish as the wicked and profane The Prophet Esay is also of the same mind for he speaking in the person of God saith thus When you shall stretch out your hands I will hide mine eyes from you though you make many praiers I will not heare you for your handes are full of bloud that is your déedes are full of oppression and therefore your prayers and praises are stained with your bloudy hands S. Luke saith That deuils came out of many crying and saying thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God but Christ rebuked them and suffred them not to say that they knew him to be that Christ because they were deuils For our Sauiour Christ will not be praised out of a deuils mouth for their commendation tendeth rather to his discredite theÌ„ otherwise so deuilish men may perhaps come out of many houses to Church cry we prayse thée O God we know thée who y u art Iesus the sonne of the liuing God glory be to the father and to the sonne and to the holy Ghost and many good wordes and spéeches moe they vtter but surely the Lord is so farre from accepting any such thing at their hands that he is more prouoked to anger against them for it because they are deuilish and come without repentance into the presence of the most holy The like in all respectes shall we read of in the 16. of the Actes A certaine maid had a spirite of diuination she was such a one as some ignorantly call a cunning womaÌ„ no better then a witch or a coÌ„iurer one that wrought by the deuil could by helpe of the deuil tell where things were y t were lost such a one followed Paul and Silas crying These are the seruaunts of the most high God and this she did many dayes But Paul being greeued turned about and said to the spirite I commaunde thee in the name of Iesus Christ that thou come out of her Now as Gods seruaunts could not abide the confession of the deuill much lesse can God him selfe abide it being onely for feare and not of loue A straunge thing that deuils which are at defiaÌ„ce with God should confesse him And yet all things duely considered it is not so straunge as it may séeme to be for what if they do it of constrainte whether they wil or no or what if it be for feare onely and not for loue or what if they do it to bring credit vpon their own matters and to bring Gods matters into contempt then the strangenesse of the matter is diminished for indéede this is common not onely among the deuils but amongest all the reprobate SathaÌ„ shall alledge Scripture to credite his owne cause and Balam will not because â—e cannot passe the boundes of that which God hath put in his mouth wheÌ„ his hart hunteth for y e wages of iniquitie Sometime to make them inexcusable God will wring a confession from their own mouthes as he did from Pharao Sometime the wicked will doe that which their hart goeth against to bring Gods seruaunts in question amongest men like the cunning maide before mentioned Sometime to deceiue the more easily and strongly he will chaunge him selfe into the likenesse
of an Angell of light and put vpon a fowle matter a faire cloake of holinesse The truth wherof may sufficiently appeare in the kingdome or Poperie amongest the Monkes and Friers which vnder pretence of holinesse commit all kinde of wickednes I haue knowen some Arian heretiques whose life hath bene most strickt amongest men whose toungs haue bene tired with Scripture vpon Scripture their knées euen hardned in prayer and their faces wedded to sadnesse and their mouthes full of prayses to God while in the meane time they haue stoutly denied the diuinitie of the sonne of God and haue not sticked to teare out of the Bible all such places as made against them such were Hamond Lewes and Cole heretiques of wretched memorie lately executed and cut of in Norwich what shall I say of Fraunces Ket another Arian which succéeded them in opinions more monstrous then his predecessours for he held that whosoeuer wilbe saued must before he dye go to Ierusalē that Christ with his Apostles are now personally in Iudea gathering of his church that y e faithfull should miraculously be preserued at Ierusalem with a wall of fire be fed with Angels foode from heauen but these were his dreames yet such dreames as rather then he would for go them hauing once embraced them caused him to plunge him selfe ouer head and eares in most damnable cursed heresies for behold to maintaine his former fancies he held most impudently that Christ Iesus is not God but a good man as others be and that which was neuer heard before that Christ hath suffred once for his own sinnes and shall before y e end of the world suffer again for the sinnes of the world and that being done he shalbe then made God after his secōd resurrection And yet as monstrous as he was in opiniō sée how holy he would séeme to be in his outward conuersatiō The sacred Bible almost neuer out of his handes him selfe alwayes in prayer his toung neuer ceased praysing of God when he went to the fire he was clothed in sackcloth he went leaping and dauncing being in the fire aboue twentie times together clapping his handes he cried nothing but blessed be God blessed be God blessed be God and so continued vntill the fire had consumed all his neither parts and vntill he was stifled with the smoke that he could speake no longer all which I was a witnes of my self But shall we thinke that the Lord tooke any delight in the prayers or prayses of such a deuill incarnate farre be it from vs. A straunge and fearefull example of a desperate of a hardened and a cursed creature and yet not to be wondered at for the deuill hath his souldiers and martyrs aswell as the Lord and oftentimes they are more resolute in the deuils quarrell then some are in Gods quarrel As for his willing and ready going with his cōstant enduring it was no more then is perfourmed by such as hang them selues or drowne themselues but what pleasure hath the Lord in the sacrifices of such What shall we say of our English Donatists our schismaticall Brownists followers of Barrow and his crue they hold our Church for no visible Church neither that we haue so much as a face of a Church amōgst vs they cōdēne all our assemblies at their pleasure terming vs our Churches to be but dunghils and Sinagogues of Sathan our Ministerie no Ministerie our Sacramēts no Sacraments our teachers they terme Baals Priests the taile of the red dragon the whole Church of England they call Babilon Sodom Egipt all that naught is thus they cast mire in y e face of their mother in whose bowels they were first begotten if euer they were begotten to the Lord separating thē selues frō all the holy things of God because euery thing is not iust as they would haue it But in the meane time to get more credite vnto their pretended cause of separation they séeme to be very deuout in prayer and as though the spirite of prayer were proper vnto them they condēn◠all other mens prayers their mouthes alwayes thundering out the iudgements of God while they take a felicitie in condemning their brethrē they come vnder a cloake of sinceritie and reformation while they go about to plucke vp the Lordes vineyeard by the rootes and none more zealous in their profession none more deuout in praysing of God none more ready in the Scriptures then they yea as plentifull in their proofes and textes of Scripture they séeme to be for vpholding of their errors shcisme as Kett was for the defending of his heresies but what pleasure the Lord hath in such schismaticall prayers prayses which haue nothing to present them to the Lord but a spirite of pride and errour I feare to speake y e Lord open their eyes to see their sinne that so many as belong to him may be conuerted and be saued Thus we sée it manifest both by testimonies and examples that the sacrifices of the wicked vngodly are vile before the Lord how holy soeuer they séeme to be amongest men and they can not prayse him but as the deuils did confesse him But if any come before the Lord as his beloued spouse decked with their garment of diuers colours I meane their soules clothed with the riches of Gods fauour as true repentaunce a liuely faith brotherly loue lowlinesse of spirite integritie of hart patience in affliction ioy in the holy Ghost if any come to the Lord depending on Gods grace naked in himself yet clothed in Christ doubting of himselfe yet assuring himselfe of Gods fauour both promised purchased in y e bloud of Christ Iesus they may bring their offering w t Dauid say Blessed be the Lord God of Israell and the king of glory shall then haue delight in their beautie for he loueth the prayses of his people and of none els This doctrine if it were throughly applied and closely layd to the conscience of euery estate calling it would I hope make vs all more warie and carefull in offering our selues with our presents of prayses and prayers vnto the Lord while we liue And first of all what will Idolaters and persecuters of Gods Sainctes say vnto this In a merry note they sing Te Deum laudamus Benedictus Deus Israel c. But whether such Popish and bloudy seruices be accepted of God or no I would wish them to consider In our Church if there be any in y e plate of seers watchmen ouer the Lords people and yet haue neither will skill nor courage to lead the people of the Lord in the wayes of righteousnesse and also do wearie them selues in the wayes of loosenesse and prophanesse and yet wil come into Gods house and without repentance offer vp cōfessions prayers thākesgiuings for themselues the people how acceptable such sacrifices are vnto the Lord I would wishe them also to consider Agayne there are some called