commend deuotion and condemne knowledge as though euerie one should not loue him that doth beget Iohn 5 1 Matt. 22.29 as well as him that is begotten You erre because you knowe not the scriptures saide Christ nay saieth the Pope the Church cannot erre Such as are blinde and woulde faine see thinke themselues still out of the way but they that are wilfully blind think like Papistes that they cannot steppe awrie They that kept knowledge vnder locke and key Matt. 23 13 claime kindred of the Papistes for they neither open to other nor enter themselues When talents were deliuered Luke 19.13 the owner said Occupie till I come softe and faire saith the Papist for we may do works of supererogation and so you may soone haue your owne with aduauntage Luke 17 10 as though none of them were vnprofitable seruantes but could performe their duties and more too You â—â—e howe truly the Pope is called Anâ—â—christ Matt. 28 19 for opposing himselfe against â—hrist Christ saide Goe and teach all â—ations The Pope saith stay hold â—our peace Esay 62 1 Therefore Esay thwarâ—â—th him with For Sions sake I wil not â—old my peace Preachers loue Sion for Sions sake â—hey loue the Church because it is â—he Church of God 1 Cor. 4 1 2 They studie to â—nstruct you and therefore are called â—tewards to giue that to you which is â—iuen to them of whome it must bee â—ulfilled that was saide to our Sauiour Christ Mark 12 14 Thou teachest the way of God â—ruly And the people must profit by his paines as the Corinthians did by Pauls preaching 1 Corin. 1 5 who thanked God â—hat they were made rich in all learning and knowledge Eccles. 1.7 As all riuers runne into the Sea that it may sende them backe to benefite a common wealth so God hath heaped manie blessings vpoÌ„ one man that he might help other that hath them not Therfore Salomon caused the people to heare that the Pastor and the people might consent together in the word 1 Reg. 7 13 Acts. 4 6 as Salomon and Hiram agreed in the Temples worke hee must teach like the Apostles and they must heare like Mary Luke 10 39 The teacher applying him to the capacitie of the hearer and the hearers harkening attentiuely to his doctrine Exod. 25 20 as the Cherubins that couered the mercie seate looked one towarde another God mooued attention before he spake to Israell and Dauid by Gods example conditioneth with them That if they will come and heare him Psal 34 11 hee will teach them the feare of the Lord which proueth not that if the flocke hold backe from hearing them the preacher may with drawe his speaking If Sion woulde not heare for her owne good Esay 62 2 Ezec. 2 5 yet Esay must open his mouth for the churches sake and Ezechiell must speake in the name of the Lorde that they may knowe that there hath beene a Prophet among them for his sure discharge and their certaine confusion The Israelites alwaies camped where the Arke was Iosua 3 5 and if Christians would attende vpon the Church that woulde bee verified of the Preachers paines in them that was spoken of the twelue stones that Ioshua erected in Iordan Iosua 4 9 There they haue remained vntill this daie But this maketh a great many to spend their time as idly as the prodigall son consumed his money vainly Luke 15.13 That sinne hath so many so mightie patrones to sooth it vp as the high priestes harted the Souldiers with we will saue you harmelesse Matt. 28.14 Therefore men are seldome or neuer touched in conscience with the Preachers paines Iohn 23 22 as the Disciples were in spirite with Christes spirite but sit in the Church as though they neither knewe where they were nor what to doe as Israel in captiuity said How shall wee sing the Lordes song in a strange land Psal 137 4 But take heed for your conscience is like your eye for as the least hurt offendeth the tender eye so your conscience will accuse you both of euery idle houre and of euery minute that you haue misspent And men sleepe most when they should wake most like those fond Virgins who thought their oyle would neuer bee spent Matth. 25 5 and as the prodigall sonne thought his purse bottomles but you see it is wisdome to haue oyle of our owne for The iust man must liue by his owne faith Abac. 2.4 Though the Preachers haue the booke in their handes yet they holde the lawe in their mouth Therefore saide God to Ezechiel Ezech. 2 8 Open thy mouth and eate that I giue thee And to Iosuah Iosua 1 8 Let not this booke of the lawe depart out of thy mouth Matth. 11 7 So you must heare with your eares and hearken with your heart because the Iewes went but to see Iohn Baptist they caried eies chiefely but such as come to heare a Preacher bring eares specially Euerie gift was giuen to edifie as eyes to see with eares to heare with and they must bee imployed in their seuerall seruice Therefore saide Iohn that hee wrote that which our eies haue seene 1 Iohn 1 1 our eares haue heard and our handes haue handled of the booke of life Gen. 2 17 Hee that of all the trees in the gardeÌ„ kept but one vntouched of all the seuen daies requireth but one to bee sanctified to himselfe Exo. 20 10 and if wee cannot affoorde him that we wronge him much As the meane is directed to the ende so God sanctified the seuenth daie vnto vs that wee might still keepe it holie vnto him And therefore we assemble our selues to the house of God to heare the worde of God as the people said one to an other concerning Ezechiels preaching Ezec. 33.30 Come I pray you let vs goe to the house of the Lord and heare what is the worde that commeth from the Lorde When God commaunded that bels should bee hanged on Aarons garment hee gaue this reason for it That when Aaron goeth into the holie place before the Lorde Exo. 28 35 his sound may bee hearde So that if Preachers must sound like Aarons bels in their office of teaching that they may bee hearde then people must harken like Israell to his sounde that they may bee fruitfull like the pomegranats on Aarons garment GOD woulde haue a course of speakers and a course of hearers a course of teachers and a course of learners a course of Preachers and a course of practisers Psal 122.3.4 when the Psalmist said that Ierusalem was builded like a Citie at vnitie in it selfe hee prooued it with For thither the tribes goe vp euen the tribes of the Lorde to testifie to Israell to giue thankes to the name of the Lorde So that Ierusalem is neuer builded like a citie at vnitie in it selfe vntill the seruants of God assemble themselues willinglie to serue the Lorde Therefore come diligently and spende your time fruitfullie in the house of the Lorde least ye depart from the word like Iudas from the Sacrament Luke 22.3 as though you had tasted the sauour of death Luke 22.3 Sitte not in the house of God like Ioseph in the Iaile Gene 40 14 thinking euerie minute a moneth vntill you bee gone you must forget your own people and your fathers house and incline your eare to consider what God saith before hee will haue pleasure in your beautie Psal 45.10 11 Matth. 13.7 Some trees are fruitlesse of themselues and keepe the ground so too and such are dumme ministers who haue no heauenlie wisedome themselues and much lesse can teach the people knowledge Matt. 21 19 and therefore are cursed like the Figge tree Some grounde is barren by nature and maketh the trees fruitelesse that growe therein and such are the hard hearted people in whome the immortall seede can take no deepe roote and these are hopelesse Matt. 13 20 21 like that stonie ground in the Gospel who haue only the name Apoc. 3 â— but not the nature of the true Church as the Sardians were saide to liue when they were deade indeede Zechariah 11. vers 17. O idle shepheard that leaueth the flocke the sword shall be vpon his arme and vpon his right ye His arme shall be cleane dried vp and his right eye shall bee vtterly darkned FINIS
THE GOOD SHEEPEheardes dutie By George Phillips Ecclesiast 24.39 Behold how that I haue not laboured for my selfe onely but for all them that seeke wisdome and knowledge P S ET VSQUE AD NVBES VERITAS TVA Printed for William Leake and are to be sold at his shop in Paules Churchyarde at the signe of the Greyhound 1597. To the Worshipfull and right Christian Gentleman M. Thomas Aldersey Esquire health and saluation KNowing right religious gentlemā that Idlenes is as like the mother of goodnes as ignoraunce is to the mother of deuotion and hauing no meeter matter whereon to meditate then howe I should bestow my study nor fitter opportunitie wherein to exercise my talent I durst not laie it vp in a napkin for I know that my Lord will haue his owne with aduantage I haue so neere as I could among many fieldes made choise of good grounde for there is hope of fruite that he which soweth and hee that reapeth may reioice together may it stand with your good liking to accept of my poore paines indited to suppresse Idlenesse and presented to your selfe in signe of good will c. Your worships to be commaunded in al Christian dutie George Phillips ¶ To the Christian Reader grace mercy and peace from God the Father and his sonne our Lord Iesus Christ SEeing Paul was not ashamed to write one thing often Phillip 3 1 I hope to bee vnblamed for publishing that to their eyes that neuer heard it with their eares Leuit. 21 3 that all may make publique vse of my priuate paines like the cleane Kine that chewed the cudde as Iacob was not content to haue his bones buried in Egypt Gen. 47 30 but made his son swear to carry them vnto Cana so my desire was that more might be edified by reading these small paines then could haue beene profited by preaching of it in a long season whereby thou seest gentle Reader how Christ standeth at thy doores knocking Open to me my sister Cant. 5.2 my loue my doue excuse not thy selfe then with I haue put off my clothes and how shall I put them on he euer loueth thee for he neuer leaueth thee vntill thou hast giuen him entertainement Acts. 12 16 as Roda let in Peter if thou art as desirous to finde him as he is diligent to seeke thee Luke 15.4 leauing 90 and 9. in the wildernes to winne one that wandereth Cant. 1 6 inquire after him Where feedest thou at noone where sleepest thou at night that I may come vnto thee Matth. 17.2 The Lord graunt thee to see him in his kingdome as Moses and Elias did on mount Thabor Thy seruant for Christes sake George Phillips 2 Cor. 4 5 The Text. Ecclesiastes 12. verse 9. And the more wise the Preacher was the more he taught the people knowledge and caused them to heare THis scripture which I haue taken in hand sheweth the paines of a faithfull Pastor firste it commendeth the calling Hebru 5.4 as the author to the Hebrews did Aarons Priesthood by saying that no man taketh that honour to himselfe but hee that is called of God as Aaron was and it sheweth what diligence is required of him that is called Mala. 2 7 for as Mallachy sayd The priests lippes must preserue knowledge so Salomon saide The more wise the Preacher was the more hee taught the people knowledge The preachers mouth is like the gold pot wherin Manna was preserued for posterities Exo. 16.33 we will heare of the goodnesse of this calling and then knowe what pain is expected from him that hath this dignitie Exod. 2 16 The holie tongue doth honor Iethroe the priest of Madian with the name of a Prince as heere Salomon dooth the name of a Preacher with the person of a King and God admonishing Ezechiell of his place and charge saide Sonne of man I haue made thee a watch man ouer the house of Israell Ezec. 33 7 and to Ieremie he said Thou standest before mee as my mouth that none shoulde doubt but that they are Gods Lieftenants vpon earth in spirituall affaires so God aduanceth his ministers aboue the rest as Pharaoh lifted vp Ioseph aboue all the Egyptians Gen. 41 40 looke what they commaund you in the Lorde that must you practise in your life as Israel saide vnto Iosua Iosua 1 17 euen as wee obeyed Moses in all things so will we obey thee onelie the Lord thy God be with thee as he was with Moses Therefore saide Salomon The wordes of the wise are like goads and nailes fastened by the masters of assemblies giuen of one Teacher Eccle. 12 11 Goads to prick you forward to God-ward in the way of goodnes wherein you are as slowe as the leaden heeled Asse and the Snaile paced Oxe Colos 3 16 Apoc. 10 10 Nailes fastened because the woord of Christ should dwell in you As Iohn did eate the Angels booke and men are like a rotten poast wherein nothing tarieth that is not fastened well or driuen vp to the head by the maisters of assemblies because the Pastor is the master of the congregation Therefore saide the Disciples vnto Christ Maister Luke 11 1 Iohn 10 14 teach vs to praie c. Giuen of one teacher because Christ is the head shepheard and wee all learne of him what to say Ezec. 33.7 as you learne of vs what you shoulde doe Christ reasoning with the harebrained Iewes about their gadding into the wildernesse to see Iohn the Baptist mocketh their follie with Matth. 11 7 Went you to see a reed shaken with the winde went you to see a man in silken raiment or went yee to see a Prophet and at the last telleth them that he was more then a prophet by how much hee that saith Christ is come excelleth him that said long sithence Christ will come so that all this being laide together Iohn Baptist is better then a man of mean or weak gifts Iohn Baptist is better then a silken Courtier Iohn Baptist is better then a Prophet teacheth that menne should speak as reuerently of the preacher as the sonne of God did of this Prophet Apoc. 2 1 Therefore the spirit graced the seauen Ministers of those seauen Churches in Asia with the name of Angell God hath honoured them diuers waies at sundrie times partely by woorking myracles by them as when Peter and Iohn restored his lyms that was a cripple all his life before Actes 3 2 to signifie that God was with them speaking to him by them as he did to Ierichoes walles by seuen trumpets of Rams hornes Iosua 6 20 partley by perswading men to amendement of life by them as Agrippa said to Paul thou almost perswadest me to be a Christian Acts. 26 28 But especially by euicting and conuincing the hardest hart by them as Pharaoh confessed to Moses and Aaron The Lord your God is holie Exod. 9 27 but I and my
thee on the throne of Israell because he loued Israell euer and made thee King to doe equitie and righteousnesse Honouring the giuer and praising the teacher of wisedome Psal 78.73 Dauid ruled the people by the dexteritie of his handes and Salomon instructed them by the wisedome of his heart So the king that careth not for his subiectes like Salomon 2. Chro. 15 3 is like Asa that let his people be without a priest to keepe them in ignorance The Magistrate that doth not zealouslie indeuour to minister discipline is like the vniust Iudge Luke 18.5 that would not doe iustice but for shame The pastor that instructeth not his flocke painfully is like the abhomination of desolation Matt. 24 15 for hee sitteth where hee ought not The father that bringeth not vp his sonne in the feare of God 1. Sam. 2 22 23 24 is like olde Elie And the mother that nurtureth not her daughter vertuouslie can claime no kindred of the wife of Abraham 1. Pet. 3.6 for they bee Saraes daughters who doe Saraes duties Paule commended the grandmother and naturall mother of Timothie for their carefull keeping of him in that faith which maketh men wise to saluation 2. Tim. 1 5 And he thought that Titus was neuer wise enough Titus 2.2 vntill he could teach all sortes their dueties Because the Church is like a ship and like a vine and like a haruest and like a bodie For sith it is a ship all shoulde helpe to guide it like the Marriners that were troubled in the tempest where Ionas was for their owne safetie Iona. 1 4 5 Seeing it is a vine al should helpe to plant the vine in hope to drinke the wine as Noah dranke of the vine that he planted And seeing it is an haruest they that looke to mowe must learne to sowe Gene. 9 21 And if it bee a body let euerie member doe his duetie When Elie was olde and sate in his chaire with his sight dimme his handes shaking his legges feeble his back weake and his heart trembling hee was so vnwildie that with feare he fell from his chaire 1 Sam. 4.18 and brake his necke Serue God then while you are yong that he may saue you wheÌ„ you sit in a chaire for verie age like olde Elie. The impotent must bee borne withal for they shewe that we may haue our limmes but not the vse of them as a man may haue fire in a flint stone and yet feele no heate Therefore said Christ that Lazarus laye at the rich mans gate Luke 16 20 An image is so called partelie because it is the likenesse of the thing it doeth represent but speciallie because it is the imagination of man Gene. 6 5 whose thoughts beeing onelie euill hee imagined that hee coulde make his maker As Iereboam saide Iere. 44 17 The calues that he erected in Dan and Bethel were the gods that brought Israel from Egypt 1 Reg. 12 28 So the meaning of the Preacher is that hee which hath the chiefe place in the Church and yet is like Dagon in the Temple hauing a mouth that is shut vp like Iericoes gates A tongue Iosua 6 1 and yet possessed with a dumme diuell hauing eares heareth not his duetie and eyes but leadeth not the blind He whose wisedome is pregnant whose learning is competent and whose bodie is healthful yet is in al points helples in his calling that is an Idoll The purest water with stil standing soone stinketh and is noysome like those waters of Ierico 2 Reg. 2 19 Iames. 5 3 Coine horded vp is subiect to cankering And one talent must be vsed Luke 19 23 for thy Lord looketh for his owne with aduantage He that said Psal 128 2 Thou shalt eate the labour of thy owne hands ment that men should earne breade before they eate bread As Paul saide 2 Thes 3 10 He that will not worke let him not eate For such as eate that which they earne not Gen 3 19 doe refuse the burden of the sonnes of Adam And transgresse that lawe 2. Thes 3 12 eate your owne breade But Salomon is like the honey Bee giuing vs the sweete that we neuer sweat for Salomon had not all his wisedome at once but the more wise hee was the more hee taught the people knowledge Exo. 24 18 Hee attended on Gods leisure for wisedome like Moses for the lawe And the people tyed them selues to the preaching time as the Cripples at Bethesda to the Angels mouing of the water Iohn 5 3 All cannot say like Esay Esay 50.4 The Lorde hath giuen mee a tongue of the learned Esay 62.1 but all must saie like Esay For Sions sake I wil not hold my peace They that cannot doe what they would must will what they can Actes 3 6 As Peter saide Golde and siluer haue I none but such as I haue I giue thee Iob said Iob. 31 17 that hee gaue of his bread to the hungrie and Salomon imparted his wisedome to the ignoraunt As birds recorde not alwaies but sometimes they sing out as after buds commeth fruite Num. 17 8 So preachers deuise how to make you heauenly wise and bud like Aarons rod Iohn 5 17 to giue vnto you the neuer dying fruite My father worketh hitherto I worke said Christ So no time is left for idlenes nor any occasion slipt ouer wherein or wherby we may benefite our brethren by interpreting the Scriptures as Christ did to the Disciples in the way to Emaus Luk. 24 27 Matt. 13.52 that they may be able so bring out of their treasure things both new and old There bee short tales and our life is likened to one of them to admonish vs that seing our daies weare out of date Psal 90 9 as a shorte tale that is tolde draweth quickly to conclusion therefore all our life is little enough to doe good in and we should stil be helping them that doe most neede and chieflie desire our aide Whether it bee in temporall matters or in spirituall affaires Nehemiah saide at the feast of Tabernaâ—les Eate of the fat Nehe. 8 10 and drinke of the sweete and sende parte to such as haue none And Christ opened the Scripâ—ures to them that talked of the scripâ—ures seeing the Preacher taught the people knowledge howe say the Papistes that ignoraunce is the mother of deuotion The doctrine of Salomon the preacher was it from heauen or of men if it bee from heauen vpon paine of damnation they must beleeue it if of men for shame let it not bee vnconfuted Christ was of Salomons minde for hee said Iohn 17 3 This is eternall life to knowe thee the true God and Iesus Christ whome thou hast sent but by the Popes principle they that will be saued must be ignorant Roma 10.2 Paul condemned that deuotion that was not begotten of knowledge the papistes