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A18052
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A plaine and compendious exposition of Christs Sermon in the Mount contayned in the 5.6.7. chapters of Saint Matthew. Being the substance of sundry sermons. By Iohn Carter minister at Belstead neare Ipswych
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Carter, John, 1554-1635.
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1627
(1627)
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STC 4695; ESTC S116220
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101,087
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134
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drinkings wherein there is plentie of bread beere wine cakes and diuers other iunkets as many poore Christians of the reformed religion if they looked to their belly onely would giue them high thankes to exchange with them for their Suppers Hitherto wee haue heard of the properties of Christian righteousnesse that it is spirituall vniuersall and sincere the parts should now follow but because there are three things especially which hinder the atainement and practice of righteousnesse with the parts of it to wit worldlinesse rash iudging and indiscretion he first setteth himselfe most earnestly against them especially against worldlinesse For as they were wont to say of Ottoman the great Turke his horse that where he set his foot nothing would grow because those cruell Turkes made all desolate and wast where they preuailed so may it bee said that where this horse of that great Ottoman the diuell I meane worldlinesse setteth his foot no goodnesse can take place Hee dealeth against this Vers 19. to the end of the Chapter and finding worldly minded folkes sicke of a two-fold maladie to wit inordinate carefulnesse about vnnecessarie riches and carking and caring about necessarie supplies he dehorteth earnestly from the first to Verse 25. from the second in all the rest of this sixt Chapter Concerning the point of vnnecessarie riches hee first forbiddeth a Verse 19 the laying vp of treasures vpon earth secondly commandeth b Verse 20. vs to lay vp for our selues treasures in heauen Thirdly c Verse 21. hee annexeth a weightie reason why we should doe not the one but the other fourthly d Verse 22 23 24. he answereth certaine obiections which either were or hee saw would bee made against that hee taught Heere wee are first to vnderstand that beating men off from laying vp treasures vpon earth he putteth not by honest labour and industry euery where called for in the holy Scriptures nor the vse and fruition of riches yea of great estates permitted by the word of God and e Gen. 25. 5. 6. practised by his most holy seruants in all ages no nor yet simply f Prou. 13. 22. to gather and treasure vp riches for posteritie much commended in holy writ but excessiue 2. Cor. 1â— 14. care and trauaile about these worldly goods with affiance in them and setting our hearts vpon them as if our burgeship or conuersation were not in heauen but heere vpon the earth or as if a mans life consisted in the abundance of the things which he possessed contrarie to Christs doctrine Luk. 12. 15 Where obserue how vehemently hee opposeth this impious conceit bringing in to that end the parable or example of the great rich foole whose soule was taken from him euen then when hee was singing to it that sweet lullabie Soule thou hast much goods layed vp for many yeares take thine ease eate drinke and be merrie And yet this seemeth to be one of the wisest fooles in that kinde for most of them haue their worldly wealth to no other end but to make them stark beggers and their great abundance to make them the more penurious and miserable Surely as the Cherubin by Gods appointment with a flaming sword kept Adam and Eue out of Paradise so through Gods iust vengeance this not Angell but Deuill of couetousnesse keepeth the Vassals of this present world as it were with a flaming sword from the fruition of their rich estates which they haue gotten with great trauaile The wisdome then that we are to learne from hence is not to trouble our selues or spend our precious time about superfluous riches but to spend our time and trauaile about things necessarie and requisite for our persons and for the calling wherein God hath set vs ayming alwayes at the true ends of getting gathering and laying vp in store which in short are that wee may haue to liue and to giue I meane to liue decently and commendably according to our places prouiding also so much as in vs is that our wiues children and others belonging to vs whom the Apostle calleth g 1. Tim. 5. 8. our owne may doe the like after vs prouing rather helpfull then chargeable to any if it be the will of God and to bee able to giue also to all pious and charitable vses for maintenance of Church and Common-wealth and reliefe of our needie brethren especially those of the houshold of faith Which prouision of meanes both to liue and giue reacheth to all euen to the poorest swaines that liue vpon the face of the earth h Ephes 4. 28. Let him that stole steale no more but rather let him labour working with his hands the thing that is good that hee may haue to GIVE to him that needeth And this is indeed not to lay vp treasures vpon earth for our selues when knowing our selues to be but Stewards entrusted with our Masters goods wee so labour in our callings with all our might to get them that being gotten we make it our chiefe studie and care about worldly things thus to imploy them altogether according to his mind The words vpon earth moth canker and theeues containe reasons against this sinne and those of great force For concerning the subiect or place the earth is it not monstrous that men should once dreame to finde any piece of their happinesse and contentment by laying vp treasures vpon earth Since Adam and Eue with all their posteritie then in their loynes were cast out of Paradise to inhabit this earth as a place of exile and banishment yea of perpetuall penance since also the curse of God lyeth vpon the whole earth for the sinne of man and shall lye vpon it vntill the time of the restoring of all things What blindnesse is it then to imagine that by any skill wee shall bee able to fetch blessednesse out of this earth which the Lord hath cursed though a man could gaine tho whole world to himselfe Againe for the adioyned corruption casualty by moths canker theeues is it not more then monstrous that men should goe about to make that the matter of their glory and felicitie which should serue to humble them and to raise vp their mindes to the expectation of the new heauens and earth wherein shall be righteousnesse glorie and stabilitie What can a man looke vpon in this world that carrieth not a brand of his sinne and of the curse adioyned yea that carrieth not a sword or whip in the hand as it were to punish him for sinning against his Creator waiting onely for his becke to strike and it striketh If these worldly riches could speake they would euen cry out as i Act. 14. Paul and Barnabas did in another case O men why doe you these things Why doe you commit idolatrie with vs by placing your delight and confidence in vs Why doe you trouble your selues so much to heape and hoord vs vp as if any part of your felicitie lay in vs why doe you fall together
indeed blessed euen such as naturall men iudge of all other to be most wretched and miserable whom he describeth together with their blessednesse Cap. 5. vers 3. to 13. First by their preparation to the kingdome of heauen and so to true blessednesse They are poore in spirit they mourne they hunger and thirst after righteousnesse Secondly by their inward disposition they are meeke mercifull pure in heart peace-makers Thirdly by their outward condition they are so farre from ciuill and worldly happinesse that they are forced to vndergoe many manifold crosses eue◠for their righteousnesse sake To take these things in order as they are layed before vs in the p Verse 3. text first hee pronounceth them blessed what frailties or calamities soeuer they labour vnder who are poore not so much in purse as in spirit being of a broken and contrite heart trembling at the word of God whose displeasure they feare not with seruile but reuerentiall feare aboue all dreadfull things and whose mercy through CHRIST IESVS they make their onely refuge disclaiming all affiance in themselues or any creature And being conscious of their owne wants and weaknesses they are much more vile in their owne eyes then they are or can be in other folkes as wee see plainely q Luke 18. 13. in the poore Publican The very heathen receiued 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 know thy selfe as a diuine oracle and layed it downe as the foundation of true wisdome and happinesse as our Lord and Master here doth In the second place Verse 4. hee pronounceth them blessed not who are at ease in Zion and liue deliciously but that mourne not a thousandth part so much for their afflictions and miseries though they bee sensible of them and bewaile them also as very bitter fruits of that bitter root of sinne but as S. Iames teacheth r Iames 4. 9 10. they are afflicted sorrow and weepe they turne their carnall laughter into mourning and ioy into heauinesse casting downe themselues for their sinnes before the Lord In which respect they grieue at the heart that they can grieue no more This godly sorrow for sinne wheresoeuer it reigneth causeth repentance vnto saluation not to be repented of as was said before and therefore cannot but make him or her blessed in whom it is found what sorrow or anguish soeuer they meete withall in this present world for this word of Christ must stand for euer Blessed are they that mourne Onely let our study and care be rightly to discerne this godly sorrow from the counterfeit In godly sorrow the mourning is for sinne as it is sin and offence against the diuine Maiestie and not for by-respects as feare of punishment shame of the world losses and crosses Againe it is ioyned with hope of pardon and full purpose of an intire reformation It is also exercised not onely about our owne sinnes and euils but with ſ 2. Pet. 2. 7. 8. iust Lot and those holy mourners Ezech. 9. it maketh vs to be vexed in our soules by hearing and seeing the vnlawfull deedes of others And finally wheresoeuer it is there cannot but bee exceeding sorrow for the t Amos 6. 6. affliction of Ioseph that is of the people of God In the third place Verse 5. they are pronounced blessed not who are treafe and teachie◠irefull and snappish rendring euill for euill nor the rigorous exacters of their owne right but the meeke who haue learned in their greatest distresses and wrongs to submit themselues vnder the mightie hand of God as did patient u Job 1. 21. 22. and 2. 10. Iob in all the malicious most hostile incursions both of the deuill and vngodly men and x 2. Sam. 16. Dauid in Shimeis most bitter cursing and other villanous abuses of him so in all cases of the like nature to beare and quietly to passe by whatsoeuer iniuries of the aduersaries much more the frailties of their brethren and sisters in Christ giuing soft answers so much as may be making the best construction of euery thing and when need is forgoing their right Abram y Gen. 13. 9. like to buy peace good will Finally not to be ouercome of euill but to ouercome euill with their goodnesse This is to become followers of him who z Isai 53. was brought as a sheepe to the slaughter and as a sheepe before the shearer is dumbe so opened hee not his mouth who when he was reuiled reuiled not againe when he suffered he threatned not but committed it to him who iudgeth righteously and in the meane season not only prayed but dyed for the transgressors This is indeed to a Rom. 8. 14. be led by the doue-like spirit of God and to approue our selues to bee the sonnes of God Verily the Lambe whereunto CHRIST IESVS is resembled and the Doue wherevnto the Holy Ghost is resembled beeing Emblemes of meeknesse as wee know are the Coate or Cognizance for euery true Christian to bee knowne by in his spirituall warfare In the fourth place they are pronounced blessed not who are Gold-thirstie or full with the wind of ciuillo Pharisaicall righteousnesse or with the swill of worldly pleasures and delights but which hunger and thirst after righteousnesse desiring most vehemently and eagerly for hunger will breake through stone-walls further knowledge apprehension and sence of their most happy restoring to the fauour and image of GOD by the bloud and spirit of CHRIST IESVS That they may be able with the holy Apostle out of their owne experience to glory and say b Gal. 2. 19 20. I by the Law meaning the morall Law especially being accused condemned and driuen to CHRIST IESVS am dead to the Law am vnder the malediction and condemnation of it no longer that I might liue vnto God through his Sonne CHRIST by whom I haue now receiued the attonement and his holy Spirit withall I am crucified with CHRIST by vertue of mine vnion with him by Faith which inestimable benefit was sealed vp in my Baptisme I partake the sweet fruit of his Death and Passion as verily as if I had satisfied for my sinnes in mine owne person Neuerthelesse I liue spiritually which before mine effectuall calling to the knowledge of the Gospell was spiritually dead yet not I as of or in my selfe but CHRIST liueth in me by his Spirit assuring my spirit of the forgiuenesse of all my sinnes and moreouer quickening me vnto all righteousnesse and the life which I now liue in the flesh while I am in this present World I liue by the faith of the Sonne of GOD whereby to mine vnspeakable comfort whatsoeuer Law of Rebellion I find in my members I rest perswaded that hee hath loued mee his poore creature being by nature now wholy depraued the child of wrath and by life without measure abominable Yea euen when I stood in this damnable and desperate estate hee c 2. Cor. 5. 21. gaue himselfe for me to become sinne and d