humble they feare themselues they seeke the Lord by prayer and are desirous to be established in the promises of God they are as strong as Mount Sion which cannot be remoued but remaineth for euer Psalme 125.1 Though then we be weake yet our Christ is strong though we haue many enemies yet the Lord hath promised to be our staie against them all Let vs knowe that perseuerance is as well the gift of God as to come at first to God We know what a free gift of God it was that we came to him Hee sought vs when we desired him not he found vs when we sought him not We see how before our calling we closed our eyes and would not see him we stopt our eares and would not heare him we drew backe and refused to goe to him and the Lord was faine to draw vs out so that our beginning came of God who reformed our iudgements and renewed our affections now to be established in seeing hearing and willingly drawing neere vnto God is his onely gift also Well we must be afraide of our selues and suspect our selues For why doe we slip often into such grosse sinnes why are we carried away with our owne affections why doe so many good motions die and perish in vs but only because of our securitie we are not careful to please God we are not afraide to offend God Well if we see that securitie hath bene the cause of our woe let vs labour to be carefull which is the cause of our good if securitie hath bene the cause we feared not let vs now be carefull that we may be afraide of our frailtie and trust in Gods word Otherwise if we be quiet with our selues and yeeld to presumption God will suffer vs to fall This is the cause why our sinnes breake out often to Gods dishonour and to the griefe of our owne consciences because we doe not more carefully to looke our thoughts and watch ouer our words It is added in this verse that I may liue So he saith Portion 10.4 Let thy tender mercies come vnto me that I may liue We see heere that the children of God thinke they haue no life if they liue not in Gods life For if we thinke we are aliue because we see so doe the bruit beasts if we thinke we are aliue because we heare so do the cattell if we thinke we are aliue because we eate and drinke or sleepe so do beasts if we thinke we liue because we doe reason and conferre so doe the Heathen The life of Gods children is the death of sinne for where sinne is aliue there that part is dead vnto God Art thou then giuen to malice to swearing to cursing to breaking of the Sabbath to adultery to filthines to stealing or slandring surely then art thou dead and if God should take away thy life from thee whilest thou art in this estate thy soule should goe sooner to hell than thy bodie to the graue We now see that Gods children finding themselues dull and slowe to good things when they cannot either reioyce in the promises of God or finde their inward man delighted with the law of God thinke themselues to be dead The Prophets meaning is this I am euen as a lumpe of flesh I am like an image or like an idoll of Gods childe I beare the face of his childe but I am as dead and as a blocke or a stocke or an idoll For as an idoll hath eyes and seeth not eares and heareth not mouth and speaketh not feete and goeth not euen so haue I eyes but I see not the glorie of my God I haue eares but I heare not the word of God I haue a mouth but I shewe not forth the iudgements of God I haue feete but I walke not in the law of my God The iust shall liue by faith Hab. 2. Rom. 1. Now I liue no more but Christ liueth in me saith the Apostle Oh that men would consider this that they are dead otherwise than their life is hidden in the promise and they haue no life but in Christ and from his spirit If the Prophet sayd this of himselfe where is the faith of our protestants where is the life of the godly where is their hope of a better life where is their practise of repentance where is the peace of conscience that passeth all vnderstanding where is the ioy of ChristiaÌ„s where is the care of mortification where is the quicknesse of sanctification where are all these become They are sewe and dead to good workes they liue in sinne they be but Christians in name they are very idols There is no life but in the word which we must finde by experience in our selues When Gods children finde this life of God in them then are they merrie and glad but when they feele that God withdraweth his spirit from them then they see how they are dead dull and carelesse as they were wont to be before they were regenerate Shall not this make vs more carefull and zealous of good workes and to be more iealous of our selues Let vs consider this that it is a ioy to haue a life and that euen the life of God the life of Angels the life of Christ when we contemne this life when wee are zealous of good workes when we feele spirituall ioyes when wee looke for a crowne of glorie when we labour to be renewed to the image of Christ. This is an heauenly life and though we will sweate and eate and drinke this is common with the beasts of the field and hauing no experience of faith in vs wee are either dangerously sicke or altogether dead If wee thinke it an hard matter to restore nature in a consumption how hard a thing is it to restore grace and saluation in a consumption of the soule If wee are without hope when a man is in a languishing disease when he hath no delight to eate when hee cannot brooke his meate and his sleepe is gone from him hee cannot labour and Physitians dare not meddle with him what hope is there when we are in such a consumption that the woâ—d which we heare doth vs no good the Sacraments which wee receiue doe vs no comfort prayer doth vs no good and when we cannot abide to labour in good workes surely it is a token we are almost languished to death if wee be not already dead wee are in extreame danger The Lord indeede is gracious and would not our death but if wee bee consuming and see it not if Gods life be going from vs and Sathans life is comming to vs if Gods graces be languishing in vs surely we are as dead Let vs then search our owne corruptione that we may see how neare we are to life or how neare wee are to death whether wee growe or consume whether for the one wee are to feare and pray to God or for the other to reioyce and praise God Thus we haue heard that the faith
is it to giue vs his truth to enrich vs with his Gospell and to blesse vs with such abundance of temporall things Oh that this were knowne of vs oh that euery man would say Oh Lord what am I that thou shouldest shewe mee such mercie to giue mee the enioying of thy word and Gospell more than any other and giuing it to mee makest me to vnderstand it aboue many oh what am I that thou shouldest offer to mee this goodnesse I was borne and conceaued in sinne I haue multiplied and enlarged my corruptions both before since my calling my vnthankfulnes is great my vnworthines therefore greater and yet thou hast not ceased to preferre me in mercies before many If we consider the fearefull iudgements of God in consuming all hypocrites who will not say that many haue beene called and few chosen When we shall see I say in the day of the Lord his seuere iudgements to tread downe these hypocrites and cause them to goe from his presence to hell oh how wil we esteeme that we are in Christ and say Oh how loue I thy law For I see thy iudgements are equall and thou dealest not with me in iustice but in mercie not in anger but in loue not in wrath but in pittie therfore they couenant is sweete because I haue deserued thy iudgements and thou hast spared me Vers. 120. My flesh trembleth for feare of thee and I am afraide of thy iudgements HEre may seeme at the first to be some contrarietie betweene feare and loue sith loue causeth not but casteth out feare For he had saide in the verse going before that hee loued the testimonies of the Lord and here he saith that his flesh trembled for feare Wherefore at the first sight here is some shew of contrariety but indeed there is none For he saith My flesh trembleth c. whereby he sheweth that as he loued the law of God in his inward man and with his part regenerate so it is the outward and olde man and the part vnrenued which is full of corruption that did feare So that as hee had Gods spirit to renue his minde hee had this witnesse in him that he did loue the promises of God but because his flesh rebelleth against the Spirit and hee found many corruptions of nature remaining in him and threatning him that after hee was like to fall againe if the Lord yea but a little should leaue him he saith I am afraid least for my vnthankfulnes and vnworthie refusing of thy mercie thou shouldest leaue me to my selfe and so shouldest make a way to thy iudgements Thus there is an harmonie in the Prophet for because as the flesh hath a trembling feare so the spirit reioyceth Thus as wee haue often heard Gods children finde to their comfort in themselues faith in Gods promises and a delight in his word sometime they are grieued for the absence of this sweetnes of faith in the same For as the presence of Gods spirit bringeth ioy so the absence thereof feare as faith breedeth a loue of Gods promises so infidelitie maketh vs afraid of his iudgements Although Noah had great cause to loue the promises of God for his wonderfull deliuerance so he had great cause to feare himselfe that he might haue fallen afterward Lot also hauing good cause to beleeue and embrace the couenant of God for his safegard had iust occasion also to haue suspected himselfe that he was subiect to falling It is said Prou. 28. 14. Blessed is the man that feareth alwaies but hee that hardeneth his heart shall fall into euill For where feare is not there is securitie securitie breedeth hardnesse of heart and hardnes of heart bringeth Gods wrath Wherfore the Apostle writing to the Philippians shewing that God worketh in vs both the will and the deede of doing good least hereby they should draw to themselues security addeth that they must fill the course of their saluation in feare and trembling For if wee doe only well by Gods grace working in vs wee are much to feare the absence of it Wherefore wee see how the man of God did iustly feare his part vnregenerate This feare of Gods children differeth much from the feare of the wicked for it bringeth vs to the Lord and driueth vs not from the Lord it helpeth and hindreth not our prayers it hurteth not but furthereth our duties For it maketh vs to feare least wee should lose Gods grace it causeth vs to waite more and more to haue it and hauing it moueth vs by prayer to continue it When Noah had Gods fauour he feared and being warned of God as Heb 11. 7. of the things which were as yet not seene moued with reuerence prepared the Arke c So Habacuk hearing of the iudgement of God which should fall vpon the faithfull by the Chaldeans saith Hâ—b 3. 16. My bellie trembled my lips shooke at the voyce rottennes entred into my bones and I trembled in my selfe Paul said he preached with feare and trembling Thus wee see how the good Saints of God did feare because they knewe that if the Lord should enter into iudgement with vs no flesh should be saued and that there was nothing in them but of mercie and therefore they acknowledge their weaknes vnworthinesse and wretchednesse Wee see also that Gods children haue diuers affects according to their diuers estates and though sometimes they are quickened through faith other times they are most ready to sinne if they doe not sinne No maruell then though the children of God feare when they see that God restraineth their will the greater their feelings are yet are they mixed with a reuerent feare of Gods maiestie and sight of their own corruptioÌ„s least they should not abide his glorie and least they should not continue in their good things We see moreouer that this feare humbled Noah that the Prophets Apostles spake in feare which the Lord gaue vnto them either to prepare them to some grace which they should receiue or else more zealously to keepe some grace which already they haue receiued And where it might be obiected that loue casteth out feare wee must vnderstand of that seruile and excessiue feare which driueth vs away from God And seeing though wee feele Gods loue by faith wee will feare then much more had we neede so to doe when by infidelitie wee feele not this loue So wee must haue both feare to prepare vs to grace and wee must haue loue to continue vs in this grace And surely onely they with whom this thing hath been familiar doe knowe how loue and feare doe dwell together For as blessed experiencâ— hath taught some that by this feare they haue attained to speciall graces and continued in them by the same so also by wofull experience some haue found that for want â—f this they either haue not tâ—sted of the grace of God or else not continued in the same PORTION 15. AYN. Vers. 1â—1 I haue executed iudgement and iustice
would neuer faile them nor forsake them till he had brought them to his habitation which should teach vs to doe the like for strengthning our faith in his goodnes by keeping continually as it were a beadroll of his benefits already receiued of him least by letting the olde slip out of our mindes which should make vs thankfull we neuer receiue the new whereof we are so carefull 3 As the roote of all sinne is in our soule so the beginning of all diseases is in our bodies And as there is no sinne which we should not fall into if the Lord leaue vs so is there no disease which should not come vpon vs vnlesse he preserue vs. For when his prouideÌ„ce watcheth not ouer vs we are ready to fall into all miserie It is not in our selues to keepe our good name from euill reports our minds from disquietnes our estate from pouertie c. This if it were beleeued and felt it would both make vs thankful continue in prayer not only in the want of such things we desire but also in the abundance of those we enioy For man liueth not by bread onely neither is it care can make vs rich nor our owne deuises bring quietnes to our mindes but it is the Lord who in his prouidence worketh all in all which must alwaies be acknowledged of vs to the end we may make vse of all things in any estate to the glory of his name and the good of our brethren 4 We may trie our faith in Gods prouidence by this as we vse the meanes to come to earthly things so for this we must vse the word and prayer Psal. 119. part 22. If then we esteeme not of the word and find no comfort in prayer Psal. 32. we can neuer esteeme of his prouidence we can neuer say in truth God giueth vs all things 5 The Lord oftentimes in his wise prouidence helpeth the wicked and such as are vnworthie and in steade of punishments which they doe deserue he sendeth blessings when they crievnto him for them From which we may gather that if he heare the wicked much more will he graunt the desire of such as feare him If hee remit the vngodly much more them that in truth of heart serue him for he dealeth not with vs as our deserts are as euery man may feele but he doth good both to the godly and the wicked that to diuers ends to the godly to hyre them from their sinnes to the wicked that after hee may confound them without excuse Therefore if when the Lord forbeareth we be touched in heart to repent this is the worke of Gods spirit the coÌ„fort thereof will abide for euer but if when he forbeareth we thinke our sinnes are lesse and so harden our hearts then are wee to feare that vtter confusion is at hand 6 The Lord neuer forsaketh his but in all dangers he will prouide though all meanes faile onely let vs belieue his prouidence and so will he giue vs our hearts desire if it stand with his glorie or else if we desire that which standeth not with his glorie yet let vs belieue that he is our FATHER in CHRIST and he will recompence the outward wants with a spirituall blessing 7 We may reade in Exodus 17. 7. that the Israelites through distrust doubted whether God was among them because they saw not such visible signes of Gods presence and fauour as they would With the like doubt our Sauiour Christ was tempted by the diuel Luc. 4 who laboured to make him doubt whether he were the Sonne of God because he wanted some things which were needful for this life wherby we may learne to know our own corruption how ready we are to iudge as the Israelits did because we sâ—e not such ordinary helps as we and other of Gods children haue at sometimes had but we are to correct this in ourselues and on the contrarie to thinke that God is amongst vs and with vs although we see some tokens of his anger Thus do we reason in religion Is this true religion seeing there be so many diuersities of iudgments such little godlines it is like it is not but rather we are to looke for some other so we reason in the common-wealth Is this gouernment good which bringeth so great hurly burlies and so great troubles so in mariage when contentions and temptations do arise then they thinke they were not ioyned together by God so in euery kind of trouble we iudge of the presence and prouidence of God by our outward sense feeling This is the policie of the diuel to cause men either to sink downe in despaire or else to be impatient at the least to murmur But to preuent this these are some remedies following The first that we looke to the word and when we see that religion hath alwaies had troubles and so shall haue still then shall we straightwaies see that our iudgement is fleshly Secondly wheÌ„ we see that many of Gods children in the world as Iob and others had trouble in their mariage and yet that it was of God then shall we learne that our iudgement is not according to the spirit Then let vs consider that the diuel doth herein exercise policie to ouerthrow our mariage we shal be wary to auoide them And if many haue been in this state yet the Lord hath not left them why should we yeeld to the temptation of Sathan who would perswade vs that our case is worse Thirdly we must looke to the former mercies of God which we haue felt If we haue once felt them then though we haue not alwaies the like feeling yet we must not thinke that he hath forsaken vs so that experience of former mercies must be our strength herein if we haue been in as great danger as now we are and euen then he helped vs why should we doubt Fourthly we must consider that many of Gods children are and haue been so and therefore we must take heede that in our rashnesse we do not condemne them We must not therefore iudge thus vnlesse we will be hurtfull to our selues and iniurious to our brethren 8 Moses was commanded to take the same staffe with which he stroke the red sea and therewith to strike the stonie rocke to giue the Israelites water to drinke to teach theÌ„ that the Lord was as well able to bring water where it is not as to stay the course thereof where it is This ought they to haue considered and then would they not in other things haue doubted If we wil auoid the like distrust we must remember the former works of God then labour to be garded in the hope of euerlasting life the resurrection of the body and the forgiuenes of sins that so we may be sure he will be good to vs still And as the chiefe helpe of al these let vs labour to be throughly
say they will do so no more and yet because they repent not therefore they fall againe So is this seene in angrie persons which are rather grieued for shame or losse or such like causes not for the loue of GOD so it is in thieues which come to the gallowes againe although once receiued their pardon This also may be seene in Tale-bearers when their dealing is knowne they maruell at themselues yet not repenting they fall to their sinne againe The Apostle Saint Iames in his fourth chapter teacheth vs not only to clense the hands but to purge the heart also for we must see our hearts defiled with the sinne wee leaue or else it is impossible to repent for the heart being still defiled will yeeld to a new occasion The means to leaue these sins is there set downe to howle and weepe c. Iam. 4. for the burnt child feareth the fire but because God doth not throughly punish men because mens hearts do not feele the grieuousnes of sinne and Gods iudgements due to them for the same therefore they sinne afresh but if they did feele Gods wrath and the grieuousnes of their sinnes then no doubt they would shake at the appearance of euill Therefore that we may come to this and hate those sinnes that especially do preuaile against vs we must vse sharpe medicines as in an old festered sore they vse corrosiue salues for there are some kind of sinnes like to some kind of diuels which cannot be cast out without prayer and fasting And when wee cannot bee healed with ordinarie meanes the disease still continuing then must we vse extraordinarie which if wee doe the Lord wil lift vs vp and in the end giue vs power to trample sinne vnderneath our feet For if we had more griefe for our chiefest and greatest sinnes God would giue vs a heart to hate them and to feare the least occasions that might draw vs vnto them so should wee bee for euer preserued from them they should neuer preuaile against vs. 5 Sinne doth much grieue the Lord although in great mercie he doth long and oftentimes forbeare the punishment therof which should much moue vs and cause vs when we see our often fallings greatly to bee greued thereat and highly to bee displeased with our selues for the same least we fall into presumption And when our owne consciences the diuell doe accuse vs for such sinnes as we haue committed against the Lord as then we are to bewaile and lament our goings astray and displeasing of our God so are wee to trust in his promises and to embrace his mercies least we bee ouewhelmed with griefe and so fall into despaire for the diuel euer and continually laboureth to bring vs either to the one or the other presumption or desperation Therefore when wee haue sinned and yet doe rebuke our selues being much displeased with our selues because of Sinne wee are to comfort our selues the Lord will shew his mercie vpon vs for if hee shewed vs his mercie when we were not grieued how much more when wee vnfainedly lament If hee hath waited vpon vs to doe vs good before wee repented how much more shall his goodnes appeare towards vs vnfainedly repenting 6 What is the cause that men can be so well content to lie in their sins without repentance and thinke all is well if they can for a while forbeare and abstaine from them This no doubt is the cause because they set not themselues before the iudgement feare of God and of Christ and therein feare to consider how grieuous a thing sin is in the sight of God how greatly it displeaseth him and what fearfull condemnation abideth them that securely and carelesly continue in their sinnes For if men could consider this that their sins prouoke the wrath of the Lord against them and do procure euerlasting condemnation to be powred out vpon them they would no doubt feele sinne most grieuous vnto them yea a burthen that presseth them downe to hell then would their spirits be vexed within them and their hearts bruised with the due consideration of their sinnes yet all this would not bring them out of their sinnes For the law condemneth and worketh wrath and the iudgements of the Lord doe cast down wound and kill that so we might be fit to receiue the Lord Iesus who came to raise vp to heale and giue life to such as are fallen sicke and dead And still is hee present to helpe those which are in like manner distressed for till such time he will not worke vpon them to cure and deliuer them from their sinnes hee was sent onely to the sicke c. and those no doubt he will heale Hereof it commeth to passe that many doe continue in their sinnes and are not deliuered from the power of them because they are not wounded with a feare of Gods iudgement and so driuen to seeke their helpe in Christ but in their owne power for thinking sin to be but a small matter they goe about to suppresse it by their own strength and by their owne power to subdue and ouercome it Wherefore the Lord that hee may let them see that without the helpe of Christ their strength is nothing and their labour spent in vaine doth suffer them againe and againe to be buffeted with their sinnes yea and if they wil not then flie out of themselues vnto Christ they shall receiue the foyle be ouercome therewith to the end they might be brought framed at the length if they belong vnto God to be fit matter for the Lord to worke vpon And then no doubt if we can come thus humbled in our selues vnder the mightie hand of God and by vnfained praier craue forgiuenesse at the Lords hands for Iesus Christs sake and desire continually the assistance of his holy spirit wee shall encrease in faith and feele the cleare forgiuenes of our sins and in him we shall find strength against sinne and shall feele his power working in our weakenes or as sorrow must goe before so repentance must come fast after forgiuenesse 7 Some when they haue sinned reason thus the Lord doth not punish me for my si 〈…〉 s therfore he hath forgiuen them but this kind of reasoning is false and dangerous because it abuseth the great mercie of God to hardnesse of heart and that the Lord will punish though he forbeare for a time it is plaine Exod. 34. 7. Which if wee would consider then would the goodnes and the long suffering of the Lord lead vs to repentance Rom. 2. â—4 8 The Lord wil spare his iudgements in them in whom he sâ—eth a true loue of true Religion for they that loue Religion will desire to heare and hearing the word they wilâ—â—ot fall to any sinne or if they fall into sinnes they will not lie in them long 9 When our sin hath lesse liking in vs there is hope that it wil decay in vs
body to haue liued in burning fire vntill the appearing of Christ so he might then be assured of Gods fauour towards him yea his greatest comfort was this that though he should be in hell yet he hoped therin of Gods fauour to haue his torments mitigated with them that suffer least In all which troubles notwithstanding no world of reward no terror of tyrannie could cause him willingly to doe the least thing displeasing to God whom when the Lord released he would comfort himselfe in Christ saying that the diuell would take the aduantage of his sorrow to make him vnthankefull in good things 2 We are either as a Prince or as a peasant either most mightie aboue all Princes or most vile among the sonnes of men If all the Monarches in the world withstood vs our owne consciences comforting vs we ruled aboue all If the vilest vassall in the world rise against vs our owne heart condemning vs we seeme to be most miserable of all 3 He said howsoeuer men might deale with outward matters yet when griefes and fancies grew in the minde and grieued it nothing could surely cure them but onely the word of God 4 Hauing to deale with diuers humbled consciences he would mislike them that would not abide to tarry the Lords leisure but they must needs be helped at once euen by and by as soone as they heard him speake or else they would then thinke farre worse of him than euer before notwithstanding the good report had and the good opinion conceiued of him for besides that hee that beleeueth maketh not hast this is a comming rather as it were to a Magitian who by an incantation of words makes sillie soules looke for health than to the minister of God whose words being most Angelicall comfort not vntill and so much as it pleaseth the Lord to giue a blessing vnto them which sometime he doth denie because we come to them with too great an opinion of them as though they were wise men not vnto such as vsing their meanes yet doe looke and stay for our comfort wholy from God himselfe 5 Being asked how in the examining of our consciences for sinne we should find out the speciall sinne he said that could not easily be done for who doth vnderstand the errors of his life but by oft examining of our selues by acquainting of our selues with our owne estate by earnest prayer that God would reueale vs the sinne by oft hearing and reading the word by marking the most checkes of our consciences and reproches of our enemies we might be led to the neerest sight of them 6 Vnto one afflicted in minde he gaue this comfort first if you haue knowledge be thankfull for it and desire the Lord to giue you faith if you haue faith which vndoubtedly you may haue though not rightly discerning your selfe you presently perceiue it not you must waite on the Lord for feeling of it for many times he exerciseth faith with temptations before he sends feeling And though it may be you shall â—arrie the Lords leisure long yet surely he will giue it you in time In the meane time assure your selfe that the greatest faith is when there is least feeling It is easie for euery one in glorious feelings and ioyes vnspeakable to beleeue but when a man feeling no sensible comfort in the Lord can notwithstanding beleeue in the Lord and by faith waite on him this mans faith is most great 7 After some effectuall working of Gods spirit in vs most commonly in many not long after comes deadnes and dulnes against this euill we must first search the cause whether it be for some euill thing done or for some good thing not done for leauing some meane of saluation vnused whether for some sinne seene but nor repented of or some sin repented of but not soundly or for vnthankfulnes Secondly vse the remedie please not your selfe in it but rouse vp your selfe as from a slumber which willingly you would shake off from you call to minde the speciall and greatest mercy of God vse the meanes Thirdly in the meanes offer thy selfe vnto God wayting humbly and patiently for the time of deliuerance neither esteeming too much nor too little of the affliction 8 When one was troubled in minde he gaue him this comfortable note That although it came to passe that after some trauaile in the new birth Gods graces were not so sweete and our sinnes not so sower and grieuous vnto vs as they were at our first entrance into regeneration but we are now weaker in lesse assaults hauing afore beene stronger in greater temptations we are not to despayre but to consider from whence this gracious progresse did come namely of God and not of our selues who shewed himselfe more fauourable in the beginning both because he would not discourage vs newly comming vnto him and for that we forsaking our selues with a godly suspecting of our weaknes in the least temptations did flie vnto Gods helpe by prayer who in wisedome can hide himselfe vnder a clowde partly for that he will looke to see some triall of strength at our hands comming to some age in new birth partly for that now we lesse forsake or suspect our selues no not in greater temptations and so presumptuously trusting to our strength and staying our selues with our owne staffe we doe not call to God for helpe and not calling doe not obtaine and not obtaining helpe we take the foyle in the conflict that the Lord may make knowne vnto vs that notwithstanding our proceeding in Christianitie we are still but men and God alone is God 9 He said to one troubled in minde for a secret and small sinne I doe not so much feare this sinne in you as the policie of Sathan by it either in that he will not sticke to shew you the lesse sinnes hide from you the greater or else by the quicke sight of your secret and small sinnes to cast vpon you an open and grosse sinne of vaine glorie and priuie pride 10 Afflicted consciences must not dispute too much against themselues for their own actions for that being displeased with their owne persons they cannot be pleased with their owne doings 11 He tolde in loue this obseruation and experience when any came with a troubled conscience for sinne wisely to discerne whether they be meanely grieued with a generall sight of their sinne or whether they be extreamely throwne downe with the burthen of particular sinnes if so they be then it is good at the first to shew that no sinne is so great but in Christ it is pardonable and that there is mercy with God that he might be feared so on the other side shewiug the mercy to come from God but so as they are nothing fit to receiue mercie vnlesse they feele their particular and pricking sinnes But if their sorrow be more confessed in generall things then it is good to
reports 2. When anie report the faults of others without care of their credit or when with flattering hearts they commend any man 2. Inwardly either 1. In suspition without iust cause 2. In iudgement falsly or hardly of anie man Which bee the occasions of false witnesse hearing They be fleshly hatred of our enemies the carnall loue of our selues or of our friends to get the things we loue and to auoide the things we feare or hate How are wee partakers with false witnes bearers If we either command or counsell it to be done If wee mislike it not or not stay it if we can What is here commanded 1. First in iudgement to further righteous causes so farre forth as my calling requireth 2. Secondly to speake the truth from my heart to euery man so farre forth as it is requisite for him to know it 3. Thirdly to be as carefull of the credit of my neighbour as of mine owne both in his presence and absence so farre forth as the nature of his offence will permit 4. Fourthly to hope and belieue the best of euery man Rehearse the tenth Commandement Thou shalt not couet c Arâ— all motions and desires euill No for the desire of meate drinke sleepe and such like are naturall and in their owne nature good vnlesse through our corruption they become sinfull What motions be euill These motions be euill which are either against God or our Neighbour Are all those forbidden in this Commandement No for all those which are against God are forbidden in the first commandement but these motions onely are here forbidden which are against our Neighbour Seeing in the former Commandements wee are forbidden to hurt our neighbour in heart how doth this differ from the former In the former Commandements the setled desires of the heart are forbidden but the motions are onely here forbidden whereunto the heart doth not consent Whereof doe these motions arise They either arise from our owne corruption or are offered by Sathan or by the world Are all these motions sinne in vs All that arise of our corruption are sinnes in vs but they that be offered by Sathan or the world are not sinnes vnles we be infected with them How are wee infected with them 1. First when weetake pleasure in them 2. When wee be intangled with them 3. When we suffer them to tarrie in oâ—â—â—inâ—es though our hearts doe not giue coâ—sent How is this Commaundement brokâ—â— Three waies 1. First when euill motions arise of our corruption moouing vs to hurt our Neighbours 2. Secondly when we be infected with those motions which Sathan or euill men doe put â—nto our mindes 3. Thirdly when we doe not with like affection desire the good of our Neighbour as wee doe our owne What is then commaunded I am commaunded to loue my Neighbour as my selfe Who is your Neighbour Euâ—ry one that is neere mee and standeth in neede of my helpe and it lieth in me to helpe him though otherwise he be a stranger vnto me or my foe Why iudge you so Because of the Image of God in him and that hee is mine owne flesh in respect of our first parents Doth the Law of God prescribe the perfect rule of righteousnes Yea for there is no good thing in deede worde or thought but heere it is commaunded and likewise no euill but heere it is forbidden Can euery one keepe the Law of God perfitlâ— They that are not borne againe of God cannot keepe it neither in all nor in any one point as pleasing God thereby in respect of themselues Why so Except a man be borne againe of God hee cannot see the kingdome of heauen not enter therein neither can hee keepe the commaundements of God moreouer all men by nature being borne and conceiued in sinne are not only insufficient to any good thing but also disposed to all vice and wickednes What punishment is due to the breakers of Gods Law In this life the curse of God and death with manifold miseries both of body or soule or both What else Where this curse is not taken away euerlasting death and damnation both of bodie and soule in the world to come But God is mercifull Hee is indeed full of mercie but hee is also full of righteousnes which must fully be discharged or else wee cannot be partakers of his mercie And cannot wee by our selues make satisfaction for our sinnes We cannot by any meanes but rather from day to day encrease our debt But doth not God wrong to man to require of him that he is not able to performe No for God made man so that hee might haue performed it but hee by his sinne spoyled himselfe and his posteritie of those good gifts Can anie creature in heauen or earth which is onely a creature make satisfaction to his righteousnesse No none at all for First God will not punish that in another creature which is due to be paid by man and besides none that is onely a creature can abide the wrath of God against sinne and deliuer others from the same What manner of man is to be sought out to bee our Mediatour and Deliuerer Hee which is indeed a very man and perfectly righteous and more mightie than all creatures that is hee which also is very true God Why must hee be man and perfitly righteous Because that the righteousnes of God requireth that the same nature that sinned should pay and make amends for sinne Why must hee be God withall Because that by his godly power hee may abide the burden of Gods wrath in his flesh and may get againe and restore to vs the righteousnes and life which wee haue lost Who is that Mediatour which is very God and very man and perfiâ—ly righteous withall Our Lord Iesus Christ who was made vnto vs Wisedome Righteousnes Sanctification and Redemption What is the vse of all that hetherto hath bâ—ene taught The vse is to bring vs to a sound perswasion and fâ—eling of our sinnes because they haue deserued so grieuous punishmeÌ„t as either the death of the sonne of God or hell fire Are they onely deliuered from the curse of the Lawe and made partakers of the merites of Christ that are truely humbled They onely and none other Esâ—i 57. Matthew 5. 3. 4. 5. and as for the Lawe heauen and earth shall passe away but one jote or title of Gods Law shall not faâ—e till all be fulfilled How is the truth of Gods Law fulfilled It is fulfilled in 1. Gods children because it bringeth them to be truely humbled in themselues for their sinnes and then sendeth them to Christ in whome it is fully fulfilled 2. The wicked because it declareth to them their iust confusion when to the ende they either presume or despaire Is sorrow for sinne sufficient to bring vs to Saluation No for wee must also haue a true Faith What is that true Faith that saueth vs It is a true
yet we may eate the fatnes of meate which was forbidden them And so in all the commandements the morall obseruation belongeth to vs as well as to them the ceremoniall keeping to them and not to vs. And the same we conclude of this place concerning the fire making on this day Out of the new Testament they also gather two reasons First they say it is not mentioned nor vrged so much in the new Testament as are the other precepts I an answere this is no good reason but is rather to be returned to the Anabaptists who reason that the iudiciall lawes are not to be vsed because they are not vrged Nay rather looke what the holie Ghost hath set downe more sparingly in the old Testament he hath more fully plainly supplied it in the new Testament and what thing the law containeth more fully that the Gospell handleth more sparingly because the Lord in his heauenly wisedome would not trouble vs much with one thing But we know it is named Matth. 12. and 24. Mar. 2. Iohn 5. Act. 20. 1. Cor. 16 and 16. Reuelat. â— The second argument is this The Apostles changed the day which say these men they neuer would haue done had it been morall I answere it was neuer commanded nor appointed what one certaine day should be kept among seuen but that there should be obserued a seuenth day which being kept it is sufficient and the law remaineth vnuiolated And yet we permit not that any man at his pleasure should now change this day For that which the Apostles did they did not as priuate men but as men guided by the spirite of God they did it for the auoyding of superstition wherewith the Iewes had infected it Againe as the Iewes vsed the other day which is the last day of the weeke because it was the day wherein the Lord made all things perfect so the Apostles changed it into the day of Christ his resurrection who was the beginner of the new world on which day we receiued a more full fruite and possession of all the benefits in Christ his conception birth life and death Besides this was the first day of the creating of the world wherein the Lord drew light out of darknes Lastly the holy Ghost is said on this day to come downe vpon the holy Apostles So that this day doth fitly put vs in minde of our creation to be thankfull to God the Father of our redemption to be thankfull to God the Sonne and of our sanctification to be thankfull to God the holie Ghost Now if any can alleadge more effectuall or equall reasons vnto these hee may alter the day so it be with the consent of the Church Wherefore the equitie of the law remaining it is not abrogated Circumcision as we haue shewed is considered two manner of wayes either as the seale of Faith Rom. 4. or as a signe of that circumcision which wee haue in Christ made without hands In this manner considered it is ceased as it is a seale of Faith it remaineth not the same in forme and manner but the same in effect For although wee haue not the same helpe of our Faith yet we haue a helpe The Iewes had Sacraments moe in number but we more excellent in signification Though we haue not many SacrameÌ„ts and holy-dayes yet wee haue two Sacraments and one day more effectuall than all they were which the Iewes had We see therefore in truth no reason as yet why we should not obserue the Sabbath as Morall Thus hauing confirmed the doctrine of the Sabbath by the holy Scriptures and proued that there is a morall vse of the same as well for vs as for the Iewes and hauing answered all the contrarie objections that might seeme to make against this doctrine it followeth now according to our first diuision that wee should speake of the obseruation of the Sabbath it selfe shewing how it is kept and wherein it is broken For both these are expressed in the Commaundement wherein is set downe the affirmatiue to teach how to keepe it and the negatiue to shew how we breake it First then we will shew how the Sabbath ought to be kept then afterward we will declare how it is broken Where it is said in the beginning of the precept Remember to keepe holic and in the ende thereof the Lord hallowed the Sabbath so that it is not simply said Remember to keepe but to keepe holy neither is it simply mentioned that the Lord left the seuenth day but blessed the seuenth day hallowed it Hereby is insinuated vnto vs that in this day we should grow in loue towards God tender affection to our brethren wee are taught that then wee keepe the Sabbath aright when we vse it to that ende for which it was ordained that is when we vse in it as we haue before shewed thâ—se exercises whereby we may be the more sanctified and God the more glorified both on this in the other dayes of the weeke These exercises be such as are either priuate or publike The publike exercises are twice at the least to bee vsed euery Sabbath and they bee these First the word read and preached then prayers feruently made with thanksgiuing singing of Psalmes reuerend administration of the Sacraments And first for reading and preaching of the word wee reade Nehem. 8. 8. And they read in the booke of the Law of God distinctly and gaue the sense and caused them to vnderstand the reading Also wee may see this in the practise of the Apostles Act. 13. vers 15. And after the lectures of the Lawe and Prophets the rulers of the Synagogue sent vnto them saying Yee men and brethren if ye haue any word of exhortation for the people say on And as the Ministers did reade and preach the word so it was the practise of the Church to heare as Eccles. 4. vers 17. Take heede to thy foote when thou entrest into the house of God and bee more neere to heare than to giue the sacrifice of fooles And it is saide Nehem. 8. 3. The eares of all the people hearkened vnto the booke of the Law And concerning praying thanksgiuing singing the Prophet of God vseth a vehemeÌ„t exhortation to the Church Psal. 92. 1. Come saith he let vs reioyce vnto the Lord let vs sing aloude to the rocke of our saluation 2. Let vs come before his face with praise let vs sing aloude vnto him with Psalmes And Psal. 65. 1. O God praise waiteth for thee in Sion c. Now for the Sacraments generally we are to marke that as in the time of the law the sacrifices were most vsed on the Sabbath day so our SacrameÌ„ts succeeding the sacrifices are then most to be frequented As for the supper of the Lord it appeareth Act. 18. 1. Cor. 11. as it seemeth that it was administred euery Lords day although now adaies the ministers may
persons loth for to pray know that prayer is not a thing of the mouth but of the minde not a sounding of the voyce but a yerning of the spirit not a labour of the lips but a trauailing of the heart and therefore will confesse giuing God the glorie to their owne shame that they had rather heare the word two houres than thus seriously striue in prayer one quarter of an houre And why It is a small thing to lend the eares in hearing it is easie to feede our delight with hearing a man renewing our knowledge but to set on worke the eye the eare the hands to trauell with the heart to set the whole bodie in a frame of subiection as becommeth them that pray to the Lord which sheweth that prayer is a thing both painfull and laborious we shall proue it to be a very hard thing Prayer bringeth the experience of the things which wee know and without it we haue as little proofe of our knowledge as they haue vse of an hidden treasure which neuer are the better for it The word maketh knowne to vs the treasures of God his wisedome but faith bringeth the experience of them by applying and appropriating these mercies of God to our selues prayer is the instrument whereby this faith is continued in vs. The word telleth vs that God will plague sinners prayer brings an experience of this The word telleth vs that God careth for vs prayer proueth this the word sheweth that the Lord hath both power and mercie to shew to his people prayer obtaineth the triall of this the word reuealeth to vs the wisedome prouidence maiestie and goodnes of God prayer conueieth the certaintie of these things into vs. God will bee glorified wholy and onely and cannot abide that wee should be fellow-partners with him therein If a man come by knowledge faith and repentance by hearing it is rather an infusion into a man than an action from a man and it is the great mercie of God but when the Lord brings a man on his knees and humbles him in prayer and constraineth him to aske all of God that wee might heare rightly and so vse the things heard this breaketh the heart of a man and makes him to say Great is the Lord. This I say humbles a man to acknowledge his wants this calleth downe many blessings both spirituall and corporall from the Lord. We know that though a father is readie and fully hath purposed to leaue an inheritance vnto his children yet to acquaint them with obedience he will haue them aske things of farre lesse value at his hands so God notwithstanding he hath purposed to giue vnto vs an heauenly inheritāce which in Christ is purchased yet to continue vs in faith and obedience he will haue vs to aske it of him If mans wisedome can come thus farre shall we not hereby gather the wisedome of God If man hath this pitie shall we doubt of mercie in God and as prayer bringeth experience of God his loue so also it proueth our knowledge faith and repentance For if we will be suiters at God his hand wee must not willingly displease him For we see that when we would obtaine a suite of a man we will be carefull not to offend him least we should suffer repulse and likewise when we pray we must addresse our hearts to obedience and therefore the Scripture speaketh of clensing our hearts of hypocrisie and vnfaithfulnes If this care be had in suites for things corruptible that willingly we will not offend him to whom we sue then must wee know that God is Lord of the spirits and therefore to pray vnto him without auoyding things displeasing him and doing things pleasing him is but grosse by pocrisie Hee must needes be a godly man then that prayes often and if wee be so bold to pray nourishing some sinne in vs besides that we are dull in prayer wee are inwardly both accused and accursed Hereof comes such plentifull acknowledging of our sinnes in prayer with a purpose to auoide them hereof come such vowes and protestations of obedience so that prayer doth not onely continue repentance but also breedeth thankfulnes For it is our corruption when we know that we obtaiened a thing any other waies than by prayer that then we ascribe it to the meanes but when we see God hath heard our prayers it sealeth our faith it confirmeth our thankfulnes True it is that God giueth many mercies without praying yet this must the more make vs thankfull and nothing slacke vs in vsing the meanes which God hath appointed That prayer further confirmeth loue to God it is manifest alreadie now we must shew how it worketh loue euen to our brethren When a man comes to pray and hath this choake-peare that he must forgiue or else not be forgiuen he must needs be either an hypocrite in his prayer or cease from prayer or forgiue his enemies It is palpable hypocrisie to desire God to forgiue vs many and great sinnes and we will not pardon our brother a few and light offences If we will take a view of the weight height length depth and breadth of our sins we will confesse it hypocrisie to craue pardon for so many sinnes being hardly brought to forgiue others a fewe trespasses And for this cause the Scripture saith If yee forgiue not others yee cannot be forgiuen If then Prayer be such a thing as nature doth least entertaine if it brings such experience of God his loue towards vs if it so confirmeth Faith continueth repentance and causeth loue both to God and man it is good cause that this is set to inferre the other and to make all other parts of God his worship the more effectuall Hee shall be saued That is in the midst of diseases he shall not be taken away in the time of iniquitie he shall not be ouertaken but in all these he shall suffer with Faith and a good conscience Besides by the word of sauing is meant the obtaining of all graces as pledges of our saluation and gages of our inheritance so that it doth not barely betoken an exempting of vs from the former iudgements threatned Will a man then escape the wrath menaced and enioy the grace promised let him vse true and heartie prayer which hath it fruite commended vnto vs both in the chapter going before in the election of an Apostle and also in the beginning of this chapter in that being gathered together in prayer the holy Ghost was sent downe Now let vs speake a little of the circumstances First of the persons it is said Whosoeuer Secondly for the extremitie of the time it is said shall be saued that is from those iudgements and endued with those graces that euen then when there shall be so many opinions that we shall not bee able well to discerne the truth when wickednes shall abound euery where examples of godlinesse be no where when wee shall be able to finde no comfort either in our selues
or raiment or any such other thing For by this meanes he is made our mercifull and louing father which knoweth perfectly what things we stand in neede of and for his power is able euen in greatest extremities to helpe vs and for his loue and good will towards vs will helpe vs and thus doth he abide for euer and is neuer changed For though a mother should forget her children yet will the Lord neuer forsake those that loue him and in faith call vpon him To this free forgiuenes of sinnes the imputation of Christs righteousnesse vnto vs there must be added the sanctification of the spirit as the second part of our redemption which iâ— we be once throughly perswaded of it it shall be a speciall help vnto vs against all impatience and murmuring against the Lord for it is a greater thing to turne a sinner than to worke wonders in nature And therfore if in our hearts we can beleeue that God hath made vs of sinfull and wicked men iust and righteous of vile wretches the vessels of righteousnesse of the mansions of the diuell fit temples of his holy spirit if we doe beleeue that he can make of couetous men liberall men of whoremongers chaste persons of oppressors vpright dealing men yea if we can beleeue that the Lord both is able and willing also to deliuer vs from any sinne that is within vs be it neuer so strong either by nature or by euill custome and last of all if we can beleeue that he is able to make the wolfe and the lambe to lie together the leopard and the kid shall we euer doubt that he will once faile vs or suffer vs to want the thing that is meete for vs seeme it neuer so vnpossible to be attained vnto Thirdly if we beleeue that with Christ we shall be raised vp at the last day we shall as stedfastly beleeue that he will preserue vs for it is a greater matter to raise vp our bodies being dead and consumed to dust than to preserue them whilest they are aliue if he can doe the greater he can doe also the lesse Moreouer if we be perswaded that our heauenly father hath prepared a kingdome for vs in the heauens we must needs beleeue that in this life he will not leaue vs nor forsake vs but will mercifully prouide for our necessities for if he will giue vs the greater benefits he will also giue vs the lesse if he in wisedome see it fit for his glorie and profitable for vs. The fift thing we must stay our selues vpon when murmuring doth assaile tempt vs is faith in Gods prouidence This prouidence is generall or particular in both which we must be throughly grounded if we will withstand all occasions of murmuring and not breake out in temptations into impatience The generall prouidence of God must be considered first in creation of all things secondly in preseruing them Doe we then beleeue that the Lord made all things of nothing and shall wee not beleeue that he will preserue them Now seeing they are made doe we beleeue that God made all men and shall we then stand in feare of men When God created light before the Sunne the Moone and the Starres and when hee made grasse to growe vpon the earth before thâ—re was either raine or dewe to water them he did thereby teach vs first that wee should not put too much trust in them whilest we haue them and againe that rather then we should suffer hurt by the want of light grasse or other such things the Lord both could and would prouide for vs without them Yet now if wee should not haue the Sunne wee would thinke that light were taken from vs and if wee wanted raine wee would soone thinke we should neither haue grasse nor corne nor any fruit of the earth but the Lord hath ordained these meanes to serue his prouidence not for himselfe for without them hee can as easily helpe vs but for our weakenes which otherwise could not easily be assured of his goodnes Secondly we must beleeue that God preserueth all as well as he created them yea the small sparrow doth not fall vpon the earth without his prouidence and he hath a great care ouer the very beasts of the field doth the Lord prouide for these and will he not also prouide for man Hath he care of beasts yea indeede hee hath because they were made for man and shall hee not much rather haue care ouer man for whom things were made Men say they doe beleeue all this but whilest there is such doubting of Gods prouidence and such repining against God they doe plainly shewe they doe not beleeue this first article of their faith neither in creation nor in the vniuersal gouernment and preseruation of all things Hereunto we must ioyne the particular prouidence of God which if wee can bee once throughly perswaded of then shall wee easily ouercome the griefe of all our wants Hath the Lord made any thing in vaine hath he not made all things for his glorie Then if we beleeue that hee hath made our bodies shall wee not also beleeue that he will prouide for them seeing the creation thereof is more wonderfull than the preseruation is as appeareth Psalm 29. 139. Hath he care ouer the wicked to doe them good and will he not much more reioyce ouer his children to doe them good If the Lord loued vs when we were his enemies will he not prouide for vs being redeemed by the blood of his sonne Did hee good vnto vs when we sought him not and will he not much more when we seeke him by prayer in the blood of his Sonne as he hath coÌ„manded If he hath done vs good when he might haue punished vs for our sinnes wil he not be much more fauourable vnto vs now seeing he hath by his holy spirit sanctified vs O that men had hearts to beleeue this they would then giue glorie vnto God in their distresses putting their trust in him looking for helpe at his hands in his conuenient time This prouidence of God must be confirmed vnto vs by the examples of Gods children in all ages whose examples are set downe in the Scriptures that we by them might learne patience If the fathers before the flood eating nothing but hearbes yet liued some 700. yeeres some 800. some 900. yeeres and some more shall wee not learne thereby that man liueth not by these meanes And againe if he nourished them 900. yeeres and that with heaâ—â—es we may be sure he will feede vs 90. yeers with flesh and fish and other greater meanes When he fed the Israelites fortie yeeres with Manna from heauen which after such a sort was neuer seene before whereof if they reserued any without the Lords commandement if straightway putrified and was corrupted but when by the commandement of God it was kept before the testimonie it was not corrupted
children of God Why therefore shouldest thou lay before thee the difficulties of ouercomming Sathan that thou shouldest therefore despaire in the mercies of God Why should any of vs thinke that wee are not able to ouercome our owne lusts when Christ Iesus standeth for vs and fighteth with vs when his Angels pitch their tents round about vs and the spirit of God is powerfull in vs and the word of God maketh for vs. Now seeing thou hast the Word which is of power to saue thy life and seeing thou hast the seales of Gods mercies Water Bread and Wine which are more sure seales of Gods fauour than the obligations and bonds of any Priaces seeing thou art so fenced in on euery side bee not discouraged by the mightie power of thine enemies but abide the brunt a little and desire the Lord to increase thy faith and no doubt thou shalt be a conquerour and triumph ouer all thine enemies Let vs bethinke vs of our charges and costs being certainly perswaded by whom in whom through whom we shall be more than conquerours that so we runne not away at the first Let vs beleeue and it shall be vnto vs according to our faith and if wee cannot beleeue let vs pray with the man in the Gospell Lord helpe our vnbeliefe FINIS THE TENTH SERMON PREACHED ON PART OF the 44. verse of the 13 Chapter according to Saint Matthew MATTH 13. vers 44. Againe the kingdome of heauen is like vnto a treasure hid in the fielde which when a man hath found he hideth it and for ioy thereof departeth and selleth all that hee hath and buyeth that field HAuing spoken of this verse before my purpose is not to vse any long repetition of that which was deliuerâ—â— â—n effect this â—ath been before shewed namely that the price of our saluation here called the kingdom of God â—s so excellent that it is resembled vnto a treasure which howsoeuer it is hid from the reprobate and those that bee of this world yet it is manifest and reuealed vnto the children of God who finde it and when they haue found it hide it fearing least they should lose it againe the finding whereof breedeth such ioy in their hearts that they will willingly part from all things that they haue so that they may enioy this treasure and therefore it is saide that the man hauing found this treasure departeth and withdraweth himselfe Where we haue shewed that many for want of this withdrawing themselues or premeditation not considering what the price of this treasure is nor what paines and labour he is to take which enioyeth it after they haue once begun and entred into this course which leadeth vnto eternall life not being able to continue therein doe with the vnskilfull builder not forecasting what the building will cost and with the vnwise King hauing begun warre and not able to go through there with leaue off vnto their great shame and reproch And here we haue shewed that no man can sell all that he hath to buy this treasure before hee haue throughly considered and deeply â—ayed what the thing itselfe is and what losse and perill he is to sustaine before he can attaine thereunto And heere leaâ—â— that any should be discouraged from selling that which he hath to buy this treasure I shewed the remedies and helpes which further vs therein For howsoeuer this treasure is chargeable yet the cost is Christs and how laborious soeuer it is yet Christ haâ—h taken sufficient paines in obtaining it for all those that put their trust in him And although the perils and dangers be great yet in our Lord Iesus they are all ouercome After that a man hath premeditated the charges paines and perils which hee is to sustaine in buying this treasure then he commeth to a ful resolution and he selleth all that he hath and buyeth that field In this word selleth there is much matter contained where we ought to giue more diligent attention thereunto The things in generall which are to be sold before this field be bought are either of their owne nature euill and in themselues simply sinfull or else such as are sinfull in respect of circumstances those which of themselues are simply sinfull are of two sorts either grosse outward sins or else the inward corruption of our corrupt nature Concerning the former to wit grosse outward they must bee parted withall and sold for this saying is true both in religion and in manners No man can serue two masters c. If Baal be God then we must follow him we must not be luke-warme hot cold for such the Lord spueth out of his mouth Wherefore we cannot serue God the world for there is such a contrarietie and a fight betweene them that vntill we reiect forsake the world we can neither serue God aright nor yet attaine to the fruition of this treasure In these words He selleth all that he hath there are three things to be considered First that sinnes must be sold and not changed Secondly sinnes must be sold all and not some Thirdly they must be sold for euer and not for a season As touching the first we see many that doe not so much sell their sinnes as make an exchange of them for many in the time of Poperie had in estimation the Pope and that religion of Antichrist which now professing the Gospell doe neglect and contemne it heretofore the paines of that fained Purgatorie were feared of many but now men are not afraide of the torments of hell which are most sure heretofore men prayed in an vnknowne tongue not vnderstanding what they said but now they will not pray in a knowne tongue knowing what they say before men prayed for the dead now they will not pray for them which are aliue before men vsed long and continuall prayer now either they pray not at all or they are so short and soone wearie as it seemeth they receiue no grace thereby before many Sacraments which were no Sacraments were much accounted of now there are but two and those are true Sacraments and yet they are neglected heretofore men fasted very often and that very scrupulously insomuch that they did rather offend in fasting too much thaÌ„ too litle but now a Christian fast publikely appointed is rather oppugned than receiued and a priuate fast is not knowne amongst Christians Before there were many and superstitious holy daies receiued now the onely Sabbath of the Lord is prophaned the diuell or at the least not God that day is serued Before men confessed their sins vnto euery hedge priest now men haue left confession of their sinnes vnto their brethren chusing rather to murther themselues than to acknowledge their faults one to another as the Apostle Iames willeth they should Yea men are so farre from this that they will rather by periurie and briberie cleere and purge themselues than make their sinnes knowne and so satisfie the congregation
before the hiâ— God shall I comâ— before him with burnt offerings iâ— he hath shewed thee ò man what is good and what the Lord requireth of thee surely to doe iustly and to loue mercy and to humble thy selfe to walke with thy God that is that thou shouldest set him iâ— thy sight belieuing that he doth guide and gouerne thee Besides the Apostle teacheth vs â— Cor. 3. 18. that we all behold as in a mirror the glory of the Lord with open face and are changed into the same image For when we behold the Lord in his promises of reconciliation that he is at peace with vs of sanctification that he will renew vs of safegard and prouidence that for our good he will watch ouer vs and that he is at our right hand with his Angels and on the other hand with his creatures then we behold him as our redeemer as our teacher as our prouident father and as iudge of heauen and earth so we shall with Steuen see Christ and thus beholding God in his word and workes we may be said to walke before the Lord. Whereupon we may easily coniecture how requisite a thing it is often to heare reade and meditate of the word of God to be frequent in prayer whereby we may attaine to a cleerer sight of God his promises which are all yea and Amen in Iesus Christ. Whosoeuer then setteth God before him first as a God of glorious maiestie who will not iustifie the obstinate sinner then as a father of gratious mercie who comforteth the repenting sinner and in euery particular thing is perswaded that God seeth him as a iudge and a Lord of the spirits and God of glory and power it can not be but this will shake from him all drowsie securitie and chase away all vaine imaginations as the bright Sunne beames breake the darke and mistie clowdes And because there is no dealing betwixt God and man but by a Mediatour we must set God before vs in Christ and Christ in God that we may behold his iustice vnder his mercie and his mercie under his iustice And being thus perswaded that we are beloued of God in his beloued we shall doe all in his name which is the end of all happinesse This one lesson of Diuinitie will teach vs the vse of many and wil stand in steed of a thousand both to comfort and instruct vs to comfort vs with pacifying our consciences with a godly securitie in things most open and apparant to instruct vs by charging our consciences to auoide carnall securitie in things most inward and secret Vntill we are brought to walke before the Lord in this obedience all the wisedome of the learned is vanitie Hauing learned this one ruâ—e and made in truth this pedagogie of our actions the simplest soule shall come foorth himselfe in the conscience of vnfained holinesse For he is at my right hand This phrase of speech is borrowed from them who when they take vpon them the patronage defence or tuition of any will set them on their right hand as in place of most safegard Experience coÌ„firmeth this in children who in any imminent danger shrowde and shelter themselues vnder their fathers armes or hands as vnder a sufficient buckler Such was the estate of the man of God as here appeareth who was hemmed and hedged in with the power of God both against present euils and daungers to come Neither doth the Lord hatch Dauid alone vnder the haÌ„d but al other that put their trust in him as Psal. 91. 1. Who so dwelleth in the secret of the most high shall abide in the shadow of the Almightie c. Wherein we see this assurance of God his protection to be common generally to all which flie for succour wholy to him in time of temptation Againe Psalme 121. 4. it is said Behold he that keepeth Israel will neither slumber nor sleepe Vers. 5. â—he Lord is thy keeper the Lord is thy shadow at thy right hand c. Where we see he speaketh of the whole bodie and noâ— of any particular number of the Church We are then to learne thus much out of this straine that when we haue a care to set the Lord continually in our sight he hath a care continually to watch ouer our estate This glorious reioycing of faith is also in other places of the booke of God Psal. 23. throughout the whole Psalme the man of God sheweth that he had so richly and so sweetly tasted of the promises of God that in trouble he neuer wanted helpe The Apostle likewise to the Rom. 8 sheweth the happie estate of all the regenerate although in a more excellent patterne of his owne faith saying vers 31. If God be on our side who can be against vs 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God his chosen It is God that iustifieth 34. who shall condemne c. And afterward vers 38 I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come 35. nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Howbeit we must not thinke that the man of God was not remoued at all For he counteth himselfe a stranger vpon earth and he had many pushes and diuers assaults yet so as he was not finally moued and vtterly ouerthrowne He had many battels but got the victorie many men rose against him but the Lord was on his side still he was vnremoueable as Mount Sion and though he was shaken for a time yet in the end he was safe Now to the verse following Wherefore mine heart is glad and my tongue reioyceth my flesh also doth rest in hope Here are two pestilent opinions of the Papists ouerthrowne The one that we should not boldly reioyce in the vndoubted assurance of our saluation The other that we should douâ—t and be in a mammering of our finall perseuerance In our confession of the faith immediatly after the article of the remission of our sinnes followeth the acknowledging of an happie resurrection and glorious immortalitie wherein we are assured that euen as in this life our sinnes are pardoned so we shall not miscarrie to the very resurrection and our very flesh shall rise againe to most blessed immortalitie Shall I doubt that God watcheth ouer me as a father in loue as almightie in power as a prouident preseruer in gouerning heauen and earth Shall I doubt that Christ true God and true Man died for my sinnes rose for my iustification ascended to take possession of that glorie which he will giue vnto me at his comming Shall I doubt that the spirit of God hath sealed me and sanctified me preseruing me vnblameable in Christ vntill the day of redemption Shall I doubt that I am of the number of the Saints which are ordained to that glorie which is freely giuen of God the Father dearely purchased of
bring home his children into the sheepfold of Iesus Christ. True faith maketh vs only heires of the kingdome of heauen faith cannot be attained without hearing of Gods word preached the word of it selfe cannot bee preached without a Preacher therefore Preachers are the onely meanes appointed of God to worke faith in his children by the preaching of Gods word and the secret working of the holy Ghost whereby they are made partakers of the promises Whosoeuer therefore is not content with this ordinance of God but would haue some further reuelation from heauen shall neuer be partakers of the benefites of Iesus Christ. He himselfe declareth in the parable of the rich glutron that whosoeuer would not beleeue the messengers of God which are the Preachers of the word they would not beleeue though one should rise from the dead to instruct them For in the word of God is set forth most clecrely and manifestly the true and certaine rule to liue by and the meanes whereby to attaine vnto saluation Therefore it is too too much vngodlines to desire any other meanes to bee instructed by than by the word of God which is the verie gate of heauen and the keyes thereof are giuen to the true Ministers of Gods word with such power that whatsoeuer they bind on the earth shall be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer they loose vpon earth shall be loosed in heauen So wonderfull is the mercie of God toward his children herein that they may haue assurance of saluation in this life vea so certaine may they be of it as if they had it alreadie in possession and that not by preaching of Angels but euen by our owne brethren mortall men as we are subiect to sinne and all infirmities at whose hands we may daily bee taught and with whom we may talke familiarly and at their hands through the word of God wee may haue as good assurance hereof as if the Lord should speake himselfe from heauen If God should speake we were not able to abide the hearing of his voyce but bee euen swallowed vp of feare How were the children of Israel terrified with the voyce of the Lord when he spake vnto them they fled away and stood a farre off and cried to Moses Talke thou with vs and wee will heare but let not God talke with vs least wee die What a vaine and vngodly thing were it to perswade our selues that we could beleeue if wee heard God himselfe speake or if one came from the dead to tell vs what wee should beleeue when as the very earth will quake at the voyce of God And our Sauiour Christ telleth vs plainely that if we beleeue not the true Preachers of his word wee could not beleeue though a damned soule should come from hell to preach vnto vs the reason is because the ordinance of God which is vnchangeable hath appointed our brethren to teach vs the way vnto saluation And truely it is a notable place where our Sauiour Christ doth seperate his from the reprobate Then came the Iewes round about him and saide vnto him How long doest thou make vs doubt If thou be that Christ tell vs plainely Iesus answered them I told you and ye beleeue not the workes which I doe in my Fathers name they beare witnes of mee But yee beleeue not for yee are not of my sheepe as I saide vnto you My sheepe heare my voyce and I knowe them and they follow mee And I giue vnto them eternall life and they shall neuer perish neither shall any plucke them out of mine hand Wee see then it is a great argument of reprobation when our hearts be so hard that wee cannot beleeue the Gospell of Iesus Christ for this is an infallible truth that those which are the Lords in his time he calleth and they shall abide and neuer fall away but those that are not his shall fall away although they haue been passing cunning hypocrites in outward holinesse The children of God will acknowledge this meanes and praise the wisedome of God which hath thereby quite transfourmed them and chaunged their whole man in sanctifying them by his holy spirit and giuing of them assurance of saluation which they confesse could neuer haue come to passe without the preaching of the word This authoritie is giuen to the Ministers to pronounce the terrible iudgements of God against sinne and whosoeuer hee bee that doth not repent and turne from the same shall be as sure of euerlasting damnation as if hee were already in hell Againe to the penitent whose consciences are burdened with griefe for their sinnes he may pronounce the sweete promises of the Gospell how Iesus Christ hath died for them and hath discharged them before the iudgement seate of GOD and they shall be as sure of saluation as if our Sauiour Christ should speake from heauen himselfe who is Trueth and cannot lye and say Whosoeuers sinnes yee remit they are remitted vnto them and whosoevers sinnes yee retaine they are retained This is a wonderfull thing and this shall Gods children confesse an vnspeakeable goodnesse of the Lord God in sending our brethren with such power Sith then this is so necessarie they which will not confesse this to be the ordinance and meane appointed of the Lord God to bring his children home vnto his heauenly Kingdome either neuer heard of Iesus Christ or else in miserable hypocrisie haue heard and professed the Gospell which shall be a testimonie to their consciences euen to their vtter condemnation Now we haue heard the necessitie of a Pastor and the vse wherevnto he is appointed it is requisite that we consider what dutie the Pastor oweth vnto his â—â—ocke for as the Lord when he establisheth a Kingdome will chuse a King so will hee also giue him first a Kings heart before he setteth him in his seate so when hee prepareth a spirituall father to beget soules vnto himselfe hee giueth him gifts and power to doe the same as Saint Paul testifieth writing to the Ephesians But vnto euery one of vs is giuen grace according to the measure of the gifts of Christ Wherefore he saith when hee ascendeth vp on high hee led captiuitie captiue and gaue gifts vnto men so that first the Lord giueth gifts and secondly men This must be the dutie of the Minister as the holy Ghost telleth vs to watch ouer the soules of his people to be so carefull ouer them as that hee will not suffer one through his negligence to perish but by his earnest labouring in preaching the word of God to build them vp into a stronger faith which are already begotten vnto the Lord and also to winne others to Christ and so increase the mysticall bodie of Christ so much as his diligence by the blessing of God shall be able 1. First therefore it is requisite in the Ministers office that he studie the word of God that he doe diligently reade the same and also giue himselfe
those Elders which are appointed to watch and looke to the manners and behauior of the children of God if they execute this charge faithfully be had in double honour but aboue all let the faithfull Ministers such as labour in the word be honoured for why the other are ouerseers of your outward behauior but these haue an other manner of office they watch ouer your soules which tendeth to the saluation both of body and soule Moreouer it is requisite that they also feare the Minister or else can they in no ease reuerence and honour him for where feare is not all honour is absent and so consequently all dutie extinguished And this feare must not be a fained and counterfeited feare but when he shall come before the Minister to aske him any question he must consider that he commeth to talke with the messenger of the Lord whom he ought to heare as well as if the Lord himselfe were present For this is most certaine where a faithful Minister is that doth sincerely and purely preach the word it is all one as if the Lord himselfe dwelt personally among vs and his owne selfe hath verified the same saying He that heareth you heareth me And therefore it behooueth vs to giue a proofe of our feare loue and obedience towards the Lord by receiuing his word with such feare and reuerence as beseemeth his subiects although the same proceede out of a mortall mans mouth It is a common thing among vs the Embassadour of a Prince is receiued with great honour reuerence yea his message is to be receiued as vndoubtedly as if the King were present himself yea they that shall despise his authoritie shall be as hainously accounted of as if they resisted and rebelled against the Kings owne person And shall the Embassadours of the liuing God who is King of all Kings be receiued lesse worthily than the other whose authoritie is both greater and the message waightier Truly whosoeuer shall take scorne to yeeld this dutie of feare and reuerence vnto the Minister let him be assured that he scorneth not him but the Lord that sent him But some will obiect what shall we make a God of our Minister and is he so to be feared as you say I answere thee that I meane nothing lesse nay I hold him accursed that shal chalenge such dignity vnto himselfe But this feare must ye yeeld not to the person but to his office which is by the word of God to remit your sinnes and to giue you assurance that they are washed away by the blood of Christ if you be truly penitēt for them and that you are made heires of the kingdome of heauen whereof you need not to doubt On the contrarie if you be not penitent by his office hee hath authoritie to binde sinnes here on earth iustly to euerlasting condemnation which the vnpenitent may be as sure to suffer as they see the light of the day feare him therefore I say not as he is a man but as the Minister of God With what a reuerend feare did the Galathians receiue Paul his owne selfe doth report that they receiued him as an Angell of God yea more than so they receiued him as Iesus Christ himselfe And that was not for the excellencie of his person which hee testifieth was simple base vile and to all the world contemptible yea and subiect to all infirmities but they receiued him with such feare and reuerence for that excellent message which hee brought vnto them for those glad tidings which hee published among them and for that hee was a Minister of the Gospell of Iesus Christ which is the power of God to saue all the beleeuers Thus reuerently must all Gods children feare their Minister euen for the worthines of his office and ministery for if they should not feare him they could not in any case obey the word when hee doth sharply reproue them for their sinnes but euen as a light wife so long as her husband pleaseth her so long and no longer will she be obedient vnto him for if he shew a sharp countenance of very loue to driue her from some lewd cōditions then will she begin to scorne to fret and chafe and in stead of obeying him she will deadly hate him and despise him so is it with the people if they stand not in feare of the authority which God hath giuen him they will obey him no longer than he preacheth pleasant things for when he shall touch their consciences with threatning the iudgemēts of God against their sin then can they not abide him but harden their hearts not against him but against the Lord which hath sent him and so fall away to their vtter destruction the children of God must therefore feare their Minister and be obedient to the word of truth which hee bringeth vnto them When the people are come thus farre that they will willingly obey the Minister and that with feare and reuerence submit themselues to bee guided by the pure word of God they must shew further their dutifulnes towards him and must also bee readie to doe for him whatsoeuer lieth in their power which thing S. Paul earnestly desireth of the Thessalonians Wee beseech you brethren that yee acknowledge them which labour among you and are ouer you in the Lord and admonish you that you haue them in singular loue for their workes sake Where the holy Ghost sheweth a reason why they should acknowledge their Ministers which carefully faithfully doe execute their office which is for their workes sake his exhortation is in effect thus much Brethren this one thing doe I heartily craue at your hands that you be not so obliuious as to forget those which labour among you in the Lord and are by his appointment euen of great mercie towards you placed ouer you to the end they may admonish you of your sinnes and to stirre you vp by the word of God to a more zeale of the glorie of God and to walke more circumspectly before him I beseech you I say be not forgetfull of them but haue them in a singular loue yea let nothing be dearer vnto you than such for this worke sake which they haue taken in hand for I tell you truly there is no labour vnder the Sunne so profitable vnto you as this which bringeth not store of corruptible siluer and gold not large kingdomes and empires of this world which shall perish and come to an end but this profit commeth of their labour euen the saluation of your soules such a treasure as all the world no not a thousand worlds are comparable vnto it for this cause loue them Besides this it is their dutie also to prouide for him all things necessarie for that he may haue to supplie his want at their hands as we may by diuers places of the Scripture proue In the 6. to the Galathians the Apostle giueth this commandement Let him that is taught
your conscience to make the vse of them profitable to yourselfe in the particular practise thereof Vers. 16. I will delight in thy statutes and I will not forget thy word THus doing all these things carefully you shall surely neuer forget that which you learne for though you doe not remember euery thing yet God wil by his spirit cal so much especially into your remēbrance as is needful for you to know thē especīally when you haue most neede of it as in the houre of death and in the day of temptation but as you faile in all or in any of these so may you feare to faile in the truth of them Nicolas Bownde D. of diuinitie Preacher of Gods word at Norton in Suffolke PORTION 3. GIMEL Vers. 17. Be beneficiall vnto thy seruant that I may liue and keepe thy word THe Prophet desireth life where he teacheth why mē should desire to liue that is that they might keepe Gods word for life is common to them with beasts and plants and yet all desire to liue some for one ende some for another but Gods child maketh this the end that hee might keepe Gods word And in that he ioyneth these together hee signifieth that his life without it is no life as in the 4. part vers 11. where he counteth himselfe dead vnlesse he finde a readines to obey Gods will A widow liuing in pleasure is dead whilest she liueth and this is to be vnderstood of all that liue in any sinne And this if all they considered which are not ioyned to Christ it would amaze them for though this appeare not now yet at the last day it shall appeare This cannot be perswaded to the carnall man but to vs that haue the knowledge of God it ought to be certaine and we must trie our hearts whether this be our desire to liue that we may keepe Gods word Many men doe speake this and sing this yet fewe in heart doe this therefore if we be thus minded wee must shewe it by referring all our doings to Gods glory which we shall then do when we measure all our doings by the word Therefore Paul Rom. 4. and Phil 2. desireth not life but that he may be ioyned to Christ. All other religion is of no effect till this principall end be in our hearts for no man can haue two ends of his life as to come to preferment and to be saued but this must be onely the end that we might be ioyned to Christ. He desireth not to know but to keepe which presupposeth knowledge wee are here then prouoked to practise and not to rest in knowledge but to labour to doe that we know And this is the cause why they of the olde Testament desired longer life that they might finish that onely which they had to doe at such time as they felt some signes of Gods displeasure and had not sufficiently tasted of Gods fauour so we if we cannot finde assurance of the forgiuenes of sinnes then let vs desire to liue but when we are come to this that with Paul we can say I haue finished my course with ioy then will the children of God be readie to dye Many there be that haue neither care of life nor death and although they feele and see signes of Gods displeasure yet they are not moued but the children of God knowe that it is better to be a liuing dogge than a dead lyon And seeing by their euill life they haue dishonoured God they would be ioyfull to purchase some praise to him by their holy conuersation He knoweth his great vnhabilitie to doe good and therefore desireth it of God It is not in our choyse to doe good or cuill for then this prayer had been in vaine hee knew that this was not in him to keepe Gods word and therefore in the next verse he desireth that his eyes might be opened wher he acknowledgeth that he had not so much as the knowledge of Gods word in himselfe therefore he was far from yeelding such obedience therevnto as the Lord requireth He desireth now to vnderstand which goeth before practise and is lesser than it and yet it is the meanes to come to practise And if we cannot vnderstand it without special grace then much lesse can we practise it Many of vs in iudgement doe hate Papists yet in practise we are such seeing wee doe many things without prayer and the knowledge of Gods word Knowledge goeth before practise and therefore many in vaine doe say that they keepe the word when they labour not to know it Vers. 18. Open mine eyes that I may see the wonders of thy Law IN the former verse hee shewed that hee could not keepe the word without Gods grace now he sheweth that he cannot know it vnlesse the Lord open our eyes this is the want that is in all men but flesh and blood shall not reueale this and Paul saith that it was hid from the Princes of the world which must serue to humble all flesh and to stirre vs vp to pray to the Lord when we come to reade it otherwise wee shall reade and not vnderstand it because wonderfull things are contained therein therefore when wee see the wonderfulnes of this law this is one degree of profiting because the ignorant thinke they haue knowledge enough Dauid well instructed in the word yet made this prayer to teach vs that wee must goe daily forward for we know but by degrees and ignorance is mixed therewith therefore many continuing long fall in the end away which may teach vs to pray that he would not leade vs into this temptation that we should thinke we haue knowledge enough This is the cause why many fal into errors because that they resting in that which they haue conceiued in their owne braine and haue heard or learned of others in the meane while neuer looking to bee taught by Gods spirit when they see their teachers fall away then doe they fall away also because their ground is gone So many therefore as loue to abide stedfast in the truth and neuer to be remoued there from let them neuer rest neither in that they conceiue of themselues neither in the wordes and doctrine of men but let them alwaies by prayer craue that the Lord by his spirit may instruct them this if they doe the Lord will not turne them away emptie but will so season their hearts by his spirit that though a thousand fall away on the one side and ten thousand on the other yet shall they continue stedfast to the end The cause why we haue so great need to pray is set downe when hee calleth the things contained in the word wonders And surely if iniquitie be a mysterie as the Apostle calleth it then much more is the law of God Yet so it is not vnto al for the Prophet in this Psalme saith that the very entrance into Gods word giueth light to the simple And Psal. 88. when hee had called the
iudgements For as wee cannot learne the one without obseruing of Gods mercie so wee cannot attaine to the other without marking his vengeance We must see alwayes by the peculiar teaching of Gods spirit how the Lord punisheth in iustice and yet in mercie in wrath and yet in loue in rigour and hatred of our sinne humbling vs with one hand in pittie and compassion to our saluation comforting vs with the other hand Wee see then how the Prophet prayeth both to see them and to marke them wee neede teach this often because wee dreame so much of fatall necessitie and of the connexions of naturall causes or else because we cannot discerne betweene the crosses of the godly and the vngodly so that as the wise man saith Eccl 9. 2. All things come alike to all men and the same condition is to the iust and to the wicked to the good and to the pure and to the polluted and to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not as is the good so is the sinner hee that sweareth as hee that feareth or reuerenceth an oath This is then a singular gift of God to discerne how by the selfe-same meanes the Lord both humbleth the good and ouerthroweth the wicked The meaning then of the man of God briefly is O Lord giue me a right iudgement in thy iudgements that I may see how thou sauest thy children and punishest thine enemies otherwise I shall neuer discerue this Accept the free offerings c. We must marke how these things are ioyned together this is the thing for which I sacrifice the thing I wish I desire and pray for and therefore O Lord accept it The man of God alludeth here to sacrifices and sheweth that the Lord is delighted with no sacrifice more than with prayer and thankes-giuing For all other sacrifices in the time of the law as the slaying of goates killing of bullocks tended to these two as appeareth Psal. 50. 14. Offer unto God praise and pay thy vow to the most high and in the 22. vers Hee that offereth vnto mee praise shall glorifie me c. In which places the Lord sheweth that he had ordained the other sacrifices as temporal means to the eternall vse of thanksgiuing for so the Lord dealt with them as with children leading them as it were by the hand by temporal things to eternal Psal. 14 1. 2. the Prophet saith Let my prayer be directed in thy sight as incense and the lifting vp of mine hand as an euening sacrifice Where hee sheweth alluding to the sacrifices that as a sweet smell is pleasant vnto man so is the sacrifice of prayer fragrant vnto the Lord. This is the sacrifice euery day to be offered mentioned in Malachie 1. 11 where the Prophet or rather the Lord rebuking the Priests for their corrupt offerings saith From the rising vp of the Sunne to the going downe of the same my Name is great among the Gentiles in euery place incense shal be offered vnto my Name and a pure offering c. Here by the Altar and sacrifice the Prophet meaneth the spirituall seruice of God which should be vnder the gospel when an end should be made to all the legall ceremonies by Christs only sacrifice Therefore Heb. 13. 15. Let vs by him offer the sacrifice of praise alwayes to God that is the fruite of our lips which confesse his Name c. It is good to note this praise and thanksgiuing which as it is the end of sacrifices which being ioyned with doing good is the onely offering left to Christians and only is pleasing vnto God For as our fathers might know that their sacrifices were not accepted but as the Lord shewed fauour so our prayer is not accepted but as the Lord in free mercie doth graciously receiue it Wherefore it is said Gen. 4. The Lord hath regard to Abel his oblation that is he accepted fauourably the sacrifice of Abel Thus wee also vse to deale in our suites to noble persons if it please you to accept my seruice or if you will vouchsafe to receiue my suite and to consider of my supplication so here the man of God saith in effect Looke vpon this my prayer with a pittifull eye a merciful countenance We are then to knowe how wee by our prayers get no credit with the Lord but the Lord giueth credit to our prayers If then God be not delighted with our prayers which are our best things how much lesse then wil he be pleased with other things The Papists then are carnall and as our Sauiour Christ said of Peter whom they follow in faults and not in graces they sauour not of the things of the spirit Well we are to learne that if God so dealeth in our prayers he will so deale in all other things which are the better by them The free will offering c. We are here also taught to giue vnto the Lord a free offering for hee loueth a cheerefull giuer and cannot abide vs to come vnto him by constraint The Lord in the old time would haue the fattest of the flocks the purest and why because he would thereby trie his people whether his people would offer cheerfully and willingly or no by so much it was vnto him more acceptable by how much it was offred more freely So Abel Gen 4 offred of the fat of the flock that is of the best A mans sacrifice may be refused because of his corruption in him and there is no grace in man without Faith in Christ which may stād him in steed to make his sacrifice acceptable before God We must thē pray vnto God that we may offer our praiers freely that they may not be customable but that there may be in vs a lust a spirit a desire to pray remēbring this saying of the Prophet accept the free will offering of my lippes His meaning then of his words briefly is this much I do not this O Lord constrainedly or against my will but with a free good will and cheerefull heart I make my prayer vnto thee We see then our dulnes and wearines in our prayer which we must bewaile in our selues as that which hindreth vs from the fauour of God Would we deale so with a Prince as to offer vnto him the euill things as saith Malachie chapt 1. 8. And if yee offer the blinde for sacrifice is it not euill and if yee offer the lame and sicke is it not euill offer it now vnto thy Prince will hee be content with thee or accept thy person saith the Lord of hosts If we had a supplication to our Prince would we come so sluggishly so vnreuerently so carelesly as we come to pray not remembring his Maiestie neither feeling our wants nor desiring our requests nor fearing the repulse would wee not shake off all this sluggishnesse and deadnes then let vs translate this to the seeing of GOD by Faith and comming before his presence by
helpe them nor their opinions comfort them This then may commend vnto vs the word of God that it onely maketh vs safe and staieth vs in all troubles wherefore it is said port 12. 4. Except thy law had beene my delight I should haue perished in mine affliction So the Prophet Ionah hath a notable sentence worthie to be written in letters of gold and of all men to be remembred Ionah 2. 18. They that waite vpon lying vanities forsake their owne mercie Whereby he sheweth that they which depend on any thing saue on God alone refuse their owne felicitie and that goodnesse which otherwise they should receiue of God So that the Prophet himselfe in not going to Niniuie waited on vanitie and could finde no comfort in himselfe We may for a time trust to Idolatrie or vngodlinesse but when the touch-stone and triall of Gods law comes they cannot stay vs nor saue vs for they will deceiue all vsers of them as false and vaine 1. Sam. 12. 21. Samuel exhorting the people to repētance willeth them to follow the Lord and not to turne backe saying also If ye turne backe that should be after vaine things which cannot profit you nor deliuer you for they are but vanitie Where he teacheth vs that when miseries come our delights are but vaine and therefore cannot helpe vs. The Scriptures also applie this to ill manners as Ephes. 5. the Apostle setting downe a bedrow of many sinnes addeth this Let no man deceiue you c. where because some thinke that for such sinnes God would be entreated he saith nay not so be not deceiued vnlesse ye repent God will not be entreated Likewise Gal. 5. the Apostle hauing taught them to prouide temporall things for them that minister spirituall saith be not deceiued where he hath this sense ye may haue many reasons with your selues against this doctrine but when God commeth to tread downe the wicked then your reasons will not stand before his maiestie for the truth onely there preuaileth doe not deceiue your selues your hope will abuse you And here all flattering of our selues in sinne will prooue deceiueable wee walke in a nette and deceiue our owne consciences but this must make vs feare we must not reckon without our hoast nor make our account without our auditour for if we doe we will beguile our selues or flatter our selues Let euery man therefore looke to the fleights of sinne in himselfe and to the deceit of his owne conscience and he shall see that all the wayes of man are euill but the Lord is for euer true Wee must thus examine our selues Good Lord will this thing stay mee in the day of trouble will this thing comfort mee in the houre of death then it is a sure thing then it is comfortable otherwise it is vaine and cannot stay me it is deceitfull and will not comfort me Now if we trust in the word wee shall in death knowe that it is no imagination howsoeuer the world would now perswade vs that we liue too precisely and Sathan lyeth to get vs at a bay we shall then know our labour was not lost and when the Lord commeth to iudgement if we haue laide a good foundation when the tempests arise the windes arise and the raine fall we shall be sure and not beguile our selues that we shall be on the rocke of Gods word and built in faith wee shall bee sure as mount Sion and safe as Ierusalem when the floods of vengeance come Vers. 119 Thou hast taken away all the wicked of the earth like drosse therefore I loue thy testimonies MArke the proprietie of the word he saith not thy statutes doe I loue but thy testimonies he saith here thus much seeing O God thou hast summoned the wicked I will embrace more ioyfully the record and couenant of my saluation made vnto mee in thy word For when we see Gods iudgements on the vngodly this ought wonderfully to commend Gods mercie in free sauing vs from the like that whereas wee were in the like condition of sinne he might haue measured the like to vs and yet vouchsafed to make his couenant in force vnto vs. Was it not a great mercie to saue Noah and his when all the world besides was washed away with water Did it not wonderfully commend the goodnesse of God that in the great destruction of Sodome he should deliuer Lot What a thing is this that the Lord will make a couenant with vs as with Noah that if wee shall trust in Christ we shall neuer be confounded Againe when the man of God seeth the wicked deceiued because they trusted not in the word this maketh him to loue the word and assureth him that there is an end of all perfection but the law of God is exceeding large that it neuer failes in trouble nor deceiueth any in death Wherfore this must make vs to loue it also And if wee compared this word with other vanities of the world and felt in it such ioyes and most specially in death and in troubles and that when all failes this doth minister sufficient comfort surely the perswasion hereof would mooue vs pathetically to expresse our mindes and say with the Prophet Oh how loue I thy lawe it is my meditation continually Then when our strength shal faile our breath draw short our friends depart our goods countrie and life shall forsake vs the word will be so sweete so deare and so pretious that when all these are gone this will yeeld vs great comfort We haue also learned here a further thing in the minde of the Prophet who reasoneth thus Seeing thou hast troden downe the wicked as earth and scoured them as drosse therefore will I embrace thy couenants and records of thy iudgements therfore the euidence of thy couenant which thou hast made to me is most holy and pretious For when the iudgements of God were so seuere against others was it not the great mercie of God to make a couenant with him Was it not a wonderfull grace of God that being conceiued and borne in sinne like vnto the other hee should escape Gods iudgement Was not it a great mercie that when all flesh should perish Noah and his familie should escape Was it not the great goodnesse of God when Sodome was consumed to saue Lot When the Lord had left all to ignorance was it not his great mercie to preserue Abraham When the Lord ouerthrewe the Egyptians was it not free mercie to saue the Israelites Was it not the great grace of God to leade forward Caleb and Iosua into the promised land when to so many he had denied it Our Sauiour Christ gaue thankes to his Father as for a speciall mercy of God that he had reuealed those things to babes and little ones which he had concealed from many mightie of the world If we consider how many are left in ignorance giuen ouer to superstition and remaine vnder the heauie hand of God what a mercie of God
inkindle the wrath of God that hee will take away the hedge thereof and his vineyard shall bee eaten vp hee will breake the wall thereof and it shall be troden downe he will lay it waste and the wild bores shall enter into it What a thing is this that the deare Saints and Martyrs of God should deserue so well of vs and wee should deserue so ill of our selues and of our posterities Seeing then Gods mercie hath been shewed by so many blessings and we eate of their sweete of the haruest who neuer haue tasted of the cold of the winter nor heate of the summer let vs feare least for our vnthankfulnes the Lord doth come to punish vs and both for our want of religion and vngodly life cause the Lord to remoue the candlesticke take away the Gospel and bereaue vs of our talents Wherefore wee haue great neede to pray to be reformed in our iudgement renued in our affections that our thankfulnes may appeare in loue of sound religion and obedience of godly life to the glory of our good God Thus we see it is not a strange thing for Gods children to suffer in this world although God giueth vs sometime a breathing time and maketh vs as children of the wedding who so long as the Bridegrome is with them doe not lament nor mourne And seeing euery one that will liue godly in Christ Iesus must suffer persecution and for a good conscience Minister Magistrate and master of an household shall finde trouble in his owne flesh hatred of the world and persecution of Sathan it is certaine that we often purchase too much quietnes to our selues because we doe not so labour for the mortifying of our flesh for reproouing of sinne and the beating downe of the kingdome of Sathan as we ought to doe Thus we see the Prophet groundeth himselfe on Gods promises who hath said that the rod of the wicked shall not rest on the lot of the godly shewing vs that no temptation shall come to vs but we shall haue either strength to beare it or else the Lord will remoue the force of it so that if he remoue the violent force of it we shall neede but little strength to beare it if our trouble be great the Lord will giue vs great strength Neither as some doe doth the man of God vse forgerie for forgerie and deceit for deceit but staieth himselfe onely and wholy vpon prayer For Gods children haue no such spirit as the worldlings haue who for the most part requite euil for euil subtiltie with subtiltie euill language with euill language but by prayer onely they labour for helpe at Gods hand We haue heard that insomuch as he protesteth to keepe the testimonies of the Lord he meaneth that he will more throughly keepe them than before We haue further learned that it is our corruption to be godly in time of trouble but afterward the case with vs is altered Wherefore our godlines then is to be suspected and he is very vngodly that at such times will not be godly But herein is the difference betweene the regenerate and vnregenerate that the regenerate after their visitations are more godly after sicknes they haue a greater zeale after their deliuerance a further care of glorifying God which is nothing with the vnregenerate Now seeing the Lord hath heaped benefit vpon benefit yeare after yeare mercy vpon mercy whether hath God wonne some speciall glorie or our brâ—thren some speciall benefit by vs or no And as the Lord heard the mones of his Martyrs their teares and their blood and gaue them mercy so let vs feare least our sinnes crie for vengeance vnto him All afflictions of themselues are tags of Gods vengeance yet being sanctified in Christ to God his children they be turned into blessings as all outward blessings not blessed of God are turned to curses to the wicked For as sicknes and aduersitie by the Lord sanctifying them are turned to blessings to Gods children so health peace and prosperitie are turned to ill to the vngodly because of their abuse Vers. 135. Shew the light of thy countenance vpon thy seruant and teach me thy statutes VNtill his deliuerance came the Prophet of God prayeth to be taught in the statutes of the Lord whereby he might learne to behaue himselfe well in the time of trouble For affliction is so violent a storme and carrieth away a man so headlong that vnlesse the Lord guide vs we may soone take hurt But what desire we most If we in sicknes delight most in the sweete face and gratious countenance of the Lord it is happinesse if not we are truely in miserie For this is the cause why many goe from euill to worse in their trouble and become so dull because they neuer pray to see the cause of their affliction and that they might profit thereby The sense of the man of God is If Lord thou wilt deliuer me I shall obey thee more if not Lord giue me strength to glorifie thee by patience Away then with the violence of flesh and blood which maketh vs to some out these and such like speeches Who could away with such pangs as I suffer who could suffer such paines as I am in Surely euen they that pray to God to profit by them they haue Gods spirit as for the wicked they cannot profit thereby If then we be deliuered out of aduersitie we must obey the word if not we must craue wisedome to see the will of God constancie to abide in it patience meekely and thankfully to suffer whatsoeuer the Lord shall lay vpon vs. I care not saith the man of God so much for my libertie as I might thereby praise thy name and obey thy commandements This is an vsuall thing in the booke of God to pray for the Lords countenance Psal. 4 6. Many say who will shew vs any good but Lord lift thou vp the light of thy countenance vpon vs. And Psal. 67. 1. God be mercifull vnto vs and blesse vs and shâ—w vs the light of his countenance and be mercifull vnto vs. And Psal. 80. 3. 7. 19 Turne vs againe O God and cause thy face to shine that we may be saued This verse is read three times in this Psalme which sheweth vâ— that this ought to be the summe the heape and the chiefe of all our requests namely that in what estate soeuer we are we may be assured that we haue the testimonie of Gods fauour if we be in affliction that the Lord is not angrie with vs if we be in prosperitie because the Sunne shineth on the iust and vniust that we may see withall the mercies of God and his louing fauour in Christ giuen vnto vs. We see where Gods spirit is there we are thankfull in prosperitie and patient in aduersitie where God his spirit is not there we are proud in prosperity and murmurers in aduersitie Many saith the Prophet Psal. 4. 6. say who will shew vs any good See how
holy Ghost hath giuen sentence vpon such that if they labour not to liue godly they be but fooles yea the more knowledge they haue so much the greater fooles they be if they doe not for conscience sake practise the same We see then what we must doe if we will not be counted fooles Now all of vs be we neuer so simple witted would be loath to be counted fooles and indeede the name is most reprochfull and will grieue a man at the very heart Therefore our Sauiour Christ doth recite it among those words that kill and murther saying Whosoeuer saith vnto his brother thou foole shall be guiltie of hell fire But howsoeuer grieuous it is yet in truth we are such if hauing knowledge we doe not bring it into practise This then must be forcible to make vs to ioyne a godly life with good knowledge and good workes with a liuely faith if before the Lord wee will not be accounted fooles Vers. 9. A foole maketh a mocke of sinne but among the righteous there is fauour THe heart of man is fraught and filled with much grosse and filthie corruption but none is worse than that which is here spoken of that a man should make a light matter of sin It is strange and very monstrous that it should be so and yet by this place we see it doth often so fall out Yea in another place the holy Ghost doth testifie and we know that his testimonie is true that the foole doth make euen a sport and a pastime of sinne Our own dayes will confirme the same For come vnto an adulterer to a false witnesse bearer and to such grosse sinners tell them that God is angrie with them that he will be auenged on them as he hath been vpon others for such sinnes and what I pray you wil they do Surely he that is filthie will be more filthie and the false witnesse will mocke at iudgement And what is this but to make a mocke and a â—est at sin â—ay what is it but to make a God of sin and to serue it in steade of God and how do they grow vnto this height and excesse of sin Surely one chiefe cause is because they be not plagued like other men because the mercy of God doth hedge them in on euery side and because they passe their time in prosperity and pleasure O what a monstrous thing is this that a man should bee made worse by the goodnes of God how miserable is that man that will make the mercie of God an occasion of his owne miserie how vnthankful is he that the more benefits the Lord doth bestow vpon him the more he will heape sin vpon sinne nay how worthily is hee destroyed that will abuse the vnspeakable louing kindnes of the Lord to his owne destruction And that there should be such the Apostle Peter foretold vs In the latter times saith hee shall come mockers which shall aske for the comming of the Lord as though hee would not come at all But these abuse the goodnesse and bountie of the Lord who would that all should be brought to repentance They therfore doe treasure vp wrath for theÌ„selues against the day of wrath wherein the Sonne of GOD shall come in iudgement and fierce wrath against them that haue made a mocke of sin haue not been led to repentance through his long patience and louing kindnes Now seeing the iudgement of God will lay hold of all those that lie in sinne and seeing we can neuer comâ— out of sinne so long as we make such light account of it let vs knowe that although one sinne is lesse than another and although a sinner in thought may bee counted a little sinne in respect oâ— a sinne in outward act yet in very deede and before the Lord no sinne will bee counted little For the infinite iustice and mercie of God is violate euen by the least sinne and therefore no sinne can be counted little for euen the least sinne is sufficiently able to condemne and confound vs from the presence of God Againe if the Lord should set the least sinne vpon our consciences and suffer our consciences to checke vs for it and Sathan himselfe to burthen vs with it doubtlesse it would be so heauy and grieuous that we should not be able to abide it How then can wee make light account euen of that sinne which of all other seemeth least Moreouer the Lord will not onely condemne the wicked as for their great so for their lesser sinnes but hee will very sharpely correct yea and seuerely punish euen his dearest children for those sinnes which in our eyes do seeme most small Thus was Adam thrown out of Paradise for eating of the forbidden fruite Moses for speaking of an angrie word dyed in the wildernes and could not be suffered to come into the promised land Ezechias did but shewe his treasures to the Ambassadors of Babel and for that sinne they were all caried into Babel yea the holy temple was spoyled the holy vessels were prophaned and their glory was giuen into the enemies hand Iosiah did goe to warre against his enemy and the enemies of God and that onely to keepe them out of his own land yet because he did not aske counsell at the Lord therefore hee was slaine in the battell What sinnes are lesse than these and yet see how sharply the Lord did punish them in his owne children and can it bee then that any sinne should be counted light Besides though it were graunted that some sinne in it selfe were but little yet for this cause could it not be counted little because in time it will draw vs and driue vs into grosse offences But seeing that in truth the least sinne is too great then how much the greater must we thinke euery sinne to be considering that it commeth not alone but either presently or shortly after bringeth in great transgressions Last of al seeing that the least sinne could not be forgiuen but by the death of the Sonne of God so that he must suffer the very pangs and paines of hell for the least sinne that euer man committed seeing that euen our least transgressions caused him to be accursed and in the extremitie of griefe to crie My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Where haue we the face or how can wee finde in our hearts to make a mocke of the least sinne Well then let vs know sinne to be sinne and labour to be sorrowfull for euery sinne so that although we be not in like measure sorrowfull for all yet let vs take heede that no sinne escape vs without some true and godly sorrow then shall wee finde fauour among the righteous yea then shall we obtaine mercy from the Lord. For the lesse wee fauour sinne the neerer we be to the fauour of God and the more we hate sinne the more we shall be sure to enioy the louing kindnes of the Lord yea
to stay the Lordes mercie for the other wee must depart because of that abomination 6 The world is as the Lords great chamber whereunto all are admitted the Church is as the chamber of presence The natiuitie of the Church is a greater worke then the creation of the world The world was finished with a Word but many dayes and many yeares did the Lord trauell before the Church could be brought forth to his good liking Hee shooke the earth darkened the heauens turned the whole course of nature before he had framed and set vp the little Church of the Iewes But in gathering the Church of the Gentiles the Sunne became blacke as a pot the Heauens were couered as with a haire-cloth the vayle of the temple rent the earth trēbled the graues opened aboue all the GOD of nature suffered But of all the third gathering shall be fearfull when heauen and earth shall not abide to see but shall melte and consume away at the glorifying of that Church which the world so contemneth yet on this Church hangeth the continuance of the world For certaine it is the world standeth and all the foure windes are stopped till all be sealed and in that moment that this number is filled this world shall out of hand vanish away 7 In the world wee doe as it were but see the Lords backe parts we see him as a thing in a troubled well dwelling but in the neather and outward courtes of the Temple but in the Church we see him almost face to face 8 That mightie Sampson suffered himselfe to be shauen and his strength to bee as another mans for the great loue of his Church hee shed his precious blood from all parts of his bodie for it and that no bloud might be too deare for vs with his heart bloud he hath testified how much he doth loue vs his loue and spouse the Church of the faithfull 9 It is true that the Psalmist saith Psal. 16. the Lord hath no neede of our seruice and therefore he hath set ouer his loue to the Chuch there to be answered vnto her in obedidience furtherance of his members there he would haue it seene how we value his benefits All blessings are continued on this earth for the Church sake The Sun doth shine vpon the earth vpon the iust and vniust but vpon the vniust for the iust mans sake 10 The Church is the household of faith the citie of the liuing GOD the spouse of the Lamb CHRIST the kings daughter the childrē of light of the liuing God the children of promise of the freewoman a chosen generation a royall priesthood an holy nation people gotten by purchase the mysticall body of Christ the sold of the Prince of Pastors the virgin Israel the children of Abraham the elect seede of God heires of grace ioynt heires with Christ the Sanctuary of the Lord the daughter of Sion the Lords heritage the people of his pasture the sheepe of his hands the temple of the holy Ghost the price of his blood the Lords Eden Thrice blessed and happy are al the liuing stones of the most beautifull building Confer Psal. 147. 2. 3. 1. Pet. 2. 9. 10. Phil. 3. 8. Ephes. 2. 19. 20. 1. Thes. 2. 19. 20. 2. Cor. 3. 2. 2. Cor. 6. 11. 12. 1. Thes. 2. 8. Rom. 9. 3. Reuel 21. 10. CHAP. XIIII Of the Confession of sinne THis is a good affection of Christianitie to conceale a fault and this also is a good affection of men regenerate to testifie their faults to all men whereby they make knowne their thankefulnesse in that whereas by nature they were thus by grace they are so and so Againe men vse it to comfort others that though they bee in their old estate yet they may receiue grace if they hinder not themselues and shut out the grace of God from them Thus the children of God are wont to aggrauate their sinnes that others might haue comfort in the like case Matthew in the ninth chapter and the ninth verse shameth himselfe by the name of a Publican and yet if we looke to his sinne it was not like the sinne of Peter against the ninth commaundement nor like the sinne of Dauid against the sixe and seuenth commaundements the sinne of Paul against the first as of them that crucified Christ himselfe But that which he concealeth the other Euangelists blase abroad that which they conceale he blaseth abroad And this is one argument of the truth of the word for wheras other Chronicles do euer cōmend themselues and their owne natiue countries best as if you read the Chronicles of England you will thinke it the hest nation it is contrary in the word the deniall of Peter is more expresly set downe of Marke than of any other yet did he write the Gospell out of his mouth Paul setteth out his own faults in more sharpe measure and manner than any other can doe Act. 26. Moses Gen. 49. seemeth to discredit his owne birth Wee see all these were of God who is then most glorified when we are most cast downe 2 As the hiding of our sinne with Adam hindreth mercie so to testifie our sinne to be greater than it is with Cain displeaseth God highly 3 Confession without yeelding and feeling is nothing but a testimonie against our selues let vs then so confesse that it may moue vs to loue the truth 4 Pharaohs confession is rather in iudgement than in affection in respect of the punishment not of his sin ergo it is not enough yet he hath profited further than many of vs which will not confesse our sinnes at all 5 Whensoeuer we haue sinned it is good to haue this or the like meditation good Lord wilt thou call me to iudgement and enter thine action with mee How shall I doe then I will take this order I will disagree and fall out with my selfe But is there any hope that God will then shewe mercy Yea no doubt for if the Lord were minded presently to imprison vs he would neuer by his prophets forewarne vs by a writ hee might vse the whole host of the creatures to execute his vengeance euery houre but hee deales more mercifully with vs if we confesse our sinnes 6 Naturally we be all slowe to confesse our sinnes we cast short reckoning on our owne faults Adam said I haue not sinned Lord hee lesseneth his sinne in conceit saying The woman gaue it me and I did eate Iob seemeth to make an apologie as being vnworthy of such a punishment But wee must learne that a sinner the more hee doth extenuate and hide sinne the more he doth aggrauate sinne and hasten iudgement the more freely he doth confesse and iudge himselfe the more he is freed from Gods seate of iustice Pro. 28. 13. 2. Cor. 11. 31. 32. CHAP. XV. Of Conscience LOoke how is our Conscience so is our confidence it is a tender peece we must
may so say to the gaole deliuerie and this is called the day of iudgement In comparison wherof other iudgements are as nothing Then God wil take the matter into his own hand then shal there be a new Quest theÌ„ all thâ—se matters that are shuffled vp and euill iudged shall be iudged againe Now is the day of affections but then the day of iudgement in it we shal lose all that is to be lost Now for this day this iudgement that we may haue somewhat to moue vs being of our selues Verie dul let vs see how fearefull and dreadfull it is In a iudgement there are three things the action the sentence and the execution For we see the prisoners first how they plead for themselues Secondly being found guilty the sentence is pronounced by the Iudge and after they are executed In earth there are means to acquite for a season as delusioÌ„ of the Iudge or of the witnesses perswasion corruption fauor For the first they be apicesiuris points in law they vndoe all iustice a cauâ—lling iustice but apices iuris in calo non excusant And for the witnesses they shall not deliuer him for they shall be true witnesses the booke shall then be opened No perswasion shall then serue because God is not subiect to any affection Thirdly there shall be no corruption for though the Iudge could be corrupted what could we giue him when the whole world shall be destroied Lastly we must looke for no fauour for it is the day of iudgement and not of mercie The night before the blowing of the Trumpet there shall be preached mercy but then there shall be none let no man flatter himselfe for so he shall find it To escape a senteÌ„ce here on earth is either by appeale to an higher court or by reâ—racting but there can be no appeale for who is higher than God neither shall there be any reuersion of the sentence for there shall be no more sitting because there is no second iudgement Thirdly there is an execution which is most fearefull And execution there shall be well let it come will we say for a punishment must be ours then what is there to helpe vs to escape punishment but either resistance or if that will not serue flight if we cannot flie patience or mitigation or our coÌ„fort is hope but there is none of all these can stand vs in any stead for the first if we were as Iob saith hard rockes as we are potshards we were not able to resist for if the Lord did but touch vs we would smoke But his wrath shall be powred vpon vs and who is able to abide it Secondly it bootes vs not to flie for the Lord is euery where round about vs we are as it were in a circumfereÌ„ce the further we are from one part the neerer we are to the other We flie from the God of peace to the God of wrath there is no escaping Christ saith Take the vnprofitable seruant bind him hand and foot so that he cannot flie and Iude addeth with euerlasting chaines and that in darkenes so that if he could breake his chaines yet he could not see whither to flie in the darke Thirdly there is no patience which ye shall see if ye consider the example of the rich man in Luke who required one drop of water to coole his tongue of a person whom he hated deadly and no doubt they do hate the godly there as much as euer they did in this life Last of all let vs looke for no mittigation If there were any mittigation it should be either in respect of the wearines of the tormentors but they are spirits or by consuming of our bodies but we shall continue for euer or by diminishing of the instruments but the fire shall neuer goe out that it may not so do there is a lake of brimstone prepared to run into it and the worme neuer dieth Neither shal there be any comfort the remembrance euen of that they enioyed shall torment them 9 There is a people in Amos and Zephanie that put the day of the Lord farre off but it shall be vnto them a day of terrour and trembling On the other side let vs consider how the world waxing olde as a garment and all creatures become moath-eaten and worme-eaten the fruites stones and hearbes decaying in their vertues Against worldly Atheists the Prophet Zephaniah saith The Lord will seeke them and rather than he will lose them for finding he will seeke them with a lanterne and search them with a candle When we know the time must come we enquire of it and beholding God drawing some presently into the stage and knowing that others are reserued for the last iudgement the faithfull inquire for their hope the wicked for their feare Well as I would not haue men too curious Mat. 24 so could I wish them not to be too carelesse the first is ill the second is worse The day shall come suddenly and therefore neither curiousnesse nor carelesnesse is good only thus much is sure it is at hand but no man could neuer shew the fingers of his hand Peter sheweth that we must not measure the time after man but after God Some reason this some that but let vs remember that Deuterono 29. 29. The secret things belong to the Lord our God but the things reuealed belong vnto vs. Let no man thinke by an allegorie to reach to that which the Angels themselues cannot comprehend For if one should say that as there were foure thousand yeeres before Christ his comming in the flesh so there should be foure thousand before he came to iudgement were it not as like a quidditie as they harpe on and yet both vntrue If we looke on Cyprian and Tertullian we shall see them to haue thought the day to come in their times Here the Fathers haue roued much but all like to misse the marke Let vs know that thâ— neerenesse is not in respect of vs but of the speaker who onely knoweth what is neere and let vs content our selues with this that in respect of eternitie nothing is long that shall haue an ende When the Apostles then say it is neere so we may say it is neere and no difference But as the Day was then neere so the Houre is now neere neere I say in respect of God and of eternitie And as the promise accomplished was neere to God 4000. yeeres before it came so it is not in the fadome of mans braine to tell how many dayes or yeeres wherewith God is not gouerned is farre or neere vnto vs. The Apostle Heb. 10. 25. sheweth the time to bee neere and that it is within the view of the eye because the sacrifices of the Iewes are abolished the true sacrifices are offered and the Gospell more or lesse is vniuersally preached But among al reasons this moueth me may moue
and through him looke for the promise which belong to godlinesse euen then we may see that for weaknes of faith and coldnes in repentance and slacknes in our sanctification we doe iustly feele the want of Gods sweet promises 7 We shall not accuse God of hard dealing if we consider how many waies he blesseth vs and in how few things he humbleth vs and if we thinke how many sinnes we commit and how few he punisheth how few duties we doe and how many blessings he giueth vs. Let vs neuer maruell why we are often or much afflicted why we haue not Gods promises fulfilled vnto vs nay rather let vs for euer maruell at the goodnesse of God which so plenteously rewardeth our small obedience 8 We must not say with Peter Lord I am a sinner depart from me but Lord I am a sinner come neere to me and draw me neerer to thee They that will not draw neere to the thorne of Mercy in this life shall draw neere to the throne of Iustice in the life to come so they shall go from the East of Gods mercy to the West of his iustice And if the Lord hath sanctified your hearts ye must know that we drawe neere to God by meanes The first meanes is prayer we goe to God by prayer not by paces Prayer is a sacrifice to God a refuge to man a whip for the diuell The second meanes is hearing of his word if we will haue God heare our prayers it is meete God should claime thus much of vs that we shuld heare his word If we will say Lord heare my prayer he must say my sonne hearken to my words The Lord vttereth his affection in this O that Israel would haue heard my commandements O Ierusalem Ierusalem saith Christ how often haue I called and thou wouldest not heare let all men know that there hath been no word from our birth to our death spoken to vs but in way either to our saluation or damnation The third meane whereby we draw neere to God is by the Sacraments The word it selfe is an audible word the Sacrament is a visible word the commandement is flat 1. Cor. 11. Doe this Esay 55. Come buy and eate Matth. 11. Come ye that are heauie c. 9 Great is the wrath of the Lord if we looke to strength are we stronger than the Lord Do we thinke to shift escape his anger or that we can abide the furiousnes of his wrath That we cannot escape it it is plaine for the Lord is euery where if we run from him we run as in a circle the further we run from one side the neerer we run to another and still we are in the Lord his compasse If we run from the East he will meete vs in the West the Lord hath a chaine for vs and will hold vs in darknes so that easily we shall not be able to escape Now for making our part good with the Lord we are not as Iob saith rocks or if we were mountaines we should smoke when the Lord doth blow on vs we are but potsherds and the Lord hath a rod of yron to bruise vs and such is the power of God which we shall trie in our destruction if we will not trie it in our saluation What shall we then doe Surely hauing so mighty an aduersary it shall be good to seeke peace and reconciliation with him For as this is comfortable he shall be our Aduocate which is our Sauiour and he that is our Sauiour shall be our Iudge so this is as fearefull a thing that he shall be our accuser which is our Aduocate Yet therein is the Lord mercifull that he doth not bring vpon vs a sodaine Outlawrie but he fore-telleth vs of his suite and therefore it is good to be reconciled and for our reconcilement because the first part standeth in a confession we must acknowledge that we haue offered as much violence to the law of the Lord as we can and that so we haue forfeited all our benefits our bread our sleepe our apparell to the Lord. The confession of the whole plea is lost if we confesse not all otherwise we are in Adams case to bee condemned who would hide his fault and in the estate of the damned Matt. 25. who being accused did plead againe Lord when saw we thee or heard we thee c. There is no standing out with the Lord but seeing we haue lost all we must confesse all that for knowledge the pap is stil in our mouthes and in respect of our liues we are certainely fellonious vsurpers of his creatures and so promise that hereafter we will doe otherwise but if wee stand out I say with the Lord nothing is to bee looked for but eternal condemnation mourning and woe And as we must confesse this so must we stand against our selues and so goe vp into the chamber of our own conscience and award shame to our selues and hauing such an hote controuersie with our own soules the Lord will remit all 10 We must learne to loue the Lord for himself not for our good let vs learne not to indent with God as if he will giue vs riches or health or power then we will serue him or else not for men cannot away with this indenting with them but let vs say rather Lord take away my sinnes and as for other things Lord doe as it pleaseth thee Thus Dauid did when he was so disquieted in his kingdome by his sonne Let vs desire this heart of God for hee hath wrought euen in sinfull flesh to see life in death health in sicknes wealth in pouertie And this if wee belieue we may see the wonderfull worke of God as well as our fathers haue done 11 Many worldly wise men suspects vs of lightnes of beliefe when we can so soone credite the Word but let no man thinke wee can be too credulous herein seeing euery jote therein is as true as if it had beene from Christ his owne finger or vttered with his owne tongue Deliberation is a goodly thing to a man indeede but yet reason will let a man be credulous enough and as hasty as an horse rushing into the battell vnlesse it be in matters of religion and of conscience and then we feare that Christ would seduce vs and we deale with him his preachers as though they were dangerous fellows And therefore though Gods cōmandements be neuer so plaine yet they must goe vnder the examination of reason And because worldly men say either with Thomas Shew me by experience this or with Nicodemus Shew me that by reason and I belieue you God can haue no dealing with vs Oh is it not marueilous that the lumpe of foolishnes should call into question the Trueth of God ' which is Trueth himselfe and dares not mistrust the worde but of a friend of one that is in some authoritie though smaller credit aboue him And yet
the maiestie of God shall be ouerwhelmed with glory but he that searcheth out the mercy how much more shall he be ouerwhelmed of â—â— His iudgements be as a great deepe but the deepe of his mercy swallowes vp that deepe Wherefore well said Chrysostome Great is the hell of my sinnes but greater is the deepenesse of thy mercy O God The Scriptures attribute to Gods mercy all dimensions First depth it fetched Dauids soule from the neather most hell ergo it reacheth thither Secondly breadth for that he setteth our sinnes vs farre from as the East is from the West Thirdly length for it extendeth it selfe not to the cloudes only but to the stars which as Iob saith are not cleane in his sight yea euen to the Angels in whom he hath found folly so that but for his mercy they could not abide his triall Nay God is able to forgiue vs more than we are able to sinne And indeed mercy is the gate of the Almightie By no other qualitie of his can we be suffered to haue entrance or to approch vnto him All other things hath the Lord done in measure number and weight sauing his mercy in our redemption wherein without measure beyond all number and weight he was mercifull two drops of bloud had beene sufficient or one cup of his bloud but the whip pierced his skin the thornes his flesh the nayles his bones the speare his heart and his very soule was made a sacrifice for sinne 2 When we loose an outward benefit we must not so thinke of it as of the losse of Gods fauour but what doe blinde people regard Gods grace So they haue plentie of corne and oyle they respect not the losse of their soules whereas if all the creatures of the world should weepe for the losse but of one soule it were too little Yet our people so they may eate of the Lords bread and enioy the fat of the earth care not whether the Lord shew a lightsome or a fearefull countenance vpon them Wherefore because we set so little by that which the Lord sets at so high a price the Lord will take from vs that which we esteeme so highly and bring vpon vs some sodaine desolation 4 We must euer desire the first fruits of the Spirit but hauing attained the first beginnings of Gods grace we must euer waite for the increase of it by degrees 5 When we haue receiued mortification and sanctification as hansels of Gods mercies then may we hope for heauen for they that haue receiued grace shall also receiue glorie 6 The graces of God are not in his children as morning mistes but as well builded towers to continue all assaults 7 Diuersitie of gifts should not make vs disagree or to enuy one another but rather should binde vs in loue to embrace one another that so we might be profitable one to another 8 The Lord hath such respect to his glory that he will giue gifts when he might iustly punish therfore we ought not so much to reioyce in the possessioÌ„ of earthly blessings for the Lord giueth many blessings to stop the mouthes of vnbeleeuers and to call sinners to repentance which if they neglect then assuredly the Lords wrath will be more fierce against them The wicked haue no cause to reioyce that the Lord smites them not for he lets them prosper for a while that their coÌ„demnation may be more iust when it commeth Trie thy selfe thus if thou profitest by Gods correction it is a signe of grace againe if by his patience thou takest as a good sonne occasion to repent and doest studie to come out of thy sinne it is likewise a good argument of Gods fauour 9 God is slow to wrath yet let vs euer remember that albeit he suffered Israel long yet at the last he destroyed them all that none of the vnbeleeuers entred into the promised land Wherefore we may not conclude that because the Lord punisheth not as yet therefore he will not punish at all but confider that all such as respect not his mercies in time shall at the last feele his iustice 10 The thing loued is much desired and sought after whereby we may take a triall of our loue to God or of our loue to the world First looke what we loue indeed we spend much time in it and can be content to affoord houres daies weekes yeares yea and ageâ— too in it And yet with all the contentions we may we get not to the worship of God Dauids seuen times a day nor his morning noonetide and euening exercises hardly we affoord the Lord his Sabbath Secondly we bestow our thoughts and our affections much and liberally on the thing we loue the Apostles were so troubled with bread that they could not vnderstand Christ speaking of the leauen of hypocrisie Thirdly our loue to a thing is shewed when we are skilfull and painfull in commending the thing loued The Spouse in the song of Salomon was very perfect in setting forth the parts of her beloued she knew the time of his going she was acquainted with his attire she was rauished with his beautie she was priuy to his coÌ„ming to her Men shew forth their loue to earthly things in their great skill in buying and selling Amos. 8. in the signes of heauen colours of the skie Matth. 16. in our statutes penall lawes Micah 6. but in the law of God they be scarsly wained Fourthly a man shall see his loue by his great zeale whereby he is caried to bring the thing to that he loueth as Esay 9. 7. when the zeale of the Lord is said to bring our redemption to passe Certainly euery man is eaten vp with one zeale or other The godly seeke gaine by honest meanes if they can but rather than the wicked wil loose their gaine away with honestie away say they with Christ as Iudas Fiftly the great reioycing which we haue bewrayeth our loue as Dauid doth Psal. 4 7. after that he had the thing he desired the countenance of the Lord he saith he had more ioy of heart than they of the world had when their wheat and their wine did abound But immortalitie the blessing of the right hand is lesse esteemed among vs than riches which are the blessings but on the left hand Prouer. 3. Blessed indeed are the people which are in such a case but more blessed are the people which haue the Lord for their God Sixtly what we feare to forgo that we loue to haue Pilat cared not to forgoe Christ but he was afraide to loose Caesars fauour Lastly we loue that well which we are grieued to part with so did the young man in the Gospell shew his loue to riches who hauing a discipleship offered himselfe freely but when he saw he should forgoe all he had he rather forsooke Christ than his riches We must looke where we loue The purest thing
members of the body So that the cause why we shew no mercy is because we cannot perswade our selues to be members Of the primitiue Church and the faithfull congregations gathered by the Apostles it is saide there was but one heart one will among them and therefore no doubt but one body for there can be but one heart in one body and it were monstrous in one body to haue two hearts The lawe of members is that looke what one member receiueth is receiues not for it selfe alone but for all the rest too The eye it sees not to defend and helpe itselfe alone but it sees for the hand for the foote and for the other parts of the body And so by the law of members if wee haue any thing wee must bestow it on the whole body and as well on the foote as on the head Euen so doth one member receiue the benefite of another that as the eye seeth so all seeth as the hand writeth so all write and wee knowe the least benefite or hurt which is in any member is ascribed to the whole body as if but the finger ake we say we haue an ach if the naile be hurt we say we are hurt if the foote be whole wee say we are healed Then if this affection be not in vs mercifully to impart one to another as one member is seruiceable to another mercie is not in vs. If we be grieued for any it is but a complaint of the mouth we can giue him a Lord helpe him but Christ did not onely see one so but he wept ouer him he wept not onely but touched the verie leprous yea and he healed them Well if there be no mercie in vs with what face can we come to the Lord and say giue vs a kingdome let thy kingdome come if wee denie to our brethren the gift of so much as of a peece of bread and how can wee looke vp to heauen with any hope to come thither if we haue laid vp no store there before hand God scummeth away the drosse of his Saints by Crosses yet breaketh not his holy couenant with them but performeth it through many tribulations which they deserue and pul vpon themselues When the Lord threatneth we are often driuē into a secret murmuring and impatiencie of spirit but we must know that his minae be as medicinae the meanes of the Lord are medicines And wee are too nice Christians if wee cannot abide to bee threatned seeing God his iudgements are often greater mercies than euen the continual ordinary mercies themselues Nay because the Lord would not destroy vs hee threatneth vs hee hath not delight in the death of a sinner therefore he threatneth death vnto vs because he would not haue death come vpon vs. For as the mercies of God are iudgments to some that abuse his mercies so the iudgments of God are mercies to others because they cause them to obserue his wil and to enter into a new league with him And this is that the Apostle saith all things turne to the best to them that loue God all things the very melancholie of the diuels euen hell fire for the bitternes of threatnings are fore-warnings to the godly that they should not be destroyed with the world in the ende CHAP. XXXIIII Teaching vs why we are specially to keepe watch and ward ouer our hearts SO corrupt is the heart as being the fountaine of all sinfull actions that although wee shoulde neuer haue patternes of impietie yet our owne heart would schoole vs sufficiently to the waye of destruction Reprooued then bee their Doctrine who thinke that a man is not naturally inclined to euill or that nature is not wholie inclined to sinne but that by example and allurement man is corrupted and infected by others The occasion of euill may bee outward but the cause of it is inwarde not of others but in our selues And good reasons there bee therefore that wee should still haue an eye to our hearts First our hearts doth carrie with it most commonly all our senses so that nature taught men of the world that the eye seeth not but the heart it is not the hand that toucheth but a certaine force proceeding from the heart and exercised by the hand and seeing nor sense left in the body From hence it commeth that great sounds and strange noyses are nothing heard of our eares attending vpon our hearts and our hearts being throughly occupied about some other obiect From hence it is that goodly shewes able to rauish the sight with delight are not so much as seen of vs our eies being wholly restrained about other things whereabout the heart is occupied yea from hence it is that wee stumble sometime on the plaine ground and our feet do faile vs in most faire places our feete attending on our hearts and our hearts being carried vehemently vnto some other matter Although then we ought to keepe with great care our eyes our eares our hands with all other parts of the body yet it standeth vs in hand to keepe diligent watch ward ouer our hearts by which all the other partes are moderated and ruled Another reason why wee should haue speciall regard to our heartes is because they make or marre all our actions If the heart be pure all our affections are pure though Christ through some defectes be mixed therewith if our hearts be not sound but corrupt then the things in their owne nature good by vs are made impure corrupt It is without all controuersie that it is our corrupt nature which corrupteth vs either to be slacke in weldoing or to leaue a good thing altogether vndone to be so prone to euil-doing or to rest too securely in it being done And albeit many occasiōs may be pretēded to stay vs from good which may seeme to carrie some shew of good yet they are deceiuing corruptions and full of rottennesse at the core as experiēce prooueth Some are kept backe from catechising of their familie because they would not be made the by-talke of the people they would not men should talke of them and tear me them a precise company Some goe aloofe and walke along from pure zeale in good works that they might retaine their libertie in buying and selling and so better take order for domesticall expences which they thinke would fall to the ground if God should be purely worshipped And indeed euery thing creepeth vnder colour of a good thing and they will turne out nothing naked but with one ragged reason or other although their pretences be of an ill die or their reasons not able to keepe them from any iniurie of the weather whatsoeuer They are carried away with the deceiueablenesse of sinne their corruption deceiueth them they are beguiled with the diuels sophistrie in putting that for a cause which is no cause at al. But this hypocrisie of hart may appeare not onely in not doing of good which we should doe but
to tempt vs to euill nor any euill wrought to take example by yet there abideth enough in the heart to corrupt the whole man For there is no euill in the wickedest man of the world but it is in mee and would appeare vnlesse the Lord did suppresse it 8 He was desirous still to keepe himselfe from deadnes and tried his heart with thankfulnes by speaking somewhat after meate receiued to the glorie of God if God gaue any good matter into his minde so to take it if euery one were silent then to raise vp some good occasion of speaking by reading or singing which were so vsed that when other things came in place to the aforesaid end they were surceased from because customable sticking to any thing bringeth lesse reuerence and profit And among other things he was very glad to speake somewhat to such whom he thought after God might make instruments to teach it to others more effectually than he could expresse it which thing he said we should learne of the Apostle Paul 2. Tim. 2. 2. CHAP. XXXVI Of hearing Gods Word TF the Psalmist Psal. 94. could make his argument Hee that hath planted the eare shall he not heare much more may we argue thus He that hath planted the eare shall not hee be heard Shall not hee heare saith Dauid shall not he be heard say we And surely in his creation he planted the eare to this end and therefore by the title of creating vs hee hath good interest to the eare but if the title of creation will not serue yet in respect that he preserueth vs continually which wee call his prouidence that interest may serue but if that serue neither yet Adam hauing through sinne alienated himselfe from God his soule his bodie and so his eares too by the right of Redemption the Lord hauing purchased vs a new and buying euery iot of vs againe as it were at the second hand in this right he may surely claime our eares Now if hee may claime them as they be his and in truth they be his then must we heare him or if they be not his and by no right appertaine to him then we are not the Lords Israel But if wee bee the Lords then I say the Lord hath saide hee cannot abide that a candle being light should be put vnder a bushell and that our eares which appertaine to him should be put to no vse which if they be they little or nothing differ from a carued image who hath eyes and seeth not eares and heareth not He will not haue vs come to the Church and the word beate and beate vpon vs and no more stirre vs than it doth the pillars or seates we sit on wherein we shew our selues to be but idoll Christians or counterfeite professors Then if wee must needes heare the nexte thing to be inquired of is the speciall subiect or obiect of our hearing We can heare a noise as of the beating of the ayre of the winde of the thunder or such like though it be not a voyce but alas a bare sound can doe nothing Secondly then wee heare a voyce but this is common to vs with beasts and what can the bellowing of oxen or the bleating of sheepe doe vs good So then neither a noise nor a voyce is here to be stood vpon which can doe vs no good How then there is yet a better thing and that is a word wherein one may expresse the excellent meaning of his minde to another and man may open himselfe to man Well then a sound is a thing inferiour a voice is somewhat more excellēt but a word is without question the best of all to increase our knowledge Now if the word be the most principal I would gladly know of him that is farthest from God if there be any word better or more worth the hearing than the word of God Then if we ascend from a sound to a voyce and from the voyce to a word and from a word to the word of God we see the word of God to be most principall and good cause there is why it should so bee the speaker of it is aboue all creatures and therefore his word must be aboue the word of all other creatures Whereunto if wee ioyne but the consideration of our reuerend regard in hearing but a Prince or a meaner Magistrate how we listen marke his speech scan and stand vpon euery word he speakes to vs to see what most concernes vs this will surely condemne vs for our negligence and carelesnesse in hearing the word of the Lord. But seeing the word is the best thing we will draw out another reason which is that wee then best imploy our eares when wee heare the word and in hearing can say Now I heare the best thing that I can heare this is the sweetest sound and now mine eares are put to the best vse I heare not onely a sound but a voice a word and the very word of God so are our handes best imployed when they are receiuing the sacraments our eyes when they are reading our feete when they bring vs to the house of God When wee thus haue once set our selues in worke we may well say All that I haue is in their best estate and put to the best kinde of dutie because our senses and the parts of our bodies are about the busines of sauing of our soules about the busines of the Lords glorie The Heathen said that the goodly ornaments of the world and frame of all things was most worthy the seeing as though a man were borne and came into this life onely to take a view of them and so to depart without hauing any vse or profite of them though he neuer felt the power of the Sunne or the sweetnes of flowers or any other thing much more may I say so much of the word though a man should neuer haue benefit by it yet so good it is of it selfe that it is most worthy the hearing though it be nothing but heard But besides our hearing the Lord hath ioyned a speciall profit to the word as either the sauing or condemning of our selues so that the word is therefore more carefully to be heard because it is accompanied with such a benefit as the sauing of our soules God saith Iohn so loued the world that he gaue his only begotten sonne for vs that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life But how shall we beleeue saith Paul Rom. 10. if we heare not how shall we heare without preaching and how shall they preach vnlesse they be sent So that it is preaching that brings hearing hearing breedes beleeuing and by beleeuing we are saued and so howsoeuer the iolly fellowes of this world and others accompt thereof to bee but madnesse or foolishnes this same foolishnes of preaching saith Paul bringeth saluation this foolish thing I say of preaching and this
must haue a continuall hearing Will yee heare how God hath taken answere for this it is said Psal. 95 Heb. 3. To day if ye will heare his voice This we knowe is read to day and to morrow and euery day and so â—or euer and yet all is but to day Wee cannot exempt our selues this bindes our hearts and will haue vs hold out as long as it is saide to day So then as wee must pray and be prepared to heare and come with a purpose to heare vniuersally so must we heare continually Yet wee must adde a fourth thing and that is wee must bring a desire to practise the things we heare And euery man must come thus affected I haue prepared my selfe to heare I will heare all as well that which is misliking as that which liketh me but beware of this last come what come will I will not obey But if we vow not to heare to lay vp in our memorie that our memorie may call vpon our conscience and our conscience call vpon vs to put it in practise we cut off the sentence by the halfe He that heareth the word and keepeth it is blessed and keepes it here is a coniunction copulatiue and in no case we must leaue it out And there is good reason it should bee so for as Augustine saith The word is compared to an hammer to a fire to a sword and not for nothing The hammer bruiseth so the word must soften our hard hearts the fire purgeth and purifieth so the word purgeth our grosse affections and purifieth our hearts the sword pearceth and so the word diuideth betweene the marrow and the ioynts If the word workes not these effects it loseth his power The word is a word of power and lâ—t euery man reckon with himselfe If in hearing the word I draw not neerer to the mercie of God I shall draw neerer to his wrath if not to my saluation sure to my destruction 3 We oft heare the word but not as the word of the Lord and therefore wee heare it but in part because we thinke it is the word of Esai of Peter or of the Minister wee thinke it is Hose or Paul that speakes but not the Lord. Well if we will tarrie vntill the Lord himselfe come wee shall not heare nor see him vntill the heauens roll vp together as a scrole and a globe of fire consume the face of the earth vntill the Sunne be turned as blacke as a pot and the sea boile as a pot of oyle and then we must rather giue an accompt of our hearing than stand to heare againe Well then how are we said to heare the word of the Lord First we must know that Christ receiued a commission from the Lord This is my beloued Sonne heare him Here is his commission Then our Sauiour Christ being to goe to his Father left a commission with his Apostles Who so heareth you heareth me who so receiueth you the same receiueth me but who so refuseth you refuseth me So that to heare the Ministers is to heare Christ and to heare Christ is to heare the father so that to heare the Ministers is to heare God And the words of Hose and of Peter they be the Lords words And all this word sent from God shall be as effectuall by the mouth of the Ministers to conuert as if they were spoken by Christ himselfe And we know that Christ being the Minister of circumcision conuerted not all his auditors nay he conuerted but a few of his hearers Peter conuerted more at one sermon who was but his Apostle than we reade that hee himselfe euer conuerted all his life long But if it will not be but still we thinke it is the word of the Preachers surely by our owne imaginations the Lord will punish you that is it shall bee vnto you a mans word Hosees word or Peters word not the word of the Lord. And then if we heare it not as the word of God but as the word of man it will neuer doe vs good it may breede some little purpose in vs but it wil neuer breede in vs any great practise to our comfort So then if we heare it but as from men we shall â—ot in our sinne and so lye stil vntill the Lord finde vs out in the searching day of his iudgement 4 Because the doctrine of accusing condemning and threatning is a scripture vnwillingly receiued of men and we shall see in most of the Prophets so long as they prophecy peace and speake of heauen of grace of mercie they are willingly heard but if at any time they strike on the other string the people would no loÌ„ger heare but oft breake forth and say prophecy peace vnto vs because I say the people hauing made a league with death and hell cannot abide to heare such vnsauory and nipping speeches it must needes be that the Lord sometime vse speeches of quarrel and controuersie and of his falling out with the people I knowe that besides that it is the general corruption of nature it is a speciall fault of these times and of this age that if the Minister of God thunder out the threanings of God hee shall bee straight discharged to bee a Minister of Christ hee shall be now the Minister of the Law and of Moses For the words of grace mercie and saluation are sweete wordes and men can well away to heare them but the Sonne of God hath not alwaies a streame of milke and hony running out of his mouth but sometime a two edged sword Apocal. 1. and it is as profitable for God his children sometime to haue a song of Sinai as a song of Sion and then specially is this requisite when the mercies of God come not by the hynn or by the peck or by small portions but by the Goâ—â—er by the Ephath and in full measure Because then we may be drawne into forgetfulnes and therefore least these things should cloy vs it is good for euery maÌ„in the day of peace to think of the day of controuersie in our most quietnes to knowe the Lord hath an inditement and an action against vs though when this age is ripped vp wee shall see the Lord his inditement rightly framed and his â—isiprius iustly put vp against vs yet when the day of the iudgmeÌ„ts of God be threatned we must not say they appertaine to strangers we must take the action to proceede against our selues 5 Though the Ministers take the Lords quarrell in hand and iudge his cause as the Lord biddeth Ezechiel to auenge his quarrellâ— though the Prophets I say doe this or if they cease to doe it the very stones and creatures shall doe it against vnbeleeuers yet as other times we see in the Prophets how al cease and the Lord himselfe pleads the controuersie Though therefore we could arme our selues and make our part good against the creatures and could shift off his Prophets yet the Lord himself
serue to nouzell vs in our sinnes because the childe of GOD may come to this through often infirmitie but when hee seeth it it is time to bestirre himselfe and to feare least those fearefull beginnings doe bring him at the last vtterly to fall away 16 The first meanes to keepe vs from hardnes of heart is to feare it long before for if wee once be fallen into this then are wee past all sense and feeling and cannot perceiue it and therefore our case is more fearefull and dangerous as those are which fall into some great disease of the body and know it not Againe if we be not of hardned hearts then the word may worke with vs and all other afflictions may haue their effect and so haue a good end but if our hearts bee once hardened then all our plagues are vnfruitfull vnto vs yea they are nothing else but euen a taste of hell and of those punishments which are and abide for euer So had Pharaoh many and great plagues yet because his heart was hardened he profited not but ranne on forward till he was vtterly destroyed But Iob whom the Lord had not yet forsaken profited by all his miseries had a good and ioyful issue and escaped from them Therefore the children of God doe feare it more than all other punishments and had rather bee plagued with all the miseries of Iob and the botches of Aegypt than with an heart that is hardened It goeth not well with vs then when we feare wordly and bodily punishments more than wee doe hardnes of heart and other spirituall punishments for euen here is a difference betweene the wicked and the children of God for the wicked are euer greatly troubled for feare of outward afflictions but the spirituall punishments of the soule doe neuer a whit affect them Contrariwise the children of God doe aboue all things dread spirituall punishments as for outward troubles they are content to beare them and are grieued no otherwise for them than as they are signes of Gods displeasure this is a good note to trie our selues by The second is a true desire and loue to haue a melting heart to be often touched with the word and with Dauid to desire the vnderstanding of the word aboue all worldly treasures and the light of his louing countenance aboue all earthly helpe or treasure for the worldly men doe greedily hunt after worldly things and thinke themselues best at ease when they enioy them we must then not be like minded to these men but earnestly desire the former and then it will be an vndoubted signe of the spirit of God The third remedie against hardnes of heart is to ioyne to the feare aboue named and continually to labour and striue against it in vsing carefully all those meanes which may serue thereunto and as in our nature there is a continuall desire of earthly things so should wee continually bee moued to pray that in spirit we may daily labour and striue against it and as the husbandman fearing pouertie because his goods decay or his ground bringeth not foorth his fruite doth labour more carefully to lay vp against the time of neede like vnto Ioseph when hee was in Aegypt and as the maâ—â— fearing sicknesse because his naturall powers are weakened or his stomack waxeth weake will by Physicke and other meanes labour to preuent it so wee must doe against hardnes of heart for so long as wee feele taste in Gods word to bee humbled by his threatnings and comforted by his promises if wee striue and contend to growe in grace the Lord no doubt is with vs. But if wee waxe wearie of the world and can feele not taste in it if wee cannot bee terrified by his threatnings nor affected by his promises then is our case dangerous and we haue good cause to feare least the Lord will harden vs therefore must wee in daily hearing and reading of the word labour to come to some feeling of it and in our quiet state whiles the world is with vs lay vp such things in store as may bee able to comfort vs when our ministers are remoued and the world taken from vs. But many will bee like Ioseph to prouide for the dearth but they will not store themselues with spirituall food against the time when the word shall be taken away Now if through infirmitie wee doe fall and the light of the spirit be darkened and our hearts begin to bee hardened then let vs call to minde our former practise which we haue had in the word and remember the care wee had to keepe it and it will be a great helpe to recouer vs againe For Dauid no doubt was very well helped in his greatest conflicts by the remembrance of those places which aforetime he had read 17 When as in receiuing of meate the meate that nourisheth is changed into vs it is far otherwise in the chirurgerie of our soules For in receiuing of the word of the SacrameÌ„ts which feed the soule they are not changed into the qualities of vs but we are chaÌ„ged into them It is the folly of the world now adaies and the euill that troubles not onely the base people but the great also and the wise that they thinke they must giue sap iuice to nourish the word rather thaÌ„ that they should suffer their wisdome to be maintained by the sap of the word and they will set the Lord to learne of them Wel in applying there is a great reason we applie to the heart It is the principall place for God to worke on it is the vsuall place that Sathan most inueâ—gleth and therefore it must needes haue a plaster And here wee inquire not onely Esaus heart who saide in his heart the dayes of mourning for my Father will come shortly then I will slay my brother Iacob Genes 27. 42. but Sarahs heart too who hearing she should conceiue in her olde age laughed in her heart c. So that they must come to this cure Esaus mourning heart and Sarahs vnbeleeuing heart â—ea and with them all hearts Applie the plaster to any place saue to the heart and it will doe no good If the disease come from the heart as all sicknesse of sinne doth lay to the hand the plaster or to the foote or to the face though it heale in one place it will breake foorth in another because vnlesse the heart be well purged and cured it will still minister new matter of corruption into euery part of the body We are not then to be healed at the eare as wee thinke wee may and yet many will not so much as be eare-wise wee must not bee healed in the braine for many will goe so farre in hearing that they may bee braine-wise but wee must be cured at the heart for it is required wee should be heart-wise Well many will come so far too as they will conceiue and iudge well of things so that they growe tongue-wise
the Canker-worme hath eaten that which the Canker-worme hath left the Caterpiller hath eaten they haue spoyled the Church from hand to hand Wherefore it behoueth those places that haue so cast the Lord out to labour the haruest may be recouered and that the branches be new planted that the holds cast down may be reedified and that the vines decaied may be repaired For want whereof euerie priuate mans field being as a garden and euerie mans garden being as a Paradise the Lords garden whether for want of manuring or for the sleeping of the dressers I know not lyeth like the field of the sluggish man and his vineyard like the vineyard of one that is idle And where euery house is curiously sieled euery citie aptly compacted the house of the Lord whether for that the spirituall workmen are confounded among themselues or the ouerseers of the worke be willingly corrupted lieth void waste in many places so that they that see it are constrained to say O Lord why doest thou behold vs thus and sufferest to see such vastation Neither yet shall the voyce of the enemie crying in the day of reuenge race it race it downe to the ground strike vs with such a terror as when violence shall come vpon vs our wiues our children without all respect of age and estate It is not possible that we in our great securitie should cōceiue a shadow of that inexplicable griefe which shall follow that persecuting plague hastning towards vs when the carkases of our friends shall make a way and be as a path in our streets when our women shall villainously be abused in the Lords Sion the children put to the edge of the sword the Princes hanged vp by the hands no sparing shall be of sexe or of age and besides so outragious a rage when our foes shall come to tread as holy ground where the glorie of God his house should strike them stone dead when their sword should be abashed and lose it glittering when it should see the Maiestie of the Lord in his Ministers and Preachers This is a matter of griefe and indignation for the harmelesse blood powred out by the king of Babel on the ground being compared to the blood of the Saints shed by the Pope it would be but as a spoonfull in respect of the Sea When this moodie Tigre comes he will pretend that he rootes out heresie but then why doth he suck the blood of infants who are not capable of heresie Well if this be his intent to roote out heresie is the sword a fit instrument to do it Paul and Peter and the rest of that blessed colledge and Christ himselfe put many notable heretikes to silence by the force of reason and not by dint of sword Was it Christ his meaning that the successor of Peter should draw out his sword when Peter himselfe was bidden to put it vp And yet this royall Priest and Bishop generally will drowne the Church in her own blood And do we not see how the guides Pastors and ouerseers of the Church are driuen out of sundry places where this Bishop hath set his foote whose harts could haue bene better contented at once to haue sealed their doctrine with their blood than to be separated from them to whose soules they had deuoted themselues An heauie farewell no doubt they took of their congregations when as we reade of some who filled their high waies with their beasts laid their children at the feet of the Pastors whē they departed from them crying vnto them What shall be our estate now ye are gone to martyrdome Who shall wash our children in the cristall waters of Baptisme Who shall ease our afflicted consciences when the aduersary shal accuse vs Who shall leade vs the way of life and bring our soules to rest Recompence them O Lord as they haue deserued that are the cause of this O Lord giue them sad harts So heauy a crosse will it be to see an irremediable desolatiō of holy things we know not yet the bitternes of this cup yet we haue them amōg vs which haue tasted it whom let vs entertaine with Ioseph with teares of mercie and let vs in their suites say to the Lord they haue beholden miserie O Lord cause them to behold the light of thy louing countenance for their reliefe comfort So be it 17 It is the great iudgement of God vpon the corrupt iudgement of the world that vnlesse sinne be prodigious and monstrous such as goe round about the world we are not mooued with it When we admonish other sinnes of iesting and such like forsooth we must smile when we doe so and we must laugh vpon them least we moue choler and giue offence Well for all sinne in equall measure and for the least of all sinnes Christ Iesus the Sonne of God was faine to shed his precious blood Howsoeuer sinne seemeth little to vs in committing it was very great to Christ in suffering for it They be small sins to vs which are vsuall to all but if they were not vsuall they would seeme prodigious 18 All the senses especially the eyes as they are most singular instruments to receiue good things by if they by Gods spirit be directed so if they be not well ordered do bring greatest euils and therefore Dauid prayeth that his eyes might be guided aright and Iob maketh a couenant with his eyes vnder which the other parts are included as also when Dauid maketh a couenant with his mouth Ioseph his mistresse first offended in looking without a cause for the wantonnesse of vaine lookes bewray the corruption of the heart we must then striue to haue a lawfull cause of all our doings that so we may be assured of Gods prouidence to watch ouer vs least if any harme happen vnto vs we be the iust occasion thereof Secondly she offended in not keeping a measure for whosoeuer seeth his owne corruptions truely will be afraid of the very appearance of euill as Iob although he was neuer adulterer yet priuie to his corruption he made a couenant with his eyes Iosephs mistresse spake to him day by day and he refuseth she abideth stil in her euill purpose but he still refuseth her and here is the difference betweene Gods children and the wicked the one continueth still in wickednesse and would haue all others such the other perseuere in godlinesse and would bring all men to the same she was conuinced of her fault and yet sorrowed not but continued Where note the oftner sinne the lesse griefe a note of the children of the diuell But contrarily the oftner sinne the more griefe a note of the child of God Ioseph was young about thirtie foure yeeres and yet chast contrarie to those that say fornication is but a tricke of youth Ioseph was entised and yet yeelded not a signe of a pure heart for although temptations be offered of those yet it proceedeth of our corruption
in vaine And yet to cleanse hand foote eye tongue and all without is called but the cleansing of the outside of the platters But wee must not rest here We must goe yet further and be pure in heart for Blessed are the pure is heart such shall receiue the blessing We had great neede to cleanse our spirits for as they retained the image of GOD before sinne came so now being corrupted they are most corrupt For euerie thing degenerating into a contrarie Nature to that which it was is made most contrarie The honie a very sweete thing yet when it is often purified many haue a most bitter matter of it So GOD his nature is gentle and hee is long ere he be prouoked to wrath but when he is angrie who is able to abide his wrath downe goe mountains and hills and all before him so the perfectest part of man being euill is of all things most abominable to the Lord. This deceiues all men to thinke some good thing is left in them But if the tongue which speaketh out of the abundance of the heart haue but the ouerplus and superfluitie of the heart be a world of wickednes as S. Iames saith how much wickednes thinke yee is in the heart Nay the sinne of the spirit is so euill that the Lord hates the smal smoking stemes of it euen the very euaporations which ascend out of it There be some motes in it which in the darke cannot be seene as in time of superstition because of their palpable ignorance they cannot be discerned but when the Sunne beames come those little motes are espied Vntill the Sunne-beame had shined to Paule he could not see these motes but afterward he saw that Thou shalt not lust was a great thing and then seeing his motes he fell out of conceit with himselfe Our fine spirits now-adayes will admit Religion but they wil mingle it with that filthines that comes out of theÌ„selues I meane their owne wittie conceits Thus we see that a man that will grow vp to the cleere hope of a better life hee must be cleansed from all filthines of the spirite euen from his finest sinnes for otherwise they will worke him woe enough 11 Touching sanctification wee must haue our direction out of the old Testament and we must consider whether our thoughts words and works be cleansed from their outward corruptions and though we be not guilty to men notwithstanding I say our thoughts are not sure And all things are impure vnto the Lord vnles they be sequestred and made impropriate to God so that if we haue set our very thoughts apart to God then there is a holines begun and then we are meete not onely for meate but for a sanctified vse To vnderstand this the better we must know that the Iewes who referre vs by proportion of sanctification to the signes which the Lawe hath set downe say that sundrie beasts seruing for meat only were not vncleane but if they come to an holy vse they were vncleane So we though wee be not vncleane in these outward things yet that is not enough wee must be cleane also to serue the Temple holy as the Temple that is holy Now the difference of the beasts vsed in the Temple and other coÌ„mon beasts is in this the beasts vsed to a common vse were vsed in many things but those of the Temple were vsed but to one So if we be to serue for an holie vse wee must not be for when and for what we list but taken vp in thought word and deede to scrue the Lorde wee are not to bestowe our thoughts on all things but to referre them to the Lord mediately or immediately 12 Certaine it is that to the cleansing of our selues as it was in the Lawe that the goâ—â— and siluer being cleansed for the seruice of God had such a defiling by the seruice of Idols that no water could wash them cleane enough but being neuer so well purged yet they must of necessitie passe through the fire so wee say of our corrupt nature though wee cleanse it and cleanse it very oft and very much being so much corrupted both of it selfe and with the touch of outward things yet it must needes goe through fire and passe by death which must throughly purge it without which it cannot wholy be purified For before an vniuersall cleansing there must be a dissolution of nature There may be other seruices to vse in vs as there was of those beasts that were for meat but when we must come to that one and immediate seruice of God there cannot be any vntill our nature he dissolued and are passed through the furnace of death and so we shall be freed from all filthines In the meane season the crackes and breaches of our nature and the corruption crept into the bones sinewes and veines hidden in the secret parts betweene the marrow and the ioynts whither the Apostle saith the word of God doth pearce Heb. 4. 12 I meane the sinnes of naturall corruption shall not be laide to our charge and for other pollutions in our soules we are to striue against them and to growe vp in the feare of God which 2 Cor. 7. 1. is to fulfill as the Virgin Mary fulfilled the daies of her purification the daies of our sanctification The word is taken from the text of the booke of Numbers where the daies of consecrating a Nazarite must be fulfilled Hee should be many daies in cleansing himselfe which if they were not fulfilled his sanctification should not be perfect So that if the Nazarite coutinued thus vntill the end then he should be free but if euen the verie night before his time was ended he touched any vncleane thing then all that he did before was voide and hee was to begin all his dayes againe for he was impure For so long as any part of the sanctification is to be done all is vnperfect This is more cleerly set downe Numb 19 11. 12. where mention is made of purifying the third day and the seuenth day and if the man touching the dead did not fulfill euery day then though he came neere the end and fulfilled not the end he should be impure still if he purified not himself the third day he should not be cleane the seuenth day So we must not deliuer an holinesse to God for a time or in some causes or for some persons but we must throughly fulfill the dayes of our holinesse not presenting I say a maimed holines as in the Law it was not permitted for a man to offer a lame or maimed beast though it wanted but a taile which was a small thing yet for that defect the Lord refused it There are a great manie of professors which would needes be men sanctified but they are loathe to be cleansed and to fulfill the dayes of their holinesse They will goe a while a day or two dayes they will not come to the third
most sweete and soueraigne remedie of his grace So ancient and so experienced a souldier as you are in this spirituall battaile should now be valiant and strong vnto the combat and though victorie be not to be hoped from the weaknesse of flesh yet the experience we haue had of the goodnesse of God in our former troubles ought to assure vs of the returne of his helping hand in all our necessities Shall I put you in minde of the grace of God towards you in your comforting of others euen then when your selfe haue been in some discouragemēt If others haue receiued comfort from you raise vp the same comforts vnto your selfe Neither is there any cause you should feare least the spirit which in you was able to erect and confirme others should not be able to refresh and comfort your owne soule In other things we loue our selues too much and doe well vnto our selues rather than to others but here many times by the fraud and deceit of the enemie wee are made cruell vnto our owne bowels and become his abused instruments to torment our selues Who will put a sword into the hand of his aduersarie to wound himselfe withall And who will strengthen his enemie that is alreadie too strong for him Yet this is our folly that we will conspire with Sathan against our selues and arme him with weapons vnto our owne destruction Saint Peter saith Resist the diuell being strong in faith We must not therefore yeeld our selues vnto his tyrannie nor cast away that weapon of faith by which alone wee may bee able to ouercome But I will vrge this argument no further I know that the benefits of this life are common for the most part both to the reprobate and to the elect yet both in those which are common there is a great and large difference and there are some so singular as carrie with them a stronger testimonie of the fauour of God than that it may without impietie be denied In common benefits it holdeth that as things most aduerse are yet turned vnto our good so much more the good gifts and blessings of God doe carrie with them a testimony of his loue and fauour towards vs. For as the Lord speaketh vnto vs in the word and by his spirit so his good and fatherly prouidence towards vs is not without voyce but soundeth aloud vnto the declaration of his loue But there are as I said some benefits so special that the vse of them is proper only vnto his children Remember with me the first time of this trouble dismaying of your conscience and remember withall how many meanes the Lord hath ministred vnto you for your comfort What shall I say of those whom the Lord hath put euen into your bosome the more neerer to applie his mercie vnto you Maister C. Maister B. Maister R. c. all so furnished vnto your comfort that you may well thinke they were as so many hands stretched out from heauen to support and strengthen your weaknes withall If I should set myselfe to remember how many other the seruants of God haue by diuine prouidence been directed to minister cōfort vnto you the number would be innumerable Master S. Master F. Master D. Master B. Master G. Master G. and almost who not of those that haue been trained and brought vp in that schoole Consider how great a mercie this hath been that so many excellent Physitions of the soule should at seueral times apply themselues if not vnto the cure at the least vnto the mitigating of your disease I will not examine how many and great comforts you haue receiued from them by word in presence and by letters in absence this onely I aske of you whether you haue not knowne all these to beare vnto you the same testimonie to speake the same comfort and to cōfirme you in the same assurance of the loue of God towards you Now what spirit must that bee that shall contradict the spirit of God in the mouthes of so many and faithfull witnesses My good friend marke what I will say vnto you as the patient that is sicke in body willingly resigneth himselfe vnto the sentence and direction of his skilfull and faithfull Physition so must the children of God in their spirituall maladies yeeld themselues vnto the Physitions of their soules so much the more because the Lord hath giuen vnto the ministers of his Gospell the power of binding and loosing both in the publike ministerie of his word and also in the priuate consolation of his children I will not speake of that which is publike although not altogether vnfit vnto my purpose considering that that which is publikely spoken as vnto all hath also a particular addresse vnto those that are the Lords As whē the Lord saith by his Prophet Blessed are all they that mourne in Sion I will for the present rest in that vse of this power of binding and loosing which is priuate and particular Remember that of Saint Iames who saith that vpon the prayers of the Elders of the Church the sins of the diseased shall be forgiuen him which words can haue no other sense but that by them shall bee pronounced vnto him the forgiuenes of sins A most excellent practise wherof we haue in our Sauiour himselfe Luk. 7. where first he proueth by argumēt vnto Simon the Pharisie that the mourning sinner was pardoned all her sinnes and therefore was now no sinner and wicked one as hee vncharitably esteemed her to bee then turning himselfe vnto the distressed soule first saith Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee and afterward Thy faith hath saued thee goe in peace Wherein though there be some things extraordinary in our Sauiour Christ as the sonne of God yet is it that power which he hath communicated vnto all his seruants saying Whose sinnes you forgiue they are forgiuen c. which is nothing else but whose sins vpon due examination and trial of their repentance you pronounce to be forgiuen they are forgiuen Here again remember my deare friend how many of the faithfull and expert seruants of Christ haue examined your estate by conference with your selfe haue found all signes vnto health and saluation Vnlesse therefore Sathan dare contradict the spirit of God speaking by the mouthes of so many witnesses he cannot say but you are the Lords Now for your selfe I am assured that you will not nor dare not say but this hath beene the constant testimonie of all the seruants of God sent vnto you and that they were such as you had no cause to suspect their partialitie or flatterie in any sort How is it then that the voyce of so many should not be vnto you as the voyce of God himselfe Who though he do not speake vnto vs now immediatly from heauen as in some times past yet he speaketh vnto vs by the mouthes of his seruants his Prophets When Dauid said in the horror of his